Thoughts, experiences and adventures from a resident of DelSo aka Delaware Avenue South in Albany, N.Y.
As the end of my two weeks on the Cape approached, I found myself feeling sentimental about this very special place. This particular house, in the woods of Wellfleet, is my ideal version of a summer vacation property with its three floors (each with its own bedroom and bath) stacked on top of one another … Continue reading Lessons learned from an old dog
In what feels like the blink of an eye, the ten years of my 50s have flown past and I’m facing the dawn of a new decade. That was fast. Replacing that 5 with a 6 will probably take a little getting used to, at least in a literal sense. Mentally and emotionally, though, I’ve … Continue reading Reflecting on my 50s – some feats, foibles, fails and facts.
For most of my life, Labor Day has separated summer freedom and 10 months of being at school. As the days began to dawn later, often with more crispness, and end earlier, the inevitable approach of the schedule to which I must abide grew louder and louder until it was impossible to ignore. School was … Continue reading Thoughts on Labor Day from a retired teacher
I’m back home again after my repeat pet/housesit in Northampton to share some favorites from this year’s stay. I repeated a couple of spots from 2025, but made an effort to expand my horizons and tried some new things in addition to revisiting some places. There’s a lot to do in the Northampton area, so … Continue reading Pioneer Valley Peaks
I often complain that I hate owning a house because of the unpredictable responsibilities that come with a 115 year-old property. I imagine the freedom I’d feel without the constant worrying about the correct prioritizing of maintenance and improvements and try to decide where else I might live… But, for now (and the last 30+ … Continue reading Leaving the nest
The title of this post comes from the way I misremembered the title of an essay in Rebecca Solnit’s book No Straight Road Takes You There. For the record, the actual title of the short work is “On Not Meeting Nazis Halfway.” Similar things, negotiating and meeting halfway, n’est pas? Now, I haven’t yet read … Continue reading Upon not negotiating with Nazis
In 1996, I was settling into the home we had recently purchased, preparing to start a new permanent professional position and getting ready to start a family. Having all three of those major life milestones occur within a six month window of time, reflectively, seems crazy but, at the time, I was completely unfazed to … Continue reading Declaring (personal) independence
