Dinner at the Art Cliff Diner

During the two weeks we spend at the beach each summer, we eat dinner out maybe a handful of times. Part of that decision is based upon practicalities - kids, expense, day drinking and driving, but the fact that we've been disappointed with pricy meals in restaurants with menus that attempt to satisfy adults and … Continue reading Dinner at the Art Cliff Diner

10 things I will miss about our island vacation house

The view, complete with hummingbirds, of the private deck from my bed. The stained glass window hanging in the floor to ceiling window in the living room. An enormous fish sculpture suspended from the ceiling beams. The perfect outdoor light fixture! Melodic notes from the biggest wind chimes I've ever seen. A sink side compost … Continue reading 10 things I will miss about our island vacation house

A rich summer vs. summer enrichment

For those of you with school age children - what are your summers like?  Are they a time to explore new interests, further develop skills and pad college applications?  Are your children busy with summer jobs or camps?  Maybe they're already tackling their summer reading lists to get a jump on things for fall.  All … Continue reading A rich summer vs. summer enrichment

Time and $$ or Why I don’t fly out of Albany

My third-grader came home from school a few weeks back with a math project assignment.  My His task was to consider and solve a "real world” math problem.  We decided to use his math skills to create a budget for our summer trip to Florida, figuring out travel expenses, which parks to visit and where … Continue reading Time and $$ or Why I don’t fly out of Albany

The evolution of the girlfriend getaway

It started with a couple of stolen hours.  We'd pick a date that worked for all of us, crossing our fingers for no last-minute work emergencies, sick children or childcare cop outs.  Our rendezvous destination was generally somewhere in the middle - north for them, south for me. On the given day, as I put … Continue reading The evolution of the girlfriend getaway