Lovely Leuca

After three nights in Polignano, it was time for our next stop - Santa Maria di Leuca. This seaside town is at the very bottom of Italy’s heel and attracted my attention with its location which is precisely where the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet. For future reference - any place which offers the chance … Continue reading Lovely Leuca

Art (of) Mexican

Last Sunday, my fella and I road tripped south to Beacon’s Dia modern art museum. To be completely truthful our destination was completely secondary to the fact that we were seeking a good midway point between Albany and Long Island City. You see, one of my 41 paternal first cousins was in town from Ireland … Continue reading Art (of) Mexican

Legendary mac and cheese

I hosted a friend recently for an overnight stay. Her long anticipated trip abroad had been cancelled and I invited her to spend a night in Albany, in place of her former itinerary of Amsterdam, Dublin and Edinburg. There were aspects I could add to our planned shared time which might provide experiences reminiscent of … Continue reading Legendary mac and cheese

(Cauli)Flower Power

As a child, you would have been hard pressed to get me to eat cauliflower - especially with that funky mustard sauce my mother would put on it. It looked like brains to me and, obviously, I had enough of those already. But, as you might have predicted, that changed as I got older and … Continue reading (Cauli)Flower Power

Food stamps for my 15 year old

Despite having read this article only 10 days or so prior, when my son received an envelope in the mail from the government at the end of September, I never imagined it would contain a plastic EBT card worth $420. The money was to compensate him for having missed out on his school lunches between … Continue reading Food stamps for my 15 year old

Packing for the beach

Our pond For the past four summers I’ve rented the same vacation house in Wellfleet. It is a place that must be experienced to be understood. I know, that sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? But, this comfortable and compact house, which sits on a gloriously private piece of property only accessible by the most rutted dirt … Continue reading Packing for the beach

Troy Night Out – for breakfast

Wasn’t last evening lovely? The breeze, the sunset, the deliciousness of air on bare skin...lovely, I say! It was the perfect early summer night to meet a friend in Troy, grab a bite to eat, and take a walk and catch up. Parking was surprisingly easy, (I think I finally understand Troy!) within a few … Continue reading Troy Night Out – for breakfast