The Art Park, Hygienic Style . . .

We say goodbye to another summer at the incredible and inimitable Hygienic Art Park . . .

. . . where all the magic happens . . .

. . . especially when I co-bartend with this one.

Tamara is *the* best . . .

. . . and so are my other co-bartendy friends.

The Hygienic is a jewel and a gem and magic and special and important and lovely and fun and just so stinking cool . . . 

. . . and Saturday night's Petty Palooza was off the charts. The Rivergods crushed it.


 It's been like that all summer . . .

. . . one great show after another . . .

Thanks to our fearless leaders . . .

photo cred: Vinnie Scarano

. . . and their fun-loving side-kick . . .

. . . and our fearsome volunteers . . .

. . . and our adorable customers . . .

. . . and to the one and only Whaling City.

Meet you back outside at the Art Park in the Spring.

Double Digits

Remember this kid?

Of course you do.

Well, now she's this kid:

The double-digit kid.

And she still invites us to her parties.

She threw her annual party on a summery summer day in late September and all the rest of us could do was throw high-fives at eachother . . .

High Five . . . ?

Anybody . . . ?

There you go, Tommy . . .

. . . and there you go Dawnie!

Poor Rachel was home puking so I stood in as Auntie Extraordinaire which is my goal in life anyway so it worked out beautifully . ..

. . . well, except maybe not for Rachel.

But look at this kid . . . 

Can you stand it?

The kid loves the water . . . 

. . . and loves to roam . . .

. . . and we do look good together . . .

. . . and I did kind of save his life . . .

(don't worry, Rachel. He was fine. Really. Totally. Nothing to worry about.)

It was a wonderful, perfect day and we were so happy to be a part of it all.

Oh wait. I forgot to tell you. Other people were there, too . . .

. . . like Little Ms. Millie.

photo cred: Dave A.

And Eva and Ledgie.

photo cred: dunno

And loads of other fun-loving friends and family.

But honestly? Other people have their own photos. We pretend auntie extraordinaires only have eyes for our pretend nephews . . .

. . . and our illustrious hosts and birthday girls.

Thanks, you guys.  You're the best and we love you like crazy.

Happy Double Digits, Ms. G.

Now get out there and show 'em how it's done.

The Right Now

It's that time of year. The time of year of the gigantor yellow flowers.

They rock the depths of September yellowflowertude.

I mean, they are Just. So. Cool.

But so is the rest of the garden.

And this past weekend was Connecticut Maritime Fest which meant America's Tall Ship, the Barque Eagle, was in port, and we boarded it to eat chowder . . .

. . . and to look at the ropes, er, lines.

And I brought my wine aboard. Because pinot grigio goes perfectly with chowder.

Speaking of wine! Our favorite mobile bar and bartender were in town.

And he's not the worst photog either.

But then we went back to the Field. Right where we belong.

Yesterday was a summer sunshiney day and we celebrated our bike ride with bubbly and after our bike-mate Bruce bailed on us we were entirely in the moment and just enjoyed the gift of it. The sun and the yellow flowers and our Field and our peeps and the Right Here . . .

. . . and the Right Now.

And the Yellow Flowers.

The Vaca

The thing about Vaca? . . .

. . . is that you're on Vaca. That is the very best thing about Vaca. You can be anywhere, doing anything, but you are out there. On Vaca.

We started by camping.

Well, we started by camping in our backyard. As discussed.

Hey, you've got to make sure your tent works.

It works.

And then we spent approximately one million hours at all the beaches along the Rhode Island Coast.

That worked too.

And then we checked in to our favorite beach hotel and YES those are the same flowers.

Thank you, darling Jennie. In honor of Mumsie. Eight-Thehrty-Thehrty.

And then it was Birthday Eve . . .

. . . and then it was Birthday . . .

. . . oh, more birthday.

. . . and then the sun set in the most spectacular manner in the history of the universe, just to celebrate me.

It was really ever so spectacular.

We have many more zillions of photos on the camera, but I can't get up because I'm still on vacation.

You're welcome.

And now we're home and trying to decompose and my vacation brain is confused by the lack of the constant sound of the ocean . . .

It was wonderful and magical and inspiring and restorative, and I miss it . . . 

. . . but the flowers made it home.