Gin & Tonic...Pasta With Fresh Peas!

So here is what I think…not that you asked!  This has been one hot summer. Everything is wilted including yours truly.  My tomato plants are clinging to their stakes and producing nothing…my zucchini plants have given me blossoms, which I have happily stuffed with fresh ricotta and then happily stuffed into my mouth…but even they are giving up. So I say, invite someone over to dinner…sit under the twirling fan, eat well of what is fresh at the Farmers Market…maybe throw in a gin & tonic…now, tell me, is it possible to have a better evening?

Boston's North End

One hot day in early July, I went off to my favorite neighborhood in all of Boston!  I get my hair cut at a barber shop in the North End (Johnnie & Geno on Hanover Street)…I then wander the neighborhood, freshly shorn, pick up my olive oil at the Salumeria Italiana, maybe a bit of that aforementioned pasta, and  lastly over to Volle Nolle for the best ever sandwiches and salty chocolate chip cookies in the whole of the city!  Who cares if it is ninety degrees in the shade!

Another Sunday at Rowley

Sunday mornings in the winter are never this good…sure, there is the NY Times and the big pot of coffee and maybe a little snow and maybe the heat would be cranked up and maybe the auto parked at the curb out front is covered in snow and the sidewalk is in need of attention and the stairs are iced over…there is no Rowley and no roaming around in an open field and no green flies and no portable potties!  I’ll take summer any day!

Old Bike...Butt Not Included

The Wonders of Retail in an Open Field!

One reason I adore this place so much is for just this sort of thing…now, mind you, I didn’t buy bagfulls of the stuff for my own little store though it was tempting!  Just the fact that one can wander over to a table with such “good taste” items makes me smile!

Chic Footwear for Rowley's Open Fields

Rita Rose Does an Afternoon Nap

I have been just plain lazy about this blog this summer.  Forgive me!  Don’t forget…the store will be closed all of August and one week into September (I know just what you’re thinking…is she entitled or what!). I will be off on a road trip antiquing in upstate New York for a few days, then five days in New York City at the dreaded Javits Center for the Gift Show sussing out goods for you all to give others for the holidays, and then a little knee repair with a snip of some cranky knee part.  At this point, August will be nearly over, and I will wonder where it all went!  There will be books to read waiting for me next to the chaise lounge.  A couple pugs to snuggle with and BINGO…there goes time off!  One thing I did want to leave you with is something a client said yesterday…she is a poet and an artist…she said she believes we are all made up of water, sunlight and dreams.  I agree!

Odd Bits of Transfer Ware

These early Sunday morning departures are what summer is all about!  I load up the granny cart in the way-back of Big Jane and drive over to get the “boys” (Don and John) and we are off…it is barely 7 am, the three of us are blurry from too much Saturday night and in my case..not enough Saturday night!  We make a hasty stop at the Dunkin Donuts on Fresh Pond where they always get our drive-through order  incorrect, which is okay, it is coffee.  In today’s case it was iced!  We hit 93 North, each thinking of the “treasures” we are about to find sixty miles up the road!  We talk of fashion and how the two of them will change my image…given half a chance and a large bundle of money I could be quite current (or so they say).  Sometimes we talk about the perfect meal or the perfect shop. We talk about our parents (lovingly, of course).  Sometimes I talk about assorted marriages (mine and others!), and before you know it, we are pulling Big Jane into a dusty field.  It is then that we see amazing things leaving in the arms of earlier risers than ourselves…we wonder if there is anything left!  Silly us!  There is always plenty to lust after, to  barter for, to be inspired by.  I love June!  I love Rowley!  I love early morning adventures, and I love these two boys who, given half a chance, and a good plastic surgeon, could make me chic!

Rowley Footwear

Given the state of an open field, the number of  ticks per square inch, the heat of the day…I have to give this brave, wonderful soul an award!  We talked…she with her painted toes and tattoos  and tall heels and me in the practical tennies…about “what was she thinking…???”  She was on her way to church (by way of Phoenix, Arizona) and didn’t even “think” about a flea market!  She did say her shoes were French Market, and she never leaves home without them.   I love people’s stories and I loved her spirit!

A Favorite Corner of John's House

One very wet weekend when the whole of New England felt as if it were heading out to sea, my friend John invited me, my daughter Maren, her husband Nathan, the two grandkids Bae and Reeve plus the collection of pugs (Dino, Lulu and Moss) to his amazing and wonderful house in Provincetown.  It was the day after Wally’s death…my choice was to sit and sob at home or to wander off to P.Town with this delicious cast of characters and be caught up in great food, wonderful friends, lovely ambiance…do I need to tell you what I chose!

One of Many Cabinets in John's House

The whole of John’s place is akin to a Cabinet of Curiosity. Around each corner is something that surprises or delights.  The bedrooms with their peeled wallpaper, exposed raw plaster and furnishings of antiques make you want to stay forever.  I had the front bedroom on the second floor and from my bed, if I leaned in just the perfect way over to the left, I could see the beach and watch the waves whip over the hull of several small boats moored out there off shore.  The storm raged for three days…water collected in puddles the size of wading pools down Commercial Street.  We ate fine meals, played a game or two and read books by candlelight.

Front Parlor

Detail of a Favorite Stoneware Bowl

Bae with Lulu and Dino

Beech Forest Trail

Before the rain began in earnest, we went to the Beech Forest Trail which was a pure Mary Oliver experience.  Mary Oliver is  one of my all-time favorite poets; she lives in P.Town and has written of this trail and the surrounding dunes.  There were birds of all kinds in the bare trees, many of which swooped down and ate seeds from our open hands.  We saw a  small nuthatch, the plain titmouse and a number of chickadees with an occasional cardinal.  The sky was a threatening grey, the wind was just beginning to perk up but in our little corner of the path all was right with world.

A Day of Writing

Diane Hanna did it again!  That girl, in all her tulle and flounce, came to the store for two remarkable days of writing.  We filled the table with eager and fine writers; we filled the room with life stories!  Thank you to all of you who attend these workshops!  They would not be possible without you.  We will do it all again, for the fourth year, next February 2011!

Roseland Cottage circa 1864

The last Wednesday of February was not only a wet and windy one, it was also the day that had long been scheduled to head out of town for an adventure!  These road trips can’t be put off!  The Patch boys (Don and John) and I had cooked up a plan for what could only be expensive trouble.  We decided to travel to that little hidden corner of Connecticut called “The Quiet Corner.”  Oddly enough it isn’t all that far a journey from Boston.  The countryside is positively beautiful…even in a driving rain storm.  There are hills and fields and estates and lovely winter structures with  amazing old barns in their tumble- down state and ancient old and grand trees whose spines were quite naked and bone brown.  We went first to Putnam, the home of several antique shops.  Most were closed that day but one: a huge collective with some great treasure kept the three of us very happy for several hours!  I found nothing to buy and that is most unusual…the guys did just fine!  The whole of our time in the collective, the storm pelted the windows and streets.  Rain water rushed down the stone curbs joining forces with roadways…giving the whole of Putnam and our not so little antique shop the sense of an island!  Almost as if we had washed up there!

We loaded up Big Jane (my car) with their purchases and then headed into Pomfret for lunch at The Vanilla Bean.  Now that was utterly delicious…complete with a huge slice of German Chocolate Cake (served with 3 forks)….I hadn’t had a slice of that cake since my Aunt Bella who would have served a huge piece on a brown transferware plate and there would have been one fork!

On our way out of town, we passed through Woodstock, CT, and it is here that we came upon this coral pink “cottage.”  This was just plain jaw-dropping, breath-taking splendor.  What a gift for a wet, grey day, the last Wednesday in February!

A Booth on Pier 94

A Tad of Paris at the Javits

John Derian at Work!

John's Wall of Blue Decoupage

John Derian’s booth is always one of my favorites (as is John).  It is nearly impossible to resist his work, but then, why would any sane person want to! I bought several  pieces out of this  blue story for the store.  How I would have loved buying the whole group!  If only I had a bigger store!  John created some truly remarkable pieces for Spring.  They will be in soon and featured front and center once they arrive!

Paste

Denise Fiedler, the designer of Paste, is an old friend from early South End days in Boston. She has created Paste and lives now in San Francisco.  I bought the chair series and some dogs and several wilder animals…though, we all know nothing could be wilder than Pugs and I bought a few of those too!  I thought these would be good for kids’ rooms, and the chair series in one, two or threes would be terrific on a dining room wall.  These pieces are created from torn and cut papers culled from antique books and embellished with vintage gold bits.  Quite charming and very affordable!

Tatine Candle

Tatine was a favorite over the winter.  They have several new scents, which I loved and ordered, along with Creeping Moss, which sold out early last November.

I want to mention here that the PatchNYC booth was jaw-dropping as it usually is…I bought several pieces of Don Carney’s drawings in antique frames and two new needlepoints  in vintage frames…from these two genius men will also come new linen scarves. PatchNYC has also created a number of candle fragrances with the women at The Soap & Paper Factory.  These women are brilliant at fragrance, and the Patch men designed the packaging.  What a combination!

Coming to the store will be new and amazing books…odd titles, wonderous reads, nonsense and must haves!  I adore books… I find them hard to resist, and I assure you that you will too!  In the assortment of goods will be new soaps and lotions.  80 Acres has come up with a lavender scent for their hand cream and soap that will sooth the weary soul. Lavender is tricky…this one works!  I found a new group of greeting cards and journals I loved.  We will have more Lucky Fish for children…those little nippers deserve a chic cotton t-shirt  in the best ever sludge colors!  I could go on, but I won’t, I want you to have some surprises when you come into the store!

After Dinner at Freemans

One reason for trade shows, in my book, is the dining.  Not that you will find fine dining at the Javits Center!  Each evening it was a new feast with great friends…the youngest of which was just over two months old!  Lucien’s mother and grandmother own Bon in Tucson so each night he joined a rather fine group of diners in rather fine places to dine! If you haven’t had a chance to eat or drink at Freemans, make that a must when you’re in New York.  With Don and John from Patch, we ate at Bombay Talkie, which just might have the best ever cocktails in all of the Big Apple (that might be a bit of a stretch!), but for sure, it has the most delicious Indian food!  We also had a splendid meal at Cook Shop on Tenth Avenue.  So, now my passion for fine food, great friends and a wicked trade show is out in the world and public!  Sometimes I think I own the store just to do the food, friends and New York thing!

Christmas Eve by Candlelight

What a night!  I had so hoped to capture this evening but all photos were pathetic!  You must believe me when I tell you that, for a bit over an hour, I was surrounded by magic in this truly amazing sanctuary on Bedford Road in Lincoln, MA.  In this exquisite little church, lit only by candlelight, with its twelve over twelve windows, its creamy white walls, graceful altar, and pews which had small gates at each end, no center isle, and side ‘boxes’ with seats and these too had wee gates…the snow covering all but the walkways, the sky pitch black with the half wedge of a moon and the night filled with stars!  For a non church goer, this alone could convert me!  Add to that a choir and grand music and some readings that were relevant to the madness of this world…this was a perfect Christmas Eve!

The store ended its Holiday season nearly nude of goods and for that I am grateful!  For each of you who stopped by for the Port or some chocolates or a cookie or to visit or, lastly, to shop…to you I am grateful!  These weeks of December are long and delicious with visits and wrapping and chatter…I won’t even mention the pounds of cookies or bottles of Port we went through.  Tonight’s Candle Light service had a line in one of the opening hymns….’joy’s a gift you cannot buy.’  What I sell to you is the product.  What you give back to me is joy.  Thank you!

May you have a happy, healthy 2010

Truck stop!

Oasis, Dayton Nevada

Tin Cactus

While here in the East we marvel at our Fall color…I ventured West for a shot of reality, dry air, great Mexican food, and the big desert.  Nevada might be one of my most favorite strange and courageous places to spend time.  It is a no nonsense state!

Best Ever Mexican Food!

I kid you not, this place is worth a plane ride!   My daughter and I drove many miles, twice in five days, just to lay on a pound or two.  Virginia City is a must!

One of Many Road Side Memorials

I have a passion for obits and for memorials of all kinds.  For me, it is nearly impossible not to stop  the car, maybe say a silent prayer.  This memorial sits off the side of a narrow road, atop a hill.  Sagebrush and desert surround it.

Still Water Range...Fallon Nevada

Early Evening's Full Moon

The Trinity of Metal Grain Storage

This whole wonderful adventure could not have been possible without the grace of my daughter Andrea who lives smack dab in the middle of  country, down a dirt road, her house is surrounded by big old cotton wood trees and barbed wire fences, fields of corn, waiting to be cut, are tall and a faded yellow out her front door.  Andy and her dog Katie took me on the best ever five day spell of Western magic!

Pumpkins $1.00 Each!

These cheap beauties, pounds and pounds of them, on a farmers cart parked in the main little village of Rowley.

The Best Two For A Rowley Adventure

These two friends, Don and John, keep me on the straight and narrow at Todd’s Farm. Well, they try to anyway!

Treasures In The Granny Cart

In the cart is Our Lady of Fatima…soon to be Our Lady at 6 Birch Street.  Just could not leave her behind.

Ipswich Clambake

After Rowley…A Clam Roll At This Wonderful Place!

If you haven’t been to Todds Farm in Rowley MA…honey, you haven’t lived!  This is a nearly every, Sunday morning ritual…out of the house by 7AM, drive nearly 60 miles to the North Shore of Boston, for the best ever flea market!  Some Sundays are better than others. Even on the odd Sunday, this is a  worthy  adventure, if only for the open field and the Fall color at this time of year.  Take your granny cart, your best friends, a pocket of cash and head out!

View To Open Water From Beauport

September, at its very end, was warm, leaves turning…no time to stay put in the store!  Pam delightfully agreed to shop sit while I bolted to the North Shore.  Four days of great dining, book reading, long walks and a trip to Beauport, the historic Sleeper-McCann House out on the tip of Rocky Neck.  Can I just tell you, the place is jaw dropping!  Sadly I could not take photos inside Beauport…so, you must come to Gloucester and check it out for your self!

It was also Wally, my dear, elderly, pug’s last trip to the sea shore.  These days, with Wally, every event seems to be his last!  He did not take in Beauport but did stroll the beach and had a fine pee on his favorite spot of sand.

Squirrel Guarding The Wall of Beauport

Beauport Sleeper-McCann House

Come next Spring, when you find yourself in Gloucester and you have finished your tour of Beauport, you can dine at The Franklin Cape Ann or Duckworths Bistro….I can assure you either place will more than satisfy!

Cape Ann Museum

This wonderful, worn wooden Saint stood atop one of the Catholic churches in Gloucester.  She now resides, out of the weather, in the Cape Ann Museum.  One can only imagine the numbers of fishermen and their vessels she witnessed.  Part of the charm of Gloucester, aside from its fine restaurants, is the fact that it is a viable fishing community with an active art community…all that and the Beauport Sleeper-McCann House!  How could you ask for more!