Maine: A Novel

 I was so looking forward to this book, and saved it for most of the summer, but after reading it I have to say that I didn't love it. It had all the elements I like--family saga, strong women, summer home on the coast--but it never really pulled me in.  The story covers three generations of the Kelleher family, and is told through the voices of four characters: Alice,  the crabby old matriarch (with a tragic past, of course, that we learn about in pieces) and who owns the property in Maine; Kathleen, the estranged daughter who runs a worm farm in California with her hippie boyfriend; Maggie,  the granddaughter who is a writer in New York and who has just broken up with her loser boyfriend (and finds out she is pregnant); and Ann Marie, the daughter-in-law who tries to keep the peace in the family and is weirdly obsessed with dollhouses. There are some side line characters, another sister, Clare,  a brother Pat, and a Catholic priest. We get glimpses into the earlier, happier times they spent at the Maine house as a family, but most of the book is about the characters' unhappiness and anger with their lives and with each other. You never get the feeling that anyone really likes each other. In fact, their summer arrangement is that each family takes a month to use the beach house--Kathleen gets June, Pat gets July, and Clare gets August, and they rarely overlap.  I kept thinking about Olive Kitteridge for some reason (which also takes place in Maine), and Alice is no Olive. Olive was abrasive and crabby, but there was a heart underneath her crust, and I never felt that with Alice. 

What I found most disappointig was that there was no feeling of Maine in the book. Sure the house is there, but you never get a feel for the locale--the ocean, the rocks, the seafood, the weather, nothing like that. It could have taken place anywhere, it is just a house and not a happy one. In fact we never even get to Maine until the last quarter of the book. And finally, underlying all the issues and family dysfunction is the question everyone is wondering,  who is going to inherit the house in Maine?

It's readable, but be prepared for a whiny cast of characters.

Happy Birthday Julia!

I know, this is seeming like the birthday blog, but someone I know would be pretty upset if she wasn't the star of the blog today. Happy Birthday to my sweet girl.

Happy Birthday Mom and Tom

I love this picture of my mom and Evie in the summer of 2007. Mom was about to turn 90 and all she wanted to do that summer was get out to Chautauqua and take a swim. We were all worried about her getting in that cold water in early summer, but she was determined and she did it. And boy did she enjoy it!

And here's a picture of Biff, too, since today is his birthday too!

Labor Day

Now doesn't he look cute?

Well, it's officially the end of summer. Back to school tomorrow in Virginia. I have to admit I don't miss the back to school thing when I see the young mothers in Target buying back to school supplies. The library will be so quiet tomorrow!  I worked on Saturday and it's always funny how busy we are, with kids coming in looking for their summer reading books which I guess they are thinking they are going to read before Tuesday. Saturday night we went to see The Help, which I liked a lot. I think I may have liked it more than the book, which is unusual, usually it's the other way around.

What a boring picture, but what a nice clean deck!

Then yesterday we cleaned our deck. These Trex decks seem to have a problem with mildew, but Olympic Deck Cleaner is a-maaazing. That took most of the morning and then I worked in the gardens for awhile, deadheading, pruning, the usuals. I like how some plants start to rejuvenate a little in the fall. I'm sure it's the cooler weather, maybe the little bit shorter days...In the afternoon, I drove out to Jill's house in Bristow to take Halle a gift from Evie. It was nice to see Jill and Drew and the girls--they have had a busy summer but the girls seem excited about starting school tomorrow, and are happy about their teachers. After leaving, I then stopped at the big, new (to me) Merrifield Garden Center in Gainesville--wow, it is amazing. It has to be 10 times as big as the one I go to in Fairfax.  I will be going back there. They even sell Virginia wines there. I bet it will be great at Christmas time.

Loving those gazing globes...

Doors of Chautauqua

I am kind of obsessed with painted front doors and so here are a few of my favorites from our walk in the Institute at Chautauqua this week.

Forgetfulness

As someone who works in a library and is often called upon to recommend books to patrons and friends--- and who also runs a book group--trying to remember all the books I read has become a real challenge. I even keep track of all the books I read with annotations to help me remember the plot, the characters, whether I liked it or not.  I used to think it was so funny that my mom re-read books that she had already read, but I am beginning to understand why. This poem really hits home for me.

Forgetfulness

by Billy Collins

The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
which suddenly becomes one you have never read,
never even heard of,

as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor
decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,
to a little fishing village where there are no phones.

Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye
and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,
and even now as you memorize the order of the planets,

something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember,
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,
not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

It has floated away down a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall,
well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those
who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.

No wonder you rise in the middle of the night
to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war.
No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted
out of a love poem that you used to know by heart

Home Again

Linda, Ellen, Tom

We left Chautauqua around 9:30 and had a long ride home, through central Pennsylvania and then down to Virginia.  Arrived home around 5. We had a great time the past few days, as always. Tom had asked Linda and I to bring any old family pictures we had, so we spent some time looking through those and then Tom scanned the ones he wanted. I came home inspired to organize all my pictures, we'll see how that goes!

Evie's garden

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning

Sunrise, Tuesday

It's a blogging convention here this morning, with Biff and I blogging together on our laptops and sharing tips. It looks like another beautiful day, maybe a bit warmer. Breakfast is almost ready, scrambled eggs and bacon, melon and peaches again, and Biff's bread, toasted. Why are the peaches here so delicious?  Sounds like we are making a trip this morning to Wegmans and liquor store, for jelly and booze, what else, then to Bemus for a walk.

At Long Point

We took a long walk at Long Point Park, out to the point and back, through the woods, it was so peaceful and quiet out there. We then stopped in Bemus to look at Skillman's (store we like) and then Tom wanted us to see The Art Loft, a little artsy store they like, right past the Institute on 394. Then home again for lunch and a lazy afternoon on the dock. Heaven!

Chautauqua peaches

The Sibs

Making a manhattan

Tom and Evie

Thanks Tom and Ev for another wonderful visit to Chautauqua. We have been coming to Chautauqua for 30 years now! The first summer we went Brooks was 3 months old and we have pictures of him sitting in his little chair out on the lawn. A visit to Chautauqua is always a highlight of our summer. Mom and Dad loved it there, and would be so happy that we all get together here for a few days. We even played Telefunky, in Mom's memory.

Family Together

The day started out with a typical Evie breakfast of blueberry pancakes, melon and peaches, coffee cake. Evie makes the best breakfasts here--scrambled egg baskets are my favorite! (But honestly, they are all favorites.) Paul left around 10 and we were sorry to see him go, as he is a great guy and fun to be around. Then Linda and Rich arrived and we had lunch outside, hot dogs and black bean soup, leftover moussaka. It is a beautiful day today, a little cool for swimming, but great to be out in the sunshine. We spent the afternoon on the dock, reading and talking, then played beanbags late afternoon. Took another booze cruise around the lake.  Evie had made that layered sundried tomato and pesto terrine and we took that with us and it was delish! Then we had rotisserie turkey from The Lighthouse for dinner, along with mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, even had pumpkin pie!

Biff relaxing

Getting ready to cruise

Walt and Rich

Me and Linda

Rich, Walt,  Linda, Tom, Evie

Evie and Rich

After dinner we sat around talking and laughing, looking at lots of old pictures.  No dancing tonight, but maybe tomorrow! Another wonderful day at Chautauqua.

We're Here!

We arrived at Chautauqua yesterday around 4:30 and Paul Storey, Tom's teammate and friend from O.U. basketball, arrived shortly after. It was a cool day, but sunny and the water was calm so we took a booze cruise around the lake before dinner. Evie made moussaka for dinner, with fresh corn, salad, and Tom's bread. Peach/blueberry cobbler for dessert. So great to be here!

Biff cruising

Sunday we took a long walk around the Institute, listened to the choir and church service in the Amphitheatre, admired the houses and gardens on the grounds. It was really windy by the lake and cool, it really felt like a fall day. Beautiful flowers everywhere. One thing I love about Chautauqua is that people put huge bouquets of gladiolas on their front porches. So colorful and cheerful.

Atheneum Hotel

Private garden, Chautauqua

Love the Teacup Garden

Loved this made from old gear and rebar

Garden in Chautauqua

We played some bean bag in the afternoon, then went to the Lenhart Hotel at Bemus Point for drinks on the front porch, and burgers at the See Zurh. A great day.

Walt, Biff, Evie, Paul

Tomorrow Paul leaves, and Linda and Rich arrive. It's supposed to be a beautiful day, so we will get in some lake time.

Sunset at Bemus Point

The Calm Before the Storm

Well Hurricane Irene is all the news right now. Several friends at the beach this week have been evacuated, the MLK monument dedication has been delayed, emergency instructions are being relayed every 5 minutes, the east coast is all abuzz. The local news people have sure had an exciting week, first with the earthquake on Tuesday, now with the hurricane. We are leaving tomorrow for Chautauqua for a few days, so hopefully will miss the storm. Linda and Rich will come on Monday, so we will have a few days with all of us together. Walt pulled a muscle in his leg yesterday while running, so he probably won't be doing any running at Bemus Point this year.

I have to work today, then home to pack and make Mrs. Snavely's coffee cake to take to the lake. I guess I won't have to water the gardens before we go! We can't wait to get to Chautauqua and see Biff and Evie!

Old Gardens

NoNo's Garden, 1930s

This is the garden in Euclid where my parents got married on August 7, 1937.  It was NoNo's (mom's aunt) garden on E. 201, right on Lake Erie (that's the lake in the background), in the same neighborhood where Mom grew up, where Linda and Rich live, and where all their kids and grandkids live too.  Aunt Peggy gave me this colorized photograph of the garden a few years ago. I have found several similiar colorized photos of gardens in antique shops and flea markets over the years and have them framed in my downstairs bathroom, and she thought I would like this one. My nephew Patrick told me that the people who live in NoNo's house now are going to rehab the gardens, isn't that great?

Mom in garden, 1930s

And as I was looking through other old photos I found this one of my mom when she was a girl, standing in her tennis outfit (see the tennis racquet?) in the very same garden! Same birdbath, same arbor.  How cool is that?

Mom and Peggy, 1920s

And because I can't stop with the old photos, here is a favorite of mine of Mom (on the left) and Aunt Peggy down on the beach. I love thinking how this is the very same beach where so many of my nieces' and nephews' kids swim and play all summer long.

My First Earthquake

Well that was an interesting day (yesterday). I was at home getting ready to go to work, when I heard the glasses in the cabinet start rattling, and the knives on the knife rack start shaking. There was this low, increasing rumble that sounded like the house was going to explode and I was truly scared to death. I didn't even think about an earthquake--I thought it was a gas explosion or later a plane crash. Of course terrorism is always in the back of your mind, too. I did open the doors and go outside, but it was so quiet outside that it convinced me it was something wrong in our house.

I would guess it lasted about 30 to 45 seconds. After it stopped I started to wonder if I had imagined it, and how would I try to explain it to Walt? I peeked in the basement to see if the furnace had exploded (it hadn't) and then I decided it must have been a plane flying really, really low. I was very relieved when I happened to look on CNN and see that an earthquake had hit Virginia.

After checking around the house to look for any damage (none visible), I left for work and traffic on Route 7 was terrible, as lots of people were leaving work to go home. I got to Tysons around 4 and the library had been evacuated for about an hour. Many ceiling tiles had fallen down, some parts of the lights that hang high in the library had fallen down, and lots and lots of books and audio tapes had fallen from the shelves. A mess.

Walt's office building in D.C. was evacuated and he left early--around 3--and did not get home until 6 because the trains were running slow to make sure the tracks weren't damaged, and so many people left early that train after train was packed.

I know that people on the west coast are laughing at the reaction on the east coast, but it really was a frightening experience for someone who never even thought to worry about an earthquake.

A Beautiful Morning

August 23

What a change! It was in the 50s when I went for a walk this morning and I actually had to wear a sweatshirt. So many people were walking this morning, enjoying the cooler weather. I saw so many crape myrtles--I just don't know why we have never planted one, as they are so pretty for the second half of the summer. House just went up for sale in our neighborhood--don't they know Herndon is the 34th best place to live in the nation?? I work today and tonight, so here are a few pictures from this morning in the garden.

My neighbor's crape myrtle--why don't I have one?

Deer have been here

Knockout Rose