"Standing By Peaceful Waters"

This pretty little book was published in 1973. I picked it up and put it back a few times over the years in the Cape Cod gift shop--I can't remember if it was at the National Seashore Visitor Center or the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. I've known their book inventories pretty well, with all that compounded vacation time to browse by peaceful waters. The colorful illustrated cover and the title called out to me, even if I never in my life make Beach Plum Jelly. I finally bought the soft cover one year and just rediscovered it on the bookshelves in my home office. 

With quiet time alone this week, I've been reading it. Wonderful work by Elizabeth Post Mirel (who had three young children at the time, including a baby) with graceful illustrations by Betty Fraser. I do want the kind of calm where I make a pocket of time to read Plum Crazy, because it evokes a place and a passion. Our long-time Cape Cod friends Rite and Bob picked beach plums. I don't know if I ever learned to recognize the fruit until now, but there may be some nearby here in Connecticut.

Sis flew to the Southwest (New Mexico) to travel with her Peace Corps friend and family and called on me to dog-sit her enchanting pup, Galena, for more than a week. I walk that girly at least three times a day, and never sleep past 8, because she doesn't.

I'm loving it. Sis still gets The New York Times paper edition delivered daily. I sat on the sofa drinking in the Sunday Styles section. I met my friend/magazine colleague Mary Kate, who lives nearby, for a lovely catch-up breakfast in Cos Cob (part of Greenwich). I went to Mass in Stamford, and then asked Google to find the nearest Whole Foods, so ended up in high-end Darien midday Sunday, where I felt like a fish out of moneyed water. Two striking blonde women (not together) wore little immaculate white pleated tennis skirts, in perfect contrast to their golden tans. They were coming from or going to the courts. Eyewear was on trend, as were baby carriers and the handsome young dads wearing them for weekend duty. Some branded local products (cacao pudding and whipped bath scrub) were tempting but both went the way of beautiful Ice Cream Tulip bulbs, named for their double ice-cream-cone like blooms, but over my budget. The children, for the most part, seemed well-mannered. The place was packed. Though the store was mostly stocked with the same products our Montclair Whole Foods carries, I felt an imbalance, shall we say, which I never feel in my diverse hometown.

Behold luscious Ice Cream Tulips. I want to add some to our spring garden. 

You can also find Strawberry Ice Cream Tulips (red) 

and Banana Ice Cream Tulips (yellow). 

If I revisit Darien Whole Foods, I will buy a bag of bulbs.

Galena and I have been marina-gazing here in Shippan Point, turning our faces to the birds flying over the harbor and crossing paths with baby deer and other dogs (Pluto, Milo, Bo, etc.). We went to a small beach and walked out on the fishing pier, which has evenly spaced holes in the railings to rest poles while prepping bait or waiting for a bite.

When we go out back on the short boardwalk path by tall feathery grass and a snow egret, Galena and I stop by the plaque that commemorates the trade between two chiefs of Onax Tribe No. 41, International Order of Red Men, and a white British captain in 1640 and memorialized for the city of Stamford in 1916. The original owners swapped this beauty for some coats, glasses, knives, kettles, wampum and a few other things. Read more about that here (excellent report by Chase Wright).

Harbors are calm, harbors are good, whether our paths are charted or uncharted. Which brings me to these beautiful lyrics from "Lake Marie," by John Prine, released in 1995:

We were standing

Standing by peaceful waters

Standing by peaceful waters.....

SPOKEN: Many years ago along the Illinois-Wisconsin Border

There was this Indian tribe

They found two babies in the woods

White babies

One of them was named Elizabeth

She was the fairer of the two

While the smaller and more fragile one was named Marie

Having never seen white girls before

And living on the two lakes known as the Twin Lakes

They named the larger and more beautiful Lake, Lake Elizabeth

And thus the smaller lake that was hidden from the highway

Became known forever as Lake Marie...

Onward now...

Correction: When I wrote this post on the fourth floor of the Shops at Hudson Yards in NYC yesterday, I put the wrong date for the tribal trade. It was 1640, not 1612. The plaque commemorates the original July 1, 1640 sale by American Indian Chiefs Ponus and Wascussue to British Capt. Nathaniel Turner, an agent for the New Haven Colony.

"Toyota Universe" and #Onceinabluemoon

Image from and info at https://starwalk.space/fr/news/full-blue-moon*.

Hi from the Toyota service center on Route 46 East in Little Falls, New Jersey.

I'm happy to be here for a noon appointment on a summer Wednesday because

A. It's our first free maintenance check and oil change (under warranty) on the preowned (formerly leased only) RAV4 we bought this spring. It feels good to take care of yourself and of your car. This is fun, especially when the service, with 21-point check, is already paid for, though of course you get ripped off with inflated interest rates and bloated warranty protection charges, etc. when you sign the contract. Next time, if and when there is a next time, I will be far more present and careful. Dan and I did our best. I am grateful for our car.

B. I'm in a workspace away from home, hooray, sitting at a cubicle with a big desktop computer. Not seeing dustballs on carpet, dishes to wash, faded orange echinacea to deadhead in the garden, never mind my laptop and notepads of interview notes, stories I want to pitch. It's just the service area holding room, but it takes me back to all the offices I worked in--at clean desks with other people committed to a common, branded purpose. In this case, it's Toyota technicians and service advisors (shoutout to my man Luis) and of course, the cashier, but I might as well be back at the Twin-Boro News, The Daily Targum at Rutgers, The Nation summer internship. Woman's Day, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, Cigar Aficionado or Strategic Communications, my last NYC staff job. Or the Hot Chocolate Sparrow on Cape Cod or Joyist, the fabulous smoothie place that thrived in Montclair before the pandemic shuttered it. I loved working on my Rose Gold laptop there, while the Joyist pros buzzed up healthy "Natalie" pink drinks and peanut-butter fueled "Lukes," salads and bowls in that sleek, modern space. All of us--we were industrious and working for a greater cause, witnesses to one another's efficiency and effort. That's what you lose when you work alone at home.

Nissan has free Danishes, a fellow Toyota owner said to several of us near the free coffee machine. (No pastries or bagels there at noon, just vending machines.) We all like to convene and kibitz with other people.

I've been organizing my sunroom office for over a month now. I've filled seven grocery totes or more with books I needed, wanted, loved and in many cases never even cracked open. Pricey cookbooks, including one all about making jam, a double I bought of a Giada fresh Italian bible, an extra Michael Pollan copy. I removed a small bookcase from my sunroom office to make space. That's how many books I have released. I've been unearthing beautiful wood shelves and polishing them with my little bottle of luxury Diptyque leather and wood lotion, featured in my assignment for Good Housekeeping, 10 Best Furniture Polishes of 2024, Tested by Cleaning Experts. Anything French and chic is a win in my book.

SURPRISE NEW ENGLAND LOBSTER ROLL AND SUMMER BLUE MOON!!!!!

Sis told me Sunday about the blue moon coming Monday. It doesn't look blue, just perfectly full, bright, textured and seen. Memorable. Craters, storybook dimensions. So clear and close, you wish to pluck it from the sky.

So Monday at 5 p.m., I drove to Connecticut (usually one-hour drive but took 1 hr. 20 minutes due to rush hour and downpours) to see the #onceinabluemoon Supermoon with her. It was stupendous. 

I can see little blue men up there, Sis joked, pausing to look through her binoculars while we walked her dog, Galena. 

Add to that a lobster roll that rivals the best I ever had, maybe 30 years ago in Kennebunkport, Maine with Dan pre-kids or the one we loved at McLoon's Lobster Shack with Spice/Spike more recently. This roll was a special at Tomato Tomato, a pizza/Italian restaurant right down the street from Sis in Stamford. Big, succulent "local" lobster pieces. Melted butter for dipping. Toasted, charred, buttered bun with perfect grill marks. It was an appetizer, and cost $25, but it was ample. Sis treated. I only paid a little. 

And the dazzling Democratic National Convention in Chicago!!!!!!! Michelle and Barack Obama. JFK's grandson, Jack Schlossberg (newly minted contributer to Vogue). Oprah. Nancy Pelosi. President Bill Clinton. Young poet Amanda Gorman. So much. So much hope.

Good night.

*

*In French from that site: 

Qu'est-ce qu'une Lune bleue ?

L'origine du nom est encore incertaine. Il est utilisé depuis longtemps ; certains le font remonter à 400 ans, lorsque cela signifiait quelque chose qui ne pouvait jamais se produire (d'où l'expression anglaise "once in a Blue Moon").

Une Lune bleue peut être saisonnière et calendaire. Examinons de plus près chaque définition.

translated from French: 

What is a Blue Moon?

The origin of the name is still uncertain. It has been used for a long time; some date it back 400 years, when it meant something that could never happen (hence the English expression "once in a Blue Moon").

A Blue Moon can be seasonal and calendar. Let's take a closer look at each definition.

Fashion Fun: Meeting Hadley Pollet

Hadley Pollet and me. Note my new large navy makeup bag, 

which I had been eyeing on the website. It matches my denim dress.

In 2007, Dan and I did group training sessions to be foster parents, in our quest to add a second baby permanently to our family (hello, Punch in lavender fleece onesie, though a year later, your living situation would change and be on a long pause for years, years that affected hearts and souls). 

Our classes were taught by a mother-daughter pair, two pretty blondes from a nice pocket of New Jersey.

When I'm a student, I spend a lot of time studying my teacher's outfits. What else is there to look at in a state-mandated class? Back in high school, I studied my English teacher's nude pantyhose and ladylike heels, a male teacher's tweed blazers and gum-soled shoes. My college professors in Women's Studies varied, from scary well-known feminist (scary as in brisk and unfriendly, wearing business attire) to hippie from New York City, with long flowing hair and chunky, arty jewelry. 

The daughter in this mother-daughter pair of foster parenting teachers had a belt I loved. She was slim and wore it with her blue jeans. It had a tortoise tone buckle. I complimented her on it one week and then another. Finally, she said, "It's expensive, but you have to remember it's reversible, so it's like getting two belts for the price." I got a bee in my bonnet. I love feminine, and retro feminine, accessories. The floral patterns were just so pretty. Beautiful art as eye candy. I wanted one. The teacher told me they were made by a young woman named Hadley Pollet, and I started internet sleuthing.

I ordered a belt from the website (my waist was smaller then, but I hope to get back to that beauty, can't now close the size XL); a makeup bag with ribbon trim; a size XL top with rows of pretty ribbon forming fluted cuffs; a ribbon headband; a leopard print clutch; and fell in love in person with a large pink travel tote with brown ribbon trim at Thread, a Montclair boutique. That tote went on every road trip with me and even plane trips, until Sis got me a carry-on with wheels, far more practical at an airport than a heavy shoulder tote. I still love that tote. Then, on sale in 2018 with free shipping, the Pink Flutter Top (XL). Take a look. It's that gorgeous ribbon on the hem that I could not resist. I looked at it, looked away, looked back again.

I wore the Flutter Top with an open pink cardigan sweater over it in 

Palm Beach. (Link to photo here.)

But now that it’s getting hot, I will experiment a little. That ribbon against the black!!!

Thursday night, Sis and I met Hadley Pollet at an evening wine and hors d'oeuvres event in Greenwich, Connecticut, where the designer debuted her home line (pillows, table linens, lovely, especially the former). We enjoyed passed nibbles at The Country Table: Pea soup shooters with chile oil; fried chicken bites with housemade ranch dressing; prosciutto-wrapped asparagus; and stacked, squared "grown-up grilled cheese." Each waitress had a lemon half on the serving tray, for guests to put the toothpicks in after use. 

It was eye-opening, the pops of color, the flowers spilling over, the well-dressed, toned women and men, the lustrous gold leather on some purses, the always alluring belts, especially a pink plaid floral that reminded me of a 1950s picnic dress.

Hadley was warm and friendly and fun. Sis left with a peek-a-boo clutch she purchased and I bought a large navy makeup bag, so crisp and pretty. The company is women-run and supports causes for women and girls.

A note about how it all began, according to the Hadley website:

Hadley’s original signature belt designs sprung from inspiration while at Rhode Island School of Design. Her unique style caught the eyes of many when she wore a belt made of vintage ribbon and a tortoise buckle to a birthday party in Boston where several people asked where she got her belt. And with the blink of an eye, she started her business and never looked back. Since then, her line has expanded into a lifestyle brand for high-spirited, powerful women.

And here's a notice from the NY Times in 2002.

I'm happy Sis and I went! Good night.

The abundant flowers.

A former Hadley employee with a ribbon belt 

tied to the shoulder strap of her dress.

Sis surveying the event. She enjoyed it.

Good night to you.

41 Minutes by the Blue

Life can be scary. Nature is healing.

Today I drove Sis’s car, with Sirius XM radio and good A.C., to Sherwood Island State Park, exit 18 off Route 95 North. It’s a little beyond Westport, Connecticut (the town where Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward raised their family).

I had to get the car back in time so Sis could go to spin class. Traffic was bad. I had 41 minutes at the beach, 4:19 p.m. until 5. 

It was enough. Nature in my heart, my soul, my pocket. I took off my Peds and Nikes, minced my steps over a dense carpet of whole and jagged seashells, and walked into the Long Island Sound--ankle-deep. 

Many gifts if eyes open to see them:

• A sailboat, crisp white wing against June sky.
• Seaweed. 
• Shells in hand, an oyster shell for Sis.
• The promise of summer in my heart. Joy, sand, sunscreen, water, waves. Always and forever.
• Walking the path, which climaxes by the quiet "living" 911 Memorial, designed to change naturally with the seasons. It’s a beautiful pocket by a rocky coast. 
• A few Wednesday sun umbrellas and small beach tents.
• Beach roses, pink and promising white. Just like Cape Cod! (Dan even planted a hot candy-pink one in our backyard.) We can’t pick flowers in public places, so I plucked a single pink petal and held it to my nose.
• White clover in green grass. I remember that in the lawns and parks of my girlhood. Wildflowers. How pretty. Flowers that grow wild, whether we want them or not. Determined blooms. Rugged.
• Quick prayer.
• Lungs filled.

I asked the nice guy at the snack bar if they had iced coffee. Not today, but they will, come summer.

I was back in time for Sis to get to spin class. #grateful

Good night.

Hello from Sis’s Living Room

Cozy, with Dan, Sis, Sugar--and butterscotch-tone Buttercup, pressed against my hip.

Peace for the moment.

We walked by the swaying cattails....over the narrow boardwalk by the marina...past Brennans By the Beach, a good little restaurant tucked in the Shippan neighborhood. (Sis and I once had steamed mussels there.)

Until tomorrow.

Good night. 

Drifted to Sleep, Forgot to Blog Last Night

Things I've loved about being here at Sis's in Stamford, CT:

• Buttercup at my side physically. Sis at my side figuratively. Both auburn-haired, kind and supportive.
• I was able to do the Zoom family meeting call [with experts, for better Punchy plan] from Sis's dining room table. In some cases, the pandemic works for us--in this case, Punch was  2 1/2 hours south in Jersey, at Mimi's; Dan was in Montclair; I was here; and three team members were in different places. I was happy to see my Dan and Punchy on screen. She was at the office with Mimi. Her screen went off briefly and when she came back on, she was wearing a paper mask. She makes me laugh.
• Our walk to the beach [Long Island Sound] yesterday.
• Rest.
• Watching "Father Brown" episode on PBS, about crime-solving Catholic priest. I had never seen it before.

I am going home today. Punch is coming home Tuesday. I do feel bad for Sis. She is an avid traveler, and Covid has cramped her style. She had hoped to travel to Portugal and Costa Rica this year, plus San Diego and other places....instead she has armchair travel with a visitor like me.

I hope to declutter and organize back home.

Enjoy your day.

Tuesday $ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

ZERO.

Monday in Greenwich

It was a hot and sunny 90 degrees by 10:30 this morning. Sis had a doctor's appt in Greenwich, and I roamed a little on the Avenue. But then I got two calls regarding Punchy and her program, so I had to address those until my phone died. Before that, I noticed beautiful stone flower urns at a restaurant with outdoor seating and passed Saint Mary Church, with a white Virgin Mary statue outside. Would like to go to Mass there one day.

I went in to Lilly Pulitzer--fresh and uplifting, as usual. Nice necklace, wrap dress, swimsuit. Also popped into: Vineyard Vines; a granola and smoothie shop; and Aux Délices, with its cabana-yellow and white striped bags [including the one around the loaf of French bread I bought] and high-end takeout foods.

TCOY

1. Ate healthy foods--organic strawberries; fresh kale and Swiss chard Sis grew in pots on her terrace; tomato; capers; olives; artichokes.
2. We walked Buttercup by the marina.
3. Took a nap when it rained this afternoon.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Aux Délices, fresh loaf of French bread and an iced coffee. The former was great but I'm picky about coffee and did not love the latter. $8.74.
• Vineyard Vines, turquoise sea turtles iPhone case [Punch broke my case], marked down from $45 to under $8, and really nice pair of socks for Dan, total $21.03. 

Total spent out of pocket: $29.77.

Ongoing monthly spend as of July 6: $608.76.

Avg daily spend: $101.46.

Finally Catch Up

What I love about taking a breather at my Sis's peaceful sanctuary in Connecticut is that I reset not just my battery but my TCOY meter. As in, I wielded my black Lancôme mascara wand today, and even applied a little sunscreen for the face before we went out to meet friends for brunch outdoors at a pretty golf course.

When Punch left w Mimi Thursday afternoon, Dan and I took deep sighs of relief. We love her so much but she makes it hard, pulling out all the stops and even doing things like removing her sweet school photo from Dan’s wallet and cutting it with scissors...I have to tell him to put in a new one.

I looked at us Thursday and could see Dan and me aging right before my eyes.

He made dinner and we watched a movie for a date night Friday. :)  We will have more time this week.

TCOY

1. Rereading one of Ruth Reichl's wonderful memoirs with recipes, plucked from Sis's cookbook shelves. [I gave it to her for a gift. We each have a copy.]
2. We walked Buttercup by the marina.
3. Good discussion over brunch, and good shrimp cocktail in honor of Sis's husband, Don. We raised a shrimp to the sky. He loved that appetizer.
4. We went to Whole Foods and bought healthy foods--chicken, grilled artichokes, good fresh cherries, organic strawberries, milk, dark chocolate, flatbread crackers, etc.
5. Iced my foot and propped it up--it had swelled up with an infection.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET--end of June

Ongoing monthly spend as of June 30: $3,259.22.

Avg daily spend: $112.39.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET--FOR JULY 1 THROUGH JULY 5

• Uber plus tip, ride to uptown Montclair to meet wonderful Sasha to write about her upcycled fashion business for a magazine assignment, $10.80.
• I was Ubering back home after CVS Minute Clinic last week, so I got a lot of groceries since I was getting a ride, including a large, good frozen Flatbread pizza; graham crackers; snacks, including veggie chips and Cheddar popcorn; pistachios; hummus; icy/hot cream for swelled foot; Reader's Digest; face cleanser; 2 half gallons of milk; 2 canisters organic raisins; and more, $113.
• Ubers to doctor and nutritionist appts and town and back, with tips, $9.80 + $13.29 + $12.63 + $10.33 + $16.27 + $11.48, so $73.80. [We don't have a car now.] Adds up.
• Pink Bungalow, gifts, Lilly Pulitzer cup, pads, clipboard, bday card, $109.72. [Nutritionist told me to get special notebook to track progress, and this store has Lilly! I went right after appt.]
• Cedar Beans Coffee in Cedar Grove, iced latte, two vegan biscotti, $2 tip, about $11.
• CVS, tube of sunscreen for face, snack for Figgy, mouthwash, two deodorants, with $3 coupon, $29.50.
• Williams-Sonoma, sale, $34.48.
• Treated Sis for brunch in CT with tip, $57.55.
• Chipped in for groceries w Sis at Whole Foods, $60.
• Vesta Chocolate, road-trip treats for Punch and Mimi [2-hour drive to Atlantic City], $14.92.
• Dark chocolate, low sugar, $22.23.
• Amazon, new Lilly Pulitzer notebooks and used copy of Shirley Jackson's book Life Among the Savages, about raising her four kids, $37.
• Hulu trial month subscription, $4.99, to watch "Shirley."

Total spend for 5 days: $578.99.

Ongoing monthly spend as of July 5: $578.99.

Avg daily spend: $115.80.

Another Good Day in Connecticut

I spoke to Punchy on the phone from South Jersey. She sounded good. And we saw a photo of her, cute French braids.

I wrote and submitted an article pitch. I had a call with therapist re P and spent an hour+--in a floral cotton mask made by my sister-in-law Martha in Maine--trolling the aisles solo at Fairway in Stamford. Sis and I walked Butter by the marina.

I was determined to stock up on healthy foods for a good head start when I return home on Friday. [Punchy comes back Sunday or Monday.]

I spent a lot of time and a lot of money building my healthful arsenal. My Sis has lots of healthful foods on hand, so that influenced me. My cart included:

• A pound of deli turkey.
• Two containers of lox ends.
• Big bag mozzarella [string cheese] portions.
• 3 oz. bar 88 percent very dark chocolate.
• Jar crunchy PB.
• Van's waffles.
• Canola oil spray to roast vegs.
• 2 packs fresh mushrooms.
• Jar roasted red peppers.
• Bag baby carrots.
• Romaine leaves for sandwiches.
• Big tomato.
• Fresh apricots!
• White nectarines.
• Bananas.
• Blackberries.
• Mangoes.
• 5 Hass avocados.
• Hazelnut coffee beans, 1 lb. plus.
• 1 fancy 4-ounce cheese to share as a dessert with Sis.
• Fancy flatbreads.
• Bread Alone sliced loaf.
• Ezekiel sesame seed buns.
• Low-sodium soy sauce.
• Horseradish dressing.
• Cottage cheese.
• Old-fashioned oats.
• 2 boxes lemon-spinach couscous.
• Chicken sausages.
• Quart plain kefir.
• 2 boxes Parmalat milk.
• 1 box unsweetened chocolate almond milk.
• Indulgence: Very fancy half-pound butter from Italy. I expect to taste the grass the cows ate and be transported to their farm.
• Small naan "dippers."
• Large container pitted dates.
• Broccoli slaw.
• Jar of garlic.
• Large baba ganoush.
• Dog food for Sug.
• Heart-shaped dog treats for Buttercup.
• Tofu for Fig.
• Sardines for Sis [inside sister joke].
• Citronella tea lights on final sale, for Sis and me.
• Murphy's Oil orange cleaning spray.

I am all stocked up and intend to destress our life pattern and my self-care when I return home, before Punch is back. I also got Sis what she had on her list, and am sharing some of my larder with her.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Fairway. Cashier gave me 6 percent senior discount w/o asking--saved $13.79. I did have on bright yellow top, skirt, silver sandals, good earrings, lengthening mascara, youthful lip gloss, and the last dab of that age-defying beauty cream sample. I don't think I looked like a senior. But I'm not complaining. $217.13.
• Gift with shipping, $53.
• Treated Sis to our Chinese food takeout, $39.74.

total daily spend: $309.87.

ongoing monthly spend as of June 3: $484.31.

avg daily spend: $161.44.

Keep an eye on/compare to previous months:

April 2020: Total monthly spend: $2,143.19.
Avg daily spend: $71.44.

March 2020--the effect of coronavirus quarantine and not working in NYC for now

Total monthly spend as of March 31: $1,916.15.

Avg daily spend: $61.81.

February 2020

Total monthly spend as of Feb. 29: $2,480.34.
Avg daily spend: $85.53.

TOTAL SPEND FOR MAY 2019: $2,348.24.

MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $75.75. 

TOTAL SPEND FOR APRIL 2019: $3,634.28.

APRIL AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $121.14.

Fish Tale

Sis and I were out on the swells from 4 to 8 pm with
Captain Bobby on Monday, June 1.
The weather was so pretty, it was like boating through a painting.
We left from Shippan Landing in Stamford, CT.

Sis, striped bass.

My sister is very can-do. I didn't want to
fish but they nudged me. Bobby set
it up and I reeled some in. He knows exactly where
to drop the chum or other bait. tambasscharters.com.

Have to catch up now with TCOY and $$. I've been overwhelmed w Punch behavior and then "busy" recharging my battery now that Punch is at Mimi's for about a week total, Sunday to Sunday.

TCOY

1. Long FaceTime appointment with nutritionist--she mapped out meal and snack suggestions and shared smart advice, such as eat on a 9-inch lunch plate instead of big dinner plate, so portions look bigger. Weigh and measure, have red meat no more than once or twice per week, etc.
2. Fishing with my Sis! Four hours on the water--even though the swells got big and rocked the boat.
3. Walk in arboretum w Sis and Diane. Peaceful nature.
4. Reading The Chiffon Trenches, memoir by fashion writer André Leon Talley. Love it.
5. Walking Butter w Sis, pretty marina views.
6. Good skin care. Sis gave me two tiny packet samples of Sunday Riley C.E.O. Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream and I liked it a lot. It could be because of Sis's bathroom light [more flattering than ours?], or the fact that I'm less stressed w a break from Punch and homeschooling or that I actually made time to wash my face and apply the stuff. But I have been neglecting self-care and I found the C.E.O. online with 10 percent discount code. The orange jar will arrive in Montclair soon, a self-care gift for my return. My code was OLIVELA. [The 20 percent code on the site excludes beauty.]
7. Rest.
8. Important reading, texting and phoning.
9. We had our fresh-caught fish tonight, plus corn on cob, green beans with almonds.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Thai food pickup with tip, $61.
• Toni's Kitchen donation to provide meals--in exchange for neighbor Trevor's delivery of a loaf of warm, homemade sourdough bread, $20. [He suggests a donation in any amount to feed the hungry.]
• Lip salve, $5.
• Instacart groceries, $31.35.
• CVS, special issue of Gone with the Wind magazine, organic milk, pistachios and more, $31.
• Saturday, May 30, Instacart, lox, cream cheese, bagel thins, and special foods for the virtual zoom baby shower for nephew Matt and wife Lauren in Colorado--organic strawberries, sushi for Fig and Punch, drinks, etc., $81.23.
• Gift plus wrap, $51.
• Sunday, May 31, sandwich, chips and iced coffee from Wawa, about the only thing open in Atlantic City, $8.65. I then drove 3 straight hours to Connecticut.

Ongoing monthly spend as of May 31: $2,790.34.
Avg daily spend: $90.01.

Still definitely high, shopping for comfort, to support small businesses and to avoid going to grocery stores--and also, stocking up on ingredients to make healthy meals. Plus, 10 percent tip for Instacart contact-free delivery to front stoop.

JUNE

• Tuesday, June 2, the beauty cream, free shipping, $62.38.
• Nielsen's Florist in Darien, CT., English lavender plant for Sis; two large, pretty flowering garden plants for home; hens and chicks in big, shallow clay pot; and gift for Figgy, $113.06. Sis and I shopped in masks and gloves.

Total spend June 2: $174.44.

Ongoing monthly spend as of June 2: same

Avg daily spend: $87.22.

Keep an eye on/compare to previous months:

April 2020: Total monthly spend: $2,143.19.
Avg daily spend: $71.44.

March 2020--the effect of coronavirus quarantine and not working in NYC for now

Total monthly spend as of March 31: $1,916.15.

Avg daily spend: $61.81.

February 2020

Total monthly spend as of Feb. 29: $2,480.34.
Avg daily spend: $85.53.

TOTAL SPEND FOR MAY 2019: $2,348.24.

MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $75.75. 

TOTAL SPEND FOR APRIL 2019: $3,634.28.

APRIL AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $121.14.