Gregory's Pond

One day I hope to live in a cottage in the country that looks out on this setting. 

Late Summer 2015

For the first time in over two decades we both got a chance to spend an extended period of time back home in Amsterdam, the place of our childhood. I don't know about you but I felt like I had landed smack dab in the middle of a Thomas Wolfe novel. Or maybe that should be Thomas Hardy...lol.  Either way, it was like rocketing back in time, meandering down a sweet, old Memory Lane. 

Some highlights for me: the perfect summery weather, the intoxicating smells of cut grass and wildflowers, early morning bike rides, picking berries, making cobblers and crisps, the Saratoga racetrack and casino, dinner and drinks with Polly (special thanks to Ina Garten), the  wildly delicious and sweet melons, the ubiquitous corn, the mouth-watering peaches, Min's pool, the barbecues, s'mores, Andy's lake house, bonfires at Bob's house, Russo's, the Fonda Fair, nighttime walks with flashlights, lying on blankets stargazing, fireflies, crickets and peepers, John's produce stand, Cappie's ice cream, the Auriesville Shrine, hanging out and getting reacquainted with family and friends and on and on and on.....

It would take multiple entries - which I hope to post sometime soon - to try and memorialize it all and do it justice. But for now, just a few random pics and shout outs to those very special people who made it all such an absolutely amazing time: Jodi, Mom, Bob, Tom, Min, Polly, Andy, Nancy and Bruce, Kathy, Debbie, Becky, Michael and Ilyasu, Andrea and Erik, Flo, Kim, Carol and Andy, Billy, Butchie and Linda, Karen and Mike.

What memories, what fun...WHAT A BLESSING !!! Hopefully more to come soon. And Jodi, you need to post too...no more thumb excuses! You've become quite the adept  southpaw so start typing and reveal your take away memories from our blissful late summer dream....

WAIT...WHAT???

 OK.... NOW GET OUTTA MY KITCHEN!

Cloudy...Moody...Elegiac...Perfect!

After a recent breakthrough in my "A Course In Miracles" work I decided to celebrate with a nice long, contemplative walk along the Pacific Ocean.  My mood was intense, roiling with all the permutations and combinations of fragmented thoughts and ideas exploding in my head because of this new breakthrough.  The weather was the perfect accomplice for my mood: equally intense, windy, overcast, a storm brewing out at sea.  Old Father Neptune was clearly in sync with my thoughts.  These eerie, inexplicable universal parallelisms keep cropping up, don't they?  

I know you know what I mean.  Coincidence?  Circumstance?  Chance?  Who the hell knows.  But it sure does make things extremely interesting.  Anyways, here's some pics from my walk along the ocean and through the dunes:

And a little pirate's booty from my walk, courtesy of Neptune:

And then, when I got back home, some refreshment after my long walk, courtesy of Dionysus:

SF Conservatory of Flowers - Paradise Found

The San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers is one of my favorite spots in the city. It's serene and contemplative and never really that crowded or overrun by crazy tourists poking everybody with their selfie sticks.  It's full of amazingly beautiful flowers and plants and fountains and lily pads and interesting old statues and stained glass. 

I was lucky enough today to have some extra time before an appointment nearby so I was able to duck in and take these snaps.  I even talked the ticket seller into giving me the Senior Discount....bought a pretzel and a lemonade with the savings!  Quite a good day all around. Enjoy!