I love my town – and I have a virtual canvas tote bag, over there to the right, to prove it. Nyack has great restaurants, lots of nice shops, a view of the Hudson River, and scads of beautiful hiking trails surrounding it. All this, and it’s a short drive […]
Characters, in order of appearance: 1. Innocent, Unsuspecting Home Owner a.k.a. IUHO (pronounced eww-ho) 2. Attacker ACT I IUHO innocently goes through the piles of junk mail that have accumulated on what she and her husband call their “bistro table,” which is taller than most tables, attached to the wall, […]
The arrival of spring means that a lot of beautiful things are about to bloom. It also means that some not-so-beautiful things are about to arrive as well… I’m talking about every lawn’s enemy: weeds. We have have a cringe-worthy abundance of these, but I’ve figured out how to make […]
First of all, I just want to offer a general thank you. We are flattered that you consider our humble lawn worthy of your refuse. We knew, when we bought a house on a relatively busy street, that we would deal with some traffic and a bit of noise, but […]
Things around here were looking so hopeful last week. Spring was beginning to do its thing and with impeccable style. This was epitomized by the lone crocus that popped up in the rock path that we put down at the side of our house last summer: I was impressed by […]
The summer after I graduated from college, I went to Ireland with two girlfriends. We rented a flat in Galway for three months and, from there, traveled all around. It was an excellent and hilarious trip, mostly because because Cara and Marisa were a lot of fun. Whenever St. Paddy’s […]
Rejoice! There’s a new way to waste time on the internet! Pinterest. If you haven’t heard of it yet, you have obviously been sleeping under a rock. (And I mean no disrespect by this – a rock can be a perfectly cozy and peaceful shelter.) Pinterest is a virtual bulletin […]
To the lone crocus that just poked up through the rock path by the side of our house: Are you a bit early for the party? Will your friends be meeting you here? Regarding The Hunger Games, which I discovered to be an addictive page-turner: Is the fact that so […]
Please join me in celebrating salt, pepper, and the shakers that contain them. Who is invited: Six lucky guests who also appreciate these tasty condiments and sprinkle them excessively onto foods that probably don’t need them (of course, you’ll never know whether these foods need more flavoring or not, since […]
Dear Guinness Book of World Records, I am writing to tell you about our Monstera Leaf a.k.a. Monstera deliciosa. We keep these around the house for decorative purposes – I like how they bring in a tropical vibe. And I appreciate how they have a long life expectancy – they […]
To: Fitted Sheet From: Jocelyn Okay, I think you know why I am writing: Because you continue to be difficult, unreasonable, and completely uncooperative. Contrary to your previous claims that I have quote “anger issues,” I have asked nicely on several occasions for you to be more of a team […]
Here is what I’m listening to right now. It nicely captures the vibe of The Home Tome: it’s about having fun and appreciating our loved ones. It’s called “Home” by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Take a listen…(you tube wouldn’t let me fully embed the video, so just click […]
If I turn my face toward the sun and close my eyes, I see red. When I go back to my native Wisconsin, I see lots of barns that are red. If I get a paper cut while sorting the mail, the liquid that oozes out of my finger is, […]
I recently wrote about one of my favorite roads in this area, the Palisades Parkway, and did not mention one of my favorite parts of it: the 9W Market, right off exit 4, in Palisades, NY. This was on purpose because I knew I wanted to do a whole post […]
I don’t know what compelled me to buy these “moss” pebbles at the dollar store. It might have had something to do with the fact that they cost…a dollar. And I seem to have some sort of fixation with artificial things lately (i.e. fake flowers, fake comments…) I like moss. […]
Here is what Rob said when he spotted this billboard in the city last weekend. (He saw it first.) “Uh oh.” He knew that he’d have to pull over (he did) and that I’d want to take several photos (I did) and that there would be quite a bit of […]
It wasn’t until living in Nyack that I had the pleasure of driving on the Palisades Parkway. This 38 mile stretch leads north from the George Washington Bridge in NYC, through part of New Jersey, and back into New York through Rockland and Orange Counties, up to the Bear Mountain […]
Our friend Michael recently organized a poetry night here in Nyack. About 25 of us (or more?) got together and ate delicious soups, made by Michael from the Staff Meals from Chanterelle cookbook. Then, we all shared a poem that we love. I appreciate when Michael hosts these events because […]
