Guernsey on My Mind

Spent the weekend swimming, sunning, riding bikes, playing catch and basketball, buying English vines/sea grasses/Black-eyed Susans, having dinner/drinks at the neighbors’ house, going to 5:00 p.m. hangover mass at St. Louis (sorry mom!) and reading. It was all so much better than the angst-riddled week that I allowed myself to wallow in last week. And the sermon that Father Kevin gave was just what I needed: a gentle reminder that God does, indeed, provide.

I also devoured The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society so quickly that I started re-reading it the moment I finished. It was such a great little book that I didn't want it to end. Ever! The backdrop of the story is that of a London-based writer who inadvertently begins to correspond with a number of Guernsey islanders post WWII German occupation. While the book is written as a compilation of letters, they are written so sweetly and with such charm and personality, that I fell in love not only with all of the characters but also with the island itself.

Having lived briefly on Guernsey's sister island, Jersey, I could visualize the landscape well. And now I am craving a visit. I miss the beach, the dunes, the farms, the narrow roads, the beautiful Jersey cows, the sweet little shops in St. Helier, and my wild and wonderful girlfriend Gail. At $900 RT, however, I'm going to have to make do with daydreaming and waiting for the inevitable movie to come out.

So please, please, please do not let the Hollywood powers that be make it into a bland movie with Kate Winslet and Colin Firth. While they might do in a predictable pinch, I'm begging for a captivating lead actress with charisma and spirit. I want to be whisked away. With that said, maybe I can win the sweepstakes (or you can and bring me!*). Please enter! And, by all means, read the book so we have something to chat about on the plane.

Oh and check out this site. GORGEOUS.



*OMG: I just noticed that the sweeps is not open to residents of NYS. Noooooooooooo! Someone please win for me. Please!

When September Ends

Whenever this time of year rolls around, I want to make a big change in my life. I’m guessing it comes from years of going back to school in September after a glorious summer off. My body, my psyche, is conditioned to change. The trip to FL, albeit brief, satiated my hunger slightly. And the fact that the sun is pouring in my window right now helps curb my need to move on.

But, the truth is, I have wanderlust. I was born with it. My godmother, who was my father’s sister, was a world traveler in the era when it was much more expensive to travel than it is today. And my maternal grandmother picked up and traveled to Europe as a young nurse which was then unheard of in her family. Neither of these women came from money; they just had traveling souls. I definitely inherited that gene from both sides.

In direct contrast to my desire to pick up and move all the time, I want to put down roots everywhere. Experience everything. And I’m not just talking about my desire to travel to Thailand or learn to surf in Costa Rica. I’m talking about living in every cute neighborhood in Rochester or tiny town in the countryside. It drives my mother crazy.

“You want to live everywhere you go.”

I want to watch my husband thrive in the Austin music scene. I want to breathe in the crisp Maine air every morning. I want to wake up and swim in the warm FL ocean waters. I want to live in an old home, with architectural integrity, on Park Ave. in Rochester and walk to local restaurants. I want to live on Gramercy Park and sit on a park bench in the afternoon and read. I want summers in Quogue. Or the south of France. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

But, for now, my kids are happy and surrounded by friends and my hubby is playing with a number of fun, local bands. So I have to remind myself that I actually have roots here and enjoy the evening chill as we sit around the fire pit drinking wine with our neighbors.