The L.L. Bean French Sailor Shirt Turtleneck and My Weekly Trip to the Library

I realize the distribution models of media are forever transforming.  Some Kindle content can now be lent by libraries enabled by next generation DRM. MP3 and other format audio books can also be taken out of a library from any Internet connection.  Meanwhile Netflix and Quickster are in the news with price hikes and new business models and structures.  Blockbuster's brick and mortar presence has bankrupted it, so it is playing me-too with not only Netflix but also Redbox.  Amazon and Apple are making inroads.  And now cable companies are considering usage caps to protect their own cable and video-on-demand interests. 

And I don't care.

Every week I take a lunch break and go to my local library.  Here, I get some new shows and old favorites.  And that technology and model suits me just fine. 


The walk from the car to the library is always pleasing, as I can pass by some lovely buildings. 



I enjoy the walking-scale of many coastal New England towns.


The walk, while not as efficient as video streaming, does allow me the chance to run into friends.



I also like the various town greens and statues.

Returning Foyle's War

And my video fare is not exactly the summer box office tent poles.  Rather, I am convinced that the fact that I sleep so soundly each night can be attributed to the BBC British Dramas we watch in the evening. 


(And, oh yes, I love the fact that libraries are free.)

I have no problem watching shows over and over again.  Of course, if a new Lewis, Sherlock, or Downton Abbey is available, so much the better.

Today, I used my Eliza B. (appropriately named) Brit Bag and Allez flats.

Another favorite is Monarch of the Glen, and although my clans are Scott and Grant, I can easily lose myself in all things Scottish and Clan MacDonald.

Many nights of deep sleep are enabled here.

My favorite episode of any drama may just be Midsomer Murder's "A Worm in the Bud."   I can endlessly soak in every detail, from the charming family of the kennel master, to the sheer volume of tattersall shirts onscreen, to the child-size versions of the Barbour waxed-cotton jackets and duffel coats.  This one I think I may have to purchase.


I also wore L.L. Bean's new French Sailor Shirt Turtleneck today.   I first bought one of these in 2003, and have been waiting for them to offer it again.  And they did. Mostly.  

The fabric, as well as the two best color options (Navy with Cream and Cream with Navy), are the same, but the neck on the new one is an inch and a half taller.  This is less desirable as it is less comfortable standing up, yet does not look as good folded down.  I also had to size up as today's Large has the same chest measurement at the Medium from 2003. Still, it is a solid garment, and I bought one in both color combinations.

On top, the 2003 version in Medium.

And today, upon arriving home, I found a extra pleasant surprise.  Waiting in my mailbox was a thoughtful gift from my Round Pond friend and neighbor - and the book came from The Granite Hall Store.

A L.L. Bean Boat and Tote cookie and some cocoa to wash it down.

I know one can "gift" electronic books in this new economy. But I don't want to give up the old way, at least for a while longer.

The Textures and Colors of Fall Clothes

From Our Upstairs Closet

Any twinge of sadness at letting go of summer is balanced by the joy of embracing fall.  While the illusion of carefree Ivy League students shuffling through a dusting of leaves en route to the football game arm-in-arm with a cadre of wisecracking but sincere chums may be the stuff of advertisements (real students are never carefree, and any jaunt out is accompanied by both a hyper self-consciousness and a hobbling guilt at not tackling imminently due assignments), nevertheless the reference textures and colors can be legitimately wonderful.

Our Downstairs Closet

Shore Crew

Picking Up Our Passenger at the Train Station

 It has been a busy week with business travel. But today we were shore crew.  We were tasked with picking up some groceries and a passenger.

Delivering Him to the Boat

Storm Trysail Club, not for lightweights!

Here, veteran racers and Sail Magazine 20-year Contributing Editor talk shop.

Fall Sweaters...

...Abound.

Finding the Last Passenger

Friends Shoving Off

Our Job is Done

Finally a Good Kelly Green from Patagonia

Patagonia's Men's Retro-X Cardigan

 I have long been a fan of Patagonia, vastly preferring it to The North Face, which I don't like at all. Patagonia has retained its soul.  My greatest compliment of Patagonia as a company is that I will buy their clothes for my family, even if the colors are a little off.  This has been necessary over the years as their colors and combinations (such as the use of black here) have often been far from ideal.

So it is satisfying for me to finally see a great Green.  And they even paired it with Navy Blue.

There are two caveats, however.  First, they do use a subtle trim ribbon that is hardly noticable, but not the best shade of green as it somewhat clashes.  Second, this color combination is only available in the Men's Retro-X Cardigan.  The cut is a bit bulkier.  But with our first frost, I will be bulking up anyway with sweaters.

Black and White Photographs from My Father's Portfolio

We have many of my father's photographs around our house.  Here are a few more.

A Life-Long Family Friend and Author

One of My Childhood Pets

Coastal Village Living

Rare Access to the Dressing Room in a Certain New York Club, 1967

A New England Agricultural Fair

Coastal Trees and Rocks

Don't try this at home.

My Father (A Self-Portrait)

(Birdseye) Sweater Weather

Our Birdseye Sweaters

Being preppy is not about race, gender, geography, or socio-economic status.  It is about an ineffable combination of attributes, beliefs, and aesthetics, hinted at on these pages and others.

But as I have been asked by a few to come up with a quiz "are you preppy," perhaps I can do it in one question:

Look at this picture.  Does it:
     A) Excite you? (Preppy tendencies)
     B) Invoke a gag reflex? (Normal)

As I have been swapping out our summer clothes for fall I noticed that,  over the last few decades, I have often leaned towards birdseye sweater purchases. While the default is Navy with White, I also appreciate some of the variations.  L.L. Bean has been the single biggest source of course, but I have also bought some favorites from Hanna Andersson.

It is hard to find a good birdseye sweaters lately, a market vaccuum that hopefully will be filled in the next year or so.  Until then, I am happy I stocked up, and am enjoying greatly the advent of <a = "bronx accent">sweater weather</a>.

Mystic Seaport and Noank, Connecticut

I hadn't been to Mystic Seaport since I was quite little, and although it is a bit touristy,  I still enjoyed some of the architecture.   As with Old Sturbridge Village, my own enthusiasm for the place as a suggested destination is tepid.  Unlike with Old Sturbridge Village, however, one can enjoy Mystic Seaport almost completely without leaving a boat, which suits me.

Whaleship Charles W. Morgan undergoing repairs.

The ship-to-ship, dog-to-dog network was in fine working order, albeit low baud.

This bridge had been out of commission for days when the power was off, trapping some beautiful boats.

A Little Housekeeping

After a bit of waiting for both bridges, we headed over to Noank.

Noank, Connecticut is in my opinion even prettier seen by sea than by land.

There was not a lot of visual storm damage overall, but there were some dramatic examples.

Sadly, Abbott's was closed due to a lack of power, as was Costello's next door.

 

This is just the right scale for me.

Fishers Island in the Background

The last of the available ice, melting quickly.