Halloween Tailgating

We have a long driveway, about a quarter of a mile.  And for years, few people would make the trek down.  So we have adopted a mini-tradition.

We fill the car up with local apple cider donuts, cider, candy and the dog.   We drive up to the top of the driveway, and open the back.  Within a few minutes, friends and neighbors gather around.  We pass out food and drink, see the costumes, and catch up.

We do it early, as a pre-Trick or Treating family activity, so not to cut into the door-to-door time of the kids on a mission.  It has a low-key, tailgating feel, and each year seems to get bigger.

Happy Halloween!

Ralph Lauren's Best Campaign

In 1988, Ralph Lauren ran my favorite of his campaigns in The New York Times Magazine. The clothes,  the models chosen, even many of the hair styles (more than the lifestyle depicted) were so right. Here are some images I scanned in from my tattered copy.

My J. McLaughlin Favorites, Fall/Winter 2011

My fall and winter schedule has been filling up with meetings and events in New York that fall somewhere between khakis and boat shoes on the dock and formal fundraisers at the Hayden Planetarium. So I recently went to J.McLaughlin’s with a couple of specific goals in mind.

Pants were a priority as I have had a terrifically difficult time finding ones that fit, flatter and that are comfortable, as well as a notch (or two) up from my usual khakis.  I also needed a holiday cocktail party ensemble.

While I had known their downtown store for slightly over twenty years, their new Westport Store is so much more accessible. And, oh yes, parking!

It is hard to believe this building was transformed from a car-wash.  

Before getting down to business, I checked out the Men's collections.

Festive Socks

A Little Taxidermy 

The first thing that caught my eye was the Palomino Cardigan in the Off White.  Made of Italian Merino Wool it was as soft as it was thick.  And it was truly comfortable.

Then I tried on the Stockbridge Stretch Corduroys in Oyster.  These are made of 97% Cotton with 3% spandex.

I didn't want to take the sweater off.

I like a little stretch in any less casual pants.  It makes moving in them easier, as well as finding a more flattering fit.  These had a 31 inch inseam which was perfect for me.

The Stockbridge Stretch Corduroys in Oyster 

Then I discovered the Palomino Cardigan also came in Camel.  It was hard to say which I like more.




The next pants I tried were the Slim Fit Bi-Stretch Dixie in Cape Hatteras Sand.   And again, the fit was exactly what I was looking for.   The J. McLaughlin sizing was consistent across styles and both had a flattering silhouette.  They are slim-legged, not the low-waisted, wide-legged, boot-cut styles which have been everywhere.

The Slim-Fit Dixies are somewhat less dressy, as you can see here with the back pockets.

These also came in corduroy, which too fit great.  Here, the 14-wale in Taupe.

Next, I had to find something for a specific holiday cocktail party.   As it will be in the city in the evening,  I turned to Black.  I found the Stockbridge Stretch Corduroys.   That was easy.

A somewhat simple white blouse was supposed to be next.  But I got distracted by this Blue and White Gingham Whitney Blouse.  I was just so taken by the colors and patterns.

The ladies at J. McLaughlin were right - I needed a size smaller.

This Whitney Blouse in White would be a good layering piece.

But the final cocktail party flourish came when I tried on this Kara Print Quilted Vest, with its equestrian vibe.   It was certainly more vibrant than anything I normally wear,  but I was feeling bold.

Kara Print Quilted GTH Vest

My cocktail party ensemble was complete. My goals had been met (although the right shoes will come later). I was also able to see everything here in less than 45 minutes, thanks to Jodi's acumen and good humor, which I also really appreciated.

Cottages and Boats - Closing for the Season

This is my favorite time of year (I don’t like hot weather). Temperatures and dew points drop.  The crispness of the fall air and the palette of the leaves seem to perfectly frame so many wonderful locations. There is also an energy for both work and play after the dog days of August, and increasingly September, that makes activities almost effortless.  

Yet, it can also be melancholy. This is when many cottages and boats are put away for the season. It is the inexorable arrival of the expiration date that has been stamped on every summer venue. 

With experience on the Maine coast, a New Hampshire lake and the Vineyard, it is interesting to note that despite the difference in the tone of the properties, the “end of the season” feeling is remarkably similar.

Saying Good-bye...

...to things we will miss during winter.

Perhaps even more so than with birthdays, there is some taking of stock.  How many summer ambitions were realized? How many goals were planned but put off, until time slipped away? There is even the uncomfortable realization that many of the best moments of the season came out of sheer luck – a great day trip, for example, that happened only because several random factors lined up.

And for many who are older during the time of closing, the stakes are higher.  There is the often unspoken “Will I still be here in the spring to open?” Or will close friends?  Regardless of our age, we run through, almost zoetropically, moments of past summers and friends who shared them, and then race forward into the unknown.  How will we be different next time we are here?

Here my great-grandfather on the right at his cottage on the Connecticut shore.

But sentiment aside, there is always work to be done. There are refrigerators to be emptied and outdoor furniture to be put away.

Some things go in; some stay out.

In some cases, there are docks to be pulled out, as with YWP.   In general, the tasks are not quite as laborious as they were several generations back (when, for example, there were 20 inch pipes going to the lake to be taken out). Nevertheless, the shutters still have to be padlocked and water, drained.

Sheets go, quilts remain.

This is also the time to plan for next summer. Painters, brush-clearers, and carpenters are lined up for spring.  (An early commitment insures that the work will be done; demand will soar as next summer looms)

Making Arrangements for the Winter and Next Spring

Sometimes a small rock is quickly grabbed as a remembrance.

Then there is the actual act of driving away. This can take several attempts, for there is always “one last look at the view” before you all actually head out, combined with making sure every window is really shut (although catching the ferry does not afford one such capriciousness, as reservations are a sacred contract). Every milestone on the trip is painted with the same macabre “last of the season” brush.

From our archives: A Vineyard beach...

This is also true for the sailing season, providing of course, that the boat is not going south for the winter.



At the boat yard not only was this the very last day of launch service, but we were the very last launch pick-up. 

Schooner - An Extra Passenger

We reminisced while putting things away.  Tasks were done, first quickly and then increasingly slowly.

The launch driver was more than patient, waiting while we all lingered just a few minutes more for a last chore, bite, or story...

...and then a few minutes after that. 

It was getting dark. Newport and the Newport Bridge were lighting up. It could not be put off any longer. There were trains back to NYC to be caught.

He generously gave us a “victory lap”.

So another season concluded for all of us. But the sad feelings always fade away as plans for the next season start to take shape on the ride to the train. 

On one hand, I sometimes feel as if we live our entire lives every day. On the other, we have the opportunity to get wiser and live better. Each tick of the metronome - each hour, day, season, year, and yes, generation - reminds us of the sublime substance of time.