The Daily Prep

Your Comments on Companies of Note in 2012

2012-02-14T08:41:00.008-05:00

Last year I posted this chart, on this entry.

It suggests that companies follow a journey, from the entrepreneurial crucible stage (on the left) to the all-but-dead company shell (on the right). It further plots where many companies are on this journey today.

Typically, purists shop from the vendors in the Crucible and Precious categories, for example. In contrast, as companies move into New Markets, they typically shed their demanding traditional customers for greater numbers of more capricious consumers.

I have received emails asking:

If I was going to update this chart for 2012, and also
If I would allow a time for comment before a final chart was posted.

So yes, I will update this chart (it has been a busy year and vendors have changed), and yes, if you want to comment on companies, please do. Please share if you believe:

A new company should be added to the chart, and where would you put it.
A company on the chart has moved to the left or right in the last 12 months. Let me know which company, to where, and even any thoughts of specific signs.

Feel free to use these numbers for placement, or just use the more colloquial"a little more the right".

Birding

2012-02-12T13:59:00.014-05:00

I have a thing for birds. It is difficult to fully explain how completely ingrained they have been in my life and my experiences in New England. This includes treks to Cape Ann, Massachusetts to see the snowy owls; to visiting puffins on Matinicus Rock and Eastern Egg Rock, Maine, to counting loon chicks on Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire.

Countless weekends in my childhood were spent birding. Even holidays have been defined by such activities as rising before dawn to partake in the annual Christmas Birds Count, and every New Years Eve calling barred owls and screech owls in the woods at midnight with one of the world's greatest ornithologists.

I love watching birds, from the visitors at the feeders in our yard...

...to those circling overhead in search of a meal.

Even the most common birds are beautiful.

As with the ocean, a scene with birds is always changing.

1. Hawk dives into our pachysandra...

2. Hawk flies off...

3. ...with a snake for its young.

And sometimes they even look a bit ominous.

A hawk eyes our chicks.

Birding takes one to some beautiful places.

One can see Ospreys and their nests from the roads, but I prefer being in their world (even on cold days), such as this inlet in Wiscasset.

Missing the Loons on Winnipesaukee, NH

Loons are in the salt water this time of year but when the warmer weather arrives they will be back and closely monitored by the volunteers at the Loon Center.

I even like birding gear.

I still use my father's Nikons from several decades ago. (I find scopes just a bit too heavy for most outings.)

My husband's old Gokey briefcase now carries our birding supplies.

I have never known a generation of my family that did not have a love of birds, even when that included hunting them.

My Father Grouse Shooting in Maine

I probably spent more time socializing with adults as a child birding than almost anywhere else.

Here, Birding with Naturalist Edwin Way Teale (left) and Yankee Magazine's Larry Willard (right).

My father took this photograph of his great friend, Dave Parsons, the taxidermist at Yale's Peabody Museum in New Haven, and...

...over forty years later, we still have many of his birds in our house.

Although this one has seen better days, it now has its own charms.

My grandfather and his father carved their own decoys, some of which we keep today.

We have gone out with quite a few noted ornithologists, including some from here.

The next generation of our family has an amazingly strong affinity for birds.

And bird motifs are plentiful in our house.

Our Loon Bootscraper

Even our Christmas stockings (for both humans and pets) reflect our avian love.

This time of the year, with the leaves gone, it is a great time to be on the look out for some larger birds.

And, even if all you see are "LBJs" (little brown jobs), you can't beat the views.

A Walk Through New Haven, Connecticut

2012-02-08T15:33:00.011-05:00

Whenever I am driving through, I can't help but stop in New Haven, Connecticut. The city has so many great places to visit and see. It has always been one of my favorite New England cities, not just because of Yale's dominance, but also because of its history. (It was founded in 1638, led by puritans Davenport and Eaton.)

We started our walk by the Yale Rep.

The Yale Rep was started just a year before Long Wharf Theatre, and together they built New Haven's reputation for "serious" productions.

I used my new Navy Lotuff Signature Handbag (being made here), with which I could not be more pleased.

This was where my father bought so many of his Dunhill pipes and tobacco, back when it was a real pipe shop. I can still remember the smell.

Louis Lunch advertises itself as home to the very first "hamburger sandwich" in 1900.

Chapel and College is for me the heart of New Haven.

The shoulder strap is a feature that I am using quite a bit.

The United Methodist Church (1849, by New Haven Native Henry Austin)

The New Haven Green is part of a designated National Historic Landmark District, still owned and maintained by the descendants of the original settlers.

Center Church is one of the three on the New Haven Green. Center Church was built from 1812-1815, based on London church, St Martin-in-the-Fields, which was inspired by the works of Sir Christopher Wren.

In true old Yankee fashion, the Congregationalists bickered and ended up splitting and building two different churches side by side, United and Center.

Yale Visitor Center (the Old Faculty Club)

I have enjoyed many nice evenings at The Graduate Club.

Yale's chapel, Battell Chapel (1874), is a Victorian Gothic brownstone which most agree is not terribly attractive, either inside or out. (What they needed was H.H. Richardson, who designed Trinity Church in Boston.)

Naturally, we stopped by J. Press.

Selecting Trousers

This trip we had a car, so we drove the ten minutes to get to Wooster Street, arguably home to some of this country's best, authentic, Italian food.

The Very Famous Pepe's

They make outstanding pizza, as only those in New Haven can, and also have the longest peels I have ever seen.

While waiting for our pies, we went a few doors down. If you want extraordinary Italian pastries, Libby's, since 1922, is the place to go.

Every year as a child on my birthday, I was offered a homemade cake of my choice. But what I really wanted, and got, was an Italian Cream Cake from Libby's.

Just about anywhere else, these items would cost twice as much and be half as good.

To be a welcome house guest, stock up at Libby's.

And we paid our respect to Sally's.

A Favorite of Frank Sinatra's

I have some other favorite New Haven spots, but did not get to them this trip. But next time I will get to more of them, to be sure.

Lobstering in Round Pond, Maine

2012-02-08T15:31:00.004-05:00

This clip was produced by Anne-Marie Signh and Hillary Hoffman.

This is from whom we get our lobster. See also: A Walk Through Round Pond, Maine

Guest Post: A Bit of History of Sachems Head, Connecticut

2012-02-03T17:30:00.010-05:00

Since I posted this picture of a life-long family friend, I have received several requests for more information about Sachems Head in Guilford, Connecticut. Sally recently sent me this history, compiled by her grandmother, and presented as a speech in June, 1931. I include it here in its entirety, in part because it describes a place - which included their family compound - which was so influential to me when I was younger (three generations hosted my briday shower there), because it is surprisingly interesting and entertaining, and also to help preserve and share the information.

I share their stories and (relatively speaking) more recent pictures with their permission, for which I am very grateful.

Sally Stevens at Connecticut's Sachems Head

Although Sachems Head is a small place, studying her history is a large task. I began to collect information from various sources and to concentrate on what I, myself, could recall. I was more than glad that I had given myself the privilege of unearthing so much that was interesting to me and that I hope will be worth the attention of those of you who are here this afternoon. I have not had to do much digging up of records as that has been done so thoroughly by Mrs. Henry B. Griswold. Some of the results of her efforts have been published from time to time in the local papers to which I had access. Some of them I was fortunate enough to find laid away among my own treasures. You will have to excuse personalities from time to time which may enter into my talk. Sachems Head is part of my life - I belong there. I started going to Rock Bound when I was five weeks old and I am quite sure that I am about the oldest summer resident reckoned in terms of seasons spent at Sachems Head - so - I speak with the authority which age confers.

I shall divide my talk into two main parts - one I shall call ‘History’ - the other “personal recollections.” The History may be authenticated - the recollections will have to be taken with due regard to the possibility of error in human memory, and to bias of one to whom every foot of the shore is clothed with memories that are a vital part of a very happy life. I am sure that my father, myself and my sons are something of what we are because of Sachems Head. Well, like my father, I am beginning to be sentimental I see, as I’ll revert to historical facts which in this case I am sure you will find far from dry.

Stevens' Cottage, Stevens' Bluff

Practically all of what we now know as Sachems Head was once called “The Great Ox Pasture.” The name “Sachems Head” came from the fact that, in 1637, a great Indian chief was beheaded after a fierce battle between two hostile tribes of Indians and his head placed in the fork of an old Oak Tree on the north side of the harbor. This is information given by our historian. However, as long as I can remember, there was a large pole on Chimney Corner about where the Yacht Club flag pole stands now and that pole was always pointed out as the one which the Sachem’s head had been hung. Personally, I rather like to think that I saw that bloody pole, tho I am compelled to believe that the historical version is the correct one. The name “Sachems Head” was not used until 1830. In Mrs. Griswold’s paper called “The Great Ox Pasture” written in the fall of 1919, she has told many details in regard to ownership of the land and the families who lived here long ago.

The first inhabitants were of course the Indians. Walter Davis has a fine collection of arrowheads which have been dug up around here from time to time. Then, there are, or were, people who knew Indians who belonged here. It is told on good authority that two Indians lived in the cave under the high rocks on Mr Dan’l Spencer’s land which we pass going in to Shaumpishuh Farm.

In the year 1728, the acreage of the Great Ox Pasture was divided in the “Fifth Division of Land.” Each patentee received about 20 acres. It is thought that at one time the whole of the Great Ox Pasture was fenced in.

The first white settler to build here was Jordan Leete. He moved here about 1750. He was a great grandson of Mr. William Leete. Jordan Leete inherited the land from his father. He kept adding to his property by purchase and exchange of land until he owned about 100 acres. He was married in 1746 and probably came to Sachems Head about that time. We have reason to think that Jordan Leete’s home stood on the site of the old hotel and the land across the street from the present Post Office. In the year 1762 Edmund Ward bought land and built a house where Mr. Edward Eliot now lives. In fact Mr. Ward’s home was the beginning of the present house so that that house, with its beautiful trees, is the oldest home on Sachems Head. Later on this home was called the Caldwell Place as Mr. Ward’s married daughter Mrs. Nathaniel Caldwell lived there.

Sailing in Sachems Head

In 1777, Solomon Leete, brother of Jordan, was living in the house he probably bought from his brother’s estate. On June 17 of that year, a party of British sailors landed on the beach nearby under cover of fog and burned the house with most of its contents. This was probably in reprisal for damage a party from Guilford under Jonathan Meigs had done a short time before. The story is that in less than 24 hours time this little band went from Guilford to Sag Harbor & return, captured nearly 100 prisoners, destroyed vessels & took possession of a quantity of supplies. Those of us who are sailors will realize that there must have been unusually strong tides and winds favoring the raiding party both ways.

I was talking recently with a granddaughter of Daniel Leete, grandson of Solomon. She told me that her mother had often spoken of hearing her family tell of the destruction of Solomon’s house and of how the family put a feather bed into an ox cart and transported Mrs. Solomon Leete, who was very stout, up to Guilford out of danger. Doubtless some household goods went with her. However Solomon put in a claim to the General Assembly for reimbursement to the amount of 1044 pounds 15 shillings, 2 pence. He was granted half of his claim. The list of his goods is in Hartford now. His house was 30 ft. wide 40 ft. deep. These are some of the things listed as lost. “a coffee mill value 10 s - Six basons of puter six porringers ‘do” 12 cream colored plates, 7 beds and bedstead, 2 pillows, 2 great coats, 1 sunbonnet, 9 woolen gowns, 4 pr leather breeches, 2 cloth breeches, 8 shirts, 1 pr gold buttons, 12 pairs shoes, 1 silver shoe buckle, 6 pr trousers and 2 more woolen gowns, riding hood, 1 sateen visiter, 1 pr cotton stockings 8 pr woolen stockings, 12 caps, a gauze handkerchief, 12 divinity books, 2 punch bowls, 2 dram cases, 12 bottles, 2 hogsheads, 6 barrels, 1 mare, 4 goslings, 4 prime hogs, 8 shoats, 3 calves weaned. 1 bbl. Salt pork 1 bbl beef. 26 hi wheat, 8 hi oats 600 pound ‘ flour.” 4 hi Indian meal, 6 hi corn, 7 hi. Oatmeal, 3 pr spectacles. The British must have had a good feast.

In 1803 there were five homesteads in the Great Ox Pasture. Solomon Leete had five sons and two daughters. Thomas Leete built the present Dan Walden home, formerly owned by Samuel Barker father of Ernest and Wesley Barker.

Pharez Leete lived in the home his father rebuilt. Elijah Leete built near the present Newhall home. The remains of that house were easily seen when I was a child.

When Nathaniel Caldwell died, his son occupied the home. After that it had several owners until it finally became Benton property. My earliest recollections of it are of its belonging to Mr. Darwin Benton (I think Mrs. Edw. Eliot was adopted daughter of Darwin Benton) One property belonging to this homestead was a tiny graveyard. It is probable that a few of the earliest residents were buried there and that the sight of stones there caused the men from a passing ship to bury a comrade who had died at sea. The man’s name and date “Aug. ye 8, 1795” and an inscription were of great interest to us as children when we used to row around to the harbor and land near the spot where Mrs. Louis

Norton’s house stands now. We learned the inscription and from memory it is as follows:
“ In health I left my native home
“ not thinking this to be my doom
“ Braving the dangers of the sea
“ in hopes to meet my family
“ But Death has called
“ I must obey
“ Before I them do see.”

While on the subject of graveyards I must not forget to mention the burying ground which was back of the present hotel. The tombstones were removed to Alderbrook Cemetery and the graves are overgrown.

Mrs. Botsford, a grandaughter of Dan’l Brown Leete, told me that relatives of hers are buried there. The sailor’s grave on the north side of the harbor was covered when the quarry was in operation.
Another Leete built a house that overlooked Great Harbor. We know what remains of it as the Old Benton Homestead.

Robert Cooke Stevens at Stevens' Bluff

It was in the year 1811 that Daniel L. Benton moved his family from Nut Plains to this house. Dan’l Benton (his son), father of Charles & Edward & Herbert Benton, was only two years old when he came to Sachems Head to live. (Charles adopted the present Young Charlie, nephew of his wife and gave him his name) Herbert was father of Elliot Benton) That house was on the lane (then a regular road) that leads from Uncas Road near Mrs. Daboll’s back along Great Harbor finally joining the next road to Sachems Head near Richard Benton (north of him) It is said that Mr. Dan’l Benton could remember having seen British sailors land on Fosdick Island and take away sheep that were pastured there. Fosdick Island is what we called “Horse Island” in Great Harbor where clammers dig -
Richard Benton, father of present Richard, Mattie and Hattie Benton was a brother of Dan’l. He built the house where his son Richard lives now and started to build the house where Eliot Benton lives. A brother John bought that house.

When Dan’l Benton was married he left the home on Great Harbor and built the house where Young Charlie Benton lives now. Charlie’s foster father Charles and Uncle “Eddie” lived there until they died. Mrs. Dan’l Benton told me that when she came there to live she did all of her cooking in the brick oven & fireplace that are still part of the house. She lived to be over ninety years old. One house in which many of us have been interested and which no longer stands is one known to us as the “Roberts House.” In 1805, George Kimberly bought land and built that house. His son was Keeper of Faulkner’s Light from 1818-1851. This house stood about at [the] driveway into Mrs. Kalbfleish’s house. A nephew of George Kimberly’s wife bought the Solomon Leete home on site of [the] “old hotel” from Pharez Leete. The little house across the road of Charlie Benton’s house was built by Eli Kircum who left a toll gate there. Later Dan’l Benton bought it and lived there while he was building the home across the road.

Walter Davis’ house was owned by a Mrs. Beech, a sister of Mrs. John Barker and aunt of Walter’s. Mention of a toll gate brings us to the era of the ‘old hotel’ when Sachems Head was called the “Newport of Connecticut.” The house originally built by Solomon Leete passed through various hands until it became the property of the Griffing family. In the year 1795, the State of Connecticut began to incorporate turnpikes. Up to this time the roads through the state had been few and poor. Now, many more were built and greatly improved. Their upkeep was under state supervision. Alert Guilford men thought that a turnpike would be of great benefit to the town financially. These men fostered the idea - Sam’l Eliot, Joel Tuttle and Frederick Griffing. They planned to have steamers dock at Sachems Head when the Conn. River was not navigable and to have the steamers met by a line of stage coaches running between Hartford and Sachems Head. The turnpike was built about 1825 and was laid out and built by the state legislature. I am quoting now from Mrs. Griswold’s paper. “It began at a rock in Sachems Head Harbor and continued sometimes on the old layout sometimes on the new until it joined the New Haven and Durham Turnpike in Durham. The new layout avoided the old Ox Pasture road (along Great Harbor) from the Edw. Eliot home to the foot of Lindly Benton’s hill and built the new road past the schoolhouse joining the old road at the foot of said hill and wound up the narrow wooded hill road which the railroad crossed just west of Sachems Head Depot and which was abandoned after the building of the present road through Long Cove in 1880.” There was a little branch of this road (old) which crossed the beach by a bridge instead of the grade crossing. Careful people were afraid of the road over the tracks. The road from Mulberry Bridge into Guilford was also new as the old road went around by Jacobs’. The coaches went from the Green up through Church Street instead of on the old Durham Road which is now State Street.

The “old hotel” was built to fill the need of shelter where the steamboat met the stagecoach. The old Solomon Leete house, then owned by the Griffing Family, filled the need and was improved to meet the demands of a hotel. In 1835, the manager advertised in the Hartford Courant that the hotel was accessible by steamers of the New Haven, Norwich line and by the New York-Hartford line - while stages would meet the New York Hartford line at New Haven. Mr. Wildman the manager, pledged himself to spare no exertion to make it agreeable to any who might favor him with their company - Sachems Head was, even then, one hundred years ago, a popular resort for people from Hartford. The poetess Lydia H. Sigourney wrote in high praise of its natural beauties as early as 1848.

The early hotel consisted of the single west wing with accommodations for forty guests. Later a long east wing was added. When Mr. Scranton took over the hotel later on, he enlarged it so that it could accommodate four hundred guests. The entire lower floor of the new section was comprised of the new dining room which seated four hundred and of an immense parlor used as a ballroom. This room had a spring floor laid without nails. The ballroom was often used for devotional services on Sunday mornings.

Sally sailing at Sachems Head.

Mr. Scranton built spacious barns for in those days many guests brought their own horses, carriages and coachmen. He built bath houses for “surf bathing” at Bloody Cove (Hotel Beach) and bath houses near what was known later as the Roberts property (Mrs. Kalbfleish & Milton Bullard) for hot water. He built greenhouses and a “grapery” and had the grounds laid out by a landscape gardener who planted the trees which now stand across from the Post Office. He bought the John Benton house (Eliot Benton’s) and hired a farmer to live there and raise produce for the hotel table. Mr. Scranton arranged with the New London Providence & Stonington R.R. for a new station, “Sachems Head” and ran a bus to and from the station. The forerunner of the old bus driven by Mr. Storey in which some of us have ridden many times. There was also a new dock where New York- Providence steamers landed passengers and freight.

I am now going to quote from an article by Mrs. Henry B. Griswold in the Shore Line Times March 6, 1924. “One of the up to date features of the hotel was its telegraph service with the Tontine Hotel in New Haven - in those days a real luxury in communication. In this connection I remember that during a thunderstorm, lightning destroyed fourteen of the telegraph poles. My son remembers going down there to help his father who furnished new poles to replace those destroyed and seeing at that time Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln’s opponent in the presidential race of 1860 promenading the hotel piazza with his wife. I remember the names and faces of many distinguished guests - the Astors - Vanderbilts and Harrimans from New York.” Among others Mrs. Griswold recalled were the Emersons of Boston and one woman named Mrs. Thorne who paid all the bills for a family of thirty including a pet dog which sat at the table and for which full price was paid. There were small tables in the dining room and an orchestra furnished music for dinner and for dancing in the evening. Advertisements of the hotel at that time claimed that there were no mosquitoes. This may have been true as the meadows were left ditched by the farmers for the sake of the salt hay.

It’s interesting to wonder what Sachems Head would be like now if that hotel had remained and Sachems Head had continued to be the fashionable resort that it was in Civil War times. But this was not to be. In 1865 the hotel was destroyed by fire and was not rebuilt - The Cook house and washroom were not burned and were moved and attached to the east side of the old Barker House where Mr. George Sperry now lives. When I was a child, Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Davis, parents of Walter Davis, lived in that wing and Mrs. Davis’ father & mother, Mr. & Mrs. Barker, lived in the main part which was later remodeled by Mr. & Mrs. Wm. E. Peck.

In 1878 the present hotel was built and was known as the “Barker House” until it became the property of Mr. George Sperry’s father. About this same time a few summer cottages were built. My father, Edward C. Seward built Rock Bound the year before the hotel was built. The Pierce cottage and the center part of the old Miner cottage were built soon after. Mr. Cowles of Plainville built that. Captain Brooks built the house on Vineyard Point now owned by Mr. Griffith of Hartford. He had been light house keeper at Faulkner’s Island for over thirty years.

The house about which brings the aura of romance of a tragic nature is Shaumpishuh owned for many years by Mr. Thomas Landon of Guilford. This house was built by Dan’l Brown Leete, grandson of Elija Leete whose house was near the site of the Newhall Cottage. Dan’l Leete worked for a Mr. Trobridge of New Haven. He had charge of boats going from New Haven to Cuba with cattle and horses and returning with rum and molasses. This was told to me by Dan’l Leete’s grandaughter Miss Imogene Botsford. I have just discovered that the brother-in-law of Mrs. Floyd Wallace who is living at Shaumpishuh is a great grandson of that Mr. Trobridge. When Dan’l Leete’s sons were old enough, he mortgaged his house to buy or build a boat with which his sons might trade carrying goods to and from New York. On one trip an Oriental helper went with the two lads. They intended it to be their last trip with the boat and it was. The produce was disposed of, the boat sold, but retained for the trip home and the return journey started. The Leete boys never reached home. Later the helper was picked up out at sea by a ship which landed in New Jersey instead of New York which state held jurisdiction over the boat. There was every evidence that the two boys had been murdered. In those days it was hard to get justice done quickly where there was a question as to which state should be the scene of the trial. The helper was tried in New Jersey. Mrs. Leete and her two daughters went down. Mr. Leete’s mind was failing at that time. Nothing was done to punish the murderer. Later a body was washed up on the Long Island shore and a piece of the clothing was identified by the mother as belonging to her eldest son. The father would not admit the identification and the body was not claimed by the family. Dan’l Leete had lost his sons and all he owned, not even his house was his. Miss Botsford told me that Mr. Thomas Landon’s grandfather held mortgages on the house, but left the Leete family to live there as long as they needed the home - indeed he made provision for that in his will.

Probably the natural harbor at Sachems Head has been the main reason for its becoming again a summer resort. More and more people built cottages and had boats to be cared for. Of course if you have a boat and I have a boat the question arises, “Which is the faster?” That perfectly natural question was the reason for the forming of the present Yacht Club. In the summer of 1896 Aaron Hill owner of the Sachem John Elton Wayland owner of the Spindrift Edward C. Seward owner of the Sweetheart and William E. Peck owner of the Helena founded a yacht club of four members all officers in the order named - Commodore, vice commodore, Fleet Captain, Sec & Treas. On May 14, 1897 articles of association were adopted and Robert B. Seward elected to membership. Later Rob’t Mitchell, A. H. Wilcox, W. C. Clark (Leetes Island) C. N. Wayland (Mrs. Wayland’s father) Harry Bartholomew, Dr. Robert Lander and a Dr. Joseph Pullman were admitted. Races were started that year from Merriman’s dock. (Now Hoffman’s) Twelve boats started in the first race. The first annual regatta on Labor Day found seventeen boats entered. The first annual meeting of the club was held at the Pierce Cottage. Mr. Seward was appointed chairman of a committee to secure a club site. It is due to his efforts that Chimney Corner was acquired. Many who have bought property at Sachems Head in years past know that there are old titles reaching back almost to prehistoric times and that boundaries were much more loosely held than now. Securing title to that rocky island meant following up many families who seemed to have some claim to the rocks. A corporation was formed under state laws to finance the purchase of the site and building was begun. The Club House was formally opened June 18th 1898. Capt Oliver Brooks was the first superintendent. Membership has increased greatly since the early days but the interest and enthusiasm in regard to racing was never stronger than at that time when from twelve to twenty boats flying the yacht club flag used to cruise each summer - carrying the name and fame of the club to all points of importance east and west along the Sound.

Those of us who lived here fifty years ago depended on horse-drawn vehicles or on rowboats for transportation to Guilford. In my early days we might hire horses from the livery housed in parts of the stables that once belonged to the old hotel. Mr. Cowles owned horses and a buckboard and so did Mr. Aaron Hull. Most of us carried water for drinking purposes from our own or a neighbor’s well and had rain barrels or cisterns connected to pumps in the kitchen. Every day Mr. George Norton drove down from Guilford from Landon & Davis store on the green and brought us the provisions we had ordered the day before. Meat and fish were peddled from carts and vegetables came from neighboring farmers - milk also - and chicken and eggs. If we needed something in the line of dry goods, Mr. Norton took samples or our order for pins and needles - and shopped for us at Edwin Griswolds or Shepherd and Fowler’s. We could not have managed a real comfortable existence without his cheerful helpfulness. He was still bringing groceries, but from his own store down here not so many years ago and acted as postmaster.

Life at Sachems Head nearly 100 years ago was very gay - Fifty years ago it was what we made it and continued so even after the Yacht Club brought more in the way of social activities. Now, many go away from the water for entertainment. Of course the automobile has made that possible. There wasn’t much temptation to leave the shore when walking was the chief mode of transportation. A hay wagon with the horse and a load of twenty-five young people couldn’t go very far away and return before “midnight.”

Most of those who were all year round residents of Sachems Head fifty years ago have died. We remember some of the witty things they said, all of them for the neighborly things they did. Mr. Edgar Davis was very fond of my mother and named a cow for her. Early summer mornings we would hear him out in the lot across from Rock Bound calling “Sally, Sally, Come Sally.” At one time Mr. Orlestes Roberts’ sister Marietta was very ill and not expected to live. Orlestes was in Guilford and someone asked him how his sister was - “Very bad, very bad.” said Capt Roberts, “She is merely in a jocose condition.”

We would consider sailing out to Goose Island in the evening to spend the night in a little open boat so as to be in time for early morning fishing. That is what I did many times with my father. Now an engine takes one out there in less time than it takes coffee to percolate. Our children should give us credit for being great swimmers in those days when bathing suits water soaked weighed more than our winter wardrobe today - yet we swam from the hotel to Hump Rock and even across to Razor Beach where Mr. Berger’s house now stands. That whole point was often used as a camping ground by Y.M.C.A. boys from New Haven and many baseball games were played there between the boys from the city and our summer residents. So many of the changes at Sachems Head are of such recent date that many of us who live here now can recall the various buildings and remodellings and removals that make this colony the most attractive place on the Connecticut shore.

As I browsed around gathering data here and there I was more and more impressed with the fact that we have a great deal to boast of (if interesting history which our forefathers made is reason for us to boast). Some summer resorts boast of beautiful beaches - some of rocky bluffs, some of dunes, others of ocean waves. We have all of those on a small scale and, in addition, the faint ghostly sounds of Indian war dances and lullabies, of gay music from stringed instruments as guests from North and South danced together in the spacious ballroom of the old hotel. We listen carefully and can hear the creaking of ropes as sails are being lowered in vessels that have come from the West Indies with cargoes of rum and molasses and hear very faintly the whistles of the steamboats that brought gay parties from New York to the old hotel. Now, our harbor echoes with the sounds of rigging on pleasure craft, the noise of gasoline engines - the jazz from instruments in the Club House. Yet the sounds are similar. To some of us the sounds of the music are less sweet - perhaps because we are older and distance lends enchantment - distance of time as well as space.

One of the best things about Sachems Head is that the epithet “Summer People” has lost its flavor of unpleasantness for the ties that bind those who live here three months to those who live here twelve are very close.

In closing let me report one geologic aspect of our coast. Our shores are sinking! Geologists say so - we ourselves have seen the high water mark creep slowly inland very noticeably in the last twenty years. Be thankful, all of you who love Sachems Head, that our coast is rocky instead of sandy so that the day when we might have to locate our houses by red buoys may be put off as long as possible!

Edna Seward Stevens, born 1878, Wellesley Class of 1900.
Presented June 1931 at The Whitfield Society

Robert Cooke Stevens and his wife, Edna Seward Stevens

Spring Colors and Tipsy Skipper Skimmers

2012-02-02T12:42:00.012-05:00

I tend to try new paintings or prints in a few different places around the house before finding the best spot. Similarly, I like to see how new items of clothing look against others. These spring sweaters worked well with my new pair of Tipsy Skipper Skimmers.

Shellacked in conch

The owner of Rhode Island based Tipsy Skipper, Kearsley Lloyd, is keeping the manufacturing in the US.

She even manages to make cardboard look better.

And they are beautifully presented.

A Perfect Match with my Lilly Cardigans

A Few More of My Father's Black and Whites

2012-01-29T12:09:00.009-05:00

Playwright Arthur Miller

My world when I was growing up was filled with interesting people, many of whom my father photographed. Here are a few of the shots he took.

U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Writer Robert Crichton

Actor Sterling Hayden (I always wanted these socks, from one of my father's color shots)

British Archaeologist Louis Leaky

Reader Questions: Winter Colors; Maternity Wear; Risk of Sameness

2012-01-24T16:53:00.031-05:00

Dear Muffy,

Love your blog! I find this time of year frustrating. All of my winter outfits seem too dark but it is too early for spring clothes, even though I want to wear them. What should I do?

I feel the same way. So this tends to be when I pull out my winter garments in brighter, more spring-like colors that held little appeal for me just a few months ago. I also lean heavily on the color Navy, as it is seasonless, goes with all of my sartorial genres, and can seem somewhat fresher this time of year.

Enjoying Today's Warm Sun

Even my work clothes this time of year reflects this shifting palette.

Dear Muffy,

I am a regular reader of your blog since January 2011. I am very grateful for your style and advice. After becoming pregnant, finishing work in London and starting to look after a baby full-time, now toddler, I was in need of a change of dress, reflecting my new life. I also have a role in my local community as the wife of the Rector, so I also need to look reasonably presentable in and around home and the parish. I am now pregnant again and was wondering if you have any wisdom to offer on maternity dress. I found last time that the selection of maternity clothes pretty hideous-looking as well as uncomfortable (waist bands that dug in and pulled awkwardly). I have a few ideas: sewing super-soft waistbands onto old trousers and possibly skirts, but that's it so far. Ordinary clothes in a larger size looked odd and rode up over my bump. I would be extremely grateful for any advice. With best regards.

The best thing I can think of is a blog called SouleMama. It sounds like you can sew, so it might be of some help. SouleMama is a lovely blog about rural Maine living, with a focus on knitting and sewing. And given Amanda Soule has had five children, she has some experience with maternity wear. This entry is specifically about that: http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/01/woolie-skirts.html

Dear Muffy,

How can a person personalize the classic lifestyle? A Norwegian sweater looks great, but if everyone is wearing the same sweater, then it seems like everyone in the room is following a trend. At the same time, there are certain articles of clothing and lifestyle choices that seem off. Where is the middle ground? Where, in clothing and lifestyle choices, is it acceptable to look a little different from the rest of the pack?

This is also an area where people hate the thought of "rules" or guidelines as it sounds too prescriptive. Almost any conversation here will invoke "are you kidding me" eye-rolls from at least some people. All I can say is there are people who like to apply literary theory to a novel, and others just want to read it and enjoy it. Some people like the adjectives applied to a bottle of wine, and others just want to drink. This conversation is for people in the first, not the second, group.

The issue of sameness is a tough one, in part because it is so highly contextual. Two navy blazers, with two different tartan ties, may be indistinguishable to most, but mean the world of difference to the people whose clans the ties represent. Similarly, one can look at two different soldiers; if one is in that culture, the amount of information presented by a uniform is staggeringly high, and if one is out of the culture, it all blends together. One friend of ours, a Coast Guard Admiral, was mistaken for a waiter at the Harvard Club in Boston.

There are a few over-iconic items; the Norwegian Sweater is a perfect example. They may go through steep curves of "everyone has to have one" followed by "no one will touch them." Lacoste shirts ran that gauntlet as well. These have their own issues, but I don't think is generalizable across most classic clothes.

As a sidebar, I would also suggest two other quick thoughts. The first is that there is a lot of variability in a tasteful, classic wardrobe.

Different Bracelets, Yet All Are "Preppy"

The second is that mixing in some outside influences can show individuality and whimsy. Of course riffs too discordant with the genre (such as a camouflage cummerbund) force people to react, but the impact can be selfish. It is the equivalent of talking too loudly at a social event.

Given all of that, a heuristic is that a wardrobe is there to highlight the wearer, not be center stage itself. So the best way to look interesting is to be interesting. Then just throw on some clothes that gently frame yourself. (See When Does an Outfit Become a Costume for the other extreme.)

We all are of our time.Trying to dress differently often results in its own sameness. Most attempts at rebellion from one style simply puts one squarely and rigidly into another. Even trying to be deliberately eclectic or ironic puts one into a predictable sub-genre with as many rules as the ones that people thought they were circumnavigating. Finally, most people who don't think they think much about clothes end up being the most impacted by fleeting styles and thus have the most waste in their closets.

Fresh Food on a Snowy Day

2012-01-21T16:27:00.019-05:00

My Father's Wedgwood and my Husband's Grandmother's Silver

Company or conversation aside, when I think about the actual food served at hundreds of meals I have had out over the years (often around business), I can really only think of two that I would consider exceptional. One was at Sam's Grill and Sea Food Restaurant in San Francisco, and the other was at the original INAKAYA in Tokyo.

In fact, I would stack up a bowl of fresh berries, lightly steamed corn, or sliced peppers just a few hours after being picked against almost all of them. Similarly, my consistently favorite food when eating out for pleasure is, over at the docks, some lobster or steamers just out of the water.

This time of year makes such fresh food so much harder to enjoy. There is one source, however, for getting something really fresh year round.

I was thinking about this during this afternoon when I was making some chicken soup. While it was cooking, I decided to make two much simpler things as well, some hot chocolate, and an old New England favorite, tapioca pudding. (Or, as we often call it, Fish Eye Pudding.)

Hot Chocolate Ingredients

Tapioca Ingredients include our own eggs from this morning.

(As an aside, in part because we were snowed in, and in part because we were getting ready to watch the final episode of Series Two of Downton Abbey (Aka Gosford Park Part 3; aka Foyle’s War – The Prequel), I also decided to serve the hot chocolate in some favorite but underused cups and saucers that had made their way to the back of the corner cupboard.)

I prefer to have my tapioca pudding warm.

It is the freshness of the milk that makes these so good. It gives both an extra richness and flavor.

Milk is available fresh year round. So we always try to get milk right from the dairy farm, raw, often that had been bottled just hours ago.

When we went to the farm early yesterday, our dairy farmer was just starting her rounds. We stayed to enjoy her company and lend a hand with the milking process.

Jersey cow personalities always remind me of Golden Retriever personalities. I try to greet and scratch as many as I can.

Our Farmer (and Friend) Sanitizing the Udder Before Hooking Up to the Milking Machine

Throughout the entire process, the milk is untouched by human hands.

I distributed some hay...

...and then applied an udder sanitizer/moisturizer after the cows had been milked.

There is always a lot of hand washing.

Taking Home Our Milk and Yogurt

Ready for the Final Episode of Downton Abbey (on DVD)

Lotuff

2012-01-18T17:34:00.035-05:00

Brothers Joe (left) and Rick (right) Lotuff

In many ways, sartorially, we currently live in a barren, shameless era.

Ugliness is status quo, and gaudiness embraced.
So many incredibly expensive items are sold that have been incredibly cheaply made.
Short term thinking prevails, from customers wanting instant status to vendors wanting crazily high profit margins.
The people who should be leading us - publications, celebrities, many of the most well off, and grown-ups in general - aren't.
To those who do care, vendors actively mislead us about pedigrees of products. Branding is not just tangential to reality, but often at odds with it.

I believe the assaults on taste and fair value are just trends, not the result of some Hegelian dialectic. These market patterns are cyclical not linear. They will reverse over time. But I am impatient.

So with that in mind, if The Daily Prep readers were asked to imagine a luxury line of products that could compete globally on, for example, the Main Floor of Barneys, what might their commandments be?

I suspect they would include:

Be made in the U.S., and for some, preferably even in New England
Use very high quality materials.
Use very high quality craftsmanship.
Epitomize simple, timeless designs. The product should be as understated as possible, yet beautiful. The quality should enable a Shaker-esque (or is it better to say Steve Jobs-esque) simplicity. It should have absolutely no bling or unnecessary adornments.
Design so that the product will be in service 30 years now. Parts inevitably destined to be worn should be easy to replace. In fact, it should get better with age. Of course the company itself should stand behind the products.

These are, interestingly enough, the same guidelines (albeit in my words) Lotuff is following. Their goal is to embody these principles.

I was able to spend an afternoon with Rick and Joe Lotuff and their team in their New England facility. And I was also able to watch my own handbag being made.

We started off talking about design.

I was reminded of the quote "A designer knows that he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away" - Antoine de St-Expurey

Craftsmen, some with over 30 contiguous years of experience around building and repairing bags, add a perspective around design, especially when the explicit goal is to create products that will last that long and longer.

Lindy discussed nuanced changes to the Signature Handbag...

...here in Red.

I loved hearing about the design decisions and philosophies in practice.

I learned about interiors and layouts.

I made the faux pas of handling one of the bags gingerly. Joe set me straight. (Insert your own early days of football reference here!)

The manufacturing process starts with the vegetable-tanned leather.

Rick explained why they use vegetable tanned leather. The more popular alternative is to use an iron based process (chromium) which actually rusts over time, leading to cracks in the leather.

Stacks of Leather

For precision, each product is cut one at a time. (Mass producing, in contrast, requires the cutting of stacks at a time, which often results in mismatched shapes.)

The tools included modern and ancient.

I must say it was a thrill to see my own Navy bag being made.

(And I got to choose my number!)

These bags have no exterior logo (mine just has my initials). Excuse my effusiveness, but that is just so amazing. Historically, it recalls the old custom suits. But in today's brand-obsessed world, when purchases are made first to be shown off, having a product that projects substance from every pore rather than relying on the crutch of a super-sized logo seems so civilized.

And then the real assembly began.

The hammer is an incredibly useful and satisfying tool of the trade.

While my bag was being built, I enjoyed seeing some of the final steps (like fire) being applied to other items.

The final Lotuff products glow.

The Exquisite Lotuff Small Leather Tote

A New Briefcase, the Lotuff Wells Bag...

...and the Lotuff iPad Case.

We ended the day discussing future plans and the state of the market. And hair.

Rick, Joe, Greg, and Lindy

I know of a few authors who visit this blog on a regular basis. This forces me to reflect how frustratingly static my own lack of arc must be for them.

Having said that, perhaps the substantive journey of record here is not mine but New England's. Because at the same time the largest corporations are pandering to the lowest brow tastes (and collectively scuttling their organizations for the next generation in the process), many emerging companies written about here are competing at all market price points and all over the world by uniquely meeting the needs of new breeds of customers with classic tastes.

Together, they are creating, taking on, and leading previously ceded market segments (and employing our neighbors in the process). This export of taste and values and even sanity is the true tale worth chronicling.

As I write this, I wait for my Lotuff bag, which needed some finishing steps, to arrive via UPS. I am excited. So you will forgive me and understand if I abruptly lea...

Fenwick, Connecticut and Barbarian Rugby Shirts

2012-01-11T12:55:00.020-05:00

Dotted along the New England Coast are a handful of cloistered waterfront enclaves of cottages. They have varying degrees of privacy ranging from “very”, such as Scarborough, Maine’s Prouts Neck (where even as an invited guest I had to get through several stop points), to Boothbay, Maine's Isle of Springs (boat only), to Old Saybrook’s Fenwick, where the roads running through it are accessible, as are the (public) golf course and clay tennis courts which are placed squarely in the center of the enclave.

A Public Nine-Hole Course

Luckily, after experiencing colder than normal temperatures in New England, we then enjoyed much warmer than normal temperatures, which corresponded nicely with our trek to Fenwick.

One thing I like about Fenwick is how very little it has changed since my childhood. It sits where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound, and it is known architecturally for having a large concentration of Shingle-style buildings (16) from the turn of century (and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places).

It was originally settled in the mid 1630s by John Winthrop the Younger, Lion Gardiner and George Fenwick.

Golfers playing in front of the long-time, former home of Katharine Hepburn.

Inner Light (Lynde Point Light) was first built in 1803 and rebuilt in 1838.

Outer Light (Saybrook Breakwater Light), a sparkplug lighthouse, is a quarter mile off shore, built in 1886.

We were also able to try out our new rugby shirts by Barbarian.

As opposed to rugby “style”shirts, these are real rugby shirts. I have never experienced a shirt with fabric this tough, and felt ready to be pummelled by a Rooster. Several other qualities stood out as well - including the perfect shade of Navy and the generous cut.

Barbarian Women's in White/Navy

Barbarian Men's in Navy

Here is another example of tough material – Orvis Men’s Ultimate Khakis, plain front and cuffed.

Leather Man Belt - White Code Flags on Natural; Feathered Edge

The wind picked up, so I put on my new Anorak. I have spent several years calling L.L. Bean asking them to bring back their classic Anorak. Apparently I was not the only one and this Spring they are offering it again for both Men and Women. This is a very generously cut garment, sized to fit over sweaters and the like. (The Women's Medium has a chest garment measurement of 49½.)

L.L. Bean has finally brought back the classic Anorak.

Enjoying this Unusual January

January Round-up of Reader Questions

2012-01-08T13:14:00.018-05:00

1. Sailing up from New York

Hello Muffy!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season! My husband and I are already planning our first sailing trip from NYC and I was wondering if you had any recommendations as to which towns we should hit along the New England coast. We are looking for a small collection of large and small seaside towns with plenty to do once we are anchored. I wish you the best and hope you'll have a fantastic 2012!

When you are starting in New York City, there are many lovely places to go.

I wouldn't want to miss these beautiful New York ports:

The Sand Hole near Oyster Bay, NY which is a bird sanctuary;
Eaton’s Neck near Huntington, NY which is also a bird sanctuary;
Sag Harbor, NY.

Then, up the Connecticut Coast, there are:

Sachem’s Head, which is unusual, and a good launching spot to see The Thimble Islands (although there is not much to do ashore);
Essex, CT (Essex is way up the Connecticut River. Sailing up the river is problematic because the narrow channel forces boats to motor. Which means Essex is an hour or so up, which makes it a less likely place to suggest as lovely as it is);
Stonington.

Then, if you keep going:

Watch Hill – But the approach is long;
Newport;
Marblehead – But very far from NYC.

Which brings up another point. Many who want to see parts of Coastal New England would choose not to start in New York City. Some other places to start:

Edgartown, MA on Martha’s Vineyard;
Chatham, MA on Cape Cod (After Chatham, sail around the outside of Cape Cod, but absolutely wait for the best weather and start the trip at the crack of dawn.)

Maine is a whole trip on it’s own, starting perhaps at either Boothbay or Camden.

Finally, here are a few good restaurants along the way where you can dock a boat:

Stratford, CT – Knapp’s Landing
New London, CT – Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock (A very tricky approach by land, however!)
Noank, CT (Mystic, CT) – Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough

And if in Maine – bring a big pot, and buy lobster from lobster boats!

1930's Beaufort Scale from the archives:

2. Is the Bermuda Bag too small?

Dear Muffy – I just love your Tartan Terrier Bermdua Bag and my Mom said she used to have tons of those. But I was wondering, it seems small, how much do you use it?

Thanks! I love your blog!

I just used the Tartan Terrier Bermuda Bag at several holiday parties and it was the perfect size.

3. Defining "Preppy"

3a. Miss Muffy-- Thank you for this website. My ex-husband(of course we are still friends) told me about your website and I love it. It is the world I grew up in and love to read about it. You're on the money with your information. I do wonder...can someone learn to be a preppy or are we just born into it. All my best.

3b. Hi Muffy, I have been mulling over a few thoughts recently regarding preppy style, and thought I would pass them on to you to see what you (and possibly your readers) think. Being an “Old Englander”, I have been trying to figure out some of the sartorial fineries of North American preppy style. One inescapable conclusion I have come to is that is linked inextricably to the ocean. Boating, knots, whales, flags, all appear in preppy fashion and culture. Whilst not necessarily considering myself preppy, I had considered my own style to contain preppy elements. I wear blazers and sport coats, OCBD’s, neckties, corduroys and chinos. I prefer to wear shoes than sneakers. However I realised recently that I do not have that connection to the ocean, nor does the bulk of my clothing. My style is more driven by the woods.This could be due to my current local, a long way from any ocean, or possibly my upbringing on farms in rural England. For example, rather than buying a peacoat, I went for a mackinaw cruiser. I prefer camp mocs to boat shoes, my embroidered cords and ties have ducks, pheasants and deer, not whales, lobsters and anchors, I wear a field watch and not a dive watch....I could go on. What I am wondering is, is this woodland driven style still preppy? Is it a subculture of prep? Can a person have preppy style without the ocean connection? Thanks in advance for what, I am sure, will be wonderful insights. Best regards,

3c. Hello Muffy, How are you? Hope all is well? I just wanted to tell you that I`m a big fan of your blog, and I love your style. I`m not kidding when I say I aspire to be like you someday. My question is I`m an african american, 16 year old girl, who is an aspiring prep. Do you have any advice for me. I understand that most people feel that this is impossible, as the term prep usually signifies WASP`s... I live in Canada. Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I really do appreciate it.

3d. Mrs. Aldrich, How is Preppy North different than Preppy South?

3e. Love what you write about, but hate the term Preppy. What should I do?

My thoughts:

3a. Anyone can adopt it. For many, the greatest accomplishment of life in many areas is to, in the sentiment of Graydon Carter, "eventually become what you always pretended to be."

This outfit, from today, is incompatible with nautical or pink and green themes.

3b. There are the woods theme, nautical theme, and even "pink and green" prep, all with rich histories of refinement. They are all legitimate. Having said that, they are also fairly incompatible with each other on any given wardrobe at a time, although Navy, Khaki and White fit into all categories. The mossy greens and textured browns look out of place on a dock or a wedding. I would never wear pink on a boat, as it would clash with the red in any flag.

3c. I have received variations of this question from many people from many cultures and backgrounds. I hope no one would feel excluded from anything here for any reason. I would similarly suspect that people who wanted to would use this blog as a starting point or calibration point (a mid course correction), but then evolve their own style for what worked for them, and then to, at some point, completely own their look and make it theirs regardless of what anyone else thought.

3d. I will leave that as an open question for anyone with an opinion.

3e. I appreciate and often echo the concern. As I wrote previously, in my situation with this blog, the only thing more awkward than using the term "preppy" would be not using the term. But outside of this space, I use adjectives such as "classic" or "New England."

Making Beeswax Candles

2012-01-05T13:02:00.016-05:00

It has been very cold here of late so indoor activities, especially those that take place around a stove, have held a somewhat greater appeal.

First, let me stipulate:

1) I am not a craft person (and I will define "crafts" as time consuming activities where the output is worth less than the inputs (which also defines the Soviet economy));

2) I loathe scented and most commercially bought candles; and

3) Most hand-dipped candles look terrible, while still being messy and tedious to make.

Given that, it comes as somewhat of a surprise to me that I would enjoy beeswax candle making. We have long bought locally produced honey from friends who keep bees and were the grateful recipients of some extra sheets of pure honeycomb beeswax. These candles are incredibly easy and fast to make, especially with friends.

Two Layers Plus A Guernsey and Scarf

I first divide the honeycomb sheet in half (by scoring it through bending and then tearing) and...

...then hold it over the heat of a wood-stove for only thirty seconds or so until it slightly softens.

Having measured and cut the wick, I line it up on the edge...

...and start to tightly wrap.

The process is quick and relatively idiot-proof.

I hold the finished product over the heat once again, enough to soften and seal the edge.

Some will be put to use when we inevitably lose our power due to winter storms this year.

Inspected by the Maremma Sheepdog

Others will be wrapped up and given away.

And others still will be simply put on a mantel...

...with the tops slightly burned (as I would with any new candle)...

...to enjoy.

Newport, Rhode Island Off-Season

2011-12-30T18:12:00.024-05:00

Castle Hill Inn

The difference between a location on- or off-season reminds me of Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. While the same core structures exist, the experience is so different as to be unrecognizable. And for many tourist hotbeds, the only time I visit them is when they are at their population ebb. This came to mind yesterday. (See also Newport by Harbor.)

We headed down with friends to lend a hand in retrieving some items from the boat at the Jamestown Boat Yard.

As is inflation to an economy, barnacles are one ugly epiphenomenon of a great season.

Appreciating a Seriously Fast Boat.

A Nice Christmas Solution

Newport, in the background, beckoned.

We had some errands to do and some time to do them, so we headed over the bridge to Newport. First stop was Newport Shipyard.

Morris Yachts of Bass Harbor, Maine is one of my favorite boat builders. Oyster is also interesting.

Some Vessels Served Here

I wore the L.L. Bean (Women's) Norwegian sweater I bought in Freeport in 1980, still in excellent condition.

Nantucket Lightship (A Decommissioned Lightship)

Arabella, A Three Masted Schooner Charter Boat

The history of this name always catches my attention. (The original Arabella, or some say Arbella, brought over both my husband's 10th G Grandfathers, Governors Winthrop and Dudley in 1630.)

We had to swing by one of the touristy alcoves.

I used my Leather Man/Eliza B. (medium) Brit Bag. With the throngs absent, it was possible to appreciate the cobblestones, brought over as ballast on early ships, and other nice details. (And not to leave anyone out, my 10th G Grandfather laid out the roads here in 1640.)

Neutron Newport

With that done, we continued to our last errand.

New York Yacht Club's Harbour Court

Then we stopped for lunch, not at the more obvious Scales & Shells or Red Parrot, but at the slightly more obscure The Chanler.

The Chanler has been well honored since it re-opened in 2001. Even during the full season, the experience is personal, more akin to a bed and breakfast than a sprawling hotel such as Ocean House. Lunch, in contrast to a full stay, is relatively reasonable, still intimate, yet feels grand and the quality of food is very high.

A Much Appreciated Fire

While my tastes run simpler, sampling this environment was a satisfying finale to the holiday season.

The Main Kitchen and Dining Area.

A Great View of the Ocean from Our Table

It is also the only hotel on the famous Cliff Walk, which provides a great walk after lunch.

We were assured that no stick figures were actually harmed in the creation of this sign.

Heading back to finish up at Jamestown, the premise that many tourist locations are best off-season had only been strengthened.

It was a very cold day with a biting wind which made the long ride home actually sound appealing.

But we did pause to appreciate the eerie yet soothing sounds of the wind in the rigging.

Happy New Year from The Daily Prep!

Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire.

2011-12-29T09:21:00.004-05:00

New England provides such marvelous contrasts in topographies.

My mother-in-law decorates their road with swags she makes.

Here is this week's view from my husband's family house on Winnipesaukee.

This is in slight contrast to New York (we took these pictures yesterday!).

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T20:12:00.025-05:00

My husband's college roommate (and a regular on this blog) throws an annual Christmas party at his New York apartment. He knows and loves show tunes, and grew up in a highly skilled theater family surrounded by world class talent. This Christmas party has become, simultaneously, both a gift from him to his friends and also increasingly a casual gathering place for some of the most accomplished in the industry.

The guest list remains highly eclectic, very comfortable and fiercely talented. (And yes, quite a few guests also make regular appearances on this blog as well). Who is playing or singing what next is utterly unpredictable, but the intimacy to such performances is really marvelous.

One of the Pair of Nose-to-Nose Pianos (in one room)

Catching up with Old Friends

I had a marvelous time talking to Swedish Men's Clothing Blog (and one of my favorite blogs) Manligheter's Per Nilsson

This year, the solo piano was paired with a bass (in another room).

I am so grateful to our host.

Organic Farmers' Kelly and her...

...husband were there.

Cabaret singer and jazz pianist Billy Stritch mesmerized the room when he so generously performed a song for us.

Lee Roy Reams' festive pants had inspired some flourishes in my own wardrobe for years. So this year, while I was disqualified as I opted for a festive vest instead...

...Bob, Lee Roy, and Per graciously posed together.

May your holidays be as festive as these pants!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from The Daily Prep

The Dogs of Central Park

2011-12-24T17:55:00.004-05:00

If one wants to experience New York, one great venue is Central Park, when open, but before 9:00am or after 9:00pm. It is here that New Yorkers can walk their dogs off-lead. The collection of dogs and owners is almost as wonderful and eclectic as the city itself. While during the week, the strata are pretty rigid (the same people walk their dogs at 6:15, or 6:45, or 7:15, for example), during the weekend the schedules are relaxed and there is a greater mixing and matching.

And, of course, while regulars may never learn the names of the other owners, most know the names of all of the other dogs.

A Few Classic Stores in Midtown Manhattan

2011-12-24T17:41:00.014-05:00

We visited a few of the more classic stores in Midtown to pick up some last minute gifts before we were done for the holidays.

J. Press
380 Madison Avenue New York, NY

We started out at J.Press on Madison Avenue.

Here, the Shaggy Dog Sweaters

Schoolboy Scarves

Brooks Brothers

346 Madison Ave 44th Street New York, NY

We made a quick stop in Brooks Brothers...

...and thought that maybe we would find Christian here.

Orvis
522 5th Ave New York, NY

At Orvis, we had a closer look at the Men's version of my jacket..

...and were delighted to meet John, a reader.

The Bedale in Sage

Alden Shoes

344 Madison Avenue New York, NY

Next was Alden Shoes.

While not a present, my husband was in need of a new pair of their Shell Cordovans.

The decorations, as always, were entertaining.

Turnbull & Asser
50 E 57th St New York, NY

We ended our blitz at Turnbull & Asser, a place for extravagant and posh British Men's clothing.

We headed upstairs...

...to see the shirts..

...the ties..

...the dressing gowns..

...and selected a dashing silk scarf.

With those final activities completed, we now look forward to spending time with friends and family.

Old Yankee Christmas Decorations

2011-12-16T14:51:00.006-05:00

As we went about our activities this season, I was yet again reminded why I like Christmas in New England so much. While there are usual pockets of "highly enthusiastic holiday decorations", there are so many examples of the more low-key "Old Yankee" nods to the holiday.

Here are some images for the season, from various favorite towns and states.

Ocean House, Watch Hill, Rhode Island

2011-12-11T18:57:00.012-05:00

We spent some time at Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island this weekend.

I used to visit Ocean House in its older, somewhat rundown state, which had its own charm, and had taken this picture in 1986.

Originally built in 1868, it was a grand and historic destination. It was closed in 2004 for a complete renovation (Chuck Royce of Greenwich saved it from being replaced with McMansions). One hundred and forty million dollars, five thousand salvaged artifacts, and almost six years later, it is open again.

I had been looking forward to visiting the "new" Ocean House.

It was also the maiden voyage for my new Eliza B. medium sized Brit Bag which Eliza and I designed together earlier. I absolutely love this bag - from the khaki cotton canvas, to the olive and red surcingle straps, to the perfect leather trim. (Here is the link to the large Brit Bag.)

Knowing I had a "thing" for great hardware, Eliza had suggested this closure, with which I could not be more thrilled.

We also enjoyed Ocean House's extensive Sunday brunch, where we were joined by some friends from New York City.

An Eliza B. Wrist Wrap

In their lobby we found a model of Aphrodite, a boat we were lucky enough to inspect in person down on Connecticut's Mystic River this past summer. The boat, I have to assume not coincidentally, had a history itself that could serve as a microcosm for the whole building.

Even in the December chill, the porches and outside are inviting. The view is still incredible.

My Husband's College Roommate

And a view from above.

I wore for the first time a nautical bracelet from a new company, launched this year, Sailormade. This is the Camden Wrap, in Navy, from their Brummel Collection, and aptly named for the great sailing town of Camden, Maine. These bracelets are New England made - the materials are sourced from Massachusetts, and constructed in Rhode Island.

Mine is slightly looser than recommended.

After several hours, we headed back.

We gathered everyone up...

...and said good-bye to Ocean House...

...and enjoyed some of the concomitant architecture on the way out.

2011 Gift Ideas

2011-12-06T16:04:00.021-05:00

Here is a collection of gift ideas from the year, including some new, ranging from stocking stuffers and hostess gifts to true celebrations and acknowledgements of milestones.

These are all products and services with which I have had direct experience. Please feel free to add any of your favorite items that would also make great gifts.

1. "Lewis" Series One to Five. If there is a BBC fan on your list, consider Lewis. If the recipient has a "region unlocked DVD player," get the Series One to Five BBC/UK version. This has the full versions of the episodes, not the shorter PBS versions, as well as the not-yet-aired series five (and is much less expensive!). Also consider Downton Abbey (Series 2 is now available as well) or the new Sherlock.
DVD (£35.97)

2. A Leather Man Ltd. Motif Belt or Key Ring, The original belt (increasingly imitated but never duplicated), made in sailing mecca Essex, Connecticut, is still the best. And the hardware on the key ring is incredible. Both have the same fabulous motif selection, so if you can, custom order one to align with a favorite past-time of the recipient.
Belt ($30-$37)
Key Ring ($15)

3. Swans Island Scarves, Blankets and Throws. Made on the Maine coast, these unique items are something very special and lasting, and a worthy acknowledgement of a true milestone.

http://swansislandblankets.com/

4. Acquired Tastes by Peter Mayle. This classic is still a favorite book and go-to hostess gift add-on. Peter Mayle, in his trademark wit, examines the cost and benefits of true luxury items to see which are really worth it. And getting any book signed, as I did fifteen years for my husband, turns it into a something even more appreciated.
Paperback ($15)

5. Sweaters from J. McLaughlin or L.L. Bean. Stay warm with Italian Merino Wool Sweaters from J. McLaughlin for Women, or the Irish Fisherman's Knit Sweaters from L.L. Bean for Men (although I wear the Men's small) in Donegal Tweed or Natural.
J. McLaughlin for Women ($298)
Irish Fisherman's Knit Sweaters from L.L. Bean ($129)

6. The Tartan Terrier Bermuda Bag. These are from a brand new company, although carrying on a family legacy. They are made in the US, here with a wool Dress Gordon cover, as well as leather buttons and a wooden handle.
Bag ($89)

7. Vermont Originals Wool Hats. These may be the best-made hats from Vermont. I like to get them fleece-lined, and there is time to get a personalized message written on the front.
Hats

8. Local Farm Share, or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Consider giving a share in a local farm's 2012 crop yield. Local Harvest.org is a good way to find a farm close by to the recipient. They will look forward to it during the cold winters, and then enjoy fresh vegetables all summer long.

9. Antiques and Vintage Items. While the quality of many new items is increasingly questionable, many older pieces, like this Wathne Belt Buckle (given to me by my husband 20 years ago and hard to find now), or even true antiques make perfect gifts. Consider an antique runner, painting or piece of furniture.

10. Donations. Finally, there are those who prefer making donations in the recipient's name. Just be sure it is their cause, not yours. For starters, YWP suggested donating to the Connecticut Farm Trust, and I would add the Maine Farmland Trust and The Chewonki Foundation.
www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/
www.chewonki.org/

See the Boat in this Earlier Chewonki Post

These are just some ideas, of course. Be creative. I know one friend who included a link to her favorite podcast (in this case, Slate.com's free daily podcast including their political and cultural roundtables) with every emailed Christmas Card.

The best presents are personal, or can be personalized. Being generous in consideration, spirit and time, more than budget, make the longest lasting impressions.

Tropicalsunbird kindly passed on this great list (in pdf form) from ABC News of many "Made in America" companies.

Is Writing a Blog (un) Preppy?

2011-12-03T13:30:00.017-05:00

The generations before us (including friends from Bowdoin, here) set a precedent for light comradery.

On the last post, there were are a few comments worth highlighting.

A brief thought; to put the cat amongst the pigeons. Is it 'preppy' to share so much of one's life with the public at large (or as some Brits would say, the great unwashed)?

And another reader followed up with:

I raised a similar question on a post several months ago. I was curious about Muffy's thoughts on blogging... sharing in this way makes one very self-conscious in a way one would think would be un-preppy. Remember, of course, that there is no fly on the wall who is happening to capture her moves - they are orchestrated, photos are posed, text is written, etc.. I certainly believe that she is going about her actual real life, but still, some thought must be given to what would be interesting for the blog, what would look good on the blog, etc.. Rather than just BEING, she is constantly reflecting on being.

Here is an answer:

When in college, friends would have regular gatherings. One, for example, had a cabaret style get-together on Thursday evenings; another hosted tea on Friday afternoons. They would open up their dorm rooms to outsiders; some people would stop by regularly while others stumbled upon it more ad hoc.

These events where neither naively earnest nor ironic (or maybe a little of both). They were not contrivances, but obviously preparations had to be made - they did not just happen.

While there was a joy taken in the rituals, pleasure in the food and drink, and even an amusement in the cliches enacted, the best part was the conversation that ranged from trivial to important, and that served to inform, entertain, and often enough cement and even initiate lasting friendships.

The hosts were gracious but at times they did have to intervene to protect guests, to correct moods, even - rarely- to ask some people to leave. Obviously doing this well was impressive to watch.

Inevitably, just as these events thrived as long as people enjoyed them, they also dissipated when people started taking them for granted. And this is how it should be, and a much more preferable outcome to these gatherings artificially and institutionally codifying.

I hope this blog serves a similar role for guests in this modern era, with a greater opportunity for a larger and more diverse community. The only pre-requisite is interest.

I know it has served a similar role for me as, for lack of a better word, host.

'Wear and Tear Repaired at a Reasonable Cost' on York Street, New Haven

2011-11-30T19:13:00.020-05:00

One of the most comforting things to read in a store is the phrase "Wear and tear repaired at a reasonable cost." This tells you that the company is selling things that they know well and that they expect to be of service for a while. This is the case at J. Press on New Haven, Connecticut's famous York Street.

(In contrast. last week at L.L. Bean a friend brought into the Freeport store a pair of Camp Mocs to be resoled, something he has done countless times over the decades. To his surprise, he found that L.L. Bean no longer offers this service, and instead, handed him a new pair of Camp Mocs. While this is superb customer service, it is wasteful, and ultimately, not what he wanted.)

Today we returned to J. Press with two of their navy blazers, a tweed jacket, and a navy suit in hand. Two of the jackets are a little over twenty years old and belonged to my husband, and the other is over thirty-five years old and was my father's. It was time to hand them down to the next generation. The suit had a small tear that needed mending.

Tony, who has been at J. Press for 45 years and worked on my father's clothes, now takes up the sleeves just a bit for my son.

I perused the new tweeds...

...under the watchful eye of Jacobi.

We headed up York Street...

...and popped into Mory's to inquire about reservations for a future trip.

One has to admire the well-dressed people on the New Haven streets...

...and we even saw some familiar faces.

It was the perfect weather for wearing my Barbour Linhope Berwick Tweed jacket, and my new J. McLaughlin pants were exactly what I had hoped they would be, including versatile and very comfortable.

Slim Fit Dixie Corduroys

Pierson Gateway

University Theatre

We cut through to the Old Campus.

Harkness Tower

Phelps Hall (1895)

Connecticut Hall (1753) is Yale's oldest building.

I already look forward to our trip back to pick up our repairs and alterations.

Patagonia vs. The North Face. A Poll

2011-11-27T13:12:00.007-05:00

Some of My Patagonia amd All of My TNF

I received two correlated notes:

Muffy, I'm now looking for some nice winter jacket. I remember you mentioned some brands considered preppy but aren't ( For example, j.crew and the north face). I don't see any big difference between Patagonia and The North Face in terms of brand concepts and products. Could you tell me why TNF is not a part of preppy brands, please? Maybe I don't quite grasp the idea of preppy.

And:

For the past month, I traveled about England and Scotland. On such trips I always bring and wear my 30 year old Barbour Beaufort jacket. This trip, at two hunting and fly fishing lodges, I noticed many, many people wearing outerwear by The North Face. Typically a Denali fleece under a Barbour or under a shell by The North Face. These people were natives to Great Britain.

All of this brings me to the North Face Denali jacket of which I have several of and have found to have good qualities of very long wear, primarily due to the substantial polar-fleece fabric and the extra fabric layer on the elbow and shoulder area. I have found that Patagonia fleece tend to pill and fuzz in the elbow area. Your recent blog about Patagonia kelly green fleece got me thinking.

I know you have stated that The North Face is not preppy. Does this apply to the whole range or could the Denali jacket get special dispensation? : )

Just a trend I noticed this year in Great Britain and I would like to know your thoughts, if any. Thank you.

While I have always had a strong opinion in this matter, it is time to open up the moot court. Patagonia vs. The North Face - which is preppier? And why?

** Poll Closed - Final Results **

Thanksgiving on the Connecticut Shore

2011-11-26T15:38:00.005-05:00

We spent our Thanksgiving on the Connecticut Shore this year, seeing friends and family.

Kelly, our most charming hostess, prepared a wonderful meal of, well, fresh ingredients.

Our entertainment included a little pre-meal inter-species play.

There were many guests from some far-flung places...

Tina Ashmore is a jewelry designer/maker based in Dublin.

...Including some from Ireland.

Tina showed us her newest handmade pieces (on the plates), some of which takes weeks to make.

Her pieces are commissioned and worn throughout Europe by celebrities and royalty alike.

Naturally, all of the females then had to take turns trying on them all.

I was happy that I wore my "I haven't worn purple in 15 years" Ralph Lauren sweater as it made for the perfect backdrop hue.

An exact copy of this bracelet "Paris" was immediately ordered by one of the guests.

Our attention then turned to dinner...

...dessert...

...and finally saying goodnight to all.

For me Thanksgiving is not complete without a long, brisk walk, sometimes both before as well as after. Stepping out of the house and just across the street is one of the nicest walking routes. I had done this route hundreds of times (it was the route of my youth).

Salt marshes feed into Long Island Sound.

Some houses are just having the finishing touches put on...

...While others are closed for the season.

Matching Houses

The Connecticut shoreline (at least from land) may be the most beautiful this time of year.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from The Daily Prep

A Muffy Thanksgiving Tip

2011-11-19T11:06:00.001-05:00

Heritage Breed Turkeys

If the turkeys' free-range foraging takes them onto public roads, don't herd them from behind (as a sheep dog does), but call them towards you with the promise of food. This can save many Thanksgiving dinners in the community.

A Few New Items

2011-11-16T08:56:00.003-05:00

The Ascot from Eliza B.

I have a few new items for fall. I am greatly looking forward to wearing my new Eliza B. shoes and have several events in the city lined up for them.

A new blackthorn walking stick will join the others.

I stopped by Bridgham & Cook in Freeport and bought these four lambswool tartan scarves made by Lochcarron of Scotland. I will keep two and give two away, but I am in a quandary as to which falls in which camp.

I have a great-grandfather who was a Scott and another who was a Smith, but that has not helped the elimination process.

I love these Kiel James Patrick's ties for my husband. They are as fitting for holiday festivities as for summer wear.

Lemon and Line sent these new bracelets, which are made in Newport. They are a good "dress" nautical rope bracelets, now that I have mastered the clasp.

I took these "Dress Nauticals" to an event by the beach.

This is the result of our annual L.L. Bean Ragg Sock stock-up. Given we all wear the 12 inch Gray version, I have to sew a tiny bit of "designated color" thread at the top of each sock to insure the right person wears the right socks.

And I got the Men's Classic Fit cotton tattersall buttondown and Women's cotton cableknit crewneck.

Preppy Music? A Reader Question and Question for Readers

2011-11-13T16:00:00.024-05:00

There are distinctively preppy cars, clothes, and hobbies. Is there such as thing as 'preppy music,' and if so, what is it?

Specifically, there was a question in the last post that read:

On a wholly separate topic, you have told us a little about your taste for British television and about some of your favorite books, but how about music? Beyond the Prelude to Bach's Cello Suite 1 in G, is there an artist, genre, etc. that is, IYO, quintessentially preppy? What does TDP's playlist look like?

This is, of course, very complicated. When it comes to music, most of us are "of our time."

However, some would argue, intellectually, that the traditional hymns might be on that list. Consider:

Hymns cross a range, from piano to organ to a cappella, from professional to amateur, and from formal events to more casual gatherings.
They are at home at a Vineyard wedding, graces before meal at summer camps, all-school meetings at prep schools and, of course, Sunday services. (At Choate they sing "Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart" and at Groton and St. Paul's they sing "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones." Many prep schools have an official hymn where the words have been written by an alumnus.)
They are close to timeless, and will likely be around hundreds of years from now. (Obviously, that has not always been the case. Even beyond the 95 theses, Congregationalists did not sing hymns until the late 19th century, and thought that the organ was the instrument of the devil. For a timeline comparison, it was in 1865 that Lord Tweedmouth developed the Golden Retriever in Scotland.)

Now, hymns are timeless. I picked up this 1888 edition this morning...

...and quickly came across a hymn reference.

Hymns were undoubtedly a context in the life of so many role models of prep in the last century and earlier.
Friends to this day include snippets of hymns in email signatures. One sailor signs off with "Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea!"

Still, this answer, while very left-brain for most, may not be emotionally satisfying to many including myself, and even too Calvinistic on its own. Given that, what might be other examples of preppy music?

Many would nominate Cole Porter (the first Whiffenpoof?). Here is a program from a Rainbow & Stars review put on by a prep school friend.

What goes on the playlist? Or reframed, if you imaged a perfect movie in this genre, what songs would be on the soundtrack?

Note: Here is the video clip to which a reader referred.

Our Home Movie: Lee Roy Reams Commanding the Room

A Few Classic Jackets

2011-11-09T11:05:00.007-05:00

Ursa, the Maremma Sheepdog, is looking for the last sheep.

Academic institutions aside, there is an almost migration instinct towards the goal of homecoming. So for me, any autumnal wardrobe would be incomplete without the inclusion of some classic (I dislike the word 'vintage,' while still acknowledging its linguistic acuity) jackets.

I like the shape of my made in Vermont, Johnson Woolen Mills (unfortunately named) "JacShirt" with its front and back cape.

Richard Press (former J. Press president) after lunch yesterday showed me his great Willis & Geiger jacket (and label).

I also took out a Burberrys jacket, made for the late great Chicago store (once owned by Abercrombie & Fitch, back when A&F was a force for good)...

It still is in need of a bit of care.

...And this wool quilted houndstooth check John Partridge jacket

I would not wear this in the wood off of our property during hunting season.

Older garments do require some extra care. One example is reproofing, which, as a once-a-year ritual, is satisfying..

I credit reproofing with the excellent waterproof quality of this old Barbour hat which, though frequently mocked (as in, my "nutter" hat), keeps rain and wet snow away from my face. This was useful for tracking down a lost hen and returning her to her roost.

The Darien Sport Shop, Darien, Connecticut

2011-11-09T11:00:00.002-05:00

The seeming eclecticism of the preppy culture throws a lot of people. The spectrum includes young and old, sporting and evening events, town and country.

One store that, perhaps uniquely, has historically encompassed much of this is the Darien Sport Shop. I have returned here several times a year for decades. (It is just a minute off Connecticut's Exit 11 on I-95.) I knew I was "grown up" when I stopped using my parents' house charge and opened my own.

The children's section provides appropriately scaled versions.

While the suits and more formal wear are downstairs, the third floor acknowledges the role of the out-of-doors. And you can buy a Thule and have it installed on your car while trying on dress shoes.

While I miss the predictability and comfort of being greeted by Mr. Z. (although he still comes in one day a week now), I still enjoy the weltanschauung The Darien Sport Shop provides.

Eliza B. of Eliza B.

2011-11-04T16:45:00.012-04:00

The Exceptionally Charming Eliza B. of Eliza B.

I headed over to the Eliza B. headquarters in Essex, Connecticut, where everything they sell is made, so that Eliza and I could design a bag. I got distracted.

Her equally affable brother, Austin Jeffers of Austin Jeffers (or, just Jeffers), stopped by.

Their father Cecil joined us.

We stopped our recon walk to admire a great looking Leather O-Ring belt.

Leather Man Ltd. Belts

Since we were designing a bag, we all decided to head over to the shoes.

Into the Shoe Production Building

Some Custom Orders

The Lovely Thompson Camel Tartan

Feeling like Charlie Bucket, I got us even more distracted.

Eliza really knows her tartans.

She showed me some samples.

Belt Ribbons

Eliza took us back to the design room. Before we got to work...

...I admired her wrist wraps, which she had designed from some found leather odds and ends.

She sized one for me....

...and gave me hers off her arm.

And then there were the belts...

...and a peek at some spring shoes.

Inspired, I focused on the bag design. We choose the size of the one the left, and the general style of the one the right.

The next decision was which surcingle to use for the straps.

Eliza came up with a fabulous solution for a closure. Then we decided on the length of the straps and inside pockets.

A Madras Clutch

I was still getting sidetracked on the way out, as it is so much fun to see everything first hand. Now, I just have to wait for the bag to be made.

The Twin Villages of Damariscotta and Newcastle, Maine

2011-11-02T08:30:00.020-04:00

The North Side of the Bridge

"It is hard to find a prettier village in Maine than Damariscotta," said NECN, and I would not argue. Damariscotta ("a place of many alewives") and its twin village of Newcastle (named for the Duke of Newcastle) attract me as few other places do.

This area has a deep history of shipbuilding, and was a hub in the 1800s. And today, even though the year round population is shy of 4,000, the two villages (separated by the Damariscotta River) have the bustling feel and vitality of a much larger community.

The South Side of the Bridge - The River Leads to Casco Bay and Muscongus Bay

It doesn't get more "Maine" than Reny's and Irving.

Waltz's Pharmacy has been in business since 1948.

A family friend commissioned a nearby artist to do this watercolor for me of downtown Damariscotta, being sure to include Renys Underground.

Even the parking lot behind town has a lovely water view.

The Chapman-Hall house, the first house built in Damariscotta (1754) recently had it’s chimney (which services four fireplaces) redone. 240 years old bricks were used, and it was done the old way, using lime and sand.

One landmark of the villiages is the Baptist Church. Just last year, after three years, it got its steeple back, after raising over $500,00.00 (with a final $35,000.00 gift from a 92 year old town resident - :) !).

Old Church, New Steeple

A second landmark is Miles Memorial Hospital. Miles, which has the rare combination of having top medical talent but also providing that incredibly personal care so hard to find in larger arenas. This is in no small part to intense community support.

And of course, it has a water view.

And we recently experienced the emergency services when my mother’s hip had a bit of a hiccup. They fixed her up in no time and I wish to send a thank you to Drs. Li and Moran, Jim, Debby and Carrie for such marvelous care. We also send our gratitude out to the volunteers from Bristol Fire and Rescue and Central Lincoln County Ambulance Association for their swift and expert response and wish to thank Toby and Jeri and the crew.

Heading back over the bridge into Newcastle...

...past Newcastle Square...

And this was my kind of Friday night and my kind of fundraiser. It was a public fish chowder supper at the Newcastle Firehouse to raise money to help with home-heating bills.

...and down River Road to the Newcastle Firehouse...

...which was hosting their Fish Chowder Public Supper.

Of course, all of the fish chowder was homemade....

...(the firefighters turned their meeting room into a dining room, where it was hard not to admire the Kelly Green sweater),...

...as were all of the desserts....

...and all at the cost of $2.50 per person.

We got there early and sure enough within fifteen minutes the line was out the door.

A third (cultural and intellectual) landmark is The Lincoln Country News. The twin villages produce the best local newspaper I have ever read. Each week the LCN is bursting with original articles, photography, local columns, and community announcements. And it is still full-sized.

Each week, I turn first to the Round Pond column.

I was delighted to see that Candy Congdon included me in this week’s column.

One reason for the newspapers' success is the presence of writing and other creative talent. Not only does Damariscotta have a great bookstore - The Maine Coast Book Shop - as well as the very active Skidompha Library, but it is home to many significant authors. And it certainly has been the subject of quite few books itself.

Damariscotta and New Castle, and their rich history in shipping, are the subjects of many books including this one...

...written by the author of Merchant of the Medomak (who also happened to be my husband's lower school Latin teacher, and whose skills are used by Bath's Maine Maritime Museum).

There are many lovely places in Coastal New England. But one of my favorites will always be the twin villages of Damariscotta and Newcastle.

Halloween Tailgating

2011-10-31T18:39:00.005-04:00

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

2011-10-28T18:21:00.003-04:00

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

2011-10-27T07:14:00.011-04:00

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 Westport, Connecticut store 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

2011-10-23T14:00:00.029-04:00

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...

...And ferry from decades ago – the “Jaws” era (my husband was in a crowd shot as a young lad in the "classic prep" town of Jaws' Amity).

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

At the Jamestown Boat Yard in Jamestown, Rhode Island, 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.

Skip 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.

Skip 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.