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Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Fairfield, Connecticut

Still More Doctors’ Appointments and an Evening with Family Members:

Today was far from exciting as all it involved were doctors’ appointments in Fairfield, Connecticut, starting at the crack of dawn. It ended, however, on a lovely note with a superb evening at my brother’s home and a delicious home-cooked meal there.

Blood Work at Quest Diagnostics:

Both Llew and I had blood work to be carried out at Quest Diagnostics on the Post Road in Fairfield, on behalf of our Primary Care Physician who needed them to do an accurate assessment of the state of our health as part of our annual physicals. We had them done and left for a spot of shopping for breakfast goodies. I bought a pistachio muffin and Llew picked up a bagel from Stop and Shop en route home.

Llew Sees His Cardiologist After Breakfast and I Do Some Shopping:

Back home, we found that Swapna had already begun working from home for the day. We ate our breakfast and then got ready for Llew’s next appointment—this time with his cardiologist, Dr. Ari Pollack in Fairfield. I drove him there for his 10.00 am appointment and then drove the car off for a spot of shopping at the Carousel, the thrift shop in Southport, where I always find superb bargains in vintage jewelry. To my delight, I was not disappointed. In fact, I found a superb Murano glass necklace by the designing sisters, Susanna and Marina Sent, that retails online for $350. I snagged it for just $4. Hey, you can’t beat that kind of bargain. I also got a pair of vintage ear-rings and a black pearl necklace with gold highlights. Shopping for jewelry in this place is one of my great joys.

I also used my time in Southport Village well. I popped into Latimer House to see the owners, Chris and Parker, as I also wanted to buy some of their superb masks—I had discovered them during Covid and found them to be simply the best masks in the world. They retail at a sharp $20 each but they are worth every penny. Sadly, they did not have any more of them! Bummer! I so need them in Bombay with its awful air and dust pollution—they have been my defense through a really challenging year of keeping away throat and chest ailments.

In their shop, I ran into an old friend (pun intended)—not only is Butzi Moffit one of my oldest friends in Southport (I got to know her about 40 years ago when we moved into the neighborhood and her daughter Maggie was my next-door neighbor), but she is also one of the oldest people I know—at 95 years old. Butzi was also a fellow-docent with me at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and in that regard, we have a lot in common. Butzi now has a full-time care-giver called Loulou who walks with her in the neighborhood and brings her to the library. She also made her way into the shop where I had the pleasure of meeting her again and taking photographs with her. Butzi is a walking lesson in how to be glamorous when well into your 90s. She was wearing a very colorful outfit and a very snazzy hat and truly looked like a million dollars. I so enjoyed my stop with these old friends for I visited at length with Chris and Parker whom I have also known for decades.

Finally, I made my way into the Pequot Library, one of my favorite places on earth. This was where Llew and I used to volunteer for about 40 years. As soon as I walked into the Library, I noticed that there was an Art exhibition being set up in the auditorium. I spent about twenty minutes taking in the wonderful exhibition that included a range of oils on canvas as well as watercolors that were done by a woman from Connecticut whose family had all her work stashed in their attic. I had a chance to speak to her grand-daughter but I do not remember her name. She informed me that the exhibition was a way of selling some of her work and honoring her, posthumously, at the same time.

Then, I stepped down into the basement, where most of our volunteer work had been done. There I met some of our old friends such as Dough Freid as well as some of the full-time employees of the library. I was also delighted to meet Nelson North who has taken over as Acting Director of the Library in place of the lovely Stephanie Coakley who recently resigned from her position as Director. We too visited with him for a little while and then it was time for me to race off.

I picked Llew up from his appointment and the two of us set off for lunch.

Lunch at Shake Shack:

With my visiting in Southport Village done, Llew and I decided to have lunch at an old favorite haunt of mine—Shake Shack. Of all the burgers I have ever eaten, I believe their’s to be the best: apart from their magic secret sauce that I really love, they use chopped, hot, pickled, red peppers that give the burgers a real zing. I was too full to also include their amazing Chocolate Milk Shake with my order, but I really did enjoy the burger. What a simple but delicious lunch it was!

Two More Doctor’s Appointment for Me First and Then, Llew:

With our lunch enjoyed, I was dropped off at the office of my Primary Care Physician, whom I was seeing for the first time (as our previous one had retired and we needed a new doctor). Dr. Catherine Kumaradas was very sweet and asked me all the right questions as she went through the results of my various tests of the past few days with me. I did not get very heartening news from her but as she assured me that there is probably nothing to worry about (although we will monitor the progress of these findings very carefully), I left her office and returned to Llew who had taken the car away himself and came back to pick me up.

I then dropped Llew off, once again, to another cardiologist, also in the Brick Walk (where, by the way, it is getting impossible to find parking) for another routine check-up. I then spent the time while he was being examined, to browse through the offerings at Marshall. I was particularly looking for hand wash and body lotion in a caddy or carriage in the same scent family. These used to be very easy to find, but this time, there was nothing that struck my fancy.

I decided to also look at T J Maxx, but there too I drew a blank. Finally, the only place left that I could look at was Home Goods and I was disappointed there too. The items I sought were simply impossible to find on this visit. Oh well…perhaps next year.

A Lovely Evening in My Brother’s Home:

All that was left was to get back home to freshen up, change into a nicer set of clothes, pick up the gifts we had carried from India, the UK and the USA for my brother Roger and his family, as we made our way to his place. We were running a bit late as we had too many things to try to fit into before we arrived there. We were sorry that his daughter Anaya was out for the evening and that his son Arav was away at Uni. Still, as an adult evening, it was a lovely one. We started off with drinks (wine for Llew, a G&T for me) and a range of nibbles before we adjourned to the dining table for one of Lalita’s home-cooked dinners: Spaghetti Bolognese with a Green Salad and Garlic Bread. We chatted about a vast variety of things and did a lot of catching up before dessert was served and it was time for us to say our Goodbyes.

Indeed, it had been a very packed day—as all our days in Fairfield were. We drove away and arrived at Swapna’s place at well past 10.00 pm. Where on earth did the day fly?

Until tomorrow…see ya’…