Seeing my Endicronologist and Taking a Long Walk in Southport/Westport with Leslie

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Fairfield and Southport, Connecticut

Seeing my Endicronologist and Taking a Long Walk in Southport/Westport with Leslie

Today was a quieter day as I am now in Return Mode. After an early wake-up during which I blogged, I made my breakfast and drove off for an 8.20 am appointment with my endourologist of at least 15 years, Dr. Glenn Rich in Trumbull. I feel really blessed to have the use of her car as Leslie starts work only at 1.00 pm most afternoons. This allows me to do all my jobs in the morning at great convenience.

Seeing my Doctor Again:

All went well with Dr. Rich although we did talk about checking my arteries for any blockages in light of the fact that my cholesterol is borderline. I tried to get the scan done at Advanced Radiology but they had no appointments available for the next few days and since I am leaving soon, I will get it done in India. This, of course, is only precautionary as the US bases its heath care on preventative medicine. My ECK was clear, my blood pressure is normal, so the chance of heart disease is minimal. Still, you can never be too sure and Dr. Rich wants me to stay on top of my heart health. He was delighted to hear that I work out six days a week, have followed a low-carb diet for 25 years, have never smoked and drink alcohol very sparingly. Hopefully, this will augur well. He would like to see Scan results and asked me to fax them to him. Meanwhile, he gave me an appointment for a year from now.

It is amazing to me that I still have the ability to see my doctors, thanks to Medicare and NYU’s Supplemental Health care benefits. For as long as we can swing it, I will make these annual medical pilgrimages to the US. Of course, a time may come when that will no longer be possible…but, for the moment, I revel in the knowledge that I can.

I stopped at CVS for one quick errand: buying OFF Mosquito repellent (as per Llew’s request) to deal with them in India. I also stopped at Stop and Shop to buy my stash of marinated olives as this is something I cannot get in India—I can only find the bottled variety which are usually used in martinis. I then drove back home and went straight for a cofree as it has turned pretty chilly already. In fact, I think that late summer-early fall is probably the best time to be in the US—you avoid the possibility of truly burning up in the summer heat and you do not get the awful brutality of winter. Maybe it might be best to plan future trips at this time of year.

Getting Packing Done:

I spent the rest of the morning worrying about my packing and taking out all heavy stuff so that I could include those things that urgently need to be transported to India. I will leave those things that are not urgent in my friend Mary-Lauren’s basement. They will be transported to India at a later stage. We stopped to eat Lunch (I ate leftovers of my British Breakfast Plate of a few days ago—it was still quite quite delicious) and then I had a nap.

By the time I woke up, Leslie had returned from work and we sat down chatting. It was quite grey outside and looked very gloomy but a thought suddenly occurred to me. I asked Leslie if she was too tired and she said she was fine. I then suggested we go for a walk and I take her to a place she had never been to before—I told her that it was a favorite walking trail for Llew and me, especially during the pandemic, when we enjoyed being out in nature talking about our future plans to relocate to India. She said she would love to go for a walk and so off we went.

Walking Again in Southport/Westport Meadows:

The area I call the Southport Meadows are actually on the border of Westport (as Leslie found out by using a satellite map later on). It is just past Southport Beach and is a vast acreage that has been in the possession of the Audobon Society as part of their conservancy project. Llew and I used to enjoy walking here as it seemed we were always far from the madding crowd in a protect environment where we could enjoy wild flowers, towering trees and, if we were lucky, much wildlife too.

And for Leslie and myself too, it turned out to be a splendid walk. Leslie was utterly charmed as she had no idea such a place existed and she absolutely loved it. She found out that it borders the playing fields of Green Farms Academy (Llew and I used to often walk around the periphery of their football and baseball fields too). We saw a cute little rabbit on our walk as well as a pair of deer. We stopped by the little lakes and the fountains in the private properties and multi-million dollar homes that form the periphery of the meadows. We took pictures and had a really wonderful time as we plucked wild raspberries and blackberries (reminded me very much of the plucking of wild blackberries that I used to do in England when I would take them home and eat them with ice-cream). Oh, the happy past times of rural summers in the West!

When our walk was done, we had a couple of errands to run: I had to pick up mail from my home and so met the Kennedys again briefly, we went to Stop and Shop to return the aerosol mosquito repellent I had bought as well as the Pledge furniture polish as Leslie told me that aerosol containers are not allowed on the aircraft and we stopped at CVS to get something else I needed to buy—clip-on sunglasses as I simply cannot do without them in India.

Dinner and Ted Lasso Back Home:

Once home, we discovered that Sunil had taken over the cooking and had prepared grilled chicken with vegetables for us. We had a lovely dinner while watching Ted Lasso (I am determined to finish the third and final season before I leave from here as we do not have Apple TV at home) and also following the TV coverage about Donald Trump getting booked and having his mug shot taken in Georgia.

Dinner done, we sat chatting for a while before I excused myself to take a sbower and get ready for bed.

Until tomorrow…cheerio!

Lunch at the Pequot Yacht Club With Southport Book Club Friends and Dinner with a Lovely Family in Fairfield.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Southport and Fairfield, Connecticut

Lunch at the Pequot Yacht Club With Southport Book Club Friends and Dinner with a Lovely Family in Fairfield.

Today was another eventful day! Indeed, most of my days seem to be crammed with activity as I am focusing on meeting friends whom I last saw nine months ago, in November, just before we relocated to India. I awoke early, did some blogging and tried to get back to some reading, I am expected to finish reading The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Sheyan Karunatilaka, a Sri Lankan author whose novel won the Booker Prize last year. Except that the Magical Realism of the book makes it so abstract and so complicated that almost 100 pages into the book, it all still seems like gibberish to me. I am sticking with it, still hoping it will all start to unveil itself like the layers of an onion.

Appointment with my Radiologist:

My day began with an appointment in Trumbull with my radiologist of 25 years, Dr. Neil Specht to whom I go every year for my annual mammogram and ultra-sound. This year, as I am on Medicare for the first time, I am learning exactly how it works. All my physicians accept it, of course, for existing patients—which is a big relief because at this stage in my life, I don’t want to go looking for new doctors who do not know my medical history.

I know Sandra, the technician, very well and she is always wonderful. I usually have a different person doing the ultra sound every year and this year it was Ashley. Fortunately, the doctor told me all was well and very stable and I did not need to worry for another year. I made an appointment for next year and I was off. It is wonderful that Leslie gives me her car to use as I go to these doctor’s appointments as they have made my life very easy—however, these morning appointments are clashing with my tutoring schedule and I am required to do some creative juggling of days and dates—all of which is quite a nuisance.

I stopped at Cathy’s place and picked up a bottle of tequila to take back to Bombay from the stash of alcohol we had left with them. Similarly, I drove to Bonnie’s place to pick up a bottle of Drambuie which she is also holding for me. I hoped to take these two bottles to India. With them in my trunk, I drove to Leslie’s place to return the car to her, but I was well aware that I had a luncheon appointment with my Southport Book Club folks at the Pequot Yacht Club and needed a ride from Leslie’s place. I sent out a text requesting a ride and received a response from Joanie who said she would come and pick me up. In the end, however, it was Laura who came as she now lives in Westport (not too far from Leslie).

Lunch at the Pequot Yacht Club with a Fun-Loving Bunch of Friends:

We were blessed by a truly glorious late summer’s afternoon when the Mill River looked spectacular and there was a bit of wind to provide relief from the sun. We sat on the patio outside overlooking the sea craft passing by. So idyllic! Made me realize how blessed Llew and I were to live in such a heavenly location for 30 years of our lives and how lucky I was to make friends with these gals who are members here!

Alison signed me in and while everyone else had a Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken, I opted for the Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce which were just lovely—except that they were meant to be an appetizer and did not come with a starch to provide any bulk. Even so, they made a good light lunch. I had an iced Diet Coke to go with it. It was a bit chilly as the wind was picking up and I forgot to bring a cardigan.

We had a really lovely two hours, chatting about our families and our summers. Laura has moved to Westport and is building a home in South Carolina into which she will be moving in a couple of days. Ruthie was leaving with her family for London, Alison’s children no longer need home schooling as they are all at uni now. She has begun a new voluntary project called World Tutors that links up voluntary tutors with students around the world (mainly in the Global South) to help them do better in their studies. After she told me about the project, I volunteered to be part of her teaching corps. She will fill me in on the details later.

Lunch done, the ladies drove off with Alison offering to pick me up again at 3.00pm. I strolled to the village, hoping to get back to Foxtrot Vintage but found that it was closed. I walked instead to The Carousel and looked around a bit, but did not find anything. At 3.00 pm, I phoned Alison who came to get me. We chatted more about her tutoring project until we arrived at Leslie’s.

Dinner with Close Friends at their Fairfield Home:

I had a bit of time to relax with a short nap and then take a shower before it was time for me to call Mimi, my friend, who was working up to 6.00 pm, to let her know that I was ready to be picked up. She and her husband Shayon came along to Leslie’s in their spiffy red Tesla and off we went. It was wonderful catching up with them in the car as I had last seen Mimi last year when she and her family had treated Llew and me to a farewell lunch at our favorite Thai restaurant (Ru Thai) in Bridgeport. Mimi has since changed jobs (she is a corporate lawyer and works as Legal Counsel for Credit Suisse Bank in Manhattan) and Shayon, her husband, is a Professor of Physics at the University of Hartford—and is currently on summer break.

Back at Mimi’s beautiful, spacious home in Fairfield, right opposite the Brooklawn Country Club and Golf Links, we settled down into a really plush and very comfy sofa. It was actually the first time I had been to their place as we usually meet in restaurants. They gave me the tour of their home and showed me their large back yard which is really very well manicured by professional gardeners. I was also thrilled to see the things that Mimi had taken from our estate sale—two masks (one we had bought in Poland and another in South America) that joined her collection of masks on the wall and the Royal Doulton porcelain flowers (which I had always loved) and which are now in a glass vase on the buffet of her dining table. She also has our Stratford-on-Avon plate. Like me, Mimi is a confirmed Anglophile as she studied British Jurisprudence at the University of Cambridge in the UK—the Other Place (as we, from Oxford, call it!).

Their twin children—Anshul and Ankshita—joined us for dinner. The family had just returned from a fabulous holiday in Crete where they had rented an Air B&B for a week. They had also toured Athens. We had a lot to talk about in terms of their wonderful holiday experiences. As for the food, well, what can I say??? They made me a typical Bengali meal (as they are Bengalis, of course) that included everything: 3 types of vegetables, chicken curry (made by Shayon), shrimp with potatoes (made by Mimi), rice, dal, hot and fresh off the tava (griddle), plus pakoras and a delightful salad. Dessert was gulab jamuns and chocolate fudge ice-cream! I mean, truly, it was a meal fit for a king and we all ate well. There was much laughter and chatter around the table as the entire family regaled me with all sorts of stories and I had a really grand time.

By 10.00 pm, I asked if I could stop at another friend’s place—Swapna’s—so that I could pick up two belts that belong to Llew and which he had left behind to be brought back to India later by Swapna’s husband, Rasik. Swapna was still up and told me I was welcome to come and pick up the belts. This gave me a chance to introduce Swapna to Mimi and Shayon and, of course, immediately, they found out that they had met before at someplace else. I did pick up the belts and then off we went. The Sinhas dropped me back to Leslie’s place where we reached at close to 11.00 pm.

What a splendid day it had been! I consider myself so blessed to have friends who are so warm, hospitable and welcoming and who are making my stay here in Connecticut so special.

Until tomorrow…cheerio!

Lovely Lunch at Centro in Fairfield with an Italian Friend and Browsing for Vintage Jewelry in a Thrift Store in Southport, Connecticut

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Fairfield and Southport, Connecticut

Lovely Lunch at Centro with an Italian Friend and Browsing for Vintage Jewelry in a Thrift Store

Today was much less eventful than many of the past few days, but it is good to have some breathing room in the midst of non-stop activity. I awoke early, as usual, and had my muesli and coffee for breakfast even while I taught three of my online classes. I am glad that I am able to carry them out; but they leave me exhausted.

Browsing for Vintage Jewelry:

After breakfast, Leslie (who was going to run a few errands) dropped me off at the Carousel Thrift Store which reopened today after 2 weeks’ summer break. It was packed and I could not believe how many women had zeroed in on the idea of getting there early to get first dibs at everything. I left with a nice haul of costume jewelry and ran into an old friend there. Butzi Moffit comes across for a natter and a browse around with her assistant every so often. I spent a few minutes visiting with her before I left and walked towards the village where I was to be met by my friend, Fausta, with whom I was supposed to have lunch at Centro’s Italian Restaurant in Fairfield Center.

Italian Lunch with a Friend:

Fausta came, as planned, in her car and met me outside Barbara Barbara where I sat for a few minutes on a bench to get my breath back. It was a warm afternoon but not humid and I was glad to have such terrific weather throughout my stay here. I was on the phone with Misha of NYU—dealing with medical insurance issues—when she arrived. We settled down in Centro’s and studied the menu. It felt nice to be able to have lunch on a week day—this is the huge benefit of being retired and I am enjoying it immensely.

Both of us chose to stick with iced water and for lunch we chose the Salmon Salade Nicoise which was absolutely delicious and very large. We both took doggie bags home. Of course, we caught up with a whole lot of things and chatted quite continuously. I was also happy to bump into Mary-Jo, a lady I knew years ago through my next-door neighbor, Trish—who has since moved to Mill Hill Terrace. We visited for a while and then left.

Fausta dropped me off at Balducci’s from where I picked up Maldon Salt and then she dropped me home. Once over at Leslie’s, I had a nice afternoon nap and made a few calls (Annu in CA, Rosemary in Florida, etc). It was great that I finally had the time to make calls.

In the evening, I watched Ted Lasso with Leslie before we stopped to eat dinner. I enjoyed the remnants of my Salade Nicoise before we called it a day.

Until tomorrow…cheerio!

A Hearty Breakfast with a Dear Friend in Southport, Ice-Cream with our Realtor and a Fabulous Dinner Party in Syosset, Long Island

Saturday, August 19, 2023

Fairfield and Southport, Connecticut

A Hearty Breakfast with a Dear Friend in Southport, Ice-Cream with our Realtor and a Fabulous Dinner Party in Syosset, Long Island

I woke up early today happy to note that I had a lovely day in store. I merely washed and got dressed and then called an Uber for my ride. Both Leslie and Sunil were busy with the family conference call they do by Zoom every Saturday with their international family. Hence, I could not drag them off to give me a ride. The Uber worked fine and within 10 minutes’ of calling for one, the driver was at my door. He was an exceptionally polite man and I had a very good ride.

Breakfast with an Old Friend, Jane Dean:

My friend Jane Dean is old—in more ways than one. I discovered that she is 88 (although chatting with her, it is hard to believe she is on the wrong side of sixty!) and she is someone I have known closely for at least 15 years. Jane used to live in Southport Village, traveled to India with Llew and me when we had taken 22 Southport ladies on a tour of India, invited us frequently to her home for wonderful meals, over the years, and, in general, has been a dear friend. About a year ago, she sold her home and moved to an assisted living community called Maplewood, about five minutes down the road in Southport, which is better than any five-star hotel. She has other Southport friends there—so she does not lack for company or for things to do (it helps to have a vibrant mind and loads of interests in one’s old age), but she is only now getting used to the loss of her independence and the fact that she is not really in her own home.

Breakfast was in the dining hall which looks like a posh restaurant. She told me to come for breakfast because that is one meal during which, as she said, “you can have whatever you like”. After a couple of false starts (I wanted Waffles which they could not provide and then Eggs Benedict which they said they cannot do!), I settled for a ham, cheese and mushroom omlette with sausages, orange juice and decaff coffee. Jane was being good and decided to have oatmeal with fresh blueberries. Oh, the meal was just splendid and I enjoyed every mouthful. But, more than anything else, I enjoyed Jane’s company for there are not many people I know who can keep up a scintillating conversation, match me idea for idea, flit from one subject to the next quite effortlessly (and when I say topics I don’t mean idle gossip) and bring fun and laughter into all her pronouncements. She is also very fond of Llew, gets my monthly newsletter, keeps abreast of all our news and sends me some of her’s too. It’s all great fun and we really enjoy being with her.

When breakfast was over at 9.30am, we took the elevator and adjourned to her room on the second floor where we sat down and chatted some more. I love Jane’s lovely collection of paintings and art work on her wall, the photographs of her family and other keepsakes and mementoes that have colored her life. But soon, it was time for me to leave and when Jane discovered that I had taken an Uber, she told me that she would give me a ride home.

Accordingly, I requested her to drop me off to Trader Joe’s from where I could pick up a salad for lunch and then spend a large part of the morning packing. I was rather worried about fitting my things into my two suitcases—and so that’s what I did.

I spent a good part of the morning working on packing my two lamps (that I have brought back from my office at NYU) back in my suitcases in such a way that they do not break. I do not want the banker’s lamp to break as it has a glass lampshade and, for that matter, I do not want the other ceramic lamp to break either. It has a beautiful lampshade and I am hoping that it will not be bent out of shape in the process of reaching India.

When I had spent more than an hour working on my suitcase, I weighed it and found that I had exactly 48 pounds in it (I am allowed 50). So, I will not be putting anything more into that suitcase. Everything else will have to fit into the other suitcase (or be left behind for other folks to bring to us).

Just when I was starting to feel fatigued and my back started aching, I got a call from our realtor, Britt, asking me to join her for ice-cream at Dairy Queen (my favorite neighborhood ice-cream place).

Ice-Cream with our Realtor, Britt Petrucci:

We have also been blessed with an extraordinary realtor, Britt Petrucchi, who handled our tenancy agreement and then went out on a limb to iron out so many aspects and clauses (as we were so far away in India). She was keen to meet me after she knew that I was Stateside and, as she used to work in my favorite ice-cream place (Dairy Queen), she suggested we go there for a Blizzard—my favorite kind. Well, sadly, my favorite blizzard-maker, Beth-Ann, is no longer at the Fairfield DQ—she is now in Monroe, CT. Of course, I was heartbroken to find this out, but was also delighted to hear that Britt is Beth-Ann’s best friend! Wow! It seems that they had both started working at this DQ when they were 15 years old. They are now in their early-40s! Of course, they do other jobs for a living; but they always return to do part-time hours in this happy place, Britt told me. Sadly, not any ore. Management has changed and they do not see eye to eye with the new owner! So sad!

Well, I was treated by Britt to a Chocolate Cherry Love Blizzard (which was not nearly as good as the ones that Beth-Anne usually makes for me), but hey, I did not complain. I enjoyed my huge ice-cream and had a chance to visit with Britt and learn a lot about her and her family. She has been really terrific to us and both Llew and I have grown really fond of her. So I was super glad I was able to make the time to see her.

Britt dropped me back home to Leslie’s place in Westport. I had a bit of a lie-down before I woke up to take a shower and get ready for the next item on my agenda: I was invited to Syosset, Long Island, to the home of one of my oldest friends in the USA, Doreen. She and her husband John live in a lovely house with a large garden at the back and tons of space indoors. Doreen and John had also invited a couple called Ralph and Lynne who live in nearby Norwalk and I was very fortunate that they offered to come and pick me up and take me with them to the Bellomo’s place.

< Off to Dinner with the Bellomos in Syosset, Long Island:

Ralph arrived with Lynne at 5.30 pm and off we went. The miles were swiftly eaten up by our non-stop chatting as we made our way to Long Island. This couple is originally from Bandra and we do have a lot of friends in common—so there was a lot to talk about. By the time we reached Doreen’s place, it was just past 7.00 pm. Doreen’s Mum was already seated outside and I was delighted to see her after absolute years. She looked very well indeed and chatting with her is always a pleasure.

A little later, we were joined by another couple—also close friends of ours—Anita and Allan Walther. I had, in fact, introduced Anita to Doreen at least 30 years ago and we have all remained very close friends. Anita’s mother Kamla also came along and it was a pleasure to see her too after such a long time as she lives in Delhi. There was much to chat about over Doreen’s spread of appetizers: cheese and grapes, chicken malai kebabs served on sheikh kebab skewers with peppers and onions, Indian style potato samosas with mint chutney and tamarind chutney as we sipped wines and seltzers. As twilight gradually descended over the group, we adjourned inside.

We found that Doreen had cooked a huge spread that included mutton korma, pea pullao, black pepper shrimp, mango salad, cauliflower gratin, fish oreganato and an assorted bread basket. In fact, even though I took only a small spoon of each dish, there was so much on my plate that I was full just looking at it. Desserts were equally lovely: Doreen made Ina Garten’s Peach and Raspberry Cobbler, there was vanilla ice-cream to go with the Cobbler and Ralph and Lynne brought a mousse cake (I had taken Chocolate Truffles from Trader Joe’s). So, you can just imagine how stuffed we were by the time we arose from the table. Indeed Doreen had taken an enormous amount of trouble and we were most impressed by and very grateful for her efforts.

When it was about 11.00 pm, Ralph and Lynne decided to call it a night as we had at least a 90 minute drive back to Connecticut. We said our long goodbyes before we were finally out the door and in our car and headed back on the highway. It was about 12.30 pm, by the time I put my key into the door.

Until tomorrow…cheerio!

A Gorgeous Summer’s Day with Meetings with New Tenants, Old Neighbors and a Dinner Party with Friends in Connecticut

Friday, August 18, 2023

Fairfield, Connecticut

A Gorgeous Summer’s Day with Meetings with New Tenants, Old Neighbors and a Dinner Party with Friends in Connecticut

Friday dawned bright and clear and as I got myself ready for what I knew would be another eventful day! I awoke at 5.30am (waking up later now, thankfully) and had a cup of coffee followed by my usual breakfast of muesli with honey yogurt and milk and coffee. Then, as Leslie did not need the car till 11.00 am (when she needed to take it to Town Fair Types to get her flat attended to), I took it to my first appointment.

Meeting Our New Tenants for Coffee:

I arrived at my own (former) home in Connecticut and felt so odd to be ringing the bell! In the past, I always let myself in through the garage door (with the garage code) or the front door with my own key. To have to wait until someone else opened the door was truly strange. Jennifer came to the door looking as fresh as a daisy in a spotless white linen shirt and blue printed pants. She is lovely—so elegant, so poised. She is a high-end interior designer, and she looked the part! She gave me a big hug and welcomed me inside. Truly, it’s hard to describe it but I had a few out-of-body experiences as I walked in and took in my home that is my home and yet is not my home! It was super weird.

We sat down with a large mug of coffee and chatted about a lot of things. I met their dog, a little pug named Leila, who was quiet and good! Jennifer’s husband, Steven came along--he is Head of Securities of a huge global financial firm and he too seemed exactly made for the role. Such a lovely couple! So classy, so friendly, so international in their attitude. We really did luck out! Best of all, it was very clear to see that they respect their new space and are treating it well. Jenifer does not allow shoes in the house as she wishes to keep our newly-polished parquet floors pristine. I too was requested to remove my footwear! This is not something that we are accustomed to in the USA (in Canada, yes. There is the weird custom of taking shoes off at the door and people walking about in socks!).

Anyway, after we sat down with coffee, Jennifer told me a bit about themselves and their lifestyle in Southport. He travels a great deal for work—all over the world. She often goes off with him but not if it promises to be too hectic. They were just back from a lovely 10- day vacation in Ireland and they looked tanned and relaxed! Well, they led me on a tour of the lower level and I was filled with awe at the beautiful pieces of unique furniture they have collected over the years. They have an absolutely gorgeous carved teak wall paneling from Vietnam (where Jennifer spent part of her childhood) which has found the perfect place above the bay window in our living room. She has removed the cross grating from all windows. She also has two genuine Indian howdahs which are massive seats carved in teak wood and used on the top of elephants in India! She has placed these in her living room. So you see, this is not your ordinary showroom type furniture that is now in my home! This is genuine designer material from out of the pages io a sophisticated design magazine! I am thrilled! She has replaced the light fixture over the kitchen table and placed it carefully in bubble wrap down in the basement. So, yes, there are changes in our home which is her blank canvas and still a work in progress. As a designer, her vision and aesthetic are similar to mind: English Country and traditional. But, of course, where I lack professionalism, she has it in spades! We are just lucky to find tenants who completely belong in the ritzy, snazzy, stylish neighborhood that is Southport.

An hour later, I left, fully confident that we had been blessed in finding tenants who would never trash our home and would treat it entirely as their own—in fact, that was what Jennifer kept telling me repeatedly: We will treat your home as if it is our own! That’s great!

Next Stop--Meeting our Former Neighbors:

I had told my next-door neighbors, Pui and Ken Hom, that I would come and visit them right after my visit with the Kennedys. So I left my car in my driveway and off I went to the Homs next-door. You should have seen the welcome I received from their dog, Gus (who is known to us as Gussie)!. That dog truly went mad! He was chasing all over the place (once the door was opened by Pui), just filled with elation at seeing me after so many months. It was just a splendid reunion and I can just imagine what it will be like when he meets Llew.

We settled down in their family room. Pui and I had a chance to have a long catch up before Ken, freshly shaved and showered, came downstairs to join us. Of course, they gave me our mail and a shared a lot of news with me and, before we knew it, I took some photographs with them and left. I stayed with them for about an hour and then it was time for me to take the car back to Leslie, which I did.

Off to the Tyre Repair Place with Leslie:

Back home, I gave Leslie the car and then accompanied her as she drove to Town Fair Types on the Post Road to settle the issue of her flat tyre and get a replacement. This took about a half hour. She has been told to bring the car back on Monday as they were too full over the weekend to service it. We finished this errand and drove back home together.

Sunil and Leslie had some work to do during the morning and I had a chance to relax and catch up with my blog. I walked down to Trader Joe’s to get myself a salad for lunch and thought I would eat it alone at home as I did not know how long their errand would last.

I’m not sure where the time went as I tried to sort out my ride for the evening. I had been invited to my former colleague’s place in Stratford for dinner. I knew she was also inviting other folks from Fairfield, and I needed to see if I could get a ride from them. Eventually, Sunil told me he would drop me off at their place before heading off for their evening out.

An Evening out with Close Friends in Stratford, Connecticut:

I showered, got dressed and had a little gift put together for my friend Liz Petrino who is in the English Department at Fairfield University. She and I once had offices, side by side, and we became close friends. Liz is Italian-American and meals at her place are always outstanding. This time, she invited another professor, Betsy Bowen and her husband Jeff (Betsy was the one who had hired me at Fairfield U) and we have remained close friends.

En route to Liz’s place, Jeff kept up a steady stream of conversation. I learned a lot about them—including the fact that Jeff who was a high school teacher of English in a private school in Greenwich, had just retired and that Betsy is on a Phase Out scheme with Fairfield U too. It is funny but all of us are at that stage in our lives when we are either retired or contemplating imminent retirement. If only all of them would know how GREAT retirement is and how much they will enjoy it! So many folks are reluctant to retire (even if they can afford it) because they wonder what they will do with themselves. They have no idea how fabulous leisure can feel, now terrific it is not to have to deal with the daily nitty-gritty that stress really is. I would like to shout it from the mountain tops to everyone: Get Retired Already!!!

Liz and her husband Tom put up a really terrific show. Both of them are superb chefs and after we settled down with prosciutto with melon and olives for nibbles with white wine, we were treated to Tom’s home made pizzas that were out of this world: Pesto with chicken, pepperoni with mushrooms, sausage with peppers---I mean, it was just awesome! Dinner followed: a big tuna-rice salad that was absolutely delicious and for dessert, there was tiramisu that Liz had made herself. I mean, this is one of my favorite desserts (so I really do wish I had saved more room for a second helping!—but the pizzas were extraordinary too!). Anyway, I think you know what I mean. It was spectacular. We had a brilliantly delightful summer’s evening, I took a walk down to the vegetable patch to admire Tom’s variety of tomatoes, herbs, lettuces, Swiss chard, I chatted with their teenage son, David (who is a real darling) and watched the antics of their cat, Charlemagne (Charlie for short!). In short, it was a truly memorable evening with friends who are sincere and genuine and warm and generous.

Back inside (as it did get a tad cooler as the evening progressed), we sat in the living room and Liz brought us limoncello over ice in the little crystal liqueur glasses that I had presented her when I was leaving the USA permanently for India. I was so happy to see that she actually uses them!

So, you can see that we had the perfect evening and one I will not easily forget. We finally said our goodbyes at about 11.00 pm when Jeff and Betsy dropped me back home to Westport and I could retire for the night—having had another truly lovely day.

Until tomorrow…cheerio!

A Very Busy Day With Bank and Health Insurance Chores, A Rummage Through my DVD Collection and Thai Dinner with Old Friends

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Southport, Connecticut

A Very Busy Day With Bank and Health Insurance Chores, A Rummage Through my DVD Collection and Thai Dinner with Old Friends.

My day began, as usual, with wake-up at 5.00 am (the better to get down to some blogging and texting and sending out pictures to friends). When I did get going, it was to have breakfast (muesli and yogurt with coffee) and to chat with Leslie for a bit before I had to leave for my meeting at Chase Bank. Leslie told me to take the car and bring it back to her by 12.30 as she needed to be dropped to work at 1.00pm.

A Futile Meeting at Chase Bank:

My meeting was scheduled to begin at 9.30 am. Llew was standing by, on the phone, at home in Bombay, as he was required to be in it too. We were able to deal with the initial issue (changing the address on his savings and checking accounts), but we did run into a major glitch with regards to our investment accounts. After great effort and being in the meeting (in which Keith, the investments officer, was also brought it), it was ascertained that the issue that had plagued us, could not be resolved. We would have to think of other solutions.

Biscotti, Coffee and Conversation with a Friend:

up on my agenda was a coffee morning visit with a former Southport Book Club friend, Cyndy French. She is a physician, and it is always fun discussing medical conditions with her. I had not had the time to say Goodbye to everyone we know in Southport before we left in November of last year. When she saw the ‘For Rent’ sign outside our house, she reached out to me in India to find out what was going on. I explained that we had moved to India. She was sorry she did not get a chance to say Bye and so I decided to make the time to meet her on this visit.

Her home, right in the heart of Southport Village, is just adorable and when I entered, I found that she had not one, not two, but three Welsh Pembroke corgis (my favorite dog breed!). They were yappy, of course, but finally settled down enough to allow us to have some coffee and nibble on the most delicious almond biscotti right there in the kitchen before we moved to the living room (as her maids were cleaning). We had a lovely long chinwag and catch up and resolved to stay connected.

I left Cyndy’s and drove to Leslie’s. I reached there at 12. 15 and 15 minutes later, we were on our way to Leslie’s work at the library. I decided to stick with her as I had a few errands to run myself and really appreciated having the car with me.

Once we reached the Pequot Library, I decided to simply sit in the parking lot and make a few calls as I had a number of headache-y things to resolve.

In the Parking Lot at Pequot Library:

The first thing on my mind was calling United Health Care to resolve an issue that has come up regarding our insurance policy through NYU. Since I cannot make calls in the library, I just sat in the car and dealt with each matter one after the other, Chriselle also called at this time and I had a chat with her. I drew a blank with UHC and then turned to NYU where Misha Thompson of HR, who has been helping me throughout, came on the line. Long conversations with these official folks ate up the hours.

By 1.45, I was hungry and was glad I had carried the remnants of my Sakura dinner with me. I sat right there in the car and ate it. I then needed to use the rest room so I stepped into the library where I had the pleasure of running into Stephanie Coakley, the Director, with whom I had a really wonderful chat. It was fabulous to meet her and talk to her about my current research and proposed book. But while I was in the middle of our conversation, Misha called me and I had to run out again and take the call in my car. More time was spent there and, finally, it about 4.00 pm, when I left the matter in her hands to resolve it as best she could.

Reviewing my DVD Collection:

The next thing I needed to tackle was my DVD collection which I had left at the home of my friend Mary-Lauren, nine months ago. She was kind enough to hang on to our stuff in her basement. Her daughter Sage was inside and she let me in and, next thing I knew, she found the items in the closest in four big boxes. Later, Brett, her father, came downstairs to say Hello to me and since they were both headed out, he told me to merely shut the door behind me and leave.

I spent almost an hour on my own, down in the basement, riffling through my vast collection of DVDs. I chose about 30 of them and these (in terms of my fondness for the material) is what I intend to take to Bombay on this trip. I certainly hope I will have the space and weight allowance—always an issue when one is relocating!

That done, I closed the door behind me and found that I had about an hour before I had to meet my friends in the parking lot of the Pequot Library at 7.00 pm. I thought I would spend it at Home Goods, but I then realized that Michael’s, the craft store, was right there in the same strip mall on the Post Road. I needed to buy two springs of orchids for two porcelain vases that I inherited from my maternal grandmother. And so I stepped inside, found what I was looking for, bought them and left.

Meeting my Friends for Dinner:

All that was left then was to arrive at the Pequot Library so that I could hand over the car keys to Leslie (who could then drive home) and to meet my friends, Dhiru and Kirti, who invited me out for a Thai Dinner. They were already in the library when I arrived and I introduced them to Leslie.

We left shortly after and drove to Rainbow Thai, a tiny little restaurant right on the Saugatuck River at Westport. The setting could not have been better as the sun set and lights were reflected on the water. As the Vyases are vegetarian, we kept the meal vegetarian (expect for the Chicken Coconut Soup which I absolutely love—Tom Kha Gai). We also had vegetarian Pad Thai, Mango Curry (simply delicious) and Tofu with Basil and Chilli. Yes, everything was scrumptious, and I was glad to eat Thai food after a really long time. Best of all, I got to discuss Kirti’s upcoming book publications—she is getting a book of poetry published by a printer in Lower Parel in Bombay who just happens to be a good friend of mine, Maneck Davar! Maneck was in my batch at Elphinstone College in Bombay and we have renewed acquaintance after all these years and are good friends! Kirti requested me to give her a blurb for the back jacket of her book of poetry which I felt privileged to do. I told her to send me the pdf and after I have taken a look at it, I will certainly write her a blurb.

Well, that brought our evening to a close. We took a few pictures and left. It was a nice meal and a good evening with old friends. We left the place, they dropped me back home, I spent just a few minutes talking to Leslie and Sunil before I got Llew on the phone for a long chat. I had to catch him up on a lot of happenings of the day (regarding Chase, NYU and UHC) and we will now have to re-strategize in terms of these official goings-on in our lives.

On that note, I got ready for bed and fell asleep.

tomorrow…cheerio.

A Glorious Summer’s Day Touring Coastal Connecticut with Friends and Dinner with Family

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Fairfield and Southport, Connecticut

A Glorious Summer’s Day Touring Coastal Connecticut with Friends and Dinner with Family

I had an absolutely fabulous Sunday! Truly, it could not have been any better.

My day began at 5.30 am when I awoke and spent some time blogging and reading. I am trying hard to finish The Covenant of Water in time for my Book Club Meeting on Tuesday evening. But I had to start thinking about Sunday service. Leslie told me that she would drop me off at church for the 8.00 am Mass.

Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church:

Leslie and I left at 7.40 am for the 8.00 am Mass and just flew down the Post Road as there was no one on the road at that early hour on a Sunday morning. It was good to be back in our church again and to get a warm welcome from Bill at the door. He, of course, asked immediately about Llew.

Nothing felt more wonderful than to be back in my beloved church again. Fr. Paul Rourke, SJ, of Fairfield University, said the Mass. My friend Patti was the Lector and I could see the delight on her face when she recognized me sitting in our regular pew. Mass was lovely. It was a thrill to be able to belt out the hymns in the right key as Frank, our Music Director, always pitches the hymns in my exact key. In Bombay, its either too high for me (and I have to sing one octave lower—which is uncomfortable) or too low and I can’t take the notes. This was just splendid. Plus, I got to sing all the familiar hymns that I love so much. It was really great.

After Mass, Patti and Bill came up to meet me. I went forward to meet Eleanor, our Parish Co-ordinator, to say Hi to her and there I met Joe—he’s the guy who was head of the volunteer weekly Counting Service I used to do of the Sunday collection. He seems to have suffered a stroke and told me he no longer does it. He also now walks with a walking stick. I guess things change as time goes by, right? Then Frank, our Music Director, came along to say Hello and it was just grand—being enveloped in the warmth of old parish friends who remember us fondly. Everyone asked after Llew and told me to say Hello to him.

Meeting Friends For Breakfast at Harbor View Bakery:

At 9.15 am, after Mass, our friends Swapna and Rasik came along to pick me up with their teenaged sons, Atharva (whom I was meeting for the first time—he was visiting from Boston) and Parth. We drove directly to Harbor View Bakery and Café which is a favorite, after Mass, of Llew and me. They loved the ambience of the place and the location and said that they would be sure to return. It is amazing how long the line to the counter was—fortunately, we were just third in line and we ordered swiftly.

I had my favorite Belgian waffles with whipped cream, strawberries and maple syrup—lots of maple syrup. It was just scrumps! The others had omlettes, pancakes and avocado on toast and, believe me, everything was so good that all of us just focused on the eating and enjoyment of our large platters. Meanwhile, we chatted, caught up and generally had a good time.

A Driving Tour Around St. Mary’s By The Sea in Bridgeport:

When we finished our breakfast, I told our friends that I would take them on a slight detour to see the area called St. Mary’s By The Sea. This is one of the prettiest parts of Connecticut and has a lovely lighthouse and a fabulous walking path alongside the water (I have often walked along it with various friends through the years). We merely drove around and realized just how beautiful this place is and how blessed we were to live here for 29 years of our lives!

Off to the Farmer’s Market:

The next item on the agenda was the Farmer’s Market (before a short detour at Marshall’s from where I picked up my favorite Italian Fiorentina set of soaps).

The Farmer’s Market in Fairfield takes place on the Town Green and I could not believe how many people were browsing the wares. It carries fresh local produce—veggies and fruit—brought from the neighboring Connecticut farms. There were also bread stalls, pastries, brownies and even artisanal soap and bath bombs. It really is great to browse through these places, but the prices are always far higher than the supermarkets (because the produce is not mass-produced). After spending almost an hour here (with the sun climbing higher in the summer sky and warming the place far more than was comfortable), we piled back into the car and started our driving tour of our beautiful coastal Connecticut.

Off to Southport and Fairfield as our Driving Tour Continues:

Our driving tour continued as I began at Sasco Hill, then on to Sasco Beach and took our friends through the most ritzy parts of western coastal Connecticut. They had already begun to explore the beaches and had seen Jennings and Penfield Beaches. They had also been to Sasco—so we did not get off at these places.

We then moved on towards Harbor Road and got off at the Tide Mill Landing, where we took pictures and watched a man fishing. He had caught a turtle and also at least half a dozen crabs! We took a lot of pictures in this pretty area before heading off along Harbor Road towards the Pequot Yacht Club and the Old Yacht Yard. Then, we headed back to Southport Harbor where we got off and took a bunch of photographs. Of course, they were fully enchanted by the harbor and the marina and the bird sighting (we saw a magnificent black cormorant there). Once again, it occurred to me how lucky we were to live in such a beautiful place and for so many years and how completely I had embraced the area, gotten to know every tiny by lane of it and how entirely it had stolen my heart away. I have them a short history lesson on the success of the Southport Globe onion and the manner in which it made money in the 19th century for the farmers and agriculturists of the neighborhood. They were fascinated. I told them about Perry Green—about the three mansions facing the marina that belonged to the three brothers, etc.

We then left Southport Marina and went past Southport Village to drive along Pequot Avenue to Pequot Beach. We passed the Library and the two churches—Congregation and Trinity—and then got to the beach which was also quite packed. Everyone was swimming or sunbathing—there was hardly a parking spot available. Then, we drove ahead of it, into Westport where I took them to Burying Hill Beach where we stopped to take more pictures.

All of this driving was accompanied by commentary which they fully enjoyed and found very interesting. We then drove back to pass right by our house on Pequot Avenue. It was time to take a quick picture of it before thinking about lunch as everyone felt hungry.

Lunch at the Mhatre’s Residence:

Yes, we did make our way back to Black Road Turnpike, to the Mhatre’s residence, for cold drinks (Rasik gave me a Jameson Irish Whiskey cocktail tinkling with ice) while I went upstairs to their bedroom and began to take inventory of all the clothing that Llew has left behind with them to be brought to Bombay slowly at Rasik’s convenience. I removed everything, then carefully folded everything again, took pictures of everything to show them to Llew and packed and put them back into the bag.

I then went down for lunch which was leftovers from our dinner at their’s on Friday with some additions: we had chicken biryani (from Sher Khan in Hartford), prawn chilli fry and fresh salad with ingredients bought from the Farmer’s Market. For dessert, there was an absolutely delicious Chocolate Mousse Cake (my favorite) as it was Parth’s birthday yesterday. It was truly a delicious meal and I was glad to have them to share it with me.

When lunch was done, I said fond goodbyes to them and Rasik dropped me back to my friend Leslie’s place in Westport.

A Rest Before An Evening Out with Family-Members:

To my astonishment, I found that Leslie and Sitara had returned from their bridal shower and were chilling out at home. We chatted for just a little bit before I excused myself to have a bit of a lie-down and a much-needed rest.

A good half hour later, after chatting a bit with Llew who is still in Goa, I got up to have a shower and get ready. My brother Roger (who had just returned with his family from Montreal) was coming to pick me up at 6.00 pm and I was ready for him when he got there. We had a nice reunion and then he drove me over to his place in Fairfield.

It was nice to meet his wife, Lalita and his son Arav. Their daughter Anaya was at a 3-day YMCA Counselling Camp and was not at home. We had a very full evening as we explored the lushness of their deck and garden—full of colorful perennials and annuals. Roger definitely has a green thumb that he has inherited from our mother and, after admiring the tomatoes on their deck, we sat down to have drinks and nibbles—a Gin and Tonic for me with crisps, cheese and crackers (goat cheese, smoked Gouda), salted nuts. They were nice nibbles (not too heavy) while dinner was organized: bowtie pasta with artichokes, lemon and basil, grilled shisito peppers and grilled chicken (which was grilled in an air fryer—something that everyone is suddenly talking about). For dessert, there was Haagen-Daz ice-cream (chocolate with a dark chocolate coating which was exceptional). The evening gave way to twilight and twilight gave way to darkness as the evening lengthened and we spent a lot of time chatting and enjoying the good food and the lovely summer’s evening.

By 9.00 pm, I said bye to everyone and got ready to leave. Roger dropped me off, back to Leslie’s place, where I stayed up with them chatting for a while and sending pictures of an awesome day to my friends.

Then, sleep beckoned and I brushed and flossed my teeth and made it to bed.

Until tomorrow…cheerio!

A Relaxing Day Devoted to Retail Therapy in Southport, Connecticut

Saturday, August 12, 2023

Southport and Westport, Connecticut:

A Relaxing Day Devoted to Retail Therapy in Southport, Connecticut

It is amazing to me how much things change even within the space of a few months—forget about a few years. The things I did today really brought this home to me.

But, to begin at the beginning, I awoke early (about 5.00 pm), began reading, blogging, etc. I had a muesli and yogurt breakfast with coffee and then told Leslie that I would leave with her to get to the Pequot Library by 9.30 am. The Library opens at 10.00 to patrons, so I had about half an hour to sit quietly by myself in the Reading Room at the back (which I love—it reminds one of a gentleman’s study on an English country estate) working on my blog and catching up with it. I had carried my laptop with me.

Our friend Debbie’s wedding was being live streamed from Goa. Llew was there in Goa and I began to follow it (while home in Westport initially) but then gradually even while at the library. I caught most of the nuptial ceremony and service.

Browsing and Buying:

I spent most of the next three hours just strolling through Southport Village. It was a damp and drizzly day and on Saturday morning, for some reason, there were not a lot of folks in the vicinity. I decided to start at the first new shop in the village—Foxtrot Home! Such a cute name. It specializes in interiors, vintage and antique accessories for the home.

I went in there and was just enchanted by the space—it has a Gorgeous collection of items to suit the tastes and styles of Southport homes. Lots of traditional and classical decorating items, all with a fairly nautical touch (as it is also summer). I saw the jewelry cabinet and made a bee-line for it and found it had a bunch of exquisite vintage and antique items that I truly coveted. I ended up buying six necklaces (all of which came from a French estate, except for one contemporary lariat piece). The last, the contemporary one was on a leather rope. I had seen the exact same one on an English lady at St. Paul’s, Knightsbridge in London last week and I had loved it and wondered from where she bought it. And two weeks later, I find it in a shop in Southport! What are the odds? Well, my buys were well packed and bagged and I left feeling very pleased with them.

After this shop, I browsed in the Fairfield Women’s Exchange and then across the street in Barbara Barbara. It is amazing to me how much time really thorough browsing takes!

But then soon it was about 1.30 and I walked (in a light drizzle) back to the Pequot Library, where, half an hour later, Leslie told me that Sunil, her husband, who had returned from his trip to India, would pick us up. We all left together and he drove us home.

She had picked up a sandwich for lunch from Village Bagel shop earlier in the morning, but I knew that my leftover lunch from Wood N Tap in Farmington was still in the fridge. When we got home, I had it for lunch. Leslie’s daughter Sitara had arrived from Boston and we spent a while gabbing. It was fun to be in the bosom of a full family again (although I thoroughly enjoyed my time alone with Leslie which was, as she put it, one long pyjama party!)

It was a very quiet Saturday evening at home as Leslie and I continued watching Ted Lasso (we are close to completing the third and final series) and then it was time for me to have dinner (we made omlettes and ate them with salad) and get ready for bed.

Until tomorrow…cheerio!

Primary and Middle School Needlework Unearthed!

Primary and Middle School Needlework Unearthed!

Friday, October 21, 2022

Southport, Connecticut

Day 6 of Operation Relocation involved massive clear-out of 2 more closets: cashmere sweaters,wool blazers,shirts,trousers,shoes,boots,hats/caps,gloves,scarves,jackets/overcoats.More Houseware,kitchen goods,costume jewelry.House exterior re-painted, deck stained, front door, porch & shutters painted, Southport Connecticut

Estate Sale tmrw. May the force be with us! Wish us luck!!!!

School Needlework! All being unearthed from my attic! Buried treasure! Because it’s so dry in my heat insulated attic, all these items have survived intact—no moisture, no humidity to attack them!

Bringing a long & productive day to a boozy end! Salute!

Friends Picking Out Memorabilia! And Culling Through Keepsakes from my Daughter's Life.

 

Friends Picking Out Memorabilia! And Culling Through Keepsakes from my Daughter's Life. 

Wednesday-Friday, October 12014, 2022

Southport, Connecticut

Getting Ready for Estate Sale                                                                

Day 5 of Operation Relocation 

...meant no tutorial classes today but ceaseless culling & curating in my kitchen cabinets, basement, dining room & bar. Upstairs, I sorted through my books (giving a lot of books that were personally inscribed for me and signed by their authors). Simply no way I’d have space for them in India. 

Trawled through my table linen closet and through my hall closet to sort through, fold and give away winter scarves. 

Almost Eve of Estate Sale Day! I seriously did not know I had all these possessions! Half a coffee table covered with candles!

Very proud of my efforts! Have accomplished all this SINGLE-HANDEDLY as Llew has been continuing to work all day and is chained to his study.

My brother and his wife have taken some living room furniture. Will come and take a look tmrw but say they’re maxed out, space-wise, and don’t want to pick up anything if they cannot accommodate it.

All my friends are coming in and picking something by which to remember me. I am just giving it away to them. Bonnie had taken a large glass platter. Says she will use it for appetizers or dessert during Dinner Club evenings—so that Llew and I remain in their midst. Amy picked up a large, tall, green glass bottle to go with her new decor. Will also be cherished, she says, as a reminder of us. Mary-Lauren picked out a Birkin bag. Says, “I love that bag. It will always remind me of you!”

Found a whole suitcase filled with memorabilia, in my attic, from Chriselle’s babyhood and childhood. All the tiny little outfits I sewed for her and then embroidered; her first feeding bottle; her first sipper; the cardigan my Mum knitted for her; her baby blanket; the crocheted outfit that she modeled in Eve’s Weekly as a child; each one of her school uniforms through various grades—LKG, UKG, Primary School, Middle School… everything labelled and catalogued by me four decades ago!!!! Will be passing it all in to her now! Fighting terribly nostalgic tears….

Fulbright Meeting! Book Club Meeting!

Fulbright Meeting! Book Club Meeting!

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Southport, Connecticut

Day Five of Operation Relocation:

Am involved right now in a long 5 hour meeting with a Fulbright committee in Washington DC. So happy to be doing it from here or else I’d be doing it while in India from 9.30 pm till 2.30 am!!!

Not just Jo Malone! Look at all the Tiffany boxes I kept!!!

Culling & Curating Continues!!!! Haven’t felt the sunshine on my face for almost a week—homebound big-time and deep within the salt mines!

Book Club Meeting at my friend Bonnie’s. Book was: ‘Late Nights on Air’ by Elizabeth Hay. 

Bonnie served Brown Rice & Roasted Brocolli with Grilled Salmon. Dessert was Apple Cake w/Whipped Cream. Mary-Lauren was missing as she had thyroid removal surgery last night (suspected cancer).  Was SO GOOD to see my CT Book Club friends again.

Culling Through Book Collection. Off to Charity Shops.

Culling Through Book Collection. Off to Charity Shops. 

Monday, October 17, 2022

Southport, Connecticut

Day 4 of Operation Relocation finds me with a  sore arm (4th Covid booster vaccination yesterday) & slight body ache. 

Taught 3 1-hour online Tutorials in the morning.

 Culling through books, papers & memorabilia in our Media Room & Guest  Room; drove to Pequot Library to pick up empty boxes; collapsed boxes were reassembled by me (Llew was at work all day in Manhattan);my friend Bonnie came over in the afternoon and together we moved a lot of stuff from my basement to each of our cars for transport to Goodwill (charity shop). 

 I next went to Carousel, another charity shop with slightly better looking items. Badly needed a break so rushed to Dairy Queen, my favorite ice-cream parlor for a Chocolate Blizzard as only my friend there, Beth-Ann, the manager, knows how to make them. Ice-cream Break done (I worked hard to fight sleep that  becomes insistent about 5 pm), then tackled my books—what to donate to the Pequot Library, what to put into my estate sale this weekend, what to ship to Bombay. The hardest part is letting my coffee table books go! In the end, I have put them in my estate sale too. If they do not get snapped up, I shall donate them to the library. When Llew returned home, we had a TV dinner and being totally beat by then, I took a shower and hit the sack at 9 pm. Another productive day ended.

Sunday! Day Two (& Three) of Operation Relocation

 Sunday! Day Two of Operation Relocation

Sunday, October 16, 2022

Southport, Connecticut

Just back from Sunday Mass. And what a fab Mass it was too!!!! I SO miss my Masses here!!! Brilliant homily! Priest Spoke about being a Jesuit theologian in Jordan & Jerusalem for years. Such a moving sermon and the priest too (Irish—Fr Thomas Fitzgerald) was emotional (blew his nose a couple of times) while preaching. HUGE welcome from my church community here!!! So many came up to say Hello and Welcome Back.

After breakfaast, Foraging around my closet continues! Unearthing all these designer gems—bag and shoe sets. The YSL bag is still in its original packing (have never used it).  Same with the Ferragamo cocktail shoes—never worn! Love the Bally bag and shoe set (wear them a lot).

Bringing all these to India. Don’t know if I will ever use them or if the weather will ruin them. They all come in protective cloth bags—hopefully that will help preserve them. But I simply don’t have the heart to leave them behind here!

Finished clearing out my closet; went grocery shopping to the supermarket and Trader Joe’s; drove my car after a year to my brother Roger’s place where we were invited for dinner. Lovely day…lthough not ultra-productive!

Oh…also met our next-door neighbors, the Homs. Will be staying in the spare apartment attached to their home once our interior decorators come in. 

Also can’t believe there was NOTHING in the fridge!!!!! Had to go grocery shopping and will need to cook tmrw—That will take precious time away from clearing out!

Realizing I don’t just have a love for Jo Malone—I have a healthy obsession!!!! Look at all these boxes I collected and kept through the years!!! And if you could only see the amount of product I have, yet unused.

Met our next-door neighbors of 27 years: Pui & Ken Hom and daughter Taylor who got married last week! I missed her 12-course sit down Chinese Wedding Banquet by a week!!Will be staying in the apartment attached to their home when our interior decorators come in.

Sorting through the detritus of my life, I have come across this article on my research in Bombay that appeared in the August 2019 issue of Sunday Mid-Day. Do take a read. It’s amazing what I am unearthing here.