Henniker, New Hampshire – This could be the year that the twins learn to ski. I mean, really learn to ski. We’re not doing any other traveling this winter, so my goal is to transition pandemic field trip to pandemic…
The Nutcracker, Revisited
Somerville, Mass – We have not been home for Christmas in three years, since we were in Costa Rica last year and Italy the year before. It feels strange, not just to be home, but to be stuck at home…
Madame Gilflurt’s Excerpt from The Tsarina’s Lost Treasure
We have noted the popular fascination with Catherine the Great. While the Russian Empress may be among the trendier rulers from this period, historian Catherine Curzon points out that the Georgian era (1914-1837) was rife with “unique, eccentric and flamboyant monarchs.”…
Birthday in the Berkshires
Great Barrington, Mass – Sweet Daddio planned a getaway so we could celebrate my birthday in the Berkshires. Daddio knows how much I have enjoyed our pandemic field trips during this year of no travel. Our hiking and beach outings…
Honey Pot Hill
Stow, Mass – I can’t believe it has been six years since I posted about Honey Pot Hill. Apparently, life changed a lot when the twins started school. Then we had to start limiting our adventures to weekends, when everyone…
An American Musical
Somerville, Mass – Our last trip pre-pandemic was a mini road trip to New York City, where we celebrated Daddio’s birthday and went to see Phantom of the Opera. Within days of our return home, schools closed and the state…
Quincy Quarries
Quincy, Mass – I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the opening of school is delayed by a few weeks, so the teachers and staff can figure out how to do “remote schooling”. I fear…
Tsarina Excerpt in the Daily Beast
An excerpt from The Tsarina’s Lost Treasure appeared in the Daily Beast! “A ghostly shipwreck, a lost masterpiece painting, a lustful tsarina, the news of the Vrouw Maria’s discovery stirred imaginations in the summer of 1999. It also sparked questions, namely:…
Covid-safe Road Trip
Somerville, Mass – It’s a long drive back to Boston from Michigan (13 hours), so we decided to make it a proper Covid-safe road trip and break it up with a few outdoor-activity stops along the way. Niagara Falls When…
Covid-Safe Summer in Michigan
St Clair Shores, Michigan – We have given up a lot this year (as everyone has). But I wasn’t quite ready to give up our annual time with the grandparents on Lake St Clair. After much deliberation, we finally came…