Adventures with the Family

One day while the kids were in camp, my sister, her dog and I also went on a nice hike – we’ve talked about going again, and I just bought a trail guide to the South Fork for further inspiration. The part of Southampton I walk and bike has houses and farms and dunes, but further afield, if you will, there are also some beautiful wooded areas. There are ticks out here, so one has to be careful, but I hope to do more hiking.


One weekend, the whole family was here and we went to a corn maze. The roasted corn was delicious – it might be the best corn I’ve ever had. The maze itself was fun, but what I really enjoyed was seeing something that all four members of the family enjoyed (five, if you count the dog; six, if you count me!). My nieces are in a phase where they don’t want to do things together (other than watch TV, or so it seems) and don’t want to do much of anything (other than watch TV it seems). And the other members of the family kind of keep to themselves the rest of the time, too. Except for the dog.


This past weekend, there was a clear night and a sliver of moon – so many stars in the sky! I could see the Milky Way!

The family spends the month of August in the Southampton house; last year I left just before they arrived for the month. This year I decided I shouldn’t (and didn’t really want to) be here the whole time they were here – it’s their house and I didn’t want to be in the way! I also thought it would be good to get some space. I’ll recount the travels I took at some point. I had some mixed feelings about going away – turns out that while I was here I was not only not in the way, I was a big help, mostly with errands but also with babysitting (since my nieces are older, it’s not really babysitting; a better term might be coverage). I’m glad I was able to help, but also glad I was able to get away. My sister is starting a business (see www.evex.me) - again, beyond the scope of this blog, but I’ve been helping with that too, and I’m happy to be helping!

We also went to the U.S. Open for one of the early rounds – saw Sharapova win and saw Federer win. I had gone to the U.S. Open in 2006, the week before I left for Morocco. Before that, it had been years! Tennis is fun to watch, and it’s cool that one of its major events takes place in New York City every year. I’d go every year if I happen to be nearby!


And, counting my friends as extended family – some shopping for Moroccan rugs! There’s a rug store that used to be in Chicago and relocated to Southampton (what are the odds?) – you can check it out on hannoun.com. When Rose came to visit, we relived old times. Not the same without tea and places to sit for hours while looking at rugs, but still fun! Rose bought a small rug to complement what she already had. I resisted – can’t buy any more until I see what space I will have and what rugs I already have!