Spooky Adventures of The Shushing Librarian

It was a dark and stormy night when first The Shushing Librarian

approached her computer to start looking for Halloween costume ideas.

She was a little fuzzy on ideas as she began to type and click away on many a search engine.

Should she be a rotund mermaid, with flowing hair of green and iridescent scales?

She surely didn't want to wear a bathing costume like this guy she saw on Cape Cod.

The Shushing Librarian does not snorkel, and wearing flippers makes it hard to trick-or-treat.

She did like the idea of going as a royal princess, but this Knight Crusader was stonily silent when approached for feedback on the idea.

Likewise, this gargoyle just shrugged off the question of what Ms. S.L. should be for Halloween.

She usually isn't such a Scaredy Cat,

but the thought of not having a good costume put a deep fear in her bones.

It's a hair-raising experience -- this Halloween Costume hunting.

If you don't know HOOOOO to ask,

you can end up with something so obscure, that no one understands.

(Hello, I'm a Cyclon. A Toaster?! Ya know? Cylon = Toaster! Get it?)

Or worse ... People alter a perfectly good costume and make it obscene. NUTS!

(Look carefully, you'll get it in a minute or two.)

Exhausted, The Shushing Librarian decided to pack it in,

and go trick-or-treating as her own blue, androgynous self aka The Super Information Specialist, mild-mannered librarian by day, Super Shusher all the the time.

It's a dream come true:

Death by Chocolate

** Sorry about the lack of focus on this post. Chalk it up to too much sugar and the slow death throes of Auntie Nettie's Nikon Coolpix. The lens motor is going, and the autofocus doesn't work so well anymore.

OR, it's a Ghost in The Machine - Mu HAHAHAHAHA!

Random Rooftop View from the East Side

A few weeks ago I had a girls' overnight in New York with a college friend. Waking up in an apartment on the 14th floor of a high rise is slightly, oh-so-slightly, quieter than the noises I'm used to experiencing in the studio in my bit of New York.

The views from her balcony were amazing. (Sadly, Auntie Nettie's Attic does not have a balcony, or access to the rooftop.) It also provides a glimpse into some of the secret lives of New Yorkers, and a different perspective on the City.

Views to the East

Looking down from the balcony, right across

This church is so close to its neighbors. Too close. Almost inseparable, you might say.craning to the left, andanother one down below -- to the left. I love the art on their brick wall.But by far, my favorite was the apartment and deck on the building farther across the way from the church. If you can't get to Sagg Harbor, you do your best to improvise.

One day, Auntie Nettie's Attic is going to have a balcony and/or deck, and the studio can move back into a real attic, where it truly belongs.

File this under: real estate envy/location, location, location jealousy.

Well we're movin on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up,
To the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.

With apologies to the Jeffersons.

Darn it, now I want some pie!

Coping to the Signs on the Cod du Cape

Can't have a trip to the Cape without seeing some of this and some of that:

Not used to seeing wildlife en route to the Cape (used to go another way), but the rotary starts your thoughts circling to how far it is to the beach.

Thank goodness for a wonderful lighthouse/innkeeper who had opened her home with much graciousness.

Not coming from an imbibing family, I didn't know the Cape had Vineyards. It's closer than Napa, that's for sure.

P-town was full of safe temptations for me,

as well as some amusing advertisements.

Until this trip, I never realized how many things were up or down back alleys. Maybe I won't get new sandals or a tattoo, for now.

As for now, if you can't find me, I'm probably out fishing, or at The Lobster Pot,

or check the nearest beach.

Letters from Ollie J - Oct. 27, 1992

27 Oct 1992

[The Farm
Pikeville, NC]

Dear GrandDaughter,

I am doing fairly well. We went to the temple Friday (23) and Saturday (24). Had a very nice experience. Still a long ride.

You have a quite a list of subjects to study for. Sure it gets hectic at times. If wasn’t hard be no need to be there. With Study am sure you’ll make it.

The Buliten[sic] shows you are working hard. Proud of you.

Physics is a pain. I tryed[sic] it once year in high school. Not my favorit[sic] subject.

Nice you can relax now and then. Careful you don’t need a nervous breakdown.

[editted for content]

Look for Cheerful things to help you and how about Church do you get to be there?

We had a big Jack Frost so every thing is Changing Leaves are pretty. Weeds are black. Not picked soybeans yet but they are most ready.

I made myself a new Temple dress. Now to finish a Navy suit to wear to Church. Seems hard to settle down and sew.

Have about read Spencer W. Kimball by his sons. Have found it quite enjoyable. Yes had read it before.

Been cool enough have had a fire in heater. Is some warmer today. Could use some rain.

Helped a neighbor quilt a quilt so am not out of a job yet.

Want to get all the pictures sorted and put in books to preserve them. Haven’t found the negative you desired still looking. [probably my grandfather -- STILL don't have a picture of him]

Had my hair cut and got a permant[sic]. It looks better.

My cold is most gone. Got Flu shot too. Trying to stay well and happy.

Take care of your self and be very Careful on the road. Some one said Crazy people out there.

Love you very much

Grandma

Most forgot

Study your Spanish so you can help people find their way about

Cape Cod Culinary Adventures of The Shushing Librarian

S.L. here again. Now that I've had a chance to internalize all of the meditation techniques I learned on my Zen Meditation Retreat on Cape Cod, I'm feeling much calmer and more centered. During meditation, I've come to terms with being back at work. I'd much rather still be with the girls, having fun, eating good food, and relaxing in the traditional girls' weekend activities (aka sleeping, laughing, and drinking), but we can't have everything, can we?

Auntie Nettie was gracious enough to see that her invitation to join the Caramoor crew/Newport 2009 gang on a "think tank" retreat to Cape Cod was extended to me. It coincided nicely with a visit to an arm specialist. You might remember that I had an accident with "my biggest fan" a few years ago and have been in colorful sling since then. I had been coping, but the sling was never supposed to be a permanent solution to my problem. Then this summer on the road trip with C & B I got banged around some more, and then B tried to fix me (thanks B, but um ... *#% & OUCH!). I finally made an appointment to get strapped down a bit more. I was even fortunate enough to get my new semi-permanent cast to match my ensemble. What do you think?

But that's not what this blog post is really all about. It's about my Culinary Adventures on Cape Cod. Cape Cod = fishing villages, beaches, and seafood shacks! Seafood. YUM!

I have oyster spoons and will travel!

I had been hearing about The Lobster Pot in P-Town since Auntie Nettie and Grandmary went over Thanksgiving 2008 (was that really two years ago? WOW!).This is the point in this blog post that I will once again reassure Grandmary and GrumpaMax and any other readers that only I, The Shushing Librarian, was imbibing of harder beverages than Diet Coke. Auntie Nettie stuck to the brown cola beverages and water. She is a good girl. I, on the other hand, like to get down and have a drink occasionally.

I am the perfect height to check out the Signature Drinks card. Look at all the choices. It was a girls' weekend, so really the drink du jour should have been a martini or a margarita or something.Instead, it was Virgin Bloody Marys, water, and Diet Coke. I don't judge.

Unlike the server, HELLO! He thought, that because there were six of us of a certain age and appearance, that it must be a hens' weekend. He even thought I was the GROOM topper for a wedding cake. I think it might be time to change the color of my suit to something a little less androgynous! I find it ironic that he thought I was the groom, especially when we were in P-Town during Women's Week.

Lunch was so good. I got to try a bit of everything. Here's Lindsey's clam chowder in a roll bowl.Auntie Nettie's panko-baked scallops on a half shell and her bowl of Portuguese Soup.This lobster roll is bigger than me! Alithia ended up splitting this with Christine. For some reason there isn't a picture of the lobster/avocado chilled cocktail appetizer that the girls were raving over. The only thing I can think of is that Auntie Nettie's severe aversion to avocado extends to not photographing it.After a wonderful day in P-town, exploring mid-Cape's Vineyards and beaches, and dealing with the Route 6 traffic jam that came at the tail end of Wellfleet's OysterFest 2010, we headed back to the house for even more fun. I started out with good intentions to follow Auntie Nettie's example and stick with Diet Coke.
BUT ... the Brut called my name. I mean, I couldn't let the girls drink all of this themselves. I have years of experience on them, so I had to lead by example.I saw this cute Stoli glass and had to point it out to you. Luckily, I don't like the Stoli, so I didn't mix my drinks too much.I did go a bit nuts -- EATING THEM. Please people. I vaguely remember the flaming incidents over Christmas and don't want to repeat that. Ever!

Apparently, my language did get a little peppery though. Sorry about that ladies.

I didn't mean to be a chowder head.

As they say, In Vino Veritas --I am the undisputed life of the party no matter where I travel. But, I always remember:
Do Not Drink and Drive!

What happens on Cape Cod, stays in Cape Cod!

For the most part anyway ...

The next morning, after a wonderful night of work (it was a think tank weekend after all) and games (my lips are sealed on the answers revealed during Loaded Questions and Balderdash), it was off for a bit of a shop.

How many bad puns can I insert at this junction about my trip to The Cook Shop?

Out of the frying pan, into the fire?

My goose is cooked?

I was sauced?

I "pot"tered about?

I think I shall skip the punning and skip over to the delicious lunch that we had at Cafe Alfresco at The Lemon Tree Shops. The Zen Retreat doesn't have a spa or cafe with it, but no need with this delicious spot in close proximity.

Paninis, wraps, sandwiches, soda, and heaps of sweet potato fries and/or onion rings. There was even something for the hard-core vegetarian/vegans with us. Auntie Nettie was so distracted by the delightful sunshine and al fresco dining that she forgot to take pictures of everyone else's food. We shared the heaps of sweet potato fries and a fried scallop/bacon/lettuce/tomato/cheesey goodness panini. It was so good.

Good food + good friends + perfect fall day + sunhine +full tummy = food coma! I had to take a siesta after my culinary adventures. While I was sleeping, the girls cleaned the house, did laundry, packed up, and then headed to the beach. I didn't mean to contrive to get out of the work, but I was fine with it. I'm an older model of The Shushing Librarian, and I needed my rest after such a busy weekend.

Stay tuned for more about my Amazing Adventures to Cape Cod and other destinations!