40 Diamonds for 40: The Ironic Mother Stops being Ironic

It is amazing that you can work in the same building, for the same company, in different offices for a few years, and then suddenly you cross some invisible, indefinable line to becoming more than just a name in an e-mail or at a phone extension. You move from being distant associates, to being colleagues. Eventually work chat turn to friendly exchanges in the hall. One day, you realize, you aren't just co-workers, you are pretty sure you are friends. It's only when you finally begin to be friendly, and then friends, and you find out more about the person and not the persona, that you find out about various facets that make up an individual.

Take The Ironic Mother. I knew of her and worked with her for a few years before I found out about her blogger persona, and she mine. It was only in the last year or so that we got to be friends, in the office, and out. She and her adorable daughter, Ms. E.D., and I got to explore some of New York City this summer before they left to explore new adventures in Ohio. While I so miss the cohort, and a voice of reason and reasonableness across the building, I truly miss the friend more.

While the idea of this project was still in the nascent stages, I ran it by her over a lunch date, and was so gratified by her immediate positive response. She was one of the first to agree, see a draft of the materials, and the first to leave me a voice mail. I am so honored, humbled, and tearily touched by her words.

Here's the I.M. herself, with the ever adorable Ms. E.D., last June when we visited the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

It’s hard to believe I’ve only known Auntie Nettie for a small sliver of her 40 years. We started as colleagues, became mutual supporters, and grew to be friends.

Auntie Nettie and I both worked diligently (often too diligently) to cultivate the dreams of young artists. Our work was only indirectly related to the Big J’s mission. The students rarely knew what we did or why it mattered to them, but the anonymity was comforting. And with a partner in Auntie Nettie, anything seemed possible. Our daily tasks were only vaguely related to each other’s work, but our paths crossed often enough for the rough times to be more bearable.

In Auntie Nettie I found an ally, a counter point, a friend.

Auntie Nettie is a believer. She believes in people, she believes in family, she believes the world is full of goodness, often in surprising places. She believes in libraries, she believes in reading, and she believes in paying attention to small details others often overlook. She is committed to her beliefs and loyal beyond belief. Her loyalty to those she loves is unquestioned, which makes her an invaluable auntie to us all.

And isn’t that funny? Auntie Nettie was an “auntie,” a beloved female role model, counselor, and pal to lots of us before the importance of an auntie’s role was widely recognized. The love Auntie Nettie has for her biological nieces and nephews is tremendous. And thankfully, Auntie Nettie has a bit more to share with the rest of us as well.

Auntie Nettie believes in the little things. Often I would return to my desk to find a small treasure, never with a note, never with fanfare, never with the ostentation of exuberant giving. But I came to recognize Auntie Nettie’s hand behind the gifts – artistically crocheted trinkets, dangerously delicious sweetbreads, peanut brittle or other treats – although she rarely acknowledged the accuracy of my guess.

Auntie Nettie is passionate about her beliefs and about her family. She is passionate about Caramoor, she is passionate about her crafts, and most importantly, she is passionate about sharing bits of herself with others. She is the most unselfish artist I’ve ever met, and in fact Auntie Nettie has made an art out of being unselfish.

I am honored to be part of her “40 Diamonds for 40” celebration. I can’t imagine a better testament to the amazing woman that is Auntie Nettie.

Happy birthday, friend. May your “coterie of wonderful friends and loved ones” only grow and deepen during your next 40 years!

A Fish Out of Water

Dear Friends,

I know it’s been awhile since I took my adventure “across the Pond” to England, but I’ve been a busy fish and am just now getting around to regaling you with tales of my journey (or is that tails? giggle.)


I began my English journey in the city of Brighton. This city is best known for its rocky shores and its Pier. And the movie Quadrophenia, if you’re a Who fan. Here I am on the beach. You can see the pier in the background.

It was here on the Pier while posing for the photo below that I was almost snatched away by a hungry seagull. Once he had figured out that I was not a real fish at all, I would have been dropped into the English Channel and floated off to France. Thank goodness I was not!

I spent a lot of time visiting the “big houses” of the Kent countryside. My first journey was to Sissinghurst, home of the writer Vita Sackville-West. This is a beautiful castle, of which only the main tower survives. It has taken many different forms over the hundreds of years that it has been standing and there is quite a good summary here.

It was here that I saw THE original Hogarth Press, the printing press that Virginia and Leonard Woolf had used to print some of their early books at Hogarth House in London. Virginia had given it to Vita as a present in 1930. This has special meaning to my travel companions because they are Hogarths and one of them has a self-publishing company called Hogarth House.

Anyway, we next went to Leeds Castle, which is situated on two islands on the River Len. There has been a castle there for 1000 years! It was refurbished by an American heiress, Lady Baille, and used by her family until 2003. You can find a short history here.

After a little mix-up in travel plans, we moved on to Tunbridge Wells, a delightful suburb about an hour outside of London. It is very populated with retired, wealthy lawyers. Each day, we began our journey with a quick trip to town. On the way, we would pick blackberries from the hedgerows along the side of the road. Delicious! (Even fish like blackberries, you know!)

We visited more manor houses while we were here. We started with Chartwell, home of Winston Churchill. It was quite a rainy day when we were there, and the power went out in the main house, but we were able to see the lovely gardens. They have a great vegetable garden and a fish pond. Plus, Mr. Churchill put a swimming pool in, and it looks just like a natural pond. I seriously considered go for a swim.

As you can imagine, there was a lot of driving on this trip. Luckily, we had a very experienced driver, who navigated the roads very well.
We finished up our trip at two houses, Knole and Ightham Mote. Knole was given to Henry VIII by the Archibishop of Canterbury in 1538. It was also the birthplace of Vita Sackville-West, who you know from Sissinghurst. (Everyone is inter-related around here.) It has a 1,000 acre deer park on property, and the deer wander freely through the carpark. I was a bit worried that I might be picked up by one of those “friendly” deer, but luckily my traveling companions kept me safe. Here I am goofing off with a lady of the house.

And, then it was off to Ightham Mote (which is pronounced Ig-am). It wasn’t really a castle, but a very old house dating back to the 1300s. It had lots of OLD parts, like a Tudor chapel, and lots of newer things from the 1950s when it was updated by an American, Mr. Charles Robinson. These Americans really like their English houses, don’t they?

So, that’s my trip to the lovely land of England. (Oh, and how could I forget my cuppa and fish and chips [just kidding!] sandwich?)

I hope you enjoyed my travel tales.

Mr. Fishy

With thanks to Jane for her help with the transcription of Mr. Fishy's tails.
To see where else she travelled in England, go here.

Fish out of Water -- the Response

From Jane:


I would be happy to take Mr. Fishy Friend to England with me. I hope he won't feel like a fish out of water. We'll be going to watery places in England---Brighton and Keswick---and then our hotel in London is right near the Tower, also close to the Thames.



Auntie Nettie is totally jealous of a stuffed fish!

The Trek - Guest Dog Blog, Pt. 2

Diggity Dog here again -- guest dogger extraordinaire.

As you might recall, I had a conversion whilst I was in Utah. As a Missionary Mutt, I felt that I needed to partake in some historical experiences to get a feel for my new religion. Luckily, Auntie Nettie's parental units were participating in a reenactment of a pioneer trek with some of the area "utes" and agreed to take me along. Rather than be part of the covered wagon reenacttreks, they participated in a handcart reenactment, with costumes to boot. (Here's more information about the handcart pioneers.)

The Trek!

As you can see, there was lots of Dutch oven cooking to be had on this trip. I don't think the ancestors had generators and plastic gas containers in the back of their carts however. (Please note: NO hotdogs were served, out of consideration for my feelings!)

This is a puny play on a historically-correct handcart company AND a play on the name of the location from which some of these reenactors are based in the here-and-now. Again, I don't think the ancestors had nifty Orange-Glo water jugs, but we didn't care. It's MUGGY in New England.

Here we are all nicely queued up to go.

Note the fine four-star accommodations for this journey.

(*Mom, hint! I need a vacation from my vacation!)

Another view of the undisturbed wilderness.

Here are some intrepid female reenactors.

(Love the fashions. Where have I seen them recently?)

I can't remember if this is first thing in the morning or at the end of the day. All I remember is that I had a Devil of a Time with my blisters and sore muscles. There's a WHOLE new meaning for "my dogs are barking."

Here are the "utes." Don't they look "pupped?" Doggone tired?

You can't tell here, but we're all howling with delight.

Some of these reenactors are hardcore. I was a little scared of this guy, fearing he was a wolf in sheep's clothing, but he's now this dog's best friend ('cause he scratched me behind the ears and got out all the burrs from my coat, WOOF!).

Sadly, this marks the end of this trip with Auntie Nettie and her family. I'm back to Jane's Garden on Flax Hill, prepping for a trip to Maine to see Krippy and the brood, or off to Jolly O'England. We have yet to decide on the itinerary. *Though I'd REALLY like to go here; it's named after me, after all, and sounds "purrfect" after this trek.

Come and check me out at my home blog, Travels with Diggity Dog, to see where I end up next.

BYE!

Barking Mad -- Guest Dog Blog, Pt. 1

Diggity Dog here again -- guest dogger extraordinaire -- reporting in on my trip with Auntie Nettie's parental units to New England.

These people have dog napped me and taken me allll kinds of weird places. I think they are barking mad folks.

Connecticut

For the Fourth of July, they took me to this thing called the "Boom Box Parade." This CT town started this parade about 20 years ago and it's evolved into an annual thing. Because there was no marching band at the local high school (and still isn't), the parade uses boom boxes (whatever THOSE are ... I'm too young to know) tuned to a local radio station playing Sousa marches. All kinds of people and things march in this parade.

Hello from Quaint New England Main Street.

Here's the mascot from the local AAA team.

Drew calls this the "big chicken."

Wow. That's an OLD CAR!

This "fish" has been in the parade for as long as there has been a parade. Every year, it's a protest fish. This year, it's about a local dump issue.

This town is known for its fascination with froggies.

Cape Cod

I was then transported to an undisclosed location on the Cape. It's a bucolic place, though you can't tell from these shots. (I have a no bare-dog-at-the-beach clause in my contract.)

Here I am lazing around.

Here I am Ruffing it on the roof.

The parental units are selling the hideaway, and put me to work doing some renovation and some cleaning. (I didn't realize it was a working vacation!)

For sale. For info ... Sorry. I don't have any.

Beaches? What beaches? I didn't go to any Cape Cod beaches.

I went TREKKING ... handcart trekking.

Pt. 2

coming soon.

Ruffing It -- Guest Blog

Diggity Dog here again -- guest dogger extraordinaire -- reporting in on my trip with Auntie Nettie's parental units. Once they dropped her off in Las Vegas, we went on to California. It's a "ruff" life, being a travelling dog.

Mojave, CA

When life hands you lemons ... pose with them!

I miss Jane's Garden!

Party animal!
After a night on the town, a dog's got to relax!

Why doesn't my backyard have one of these?
Next stop ... Cape Cod!

Stay tuned!

Guest Blogger - Diggity Dog

Hi! I'm Diggity Dog, a guest blogger from Flax Hill. I have my own blog, Travels with Diggity Dog. I'm trying to visit all of the United States. My friend Jane was nice enough to let me visit with Auntie Nettie and her family as they were travelling all over the country. On this trip, I got to visit lots of places and do lots of things. Want to see?

Places I visited

Apparently, Arizona has some detractors.
Note the bullet holes.

These people don't seem friendly to my kind!

I just don't have enough "dog years" to qualify to live here.

I also had fun in St. George, Utah.

Swimming with the fishes

I'm sorry. Am I too heavy?

Why, oh why, am I not waterproof?

Hey buddy?

Don't push my buttons!

I made lots of new friends.

Why is Grumpa Max hiding? I just want to bring him the "Good Word."

(You'll understand later.)

Chewing the Fat with Amber
Whoa Nellie! Important Pow-wow

Sniffing Around with Tippi. Who says dogs and cats can't be friends?

Me and My Rockman
I took in lots of Nature.

Is it a tree or a cactus?

Look at the size of that tumbleweed! My Canyon Ranch adventure Catching some rays
I even went "Native!" When in Utah ...

I converted on this trip.

Now I'm a missionary. Here I am trying to convert some friends.
I did lots of other things too!

Biking Gambling in the local gas station
Watching the Chronicles of Narnia
Learning to play the guitar

Joining a band

Going trekking, now that I'm a "native."

I didn't have so much fun in the Cactus Garden

OUCH!

I even snuck along on the "Visit to Manland"

Riding the 4x4

Excuse me? I'm not your cub!

Ride 'Em Buckaroo!

Nevada Necessity!

When in Nevada, it is necessary to go to a casino. You have to. It's a rule!

You also have to go to the Buffet!

But now I don't feel so good!

Looking forward to California!

I was supposed to fly back to New York with Auntie Nettie, but her parental units went on to California and I hitch-hiked with them. Pictures tomorrow.

stay tuned ....