Sep21

Mother’s Day in New England – Part 3 in New Hampshire

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Mother’s Day in New England – Part 3 in New Hampshire

Friday, 08-May-2026 through Wednesday, 13-May-2026

It’s been a bit since I’ve been out to New England – and what better reason to go back than to celebrate Mother’s Day? I’d been meaning to go back to visit my Mom and Grandma, and this was the perfect opportunity for not only a good family visit, but also for a bit of an escape from Ireland – a road trip, and catching up with friends…

Taking long walks along the river is nice. Catching up with old friends is nicer.

Finding an unexpected outhouse in the woods is… something. Not sure where to categorize that one, I’ll just leave it in the “TBD” category.


New Hampshire.

After New York, I drove East again, to visit my friend Brian at his new apartment. See, he’d come to visit me as soon as I moved to Oregon, and then again as soon as I moved to Ireland… and as he’s wont to remind me (very reasonably) I never did make it out to New York City to visit him while he was there.

I wasn’t going to let this new move of his pass me by. So I drove.

I drove through Vermont, stopping to grab some cheeses and syrup for Andrea and I.

I drove into New Hampshire, remembering the glorious halcyon days of my time driving up and down I-93, to and from the NUHOC Loj. We met at the Tilt’n Diner, that place from my own legends, and had a milkshake that felt like it came straight out of my memory… alongside a burger that was nearly (but not quite) as good as I remembered.

Then? We kept the theme. We relaxed. We went for a short walk (and then an ice cream) with my friend Michelle. We all relaxed and caught up. We drove down to see this new apartment. We went out for drinks, and I got absolutely fleeced by a fake promotion on martinis.

It was… calm. Quiet. It included a walk along the river in the morning, followed by a drive down into Boston in the early afternoon.

It was a good day, capping off a very good visit.

Sep20

Mother’s Day in New England – Part 2 in New York

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Mother’s Day in New England – Part 2 in New York

Friday, 08-May-2026 through Wednesday, 13-May-2026

It’s been a bit since I’ve been out to New England – and what better reason to go back than to celebrate Mother’s Day? I’d been meaning to go back to visit my Mom and Grandma, and this was the perfect opportunity for not only a good family visit, but also for a bit of an escape from Ireland – a road trip, and catching up with friends…


It moved from the dirt, to the tops of the shrubs.

See, Mother’s day this year was focused on gardening. After helping my Mom with the garden there, I hopped in a car and drove my way West, into Upstate New York, to visit my Grandma.

The drive, to be clear, was part of the trip – an intended and critical part of the trip. I adore driving – it’s one of my methods of meditation, and the road let’s me relax in ways that other activities don’t. My body is occupied, and my mind is free to wander, to process, and to make connections and understandings that I’d otherwise miss out on.

I drove, and I drove, and the miles vanished under the wheels. After a while, I arrived.

Dinner was had, and stories were shared. The main goal here was to visit – to simply spend time, without goals and without requirements. The time passed enjoyably – we got to visit, we watched a movie about a vineyard and a sommelier, and we spent time together.

In symmetry with the previous stage of the visit, I helped out in the garden again – this time, checking the health of the nearby trees, and pulling some Virginia Creepers off a Rhododendron bush.

Turns out, by the way, that I’m slightly sensitive to said Virginia Creepers. Got a nice rash on my unprotected forearms, which was a little bit worrying… but thankfully not any real major concern, as it washed away after a day or so.

Thankfully, the positive memories won’t be washing away anytime soon. It was a brief visit, but I can’t express just how thankful I am to have been able to take it.

Sep19

Mother’s Day in New England – Part 1 in Medway

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Mother’s Day in New England – Part 1 in Medway

Friday, 08-May-2026 through Wednesday, 13-May-2026

It’s been a bit since I’ve been out to New England – and what better reason to go back than to celebrate Mother’s Day? I’d been meaning to go back to visit my Mom and Grandma, and this was the perfect opportunity for not only a good family visit, but also for a bit of an escape from Ireland – a road trip, and catching up with friends…

It started in the dirt.

For years, when I lived in New England, I’d spend Mother’s Day arm deep in soil. I’d drive out to Medway, and I’d spend a day with my Mom caring for the garden – carving spreading lilies out, clearing space, or any other task that just felt a bit too big or annoying for her to tackle solo.

It’s been years since I’ve been able to do that. But now, with the tumult and chaos of Ireland in full swing, I found myself able to wrestle myself away from projects in Dublin, hop on a plane, and come out for some relaxation and good old manual labor.

I can’t quite express just how perfect it was.

I’ve missed gardening, so very much. I’ve missed digging in the dirt, I’ve missed growing things, and none of our houseplants have quite slacked that thirst. I adore the avocado trees, don’t get me wrong! But… they’re small and contained. They don’t quite give the same visceral, primal feel that wrenching infinitely-spreading plants from an outdoor garden gives.

…

Anyways. Yeah. We pulled some of those infinite lilies out, and repotted them for a garden club sale. We ate Chinese, had lovely breakfasts, and had a singularly lovely time.