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.
