For many people who live and work on Radford Mill Farm, this was their first Thanksgiving dinner. Common Questions: So why do you have this tradition? Why is it so similar to the Christmas feast in England? We could only offer that it is celebrated in the States as a way of giving thanks for all your blessings. Many include being grateful for an abundant harvest, your health, your family and friends. We asked each person at the table to share what they are currently grateful for. It was very connecting and Paul and I were so happy to share our family tradition with others.

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The feast included a turkey roasted by Richard (the farm owner)

Paul and Helga made the remainder of the feast which included stuffing, gravy, sweet mash, roasted potatoes and veg, brussel sprouts and cranberry sauce.

And let us not forget the pumpkin pie! With fresh whipped cream of course. We had a wonderful time and here are a few more photos of the day.

The first week of farm work is always the hardest. I have cleaned many onions at this point. I work in Polly tunnels which we call green houses at home.

I met a really nice young woman from Mexico called Beatrice. She is on the farm for a few weeks then she will travel to Ireland.

I found that after two days of weeding my back was pretty sore. Paul was nice enough to give me a back massage which helped a lot. I did go up to Timsbury to do yoga but found the YMCA there chilly and not really worth the 20 minute hike up the hill.

Wednesday night is community dinner night and its enjoyable to sit around share food, wine and conversation. I talked with Frank who is a fiddle player who lives on the farm and plays in a few bands. He asked me if I would like to sing on a song. Paul McBeth is a songwriter/guitar player who also lives on the farm and was looking for a female voice on a new song. They were planning on recording in a few days and would I be interested? Why not? I practiced some harmonies and we did a run through Thursday night. Friday morning we headed to The Rec House to record.

I loved singing with Paul and his family. His dad, who is also named Paul, played bass and his brother Daniel sang the main chorus. The song is called “A Donegal Tale” and it is about Paul’s grandparents who came originally from Ireland and met each other in Glasgow.

We spent the weekend in Bath. We saw some music (Tori Freestone jazz trio), a movie (Doctor Strange), had dinner with Lynda and Derek, and ran for about two hours on the Cotswold Way. We then headed back to the farm. The weather was looking bleak and rainy but the animals are still out and about.

Paul and I both felt a bit wobbly after being on the ship for so long. It took time getting used to the land but we finally felt level ground beneath our feet. Bath is our home for a week while we wait for the van to arrive. We enjoy the cozy home of Paul’s parents, Lynda and Derek. Nick, Paul’s brother, is there also and we share many nice meals together. I love Lynda’s cooking. Paul and I enjoy running and walking on the canal. Fall color is still reflecting from the trees.

We are in England on the 5th of November which is Guy Fawkes day or Fireworks night or Bonfire night as they call it in various different places. We enjoy the celebration in Bath on a cold evening.

The van finally arrives and although I will miss the city of Bath, its time to move on to the farm. Radford Mill farm is just outside of Timsbury. We arrive and find a nice place to park the van on top of a hill but its on a slope and we will have to move it soon enough. There are many people who live and work here and some are wwoofers like me. I’m excited to get my hands in the dirt and be a member of this small community. I am finding England pleasant and even the rain has some charm. Maybe a bit less mud would be alright.

Our morning view from the van window as Paul crosses the field.

Paul and I had never thought of taking a ship across the Atlantic ocean before but we had time to spare. Our van was making its way to England on a containership that would arrive days after us. We also had good recommendations from two of Paul’s siblings so, why not?

On arrival we were greeted and shown to our room with champagne and glasses courtesy of  the Captain. Our room is cozy enough with a nice large bed and a small balcony. We found the food to be delicious and with many options throughout the day. My favorite was breakfast in bed where you could order anything you wanted and it would arrive whenever you requested. Heaven!

Dressing up was a big part of the fun on The Queen Mary. You had two formal nights and the rest were dress casual. We loved getting all glamorous and it felt appropriate with the white glove treatment at dinner. Paul and I also took dance lessons during the day and were able to pull off two waltzes on the main dance floor.

Out of sheer luck, our voyage was a Blue Note Jazz crossing. Headliners were Gregory Porter and Dee Dee Bridgewater. The concerts were both fantastic but the real treat was to hear the intimate breakout performances around the ship. Dee Dee’s band enjoyed playing their own gig where she sat in of course. Our last evening was spent in the chart room enjoying band members and Gregory Porter even sitting in for a song.

I couldn’t resist the chance to sing and did karaoke one night in the Golden Lion Pub and I also signed up and performed in the Queens Room for guest talent show.

Besides the 36 hours of heavy swell and many of the passengers feeling sick (including Paul), the voyage is a big success. We loved the Canyon Ranch Spa where we spent most afternoons before dinner. The crew performed a “Thriller” dance show for Halloween and the chef’s carved some creative pumpkins.

The wooden deck on level 7 where you could walk or run around the whole of the ship. Intimate lounges, poetry, jazz, cheese any time day or night, comedy show, planetarium, lectures, there was never a shortage of things to do.

Arriving  in Chinatown we took a cab with all our luggage to Red Hook. I found an air bnb on line that was close enough to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. We spent the afternoon walking around the place and checking out the waterfront.

There was an art exhibit about the time capsules of the Ant Farm at Pioneer works we really enjoyed. Wonderfully large exhibition space and it also included loft offices filled with a variety of artists including a radio station.

We both were floored by a grocery store called Fairway that has high end foods, olive oil, teas, and regular stuff. We drank some wine we bought back at our place and headed to hear some local music at Sunny’s. (a very authentic red hook bar)

Next day Paul enjoyed running across both the Brooklyn ad Manhattan bridges. We found it very easy to rent Citi bikes and used them to do errands and sight see including the Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo, and Prospect Park.

Had a delicious dinner at a Middle Eastern BYOB, Zaytoons. Freshly made pitas, delicious hummus and cozy candlelit setting. Return to airbnb and take a salt bath in the wonderful claw foot tub.

Departure Day!!! Wake up and take citi bikes to get masks for the ship. Get back to airbnb and Amy our gracious host lets us keep luggage there till departure. Buy some wine then enjoy lunch at Hope and Anchor.

Grab our bags and drag them ever so slowly to the terminal where we receive white glove treatment on arrival. Oh yea, now were talking.

Who knew Red Hook was such a great place?

We arrive in Philly the evening of October 8th. Our good friends Baily and Chip let us park our van outside their home and we are welcomed with food, wine and lemoncello. They have other guests and we have an interesting, memorable evening of conversation. We wake the next day and start preparing the van for its departure out of Baltimore. It will eventually meet up with us in England. We stay a few nights with my friend Carole who has a nice guest room in her condo near Suburban Square. We enjoy walking to Trader Joes, Ardmore farmer’s market, thrift stores,  and restaurants.  Since we are back in Philly for a few weeks Paul sets up his work space at Jim Hamilton’s studio and uses Evan’s bike for transportation. Strange not having our home to go to. Our lovely children and Ozzy open up their house and we camp out on the third floor. Very comfortable really and nice to share meals together. An added plus is that I am not allergic to Delores their cat, yay!

Here are some highlights of our stop in Philadelphia:

Running with Paul in the Wissahickon

Spending time with Baily which included doing yard work, visiting Chanticleer in Wayne,sand having lunch at Whole Foods.

Movie with Gene and dinner/orchestra with Gene and Olivia

Evansburg 10 mile trail run with my team Greater Philadelphia Track Club

Doing yoga with my both my children

Walking down to Manayunk and along the Towpath, I bump into artists Paul Santoleri and Beth Clevenstine working on a mural:

Book club gals dinner at Adobe Cafe including Susan, Sally, Paula, Nancy, and Laura

The weeks go by fast and we are picked up by Baily and Chip for a delicious goodbye breakfast at Silk City diner.

Afterwards we are dropped off at the Chinatown bus location and head to NYC.

Paul works for a good part of the morning and we are off to Canada. Stopping just over the border in Sault Ste. Marie we go for a long run around the city. It takes us a good 2 plus hours to run with a pleasant waterfront, parks, and is pretty much a paved route for cyclists the whole way. We park the evening at a boondocker location-Up on the hill, with lovely hosts Paul and Diane. Nice spot right off Hwy 17. Dad’s soup, great sleep. We next head to Ottawa and decide to stay 45 minutes outside the city at Fitzroy Provincial Park.

It is our 12th anniversary! Shower and nice dinner. We wake late and have a pleasant run on all the trails in the park which added up to 4.6 miles. Not many people are camping as the park will be closing soon till next season. I join Paul on a lunch date at Pressed, a gourmet sandwich place in Ottawa, with David R. a programmer friend. Afterwards we walk around Ottawa to see the huge, impressive parliament buildings, the canals and locks.

We sleep that evening in boondocker’s driveway

Home

Meet fellow boondocker David,  his wife and children. They have an Alto camper and we shared stories. We take the train into Montreal the next morning. Breakfast in Old City at Tommy, the British Empire Building. Walk around and look in some art galleries. Lots of construction going so we head to Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) to see a show that Paul was interested in dealing with music and computers.

Jean-Pierre Gauthier
Orchestre à géométrie variable

Jean-Pierre Gauthier, a master builder of drawing machines and kinetic sculptures here lends his talents to instrument building and complex composition. Orchestre à géométrie variable is a wildly chaotic but rigorous sculptural environment which combines electronics, primitive robotics and musical elements to stage a sensorial and kinesthetic experience. Nineteen pre-programmed compositions explore a diverse array of musical styles, which together result in a new kind of musical experience.

We eat a street cart lunch, head to Arsenal Gallery which was closed but we were lucky the guy in Division gallery upstairs offered to give us a free tour. If you are into contemporary art these galleries are a must. Walked up to the top of Mont Royal to look at the view.

Good climb up and trek down. Go to Huck’s apartment and meet his roommates. Nice place and we enjoyed talking with them till Huck got home. Went to dinner at Else’s down the street. Good food, slow service which is nice and not rushed. We all have pumpkin cheesecake. Paul and I head back on the train to our boondocking site in St. Eustache. Next day we drive to a nature park on the way Into Montreal. Close to the highway so you do hear some traffic but its a peaceful location with easy paths and wooded trails. (5.6 miles) Eat some breakfast in the van and head to the Italian market that Huck recommended.

The colors, smells are overwhelming my senses. I Must Eat! We share a croissant sandwich and pastry while listening to really good street musicians: a cello player and guitarist nailing some gypsy swing jazz (think Django Rheinhart). Shop a bit for dinner food, cooking utensils, produce. Head to Quebec City and stay at a KOA which is unspectacular, smells like horse manure outside but has the cleanest restrooms in juxtaposition. We wash up and have an eggplant dish. Paul learns he needs to have the van in Baltimore earlier than he thought. A bit stressful. Next morning after laundry and breakfast we decide to ride our bikes to Quebec City. Park off highway at a nice park and ride with a river by it.  Ride across the somewhat famous Quebec Bridge and along the St. Lawrence river to the ferry port while passing sculptures, picnickers, well designed outdoor spaces. Park our bikes and walk around the Old City.

It really feels like you are in a European country. People speaking French, old buildings and cobblestone streets. We walk on top of the wall which surrounds the city. We eat a nice cafe lunch and head back over the river on the 3:20 ferry. Paul enjoys conversation with an older local resident while I enjoy views on the top deck. Ride back through Levi and to the van. We drive into to the USA through Vermont then sleep in our van in a National Forest near Littleton, New Hampshire. Wake to gorgeous leaf  color everywhere. Drive to Boston to spend a little time with daughter Hannah. Pick up Ravi our nephew and go to dinner in Harvard Square at The Russell House Tavern. Ice cream afterwards at Toscanini’s. Very enjoyable evening but we have to say goodbyes. Sleep in parking lot of Wellesley College. In the morning we get up and drive south to Philly. One stop to mention is in Southbury, Connecticut off Hwy 84. We ran for 12 miles on the Larkin Bridle Trail which is easy, lined with trees, ponds, and marshy areas. Nice way to stretch your legs.

Our whole family anticipated the upcoming wedding of Lucy (my niece) and Ari for about a year and now September finally arrived. Family and friends came from coast to coast to be there. Paul and I decided to arrive a week early at my parents to help out where needed and to visit. We hadn’t seen my parents since last summer. It was enjoyable running on country roads and past my childhood home on Harding Road. Paul and I spent a clear Saturday afternoon running on the Ice Age Trail near Delafield and the Kettle Moraine Forest SP Lapham Peak unit. There is a look out tower in the middle which you can climb up and see an amazing view. Back at my parents’ we washed linen, cut branches, painted wedding logs and mom made brownies.

/San

We were able to sneak away to Matt’s house on Lake Winnebago for a few days where we had some lake time and a nice dinner with Matt and Julie. We also hiked up at High Cliff S.P. near Appleton. Interesting park with old lime kilns, wooded trails next to cliffs and lake views. In the evening we got to watch Matt play indoor volley ball at The Bar in Appleton. Good game but the bar food was pretty yucky. The wedding weekend is upon us! People start arriving at Camp Wandewega on Friday all through the day. The lucky peeps got to stay on the campground which is pretty incredible as you will see from photos. The camp has been featured in Anthropologie catologs if it looks familiar. http://www.wandawega.com/

Meeting and greeting, hugs and kisses. Dinner is served casual style with lasagna from Holy Canoli and brownie dessert by mom. A blue grass band played music while people square danced, slow danced and just plain old crazy danced. There was an bright pink sunset that was probably one of the best I have ever seen over the lake. Paul and I headed to the hotel parking lot for a nights rest in the van.

Wedding Day! Beautiful sunshiny weather. Paul and I go for a 10 mile run on the Ice Age trail near La Grange this time. Even prettier than the last run with marshy fields, woods and lakes. Why did I not know about theses places growing up? Shower at motel and eat a late breakfast in Elkhorn at a diner next to the movie theater. Paul is fascinated by the original facede of the First Bank.

We head back to Camp Wandawega where the wedding is about to begin. Love is all around and the wedding is beautiful in every way. A string quartet plays music as the wedding party walks up the aisle in an outdoor chapel.

Heartfelt words and vows and Lucy and Ari are a married couple. People spill over to the lawn for drinks, dinner (Grandpa Bob’s corn, pig roast, falafal food truck), a variety of toasts and speeches.

Dancing all night to family band which is to say all the many musicians including Santosh and Ravi. Laura and Dan, Bird Dog,  http://www.birddogduo.com/ are a highlight as is Momonita, https://www.facebook.com/momonitaband/  and Lucy finishes the night by singing her sweet songs to her bride. Big bonfire, smores and much fun had by all.

Instead of driving Paul and I decide to just sleep the night in the parking lot at camp. Shhhhh

The morning after people are moving a little slow but all the clean up gets done and many goodbyes are said. We head to Madison to spend some more time with sisters.

Starting September 1st 2016, Paul and I will be living in our van till mid June 2017. Preparing for the journey was the hard part. We rented out our home to a family from Scotland using Sabbatical homes website and spent much of the summer cleaning, painting and organizing. Emma had stayed with us for a week in July so we already felt comfortable with the exchange.  On Sept. 1st we finished the last bits of work at the home and spent the night in our van outside Baily and Chips. I welcomed a warm shower, dinner and wine. My allergies were so bad from cleaning that Baily gave me some medicine.  The next day I had an early doctor appointment and we checked in to see if everything was okay with our tenants Emma, Daniel, and their daughters Clara and Lizzy. It was nice to see the kids already running around in the yard. We showed them a few quirks about the home and then we were off to Ithaca.

Ellen was waiting for us with a nice dinner. I was still not feeling too well but had some tea and slept great outside her home. The next day Ellen and I went thrifting for some wedding stuff while Paul did some work on the van.

We visited a couple of farms that Ellen worked on and picked vegetables.

Ellen and Paul harvesting tomatoes

the fruits of their labor…

In the evening we had dinner in town to celebrate Izzy’s birthday. We returned to Ellen’s for cake and chocolate covered strawberries. The next morning Paul and I went for a short run up to the Cornell campus and back down through the woods. We had a delicious breakfast of cheese scones, frittata, fruit and coffee prepared by Matt and his girlfriend Cat. It was a birthday breakfast and a send off as Izzy was headed back to school. We all packed up and headed different directions. Paul and I drove to Chautauqua where Mary Pat and Jack have a home.

Jack was waiting for us and we had a relaxed dinner, wine and conversation. Everyone slept in the next day. I went for a short run around CHQ while Jack packed up to go. There are some amazing houses to look at and a large variety. Most of the homes in town are Victorian style with large porches on the front for rocking, relaxing and enjoying the lake breeze.

Jack and Catherine left in the afternoon. I wanted to try swimming out so Paul and i headed to the dock by the Gleason Hotel (which is now for sale). It was way too seaweedy so I gave up and went to the roped in swim area by the bell tower. In the evening we went shopping for dinner, ate, read, computer time and sleep. The next day Paul was planning to get some work done so I  headed out on a bike ride. I did what they call the Findley Lake/Panama Rocks route. It was about 60 miles and went through Amish farm land. There were so many hills that I was pretty spent by the time I got back so I jumped into the lake to cool off. Paul spent the day codeing and had a run around CHQ. The next morning I was pretty sore so I eased into the day with a book “The Long Quiet Highway” by Natalie Goldberg. I had a much longer afternoon swim and saw a lot of the same faces. CHQ is so quiet when summer is over. Here is a little poem I wrote called

Chautauqua after Labor Day

Packed up cars motor away
Quiet leaves rustle no children at play
Still vacant homes summer energy no more
Shops are all empty except the book store
Swim without waves seldom boats motor by
Time moves so slowly watch seagulls fly
The weather is gorgeous porch coffee outside
No traffic to speak of still a hard bike ride
Squirrels are all busy gathering nuts for the cold
Benches and beaches shine with white hair of old
Chautauqua is sleepy getting her rest
For next summer is coming maybe the best

Our last evening Paul and I checked out the Southern Tier Brewery. We had dinner and I enjoyed the Pumking Ale which is my favorite.

We headed to Wisconsin the next morning with a stop in Toledo, OH to run in Wildwood metro park. It was an interesting park with lots of diverse trails to explore. We rinsed off outside the van and made one more stop outside Chicago for dinner at a Tapas restaurant. Good food, over priced sangria, mosquitos but it was a pleasant atmosphere. Arrived late at Mom and Dad’s with a cool night to sleep.