Failure

Ever tried.
Ever failed.
No matter.
Try again. Fail again.
Fail better.

- Words by Samuel Beckett ("Worstward Ho")
- Photograph by me (SoNo)

So SoNo

I found a hip new place! It's called SoNo, short for South Norwalk. On the water, this formerly-sleepy maritime town has transformed itself into a thriving downtown. It's full of good restaurants, cool stores, bouncing nightclubs and art galleries.

SoNo was under my radar until I visited today. What lured me there is Penzeys, a spice store that used to be on Long Island but closed those locations. Now SoNo has Penzeys's closest store so I ventured there to stock up on Star Anise, 4-inch Cinnamon sticks, Sumac and other culinary delights.

While in town, I walked and browsed. My travels included encounters with wild creatures from the sea. Pics below if you don't believe me.

SoNo is less than two hours from my home so I'll go back just for fun. On a warm, sunny afternoon you can sit outdoors and sip a Mimosa while enjoying the breeze coming off the water. At least that's what I did. You should come with me next time!

Childhood Hero

When I was a boy, I rooted for the Mets. I went to their games, wore their jerseys and prayed for them to win. The Mets taught me how to face defeat since, during the Sixties, they lost all the time.
My favorite two players were Tom Seaver and Bud Harrelson. They were heroes in my eyes. Seaver, of course, is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball and needs little introduction. You can read about him in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bud Harrelson was the Mets shortstop for 13 years (1965-1977). He played an important position on the field. He was talented with his glove, not so much with his bat. He excelled at being the heart of the ball-club.
Bud Harrelson's career with the Mets was marked by two major events: the team's amazing, unexpected victory in the 1969 World's Series and a fight Harrelson got in with Pete Rose (a real bum) in 1973 during the NL Championship series. In the latter event, Rose was angry at something Harrelson had said to the press and, given the opportunity, slid into second base with cleats high -- deliberately trying to injure Harrelson. A brawl broke out, the benches emptied and the crowd started throwing objects at Rose. The league rep asked Mets manager Yogi Berra (!) and player Willie Mays (!!) to go out to left field to calm down the fans.

After his career was over, Bud Harrelson was instrumental in bringing a new minor-league baseball team to Long Island: the Long Island Ducks. A stadium was built, Bud was the team's first manager and he's been on the coaching staff since then. Sadly, Bud has Alzheimer's disease and is now suffering.
The Ducks just announced a Bud Harrelson Appreciation Night later this year (August 3rd). He will be there, probably unable to speak, and fans will celebrate his long history in baseball. I just bought two tickets -- prime seats behind the dugout -- for $13 each. I'm looking forward to seeing, and likely saying goodbye, to one of my childhood heroes.

Getting Old

I read non-fiction but, on occasion, I'll prospect in fiction for nuggets of truth or wisdom. I found one today while reading a story in Harper's Magazine ("Slingshot," May 2018).

The narrator is a 70-year old woman who's describing her sexual affair with a 32-year old male neighbor. At one point, she says something that rings true:

      I went home and was surprised to find Rose there. She asked me where I had been,
      said she knew that I was spending a lot of time with that guy next door. She said,
      "He's never going to love you, you know. Have you forgotten how old you are?
      Look at all your wrinkles." That's the thing about being old. We don't know
      we have wrinkles until we see them. Old is a thing that happens outside. A thing
      other people see about us.

Yup.

An Authentic Life

A palliative nurse who's comforted many at the end of life (Bronnie Ware) wrote a book "The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying." Number one on the list of regrets? "I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."

Let's learn this lesson before it's too late. Are you living a life "true to yourself"?

Another Reason To Travel

Until recently, I'd never heard of Victoria, a small city on an island off the west coast of Canada. Because I know friends there, I travelled to this faraway destination. Now, I'm suddenly seeing references to Victoria everywhere.

The New York Times travel section just published a big spread on Victoria and my favorite motorcycle magazine (Rider) describes riding a motorcycle through the place.

Now that Victoria is on my radar, I'm "seeing" these articles. If I hadn't gone, they probably would have passed beneath my notice. Which is a reason to get off our butt and travel -- it opens our eyes to the world!

Victoria Mermaid

Shopping with Sheila is the equivalent of attending a master class in fashion. She knows and can teach you so much. Sheila opines on the quality of clothing. She discusses its fabric, the reputation of its brand, and its aesthetic style. Lately she's personally interested in asymmetrical pieces, which is an advanced choice.

Sheila taught me that many items have hidden statements on the label saying when the piece was made (e.g., Fall 2013). She touches clothes on the rack to assess the quality of their material. She can recognize obscure brands and tell you how they run in size (something which varies widely among brands).

I bought a dress and skirt while in Victoria. Here is the dress. It's a style I've never worn before. Pretty but a little plain so I spiced it up with a big, colorful mermaid necklace. Some may say the jewelry is too large or overwhelming for the dress but their combination expresses my personality. I'm a plain gal who likes to present herself with some flair. Personal accents make clothing and life more interesting!