MY LIFE IN PHOTOS - PLACES, RED HOOK
Red Hook, NY, just miles from our old home in Bear Hollow. I call this our goldilocks home—just enough. Some people may call it our forever home. We followed the grandchildren three times. We are done.We bought the house at 2/3rds its current size and added on another third during Covid. We are happy and done.
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Our house has 8 wooded acres and a pond that needed a lot of work. It is almost there. It is swimmable and has a lovely community of gold fish, koi and a large ugly carp we call Big Mouth.
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Our front porch with newly bought hanging plants. They are now my responsibility and my obsession along with our fish.
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Recently built dock on the pond along with two chairs where Blanche and I sit at sunset feeding the fish that gather and wait for us to come. Pure joy.
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The pond is getting more and more water lilies. The fish love them. I do not.
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Our house from the back. We added an upper deck off of our bedroom, a sunroom below that and an art gallery/studio on the bottom floor that opens to a new patio and a fire pit. Our home is built for guests.
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Another view of the house. I want to add a pool but Blanche won’t let me. Too much work. Oh well….
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The fire pit in autumn with one of the most beautiful autumnal trees I’ve ever seen.
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Our stargazing chairs in the backyard.
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Red chairs for quiet conversations with dear friends.
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A new buddha just outside our sunroom windows.
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An oval window in our entrance way looking out at our potted plants. Like a private Monet painting.
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Our sunroom in autumn. It has floor to ceiling windows on three sides. It is like being outside in all seasons, only cozy and warm.
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Our home in winter.
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Our winter guests.
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Our sunroom in winter.
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Our entry. It has more steps than we may be able to handle in the long run but we have the ability to live on one floor if need be. Then again, maybe an elevator.
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The upstairs hallway as seen from the door leaving our bedroom. Changing the lights in the chandelier is crazy and requires outside help.
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The upstairs landing. Our house is full of Asian art. It is very beautiful and calming.
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The library.
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The sunroom looking out.
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The sunroom looking towards the living room and kitchen. Blanche’s painting centers the space.
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More sunroom. My favorite room.
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The living room. The sunroom can be seen through the doors bracketing the fireplace.
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Living room looking out to the back yard.
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Living room looking toward the kitchen.
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The kitchen.
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Breakfast nook. My mom’s painting is on the wall.
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Basement screening room/exercise space. The painting on the wall is by my childhood friend Rona, her hymn to Yosemite. She has been in my life since 2nd grade.
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Our basement studio/art gallery. It was not a planned space. The builders needed a foundation for the sunroom and this room appeared. It is a great gift. My recent photographs (large blowups I call tapestries and smaller sizes) as well as Blanche’s paintings fill the room.
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Blanche’s paintings in the gallery.
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A view to the patio from the gallery.
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My office down the hall from our bedroom. It was once the meditation class room as well but classes are now held in the sunroom. Everyone is getting too old to climb stairs.
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The deck outside our bedroom. I call it our tree house. I may put a hot tub up here. It’s under discussion.
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My happy room, also known as the pandemic room. I missed my family so much during Covid that I filled a room with them.
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I had a shelf full of paintings in my garage by my mom and Blanche as well as posters by painters like Rothko. I decided to hang them instead of store them. I now drive into a museum every time I come home. It has become an unexpected joy.
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