Monthly Archive: September 2026

We recently traveled to the beautiful New England countryside, which included visits with loving family and the opportunity to check off a bucket list item. After watching episodes of “Carnival Eats,” Hubby has always wanted to experience one of America’s great fairs to sample all that crazy carnival food.

Family members and I willingly joined him on that “gastro” ride indulging in fried butter (surprisingly delicious), fried tacos (one of my faves), and even a bite of a hamburger wrapped in deep fried uncrustables (yes, peanut butter and jelly filled). I know that sounds kind of gross, but it was really quite good.

“The Big E” is the world’s only multi-state fair representing all six New England states, with entertainment, unique foods (of course!) and the Avenue of States, which features exact one-third scale replicas of each statehouse where visitors can enjoy local foods, crafts, and tourism info from Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Ironically, the book I happened to be reading at the time was the true story of Annie Wilkins, the self proclaimed “Saddle Tramp,” who in 1954, at the age of sixty-three set out on horseback (along with her dog) for California from her home in Minot, Maine. Our travels through Connecticut and Massachusetts had me thinking about Annie and the courage it took to take such a journey.

In 1954, Annie lost the last member of her family along with her farm and her good health, which was beginning to fail. A typical proud “Mainer,” the last thing she wanted to do was to take her doctor’s kind offer to arrange a bed for her at a state-funded charity home. Instead, she set out on what could no doubt be called a bucket list item.

From the time she was a little girl, Annie remembered her mother saying every year as winter crept in, “You know, we should just quit this place,” her mother would say. “Hitch a horse up to a buggy and head west. Out to California. I would love to see that Pacific Ocean at least once in my life.” Her mother never made it farther than New Hampshire, but when Annie evaluated her lack of options, she knew all she needed was courage.

Ignoring her doctor’s advice, Annie bought a cast off brown gelding named Tarzan, donned men’s dungarees, and headed south in mid-November, hoping to beat the snow. Without even a map, Annie and her faithful mutt relied on the kindness of strangers and sheer moxie to make it the 5,000 miles in approximately 14 months. I’m not really sure how I got this far in life without ever hearing the story about gutsy Annie Wilkins, but I’m so happy I found her even though it makes me cringe with embarrassment to think of the nervousness I felt driving those roads in a cushy car along modern highways with a GPS telling us exactly where to go.

Hubby and I have a favorite expression: “I know I’ve told you this already, but I don’t care.”

With that said, if you know us you’ve probably already heard our “origin” story, but on this 30^th anniversary of our blind date, I think it’s worth repeating.

Sister-in-law L was playing in a softball tournament where this handsome young man happened to be volunteering to keep score while conveniently getting the word out that he was available and looking to meet someone to “do stuff with.”

I had been divorced around four years by this point and the subject of my being set up had never come up so when L called me that day to say she met someone, I, of course asked her, what about my brother? To which she said, “For you. You idiot!”

I was, shall we say, a little “mature” by this point to be going on a first blind date, but nervous, nevertheless, so I roped the whole family into joining me. My brother asked, “Why do we all have to be subjected to this torture?” To which, I said, “Shut up and get in the car.”

The date went well and a second was attempted but the phone company (there was only one back then) was doing work in my neighborhood and they crossed the wires between my house and a neighbor a few blocks away. Now I know this sounds like a bad 1970s sitcom so you can imagine what that handsome young man thought when he called the number he was given only to hear this lame-sounding story. But he soldiered on until he finally connected.

Then on that second date the handsome young man shows up at my house to find me with two little kids. “I thought you said you didn’t have any kids,” he said nervously. I told him they were my nephews and said, “By the way, I have to be home by ten to watch them because that’s when my brother needs to leave for work.”

And yet the handsome young man kept coming back. So not only did he know what he was getting himself into with this family of mine, but more importantly, who wouldn’t fall in love with a handsome young man who was willing to take a chance that just maybe this was the girl he would want to “do stuff with” for the rest of his life.