Wollaston

Who knew there was such a nice beach so close to Boston? Well, I'm sure lots of people know, but for me the charms of Wollaston Beach in Quincy were a fresh revelation. Boston doesn't always showcase its waterfront location as much as it could, but here were beautiful ocean views, a nice stretch of sand, and at least four seafood stands to choose between for your lobster, clam, and ice cream needs.

I took a stroll there today with a friend who lives south of "Boston proper," and is thus more familiar than I with the ins and outs over there. This shot shows how close we were to the city. The sun was really hot, especially considering that just a few nights ago it was cold enough to turn on our heater, and the water was as smooth as glass.

After a sweaty walk along the water, who's up for a hearty meal of fried seafood? I am, I am! We chose Tony's Clam Shop, a 40+-year-old family business.

Tony's ran like a well-oiled machine. Lobster-shaped beepers lit up and vibrated when our orders were ready.

In spite of these lobster totems, I did not order a lobster roll, although I was as tempted as I am anytime one is on the menu. They looked generous and yummy, too. However, today I was in the mood for the (slightly) more economical fried clam roll, which also turned out to be generous and yummy. And the fries were notably crunchy and crispy.


A grand day out by the sea, almost without leaving town.

Open Studios

Henry and I spent part of this weekend visiting the Somerville Open Studios in our neighborhood, and it made me wish the event happened every weekend, since it turned our usually aimless, baby-soothing walks into an exciting quest, hunting down the bunch of orange balloons that indicated each studio. For example, who would have guessed that the beautiful work of Seven Hills Bindery is produced within this rather ominous and abandoned-looking building next to Union Square?


With an afternoon nap looming yesterday we didn't make it very far, but we had a great time visiting the home of artist and crafter Egg-a-Go-Go, just down the road from our house.

It can be a little intimidating marching into a stranger's abode, even one that is adorned with orange balloons, but this cute sign made us feel welcome, and the carton of Dunkin Donuts munchkins upstairs didn't hurt, either.

We admired artist Sarah Coyne's paintings (and charming home decor), and left, full of good cheer, with this adorable "button collector" pillow, a textile collage of silkscreen, embroidery and colorful buttons.


Today I needed to return some books at the library up on the hill by Somerville City Hall, so we stopped by two artists' buildings in that area, Pearl Street and Mad Oyster Studios, where we stepped out on a roof deck in the drizzling rain to admire a nearby park.


And the best art of the day: a cloud of fragrant blooming trees in front of the Somerville Library.