Fall From Summer

Autumn is undeniably here. The air is cool and my scholastic schedule returns. The shift back to work mode can be a bit bumpy and this year it has been inflamed by an infected corneal laceration sustained by my own fingernail while getting Miles dressed for the Sean and Kate’s wedding in France. But after a few weeks of adjusting to classes and schedules plus eight opthalmologist appointments, I am pain-free and ready to play music with kids! Sometimes it takes a break or an injury to come back and appreciate how wonderful it can be to work and be…

England and Scotland

We just returned from an incredible Buckland family trip to the U.K., first visiting G and Grand in Dorset, followed by a two-day overland voyage through London, Glasgow and The Highlands to The Isle of Raasay, a remote island of The Inner Hebrides with ferry access from Isle of Skye. The  beauty escalated throughout the journey with stunning vistas in every direction; endless open fields, lochs and mountains jutting out of the Sea. And at the furthest reaches of pavement on Raasay, we settled into Arnish cottage, supplied electrically by Wind and Sun, and made it our base for exploring…

Winning Winter

It has been months since I've been able to sit a write, partially due to a computer failure, and mostly due to a long stretch of work and life business. The high and lowlights from the Chill: • Patriots win Super Bowl LI with impossible comeback. Down 28-3 with 2:00 left in the 3rd quarter, it looked bleak (and that was being optimistic). But some textbook mental toughness and Tom Brady being the greatest ever, they complete the most fantastic comeback in Super Bowl history. Legendary. • I have been dealing with a Lyme disease diagnosis and have been through several rounds of…

Brentrance and Brexit

I woke up this morning in my Brooklyn bed for the first time in 10 days. It was 4:00 am when Ivy rolled in, roaring to start her day before the sun rose (acknowledging it from our bedroom window - Look Dada! So beautiful! - when the sky began its awesome daily hue evolution), experiencing the easy side of jet lag and its 5 hour shift from the previous week and a half in England... The impetus of the trip was cousin Piera's wedding, which was an absolutely stunning camping party at a farm in Devon. While we were granted…

Barbara Elise Herter

My grandma's health was declining and we knew that her time was nearing its end, so we went to see her in Naples, Florida this weekend. Mom and Dad plus Andrew and Caitlin's families arrived on Thursday and had early-bird dinner with her on Friday, but we got in around 1:30 that night and missed what turned out to be her last meal. She died that night and I never saw her. I loved visiting her in Florida growing up (great candy dish) and she would make the trip up to Boston or Cape Cod in the Summer regularly until…

Labor Day

What a Summer for this guy! I currently sit in one of my favorite spots in the known universe: Eventide Cabin on Mt. Desert Island. Acadia is a personal paradise and spending time here with my wife, child and parents is very high on my who/what/where triangulation rankings. I have been consistently scoring very well this Summer, packed with fantastic weekends around the Northeast: The Land, Bellport, Osterville, Vermont, Maine, and even a few in Brooklyn; Ivy and I rolled all over town on my bike and explored beaches and amusement parks (Coney Island!), swimming pools and water playgrounds (Sunset…

From The Place I Am Sitting

On a balcony, overlooking the Calle in Barcelona, I am thoroughly enjoying my amazing European vacation. There is a vibrant street life and I am listening to unfamiliar languages and seeing a larger humanity in a longer time-frame; Ancient Traditions and Relics with Futuristic Thought and Style. Two days ago, I found myself at Camp Nou, where local heroes FC Barcelona were taking on Manchester City in a Champions League match. I couldn't have been further away from the pitch in the 99,000 seat stadium, but it was one of the most exciting sports experiences of my life. It was…

Busy

The fact that I have not written here in over two months speaks to how fast time has accelerated recently. I am working more than I have ever worked and doing my best to learn new skills and techniques of teaching older kids. It has been a challenging period for me, but I am enjoying it immensely. Seeing the musical abilities of children rapidly improving through the elementary years is awesome and inspiring! Unfortunately, this schedule has made Ivy time increasingly rare. During the week, I see her from too-early in the morning until I leave for work. She is…

Summer’s End

It has been creeping ever closer, and yesterday was D-day: the start of school. It begins and Summer ends, with all the freedom and travels and family time replaced by institutional regulations. I have always loved my schools and the learning and teaching that occurs within the walls, but will eternally dread the return to regimented schedule! Summertime was fantastic while it lasted, and we left Brooklyn every weekend but one. Bellport, Warwick, Osterville, Chester, Portland and a phenomenal final week in Bar Harbor made Ivy's first Summer a Northeast classic. I love these places so much and loved introducing…

Summer of Ivy

Summer is always densely scheduled and the first half of 2014 has been jam-packed with great adventures and a World Cup background! We had our first family camp at The Backyard in Vermont and are headed up again this weekend; Ivy seemed to love being in the woods and although she has requirements that we have never dealt with in camping before, she was remarkably low-maintenance and fun to be with! We have attended two more beautiful weddings: in Brooklyn for Paul and Lindsey then Bartol Island, Maine for Patrick and Betsey. Celebrating Love is the best and most important…