Lila's Blog

Cupid Knows Wine Is For Sharing

2010-02-12T14:45:00.017-05:00

If you are thinking of doing something really special this weekend for Valentine's Day, you should consider taking a nice leisurely ride to Little Compton and visit Sakonnet Vineyards.

It is such an incredibly beautiful place, even in the winter months. The fireplace is always going, the people are friendly and helpful and there is always something to look at or learn about. It is just fascinating that we have such a place here in Rhode Island. What a great opportunity to visit a working vineyard!

Sakonnet Vineyards are having a special Valentine's Day weekend on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 5 pm. Featuring red wine for Valentine's Day, you can sample chocolates and special cheeses, warm up by the fire with a glass of mulled wine, or talk to the winemaker and learn about dessert wines.

In fact, it is such a romantic place that several couples every year get married right at Sakonnet Vineyards.

Rosecliff Inspired Mansion Open House on Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T11:34:00.006-05:00

Inspired by the location of their wedding, Rosecliff Mansion, the owners of Crawford Court built this romantic home as a tribute to their everlasting love.

This Valentine's Day, come visit this unique home with your special someone. You'll be swept away by the attention to detail in this exceptional Newport home.

The Open House, located at 8 Ledge Road, will be held this Sunday, February 14, from 1 - 3 PM.

Chocolate: the Consuming Passion

2010-02-03T16:34:00.017-05:00

Chocolate: the Consuming Passion

I stole these words. But I stole them from my sister and she won't mind; we always share. This is the title of one of her best-known books, a New York Times Best Seller almost thirty years ago. I was working for her at the time, and I will never forget the day she told me about the plans for our work on the book. "It is going to require a lot of research," she said with a grin. And research we did, for the next eight months (okay, we kept right on researching after the book was published... in fact we are still very in-depth researchers).

One of our first and favorite research trips was to Harbor Sweets just north of Boston. The business was started by an unassuming man named Ben Strohecker, who in 1973 challenged himself to create the "best piece of candy in the world", regardless of cost. After spending a day tasting every type of chocolate made at Harbor Sweets, we decided Ben had succeeded.

There were not so many Ben Stroheckers back then, but today, chocolatiers abound. (Obviously my sister and I were not the one people out there researching.) The varying brands of chocolate seem to increase daily, and one can find chocolates these days combined with flavors one never would have imagined would be friendly with chocolate (and some, frankly, are not). Even your local CVS drugstore has an entire display rack filled with gourmet chocolates.

And what an opportune time to blog about chocolate... in a month that has no redeeming qualities whatsoever except... Valentine's Day... the perfect excuse for anyone to overspend on chocolate. In preparation for this upcoming holiday, I offer you some favorite chocolate picks for Valentine's Day from the staff of Rachel Ray.

B.T. McElrath Chocolatier 9-Piece Truffle Assortment

Godiva Limited Edition Mousse Collection

La Maison du Chocolat 18-piece Chocolate Box

Garrison Confections Valentine's Day Box

Last, but surely not least, Sandra Boynton's current pick for the Best of the Best in the contemporary world of chocolate: a small company in San Francisco called Poco Dolce.

These are not to be missed!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Apple's Newest Gadget - The iPad

2010-01-28T11:27:00.005-05:00

Yesterday Apple announced the upcoming release of their newest product, the iPad. The iPad is a tablet computer that will connect to the internet via Wi-Fi or cellular 3G networks. It is compatible with all working iPhone apps, so everything you've downloaded to your iTunes account will work right out of the box. Yep, that includes the ever popular games, guides, and real estate applications! The iPad also includes a new application, iBooks. This virtual bookstore and reader will compete with Amazon's Kindle.

I'm a self-proclaimed Mac, so this news excites me. But I'm not sure why I would need the iPad. Oh sure, I know why I want one, I'm just not sure I need one. My days are spent in front of a PC (at work) and when I go home I use my iPod Touch to listen to music and my Macbook to play games and surf the web.

Of course, if I traveled more I could see the appeal. Connect to the internet, read email, watch videos, read a book; all of this available on a tablet with a screen size as big as piece of letter paper. No more squinting at a little phone or iPod screen. Sure, it doesn't have MS Word or Excel, but you can use Google Docs for that; and access them anytime, anywhere.

I have to hand it to Apple, every new gadget seems to bring us one step closer to the Star Trek future I thought the new century would usher into existence. I for one am personally looking forward to the iJetPack and iFlyCar. Beam me up, Scotty!

The Draw of Newport

2010-01-20T12:01:00.006-05:00

Working with buyers, not only from Newport, but from throughout the world is the most rewarding aspect of being a realtor. I am fortunate to work with a company that lists a wide variety of properties in a city that promotes art, history, sailing, and culture. From the spectrum of large estates such as my listing of Berry Hill, where one family has held the property as stewards since the day it was completed in 1887 to the smaller cottages near the waterfront and scattered throughout the city from the Broadway area to the Fifth Ward, there are Victorian and Colonial homes, condominiums and contemporary homes along the Ocean Drive.

The architecture varies. The areas do also. We have “The Point” where one sees old sea captains’ homes. We have “Historic Hill” encompassing large federal colonials, gambrel colonials, Victorian homes, Trinity Church where one can do the Historic Walking Tour proceeding from stanchion to stanchion reading and exploring the history of Newport. We have The Fifth Ward where homes vary in architecture and sit on neighborhood-friendly streets within walking distance to town and the waterfront. We have Bellevue Avenue with its Gilded Age grand homes, beautiful gardens, and Newport Mansions preserved by The Preservation Society, Newport Restoration Foundation, and private owners.

The buyers vary also. Newport draws the artists and artisans with its galleries and Newport Art Museum. It draws those interested in history and literature with the Redwood Library, The Historical Society and others. It particularly draws in the sailors who participate in racing and regattas with The New York Yacht Club, Ida Lewis Yacht Club, and Newport Yacht Club.

As a member of the Newport City Council I have traveled to visit our sister cities in Kinsale, Ireland; Shimoda, Japan; Imperia, Italy; and Skiathos, Greece. I go to promote my city. I have worked to sponsor programs to allow students to participate in a student exchange program to learn of other cultures and peoples in other areas of the world, many who will visit Newport in years to come.

There is satisfaction in knowing that the clients who buy here have chosen to come here, as I did. They will become part of what makes Newport special. In some ways it is a village where neighbor recognizes neighbor. In other ways it is an exciting sailing community recognized throughout the world as “the sailing capital.” The people are as diversified as the properties. It is joyous. It is never boring.

Help Haiti

2010-01-14T09:50:00.007-05:00

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. Lives were lost, children orphaned, and homes destroyed.

Here are a few ways you can donate to aid recovery efforts:

Text

Text “HAITI” to 90999 to make a $10.00 donation to the American Red Cross.
Text “YELE” to 501501 to make a $5.00 donation to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts. Yele is a grassroots organization started by musician Wyclef Jean, a native of Haiti.
Text "HAITI" to 45678 to make a $5.00 donation to the Salvation Army.

Online

Google has a page set up so you can donate directly to UNICEF and CARE. CBS News also has a list of charitable organizations that offer aid to Haiti.

My Unexpected Home

2009-12-31T13:09:00.009-05:00

Having lived away from Rhode Island for many, many years, I have had the opportunity to live and travel to a lot of great places.I went to prep school in northern Massachusetts, in the low-lying mountains. I spent my college years in Boston – a place of beautiful old architecture and cobble stone streets –bitter cold winters -- where -- the memory of the wind whipping by as I waited for the ‘T’ still brings a chill to my body.
I was lucky to spend my junior year in college going to school in Paris, France. I traveled extensively while there. Back pack on, euro-rail pass in hand…my friends and I traveled to every corner of Europe, and northern Africa as well. Each country has it own flavor, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Holland, Luxemburg, Monaco and Belgian. The architecture, the charm, the history and the romance of it all remain with me to this day.
After college I moved to New York City ---

jam packed with High rises, office building and town houses. Still the beauty of the façades of the buildings are so impressive…and Park avenue, especially in the spring time when the gardens between up town and down town are planted with magnificent tulips, was always my favorite welcome to the change of season. I would always try to travel up Park to get my spring time fix of color. It was elegant; it was always worth going out of my way to see.

And now I find myself in Rhode Island --- where I find the romance and splendor of the old world right here in Rhode Island. Whether I am driving down Ocean Road in Narragansett,

through the Towers past the magnificent ocean front homes, or crossing the bridge to Newport, I find the streets are full of charm, grandeur and history. The old world architecture is utterly majestic. The beauty of the rolling land is only surpassed by the site of the land meeting the sea …and the twinkling lights of the many bridges that light up the sky in the night.
As I drive along the coast line and look out I see the very perfect looking vision of the Newport bridge, connecting one island to the next. It really is as pretty as Monte Carlo.

Bellevue Avenue at Christmas time is a site to behold.
Each mansion is beautifully decorated for the holiday – looking ever so grand when lit for the evening. It could be Paris, the Champs Illese, the Arch de Triumph, but it is historic Newport. It was always here, always beautiful.
.

I feel a little like Dorothy speaking to Toto. Sometimes one has to move away, and then return to see what has really been here all along. I have to say, I am continually struck by how very beautiful Rhode Island is, in an almost story book kind of way.

Good Dog

2009-12-27T16:56:00.006-05:00

On Christmas Eve, we lost one of our beloved family pets, Rocky.

A big dog with reddish-blond, course hair and a heart as big as the sky, he will always be remembered for his love and devotion to his family.

My daughter and son-in-law, Jen and Luke, adopted Rocky from the New Haven dog pound about 15 years ago when they were just a young and carefree couple, years before they were married. But Rocky made them a family right away. In his later years, he was slow and feeble but in his younger days he was a force to be reckoned with.

On one of his first days home alone, Jen and Luke left him at Luke’s parents’ beach cottage – he tore the curtains off the windows and broke through a screen door and generally tore the place up. He had some adjusting to do.

A few years later, when Jen and Luke wanted a canine companion for Rocky, Luke brought Rocky to the pound with him to make sure that the new dog and Rocky would get along. Luke was checking out the dogs and Rocky actually lifted up his leg and peed on Luke. I think it is easy to figure out what was going on in his little brain. “This is my person, This is my Dad” I know we tend to project human emotions onto pets but, really, something was going on there. Casey came home with them that day and now he is bereft and misses Rocky as much as we do.

In his hay day, Rocky loved his Kong. A red, rubber thing, he would carry it around in his mouth, nudging your hand and head-butting you until you took the slimy thing out of his mouth and tossed it as far away as you could. In two seconds flat, he was back at your side, ready for another round. He never tired of chasing it and with his sweet, brown eyes looking up at you, it was hard to resist obliging him.

Before Jen and Luke had kids and all the kid accessories that literally fill up an entire SUV, Rocky would always come to visit me. He loved Narragansett Beach and would run and swim in the surf, if it was not too cold. He was always welcome at my house.

Rock-Star had a great life. Acres to run around on, with an invisible fence that even extended into a woodsy area, he had the time of his life protecting his family, playing and chasing squirrels and chipmunks. When you saw him barking at a stone wall, you knew some little chipmunk was in there teasing him, just out of reach.

And so although we are heartbroken, we are lifted up by the big love he unfailingly gave us. You are part of our family, Rocky, and always will be.

Good dog, Rocky. Good dog.

Jingle Bells

2009-12-21T16:31:00.003-05:00

The Christmas season is always a time of maximum self-absorption for me. At no other time of the year am I more keenly aware of how I feel. What I want. At any given moment during December my consciousness is filled to bursting with details about my shopping list, my to-do lists, frustrations about my time pressures. I worry about my finances. I invest massive amounts of energy strategizing on how best to implement my ideas about how the holidays should be spent, as opposed to those of my husband, a man seemingly bent on defying me at every turn. And then there’s all that running around, driving to and fro across the state, strapped in behind the wheel, trapped in the bubble of your own mind, ostensibly in the service of others but in reality being driven like the proverbial dray horse under the lash of your own feelings & inclinations…wondering where to park, irritated because your fingers are cold, crabby because you’re running late, indignant about the party you have to attend…not to mention the unceasing stream of decisions to be made. Scotch pine or Douglas fir? Poinsettia or holly? Roast beef or turkey? Boots or heels? Medium or large? Credit or debit?

One of life’s most evil ironies is that the more you try to think about others, the more firmly focused your attention – by necessity – stays on yourself. Which is why I’m so grateful to the Salvation Army.

Yup, the Salvation Army.

Consider this: Ever since Thanksgiving, those people have been out there in front of your supermarket, Wal-Mart or mall of choice, standing next to that red metal bucket and ringing that bell. They have ever been dressed un-coolly; in place of the clunky, militaristic get-up they used to wear, the organization now favors an equally dorky, too-short red apron, which gives their volunteers the vague, unfortunate appearance of fast-food workers. But who cares. They are there no matter what. In the wind. In the rain. In the snow. When the temperature is 50 degrees and when the temperature is 15 degrees. It doesn’t matter what the weather is, their bell never stops ringing, it rings unceasingly, it rings steadfastly, it rings as earnestly and endlessly as the prayers of mankind rising to an indifferent heaven…It rings in defiance of irony, in defiance of coolness & hipness & self-indulgence. Is there any sound more ancient than that of a ringing bell? That Salvation Army bell is ringing in a sound and an experience from outside time; it’s ringing in reality, ringing out the tenets of our day to day lives and culture. Put money in that bucket and do it often. Because as you cross that snowy parking lot, braced against the wind, the bell rings and rings and rings, and for a split second, you wake up from your dream of self and catch a glimpse into the eternal heart of now. And if that’s not worth a dollar, I don’t know what is.

The Rebirth of a Great Old Lady

2009-12-08T14:07:00.007-05:00

In case you have not driven through Narragansett Pier recently, there has been a MAJOR change in the landscape. At 41 Ocean Road stands a glorious period restoration of the Lila Delman Real Estate building, circa 1875. Once known as Sea Lawn, the building was also known as the Reading Room, the Wave Crest Inn and the Tea Room. It was moved in 1899 from Mathewson Street to where it still resides today on a large lot just south of The Towers. The lot was once the grass tennis courts to the Narragansett Casino.

Over the years, the old gal had under gone some changes that were less than ascetically pleasing, however, the aims were probably practical and utilitarian at the time. The old porch had been closed in and that is where, for many years, the real estate office was located. You entered through the double glass doors, which were salvaged by Lila, from a local demolition project. When it rained, the buckets were brought out and certain desks were covered for protection. It was like working in the old curiosity shop, but it was fun. Upon entering, people would come in and take everything into account including the eclectic collection of antiques and other memorabilia.

This great old survivor withstood the catastrophic fire of 1900 which consumed the Towers, the flames licking within steps of the front door, and the great hurricane of 1938 with angry seas which swirled and surged around it.

Flash forward to December 2009! After almost one year of meticulous renovation, under the scrutiny of a gifted architect and a team of very competent craftsmen, it is a masterfully restored Victorian building located in one of the most beautiful settings in the area. People walk by and their mouths drop open as they stop and just ogle the “Great Old Lady”.

The restoration, of this wonderful old structure to its original grandeur, makes it a striking new landmark for the town of Narragansett. It only gets better when you enter the building, you feel so comfortable with all the beautiful old antiques collected over the years by Lila and the newly expanded space. It is further enhanced by the happy group of people who work in this wonderful environment.

We are so proud of our office and are so excited to be a part of this wondrous Renaissance!

An Altered Sense of Time

2009-12-04T12:12:00.004-05:00

Some of my neighbors have started to put their holiday decorations up. It started on Thanksgiving – a wreath here, a few lights there, a candy cane decorated maibox – but I’m very conflicted because at my house, I still have pansies blooming.

In my window boxes and in little sunny spots in the gardens, they are still doing fine. Pansies like the cooler weather and so the first thing in my gardens are pansies. The same love of cool temperatures keeps them thriving long after other flowers have withered.

When pumpkins and mums started showing up on front steps, I was not ready for that, either. It seemed like we had only just begun our summer. My gardens were looking good, finally, after weeks of steady rain, and I wanted to keep summer going for
awhile longer. Pumpkins! Chrysanthemums! Forget it! In
hindsight, I was in denial that summer was over.

As the nights are getting colder, I know it is only a matter of days now before the remainder of my gardens is toast, too. And then I can start counting the days until spring. But for now, I think I’ll hold off putting up wreaths and fir roping until my flowers really are ready to go.

Share Our View from The Penthouses at The Residences, Providence

2009-12-02T13:52:00.005-05:00

Lila Delman Real Estate extends an Invitation to View these Extraordinary Living Spaces this Thursday evening December 3, 2009 from 5 to 7pm.

Against the exquisite backdrop of Narragansett Bay and located on the top floor of The Residences, these exquisite penthouses offer open panoramic cityscape vistas of downtown Providence and beyond, stretching as far as the Newport Bridge.

Spanning nearly 3,000 square feet, this contiguous space provides the perfect canvas to design and create the penthouse of your dreams. Raw space and fantastic views are two outstanding elements according to designer Julie Lancia, ALX Group, Providence.

A premier position on the top floor of the newly constructed Residences and extensive outdoor terraces, which span from one end of the tower to the other, make these penthouses truly unique.

With indoor access to the Westin Hotel, the Providence Place Mall, the Rhode Island Convention Center and the Dunkin Donuts Center, there is no need for a car, coat or umbrella, making these penthouses by far the most connected address in the City.

Residents enjoy a high level of security, full concierge service, valet parking and full access to the Westin, Providence and all of its hotel amenities, including membership to the Capitol Club Fitness Center and spa services.

Lila Delman Real Estate also offers finished units in a variety of floor plans, where meticulous craftsmanship and high quality finishes grace these extraordinary living spaces.

The forlornness of forgotten objects

2009-11-27T12:10:00.007-05:00

The forlornness of forgotten objects is not to be borne. Who amongst us has not felt the anguish of a discarded chair, steadfast in its grief, as it waits on the curb for the garbage truck? Who has not sensed the distress etched into the soul of that discarded dresser, drawers askew, sitting on the side of the road with the weekly trash? The birdcage poking out of the moldy cardboard box, the red wagon missing a wheel, that cheap 1950’s suitcase…Those things once fulfilled their purposes. People sat in that chair. That dresser was filled with clothes. A bird sang its little heart out in that birdcage. That broken lamp shed its golden light over many a page in its day. Objects once needed, used, appreciated. Objects living out their destinies to the hilt in gladness and joy.

Now they’re yesterday’s news.

This bothers me. Maybe their feelings are hurt when they’re left out on the curb...maybe it pains them to be exposed to the elements, unprotected...perhaps they actually mind that everyone can see their shame. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem, right? How can I just leave them there? These things require saving, pronto!

So garbage day, which arrives every Tuesday, usually constitutes a bit of a rescue mission for me. Stuff I have dragged or carried home from the side of the road: a monstrously heavy art-deco dressing table with Bakelite handles, a ruinously rusted 5’ x 4’ luncheonette sign that reads “Texas Lunch”, a cast iron coal stove with pink legs, a Singer sewing machine from 1915, a twig table with a red top, a mandolin…and of course, many less noteworthy finds, finds beyond counting. Original artwork (who can forget the two giant sheep heads, done in acrylics?), lamps (how about that 36” tall shepherdess carrying a sheaf of wheat?), and of course, innumerable chairs, galaxies of chairs, universes of chairs...

Because is there anything lonelier-looking than a chair by the side of the road? What a pathetic sight. They just seem to epitomize every gloomy existential truth on the planet, each sad empty chair an actor of one in a poignant tableau expressive of all sorts of 3:00 AM-type personal fears. It is alone. Discarded. Unloved. Broken. Who doesn’t fear these things? I could be that chair…wait, what am I saying? I AM that chair. Would I leave myself abandoned on the side of the road like that? So what’s there to do but rescue it from its misery and bring it home…where I can guarantee you it won’t ever be lonely again, because I’ve got a dozen rejects just like it waiting to keep the damn thing company.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T14:20:00.003-05:00

'Tis the season for giving! Our Newport office just dropped off the baskets for the Child & Family Services Thanksgiving Basket program. A BIG thank you to all of our staff who donated so generously this year.

It's not too late to give. The RI Community Food Bank is always looking for donations, as well as many other local food banks.

Wishing you and yours a very Healthy and Happy Thanksgiving!

A Befitting Honor

2009-11-12T14:51:00.012-05:00

Recently, one of my listings was selected to appear in an upcoming issue of Country Living Magazine. Because of the beauty of the grounds, the editors decided it would be better to have the photo shoot in the summer – otherwise, they would have done it right away. All they had to do was look at a couple of photos and they said “Yes, we want this house!”

This is a house that really captures the imagination. I’ve written about it before – the icing on the cake is that it is adjacent to acres of conservation land owned by the South Kingstown Land Trust.

Do you like to wake to the sound of birds?

Waterfront on Perch Cove, which opens up to Potter Pond and open ocean, (it takes 20 minutes via motor boat to get from the house to the open ocean) the 2.7 acres is heavenly. There is a lovely inground pool on the property - Labs are particularly fond of jumping in and swimming around in the pool on a hot summer day.

The basic design was roughed out about 25 years ago by a landscape architect from Harvard who owned the house at that time – designed for low maintenance and sheer beauty. Since then, another architect and now an architect and interior designer own it. Quite a pedigree and little wonder that the house is gorgeous.

Anyone looking for the classic archetype of a New England cottage should take a look at this house. Anyone weary of the mediocrity that we are forced to live with should take a look at this house. It is so beautiful! Please mark your calendar and come to our Open House the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 29, 12 noon - 3 pm.

Miraculous Migrating Monarchs

2009-11-09T15:56:00.003-05:00

Just about now, millions of monarch butterflies are arriving at their winter resting place in the forest shelters of the mountain village of Angangueo Mexico. And why do I know this riveting fact? Because one of the most miraculous events I ever witnessed was the migration of these monarch butterflies along the Rhode Island coast. And when it was over, I needed to know more about this intriguing phenomenon.

On a Sunday morning in 2004, my husband and I sat with friends overlooking the ocean, relishing the calm of September in Charlestown. As the sun began to take the chill off the morning air, we spotted a monarch butterfly just above the dune grass… seconds later there were several more… and within minutes we found ourselves among a flurry of fluttering wings. In the distance we could see that there were hundreds more monarchs along the beach, so we quickly headed across the road and began what turned into a two hour walk along the beach in the company of thousands of migrating monarchs.

As I said, at the time I knew nothing about this phenomenon. So the following day I headed off to find a book about these captivating creatures (that I cannot bring myself to call insects). I purchased one aptly titled “The Monarch” by Eric Grace. And then I found more information at

www.monarchwatch.org, where I signed up to receive updates about this annual migration. I continue to virtually follow them every year.

The short story (if you want the long one, you'll have to buy the book or go googling) is that at the first signs of frost each year, monarchs begin a journey of thousands of miles from Canada and the

United States to the 13,500 foot inactive volcano of Cerro Pelón just west of Mexico City. There they spend the winter months blanketing fir trees, in a state of semi-hibernation, until the warm spring winds call them back north. Thousands of miles... can you imagine… these delicate little fluttering things traveling all that way… with no GPS systems!

I see many monarchs in Charlestown every September and October. Some days I have even seen hundreds. But nothing has ever been quite like that Sunday in 2004. Last year I did witness the scene in this photograph as I headed out for an evening walk, where as the sun began to descend, the monarchs were all nestled together for the night on the pine trees near my house. Some day I will migrate myself to Cerro Pelón to see the end result of what I experienced that September morning. In the meantime, the memory of it will have to sustain me!

Lila Delman Real Estate hosts European Colleagues

2009-11-06T11:54:00.002-05:00

Lila Delman Real Estate Hosts European Colleagues at Christie's Global Annual Conference

Christies Great Estates Newsletter

The Christie's Great Estates Global Annual Conference took place last week in Boston, Massachusetts, with 60 affiliate firms represented- 40 percent of which were outside the United States.

Rear Row L to R: Jose Ribes Bas, Rimontgo, Valencia Spain; Philip Sherry, SherryFitzgerald, Dublin, Ireland; Ueli Schnorf, Wetag Consulting, Ticino, Switzerland

Front Row L to R: Robin Nicholson, Melanie Delman, Catherine Gazder of Lila Delman Real Estate

Lila Delman Real Estate hosts European colleagues.

The principals of three European affiliates traveled south to Newport, Rhode Island, after the Global Annual Conference in Boston to visit properties represented by Lila Delman Real Estate. Jose Ribas Bas of Rimontgo in Spain, Philip Sherry of SherryFitzgerald in Ireland and Ueli Schnorf of Wetag, Switzerland joined Melanie Delman, Robin Nicholson and Catherine Gazder of Lila Delman on a tour of the Carnegie Abbey Club and other prominent offerings. "We were thrilled to introduce our friends from Spain, Switzerland and Ireland to Newport, Rhode Island," says Melanie Delman, company president. "Everyone especially enjoyed cocktails at Oakwood, one of our premier listings."

The Kinder, Gentler NFL

2009-11-03T14:20:00.010-05:00

In these tough times, people all over the world are reaching out to others for a connection, comfort, and care. Before my very eyes, even the NFL is becoming soft. Kinder. Gentler. More aware. More compassionate and thoughtful. Yep. You heard me right…Have you noticed? It’s not Larry Czonka’s world anymore. Or Dick Butkus’, or even Bill Romanowski’s.

I’ve never really been a fan of the ‘pass interference’ penalty. It’s football, after all, not ballet.

The designed purpose of the game is to interfere with the other team scoring more points, right? I’m still trying to wrap my head around that age-old penalty. And now, as you football fans know, over the past few years, the list of penalties has been growing.

You still can’t touch a guy when he’s trying to catch a pass. You can’t hit the quarterback in certain ways when he’s trying to throw the ball. Did you catch that ‘tripping’ penalty last weekend? Really? You can’t trip? In the NFL???? SOFT. For me, the kicker (no pun intended) is, stay away from the punter. Actually, just don’t even look at him when it’s punt time. You’ll get 5 to 15 for sure. Yes, kinder and gentler.

But it doesn’t stop there. Even ‘off the field’, it seems that the NFL teams are attempting to connect more with their fans on a personal level. During the month of October, we witnessed the AFL teams wearing their ‘throwback’ uniforms to celebrate 50 years in the NFL. Are they trying to keep their ‘older’ audience by reminding us what our teams used to look like ‘back in the day’, just in case we forgot?

Then, there was all of the pink. I was amazed. Pink shoes. Pink sweat bands. Pink socks.…not something you connect with the bad boys of football. Pink, in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Unheard of. Really kind of nice when you think about it. Pink is the new black. I like it. Seems like they’re reaching out, maybe trying to relate to us, the fans.

The very next week, I witnessed the first penalty of the game (probably roughing the kicker!) being called in Spanish. WOW! The NFL was observing National Hispanic Heritage month. Have you ever heard of them observing anything like it? I’m telling you...something’s up. And it’s so cool. (Muy bueno)

Finally, the Patriots and the Buccaneers went to London to play a football game. What in the world? Football Save the Queen? They don’t even play American football in England. Did they return to the motherland for some sort of penance? The world just got smaller yet again. And I think I like it. Do you think that the NFL needs us? Do they need to appeal to us as humans in order to keep our loyalty? I think they might, and, again, I think I like it.

I am so excited to see where this is leading. I love football, and it’s great to see them connecting on our level. Maybe in 2010, we’ll be watching Sports Center, and there he is, Chris Berman, interviewing Tom Brady. ‘So, Tom, what are you hoping for during the next season?’, asks Chris. And reaching out to the fans and to the world, Tom’s answer is: ‘The Championship, of course, Chris. ….Oh, and world peace.’

A rising tide lifts all boats

2009-10-20T12:25:00.014-04:00

A rising tide lifts all boats This aphorism, coined by John F. Kennedy, describes the idea that when an economy is performing well, all people will benefit from it.

American expressions, so I have found, differ from the French language, which is particularly rife with culinary-inspired idioms. Stumbling onto a French blog, Chocolate and Zucchini, I found that edible expressions abound, as thier love for food is used to reflect life.

Having a long day? "Long comme un jour sans pain." A literal translation would be, "As long as a day without bread," and it is used to express that something is very long -- in reference to physical length (a long road, a long list) or, more frequently, to the duration of an event (a long speech, a long wait) -- and dreary, like the news last year, when it was all so dreary.

A good way to reach a compromise: "Couper la poire en deux." It means, literally, "cutting the pear in two," if two people want the same pear, halving it is the most equitable way to settle the dispute.

Running out of steam in the middle of the day? The French expression would be - "Retomber comme un soufflé." Literally translated as, "Falling back like a soufflé," or running out of steam in a quick and sudden way.

Not feeling well?"Ne pas être dans son assiette", translated as, "not being in one's plate," it is a colloquial expression that means feeling under the weather, being out of sorts, physically or emotionally.

What would be the equivalent American expression of this?
"Ménager la chèvre et le chou." Translated as, "Accommodating the goat and the cabbage," trying to please both sides in a situation where the two parties are in fact irreconcilable. It is equivalent to the English expression, "running with the hare and hunting with the hounds," but it is a lot more common.

Julia Child always used cooking to demonstrate her delight in life. As she once said, "If you're afraid of butter, just put in some cream." I love her for that!

Chasing James Coburn Through SoHo

2009-10-18T15:09:00.006-04:00

I used to regularly visit New York City and somehow, over time, I have stopped doing that. During the 80s, I used to go at least once a month. My friends and I would go mostly to look at art but also for the shopping and the general, hectic and crazy ambience.

Sometimes we would go to one of the museums to see a really good exhibition but mostly we would visit galleries. Not so much the staid and hushed uptown galleries but we always made a beeline for SoHo.

Endlessly appealing and fascinating with its many cast iron buildings, street vendors, and beautiful architecture, there was never a dull moment there for me. The place was noisy, maybe a little dirty, and filled with people of all sorts, young and old. But as opposed to the uptown galleries, the places I loved in SoHo had their doors flung open right at street level and the inside and outside really were meshed. I always felt welcome there. And there was so much to see.

One night, while at Leo Castelli, we spotted James Coburn. He was there with a young and beautiful model on his arm and they only had eyes for each

other. Because we remembered him from our teenage years in those movies Our Man Flint and In Like Flint, James Bond spoofs, we had some sort of connection to him.

Of course, he looked older and grayer, but he was very recognizable. We followed them from gallery to gallery until we tired of it and went for dinner in Chinatown or maybe Little Italy. We never had any intention of speaking to him and there was no point to it. But somehow we had such fun doing absolutely nothing of importance.

I probably would not follow a movie star around now just for fun and knowing that has made me think that I have changed in more than the obvious ways. When did I get so boring? So bored? I think it must be time for an adventure!

Thanks for Giving

2009-10-14T15:12:00.002-04:00

This year Thanksgiving means more to me. My husband and I both have good jobs, our children and parents are healthy, the cars start every morning (knock on wood), and we have a roof over our heads. But many of our fellow Rhode Islanders are not so lucky.

Across the state many of my friends are out of work. Every day the local newspaper is filled with foreclosure notices. And this year families everywhere will struggle to put Thanksgiving dinner on the table. The amount of need in this state is almost paralyzing.

The Newport Office of Lila Delman Real Estate has again decided that this year we will make sure one less family will go without a Thanksgiving dinner. We are adopting a family through our local Child & Family Services and will supply them with a basket full of non-perishable goods for their holiday dinner. Our office is large so we are adopting a family of 8-10 people, but there are families of all sizes in need.

If you’d like to help, here are a few agencies on Aquidneck Island participating in the Thanksgiving basket program:

Child and Family is seeking donors for both of their Holiday Giving Programs. If you would like to donate food baskets for Thanksgiving to families in need and/or toys and gifts for children during the winter holiday season, then they would love to hear from you. Please call or e-mail Landa Patterson, Coordinator of Volunteer Services, at lpatterson@childandfamilyri.com or 401-848-4210 to learn more and sign up.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center Holiday Basket Program, 401-846-4828.

If you’re unable to adopt a family and just want to drop off some food, contact your local shelters and food banks. The RI Community Food Bank is a great place to start. www.rifoodbank.org

Thanks for Giving!

Hip to be poor

2009-10-03T11:26:00.010-04:00

I feel like I’ve been waiting for this day all my life…it’s finally hip to be poor. Celebrities, industrialists, investment bankers all feel the sting. Waitresses, lawyers, fishermen, brain surgeons, we all share the same leaking boat now. Almost exactly a year ago, the entire country sat mesmerized before the sight of the stock market in freefall, frozen like deer in the headlights at the sight of our retirement funds, college accounts, life savings, hopes, dreams & reasons for living dissolving into thin air. Hello…Can you say "new reality"? Today you can’t open a magazine or newspaper without being bombarded by inane suggestions on how to save what little money you have left – switch from Starbucks to Dunkin! Shop at Wal-Mart! Buy generic! Olay instead of La Mer! – stratagems with about as much effectiveness as trying to stop an incoming tide with a sieve, and which offer the added stupidity of relying upon the same consumerist paradigm that got us here in the first place - buy this instead of that. Save more by spending…less. Discussion of dwindling finances is the subject du jour in the public forums, and if you want to participate in the conversation, you’d better be prepared to talk poor. It’s the chic thing to be. Poor is the new green. In the red is the new black.

This new hipness takes many forms. Some people are of course really poor. Homeless poor, hungry poor, street person poor. People sleeping on subway grates, wearing plastic garbage bags instead of clothes. Others are newly desperate, the foreclosure & short sale & unemployed poor. Many are recent arrivals to poordom, members of the struggling and debt-ridden middle class. And then of course there are the relatively affluent but still less-rich-than-they-were upper strata. Regardless of where you stand on the scale, you’ve probably had some sort of unpleasant reality to adjust to over the past 12 months. If you’re lucky, you’ve done some thinking as well.

Because that’s the one thing that no one has really been addressing – the thinking that landed us in this mess. Buy-spend-buy-spend-buy-spend…what passes for contemporary American “culture” - and its value system - depends entirely upon consumer spending. It’s the engine that makes our society run. We measure our worth by our net-worth, our success by our financial assets, who we are by what we have. If this recent crisis forces us to do nothing more than examine the structureless underbelly of what we believe, it will have served a useful purpose. Raise your hand if you’ve spent your adult life in the service of a financial lie, presenting a prosperous face to the world, while all the time running as fast as you could to keep up. I know I have. Expensive shoes, jewelry, travel experiences, beauty products. Name brands. Never a dime to my name, little in savings, everything leveraged and borrowed against and perpetually in motion, Peter paying Paul paying Peter. I refinanced my house 3 times in the past 8 years. My current mortgage is now three times what my house’s original asking price was. I am not a stupid person. My IQ is 130. The New York Times is delivered to my door daily. I re-read War & Peace, just for fun, ha ha. But wait a second…if I’m so smart, then how come I’m so poor? And didn’t I KNOW better than to get sucked into the machine? Didn’t I read Thoreau and Emerson in college? Didn’t I swear I’d never adopt the shallow materialist values of my parents? Didn’t I have IDEALS? Didn’t me and my friends who grew up in the sixties utterly reject the whole shallow consumerist paradigm?

The truth is that none of us have escaped it. I doubt anyone in this culture CAN escape it. It’s too pervasive. We can no longer even string together our thoughts in non-economic terms. We are “consumers”. We are “products”, products of our culture and products of our times, flipping through magazines, surfing 150 channels, defining ourselves by the aptly-named “goods” that we buy and the purchases that we make, our $1500 handbags, our $900 shoes, our adjustable rate mortgages. We live it, we breathe it, we dream it. We are it.

Well, now the alarm clock has gone off. And unpleasant shock that it’s been, it feels good to finally be awake again. There’s something bracing about finally facing reality. It’s like I always knew this was going to happen, that my past “success” was a triumph of smoke and mirrors and empty values, that it would all come to an end one day, but now that it has, oddly I don’t feel all that bad about it. I’m still here. So are you. No fear, no regrets. Now move on.

Come and Be Inspired

2009-09-27T15:04:00.012-04:00

If you have never had the pleasure of an afternoon spent at Blithewold Mansion on Bristol Harbor, you are really missing one of the loveliest places on earth.

Brown University graduate Augustus Van Winckle (there are Van Winckle gates at Brown and Princeton!) built the original mansion for his wife, Bessie. He had apparently given her a 72’ Herreshoff yacht earlier and she needed a place to moor the boat!

The mansion (actually the first one burned down and the one standing today was rebuilt in 1907) is set on 32 acres of westerly-facing waterfront on Bristol Harbor. It is built in the style of a 17th century manor house. The house is filled with beautiful antiques from all over the world. The oldest pieces are oak and leather armchairs dating back to the early 1600s. There are several beautiful Tiffany lamps. Every room but two still has the original wallpaper and all the furnishings are as the original owner, Bessie, had arranged them. This has been verified through photographs.

The third floor of the mansion is filled with personal diaries, garden plans, family letters and correspondence of all kinds. It is a wonderful glimpse into the past.

Set on 32 acres, to say the gardens are inspiring is an understatement. There are 50 varieties of specimen trees including the largest Sequoia east of the Rockies – right in our backyard. The original greenhouse was restored a few years ago and it is magnificent.

The website for Blithewold is wonderful – they will tell you of all the upcoming events including teas, concerts, and garden workshops. I especially love their garden blog.

Keeping a Journal

2009-09-18T11:00:00.011-04:00

One of my favorite things to give as a gift is a journal. A book of blank pages for my friends and family to fill up with their handwriting, drawings and anything that makes up the moments of their lives.

I’ve got these beautiful, linen napkins and embroidered on them in gold thread is ‘Consider the empty plate, full of possibilities” – the same can be said for the empty page. As soon as you scribble on it in your own hand, it is transformed and can become anything.

My son keeps his music journal. I have several – one is all about my house, I have one for my art work and ideas, one for my garden and one for writing about the days of my life.

In a paper journal, you can scribble things out, add illustrations, ticket stubs, and dried flowers – all clichés but there is a reason some things become iconographic. They are universal mementos and they have the same effect on all of us.

There are a lot of people who use the web as a personal journal but certainly I am not one of them. They record intimate details of their lives and post it on the web for all the world to see.

I still like the feel and look of the handwritten page. It gets messy and wrinkled up but it seems more real and more connected to real life than anything to do with a blog. I like it because it is personal – no right or wrong, it just is.

I do admire the people who use the web to keep their personal journals but I cannot see myself joining them anytime soon.

2009 Six Meter International World Cup - Sailing Now in Newport

2009-09-12T10:05:00.016-04:00

SAILING now in Newport, the 2009 Six Meter International World Cup.

Among my top 10 reasons to live in Newport - this is one. Not in order, but by discovery.
I discovered this event as I drove along Ocean Avenue, I passed several beautiful sailboats - all of the same size - 6 meters, sailing around Brenton Reef, at the entrance to the channel of Narragansett Bay, between Beavertail and Castle Hill. The boats were just cruising at the time, some heading up the bay and some heading out, they are spectacular.

The daily ebb and flow of living on the coast is familiar, the fishing boats and pleasure boats arriving and departing, the QE2 and tankers, and then it suddenly changes, there is an explosion of sails.... and it unfurls without having been part of it, or aware of the planning and coordinating, it happens on another level, on another playing field.....a waterworld, a sailing playground for those fortunate enough to be aboard and involved.

For anyone who wishes to be a part of this sailing world in Newport get involved at Sail Newport!

For the armchair sailors among us, here are the official Day 1 and Day 2 race reports:

Day 2 Race Report2009 Newport 6mR World Cup1900hrsNEWPORT, RI (Sept. 9, 2009) - Today's weather tested the metal (and wood) of competitors in the second day of racing of the 2009 Newport 6mR World Cup.
The northerly brought wind speeds averaging 18-22 knots with gusts of up to 25 knots toward the late afternoon. After a short postponement to allow the ebbing current to settle the rough sea state, a 6 nm course was set northwest of Gould Island.
In the Modern Division it was Scoundrel's (GBR-96) day, skippered by Rob Gray who said, "We had a great start, we only tacked three times and gybed twice for the entire race. Lots of extra maneuvers bring mistakes, which we wanted to avoid today."
Tuesday's winner, Sophie II (SWE-132) helmed by Hugo Stenbeck took second with Patric Fredell's May BE XIV (SWE-114) finishing third. After two days of racing Scoundrel and Sophie II are tied in first place with 3 points, followed by May Be XIV with 9 points and Finnegan (US-123) and Arunga (US-118) with 10 points each.
Owing to magnificent boat handling on the challenging final downwind leg with a building breeze Gallant (KC-10) skippered by Eric Jespersen won the Classic Division. Postle and Pope's Titia (GBR-22) took second place with TP Kolijonen-Astrand's Fridolin (FIN-12) coming in third today. Today's win places Gallant first overall in the division with 4 points; Totem (US-51), Goose (US-81) and Saskia II (KC-19) share a three-way tie for second with 9 points each. The strong northerly breeze is forecast to continue for tomorrow's races.

Day 1 Race Report2009 Newport 6mR World Cup1900hrsNEWPORT, RI (Sept. 9, 2009) - The 6 Metres got off to a slow start today on the first day of the 2009 Six Metre International World Cup. The initial race was abandoned after a northerly breeze died out. By mid-afternoon, however, a light southerly breeze filled in and enabled the Classic and Modern classes to complete their first race of the five-day series. A fleet of approximately 30 spectator and support boats were on hand to watch the thirty-four yachts from 11 countries sail the windward/leeward course. The Modern and Classic Classes had separate starts. In the Modern Division Sophie II (SWE-132) skippered by Hugo Stenbeck won the race by picking off Scoundrel (GBR-96) helmed by Rob Gray at the finish. Andy Parker’s Finnegan (US-123) took third in the only race of the day.
In the Classic Division, relative sailing newcomer, Jesse Smith of Jamestown, RI took first place in his first World Cup competition sailing with his local crew onboard Totem (US-51). It was a good day for the North Americans as second place went to Peter Hofmann’s Goose (US-81) and Gallant (KC-10), helmed by Eric Jespersen took third. Heavier breeze will be welcomed tomorrow, as competitors who have traveled and brought boats from three other continents, chomp for more races. The Race Commmittee will decide early whether to send the fleet to the alternate course North of Newport Bridge to keep the fleet racing inside Narragansett Bay.

PHOTOS courtesty of Onne Van Der Wal