I’m back from a just wonderful weekend spent in New Hampshire with my Great-Aunt Donna. She’s a spry 82 years-old–the kind of lady who rises with the sun, cooks three meals a day, has a more active social life than I, and is an inspiration.

We visited the Saint-Guaden’s National Historic Site–and oh man, was it lovely. The most perfect house (and fun fact: they can’t let visitors upstairs because there is only one staircase and legally there must be two exits) and gardens. Plus the sculptures and the studio are a delight, as well.

We also traipsed around (very) old cemeteries on the hunt for ancestors–we found some! We saw the old family farm (now sitting empty and a bit sad) and drove past Wheeler Rand Road (!!).

Of course, there was a tropical heat wave hitting New Hampshire while I was there–but we didn’t let it stop us. And when we couldn’t find a certain cemetery (we were told “it’s just down that road” and it was not), we stopped for ice cream and the ice cream girl told us where to go.

We also fed the chickens (and the not cute pigs) at her daughter’s farm across the field. It was just the best–I returned to New York refreshed and ready to face the work week.