Spring Forward

Photos by Salt Water New England

Maine Coast Harbor

Photos by Salt Water New England

The always neglected bottom shelves...

Photo by Salt Water New England

Lilacs

Photo by Salt Water New England

John Dudley House, 1675 Saltbox

Reader Questions: Pandemic/Quarantine Reading List

Reader Questions:

Hi Muffy,  Given all my newly found free time I have been reading more than usual.  I wanted to recommend one book and ask readers for recommendations for other books.  I just finished Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconnor, Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret and lived at Holkham, which I would highly recommend.

and...

Muffy, should we do a "recommended reading" post?  

The New Normal

Photo by Salt Water New England

Schooner SILVER HEELS

Photos by Salt Water New England

Ultima Sailing Boots from Dubarry of Ireland

All Photos - Boots and Boot Spotting - by Salt Water New England. 

Dubarry of Ireland is not only famous for their beautiful and hard-wearing Country Boots but also for their iconic Ultima Sailing Boots.  Both successfully combine classic designs and materials with new technology and so many thoughtful details.

For example, the non-slip, non-marking soles - table stakes for use in the sailing world -  are also remarkably comfortable.  Sailing season has not even begun and I have been wearing them practically every day.   Waterproof and fast drying,  they need no breaking in. 

Available for Men and for Women.

• Men Ultima Sailing Boot - Brown <https://www.dubarry.com/us/women/footwear/sailing-boots/ultima-sailing-boot-brown>

• Women Ultima Sailing Boot - Brown <https://www.dubarry.com/us/women/footwear/sailing-boots/ultima-sailing-boot-brown>

Cordings of Piccadilly: We sat down with Muffy Aldrich...

From their blog:

We at Cordings became aware of Salt Water New England, created by Muffy Aldrich a few years ago.... We sat down with her for a virtual afternoon tea (with scones!) and asked her about her style and living in New England. 

<https://www.cordings.co.uk/news/salt-water-new-england/>

Maine Windjammers, Mid-1960s (Repost)

Photos by My Father

Time for Tea

Photo by Salt Water New England

Making a pot of tea on this rainy Sunday afternoon.

Every Morning, The Same Thing...

Photo by Salt Water New England

Early Spring, Female Edition

Photos by Salt Water New England

• Captain's Cord Bracelet by Patsy Kane - Pewter <https://www.patsykane.com/product-page/captain-s-cord-bracelet-pewter>

• Leather Man Ltd/Eliza B. Custom Classic Tote - Size Small, Custom Handle (13 in); Fabric Pattern:  Carolina Apple Check; Bottom and Handle Color:  Navy <https://www.elizab.com/custom-classic-tote.html>

• "Original" Nantucket Knotworks Bracelet - Nantucket Racing Stripe / Hot Pink <https://www.sunkenship.com/nantucket-knotworks/original-nantucket-racing-stripe-bracelets/>

Early Spring, Male Edition

Photos by Salt Water New England

• Mercer & Sons Pink and White University Stripe Pima Cotton Oxford <http://www.mercerandsons.com/swatches_and_pricing-stripes.htm>

• Leather Man Ltd/Eliza B. D-Ring Motif Belt - Cotton Webbing:  Natural; Hardware Finish - Silver; Accent Option:  224 Nantucket Ferry <https://www.elizab.com/d-ring-motif-belt.html>

• Jack Donnelly Daltons <https://jackdonnelly.com/>

Reader Question: How are other readers spending this time?

A Reader Question for the Community:

Well, this was a surprise!  How are my fellow SWNE readers doing?  Do you think people could share updates?  Any helpful ideas to share?  I really hope everyone is staying safe!      

Kindest regards.

Out and About

Photos by Salt Water New England

The Grocery Decontamination Zone

Photo by Salt Water New England

NYT - Party Zero: How a Soirée in Connecticut Became a ‘Super Spreader’

From The New York Times:

About 50 people gathered this month for a party in the upscale suburb of Westport, then scattered across the region and the world, taking the coronavirus with them. 

- Party Zero: How a Soirée in Connecticut Became a ‘Super Spreader’ <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/coronavirus-westport-connecticut-party-zero.html>

New York Times Opinion: America Will Save America.

Some opinions from today's Times:

Governors and mayors, business owners, university presidents, philanthropists, pastors and nonprofit groups of all kinds have taken the initiative to mobilize, guide and protect those they lead and serve.... These are the hallmarks of a horizontal, open society, one that is often inefficient but ultimately more innovative and resilient than closed, top-down systems.... 

Over the longer term... we are better off with as much experimentation and as many leaders as possible... to guide our transition to a very different world. 

For example:

• Many of the universities that managed to move all classes online [with] its obvious benefits in terms of lower costs and greater inclusion...

• We are also suddenly living in a world... of drastically reduced plane and car emissions....  

• [W]e need to invest in more locally based, customized goods and services and supply chains, which are less vulnerable to threats like cyberattacks, natural disasters and disease (not to mention automation).

• [W]e are seeing a fast forward, to a rudimentary Universal Basic Income... 

We can use this crisis to create a better America. 

- Forget the Trump Administration. America Will Save America. <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-governors-cities.html>

And:

[C]an we more surgically minimize the threat of this virus to those most vulnerable while we maximize the chances for as many Americans as possible to safely go back to work as soon as possible... 

Either we let many of us get the coronavirus, recover and get back to work — while doing our utmost to protect those most vulnerable to being killed by it. Or, we shut down for months to try to save everyone everywhere from this virus — no matter their risk profile — and kill many people by other means, kill our economy and maybe kill our future. 

- A Plan to Get America Back to Work, Thomas L. Friedman <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/opinion/coronavirus-economy.html>

Some New Growth

Photos by Salt Water New England

A Little Spring...

Photo by Salt Water New England

Boston Globe: Trying to escape the coronavirus, the well-heeled flee to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard

A reader sent in this story:

Trying to escape the coronavirus, the well-heeled flee to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Islanders fear supplies will be depleted and that the influx will bring infection 

- The Boston Globe <https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/18/nation/escaping-coronavirus-well-heeled-flee-nantucket-marthas-vineyard/>

The Way Life Should Be...

Maine Coast, 1970s - Photos by my Father

New York Times: St. Bernard’s removed its beloved headmaster...

A reader sent this email:

Hi Muffy, I hope you can keep your blog going during these interesting times!  I thought other SWNEers would find this quote and article relevant, especially given our past conversations on prep school mores:

[Headmaster Stuart] Johnson stood for something beyond the ruthless pursuit of scores, metrics and marketable achievements. He stood for the intrinsic value of erudition. 

- New York Times:  The Manhattan Private School That Tore Itself Apart - St. Bernard’s, the renowned boys’ school, removed its beloved headmaster — and a war between very wealthy parents erupted. <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/nyregion/st-bernards-school-stuart-johnson.html>

Question: What habits from prep school do you still have today? (Repost)

Photo by Salt Water New England

For those who went to prep school, either as a day student or as a boarder, what habits, good or bad, did you pick up that remain with you today?

Some comments:

As a 21st century prep school graduate, one differentiator is that I’m comfortable wearing pants even on the hottest of days! 

Being over prepared! :) 

In my kindergarten school picture I'm wearing a blue blazer, an OCBD, and a repp bow tie. I wore the same ensemble throughout my school years. And as I sit here about to teach my next class at a New England boarding school, I'm still wearing it. Semper eadem.  

Clogs, khakis, OCBD shirts and Clinique makeup. Good manners and thank you notes. 

Decorum at all costs- not oversharing thoughts and feelings because really, in the end, nobody cares. Today there is a tendency to reveal too much, how much one makes, what something costs, and on and on. It becomes exhausting to pretend to care. I don't and find my eyes glaze over much of the time. 

My years in prep school taught me that it is better to swim than to sink, that I'd only be fooling myself if I thought I was either unique or particularly special, that nobody likes a contrarian or a complainer, and that downers get left behind. (Reggie Darling) 

Weejuns. Wool. Button downs. LL Bean sweaters. Voracious reading. An absolute solidarity with my classmates that never wanes. Observing before engaging. 

A heavy reliance on the wonders of shoe goo, formerly motivated by a scheme to use the money for new loafers to buy beer. Pairing foul weather gear with blazers and suits which is likely not a great look on an adult. Overall preference for repairing and holding onto things rather than replace...now as a lawyer I wear the same blazers from my senior year (thankfully my mother always bought a size too big) (TGK) 

Manners, pearls, the utility of a well made navy blazer, understated makeup, and always pushing my chair back into place after rising from a desk or dining table.

• The habitual use of "sir" to any male older than I.
• A certain fondness for navy blazers, OCBD shirts, khaki slacks, loafers as an all-occasions dress code.
• Always, always having three or four books going at once. (I know it sounds snobby, but ink-on-paper is where I go for relaxation.) 

To nearly "All the above" I'll add my love of outdoor sports. I spend a good portion of everyday every season outdoors.(Suzanne ) 

Tendency to over-dress for informal events and under-dress for formal ones. (Sartre)