1) A full morning of coffee, news, dining room breakfast, disnwashing and other domesticy; writing, filming, and posting a column (not my best work, but as a prominent friend says "Done is better than Good), and a Luncheon of Leftovers.
1a) So often when I commit Acts of Housekeeping I'll put on something like The Maltese Falcon for a/v wallpaper. Today I needed something more active: Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.
2) Two old friends collected me shortly after 1 PM, and we made our way to the Eustis House in Milton, recently opened as a house museum by Historic New England (née the Society for Preservation of New England Antiquities). My goodness, 18,600 square feet on something like 80 acres!
3) Three generations of the family lived here, and they left as recently as 2012 or 2014. I can't imagine wanting to leave a house like this, but perhaps the burden of their history was too much.
4) The family didn't leave much of their furniture - which was actually great, 'cause this old coot could sit down every once in awhile. But all the interiors are beautiful, and the woodwork, tile, and stained glass must be seen to be believed.
5) Only one of the upstairs chambers is furnished as a bedroom. The others are given over to special exhibitions. The one now is on New England jewelry.
Closest thing they had to "an amethyst parure! *gasp*"
6) Afterward we drove off to the tavern at the Granite Links golf club with a spectacular view of Boston for late lunch/early dinner - probably what the British would call a "meat tea" - and good conversation on a wide range of topics.
7) Their GPS thingie took us through some remote parts of Dorchester, but we did at least get to see some wild turkeys along the way. Naturally I thought of Bess Truman, Raethel Odom, and the Southern reporter who called about Thanksgiving at the White House (as one does).
8) At home in the evening, I finally got something done that's been on my list for months: removing the shelf unit next to the refrigerator, since I no longer need it. OK, it's only on the back porch for now, but eventually it'll make its way to the cellar where it'll be of use again.
9) Mopping, vacuuming, laundering, and two phone conversations - and now to bed!