Here's an encore blog I posted after a memorable trip to Madagascar with my family earlier this year. It was originally posted on March 27th.
There is so much to see in Madagascar - it is incredibly rich in wildlife and natural beauty.
Remote and isolated, Madagascar is home to many unique plants and animals. In fact, nearly 90-percent of its wildlife is endemic to the island. The diverse terrains include volcanic mountain chains, rock formations, sharp limestone cliffs, rainforests, and beaches. My family visited Madagascar during its hot, wet season which extends from November to April. From May to October, it is cooler and much drier with temperatures dropping as low as 50-degrees Fahrenheit. Our daily excursions included walks through Madagascar's national parks, helicopter rides over the coastline, and visits with some of the local villagers. It was a trip we will be talking about for years to come.
Here are more photos, enjoy.
Once we arrived in Madagascar, we boarded a helicopter to Miavana, where we stayed. Our guide and photographer, Marlon Du Toit, took this photo as we viewed the incredible landscapes. (Photo by Marlon Du Toit)
Separated from mainland Africa and India during the Mesozoic Era, Madagascar has been nicknamed “land that time forgot” because of its biodiversity.
The sunsets from the Miavana piazza are breathtaking. (Photo by Marlon Du Toit)
Here is a view through the palm trees. One could see for miles and miles in all directions.
Here I am in front of a defunct lighthouse. While many lighthouses still stand and serve as visual aids, modern electronic navigation now plays a larger role in maritime safety.
Here is a view looking up from the inside of the lighthouse.
Miavana is an island resort located off the northeastern coast of Madagascar. I drove around it on this off-road vehicle – one loop took a couple hours with stops.
One this day, the children went scuba diving. They are very skilled swimmers and love the water. And although they were still too young to get officially certified, they did a great job and saw so much while underwater.
Our daily excursions started from the helicopter. Here is a view of one of the villages. Madagascar is among the world’s poorest countries. Day-to-day survival depends largely on natural resource use such as harvesting seaweed, drying it out, and then exporting to other countries.
This village is named Ampisikinana. Everyone was so friendly. The official languages of Madagascar are Malagasy and French. (Photo by Marlon Du Toit)
I took photos of this classroom. The village children love their school and keep it in such good condition.
This is one of the first animals we saw while in Madagascar – it is a Madagascar day gecko. These geckos can grow quite large – up to a foot long.
Madagascar is home to more than 345 species of reptiles. This includes about half world’s 150 or so species of chameleons. Chameleons are small to mid-size reptiles that are known for their ability to dramatically change colors.
On one of our walks, we saw many Golden-crowned Sifaka lemurs. Here is a family with one lemur mother carrying her youngster. These lemurs are known to be some of our planet’s rarest primates.
Like all lemurs, these Sifaka lemurs are found only on the island of Madagascar. Unfortunately, lemurs are extremely endangered – and largely due to human infringement such as deforestation and hunting.
The eyes of the Sifaka lemur are captivating – although our cameras zoomed in for views, we were able to get pretty close to these amazing creatures.
My granddaughter, Jude, who was 11 years old during this trip, drew this lemur during an art class – she loves the animals and is a very talented artist.
Suarez Baobab trees are found in pockets across the landscape in Madagascar. Bats like to make their home in these trees. They are also responsible for pollinating the white flowers that bloom mostly at night.
Here is another view of the baobab tree. It is a succulent, which means that during the rainy season it absorbs and stores water in its vast trunk, enabling it to produce a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season.
One of the many dishes we enjoyed was my grandson’s tuna – caught, cleaned and dressed by Truman himself. We were all so proud of him. It was delicious. Here is his grilled tuna served with salted collar steaks.
Marlon also took some amazing drone photos. This is of the clear beaches along the coastline. I hope you also saw all the photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. It was a lovely trip to Madagascar filled with wonderful memories for me and my family. (Photo by Marlon Du Toit)
Here's a blog I originally posted in June of 2022 on an interesting exhibit at the Lyndhurst Estate not farm from my Bedford, New York farm. If you're in the area, check out their current display focusing on the history of Lyndhurst - open until October 15th, 2023.
A striking exhibition marking the evolution of women artists over the course of 300-years is now on display at the Gothic Revival Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York.
Presented inside both the Lyndhurst mansion and in its exhibition gallery, this extraordinary "Women's Work" show features more than 125 works including approximately 50 contemporary pieces mainly created after 1970 by mostly American women artists from diverse backgrounds, placed in conversation next to historic antecedents from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Here are photos of a selection of items included in the exhibit, which is on view now through Monday, September 26th.
The “Women’s Work” exhibit was curated by Lyndhurst’s Executive Director Howard Zar, Nancy Carlisle of Historic New England, and Rebecca R. Hart, an independent contemporary art curator. The show displays historic examples of domestic handcrafted items alongside objects made by contemporary women artists who incorporated the same artistic traditions in their practices.
Many of the pieces are presented in this exhibition gallery on the Lyndhurst grounds. The groupings are intended to show the wide breadth of techniques used to create the pieces over time.
Here from left to right: “Tile Palette” by an unknown maker used by Jane Armstrong Tucker and Celia Thaxter/Haviland & Co., “Teacup and Saucer,” Jane Armstrong Tucker/Haviland & Co., “Plate,” Judy Chicago, “Virginia Wolf Test Plate #1 for The Dinner Party,” Emily Cole, “Monarda Cabinet Plate,” “Untitled (Strawberries),” and Emily Cole’s “Cream Pitcher.”
The “Knit Wool Rug” in the foreground was made by Elvira Curtis Hulett when she was 88-years old living with Shakers in Massachusetts. It shows her attention to detail as well as the utilitarian functionality so often shown in Shaker pieces. Above it on the wall is a more contemporary work by Miriam Schapiro called “Golden Pinwheel” which was made using braided and knitted wool.
Hand stitching was the most time consuming of the skills learned by women in the 18th and 19th centuries. Aside from housework, sewing the family’s clothes and linens took up most of a woman’s daily tasks.
On the left is a quilt by renowned African American quilter, Mozell Stephens Benson in 1991. The center piece is Faith Ringgold’s “Feminist Series: Of My Two Handicaps #10.” Faith is known for popularizing the story quilt, a quilt with pictures and textures used primarily to tell a story. On the right is “Bars Quilt” made by Amish artist Elizabeth Yoder between 1870 and 1880.
This is a contemporary “Checkered Quilted Workwear Jacket” made of cotton and hand-tied yarn by Emily Bode – clothing made with modern fabrics and inspired by traditional practices.
This is called “Pantaloncini: Work No. 069” by Angela Ellsworth. These bloomers replicate those worn by 19th century women under their dresses. These garments became a symbol for women’s rights because they represented a lack of movement and the need for freedom. This piece is made using more than 50-thousand brightly colored dress pins and faux pearl corsage pins.
This is a scallop-shell-patterned needlepoint seat cushion – one of 12 made by First Lady Martha Washington around 1801, after the death of her husband, President George Washington.
In this installation, a wax figure by Sarah Gardner Gee made in the 1700s from wax, silk, linen, glass, shells, and wood, next to “Curupira,” by Shary Boyle in 2014. It shows a young women dressed in fancy clothing with fruit suggesting abundance and fertility displayed with a figure showing vulnerability and fear.
This “Dressing Gown” by an unknown maker was made between 1862 and 1864 out of wool, silk, taffeta, and cotton.
Many of the exhibit’s pieces are also displayed in various rooms of the mansion. They are loosely positioned in areas where they may have most naturally been used.
Here is a set of topsy turvy dolls in the child’s bed of the master bed chamber. The dolls are skirted figures that display a different face when turned upside-down. One made by an unknown woman in the 1860s on the left and two created by the artist Kiki Smith in 2002 – “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Owl and Pussycat.”
Contemporary artist Liza Lou created this piece in 2006. Look closely – it is made entirely with beads and aptly named the “Loo.”
Liza also made the popcorn box and popcorn in the back of this case, again all with beads. The beadwork of Northeastern Indigenous tribes has been known as an art of survival. The other pieces were likely done in the mid 19th century also using Indigenous beading techniques.
On this bed, another quilt created by one of the woman servants. Quilting was influenced by a need to provide proper cold weather bed coverings, but over time, also became a very artistic and expressive art form.
The tableau in the Lyndhurst Library features silhouette pieces by Idelle Weber, Kara Walker, and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. Silhouettes were very popular in the 19th century as a more affordable art form compared to painted portraits. These were often done as parlor activities in the home.
Kathleen Ryan, “Bad Lemon” or “Sour Blush,” made this in 2020 out of aventurine, smokey quartz, rhodonite, calcite, quartz, labradorite, green line jasper, kambaba jasper, pink opal, citrine, amethyst, rose quartz, agate, serpentine, pink lepidolite, malachite, mother of pearl, freshwater pearl, bone, glass, acrylic, and steel pins on coated polystyrene. She was known to carve larger than life fruits into Styrofoam and then cover them with semi-precious stones and glass beads. The rotted sections of the fruit show the national economic decline during that time.
An unknown woman artist created this “Beaded Fruit” piece in the mid-20th century using synthetic beads and straight pins. The beads likely came from a kit sold to female home hobbyists during the Depression.
This is called “Murmur.” Made of wax, silk, and wire in 2009 by artist Valerie Hammond. It combines flora, fauna, and the human body in various gestures.
After the Civil War, home decorating became more common. Victorians were great fans of nature and horticulture. Below is “Floral Wreath” by an unknown artist made with wool and silk in a gilt wood frame. On top is Portia Munson’s 2012 “Morning Glory Mandala” using pigmented ink on Hahnemuhle paper.
The “Women’s Work” exhibit continues through the summer – catch it if you can. And please visit Lyndhurst – the historic estate will inform, intrigue, and inspire you.
Here's an encore blog from my visit to Shelter Island last year. This one originally ran on August 31st, 2022.
With its stunning water views and gentle bay breezes, Shelter Island, nestled between the North and South Forks of Long Island, New York is a wonderful place to visit.
Last week, I was invited to a summer soirée at the historic Pridwin Hotel & Cottages in Shelter Island Heights overlooking the breathtaking Peconic Bay. My friends, Susan Magrino, Kevin Sharkey, and Terre Blair joined me for a lovely evening of great food and cocktails hosted by fashion designer Dennis Basso and his husband, Michael. The Pridwin, part of Cape Resorts, celebrates its 95th anniversary this year following a complete renovation of its 33 rooms and 16 private cottages - all designed in a timeless and casual palette of bright, playful colors.
Here are some photos from our visit to The Pridwin, enjoy.
It was a perfect evening for a late summer dinner. Here I am with our host, Dennis Basso, and Curtis Bashaw, managing partner of Cape Resorts, which oversaw The Pridwin’s extensive two-year renovation.
Here is Dennis standing by the beautiful table set for 30 out on the deck with gorgeous views of the Peconic Bay.
My seat looked out onto the water. Our dinner included a tomatoes and burrata salad, roasted chicken panzanella with artichokes, baby tomatoes and a bacon vinaigrette, and for dessert – Pridwin’s classic ice cream cookie sandwich.
Here I am with Curtis and Will Riccio. I’m holding a charming Pridwin tote bag – every guest went home with one.
The next day, Kevin took photos of the resort and its breathtaking waterfront views. The Pridwin sits on more than seven-acres overlooking Shelter Island’s pristine Crescent Beach.
Here is the entrance with its bright and inviting yellow glass front door.
Just inside behind the reception desk is a wall of keys – one to each of the 49 rooms and cottages.
This welcoming fireplace is located in the general living room of The Pridwin with the original hotel shield hanging overhead.
Not far is the Pridwin’s Crescent Bar with its whimsical red, white and pink cabana stripe awning and bar stools upholstered in a warm pink fabric. The renovation project’s design was under the direction of Colleen Bashaw, Curtis’ sister and VP of design for Cape Resorts. She says “The Pridwin was based upon the hotel’s image of classic Adirondack summer camps and cottages” – a playful mix of old and new. (Photo courtesy of Cape Resorts)
Outside is The Pridwin’s expansive pool – also with views to the bay. (Photo courtesy of Cape Resorts)
This is The Pridwin Hotel Maintenance Shed which is kept in immaculate condition. Kevin loved all the organization, but who wouldn’t?
Every cord is coiled perfectly and hung on the wall.
Here, Curtis poses with Edgardo Munoz, one of two who run the shed – it’s very impressive.
In this photo, Curtis is joined by Paul Gorra, who is also responsible for this workshop.
Many of the key elements of the original structure remain, including the exterior crisp white paint with the signature hunter green window casements.
The Pridwin was named after Pridwen from the legends of King Arthur, the name of Arthur’s shield, which translates to ‘pride in winning’.
Looking out from this lawn is another view of the Peconic Bay – the parent name for two bays between the North Fork and South Fork of New York’s Long Island. It is separated from Gardiners Bay by Shelter Island and is divided by Robins Island into the Great Peconic Bay on the west and Little Peconic Bay on the east.
Here is one of the docks off Crescent Beach. Located on the North side of the island, Crescent Beach spans more than half a mile long.
Kevin also captured this stunning image of another dock – one never tires of these gorgeous views. See lots of Kevin’s photos on his Instagram page @seenbysharkey.
And here is a view heading back home aboard the North Ferry. What a lovely time spent on Shelter Island. If you’re ever in the area and want to treat yourself and your family to a special beachfront getaway, check out The Pridwin.
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