Search Results for: second time around

Nobody dragged me to this Wellesley Free Library story time

July 15, 2023 by Bob Brown

Our sons long ago mastered their ABCs, so I ventured solo to the Miz Diamond Wigfall drop-in drag story time event at Wellesley Free Library this week to see what all the fuss was about. Such events across the state this year have drawn both support and protesters, and this performer’s teen make-up class caused a stir in Danvers.

This Wellesley event generated lots of calls and emails to the library, including from one person who vowed to get the Library Board of Trustees unseated. This actually was the second such event held at the library, but this one got a bit more publicity ahead of time, sparking the influx of feedback.

I had plenty of company at the Wellesley reading, which drew at least 70 people of all ages, including lots of little kids, some crawling, some jumping around. I sat in the back, deferring to parents, caregivers, and kids who sat in folding chairs or on the floor surrounding Diamond and trusty sidekick Jasper, who played a mean uke.

miz diamond w — Miz Diamond Wigfall & young readers

I’ve been exposed to my fair share of drag queens lately, having just returned from a Cape Cod vacation that included a day trip to Provincetown in all its glory. Strolling along Commercial Street, we were approached by Miss Conception regarding a cartoon-themed extravaganza and Paige Turner about an ’80s throwback. We passed on those shows, but learned upon our return to Wellesley that a free drag story time performance was scheduled right here.

Clearly, this weekday morning library event didn’t have much in common with the nighttime Ptown shows.

Miz Diamond may have brought a bit more dramatic flair to reading Mo Willems’ “There’s a Bird on Your Head!” or singing “Wheels on the Bus,” but it certainly wasn’t anything over the top. Yes, we caught a few twists on traditional song lyrics “here comes the other Momma Shark…,” but Diamond pretty much stuck to the standards. The reader did share a message of self worth by reading “Be Who You Are,” and later read “Miss Rita, Mystery Reader,” about a drag queen dad appearing at a school reading event.

Kids and adults sang along, shook their sillies out, and had fun before going on with the rest of their days.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Beyond Wellesley: Ocean Edge Resort on Cape Cod, wintertime

December 16, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The weather has cooled off, but Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club on Cape Cod in Brewster extends a warm welcome to guests with a line-up of winter events and experiences available at the year-round resort. With its mid-Cape location (and just a sub two-hour drive from Wellesley), the 429-acre, 337-room resort is well-positioned for exploring Barnstable County.

We were invited to visit the resort as part of a press tour to see what the area has to offer now and through the rest of the season. Our room and meals were paid for by Ocean Edge. What we found was plenty to keep us occupied during our two-night stay—two indoor, 86-degree heated pools, each with an adjacent (even warmer) whirlpool, were available to guests; four restaurant options; and plenty of experiences were on tap. Ocean Edge recently has created a Director of Fun position, and when I tell you that Brandon brings on the energy, believe it. “I used to be a cruise ship director for 11 years,” he told us. “So I really learned there how to keep activities going. Plus I love seeing everyone having a great time, and I can’t sit still until they do. Even then, I can’t sit still.”

Yes, Brandon is the consummate extrovert, and he is fun personified. Whether he’s organizing Karaoke night at Bayzos Pub; a Trivia Night at the Frost Bar; or a Wizarding Week multi-day event for kids and families staying overnight at the resort during February vacation week; his attention to detail and ability to roll with the good times is unparalleled.

Accommodations at the year-round resort straddle route 6A. On one side is the historic Nickerson Mansion, which dates from 1912 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A rolling lawn leads up to the stucco and red-clay roofed structure, which houses guests within two adjoining wings, as well as in a collection of Presidential Bay Collection villas, many with water views. On the other side of 6A are The Villages, one-, two-, and three-bedroom multi-level villas with kitchens and washer/dryers. Long-term stays are available at The Villages, and select villas are pet-friendly.

Rooms on the Mansion side of the property range from 480 sq. ft. to 1,400 sq. ft. We stayed in the East Wing on the Mansion side of the resort, and enjoyed a 580 sq. ft. room that included a very comfortable bed placed catty-corner; a sitting area; a balcony accessed by a sliding-glass door; a dressing area; and a large bathroom. A plush robe for each of us was hanging in the closet for our use during our stay, along with a special treat—a paint-by-numbers canvas that featured a picture of the Mansion.

Mixing it up

Bartender Susan had us all in fine spirits as she took us through the steps for making perfect winter cocktails. With her Mixology Workshop, Susan spilled all the secrets of Ocean Edge’s classic and signature cocktails. Our group learned how to make a Mistletoe Margarita garnished with sugared cranberries; a Sugar Cookie Martini that included Baileys and Amaretto; and a Hot Toddy featuring Misunderstood Ginger Whiskey. We sipped and enjoyed appetizers and conversation as a fire crackled in the fireplace, casting a warm glow around the wood-paneled room.

“Here’s the thing about making the perfect drink. You can do all this work and then kill it with the garnish. You want to go easy on the garnish,” Susan warned us. Other tips included how to shake it, baby; the ease of making a simple syrup; and proper ratios of spirits to mixers.

The Mixology Workshop happens Thursdays at 4pm. Ours took place in the intimate Roscommon Room, but the workshops may also be held at the Frost Bar. Cost is $35 per person and includes a chef’s choice appetizer plate for each attendee.

Breakfast is also served in the Roscommon Room. Try the lobster frittata.

The Igloos

Back for a second season, warm and cozy Igloos have been set up on the resort’s Ocean Terrace. Ten Igloos have been set up, each accommodating up to 6 diners. They’ve been so popular that normally there’s a 90-minute time limit, but you can get around that by booking a New Year’s Eve Igloo Experience.

Reservations are now being taken for New Year’s Eve seatings between 5pm and 10:30pm, and there’s a special time extension to two hours. The cost is $195 per person and includes a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne per Igloo, and a four-course menu.

There are other packages that include time in the Igloos. Check them out here.

The Frost Bar

Also on the Ocean Terrace is the Frost Bar, a dining room that also encloses a long bar area. We enjoyed dinner in the heated area, which is also open for breakfast and lunch. After a plate of the most beautiful Brewster Flats raw oysters-on-the-half, we moved on to the entrees. Grilled scallops and shrimp were given a seasonal glaze of ginger rum and were accompanied by sweet corn and garlic sauteed swiss chard, my favorite late-season green. A hint of anise throughout added a welcome and subtle flair.

The lobster mac and cheese was a hearty dish that contained generous chunks of lobster. The standby was updated with cavatelli pasta and 3-cheese bechamel, while given the throw-back treatment with a Ritz cracker topping.

Although it’s called the Frost Bar there’s no nonsense like chairs made of ice, and you most certainly don’t have to layer up until, like Randy in A Christmas Story, you look like a tick about to pop. Just wear the same regular winter-season clothes you would wear to any other restaurant. They have the warmth thing nailed. We were as toasty as chicks under heat lamps.

Later on at the Frost Bar, Brandon presided over a competitive game of Trivial Pursuit, where teams vied to see who could best put their arcane knowledge to work. That’s a fun thing that happens Thursdays, 8-10pm, at a different spot each week around the property. No reservations are needed.

You can ring in the New Year at the Frost Bar, which will seat guests on the big night between 5:30 and 9:30pm. A four-course menu and a Veuve Clicquot champagne toast is included, all at a very reasonable cost of $105 per person. The bar will remain open until 1am, with last call at 12:30am. During our stay in Brewster we came across a couple of places that also had New Year’s Eve special events that were priced at over $150 per person, so the Frost Bar seems to us like a good place to welcome 2022 on the Cape.

Bayzos Pub

We stopped into Bayzos Pub one night, and the room was crowded with a combination of wedding party members and other Ocean Edge guests. We bee-lined it to the last two available seats at the end of the bar, but were sitting too far away to see the beers on tap. The bartender worked his way over to us. The place was far too busy for a nuanced conversation about the provenance of the offerings, or the Bayzos curation strategy. I would have to draw on my descriptive skills and put my trust in Bartender Jeff, a popular—maybe even infamous—figure on the Cape. “Please set us up with a beer on tap, amber in nature, not too hoppy, and no funny business with a high alcohol content,” I said. Jeff came back to us with a Devil’s Purse ale, made in a small craft brewery located on the Cape in South Dennis. Bam. Nailed it.

Performer after performer made their way to the mic to sing Karaoke, including The bride-to-be and her entourage, who belted out a very impressive rendition of The Spice Girls’ “Wannabe.”

We hit Bayzos again to try out their new dinner menu. The Maine lobster roll, mayonnaise-based, doesn’t change from season to season—lots of lobster on a buttered roll, with a side of fries. So if you’re looking for reassurance that summer was once a real thing, or that summer will someday come back, this is your delicious proof. New menu items that looked interesting were the brie saganaki, with a blackberry brandy reduction served with toasted walnuts and crostini and butternut squash risotto with kale, asiago cheese, and candied walnuts. Fans of the famous Bayzos Pub Burger need not worry. The burger never goes off the menu. The staff doesn’t want a revolt on their hands.

The old-fashioned, comfortable, English-style pub is the type of place that makes Wellesley guests bemoan, “Why can’t we have a place like this back home?”

And so much more

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Wellesley Health Dept. COVID-19 update: Talking vaccines, fielding complaints & working around the clock

December 23, 2020 by Bob Brown 4 Comments

I’ve been meaning to check in with Wellesley Health Dept. Director Lenny Izzo and his team for a COVID-19 check-up forever, but every time I go to reach out, I think: They’re working around the clock, I don’t want to bother them.

The United States’ approval of vaccines finally moved me to get ahold of Izzo, who was joined by Ann Marie McCauley, the town’s public health nurse supervisor, for a brief chat on Monday, Dec. 21. The team was at the start of a busy day that included meetings with the School Department and Board of Selectmen (soon the Select Board), with which it has been working closely.

Vaccines

The Health Department expects its initial role in vaccine distribution will be in administering them to police and fire personnel. It’s unclear how much of a role it will then have to play until vaccines are dispensed to the general public during the state’s phase 3 of the rollout next year.

The Health Department has submitted paperwork, some with regional emergency preparedness partners, to get access to the vaccine as early as possible, Izzo says. The town has also filed for approval to have the vaccine on site. “There are a lot of logistics that go into this,” he says, noting that details of plans aren’t yet public.

However, Board of Health member Marcia Testa Simonson did say during the Dec. 21 Board of Health meeting that the state is looking dispense the COVID-19 vaccine through communities that prove they’re equipped to offer a flu-like clinic, and that Wellesley is well positioned. Izzo asserted during that meeting that once the state issues approvals, “we’re ready to go.”

Even though Wellesley’s Health Department has displayed its skills at running flu vaccine clinics, including drive-thru ones, it’s unclear whether the same model will work for the COVID-19 vaccines. “For everybody this will be a first-time vaccine and you kind of have to wait 10-15 minutes to see if there’s any kind of reaction,” McCauley says. The COVID-19 vaccines also have a strict reporting model that the town will need to adhere to after administering them, and health personnel will need to handle reconstitution of the vaccine before it can be dispensed.

But as Izzo notes, the town will get to learn first by administering the vaccine to a small group in the first responders. His team is working with the town’s information technology group to come up with a scheduling system to arrange dates up front for both the first and second doses to make sure they are administered within the allowable timeframe.

Wellesley will look to administer the vaccines to first responders in staggered shifts to ensure that large swaths of the fire and police departments aren’t vulnerable to side-effects at the same time.

It’s unclear at this point how the vaccine process with work for teachers and school staff, though they are currently listed under phase 2 of the state’s plan, expected to kick in between February and April. No one under 16 will be eligible for either vaccine, so most students will not be getting shots.

The rollout of vaccines among the Wellesley Public School community could play a role in how the public school system handles viral testing as the school year continues into 2021, according to Supt. Dr. David Lussier, who was slated to give a testing update at the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Lussier doesn’t expect the availability of vaccines to the WPS community to negate the need for at least some testing to continue.

Izzo says the town is well equipped to distribute the vaccine once it gets ahold of it, and McCauley said a new wave of volunteers (including physicians) has come forward to help with vaccine distribution.

Current challenges

While it’s difficult to sum up the whirlwind that Wellesley’s Health Department has been through this year, I did ask to get a sense of what things are like now vs. earlier in the pandemic.

“The spring was tough but it was easier than it is now,” McCauley said, to my surprise. “In the spring we had most of our cases in the skilled nursing facilities and they managed them and did the contact tracing. Now most cases are out in the community in households and it feels like a tsunami at the moment. Maybe I’m just getting tired…”

Izzo chimed in: “We’re all tired, our department has been going seven days a week since March….we’re all communicating at all hours of the night as cases come in.”

While we’re well past the point of public messaging about COVID-19 precautions being tuned out by many, town health officials stress that residents must not let their guard down, especially within households and if gathering with those outside their homes. A real challenge is figuring out how COVID-19 is being brought into households in the first place.

The town saw a spike in cases following Thanksgiving, as expected, with as many as 10-12 cases a day (see the Town’s COVID-19 dashboard for more numbers), and is bracing for the worse in the wake of Christmas and New Year’s. Wellesley mainly handles its own contact tracing rather than relying on the state-run Community Tracing Collaborative to ensure that those who need to quarantine do so.

Izzo was particularly busy early on during the pandemic, with logistics, policies, planning, and taking the emotional aspects into consideration. He’s worked throughout the year to ensure his team has the personal protective gear—it’s much easier to get now than it was in the spring—and personnel resources it needs. Town officials have been sympathetic to the Health Department’s personnel needs in terms of approving hires and promotions at a time when departments across Wellesley are being asked to rein in spending in light of decreased revenue. The Health Department includes nurses, environmental health workers, and social workers.

wellesley health dept trailer — The Health Department’s trailer stores needed supplies

One new challenge being dealt with is a uptick in complaints from citizens about compliance with COVID-19 rules. This has been seen more so in offices, such as dental offices and law firms, as well as in apartment buildings, where people have cited concerns about lax mask wearing, overcrowding and lack of signage in common areas.

There haven’t been many complaints about more public-facing businesses like restaurants, though COVID-19 cases have emerged among employees such as line cooks who might be behind the scenes at those businesses (there has not been much in the way of evidence of transmissions to the public from restaurants in town). The Health Department is planning a fresh series of walkthroughs at restaurants and businesses to ensure that they are clear on current rules and adhering to them.

Izzo told the Board of Selectmen that he has more concerns about areas such as youth sports. He cited an example of a hockey player who tested positive, resulting in three teams overall needing to quarantine. This was no minor contact tracing effort, and the town has brought on contractors to help in this aspect of its work.

The public schools have seen an uptick in cases among students, including at the elementary school level of late, according to Supt. Lussier, who shared an update with the Board of Health on Dec. 21. More than half of the cases identified by the school system now are for students. He said there’s a lot of anxiety going into the holiday break revolving around compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols, and suggested a joint announcement from the School Department and Health Department could be forthcoming.

Mental health

Addressing anxiety, stress, and isolation brought about by the pandemic has been a challenge for the Health Department

McCauley says she used to be in regular touch with residents of Wellesley’s public housing residences to take people’s blood pressure. “I got to see people every week and I knew how they were doing and I haven’t done that since March, so I just don’t feel like I know what’s happening with a lot of people,” she says. “Nobody’s doing better than they were a year ago, that’s for sure…”

Wellesley’s Human Relations Service, which attends to mental health in the community, has seen an uptick in need and Izzo says that organization has been “straight out.” Provider access has gotten worse, which is big part of the problem, he says.

The Health Department is working with HRS, as well as the Council on Aging and other groups, to ensure that at-risk members of the community are being identified and provided with necessary services, including meals.

Springtime kayaking on the Charles River in Wellesley

April 27, 2020 by Deborah Brown 5 Comments

It was a sunny Saturday, and I needed to get outside. I wanted someplace a little wilder than the walking paths of Wellesley. I needed a place where I could go practically naked — that is to say, mask-free — without judgement. The Brook Path with its current joyless atmosphere was out. These days going mask-less on that stretch will get you as many raised eyebrows as going bra-less while wearing a white t-shirt on a rainy day. Across town, Centennial Park’s lot is filled to capacity the second the temperatures hit 50 degrees. And after the unwashed masses inundated Wellesley College and treated it like a public park, the school closed its property to all but students and staff, including the path that rings Lake Waban, so no to that.

Charles River, Wellesley — A clear day on the Charles River in Wellesley. To the right I could see and hear walkers along the DCR paths that can be accessed from Elm Bank Reservation.

Time to put my kayak into the Charles River, a place where I can just focus on what’s ahead in nature. There’s no need for me to look downriver and formulate a plan about what to do when I see someone approaching. River etiquette is simple. Keep to the right, give a friendly greeting, and enjoy the beauty. There’s plenty of physical room for everybody to socially distance, along with a tradition of riparian chumminess that settles down even the most uptight scold. It’s simply bad form on the Charles to shoot eye darts at those who are out there to literally breathe free. On this lovely and narrow, winding stretch of river, I’m reminded that not everything has been canceled. Spring is not canceled.

Spring is, however, taking its sweet time to warm up. One day the daffodils are in full bloom, the next they’re covered by a blanket of snow. The early morning temperatures stubbornly start out in the low 30s before deigning to rise into the 50s by mid-day, if we’re lucky. It’s going to be one of those years when spring is just plain lazy, barely even bothering to show up before it gives sudden way to summer.

Waban Arches, Charles River, Wellesley — Because the river is springtime-high right now, it’s easy to get close to the Waban Arches via kayak. We could have gone right under the arches and probably all the way to the Nehoiden Golf Course if we’d kept going along on this tangent. But I wanted to get back to the main part of the Charles.

Still, the simple act of floating along on water slows me down, sharpening my rusty observational skills. Emergent greenery is everywhere. The skunk cabbage pokes up in the swampy wooded areas. The birds are chirping their individual arias, poring out their souls to potential mates. Those who have snagged a partner are now perhaps wondering why they did so. Once coupled, there’s no more time for song. There are nests to build for babies that are coming soon.

I’ve been drifting for awhile, and I’m ready to get back to my own nest. Once I glide around the next bend I see it. My 150-year old cottage is just a few more paddles away. I purposely left every light on in the house before I set out. I wanted to see the windows aglow in the dusk as I paddled back home. There’s a chill in the air as the sun sinks lower, but the house is all lit up and I feel warm.

Charles River stick structure, Wellesley — This impressive building project is a new addition to the banks of the Charles.

Pulling up slowly to the shore is different than roaring into the driveway. The kayak makes my return home a slower, less preoccupied experience. I always give the old place an appraising look as I make a water approach. The cottage could use a new roof. The grass is a little long, and the gardens look shaggy. I’d better put in an order for mulch and get cracking out there.

But mostly, lately, I see not a structure that needs this or that maintained, or a yard that needs to be tamed. Mostly these days, I see sanctuary. It’s home, ready to take me in and keep me. Now more than ever, I’m grateful.

Morning walk around Wellesley: from Wellesley Hills to Linden Square to Wellesley Square

April 9, 2020 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

With social distancing guidelines in full force, morning is best time to walk if you want to avoid people. On a beautiful spring day I started out in Wellesley Hills and finished up at Wellesley Square. It was early, so there was plenty of room to roam without encroaching on others. Here are a few pics:

A big hello to my friends at Waterstone, a place so many pillars of the Wellesley community call home. Right now residents of the 82-apartment independent living and assisted-living complex are not receiving visitors due to coronavirus concerns.

The Tollhouse Shop at the Wellesley Historical Society is closed for now, all its treasures collecting dust just when they were so close to a second lease on life.

Wellesley Service League building, looking very English cottage-y.

Wellesley Friendly Aid building — An azalea blooms outside the Wellesley Friendly Aid offices. A statue, perhaps of Demeter, goddess of Agriculture, stands sentry.

Sprague Clock Tower at Elm Park in Wellesley Hills

Wellesley aqueduct, hydroseeding — The Wellesley aqueduct slope has recently been hydro-seeded. This shot is facing toward Reidy Field.

Wellesley softball field, Lee Field — Work continues on Lee Field, Wellesley’s re-vamped softball field.

Hunnewell Tennis Courts, Wellesley — A lone tennis ball at the Hunnewell courts.

Linden Square, Roche Bros. — Local kids have been making signs of gratitude for Roche Bros. employees. The Linden Square grocery store has the expressions of support hanging in the front window.

Linden Square, bees — Coronavirus or no coronavirus, the honeybees behind Roche Bros. in Linden Square have work to do.

It's For Now, Wellesley Square — This is all just For Now in Wellesley.

The Wellesley Square pop-up store For Now closed its doors after the holidays, but they left us their window sign. Let it serve as a symbol of hope that coronavirus and its dangers are with us just for now. Better days are coming, Wellesley.

Showtime comedy “SMILF” filming in Wellesley

June 26, 2018 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

Location scout execs for Showtime comedy “SMILF” starring Frankie Shaw and Rosie O’Donnell have chosen Wellesley as a filming location for part of the Golden Globe-nominated show’s second season. The filming crew has been around town this week, particularly over at a drop-dead gorgeous five-bedroom, eight-bath Pembroke Rd. home currently for sale at $3,799,000, in case you’re in the market for a little Hollywood stardust to go with your trophy house.

SMILF in Wellesley — Pembroke Rd. in Wellesley has been chosen as one of the locations for Showtime comedy “SMILF.” Note to the show’s casting department: if you need any extras, we’ve got our own contingent of, well, you know.

Showtime’s website says the 30-minute weekly series stars Shaw as Bridgette Bird, “a smart, scrappy, young single mom trying to navigate life in South Boston with an extremely unconventional family. She struggles to make ends meet, which leads her to impulsive and at times immature decisions…SMILF takes on motherhood, co-parenting, and female sexuality through a raw and unfiltered lens.” The show, also created by Shaw, is apparently semi-autobiographical and brings to viewers ” an original and fresh new female voice.”

Fresh, indeed. I can’t tell you what SMILF stands for except to say that the first word is Southie, as in South Boston. The titles of the shows are innocuous enough, all with a food thing going such as “Family-Sized Popcorn & a Can of Wine,” “Chocolate Pudding & a Cooler of Gatorade,” and “Forty-Eight Burnt Cupcakes & Graveyard Rum.” The story lines range from the banal, as when baby daddy Rafi starts dating someone hot (jealousy ensues) to literary like the time when, in a nice twist on the Oedipus story, Bridgette matches with a man on Tinder who she believes to be her estranged father.

Intriguing.

A guy on private security detail told me yesterday that no stars have been onsite yet, but he WOULD say that wouldn’t he? Part of his job description is to shoo away pesky local news types, I’m sure. I’m not encouraging anybody to camp out in hopes of sighting Shaw or mega-star, O’Donnell, but if you happened to snap a pic of any of the action, do send it along.

Although I’d keep a respectful distance from O’Donnell if I were you. Not that she’d get rude or anything, but she’s got a long history with papparazzi, and it’s not pretty. Let’s show her how blase we are about all this in Wellesley.

Because face it, Wellesley is the perfect Hollywood shooting location mostly because of the sophistication of its residents, who have seen all of this so, so many times before. Yup, it’s just another day of lights, camera, action around here for us. We’ve hosted Will Ferrell when he was here shooting Daddy’s Home 2. Back in 2016 we served as location for Thoroughbred. By gosh, even the Connecticut State Lottery, unable to find a single picturesque spot in Fairfield County, has seen fit to film its commercials right in Wellesley Square. Twice.

Other spots the filming crews have been seen for this particular round of summer Hollywood excitement: Oak St. in the Italo-American parking lot, and beyond Wellesley, in nearby Newton.

Thanks to sharp-eyed readers PH and MF.

set sign movie smilf — Yellow “SET” signs like this have popped up around Wellesley during SMILF filming

New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini in Wellesley on Friday, Dec. 8

December 7, 2017 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini will be in town at Wellesley Books on Friday, December 18, 7pm, to promote her new novel, Enchantress of Numbers. I chatted by phone with Chiaverini about the amazing life of the Enchantress, Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace. Credited as the world’s first computer programmer, Ada was also the only legitimate child of Romantic-era poet Lord Byron, a scandal magnet from whom Ada’s mathematician mother was estranged. Life’s not easy in the early 19th century when your father was “mad, bad, and dangerous to know” and your mother’s friends are watching your every move, waiting for you to turn out just like him.

Here are a few things Chiaverini had to say about Ada. I’ve distilled our conversation to keep the post brief, but the words are all from the author. Chiaverini chatted about Ada as if she were a dear friend, someone she had spent a lot of time with and knew well and might just be meeting for coffee later. Such are the advantages/perils of immersing yourself utterly in your latest project. Here’s what she said:

Be smart, dear, but tone it down when among society

“Ada was very intelligent and very bright. For all the mistakes her mother made in denying her creative outlets, her mother did recognize her daughter was very bright, and invested in her education…She had so many restraints put upon her, yet she certainly came from a very privileged position.

“It was a very lonely existence. She was very isolated. They moved around a lot. She knew study and academic achievement would win her mother’s approval. But she had to show the right amount of interest. You didn’t want to develop a “mania”…Her mother’s judgmental friends were always watching her. Will she become this licentious, unrestrained person like her father, Lord Byron?

Turned out, society was kind of into her mind

“She was desperately eager for social life. She had a lot of catching up to do socially…She was isolated with sickness for a time as a child, bedridden with her books, sketchbooks, and her harp. Although she didn’t want for anything in the material sense, especially after the death of her maternal grandmother, she didn’t care about fashion. What Ada wanted to do was solve geometric proofs.

“Ada would adopt people immediately. She was just a bright, lonely child whose father was portrayed as a monstrous person. Her mom wanted her to mingle with the right sorts of people. By making the rounds of parties and dinners, she did get to meet intellectually minded people in London. With her mother’s position in society, she had entree into these various circles in science. So many doors were opened up for her. She met all these accomplished people who were interested in math and science.”

Inventor Charles Babbage — creator of his first calculating machine, which he called the Difference Engine, and an even more advanced Analytical Engine — was one of those people, and he would help shape her destiny.

Computer Science 101

“Calculating machines, up to this point, were done almost factory style in order to make difficult calculations such as for navigation. Babbage invented a breakthough of technology. He designed a calculating system with cogs and wheels and levers. But he had funding issues and made a tabletop example and would invite people to come and look at it. When he tried to explain what it would do to transform commerce and industry, people were unconvinced, thinking he was speaking in hyperbole.

“Ada said like music is represented by a symbol, so can this device transform everything. She had amazing insight. Ada could see that the Analytical Engine would truly be a marvel. She wanted to publicize it and explain to the world what it could do and help him get funding.”

Along the way, Ada also falls in love, finds out how her strict, analytically minded mother fell in love with her poet father, and stands up to those who looked askance at her passion for learning.

Chiaverini, who also counts Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker and Fates & Traitors among her literary accomplishments, will be at Wellesley Books on Friday, December 8 at 7pm.

MORE AUTHORS VISITING WELLESLEY…

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Wellesley 2nd Time Around closing; it was always first in my heart

June 4, 2017 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

I did a double-take recently when I walked past 2nd Time Around at 574 Washington St., in Wellesley and saw that terrible sign in the window — “Going Out of Business.” Nooooo, I cried. And Whyyyyyy, I wondered.

The consignment boutique’s website says that “Because of a convergence of market forces hitting all brick and mortar stores – including increased competition from online retailers combined with skyrocketing rents – we have made the difficult decision to close our stores.” That’s right, every single last one of their stores spread out over 9 states is shutting down. 18 have already closed, 23 more to go.

Utter disaster.

Meanwhile, the Globe reports that some sellers are fussing up a storm because they might not get paid for items sold through 2nd Time Around. And indeed, the chain says on its FAQ online that “All consignors whose items were sold from May 1 onward, including all items sold during the going-out-of-business sale will be paid in full. At this time, the company cannot commit to paying consignors whose items were sold prior to May 1.”

Looks like there are now only a couple of games in town for high-quality second-hand duds. Elan Fine Consignments at 402 Washington St. and Schofield School’s Shoppers’ Corner, run by that school’s PTO during the school year on Wednesday mornings and the first Saturday of every month. For awhile there it looked like The Closet Exchange was going to move into the old Turnabout Shoppe location at 30 Grove St., but we’re told that is no longer happening.

Second-hand shops seek Wellesley licenses

December 27, 2012 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Board of Selectmen on Jan. 2 will consider licenses for two second-hand shops, Elan Fine Consignments (402 Washington St.) and Luxor Jewelers (10 Washington St.).

They would add to a number of other used articles shops in town, including Shopper’s Corner at Schofield Elementary School, and the Turnabout Shoppe and Second Time Around in Wellesley Square.

Then of course there’s the biggest and best second (or third or…) hand shop in town: The town dump/recycling center.

And as one reader mentions, the town also features good rummage sales held at various churches, including the Unitarian Universalist Society‘s on March 23 at 309 Washington St.

First look: Wellesley’s Great Wok restaurant

March 14, 2020 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

The opening last month of The Greak Wok, successor to longtime Wellesley restaurant The Wok on Rte. 9 east, had regulars of that former eatery excited to get back to their Chinese food routine. While The Wok, on the other side of town from us, hadn’t been part of our routine, we were curious to check out the new rendition, refurbished after the previous owners retired.

Mr. & Mrs. Swellesley, and a friend of ours, met at the restaurant on a recent Friday night at 7:45pm. The sushi bar at the front, and a good smattering of the tables, were occupied by patrons. Their chatter generated a festive but not overwhelming buzz. There was no music playing, and it’s easy to have a conversation. There are TVs at the sushi bar, so you could hang out there and watch a game.

We were seated toward the back in a cozy booth, so got a good quick tour of the revitalized white, red and brown interior on our way there. Bright pink flowers and artwork on the wall brighten the venue.

Eating on the late side, we were ready to order quickly, with an agreement that items would be shared. We ordered tekka and salmon maki (flavorful), chicken lo mein, edamame, grilled salmon teriyaki and Yang Chow fried rice (a colorful mix).

Great Wok — Crab rangoon, edamame, and grilled salmon teriyaki

The portions were generous, though I still managed to gobble down most of the lo mein, which was flavorful and included enough chicken to satisfy. In my amateur hour moment, I was informed I shouldn’t be eating the edamame casing: Once I figured that out, I sucked down a bunch of the tasty pellets from inside.

While we didn’t identify ourselves to owner Amy as being with Swellesley until we were on our way out, it felt like they knew we were there. Or perhaps they treat all their guests this way. The staff treated us early on to a free appetizer of crab rangoon, which was creamy and crunchy. After the owner table tapped us, she let us know they’d be sending over ice cream for desert. It turned out to be a grand finale, with a chocolate doodle on the plate lit up by the staff, and the ice cream a delicious vanilla-ish flavor with crunchy stuff on it.

Our dessert at The Great Wok in #Wellesley was on fire pic.twitter.com/MjbyQaGzE9
— swellesley (@swellesley) March 2, 2020

And while I say that was the grand finale, that actually came the next day, as leftovers covered lunch, and tasted good the second time around, too.

More: Where to eat in Wellesley

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