KATE PIERSON AND HER WIFE MONICA COLEMAN SPENDING TIME TOGETHER
“I have been in Phase 1 since March,” said Kate Pierson, an original member of the inimitable new-wave band the B-52’s, who has run Kate’s Lazy Meadow, a rustic, funky getaway in Mount Tremper, New York, with her wife, Monica Coleman, an artist, since 2004. (They also have a sister property in Landers, Calif.)
“We took this super-seriously,” Ms. Pierson said of the pandemic. “I haven’t been to a store, I haven’t gone shopping for clothing, which I love to do. Now it’s, ‘What’s FedEx bringing? Oh, it’s some new tool.’”
Ms. Pierson, 72, and Ms. Coleman, 55, met in 2002 at a musical event in Woodstock. A year later they were a couple, marrying in 2015 in Hawaii. They are currently living with their two German shepherds, Athena and Loki, in a three-bedroom home, nicknamed “Mountain Abbey” by Ms. Coleman, about 20 minutes from their property, which is once again open for business — but at half-capacity and only on the weekends.
Monica Coleman: We wake up with the sun and have to have coffee. We just got a Jura machine, which makes any kind of coffee. We sit on the porch wearing kimonos that Kate got when she did a tour of Japan, drink our coffee and have a business meeting regarding what we’re going to do today. Kate Pierson: If the sun doesn’t wake us, Loki pats one of us on the head with his paw. If I’m up before Monica I bring my binoculars and bird watch on the porch.
MC: From 9 to 10 we take the dogs on a hike. It’s the same walk everyday. We might forage for mushrooms, which I’ll add to an omelet for breakfast. KP: We might see some bears or deer. I sing really loudly to chase them away. I do bird calls and some Yoko Ono yelps.
MC: We both are compulsive gardeners. It’s the only time we ever have a disagreement. We grow tomatoes, squash, cucumber, kale and Swiss chard. We make jam and can tomatoes. Kate has a huge flower bed. I’m the better gardener but I let her believe she’s the better one. KP: We garden several times a day. It’s very calming. It’s weed therapy. Sometimes we start weeding in our bathrobes and then we can’t stop.
Kate: During early Covid we both gained weight so we’re doing intermittent fasting. Our friend lost 12 pounds doing it, so we can only eat from 11 to 7. The minute we bring the dogs back home we’re so happy because it’s 11, so we can eat! I’ve picked blueberries and raspberries from the garden, so that’s part of our breakfast. We turn on WAMC, which is our local NPR station.
MC: While Kate is doing band emails or arranging interviews — she’s been doing online performances — I get on the computer. I manage both properties. For the next hour I read business emails. I’m kind of paranoid, so I have cameras everywhere on the grounds. I see bears turn over the dumpsters. I see who’s coming in. I’m like the giant Oz.
MC: When Covid came, we closed for a few months, and for the first time we really enjoyed having the property. I’d never been in the hot tub. It’s always been work for me. I fell in love with the property again. In May we went to half-capacity and rent every other room Friday through Sunday. Then we sterilize for three days and alternate rooms. We ask everyone to wear masks. Keys are in the doors. People can’t wait to rent right now. And everyone is so grateful.
While Monica works, I drive in my orange jeep to my studio, which used to be a barn that we converted. It’s only five minutes away. It’s a great, colorful sanctuary filled with B-52’s memorabilia. I’ve toured for over 40 years. I miss the band. We keep a text thread going. Fred always sends really funny stuff. I’m working on a second solo album; everything is written. I’m learning Logic Pro X, which is a recording program. It’s been great to learn something completely new.
MC: At 1, I jump in my truck and check out the rooms and grounds. I’ll throw in a fishing pole and try to get some trout fishing in at the creek. If I catch anything we’ll have that for dinner. Then I grocery shop. I’m home by 4 so I can do a Yin yoga class for two hours. You hold poses for five minutes until your body releases toxins and you’re bringing hydration to your fascia system.
KP: While she does yoga, I play guitar, and every other Sunday I have a Fictionary Zoom with five friends. Someone picks out a word and everyone makes up a definition; one is real. Then one person reads all the definitions and you try to pick the real one. That’s really hard, and everyone is really good at doing this. It’s been great to connect and see their faces. A second round with the dogs happens around 5:30. I throw the saucer, watch them chase rabbits and play fetch with them for 20 minutes.
MC: I make dinner. We have to stop eating at 7. Kate will have prepped something from the food picked from our garden while I did my yoga. We’re constantly making things like flatbread and salsa. We’ll sit outside or we’ll watch the news and become horrified.
MC: By 8 we sit and watch a series. I like to binge watch. I could watch 12 episodes in a row. Kate doesn’t. Two is her max before she says, “Let’s save it for tomorrow.” I like sci-fi. We both like Masterpiece Theater. Then we watch Rachel Maddow, which we have DVR’d throughout the week. We talk about how a small gold chain around her neck would look so nice on Rachel, or some small hoop earrings. If she’s wearing a velvet jacket we say, “Oh, something important must be happening.” KP: We love Rachel. She makes me feel someone sees things the way I do. I love watching musical documentaries — “Laurel Canyon” was so good; Monica does not. I don’t like horror, car chases or thrillers. We both love historical dramas and anything English. We love “The Crown” and “The Queen,” and Jane Austen.
MC: At 10 we go in the hot tub time machine for 30 minutes. We crank it up to 104 degrees, get the therapeutic Japanese hot dip and talk about our day. Loki runs around barking like Cujo. Kate looks at the stars and the moon and takes 100 pictures, which I have to erase on her phone because she used up all the space. By 11 we’re in bed. I’ll read some horrible sci-fi so I can desensitize. Kate reads a literary book and falls asleep after one paragraph because it’s so boring. KP: “Wolf Hall” is like a sleeping pill.
