When Vacations Were a Thing

I finished this painting last week. It’s kind of a quirky subject for a still life but I’m pretty happy with the results. The photo I based it on was taken by my daughter when she was just 13. It was a lot of fun to create for a couple of reasons.

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First off, the morning light coming in the window created such great shadows and highlights. Also, creating the reflections of the pillow and curtain on the glass was something I’d never tried before. I’m always much more motivated to do something if I can learn new skills and techniques. This provided some good challenges.

The second reason I enjoyed it so much were the memories associated with the subject matter. As I said, Miss Dee took the original photo a little over seven years ago when we were on a family cruise to Bermuda. This past June I was all booked to take a very similar cruise with my sisters and best friend but, I guess we know that didn’t work out. 😦 We are hoping to reschedule next year. In the meantime thinking about my last trip there was a nice distraction.

Miss Dee’s photo was taken the morning we docked in King’s Wharf on the island of Bermuda. This would have been day three of a five day cruise. We awoke to find a Tugboat tooting outside the window as it, and a few of it’s friends guided us into port. The rest of the day was just as surprising.

After enjoying breakfast aboard the ship we disembarked and began to explore. We started with a slightly scary bus ride (I don’t think there are any traffic laws in Bermuda) to Horseshoe Bay Beach on the other side of the island. We were told that it was quite beautiful and well worth the ride and it certainly was. The sand was pink and the water was warm, crystal clear and perfectly still. Being from New Jersey, I’m accustomed to dodging riptides and trying not to get knocked over by incoming waves. This was a nice change. Even more impressive though, were the rock formations that stood right off the beach. Some were like hidden little tunnels that you could swim through. After a few hours, enjoying the sun and the water, we showered in the available bathhouses which were very clean and well maintained and took a taxi into the town of Hamilton. The taxi ride was much less scary although the people who get around by scooter in Bermuda must have no fear at all! They seem to zig-zag in front of traffic without even looking.

Scrapbook Page. I can’t believe how young we all look!

Miss Dee looking super cute posing with the rocks at Horseshoe Bay.

Hamilton, the Capital city, is a quaint little colonial town with lots of historic Stone buildings, restaurants and shops to explore. We had a snack then took a walk through the Queen’s Gardens in the center of town. The tropical flowers were amazing! I’d never seen such bright beautiful colors. Miss Dee took some very nice photos there too. By late afternoon, we were all getting tired and decided to head back to the ship for dinner. No taxi or bus was needed though. Kings Wharf Royal Dock Yard was just across The Great Sound from Hamilton so we were able to take a water taxi back to the ship. That was a lovely way to end the day.

Hamilton

Beautiful Queen’s Gardens

The next day we took an excursion on a glass bottom boat. It was really incredible to see all the fish, Coral and even a few sunken ships below the blue water off Kings Wharf. The tour guide was so informative about the various fish and sea creatures we saw. I also learned that Bermuda isn’t actually one continuous landmass but instead a collection of 181 different islets and small islands. There were snacks and sodas served during the two hour tour and the D-man and I even received a complimentary cocktail with coconut rum as part of the excursion packet.

Such blue, blue water!

Even though we still had two days left on our cruise, we were a bit sad when the ship left dock at two that afternoon. It felt like there was so much more of Bermuda to explore. When Mr D graduated from college last year we chipped in with his grandparents and sent him and his girl on the same Cruise that we had taken. They saw some things there that were new since we had been there. I’m hoping, if I get to go next year, I’ll see even more. By then, maybe vacations will be a thing again. 🙂

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Adventures in Hollywood – Day Two

The Stars Are Calling

The morning after our flight, fortified with eight plus hours of sleep I awoke to my first daytime view of Southern California.  I was struck by two things; the immense blue, blue  sky, and the mountains. These weren’t like the mountains in upstate Pennsylvania, the kind I was used to, all green and rolling, surrounded by miles of emptiness.  These mountains, crispy brown with scatters of scrub bushes appeared suddenly and incongruously at the end of a city street or grew along the side of a six lane highway.  This place was different and I was ready to explore.

Now, if you happen to be an “old Hollywood” fanatic, like me, and you find yourself in the Greater Los Angeles’ area your first sight-seeing stop is pretty obvious: Hollywood Boulevard, home to Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame, so that’s where we headed. The trip from Burbank was only fifteen minutes and even though the traffic was insane, it wasn’t nearly as scary as the ride from the airport.  Maybe it was the daylight or the lack of headache, but I also noticed that Los Angeles drivers accepted the fact that you couldn’t travel without cutting across multiple lanes and squeezing in and out of spaces while doing 70. Kyle zig-zagged in and out without attracting rude gestures, horns or squealing breaks, not at all what I had come to expect in Jersey!

Arriving downtown, we realized that Hollywood Boulevard was blocked off for a movie premiere, something Kyle said happens quite frequently. We had to park a few blocks over and walk to the theater which was fine because we passed Mel’s Drive-In, the Wax Museum and several other really cool sights on the way.  By the time we reached the famed footprints in front of Grauman’s, I was positively giddy!!

The Theater, and me enthralled by the footprints!

The outside of the theater itself is quite beautiful. It is a style of architecture that recalls a forgotten era, very ornate and over the top.  The courtyard, in front, was much smaller than I had imagined it being (and believe me, I’ve been imagining it ever since I was a teenager and got hooked on Hollywood’s glamorous hey day). I moved from one to another totally in awe, these awkward cement squares, some of the older ones held together with metal frames,  crammed together in no particular order. Each one bore the footprints or handprints of famous people who only seemed half real to me. I searched for my favorites; Jimmy Stewart, (whose hands and feet were twice the size of mine), Paul Newman (barefoot?) and Joanne Woodward, Cary Grant and Clark Gable!  They had been in that actual spot and written those actual words! Geeky, I know but I was star struck!!

After that, it only got better.  We strolled up the street checking out the stars on the Walk of Fame, while side stepping both people trying to give us free music tapes and costumed entrepreneurs charging money to pose for photos.  We saw a Captain Jack Sparrow, Spider-Man and Batman in the span of one block! There were also several types of food for sale, being cooked right at the curb on portable grills.  You couldn’t have paid me enough to try any, but it did smell really good. I didn’t realize there could be so many colors and music and interesting people all in one place!

Stars and the mall complete with a set piece from D.W. Griffith’s film “Intolerance”

Kyle said he knew a good place from which to view the Hollywood sign (also at the top of my list) so we headed into a courtyard shopping mall with elevators that brought us up to a bridge looking out onto the Hollywood hills and there it was! So cool!  See how excited I was…

For the rest of the week, it was hard for me to get used to seeing it every time you turned a corner.  I’m pretty sure Linda and Kyle got tired of me shouting “Look!  There’s that sign again!” After our photo shoot on the bridge,  we strolled along Hollywood Boulevard  a bit more checking our the many gift shops and purchasing the first of many souvenirs. Linda has seven grandchildren so she needed a lot of souvenirs!

Kyle doing his best Spider-man pose and me channeling my inner Fay Wray!

When we were finally done with all that excitement, Kyle showed us his apartment in the Los Feliz section of the city, then took us to one of his favorite restaurants,  Spitz for an excellent Mediterranean lunch.  The fries were amazing, covered with some decadent secret sauce and the wraps were so big that Linda and I took half of ours home in case we wanted to finish them for dinner.

That, as it turned out,  is exactly what we did a few hours later exhausted and tucked away in our Burbank nest.  Kyle had Ubered home to his apartment, claiming that one night on that couch was enough to last a lifetime.  Linda and I carried our wraps and our much needed glasses of wine into the living room, put up our feet and planned our next adventure!

If We Were Having Coffee…Rainy Sunday

Morning!

If we we were having coffee…I would hurry you in out of the wet weather and quickly hand you a cup of something warm.  It’s really that kind of day. Yuck! It’s hard to complain though because yesterday and Friday were really nice.  I’m hoping we have left the truly frigid  weather behind. This afternoon I’m going to see a movie with a friend but for now I have some time to visit.

So what’s up? Has life been calm or stressful for you this week? I hope you found some time between all the “have to” for some “want to.” The D-man and I were fortunate enough to be able combine those two this Friday.  He “had to” go to Atlantic City for a workshop but we “wanted to” have a little get away so I tagged along!

Atlantic City is only about a fifty minute drive for us so we were able to leave right after work and get there in time to check in and walk around a bit before his first training session at 6:00.  We stayed at Ballys which is one of the older hotel/casinos in AC, built in 1979,  but I like vintage so it quite appealed to me. Our room was on the 20th floor and faced the ocean which was amazing! Also amazing was the opulent bathroom with gold faucets, a large soaking tub and another huge window looking out onto the beach!  Pretty fancy stuff for the likes of us but it’s fun to live large once in a while.  We were able to splurge because January is the off season, so room rates are very reasonable.

While D-man was busy learning stuff, I explored the area…and got lost.  The hotel is designed to be a huge winding maze mostly, it think, intended to lead you from one gambling area to the next.  I imagine Las Vegas is set up much the same way. All the nearby casinos and hotels are attached so I kept ending up in different ones.  There are also very few windows. It’s  like you’re in an alternate universe instead of just steps from the beach.  Another thing  I noticed is that the only places to sit down are in the bars, the resturants or the casinos.  They don’t want you relaxing somewhere that they can’t make any money! Not a problem for me because I got my frugal genes from my daddy. I don’t part with my money that easily!

I totally meant to take this duo photo of me in our room and the view outside!😊

Later on my handsome hubby and I had a late dinner at Gordon Ramsey’s Pub next door at Caesars.  The food was really good (sea scallops served over risotto) and since our table looked out on the indoor mall so we were able to people watch while we ate.  This might not come as a surprise, but there is an incredibly eclectic populating hanging our in Atlantic City!  We really enjoyed imagining the stories behind some of the interesting people we saw, knowing that our own story was quite boring in comparison!

After dinner we wandered around checking out the different casinos (my favorite was a massive area set up to look just like an old fashioned western town, complete with saloons, poker tables and an elevated mine car track!) then headed back to our room to enjoy a night cap and the view.  The boardwalk below was glowing complete with a neon Ferris wheel and the lighted hotels stretched out all along the edge of the ocean. Even though I prefer my beaches much more natural, it was still breathtaking.

I felt only a little guilty the next morning, sleeping in while the D-man headed off to a morning workshop.  He’s an early riser anyway.  I lounged with my coffee, packed up and around 10:30 we headed back to reality.  After all that opulence, I felt like such a commoner shopping for groceries that afternoon!

So that was my mini adventure this week.  Now, we have some time for you to share yours

If we were having coffee…I would warm up your drink and get you something sweet to go with it. Then you could tell me all about it. Maybe you can just tell me in the comments below instead. 😉 Afterwards you should definitely hop on over to Eclectic Allie’s  and check out the rest of the Coffee Share Posts.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great week!

Adventures in Hollywood – Day One

Nancy and Linda Fly the Friendly Skies

When my sister Linda and I first hatched our crazy plan to fly clear across the country by ourselves we actually felt pretty confident. We had no worries about enjoying the destination.  My nephew Kyle has been living in Los Angeles for seven years and my sister has been out to visit him once before. She knew what to expect and I knew he would take care of us, driving our rental car and showing us all the touristy sites.  In addition, we were not worried about our accommodations because we were staying in the same little apartment in Burbank that Linda had rented during her last trip six years earlier.  We knew it would be clean and safe and in a good location.  We didn’t even care about sharing these close quarters for a week because even though there is a 12 year difference in our ages (she the oldest of four, me the youngest) we have always gotten along famously.  We have the same personality type, decidedly introverted but with a side of adventure. We share the same sarcastic sense of humor, eating habits and taste in wine.  In fact, my brother-in-law often claims that we share a brain.

So it was with excited anticipation that we planned our adventure.  We had just one obstacle and one big worry…getting there.  It wasn’t a fear of flying that gave us anxiety.  We both really enjoy the actual flying part. . It was more a fear of arrival times and baggage claims, of security checks and boarding passes. In addition to sharing a brain,  my sister and I also share a phobia of rule breaking.  The idea that we would be late or get pulled out of line for an infraction of the security rules, which are much stricter since the last time either of us flew, had us both nervous wrecks. Linda alleviated her anxiety by scouring the internet.  Every few days I received another link to another site with tips for stress free flying. Personally,  I went straight to the horse’s mouth, or rather to my friend Donna who has flown more miles than she cares to remember both for work and pleasure.  She sent me a nice long email detailing what we could do to make the flight and check in easier.

When the time arrived for us to finally embark it felt like we had prepared all we could for our 5:45 flight out of Philadelphia. I even arranged to leave work early just in case of traffic. Our  bags were packed (although Linda was sure she was going to be over the 25 pound limit for checked bags); our carry-ons were filled with books and food (in clear zip lock bags); we were wearing slip on shoes  (in case we needed to remove them for security), and socks (because airport floors=gross);  we were without cumbersome scarves, jackets or necklaces so we could plop our stuff into those plastic bins with ease and once through security, we planned to buy large bottles of water to drink on the plane to stay hydrated.

So we were ready, right?  Worries and anxiety in check, right? Not really.  We still kept imagining everything that could go wrong.  Linda worried more than me, always has.  I think it’s a birth order thing.  Any-hoo, the departure day finally came. We arrived at the airport hours ahead of our flight, checked our bags quickly and easily (she had a 1/2 pound to spare, mine was 10 pound lighter-I know how to pack!), and sailed right through security, without even removing our shoes.

Really?!

It was sort of anticlimactic. We just looked at each other and thought,  “That’s it?” No pat down? No bag searches? No suspicious looks?  The most difficult part was trying to figure out how to print our baggage tag  from those annoying little kiosks they use now. My kingdom for a real, live person with a pen and paper!! Oh, and we also sat at the wrong departure gate for an hour (long story) but we figured it out in plenty of time.

The five hour flight was a little cramped but fine.  The flight attendant did get sort of snippy when we asked for wine.  Apparently they had to wait “till we reach cruising altitude.” Yeesh!  She obviously didn’t realize how badly we needed that wine! Anyway, finally around 9pm (12am without the time change) the lights of the Greater Los Angeles area appeared below and we began our decent.

We had been warned by several people about how crazy LAX could be but we actually found it easier to navigate than the Philadelphia Airport had been.  We found our luggage and my nephew Kyle, who had Ubered to the airport, in no time at all.  A shuttle took us to the Hertz Rental Center where we signed in and were sent to pick out our rental car.  It’s a nice idea, really, giving you the choice of all the cars in the lot but in the dark after a long day I would have preferred someone just hand me the keys.  Since Kyle was going to do most of the driving, we let him pick.  By this time, I had a crashing headache and was just ready to climb in the back seat and nap. It was probably due to stress…or the wine…or the fact that I’d mostly had wine for dinner.  I could blame it on the dry air on the plane but that’s unlikely. Anyway, my introduction to the insane L.A. Traffic and all the zigging and zagging involved was not fun and I was grateful to make it to our cute little Burbank apartment without hurling in the back seat of the rented Toyota.

Day one down.  Technically, I guess, it was already day two since it was around 1am.  Linda and Kyle decided to stay up for a while and catch up. Me,  I crawled into my pjs and into the nice comfy bed thankful for the peace and quiet. I was asleep in minutes, dreaming of all the adventures to come.

Watch out Hollywood. The Sisters have arrived!

Our Burbank Abode and the snazzy rental car.

 

 

If We Were Having Coffee….8/7/16

Good Morning!

If we were having coffee…on this beautiful Sunday morning I would welcome you in and offer you a cup of freshly brewed French roast or some hot tea if you prefer. Perhaps you would like something cold instead like orange juice or iced tea? The thermometer is reading 97 degrees, of course that’s on the front porch which is directly in the sun at the moment.

You might happen to notice that even though the air is on, the screen door is open, something that would freak the hubby out if he weren’t 90 miles away on a fishing boat. I know it’s very wasteful but hear me out. Miss Dee is still asnooze upstairs so if I turn off the AC she will melt  (it is much warmer up there than down here in the summer), but there is such a beautiful blue sky and I’m going nuts being in a hermetically sealed environment day after day so I couldn’t resist opening the door for a bit. Just listen to the birds and smell the fresh air! Ahh!

I suppose I could haul us all out to the back deck but I’m still in my jammies at the moment and that might make the neighbor gardening in his yard a bit uncomfortable. We will close it in a bit, I promise. Just don’t tell D-man if you see him, okay? As I said, he is in Cape May fishing at the moment. He has a friend who owns a house and a small boat he keeps down there so occasionally he will call and invite my hubby to join him for the weekend. He quite enjoys it. I find fishing a snooze, but that’s me. I do always tell him that if he catches any of those rare filleted fish with their heads already removed that he can bring them home for me to cook. 😉 I do love to eat fish. So far, though, he hasn’t had much luck.

If we were having coffee…I would ask you about your week? That’s the best thing about the Coffee Share; hearing about all the interesting things you all have gotten up to. You would probably ask me about my week as well and I would tell you that it has been pretty busy and quite exciting!

I would tell you that Monday and Tuesday were routine.  I did do my volunteer gig at the charity thrift store downtown on Tuesday afternoon, but the rest of the time was taken up with odds and ends and getting ready for our trip on Wednesday. “Where to?” you might ask. Well, I’ll tell you…

Back in June, for Father’s Day, I gave the hubby tickets to see “Phantom of the Opera” at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. It’s his favorite show, but I admit, it was kind of a self serving gift since I gave him TWO tickets and he knew he had to use the other one on me (or else😊). Washington is about a three hour drive for us so we left at 11:00 and arrived in time to check into our hotel. We stayed at the One Washington Circle Hotel right in downtown DC. I was able to get a really good discount on the room because we belong to AAA motor club. I can’t say enough good things about this place. It wasn’t incredibly fancy and could probably use some up dating but the rooms were clean and spacious and the staff was uber friendly. It was also perfectly situated because a half block away, there was a shuttle bus stop to the Kennedy Center where a free shuttle stopped every 15 minutes. It made getting to and from the theater super easy.

Needless to say, the show was excellent. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you do. This is our third viewing. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music is so beautiful and haunting and the story is intense. The two and a half hours just flew by. Here is a clip of one of my favorite songs:

After the show, we went back to the hotel for a night cap and then the next morning, after a bit of sightseeing including a walk to the White House, we drove an hour further south to visit some friends in Stafford, Virginia. We enjoyed a lovely day there with them and their 17 cats (yes, I said 17)!

I told you a bit about this friend last summer. She and I have been friends since we were wee ones and were lucky enough to breath new life into our friendship during a trip she and her husband took up here to New Jersey last August. They have never had children but their kitties are their family and she helps out the local rescue shelters by taking in kittens that have been abandon. She has two little ones now that still need to be bottle fed every six hours! Usually, they find new homes for the cats but some tend to stay.  I have to tell you though, we have indoor cats so I know that odor control can be tricky sometimes, but their house did not smell like a house with 17 cats! I don’t know how she does it.

Max

They have two, a brother and sister named Max and Maxine that are Maine coon cats and have and extra toe on each paw. What beauties they are!! I fell in love. Miss Dee would have tried to pack them in her suitcase, if she had been there.

On Thursday afternoon, they took us for a tour of their retirement home that they are building out in the country, about 45 minutes away from their current home.  It should be done in September and is quite lovely with plenty of room for all their feline friends. Afterwards we had dinner at a near by restaurant and then headed back to their place for coffee and dessert. She makes the most wonderful apple cake! On Friday morning, after breakfast, we headed home. It really was a great couple of days and I was sad to get back to routine living, but I must admit I was missing my kids a bit.

If we were having coffee…I would tell you that this Wednesday, the whole family is off for our annual three day camping trip to upstate Pennsylvania. If you stop back next week, I can tell you all about that!

In the meantime, I hope you have a great week filled with both excitement and simple pleasures. Thanks so much for stopping by and don’t forget to catch up with the rest of the Coffee Share posts hosted by the lovely Diana at Part Time Monster.

Elephants on the Brain

Lately I seem to have elephants on the brain. It’s not as uncomfortable as you might think. I like elephants. In fact I find them to be amazing, soulful creatures and, sure, I think about them now and then but I’m not usually pondering pachyderms quite as often as I have been over the past few weeks.

It all started a few weeks ago with Charlie at Doodlewash who created this cute little baby elephant . His handsome pachyderm (titled “Baby Elephant Walk”) reminded me of a really corny old film with Elizabeth Taylor called “Elephant Walk” in which an angry herd of elephants demolishes a house that an arrogant plantation owner builds right across the middle of the path they take to reach their water hole. Personally I think the elephants were more than justified. On an entirely unrelated note, Liz Taylor sported a pretty amazing wardrobe for a woman living in the middle of a jungle.

Anyway, back on topic…A few days later  while reading the local paper I came across an article about another elephant, this one is a bit of a local celebrity. Her name is Lucy and I thought since I seem to have elephants on the brain and since Lucy is by far my favorite elephant (sorry Charlie) that I should introduce her to all of you as well!

Meet Lucy…Isn’t she something?!

Lucy lives in Margate, NJ, Just west of Atlantic City. Here is a little background information about her and James Lafferty, the man behind the elephant!

“In 1881, the U.S. Patent Office granted (James) Lafferty a patent giving him the exclusive right to make, use or sell animal-shaped buildings for 17 years. Lafferty paid for the building of his first elephant-shaped building at South Atlantic City, now called Margate. He employed Philadelphia architect William Free to design the building and a Philadelphia contractor constructed the structure at a cost of $25,000 – 38,000. Originally named “Elephant Bazaar”, the building is 65 feet (19.7 m) high, 60 feet (18.3 m) long, and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide. It weighs about 90 tons, and is made of nearly one million pieces of wood. There are 22 windows and its construction required 200 kegs of nails, 4 tons of bolts and iron bars, and 12,000 square feet of tin to cover the outside. It is topped by a howdah carriage, also known as a hathi howdah.

Lafferty brought real estate customers up a narrow spiral staircase from within the elephant’s body to the howdah, where he could point out real estate parcels available for sale. Lucy’s head shape identifies the building as an Asian Elephant, and its tusks as a male. In its first few years, the elephant was referred to as a male, but today it is now generally considered to be female.

The structure was sold to Anton Gertzen of Philadelphia in 1887 and remained in the Gertzen family until 1970. Sophia Gertzen, Anton’s daughter-in-law, reportedly dubbed the structure “Lucy the Elephant” in 1902″.    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_the_Elephant

Lucy in the 1950s or 60s

Over the years, Lucy has been a restaurant, business office, apartment and tavern. By 1969 she was really showing her age and the City had her scheduled for demolition but a group of locals (who apparently also had “elephants on the brain”) formed the “Save Lucy Committee” and raised enough money to have her moved to a bigger space closer to the ocean and to restore her to her original glory. Can you imagine watching a six story elephant being towed down the street?! That must have been a site to see!

There is a narrow spiral staircase built into Lucy’s rear leg that takes you up to the interior of this unique building where a large room with a vaulted ceiling is filled with memorabilia. A second spiral stairway leads up to the observation deck that affords wonderful views of the ocean and the New Jersey coast.

Interior

Spiral staircase inside Lucy’s leg

View from the howdah

I’ve  been to visit Lucy more times than I can count and so have my children. We always find it impossible to see her and not smile. I guess she is such a totally unexpected surprise…so unique!

Having elephants on the brain is a pretty cool thing after all!

Here is a really great website about Lucy in case you want to learn more: Lucytheelephant.org

This post has been added to the Leisure Link at Perspectives On. Hop on over to check out some other post about great leisure activities!

Hanging Out With George Washington

This weekend we ventured north to Chads Ford, Pennsylvania and the Brandywine Battlefield Park. It was here that George Washinton fought William Howe in one of the largest battles of the American Revolutionary War. Some friends were visiting from Virgina, one of them a retired Marine Sargent. He is into all kinds of Military history and my family just loves history in general so this was the perfect outing. The site is nestled among beautiful rolling hills but since the day was very hot and humid we decided not to walk the miles of actual battlefield. Instead we toured the museum/visitors center and the two homes that sit on the property.

We started by watching a short film about the Battle of Brandywine. Although this was not an American victory,  it was where the American army first showed itself to be a formidible and capable force. It was also here that a 19 year old French soldier named Lafayette first saw action.  After the film we checked out the many artifacts that have been found on the property, everything from cannon balls to personal items. They also had replica uniforms and of course a gift shop!

Next we toured the Benjamin Ring home. This house was used as George Washington’s headquarters for three days prior to the actual battle on September 11, 1777. Mr Ring was a Quaker and had tried to stay out of the conflict but he and his sons eventually sided with the Americans. The home that stands on the property now is a replica that was constructed in the 1940’s after the original was destroyed in a fire. 
I love the beautiful stone exteriors so typical of historic homes in this area. We were told that Mr Ring owned several mills along the river and was quite wealthy by Colonial standards. The young man who gave us the tour was very knowledgeable but we all agreed that he spoke much too fast! Maybe it was the heat. 😰 One interesting fact he shared was that the little structure jutting out the back of the house is called a “beehive oven” and it is where Mrs Ring would have spent one day each week baking the 56 loaves of bread required to feed her family! Busy woman! There was also an underground ice house out back where the family would store large blocks of ice hauled from the river each winter. They would pack the ice in hay and use it to keep there foods cool during the warmer months.

Here are some photos of the other homestead on the property which was owned my another Quaker gentleman Gideon Gilpin and his family. We were not  able to go inside but even the exterior of the buildings were quite charming.

I was really taken by these little steps that were built into the wall surrounding the property. What a clever chaps those colonial farmers were!

This amazing white oak was growing in the yard next to the  Gilpin house. The plaque next to it says that it is believed to be over 200 years old! That’s my Hubby in the photo giving the tree some scale although it looks more like he is giving it a hug! The branches were spread out in a huge canopy above our heads. It was breathtaking!

We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch on the grounds and then rounded out the day with a stop at the Chaddsford Winery where we listened to music and sampled some local wines. All in all it was a lovely day and it was even educational!  I highly recommend it.  For more information visit here: Brandywine Battlefield Park.

A Night in a Castle

 Summer Bucket List item #1. Technically, it was an overnight trip and not a day trip but I think it still qualifies! 😊

Last week Hubby, Miss Dee and I took a road trip up north to The Castle at Skylands Manor in Ringwood NJ. The building itself was built in the 1920’s but was designed to resemble an old Tudor castle. Really cool! Surrounding the castle are the most beautiful botanical gardens. The land and buildings are owned and cared for by the state botanical society and offer year round tours and events. The Castle at Skylands functions as a bed and breakfast and an amazing wedding venue for some very lucky couples. The inn keepers also run the catering business for any of the affairs held there.

Here are some shots of the exterior of the building…

And the interior…

I kept visualizing Scarlett O’Hara coming down this stairway!

Miss Dee enjoying her breakfast in the sun room.

This is a small peek at the gardens.  The grounds were huge and every corner you turned revealed another statue, fountain or display of plants with a quiet little bench from which to enjoy the view. There were only a few blooms this time of the year so we all decided we needed to make a return trip in the spring.

This ivy covered cottage serves as the visitors center and this little hobbit-like house…

.. is where the pumps for the fountains are hidden!  Miss Dee was ready to move in!  All photo credits, by the way, go to the lovely Miss Dee (except of course for the one photo she is in).

The staff at the inn was very helpful and pleasant and the rooms are full of character.  If you are looking for modern conveniences though you will probably be disappointed.  There are no phones in the rooms, no refrigerators, no bar or restaurant on the grounds and breakfast was your typical continental fare, muffins, bagels, juice and coffee.  We drove into the town of Ringwood, about 3 miles away, for dinner.

All in all I would definitely recommend a visit to Skylands Manor, especially if you are interested in history, or botanical gardens or just a really romantic get away. I know we will be going back!

Check out their web site for more information: http://www.frungillo.com/venues/skylands-manor

A Day at The Met!

This Saturday Miss Dee and I took a trip to the Metropoliton Museum of Art in New Your City.  We traveled by bus, not usually my favorite mode of transportation but it was actually very nice. Our driver and tour director couldn’t have been more helpful, efficient and entertaining. Of course our very first order of business was to take a selfie on the bus!    Don’t we look happy!? Anyway, this was our first trip to the Met so I did a little research first. Here’s what I found out:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (colloquially The Met), located in New York City, is the largest art museum in the United States and one of the ten largest in the world.[7] Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided among seventeen curatorial departments.[8] The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan’s Museum Mile, is by area one of the world’s largest art galleries.  http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art

When we got there, we could see what a truly imposing building it was…

Here is some of the building’s beautiful architecture.

The collection is so endless, we knew we would only be able to see a small part of it so we decided to concentrate mostly on the American Wing.

This area is called The Charles Engelhard Court and it anchors the American Wing, added in 1924, to the main building. The graceful statue of Diana that stands in the center was designed by artist  Augustus Saint-Gaudens as a finial for Madison Square Garden.

At each end of the court are two very different architectural elements. One is this beautiful loggia or porch from the Long Island home of Louis Comfort Tiffany:

I wish I had gotten a better photo of the windows at the rear. They were really amazing examples of Tiffany glass. He is another Tiffany work that was along another wall in the court.

The colors and detail were incredible. I can’t imagine how many hour of work went into creating this. Below is another  Tiffany designed landscape in mosaic that sits along another wall.

At the other end of the court is the facade of a federal bank that was once located on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. Kind of unusual to see a building inside a building! The front door is actually the  entrance to the American wing.

Once inside we wandered through the many galleries enjoying the numerous painting and sculptures by all the greatest American artist including Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, and one of my favorites, John Singer Sargent.

This one titled “The Wyndham Sisters” painted in 1899, is my favorite. It captures the elegance and beauty of the era. I love the softness in the colors and how each woman’s personality comes through. I’ve seen this work in books many times but I never realized how large it was till I saw it in person!

And of course, how could you have an American Wing without including…

Anyone living in the U.S. has probably seen a print of this painting by Emanuel Leutze (1816-1868) aptly titled “Washington Crossing the Delaware”. I know I have, but I never realized how massive it was in real life. Even the gold frame screams “Liberty!” Seriously, though, it is a very moving piece. I can understand why it has been reproduced so often.

After the American Wing, we had just enough time to take in a special Vincent van Gogh exhibit called “Irises and Roses”. No photos were allowed but they would not have done justice to these beautiful paintings anyway. The colors and textures were so rich.

By the time we boarded the bus for home we were exhausted but also disappointed. We hadn’t had time to see any of the European Impressionist,  the Greek and Roman statues, the Dutch and Spanish masters or about a thousand other things! We did get a quick look at the Egyptian wing but only because we had to go through it to get to the ladies room! It felt like we spent a lot of time trying to find our way around. Thank goodness for all those bored security guards willing to give directions!

All in all, Miss Dee and I give our trip to The Met two big thumbs up. We highly recommend it to anyone who loves great art, history and architecture. We, however, feel like we will need at least 10 more trips there in order to truly appreciate it!

For more info about The Met: http://www.metmuseum.org

Pondering My Future Retirement…

This weekend I spent some time with my one sister and her husband.  Discussion turned to the fact that my brother-in-law after 28 years with the U.S Post Office had retired that week. My sister, who is a nurse, had cut her own work days so they were chatting about what they planned to do with all the free time they now had. My other sister and her husband have been retired for over a year as well.  This got hubby and I thinking about what we would do with our retirement.  Not that it will be happening anytime soon (my sisters are over 10 years older than me), but, except for a few years when my children were little, I’ve worked since I was 16 years old. It’s hard for me to imagine not having a job to go to.

Since both sisters have grandchildren, much of their time will be dedicated to spoiling them.  They also intend to do some traveling and spend lots of time at the beach.  My one sis is trying to talk her husband into renting or buying an RV and driving cross country to visit their son in California.  There is a lot of speculation among the rest of us as to whether or not the marriage could survive such a trip! That’s an awful lot of togetherness for any couple but who knows? I’m sure my husband and I will do the same sort of things when we retire but what else would we do to fill our time?

Obviously, we would still want to spend time being of use to society and the world around us so volunteering would be a given.  I would enjoy working with Habitat for Humanity or the ASPCA.  My one sister volunteers once a week at a thrift shop that her church runs.  She finds the sorting and organizing at the store both therapeutic and fulfilling. My husband would probably lean more toward helping young athletes.

I would like to spend more time drawing and painting and exploring other mediums. Then of course there are books I haven’t gotten a chance to read, and films I’ve been wanting to see. There will be more time to spend with the people I love and more time to make new friends. Hmmm, I’m seeing a pattern here.

Basically, retirement to me is just a shift in balance. It would allow me to spend less time doing the things I have to do and more time doing the things I want to do. For now I want to do as much as my free time allows, then in 10 or 15 years I can just expand! Okay, that’s a plan.

What do you, or will you do with any leisure time you acquire?