THIS N' THAT

I have totally been neglecting my poor old blog.  I meant to write about my visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater," my new camera, my husband's trip south on the completed boat.  So here goes -- I will make it brief:

In early October my sister and I drove out to Pittsburgh to visit our Uncle Bud.  We had made this trip a year ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Nothing better than a sisters' road trip.  We so enjoy each other's company.  Uncle Bud is 86 and loves to travel and is always active.  He is one of two of our mother's only remaining siblings and he was our mother's favorite brother.  He insisted on making the reservations in advance (which you have to do) to get into Fallingwater and he drove the two hours to and from his house to Fallingwater.

Fallingwater was built in  1937 for the Kaufman family of Pittsburgh as their weekend retreat.  You probably have seen pictures of it.  If not, here is one of the house behind us.  It has to be seen to be believed.  It is built cantilevered out over a waterfall amidst deep woods.  Stone floors, rustic throughout, totally integrated with nature, extremely contemporary for its time and even for today.  Frank Lloyd Wright also designed much of the furniture in the house.  One question presented by the guide -- "Could you live here?"  My answer is a resounding "YES!"

Now my new camera:  I researched cameras for a month, going between spending a lot of money on one, or being more reasonable.  I knew the things I wanted in a camera.  My previous camera was a little Fujifilm which still works, but the USB cable connection is done for.  I had pretty much settled on a Canon, but finally ended up with another Fuji because it was more reasonable and had everything I wanted for under $200.  I am a very mediocre and inexperienced photographer, so I am happy with what I got.  Here is a picture of it.

The Great Boat Trip South:  My husband and boat partners left November 4 to take their 65 ft. trawler south via the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).  This has been a four year project to totally gut and rebuild an old fishing vessel.

As you can see the photos are miniscule thanks to the downloading features of the Kodak EasyShare from which it was downloaded.  Kodak Easyshare is NOT Easy Share!

We had a huge nor'easter or as they are calling it Nor'Ida because it was the remnants of Hurricane Ida.  The beach here is totally eroded, roads were flooded -- it was a mess.

All the best to you, fellow bloggers,

Violetlady

....TO GRANDCHILDREN'S HOUSE WE GO!!

I am posting the pictures first because it is too hard to try to get them under each paragraph. Does anyone know an easy way to do it?


Me with my daughter and grandsons.

What a great meal!

Helping to build the giant Lego pirate.

Beautiful snow!

Snow isn't always beautiful!

I got home yesterday from Massachusetts. It was a nice visit - a little short - but better than nothing. The grandsons seem to be taller every time I see them (which is every few months). There was still lots of snow there and we had a fresh dusting one of the nights.

I am not a mall shopper, but we were at two different malls on two different days. Each day to get presents for the boys. Ian's birthday is next Sunday. Cooper's isn't until July. So they both got early birthday presents! There was a Lego Master at one of the malls which we had to visit. He was building an 8 ft. tall pirate and there were hundreds of kids there to help.

Beth made THE best dinner on Saturday night - shredded chicken tacos, fresh guacamole, black beans and rice......yum. We visited the local thrift shop in the afternoon and I found two blue willow plates - one a divided diner (as in diner, not dinner) plate for my display and another larger platter. If I haven't mentioned it before, I have been using Blue Willow dishes since I was 21. A very long time. I have some other dishes, too, but the main ones I have always used are Blue Willow. I always get a kick out of the old movies I always watch when I see families sitting down to dinner and what kind of dishes do they use? Blue Willow!

THIS N' THAT

On Sunday I attended one of my favorite local auctions. It was crowded and had lots of good STUFF. I ate my usual hot dog and watched the action. I came away with this oriental rug (that's Chloe testing it out). The prices for stuff at this auction is unbelievable. They even sell some cars which go for great prices. This rug was $225 which is a very good price for an oriental rug. You would pay that for a rug at Home Depot! After I got it home I noticed that it is a little crooked on the ends, but I can live with it. I saw a beautiful armoire that was probably about 75 years old and I would say if it were in a showroom it would be priced at $1,500 or more. It went for $335!!

Tomorrow I leave for Massachusetts to visit my daughter. She and my grandsons are off from school this week so I will go up and spend a few days with them. My son-in-law has to work, unfortunately. Beth and Dale are both teachers, but at different schools so their holidays don't always coincide.

I usually get stressed whenever I have to travel anywhere. The older I get, the worse it gets. It is just the preparation - what should I pack, clean up the house, get to the airport in time, etc., etc. Are you like that, too?

I will take some pictures up there and share them with you when I return on Sunday.

All the best to all of you,

A SHORT TRIP

I am leaving tomorrow morning for a flight to New Hampshire where my daughter will pick me up to go to her home in Massachusetts. I like flying into Manchester instead of Boston and she is almost as close to one as the other. I checked the weather and it is supposed to be rainy and windy. Yuck.

I am looking forward to seeing my grandsons and New England is so pretty now.

I will be back next Sunday -- see you then!

THIS N' THAT

There is nothing exciting going on here lately. Actually, that is not entirely true. The local Jazz Festival was this past weekend. One of the headliners was Joe Piscipo doing his Frank Sinatra impression show. The convention center hosts several acts a day and many of the local restaurants have free jazz shows. To attend the big shows isn't free, though, and since I am being frugal (maybe an overstatement) these days, I didn't go to anything.

Thursday night will be our annual Realtors' Auction. We raise money for needy children to help give them Christmas presents (each child also gets a warm winter coat) and provide money for worthy causes throughout the year. There will be lots of food and silent and live auctions. It is usually a lot of fun -- local real estate companies compete with each other to create the best "basket" that raises the most money during the live auction.

Next week I leave for Massachusetts to visit my daughter. I am looking forward to it so I can catch up with her and with my grandsons. My oldest grandson recently attended a bar mitzvah - by himself. He was invited by one of his classmates. Beth and Dale delivered him to the temple and then picked him up and took him to the country club for the party. He had a new suit on and wore a yarmulke. He commented to his parents that he would no longer complain about Mass at his church being long - the bar mitzvah service lasted three hours. My youngest grandson is starting to take lessons to play an instrument in school - his choice is the bass fiddle. A beautiful instrument, but so big that he isn't allowed on the school bus with it!

I have been thinking about the various bloggers I have enjoyed who have "retired" from the blogging scene. It is interesting how involved we get with each other and how we miss those who aren't "with us" anymore. Life is so busy these days - sometimes it is hard to include everything in our lives.

I have been remembering my trip to Paris two (?) years ago and wondering if I will ever be fortunate enough to return to my favorite place. In memory, here is a photo I took of the Sacre Coeur.
Bon soir!

P.S. Just remembered something my oldest grandson said. He is taking French in school this year (7th grade). When asked why he chose French he said, "Well, you know it is the best language." That's my boy!

PROJECT BLACK - TAKE TWO/VACATION PLANS

Here is the photo for today. I think I posted this awhile back after I bought this wonderful cast iron pot at a thrift store. Here it is again. This is the best pot for making fried chicken.

I am leaving tomorrow and won't be back until the 28th. I am driving up to Pa. to meet up with my sister and then on Friday morning we will leave for Massachusetts (driving). We will get to Andover, MA by dinnertime and stay with my daughter and then the next morning my sister, my daughter and my two grandsons and I will leave for Wolfeboro, NH. We are renting my favorite cottage on a little lake. (The photo on the bottom of my blog is the path from the cottage down to the lake.) No husbands along - just the girls! (Except for my son-in-law who will be there for a night because Saturday is his birthday.

I am in my usual state of mind before I go away. I worry about the dog and cats - as if I am the only one who can take care of them properly. My husband will be home and I have hired a neighborhood boy to walk Beau twice a day. I will still worry. And of course, what am I packing, etc., etc. I won't sleep well tonight.

I will take lots of pictures and will share some of them with you when I get back. Take care of yourselves while I am away.

BEFORE I LEAVE......

Dear Bloggers,

I am leaving tomorrow for a trip to visit my daughter and son-in-law and my grandsons. My youngest will have his First Holy Communion on Saturday. The other grandparents are coming in from Tennessee and the godmother is flying in from California. It will be the little guy's big day.

I always get stressed out before any trip. What to pack, will I get to the airport in time, etc., etc. It is now 9:30 at night and I am doing laundry. I always feel like the home front can't function if I am not here to supervise. Are you the same way?

Oh - yes. Let me tell you the squirrel story before I leave. My husband built a big addition onto our house a few years ago. Since he is a builder, of course a lot of little things were never finished. The master bedroom is very large and has a high tray ceiling. Well, for the last week or so I have been hearing scrambling in the ceiling. I thought it was just squirrels or birds on the roof. Yesterday it got very loud and I walked into the bedroom and saw a quick glimpse of a "creature" up on the tray section of the ceiling. I jumped a mile. After awhile I went back in the room and there was a definite SQUIRREL looking at me from nine or ten feet above me. IN THE BEDROOM!!! Of course, I called my husband THE BUILDER who informed me he would look into it. Last night he went to bed without doing a thing about it. I pondered whether to sleep in that room also or sleep in another bedroom. Well, I thought - I haven't seen or heard anything for awhile so I went to bed and had a rather fitful sleep.

Fast forward to this afternoon. There was the squirrel again brazenly watching me from his little perch along the ceiling. I called my husband and then I left. By this time one of the cats has noticed the animal, but the poodle was oblivious. Husband brought one of his workers to the house and said that they would have to work on it tomorrow because apparently an opening was left from the ceiling to the outside and they would have to bring lumber. ALL THIS TIME - THERE WAS AN OPENING. I COULD HAVE HAD 100 SQUIRRELS IN THERE!!

So, guess where I am sleeping tonight? You guessed it. Not in THAT room!

Hopefully, when I return on Monday, I will be squirrel-less.

Take care, everyone.