While I’m Here…

Alternate Title: There’s Always Room For Jell-O!

Today is the second Tuesday of the month, so it is the day that a bunch of ladies from our church get together for our monthly luncheon. We go somewhere different every month and, when the weather is nice, we try to go out of town to places we might not normally get to just pop in for lunch. This month, we went to the D&R Depot in LeRoy – about 40 minutes or so from here. It was a lovely lunch – good conversation, great company, and delicious food! The Depot is a quaint little restaurant, nicely decorated with train themes and purple cloth napkins (you know I love purple), and is located in a former B&O train depot right on the railroad tracks in LeRoy – just south of Brockport on Rt. 19. Check out their website and give them a try for lunch or dinner, sometime — well worth the drive! The following photos are of the outside of the restaurant and of the amazing dessert I had today – homemade cream puff with Bavarian cream and hot fudge sauce……YUMMO!!!

Since the weather is getting better, I’ve started thinking about what kinds of adventures I might want to make plans for. With that in mind, I remembered that LeRoy is also the home of a local attraction that I have on my “things to do and see” list! So, while I was there, I decided to take the time after lunch to cross that one off the list. The attraction? Well, the Jell-O Gallery Museum, of course! LeRoy is the birthplace of America’s most famous dessert – Jell-O! In 1897, Pearle Wait, a LeRoy resident was making a cough remedy in his home and through his experimentation with the use of gelatin, created a fruit flavored gelatin dessert. His wife named it Jell-O! It didn’t go over very well in those days, though, so in 1899, he sold the recipe and his inventory to Frank Woodward for $450. Woodward also had difficulty selling this new product and offered to sell it for $35 to get rid of it! After a successful advertising campaign, door-to-door offerings of samples and recipes, it finally “took off” and became popular as the wiggly jiggly dessert we know and love, today! Click here to read more about the history of Jell-O and the museum.

I really enjoyed my visit to the Jell-O museum – it was very interesting and a fun, unique thing to do on a chilly Tuesday afternoon! Through the exhibits, I learned the history of Jell-O……the celebrities all through the years that were in radio, TV, and print ads – from Jack Benny to Lucille Ball to Andy Griffith to Bill Cosby and more……that, overall, America’s favorite flavor is usually Cherry, but in Utah, the favorite flavor (and state dessert) is Lime……that there are a TON of different shapes of collectible Jell-O molds…..and so much more! Then, after touring the gallery, I went downstairs to the Transportation Exhibit, where I saw buggies, sleighs, carts, and bicycles from the late 1800s and early 1900s — they even had a really cool 1908 Cadillac!!! When I was downstairs, I also learned that LeRoy was quite the industrial town in its heyday!!! It truly was an enjoyable, fun, and educational day! Here are some photos from my tour:

On the way to LeRoy, I noticed a sign for the Genesee Country Museum, which is also on my “things to do and see” list! I had hoped to also pop in there on the way home, but missed the sign on the return trip……probably just as well – it was getting late in the afternoon and I’m thinking this is a place that I’ll want to spend more than an hour or so to really look around. So, I’ll save that for another day!

But, I did take a moment to stop in Bergen for a couple quick photos. I haven’t been in Bergen in years – I used to have friends who lived there and we used to hang out there a lot. It is a sweet little rural town between Brockport and LeRoy on Rt. 19. I stopped for photos because I thought the flag lined street was pretty and I noticed a very interesting mural that boasts the Village’s history on the side of one of the buildings.

Before heading home, I stopped in the Lowes in Brockport to pick up an ornate trellis – I’m getting a purple clematis for the corner of my shed and needed one for it to climb! What a day, it was, and what a great adventure to stick in the memory books! I now have one less item on my “things to do and see” list! Now, on to the rest of the list……..

Movie Review – 42

Apr16

42-1SHT--ADV-DOM-jpg_204053 On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made history by stepping out onto Ebbets Field wearing the number 42 on the back of his Brooklyn Dodger’s uniform to be the first black man to play on a major league baseball team! And 66 years later, on April 15, 2013, I sat in a movie theater totally mesmerized by his story. His courage and character are an inspiration and make him worthy of the titles “hero” and “role model”.

The story begins with Branch Rickey, President and General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers – played brilliantly by Harrison Ford – scouting for a black ball player from the Negro Leagues to join his ball club. Rickey desperately wanted to be the first to break the color barrier and bring the colored fans to the major league games. At the time, Jack Robinson, portrayed by Chadwick Boseman, was playing for a Negro League club – the Kansas City Monarchs. Robinson caught Rickey’s attention and, after ensuring Robinson had the guts to take the inevitable racism he would encounter, Rickey assigned him to Brooklyn’s farm team, the Montreal Royals in 1946. Rickey wanted the press and the fans to focus on Robinson’s talent, rather than his color – a tough goal in those days! He coached Robinson intensively on the need to “turn the other cheek”. Robinson asked him, “Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?”, to which Rickey replied, “I’m looking for a Negro player with the guts NOT to fight back”! His strategy was designed so the press wouldn’t immediately see HIM as the cause for any racial tension – they would see him as the one with humility, courage, and character – to see past the racism and recognize his talent. And it worked! A year later, Rickey called Robinson up to sign with the Dodgers and the rest, as they say, was history! Robinson, though, struggled immensely with the “turn the other cheek” agreement he made with Rickey. He found it humiliating to stand on the field and give his all to the game he loved while being heckled and booed relentlessly by fans and players, alike. Even his own team mates shunned him and protested his being a part of the team, until most of them began to be embarrassed by the ridicule and rallied around him in support – in particular after an infamous game where Phillies manager, Ben Chapman, ranted an endless string of unconscionable abuse during a game whenever Robinson came up to bat. He suffered from extensive deliberate rough play – including a hard hit to the head by the Pittsburg Pirates’ pitcher - and umpires making obvious bad calls against him. Towns and other teams where the Dodgers were scheduled to play often closed (or threatened to close) their parks and refused to allow the team to stay at hotels unless Robinson was left behind. Police ordered him off the field in one southern town claiming a law against blacks playing with whites. But, he persevered and went down in history as not only the first black major league player, but as one of the greatest major league players of all time.

The story takes us from Rickey’s goal to break the color barrier to the end of the 1947 season when the Dodgers won the pennant and a spot in the World Series against the Yankees (who actually won that series, but the movie didn’t go that far).

The movie has several outstanding performances and memorable characters.

Chadwick Boseman is amazing as Jackie Robinson – his rugged good looks and childish grin immediately draw you in and his performance gives you an insight into the sole of the man he portrays. He makes Robinson likeable and brings to life the struggle between humility and frustration Robinson lived with.
I noted earlier that Harrison Ford was brilliant as Branch Rickey. I like Harrison Ford! A lot! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie he was in that I didn’t like his character and his performance. He’s a genuine actor and makes his craft look easy! This role was no exception – he was perfectly cast, in my never-to-be-humble-opinion!
Nicole Beharie was cast as Robinson’s wife, Rachel. Beharie’s beauty and grace embrace the role as Rachel Robinson, who is torn between the pride she has in her talented husband, her support of his dreams, and her torment over watching his humiliation at the hands of the white fans and players.
Andre Holland is Wendall Smith – a black journalist assigned to Robinson by Rickey to cover his journey. Smith has his own struggles to endure – black journalists were not allowed in the press boxes and he was often asked to protect and transport Robinson out of bad situations and support the goal of “turning the other cheek”, even when he was being targeted, himself.
Christopher Meloni played Leo Durocher – Brooklyn Dodgers’ manager. I always loved Meloni as Det. Stabler on Law and Order: SVU and he didn’t disappoint in this movie, either. Durocher was a no-nonsense manager who told the rebelling players in no uncertain terms that they were to be team players and accept Robinson or the organization would be more than happy to make other arrangements for them in terms of a trade! He was suspended by the Commissioner of Baseball due to an ethics violation, so he wasn’t able to continue his backing of Robinson, but while he was in charge, he kicked butt!
Max Gail (of Barney Miller fame) portrayed Durocher’s replacement – Burt Shotton, who wasn’t as “in your face” as Durocher, but still made his point!
Alan Tudyk was Ben Chapman – the Phillies manager who went into a tirade of racist slurs every time Robinson came to bat. He even looked like a creep!!! He was very convincing and hate-able (I know – that probably isn’t a word, but it fits)!!! His vulgar tirade is a focal point of the story and a turning point in how the other Dodgers players view Robinson. After, he seeks to improve his image by asking Robinson to pose with him for a photo shoot to commemorate “burying the hatchet”. When the photographers ask them to shake hands, Robinson sees his discomfort and proves to be the better man by picking up a bat and offering to use that so “we don’t have to touch skin”. Chapman shows his shame with a strange grin and a nod to Robinson. The photo appears on magazines and newspapers across the nation. The end of the movie shows each character and where their careers took them and it said that he was soon fired as manager and never managed a team again – YAY! (Oh, dear – I see I focused this more on the character than the actor’s portrayal of the character! I guess that is a testament to how well he played him – I don’t see a separation!)
John C. McGinley (from Scrubs) was totally delightful as Red Barber – the voice of the Brooklyn Dodgers – what a character! I enjoyed every scene he offered his play-by-play commentary!
T. R. Knight – from early seasons of Grey’s Anatomy - was Harold Parrott. Not exactly sure what his role in the organization was, but he was apparently some sort of an assistant or advisor to Branch Rickey. At first, he argued strongly against Rickey looking for a black ball player. In fact, he made the statement, “…are you out of your mind?”. But, he came around and strongly defended Robinson as time went on. His character was not a strong focus, but memorable to me, all the same.
And, the last one I want to mention is James Pickens, Jr as Mr. Brock. He had a small role near the beginning as the owner of a home that Rickey arranged for Robinson to stay at and we didn’t see him again, but I wanted to mention him because I adore him as Dr. Webber in Grey’s Anatomy and was delighted to see him in this role!

So, obviously, I highly recommend this movie – baseball fan or not – it is outstanding!!! Oh, and I can’t end this review without my favorite quote — this is from Rickey when he chooses Robinson to be his draft pick: “He’s Methodist. I’m Methodist. God’s Methodist. We can’t go wrong.”! HA – I just cracked up when I heard that!!!!

I give this movie a HUGE TWO THUMBS UP and a solid A+++ - go see it, you won’t regret it!

thumbs up

Christmas 1912

Dec6

Yes, you read the title correctly……Christmas 1912! On Tuesday, I went to a monthly event called “Tea with Dee” at the Hoag Library in Albion. The first Tuesday of each month at noon, Delia Robinson, the Gaines Town Historian, gives a talk and serves tea. Her talks are usually focused on a historical female figure from our area and are so interesting……if you haven’t attended one of her sessions, you really should! She is an amazing speaker and finds the most interesting and entertaining facts on the subjects of her talks. Anyway, as usual, I digress…… This month, she didn’t talk about a person, she talked about how Christmas was 100 years ago – in 1912. As usual, it was very interesting and entertaining, but this particular talk also brought back so many memories for me! No……I wasn’t actually here in 1912, so don’t go there! There were several things she mentioned, though, that were still around when I was growing up in Albion and I found myself thinking of them the rest of the day.

She researched the local newspapers from December 1912 and read us tidbits of information and advertisements from that time. She mentioned Dugan’s Shoe Store. I remember going to Dugan’s for my shoes. It was an experience, not like going to a shoe store today where you pretty much help yourself and have to know what size you wear. When I was little, it was a big deal to go in, look at the displays, and then sit down and be waited on – like you see in the movies! The salesman would measure my feet with those big metal foot measurer thingys and bring out a selection of boxes in the perfect size for me to try on. He would help me put them on, tie them up, and have me walk around in them to see how they felt! I remember getting my first tap shoes there and my shiny black patent leather “Mary Jane’s” and my beloved saddle shoes! I would bet the farm that the saddle shoes in this photo came from Dugan’s!

She also mentioned sale ads for Landauer’s Department Store! I remember Landauer’s, too! I graduated with John Landauer, who sadly is no longer with us, and thinking of the store always makes me think of John. My Great Aunt Margaret worked at Landauer’s for several years, so when we shopped there, chances were that Aunt Margaret would be our sales lady. Landauer’s was a little pricey for us to shop there on a regular basis, so it was a real treat to go there for something special. Mom would always take us for one or two special outfits for back to school. It was the best place to go, if you needed a wedding, shower, or baby gift. Mom would get her “unmentionables” there. And, it was the only place in town where you could get official Girl Scout and Boy Scout uniforms and accessories! Yes, it was a special adventure to shop at Landauer’s – when you bought something, they wouldn’t roll it up and put it in a bag, they would fold it beautifully and put it in a box with tissue paper!

Dee talked about Christmas ornaments from 1912 – there were no advertisements for store-bought ornaments because people made their own, but there were articles in the ladies magazines of the time with tips and ideas for making new and different decorations. I instantly remembered the construction paper chains we made as children that Mom would hang proudly on our tree! People now would think that is tacky, but we thought it was wonderful!!! One particular tip she read to us out of a magazine sounded like a great idea to me! They suggested you put a small white tree (they told how to make a real tree white and sparkly, but you could use an artificial white tree, now) as the center piece for a holiday table and to decorate it with small wrapped gifts for each of the dinner guests and to attach a ribbon from the gift to the place card at each guest’s place setting around the table. What a great idea!!!!!

She talked about the recipes of the time, as well…….some that might still go over well today…..some that didn’t sound like they’d be very popular if served in 2012!

So, I got a lot out of this month’s talk and am still thinking about the wonderful memories it sparked and the ideas it put in my head for the holiday season! And, as usual, I am looking forward to next month’s topic! Come join us – you’ll surely enjoy it!

The Beauty of Savannah

Feb20

This past week I was able to experience the beautiful, historic Savannah, GA. What a treat, in deed! One of my best friends and I took the pony on a “girl trip” where we stayed three nights on Hilton Head Island and spent two days discovering Savannah. I had visited Savannah and Hilton Head one other time, several years ago, but was not able to truly enjoy it. I traveled there with a co-worker for a seminar on Hilton Head. We arrived a day early so that we could see Savannah, but it was raining and cold. Although we didn’t get to see much, what I did see was beautiful and I vowed to return someday when I could spend more time and see all there is to see! I finally fulfilled that promise to myself and it was even more wonderful than I imagined it to be. This time the weather was gorgeous and there was nothing to hinder our experience!

We started out Monday morning with the drive to Hilton Head Island. The accommodations part of the trip was my Christmas gift from Ron and Lisa. Lisa and I took the week and headed to the coast! We stayed at a nice little resort in a good location. We checked in and headed out for a late lunch and the chance to explore the island.

Our first stop was South Beach in the Sea Pines area. It is a lovely spot on the water with lots of shops and places to eat. We chose the Salty Dog Cafe for our late lunch. We both started out with some Shrimp Gumbo that was out of this world and some amazing hush puppies. Then, Lisa had a delicious looking salad and I had a basket of peel and eat shrimp. My first goal was satisfied – to enjoy some fresh seafood as quickly and as often as possible. Because, after all, when you go to a coastal island setting, you don’t eat spaghetti!!! (Inside joke – Mom is reading this and laughing at me.) We were so full that we didn’t even want to think about dinner! We had a perfect table overlooking the water and we watched a Heron walking along the docks looking for food and watching some guys painting the pier railings. I also saw what must have been a dolphin arch up out of the water for a split second and I saw it’s fin glide through the water for just a second before it went under water and disappeared. It was gone before I could express my surprise and get Lisa to turn around to look! After we ate, we wandered along the docks and checked out some of the gift shops.

NOTE: Any photos that you want a better look at can be enlarged by clicking on them to open them up – then click your back arrow on your browser to return to the blog post!

Then, we headed across the island to feed my love of lighthouses. I knew there was one to be found in Harbour Town, so that is where we went next. The lighthouse was pretty, but the rest of the area around it was the real treat. It is a peaceful spot on the harbour with several areas with rows and rows of rocking chairs to site and watch the yachts, read, or just enjoy the beautiful day. I could have sat there for hours!!! The shops were closed, but we sat for a little bit and just drank in the glorious weather and relaxing atmosphere.

That was the perfect end to a long day of driving and exploring. We headed back to our room and settled in for the night. Tomorrow would begin our adventure in Savannah and we wanted to get an early start. So, a good night’s sleep was a necessary element to a successful day.

We got up early on Day 2 and stopped for breakfast at a really nice little diner — The Hilton Head Diner! Breakfast was really good and the diner was a very pleasant place to have a relaxing meal.

We drove to Savannah with plans to put our name in at Paula Deen’s restaurant (Lady and Sons) and then just wander around and see what we could find. It was a nice drive to Savannah with one exception! Anyone who knows me very well knows that I do NOT like heights and it makes me extremely nervous to be in a situation where I’m at a high elevation and don’t feel in control. This includes very tall bridges that I have not had a chance to get used to. Well – there is an enormous bridge just as you cross over into GA at Savannah (I think it is highway 17). We came up on it with no notice and no chance for me to pull over and prepare myself or switch to let Lisa drive. It was just there and I was committed to cross it whether I was ready to or not! The approach from SC to GA is pretty menacing looking, too – all twisty and scary. Going back, it was just like being on any other road that happens to have a bridge on it. But, headed toward Savannah – which was the first time I saw the bridge right smack dab in front of me – it is pretty darn intimidating!

This is the SC to GA approach to the Talmadge Memorial Bridge – I didn’t take this photo – I found it on the internet, but it shows how scary it looked to me as I came up on it!!!

This is me with the bridge in the background along the river front in Savannah.

Of course, I survived driving over the bridge, but the trip had me all broke out in a cold sweat and my heart pounding like a race horse! After I got on ground level and caught my breath, we headed to Paula Deen’s. Her restaurant is Lady and Sons and is located on the corner of Congress and Whitaker Streets. It is in a rustic old building and includes her restaurant and a store to purchase her many products. It is quite a place! They don’t take reservations for less than 10 people, but they do have a hostess outside the restaurant starting at 9:00 am so people can put their names in for preferred seating. During the height of the tourist seasons, it is the only way to get in! We got there right at 9:00 and there was only one person ahead of us to sign in. We chose a 1:00 lunch time. When we returned at 12:45, we were seated immediately and browsed the menu. We decided to eat from the buffet – a delicious assortment of fried chicken, baked chicken, baked spaghetti, Italian sausage, and several side dishes. It also came with our choice of banana pudding, gooey butter cake, or peach cobbler – we both chose the peach cobbler. I understand the buffet choices change daily. It was all so good!!! Just as you would expect!

This is me with the life-sized cutout of Paula Deen - looks so real, I could probably get away with saying it was really her! Oh, um, strike that — This is me when I met the sweet lady herself, Paula Deen!

Before and after lunch at Paula Deen’s, we just walked around. We went to the Visitor’s Center and gathered a bunch of brochures and just walked and walked. We covered the entire lower portion of the historic district. The entire historic district consists of a well laid out pattern of squares in four main sections – Along the Waterfront, The First Squares, Squares of Luxury, and The Booming Westside. On day one, we covered Along the Waterfront and The Booming Westside. We paid for a total of 5 hours of metered parking (3 hours parked near Paula Deen’s restaurant and 2 hours parked along the waterfront), so we were pretty much on our feet hoofing it around Savannah for much of 5 hours. And it was very enjoyable!

Just to show you how much I actually learned while I was there…….Savannah was established in the mid 1700s with the intent to provide a buffer zone between the Spanish pushing northward from Florida and the English colony of South Carolina. The original charter prohibited slavery, lawyers, Catholics, and hard liquor – all of which were eventually permitted in. The squares were uniquely designed to give Savannah a strong military advantage and are now lovely parks and memorials to the rich history. James Edward Oglethorpe started the colony with 4 squares and by 1851 it grew to 24 squares – 22 remain today.

Here are some of the sights we enjoyed on our walk through the lower half of Savannah on Tuesday:

The city is full of huge, gorgeous trees – I believe this is a Live Oak, which is the most common tree in Savannah.

City Market is a lovely courtyard area full of all kinds of shops and places to grab a bite to eat.

Horse and Carriage in City Market waiting to take some folks on a tour.

Me in City Market

One shop in City Market that I didn’t get a photo of was the candy store! I was turned on to fresh, warm pralines the day I spent in Savannah several years ago and knew I had to turn Lisa on to them, too! So, we went in to get a free sample. As she put that warm nugget in her mouth and let it melt, I watched her face and knew that I succeeded in making her a believer! We bought some to ship out to friends and family and a couple for ourselves. I’ve always loved praline anything – ice cream, cake, crumbles, etc….but there is nothing like a warm, freshly made one to send you straight to heaven!!! OMG — YUMMO!!!! I wish I took a photo of the huge taffy puller working away at making fresh salt water taffy, too!

Me sitting in Ellis Square, just down from Paula Deen’s restaurant. We sat there for a little bit to rest and wait for our lunch reservation (we were just a little early).

Corleone’s Trattoria — The Godfather is alive and well in Savannah!!! (See our reflections in the doorway as I took the picture? LOL)

Savannah Bee Company — a shop full of wonderful specialty honey and soaps! Smelled amazing in there!

The Cotton Exchange – a busy place back in the day! In the late 1800s, Savannah and Liverpool, England were the only two places in the world where the price of cotton was quoted!

Factor’s Row – known as the Wall Street of Savannah at the height of the cotton exchange.

Aside from the fabulous mansions, my very favorite part of Savannah is the River Front area. The wonderful old buildings with amazing architecture, River Road made entirely of cobblestone left by ships that used it to weigh down the cargo holds until they arrived to pick up loads of cotton or other exports, and the beautiful river. Here are some shots of the River Front:

Of course, with any historical city, there are monuments and statues…..Savannah definitely has its fair share:

Lisa with Johnny Mercer, Savannah native and famed composer – some of the songs he wrote include: “Moon River”, “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby”, “Jeepers Creepers”, and more. He also had an affair with 19-year-old Judy Garland.

The Haitian Monument – honors a group of 700 men of color from the Island of Haiti who fought alongside American and French soldiers during the Seige of Savannah in 1779.

Washington’s Guns – (known as George and Martha) – were captured from the British at the Battle of Yorktown and presented to the Chatham Artillery by George Washington during his visit to Savannah

John Wesley – the founder of the Methodist religion.

The African-American Monument on the River Front – depicts an African-American family with broken shackles at their feet and has a beautiful inscription written by poet, Maya Angelou

Me with The Waving Girl — this statue honors Florence Martus who waved a handkerchief by day and a lantern by night at all ships entering and leaving the port of Savannah from the porch of her home on Elba Island. It is said that she never missed waving at a single ship between 1887 and 1931.

A better shot of The Waving Girl with her dog, Wolf, a collie.

The Waving Girl waving at a tug boat passing by on the river.

The Gordon Monument in Wright Square – honoring William Washington Gordon, one of Savannah’s early mayors and founder of the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia.

On Wednesday, we started out, again, with breakfast at the Hilton Head Diner (find a good breakfast place, stick with it). Then, we went to Savannah and took an all day trolley tour. We got an “on and off” pass so that we could hop off and see things of interest and then get back on another trolley to continue the tour. We rode one trolley all the way around and planned out where we wanted to hop off. When the second trolley was about to start off, we got a surprise visitor:

Forrest Gump ran up to the trolley and hopped on and introduced himself with “Hi, I’m Forrest, Forrest Gump”. He was looking for where he was supposed to meet Lt. Dan. He waved at all of us and told the driver that he was out of breath because he just ran in from Alabama and was supposed to meet Lt. Dan at the Visitor’s Center. The driver told him he was at the Welcome Center, not the Visitor’s Center!

So, she showed him where he had to go. He said goodbye and apologized for not having any chocolates to offer us, but he ate them all!!! He then said he was late and Lt. Dan told him not to do anything stupid, so he had to hurry to meet him! He ran off with his arms a flailing. What a treat to get to meet Mr. Forrest Gump!

It was on the trolley tour that we saw all the wonderful mansions, beautiful homes, and quirky places that Savannah has to offer:

This is Mercer House — remember the statue of Johnny Mercer? Well, this was built by his Great Grandfather, Confederate General Hugh Mercer during the Civil War. The Mercers never actually occupied the house. However, it later became famous after Jim Williams, a Savannah preservationist, bought and restored it and allegedly murdered Danny Hansford in the study after a Christmas party. His story was the focus of the book and movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”. Mercer House sits on an entire city block.

Owens-Thomas House – built in 1819 for a wealthy cotton broker, who lost it due to financial problems only 3 years after it was completed. George Owens purchased the home in 1830 and it remained in his family until his granddaughter willed it to the Telfair Museum of Art in 1951. The Marquis de Lafayette stayed at the Owens home during his visit during the Revolutionary War

Owens-Thomas House – south balcony facing President Street — location of a famous address by The Marquis de Lafayette where he spoke for 2 hours. America was a young, poor country at the time and Lafayette predicted in his speech that one day America would be a great nation and save the world! When American soldiers arrived in France during WWI and WWII, they honored that prediction by shouting “Lafayette, we are here!”

In the movie, Something To Talk About, Julia Roberts’ character goes out looking for her husband, played by Dennis Quaid, and finds him with another woman in this restaurant — they have a very robust argument in the street in front of the restaurant.

Hamilton-Turner House – This was the first home in Savannah to have electric lights. The tour guide told us that people from all over Savannah would gather in Lafayette Square across from the house just to watch the lights come on at dusk! It is now an inn and there are claims that the original owner, Mr. Hamilton, and his children still make frequent visits.

Kehoe House – built in 1892 for William Kehoe, a poor Irish immigrant who went from an iron foundry apprentice to one of Savannah’s most successful businessmen. Mr. and Mrs. Kehoe lived here with their 10 children and it remained in their family until 1930. It has since been a boarding house and a funeral parlor and is now an inn. Rumors say the inn is haunted by two Kehoe twins who died while playing in one of the chimneys.

One of many row houses along a tree-lined street

The story here, per our tour guide, is that a man had two daughters who fought over everything and were completely jealous of whatever the other had. So, he built them identical side-by-side houses so the wouldn’t have anything to fight about. But, rumor has it that they stood out on the front steps arguing about who would have which side of the house!!!

The Pirate’s House – originally a tavern frequented by pirates and sailors, now a restaurant – we ate a very nice lunch there! Supposedly, the book Treasure Island was inspired by events that happened at the Pirate’s House.

The Herb House – located right next door to the Pirate’s House – is said to be the oldest surviving home in all of Georgia. It originally served as the Trustee’s Garden’s gardener’s house.

A haunted drug store on the most haunted street in Savannah

One of many brick streets

A Sears and Roebuck house — for about $2000, this and similar houses could be purchased through the mail order catalog. The “kit” would arrive and the new owners would assemble the house per the instructions. The gentleman who purchased this home must not have done a good job of reading the instructions — the windows are all put in upside down (the straight sills are on top and the scalloped toppers are on the bottom)!!!

On one of our hop offs, we visited Colonial Park Cemetery. I was disappointed that the engraving on the stones was badly worn and most are no longer readable. There are only about 600 burial markers, but it is estimated that there are approximately 9000 people buried there – the graves even extend out into what is now the paved street. During the Union occupation during the Civil War, Union troops desecrated many of the graves, looting them and removing bodies to use the graves for their own soldiers. They even changed the dates on some of the stones in an attempt to be funny — some state that they actually died before they were born!!! There is a duelist grave site where many who died in duels are buried and a section where hundreds of victims of the Yellow Fever outbreak are buried.

Lisa at the entrance of the cemetery

Duelist Grave

An eerie shot, sure to give you the shivers!!!

Many of the damaged head stones have been cemented along the wall at the end of the cemetery

Another site on this same hop-off was The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. We wanted to go inside, but there were worship services going on, so it was closed to tourists. So, we just admired it from the outside. The colonial charter for Savannah prohibited Catholics from settling in Savannah because the English feared Catholics would be more loyal to the Spanish in Florida than the English. Once the prohibition faded after the Revolutionary War, this Catholic Cathedral was constructed. It is a massive and ornate building with two tall spires extending into the sky.

The spires seen from the Colonial Park Cemetery

At the end of our day tour, we returned to Hilton Head and had dinner at Marley’s Island Grill – a great Caribbean grill restaurant! Lisa had a HUGE salad with grilled tuna and tons of veggies! I had Sugar Cane Scallops — big sea scallops fire grilled on skewers and drizzled with pina colada and kahlua sauce with a delicious veggie medley! YUM!!! Then, we went back to the room and packed up to leave the next morning. We headed out about 8:00 or so and drove most of the way home with the top down on the pony! It was a very pleasant drive home!

What a wonderful trip!!!! One we’re sure to remember for years to come! This all is actually just a teaser taste — we saw and did so much more — but, if I told it all here, what would there be left for you all to go see for yourselves????

Quickie Trip….so worth it!!!

Aug3

Going home is always a treat. No doubt or argument there. I give a lot of thought to the pros and cons of going for 1-2 extended trips or multiple shorter trips each year. Both definitely have distinct benefits and downfalls. In past years, I have tended to go for the longer, but less frequent trips. But this year, I seem to have opted for the multiple shorter trips. I just popped up for a long weekend visit last week and was so very glad I did!

The reason was a spur of the moment trip up for Mom’s birthday. The ulterior motive was that she has been having some problem with pain and has been laid up for several months. It was upsetting to be so far away and not able to help or do anything! It worked out that I could have a nice visit with her, help her out a little, and be able to take her to the doctor for an appointment. It was really nice and well worth it! We had a good time just spending time with each other!

I also managed to cram a few other things in this trip, too!

First — my first great-nephew was born in January and I haven’t been able to meet him, yet. I was up over Memorial Day weekend, but they were out-of-town, so I missed getting to see him! We finally connected this trip! We had a little family gathering for Mom’s birthday and Nolen was there. He is absolutely PERFECT! At six months old, he is 22 pounds, 6 ounces and 28 inches tall! Big boy! But, beautiful! Here is my precious great-nephew, Nolen – totally fascinated with my watch! I dare you to try to tell me he isn’t the most adorable big boy in the world!

Of course, I also popped in at the Mount Albion Cemetery to visit Poppie, Grandma, Grandpa, and other relatives that are no longer with us.

A while back, a friend posted an article about an open house at a Bed & Breakfast in an old school in our town. I found the information interesting and thought that I would have to check it out some day, but didn’t make note of the date because I didn’t have any plans to go up at that time. I don’t know what made me think of it when I was packing for the trip, but I decided to see if by some freak chance it might be happening that weekend - I thought there was no way the dates lined up! But, they DID! So, I had to go to town to pick up some groceries for Mom and run a couple other errands for her, so I popped in to check it out! WOW — what a treat! The historic building was the old St. Mary’s Assumption School and someone bought it and turned it into a B&B. They kept the antique feel and the Catholic school theme for the decor throughout. It is amazing! If you ever find yourself in Albion, NY and need a place to stay, check out the Erie Canal Schoolhouse Bed & Breakfast – here is their web site for more info about it.

Part of the open house was a display of handmade miniature carnival rides that was incredible and also a wonderful tribute to Charlie Howard – the real Santa Claus! I was so excited to see it all. I have so many wonderful memories of Charlie Howard’s Santa Claus School and Christmas Park that was a major attraction in my home town when I was a child. I wrote a special post about him and his legacy (click here to read it). The following photo shows some of the signs that came from Christmas Park – the one in front put a huge smile on my face because I used to LOVE to put my quarter in the clothes pin at the end of a fishing pole string and dangle it over the wall to “fish” for a special surprise gift! What fun for a child!

Another day when I went to town to get some things for Mom, I made a side trip to Point Breeze to check out the progress on the new lighthouse they are building there. (check out my post about the lighthouse so you, too, can see the progress) They still have some work to do and the brick walkways and seating areas they have planned aren’t started, yet, but it looks pretty good!

And, of course, I can’t go to Point Breeze without spending a little time enjoying the water and watching the boats making their way up Oak Orchard River out to Lake Ontario for a day on the lake. I love Point Breeze and being on or near the lake!

So – it was a very FULL trip, but mostly spent just being with Mom, which was GREAT! The only regret is that I didn’t have a chance to contact some of my friends and arrange a lunch or get together of some kind — next trip, for sure!

Point Breeze – Rich in History and Rebirth

Jun10

This is the view of the west side pier at the mouth of the Oak Orchard Harbor at Point Breeze, NY in 1871. Point Breeze is located on Lake Ontario in the Town of Carlton just north of my home town of Albion, NY. The lighthouse, as it is pictured here, was in place until 1916. A community non-profit organization is in process of rebuilding it. I’m so excited and can’t wait to see the finished structure!

I love being on or near the lake and especially love Point Breeze. I almost always include a drive to the Point when I travel up home for a visit. My Grandparents had a cottage on the lake at Sunset Beach near the Point and I cherished the time I would spend there as a child. We had a circle of friends who spent their summers there that we grew up with. I remember many, many warm summer nights playing kick the can, hide ‘n seek, and roasting marshmallows and pies around a campfire. In my teen years, I discovered how tranquil and calming being near the water was. I spent a lot of time sitting on a bench at the edge of the cliff that overlooked the lake – just sitting there thinking, listening, and writing poetry. One summer in my early 20s, my friend, Greta, and I rented my Grandparent’s cottage and stayed there for a few months. It was a great summer – we rarely had a weekend that we didn’t have a crowd there for a party! The memories moved to Point Breeze in my 20s – many nights sitting on the porch of the Black North Inn with some cold beers watching the boats enter and leave the harbor. Then, when I started dating Ronald, we’d take his sons to the point and the harbor to fish and feed the ducks.

The Black North Inn, Point Breeze, NY

Oak Orchard Harbor, Point Breeze, NY

So, Lake Ontario, Oak Orchard Harbor, and Point Breeze are very special to me and I enjoy any opportunity to go and reminisce. I also have a strong love for lighthouses. My dream home is a cottage-type lighthouse on the edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the water. Since that likely isn’t going to be a home I’ll ever actually own, I’ve settled for a lighthouse theme in my guest bathroom! hahaha

Given all that, I was so happy to hear that a group was raising funds to rebuild the lighthouse that was at the Point from 1871 to 1916. The lighthouse and keeper’s house were built in 1871. The light was visible for nine miles and safely guided ships from the lake into the harbor. It was maintained by the US Government until 1905, when it was left abandoned. A storm caused major damage in 1914 and another storm washed what remained of the building away in 1916. The keeper’s house remains and is now a private residence, but photos is all that remain of the lighthouse.

The construction is coming along nicely. I bet the next time I go home for a visit, it will be all done and ready to be enjoyed. Here are some pictures my Mom sent me a couple of months ago:

Since I made a donation to the fundraising efforts, I get a newsletter from them from time to time with info and progress updates. I received one today and read about another historic link to the Oak Orchard Harbor that I found fascinating! It is about another favorite spot to visit when I go home – Brown’s Berry Patch! This is a family owned farmer’s market with wonderful fresh fruits, vegetables, and berries. They have a great gift shop and ICE CREAM!!! Apparently, the Brown family holds a prominent spot in the events that took place in the Oak Orchard Harbor during the War of 1812. I had to do some more research to get the whole story. Bathshua Brown was the widow of Elijah Brown. They married and lived in Connecticut in 1774-1776, when the British took their livestock and supplies and burned their home and farm during the Revolutionary War. Over the next 28 years or so, they moved around and finally settled on a 100-acre farm along the Oak Orchard River on the south shore of Lake Ontario in 1804. Elijah, unfortunately, died during the move, which left Bathshua and her 12 children (five sons and seven daughters – the remaining of 16 children born to Elijah and Bathshua) to work the farm. During the War of 1812, British war ships patrolled the Lake Ontario coast to hinder commerce. A British Captain was captured and taken to Bathshua Brown — as it turned out, he was the same British Captain who lead the soldiers who burned her home in Connecticut in 1776! She gave him three choices: be turned over to the American forces; allow her sons to have at him; or return to his ship and never come back again! He was never seen again! The farm, Orchard Dale Fruit Farms, has been successful and kept in the Brown family for all the generations since Bathshua and her 12 children settled there over 200 years ago! Brown’s Berry Patch was opened by the family in 1984 and has been a thriving business ever since — I never stop in there without finding it crowded with shoppers!

I continue to be amazed by the history and legacy of the area I grew up in and that provided so many wonderful memories for me!

Research Credits: The majority of the historical information used in this post was found on the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum and Brown’s Berry Patch web sites.

Labor Day

Sep7

What is Labor Day? The short answer is that it is the national holiday that falls on the first Monday of September each year. The general view point of the holiday is that it signifies the end of the summer season – a three day weekend people generally use to have family cook outs or trips to the beach or other ways to celebrate a Monday off work designated to honor American workers.

But, there is more to it than that! The first US Labor Day was September 5, 1882. The declaration of a new national holiday was rushed through Congress in response to a violent labor strike that resulted in several deaths at the hands of US Marshals and the military. The strike started because of labor and salary cuts made by George Pullman due to tough times in his rail car company. Thousands of workers walked off their jobs. Other unions joined the strike – workers refused to work on Pullman cars, backing up rail transit and mail delivery. President Grover Cleveland stepped in by declaring the strike illegal and bloodshed ensued. To lift the morale of American workers, Labor Day was declared a legal holiday.

So, Labor Day is a day to celebrate the workforce – to thank them for their service! We choose to use it as a good excuse to head to the beach and cook hot dogs on patios across the country one last time before the end of summer and the autumn weather begins.

HAPPY LABOR DAY! Don’t eat too many hot dogs!

Memories of Beatles

Sep6

It doesn’t take much to connect The Beatles to a significant memory. They played a HUGE part in my life. So, when I read Billy Liggett’s editorial in Sunday’s Sanford Herald, I found myself running through the many, many Strawberry Fields in my mind. I could relate to Billy’s comments about how his Dad grew up with The Beatles because I, too, grew up with them.

Billy mentioned two things in this editorial that made me stop and think — 1) that it has been 40 years since their last public appearance and album together! and 2) that their reign as rock sensations only lasted seven years! Both of these seemed odd to me because they have been such icons for almost my entire life! To realize that they were only together for such a short time so many years ago took me by surprise — not that I didn’t know this, but that I never really put it into context like that before. In my mind, The Beatles never ended and never will.

My Mom and I became Beatles fans together. I was eight when we sat together and watched The Beatles take America by storm – first as we watched the news reports on February 7, 1964 when they got off the plane at JFK Airport among a mob of screaming girls for their first American tour and then two days later we watched The Ed Sullivan Show to witness their first US appearance. It was magical – the beginning of a lifetime of wonderful experiences and memories!

I remember sitting in our living room watching the Fab Four on Ed Sullivan, but the strongest early memory of The Beatles was actually a little later in 1964. The Beatles’ first movie – A Hard Days Night – came to the theater that used to be on Main Street in my home town. Mom and I went to the first matinee showing on the first day it opened! We sat in the center of the front row in the balcony so that there was no way anyone could stand up in front of us and block our view! The theater was packed – sold out! There was so much screaming going on that we didn’t hear any of the movie, but I remember sitting there crying because I was actually seeing The Beatles bigger than life on that huge movie screen with no one between me and them! I didn’t scream with the others – I sat there frozen, in tears, and in awe! We stayed for the second matinee (back then, you could stay and watch a movie as often as you wanted on one admission price) and watched it again!

I knew every Beatles song by heart and would sing along with the radio or whenever we would put one of their albums on the record player. I had a miniature silver poodle named Mimi and I would sing “Michelle” to her all the time – “Michelle, my belle, these are words that go together well, my Michelle”.

Of course, I had a major crush on Paul — what girl didn’t? But I also thought Ringo was a sweetheart and he was my favorite Beatle. Paul was the cute one; John was the serious one; George was the quiet one; and Ringo was the funny one — that is probably why I liked him so much! Also — I have always had a thing about drummers — not sure if that is why I liked Ringo or if Ringo was the reason I fixated on drummers! But, whichever fascination came first, I was a big Ringo fan and a big drummer fan!

In 1965, Mom piled me, my brother, and several other of our friends in the station wagon and we drove to the Transit Drive-In to see “Help!” on the very first weekend it was released. It was such fun!

Fast forward to the 1973-74 school year – my senior year: The Senior chorus chose “The Long and Winding Road” as one of our songs to perform for our parents at Senior Tea. It became the anthem of my high school years because every time I hear that song, it instantly takes me back to that day and all the wonderful things that happened in my senior year. This song always brings a tear to my eyes whenever I hear it — definitely my very favorite Beatles song of all time!

Then, to show how much influence The Beatles have had on me and my Mom – we are still making new memories to share that are Beatles based! In June 2006, I attended a seminar in Las Vegas and talked Mom into joining me there. We had a great trip, but the highlight by far was when we went to see The Beatles’ LOVE at the Mirage. LOVE is a Cirque du Soleil show featuring all Beatles songs and it was FABULOUS!!! And as with “A Hard Days Night” and “Help!”, we saw it along with one of the very first crowds to get to attend – we got tickets for the few shows that were scheduled prior to the official opening – the dress rehearsal shows that were shown to test the audience reactions. As I watched the show and thought about it afterwards, I compared us sitting in the massive theater at the Las Vegas Mirage with the time we sat in the front row balcony seats in the little home town movie theater 42 years earlier watching The Beatles in “A Hard Days Night”! The same feeling of awe, the same tears, the same wonderful experience shared with my Mom, and the same level of importance in my memory bank!

My favorite Beatles songs? Hard to say, exactly — I already mentioned that “The Long and Winding Road” is by far my all time favorite for various reasons. But, here are a few more that always seem to stop me in my tracks to take time to listen and sing along when I hear them (in no particular order and I’m sure NOT all inclusive of my favorites):

The Long and Winding Road
Revolution
Hey, Jude
Eleanor Rigby
Here Comes the Sun
If I Fell
And I Love Her
I’ll Follow The Sun
Let It Be
Michelle
Nowhere Man
Penny Lane
Rock and Roll Music
Strawberry Fields Forever
Tell Me Why
This Boy
Twist and Shout
Yesterday
When I’m Sixty Four
Just about anything from Abbey Road – favorite album

So, thank you, Billy – I don’t really need an excuse to think about all the wonderful memories that are tied in some way to Beatles songs, but it was nice to get a trigger, anyway!

So much to write about!

May1

I sat down to write all about all my adventures several times, but every time I did, I decided to wait and add something else!!! I’ve crammed so much into this trip it will take a novel to cover it all!!! I promise to go into more detail about some of the wonderful things that have been happening to me, but here is a little teaser:

I, of course, have spent a lot of time just visiting with my Mom. I love being here with her and really wish she would move to Sanford so we can see each other every day and have great adventures all the time!

Katie came with me and she has had her own set of adventures – that will surely be a fun post with pictures! Megan and Amy spent their vacation with Miss Rae at Rae-Zor and, from what I hear, they have had a pretty incredible time playing and meeting new friends, too!!!

There was an evening of fun and reminiscing with a nice size group of my high school friends…..that deserves an entire blog post all it’s own! For those who are my Facebook friends, you can see the photos!

I was able to spend a lovely day with relatives I haven’t seen in a very long time. The reason we gathered together was a sad occasion – my Great Aunt Betty’s memorial service, but it was still a great reunion!

I have spent a lot of time going through and scanning old photos to preserve them and have them electronically for projects I hope to find the time and patience to complete this year. It has been amazing seeing and learning about the history of my family beyond what I already knew! I plan a blog post on some of the stories I have discovered – it is all so fascinating!

I spent time (not enough) with an old friend from school — just talking and having dinner! I am going to really miss seeing her, but now that we have reconnected, we’ve promised to stay in closer touch!

As you can see, this trip was full of collecting memories of, reconnecting to, and reacquainting myself with my past! It has been an emotional and fulfilling time! I look forward to sharing parts of it with my Sanford friends! It has been an incredible experience – one I will hate to see end!!!

01-20-09 – A Day To Remember

Jan20

Today was a memorable day for several reasons. All days have something that make them unique – regardless of how much you may think it is all the “same ole, same ole” routine, give it some thought and you’ll find something unique. Today, however, didn’t take much thought to find the special things that made it memorable.

So, what made today memorable?

First, we woke up to the first snow of 2009. And not just the usual dusting or mostly ice that we typically get in Sanford, NC! We ended up with an official measurement of 6″ – but I think it was at least a couple more than that! It snowed all night and most of the day and covered everything! The girls LOVED it — they ran and chased each other and bit at the snow and burrowed their noses through it — it was so much fun watching them! Here are some pics of the girls playing in Sanford’s first (and hopefully last) snow of 2009:

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Fellow Sanford Blogger, Melissa (I’m The Mama) had her baby this afternoon – per a Facebook status update, Violet came in with the storm at 12:28 and weighed 8 lbs, 5 oz. Congratulations, Melissa!
And the obvious — the country has a new President! Regardless of who is elected into office, Inauguration Day is a big deal – the changing of the guard, so to speak! It is always exciting to see a new President take office and bring the opportunity for fresh ideas and new view points. This Inauguration was especially historic – the first African American President! Obama wasn’t my candidate during the election, but the results made him my President, so it is time for the country to stand behind him and hope for enough cooperation from all the other politicians to avoid the fighting that usually creates too many road blocks to success! Good Luck and God Speed, President Obama!
And the last thing that made today special — one of our own – Sanford Herald’s Jonathan Owens had the once in a lifetime experience of being one of the authorized press covering the Inauguration!!! What a thrill that must be for him — so exciting! Read his coverage in the Sanford Herald and on his blog. Good job, Jonathan – have a safe trip home!

So – yes, today was exciting and oh so special on many levels and for many reasons…..it will be a part of our memories for many years to come!

Kim's Thoughts

Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!

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