Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Yet Another Wild Dream
Oh, yeah……I have some real doozies! My dreams would make for a best seller, for sure…..someday I really should try to publish a collection of them – I just might hit the jackpot! The one I had last night was a real gem……it seemed to last all night (although, I’m sure it was more likely just a flash in real time) and when I woke up, I laid there a few minutes to think about it so I could remember all the details. Here it is:
I was in a strange house cleaning the bathroom. I was holding the tub stopper between my teeth (eeewww, seriously???) while I cleaned the tub. The stopper looked like this one and was about an inch and a half across:
Someone bumped into me and caused the stopper to slide down the back of my throat and lodge just beyond where I could get a hold of it to pull it out. I couldn’t breathe, so I couldn’t cough to try to dislodge it back up where I could get it. So, I went into a bedroom beside the bathroom and found my Mom sleeping. I shook her and she looked up at me…..I put my hands to my throat in the universal signal for choking and stuck my tongue out. She laughed at my silly face and rolled back over to go back to sleep. I shook her again and did the same thing, but she was snoring and wouldn’t wake up. So, I went down stairs to find a bar with lots of people having a party. I, again, did the universal signal for choking and pleaded with them with my eyes and hand gestures to get someone to help me……no one noticed I was there. I went through a set of double doors to find an office area with several cubicles in the center and hard offices around the perimeter. By then, the stopper had moved down my throat a little further, so I could talk and I was a little calmer. I went to the first cubicle I came to and told the girl at the desk that I had a stopper lodged in my throat and needed help – I showed her the bulge in my throat and asked if anyone knew how to do the Heimlich Maneuver. She called to a guy in another cubicle and he came to try it, but the only thing that happened was that I felt the stopper move a little closer to the opening of my throat, but wouldn’t pass through. He tried several times with no success. Then, a woman came out of one of the hard offices – she looked just like an actress I’ve seen many times on guest appearances on TV shows, but I can’t place her – she had a lab coat on and introduced herself as the doctor on call. She seemed a little ditzy for a doctor, though……she giggled and said “eeewww” when I told her the story of how the stopper got in my throat. I tried to tell her that my doctor was in an office upstairs and I’d rather go there, but she ushered me into her office and told me she could help. She looked down my throat and poked at the bulge where the stopper was. She said that the only way to get it was to administer some local anesthesia, make an incision in the front of my throat, and pull it out. I gave her a horrified look and asked why she wouldn’t put me under for surgery of that nature. She assured me that it wasn’t “surgery” because the stopper was right there on the other side of a thin layer of skin and she could do it right there in her office (not an examination room – an office with a desk, book shelves, filing cabinets, etc.) – no problem! So, I asked her when she would do it and she said whenever I was ready. So, of course I left……after all, I just had a tub stopper lodged in my throat, why would I think it was of any urgency…….I got in a van with a bunch of people who acted like they were my friends, but I didn’t recognize any of them. They told me of a great party, but I had to have my birth certificate with me as proof that I went to Albion High School (birth certificate to prove that???), so I had them drop me off at my house so I could get it. I started to go to the party, but I didn’t know the way, so I drove around some back roads and big hills trying to find the address. I suddenly realized that I left the address and the birth certificate on my kitchen counter, but I was so lost that I didn’t know how to get back to the house to get them. I found a party, but knew it wasn’t the right one…..I pulled in, anyway. The first person I saw asked me what that big bulge on the side of my neck was — I discovered that the stopper had moved, again and was now protruding out just under my right ear and I started gasping for breath with loud raspy wheezing like I was having a really, really bad asthma attack. The person told me the doctor was inside, so I went in the house and found that same office area. The lady doctor that was going to help me was standing there in the middle of the cubicles. I gasped and gasped – I couldn’t breathe and couldn’t talk. She said she didn’t expect me back until tomorrow, but since I was there, she’d see if she could fit me in. I stood there gasping and wheezing while she disappeared into the sea of cubicles. I realized she wasn’t coming back……I looked around and there wasn’t anyone else in any of the cubicles and all the hard offices had their doors open with no one inside any of them and all the lights went out – there was just a glow from a couple of computers that were still on that gave enough light for me to know the offices were closed and no one was there! Luckily, I woke up at that point…..all out of breath and my heart pounding like a race horse!!!
Weird, huh????
Uninvited Guest
This past Friday was my 58th birthday! I decided to celebrate by hosting a Traveling Vineyard Wine Tasting Party……you know, like a Tupperware party only the product is wine, not dishes with lids! The way it works is a consultant (in this case, my neighbor/friend) brings five different bottles of wine to showcase examples of what the company has to offer. The hostess (in this case, me) provides food to snack on and discusses what foods pair well with the wines being showcased and has them available, as well. The guests get to taste the wines, learn about wine appreciation, and enjoy how the right foods enhance the flavor of the wines and the food through perfect pairings.
So……I thought it would be fun to do this for my birthday……to have a group of friends over and just spend the evening drinking wine and enjoying each other’s company and conversation! I invited several friends, made lots of great food, and we all had a great time! It was so much fun and I really enjoyed spending time with everyone who was able to make it! What a fantastic evening and a great way to celebrate my birthday!
But……there was one little glitch…….we had an uninvited guest join the party!!!
One of the wines we tasted was called “Beeline”……just after the server finished making the rounds to pour some of the “Beeline” wine in everyone’s glass, an actual BEE flew in and circled the room! We all thought it was ironic and funny that he flew in just as we were tasting the “Beeline” wine and made a literal beeline around the room! But, we obviously needed to get rid of him — after all, he was crashing my party — how dare he!!!! So, I grabbed the fly swatter that I keep on the end table beside the couch and was ready for him to land somewhere that I could get him. Well, he didn’t land……so, I swatted him in mid air in an attempt to pop him into the other room to the floor and stun him long enough to get rid of him. But, there was a problem……when I swatted him, he hit the wall beside the archway into the dining room and bounced back onto the couch behind one of my guests!!! OH NO!!! I was concerned he would sting her…..she stood up and we looked for him, but couldn’t find him — and we didn’t see him again all evening!
Quite some time later, the party ended, all the guests left, I cleaned up, and decided to watch some TV to unwind before I headed up to bed! I turned on the TV and laid down on the couch……suddenly, I felt a sharp burning sensation in my shoulder…..I leaned up and felt under my sleeve and low and behold, there was the bee that I had completely forgotten about —- the little bugger stung me!!! I flicked him to the floor and squashed him and tossed him in the trash can!!! I could not believe he actually stung me……but, I’m really glad he didn’t sting one of my guests earlier in the evening! I haven’t been stung by a bee in……..I don’t know how long……years……many years!!! My shoulder felt like someone was holding a hot branding iron on me and wouldn’t stop! It didn’t swell or get red and I couldn’t see where I was stung, but it hurt and burned like HELL!!! The next morning, my arm felt like it had been beaten with a baseball bat — it ached and I could barely raise it up — the joint was sore……the muscle was sore……and my upper chest over to the middle of my chest was sore!!!
I’m better now, but I still can’t believe that little bugger hid in that couch and waited for me to lay down on it so it could get revenge for my batting it in mid air……I know that’s what he did — he plotted to get me for what I did to him!!! But……I had the last word……hehehehe……I am fine and he is dead!!!!
In hind sight, though, I can understand why he crashed the party in the first place……it was an awesome party……just look at the great food and decorations……and this doesn’t even include the pairing trays of food to go with the wine tastings!!! Thank you to everyone who came and helped make my birthday so wonderful……even the bee (but only for the chuckle he gave us when he came in right on queue with the wine announcing his arrival)!
Canal at Dusk
Today, I read some wonderful news about the Erie Barge Canal……it has been placed on the National Registry of Historic Places! It is about time! The canal is a huge part of the history of New York State and was the main reason many small town were established – including Albion! The canal was considered an engineering marvel and still is even by today’s standards……hand dug by immigrants with locks and gates to account for changes in elevation and flood control just about all the way across this great state of ours and bridges that have stood the test of time and are still in operation today! So, to commemorate this amazing news, I stopped along the canal to take some photos at dusk this evening……here they are!
Oh – and here is the link to the article about the National Registry distinction on the Orleans Hub:
click here
Corning and Hammondsport Adventure
Check it off my bucket list…..I made it to the Corning Museum of Glass! This has been on my “places to go and things to do” list since I moved back home – three years – and I have finally completed it and can chalk it up to another great adventure in the memory books!
Synopsis of the adventure:
We left Monday (09/29) morning with plans of a leisurely drive taking the scenic route and stopping at points of interest along the way – the end goal of the day was to get to Hammondsport by dinner time. We decided to go through Piffard and stop at the Abbey where they make Monk’s Bread to see the chapel and grounds. I have never been there before, so I was really looking forward to it. But – we were disappointed to find that they were under construction and all we could do was browse through the bread store. I’ll have to plan to go back, someday, because it really did look like it was really beautiful there. We proceeded to drive through the country side looking at the scenery and made our way to Naples – the plan was to stop there for lunch and we were told that they are famous for their grape pie! Well, disappointment # 2 – a couple locals told us where the best grape pie was and that we “couldn’t miss it”……we missed it……twice! After driving back and forth up the main drag, we decided to give up and just head on the Hammondsport to get checked in and have our lunch there!
Hammondsport is a sleepy little town situated right on the tip of Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes region of NY state. It is beautiful there! We had an OK lunch – nice, but probably wouldn’t recommend it to anyone – and then walked around the historic downtown area and stopped in at an ice cream parlor for dessert. After a long drive along the lake looking at the scenery, we got settled in to our motel – Keuka Lakeside Inn – a very nice little 1960s style motel that has been modernized and renovated (the owner has done a really nice job on the place) with lake views. Our room faced the lake and there were chairs and a gazebo on the property to sit and enjoy the lake – very nice! We sat out by the lake and talked for quite a while, went in and took a nap, and then went out for dinner.
The next day was spent in Corning – mostly at the Corning Museum of Glass. What an amazing place that is!!! Beautiful glass of every kind and from every era and every country around the world! They also had an incredible exhibit of Lalique pieces that was breathtaking and totally emotional to see. We watched a glass blower do his magic to make a pretty ruffled bowl, learned a lot about the history of glass making, saw some gorgeous works of art (and some really strange works of art), and we even did the “make your own glass” session – I made a set of wind chimes and my friend made a clock – that was a lot of fun and I love the finished product! After leaving the museum, we wandered around the historic Market Street area of Corning — what a quaint place that is — and we had dinner at the nicest Italian restaurant and had the BEST pasta EVER!!!
We spent our last night back at the motel in Hammondsport, stopped back in the Corning Museum of Glass to pick up the glass pieces we made and look around a little more, and then headed back home. On our way back home, we drove through Letchworth State Park, stopped to shop at The Giggling Pig (an Amish furniture store and gift shop) in Caledonia, and had dinner in Leroy. It was a GREAT trip!!!
Photos from the adventure:
From Hammondsport, NY at the tip of Keuka Lake
First photo I took — we got out of the car in downtown Hammondsport and this took our breath away!!!
This little church had a prominent spot in downtown Hammondsport — so pretty and inviting!
We had lunch at the Village Tavern Restaurant and Inn — the historic downtown area is so quaint!
This was a little park literally in the center of the historic downtown area – everything circled around the park!
I found an ice cream parlor……
……and had a delicious chocolate soda – all chocolate!!! YUMMO!!!
The gazebo and chairs at our motel…..it was a lovely evening to sit outside and enjoy the lake!
Beautiful Keuka Lake
Docks at our motel – so peaceful and relaxing
More of the view from the lake side seating at our motel
And, one more…….the autumn colors really made our view so beautiful
Dinner was at the Luna Mezza Grille — VERY good and a lovely restaurant!!!
I had the pork medallions with a zucchini/tomato medley and seasoned steak fries! DELICIOUS!!!
From the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
Loved this old truck right at the entrance near the store
Loved it so much I had to have my photo taken with it……but, I really should burn it – it is HORRIBLE
(even though it shows off my new purple hat with the glass crystal embellishments on it)
There was glass of every kind on display — like this quirky chandelier……
……and this bowl with a delicate and intricate city skyline carved in the upper rim……
……and this beautiful gown on a lady’s torso….
…..and this crystal light….
…..and a room FULL of bottles and dishes!
There were several stained glass windows and lighting pieces made by Tiffany – this one was huge and gorgeous!
This one really touched me – I turned the corner, saw it, and instantly started to cry!
It is called “The Righteous Shall Receive a Crown of Glory” – based on the bible verse Peter 5:4
It was made for the United Methodist Church of Waterville, NY about 1901
I’d like this window in my house……along with the matching lamp in the display to the right
Here I am sitting in a display at the opening of the room that housed the Lalique exhibit
A few of the many delicate and incredibly beautiful pieces designed by Lalique
One more from the Lalique exhibit
And, this is MY work of art……the wind chimes I made in the “Make Your Own Glass” session!!!
There were several demonstration stops – like this one where they blew a beautiful ruffled bowl and explained the glass blowing process
And interactive displays, like this one where the glass reflects you upside down (that’s me and my friend at the top of the glass) and then, you flip right side up as you walk towards it!
From the historic Market Street area of Corning, NY
I loved this little park – if it wasn’t about to dump a thunderstorm on us, I could have sat here for hours
The historic buildings were just gorgeous
More of the park — this marks the center of Market Street – just loved it there!
What an incredible framework for a bank’s drive thru lanes!!!
The best restaurant and meal of the trip!!! Sorge’s Italian Restaurant on Market Street in Corning!
Beautifully decorated, great service, and the BEST homemade pasta EVER!!! They make it fresh every day!
Now, doesn’t this make your mouth water? It was absolutely AMAZING!!! (if I lived closer, I’d eat there every day)
From Letchworth State Park
The middle falls at the Glen Iris Inn
The gorge with the Genesee River below
I always find it sad that signs like this are necessary – you’d think common sense would prevail, but……
More of the gorge from a different spot along the 19 or so mile drive through Letchworth
Me next to a HUGE chair at the dam
The Mt. Morris Dam
Downstream of the dam
Miscellaneous photos from the rest of the drive home
The Gigglin’ Pig – an Amish furniture store and gift shop we stopped at in Caledonia, NY
Final meal of the trip – steak, mashed potatoes, and carrots at the Depot Restaurant in Leroy, NY
So, that’s it for this adventure……next planned adventure – I’m going to Lancaster, PA with a group from church later this fall! Can’t wait!
Movie Review – Gone Girl
I went to see the highly anticipated movie, Gone Girl, with a friend yesterday. We both read the book – written by Gillian Flynn – and both had a similar critique of it……loved the story and was riveted to the pages throughout….right up to the horrible ending! It seemed to be a very common response from just about everyone (scratch out the “just about” part – I do believe it isn’t a stretch to just use the word EVERYONE without any qualifiers) I knew that read it and by others I heard talking about it: Loved the book, hated the ending!!!
The author, Gillian Flynn, must have decided to react to what was likely a universal complaint – I had heard that the ending was changed for the movie! That made me even more excited to go see it. I thought that a better ending would really make a difference in my experience with the story. Well, let me start out by saying that I STILL hate the ending!!! It really wasn’t that much different…….no spoilers, here, but suffice it to say that they take it a little further and provide a plausible explanation, but it still left me wanting a very different outcome.
So, what did I think overall? Well……I have mixed emotions about it! I’m really not sure if I am willing to recommend it — I think I am, but with some strong cautions! First and foremost – respect that “R” rating – this is NOT a movie for kids! It is VERY graphic – the cussing, the sex, some nudity (but don’t hold your breath for the full frontal nudity of Ben Affleck that has been played up in the media – I must have blinked cause I never saw it and I paid attention to the only shower scene), and the violence is blatant and not a movie I would be happy to see kids – even teens – watching. BUT – if you are one of those who read the book and concluded that you “loved the book, hated the ending”, the movie will likely leave you feeling the same way. The movie follows the book very closely – it has been a good two, maybe three, years since I read the book and the movie reminded me of all the little details I forgot and made me feel like I was re-reading it. That is something a lot of movies made from popular books fall short on – they tend to change things too much – not here! However, there are just a couple of major changes that made me send off a note to someone who recently read the book to clarify my memory of what happened in the book. Like I said earlier, the ending is somewhat different – it doesn’t end as abruptly as the book does and attempts to give a plausible explanation, but it still falls short of reasonable expectations of how it should end. The other change that confused me was the way the character Desi Collings dies, but I won’t go into that — I don’t want my review to spoil the movie for anyone.
Overall, I found it to be very exciting — just like I was riveted to the pages of the book, I was riveted to the edge of my seat in the theater! Even though it followed the book very closely, so I knew what to expect, I still found myself tense and engaged throughout! Ben Affleck was very convincing in his portrayal of the husband, Nick Dunne……I loved Tyler Perry as super star attorney, Tanner Bolt……and, Neil Patrick Harris was delightfully dapper as rich stalker, Desi Collings. I wasn’t impressed with the other three main characters – Roseamund Pike as Amy Dunne, Carrie Coon as Margo Dunne, and Kim Dickens, as Det. Rhonda Boney – each gave decent performances, but really didn’t have a lot of chemistry with the other characters and kinda fell flat for me……although, Roseamund Pike did have some shining moments where her character stood out more than it did through most of the film.
For those of you who didn’t read the book: The basic story is that Nick and Amy Dunne fall in love and enter into a fairy tale marriage that turns into a nightmare when Amy is apparently abducted or murdered and Nick is seen as the prime suspect. Fairly early on, you find that Amy actually orchestrates the whole ordeal as revenge on Nick for making her miserable and for his infidelities. She takes Nick and the detectives on a scavenger hunt of clues that all lead back to the conclusion that Nick murdered his wife and somehow disposed of the body. Which of course, is an incorrect conclusion, but the evidence is overwhelming and Nick soon becomes the most hated man in America in a national media frenzy. Synopsis ends here to avoid spoilers that, if you haven’t read the book, would be unfair to disclose.
One major observation I had as I was leaving the theater……….since the mid-80s, the Glenn Close/Michael Douglas movie, Fatal Attraction, has been the ultimate horror movie for unfaithful men – the classic worst case scenario of “crazy bitch takes revenge”! Well, I think Gone Girl has successfully knocked Fatal Attraction off that pedestal and has taken the “crazy bitch” crown!
My rating? I’m torn……on one hand, I found it riveting, very close to the book, and a great, highly suspenseful, story…….on the other hand, it was a little too graphic and visual for me……..and the biggie is that I STILL HATE THE ENDING!!! So, I’m going to deduct some points and give it a B+ rating. Do I recommend it? Yeah, I guess I do — sort of — I don’t know! I lot of people are saying they loved it……I fall short of that, but it will definitely be an individual thing – more so than most movies I see. So, use your own judgment – if you’re looking for a really suspenseful movie, this just might be the one for you! I know there will be some who think I’m nuts and wonder why I didn’t highly recommend it and there will be some who wonder why I didn’t just come out and say I don’t recommend it — it is that kind of a movie! And…..I really can’t use my usual movie criteria – I did chuckle a little here and there, but I didn’t cry, I didn’t really fall in love with any of the characters (although I did feel for some of them), and I didn’t leave feeling good — tense and confused, yes, but not good! 🙂
But, don’t let me stop you from making your own decision or relying on others who advise you……..cause I’m just way too torn on this one!
Pink and Blue
As you know, I absolutely can not be anywhere near Lake Ontario without snapping photos — especially Point Breeze! It is never the same and I love it!!! Tonight, it was the most amazing shades of pale blue and pale pink – both the water and the sky had varying shades of both colors in it and you could barely tell where one color started and the other color stopped! And, then, within minutes, it changed to a little more vibrant, deep shades of pink, blue, and there was an addition of purple in the mix!!!
A-W-E-S-O-M-E
Here are photos of Point Breeze, NY at about 7:00-ish on Friday, September 26, 2014:
High Tea Adventure
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Downton Abbey and most things British – the culture and traditions fascinate me, I enjoy listening to the accents (I even set Gabby to talk to me in a British accent when giving me my GPS directions), and the history is so interesting! It might be because my ancestors were English – my Great Grandmother was the most recent generation born in England. I also love tea – especially as a calming treat on a chilly night, but really just about any time! Well, today I had an adventure that plays right into all these things and I had a BLAST!!! It was such a lovely day to spend with friends and enjoy the very English tradition of proper high tea……right here in Albion, NY, USA!!!
A few years ago – I believe about 2006 or so – Tony McMurtrie, a Scottish native who, by the way, is a real sweetheart and insanely funny and enjoyable to talk to, began to renovate an old run down mansion here in Albion. His efforts resulted in The Pillars Estate on County House Road – an elegant banquet hall and bed and breakfast that, until recently, catered to special events. Earlier this summer, Tony opened up the estate to the public for lunches and his friend, Cora Goyette, opened a proper English Tea Room two days a week for high tea. Cora is a native of England and personally ensures the integrity of the offerings in her Tea Room, as well as makes the pastries fresh each morning.
Today, my dear friends, Cathy and Judy, and I finally got together and went to check it out…….and we were totally impressed! Everything was delicious, Cora was delightful, and the atmosphere was lovely. Cora enthusiastically explained each stage of the experience with references to British traditions and entertaining stories along the way. I, of course, could not resist donning a hat and white gloves to enhance my experience — after all, what is a proper high tea without a lovely hat and gloves?
So, here is my attempt to use the photos I took to help me walk you through the experience…..I hope I make it sound as incredibly awesome as it was!
Cora explained that the purpose of high tea is to help bridge the gap between lunch and dinner – in England and Scotland, dinner is served rather late in the day, so there is usually about a 6 hour gap between lunch and dinner – high tea provides an opportunity to have tea and a little something light to eat. They wouldn’t typically eat as much as was served to us, but Cora serves samples of most of the most typical types of foods selected in a proper tea sitting.
Each table was adorned with beautiful dried roses and heather
I was especially drawn to the incredible chandeliers in the tea room
The fine china serving dishes and patterned linen table cloths were so pretty
First up was proper English tea served in a beautifully adorned sterling silver tea pot
We were then served our choice of finger sandwiches – traditional English recipes complete with the crusts removed and cut into small servings
They were all delicious – my favorite was the egg salad made with English salad cream – YUM!!!
I also really enjoyed the cucumber sandwiches with a spread made of cream, whipped butter, and Dijon mustard – VERY GOOD!!!
Cora served the sandwiches on a silver serving tray with engraved silver tongs
The next service included English sausage rolls and mince pies – OMG – to die for!!!
And, finally, we were served delights for our sweet tooth!
Carrot cake muffins, mini chocolate cake with fresh strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, and cream puffs
I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!!!!!
My favorite photo of the day….my gloves and the desserts with tea!
I wish I had a better photo of this…..Cora telling the story of this flag that was in Tony’s family and actually flew over Buckingham Palace!
Sadly, today was the last day that high tea will be served for this season…….but, it will return next year in the spring or early summer! I can not wait! Watch for it to come back and experience it for yourself — I’m sure I didn’t do it justice — you won’t regret it!!! I ADORED IT!!!
Beginning October 3rd, they will be serving Friday night dinners from 6:00-10:00 – call 585-283-4341 for reservations.
Click these links to discover other great things about The Pillars Estate , like that it is on the Haunted History Trail of NY, they hold an annual Titanic Ball, they put on some really fun parties and special events, and they have a gorgeous grand ballroom and grounds that provide an incredible setting for weddings and other private events. For more information about The Pillars Estates and the Friday night dinners, call Tony at 585-283-4341.
Signs of Autumn – 2014
It isn’t officially…..per the calendar…..autumn, yet! The first official day of autumn starts next week – September 22nd – but, it sure is starting to look and feel like autumn around here! Temperatures have been cooler, leaves are starting to turn, crops are changing from the summer fruits and veggies to the fall produce, and fields are showing signs of coming to the end of the late summer season. So, today I took a drive around to see what photos I could get to show the signs of autumn creeping up on us. Here is what I found…..
Apple orchards loaded with fruit
Fields full of cabbage nearing time for harvest
Corn stalks starting to brown
Some more than others
Mums in every color imaginable at Kirby’s
And pumpkins galore at Rush’s….their pumpkin fields in the background
Just a week or two ago, this stand at Rush’s was loaded with cantaloupe….
Now, fall squash varieties have replaced the juicy melons of summer
Rush’s sign says it all…..
Couldn’t pass up this gorgeous tree ablaze with fall colors in front of the Hospice residence
And, my favorite sight – a basket of Gala apples from Kirby’s on my dining room table!
For The Sake of Art…
So, today I decided to head to Rochester to attend the Artist’s Row exhibit at the Rochester Public Market. It was a great day for it — overcast and cool, but not cold or damp at all — and it turned into quite the adventure with an unexpected turn of events, but I really did enjoy the day! I went because a cherished friend from high school – Sharon Nowicki Jeter – was showing her newest artistic medium and I wanted to see it up close and personal (I’ve seen photos, but photos just don’t do things the justice that seeing it in person does)! She has always had an artistic side — acting, jewelry, drawing, metal working, polymer resins, and more — but, recently she has started to create sculptures and that is what she was showing today.
This was only the second time I’ve been to the Public Market in Rochester……and, actually, both times were to see Sharon’s work in an art show! It is really easy to get there, but I still used Gabby – my GPS – to get me there. I took 31A to 531 to 490 to…….supposedly the Inner Loop, but when I tried to veer off onto the Inner Loop, I discovered that it was closed! Uh oh! So, I kept heading toward downtown and figured there should be another entrance onto the Inner Loop, but found every time I tried to get on it, the ramp was blocked by either police cars or city maintenance vehicles! Oh, boy! Poor Gabby – she tried and tried to get me to turn onto the Inner Loop and just didn’t get it when I said, “it’s closed…..find me another way to get to the Public Market!” My first thought was that I was now going to be hopelessly lost in downtown Rochester may never find my way out……I may have turned into a ghostly skeleton driving around downtown aimlessly forever, haunting the streets of the city…..there would be legends told about sightings of me for many, many years to come! BUT……I am actually quite proud of myself – I didn’t get anxious or nervous and I found my way to the Public Market with just a little bit of extra effort – I prevailed – and I lived to tell about it!!!! 🙂 I just kept going the opposite way or just beyond the turn that Gabby was telling me to go so that I would force her to find another way to get there…..after a few turns, I found myself on South Union Street and knew I was home free – the Public Market is on North Union Street and I was headed north – eventually I HAD to come up on it…….and I did!!! YAY!!! Of course, the next obstacle was finding a place to park…..but, even that didn’t take terribly long and I lucked out with a great spot!
I wandered around a while and found Sharon’s booth. It was so great to see her!!! We were so close in school and for some time after school……then, we sort of drifted apart and then I moved to NC, so we had lost touch for a while, there. But, then I found her on Facebook and we reconnected! Now, I try to get in to see her shows when I can and when I know about them……wish I could do it more often – I really do enjoy seeing her so very much!
Before I get into some of the photos that I took today, let me brag some more on Sharon —- click here to check out her web site – she has a studio and teaches classes and everything!!! 🙂
So, on with the photos:
The next two photos are of Sharon with some of the sculptures she had on display:
I purchased this piece from Sharon — terrible photo of it, but I love it……I had to hang it somewhere to get a photo, so I hung it from my dining room chandelier and then I decided to put it out on my front porch right outside my den window so I can see it all the time……I’ll decide the best place for it after I give it some thought, but it is perfect there, for now!
This isn’t the best photo to show it, but they had a really big crowd come out to support the local artists showing their work:
There were several food trucks – including this colorful one:
I sat and had a nice burger and fries and listened to this guy sing and play guitar — he did some of Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, and others of that same era…..very good job – I enjoyed him!!!
This band was playing on the stage – they were really good, too!
I thought the shops along side of the Public Market were interesting, as well…..
Practically everywhere I looked, there were amazing murals painted on buildings – like this one that I went around the block to come back up on so that I could get a photo of it….
Here are some other items I’ve purchased from Sharon in the past — I really enjoy having some of her work in my house! The first photo is of collaborative drawings by Sharon and her friend Trish Annise. The following three are jewelry pieces that Sharon made — including a necklace that I can’t wear anywhere without getting a boat load of compliments on it (the first of the three jewelry photos).
And…..I can’t close out this post without including a couple photos of Sharon and I when we were a couple of crazy teenagers finding joy in everything we came across!!!
Rusty Steam Shovel in LeRoy
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about my Genesee Country Museum adventure. Included in that post was a photo of an old rusted out piece of equipment that caught my eye along the back roads leading up to the museum complex. I didn’t know what it was or why it was there, but I was intrigued enough to snap a few photos of it. Well…….I was delighted to read an article by Virginia Kropf in today’s Batavia Daily News Online about it! Reading about what it is and the story behind it makes me extremely happy that I stopped to capture it for my archives! What a find!
You can read Virginia’s article here: “Rusting steam shovel deserves better fate” – you will likely need to answer a survey question or two in order for the entire article to open up for reading (the Batavia Daily News Online edition is free, but they do require the survey questions to be answered to make each day’s articles visible for reading).
From the article (thank you so much, Virginia) I discovered that it is actually a steam shovel that has been sitting on Gulf Road across from a quarry in LeRoy for more than 50 years just rusting out! It was originally one that ran on railroad tracks, but was converted into a caterpillar at some point. The article goes on to tell about what makes this particular steam shovel unique – it still has its original steam boiler and it has been accepted for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (a marker for it is in the works)! I am tickled pink that this historic gem was not scrapped for its metal during WWII, as the article notes, and is still around to tell a story of the quarry industry in our area! What a gem!
Here are the photos I took of this unique discovery that day:
By the way – in the article, Virginia also talks about her memories of swimming in local quarries. I, too, used to swim in the quarries here in Albion when I was a child – going to Pecks and Transit quarries was such a treat! The water in the quarries was always so cold, as I remember, and refreshing! We jumped off the rock ledges into the “bottomless” water, floated around on an old inflated tractor tire tube, and sunned ourselves on the banks to dry off before heading home. What wonderful memories the word “quarry” brings to mind…….and what an important industry quarry mining was to the history of our area! Bravo to those who are working to bring attention to the legacy of the local quarrymen!
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