Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Doggie Dreams
Ever wonder what a dog dreams about? I do….. My girls seem to have some of the most active dreams and they have them often! For instance, I am sitting here trying to get off this computer, get my rear in gear, and go up to get dressed and start my day. But, I am fascinated by the sounds and movements of my beautiful Katie, who is sleeping beside me, involved in an obviously engaging dream!
She is twitching and jerking and huffing and puffing and barking and growling and kicking and scratching at the air! I can only imagine what she’s dreaming about, because whenever any of them have a great dream that really gets them going physically and vocally, they NEVER wake up and say, “Hey, Mom, I just had the most amazing dream…..let me tell you about it”! But, knowing Katie, I’ll bet she’s dreaming about chasing and catching up with that pesky rabbit or cat that keeps teasing her from the other side of the fence just out of reach!
Oh, how I wish I could know for sure……..
Seriously???
OK. so lately I’ve had some weird things happen to me and around me! I wonder what I did to make the stars align so specifically to make me a target of the bazaar side of things……more so than usual, that is!
First, a few weeks ago, Mom and I were on our way to her doctor’s appointment in Medina. She decided to drive her car, so we’re tooling along on our merry way. When we got to the main intersection in Medina, the light turned red, so we stopped. Just then, Mom noticed what looked like steam coming from under her hood – we thought the car was overheating – just what we needed on our way to an appointment! So, she turned the corner and parked along the curb in front of Blissett’s. By the time we pulled over (literally seconds from noticing the “steam”), smoke began to roll out from under the hood, which turned quickly into billowing black smoke, which turned quickly into flames!!! OMG!!! We got out of the car as quickly as we could and stood there in total shock watching her car burn up!!! A village DOT worker stopped his truck and tried to open the hood so he could use his fire extinguisher, but the cable had obviously melted, so it wouldn’t “pop”! He got a crow bar and began trying to pry the hood open — flames getting higher and black smoke billowing taller than the buildings! I was staring at my phone wondering who I should call — she got the car at the dealership in Albion, but there was one just down the street there in Medina — which one should I call? Just then, a kid came by and asked if we wanted him to call 911 for us…….DUH!!! We needed the FIRE DEPARTMENT, NOT A MECHANIC!!!! I always thought I would be the type to be calm and know exactly what to do in the case of an emergency, but there I was in the middle of a critical situation and I was in a state of total confusion and shock!!! I did manage to keep Mom from going back in the car to get something she thought she should get out of there, but that was about it! But, after a couple of minutes, I did get my wits about me and called the doctor to tell them we wouldn’t make our appointment and called to find my brother to come get us! The Medina Fire Department was there in a flash and got the hood open and the fire out and it was towed away — the entire engine compartment looked like a big block of charcoal and the fenders were all charred……what a mess!!! But, it didn’t blow up and the fire didn’t spread to the interior, so we were able to go to the collision shop it was towed to and get all Mom’s stuff out of it. Of course, it was declared a total loss and she got a new vehicle to replace it, but we were lucky we saw it right when it first started and were able to get out……..if we didn’t have to stop for the red light, the smoke might not have been noticeable to us and the flames would have likely traveled under the car with the air flow as we drove……..might have been a very different story! SCARY!!!!
As if that wasn’t enough…..late last week I started hearing “VOICES”! I was in the kitchen filling my water glass, in the dark, the house was silent…..suddenly, I heard a man’s voice talking! Scared the you-know-what out of me! At first, I thought the TV came on – you know, like a power surge or something! But, it wasn’t on! The voice wasn’t constant – it would say a word or two and stop and then do it again after a few minutes – so, I was having a hard time figuring out where it was coming from. I finally determined it was coming from the speakers hooked to my computer in the den! The computer was idle – nothing open – not the internet, no programs – nothing – just sitting on the desktop with the screen saver bubbles bouncing around! I thought, there must be something still open in the background from the last time I was on the internet, so I opened up Internet Explorer and reclosed it – still got snippets of recordings! So, I opened AOL and reclosed it – didn’t solve the problem! So, I restarted the computer…….that didn’t work, either! So, I did a hard shut down, let it sit a while and started it back up. That seemed to work………for about an hour or so! Then, again, when I didn’t have anything open and wasn’t even in the same room as the computer, I started hearing the voices! It was very strange — like the computer was pulling random ads from the internet and playing them in short little spurts – a word or two here, a few words there, a full sentence once in a while, a few bars of a jingle thrown in occasionally…….and not constant or even in a pattern or routine timing, but enough to be really irritating!!! I shut down for the night and when I started it up the next morning, the voices started right up with it! I thought, maybe I should force a Norton scan, just to be safe – maybe it was a virus! But, that’s when I started getting really nervous — I tried to open Norton and it opened for just a split second and shut right down and then I couldn’t open it at all………RUT RO……..I know some viruses block virus protection software from working! So, I started a text conversation with my computer genius nephew (great thing to have in a family) – he was at work, so he said he’d do some research and remote in after work and see what he could figure out! In the mean time, I checked my email “sent” files to see if my email accounts were hacked – nothing odd going out to my contacts, so that was OK! I uninstalled and reinstalled Norton, but it still wouldn’t work — I did find out that I could right-click on it in the task bar and forced a scan – it came up with a few minor cookie trackers, but nothing worrisome! I installed and ran Malware Bytes – again, nothing alarming found! I ran SUPER Antispyware – still nothing bazaar found! The voices would play periodically — several snippets in a row and then nothing for an hour or two and then come back! When my nephew logged in remotely, he looked all over everything — nothing in the start-up or registry or whatever else he looked at looked odd – everything looked just fine! He suggested I do a system restore back to a few days before the voices started, which would get rid of anything new that might be causing it AND, it would put Norton back to the way it was before all this, too. That actually seemed to work — no voices for about 3 hours! Then, they came back — this time, there were TWO different ads playing simultaneously and it played the WHOLE ads……..three times in a row!!! UUUGGGHHH!!! And, Norton still wouldn’t open. So, I went on Facebook and described my problem and asked if anyone has experienced it or knew what might be causing it! A friend in Arizona forwarded it to her son and he Googled it and found it to be a known virus and sent me some info on how to clean it, but cautioned that it could cause more damage, if I didn’t do it right – he recommended someone knowledgeable do it, so I forwarded it to my nephew and asked if he would come over and take care of it for me. I did more research on it and found several articles saying it was a VERY NASTY virus and very difficult to get rid of — some discussion threads talked about having to do it multiple times with multiple tools before it would stop coming back! So, I disconnected my modem so I wasn’t hooked to an internet source and got on my laptop and changed all my passwords and checked all my information closely — looked like everything was good — I must have caught it in time to keep it from getting me into trouble! My nephew recommended we just reformat the hard drive and start fresh — only sure way to be absolutely positive we got rid of it completely! So, I took it to him and he did that for me! Now, all is fine…….and, a few other annoying little issues I had are all fixed, too……..and, my speed is back to what it should be! So, a happy ending…….but, I sure had a restless night the day I learned it was a really nasty virus – laid awake and tossed and turned all night with a sick feeling in my stomach! What makes these people who create and distribute viruses tick? If they would take their knowledge and time to do something constructive in the world, maybe we could have programs that would find the cure for cancer or generate world peace or something wonderful……..instead of trying to infect my little PC and make my life miserable for a few days!!!!
There have been other little, less disruptive things happening, but not worthy of capturing on here……..but, I do want to mention the bazaar feeling I have in general! For a month or so, now, I have had an off and on feeling that something is wrong or something is going to happen…….like I did something that is going to somehow come back to bite me! You know, that feeling you have in the pit of your stomach that tells you to watch out!!! After all that has happened, you’d think that feeling would go away – I’ve had enough to satisfy it……..but, it is still there! Not all the time……but, sometimes in the evening when I’m getting ready for bed or just sitting and thinking……….maybe now that I’ve gotten it all off my mind and written down, I can relax!
A Sea of Flags…
As Memorial Day approaches, the Veteran groups have been busy putting out new, crisp flags at the grave sites of our veterans. I was at Mount Albion Cemetery yesterday setting out the crocks for our family members and found the sea of flags to be heart warming. Of course, I snapped a few photos.
First up: My Dad’s crock – one of the three that Mom and I made up and set out last night – Poppie not only gets a Veteran’s flag, he also gets the small one we put in all our cemetery crocks:
The sea of flags in the military section:
And, finally, the Civil War section:
Movie Review – The Great Gatsby
I had mixed feelings about them doing a remake of the 1974 classic version of The Great Gatsby……after all, I loved the ’74 version and saw it at least a gazillion times – maybe more! I questioned them choosing Leonardo DiCaprio to play Gatsby – he is no Robert Redford – and who could possibly play Daisy better than Mia Farrow!!!??? But, I was still drawn to it…..every time I saw the trailers, I got excited……when I saw the extended trailer at the theater when I saw 42, I knew I had to see it – regardless of my concern that it might be a huge disappointment for me! So, Saturday was the day…….I had several errands to do and things to take care of, so I decided to do most of them in Brockport so I could get a pedicure and see the movie after I got my business taken care of.
First, I want to comment on the Brockport theater. I used to go there a LOT and always thought it was a quaint little theater and there aren’t many little small town theaters around, anymore. Since I’ve been back home, there hasn’t been any movies playing there that interested me, so it was the first time in many, many years that I’ve been in that particular theater. I was excited to see the movie there – I think one of the many times I saw the 1974 version in a theater was there in Brockport and it just seemed like a perfect setting to see it in! First, the matinée price was $5.50……WOW…..I haven’t seen a $5.50 matinée at a theater in years – that’s what a matinee SHOULD cost (or less) – and the evening showings are only $7.50! But, I was very sad to see that the building has been “let go” – paint peeling off the walls and other visible disrepair – what a shame!!! They have split it into three very small screening rooms, so it makes for a nice, intimate setting and the price is right……so, I will look forward to seeing more movies there in the future, but was so disappointed to see it not taken care of like it used to be!
Now, for my review: Like I said, I was concerned that I would be let down by this new version. The 1974 cast was so perfect – Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Lois Chiles…….all brought F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic characters to life exactly the way you would want them to be portrayed! I’m not a huge Leonardo DiCaprio fan – I like some of his characters, but he doesn’t really grab me over all! And I don’t care a lot for Tobey Maguire, either – again, I’ve enjoyed some of his work, but not really a fan. Would they ruin Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway for me? And who is this Carey Mulligan they chose to play Daisy? I also heard that they made some significant changes to the story – expanded it – not sure how I was going to feel about that! I know there was a lot more details in the book than were included in the 1974 version, but were they really necessary for the movie? Obviously, they weren’t essential to make the 1974 version great – why would they be necessary now? I was nervous…….I really felt like I had to see this movie, but didn’t want it to cloud my memory of the version I loved so much!
As it turns out, over all, I wasn’t disappointed – I enjoyed this version…..to a point. But, there were parts that did disappoint me – a lot! Would I recommend it to others? Yes – it was good, especially if you never saw the 1974 version, and even if you did. Will I see it again? No – I love to see movies that really touch me over and over again, but this one didn’t touch me, so I have no interest in seeing it again. That’s not to say I didn’t like it — I did — it just wasn’t great!
The story, for those who may not know, is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby. It is set in the midst of the roaring 20’s with all the parties and frivolousness that era is known for. Jay Gatsby is a somewhat reclusive millionaire who hosts lavish parties at his home in hopes that his long-lost true love, Daisy Buchanan, will wander in one night. The story is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s neighbor and Daisy’s cousin, who gets caught up in all the excitement and drama he becomes fascinated with, along with Daisy’s friend, Jordan Baker. Daisy is now married to millionaire, Tom Buchanan, who quite blatantly cheats on her with other women – in particular, Myrtle Wilson, wife of gas station owner, George Wilson. Gatsby does everything he can to arrange a meeting and rekindle the love between him and Daisy. As with most stories of unrequited love, there is passion and tragedy all wrapped up together.
What I liked: Most of the movie was pretty much word for word with the 1974 version – I found myself finishing sentences in my head – they didn’t change the essence of the story at all. I also thought the actors did a pretty good job – I’ll have some negative comments in the next section, but over all, they were good. Specifically, it looked like DiCaprio studied Redford’s portrayal – he had many of the same looks and mannerisms. They went into a little more detail about Gatsby’s past in flash backs – how he went from dirt poor to war veteran to mega millionaire – I liked learning more about him – the previous version alluded to it, but never really offered up a full explanation – but, even though this is a plus, I will also include a view of it as a negative in the next section.
What I didn’t like: Right at the opening of the movie, I was sure my fears were confirmed – they opened with Nick Carraway in a sanatorium for alcoholism and insomnia! As part of his therapy, the doctor has him write about his memories of why he ended up there. The previous version was told through Nick’s eyes, but this was more of a narration with hand written words fading across the screen at certain times throughout the movie. I wasn’t pleased with the way they treated the telling of the story by Nick or that he does it from a sanatorium. They focused a lot more on the drinking and sex (don’t get me wrong – there was no nudity or sex scenes, but it was a LOT more obvious in the story line) and made most of the background characters into a caricature of people of those times – they were mostly animated (not animation – more like over exaggerated – animated) fools – for instance, several scenes showed cars over loaded with more people than it can hold, standing and hanging out with glasses and bottles of champagne while the cars speed and weave in and around traffic – just seemed a little too silly for me and kind of took the credibility of the story away, sort of! There were a couple of scenes where RAP music was playing and one night club scene where the stage dancers were dancing like the hip-hop dancers do now – you know, that humpy butt shake thing that Beyoncé, J Lo, and others do! NOT something you would have seen in the 1920’s! Again, that cut into the credibility of the story and the times! While I said before that I liked that they expanded on Gatsby’s past, I didn’t really like that they focused heavily on his gangster, bootlegger ties – that could have stayed as the vague mentions they did in the previous version – didn’t have to be so in your face – he’s supposed to be the gentle, shy guy who just wants to marry his sweetheart!
What I HATED: The ending!!! The previous version went beyond Gatsby’s death and funeral a little – his father showed up, so you knew he wasn’t dead, after all, and that Gatsby kept in touch with him and was generous with him – didn’t just turn his back on his dirt poor family! This version ends just after the funeral – where Carraway states he called all over to find family and friends to attend his funeral and “no one came – I’m all he had”……..didn’t like that AT ALL!!! AND…..they left out most of the touching love scenes between Daisy and Gatsby…..isn’t that the whole point of the story? They left it as a vague reference! Expanded on parts that I thought were totally unnecessary and left out parts that are essential to the story!
Now for the character comparisons: While the characters were essentially the same in both versions, there were some aspects that made them very different at the same time. Although I thought DiCaprio acted a great deal like Redford did, he took it in a more disturbing direction. Redford played Gatsby as a shy, but strong character, reclusive, but friendly – he was obviously anxious about his first meeting with Daisy after so many years apart, but he was cool about it. DiCaprio looked more scared, than anxious and he was even sweating. There were several scenes, including the one where he was awaiting his first meeting with Daisy, that he had pained looks on his face – very different from the cool demeanor of Redford’s portrayal. Mia Farrow’s Daisy was very demure and child-like – frail. Mulligan’s Daisy was more like those silly fools that I spoke about earlier and she seemed more strong-willed – definitely out of character for the lovely Daisy. Sam Waterston did a MUCH better job as Nick Carraway – he was intrigued, fascinated, and acted like a kid in the circus, but kept his head about him. Maguire’s Carraway was drunk a lot and seemed much more immature. The other characters were more comparable – subtle differences, as with any time you have two different actors portraying the same character, but nothing as glaring as with the three main characters.
Bottom line………I’m not at all sorry I went to see it – I liked it, mostly! And, like I said, I would recommend it! But, I won’t see it again — in fact, I came home and streamed the Redford version from Amazon to put it back in my head as the last one I saw! 🙂 I rate it a B – good, but not great!
Review: Jersey Boys
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Cathy and I were talking about stage shows and interesting places to go for things like that. She asked if I ever saw Jersey Boys and mentioned that the show was currently playing at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. I said, no – why don’t we get tickets and go!!!??? So, we did – we got tickets for the matinee show on Thursday!!! What a treat!!! From the moment we talked about it, I looked forward to it! I love the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – I even saw them live on the Steel Pier in Atlantic City along with Brenda Lee when they were just The Four Seasons and I was like, maybe 10 or so! Who doesn’t know their music? Even if you are too young to remember their hits when they were hits and if you don’t even know who they are – you have heard their music – it gets chosen for movies and TV shows and commercials all the time! Their music is HUGE and they had so many hits and I couldn’t wait to listen to a couple hours of it set in the story of how four guys from the streets of Jersey got their big break and became STARS!
So, Thursday came…….I picked up Cathy and we headed to Buffalo with the help of Maggie – my GPS, since neither of us were exactly sure how to get to Shea’s and where to park. We talked and talked all the way – it was such a pretty day for a drive! Maggie took us right to the entrance of Shea’s – not quite the route we would have taken to get to the general vicinity, but she got us there. We found a parking lot directly across the street – yay – but were surprised to find out that they were charging $30 to park!!! WHAT??? So, not willing to pay $30 to park, unless we had no other choice, I asked the attendant if there were any more reasonably priced parking lots nearby. He said we could use city parking (and said it like it was a bad thing) and the nearest one was a couple blocks away. We went on two blocks up the street and found it — max cost for a day of parking in the city garage — $7.00!!! Um, YEAH – I’ll walk two blocks for that! I was surprised at the number of people who just paid the man $30 – that lot and several others just like it were packed with cars with drivers who obviously didn’t think to ask the question, “is there some place cheaper?”!!! Anyway…..happy with our cost savings, we looked for a place to have some lunch before the show and found a great little deli right beside Shea’s.
It was the first time I’ve ever been in Shea’s – I’ve seen a lot of shows in Rochester and Toronto, but none in Buffalo and, specifically, none at Shea’s. When I walked in, I was awe struck! What an incredibly regal theater it is…….so ornate and luxurious with gold and red velvet and that was just the lobby and hallway to the doors into the theater! We entered the theater and found our seats — fourth row center — incredible seats — and looked around at the magnificent space and felt overwhelmed by the history and beauty! It is an amazing building that I’ll never forget – so gorgeous!!!
Then, the show started……….and I was not disappointed………in fact, it was so much better than I could have possibly expected it to be! The actors couldn’t have sounded more like the real guys if they were actually the real guys!!! And the story of how they got started and how fame impacted their lives and their careers was very interesting and emotional…….yes, I used the “E” word – several parts brought me to tears (and some actual sobbing) – when they broke out into the first song…..OK, so just about every time they broke out into a song I loved – certain key points in their lives (especially when Frankie Valli’s youngest daughter dies) – I was wiping at least a little tear through most of the show! We really could have used a box of Kleenex! 🙂 It was over two hours jam packed with fabulous music and narration of how it all happened from each of the guy’s perspectives and finally where they all are, now – one is, sadly, no longer with us. And it all ended with an exciting final scene with all the cast on stage singing and dancing to “December 1963, Oh What A Night” – my favorite of their songs!!! The entire audience was on their feet clapping and dancing in place and singing along!!! (Dang, why didn’t we bring that box of Kleenex???)
We got back to town and I dropped Cathy off so I could go take care of the girls. Then we met for some dinner and then met up with her sister and brother-in-law at Watt’s for ice cream! What a wonderful day it was…….fun spending time and talking with Cathy……an amazing show…….and a great ending to the day! If you get a chance to see Jersey Boys…..DO IT!!!! Here is a video montage – enjoy!
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…….. 🙂
Water……Creek or Crick?
I love being near the water. I love hearing it flowing across rocks in a stream or crashing against the shoreline or splashing up on a ledge. I love the cool, crisp, clear look of a babbling brook. I just love being near the water. I find being near the water to be the ultimate in peace and relaxation. Watching ducks, swans, boats, and even leaves or moss glide across the calm waters with utter grace and ease brings an inner calm to me. Watching and listening to waves break up onto the shore and retreat back into the body of water is mesmerizing. I can lose myself in thought or just sit in total inner silence for hours by the water.
Now…..to clarify a little, here…….that is different from being “at the beach”, in my mind, which is something I’m not a big fan of! I really don’t like being out in the hot sun on a crowded beach – not to say that I don’t like the beach, cause I do – I enjoy feeling the sand in my toes and walking along a beach, enjoying the waves rushing up on my legs. But, put me on a hot beach in the scorching sun with the sand blistering my feet and a ton of people around and I’m not going to be a happy camper – at all! My ideal “beach” scene is a where I’m warm or slightly cool, not getting baked and burned to a crisp by the sun, feeling the breeze on my face and the wet sand and water on my feet, hearing nothing but the waves and seagulls, seeing an occasional person or small group of people wandering by as I sit and read with my feet in the cool water, and being totally relaxed!
So, today I want to talk about some of my favorite memories of being near the water – most of which are right here near Albion! But, first, I need to mention that wherever you read the word “creek”, mentally read it as “crick”, because that is how I mean it to be pronounced….the way I pronounce it! Funny anecdote about that: I was doing an assignment in grammar school – probably something like “What I Did Over The Summer Break” type of assignment. I was telling about time I spent at the creek behind our house and couldn’t figure out how to spell “crick”, so I went to the teacher and asked her how to spell it. She asked me to describe what a “crick” was so she could figure out what I was talking about. When I told her that it was a stream of water, she corrected me and said it is a “creek – c-r-e-e-k”! I still always called it a “crick” and still do, most of the time! HA!
As a child, I remember days at the lake – my grandparents had a cottage on Lake Ontario and we spent a lot of time there. It really didn’t have a beach – just a stony landing at the bottom of the stairs that led to the lake, but we would throw rocks into the water, skip stones, and, of course, walk and swim in the lake. At the top of the stairs were some benches and I used to enjoy sitting there at night in the dark and just listen to the waves that I couldn’t see from there. I remember going to nearby Johnson’s Creek with some friends and when I came out from swimming discovered several leaches on my legs……eeewww……the thought still gives me the creeps! Other childhood water-related memories include family vacations to Atlantic City (long before the casinos took it over) and camping on Conesus Lake – one of the Finger Lakes.
When we moved out to the country, there was a creek that ran out back. I’d walk through the farmer’s field that surrounded our property to a tree-lined hill and climb down the hill to the creek below. It was a nice little creek – clear, cool, and always moving! My boyfriend at the time, Bobby, lived on the next road over and he would walk from his house to the creek and we’d meet there. Other neighborhood kids would go there, too, and we’d get together and have fun by the water! And, I often went and just sat there by myself and just think! I also seem to have some vague, fleeting memories of an occasional cow being there for a drink from the creek and a farmer who didn’t like us being there and shot buck shot our way to scare us off – we weren’t intimidated! I’ve been to several seminars where they would ask us to close our eyes and think of a place that we could go to in our minds to relax……that is always the place I would “go to” – I’d put myself on that creek bank and could actually hear the water rushing over the rocks. I recently stopped at the cemetery that overlooks the creek (no way was I going to walk across the long field and climb down the hill, like I used to – haha) – it is all grown up and much more rugged looking than I remember it, but the creek is still there and still sounds the same. I loved that creek!!!!
Another great place is Lake Alice in Waterport. I actually never knew it was named Lake Alice…..I always new it as Waterport Creek and later heard it called Waterport Pond a lot. It is a huge lake that feeds from Oak Orchard Creek – great for fishing and boating! I went to Waterport school for 5th and 6th grades – a small country school that was part of Orleans County school system – and had a lot of friends who lived along the lake, so spent a lot of time there. We used to swim out to a little “oasis” that was out a ways from the shore near my friend Cathy’s house and I’d watch friends jump from the bridge (I never had the nerve to try that)! There was also an old railroad trestle just down from the main area that we could walk to and go out onto it (again, that was a little scary for me and my fear of heights) – the trestle is closed off, now (and maybe even gone – not sure), because it isn’t safe, anymore (not that it was all that safe to be on when we were kids, either), so I couldn’t get any photos. It was a nice lake to enjoy fun on and near the water!
A waterway you can’t ignore around here is the Erie Barge Canal – it goes right through the center of just about every town around here! Hand dug by immigrants, it officially opened on October 26, 1825 and was created to connect the Hudson River to the Great Lakes to provide easy, inexpensive transportation for goods from the ocean inland. Many a town was born and built up along the canal as a major center of commerce – Albion, included! I drive over the canal several times every day, because I live just north of it and can’t get to town any way I go without coming up on at least one canal bridge! Back in the day, mules pulled the barges along the tow path. Now, tug boats pull the barges and the tow path is a great recreational path for walkers and cyclists. The canal is mainly a recreational waterway, now – although it is still used for commercial transportation. Boaters use the canal for fun and people can be found on the banks fishing. The canal is quite a work of art — full of locks to guide boats through changing elevations and lift bridges that raise to allow taller boats to pass by street intersections. I remember hearing the bells ring, signaling that the lift bridge was being raised for a boat, and we would run to ride the bridge up, watch the boat go under it, and ride it back down. We used to ice skate on the canal in the winter, but it wasn’t a safe activity, so the canal is now drained during the winter months and refilled in the spring. Here are some photos I took the other day of the section between the Main St and Ingersoll St lift bridges – both are within a couple of blocks from my house! In the photos are some tugs, tenders, and barges that are docked across from the police station and fire hall on Platt and Bank Streets and the Ingersoll St lift bridge.
I’ve written a lot on here about Lake Ontario and Point Breeze. The Point is one of my most favorite places on earth! It is the spot where the Oak Orchard River and Lake Ontario meet, so you have the vast Great Lake and a calmer river with marinas and docks all within spitting distance of each other. I love sitting there watching the boats make their way from the marinas on the river out onto the lake and back in. I enjoy taking a loaf a bread and feeding the many ducks and swans that populate the area. It is peaceful and bustling all at the same time — the water is calming, but there is always a lot of activity with fisherman and boats and bikers and on and on! I just love it there! Here are some photos I took this week.
Recently, I discovered two local waterfalls that I wasn’t aware of (or don’t remember) when I was growing up here. One in Holley (first photo below) and one in Clarendon (second photo) – both quite pleasant to visit!
There is nothing quite as spectacular as a sun set (or sun rise) over the water…….words can never describe it and photos rarely capture it! Here is the sun setting over the lake at Point Breeze one evening last summer.
Since I lived in NC for 26+ years, you’d think I’d have lots of great stories about the water, but I really don’t have that many – oh, there were a couple small man-made lakes nearby (Harris and Jordan Lakes) and a couple rather large rivers (Deep River and Haw River), but I never really got interested in them. And, as for the ocean…..like I mentioned earlier, I am not really a fan of the hot beaches – we did spend some time at Carolina Beach, but it was not a place I really enjoyed a lot. We went on a fishing boat out onto the ocean, once, but I got very sea sick. I spent a few days at a work retreat at Atlantic Beach that was very enjoyable – mainly because we went in the off-season and it wasn’t terribly hot and not at all crowded. I LOVED a trip we made to the Outer Banks for our first wedding anniversary, though – we spent a couple of days at Nags Head and then drove the whole length of the Outer Banks – a wonderful trip that I really enjoyed a lot! I have enjoyed spending time on the river front in Savannah and the South Street Seaport in NYC and drove parts of the Pacific Coast Highway in California – all very beautiful. I enjoy taking boat tours, when available, wherever I go — the one we took in Arizona was incredible and I loved the one I took from NYC’s South Street Seaport to Yankee Stadium where I watched a Yankee’s game – NICE!!! I also love being out on the deck of a cruise ship, just looking out over the ocean! But, I still love all the options we have around here to be on or near the water most of all – lots of memories and time spent just soaking in the peace and quiet!
So, I’ll leave you with my foot in a flip-flop on a cruise ship deck in Nassau, Bahamas……peace and fresh sea air – just doesn’t get any better than this!
Memory
It is funny how some things trigger a memory that warms your heart. Today, a simple conversation caused me to remember something I used to enjoy eating, but haven’t thought about in quite some time. I was visiting with my niece and her children – my great nephew and great niece. Nolen, age 3, was telling me what he learned at the library earlier in the morning. He was in a story group that was reading about bees and told me that bees made honey! We talked a little about how we both like honey and that he likes it on bread and muffins! I mentioned that I like toasted pumpernickel bread with butter and honey on it!
I thought about this the rest of the day and ended up popping in to the grocery store to pick up a small loaf of fresh pumpernickel from their bakery and a bottle of honey! I couldn’t wait until breakfast to have some……I toasted two slices to have as a snack while watching TV after choir practice this evening!
Thinking of pumpernickel bread and honey was not only a reminder of a favorite treat that I haven’t had in a long time, it also brought up two distinct memories I share with a dear friend from my high school years – both gave me the warm-fuzzies and put a big smile on my face! The memories stuck with me through the day, today!
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First up — the very first time I remember eating pumpernickel bread was the first time I went to my friend, Sharon Nowicki’s house for lunch. Her Mom served ham slices rolled up in little logs, pumpernickel bread (there was probably another choice, but I only remember the pumpernickel), condiments, and probably either salad or chips – not sure – just remember those sandwiches made with ham logs, pumpernickel bread and condiments in little dishes! I thought it was so fancy and I developed a taste for something new!
- The second memory was the very first time I put honey on pumpernickel toast! Sharon and I went to New York City in 1979. We had a FABULOUS time in the big city – feeling and acting quite full of ourselves! 🙂 We took the train from Rochester to Grand Central Station and spent several days seeing the sites. One of our adventures was going to Central Park. We took a horse and buggy ride to Tavern On The Green – a very elegant restaurant in the middle of Central Park (I don’t believe it is there, anymore) – for brunch. It was a beautiful place with huge crystal chandeliers, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the park, and extremely handsome waiters! We had omelets and Champaign and a bread/pastry tray, which included (among many other things) pumpernickel toast with honey as just one of the possible spread selections. I don’t remember what triggered me to put honey on the pumpernickel toast, but I did and the rest was history!!! (to read more about our trip, click here for a blog post I wrote about it)
Aahh – memories are the joys of a life well lived……I am blessed with many wonderful memories!!!
Movie Review – 42
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.
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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!
Olive Oil…FYI
While on vacation in Arizona a few weeks ago, my friends and I visited the Queen Creek Olive Mill in Queen Creek, near the Apache Junction / Mesa area. What a great place and unique experience! Queen Creek Olive Mill is a family owned business with olive orchards, pressing mill, bistro, and store. The owner is also the master-blender. They grow and press olives into handcrafted extra virgin olive oil from “blossom to bottle” and it is the only olive oil producer in Arizona. Their products are of high quality, as they ONLY produce Extra Virgin grade olive oils. They offer tours, which includes a class called “Olive Oil 101”, that we really enjoyed. I never gave olive oil much thought – it is just a more healthy oil, right? I mean, I like and use it and knew it was made from olives, but other than that, it wasn’t something I ever wondered about. But, I have to say, I learned a lot and went away with a new view of olive oil!
The plan was to take the tour and then have lunch in the Bistro. But, we arrived just a tad too late to join the tour that was about to start, so we switched gears and did lunch first. It was not easy to decide what to eat…..there was a large selection and everything sounded absolutely wonderful!!! But, I finally settled on the Lucca sandwich – Herb roasted turkey breast, brie (of course, I asked that they leave the cheese off because of my allergy), sliced apple, seasonal greens, and caramelized red onion and fig tapenade (their own product) on a multi-grain ciabatta roll. Oh…My…God, it was so amazing!!! I enjoyed the caramelized red onion and fig tapenade so much, I bought two jars to include in what I had shipped home! The sandwich came with chips and olives. Now, I have to include here that I am not an olive fan…..never liked the taste of them at all. But, I decided that I really should try the ones that were on my plate because I may never have a chance to try some that were grown and processed so close to when I ate them! So, try them, I did…….and………I still don’t like olives – but, no one can say, “but you’d really like them if….”! HAHA! But, the sandwich was incredible! The bistro not only had sandwiches, but they also served made-from-scratch soups, pizzas, fresh-baked desserts, wines, and gelato and sorbetto! I didn’t have anything other than the sandwich, but Ronald tried the gelato and said it was very good!
After we ate, we still had a few minutes to browse through the store before our tour started. I decided I wanted to take some things home with me, but my suitcase was already stretched to the max and I knew the liquids wouldn’t be allowed in my carry-on! So, I asked if they would ship my purchases to me and the girl I spoke with was very excited to tell me that they absolutely would! 🙂 So, I got an idea of what I wanted and then, after the tour, we went back in the store and I picked out several items and arranged for them to be shipped. When the box came, I was so happy to see my purchases — a bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a bottle of roasted garlic flavored EVOO, a bottle of Mexican lime flavored EVOO, a bottle of aged balsamic vinegar, a bottle of balsamic and fig flavored vinegar, two jars of caramelized red onion and fig tapenade, a copy of their family cook book, a jar of lavender-scented body cream made from EVOO, and a couple pour corks for the bottles. Yeah, I went a little crazy, but it was all so fresh and so good and after the tour I had an increased awareness and respect for EVOO, so I couldn’t help myself! 🙂
The tour was really cool…….it started outside at an olive tree where we learned all about how olives grow and are harvested and some history of olives and olive oil. We, then, moved into the pressing room where we learned how the olives are processed into olive oil and the differences between the various grades of olive oil. It was very informative and absolutely fascinating!!! I’ll go into some of what I learned, but I want to leave this paragraph with the bottom line piece of info I left the tour with…..I always bought “extra light” olive oil because I just assumed it was better for you and had a lighter taste when used on salads……after learning what I learned, I will NEVER buy anything other than Extra Virgin Olive Oil again……ever!!!
OK, so what did I learn?
- The Queen Creek, Arizona olive grove is located in an area that has ideal conditions for growing olive trees – long sunny days, cool nights, very fertile soil, and located in a flood plain. Also, by growing the trees in the dessert, there is no risk of their natural predators – the olive fly and olive tree molds – so there is no need to use any kind of pesticide or mold inhibitors!
- Olives are harvested in Arizona in the months of September thru December.
- Olive oil is made from a carefully timed blend of both green and purple olives (color denotes degree of ripeness), as well as oil pressed from the pits, so the whole olive is used.
- It takes 50 pounds of olives to make one gallon of olive oil…….no wonder it is so expensive!!!
- Extra Virgin is the highest quality grade of olive oil. In order to be graded Extra Virgin, the olives MUST be cold pressed and not undergo any treatment other than washing, grinding, mixing, gentle separation, and filtering. It also must have a free acidity level of less than or equal to 0.8% – this measures the degree of freshness of the olives at the time of pressing. To get a grade of Extra Virgin, the oil must be pure and not be refined in any way – any use of heat pressing or chemicals to extract the oils results in a lower grade olive oil. “Virgin” (without the “Extra” designation) is processed the same way, but will have a free acidity level of more than 0.8%, but no more than 2%.
- Queen Creek Olive Mill’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil typically has a free acidity level of 0.3% – pretty high quality, if you ask me! This shows their level of dedication to processing the olives as close to harvest as possible so that the oil is as fresh as it can possibly be.
- During the cold pressing process, the freshly harvested olives – pit and all – are milled into a coarse paste, which is blended very slowly in a large mixer prior to going through a centrifuge to separate the oils from the solids. Extra Virgin is the grade of oil that is extracted during this process. The fresh oil is decanted and transferred to an oxygen-free stainless steel storage decanter with a conical bottom where the oil and any remaining water can naturally separate. The oil is then blended to achieve the best taste – grassy, peppery, fruity, bitter, or buttery are all positive flavor attributes of a good batch of EVOO and blending batches with these different flavor attributes makes the perfect tasting bottle! The blended oils are stored in stainless steel tanks and kept fresh until it is bottled. They blend every 6 weeks and bottle every 3 weeks to ensure the freshest oil at the time of bottling.
- Shelf life – as long as the oil is fresh at the time of bottling, it will remain fresh for one year – opened or unopened!
- Do not refrigerate olive oil, as it will solidify. The oils I had shipped to me must have gotten very cold during shipment, because they were solid in the bottles when they arrived. But, I didn’t panic, because I remembered learning that if they do get cold enough to solidify, that you can just set them out and let them re-liquefy – that it won’t harm the oil in any way! And, sure enough, I actually watched them gradually liquefy over about an hour! Cool!!!
- Don’t let the terms “Pure”, “Light”, “Extra Light” or any other descriptor other than “Extra Virgin” or “Virgin” fool you…….they sound like high quality grades – especially the term “Pure”, but they are NOT! All grades other than Extra Virgin or Virgin have free acidity levels higher than 2% and are heat and chemically pressed. Remember the centrifuge step I mentioned above? Well, the “good” oil is procured from the front of the press and the solids and water are captured out the back of the press as “waste”. Well, the waste product does still contain extractable oils, but you can’t extract it further without heat and chemicals — so, any oil extracted through those methods are considered “refined” and can no longer be graded as any form of “virgin” oil.
- Remember my comment about always purchasing “Extra Light” olive oil? Well, that is the absolute lowest, bottom of the totem pole, grade of olive oil – the farthest end of the spectrum from “Extra Virgin”! eeeewwww…….yeah, I’m never buying it, again! In fact, I have a full, large bottle that will now be used to moisturizer my skin……or maybe I’ll just toss it out!!!!
So, that is what I learned about Olive Oil……now, we also learned a little about olives, in general! They do not process olives for sale as olives, there, but some of their grove does get processed by another partner company not far from there. Here is what I learned about olives…..which, as I stated earlier, I don’t particularly care for! 🙂
- Don’t eat an olive off the tree – it will be very bitter and must be cured before it can be eaten!
- The color of the olive is a reflection of ripeness – green olives are less ripe than the very ripe dark purple olives.
- Olive trees are harvested when the percentage of green and purple olives reach a ratio best for whatever purpose they are being harvested for – oils or olives.
- There is no such thing as a BLACK olive — black olives are the riper purple ones that have been chemically colored to give them the black appearance. They are sweeter than the green ones because they are riper.
- Olives are not naturally salty – they obtain that salty taste from the brines they are cured in.
- It takes 3-5 months to naturally cure olives in the brines. The best tasting and highest quality olives are naturally cured. The olives that were included with the sandwiches in the Bistro were naturally cured – which is why I thought maybe, just maybe, I’d like them better than store-bought ones I’ve tried in the past……..oh well, I tried them!!!
- Most store brand olives are more rapidly mass cured over 3-5 days using food grade lye and other chemicals.
So, there you have it……..everything you ever wanted to know about olive oil and olives, but were afraid to ask…….in a nutshell!!! If you ever get to the Phoenix/Mesa/Apache Junction or surrounding area, be sure to put the Queen Creek Olive Mill on your tour plans — it really is a unique experience and one I’m sure you’ll enjoy as much as I did!
** Info in this post came from my memory of what we learned in the tour, as well as from the brochures I took home with me and their website. You can click HERE to visit their website for more info or to shop online for their products! Check it out!!!!
Photos we took at the mill:
The press and centrifuge assembly
The press room is very small with just this one press and a few stainless steel tanks
Ronald and me / Ronald and Lisa
photos taken after the tour in the courtyard outside the store and bistro
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