Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
I Love Lucy…..And Wine!!!
The Busy Buddies group I belong to had a Jamestown/Wine Tasting day trip scheduled in September. I didn’t sign up for it – even though I drooled when I saw it on the list – because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be in town and able to go…..wasn’t sure when I’d get back from my New England Adventure! Monday, while I was at the gym working out, “something” made me think about that tour! So, I left in the middle of my work out and walked over to Orleans Travel to talk to Mitzy and ask her if I missed it or if there was still a chance I could go. Well……she said “it’s tomorrow – wanna go?” WOW – there was just one seat left and I grabbed it!!! 😀 Just one more wonderful benefit of being retired……flexibility to plan a full day trip at the drop of a hat!!!
The September 12th tour included a stop in Jamestown, NY to tour the Lucille Ball museums, then, a boat cruise on Chautauqua Lake boarding at Lucille Ball Memorial Park in Celeron, NY, and stops at two local wineries on the way back to Albion. It was a gorgeous day for it – mid 70s, sunny, ever so slight breeze – and everything we did and saw was just amazing! I had the best time…..so glad something tickled me into thinking about asking when I did and I didn’t end up missing out on a fantabulous day!!!
Here are some photos from the tour…..but, first……here are my Photos of the Day for September 12, 2017:
# 255 Photo Prompt – Emotional:
“I Do Love Lucy”
#emotional
This also shows my OOTD – LLR Perfect Tee and Leggings
# 255 Caught By My Lens:
“Even When She’s a Scary Lucy”
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JAMESTOWN, NY
First, we toured the Desilu Studios Museum
Focused on memorabilia from the TV Show – “I Love Lucy”
I do believe this is the closest I’ve ever been to an actual Emmy Award!!!
The “I Love Lucy” kitchen
And, their living room
And, bedroom…..
And, the apartment they had when they moved to Hollywood!!!
Lots of Lucy’s outfits from the show were on display – like her most iconic blue and white polka dot dress!
I loved seeing all the enlarged still photos from the show! Brought back so many memories!
Lucy appeared on the cover of TV Guide 36 times – more than any other star, ever…..here are just a few of those covers!
Right next door is the Lucy Desi Museum
Focused on Lucy and Desi’s personal lives and careers outside of “I Love Lucy”
Including childhood memories and interviews with people Lucy grew up with in Jamestown and Celeron, NY
Lots of her outfits…..like this one she wore in Mame!!!
Lucy’s 1972 Mercedes – donated by her son-in-law, Laurence Luckinbill (married to Lucy Arnez)!
There were MANY more displays of wonderful memorabilia – GREAT museums – and TWO gift shops!!!
CELERON, NY
The house on the RIGHT is Lucy’s childhood home on Lucy Lane in Celeron
The owners maintain the blue and white polka dot garage to honor her and her most iconic dress!
Lucille Ball Memorial Park, Celeron, NY – this beautiful statue was donated to the park to replace “Scary Lucy”! Â The story goes that a bronze statue of Lucy depicting the “Vitameatavegimin” skit was donated to the park. Everyone who saw it were outraged at how ugly and scary the face was – definitely NOT a good representation of the beautiful Miss Lucille Ball! So, after much national publicity about the “Scary Lucy” statue, this one was commissioned and donated to replace it. I thought the old one was removed completely, but found that it is still there…..just moved to a less prominent spot in the park!
“Scary Lucy”
Lucille Ball Memorial Park is located on Chautauqua Lake – this is a working lighthouse!
We took a 2.5 hour boat ride on the lake – they served lunch and then we went up on top to enjoy the sunshine! Â It was a perfect day for it!
 A boat full of Amish fishermen!
A Casino – but, not the kind you’re thinking! When it was originally opened, Casinos were places to go to have a meal, a drink, and some entertainment!
One of two non-working, ornamental light houses on the lake – we didn’t go to the area where the second one is located.
The interstate goes over the lake…..
WINERIES
We made wine tasting stops at two wineries after the boat tour! Both wineries are small, family owned businesses that grow their own grapes and process their own wine.
The first was Merritt Wines in Forestville, NY
They presented five wines for tasting and we could request others, if we wanted. I stick with the five they offered and ended up liking and purchasing bottles of three of them! 🙂
The second winery was Willow Creek Winery in silver Creek, NY
We were able to taste six of their wines – very nice! I bought one bottle of wine and some other gift items.
The vineyards at both wineries smelled AMAZING — the grapes are just about ready to harvest!
A special treat at Willow Creek Winery was this HUGE crane perched on the railing of the gazebo on the little pond behind the tasting room. I got fairly close, but not close enough to get a decent photo…..I only had my iPhone with me and it zooms in just so far before the photos turn fuzzy and pixelated! I wasn’t sure it was actually REAL because I stood there watching it for a while and it didn’t so much as flinch! But, when I got inside, the others were talking about it and I asked if it was real and one guy told me it was just scratching itself, so I guess it was! 😀
It was a great day, indeed!
Photos of the Day – September 11th
Here are my Photos of the Day for September 11, 2017:
# 254 Photo Prompt – Solo:
“One Lone Pink and White Blossom Remains”
#solo
All the blossoms on this pinky winky hydrangea have turned a gorgeous dark pink…..except one!
# 254 Caught By My Lens:
The season may be winding down, but my gardens are still amazing!
My burning bush finished turning a vibrant red while I was away!
The Rose of Sharron bushes and topiary tree are still loaded with blossoms!
The two “accidental” sunflowers in the bird and butterfly friendly garden are stunning!!!
And, my hydrangea tree has fully changed over to a lovely dark pink!
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SEPTEMBER 2017s PHOTO PROMPTS:
Photos of the Day – September 1st thru 10th
Hi, there……did ya miss me? I’ve been busy adventuring and couldn’t post here…..but, I did keep up with my Photos of the Day! I’ll tell ya all about my grand adventure later, but for now…..
Here are my Photos of the Day for September 1-10, 2017:
SEPTEMBER 1
# 244 Photo Prompt – Something Pink:
“Adventure Journal”
#somethingpink
SEPTEMBER 2
# 245 Photo Prompt – Breakfast:
“Bagel and a Cup of Tea”
#breakfast
SEPTEMBER 3
# 246 Photo Prompt – I Made This:
“Cool Beans Rock”
#imadethis
One of several “traveling rocks” I left all over the New England states!
SEPTEMBER 4
# 247 Photo Prompt – On The Road:
“Tooling Down The Highway”
#ontheroad
I believe this was somewhere in Connecticut
SEPTEMBER 5
# 248 Photo Prompt – Grass:
“Beach Grass”
#grass
Bar Harbor, Maine…….at our KOA campgrounds
SEPTEMBER 6Â
# 249 Photo Prompt – Ball:
“Watch Me Throw It…..”
“…..Now Throw It Back!”
#ball
SEPTEMBER 7
# 250 Photo Prompt – Surprise:
“Dang Lobster Got My Nose!”
#surprise
Bar Harbor, Maine
SEPTEMBER 8
# 251 Photo Prompt – That’s Funny:
“Walmart Employee Hard At Work”
#thatsfunny
Somewhere in New Hampshire
SEPTEMBER 9
# 252 Photo Prompt – Sweet:
“Vermont Maple Syrup and Fudge”
#sweet
Hogback Mountain, Vermont
SEPTEMBER 10
# 253 Photo Prompt – Lunch:
“Late Breakfast”
#lunch-ish
We made a stop at Dunkin’ mid-morning after leaving the campsite so that we wouldn’t have to stop again till we got home! So…..no lunch, today…..this photo will have to do! hehehe
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Watch for my adventure posts with lots of great photos of my motor home trip with my brother and sister-in-law through Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont!
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SEPTEMBER 2017s PHOTO PROMPTS:
Photos of the Day – August 29th, 30th, and 31st
Good Bye to August and Hello September……Autumn is chomping at the bit to come to life with those gorgeous colors we all love to see. But, I sure hate to see Summer coming to a close. But, that is life and time marches on.
Here are my Photos of the Day rounding out the month for August 29-31, 2017:
AUGUST 29
# 241 Photo Prompt – Three:
“Three Threes”
#three
OOTD:
LLR Irma with workout capris
AUGUST 30
# 242 Photo Prompt – Four:
“Four Score and Seven Years Ago…..”
#four
Mount Albion Cemetery
# 242 Caught By My Lens:
Another aspect of the Albion NY Rocks movement is a few Painted Quilt Rocks. The idea is if you find one, you paint a square on the quilt with your own personal touch and then rehide it to be found by someone else who will do the same…..until it is full and then it makes the rounds like all the other rocks in the movement. I found one on the 30th – here is the Before (as I found it) and After (with my addition) pics:
OOTD:
LLR Irma with workout capris
AUGUST 31
# 243 Photo Prompt – Five:
“Hello, my name is Ellie and I am five months old!”
#five
This is my puppy-niece…..my brother’s new chocolate lab puppy! Ain’t she cute? 🙂
# 243 Caught By My Lens:
Megan hasn’t been too happy since I got rid of my leather couch and replaced it with these two rocker-recliners…..she loved to lay up on the top of the back and look out the window! But, she has discovered that she can push the back of the chair back and it is even better – she doesn’t have to teeter on the top of the back of the couch! 🙂
The next set of rocks I painted for the Albion NY Rocks movement!
And, the next serving piece in the set of dishes I am making in ceramics…..a deviled egg plate!
OOTD:
LLR Perfect Tee and Leggings – love aqua, purple, and orange together!
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September 2017s Photo Prompts:
Photos of the Day – August 28th
Here are my Photos of the Day for August 28, 2017:
# 240 Photo Prompt – Two:
“Two Beautiful Flower Pots”
#two
Downtown Albion, NY summer flower pots – Albion Downtown Merchants Association and Navarra’s Farm Market and Greenhouses
# 240 Caught By My Lens:
Rocks I painted for the Albion NY Rocks movement! I’ll locate them around town to be found and enjoyed!
I posted yesterday about someone leaving this by my garage door…..well, I plan to enjoy it for another day or two and then relocate it somewhere in town to spread the joy to someone else!
OOTD:
LLR Perfect Tee (one of the treasures I earned at my party) and leggings for a comfortable day!
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August 2017s Photo Prompts:
September 2017s Photo Prompts:
Photos of the Day – August 27th
I had a busy Sunday, so LOTS of photos to post! Here are my Photos of the Day for August 27, 2017:
# 239 Photo Prompt – One:
“One Sunflower”
#one
I had a couple other contenders for the main Photo of the Day…..here they are:
Alternate: “One is Shorter Than the Others”
#one   #icanrelate
Runner Up: “One is Different Than the Others”
#one   #hahaha
# 239 Caught By My Lens:
I LOVE a field of sunflowers……always brings joy and smiles!!!
OOTD:
I decided to dress to match the weather……sunny, bright, and summery!!! My favorite orange sherbet Carly with a summery Shirley to dress it up!
I got this new necklace at Walmart – so pretty……BUT……I’m glad I only paid $5 for it cause it really irritated the psoriasis on the back of my neck – I’m all scraped up and rashy! 😦 Will only wear it over a turtle neck or something so that it doesn’t touch my neck from now on!
MORE FROM SUNDAY:
There is a huge “Albion NY Rocks” movement in town with hand painted rocks hidden all over and a Facebook page and everything! It is so cool! Sunday morning, I found this rock that someone left by my garage door……I feel so special!!! I plan to keep and enjoy it for a day or two and then find another place to hide it to bring a smile and joy to someone else……I will definitely “Spread the Joy”!
It made a nice addition to the snack buffet for a party I had Sunday afternoon! 🙂
Speaking of the party…….I hosted a LuLaRoe Pop-Up event at my home Sunday! It was a HUGE success – several of my friends and I had a BLAST shopping for clothes on my patio and enjoying some refreshments!
Thanks to my friend’s purchases and for being a hostess, I earned FOUR FREE items and a nice discount on several more…….I’ll have some great Outfits of the Day to post from this amazing pile of treasures!!!
Everyone LOVED one of my dips! It was one I discovered at another LuLaRoe pop up that another hostess made. It can also be found on Pinterest – where I think she found it! It is sooooooo good – thought I would share it here, too!
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Dip
One regular container of Cool Whip
One 8 oz package of Cream Cheese
One box of Brownie Mix
2 Tablespoons Milk
Mix together using an electric mixer, garnish with mini chocolate chips or crushed nuts
Serve with strawberries, pretzels, crackers, or anything that would be great with some chocolate dip on it!!!
Sooooooo YUMMY!!!!!
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August 2017s Photo Prompts:
Sneak Peek at September 2017s Photo Prompts:
Happy National Dog Day
I don’t remember a time I was without a dog in my life…..I can’t imagine my life without a dog by my side! So, today, on National Dog Day, I put together a slide with just a few of the many, many dogs that have brought joy to my life over the years…..just the ones I happen to have photos of scanned onto my computer!
Not pictured:
- A beagle named Penny
- A dalmatian mix named Jake
- A yellow lab named Teddy Bear
- A great dane/st. bernard mix named Big Ben
- A beagle named Jezabel (Easy’s lady and the mother of his puppies)
- …..and, probably a couple from when I was little that I don’t remember off hand!
I love you all…
Thanks for the friendships!
Photos of the Day – August 25th and 26th
Here are my Photos of the Day for August 25-26, 2017:
AUGUST 25
# 237 Photo Prompt – Starts with Y:
“Yummy, Juicy Burger for Dinner”
#startswithY Â #HelloFreshMeal
OOTD:
LLR Leggings, Perfect Tee, and Sarah Sweater
AUGUST 26
# 238 Photo Prompt – Starts with Z:
“Zebulon, NC is not far from where I used to live in Sanford, NC”
#startswithZ
OOTD:
“Old Hippy”……LLR Leggings with a bell sleeved smock top from Walmart! 😀
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August 2017s Photo Prompts:
What the heck, man? Seriously?
OK, so I went out to get my mail this morning. The box had the usual stuff in it…..mostly junk mail and catalogs and magazines…..no bills, today, YAY! On my way to the recycle bin, one of the magazines caught my eye……the cover was colorful and fun! I immediately recognized the work of Peter Max – famous artist of the hippy-era – LOVED HIM and had several of his posters in my bedroom as a teenage! 🙂 So, I looked to see what it was bringing attention to….and saw that it promoted an article inside about the 1967 Summer of Love! Cool!
It was sooooooo good to see Peter Max and the Summer of Love once again on the cover of the Rolling St…….oh, wait……it was on the cover of the AARP Magazine!!! WHAT???? That was too funny……I burst out laughing – right there over the recycle bin in my garage!!! LOL I know I’m getting “up there” and always feel a little shocked to see a famous person I know is my age or slightly older featured on the cover of AARP, but……come on……Peter Max and the Summer of Love……they are forever symbols of youth and fun and love and free spirits……oh, well – life goes on and grows older! I’m cool with that…..and I was sure thankful for the chuckle this gave me, this morning!
And, there’s no way I can resist the chance to share this great song! hehehe
Photos of the Day – August 23rd and 24th
Here are my Photos of the Day for August 23-24, 2017:
AUGUST 23
# 235 Photo Prompt – Starts with W:
“Wet Cushions”
#startswithW
See what I did there? 🙂
# 235 Caught By My Lens – another starts with W:
“Wild Sunflower”
#startswithW
Hhhmmm…..I didn’t plant sunflowers, this year……guess the birds thought I should have! 🙂
OOTD:
LLR Carly……yeah, I’m obsessed with Carly!
The lighting really impacts color perception! When I bought this and when I put it on in the morning, I was sure it was brown and black diagonals……but, get it out in the sun and see it through the camera lens, and I see it is actually dark mustard and navy blue! I think I like it better after that revelation! 🙂
AUGUST 24
# 236 Photo Prompt – Starts with X:
“Xpress Fitness”
#startswithX
Where I X-ercise!!! hehehe
# 236 Caught By My Lens:
“Very odd and scary bug….”
I stopped by the cemetery to water plants, today – before I leave I always kiss my finger tips and touch the tops of the stones on my parent’s and grandparent’s graves……just as I reached out to touch my grandparent’s stone, I saw THIS!!! Eeewww…… My first thought is that it looked like a cross between a wasp and a scorpion……so, neither one of those are something I want to be stung by! Needless to say, I jerked my hand back QUICK……and, then I took a photo…..duh!
I posted the pic on the FB page of a friend who is a bug expert…..she has a much more impressive title and works in the field of Entomology research, but “bug expert” sums it up nicely! Before she saw it, a friend of her’s responded with: “That is a pelecinid wasp, specifically Pelecinus polyturator. They parasitize June beetle larvae; hence the long ovipositor”. (in plain English, he said it is a “good bug, unless you’re a June Beetle”!)
OOTD:
LLR Leggings and Aqua Classic Tee
These amazing colors brightened an otherwise overcast day! 🙂
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August 2017s Photo Prompts:
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