Precious

  See.. this is one of the awesome things about blogging…

 Beth over at  – Be yourself, everyone else is taken – casually mentioned that she’d be at the beach for the next month.  Seeing as she resides in a snowy state,  I was curious as to where the heck she went.  The lucky girl  is currently a resident of Seaside on the Gulf Coast Pan handle of Florida.  If you’ve never been…  the waters are the most beautiful shade of emerald green/blue and the sands are sugar white.  My grandmother lived nearby in a gulf front condo on Panama City Beach and we visited Seaside often.

 “The original vision of founders Robert and Daryl Davis, Seaside is the heart of Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast along the scenic Highway 30A corridor. Beautiful, unique residences and guest houses blend seamlessly with pristine beaches overlooking the crystal clear waters of the Gulf Of Mexico. Seaside is designed to reflect a simpler time, when meals were shared, stories entertained and walking was how people got around.”

  I had a dream of one day owning one of these awesome seaside “cottages”… their vibrant colors and big porches and quaint walkways are so welcoming.  There’s an awesome artisans outdoor market in good weather. The problem is real estate is at a PREMIUM down there on the gulf coast and it’s only gotten more expensive in recent years. 

  There was, however, this tiny pink/peach cottage that I adored. It had the name “Precious”.  I thought.. well, some day… perhaps Precious will fit the budget.  I was so enamored with Precious when I last visited that I took photos and came home to paint a small portrait with my then four year old daughter standing in front.  Now I’m not a true artist in the paint medium, my work tends to be flat. But I still try now and then for the joy of it and I do cherish this little painting from 17 years ago.

  

When Beth told me where she was I gave her a photo assignment. It’s been 17 years since I last saw Precious. Could the tiny house still be as it was? Seaside has grown tremendously and it was quite possible she no longer existed. This morning I glanced at my blog roll.. and… THERE SHE WAS!!!
   Beth found her, in need of attention and now a mere guest cottage to a much larger home.  She is still… Precious.   And so is Beth…   thank you, thank you for finding my old friend.   Now that Precious is a guest cottage, I know for sure she is out of my league.  One can always dream.
 
 

Hammonasset in Winter

To stand at the edge of the sea
to sense the ebb and flow of the tides
to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh
to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept
up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of year
to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea
is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal
 as any earthly life can be.



 – Rachel Carson

 
 

Mohegan Sun Casino

 Yesterday Mah Baybeee gambled for the first time!  Good Gawd when did I get this old?  Although can I gush for a minute?… one of the slot maintenance gurus said my daughter and I look like sisters.  Yes, I know part of his job is to make everyone joyful so they’ll dump more money in the slots,  just hush.

 We live within 45 minutes of  both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos and occasionally head up there for dinner and a vacuum suck of about $300. of our hard-earned cash because we never ever win anything there, ever. .  I should point out that we aren’t much for gambling. It’s more of a once a year something-different thing to do.    Anyway… I don’t know if it’s a sign of the times, but the place was half empy when we got there around 2:00pm  and throughout the night there weren’t many “winning” bells and whistles going off.  Lots of people staring at machines with blank faces, mechanically hitting the spin button or pulling the lever just for something different.  I did a lot of people watching, and I noticed some folks actually have a pattern they follow… hit the button, pull the lever twice. (you have the option).  Or, there’s a rythym to their button hitting or lever pulling. Either way, they are mesmerized.

 That’s my mom next to my girl,  being a bad influence.

 Mike’s hand on the wheel of (mis)fortune.

  We had a good time, celebrating my MIL’s birthday and her oldest grandchilds new gambling status. Burgers and steaks at Michael Jordan’s joint, slots for a few hours until fingers were pryed off slot levers. The kid came out the winner, up $83. 

 Shopping area with a Dale Chihuly  glass sculpture…

Here’s what Mohegan has to say about itself:   A world at play and a world to its own, Mohegan Sun, created in 1996 by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, is one of the world’s most amazing destinations with some of New England’s finest dining, hotel accommodations, retail shopping, live entertainment and sporting events. Boasting three world-class casinos, Mohegan Sun is also host to the Kids Quest/Cyber Quest family entertainment facility, a luxurious day spa, convention center and meeting facility, a state-of-the-art Poker Room as well as three major entertainment venues with seating from 300 to 10,000. People from across the globe come to see live concerts with some of today’s top headliners, along with major sporting events including Mohegan Sun’s very own WNBA team, the Connecticut Sun.
Every turn leads to a new adventure with an indoor 55-foot waterfall, and electrifying water wall, the world’s largest and most spectacular indoor planetarium dome and the awe-inspiring Wombi Rock, a glowing crystal mountain made of imported stone that serves as the focal point of Casino of the Sky.

And it’s all that.

You Can’t Go Home Again

 I visit Staten Island once a year to see members of our family who still call it home.  Every trip down there brings sadness to my heart, for it is not the island of my youth. I blame the city of New York for poor zoning regulations and a disregard for preservation of history.  It comes down to the all mighty dollar and a big dose of corruption, I suppose.
   The island was once hailed as a rural respite from the hectic pulse of the big city.  There are still some beautiful areas, like the old sea captains homes of Sailors Snug Harbor and Clove Lake Park.  Historic Richmond Town is a living history village and museum complex not unlike Sturbridge in Massachusetts, and as far as I can tell, the greenbelt is still “green”.  It’s also considered an affordable community for people who fortify the city workforce, although I am shocked at the real estate listing prices.  

Sailors Snug Harbor
Also known as Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden or referenced informally as Snug Harbor, is a collection of architecturally significant 19th century buildings set in a park located along the Kill Van Kull on the north shore of Staten Island in New York City. It was once a home for aged sailors and is now a 83-acre (340,000 m2) city park. Some of the buildings and the grounds are used by arts organizations under the umbrella of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.

  Unfortunately, in the 25 years that I have been “off-island”,  it’s rapidly become a congested hub of  traffic, pollution (both air and ground) overcrowding of housing – duplex after fourplex after sixplex of apartment and condo units with nary a hint of  appealing architecture and barely a nod toward horticulture.  Historic structures have been removed at an alarming rate and there doesn’t seem to be any sort of movement with momentum to stop the madness.

Years ago, most of the streets looked like this…

 Today, many are turning into this…
Among the Casualties….
Clove Lake Stables
My grandmother, her youngest daughter and then my sister and I used to ride rented horses
through the park at one of the two big barns on the island, Clove Lake Stables.
The Stable was originally an ice house, and then converted to a Livery
by the Franzreb family when refrigeration made ice houses obsolete.
That’s me, second from left.
The horse was named Gaslight and I adored him.
I had a plan to someday rescue him when I had a farm of my own.
By the time that happened, Gaslight and the farm were gone.
Sister on pony
In it’s place is a large housing development.
Cedar Grove Beach
My cousin and I braving the waves at waters edge…
Mom with cousin Jay
Recent times…
Cedar Grove was a small cottage community on the water  facing the city.  Three generations of my family enjoyed summers there in rented bungalows.  It wasn’t glamorous, but it was a safe, friendly beach where everyone knew their neighbor and pitched in to keep the place up. Many families had rented the same bungalow for fifty years or more. This year it all came to an end . The article below sums it up beautifully.
Cedar Grove Beach All Washed Up

By Matt Chaban

October 4, 2010
There was no eleventh hour rescue for Cedar Grove, no life preserver for the 99-year-old beach community on Staten Island’s South Shore, the last of its kind. Despite resident’s best hopes, the politicians and preservationists backing the Grovers could not reach a deal with the Bloomberg administration or the Parks Department to save the bungalows at least for another season, to say nothing of another century. Even Andrea Peyser — Andrea Peyser! — couldn’t woo them.
Grovers still maintain there is no reason to spend good money tearing down a good beach — it’s much cleaner than its city-owned neighbors — that pays $140,000 to the Park’s Department every year to exist. It will cost millions of dollars in capital money to tear down the houses and reopen the stretch next year, which is and has always been publicly accessible. At the same time, beaches across the city, including some just up the shore, have been closed due to lack of funds. Never mind that the city is so desperate for money that it is considering selling off its parking meters to fill the widening budget gap.
At midnight Saturday, Cedar Grove was no more. Parks police was on hand to see to that, according to the news -Parks Department officers guarded the club’s gate as members carried out their belongings. “It’s been tough because I’ve been finding a lot of old family memorabilia,” said John Murphy, 52. The Staten Island Advance has been covering the saga closely and has its own tale of woe:
The season at Cedar Grove Beach Club opened each year with the raising of American flags from each of the 41 bungalows. [Saturday], those same flags were flying upside down. “It signals a vessel in distress,” said Roy Wood, a retired Sandy Hook pilot. After nearly a century, time has run out for Cedar Grove. Its lease with the city expired yesterday, an occasion made even grayer by the rain.
 Edith Holtermann pulled the remaining produce from her garden.    side-note from Karen –  (Mrs. Holtermann was my gym teacher in high school – she could throw a mean volley ball if you aggravated her in just the right way.)    Mick Kenny took one last view from his back deck. Jennifer Fitzgerald-Young stood on her porch with her daughter, Elizabeth, who at 9 months is Cedar Grove’s youngest resident. Eric Lesnick hoisted his 5-year-old daughter, Lillianna, in his arms.
“We will miss you,” she scribbled on a bungalow wall.
The fate of this community and beach  remains to be seen.  Demolition of the cottages is on the agenda.
 The Family Homestead
Then
  We grew up in a century old farm house with a generous yard in the midst of an old family neighborhood. Big oak trees hung over our house and the streets were tree-lined too.  When I drive down the old street now, it’s a heavy feeling. Not much is familiar. The house was taken down for a much more profitable four-family times two. 
 Now

The original front door knocker  now mounted on my mother’s current door.
They don’t make them like they used to.

Some things that still exist
My grandmothers house of 42 years… though she moved away years ago
and has since passed on, this will always be Nana’s house to me.
Then

(we were all scared senseless in this photo, even though my cousin Ralph
was underneath the disguise. Santa’s just a scarey dude, why do we torture our kids this way?)
Now
My Aunt and Uncle still live in the house they built 50 years ago.
I used to feed the deer red berries off the bushes in their yard.
I thought I’de rescue them someday too…
and you know, that’s still a possibility.
I’m finding it ironic – the strong desire I had at 18 to get the heck out of Dodge and go find my life in the country….and this wish at midlife to be able to return, if only for a day, to that old familiar place where time was on my side, ambition ran high and all dreams were out there for the making. In those days, in that house, there was not yet the realization that all dreams cannot be met, all relationships will not work out as we would like, all things are not always possible, no matter how badly we work for, want or need them.
 
   The meaning in the quote “You Can’t Go Home Again”  as I see it..is this –  Even if the old homestead were still intact with every tree still standing, I am changed. I am different. I am polluted and crowded with the experiences of my life.  Standing on that very threshold would not bring me “home“, not as I knew it then.  Home is the here and now…and really, what am I looking for back there anyway.  It’s all good right here.

  Well…. there’s the food. But I can bring that back with me.
And I did.       

Air Line Rail Trail

  A few of us barn girls spent a glorious halloween afternoon riding along the Air Line Rail Trail.   For those of you who live in or around Connecticut, this is an awesome resource for biking, hiking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, walking, dog walking  and running.  Even young children can enjoy it, for the terrain is flat and easy to navigate. I will warn you that the high elevation of some of the bridges and portions of the trail system require caution, especially when you’re riding a 1000 lb. animal who might jump to the side if spooked.  My trusty steed behaved,  thank you to The Powers That Be.

Very Brief History of the Rail Trail –  Two of the most important cities in the United States in the mid-1800s were Boston and New York City.  To build a railroad on the straight line between the two cities, diagonally through Connecticut and Southeast Massachusetts, had long been a dream of various railroad investors and engineers. The “Air Line” route got its name from the idea that the railroad would follow a path as “if a line had been drawn through the air” between the two cities.

 The idea eventually took shape after much trial and tribulation, corruption and re-organization.  However..in the long run and moving forward a hundred years –  by the 1960’s there was flood damage to many of the bridges and it was no longer profitable to run certain sections of the rail trail. It slowly became defunct, although certain portions are still in use today.

Once certain parts of the line were abandoned, the state of Connecticut stepped in to oversee the property. The section of the Airline from East Hampton to Willimantic, from Willimantic to Putnam, and in Thompson were placed under the control of the Department of Environmental Protection. The state government in the 1980s began planning the 50 plus mile greenway corridor from Portland to Thompson which would become one of New England’s most treasured recreation paths.

 The information I posted here and the  complete history of the train service can be found on this site.

 My photos don’t do the trail justice, as I had only my iphone and the fear of falling off the side of the cliff should my horse decide to do the unthinkable.  Fear-based iphone pics generally suck.

The trail system all the way through is wide and clean … just amazing. 

Self portrait in shadow
 This is Paula and her horse of many years, Max.
I know what Paula needs for Christmas… those electric socks that keep feet warm.
It was indeed chilly enough to have frozen toes by the end of the ride.
An excellent link to find rail trails in your neck of the woods…

Scenic Route 100, Vermont

  We handcuffed the kids to the inside of the truck so that we could spend some quality family time on a scenic ride up north today.   (bread and water were provided, sanity wasn’t part of the deal). 

  I can happily report we all seemed to enjoy the trip once the heavy sighs and eye-rolling and proclamation of ruination of any kind of social life subsided.  Duct tape had nothing to do with it, I swear.

Vermont’s Route 100 is  one of the most scenic roads in New England with incredible mountain views.   Running north-south, it starts at the Canadian border and ends at the Vermont/Massachusetts border.

 The water is so clear.

 We rented this log cabin once. It sits on the VAST trails… awesome for snowmobiling. 
We were thrilled to find it again and see it when it’s not under three feet of snow.
 The Silo at the base of Mt. Snow.. great hot cider and burgers.

   Two things that stood out today… the colors were OK, but not spectacular…and as we got farther up into the state it was clear we had actually missed the colors.  The other thing… and this really bothers me… is that there are so many vacant houses and so many businesses either closed or stuggling.  One of my favorite stops in the Mt. Snow area  is Adams Farm… an old family farm in business since 1865. They made great fudge, goats milk soap and syrup. There were sleigh rides in the winter and Hay wagon rides in the fall and an extensive farmyard petting zoo.  When we pulled in  I thought it looked vacant…and indeed, it’s closed and going out of business. The farm is for sale due to the down-turn in the economy. 
 I found this article online… I wish I could tell the family how sorry I am that this has happened, and that they will be missed.
*sigh*   Something’s gotta give.
 

Three things I love about Niantic, CT

  Yesterday I headed north to pick up my first born so she could spend a weekend at home recharging. That happens less and less as campus life becomes more interesting, but I”ll take the crumbs 🙂   When I’m tired of the craziness that is the I-95 drive I take a detour through a little town called Niantic.  It’s one of those quaint New England towns without any pretentiousnous right along the Sound. Funky old buildings, houses and waterways make up the overall feel of worn-in and welcome.

Niantic is a village in the Town of East Lyme, CT. The population is approximately 4,000. Niantic Bay is located on Long Island Sound and is popular for fishing and boating.  The only bummer is The Millstone Nuclear Power Plant, which looms nearby in Waterford.  Rocky Neck State Park is a great mile-long beach with views of Long Island Sound and a handful of offshore islands.  The park also has some great hiking trails in the fall.

 According to Wikipedia : Once famous for its Niantic River scallops, the scallop population has been in decline for a number of years. Attempts to revive the scallop population have not met with much success, most likely due to increased pollution from the heavy traffic of motorboats on the river.

My three favorite places are on the same stretch of road running right through the middle of it all on West Main Street…

Smith’s Acres, a totally rock’n garden center with everything you can think of for your gardening needs and an abundance of selection too…

Plants on the roof!..
It was love at first sight for me and this truck…
If he ever needs a new home, I gave them my address.

…then it’s a lunch stop at Niantic Diner for a menu of food that offers more than a Diner suggests..

Coconut Chicken with Sweet & Sour sauce… awesomeness.

  …and right around the corner sits the Book Barn, a really funky place famous for it’s 350,0000 some-odd books housed in seven different buildings on the property. The main barn is jammed from floor to ceiling and there is no subject that isn’t covered.  This is an awesome adventure for avid readers, and if you’ve got young children, it’s a great place to stock up on children’s books very inexpensively.  They buy and sell used books and have everything from the newest releases to 17th century editions.  This is what I ESPECIALLY LOVE about them… found on their website: 

We would like for everyone who visits The Book Barn to have as enjoyable a time as possible. Therefore, not only do we provide complimentary coffee, tea, water and snacks of cookies, crackers and doughnuts, we also have several picnic and seating areas for our guests to bring their own picnics to enjoy outdoors. Just remember that we do employ 13 cats that all believe in taste testing our guests’ food, you know, just to make sure it’s safe, of course. If you’d like to buy lunch from an area restaurant, we can provide menus for you.

Our goats live in a fenced pen next to The Last Page, and they truly love to get treats from everyone. There is a coin operated cracked-corn dispenser where you can purchase a handful of corn to share with them.


We provide kitty food to all of our feline employees, but you are always welcome to bring them snacks, or share your lunch with them.


There are always plenty of milk bones on hand for you to share with our dog Zoey. Zoey is a 3 ½ year old, black and white Border Collie and Whippett mix. She absolutely loves to play ball. She plays soccer, basketball, and will chase a tennis ball for hours!

If you’re so inclined, there is ample seating outside under the many trees surrounding the building. They encourage you to sit and read.. or play checkers or chess on the many boards available. The building behind the tree is yet another book “annex”.  Honestly, I think this place used to be a petting zoo.

This is the main barn… see the gourds that are growing on the vine up to the roof?
On another note.. we’re heading to the Durham Fair tonight to see REO Speedwagon… remember them? 

Newport, Rhode Island

 Newport has a rich history beginning in the 1600’s when the first English settlers arrived on Aquidneck Island following a  woman named Anne Hutchinson, who had been driven out of Boston for her religious beliefs.   Anne and her supporters followed Roger Williams when he, too, was banished from Massachusetts for religious reasons.  The group purchased Aquidneck Island (now Rhode Island) from the native Americans.   Because the state was founded on religious tolerance,  it welcomed many people from various religious backgrounds. In the mid 1600s, a group of Jews fleeing Spain and Portugal settled there and soon founded what became the second oldest Jewish congregation in the United States.

    In the 1700s  Newport became one of the five leading ports in North America, along with Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. With the economic boom came much development, including hundreds of houses and  internationally important landmarks that still exist today, such as Trinity Church, the Colony House, the Redwood Library, and the Brick Market (now home to the Museum of Newport History). One of the things I love about this town is that the rich history is so evident in the architecture and most of it has been preserved and is still in use.

 The Gilded Age and it’s mansion, ofcourse, are what most people associate with Newport today. During the mid 19th century it became a hub of activity once again with new settlement and activity. Wealthy businessmen from north and south discovered the prosperous port and  built their massive “cottages”on the shores,  creating a summer haven for the wealthy.  The Vanderbilts and the Astors are among those families.

Rosecliffe
Kingscote- one of the smaller “cottages”
The Breakers – the largest of the mansions. In this picture you can see the cliff walk which is open to the public, running along the waterfront of the estates… a great way to get some exercise and breath
 the sea air in.
Inside The Breakers

  It’s an easy day trip for us and we visit a few times a year. I’m amazed again and again at the magnitude of the lifestyle these families led… oppulent is putting it mildly.  A tour of the mansions is like looking into another world entirely, and in all honesty I would never choose to live so “above the frey”.  Besides the beautiful architecture and works of art,  in such large and extravagent quarters there is also a sense of loneliness, separated from the real world and a formal lifestyle that would be very constricting.  But that’s just me.

 There are many books on the subject, and scandal as well. After touring Doris Duke’s mansion located at the end of Bellevue Avenue  (home to most of the Mansions and if ever there were a street truly paved in Gold, this is it)   I wanted to know more about her life. She was a modern day occupant of Newport until her death.   The tour guide was vague and kind to Doris, but it was clear that there was much behind the facade.  I found the book “Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke”, and there I found the answers. Great read for those of you who are interested.

  We spent yesterday enjoying the other Newport….a busy town with a wide variety of good food, shops galore, a large boating community, art galleries, museums and great beaches.  There is a vibrance to the young crowd…. if I were young and single, this is where I’de want to work.  I know my husband would agree  *ahem*

My favorite restaurant…
Angus burger with Roquefort and Bacon on Sourdough bun…
view from my seat.. restaurant sits out on the docks, always a sea breeze…
Tennis, anyone?
I could live here.
This stretch of rocks and water is found along Ocean Drive, just past Bellevue Avenue and the Mansions. The water is so clear and effervescent and the rock formations are beautiful. My favorite activity here in Newport is exploring those rocks and wading through the water. There is no sugar sand here, just stone smoothed over by centuries of seasalt and waves.
We came home from this trip as the proud new owners of a fine piece of Newport waterfront property….

I was born in the sign of water

 ..and it’s there that I feel my best.  The albatross and the whale, they are my brothers..

  Actually that’s not much of a stretch and it’s one of my favorite songs.   If you were here right now you’de have the distinct torture of hearing me belt it out as I type this post. Anyone know the next line?  No googling, now….

 I have always loved the water, always lived NEAR the water ( ON it is way too expensive around here) and I can’t imagine not being able to GET to it fairly quickly.  Nothing better at the end of a hectic day than sitting by water’s edge and breathing the salt air in. I swear it heals the soul. 

  My dad used to dock his boat at this marina.  He was a live-aboard until he fell on the docks and broke his hip. Now he lives in a home a few miles from there, and his answering machine says “You’ve reached Louie’s Lighthouse”.
 
   We spent many childhood summer days either crawling around his sailboat while it sat in the yard for repair, or out in the harbor having a dinner cooked on the little hibachi attached to the side.  Sometimes we’de jump off the back and swim with the little green flourescent jellyfish (they don’t sting). Sometimes we went out for a ride, but I can’t say that my sister and I were always thrilled at the prospect.  On a sailboat there’s quite a bit of   R_o-L-L-i-N-g,  you see…. and on those days, dramamine was our dearest friend.

 One fine day the seas were a bit rough and the boat ran into a sandbar.  I thought we were stranded for good, marooned, destined to die on that sandbar…and I said so… over and over.  It meant nothing to me that we could have walked to the jetty… just waist high water from us to the rocks.  Yeah, I still hear about that one.

    We went back to the Harbor today where a friend now keeps his fishing boat.. just a few slips from my dads old “home”.  What used to be an old boat shed is now the “Yacht Club”.
… I love what they did with the place.

  

This is my dream boat…. great seating in the rear, a little table, dual engines, a small but sufficient cabin (bathroom!) …
And alittle bowspace to sit and catch the breeze while reading a good book…
A girl can always dream….

Watermelon Sangria

photo courtesy google

A few years back the kids and I went to Cape May, NJ with my mother to visit an old friend of the family. One night we sat out on the balcony of our hotel overlooking the beach sipping the nectar of the Gods, I’m telling ya. Mom’s friend is one of those people who bends over backwards for the care and comfort of anyone and their brother, hospitality being her middle name.  She brought us a big pitcher of this thirst quencher, knowing we had spent a long day traveling and needed a reprieve.  I brought the recipe home with me.

 Watermelon Sangria

1 bottle white wine – don’t use an expensive kind

3/4 cup watermelon schnapps

1/2 cup white cranberry juice

2 cups cubed or scooped watermelon

2 limes, cut into half wheels

Combine all ingredients in large glass pitcher and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for atleast four hours. Serve over ice.  
 

  If you’ve never been to Cape May, it’s a lovely old seaside town  at the far end of the Jersey Shore…  Many victorian homes and inns, great food, a kid-friendly beach and lots of shopping. It still has the seaside hometown feel, and yet it’s not far from the big parks and attractions that the younger crowd seek, making it a great family destination.   The fresh ground coffee at Kiss The Cook is the best I’ve ever had, especially the Creme Brulee. You can actually have it shipped!…