Vermont Inn 2017

Vermont Inn

September 2017

          Another of our online voucher B & B getaways, taking us back to Vermont. Some end-of-summer relaxation after Marjorie’s 7^th year at the Stockade Art Show on Saturday 9/9, joined by artist friends Betty and George & Mary. A lovely day, and Marjorie sells a personal-best 12 pieces. 

That night we get to see the nice new digs for our nearby Curtain Call Theater. Producers Carol & Peter Max are so deservedly proud of the beautiful new space  ̶  theater, lounge, ample parking  ̶  and some of our favorite actors (Jack Fallon, Barbara Richards) are helping out for the evening reception.

Chihuly at NYBG

Chihuly Night at NYBG

August 2017

          A brief report of our “Chihuly Night” at New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx with friends Marlene & Lydia. Dale Chihuly “has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.” He’s installed major exhibitions from Boston and Seattle to Venice and Jerusalem. 

We’ve been to NYBG a number of times, including the Spring Orchid Festivals and Fall Mum Festivals; see my "Gardens" post. 

And seen Chihuly glass there (2006) and at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (2004). So we were very interested to see promotions for “Chihuly Nights,” April to October on select nights 6:30-10:30.  More than 20 installations, many with multiple sculptures, thruout the gardens. Plus lighting at night. This reminds us of our visit to a Chinese lantern festival in the Montreal Botanical Garden (2010), when we enjoyed the colorful displays in both sunlight and night lighting. In addition to the flowers and glasswork, there are musicians in a few locations and panels of poetry about the sculptures written by elementary school children. But 2 disappointments: the tram around the gardens (a Marjorie favorite) isn’t running and the Children’s Adventure Garden is closed when we get to it (no sculptures).

Cruising the Seine

Cruisin’ on the Seine:

Paris to Normandy

June 2017

  

        We do love our river cruises! Add some very substantial discounts and it didn’t take much pondering to sign up for Viking River Cruise’s “Paris and the Heart of Normandy.” This is my 4^th Viking trip, Marjorie’s 5^th. M in particular is ready for some cruisin’ after lots of creative hard work getting ready for a joint art show with her mentor Betty, plus organizing the Colonie Art League Summer Art Camp. Not so much pre-trip studying to do this time: We spent 3 nights in Paris at the end of a mostly Switzerland trip in 2000, so don’t need to see everything. Plus Viking provides good tours and on-your-own info at stops along the way.

Scenic Driving for the Red Cross

Scenic Driving for the Red Cross

          Heading toward retirement in 2015, I thought about what to do next. Added a few more frivolous activities, including creating this blog and taking up golf after 30-some years away from the game. More usefully, attended a Volunteer Fair where the Red Cross seemed a natural fit; Marjorie used to work for them and I’ve been a long-time blood donor. So I’ve become a “Blood Services Transportation Specialist.” That fancy title means I drive their vans to deliver boxes containing blood products to regional hospitals. 

In addition to filling in as needed, I’ve settled into a Tuesday morning slot that rotates among 3 routes: South (usually including Kingston, Rhinebeck, and Poughkeepsie, plus sometimes Hudson and Ellenville), 

Far South (to Carmel), and West (Amsterdam, Gloversville, and Cobleskill). Southern routes entail as many as 7 hospitals, 3 for the West, plus some trips to local hospitals in Albany, Schenectady, and Troy, and north to Saratoga and Glens Falls. Pictured are Northern Duchess in Rhinebeck and Vassar in Poughkeepsie (with fellow volunteer Matt on my “training” drive). 

In 2018-19 my Tuesday schedule meant I drove both Christmas and New Year's mornings. 

I continued my driving during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, past signs for health care "heroes."

Christmastime in Boston & NYC

Family Christmastimes in the City:

Boston & NYC

♫City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style.♫

          We haven’t had any big city Christmas experiences in a while, so it’s nice to have some opportunities to take in the sights of Boston & New York with family. Our pre-Christmas jaunts begin Friday 12/9 with a drive to Boston on a brisk clear AM. WMHT treats us to an hour of musical satirist Tom Lehrer (on his 88^th birthday!), including the classic ♫Poisoning Pigeons in the Park♫. 

           Marjorie’s sister Mary and hubbie Jeff are generously sharing their Marriott Vacation Club time-share at the historic Custom House. The Custom House was established in the 17th century and stood near the waterfront in several locations thru the years. The current building dates to 1847, adding a tower in 1915, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s not the Riverside in NYC (an inside joke), but it’ll do very nicely: a pretty Christmas tree in the lobby beneath a high colorful rotunda, we share a 2-room suite. A great location, view of Old North Church from our room, Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market a block away. I head up to the 26^th-floor observation deck for photos of harbor and city; peregrine falcons reside up here. 

Fall in Virginia & North Carolina

Leaf-Peeping in the Smokies

October 2016

          It’s been a busy Fall for traveling: Midwest visits w/ family & friends around Labor Day, Marjorie then off for 2 weeks visiting her sister Mary in KC and friend Diane in Santa Fe, back for 2 weeks and now we’re both headin’ south to catch Fall colors. One of our 1^st trips together was to the Smokies in Spring 1973 when we were still living in Wisconsin: Mammoth Cave KY, thru Tennessee and The Hermitage, Asheville, Great Smoky Mountains Nat’l Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, back to WI thru West Virginia. Flowers in the mountains & gorges were beautiful, and we’ve wanted to get back in the Fall. Not such a wide-ranging trip this time, focusing on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Smokies. 

Joined by good friend Marlene, whose daughter Lisa lives in Charlotte where we’ve planned a stop to see friends Carl & Betty (forgot to check on their gendered bathroom policy; hopefully we won’t have to boycott like other events in NC). Marlene has successfully recuperated from a knee injury; we’ve assured her we’ll stop if she sees things of interest to her: “If you see something, say something.” 

Midwest Connections & Icons

Midwest Connections & Icons

Labor Day 2016

Tues., 8/30:

          Early in the summer John Delamater, my dissertation advisor at Wisconsin, sent a “save the date” e-mail about his upcoming retirement and dinner to mark the occasion. We initially sent regrets that we would not be able to attend. But John’s reply  ̶  noting that I had been only his 3^rd doctoral student (we both arrived at UW in 1969) and one of his most accomplished (very nice of him to say!)  ̶  made me feel quite the ungrateful wretch. Plus: John has been a good friend as long as Marjorie and I have been married; and he seemed somewhat at odds about retiring, maybe needing some counseling from a social gerontologist who has been retired now for a year. So we refigured our schedule, cashed in United flyer miles, and arranged to combine John’s bash with visits to family & friends.