A Bit 'o Boston

Sunnyside - Home of author Washington Irving
Nestled along the Hudson River and was quite peaceful until the state of New York ran a train track through his front yard right along the riverbank! Is no one safe from progress?!? No photos were allowed inside, but it was
very lovely and well preservered with lots of Irving family momento

It dawned on me yesterday as I was sorting through some photos shot this summer that I never completed my postings on my June East Coast adventures. I went on and on about New York City but never about Boston. Hoping to correct that oversight, I thought about my post and then I learned yesterday that the Boston area has only had 3 sunny days since Memorial Weekend. Well, Gretchen and I caught 2 of them. The sunshine was gorgeous while we were there. So here is my adventure part TWO!

On our way out of NYC (June 5) we threaded a path through the Hudson River Valley and stopped in the tiny town of Tarrytown, home of author Washington Irving. Now most think of him only as the guy who wrote the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip vanWinkle", myself included. We learned that he was a diplomat, a man who compiled the first detailed life account of Abraham Lincoln, and that he remained a bachelor all his life while supporting his mildly impoverished relatives. We visited his estate along the Hudson River called "Sunnyside" and it was quite the place. We had a private tour and it was delightful. Just about everything in the house is original to the family and I highly recommend any literary buffs to see it!

The next day, June 6th, found us zipping up into Massachusetts in our rental car. We asked the Tomtom to plot us a scenic route as we were in no huge rush and also decided to avoid toll roads. We decided to loop a path that would take us through the historic city of Concord, home of many famous authors and birthplace of the American Revolution.

What a unique city, or rather still a town. We roamed streets once the paths of the ilk of Emerson, Alcott, Hawthorne, and Thoreau and imagined ourselves seeing them around just about every turn. Our luncheon spot was the historic Concord Inn, a dining spot on a crossroads that's been in continuous operation since 1715. (That's about as a far back and old as you can find things in America!)The lobster rolls there are delicious and hit the spot!We visited the historic Old North Bridge where the "shots heard round the world" were fired by the Minutemen and we found the homes and burials sites of all the aforementioned authors.

The Colonial Inn... serving travelers continuously since 1715!

Me relaxing on the idyllic Old North Bridge... it's quite scenic and peaceful - very unlike it was the night Paul Revere made his famous ride! I was surprised how secluded the spot was for such an historic moment!

Here's the bridge in its entirety, the statue in the distance is of a Minuteman. Here is where the opening shots of what would become the American Revolution were fired.

Okay, this is NOT a famous rock wall, but instead more of a typical New England rock wall. I envision myself using it from here on out every time I teach Frost's poem "Mending Wall" to my students. You know it... "something there is that doesn't love a wall".... and "good fences make good neighbors..".

Orchard House, home of the Alcotts... Louisa May and her sisters! I got to walk all the way round it. It looks like one of the "Little Women" could pop out the green front door at any moment! And their nearby neighbors, the Hawthornes would have them in for tea... I just know it!

Louisa and all her family are buried in Sleepy Hollow cemetery... not the Irving version, the Concord version. Story has it that these authors had a spot in the cemetery grounds where they would meet to talk and discuss ideas and that later, they arranged for all of them to be buried in the spot. Within 10 yards of each other you have the Alcotts, the Emersons, the Thoreaus, and some of the Hawthornes! Amazing to think of them all here in the "hotbed town" for literary greatness! Louisa's stone struck me for its total simplicity, not a tall marker or elaborate carved sculpture, just a white stone in the ground near to her mom and dad and sisters.

Here's Henry David Thoreau's final spot in his family group area. Just his first name on his stone, the family marker is adjacent to it. People leave him tokens here... and I found the Obama button to be a delight. I think Henry would approve of it right along with the karma beads, the pens, and the pine cones!

It was a wonderful day full of literature and history. The crowning point for me was our final spot... Walden Pond. Long a fan of Henry David Thoreau, I just had to see it. Believe it or not, there's a public swimming beach there now and on this sunny day in Massachusetts it was being well used!

This is a replica of Thoreau's Walden Pond cottage. It's built to the exact specifications set out in his book but not quite on the exact location of the original. It's smaller than a one car garage but quite cozy. The bronze of him nearby sets you to wondering how better off we'd all be if we had a cottage to run away to and the luxury of jobs that would enable you to do it!

And at last, Walden Pond, it was much larger than I expected. Really, in Missouri, it would be Walden LAKE! Very pretty and tranquil for the most part... if you count out the public bathing beach immediately to the side of where I was standing as I shot this. I will leave out a shot of that, it's more inspiring with out the tourists in the shot!

Tomorrow's post: Boston!

How it's Coming Along...

There's a house being built this summer and we've had some exciting progress in the past couple of weeks. Actually, it's a good bit further along than this photo shows; it even has a roof already on it with shingles and such and the front door is on. But this is one of my photos, and Gretchen and Leon will probably be posting their own on their blog site, so I don't want to "steal their thunder". Anyway, it's cool to see it finally becoming a reality. Right now, they say it's "on schedule" which means that just shortly after school begins our nest will be empty again and the Jamesons will be occupying their new "nest". Exciting, isn't it?

Ya gotta eat!

Syd with her mommy; all grins for the Fourth of July!

A little flag-waving fun with daddy!

Red velvet cupcakes with patriotic decorations! See our wiki for the recipe.

Our family LOVES food! In fact, I would have to say that food is one of the very best things we do! We even have our own family wiki site with loads of our favorite recipes on it. On July 4th, we outdid ourselves with food... we even had red, white, and blue cocktails! So here are a few shots of us and some of our latest "creations". Bon appetit!

One of Ed's recent Italian creations... Italian Sausages grilled and served with Orzo Prima Vera.

And the finale.... the Rocket Bomb Pop Cocktail! Happy Birthday America!

Crayon Fun

Syd got some really cool "beginner" crayons this past weekend... and I just had to post a few shots of her enjoying them! Sort of a cross between art tools and the ol' Weebles we used to have years ago. Neato!

June Brides & Old Friends

Mr. & Mrs. Alex Yoder... much happiness and God's blessings on your life together!

We had the honor and joy this past weekend to travel to Ft. Wayne, Indiana for a celebration of the wedding of the youngest daughter of our longtime friends, Cindy & Greg Tieman. Their daughter Lindsey became Mrs. Alex Yoder in a loving early evening ceremony. We also got to see the grandkids and other family members of Cindy & Greg which made this as much a reunion as a wedding for us! It was a great weekend... and I just had to post the cute shots of the couple, two of their grandkids, and our best buddies in the Hoosier State, Cindy & Greg. Much happiness to everyone!

Seth Tieman, Grandson of Cindy & Greg, in his ring bearer outfit!

Granddaughter Brianna served as the cutest flower girl (and princess).
She spent a lot of her time twirling in this pretty dress!

Mother and Father of the Bride, Cindy & Greg Tieman,
good friends and officially empty nesters!

Paddle, Paddle, Kick, Kick! (a.k.a. Tot Swimming 101)

Asher came for a special "solo visit" this week and he's been SUCH a big boy. He's enjoyed playing in the pool, entertaining his cousin Sydney, and having fun with his Papa and I. He was very brave about traveling on the "long ride" to St. Louis and only asked "Are we there yet" about 50 times. (secret tip: A roll of your very own Lifesavers candy makes a 3 year old forget how long the ride has been!) We have been having so much fun that we are sure gonna miss the little man when his daddy picks him up to go home to Michigan tomorrow! This is one adventure we will have to repeat because it was a blast!

This is a significant day because Ash is TOUCHING bottom in the shallow end of the pool! A first for him. The switch to the arm swimmies helped him achieve this. The ol' "magic coat" makes him too buoyant to reach the ground!

Look at me! I am touching my toes to the ground! YAY!

Syd is getting braver by the day about swimming and having Ash here
to show her the way it's done has been a BIG help!

Sydney loves to splash!

Happy girl bobbing along in her floating ring!

When not doing their best to become fish, the cousins spend time playing
the piano and watching Sesame Street on PBS!

A Weekend of Grandkid Fun

We have no doubt that we have the cutest grandbabies on the planet!
Here we are with all 10 of our eyes open at the same time!

Last weekend we got to go up to St. Joe, Michigan to romp with the grandkids for a couple of days... yahoo! It's ALWAYS a good weekend when you get to do that! Photos follow....

Rhylah is perched on a breezy bench high above Lake Michigan. Pretty girl!

Katie and Rhy... sweet as can be... both blonde and blue-eyed!

St. Joe has all these crazy animal statues scattered around town this summer, they just BEG to be photographed; when they aren't eating children's heads, that is!

Ash is his Papa's buddy... he was in high spirits on this outing!

A sweet shot of Katrina with her baby boy Asher, sitting on a cannon in Riverview Park.

Ash is one cool dude... give the kid a hat and a fire escape and look out GQ!

The whole Harrmann gang!
Left to right, Nathan with Rhylah (20 mos), Gabriel (7), Asher(3) and Katrina.

A Small Bite of the Big Apple (East Coast Adventure continued)

The Manhattan skyline shot from the Staten Island Ferry... a classic!

New York City conjures up so many images in the mind. We have seen it in countless films and television shows. We have watched the ball drop in Times Square since we were old enough to stay up til' midnight on Dec. 31st. For me, I have always imagined it as a crossroads of the world, a place where every kind of person on the planet must pass through at least once. And in that respect, New York City did not disappoint me. Within minutes of arriving there, I heard at least 20 languages fly past my ears, saw signs for at least a dozen different cuisines, and saw hundreds of faces that all looked like they came from as far from my Midwest experience as possible! It was a total delight to have my imaginings be reality! Gretchen and I caught the "first off-peak" (cheaper) train into town and had a MARVELOUS day! Hope you enjoy of my photos! (and yes, we did see all this and MORE in ONE DAY!)

The Staten Island Ferry is the best deal in town, a free ride past Ellis Island and Lady Liberty! This was our first pick of the day. We went to the tip of lower Manhattan and hopped aboard! What a fun start! This shot of a returning ferry was taken from our outbound ferry.

Ellis Island... a place with unique connections to millions of Americans. Now a museum, a tour guide giving his spiel on our ferry ride said that 2 out of every 5 Americans living today has an ancestor who passed through Ellis. Pretty remarkable since the place hasn't been used for decades and in light of how immigration has changed throughout the years.

There she is! Warning here, I got a bit infatuated with this gal; took quite a number of shots of her.
Thank you Nikon for making my wonderful zoom lens!

Looks just like the shot in my history book as a kid!

"Bring me your tired, your poor, your humble masses yearning to breath free....
I life my lamp beside the golden door!" -Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus"

This enormous open space filled with cranes and bordered by skyscrapers was where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center stood. Ground Zero is not open to the public for viewing anymore, but it is a place of intense rebuilding. Even so, I got the chills as I walked the several blocks past this area. Life continues and Americans are nothing if not resilient. The "Freedom Tower" and 9-11 Memorial are being constructed here. May they be able to stand as a tribute and NOT as a target.

Keep walking north and you pass through Soho and end up in Greenwich Village. For a child of the 60's and early 70's, this was like a visit to Mecca! Really quaint and TRENDY neighborhoods grace this area now. Lots of wonderful shopping and restaurants. It bustles and yet it's got quiet spots as well.

Classic row of Greenwich brownstones! Love it! Could sit on the steps and sip a.m. coffee.
Ever seen "You've Got Mail"? Meg Ryan lived in a place like this!

We arrived at Washington Square Park after a visit to the famous Magnolia Bakery home of the best cupcakes in NYC. We each had a box with 2 cupcakes in it (curious? $2.50 for a cupcake! - we need to catch up on this trend in St. Louis!) Sat here for almost an hour watching a film being made and watching the nannies walking their assorted charges in the park.

Another view of Washington Square Park. It's mid-day on a Thursday... and the place is hopping!

Looks just like the Arch de Triumphe in Paris... or one of the early scenes of "When Harry Met Sally". Note the Empire State Building framed in the arch (along with my lovely daughter)... some snazzy city planning at work there!

Carnegie Hall! We're now at the lower west corner of Central Park. When I return to NYC, I will attend
a concert here. (Notice I said WHEN, not IF!)

Being the quintessential tourists, we HAD to take the carriage ride in and around Central Park. Our driver, Umet, was a delightful fellow from Turkey. He took our photo midway through the drive! What a gorgeous park! The only one that rivals it in size is our own Forest Park in St. Louis.. however, this park was BUSTLING! Interesting that it includes a zoo, an art museum, a carousel, a skating rink... all sounds a LOT like home. However, it has a much less "controlled" or managed feel to it... more woodsy and rocky, very beautiful, cool, and shady!

Another shot of the big lake in the park and the surrounding city. Beautiful!

That's all for today... tune in next time for the Hudson River Valley collection!

East Coast Adventure - Part One

I had a tremendous opportunity to travel with my daughter Gretchen during the first week of June. We went to New York City and Boston together. It was our first "girl-cation" together. She was on business for Concordia Publishing, and I was able to "tag along". What a fantastic 5 days we shared! We began in New York City and ended in Boston with lots of super sights to see in between. So for the next few posts, I'll share some of our adventures! We made many memories of great food, great fun, and two great cities!

This is New York's Grand Central Terminal. It is a busy place 24/7. We arrived here by train from our hotel.

Since both Gret and I are English teachers and bookworms, our first stop was the giant reading room at the New York Public Library. Actually, it's practically next door to Grand Central, so we aren't quite the nerds we appear to be! (well, yeah, we are!)

Strolling up Fifth Avenue... we come upon Saks 5th Ave. and its neighbor, St. Patrick's Cathedral.

You guessed it, instead of going into Saks, we went into the Cathedral! Again lots of people coming and going. We stopped, lit a candle, and said a prayer of thanks for Uncle Jon's successful surgery that morning!

All "Today Show" fans know this site - we're at Rockefeller Center! An open air dining area sits where the ice rink is in the winter.

Ever watch Tom Hank's in "Big"? Here we are at our favorite store... F.A.O. Schwarz.
And yes, grandkidlets, I got something for you there!

It's now about 9pm but Times Square is bright like daytime! This was taken without a flash! If you look up above the red Toshiba sign near the top, you can see the ball and the "2009" from New Year's Eve.

That's it for today... more tomorrow my friends!

Pooltime!

Summertime is Pool Time and relaxing on the deck! Sydney enjoys toddling around the garden and eating snacks under the umbrella. We spent a lot of our Sunday just enjoying the day. Sydney already knows to grab her "magic coat" (aka her lifejacket) as she heads out the back door. Here she models one of her new swimsuits.

Counting, crating, and closing...

This is the week after graduation at LHS. That means the faculty is busy with "end of the year stuff" to accomplish before summer can officially get underway. Today was busy with an interesting variety of things... first the exhilarating activity of the annual inventory. This is when I get to count my chairs, desks, and (believe it or not) the clock on my classroom wall... all for insurance purposes. I am sure you will all be relieved to know that I still have the same trashcans (yes, we count those too!) and clock with which I began the year. It's an all too familiar drill... and now I can report it is finished.

Next, I had to box up (oh, and COUNT them too) my books in my classroom and figure out what needs to be ordered for fall. I was pleased to be able to save my department a bit of cash as my books were in really good shape and even with shifting numbers, I will have plenty for fall. Next year all LHS students must complete 4 years (instead of 3) of English in order to graduate. Most do this already, but the state has made it mandatory and, thus, so have we. This means full classes for next year and I will teacher only senior level courses next year. So the crating was completed and the room was starting to look pretty "ship shape".

Finally, the exciting event... I put the wrap on the yearbook and shipped the final pages to the publisher at 6:06 pm tonight! I did my annual "dance of joy" in the hallway... and, as usual, no one was there to see it except Ed who is not as impressed with my hilarious gyrations as he once was. I did a repeat performance of it for Sydney when I arrived at home. She was much more appreciative of my efforts as she was sitting in her bathtub when I did it and decided to accompany my joyful whoops and crazy boogie with some serious splashing of her own. Gret was between us at the time and got nicely drenched as a result! MORE fun! So the yearbook is "put to bed" - adviser speak for "I am done editing this puppy, AT LAST!" One fact to note, we had a 93% hit rate... the highest ever! To those of you who are yearbook speak newbies, this means that 93% of our students have MORE than just their school portrait in the book tagged with their name in the caption. I am certain the format the staff chose is the reason for this because we did sort of a "journaling" approach to the YB this year. It's very cool and I am excited about what the reaction of the student body will be to it.

So a good day of "counting, crating, and closing" out the past school year... bring on some summer! (Now, if only this crazy rain we've been having would stop...)