The continental breakfast at the Super 8 offered a nice variety and was appropriately yummy. Toast, oatmeal, sweet rolls, fruit, hot coffee and tea. We settled our account, turned in our motel keys, loaded the Honda, and were off again. We had made good time and tracked great distance so our first destination – Newport Rhode Island – was within comfortable reach. I was really nervous about going anywhere near New York City, but the new bridge 
and the expressway made it a breeze, and we didn’t even have to slow down. Just to imagine that I was driving even within sight of New York City gave me a rush! We were out and around the worst of it before I even realized what had happened. As they say, “Wait. What???” The suspension bridge was almost a work of art in itself.
I felt comfortable driving and Cordelia was faithful and accurate in her instructions.
We entered Connecticut and before long saw a pulloff for a scenic view of Mystic Harbor. 
The day was overcast but dry and we took several photos of the boats. Kath made a comment about a wooden historic-looking masted ship docked across the bay. She remembered a little bit of history from a previous visit and gave me a verbal sight-seeing synopsis as I drove.
Shortly before noon we crossed the bridge and drove into Newport. It was a quaint, delightful little seaport, with brick side walks and touristy shops, and tons of boats and ships docked at the wharfs. We wove slowly through the narrow streets, making our way to the first stop – the visitor’s center for the Gilded Mansions of Newport; the summer cottages (???) of the wealthy in the late 1800’s. After parking, we went inside and chose our ticket grouping. Five mansions, to be seen any time for the life of the purchaser. So if we go back in, say, fifty years, we can see the ones we missed on this trip! I personally can’t see myself driving back to Newport at the age of 119 years! But, just possibly NEXT year! Something to look forward to – but I don’t want to jump too far ahead. I was still looking forward to BOSTON!
We paid for our ticket choice, got a pamphlet and a map, and made our route. First stop: The Breakers! 
Thankfully the overcast morning gave way to sunny skies and a comfortable breeze. And also thankfully each mansion had its own free parking area adjacent to the house. Even the sections of construction work outside
did not detract from the magnitude and magnificence of the mansion. This home was built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II for his family’s summer home originally in 1885. The home was named for the sound of the waves breaking against the rocks on the shore.
Inside we were given a ‘smart phone’ with headphones. We could tour at our own pace, go through the rooms one at a time and hear the stories and descriptions as we went. Marble floors, enormous staircases, indoor fountains, bedroom after bedroom after bedroom, TWENTY bathrooms, the library, sewing room, billiard room, sitting room, second floor loggia overlooking the water… It was all very grand, very opulent, very amazing. It felt like we were drinking from a deep pool of cold water, thirsting for the beauty and the history and the stories of a people (the 400!) and a society that was unprecedented and unequaled. My favorite part of this home was the view from the second floor loggia.
There was an alternate choice of additional stories about the Vanderbilts, and it was SO tempting to stop and listen to each one! But time was limited, and if we wanted to see even two of these gilded mansions, we needed to stick to the main scripted tour. Bummer.
And as a side note, if you like to read fiction books, check out Alyssa Maxwell’s Gilded Mansion book series. The first one is entitled Murder at the Breakers and is a great read! It was very fun to read the book, picturing the little town of Newport, the neighborhoods, and each room of the mansion as she took us on the quest of solving the murder. I just finished the third book – Murder at Beechwood -and it’s even better than the first! Already ordered the next three. Read them!
From the Breakers we went to Chateau-Sur-Mer, 
built in 1852 in the Italianate villa style. It belonged to William Shepard Wetmore after making his fortune in the China Trade. Although much less impressive than The Breakers, it was still impressive. The home is full of paintings and carvings and furnishings created world-wide and by artists well known in their trade. 
The interior was of darker woods and paneling but very rich and textured. My favorite part of this home was the exterior style with its four-story tower. And I was impressed by the fact that at one point Mr. Wetmore entertaining George Peabody of London with a party that had more than 3000 guests from Europe and America. And the view at the time would have been impressive, as the name means literally ‘Castle by the Sea’.
We chose carefully, and our third mansion was the Elms.
This home was built by Pennsylvania coal magnate Edward Julius Berwind and was built as an adaptation of the chateau d’Asnieres near Paris. In its day, the gardens boasted a brass band in the yard, and had the chatter of a throng of pet monkeys scampering about the lawn. My favorites at this mansion were the impressive view of the breakers from the back,
the sunken gardens with fountains and terraces, and the airy conservatory.
To be continued – as the morning and the afternoon of the second day – And again, the sisters saw that it was good – with more to come!
One of my favorite quotes is from an old James Garner movie, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF.
Jason, the main character, agrees to be a temporary sheriff with the understanding that ‘I’ve never made any secret of the fact that basically I’m on my way to Australia.’ Well, for years, I’ve never made any secret of the fact that basically I wanted to go to BOSTON! And thanks to my favorite (albeit only) sister, on the evening of my 69th birthday – one week before my planned retirement from Smail Auto – we headed east in a comfy Honda CRV
(Thanks for your help with that, Mark Smail!) and began the big adventure.
As is our custom, we over-packed and had everything but the kitchen sink. But if you count two coolers full of food and drinks and snacks, maybe we actually had that, as well. We headed up Route 22, traveling on familiar roads for the first several hours. The views from scenic Route 22 both before and after Altoona were breathtaking.
The vistas were beautiful with just enough little towns and villages to keep the drive interesting. As is always the case, we don’t run out of things to say, and the conversation and excitement were palpable!
We also had packed a snack/dinner so we didn’t have to spend either time or money eating out. Kath had her phone’s GPS (fondly nicknamed Cordelia) set for the proper route, and Cordelia did not disappoint. Kathy’s job was to interpret and translate Cordelia’s instructions; mine was to watch the road and the gas gage. We work well together. About 9pm we began searching for a motel within close distance that was reasonably priced. We are very strict with both our schedules and our budgets! I didn’t mind driving as long as we had plenty of gas, and we were running below half a tank. Finally about 9:30pm we took an exit to get gas, and secured a very nice, comfortable, safe, clean room at a Super 8 in Budd Lake New Jersey.
We lugged our luggage into the room and after a dive into the snack bag, we were more than happy to just fall into bed. So travel and the evening and morning were the first day! And the sisters saw that it was good…
I honestly didn’t think I could do it! When you’ve done something for 52 years it’s very hard to make that change. I walked into Bud Smail Lincoln Mercury, hired as a posting clerk, in June of 1967. 
I was still in high school, and it was a summer job – which turned into an after school job and then into a full time job. That job morphed into so many different responsibilities and job descriptions that I could fill a notebook. It goes without saying that I did not choose most of them, and I did not enjoy a lot of them! But Bud, especially, was great to work for, and those early years were a learning, growing, blossoming time for me. I went back to school in my senior year and switched to secretarial classes and soon was typing and short-handing up a storm. I used those skills to the MAX through my entire 52 years of employment at Smail Auto. 
Through the years the structure of the auto industry changed, the people I worked with changed, management changed, ownership (although still Smails) changed. It was no longer just Bud Jr and a handful of close knit employees. Life got bigger, the industry got tougher, and Bud Smail Lincoln Mercury grew to ten franchises and even more physical buildings. And I often felt lost in the vastness of it all. But I stuck it out, did my best, and on June 28th, 2019, I walked out of Bud Smail Ford Lincoln Mazda for the last time as an employee. I thought I’d cry, or feel lost, or be terribly frightened at the major life change. But I didn’t. I walked out the door with a small box of desktop items, put them in my car, and went home! I seriously don’t even remember what I did – other than take a two mile walk around the block! – but I felt free and light and unconcerned. Like I had stepped through a portal into another dimension. Since that time I have kept busy and seriously wonder how I worked so many hours and still got anything else done! Life is good! GOD is good!
But that last week held a few fun events for me. First off, Mark and Kelly Smail took me to lunch at Jaffre’s. I’ve known Kelly since the first day she was hired as an F&I manager, and we had been very close in those early days! It was a lovely time of fond remembrances and laughter! On Wednesday Smail’s gave a catered (Elegant Tents) luncheon 
in the Ford showroom, complete with cake 
and special guest Ellen Smail. Thanks so much, Ellen, for coming! I was honored and humbled! Before ‘food’, Jim gave me a check to put toward the purchase of my car, which I have been talking about buying for 6 months — and hope to purchase by the end of this year. Jeff and Lindsey and Jim all had little stories to tell, and very kind things to say about my long years with them. Right before we ate, Cindy (controller), said “WAIT! We have one more thing!” I heard this rattling noise and here they came, pushing a metal cart with my beloved IBM Selectric Typewriter!
It was the one thing that I really coveted – they just don’t make them like that any more! It was sort of understood that as the only remaining ‘dinosaur’ in the complex it would stay put. I can tell you that it made my day! There was even a plaque with thanks for my years of devotion to Smail. 
On Thursday, Lenny and the maintenance crew cooked burgers on their grill outside their building and invited the select inner circle. It was a laid-back luncheon and the third delicious meal in my honor. Amazing people, lifelong memories. So Friday, we took a few final pictures, and and I closed the book on that final chapter of my Smail working life. 
But not to worry; the new book that I am about to write will be filled with adventure and excitement and SPARE TIME! 
I will file away the memories in separate little places, and be certain to only pull out the good ones. A huge thank you to all those people who have crossed my path during those 52 years – I am who I am today, because of all of you! God Bless!
I love July 4th! It represents to me not only freedom, but purpose and belonging and loyalty. This nation, under God, is where I call home; where my family is, and where love is.
I love the history of the founding fathers, the dedication of brave men and women who sacrificed and fought and worked to make this county great. I love the symbols that represent all these things that I love. 
Yesterday Autmn spent the day, and made me breakfast. We both had things to do, so while we were working at our chores, I put several discs in the CD player, songs of tribute to America, music from Colonial Williamsburg, and songs honoring the 4th of July. She rolled her eyes at me as I marched through the hall, singing Dixie and American the Beautiful. But when asked, she didn’t want me to turn them off. 
When we drove out to the store, we bought a box of sparklers,
which we stood in the driveway in broad daylight and waved them around. So this morning, I was ready to celebrate!
I had the flags out, and the music on, and wonderful memories of stories and experiences to inspire me. 
A picnic lunch with my family brought laughter and great food; then an afternoon and evening of pulling weeds on the hill (only me, I’m sure!!!) rounded out my day. I’ll close it off by watching 4th of July movie countdown on the Hallmark Channel.
However you spent your day, whoever you were with, whatever memories or experiences you had, I hope you took time to thank God for our great country, our amazing freedoms, and the love that surrounds our minds and hearts every single day.
Happy Birthday, America! We love you! 
Sunday morning found gray skies and rain in the morning, but inside the church there is always Son-shine! Always a blessing to share with my church family. Kath invited me for lunch with her family, and again – there is always so much food! It was relaxing to enjoy lunch and family. My youngest grandchild is almost 10, so having Millie (not quite 2) is a delight.
She had fun watching the bubble machine – so did I. I think I need to get one of those things.
Later in the afternoon I did more yard work, trimmed some shrubs and bundled them, then washed the car. Also caught up on reading some manuscripts.
Monday I picked up Kath, and we headed to Linn Run, Laughlintown, and Ligonier. The idea of Linn Run was to pack our new backpacks with snacks and lunch, a sweater, purse items, and water, then hike through the trails. 
We got the backpacks for our Boston trip and wanted to see if we could manage them (which we could). We walked for about an hour and a half before finding a comfy spot to have lunch beside the water.
I was hoping that the antique mall was open so we buzzed up to Laughlintown, but it was not. We contented ourselves by stopping at the Pie Shoppe. Even having eaten lunch, we bought a piece of pizza to share and each bought a bag of snails (cinnamon roll treats). It was relaxing to sit on the patio and have our treats, enjoying the sun and comfy breeze.
We parked at the Diamond in Ligonier
and walked through the quaint little town, admiring the store fronts and beautiful homes.
As we headed home I had a whim, and we swung over to St. Vincent’s cemetery. I had not been to Bud’s burial site and really wanted to find it. The building was peaceful and quiet and so beautiful. 
It was a type of closure to me to be there, to see his name on the wall, celebrate his life for a few minutes.
Then as is tradition for me for Memorial Day, I washed my windows. It’s my official start to summer.
And in addition to all of that, I felt humbled and thankful for all the displays of honor and sacrifice as I remembered those who have served and fought and given so much that we could live in our wonderful country. God Bless America, every day, every year, and may we always be worthy of their sacrifices!
This past weekend was one of the best that I remember in quite a while! It started for me on Friday afternoon – I left work at 12:30pm and came home to do yard work. I cut the grass, pulled some weeds, swept everything clean, and made sure all the patriotic decorations were in place. The house looked happy and welcoming. 
I love my house! That is mainly because of the many friends and family that gather there to share with me. After yard work I buzzed over to the store and purchased a pair of shorts with stars on the pockets. I’d had my eye on them and decided to splurge. After all, from July 1st on that could be my weekly summer work outfit! Casual!
Saturday morning my sister picked me up and we went over to our cousin Deb’s for a brunch/shower. Deb’s niece is getting married in July and it was a great occasion to 
celebrate! Deb and her daughter Emily hosted the shower for Miranda (center). Again, friends and family…
Kath dropped me off about noon, and I got into the Skunk Hollow gear and began to get the house ready for cousin company. There were nine
of the eleven present(we missed you Karen V & Susan!), and from about 1:45pm until well past 8pm we had a great time! We heard about Connie’s foster granddaughter and about Gail’s brand new husband, and caught up on everything going on in each other’s lives. And of course we ate! There was so much food we could have stayed for three days! Most of us shared a little about a romantic moment in our lives, and encouraged Gail to share her courtship and engagement story with us.
Even after six hours I was sad to see them leave. Beth said she was so comfortable at my place she could just curl up on the couch and watch a Hallmark movie! I wish they all would have done that! Beth left a little guardian angel for me,
which will cheer me from the deck every day. Thank you, Beth! It was a very fun two days!
One of the many fun things about the fact that my daughter home schools her three boys is that I can go on their field trips! Families welcome! Such was the case last Monday when Kelly and the boys came up to stay with me as their destination was closer to my house than to theirs. So early Tuesday morning we set off in the damp, chilly weather of a Western Pennsylvania May day. It only took slightly under an hour to arrive at Ft. Necessity where the school co-op group was waiting. The staff was ready for us and very accommodating. The first thing we did was to watch the movie about what had happened there, and at nearby Jumonville. George Washington established himself there as a valuable asset to whichever army he would be attached to – which at that time was the British. We walked around the museum part of the visitor center until it was time to split into groups. The older group went with one guide and the younger ones with another. As Logan and Peyton would be together in the older group, we asked Chase who he would like to have with him in his group. I was pleased and surprised that he chose me over his mom! Our group started with the inside activities, learning about who was settled in which areas of North America (French or British) and how the Native Americans played a part. 
We learned about planting gardens, identifying animal tracks, prepping a musket, and trading with local Indian tribes. I’m sure I learned more from being with this group than I did two years ago on the adult tours. It was a whole new perspective. Once we were done with the inside activities, the groups switched places and we went outside to the fort. It was cold and damp and windy and not everyone was dressed comfortably, so we huddled into the small log cabin at the fort and learned about supplies, why the Great Meadow was the best place for the fort, how the tree line came into play, and actually practiced loading and ‘unloading’ muskets
. Our guide was very knowledgeable and informative and great with the younger ones. My favorite parts were how to trade with the Indians (Beaver pelts were the most valuable commodityd- more so than deer!) and how they planted a garden: corn in the middle, beans around the corn, then squash on the outside. It was planted in a circle. We met back at the visitors center lobby to eat our picnic lunch before heading to Laurel Caverns.
The view from the parking lot of the cavern’s visitor center was amazing, and even Chase liked it. We took Logan and Chase’s picture standing by the railing. 
On a clear day you can see Pittsburgh, but it definitely wasn’t a clear day! Again we were in two groups, which had been decided ahead of time.
Anyone eleven and up could elect to go on the ‘uncharted’ tour if they wanted to be more adventuresome. The rest of us took the traditional tour, which was a little over an hour. As we descended into the ‘bowels of the earth’ I wondered if I would feel too closed in but that was not the case. A few passageways were very narrow but none were scary. We walked a half a mile down through well-lit passage ways, often with colored lights shining on interesting formations or smaller cave openings.
By the time we reached the lowest part, we were seventeen stories down. (I’m hard to see, but I’m standing by a purple rock!) There were places we could hear water running, where the walls and even the floors were wet, and even a section of writing on the walls (which is illegal now). The most fascinating place was where we stopped to study our perspective. It was what appeared to be a sloped raining going upwards from left to right.
However, when you places a golf ball on the railing, it rolled uphill to the right! The guide explained that we had nothing to base the angle on as we didn’t have the horizon to anchor us. The railing was actually going DOWNHILL from left to right. Near the end of the tour we saw a light show set to music, ‘Appalachian Spring’ – it sounded to me very much like ‘Lord of the Dance.’ The multi-colored lights flashed in tune to the music as it highlighted different sections of the caves. At the very end they turned all the lights out and you could literally not see the hand in front of your face. What a scary place to be lost in, but thankfully that was not an issue.
While we were having fun tramping around the sand and limestone well-lit pathways, the older more adventurous group was crawling and climbing over rock formations and through tight openings in a very unlit section of the caves. 
The entire depth of the caverns are over forty stories down. The explorers were instructed to wear long pants, long sleeve shirts, a hard had, solid hiking boots, and to bring two sources of light. Peyton (second from the right) had several flashlights and a head lamp fastened to his hard hat. Their tour was well over two hours long, and I totally admire the adults that braved that tour! Several moms txted Kelly that evening saying that if Peyton wouldn’t have helped pull them out of holes and through openings they would still be stuck there! 
He loved the whole thing and wants to go again and do the three hour tour. Sounds a little like the S S Minnow to me….
We all had a good time (even Chase, who is hard pressed to get too far from his X-Box and Switch) and worked up an appetite. We ordered Abie and Bimbo’s pizza on the way home and ate most of it in record time. Thanks for including me in another Hancher family adventure. I loved being the ‘Grammy’ on the school field trip!
This afternoon our Ladies Ministry hosted a cake decorating demonstration at the church. Shelagh Robertson was our expert, with the help of some cupcake baking by Dianne and Amy Gresham. There were about two dozen of us watching the demonstration, and about half way through I knew it was something I would never conquer.
But it was very fun to watch, and to see a triangular bag stuffed with pastel icing come out the other end looking like hydrangeas and roses! Mine looked like blobs of icing. (The purple flower on the top was pre-made, and not by me!!!) 
After one attempt I asked Jessica Kintigh if she would be kind enough to decorate my other two, which she did. Shelagh (and most of the others!) made it look so easy that I was frustrated that I couldn’t get anything even closely resembling a flower!
But I do have to say, regardless of what it looked like, it sure tasted good. We learned how to remove a small ring in the center of the cupcake and insert filling, then replace the center. We had orange flavored cupcakes with a whipped pineapple filling. There were chocolate cupcake with 3 kinds of filling (including a chocolate chip mousse – need I say more???). And a vanilla cupcake with whipped cream, diced strawberries, and freezer jam filling. I sampled the orange one; the other two are in my fridge.
Now that you’ve seen my cupcake (???), here are the samples of the other ladies. 
We had some pretty quick learners in the group. It was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon – not to mention tasty. Thanks, Shelagh and Dianne for putting the program together!!!
The roses had an amazing aroma and I was wishing the pictures could convey that. 
John had a bird feeder attached to the kitchen window and we watched a cardinal munching a mid-morning snack.
This month they will be married 33 years! A nice trip and a nice day, and so blessed to be with them. Praying for their peace and safety and joy! 
Of course her dad had to embarrass her by calling her name while they were setting up. 
We enjoyed watching her play, hearing her part (great job, Chrissy!) and seeing the joy on her face with a job well done! 
So glad that even with our busy schedules we have time to stop and smell the roses — ah, er, hear the music! — of these kids who worked so hard to get it right. Next year she wants to try for Jazz band and/or Wind Ensemble. She’ll do great, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Recent Comments