tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118007162024-03-13T17:21:51.690-04:00TippyKayakMusings of a sarcastic optimistPWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.comBlogger266125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-54809492909348935982016-08-13T15:14:00.003-04:002016-08-13T15:18:45.269-04:00Oh, Montana!When you first drive into Montana from the east you find that it isn't much different than the east. We drove for a couple of hours into Montana and Pearl said, "is this Montana?" Her vision of the state was much different.<br />
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We told her to just wait.....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Wide open fields and "big sky" greeted us in Montana.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Note the mountains in the distance.</span></td></tr>
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We left the Black Hills en route to Glacier National Park. We expected to stop along the way and did in Billings, MT. It was late and dark by the time we got there. We hadn't made a hotel reservation because this was one night of our trip we weren't sure how far we would get. We didn't think it would be difficult.<br />
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And then we stopped. The first hotel had suites only and it was expensive. The second had one room left - we'll take it. Imagine our surprise when we let ourselves into "our room" to find it occupied. Stuff was everywhere! Somehow the hotel made a mistake. The guests allegedly checked out, but didn't. They showed up as we were sorting things out and were surprised that their keys didn't work.<br />
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The hotel did make arrangements for us to stay at another local hotel and they paid for the room which made it much better, but it was late and we were tired and and were toting luggage all over God's country!<br />
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The next morning our route took us on some of the byways in Montana to Glacier. Pearl was happy when we got to the mountains. This is the Montana she expected.<br />
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One of the things I remember so vividly about Glacier National Park isn't the namesake glaciers, but the water. I have yet to find appropriate descriptors for the chilly blue/teal of the rivers and lakes in Glacier National Park. I find myself photographing the water more than any other aspect of the park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along Route 2.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake McDonald. Our hotel overlooked the lake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the park along the Going-to-the-Sun Road.</td></tr>
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We had never driven along Route 2 before from East to West Glacier. I would drive and redrive and redrive this route all day long! I did want Jamie to slow down. The speed limit is 70 and I have no idea how we drove 70 and didn't end up in the water. The road is quite curvy. I think the truck must have been on fire or something because we were driving so fast - must get to the hotel!</div>
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Another hotel glitch. We booked two rooms at Glacier for two nights - Lake McDonald Lodge - one of the oldest lodges in the park.The hotel had a reservation for one room and that room had two double beds. Nope, that won't work with the three of us.</div>
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Our trusty clerk said "wait, I have something up my sleeve," to which I replied, "great, I'm a fan of sleeves." He explained that they had a storm about the time of my booking and those who booked at that time had their reservations screwed up. He did have a room that had just been redone - one of the deluxe double queen rooms with a balcony overlooking Lake McDonald. Hey, dude, I like your sleeves. </div>
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Below is the view from our room.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little bird watching us outside our window.</td></tr>
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We enjoyed amazing meals at the Lake McDonald Lodge restaurant. Pearl had trout which came with a side of asparagus. It should be noted that Pearl is like a toddler - she is quite picky about her veggies. I have never seen her eat asparagus. She picked the asparagus up and ate all of of it. I said to her, "Mom, you're eating asparagus," to which she replied, "so I am."</div>
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Pearl did tell us about "trout'n" as a child in St. Carol's, Newfoundland. She and her siblings would fish for trout each afternoon after school. They would use bamboo poles not these fancy poles that people use today. They would bring back all these fish and her mother (my grandmother - 'nan) would cook them for breakfast the next day.</div>
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I asked if kids still did that and she said that they do not. "I think kids today are just too lazy."</div>
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She also noted that her belly was "expensive" because she was eating all the expensive stuff on the menu. Hey, Pearl, anything for your belly!</div>
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We made the trip to Montana before the Going-to-the-Sun Road was completely open. We could only go so far on the road so we didn't see as much wildlife, didn't see the glaciers, didn't see as much of the park as we would have liked. We still drove around and saw much.</div>
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One unique feature is a "fen" which is a bog/swamp-like feature. It's deceiving because it looks like a beautiful field but if you step on it, you sink into the grass. Your shoes get wet and so do your socks and feet.</div>
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Pearl had a great time looking at the scenery and taking very short walks. I enjoyed the water and got better at selfies!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamie figuring the camera out and Pearl waving.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near our hotel where the creek meets Lake McDonald.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfalls and the river.</td></tr>
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One of the highlights of our trip to Glacier National Park was a boat ride on Lake McDonald. The park ranger who was our boat guide was 90 - literally. He joked about being 90. He also repeated stories. And he shared opinions in a way that made me uncomfortable. He lamented that people don't get off the beaten path and that they expect to see animals on the yellow line in the road. Normally I would say, "sure, people need to get off the road," but when you are traveling with someone who isn't mobile enough to do that, it's a nice sentiment but it's also alarming to suggest that someone may not enjoy the parks because she can't go hiking. <br />
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He also couldn't answer what I considered to be simple questions. He noted that there is an invasive trout species in the Lake. He couldn't tell more beyond that. How did it get there? What's happening with it? <br />
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We did hear about forest fires and how natural they are. We also heard about how he fought in the big forest fire of 1900 or something like that. The ride itself was beautiful; the lake incredible. I couldn't wait to get off the boat!<br />
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After two days in glorious Glacier National Park we headed south to Virginia City and Nevada City.PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-90251340881946196762016-08-02T19:31:00.003-04:002016-08-13T14:32:18.024-04:00Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood - the Black Hills<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Doane Robinson had a vision - carve famous figures into the granite of the Black Hills to attract more tourists to South Dakota because "t<span style="background-color: white;">ourists soon get fed up on scenery unless it has something of special interest connected with it to make it impressive."</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">He enlisted the help of artist Gutzon Borglum to help "carve" the heads into the granite that would become Mt. Rushmore.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Mt. Rushmore is impressive. I am not sure if you see the heads as you approach from the road to Mt. Rushmore because that road is up the side of a mountain and I had my head covered because I am terrified of heights. Studies show that those afraid of heights are soothed by covering their heads with sweatshirts while being driven up the sides of mountains (I made this line up about studies). As a note, I originally typed "while driving up the sides of mountains." I had to correct that. I am quite sure studies would show that people careen off the sides of mountains if they cover their heads with sweatshirts while driving. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">You park in a huge parking ramp and then walk along the Avenue of Flags (all 50 states are represented and Pearl and I took our picture at New York) to get to the incredible visual of Mt. Rushmore. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">You are able to see Mt. Rushmore as you walk from the parking ramp but Pearl was looking down watching her step as we walked. The walk wasn't treacherous but she's a safety girl. Once we got to the Grand View Terrace, we sat down. Mom looked up and exclaimed, "Pauline, look at the faces." She was stunned. It is a sight to behold.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">To think that Borglum and his men "carved" this sculpture primarily using dynamite is incredible. Each presidential head is six stories tall. The carving began in 1927 and was finished in 1941. We were there in time to celebrate 75 years - a year older than Pearl! Over the 14 year period, 400 or so people worked on the monument, according to information presented at the National Memorial museum and gift shop. Unfortunately, Gutzon Borglum died several months before the memorial was finished. His son, Lincoln, had to finish the project. The monument was declared complete on Halloween, 1941. Eerie!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">As you leave the Memorial,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pearl did comment that we were seeing "more stones" as we drove from Badlands National Park to Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands. Well, yes. We are in the mountains.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After Mt. Rushmore we thought we would visit the Crazy Horse Memorial. Night and day. Mt. Rushmore seemed to be organized and well taken care of. Crazy Horse seemed, well, crazy. First of all, the fee to get into the memorial was ridiculous! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Crazy Horse Memorial was commissioned by the Lakota to "preserve the culture, tradition and living heritage of North American Indians" according to the brochure. The memorial is not even close to finished. In fact, if you weren't told what it was, you would have no idea what was being carved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And the story is just bizarre. Korczak Ziolkowski, an artist who worked alongside Borglum on Mt. Rushmore was commissioned to sculpt the world's largest sculptural undertaking. He started in 1948 and won't be finished in my lifetime. He died in 1982 and most of his children are involved in continuing this project. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The videos and other materials in the museum stressed that no federal or state funds are accepted for this project. Everything is done via donations, grants and fees to the memorial. This isn't just a memorial. We were able to visit the Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Education and Cultural Center. We did see information about the Indian University of North America. It is an interesting complex.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As someone who works in communication I have to express disappointment with the marketing communication materials. We were treated to a lengthy video that detailed the family. No offense, but I don't care what the children of Ziolkowski are doing and who does what at the memorial. Tell me about the Native American heritage. Sell me. I left bored and disappointed. That nearly never happens for me at historic monuments and memorials.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Crazy Horse will be carved pointing "in answer to the question posed by a white man, "where are your lands now?"" His response, "My lands are where my dead lie buried." He was chosen because he was known to never have signed a treaty, according to the memorial brochure. For more information about the Crazy Horse Memorial and the mission of the complex, please visit the web site here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I will say that I felt a certain sadness and despair visiting Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorials in one day. While Mt. Rushmore was a stunning site and a testament to artistic invention, it left me feeling hollow. I had to think that the Native Americans in the area had to be disturbed that the Black Hills - their sacred hills - were marred by the faces of four white men who likely represent to them death, destruction, defeat, arrogance, and oppression. Sure enough, when I returned from the trip, I looked up several articles on the subject. I am still struggling with how to process that information. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our next stop was Deadwood. The ride to Deadwood was serene, idyllic and picturesque. We decided we would return to the Black Hills because there are many recreational opportunities including a rail trail. I am a huge supporter of rail trails (converting old railroad lines/tracks to multi-use trails). For more information about rail trails, please visit the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy web site <a href="http://www.railstotrails.org/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Deadwood was just hot, hot, hot. The heat wave of Badlands continued. It was nearly 100 degrees. Walking through town was painful. It didn't help that it is a tourist trap. I expected a certain degree of kitsch, but come on now. I might think differently if it was 20 degrees cooler. Perhaps not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We also encountered for the second time our "pace car," if you will. When there is road construction of any consequence, rather than have flag folks, they have a car that you follow. For example, we wait our turn for the car with official markings and some sign on the back to lead a group of cars through. It then turns around and you follow it through the construction. Then turns again and continues all damn day, I would guess. It seemed to me an inefficient way to get the job done, but this isn't my area of expertise so I will reserve too much judgment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After our time in South Dakota - seriously one of my new favorite states - we were off to Montana. This was the object of the trip for Pearl. All the rest was just filler. Tune in next week for Glacier National Park and points east en route to this magnificence.</span></div>
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PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-35371623797998329132016-07-19T20:10:00.003-04:002016-07-19T20:21:07.677-04:00Badlands....Bad to the BoneAfter leaving the World's Only Corn Palace, I felt corny so I kept it going, hence the title of this post. I will stop after this and go back to normal which is roughly defined for me anyway.<br />
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Badlands National Park.<br />
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I think the best way to sum it up is to quote Pearl, "I cannot believe what I am seeing."<br />
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This was our first visit to this park and I have to say that I fell in love and cannot wait to return! The rock formations, the colors, the starkness, the animals all made the park an incredible place. <br />
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This particular scenery was new to Pearl. She had never seen anything like it. She kept giving us directions: "Pauline, stop here," "Pauline, take a picture of that over there," and she would point, "Pauline, make sure you get that," and she would point again.<br />
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Half the fun and amazement was seeing Pearl's face. Even posing with the bronze Fonz in Milwaukee and Cornelia at the Corn Palace didn't compare to the spectacular beauty of Badlands. Some photos.<br />
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It was 100 degrees while we were here and that is no exaggeration - the temperature read 99 on the outdoor thermometer feature of the truck and that was later in the day. In fact it was so hot that I am quite sure my nipples melted right off my boobs and rolled in the sweat river right down to my belly button (never fear, I was able to put them back in Montana where it was much cooler).</div>
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Why is it called Badlands? The area is home to the Lakota people. According to the Badlands National Park web site, the Lakota ancestors called it "mako sica" or "land bad" because of the harsh conditions - high temperatures, lack of water, rugged terrain. The Lakota also know this area to be sacred to them. <br />
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It is also a geologists and paleontologists dream! The geology of the area is quite unique and is better explained at this <a href="https://www.nps.gov/badl/learn/nature/geologicformations.htm" target="_blank">link</a>. I'm not going to try to outdo other nerds! And if you like fossils, here is where you will find your peeps! Turns out Pearl isn't as interested in all of that. She would have gone along for the ride but Jamie and I like to read everything and see all the exhibits. Yeah, we're those goobers. We will have to return when we can spend time poring over all the information and when we can walk a bit more extensively. <br />
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And the wildlife! We saw:</div>
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<li>Prairie dogs - which were enormous fun to watch</li>
<li>A snake - although it didn't rank high enough in the fauna hierarchy to get a picture in the Badlands Visitors Guide</li>
<li>Bighorn Sheep - on our way back from Wall Drug. Jamie was so excited he had to tell a couple of others folks, "hey, did you see the bighorn sheep up that way?" like a little kid</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, what up, tourists?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prairie dogs!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snake is kinda visible to the left in the photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bighorn sheep relaxing in the heat.</td></tr>
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We drove around the recommended Badlands Loop Road because it was much too hot to go hiking and we were worried that Pearl might not want to do that with "beware rattlesnakes" signs all over the place.<br />
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We stayed just outside the park so we were able to have the worst dinner with the worst service (shame on you, National Park Service official lodging and dining in the park - Cedar Pass Lodge). Thank goodness the sunset more than made up for it.<br />
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<br />PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-67651440979740071402016-07-13T20:17:00.004-04:002016-07-13T20:22:55.976-04:00The Great Corn Palace - only in AmericaAfter leaving Milwaukee, we had an incredibly pleasant drive west through Wisconsin and into Minnesota (I have to confess that sometimes I type words and have auto correct do some of the work. I couldn't get Minnesota right for the life of me just now. Had to use Google. Not sure if it's because it's the evening or I'm just a dumbass.)<br />
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We crossed the Mississippi River and I didn't even realize it was the Mississippi. I'm used to very high bridges over this very large river. I was expecting to crap myself because I am not a fan of heights. [You can bet that you will hear more about that fear with future posts. Turns out there are mountains out west.]<br />
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We left Milwaukee in the early afternoon so we spent the night in Sioux Falls at a Quality Inn. It seems that every hotel has a swimming pool and some even have water slides. This particular hotel also had "adult only" swim from 10-11 p.m. as noted below. My first thought was, racy and kinky. Then I thought, that's actually brilliant (not the kink). One of the things I hate about hotel pools is the kids. I was too tired to find out what the adult swim was about so we may never know.....<br />
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We got up early the next day so that we could make it to Badlands National Park in time to explore. If you've not been in South Dakota on Route 90, you may miss the 4,567,890 (+/- 1,000,000) billboards on the side of the road advertising every kitschy museum and roadside attraction. It's like traveling to Florida and seeing the South of the Border signs but this is South of the Border on crack.<br />
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Corn Palace, Wall Drugs, 1800's Town, Al's Oasis, you name it. The Corn Palace was too corny (pun intended, and I'm still giggling) to pass up. Jamie thought I was nuts. I said, okay, advertising works. We have to see this place that's been touted as the "only corn palace in the world." Honestly, though, how many would there need to be worldwide?<br />
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We made fun of the idea of the Corn Palace and then followed all the signs off the exit to the Corn Palace. Then we marveled. What an interesting and odd place and what a neat idea. I have to applaud people who do things like this to attract attention to an otherwise sleepy place. It was just damn cool.<br />
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And Pearl got in on the action. Here is a photo of her with the resident mascot, Cornelia.<br />
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The <a href="http://cornpalace.com/" target="_blank">Corn Palace</a> is the main attraction in Mitchell, South Dakota. Murals made of corn are constructed each year around a particular theme. 2016's theme is Rock of Ages. Murals were of musicians and other music-related scenes. The "palace" hosts concerts and other events. At the time we were there, the auditorium was a giant gift shop.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see Elvis made of corn and corn parts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo and the photo below right are close up shots of one of the murals. <br />
You can see how intricate this work is.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gift shot auditorium.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And what do you buy in the gift shop? Salt and pepper shakers to season your corn!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alsoasis.com/" target="_blank">Al's Oasis</a> is advertised for miles and hit our journey right at lunch time so we figured we would try it. Um, delicious bison burger and the best onion rings! The pies looked awesome but we were quite full from the rest of the meal. Worth a stop! Al's also has a large gift shop and convenience store. I bought a book and as I was checking out the cashier started talking about the two presidential candidates. What?! And I don't even know how it got started. Something about being tired and then tired of the election and she doesn't like either candidate. Okay, great for you. I thought politics was one topic you didn't discuss with strangers! Egad! Can we talk about the onion rings? Or the magnificent Missouri River (below).</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">Every visitor on I-90 in South Dakota must stop at </span><a href="http://www.walldrug.com/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Wall Drugs</a><span style="text-align: left;"> if for no other reason than to get a cup of water. Honestly, it's the most touristy, ridiculousness around. Water would be all you want. But you have to make the pilgrimage. Enough road signs signal that Wall Drugs has water, donuts, cowboy boots, a diner, you name it, that you have to see what the hubaloo is about.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl with Poker Alice</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EZcw88sHG6I/V4bX3YAgNPI/AAAAAAAAAtk/dbATePx6VG8PZpJL17YTfF3XYY5b4x_VACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160608_180237630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EZcw88sHG6I/V4bX3YAgNPI/AAAAAAAAAtk/dbATePx6VG8PZpJL17YTfF3XYY5b4x_VACLcB/s320/IMG_20160608_180237630.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drinking the water</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KDfjJ7Z7SxA/V4bYGimhO-I/AAAAAAAAAts/hWf_-7CLTLwWFacyd1Lj5boMJsmD7OYBACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160608_172914665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KDfjJ7Z7SxA/V4bYGimhO-I/AAAAAAAAAts/hWf_-7CLTLwWFacyd1Lj5boMJsmD7OYBACLcB/s320/IMG_20160608_172914665.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the travel chapel</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I have a confession. I had Jamie take a picture of me in the travel chapel at Wall Drugs. Then our truck broke down in Yellowstone (more on that later). I think it may have been fault for making fun of the travel chapel. I don't think God appreciated my sense of humor.<br />
<br />
Next post.....Badlands National Park. It deserves its own post. Preview: Spectacular!</div>
PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-52365281992977331142016-07-05T20:47:00.002-04:002016-07-05T21:08:23.333-04:00Schlemiel, Schlimazel, Milwaukee!The first stop on our trip out west with Pearl was Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Yup, that's correct - Milwaukee. I read that Milwaukee is one of the <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-us" target="_blank">best cities to visit in the United States in 2016</a> so I thought we would check it out. <br />
<br />
It reminds me of Buffalo in many ways - German heritage, river, architecturally interesting buildings, brats, and beer. We arrived late our first night. We expected to get in early enough to have dinner downtown but we were delayed for two hours just east of Chicago because of a tractor trailer fire on I-90. What sucks about this is we were about ten cars in. The fire was on the other side of the thruway but because the fire was quite intense and they had to get emergency crews to the scene, traffic was stopped on both sides.<br />
<br />
Jamie used to drive tractor trailers and he is an engineer. Bad combination when stopped in traffic for two hours wondering what the hell is going on. We had all sorts of theories and he was explaining all that could have gone wrong ("What probably happened is the something or other just in back of the cab rubbed on something and that caused the fire." I felt like the dog in the Far Side comic who recognizes only its name in a conversation with its owner. He thought it was a catalytic converter fire. Sure.) <br />
<br />
It took so long that we counted up the vehicles that arrived to help with this fire. This is as much as we could count: 2-3 ambulances, 3 copters, hook and ladder truck, police and fire people, 5-6 water tankers/foam trucks, tow truck, Indiana state troopers, 2 flatbed wreckers, a Bobcat skidster (I don't know what that is, but Jamie said it so I wrote it down).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OdNiMFOamz0/V3xJyBqV1XI/AAAAAAAAAqU/9IFNyINtP5YR0wHXfGVhwbslYyoboK1pgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160606_171213448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OdNiMFOamz0/V3xJyBqV1XI/AAAAAAAAAqU/9IFNyINtP5YR0wHXfGVhwbslYyoboK1pgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160606_171213448.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is after the fire died down a bit. Smoke was quite intense for a bit. You can see how close we were to freedom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--cOa0oCztk0/V3xJx4T2xJI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/7den7XHgt0UaaP2Sn8q1Mi-brM217oB6ACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160606_174811196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--cOa0oCztk0/V3xJx4T2xJI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/7den7XHgt0UaaP2Sn8q1Mi-brM217oB6ACLcB/s320/IMG_20160606_174811196.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three helicopters circled. I assumed they were TV copters - this is just one. We found no evidence of this incident on any news outlet.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lS1U3v9X7l8/V3xJ00q49nI/AAAAAAAAAqY/m36EpfvqaSwfJTZXBIGML0QSVPguFyowwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160606_182258449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lS1U3v9X7l8/V3xJ00q49nI/AAAAAAAAAqY/m36EpfvqaSwfJTZXBIGML0QSVPguFyowwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160606_182258449.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got the all clear and we are driving by.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rkdjgZEZLH0/V3xJ2BuiSzI/AAAAAAAAAqc/7sX8S0Ba9m0_JJeTUzrIq_w36Xv9NE_eACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160606_182307742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rkdjgZEZLH0/V3xJ2BuiSzI/AAAAAAAAAqc/7sX8S0Ba9m0_JJeTUzrIq_w36Xv9NE_eACLcB/s320/IMG_20160606_182307742.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the emergency vehicles called into service.</td></tr>
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While we were waiting, Pearl and I ate our little package of blueberries. I opened them for her, handed them to her and then after a few minutes asked if I could have some. She handed the package up to me (I was in the front seat, she behind me). I started eating them and she said, "take some for yourself and pass them back. I'm not done yet." Hey, she is the boss.<br />
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Once we were given the green light to drive, we drove by and saw that it was a truck full of Brawny paper towels. I joked with Jamie that those damn paper towels sucked up enough of the liquid that was sprayed onto that fire! No wonder it took so long to put out!<br />
<br />
We did joke that if I didn't have to stop and go to the bathroom, we would have made it ahead of this accident. I said that if he didn't forget something at home at the start of the trip, we would have made it past the accident. We also joked that if we didn't get behind some idiot at McDonald's asking the folks to remake his eggs because he was sure they were from a can and not from actual eggs getting cracked for him, we would have made it past the accident. But where's the story in that?<br />
<br />
[As an aside, when we drove home we took this same route and Jamie said he thought he saw a cross on the side of the road at this mile marker. He thought the driver might have died. Again, we couldn't find anything about this incident. If that is the case, our hearts go out to the family. Not funny.]<br />
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We didn't make it to Milwaukee until late and we went straight to bed, for the most part. As we were checking in, Pearl asked us if we had two rooms or one. We told her we got one room with two queen beds. In fact, we tried to do this for the entirety of the trip for a couple of reasons: 1) it's cheaper to get one room, and 2) we didn't feel comfortable thinking that Pearl might wake up in the middle of the night or the morning not sure where she was or what was going on and then panicking. We weren't sure if the later would happen but we didn't feel right finding out.<br />
<br />
When we told her we got one room (didn't tell her the reason), she said, "well, no hanky-panky you two."<br />
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Um, Pearl, you can rest assured that having your mother (or mother-in-law) in the next bed is akin to sexual DEET. You needn't worry about "hanky-panky."<br />
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The next morning, Pearl and I went for a walk along Milwaukee's <a href="http://milwaukeeriverwalkdistrict.com/" target="_blank">RiverWalk</a>. Our hotel was just two blocks away so it made for a nice walk. We were able to take a leisurely stroll along the Milwaukee River and see the downtown area along with some wonderful sculptures as part of a downtown art project - <a href="http://www.visitmilwaukee.org/riverwalk/artwalk" target="_blank">RiverSculpture</a>. Pearl also got to wrap her arms around The Fonz (he was bronzed).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-skHS1426FsQ/V3xMgwJHJKI/AAAAAAAAArA/srKx-4X39rgNLC_73J_hrbCunu_mlRkBwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160607_094313958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-skHS1426FsQ/V3xMgwJHJKI/AAAAAAAAArA/srKx-4X39rgNLC_73J_hrbCunu_mlRkBwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160607_094313958.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl and the Fonz</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-swS98zorcvI/V3xMe_nO6sI/AAAAAAAAAq4/G5-mafsp7A0ZJTdevMVWq1XhG0p3uAiKACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160607_094332668_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-swS98zorcvI/V3xMe_nO6sI/AAAAAAAAAq4/G5-mafsp7A0ZJTdevMVWq1XhG0p3uAiKACLcB/s320/IMG_20160607_094332668_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My selfie with the Fonz</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7-wY1e41IRQ/V3xMgifQnCI/AAAAAAAAAq8/6r7jdKQrLRMYgTm6P9GbBFO_SV-_rXeVwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160607_094421937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7-wY1e41IRQ/V3xMgifQnCI/AAAAAAAAAq8/6r7jdKQrLRMYgTm6P9GbBFO_SV-_rXeVwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160607_094421937.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views along the River Walk</td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aUF9CU8d7uc/V3xMiUQVMFI/AAAAAAAAArE/3pe515w0qgQNN2fmbzNSheNsESfBokf9ACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160607_094428024_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aUF9CU8d7uc/V3xMiUQVMFI/AAAAAAAAArE/3pe515w0qgQNN2fmbzNSheNsESfBokf9ACLcB/s320/IMG_20160607_094428024_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boat going under one of the lift bridges.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3qhMcdYlZrQ/V3xMkSmLCGI/AAAAAAAAArM/AgXmW6oD0Xw6zmiPhm_R7GZjxOfVuDwSACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160607_094541273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3qhMcdYlZrQ/V3xMkSmLCGI/AAAAAAAAArM/AgXmW6oD0Xw6zmiPhm_R7GZjxOfVuDwSACLcB/s320/IMG_20160607_094541273.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gertie Gets Her Ducks in a Row by Benjamin Rothschild</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJbWGPiRvfQ/V3xMoBVFDQI/AAAAAAAAArY/3NU2_m9vBOQuXAheUjQHkiDl_nQTm8-UQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160607_104012338_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJbWGPiRvfQ/V3xMoBVFDQI/AAAAAAAAArY/3NU2_m9vBOQuXAheUjQHkiDl_nQTm8-UQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160607_104012338_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cow and Ballerina by Schomer Lichtner</td></tr>
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We left Pearl in the hotel room to rest while Jamie and I went out for a walk. I am a tad bothered because I took several others pictures that seem to have disappeared from my camera. Several of the pictures were taken as we walked through the Milwaukee Historical Society. They had an exhibit on beer and brewing in Milwaukee - <a href="http://www.brewcitymke.com/" target="_blank">Brew City MKE</a>. Now, I don't drink beer and could normally care less about beer but it so defines this city that it would be foolish not to take a look. <br />
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What an interesting exhibit. In many ways it reminded me of the tour I did a few years ago in Utica. Prohibition played a huge role in our history and it's interesting to note that "brewing" still happened during prohibition but in a very different way. Non-alcoholic beverages were brewed as were "kits" that were given explicit directions that you should not add 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar, stir and then heat (I don't remember the exact directions but it essentially told you how to make alcohol by warning you against it - very clever). And then once prohibition was repealed, beer was available in no time flat even though it takes quite some time to brew beer.<br />
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We also found our way to the German corner (hell, the whole city is German corner and we were okay with that). There was a restaurant we want to try when we return - we didn't think Pearl would like it - full of German sausages and other delicacies and dishes. My mouth is watering thinking about it. We did find a wonderful sausage/deli market and a cheese shop. Of course we purchased something in each store. The woman in the sausage store - <a href="http://www.usinger.com/" target="_blank">Usinger's</a> - apologized that the jerky/sausage we bought was expensive "because everything is hand-made." Funny, we didn't find it pricey and thought that if this was expensive, we are living the high life! (It is Miller country.) <br />
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At the <a href="http://www.wisconsincheesemart.com/" target="_blank">Wisconsin Cheese Mart</a> we got some curds and some other cheeses to eat on the way as well as a little souvenir cheddar for Pearl - the cheddar cow pictured below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJvjiKQaUII/V3xUqEux0OI/AAAAAAAAAr4/oVE71nZ4ji8JOJF0bK2i2R-9fgypBrbgwCLcB/s1600/cheese%2Bcow%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJvjiKQaUII/V3xUqEux0OI/AAAAAAAAAr4/oVE71nZ4ji8JOJF0bK2i2R-9fgypBrbgwCLcB/s320/cheese%2Bcow%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this little cheese cow! Peel the wax and eat the cheddar. I can't seem to do it, though.</td></tr>
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Thankfully, both shops ship so we can always order more.<br />
<br />
We left Milwaukee vowing to return. We were only able to see the city in about four hours which is not enough time and did not do it justice. I think the RiverWalk was an excellent experience and would welcome staying in the area again when we return. And you can get here in one day - a pretty long day - but one day. If anyone would like to share experiences of Milwaukee, please do.PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-17012826458766233952016-06-22T19:31:00.002-04:002016-06-22T19:34:17.999-04:00Where's Pearl?I do plan to talk about the individual places we visited as noted below:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Milwaukee (my new favorite city, great small city)</li>
<li>Corn Palace (the world's only corn palace)</li>
<li>Badlands, SD (one of my new favorite National Parks)</li>
<li>Mt. Rushmore and Black Hills, SD (hotter than....well, it was hot)</li>
<li>Montana (Glacier National Park, Nevada and Virginia cities - all fabulous)</li>
<li>Yellowstone National Park (too crowded for me)</li>
<li>Grand Teton National Park (just stunning)</li>
</ul>
<div>
I thought it might be nice to highlight some of the pictures of Pearl. When we dropped her off at home this past Saturday she said, "I loved every minute of this trip. Where are we going next?" This trip was very much about her and we were happy to have spent this time with her. Some of her highlights.....</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFC8Dx5-37Y/V2scro2nkfI/AAAAAAAAAmo/rwx0O67AoCM5F_n6nMqG9qV6KbBCCUGDQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160607_094313958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFC8Dx5-37Y/V2scro2nkfI/AAAAAAAAAmo/rwx0O67AoCM5F_n6nMqG9qV6KbBCCUGDQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160607_094313958.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl with the Fonz in Milwaukee on the River Walk path.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl with 'Corn'elia at the world's only Corn Palace in South Dakota.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1teIqX3PLSU/V2sdcPtQwxI/AAAAAAAAAm8/O0UGXIvZ6fgMBF2KgdkC_-tNTJgOEAN3gCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160608_105819064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1teIqX3PLSU/V2sdcPtQwxI/AAAAAAAAAm8/O0UGXIvZ6fgMBF2KgdkC_-tNTJgOEAN3gCLcB/s320/IMG_20160608_105819064.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need more be said? In South Dakota</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ju-EhWU8roY/V2sd1BZnhvI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/5duVReyH7OIGsaFpJK1ZSR7lOwymTGlfACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160608_173914842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ju-EhWU8roY/V2sd1BZnhvI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/5duVReyH7OIGsaFpJK1ZSR7lOwymTGlfACLcB/s320/IMG_20160608_173914842.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, when you play cards with Poker Alice.<br />
At Wall Drugs in SD.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl and Jamie in Glacier National Park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We tried to take a selfie with mom as we sat on the train between Nevada and Virginia cities, MT. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So she did.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Yellowstone National Park overlooking the canyon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Yellowstone National Park overlooking Mammoth Hot Springs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rubbing the "beard" of a moose in Grand Teton National Park.</td></tr>
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Pearl is normally camera shy. She never poses for pictures. I was lucky to have these shots to commemorate the trip. Also, she was quite bossy ordering me to "take a picture of this," "take a picture of that, Pauline." I was happy to oblige.</div>
PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-4644406101004467502016-06-19T14:38:00.000-04:002016-06-19T14:38:09.585-04:00Happy Father's Day[This will be the first in a series of posts about our recent trip out west with my husband, mother and me. Pearl (mom) has always wanted to go to Montana because she'd heard "it's beautiful out there," so we thought we better get her out there.]<br />
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I don't often write on Father's Day since my father has been dead a number of years. It seems odd to bring it up even though I certainly do think of him on Father's Day and many other days during the year.<br />
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My husband and I took my mother out west the past two weeks for a grand adventure. What most folks don't know, however, is that before my father died the two of us were planning a road trip out west. He had mentioned to me that when he was younger, his family had driven out to California to visit his aunt who was living in Long Beach at the time. He talked about having visited Mount Rushmore among other sites. I told him I thought it would be awesome if we did something like that.<br />
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My dad was never one to take more than a few days off at a time - if at all. Workaholic sums him up. I asked if he would be willing to take more time off so that we might make this trip even more memorable. He said, "yes." <br />
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That would have been just before I went to college at St. Bonaventure University. Plans discussed the summer after I graduated from high school. The plan was to take the trip during one of my summers from college. My brother would still be in high school or would have just graduated, depending on timing, and my sister would be in middle/high school.<br />
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Death has a way of foiling your plans.<br />
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The trip never happened. He died December of my sophomore year at Bonas. Taking a trip like this was out of the question at the time. The idea was abandoned.<br />
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Cut to nearly 30 years later and here we are in a truck heading across the country to Montana including Mount Rushmore and other points of interest. We were listening to the car radio in South Dakota and what did I hear but a commercial for John Hoffman electrical. It freaked me out a tad because John Hoffman(n) is my dad's name. Yes, John is a common enough name. Hoffman is also. My dad wasn't an electrician by trade but he did work on electronics while in the US Air Force. It was enough of an odd coincidence to give me chills and make me pause.<br />
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I am one to look for signs and I saw this as a sign that he was watching over us on this trip. I mentioned it to no one in the car. Pearl would have likely laughed it off; Jamie would have thought I was nuts, as usual.<br />
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It made me feel as though he was along for the ride we never got to take 30 years ago. This trip was for my mom, but a part of it was for him, too.<br />
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Dad, thanks for everything you've given me, my ambition, drive, curiosity, intelligence, sense of wonder and awe, family, sense of humor, and life (to name far too few). I'm glad you were able to join us if only in spirit.PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-81963029729860701772015-09-30T10:53:00.000-04:002015-09-30T10:53:08.308-04:00Weekend UpdateI know it's Wednesday and everyone is looking forward to this weekend but I want to comment on last weekend.<br />
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I participated in the <a href="http://wnyfiberartsfestival.com/" target="_blank">WNY Fiber Arts Festival</a> at Emery Park in Wales, NY. I've sold my products, <a href="http://www.wildmountainorganics.com/" target="_blank">Wild Mountain Organics</a>, for several years at this show. It is one day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and it is usually a glorious day. This past Saturday was no exception. Temperatures were in the 70s and it was nice and sunny. A great start to autumn.<br />
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I don't spin, weave, knit, or crochet but I do love to look at the wools and other crafty fiber materials that folks use to make wonderful creations. I also love to look at the animals. Last year I was situated next to the llamas. They hum, did you know that? And it's quite hypnotic. My job is stressful much of the time and it's nice to do low key shows like this to relax as much as to have conversations with customers. The humming nearly put me to sleep last year in a good way.<br />
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This year it was nice to have a steady crowd with an interest in the products and great questions. I also met some folks I might end up collaborating with in the future so stay tuned.<br />
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There was a llama (or an alpaca - I'm not savvy enough to tell them apart, physically) pulling a little cart. I want a llama and a cart! I have heard that llamas are incredibly intelligent and incredibly loyal. [They can also be quite mean if they need to be and will defend the homestead against intruders like coyotes, fox, bad people.] I figure I can go out on the town and get completely wasted and have the llama cart my happy ass home. They will know the way. Is it DWI if your llama is sober but the rider is not? I will have to check on that one.<br />
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This next comment has nothing to do with llamas or fiber. I was looking at the Kohl's ad this past Sunday and noticed this picture. I love dogs. You don't often see them in ads for baby onesies and shirts, but here we are. I am not familiar with babies and all things babies. Is the Carter's mascot a bulldog? I do not know. What struck me was the dog and the little dude next to him. Tell me they don't have the same expression on their faces? It reads: "Hey, where's my kibble?" or "Hey, where's my pureed peaches?" Just an observation.</div>
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PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-13989917804129223512015-09-20T17:08:00.003-04:002015-09-20T17:08:40.698-04:00Rural Sunday....What to do? Take FiveI had dinner with a friend of mine the other day. She is decidedly urban and I am decidedly rural. Now, I can be urban if I want to, but why? There is so much to be said of rural living.<br />
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Today is Sunday and my husband and I decided to go to a couple of "events" happening in our neck of the woods. There is always so much to do in the Western New York area that if you get bored, it's your own damn fault. I wonder, are these activities you engage in? Five things we did today.<br />
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<b>Fly in, Drive Up pancake breakfast at the Olean Airport.</b> I don't think this airport is international, but it could be, I guess. Small planes only - and helicopters. I love pancake breakfasts for a couple of reasons. First of all, breakfast. What's not to like about pancakes, eggs, sausage, real maple syrup, yum? Also, pancake breakfasts benefit a charity, in this case the Olean Airport. I am more than happy to support local organizations. There is also something just damn cool about watching people fly in in their little planes (I am sure they would be insulted by me calling them "little planes") and then take off. You can get so close.<br />
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They also offered helicopter rides. The airport is located at the top of one of the mountains in our Enchanted Mountain range. I said that if get really into training, I will ride my bike up the hill to get to the airport. I might need a lift down although down is the best part. My husband said that the helicopter ride might not be the best for me since I am terrified of heights. Here's what doesn't make sense - I can fly without a problem. For some reason when I get so high, everything looks like the Land of Make-Believe from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and then it becomes unreal to me. So it doesn't bother me that I am hundreds or thousands of feet in the air with nothing below me. But a bridge or a cliff? Forget it!<br />
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<b>Cuba Garlic Festival.</b> I love food festivals (is there a theme here?). We have plenty of food festivals in the area dedicated to particular foods. Franklinville has the Maple Festival, Eden the Corn Festival, the Peach Festival up north, I am sure I am missing a food. I think all foods should have a festival. I think we should start the melon festival. Of course we will need to be careful how we sell that one! Come see melons. Big, juicy melons.<br />
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I digress.<br />
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The Cuba Garlic Festival had plenty of garlic and other vendors. It was also a tad overpriced for my liking. $7 to get in seemed a tad steep. It wasn't that large a show. Other than that, we didn't eat any of the food because we went just after the pancake breakfast so we were full. Unfortunate since there seemed to be many food vendors with all kinds of goodies. Perhaps then I wouldn't complain about the $7 entrance fee. We did get a couple of different kinds of garlic. Every meal should have garlic. It should be the law.<br />
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<b>Cuba Cheese Shop. </b> This is worth a trip by itself. Why? Cheese. All kinds of cheese. We are currently in love with the grilling cheese. Halloumi cheese is perfect for grilling. How come it doesn't melt and ooze all over? Who cares! Just eat it. Some things don't need an explanation. (There is an explanation but it doesn't matter to me - it's just delicious.) Spread it with some jalapeno jam and you are all set. The Cheese Shop has all sorts of other cheeses as you can imagine. It's worth a trip but the garlic festival gave us our excuse.<br />
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<b>Drive through the countryside. </b> It isn't peak leaf-peeping season yet but it is still amazing country down here in the southern tier. We could drive all day and never be bored or never get tired. In addition to the views, we also like to look at houses, barns, land, landscaping, etc. We are interested in paint colors and landscaping ideas. We area also in love with old homes. Cuba is perfect for old home viewing. Such a beautiful town. Franklinville is also full of old homes with character and charm. In fact, I challenge you to find an old town in the southern tier that is not charming.<br />
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<b>Tractor Supply Store.</b> This is my favorite damn store ever! I have more fun in this store. They sell pink and purple Carharts. I just think that's a hoot. We get all sorts of things for the farm here. Today we needed dog food and a leash for Maggie. See, we don't think just of us when we eat. We also feed our dogs. They are thankful.<br />
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Next week I will be selling Wild Mountain Organics at the <a href="http://wnyfiberartsfestival.com/" target="_blank">WNY Fiber Arts Festival</a>. Please join me on Saturday at Emery Park in Wales. I will be near the alpacas and llamas, I hope.PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-77233615473966035552015-09-07T09:50:00.001-04:002015-09-07T09:50:25.914-04:00Can You Unplug? Why, yes I can!I have had several discussions recently about unplugging. People question whether or not it is possible to unplug from electronics, emails, text, etc. for any period of time. My husband and I took a week off in July to go to Port Austin, Michigan (our second trip there). We rented a rustic cottage right on Lake Huron and unplugged. The only people I texted were the two wonderful Lee's who were watching our dogs. Otherwise, you could wait until we returned. I don't think I even posted to Facebook, but I could be wrong.<br />
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I essentially spent the week reading, eating, swimming, kayaking, picking my bottom. It was sublime! The Take Five Vacation list:<br />
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1. <b>Relaxation is bliss.</b> Sometimes you just have to sit back and read or drink wine or stare at the water and the wildlife. Selfies required. BTW, orange is my favorite color so when I found this awesome beach towel, I had to have it. And this suit is so old it's ridiculous. White fish on the orange tankini. Yes, please. I can't part with it.<br />
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2. <b>Water, water everywhere....and that's how I like it. </b> There is nothing more restful than water. I could sit by the water all day for the rest of my life and never be bored. I have views from our "front porch." The sunset and Jamie in his kayak. I had just finished swimming was sitting in the deck chair while he kept kayaking looking for fish. Ah, the simple life.</div>
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3. <b>Wildlife is your friend.</b> Okay, so I have birds, but there were other animals present. The first picture is a bald eagle. Jamie stared at it for an inordinate amount of time while I kayaked about. It's a tad hard to see, but trust us, it was worth watching. Truly majestic when it took off.</div>
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The area in which we stay is quite shallow so you need to be careful when you are in the water not to run your kayak up on a huge hidden boulder. Birds tend to flock to these locations and don't seem to mind kayakers coming up on them.</div>
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4. <b>Find an activity you love and it won't be a workout.</b> That's what "they" say. It's true. I could swim and kayak all day. Both are excellent fitness activities. I never really notice that it's a fitness activity until the next day when I'm sore. Honestly, does this look like the face of someone who is engaged in a fitness activity?<br />
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5. <b>Where will we retire?</b> Can it be next week? There was a house not far from our cottage that I fell in love with. It looked like a very old home, not the usual modern lake houses you see. This is the view from the water. It didn't look inhabited. I said we would need to look into that.</div>
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Lighthouses have captivated me for years. I am not sure if it's the mystery and the intrigue or what. We were next to Lighthouse Park and it was nice to see the lighthouse when we were kayaking and swimming. The park itself is very nice and offers trails to walk.</div>
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It is possible to unplug. We left feeling completing rejuvenated. I was able to return to work with renewed vigor. We already talked about returning the next year. One week away from everyone and everything is doable and recommended by me.</div>
PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-23971369253914126562015-07-13T10:37:00.000-04:002015-07-13T10:37:51.658-04:00Cycle The Erie CanalI haven't posted my Take Five in a few weeks. Things have been a tad hectic at work and I've been traveling quite extensively. I have a week or so off before I leave town again. <br />
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I was reminded of an amazing trip I took last year - Cycle the Erie Canal trail. You start in Buffalo and end in Albany and average about 50 or so miles per day. Most of the cycling is on the Erie Canal Trail but some is on roads because the trail is not complete across the state. This is the largest fundraiser of the year for Parks and Trails New York. It is also intended to serve as an awareness campaign of the trail itself. Many places, as I mentioned, are incomplete or are in bad shape. I would love to see a completed trail and would do the trip again in a second.<br />
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The 2015 event kicked off yesterday. The cyclists would have started this morning from Medina, New York on their way to the next stop in Pittsford, New York.<br />
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I want to note my five favorite memories and photos from last year. Amy Moritz, Bona alumna, Buffalo News sports writer, blogger (amymoritz.com - byline to the finish line), former wellness coach, and friend enjoyed the trip with me. She wrote an excellent piece for The Buffalo News Refresh section this past Saturday. We are also planning something for summer 2016 so stay tuned for that!<br />
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<b>The one and only time I have been hosed down</b><br />
On our third day it was pouring rain at the start of the day. Pouring rain. We had to cycle anyway because you have to get to the next point. Unless there is a thunderstorm, you suffer through. At first I was pissed that we had to struggle in the rain. Then I embraced it. It became my favorite day of the ride. You got to see the canal and the canal trail in a very different way. You had to figure out how to maneuver through mud and yuck on the trail. I wore a white rain jacket as you can see below. It was sparkling clean throughout. Someone asked me how it stayed so clean when the rest of me didn't? I have no damn idea.<br />
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At one of our rest stops a gentleman was manning a hose to wash some of the dirt off of our bikes to ungunk our gears and chain, etc. He looked at me and asked me if I wanted him to hose me off. To be fair, he asked everyone so I wasn't special. Um, yes, please.<br />
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<b>Bona"Tent"ure</b><br />
Each night we camped and each morning we packed up. I dubbed our "tent city," BonaTenture because Amy and I are both Bona alumnae. Comfy Campers is a God-send. We paid extra for someone else to set up our tent each day and take it down each morning. Brilliant business model. After a day of cycling and sightseeing, the last thing we wanted to do was set up a tent. It came with air mattresses, which they inflated and deflated each day, and coffee each morning. Cheers!<br />
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We also met a couple of other Bona alumnae. We aren't the only two who are crazy! And it shows the Power of a Bonnie. We are everywhere. We run the world.</div>
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<b>New York State is incredibly beautiful</b><br />
Everywhere you turned (literally) you could see idyllic settings. Barns and farms, fields of crops, former locks now overgrown with greenery, the trail itself, the smooth as glass water. All are worth the trip. All photos taken from the Erie Canal trail.<br />
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<b>Sense of Humor and History</b><br />
One of the highlights of the trip was a stop in Seneca Falls. I was brought to tears as we toured the Women's History Museum. To think about the battles our ancestors fought to ensure we have the liberties and freedoms we have is moving. The fight is far from over, but the trip reminded us that we have come a long way and we have what is required to continue the fight.<br />
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With Amy Moritz at the Women's History Museum.</div>
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The Erie Canal is teeming with history. While some visits were serious as above, some were tongue-in-cheek. The picture below is at the Canal Museum in Syracuse. I thought I would see what this guy is looking at. It's the museum itself.</div>
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<b>The Finish</b></div>
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I was exhausted by the end but also exhilarated. I biked across New York State. That's pretty damn good! And I'd do it again.</div>
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<br />PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-62355914129270532922015-06-11T09:40:00.002-04:002015-06-11T09:42:40.406-04:00Gnocchi and MushroomsI purchased some mushrooms last weekend thinking I would use them with a steak we grilled but we did not.<br />
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I didn't want them to go to waste so I thought I would whip something up. I had some gnocchi also and Googled recipes to include both. I then combined several recipes to call my own to great fanfare. The fanfare was mine, my husband wasn't as excited. That means that I have some leftovers that will become lunch today.<br />
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How I did it:<br />
1 package gnocchi (I use the vacuum-packed fresh gnocchi not dried - in the future I will make my own)<br />
2 containers of mushrooms - your choice. I used shiitake and portobello<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
1 shallot<br />
olive oil<br />
Meyer lemon olive oil (I got a small sample of this in a gift basket I recently received. I think you could use lemon juice.)<br />
1 T butter<br />
1 t dried basil<br />
1 t dried oregano<br />
White wine<br />
Chicken broth<br />
2 T tomato paste<br />
1 T parsley<br />
1/2 cup parmesan cheese<br />
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Boil the gnocchi according to package directions.<br />
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Heat olive oil in a large pan - I used about 4 T. Slice garlic and shallot and add to pan. Cook until fragrant and soft. Add 1 T Meyer lemon olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Add butter and stir until melted. Add basil and oregano and stir until blended. Add white wine and chicken broth, stir to blend and cook about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until blended. <br />
Drain gnocchi and add to the pan. Stir to coat. Add cheese and parsley and stir until blended.<br />
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Mangia!<br />
<br />PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-5572584206173813612015-06-09T13:46:00.001-04:002015-06-09T13:46:29.797-04:00Take Five - Five Exercises you need to do to FarmThis Take Five is two days late. Why? I was gardening on Sunday and that is some hard work! My back hurt, my ass hurt, my arms hurt, my legs hurt.<br />
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Now you can attribute that to the fact that I am grossly out of shape, old and fat, or it could be because I didn't "train" appropriately.<br />
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Five exercises you must do in order to garden with out pain (keep in mind that I've not tried this but my Spidey senses tell me it is true).<br />
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One: <i>Squats</i>. You are squatting down to pull weeds or squatting down to plant seeds, or plants. Squats are necessary for your legs and butt.<br />
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Two: <i>Push-ups</i>. This may seem odd, but if you think about raking and hoeing, the push-up action makes sense.<br />
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Three: <i>Squat Thrusts</i> (I think they are called Burpees now. We called them Squat Thrusts in the day.). In addition to squats, these are the next step in digging, weeding, planting.<br />
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Four: <i>Bicep curls</i>. This works for lifting soil, mulch, compost, water buckets, heavy plants (not sure what plant is so heavy it would require bicep curls, but a flat of plants might).<br />
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Five: <i>Corpse Pose</i>. There is nothing better than finishing your yard work, taking a shower and laying on your back. This can be on the grass, on the floor, on the bed, in a hammock. You choose.PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-25829968835486655592015-05-31T20:30:00.003-04:002015-05-31T20:33:27.900-04:00Looky LooWell, the upstairs loo is nearly complete. I am not bothered that we don't have trim around the window or floorboards. We have a toilet, shower, sink, shelves.<br />
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It took nearly 11 months.<br />
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I thought, we could have had a baby in that time (we won't ever). What else could have given birth, you ask? A quick Google search yields:<br />
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<ul>
<li>dolphin</li>
<li>horse</li>
<li>premature giraffe, black rhino, walrus</li>
<li>llama</li>
<li>whale</li>
<li>zebra</li>
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All of the above animals could have spawned young in the time it took to redo our bathroom.</div>
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That said, I am so excited at how it turned out! Below please find before and after shots of the eleven month loo.</div>
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Before:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full frontal. This is what the bathroom looked like when we moved in. <br />
Carpet, toilet straight on, sink to the left, tub surround to the left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-API5QpQ__1M/VWuirP3rPcI/AAAAAAAAAgk/irzJqPnv0_k/s1600/upstairs%2Bloo%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-API5QpQ__1M/VWuirP3rPcI/AAAAAAAAAgk/irzJqPnv0_k/s320/upstairs%2Bloo%2B2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer picture of the tub surround and toilet.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sink in its own little nook. Notice how wonderful the wallpaper is. <br />
We had a fight over keeping it or not. Puleeze.<br />
Dangle ball lights scream "contemporary."</td></tr>
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After. Brace yourself, it's quite a difference.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New loo straight on. Notice that the shower is now against the back wall (no tub).<br />
The toilet is to the left. The sink is to the left in the same spot as the old one.<br />
No carpeting, no wallpaper.<br />
Notice to the right the doors to the built in drawer/shelf.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the shower curtain open so that you may see our tile work. White subway tile with a line of brownish glass along the top third.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We put a shampoo nook in the shower backed by the brownish glass tile we used.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No hanging ball lights. Replaced vanity. Added a nice mirror.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Changed the wall color to add a splash.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lF1aGhvDrJg/VWukMC4a_fI/AAAAAAAAAhk/LMq6sJ9jSbs/s1600/new%2Bloo%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lF1aGhvDrJg/VWukMC4a_fI/AAAAAAAAAhk/LMq6sJ9jSbs/s320/new%2Bloo%2B4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother and master carpenter made this built in shelf with drawers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jM1yLFzxvQ/VWukMv3oE8I/AAAAAAAAAho/aWW45oxMZdE/s1600/new%2Bloo%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jM1yLFzxvQ/VWukMv3oE8I/AAAAAAAAAho/aWW45oxMZdE/s320/new%2Bloo%2B5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When we removed the wallpaper and as we got down to the original plaster walls, we found this wallpaper.<br />
It was too cool to abandon so I saved a piece and had it framed. Pretty fragile stuff.</td></tr>
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Side-by-side of the before and after for effect:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8db_TqZPc20/VWukNFqiA5I/AAAAAAAAAh4/nmCq4whlr-s/s1600/new%2Bloo%2B7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8db_TqZPc20/VWukNFqiA5I/AAAAAAAAAh4/nmCq4whlr-s/s320/new%2Bloo%2B7.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WXPZElBfyWI/VWuirjQ1VEI/AAAAAAAAAgo/Vf5A5lCwRA4/s1600/upstairs%2Bloo%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WXPZElBfyWI/VWuirjQ1VEI/AAAAAAAAAgo/Vf5A5lCwRA4/s320/upstairs%2Bloo%2B1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Certainly, the loo didn't come together without some problems that still need attention. For example, Jamie hooked the toilet up to the hot water rather than the cold water. He needs to go to the basement to fix that. In the meantime, going to the loo at 3 am is nice. When you lean back, the toilet is warm.<br />
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When we were painting the walls, Jamie said to me, "You're lucky I let you paint these wild colors." My reply, "Aren't you cute thinking you have a choice."<br />
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I have wanted a floor with those little white and black tiles forever. I think they look awesome in a bathroom and I'm right. They look fabulous in this room. It took some time to convince Jamie but he came around. He agreed. They were actually easier to install than either of us expected.<br />
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Jamie did the bulk of the work on the front end. I helped gut the room but he had to do the plumbing and electrical (with friends who are experts including a licensed electrician), flooring, and walls. I became the tile master. I could wield a trowel to spread the mastic like nobody's business. I was very level-headed making sure everything was uniform. (That was supposed to be funny because I manned a level when installing the tiles.)<br />
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The two of us designed the loo. Jamie is an engineer and I am a pain-in-the-ass. My mantra for him, "less thinking, more doing." Let's get a move on and get the shit done. Eleven months, man, for a small loo.<br />
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Oddly, we didn't fight when we were in this little space working together. We knew what we needed and wanted to accomplish and did just that. I am so happy and proud of us.<br />
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Vanity, subway tile, brownish tile (discontinued), floor tile, toilet, ceramic tub base all from Lowes. Paint color: Valspar La Fonda Teal.<br />
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We have used quite a few of the La Fonda colors offered by Valspar. For whatever reason, we gravitate to them. One of these days we will have to visit this house as the colors are based on an historic house in Santa Fe, NM. And it's alleged to be haunted.<br />
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PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-82710118282882484472015-05-26T09:52:00.001-04:002015-05-26T09:52:11.414-04:00Take Five - Five things that when taken out of context.....Are REALLY Risque<br />
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1. "<b>Don't pull the snake too hard. You'll hurt it."</b> Said to my husband as he wrestled with a milk snake this weekend. Turns out we have a giant crack in our back patio that is attractive to snakes. Cocoa sniffed it out and we tried to dislodge it. Jamie managed to do so and took it up into the weeds. We think it came back - or there are multiple snakes in the crack. We plan to demolish the concrete in that spot. When Jamie said that we might have a snake problem and they might get into the house, that was enough for me. I like snakes and know they are good to have (keep rodents in check), but I don't want to find one in the kitchen before I've had coffee. Or after.<br />
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2. <b>That's a hell of a crack</b>. This is a follow up to the above. We do have a hell of a crack in our deck. I'll try to get a photo of it with the snake present. That's key.<br />
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3. "<b>Give me some more goo." </b> We made some amazing progress on our bathroom this weekend. I became the tile master. I was in charge of tiling the shower and the floor. This requires some sort of tile glue. I think it may be called mortar, but I have no idea. I called it goo. So I said to Jamie, give me some more goo. I was on a ladder and needed additional tile glue to get a tile to stick.<br />
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4. "<b>You're gonna need those knee pads."</b> Turns out when you tile a floor you really do need those knee pads! Here is a photo of me with my work clothes on and the knee pads. "How do I get me some of that, " said no one ever.<br />
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5. <b>"Please tell XXX to stop trying to get me pregnant!"</b> This was said several years ago after I had just gotten married. A close friend - noted as XXX in the quote - kept asking me when I was going to have children knowing full well that I had no intention of doing so. It was a running joke. One day I said this in a meeting. It was beyond comical. A better way to have phrased the statement: "Please tell XXX that I am not ever having children and to shut up about it."PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-27502669210029941422015-05-19T09:55:00.002-04:002015-05-19T09:55:46.771-04:00Take Five - Commencement EditionI am late in getting this post out. This past weekend was commencement on campus. It is a whirlwind of busyness. <br />
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We had a wonderful commencement speaker this year, Tim Brown, president and CEO of Nestle Waters North America. Commencement weekend always makes me think, what if I gave a commencement speech? What would I say? Then I said, "what would the best commencement speeches consist of?" I came up with the five things I would love to hear a commencement speaker say. That is this week's Take Five.<br />
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1. I am going to stand up here and read the menu for the local bar and grill because no one is paying any damn attention to me. <br />
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2. You almost graduates don't give a rip what I have to say because you all know everything! You have a liberal arts degree.<br />
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3. Some of you will go on to great success. Some of you will live in your parents' basement and never kiss anybody because you are losers.<br />
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4. I lied and cheated my way to the top. Meet me in the lobby after the ceremony and I'll tell you how you may do the same thing.<br />
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5. Everything you learned, you learned in kindergarten so kudos to you for spending a bazillion dollars on an education. See number 3.<br />
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The above are written tongue-in-cheek. I teach at a liberal arts university and take great pride in my job and in our students. We have some of the best students. I just think that if anyone said any of the above, you would have the attention of the audience to be sure. And you would make me laugh.<br />
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I also think it's safe to say that I won't be on anyone's commencement speaker short list any time soon.<br />
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Cheers! And congratulations to our St. Bonaventure University graduates - now alumni! We are all proud!PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-31309021478243918282015-05-10T13:04:00.000-04:002015-05-10T13:06:00.031-04:00Take Five - Mother's Day Edition - Pearls of WisdomI haven't posted many Pearls of Wisdom lately so I think I'm due. Today is mother's day and I am grateful for such a wonderful mother. We have certainly had our moments, but I admire and love Pearl more than anything.<br />
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Below are five things I learned from Pearl.<br />
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<i>Pearl of Wisdom 1</i>: <b>Cooking</b>. Pearl is the world's worst cook. I love to hear stories about women who learned to cook from their mother's because they would cook together on a Sunday afternoon and make wonderful five course feasts. I learned to cook in spite of Pearl. Examples:<br />
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<li>Fresh baked bread has flavor. Who knew?</li>
<li>The only time corned beef needs to be in a pot for the entire day is if it's a crock pot. And corned beef is pink, not white, when it's finished. Ditto sauerkraut. Actually, sauerkraut in a pot all day, crock or not, is overkill. And it shouldn't be pink ever. Unless you cook it with beets.</li>
<li>Beef does not have to taste like shoe leather. Oh, it also doesn't need to cut like shoe leather.</li>
<li>Seafood may be cooked in pans other than cast iron. It also tastes very good.</li>
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To be fair, Pearl did have two things she did well: soup and mac n cheese - and I'm not talking that crappy glow-in-the dark mac n cheese, but the real homemade stuff. And her split pea and bean soups were amazing!<br />
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My brother and I told her a few years ago that her cooking sucked. Her reply, "well you kids survived." True statement, Pearl. Another true statement - I was skinny growing up.</div>
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<i>Pearl of Wisdom 2:</i> <b>Recycling</b>. I often hated that mom would dust the house with some Pledge and dad's old underwear, or whatever other cloth she had that was no longer in use for its original purpose. Now I find myself salvaging stuff I didn't think I would. Hey, reuse and recycle. I do draw the line at underwear. I use old washcloths, dishcloths, towels, etc.</div>
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<i>Pearl of Wisdom 3</i>: <b>Gardening</b>. Truth be told, Pearl can garden. She has a wonderfully green thumb. And she likes it. She helped me when I still lived in Alden and we had these amazing flower gardens. I hope to have her help me down here in Franklinville. </div>
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I will confess this - my brother and I had a good laugh one day when we saw a bunch of sticks planted in a row. I think Pearl saw them laying on the ground and thought she should plant them and trees would sprout up. They didn't grow, in case you were wondering. I find myself laughing because Jamie and I planted some hummingbird plants that are actually sticks. I keep thinking that I see buds on the sticks. Alas, I don't think so. I'm giving them another week or so.</div>
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<i>Pearl of Wisdom 4</i>: <b>Laughing</b>. Life is too damn short to be so serious all the time. Laugh! Mostly at yourself. Sometimes at others if they do something really stupid. Usually at your husband.</div>
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<i>Pearl of Wisdom 5</i>: <b>Multitasking</b>. Pearl is nothing if not efficient. In fact, she used to mow the lawn topless. That may be the norm in Europe, but in Marilla, not so much. Her reasoning? I don't want tan lines, there are no neighbors (and there weren't), the sun is out and the grass needs to get cut. Why not mow the lawn and tan?</div>
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Now, I am not a proponent of tanning so I can't say that I agree with that, but can you argue with her logic? I should point out that Pearl also taught me to love my body and myself. Topless? It's only boobs. Everyone has seen boobs so who cares? If you are comfortable, it doesn't much matter what others think. </div>
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Thank you, Pearl, for such valuable life lessons. You are a blessing! Happy Mother's Day.</div>
PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-19150577135816944052015-05-03T20:01:00.001-04:002015-05-03T20:01:19.817-04:00Take Five - Spring EditionWell, do I dare say that spring may be here. I am confident-ish.<br />
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1. <b> I need tires</b>: And I think I can get away with regular tires, not snow tires. I figure if I keep my snow brush and ice scraper in the car at all times, a late snow emergency should be averted. I think I can safely put regular tires on the car. I think.....<br />
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2. <b>Sinus or Allergies?</b>: Last week I wrote about Ebola Betty. I thought I had an illness contracted from Betty on my flight out to California. Then I thought it might be some weird sinus infection. Then a colleague suggested it might be allergies. I have never had allergies and I know you can develop them as an adult. Woo hoo. Allergies and adult acne. Am I 12 years old? On another note, a friend recommended a neti pot. If you have not tried this, it's gross, but effective. I think I may have cured what ails me.<br />
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3. <b>Flowers</b>: Damn that flipping chipmunk and its family. We do have daffodils growing alongside the barn, and they are lovely harbingers of spring, but the tulip bulbs I planted closer to the house did not yield blooms. I think it's the damn chipmunk family. Jamie did put chipmunk traps (they're mouse traps but since our goal is chipmunks, they're chipmunk traps on our farm) out. We'll see.<br />
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4. <b>Barn cats</b>: Evidently we have a barn cat. We wondered how long it would be before someone dropped a cat off because I can guarantee we didn't get a cat. I do not care for cats (fine witch I am). We have nice huge barns that would be prime drop off ground for some uncaring individual. I told Jamie not to feed it. It needs to earn its keep. Besides, I suspect our dogs would eat it as an appetizer if they found it or we tried to tame it. I will say that cats are self-sufficient and self-reliant. Dogs, not so much.<br />
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5. <b>Air the House!</b>: Opening windows is wonderful! Let the fresh air in the winter-stenched house. Cool breeze blowing things about. It doesn't get any better.<br />
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As a note, I overheard someone say that we are expected to get one of the hottest summers yet. I will start meditating now so that I don't start killing people in July. Oh, I am not a heat person. Neither is Jamie. We joke that we will eventually winter in Buffalo and summer in Nunavut. Different strokes.....PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-12102783773403864212015-04-26T18:14:00.004-04:002015-04-26T18:14:49.957-04:00Take FiveTake Five - Travel Edition Continued<br />
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I have been doing my share of traveling lately and I am tired. I just want to relax. The semester ends in a few weeks and then summer starts even though "summer" the season won't even get here because spring won't ever come.<br />
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1. <b>Ebola Betty</b> - stay the hell home! This is an open message to the woman who was on my Jet Blue flight from Boston to LAX on Monday. You were coughing and hacking up a lung and in the loo every ten minutes. If you are that sick, stay the hell home! Why? Because now I am sick. I wanted to have a good weekend not spend it recovering from your illness. Damn you, Ebola Betty!<br />
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2. <b>Love it or List it</b> - Jet Blue is great because they have individualized televisions - yes, I know most do now, but Jet Blue led the pack. I watched a Love it or List it marathon on HGTV. When I hear this, "We don't have enough space in our house. We need a larger house." I want to scream, "Clean your shit up!" Honestly, most of the problem is clutter. Put the damn toys away, put your clothes away, purge shit you don't need. CLEAN UP!<br />
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3. <b>Cities in the Desert</b> - does anyone else find it odd that we build cities in the desert (Palm Springs, Las Vegas) and then wonder why we struggle with a water shortage? Hmmmm.<br />
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4. <b>Vending Machines</b> - I am not the biggest fan of vending machines because they usually contain crappy snacks and unhealthy soda pop. This vending machine, however, is genius. Can I get one for my house?<br />
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5. <b>Signs that shouldn't be</b> - When I stay in a hotel, I don't expect to see the following signs. I'm surprised there wasn't a bedbug warning.<br />
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PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-78490409228967166742015-04-19T20:06:00.001-04:002015-04-19T20:06:11.830-04:00Take FiveI am rather surprised at myself. I've been doing this every week since I said I would. That never happens.<br />
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What's interesting this week? What did I learn? I have five items below that show that God/Goddess really does want us to be happy.<br />
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1. <i><b>Sangria is God's/Goddess' love on Earth</b></i>. I was in NYC with our AAF students from Thursday through last night and I had Sangria a couple of days. There is nothing like sipping this wonderful "juice" on a beautiful day. I think it it God's way of showing his love (or Goddess' way of showing her love - take your pick).<br />
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2. <b><i>Daffodil's are a reminder that winter does end....eventually</i></b>. I saw plenty of daffodils and tulips in NYC. It was when I saw daffodils when I got home last night that I was really happy. I was even happier this morning when my husband put a couple of daffodils in a glass with water and put them on the nightstand. What a sight to wake up to.<br />
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3. <b><i>Hot dogs on the grill are worth coming home to</i></b>. I love the smell of street food when I travel. NYC has some wonderful street food. It also has some wonderful non-street food (if you can't find something unique and wonderful to eat in NYC, go to McDonald's and shut your pie hole). The street food made me want hot dogs today. I had to dress them with some of our homemade sauerkraut. Delicious. Other foods I usually want when I come home from a trip - pizza, fresh fruit, milk, salad. Not in that order and not always, but often enough to mention it.<br />
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4. <b><i>Dogs are a girl's best friend</i></b>. I miss my husband when I am away, but I think I miss my dogs more. I think my husband knows that and isn't surprised or hurt. I suspect he misses the dogs when he's away also.<br />
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5. <i><b>Getting your car back when you land is awesome</b></i>. I love the subway in NYC. I think I love the efficiency of it and the cheapness. I also love that you can people watch. It's like Broadway, but underground and unscripted and kinda smelly. Fun to be had. But....there is nothing like getting off the plane and taking the shuttle to long-term parking, remembering where you parked in section 19, remembering what car is yours (this is for the family who were in the shuttle with me who didn't know where they parked or even which vehicle was theirs. Nice.), loading up, turning the key and hitting the road. Next step is to follow the damn directions when you go to pay with your credit card. Those damn machines are particular. The ticket has to go in a certain way and your credit card had to go in a certain way. Really? Technology being what it is we can't figure this shit out so that it reads it no matter what way you stick it in? Hmmmm.<br />
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Cheers!PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-23615653070272220422015-04-11T19:56:00.000-04:002015-04-11T19:57:26.565-04:00Take Five: TwistI was reading The Buffalo News as I always do and there was an article suggesting that you make meaningful purchases when you travel. Instead of a t-shirt - or worse, a t-shirt that reads, "someone I know went to Siberia and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" - why not get art or something for your home that you will remember and will remind you of your trip.<br />
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Thanks, Buffalo News, but I've been doing that for years. In fact, Jamie and I often do that now when we travel. We have artifacts all over the house that speak to our travels, either together or separately. <br />
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Take Five this week chooses five locations either I have visited alone, with friends, family, students, or Jamie.<br />
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<b><i>West Virginia</i></b>: What a way to start a list. My sister and I took my mother to Charleston, WV for her 70th birthday as a girls' weekend. Since Pam lives in Charlotte and we live in Western New York, we thought Charleston would be a reasonable meeting point. The crafters in WV are pretty extraordinary. I fell in love with many potters/ceramicists. This is an example of one piece I purchased. It is displayed on the shelves in our living room among the National Geographic magazines. That's expensive real estate in my house!<br />
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<b><i>Canada's Maritime Provinces</i></b>: After I finished my masters degree, I went on a bike trip in Nova Scotia with a group of complete strangers. One of our stops featured wonderful glass. I had to purchase a piece and have them ship it home. I love fish and the colors on this fish just make me smile and remind me of biking from Halifax down the east coast to the southern tip. On a separate trip, Jamie was introduced to my crazy Newfie cousins. He loved it. On the Ferry ride from Newfoundland to Maine, we hit some "turbulence." While I didn't see my lunch a second time, I felt like crap the entire trip. Jamie found a nice glass bowl that we display on our mantel. He wanted me to get up to see it. I think he thought that might help my seasickness. Not really. It just cemented the fact that I don't have any sea legs. Both beautiful pieces.<br />
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<b><i>China</i></b>: I went to China with St. Bonaventure's MBA and IMC programs. I got many nice things while over there. Two are displayed below - Mah Jong tile set and silk woven artwork.</div>
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<b><i>Africa</i></b>: I have been lucky enough to travel to Uganda, Africa with SBU and Embrace It Africa. I enjoy many of the pieces I have in my home and office that remind me of my time there. I have a photo of a traditional African drum that was crafted by a local crafter. I also have a painting that I had framed once I got home. It depicts three women. Very interesting pieces and all have a story.</div>
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<b><i>Assisi, Italy</i></b>: Thank you, SBU, for allowing Jamie and me to go on a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy. It was incredibly moving, relaxing and rejuvenating all in one trip. We thoroughly enjoyed many of the pieces we got while there. So much artwork reminds us of our time there. We have it displayed in the living room, bedroom and kitchen.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uGB6AWT8lHY/VSm0FSYt5II/AAAAAAAAAew/iLE1jIdxftA/s1600/assissi%2Bbowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uGB6AWT8lHY/VSm0FSYt5II/AAAAAAAAAew/iLE1jIdxftA/s1600/assissi%2Bbowl.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bowl. It took us ages to decide on a bowl and the colors. All were so beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This print reminds us of the hillside homes<br />
and olive trees.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AWYH7acIzPo/VSm0HNuqxjI/AAAAAAAAAe8/8V2qLS431E4/s1600/assisi%2Bwitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AWYH7acIzPo/VSm0HNuqxjI/AAAAAAAAAe8/8V2qLS431E4/s1600/assisi%2Bwitch.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine my surprise to find a witch<br />
attached to a broom made from a<br />
traditional tree/reed.</td></tr>
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These are just five places I've been. There are many more. Perhaps a future Take Five will focus on other locations.<br />
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Have a wonderful week. Remember to file your taxes by Wednesday! PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-935511395351704702015-04-05T20:31:00.002-04:002015-04-05T20:31:53.308-04:00Take Five - Easter EditionIt's Easter in Franklinville. It looks like Christmas. Mother Nature, you are a bitch.<br />
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Number 1: <b>Suspect</b>: <i>Spring is never, ever, ever going to get here</i>. EVER! I know that isn't possible because climate change hasn't had that drastic an impact. I understand how weather and seasons work. I know all about science. It just feels as though we will never see spring. NEVER! I have had a couple of signs. Snow is melting (and then it showed up again today as you can see below). We have also seen our small spring flowers poke up. I am sure they immediately regretted it and said some bad flower words and died.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4LODDWobFoU/VSHSqyr0RaI/AAAAAAAAAcU/08OIQl_Wrpg/s1600/easter%2Bhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4LODDWobFoU/VSHSqyr0RaI/AAAAAAAAAcU/08OIQl_Wrpg/s1600/easter%2Bhouse.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As noted on Facebook and Twitter: "Hey, Mother Nature....knock it the f... off!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cQWg5u4SGWQ/VSHSrIiIaxI/AAAAAAAAAcI/vyUwr5IaCIE/s1600/spring%2Bcrocus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cQWg5u4SGWQ/VSHSrIiIaxI/AAAAAAAAAcI/vyUwr5IaCIE/s1600/spring%2Bcrocus.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is hope. Spring may still be there after the snow melts.</td></tr>
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Number 2: <b>Becoming</b>: <i>Jamie and I are becoming homesteaders</i>. We tapped one maple tree in the backyard this year and made syrup. It was easy, but tedious and kinda time-consuming (for him - I watched). We did get some amazing syrup out of it. We had it on pancakes this morning. Yum. We also bought two mushroom kits and are growing our own shrooms. We have button and oyster. Below you will see the oyster mushrooms peeking out. I bet those shrooms are happier than the little blue flowers relegated to the outdoors.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oyster mushrooms. Can't wait for risotto and other assorted goodies.</td></tr>
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Number 3: <b>Realization</b>: <i>Bigger is not always better</i>. Really. I don't think I've convinced Jamie of that, but I believe it. We had this monstrous (and ugly) bedframe in our bedroom. We also bought mattresses as part of the Franklinville High School Band fundraiser. (A mattress fundraiser with high schools - I can't make that sound normal.) I asked Jamie if we could remove the bedframe. We did and the orange room (which will soon be yellow) looks so much better. SO MUCH BETTER! You can move around now. I'll take pictures after the room is painted.<br />
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Number 4: <b>Embraced</b>: <i>Spring cleaning is awesome</i>! Really. The actual cleaning sucks, but the feeling afterward is amazing. I cleaned the house on Friday from top to bottom (or nearly so). I am struggling with a cold so I had to take more frequent breaks than normal, but to be able to throw open the windows and let fresh air in is amazing! The house feels wonderful and it's nice to be able to read and type in a clean home. Not that it was that bad before. I can't believe I just typed that sentence. Jamie and I have been so busy lately our house was a pig sty. In fact, I think pigs may have said, "Hell no, where's the barn."<br />
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Number 5: <b>Retro Suggestion</b>: <i>Home Economics class is a must</i>. Before I get all sorts of haters who think I am trying to take away the rights of women, let me explain. I don't think that home-ec should be for women only. I think men should take it too. I was reminded of home-ec this weekend when I shortened curtains in the orange room. They were much too long so I hauled out my mom's old Singer sewing machine and made the alterations. I still remember how to do this. I thought of that while I sat sewing with my foot full-throttle on the pedal. I then remembered that I learned to cook in home-ec. Another class everyone should take - shop. I don't care if it's auto shop or whatever other shop there is (wood, steel, rubber, I don't know). Everyone needs to learn how to use tools and make at least minor repairs. It would have been awesome if I learned my share of plumbing, electrical and drywall work. I wouldn't still be waiting for a flipping second floor loo.PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-80910700221281626172015-03-29T22:21:00.006-04:002015-03-30T18:10:00.206-04:00Take Five of the Week: Part 2<br />
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Week Two! This is some kind of record for me!<br />
[As a note, I was ready to post this post last night; however, I had trouble with my PC (see Number 1 below). I inadvertently turned off the "mouse" and couldn't operate the damn computer. We call that user error. The guys in IT likely have a different name for it.]<br />
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This is what I have this week.....<br />
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Number 1: <b>Learned</b>: <i>Mac vs PC</i>. I always used a PC until I came to SBU. I had the option of getting a Mac and I did. Twice. Each time I had problems I never had with a PC. In fact, the problems were so odd and ridiculous that I swore I would never get another Mac. I was the only one I knew who had this trouble until I talked to a couple of others. Macs are highly overrated. PC all the way. Love my PC.<br />
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Number 2: <b>Experienced</b>: <i>It's not that kind of party</i>. I got a mammogram this week. Early detection is key to stopping cancer in its tracks. For those who haven't had a mammogram (and some who have I guess), they give you stickers to put on your nipples. It helps to identify the nipples in the films (or so they tell you). Please remember to remove your nipple stickers before leaving the facility. I don't know about your place of employment, but SBU is not a nipple-sticker kinda place. It's not that kind of party. They are also uncomfortable if you forget about that. And that can happen in the race to get your shirt back on, stupid as that sounds.<br />
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Number 3: <b>Experienced</b>. <i>Once you buy it I don't care where you rub it</i>. I participated in Springtime in the Country this weekend. I debuted my new name (Wild Mountain Botanicals), new logo and new look (see photo below of my hand and body lotion). Same great products! I was reminded of a show I did in North Carolina several years ago. Our Skin Repair Cream works really well for people who struggle with eczema. A woman came up after reading our sign (Got eczema? See us.) She encouraged her husband/brother (I don't remember which he was - husband or brother). She told him that he needed to get the cream. His response? "Can I rub it on my balls?" My initial thought was, "Dude, that's not eczema." But I said "Once you buy it I don't care where you rub it." His sister/wife was mortified and apologized up and down. It gave me a story to share with my friends.<br />
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Number 4: <b>Learned</b>: <i>White Rabbit Design and Insty-Prints rock.</i> I mentioned that I have a new logo and look. I also have wonderful new labels. Thanks so much to Katharine Smith of White Rabbit Design and Joyce DeLong of Insty-Prints. They were able to design and print labels for me to make my products shine. Like Wild Mountain Organics on Facebook for more photos and other info.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the lotion with the new logo, look and labels.</td></tr>
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Number 5: <b>Learned</b>: <i>Perhaps you shouldn't use flowers to choose paint colors</i>. Last week I mentioned that I discovered power sander love. This week I am not sure if the color works in the living room. I have a picture below of the before and after of the hutch I refinished. I don't think Jamie likes it. When the sun goes down, it looks pink in our room rather than the Valspar La Fonda Spanish Dancer that it is. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3keDSSnNhBU/VRiyGBMzENI/AAAAAAAAAbk/YWQPENsDf5k/s1600/hutch%2Bredo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3keDSSnNhBU/VRiyGBMzENI/AAAAAAAAAbk/YWQPENsDf5k/s1600/hutch%2Bredo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3keDSSnNhBU/VRiyGBMzENI/AAAAAAAAAbk/YWQPENsDf5k/s1600/hutch%2Bredo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3keDSSnNhBU/VRiyGBMzENI/AAAAAAAAAbk/YWQPENsDf5k/s1600/hutch%2Bredo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3keDSSnNhBU/VRiyGBMzENI/AAAAAAAAAbk/YWQPENsDf5k/s1600/hutch%2Bredo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>Before sanding and refinishing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After photo against the wall. See how the colors seem different?<br />
This is an evening photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After sanding and repainting. This is a daytime photo.</td></tr>
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PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-26108596566763448612015-03-22T19:35:00.003-04:002015-03-22T19:35:39.016-04:00Take Five of the Week: Part II have seen people who have posted three or five things they are thankful for. I thought, hey, I can do something like that with a twist. I would like to start posting five things I have learned, have experienced, don't want to do, accomplished, whatever. I'll call it Take Five of the week.<br />
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Number 1: <b>Learned</b>: <i>I don't dislike and fear all power tools</i>. I don't care for tools that may kill me like power saws, power drills, and nail guns. I do like power sanders. I sanded and repainted a console table. Jamie wasn't exactly thrilled with the color I chose, but I think he's getting into it now that we are putting the new hardware on the cabinet doors and drawers. Picture to come in the next post.<br />
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Number 2: <b>Learned</b>: <i>The crockpot is the best kitchen tool</i>. At the end of the weekend, take everything out of your refrigerator (within reason) and toss it in the crockpot. Delicious! A few months ago I wrote about making the best pork dish in the crockpot. I used this method. Today I took a chicken dish and added the rest of my leftovers. Delicious. <br />
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Number 3: <b>Experienced</b>: <i>You can't redo a recipe if you use the above step</i>. I have no idea how to redo the pork recipe. We would love to do that. This recipe today was pretty good. Won't be able to repeat it - at least not easily.<br />
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Number 4: <b>Don't</b>: <i>Don't shite up the loo and then close the door without turning on the fan</i>. Dude, it doesn't dissipate. The smell is still there hours later. It does beg the question - if you fart in a jar, can you capture the smell? Torture people with it later? Hmmm.<br />
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Number 5: <b>Experienced</b>: <i>Flowers make everything better</i>. Flowers at the dreary end of winter especially so. We have been getting flowers from Tops (not highbrow, but still awesome) for several weeks. They make the house feel like spring even though it's not spring outside.PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11800716.post-92217601238376567262015-03-13T21:07:00.000-04:002015-03-13T21:10:32.418-04:00Living RoomI was looking through my blog posts and realize that it's a bit of a cluster f..... My intention was to highlight some of the work we are doing and have done on our house. I have after pictures before the before pictures and they are several posts apart.<br />
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Let me add some before and after together. Imagine....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0kluB32bB3U/VQOIP2Hvf3I/AAAAAAAAAaI/T8FsDO0-oFA/s1600/before%2Blr%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0kluB32bB3U/VQOIP2Hvf3I/AAAAAAAAAaI/T8FsDO0-oFA/s1600/before%2Blr%2B2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
Before we ripped out the carpet, filled the shelves</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
and redid the walls and window treatments.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jp3crWj7-fk/VQOITp3jSaI/AAAAAAAAAaU/w3uNYA_VD54/s1600/living%2Broom%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jp3crWj7-fk/VQOITp3jSaI/AAAAAAAAAaU/w3uNYA_VD54/s1600/living%2Broom%2B1.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After with wood floors, no panelling on the walls,<br />
new window treatments, new furniture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b25lnfSItkE/VQOIT07866I/AAAAAAAAAac/77OnVWMUgN8/s1600/living%2Broom%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b25lnfSItkE/VQOIT07866I/AAAAAAAAAac/77OnVWMUgN8/s1600/living%2Broom%2B3.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room with limited view of hallway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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PWHoffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08774621150481663406noreply@blogger.com0