It Is What You Make It

I started blogging several years ago, with a blog about the possibilities of retiring. I dropped that blog when I realized that I had absolutely no interest in retiring, at least not until I get old!

During that time I blogged about visiting my friends Bob and Rick on one of my annual fall trips to New England.  I'm going to incorporate some of that blog into this one.  This photo of the three of us was taken this year, during my October visit.

This photo is of the front yard of their house in New Hampshire, which they built about 17 years ago.  Bob worked in construction for 25 years, and has finished out every detail of the house to perfection.

They are surrounded by wooded preserves,
and can sit in their patio room and watch deer
and wild turkeys cross their back yard.











Bob and I first met during flight attendant training in 1991, his second career.  Bob retired a couple of years ago, but Rick will not be eligible for retirement anytime soon.  This has posed a few challenges for both of them.




The main challenge that they have is that Rick wants Bob's life (Bob says that the position is already taken), and Bob wants Rick to be free to travel more.  They still manage to take several vacations a year, and travel on weekends, taking little mini-vacations.  They are so much fun to be around, making friends wherever they go.  They have open invitations to visit people all over the world, myself included.

I arrived a bit later this year than I usually do, and still hit the full beauty of the just passing peak fall colors.

We stopped on our way in from Boston's airport, in Merrimac, New Hampshire, for lunch at the Homestead Restaurant.

It was overcast and drizzling rain, and this was the perfect place to cozy down and warm up.
























I had a delicious chowder, that was full of seafood.  I followed up with sea scallops in an unusual balsamic vinegar reduction.
Delightful.  The site below shows their menu.

http://www.homesteadnh.com/



In my previous blog we had driven up to York,
Maine, where we made a favorite stop at Stonewall Kitchen.
http://www.stonewallkitchen.com/

They manufacture all of their delicious line of foods there, as well as offering tasty samples of their wares.  The grounds are always superbly
landscaped, and lunch is an extra treat to be had

We had run into a group of touring red hatters, out on an adventure. I have always loved the poem "Warning", by Jenny Joseph, which the Red Hat Society has taken to heart.

http://www.redhatsociety.com/

The poem seems especially fitting here since it warns that she will "gobble up samples in shops" and "pick flowers in other people's gardens".  You can read the full version at the site below.

http://www.wussu.com/poems/jjw.htm


This year we visited the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire.  Their permanent collection consists of around 13,000 pieces and you can view most of them online.

http://www.currier.org/









The museum has been enlarged, but they preserved the beautiful
old entrance in the restaurant courtyard.



















Later, we drove out to Lake Massabesic, outside of Manchester, where Bob and Rick like to kayak.  There are many hiking trails there, and gorgeous scenery all around.

http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=CGN014-007

We had dinner that night at a delightful cafe in Manchester.  It is a lovely, unique place, with very interesting food pairings on the menu. The couple who run this "gathering place" are highly involved in it's daily operation, and help to create the ambiance.  Read about their lives and the concept of "Republic" at the link below.

http://republiccafe.com/

We returned to Bob and Rick's warm and comfortable home, had drinks on the patio, and took delight in the richness of life at every age.  I am overwhelmed with good examples of living life to the fullest.

I left early the next morning for my flight to Dallas.  I was returning to temperatures in the 80's, and no signs of fall in the air.  I still have cool autumn weather and fall colors in my future!

Autumn in Albany

Autumn is my favorite time of year, anywhere on earth.  I have always felt fortunate that my job allows me to experience the season in many different parts of the world.  One of the two places that I don't want to miss visiting in the fall is Albany, New York.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany,_New_York

My brother Pat and his wife, Laura, live in Albany, near the Empire State Plaza.

http://www.albany.com/hotspot_esp.cfm

Visiting over the years I have come to love the city, and enjoy it's small town feel in a big city.  The Albany State Capitol is absolutely magnificent, and worth the time it takes to tour it.

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/albanyrich/albanyrich.html

My favorite coffee shop is located here on Lark Street.  The Daily Grind roasts all  of their own coffee on the premises, and you can smell the wonderful aroma as you walk down the street.  My idea of heaven.


http://www.dailygrind.com

I have a new cafe to add to my Lark Street favorites.
We had dinner one night at "The Wine Bar and Bistro.  Great Atmosphere and great food.














http://www.winebaronlark.com/

The reason I come to Albany in the fall is two-fold.
Besides visiting with my family, I love to see the trees change into their fall colors, and Pat and I go on a quest to find the "The Great Pumpkin Ale".

Of course, this involves a lot of analytical tasting, a grueling chore.

Pat and I both enjoy cooking, and we often talk on the phone and share recipes.  He and Laura have a plot in the community garden on their street.

I got to enjoy one of his delicious garden soups, and fresh tomatoes, while we sampled the 7 ales to which we had limited our search.












This year the Southern Tier "Pumpking" was our unanimous favorite.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/38394

It was raining the day I arrived, so we headed out for a drive in the Upper Hudson River Valley.

http://www.travelhudsonvalley.org/

The rain intensified the colors            
        

and released all the smells of the autumn leaves.






                                                    
We had been looking for Canadian Geese and finally found them at the Tomhannock Spillway.

I had to cut my trip short because of sold out flights, but on the way to the airport we stopped at the Ann Lee Pond at the Watervliet Shaker Community.

http://shakerheritage.org/home/

Then I left autumn behind and headed back to Texas, where the temperatures were still in the 80's and the
trees are still green.

Sometime in November we will begin our autumn, feel our cooler temperatures and see our fall colors.

Until then, I will keep these pictures in my mind.

Royal Academy of Arts

I was flying with some friends on this trip to London.




Patti and Julie are probably two of the most adventurous people I know.  They are always out seeing new places and experiencing the local culture and history, wherever in the world they may be.



The two had just returned from a trip to Budapest,
and were eager to see the "Treasures from Budapest"
exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts.

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/

The Budapest exhibit was fantastic.  Photography wasn't allowed

or I would have shown you a painting which I found particularly

interesting, with showed a stuffed armadillo on the mantlepiece.

Okay, maybe it's a Texas thing!

I was also interested in the "Sargeant and the Sea" exhibit, which
I enjoyed.  I wasn't familiar with Sargeant's childhood, or much of
his early work, so I received an education in those areas.

While Julie and Patti were traveling, they had
been told about a restaurant in Soho called
Mildred's.  We set out to find it.



Eventually,we did.
http://www.mildreds.co.uk

The place was packed, even at 6 p.m.  We were greeted by the Queen, and our Keith Urban look-alike bartender.




We didn't have reservations, which you obviously need, so we sat in the bar.  The only bad thing I can say about Mildred's is that it is very noisy, which may not be true, if you sit in the dining room.

Our food was delicious.  Patti and Julie ordered different entrees and shared.  Melissa and I ordered the same thing, a sweet potato and cashew nut curry.  I loved it, but Melissa would have liked her's to be spicier.

.

I would like sometime to try the restaurant across the street.

It looked very charming and romantic. There were actually several
restaurants on Lexington Street that would be fun to visit.
http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Restaurant/Andrew_Edmunds/2eb1/

After dinner we returned to Gloucester Road,
and to the beautiful bar at Baileys Hotel, for
an after dinner drink.

A perfect finish to a wonderful trip.
http://www.millenniumhotels.co.uk/millenniumkensington/index.html

Views of London

I have spent a couple of quiet trips in London, just wandering around the neighborhoods. 

I have had a room on the top floor of the hotel, with a wonderful panorama of the city.

Just watching the changing light over the city is a pleasure.  The sky was gray when I first arrived,

changed to a vivid blue,

then a glorious gold washed over the scene.

In the foreground of the photo below you can see the Natural History Museum

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/

Admission here is free, and I sometimes walk over for breakfast or lunch.  They have several great restaurants, and you can browse whichever exhibit interests you, before or after a meal.  The architecture of the building is alone worth the trip.

The white tower behind the Natural History Museum is the Victoria and Albert Museum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_and_Albert_Museum

This museum also has magnificent architecture, constructed over time using several different styles from different periods.  There is a great restaurant inside, and admission is free. 

The Science Museum is in the same area, free admission, hands-on displays, and a fantastic childrens floor worth borrowing a kid for.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum_(London)

One trip I had a lovely view of St. Jude's Church.

If you click on the photo and enlarge it, you can spy on two rooftop gardens.






This church ceased to be used several years ago, and I despaired that it was falling into ruin.








The church is truly beautiful

with intriguing architectural details

and beautiful grounds and gardens. 

I was so pleased to see scaffolding around it on my last trip, and I've been told that it will become a school, I believe of theology.  It will be interesting to watch the progress.

On my last trip I ate at a restaurant that I had been hearing about from fellow crewmembers. They have a set menu for 10 pounds, with 3 courses of your selection.














I loved the cozy atmosphere,

and the very friendly staff.  The food was
really excellent.  I chose a chicken liver
appetizer, and a lamb wellington entree.




I had to take my apple tart with me, and
enjoyed it for breakfast with my coffee
the next morning.

http://www.thelittlefrenchrestaurant.com/

Near our hotel is a wonderful French bakery called Paul.  I was so pleased when they opened in London.

Everytime that I come here, I make sure that I stop in for a rhubarb tarte.  It is wonderfully tart and tasty,
and, with a frothy latte, the ideal pick-me-up when I arrive after a long flight and want to keep going.

http://www.paul-uk.com/

One more thing that I truly love about London is the variety of people you meet, and the many types of food that are available.  So many ethnic groups and nationalities blend and always make it an interesting adventure.

Many of the young people who work in the restaurants are from other countries.  Some are in London to attend school, other to work and/or get a better command of the English language.  I always enjoy chatting with them and hearing their stories.