New Hope and Lambertville a Saturday Excursion

An old hotel and restaurant in Lambertville

Inside the ice cream parlour

Canal in Lambertville

 

The gardens of the antique shop overlooking the Delaware River

Rob 'On The Tom Toms'

Walking across the bridge to New Hope

A little restaurant in New Hope

Rob ordering frapacinos, I had mocha and he had caramel

Just outside Starbucks, resting and drinking our fraps

The walk back

It was the first Saturday that Rob has not worked since last November, well almost.  He has changed his days to working all of them during the week.  I know that working a Saturday afternoon or evening really does cramp ones style, you seem to miss out on so much, I remember because I worked a Saturday afternoon for a whole year on my first job and did not like it.

We decided to take advantage of the time together, so after getting a late start, by the time we got home from service, fed the M's dog, watered their garden, ran to Walmart to pick up cat food and buy some CDs of a local radio station doing a fund raiser outside, well by the time we did all that it was 3:00 PM.  I drove there, with Rob and I listening to the music he had just bought.

I hadn't been to New Hope for a couple of years and all the parking was metered as far as the eye could see.  There was no way you could park beyond the meters as they extended for well almost miles.  We had no change, so I said to Rob let's drive over the bridge to Lambertville.  Now this is a bridge that crosses the Delaware River and connects Pennsylvania to New Jersey.  We got across the bridge and still meters, but not as extensive and voila I see a guy leaving a spot, mum does a quick three point turn and we are in that parking spot lickity split.  Quite central and just perfect no meter.

As it was a hot day we decided to get ice creams, I got coconut, Rob butter almond.  We visited inside an antique shop which backed onto the river.  The gardens full of garden paraphernalia was quite nice to walk around.  Rob was taking photos on his phone and sending them to friends plus texting them.  I have a new catch phrase for this, 'on the Tom Toms' it is the way of life for young ones letting their friends know what they're doing at any given moment, it just reminded me of Indians sending messages on their drums, thus I've named it 'on the Tom Toms'.

We walked the bridge back to New Hope in PA and looked around a little.  By then we or I was for sure quite tired so we stopped in Starbucks and got frapecinos before walking the bridge back to the car.

Back in Lambertville we went past an antique shop with a half price table outside and there was a really neat set of bookends.  In I think a form of onyx, in a pale green and orange, shaped like a cactus with a Mexican man in a sombrero resting his back.  Rob had been wanting bookends to hold up his DVDs and these were perfect, he liked them very much, saying the colours toned in with his wood, so I treated him to them, to remember our day out together, at $9.00, we were happy and it rounded out our day perfectly.  Did forget to take a photo of them so will do so.

Christy

Factory Furnitue, Update On The Bedsit

I like to call this Factory Furniture, as it looks as if it should belong in one of those industrial factory apartments.  So an update on The Bedsit, Rob's room.  Here is the other piece of furniture he made to his specific requirements, I think he did a great job.  And I'd so glad that he chose to keep his great grandma's china dog, that she gave to me and I gave to him.  He really likes it.  The china dog represents her favourite terrier she had.

Christy

Revisiting The Studio

I said a long while ago that I would show you photos of The Studio Room finished with the shelves up. I also wanted to take them before my eclectic soul kicked in and more and more things were added.  It's just impossible for me to keep a room in that pristine view.  So here it is with all the bits and pieces added in.  Plus I had to find room for part of the shelving unit Rob jettisoned, I didn't want to just get rid of it.  So here we are The Studio, Rob's old bedroom.

You can see some of Rob's artwork shown on the little easels, he did that over a year ago.  Also the two old typewriters I came across, I heard they just closed  up the last typewriter manufacturing plant in China this year. In any case the black typewriter is exactly the same model as Ernest Hemingway used to use, so that's rather fun.  And the blue one is a throw back to the seventies.  Wow!  Did we actually learn to type on those?  Yes we did and we can type a whole load better on a keyboard than kids can today, so what about that?

The black and white photo of the windmill on the bookcase was taken by Keith Tricker.  And on top of the chest of drawers stands a Roadrunner china bird which I absolutely love, another thrift find and I think quite collectible.

Christy

Loving This Vase

I'm in love with this little vase.  Just one bloom on each side and you have a stylish wonderful little display with one's beloved flowers in.  Here are hydrangeas from my garden.

Christy

Josiah's Graduation

Another graduation boy this summer.  Josiah, who has grown up with Rob.  The photo is of Josiah and his grandma.  Josiah's mum died when he was about ten; which was very sad.

Here I am with my new haircut.  Plus that is one serious grill for some serious grilling.

It was great to see old friends and be together.

Christy

Stealing Time

Could one write a poem with that title 'stealing time', I think you could.  I have to steal time now that I work more. 'needs must.'  So when do I steal time, well in the early morning because I am always up by 6:00 AM and very often 5:00 AM or earlier.  It's a wonderful cooler quiet time in the summer months.  I walk out into my garden look around listen to the dawn chorus and then tend to watering my garden and seeing that things are in order.

I attend to the living creatures that do not let me forget that they need to be fed, but I've been very remiss this morning and run out of cat food so I'm being looked at very reproachfully.  I of course make a morning cup of tea to start the day.

Now with working four days a week and then in August five days a week, I have decided on some lunch hours to go out and rejuvenate my soul with nature, so therefore a couple of times I have gone to the park for lunch.

So although I don't get to spend my days at home and potter around my garden, I can at least enjoy the beauties of God's creations. There is a park about a five minute drive away, so I go there, plus there is an old mill by a creek which I want to check out. 

The basket I resurrected from the basement it was sitting on top of the tool cabinet with light bulbs in very dusty.  So I scrubbed her out and with the wood softened was able to re-wrap the handle and as it dried it stayed in position.  I'll have to remember that.  As sometimes you see lovely baskets, but the area where the handle has been secured has become unravelled.  I always keep the picnic blanket in my car ever expectant of that unknown moment one can grasp.

So here I am this morning stealing a little time with Tink my faithful companion on my lap.

Christy

P.S.  After threatening to rain for two days, it did actually rain last night and for a gardener that is wonderful, so very time saving and money saving and not in the least totally refreshing to all.

Leather Goods

It's almost 5:30 PM Wednesday afternoon and it's trying very hard to thunder storm, dark clouds interspersed with sun, rolling thunder, but no rain.  The wind even picks up in gusts and then quietens down, and I'm sure the temperature has dropped a few degrees.  As of yet though no rain and I wish it would rain to water my garden, that would make life easy.

I'm luxuriating in a day at home, because I know the count down on a week day at home is on.

I went thrifting today for a friend who does not live in this area.  She's having a 37th Wedding Anniversary Party and wanted to have all china plates and glass wear.  So I was on a mission.  I did find the required wine glasses and beakers. but only found five plates.  The plate field was a bit thin.  I was looking for plain white or with a gold edge.

I wasn't going thrifting anymore as I had been on the weekend when they had their holiday special of 35% off.  Let me show you the leather goodies I found last Saturday and today.

 

The leather shoes are almost brand new.  The lace up winter shoes are from Germany Solidus, leather inside and out, soft leather and comfortable.  The other embroidered shoes as you can see are open backed.  I've always wanted shoes like this but they never fit me and these did.

The bag is Radley London.  The leather smell so reminds me of a leather shop we brought briefcases from, many years ago in Cambridge.  How could you resist a bag with a little Scottie dog and ' a penny for your thoughts.'

These were a good price and then the discount off.  I shop around the world at the thrift.

Christy