Welcome! I hope I bring a spot of calm and happiness into these uncertain times. I blog about my photography adventures, flowers, gardening, the importance of chocolate in a well lived life, or anything else on my mind.
I'm a little surprised that, for all the pictures I have from our neighboring state of Pennsylvania, I'm only now getting to one if its small towns for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
Towanda, Pennsylvania, population about 2800, is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania and has over 400 historic building. I've never officially visited the borough, but I had to pass through it several times in late 2024.
I took these pictures of some of the beautiful architecture downtown or near downtown in November of 2024.
The MacFarlane House on Main Street. This is a 1854 Greek Revival home that once housed the Bradford County historical society.
The Bradford County courthouse. Towanda is the county seat.
Another view.
Part of the downtown historic district.
The Keystone Theater, originally Hale's Opera House. Unfortunately I had to take this picture from a moving car (I wasn't driving!) and couldn't capture the beauty of this historic building. You can find more about this treasure here. I love it when I find historic theaters still operating.
This is only a small sample of the beautiful houses in and around this community. I wish I could have spent more time there.
T day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme: Beauty of our Land.
Today, for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and Sandee's Wordless Wednesday, I visit the United States state of South Carolina.
Before I get going, I want to pay tribute to South Carolinian Pearl
Fryar, who died on April 4, 2026. My husband and I had the pleasure of
meeting him in 2015. I blogged about it, and his special topiary
garden in Bishopville, South Carolina, for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge in 2015. I invite you to read my post, which had some pictures of his works.
I also invite you to read this interview, if you are into gardening.
Son of a sharecropper, this self-taught genius overcame prejudice and
became world renowned. His death was reported by the Washington Post,
New York Times, and CBS Sunday morning, among other news outlets.
Pearl Fryar, RIP. You proved that one man can overcome hate with love through Beauty.
Participants in Wordless Wednesday:
Meanwhile, here are some pictures of this beautiful state.
Greenville, Falls Park on the Reedy, February 2023.
Columbia, state Capitol building.
Clemson, mural.
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia.
College of Charleston, Charleston, Pinxterbloom azalea, a native azalea.
College of Charleston, Sunset.
Charleston City Market mural.
Charleston, corner of Queen and State Street.
S Day in the Boogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme: Beauty of our Land.
The works of American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell, who died in 1978, have been a part of my memories for many years.
Rockwell knew what his life work was to be at an early age, enrolling in art school at age 14. He was born in New York City, later moving to the New York City suburban city of New Rochelle. Eventually, he became an illustrator for the Boy Scouts publication Boys' Life, and for the Saturday Evening Post magazine He drew for the Saturday Evening Post for some 47 years. His career ended with the defunct Look magazine, which my mother read when I was growing up.
I don't know how well Rockwell was known outside the United States, or by young people worldwide, but I hope that you still enjoy this post.
Rockwell lived for a time in Arlington, Vermont and used their residents as models for many of his illustrations. The Sugar Shack in Arlington has a (free!) Rockwell exhibition in the back of the store, but do try their maple cremees (a rich soft serve ice cream) if you are into dairy products. They also produce their own maple syrup. I've visited Arlington several times in the past six years and have enjoyed visiting the Sugar Shack for a maple fix.
There is also a museum dedicated to Rockwell's works in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, which I visited in 2024. In fact, let's start with the entrance to that museum.
What a beautiful setting.
On the grounds are sculptures by Norman's son Peter Rockwell.
Information about Peter (sorry, it's too small to read), Peter Rockwell spent much of his adult life in Rome. He passed away in 2020.
A wall full of Norman Rockwell magazine covers.
Some samples of art and photos of the actual townspeople who posed for his pictures.
More photos.
Finally, a self portrait.
R day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme: Beauty of our Land.
We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!(Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.) We have occasional theme weeks, but you are welcome to ignore the theme and use music of your choice.
Music Moves Me is brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie, and myself. Why not join us? Our theme for this week is You Pick and since this is Q day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I'm picking a couple of groups whose name began with Q.
First up: Quicksilver Messenger Service.
Here is their 1970 hit Fresh Air.
Next, Queen, and, from 1975, Bohemian Rhapsody. This song is considered one of the top songs in rock history.
From 1981 their collaboration with David Bowie - Under Pressure.
And now that you've enjoyed some music, I bring you, for Q day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, some beauty I've found in the New York City borough of Queens. I am a native of Queens although I only lived there for the first five months of my life.
If you think I'm going to post pictures of skyscrapers, well, I'm not, because Queens is not a borough of skyscrapers. Although, in the neighborhood of Long Island City, there are several. No, instead, I will bring you these sights:
Alley Pond Recreation Area, Bayside, Queens.
There are several remnants of the 1964 World's Fair visible in Corona Park, another Queens neighborhood.(I have to explain here that if you address a letter to someone in Queens, you usually use a neighborhood name - not "Queens, NY" but Astoria, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Little Neck, and so forth.)
Above are two of them visible from the highway. I think the first picture is part of the New York State pavilion and I know the second was the Unisphere. I went to that fair several times as a preteen, once with my grade school class and the other times with my parents. These pictures were taken in 2018.
Queens Botanical Garden. Welcome to the rose garden. The morning I was there, a lot of Asian families were out admiring the roses.
More roses, Queens botanical gardens.
Greenery.
Finally, the yellow structures, I'm guessing, are where the Queen bees live. And that is a wrap!
Join me tomorrow for R day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. And, I hope you'll join me again next week for more music at Music Moves Me.
Q day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme: Beauty of our Land
We are back to cold weather and possible snow, but most of the last week was glorious (except for the almost late day thunderstorms and winds). But I took a couple of nice shadow shots yesterday and the day before yesterday while the good weather lasted.
Grape hyacinths.
Tree shadow at a local park.
Young redbud tree in bloom at a local park. This was planted several years ago as part of an initiative called Trees for Tribs. You can see some of the other trees in the background.
I was going to do a post for P day on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge based on Petunias, Pansies and Phlox but it has been so Pretty lately during our unusual 80 plus degree temperatures this past week, that I decided to post some local Prettiness, too.
It does fit with my theme of Beauty of our Land, right?
These Bradford pears (I know they aren't called that anymore, but calling them callery pears doesn't make them any less invasive, in my humble opinion) are pretty.
Daffodils in my yard, April 17.
Downtown Binghamton, New York, April 14.
Another downtown Binghamton street scene.
White tree next to medical building.
I can't resist flowers, though these aren't from this week.
Petunias planted in a roundabout, downtown Binghamton, New York, 2020. Only the decreased traffic during COVID allowed me to safely take this picture.
Pansies, 2023.
Finally, one more local scene, April 16.
P day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme: Beauty of our Land.
