New Berlin Library and Museum #4CLSRoadtrip

Today, on the Four County Library Road Trip in New York State, I take you to a small village in Chenango County called New Berlin.

This is one of several small libraries that incorporate a museum.

It took us two tries to get to this library.  The first time, we didn't get there in time and the library had closed.  But the return trip was worth it.

I didn't take notes on the art and other objects I found there so you'll just have to guess along with me. I couldn't find much information online.

What a beautiful clock.

I'll just let the exhibits speak for themselves.

Next time, I take better notes.

Besides the museum, this little library does a lot for its local community - summer concerts, children and teen programs, bike helmet programs, book clubs, and more.  It was an eye opener to find out just how important these small libraries are in the lives of their patrons.

Another small town New York State gem next week.

Huckleberry Friends and Glory #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music.

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?

The Music Moves Me bloggers blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and yours truly.

You are welcome to join our Monday music group.  It's so easy. All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video.  No music video? Your post may be removed, or may be labeled *NO MUSIC*.We alternate theme weeks and no theme weeks.

For the month of September, our guest host is Sandee from Comedy Plus.  For today, the last summer of 2023 Music Moves Me, Sandee asks us to blog about Movie Songs.

I want to go back to my childhood for the first few songs.

Edelweiss is a song from The Sound of Music that enough people have thought it was an Austrian folk song, or even the Austrian national anthem.  I can't listen to it without tears. I am including it although, technically, it came from the 1959 stage play of the same name.  In the movie it was sung by Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews.

When I found this clip of four great grandchildren of the Von Trapps (who were an actual family that settled in Vermont after the war) singing Edelweiss, I had to include it as a bonus.

Moon River is a song from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's, released in October of 1961.  This is the original, sung by Audrey Hepburn.  This songhas been covered countless times, perhaps most famously by Andy Williams.

Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers is from the movie Unchained - I never realized this was a movie song even before the movie Ghost.

Some great theme music has come out of the James Bond series of movies.  Here are a couple of favorites.   First, from 1973, Paul McCartney and Wings sing  Live and Let Die.

Duran Duran - A View to a Kill, from 1985.

And more recently, from the 2014 movie Selma, the stirring song Glory, sung by John Legend and rapped by Common.

One more if you have time - from 1985's The Breakfast Club, Simple Minds and their hit Don't You Forget About Me.

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next Monday for another episode of Music Moves Me.

August Car Show #ShadowshotSunday

Once each month this summer a group at our local Wegmans (a large supermarket chain in New York State) held a car show.  The highly polished cars made for some interesting shadows and reflections.

Sharp and purple.

I couldn't get close enough to see this car's registration sticker but I'm guessing an early 1950's Olds.  I'm sure one of my readers will set me straight if it isn't.  I was trying hard not to get people in my pictures so my angles aren't the best.

Another view.

Red and black and some shadows just add to the look.

Under the hood.

Joining Magical Mystery Teacher for #ShadowshotSunday.

The Not So Ugly Apple Honey Cake

It's time for reflection, apples, and honey.

It is Rosh Hashanah 5784, the first full day of the Jewish New Year - the year 5784 on our religious calendar.  This time is both festive and serious, as we undergo our annual review from Above and reflect on our behavior of the past year/seek forgiveness from those we have wronged/plan for how we can improve and better the world in the coming year.

As far as food, we celebrate with sweet and symbolic dishes.  Apples and honey are prominent in many households.  Last night, my spouse cooked a brisket with apple juice, potatoes and carrots.  For dessert, we had apple honey cake.

It's been a long journey.

When I was young, my Mom served a honey cake for Rosh Hashana that I did not like.  When I was an older teen and became interested in baking, I embarked on an odyssey to find a recipe for a honey cake I liked.

One of the challenges was that so many of the recipes made two loaves of honey cake.  By then, my Mom had passed away and it was just my father and me.  My Dad was diabetic and couldn't eat cake (that was back in the 1960's, when diabetic diets were different) so it was just me.  I put my quest on the back burner for years.

In my later adult years, I returned to the quest.  Although it's a large cake for one or two, I finally found the honey cake of my dreams.

Each year I make an apple honey cake, from a recipe I adapted from the excellent recipe published years ago by Tory Avery.  My cake most likely isn't as good as hers, because I cut down on the oil (thanks to Weight Watchers, which I've been a member of since 2012 with one short break).  Also, I don't put icing on it - I've never been a fan of icing.

It's a joint effort - my spouse shreds the apples and also takes care of removing the cake from the oven.

Getting the apples we wanted was a journey.  We live in an apple growing area and like to use a locally grown baking apple (at this time of year, our plan was Cortland apples).  But the apple crop failed this year due to a late frost- one local grower lost 80% of his crop.  We ended up using supermarket Ginger Gold apples.

The cake's top fell apart when spouse tried to remove it from the pan.  

This definitely isn't a baking blog picture.  To you, it may be an ugly apple honey cake.  I disagree.

To me, it is beautiful personal tradition. 

None of us is perfect.  We can strive for a better coming year.  

May life for you in the coming year be as sweet as this slice of cake.

To my blog readers of the Jewish faith, Shanah tova (good year).

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day September 2023 #GardenBloggersBloomDay

September.

The signs of fall are here where I live in zone 5b Southern Tier of New York.  There is a crispness in the air. The sun angle is moving into fall position.  Our ruby throated hummingbird (not that we owned her but she considered our back yard flowers and hummingbird feeder part of her territory) has left for warmer climes (safe journey to her!) 

It's the 15th of September and time for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted once again by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.

Nature tells us fall is nearly here although the calendar still says summer.

Our purple turtleheads are blooming in our shade garden.

What else in the shade?  A zig-zag goldenrod we purchased from a wildflower nursery in Ithaca, New York is blooming, too.

Our first Japanese anemone flower is opening. (sorry about the blurriness). 

Then, there are flowers that have been blooming for a while.  Our variegated fuchsia seems happy in its shady pot.

Meanwhile, in our sunny front yard, more flowers await.

Our two mums, which we planted last fall in pots and overwintered in our unheated garage, are both blooming.  Here's the yellow.

And purple. 

The garlic chives are starting to finish up.

The sedum is coloring up.

An heirloom marigold is quite happy.

One of the last reblooming daylily plants.

Finally, million bells.

A bit of sadness as I end this post.  By October 15, we may have had our first frost. 

Now that you've enjoyed my flowers, why not check out Carol's website and visit some other flower gardens?

Even More Sky Moods #SkywatchFriday

Yes, I know.  It's Thursday and I'm posting for Skywatch Friday.  But tomorrow is September 15, Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, and I decided to use today for my Skywatch post.  

It's so interesting to observe the sky in all its moods. 

September 2, at the Garlic Town garlic festival in Bennington, Vermont, the sky shows its happiness.

The view from the viewing platform at Hogback Mountain General Store in West Marlboro, Vermont, September 4.

Creek reflection, Wilmington, Vermont, September 4.
 

Fly Creek Cider Mill, Fly Creek, New York September 5.

Back home, sky September 10.

Joining Yogi and other sky watching bloggers each Friday (except this week when it's Thursday) at #SkywatchFriday.

Vermont Farm Market #WordlessWednesday

A visit September 2 to Clear Brook Farm in Shaftsbury, Vermont.

Shaftsbury was once the home of poet Robert Frost and artist/illustrator Norman Rockwell lived in nearby Arlington, Vermont from 1939 to 1953.

Let's enjoy a look at Clear Brook's colorful produce.

Peppers.

 Potatoes - I've never seen any looking quite like this.

Green and yellow beans, picked with love. 

More peppers.

Not pictured was the organic corn on the cob we bought - it was so good.  We also bought an heirloom small watermelon.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

The Skene Memorial Library #4CLSroadtrip

The four county library system (Broome, Delaware, Otsego and Chenango counties in New York) roadtrip ended September 2, but the memories remain.

Today, we visit the only Carnegie library in the system.

Fleischmanns, New York, in rural Delaware Count, has an interesting history.  It was once a popular summer vacationing destination easily reached by railroad from New York City, and was the home of many grand hotels.  It was also the summer home of the Fleischmanns family (of yeast and gin fame), which had a large family compound built on land acquired in 1883.  Of the five mansions in the compound, I believe only one remains.

One of these resorts was owned by the father of a girl, Tillie Edelstein, who is much better known to older generations as the actress Gertrude Berg, who starred in the radio (and later, television) series The Goldbergs.  But that is a story for another day if any of my readers is interested.

Dr. Alexander Skene, who was born in Scotland and lived in New York City, used to vacation in Fleischmanns.  He was a childhood friend of industrialist Andrew Carnegie, and was one of the foremost gynecologists of the 19th century. 

Dr. Skene's wife Annette worked with others to raise funds to get Fleischmanns a library.   Andrew Carnegie contributed $5,000 with the sole stipulation that the library be named after his childhood friend Dr. Skene, who died before the library was built.  

In 1930, the building was turned over to the Village of Fleischmanns.

Unlike many memorial libraries we visited on the roadtrip, this building (which dates from 1901) has always been a library.  Let's go in.

I'm assuming this is a portrait of Dr. Skene.

I found the wood paneling gave the interior a warm feel.  You'll see the lion statuette, too.  Lions are considered by some as powerhouses of wisdom and a fitting library mascot.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Fleischmanns family left in 1913 and only a handful of hotels remain in the area out of the more than 50 that were there in the early 20th century.  At one time, the population during the summer swelled to some 10,000.  But when cars became something any household could afford, those days ended.  

The year round population of the village has dropped to around 210 people (2020 census) from a high of some 500,  but it is still popular as a destination for those wanting (and able to afford) a second home.

This roadtrip was so much fun, and I learned so much.

Do you want to see more posts like this?

The 22nd Anniversary

My dear readers from countries other than the United States, please permit me to concentrate on my country today.  If you are looking for my Music Moves Me post, please click here.

Today marks 22 years. 

These anniversaries will become fewer and fewer, because that is how life progresses.  This year, though, there will still be ceremonies.

I believe we've reached the point where September 11 is only the day on the calendar between September 10 and September 12.   When someone makes an appointment for September 11, or mentions something they are doing on September 11, our mind doesn't catch on the date for a moment. That isn't a bad thing, but people of my generation will remember 9/11 for the rest of our lives.

There are still thousands of people who were impacted by the events of those days.

I remember that evening, too, sitting with my preteen son in front of a computer and reading headlines from newspapers all over the world.  It was front page news everywhere, our American tragedy.  Now, newspapers die everyday and we are connected by social media, something we could not have imagined on September 11, 2001.

For our grandchildren, perhaps they will ignore a plaque in the lobby of their high school honoring the alumni who died that day.  This is the plaque in the lobby of my high school with 11 names of alumni who died that day.   But, more likely, they will have their own way of remembering, perhaps the way we who were not alive for Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) still remember and honor that day.

One of the names on that plaque in my high school is Christian Regenhard.  He was the youngest New York City fire fighter to die on 9/11. He was one of those who ran to danger, making it possible for others to escape and live another day.

Of the 11 people who went to my high school that died that day, two of them left pregnant spouses.

Yes, we who remember, remember September 11, 2001 in different ways.

My father in law was born on a September 11 (although he was no longer with us on that day.)  

On September 11, 2016, I visited his grave and took these pictures of a 9/11 memorial on the cemetery grounds.

Other people I know (family and friends in New York City, where I grew up) lost loved ones, friends, neighbors. 

There were the children in a nearby elementary school and a nearby high school to the World Trade Center in New York City.  The story of the students of Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan is especially poignant.

There were the Sarasota, Florida children who had been gathered with then President Bush to listen to a story time before he was called away.  They are also children of 9/11.

There is comedian Jon Stewart, still fighting for health care for 9/11 responders who are still dying from their exposures that day, and the following days.  We must never forget them.  Too many people in power seem to have forgotten these men and women.

Maybe you, my reader, don't remember because you weren't yet born, or were too young to remember, and have no personal connection like the children of 9/11.  After all, it's been 22 years.

But history doesn't forget.

And I won't, either, until the day my memory or my body fails.

Dream Weavers #MusicMovesMe

Yes, it's Sunday but today it will be time for music on my blog.  Tomorrow, I will concentrate on the 22nd anniversary of September 11.  Today, it is time for Music Moves Me.

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?

The Music Moves Me bloggers blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and yours truly.

You are welcome to join our Monday music group.  It's so easy. All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video.  No music video? Your post may be removed, or may be labeled *NO MUSIC*.We alternate theme weeks and no theme weeks.

Our co-host Cathy from Curious as a Cathy may not be with our group today, as she is mourning  the death of her father . We will continue to keep Cathy and her family in our thoughts and prayers these coming next few weeks.

And now, to happier topics - dreams, to be exact.

For the month of September, our guest host is Sandee from Comedy Plus.  For today, she declares a "Freedom of Music Choice" week.  We can choose our own theme.

Rock and Roll Heaven has been so busy with inductions, and this week, a new member joined the heavenly group.  Gary Wright died on September 4, 2023 at the age of 80.  The causes of death included Parkinson's and Lewy body dementia.

Wright was a child actor and appeared on a show on the defunct Dumont Network called Captain Video and His Video Rangers.  Several videos from the series are available on You Tube.

Before Wright went solo, he was the keyboardist for a group called Spooky Tooth.  Here is their Better By You, Better Than Me, a later performance (after Wright left the group, but rejoined for a time in 2004).  I believe this is from a 2004 concert released in 2007. 

I knew him best for two songs.  First, Dream Weaver, from 1975.

Love is Alive was also featured as part of a number of movie soundtracks, including Wayne's World and Toy Story 3.

Wright had a long musical career through 2017, but eventually, due to his health, was no longer able to perform.  May he rest in peace.

While we are on the topic of dreams, I wanted to include several other songs mentioning dreams.

Daydream Believer - The Monkees from 1968.

Heart - These Dreams, from 1985.

Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over, from 1986.

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next Monday for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Lasts But Not Leasts

I saw these tomatoes my spouse had picked out of our community garden today and they looked so pretty in his black colander.  There was even a pepper in the mix.

 Included in this mix are several types of cherry tomatoes, including a black tomato (the ones that look purplish.

So I was inspired to take some pictures in our flower garden at home.  I found some lasts or near lasts that probably won't be around for September 15 (Garden Bloggers Bloom Day)

 

Cardinal flower - just a couple of little sprigs left.

Last hibiscus flower of the season.

One of the last of the reblooming yellow daylily.

And a surprise.  Our purple tall phlox is past its bloom but the other day I saw a differently colored one in almost full bloom.  A volunteer?  I hope this lasts until Friday.  It's so pretty.

Lasts in the garden always make me a little sad, especially knowing that fall is just about here.  One day in the near future, I'll look at these pictures and wonder "was there ever a growing season full of flowers?" as I scan the snow filled yard.

But not just yet.

Enjoy while we can!

Vermont Vista #SkywatchFriday

On Monday, during a short visit to southern Vermont (in the Northeast United States), my spouse and I decided to take a drive from Bennington, Vermont to the Marlboro/ Hogback Mountain area.

Vermont Route 9 from Bennington to the Hogback Mountain Country Store (where they have an overlook) is a beautiful drive on a twisty highway dotted with Moose Crossing signs and plentiful mountain scenery.  My ears were popping and I was starting to get a little bit of vertigo in places, so no pictures of the moose warning signs.

This road doesn't fool around - here's a runaway truck ramp sign.

The runaway ramp.

I would not want to be on this highway in the winter. 

This highway is called the Molly Stark Scenic Byway and you can't leave this part of the state without learning who Molly Stark was. 

We arrived at the Hogback Mountain Country Store and, after a maple creemee (a special type of ice cream I love and yes, it's spelled that way), went to the overlook.  

On a clear day, you can see Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Lots of green vistas and blue sky.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers each Friday for #SkywatchFriday.

Early September Vermont Wildflowers

These pictures were taken Sunday, September 3, during a short visit to Bennington, Vermont.  

The Bennington Museum (highly recommended) has, outside, a sculpture and wildflower walk.  Let's do some exploring.

Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) is a perennial relative of the sunflower, and is grown for its edible tubers.  These were cultivated by indigenous people of what is now the central United States and eventually made its way to New England.

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum).

I'm thinking this is New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) but if it isn't, I'm sure someone will correct me.  I'm far from a wildflower expert, and many of these plants were not labeled.

Great Blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) caught my eye.  Again, no label - I got this from my iPhone built in plant ID

One of the sculptures.

Sweet autumn clementis nestled in some ferns.

Last but not least, my first sighting of New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae).  I love this flower but it always makes me sad to see the first one, as I know the fall asters signal that the final curtain of wildflowers will be coming down soon.  At least it was in Bennington (USDA zone 5a) and not where I live in New York State (zone 5b).  I haven't seen one at home yet, although I see they have buds.

I invite you to join me tomorrow for SkywatchFriday.