Cortlandt Street Station

I grew up in New York City.  In 1973, the last full year I lived in New York City, I used the subway to commute to my summer job on West Broadway in lower Manhattan.  My stop was called Park Place.

On payday, I would do my banking in the World Trade Center, which, at that time, hadn't yet fully opened to the public.

In 1974, my husband and I went to lower Manhattan to get our marriage license, and, afterwards, I took him into the lobby of one of the Twin Towers.

It would be the last time either of us ever set foot in that building, or that neighborhood, until 2002.

In mid-August of 2002, 11 months after what we call "9/11" in our United States, I finally felt ready enough to make the trip to New York City. I brought my then preteen son and my husband to "Ground Zero", accompanied (reluctantly, for very good reasons) by a dear cousin's husband.  He had lost his best friend when the South Tower collapsed.

On the subway ride from his home in Brooklyn, our train was detoured, and I knew why.  We were being detoured around a destroyed subway stop, Cortlandt Street, not far from my old Park Place stop.  The Cortlandt Street station, which was below the World Trade Center, was built in 1918, the year my mother was born, and destroyed on 9/11/01, the day my late father in law would have turned 75.

We were told the station would never be rebuilt.  But, later, the city changed its mind.

On September 8, 2018, the rebuilt station reopened.

It is now called "WTC Cortlandt".

Brooklyn Bridge, September 2015, with new construction to the left

New York City is always under reconstruction, but this was a massive recovery even for the city of my birth.  One day, I hope to visit and pay my respects to what has risen in the place of the Twin Towers.

I will never forget.

Yes One Day We Will Forget

A couple of weeks ago, I had a conversation with a co-worker which, for some reason, evolved into a discussion about September 11, 2001.

One day we will forget. 

One day it will be only the day on the calendar between September 10 and September 12.

One day, we won't remember the moments of the day.  The minute each plane hit its target.  The moment each World Trade Center collapsed.   The moment the Pentagon erupted in flames. 

The moment Flight 93 plowed into a Pennsylvania field.

One day New York won't reschedule a primary election because it falls on September 11. (Even now, in 2018, our primary, instead of today, will be held on Thursday).

No, don't be angry at me.  I will remember September 11 for the rest of my life. I remember it every year.  First, it was my father in law's birthday (although he was no longer with us on that day.)  Then, it became the day I watched in horror (after my employer hastily located a television) as the second tower fell, later finding out that one of my co workers lost his son on that day. His daughter in law was pregnant.  Other people I know lost loved ones.  13 people who went to my high school died that day.  Two of them left pregnant spouses.

Those children and others will be turning 17 in the next few months, and this is the point I want to make.  It is a point we may not like, but it is a point that history teaches us.

Our children will forget.  Or maybe our grandchildren.  It is happening right before our eyes.

Today, I think of those who are still dying as a result of 9/11.  Yes, thousands of first responders and others are still suffering aftereffects today. They are still dying from cancer and other 9/11 related illnesses, even as they fight for extensions of deadlines set by Congress:  December 18, 2020.

How do you put a deadline on cancer?  And the ironic part?  We speculate that the one plane that did not reach its target, Flight 93 memorialized above, was headed towards the Capital building when its heroic passengers fought the hijackers for control of the plane.  May they rest in peace, in a field in Western Pennsylvania, forever.

But one day, all those who experienced 9/11 will be gone, unable to give further testimony.

My son was middle school aged on September 11, 2001, and he remembers.  But those children who were two or three on that day, will they remember?  Will the 11 year olds, unless they lost a family member and 9/11 remembrance is something their families do every day?  Do you think the schools are teaching 9/11?  Some are.  Some aren't.  How about those homeschooling?  But even by learning at home or in a school building, 9/11 will never have the same meaning to them as it does to us. They live in a post 9/11 world.  The day itself will eventually be empty of the meaning we, who were alive then, give it.

And maybe that isn't totally a bad thing.

As long as we give the day meaning, true meaning, and incorporate that meaning into our daily lives, our children will remember the meaning.  But they will turn that memory into something that matters to them, the generation that wasn't yet born.  They only know a post 9/11 world. We can never truly know what that means, to know a world from before that date we observe today.

Our world isn't theirs.

They will remember, but not the way we do.  Our job is to make sure they know about the day and its meaning, and let them sort it out. Keep in mind that the children born on September 11, 2001, will turn 18 on September 11, 2019, and will be granted the right to vote.

I hope they will use that power of the vote well.

But for now, my generation, and yours, will remember those innocents who died on that day. 

(Part of this post was originally posted on September 11, 2012).

Songs About Growing Old #MusicMovesMe Sept 10

It's Monday and I welcome you to #MusicMovesMe.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? Every other week we have a theme, and on alternate weeks, we can blog about any music we wish.  We are headed by our head Engineer XmasDolly, who is still recovering from surgery.  Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥, (who is posting as she can) and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ (currently filling in as the temporary head Engineer )   And, (last but not least), there's me.

If you do have music to share, you are welcome to link up with us. We'd love to hear from you!  
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But, the times being what they are, I must also add a disclaimer: We really want to boogie with you, but we do work hard to bring you music - please keep in mind that this is a blog hop and open to music posts ONLY!

For the month of September, our honorary conductor is Cathy from Curious as a Cathy and her theme for today is "Songs About Being a Grandparent/Growing Old".

It Was a Very Good Year was originally written in 1961 for Bob Shane with the Kingston Trio but Frank Sinatra made it his own in 1966.  Even when it came out (I was a young teenager) I knew there was something special about this song, which talked about girls the singer loved when he was 17, 21, and then up through his "vintage" years.

So I couldn't resist also including the Kingston Trio recording.

Veronica, co written by Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney, and sung by Elvis Costello, sounds like a happy song but just give a close listen to the lyrics.  This is poignant for me, as my mother inlaw travels down the same road as Veronica did.  I am not the biggest fan of Elvis Costello (I don't really know why, because he is so talented) but he nailed this song.

Here, Johnny Cash covers "We'll Meet Again", a song from 1939 sung by the great Vera Lynn.

Oh, why not.  This isn't a "Battle of the Bands" but here's Vera Lynn's original.  Truthfully, I like it better, but Johnny Cash did put a different spin on the lyrics.

And one more - just couldn't resist this.  An "impromptu" elderly singing group, originally formed to give voice to the plight of senior citizens, belts out "My Generation". The lead singer of this group,  who was then 90, passed away at age 93 in 2010.  This performance was recorded at the Abbey Road studio, and some of the clip presents senior from the group walking on the iconic road crossing from the Beatles album "Abbey Road".

BONUS: Since I'm doing everything in doubles today, why not also feature their 2012 audition on Britain's Got Talent?  Watching Simon Cowell roll his eyes before he is blown away is well worth listening to their rendition of....no, I'm not going to give it away.

DOUBLE BONUS - speaking of aging, how about a concert by Paul McCartney at Grand Central Station in New York City on Friday?   I'm not sure how long this is as it was originally livestreamed on You Tube.


Join me again next Monday - same time, same place.

Civil War Sunday - A Change of Heart

As we seem to be driven further apart daily, here in the United States, I am reminded of the 150th anniversary of our Civil War, 2011-2015, when I would blog each Sunday about something related to the Civil War.

I've maintained, more than once in my blog, that we never stopped fighting this war.

I can remember when, in Summerville, South Carolina (a city of about 49,000 about 25 miles from Charleston) a white woman living in a mainly black neighborhood decided to display the Confederate flag. This was back in 2010.

In the view of Annie Caddell, the flag represented respect and remembrance for her ancestors.  Her black neighbors, seeing the flag as a symbol of hate and oppression, first signed a petition, and then protested.  This rapidly escalated into a "cold" war - neighbors building eight foot high walls inches from their property lines to block their view of the flag, then Ms. Caddell hoisting the flag even higher.  Ms. Caddell said she would die before the flag came down.

Eventually there was a truce - the walls, and the flag, remained, although, in 2015, someone shot at her house after a tragic mass shooting near downtown Charleston by a white man inside a black church during a Bible Study class.

But then the woman had a heart attack.  The result?

The flag came down earlier this year, replaced by the state flag of South Carolina.  

And, recently, the walls were taken down by the neighbors.  One hugged Ms. Caddell on camera.

Annie Caddell still refuses to fly the American flag.  She feels our country is in deep trouble.

I think few of us would disagree.

Sustainable Saturday - New Year's Apple Cake

Tomorrow, the Jewish New Year begins at sunset.  That means it is time to make my version of an amazing apple honey cake.  The original recipe can be found here, and I assure you you don't have to be Jewish to love this cake. 

There are several reasons why I modified the cake the way I did.  First, believe it or not, I do not like confectioner's sugar/liquid type icing.  Even as a child, I would pass up cinnamon rolls and yeast cakes because I never liked the icing drizzled on them.  I can't explain why.  I still don't.  So my version does not have icing.  If you want icing, click the link above.

Second, I've started to use coconut oil more and more as a substitute for oil in my baking   I've never made this cake with anything but coconut oil, and I love it.

Third, instead of the original Granny Smith apples, I prefer tart, local apples.  I'm fortunate to live in New York apple country and there is an abundance of cooking apples grown here.  For Thanksgiving, I make this with  local Northern Spy apples.  Tomorrow I will make it with Gravenstein apples I purchased earlier in the week near North East, Pennsylvania (a town, not a direction).  These are apples dating back to 1797 or even earlier, and have a fascinating history.

Sorry, metric readers, you are on your own with this.

AM's Version of Tori Avey's Apple Honey Cake

3 large eggs (this past week, I was fortunate enough to use free range brown eggs from a local farm)
3/4 cup honey (local buckwheat honey, which is quite dark, and is a good fall honey)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil melted gently in microwave (this is solid at room temperature)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups King Arthur's White Whole Wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon, freshly ground
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 tart baking apples, peeled, cored and shredded (you will also want to use the resulting liquid)

You will bake this in a 9 inch Bundt cake pan.

Method

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

While oven heats, mix the wet ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until frothy.
Whisk in honey, white and brown sugar, melted coconut oil, and vanilla

Then mix the dry ingredients:
In a smaller bowl, sift together flour, baking power, baking soda, spices.

Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stir to blend.  You don't want any dry ingredients, but you also don't want to over beat.

Fold in your shredded apples and liquid from the apples.

Spray your bundt pan with cooking spray, coating the inside evenly.

Now, pour your batter into the pan.  You don't want to overfill (Tory warns you not to fill more than 3/4 full.)  Smooth the batter on the top so that it is flat and even.  You do not want any air pockets.  I press down on the filling gently with a spoonula.

From last year's baking

Bake for approximately 75-90 minutes.  When the edges darken and pull fully away from the sides of the pan, and the cake is browned, test with a toothpick.  This is a moist cake, so you don't want to under cook.  But, you don't want to overcook it, either.

For me, this cake is a wonderful alternative to apple pie.  And, with the apples and honey, it's perfect for a cool almost-fall day.

Pennsylvania Big Sky Country #SkywatchFriday

Last night, I was in Pennsylvania, not that far from the southern shore of Lake Erie, in the concord grape country of North East, Pennsylvania.

A cold front had finally relieved the heat and humidity, and clouds were puffing up from the lake.  It reminded me a little of Big Sky country in Montana, which I have only seen once.

The combination of clouds was beautiful.

As the sun approached sunset, it got a big more dramatic.

Finally, after sunset, the sky reddened and the puffy clouds almost disappeared.  The lowest band of blue, right below the pink-red streak, is Lake Erie. This was taken from the third floor of our motel.

Once again, I join Yogi and other bloggers who watch the sky each Friday on #SkywatchFriday.

Dining with Abraham Lincoln - Throwback Thursday

Today -a sequel to my hunt for the perfect tuna fish sandwich.

Where I ate it was its own story, first told in 2013 (with some edits):

It isn't every day you get to eat lunch with a sitting President of the United States.  Or, to be more exact, the sitting statue of a former President.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, and our country's President during the United States Civil War.


In the summer of 2013 my spouse and I drove from our home in upstate New York to Arkansas for a visit.  On the way back home, we stopped for a rest break in Vandalia, Illinois.

Back in the 1830's, Vandalia was the capital of the state of Illinois - the second capital of Illinois,  from 1819 to 1839.  It no longer is the capital and you may be surprised to learn who is partially responsible for that.

This was the Vandalia state capital building, built in 1836.

In the city of Vandalia, a young Illinois state legislator got some of his early political experience.  His name was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln and some of his colleagues wanted the capital closer to the geographic center of the state.  Ironically, this particular statehouse was built to try to convince Lincoln and some of his colleagues to keep the capital in Vandalia.   It replaced a different building that was torn down while the legislature was in recess.  The hope was, the building would so impress the legislature that they would stay in Vandalia.

Looks nice, but Lincoln never tried any cases in this room.

The bribe (if you could call it that) didn't work, and Lincoln was not a beloved figure in Vandalia due to his actions in moving the capital away from their city.  But, time has a way of dimming memories.  Now, Lincoln is quite beloved in Vandalia.

In 2001, Lincoln Park was built near the statehouse. It features a statute called "Sitting with Lincoln".

On this bench, I ate lunch with Abraham Lincoln in 2013- the  tuna sandwich we had purchased in Missouri that morning, to be exact.  It was a hot sunny day, a day I would later treasure that winter, a harsh one, when below zero wind chills were the order of the day.

I hope Lincoln enjoyed that wonderful Missouri tuna sandwich as much as I did.

Have you ever met a famous person, or a person who became famous later in life?

Water Lilies #WordlessWednesday

Where my elderly mother in law lives, there is a small water lily garden.

The plants are in bloom.  Her son shows her the blossoms, but the next day, she doesn't remember where she saw them.

Here they are, for all to enjoy.

Join Esha and other bloggers celebrating #WordlessWednesday.

In Search of the Perfect Tuna Fish Sandwich - #FlavoursomeTuesday

On September 3, 2013 I ate the perfect tuna fish sandwich.  Today, I repeat a blog post from September 3, 2013 about it, with some small editing updates.

St. Louis.  1968.

My uncle Henry (who will be celebrating - updated  his 94th birthday later this year!) drove me and my father to St. Louis for the day, from his then-home in Iowa.

I don't know at what point we ate, but my choice was a tuna fish sandwich.  Back when I was a child and a teen, I loved tuna and I'm surprised that I never turned into a fish.

The tuna sandwich I had was not like any restaurant-made tuna sandwich I had ever had.  No, this was sweet.  It had a taste that was absolutely wonderful.

Several years later I was back in the area and ordered a tuna sandwich at a diner and it had the same taste.  What was it? I couldn't quite place it.  My spouse, an excellent cook, went by my description and guessed it had sweet pickle relish in it.  I suspected it might also have Miracle Whip as an ingredient.

Miracle Whip is - well, it is something like American mayonnaise, but unless you live in the U.S. (or, apparently, Germany) you won't find Miracle Whip.  I've found it to be a regional taste here in the United States.  My midwestern relatives use Miracle Whip in things such as potato salad that call for "white stuff in a jar".  My New York relatives use American Mayonnaise in dishes needing "white stuff".

It's been years, over 30 years, since I was in the St. Louis area, but my spouse and I ended up staying the night of September 2, 2013, about 50 miles (80 km) west of St. Louis, Missouri.  This morning, I decided to drop in on a local cafe called the Lewis Cafe. Their menu was in our motel room and it advertised that the owners raised their own beef.  And, it had been in business since the 1930's. [2018 update, it is still in business].

And, they made their own tuna fish salad.

They were closed yesterday (due to Labor Day) so dinner there was impossible.

But, they opened today at 5am. Our motel's desk clerk called them about 8:30 am (after sharing her recipe for tuna) to make sure they made sandwiches to go that early - they did.

So, what did we find?

Just the friendliest service you would ever want.  We were offered seats, and plenty of ice water while we waited.  The young lady who waited on us even suggested we use the restrooms.

Here are a couple of pictures of the interior of the Lewis Cafe.

The young lady put together our "to go's" including a slice of pie, plenty of  napkins, forks, my husband's fried cube steak (fantastic, according to him) and this:

Heaven.  I've waited over 30 years for this sandwich. And it just wasn't the tuna.  This wasn't store bought rye bread, I'm convinced.

So how does the desk clerk at Budget Lodgings in St. Clair, Missouri make her tuna?  Sweet relish (one point for spouse).  Miracle whip (one point for me). Chopped sweet onion.  Chopped hard boiled egg.

Joining up with #FlavoursomeTuesdays (hosted by Bellybytes and Metanoia) 

Music for a Labor Day #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and I welcome you to #MusicMovesMe.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? Every other week we have a theme, and on alternate weeks, we can blog about any music we wish.  We are headed by our head Engineer XmasDolly, who is still recovering from surgery.  Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥, (who is also recovering from surgery) and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ (currently filling in as the temporary head Engineer )   And, (last but not least), there's me.

If you do have music to share, you are welcome to link up with us. We'd love to hear from you!  

But, the times being what they are, I must also add a disclaimer: We really want to boogie with you, but we do work hard to bring you music - please keep in mind that this is a blog hop and open to music posts ONLY!

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 Today is Labor Day in the United States.  So I offer, today, a mixed assortment of music.

The Downeaster Alexa, one of my favorite Billy Joel songs, dates from 1989 and has the plight of the Long Island fisherman as its theme.  

Another Billy Joel song, from 1983, Allentown, sings about the plight of the American steelworker.  For this I chose a live version from his 2008 concert at Yankee Stadium, in my native Bronx.

One of the songs I heard at Binghamton, New York's Porchfest Sunday before last:  Kryptonite, by 3 Doors Down, covered by a local band.

And finally, Renee Fleming performing "Danny Boy" Saturday at Senator John McCain's funeral.  I think the most poignant part of this past week was McCain's 106 year old mother paying her respects before the casket was moved to Washington, DC as her son lay in state in Arizona.  

To further set the stage for September, I found this discussion of why there seem to be so many songs about September interesting. 

Thank you for stopping by and listening to my mini-concert.  Next week, I'll be posting music for a theme "Songs about aging or being a grandparent" and we'll see what I can come up with.

Turtleheads of Gratitude

Yesterday, I blogged, begging summer not to leave us in upstate New York just yet, despite the heat and humidity.

A blogging acquaintance in India, who has visited the United States on numerous occasions, commented on Instagram, wondering why I felt that way.

She's right.  I should be grateful for today.

Today, I went out in my backyard, in golden hour light, and photographed my turtleheads.  No, not turtles, but a flower that looks something like a turtle's head, especially when a bee (and bumblebees love them) squeeze into the flower.  It can be hard to see, but the bee is entering the lowest of the flowers on this stalk.

These pictures don't do it justice.  The bees were just too fast (here, on the right.)

But take my word for it.

Dear Indian friend, in two months these flowers, and all the flowers in my garden, will be gone, replaced by the first flakes of snow and the winds of November.  Those winds bite with a vengeance, and, at least we don't have to shovel heat.  But, on the other hand, we do not get your monsoons or your oppressive heat and humidity.  My father did, when he was stationed in India during World War II.  I still remember some of his bedtime stories.

Each climate has its good times and its bad times.  In another few days, the heat should break, hopefully for good.  September can be a beautiful month here in upstate New York.

And it's not just that.  I have so much to be grateful for.  Health.  A loving spouse who cooks for me. (Two things to be grateful for!). Mobility.  The ability to take an exercise walk and enjoy the early morning breezes.

After my walk, I visited my mother in law, who no longer has her mobility (or all of her memory) and I can be grateful for the stories she told me today.

Thank you, Bellybytes, for reminding me that I should be grateful.

Summer Don't Leave Yet

Summer, don't leave yet.

Yes, you've been relentless, with heat, humidity and flooding rains.

But I know you aren't done yet with what you do best - growing plants for eating and for beauty.

One more daylily blooms in my yard.

My front yard displays such beautiful colors.  Included here are (in no particular order) basil, pineapple sage, broad leaf sage and various ornamentals.

But, I see you creeping in, fall.  You can't fool me.

Today, at a local farm market:

Pumpkins sit ready to be taken home.  I don't know if there's such a thing as a callico pumpkin, but these must come close.

Winter squash, ready for the cooking.  They will soon be a staple of my Weight Watcher's diet plans.

Alas, summer.  You will soon be gone, replaced first by gorgeous color as trees turn, and, finally, by bitter winds and the first snowflakes of fall.  The seasons have their order and their reason, in our four season climate of upstate New York.




One day soon I'll dream of you and wonder that things were ever green and mild.

But first, just a few more days of summer......

Cloud Fest #SkywatchFriday

As far as many are concerned, here in upstate New York, it's the last weekend of summer.  It's not what the calendar says, but seasons sometimes have their own agenda.

Today starts the Labor Day weekend.  Where I live, near Johnson City, New York, we will have "field days" - four days of carnival like fun capped by fireworks on Monday night.  Monday, in the United States, is Labor Day, which many (but, ironically, not retail workers or others) have off.

In honor of what turned out to be a hot, humid and rainy summer, I want to bring my readers back to a beautiful July day in downtown Binghamton, New York - a Friday when many came together to celebrate music, artwork, and crafts - July Fest.

The clouds decided it was time for a fest, too.

Clouds tower over a closed street and tents.

Downtown Binghamton.

The Broome County courthouse.

Oh - did I forget the music?

Join Yogi and other bloggers who watch the sky each Friday on #SkywatchFriday.

Return to Weight Watchers

August is over tomorrow.  Summers always have a certain feel of freedom to them, but, in our part of the world, summer unofficially ends on the first Monday of September.  Soon after, children return to school (colleges are already back in session). The pools close, as do our local carousels.  The daylight portion of the days are rapidly shrinking, as we march towards the equinox.

It's a return to reality, such as the reality of my weight.

You know these posts about what you should't eat after 50?

Well, they are true.  As your weight travels north, your metabolism travels south.  So does your health, if you are not careful.  I am pre-diabetic again.  My right knee hurts.  I'm getting other bodily signals of "you've gained too much.  Time to take action".

Which is why, on September 12, I am going back on Weight Watchers after several years of non-membership. (I quit a couple of years ago).

Things have changed while I was gone.

One thing is going to be really hard for me is how yummy dessert items now have a lot more points (you don't count calories, but track "points" - back in 2012 it was Points Plus, now something called Freestyle) than healthy stuff, because, after all, Weight Watchers wants you to eat healthy.

But I love my chocolate.  And I am the queen of emotional eating.

This new program is worse than starting Weight Watchers for the first time, because I now have to unlearn some things, and relearn them in a new way.

I'll consider it "keeping my mid 60's old brain young".  I was resisting this, but resistance, as they say, is futile. 

The good news is, I have the same leader as I had when I started my journey in 2012.  When I had my first meeting, she was actually leading her first meeting.  We learned together.

Some things haven't changed, though - the support of meetings.  And that's really why I am joining again.  I can't do it alone, I've found.  I could for a while, but age and that declining metabolism have caught up with me again.

It takes a village for some of us to lose weight.  I'm returning to my village.

I promise I won't turn this into a weight loss blog, but I am going to mention it from time to time.

And if you want to cheer me on,  that would just be a bonus.

Wish me strength, as summer ends, and we move quickly towards fall.

Skywatch Petunias - #WordlessWednesday

Every Friday, I publish pictures of the sky as part of something called "Skywatch Friday".  But every day, I try to appreciate the sights that are more down to Earth.  Still, I love the sky.

Maybe that's why this petunia appeals to me - don't the white spots remind you of stars?  And the blue/purple, the sky?

This picture was taken back in June - sadly, these petunias did not do well in this hot and humid summer.

Join Esha and other bloggers celebrating #WordlessWednesday.

Musical Butterfly

I have seen so many butterflies this summer, where I live near Binghamton, New York.

Or maybe I'm just looking out for them, because they make me feel free.

My wildflower expert identifies this as a fritillary, perhaps a great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele). I've only just started to learn about butterflies, and they seem so complicated.

As I listened to music at Sunday's Porchfest, I spotted this butterfly, and followed it through a garden of zinnias. 

I needed those minutes of freedom, to let go to music (where you become part of the music) and then be enchanted by one of nature's little miracles.  I needed those few hours without care, where my spouse and I could wander from street to street.  We ended up listening to one band for over an hour and a half, at the end.  Someone mentioned that the mayor of Binghamton was in the crowd.  I didn't see him but I would believe it.  In small cities, mayors do things like that.

The entire point of Porchfest, where musicians play on neighborhood porches, is to let yourself go, in a family friendly way, and have fun..

Children sell lemonade. People say "hi" to their neighbors. Some streets are closed and vendors gather in the middle of the street.  People ride bicycles everywhere.  It's like a giant block party.

I wish it came more than once a year.

Soon, the dreaded winter will be here.  Today, we have a heat advisory. 

But Sunday, we had butterflies.

Have a Drink on Me #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and I welcome you to #MusicMovesMe.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? Every other week we have a theme, and on alternate weeks, we can blog about any music we wish.  We are headed by our head Engineer XmasDolly, who is recovering from surgery.  Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥, (who is recovering from surgery) and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ (currently filling in as the temporary head Engineer and guess what? She's recovering...yup.)   And, (last but not least), there's - me.

This month, our Guest Conductor is Marry Burris of Jingle Jangle Jungle and her theme for today is "Songs with Beverages in the title." 

<!-- end LinkyTools script —> Our rules here are simple:  
We really want to boogie with you, so please keep in mind that this is a blog hop and open to music posts ONLY!

If you do have music to share, you are welcome to link up above. We'd love to hear from you! 

The very first song that popped into my head was a song from my childhood:  Tea for Two.  The version I remember was sung by Doris Day.  I never knew it came from a movie she made in 1950.

Tea for Two - Doris Day.  This movie was a reworking of a Broadway play much older than I am.

The song "Tea for Two" comes from a Broadway show, No No Nanette, dating from 1925. To give you the flavor of the original, this is Tea for Two - Ben Selvin's Dance Orchestra from 1925, with some wonderful period pictures in the video.

Another Cup of Coffee - Mike and the Mechanics, tells the story of a woman whose husband has left her.  What's there to do but drink another cup of coffee?

Cool Water - cover of a famed Western song, done by Frankie Lane, 1955.

A couple of wine songs:

Elderberry Wine - Elton John, 1972.

One of my favorite groups from the 1960's - Sweet Cherry Wine, by Tommy James and the Shondells.  Little did I know then that the reference to sweet cherry wine was not to sweet cherry wine.  But, I will include it under "wine" anyway.

Red, Red Wine - UB40

Moving on to the hard stuff: A Rum Tale - Procul Harum.

BONUS: This is tretching things a little because you should never drink untreated sea water, but I am selecting, as my final song "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto).  Bobby Darin went to the same high school (graduated the year after I was born) as I did. His heart was damaged by rheumatic fever he contracted as a child, and he felt (correctly, it turned out) that he would not lead a long life due to his damaged heart.  He died, never waking up after heart surgery, at the age of 37. 

Enjoy the week!  I'll be back with more music next Monday, same time, same place.

Your Grandmother Would Be Ashamed

It's time again for Porchfest in Binghamton, New York.

The very first Porchfest took place in Ithaca, New York (about an hour to the northwest of us) in 2007.  I don't think anyone dreamed of how the concept has caught on, but it is now nationwide and in Canada.

From noon to seven o clock today, the "Abel Bennett" historical neighborhood on the West Side of Binghamton, New York (a small city of about 47,000 population) is enjoying "Porchfest", where residents open their porches to bands, who play for free in a celebration of friendship, music, and neighborhood pride.  Although most streets remain open, it's a block party type atmosphere, and family friendly.

Some highlights of Porchfest 2018:

A video for you of "Roadhouse Blues", covered by The Watts.  (Sorry for the blurriness).

What a beautiful garden!

Krooked Knuckles

Alpha Brass Band (the sign at the extreme lower right, which I accidentally cut off, says "Hate has No Home Here".

Of course, there are some who would spoil it for others, and, this year, these signs were everywhere. But I do have to say, if I had a dollar for every can of beer I saw in someone's hands today, I wouldn't need to go to work tomorrow.

But heartache was waiting for me when I returned home for a breather, and found out about the mass shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida.  I'll mention only that Binghamton, sadly, knows about that kind of event, too. Ours happened, in fact, where I went yesterday for the Garlic Festival.

I know both my grandmothers would be ashamed of what our country has become.  And I should be, too, for not speaking out enough.  No one should have to go to a gaming tournament and wonder if they will leave alive.

And once again, we ask:  "why?"

Sustainable Saturday - Black Garlic and Chocolate

The annual garlic festival at the American Civil Association in Binghamton, New York.

There's garlic.

More garlic.

Black garlic for sale, Binghamton, New York August 25, 2018

And black garlic.

And black garlic covered in dark chocolate.

No, please don't run away.  Hear me out!

I've never had black garlic before.  The vendor, Sweet G Garlic, had samples.  I was, to use an old expression, "blown away".  It is chewy and not at all garlicky.  The flavors are complex.  Here's some of the science behind black garlic.

But the owner of Sweet G wasn't done yet.
He opened a cooler.  Within were black garlic samples coated in dark chocolate.
They were fantastic. 

I would have bought some on the spot if he had any for sale, but he didn't.  "Not yet", he said.  But soon.  Unfortunately, this vendor is located over two hours from where I live near Binghamton, New York.  We did buy some of his regular garlic, though.

I have a feeling that, by the end of today, Sweet G is going to be sorry he didn't have any ready for sale.  I think he would have sold out with some word of mouth. (So yes, he is going to get some from me.)

I found a a recipe online that isn't exactly what this man had, but if I can find black garlic locally, I just may try to make some with chocolate.

The festival also had the more traditional garlic ice cream, which I've had in the past.  But this stuff was way better.

Have you ever tried black garlic?

Reflections - #SkywatchFriday

Downtown Binghamton, New York is full of sky watching opportunities.  Sometimes, they come when you least expect them.

Reflection in a large puddle yesterday morning.  Sorry if this causes anyone vertigo.  This part of the street has been sinking, it seems to me, this summer.

The same street, at a different angle, the morning before (Wednesday).

The clouds looked so angry this week near the Broome County Courthouse.  I am told a little of the smoke from the California wildfires may have been mixed into this view.

And, while picking blueberries, on Sunday - I guess you could call this a blueberry sky.  Not downtown, but including, anyway.

Join Yogi and the other intrepid skywatching bloggers who capture the skies each week, for your pleasure (and ours!), at #SkywatchFriday.