"You should read this book; I'm sure you'll love it!"
Whenever I hear these words, the inner child in me comes to the forefront, folds her arms and stamps her foot. "No, I don't want to read your stupid book! How do YOU know I'll love it? This feels like a school assignment." Of course I don't say that out loud, but politely accept the proffered tome and put it on the table in my house where all incoming items seem to land. With the passing days the book is slowly covered with a snow-like drift of mail, until the mail is sorted and the irritating book rediscovered.
"Have you read the book yet?" asks the one who loaned it.
"Not yet, I've been SO busy."
"I'm sure you'll love it."
"You can have it back if someone else asked to read it."
"No hurry."
I move the book to a less frequently glanced upon spot; a shelf in the hutch on which the microwave sits. Dust gathers on the book, since it is a less frequently dusted spot as well.
Eventually, the owner of the book tires of asking me whether I've read it. I wonder how to give the darn thing back without having to admit I never even glanced at the first page. Grudgingly, I open the book and read the first sentence, "Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person." Humm, not too bad. I read a little more. And a bit more. That is how I came to read Back When We Were Grownups, by Anne Tyler. (Yes, I did love it).
I don't love every book suggested to me; that's why I don't like to push books on other people. But I will mention a few books (besides the aforementioned title), which I have enjoyed and feel provide a good read.
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, was first published nearly 26 years ago, and became a best seller. The story centers around the character Penelope Keeling, who at age 64, recalls the passions, tragedies, and secrets of her life in Cornwall and London during World War II.
Published in 1988, The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, is now a standard in many college literature classes. The spirited protagonist, Taylor Greer, escapes poverty in rural Kentucky. While traveling West, she unexpectedly finds herself the guardian of a little girl. The book explores the themes of love and friendship, abandonment and belonging. Taylor's saga continues in the sequel, Pigs In Heaven.
Finally, there is Love For Lydia by H.E. Bates. This novel was first published in 1952, and much later was the source of a Masterpiece Theatre series. The focus of the story is Lydia, an orphaned English heiress growing up in the turbulent 1920's.
Happy reading!
Monday, July 15, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Thank you Connecticut Construction!
This week we welcome a guest blogger, a member of the Friends of HHU team, etsy shop KPTography.
Last week my mom and I came back from our annual mother/daughter trip. Instead of going south we went north so I could see the Vanderbilt mansions in Newport. Our drive was an uneventful one until we got into Connecticut. I do believe the entire state is under construction but because of that I got to make one fabulous stop. I stopped at a rest area because I needed to stretch my legs a bit and they had the most intriguing little shop within the area. I bought some postcards and a little Yankee’s man and happily went to the check out counter. It was there that I spotted it. It was lying on
the counter, all colorful and
glossy. It was an advertisement for the Pez Visitor Center or as I
affectionately call it Pez World. I picked up the advertisement and couldn’t believe my eyes. 3,000 sq
feet of Pez! Mom looked at it and said that it was right down the road
from a planned stop and asked if I wanted to go. Since I was driving
that was pretty much a given. I could barely contain my excitement as
we pulled into the parking lot. I opened my car door and took a deep
breath and there it was. The wonderful smell of Pez (the same kind you
get when you open the package). When you walk into the entrance you
notice several things, the bright, colors, the wall of 750 Pez
dispensers and overhead the Orange County Chopper Pez bike. My
experience got even better. I had coupons (oh yes, I had coupons for
admission) and with the price of admission you get two things, another
coupon for money off your purchase and a lanyard with a huge piece of
cardboard Pez that you get to keep. I will be sporting that next year
at school!
When you walk in it is Pez overload. There is Pez trivia, thousands
of Pez dispensers from all different years. Mom was astonished to see
that one Pez dispenser sold for $3,000. They have several of the old
Pez making machines on display along with a view of the workroom. They
were packaging Halloween dispensers that day. I also learned that it
takes 3,000 lbs of pressure to produce one piece of Pez. It’s the
diamond of the candy world! It’s hard to say what my favorite part was.
Was it the different dispensers, was it the wall of Star Wars
dispensers, or was it the bucket you could buy for $4.99 and fill it
with your favorite flavors. I was proud of myself for not buying the
Lord of the Rings set but I did buy my mom’s godson a Boston Red Socks
one (being a Yankee’s fan that took a lot out of me).
One either likes Pez or doesn’t but for me it’s the memories. I used to get a Pez dispenser every year in my Christmas stocking and this was like Christmas in June. What was made it even more special was I got to spend the time with my mom. My wonderful mother who had to put up with the massive sugar high I had from enjoying some of my bucket of Pez that very evening. Thanks Mom! I think we should go back next year!
Last week my mom and I came back from our annual mother/daughter trip. Instead of going south we went north so I could see the Vanderbilt mansions in Newport. Our drive was an uneventful one until we got into Connecticut. I do believe the entire state is under construction but because of that I got to make one fabulous stop. I stopped at a rest area because I needed to stretch my legs a bit and they had the most intriguing little shop within the area. I bought some postcards and a little Yankee’s man and happily went to the check out counter. It was there that I spotted it. It was lying on
the counter, all colorful and
glossy. It was an advertisement for the Pez Visitor Center or as I
affectionately call it Pez World. I picked up the advertisement and couldn’t believe my eyes. 3,000 sq
feet of Pez! Mom looked at it and said that it was right down the road
from a planned stop and asked if I wanted to go. Since I was driving
that was pretty much a given. I could barely contain my excitement as
we pulled into the parking lot. I opened my car door and took a deep
breath and there it was. The wonderful smell of Pez (the same kind you
get when you open the package). When you walk into the entrance you
notice several things, the bright, colors, the wall of 750 Pez
dispensers and overhead the Orange County Chopper Pez bike. My
experience got even better. I had coupons (oh yes, I had coupons for
admission) and with the price of admission you get two things, another
coupon for money off your purchase and a lanyard with a huge piece of
cardboard Pez that you get to keep. I will be sporting that next year
at school! 
When you walk in it is Pez overload. There is Pez trivia, thousands
of Pez dispensers from all different years. Mom was astonished to see
that one Pez dispenser sold for $3,000. They have several of the old
Pez making machines on display along with a view of the workroom. They
were packaging Halloween dispensers that day. I also learned that it
takes 3,000 lbs of pressure to produce one piece of Pez. It’s the
diamond of the candy world! It’s hard to say what my favorite part was.
Was it the different dispensers, was it the wall of Star Wars
dispensers, or was it the bucket you could buy for $4.99 and fill it
with your favorite flavors. I was proud of myself for not buying the
Lord of the Rings set but I did buy my mom’s godson a Boston Red Socks
one (being a Yankee’s fan that took a lot out of me). 
One either likes Pez or doesn’t but for me it’s the memories. I used to get a Pez dispenser every year in my Christmas stocking and this was like Christmas in June. What was made it even more special was I got to spend the time with my mom. My wonderful mother who had to put up with the massive sugar high I had from enjoying some of my bucket of Pez that very evening. Thanks Mom! I think we should go back next year!
Monday, July 1, 2013
A Fantastic Dog Show with a Surprise Ending!
by Nancy of PuttinOnTheDogDesigns
For the past few years I have been in a love affair with Chinese Crested dogs! This unique and lovable breed isn’t the first choice of many folks. Chinese Cresteds come in both hairless and powder puff varieties. Most people, if they know anything about hairless dogs, have seen the entries in Ugliest Dog Contests! Not only are the hairless dogs sort of weird, ones who win those contests usually have very poor teeth and their tongues hang out! But those are dogs that have not been bred to bring out the best features of the breed. The dogs I have been around have very good features and to me they one of the most beautiful breeds.
I was introduced to Cresteds by my friend Terry who has had
a number of show dogs and puppies. When I was looking for a home business that
I could do, Terry suggested I make dog clothes! Hairless cresteds often need
jammies or coats to keep them warm. To make a long story short, I started
Puttin on the Dog Designs in October 2009 and thinking that I could make
clothes for Chinese Cresteds. The business and my products have evolved over
the years to include embroidered items, but I still have specialty items for
Chinese Cresteds.
Another friend drew an exquisite crested head that fit
nicely on a pillow top or t-shirt. The t-shirts were a big hit and I took
orders for personal sizes and colors of t-shirts and then embroidered them at
the show. This was the first time I took my embroidery machine to the show and
it was a definite benefit to be able to embroider items on site.
Dog show people have a culture all their own and crested folks are no exception. There are enough drama queens, both breeders and dogs, to do a soap opera cast proud. Competition is hot as each winner’s features and behaviors are dissected to fine points. Judges are either highly criticized or lavishly praised, depending of course on whether one’s dog won or lost. This goes on quietly around the ring and expands, sometimes loudly, over drinks and around dinner tables. One drawback of being a vendor is not being able to see any of the dogs in the ring, and I have never caught on to the show alphabet soup of all the designations of winners like WB, BOS, BOB, etc. And while most of those who are showing dogs know their competitor dogs by sight, I must admit that seeing over 100 dogs in one place, they soon all look alike!
For the past few years I have been in a love affair with Chinese Crested dogs! This unique and lovable breed isn’t the first choice of many folks. Chinese Cresteds come in both hairless and powder puff varieties. Most people, if they know anything about hairless dogs, have seen the entries in Ugliest Dog Contests! Not only are the hairless dogs sort of weird, ones who win those contests usually have very poor teeth and their tongues hang out! But those are dogs that have not been bred to bring out the best features of the breed. The dogs I have been around have very good features and to me they one of the most beautiful breeds.
I was introduced to Cresteds by my friend Terry who has had
a number of show dogs and puppies. When I was looking for a home business that
I could do, Terry suggested I make dog clothes! Hairless cresteds often need
jammies or coats to keep them warm. To make a long story short, I started
Puttin on the Dog Designs in October 2009 and thinking that I could make
clothes for Chinese Cresteds. The business and my products have evolved over
the years to include embroidered items, but I still have specialty items for
Chinese Cresteds.
The American Chinese Crested Club Nationals are usually held
in mid-May in Oklahoma City. This year was the fourth show I have attended as a
vendor. While other years there were 30-60 dogs entered, this was a bumper year
with 160 entries. People from all over the country attended, and there were
several international entries. It was a great opportunity to sell some
specialty crested products. Terry, who also started doing embroidery, and I
started months ahead to come up with some items that would appeal to crested
owners. Fortunately, that preparation paid off! And, some rather last-minute
options turned out to be great too!
Our newest designs
were Free Standing Lace ornaments of a hairless and powder puff crested. These
ornaments are embroidered “in the hoop” which means they are stitched out on
hooped water soluble stabilizer. When the design is finished, it is removed
from the hoop and the stabilizer is rinsed out. What remains is a design that
has satin stitch around the edge and both sides are finished. Our powder puff
designs were done by two crested owners, and custom-digitized, so they were
unique to our shop.
Another friend drew an exquisite crested head that fit
nicely on a pillow top or t-shirt. The t-shirts were a big hit and I took
orders for personal sizes and colors of t-shirts and then embroidered them at
the show. This was the first time I took my embroidery machine to the show and
it was a definite benefit to be able to embroider items on site.
Personalized bone key fobs, 
card key fobs, fleece bones with
squeakers, and fleece hedgehog squeaker toys were other popular items.
card key fobs, fleece bones with
squeakers, and fleece hedgehog squeaker toys were other popular items. 
Pea pod
beds, shaped like a pea pods, great for hairless crested who love to snuggle,
were also very popular.
Dog show people have a culture all their own and crested folks are no exception. There are enough drama queens, both breeders and dogs, to do a soap opera cast proud. Competition is hot as each winner’s features and behaviors are dissected to fine points. Judges are either highly criticized or lavishly praised, depending of course on whether one’s dog won or lost. This goes on quietly around the ring and expands, sometimes loudly, over drinks and around dinner tables. One drawback of being a vendor is not being able to see any of the dogs in the ring, and I have never caught on to the show alphabet soup of all the designations of winners like WB, BOS, BOB, etc. And while most of those who are showing dogs know their competitor dogs by sight, I must admit that seeing over 100 dogs in one place, they soon all look alike!
The show ran from Wednesday through Sunday, and with all the
late nights I had doing on-site t-shirt orders, I was ready to fly home Monday
afternoon. Several nights of the week we had severe thunderstorms and a couple
of those nights there were tornadoes warnings for the area. Since that was sort
of the norm, I was surprised when a very severe thunderstorm with high winds
and hail the size of golf balls hit in the early afternoon.
A couple friends and I were delayed going to the airport
because of the storm, but when it calmed down a little, we headed in the shuttle
to the airport. Arriving at the departure level, we saw car after car parked
along the sidewalk with no drivers inside. An airport police officer came up to
us and told the driver we weren’t cleared to be there! A tornado had been
sighted within several miles of the airport and everyone in and around the
airport had been evacuated to the tunnels under the airport. That tornado was
the one that devastated the town of Moore, OK and a 17-mile swath around it. We
were within a couple miles of the touchdown areas!
Within several minutes we were allowed to enter the airport
and people were streaming from the tunnels trying to get on with their travels.
Security lines were jammed with people desperate to get out of the city as soon
as possible. It was still storming and people were glued to the TVs in the
airport which were giving reports of local damage. It was surreal! I was
beginning to think I would never get home. My flight went to St. Louis before
going to Orlando and the same wall of storms that hit OK went as far north as
St. Louis. I could see myself either stuck in Oklahoma or St. Louis overnight.
After over an hour of waiting, planes were at last allowed
to land and our flight was one of the first ones to leave Oklahoma. After a
very bumpy take-off we actually got to St. Louis in time to board the delayed
flight to Orlando. I was so relieved to arrive home!
I will remember this year’s show because of the success of
my booth, but also the surprise ending to this fantastic trip.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Off On Another Adventure
by FabricGreetings
If all goes according to plans, our daughter and I are off this morning on another adventure. We take one every Summer as soon as her school librarian job ends.
These Mother/Daughter road trips started about 8 years ago when she invited me to go with her on a trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. She had been there several times with a friend and had become enthralled with the place. So off we went on our first adventure. It was fun and I enjoyed the trip. Her love of the Biltmore continues to grow. And after spending a Summer as an intern in the Archival Library as part of her MLIS program, Vanderbilt just runs through her veins. Every year since, we drive South to her “happy place”.
But this year will be different. She has decided that she wants to explore the Vanderbilt legacy in Newport, Rhode Island. There are actually two Summer cottages that belonged to the Vanderbilts in Newport. The Breakers was the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt. It is a spectacular home and not what I would ever consider a “cottage”. The other Vanderbilt Mansion is Marble House, home to Mr. And Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt. I have no idea how they are related, but I am sure our daughter has the lineage down pat. She is quite up on everything Vanderbilt.
www.newportmansions.org/explore/the-breakers
www.newportmansions.org/explore/marble-house
After a few days in Newport and the surrounding area – maybe a side trip to Providence, we are going to head to western Massachusetts to see her adopted Gramma. Gramma Betty is 94 and now lives with her son and daughter in law. It has been eight years since they have been able to visit. This is a big surprise for Gramma Betty and I know she will be thrilled. Her DIL knows we are coming, so we don't have to worry about her not being home.
The final leg of our journey, after a stop over in Albany, NY to visit my Godson and family will be the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York. This mansion was used primarily in the Spring and the Fall. In the Summer the family headed to Newport.
www.hvnet.com/houses/vanderbilt/
This home is a bit different from the Newport ones as it is part of the National Park Service. The homes in Newport are part of the Preservation Society of Newport County. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is owned by the Biltmore Company and run by family members.
Five days spent with our daughter will be fun. We aren't really Mother and Daughter on these trips, but rather two friends having a good time. Of course one friend is considerably older than the other. And the younger one makes sure the older is fed and rested and having a good time. And the older one occasionally checks the speedometer.
Seeing all the grandeur of by gone days is interesting. But getting back to our own nests will be good too. It is fun to see how the elite lived, but it is better to enjoy how we live in our own little homes and apartments.
If all goes according to plans, our daughter and I are off this morning on another adventure. We take one every Summer as soon as her school librarian job ends.
These Mother/Daughter road trips started about 8 years ago when she invited me to go with her on a trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. She had been there several times with a friend and had become enthralled with the place. So off we went on our first adventure. It was fun and I enjoyed the trip. Her love of the Biltmore continues to grow. And after spending a Summer as an intern in the Archival Library as part of her MLIS program, Vanderbilt just runs through her veins. Every year since, we drive South to her “happy place”.
But this year will be different. She has decided that she wants to explore the Vanderbilt legacy in Newport, Rhode Island. There are actually two Summer cottages that belonged to the Vanderbilts in Newport. The Breakers was the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt. It is a spectacular home and not what I would ever consider a “cottage”. The other Vanderbilt Mansion is Marble House, home to Mr. And Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt. I have no idea how they are related, but I am sure our daughter has the lineage down pat. She is quite up on everything Vanderbilt.
www.newportmansions.org/explore/the-breakers
www.newportmansions.org/explore/marble-house
After a few days in Newport and the surrounding area – maybe a side trip to Providence, we are going to head to western Massachusetts to see her adopted Gramma. Gramma Betty is 94 and now lives with her son and daughter in law. It has been eight years since they have been able to visit. This is a big surprise for Gramma Betty and I know she will be thrilled. Her DIL knows we are coming, so we don't have to worry about her not being home.
The final leg of our journey, after a stop over in Albany, NY to visit my Godson and family will be the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York. This mansion was used primarily in the Spring and the Fall. In the Summer the family headed to Newport.
www.hvnet.com/houses/vanderbilt/
This home is a bit different from the Newport ones as it is part of the National Park Service. The homes in Newport are part of the Preservation Society of Newport County. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is owned by the Biltmore Company and run by family members.
Five days spent with our daughter will be fun. We aren't really Mother and Daughter on these trips, but rather two friends having a good time. Of course one friend is considerably older than the other. And the younger one makes sure the older is fed and rested and having a good time. And the older one occasionally checks the speedometer.
Seeing all the grandeur of by gone days is interesting. But getting back to our own nests will be good too. It is fun to see how the elite lived, but it is better to enjoy how we live in our own little homes and apartments.
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