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“Center Stage in Center City: The Philadelphia Flower Show”

On March 9, 2018

In Culture, Gardening, Lifestyle, Travel

“Inventory: Rain & the River” by Stacy Levy part of The Delaware River Watershed exhibit funded by the William Penn Foundation

Misty rainforest and tropical orchids

“Everyone loves flowers.” Coming up from the subway at the Jefferson Station to the Philadelphia Convention Center, one encounters not only vendors but cordial wisdom in that warm, Philadelphia way. Crossing the second threshold into the tropical rainforest of the 2018 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Flower Show “Wonders of Water” with its 25-foot waterfall and abundant orchids, the exclamations of delight are universal. The exhibit explores the life-giving miracle of water from the tropics to traditional gardens to desert landscapes and ways in which we do, and can, value it.

Dramatic waterfall entrance to the tropical rainforest

For dedicated gardeners and designers, there are the competitions, state-of-the-art of classes, and demonstrations throughout the day and an array of industry vendors. For all, there is beauty, exhibition tours, fun shopping, the Garden Tea, Make and Take Crafts, the enticing travel hub, and a wonderful atmosphere. To date, New Jersey native Martha Stewart and Smokey Robinson have made appearances, the latter confirming the long-held belief that singing to plants make them thrive. Today and tomorrow Bravo TV Chef Fabio Viviani stops by. Events have a broad appeal: tonight is the innovative Yappy Hour from 6-9 and a not-to-be-missed Family Day on Sunday with crafts and photos stops. The show helps support the community garden mission of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which has gardens and sociable go-to’s throughout Philadelphia, along with its nearby Meadowbrook Farm anchor, all supporting “neighborhood greening”.

Crowd-pleasing tulips

The “Butterflies Live!” exhibit in the adjacent Grand Hall Concourse is like a toasty warm, indoor camp out with friendly Monarchs flitting about in a netted area supervised with timed visits and worth the modest extra entrance fee. A fun tidbit from a staff member is that butterflies have taste buds underneath and should be attracted to the sugar-dipped Q-tips visitors have. Perhaps having had a sugar surfeit by afternoon, even more entertainingly, the Monarchs landed everywhere, on visitors’ hair, shoulders, and arms. The sensation of their fluttering is like a flower petal in motion.

Angel on the shoulder

Outside the Convention Center is another world of delights, whether enjoying views of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts jewel box museum and city hall or shopping on Market Street and sightseeing at the Liberty Bell. This visit also brought singing sparrows at the center door, though when a friend saw their video, he kidded, “That’s nice, but the Philadelphia Eagles are the birds to watch.”

After enjoying the spring song, or snow song, as it turned out, it was impossible to resist the pleasure of walking around the city. Flower show goodwill emanated from the Convention Center in the form of smiling visitors chatting with each other while carrying tissue-wrapped bouquets of colorful flowers and pussy willow branches. Philly has the city hustle and bustle, but also an endearing charm in that it feels like a big town. Twin Yorkies charming passers-by from an open car window, the local regulars bargaining alongside browsing tourists at Reading Terminal, people smiling on the street (’tis true)…. Warm exchanges with people confirm the appeal with each visit and bring back memories of living there. With so much to see, hoping for a day and not a dash, this time by car, on the next trip in the spring that will come, much to the delight of everyone.

Never too many tulips

Bucks County prize-winning display with landmark Stokes Mill and orchids

Prize-winning calla lilies in miniature

The arts, floral and painterly

Sponsor Subaru exhibit representing Camden, New Jersey, location of their new HQ

For your indoor spring, you can find information on the “Wonders of Water” Flower Show that runs through Sunday on PHS Gardening’s show website: theflowershow.com. PHS Gardening membership includes flower show tickets reflective of the type of membership, which may be helpful to know when purchasing tickets. For more on PHS Gardening and Meadowbrook Farm, open April through September in Jenkintown, visit PHSGardening.org and Meadowbrookfarm.org. For upcoming Pennsylvania Convention Center events, visit paconvention.com. Happy weekend. 🌺

Splendid orchids everywhere

Charming exhibit prompted choruses of “Yellow Submarine” from passers-by

Dogwood blossoms bringing in spring

“Washington’s Headquarters at Morristown: A Common Purpose”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On February 19, 2018

In Family, Museum, Travel, US History

The Colonial Revival-style Washington Headquarters Museum, designed by John Russell Pope and built in the 1930’s, with snowman greeter

With the opening of the new interactive Discovery History Center this week at the Washington Headquarters Museum, we revisit what brought seemingly disparate people together in the fight for freedom in New Jersey, known as the “Crossroads of the Revolution” and the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Among the many stations of General Washington during the Revolutionary War, Washington’s Morristown headquarters at the Ford Mansion marks both his longest stay and a bonding among the brave during the coldest winter on record in 1779-1780. The group, whom General Washington had gathered, had a kinship of vision in the common purpose of freedom: Alexander Hamilton, British West Indies, James McHenry, Ireland, Henry Knox, New England, Don Juan Miralles, Cuba-France and emissary from Spain, and the Marquis de Lafayette, France, helped realize a new country as did homeowner Theodosia Johnes Ford and her children.

Gilbert du Motier, better known as the Marquis de Lafayette, started fighting in the Revolutionary War at only 19 and became like a son to George Washington. The Marquis returned the paternal affection by naming his son “Georges Washington Motier de Lafayette,” Gilbert having lost his own father in the Seven Years War when he was a boy. Their mutually held ideals of equality are what led the Marquis to his friend upon hearing the American Revolutionaries’ quest for independence mocked by British officers in London. Mount Vernon adds this historical note to that of Morristown National Park with the credit that though the Marquis was young, he was already a seasoned officer from a lineage of independence with a forefather who fought with Joan of Arc.

Like his mentor, the Marquis had the strength of character to decline an imperial role as a leader of his native country, preferring democracy that he supported again during the French Revolution. With Thomas Paine, he co-authored the new French Republic’s Constitution that guaranteed equality under the law, “The Declaration of the Rights of Man”. Though it did not include women in a reflection of the times, the Marquis was an advocate for an immediate end to slavery. From his contributions in both France and the United States, Lafayette was known as “The Hero of Two Worlds”. This champion of democracy had the unique experience of later returning to the United States with his son Georges to tour the grateful nation that he had helped create. With the fanfare, a four-month tour turned into a sixteen-month one of all the 24 states that comprised the country in 1824-1825.

In that fateful Morristown winter, the admirable Theodosia Johnes Ford not only risked the safety of herself and her family by allowing General Washington and his retinue stay in her home, but she generously gave Martha and George the bedroom that she had shared with her officer-husband who had recently passed away. Sentiment aside, Theodosia continued to care for her children and carried on her husband’s work with the family farm and iron manufacturing business.

The Georgian-style Ford Mansion, built in 1774 by Jacob Ford, Jr., husband of Theodosia Johnes

An often unknown hero of the American Revolution was the Spanish-born Don Juan de Miralles, another friend of General Washington, a resident of Cuba with French-born parents. He worked for a French diplomat, and in that role, urged Spain to support the Colonial Army. Officially an observer, Don Juan de Miralles was, in effect, an advisor to the Continental Congress and helped with negotiations with Spain. The Colonists had offered the return of some Spanish land lost in the French and Indian War in exchange for backing their new currency, which the Spanish did discreetly, as well as making loans all via a world trading company.

Don Juan personally funded many towns in their resistance to the British and through his Cuban contacts he had supplies and weapons sent to the Colonial troops. Sadly, in that harsh winter of 1779, General Washington’s friend contracted pneumonia, and despite receiving care from the general’s personal physician, he died unexpectedly in April 1780.

At General Washington’s orders, Don Juan de Miralles was the first foreigner to receive a U.S. military funeral, one remarked on for its great ceremony accorded to the highest of dignitaries, solidifying the bond between the fledgling country and Spain and the debt of gratitude owed to Don Juan. The Colonial Army would not have survived that winter without him. The US-Spain connection was so strong that the first US dollars produced with the dollar symbol were similar to Spanish dollars. For the first time, the prospect of victory looked possible for the Colonials. Don Juan’s death pained General Washington who regretted that his friend would not live to see what he had helped realize.

For information on the exhibit (as of early 2022), just 32-miles via car, train, or bus from New York City, visit Washington’s Headquarters, part of Morristown National Historical Park, and the Washington Association. The program of opening events continues through tomorrow.

“The Franklin Institute: At the Heart of Curiosity”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On February 19, 2018

In Aviation, History, Science, STEM, Travel

Benjamin Franklin by James Earle Fraser with green lighting for the Eagles

”An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Benjamin Franklin

The institute, like Ben Franklin whom it honors, explores answers to the questions of the lifelong curious in its science museum: What is the connection between electricity and life? How does the mind work? The human body? Machines? What can history teach us today? This inquisitiveness is not confined to the Earth. The institute has a renowned Astronomy department with Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts who guided us through the wonder of last year’s solar eclipse and conducts monthly “stargazing events” held in the observatory, while the museum’s Philadelphia cam captures the city celestial like the Eagles Parade.

Model of the emperor’s palace

“Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor”

The first stop in the repository of knowledge and query on Logan Circle is history with the exhibit of the Terracotta Warriors on through March 4th. The life-size warriors are from the tomb of China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang Di, circa 210 BC, who with his funerary army wished to remain in command of his immortal life as he had his earthly one. Hand in hand with history is archeology. The revelation not only of the accidental find of the warriors by a farmer in the 1974 but the exhibit’s re-creation of the assembly, discovery, and excavation of all 8,000 plus soldiers in what now is known as the Mausoleum of the Xi’an Dynasty Emperor, still not completely excavated, is remarkable. Among the innumerable things that fascinate in the exhibit, the facial expressiveness of the warriors is art as much as history. Interestingly, artisans of the emperor, an estimated 700,000 over a 36-year period, created the soldiers to reflect each individual member of his army. Height reflected hierarchy, generals being the tallest, but some surprises were that the warriors originally were painted in bright colors and others “traveled” with them like musicians and acrobats. Emperor Qin standardized “coins, weights, and measures,” reflected in the exhibit, and connected the walls of various states to create the Great Wall. Significant information about his tomb is not only from the onsite dig and ongoing discoveries but the writings of Chinese historian Sima Qian, the “father of Chinese historiography,” who wrote one hundred years later.

For more information about the exhibit, visit The Franklin Institute or download the Augmented Reality Terracotta Warriors app as well as a separate museum app for Live Science events, both accessible at The Franklin Institute apps. For additional background on the Terracotta Army, NatGeo has a fascinating online interview with a Chinese archeologist: National Geographic Terracotta Warriors.

Striking warrior at exhibit entrance

Incredible portraiture

Re-creation of tomb discovery with partially painted figures simulates the original form and deterioration over time

Assembling the figures

Charioteer and horses

The Science Museum

Special features of the science museum are incredible live science shows, which you can also find at The Franklin Institute, a Young Scientists Area (8 and under), 3D printing, movies in the IMAX Theater, escape rooms, Your Brain, the Air Show, Train Factory, Weather, Virtual Reality, Sports Zone, and events…plan a day! Upcoming exhibits include “Game Masters” a trip inside favorite video games “with multi-immersive experiences,” opening September 3rd.

First-hand learning is the hallmark of the science museum. Visitors will see children darting enthusiastically among the interactive exhibits. A fun stand out on this visit was the room that rotated like the one with Fred Astaire’s ceiling dance in “Royal Wedding,” part of the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion in “Your Brain”.

The museum and special exhibits are not inexpensive, but do plan on a day’s visit, or the better part of one, which may be helpful to know with a Philadelphia itinerary. Buying tickets online ahead of time is helpful to avoid lines during popular visiting periods. The institute has a good, extensive café that can accommodate many visitors and a parking garage, though it is worth an initial look for a parking space on the surrounding streets.

Exploring the neurons of the brain in “Your Brain”

Part of “Your Brain” exhibit ☕

More “Your Brain” exhibit fun

Original Singer sewing machine in “Machines” exhibit

Benjamin Franklin Memorial and The Giant Heart

The Benjamin Franklin Memorial greets visitors with an impressive, larger-than-life marble statue of the inventor and statesman by the accomplished sculptor James Earle Frasier along with a multimedia show. The institute is a valuable resource for all things Franklin, from his discovery of electricity to inventing bifocals, swim fins, and the glass armonica, to helping found the first hospital in the United States: Benjamin Franklin resources. The stately rotunda reflects the influence of Rome’s Pantheon as designed by Beaux-Arts architect John T. Windram in 1938.

At the museum entrance within the gaze of the man who discovered the current of life is the Giant Heart. If your children, or you, for that matter, can resist racing to the heart to the right of the museum entrance upon arriving, do not miss it before leaving. Envisioned by Dr. Mildred Pfeiffer, the heart that would beat in a 220 foot (67 meters) tall person opened in 1954, and with frequent updates, often marks the introduction to museums for many children. It is marvelous to walk through the heart as one’s stature changes over the years. The appreciation for its wondrous power only increases.

For more information and ways to support, visit The Franklin Institute. Additional sources: nationalgeopgraphic.com, MetroKids.com, goodreads.com, and Wiki.

Created by Richard Albany, medical illustrator, and Albert Jehle, engineer

“Courage: Paul Robeson”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On February 17, 2018

In Arts, Culture, History, Theater

Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, home of Arts Council of Princeton, designed by Michael Graves

In the New Jersey chapter of his legendary life, Paul Robeson, the son of a former slave, was born in Princeton. His father, William Drew Robeson I, also an accomplished man, was the minister of Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church for 21 years. Through the Underground Railroad, William had escaped from slavery at the age of 15, later serving in the Union Army as a laborer and graduating from Lincoln University with a Sacred Theology degree. Paul’s mother, Maria Louisa Bustill, was of African-American, Native American, and Anglo-American descent and brought up in a well-known Quaker family of abolitionists. One of her ancestors founded the Free African Society in Philadelphia in 1787. Though Lincoln University accepted only men at the time, Maria and her sister received permission to attend classes, and Maria later taught and tutored in the Princeton community.

Tragically, when Paul was six, his mother died in an accident at home and shortly after the remaining Robesons, Paul, his father, and four siblings, moved to Westfield, also in Central New Jersey. Unfortunately, differences of opinion about the direction of the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church, founded by what was the First Presbyterian Church, had also led to Minister Robeson’s move to another congregation, initially in Westfield and then in nearby Somerville, where the family settled. Paul attended Somerville High School and then Rutgers University, 1915-1919, the only African-American at the time, the third in its history. At Rutgers, he played four varsity sports, earned 15 varsity letters, won speech and debate competitions, and was a glee club soloist. Despite resistance from some football players, he was twice All-American, a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the Cap and Skull Honor Society, and class valedictorian. He went on to receive a law degree from Columbia University while playing for the NFL.

Paul Robeson excelled at everything he did, which for an African-American man at the time was not always the blessing one might have hoped. Opportunity for him to practice law in New York City proved limited, so he developed his artistic talent as a singer and an actor, becoming a star of the stage and screen as well as a renowned concert artist. Paul possessed a remarkable bass voice, which he described as a baritone. Of his versatile creative roles, concert performer allowed him the most artistic control. Over a remarkable life, the world citizen who was fluent in many languages lived in England and did travel the world. His compassion made him a lifelong advocate not only for civil rights but human rights through avenues of change that were available to him at the time. Paul Robeson was possibly the person whose view of the artist – through the roles they chose and the publicity they garnered – who created a template for our time of artists as people who bring attention to those who are suffering.

Today, the Arts Council of Princeton preserves Paul Robeson’s legacy as an artist in the Paul Robeson Center near his childhood home in addition to schools in his name throughout the state and the Newark Rutgers Campus Center. For the Arts Council’s extensive classes, programs, exhibits, and events, visit: Arts Council of Princeton or @ArtsCouncilofPrinceton on Facebook and Instagram with Twitter updates @ArtsPrinceton Twitter.

The Robeson family home, once owned by the church, is now undergoing a renovation by the nonprofit The Paul Robeson House of Princeton. Pictured also is the Paul Robeson Center, designed by Princeton architect Michael Graves. Prominent sculptor Jacob Epstein created the bust of Paul Robeson that welcomes visitors.

“The New York Botanical Garden, Always in Bloom”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On January 23, 2018

In Architecture, Culture, Science, Travel

Haupt Conservatory with clear blue sky and frozen aquatic pool on a beautiful January day. The pool is home to water lilies in warmer weather.

Haupt Conservatory at the Holiday Train Show

The Brooklyn Bridge and a top tier train track

“Do anything, but let it produce joy.” Poet Walt Whitman, with links to both New Jersey and New York, advised as well as inspired with this thought from Leaves of Grass. The delighted faces of visitors year-round at the New York Botanical Garden convey the success of the dedication of the staff. The popular annual Holiday Train Show with New York City landmarks, created by Paul Busse of Applied Imagination, is a family tradition for many. The festive décor at both the NYBG and Haupt Conservatory entrances signals immediate welcome. Within the conservatory, host to the train show, visitors travel from wonder to wonder.

The NYBG, located near Fordham University in the Bronx, is magnificent. Though the 250-acres that comprise the garden are vast and impressive, the expanse creates a warm atmosphere through the beautiful landscape design. Features of the New York City Botanical Garden include: the Haupt Conservatory, 1902, a New York City Landmark, 50 gardens, including the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, a Japanese rock garden, an herb garden, a waterfall, an original 50-acre forest that contains Native American hunting trails, a herbarium, which houses plant specimens, a plant research laboratory, the Stone Mill, 1840, a city and National Historic Landmark, and the Beaux-Arts style LuEsther T. Mertz Library, 1901, the most extensive botanical research library in the United States where Thomas Edison once researched. First-time visitors may find that the garden looks familiar. Hester Bridge was in the opening credits of the 1970’s “Sesame Street” and scenes from “Gotham,” “Salt,” and “Awakenings” were filmed here, fun notes shared in an AM New York interview for NYBG’s 125th anniversary two years ago. With flowers and plants both local and from around the world, spending the day here gives one the feeling of having had a genuine getaway.

Trains run through a display of the Midtown display with the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the General Electric Building, Chrysler Building, and St. Bartholomew’s Church made from all natural materials like bark, twigs, acorns, stones, and leaves.

The canopy above the Midtown display

The New York Public Library

Yankee Stadium

Bethesda Fountain and Bow Bridge, Central Park

The Jewish Museum

Edith and Ernesto Fabbri House, now “The House of the Redeemer” of the Episcopal Church and the Lycee Francais de New York and ladybug train

Little Red Lighthouse, 1880, underneath the George Washington Bridge

An overview of the garden’s background includes vision and common purpose which continues through today: “research, education, and horticulture”. Founded in 1891, the NYBG is a National Historic Landmark with a mission to educate as a “living museum”. Nathaniel Lord Britton, a botanist at Columbia University and his wife Elizabeth, inspired by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, joined with the Torrey Botanical Club to raise funds to have a similar garden for Americans to enjoy. Through the New York governor and state legislature, the city acquired the land and Calvert Vaux, the co-architect of Central Park, selected the site and designed the first plan with his partner Samuel Parsons, Jr., Superintendent of Parks. The Haupt Conservatory, designed by Lord & Burnham, who created iconic conservatories throughout the US like the Orchid Range at Duke Farms, is similar to The Palm House at Kew Gardens which had impressed the Brittons. These dedicated botanists encouraged scientific research and publishing, which led to the renown of the NYBG as a research institution today. Initial board members and contributors included famous names from US history: J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, John D. Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie.

Front view of Haupt Conservatory

With a thought towards other shows, like the upcoming annual Orchid Show, March 3rd-April 22nd, and the major exhibit, “Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawai’i,” May 19-October 28th, NYBG provides scheduled ticketing to avoid overcrowding. Though the train show was well-attended, viewing was enjoyable. Visitors were considerate about letting each other snap photos, livestream, and take in the incredible displays. The train show, the “All Aboard with Thomas and Friends” sing-along, and “Evergreen Express” formed the holiday triple crown for children’s fun. Currently, “Wintertime Wonders” at the Discovery Center offers children creative learning about plants and wildlife that includes the start of a field journal for young naturalists. “Wild Medicines in the Tropics” is on in the conservatory through February 25th and “Out of the Woods: Celebrating Trees in Public Gardens” by the American Society of Botanical Artists is on exhibit through April 22nd. Concerts, poetry readings, lectures, home gardening, a farmers’ market (June-November) and event weekends like Rose Garden Celebration occur year-round. Valentine’s Day this year features personal poems written by professional poets in tours highlighting the “romance” of the collection.

Victorian Palm Court

Fountain by French artist J. J. Dugal, 1898

NYBG’s adult education program “is the largest and most diverse continuing education program at any botanical garden in the world” with 9,400 plus classes and community outreach throughout New York City. For the more casual visitor, a wonderful guide on the NYBG website is “What’s Beautiful Now” capturing not-to-be-missed highlights of each season like the Conifer Arboretum and the Ornamental Conifers, though you may enjoy taking one of the daily tours. For those who wish to spend the day, there is the family-friendly Pine Tree Café and The New York Times-reviewed Hudson Garden Grill, both supporting the garden.

Beaux-Arts Mertz Library by Robert W. Gibson gleams in afternoon winter light. In front is the Fountain of Life by Charles E. Tefft.

Helpful hints: When visiting a garden longer than 14 city blocks, bring good walking shoes or boots. A free tram regularly runs to create accessibility to the grounds. NYBG is directly accessible by public transportation and is only 20 minutes by train from Grand Central Station. Parking is cash only. The grounds are free to the public on Wednesdays and from 9-10 a.m. on Saturdays. New York City residents with proof of residency may receive a special rate for a grounds only pass as part of the IDNYC program. NYBG also participates in New York City Getaways program, Cool Culture, and Blue Star Museums (Memorial to Labor Day) as well as complimentary admission to American Horticultural Society and other garden and museum members. AAA, WNET Channel THIRTEEN members, Fordham University, and Yankee Stadium tour tickets also bring discounts. For more details on eligibility, events, and ways to support, visit: nybg.org. (Sources: nybg.org, tclf.org, amny.com, nyc.gov, nytimes.com, thirteen.com, smithsonian.com, tripadvisor.com, Wiki).

Mertz Library interior

Orchids, Mertz Library

“Cape May at Christmas”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On December 23, 2017

In Culture, Family, History, Lifestyle, Travel

Carriage House at Emlen Physick Estate

Heading downashore in off hours usually guarantees that at rest stops, one will avoid that quintessentially New Jersey phenomena in the most densely crowded state, the buddy park. This is when the driver feels compelled to pull right up next to your car in an empty parking lot the size of an arena – and then bang his or her car door open directly into yours in such a familiar way that the lively, “Hey, buddy!” wave and grin as he blithely exits his car and dashes away leaves one wondering whether this is subconscious bonding or just plain obnoxiousness. Awhile back, West Orange’s Kyrie Irving either posted on Instagram or liked a hilarious photo of two cars on the NJ Turnpike trying to go through a toll booth at once. For the most part, getting along well in a relatively small space gives New Jerseyans an enviable flexibility of character.

Dazzling gazebo tree

Winter light view on the way, Cape May Light, Cape May Point State Park – with a spacious parking lot 😉

Cape May MAC welcome at Emlen Physick Estate

Counterpoint to the familiar assertiveness is the quiet kindness that you will find among those in the Garden State. The kindness may be a warm welcome such as the one visitors received on the Christmas Candle Light Tour in Cape May this December. The atmosphere in Cape May during the tour is like one big open house. The town-proud Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts sponsors a number of holiday tours as well as lamplighter tours with its anchor in the stately Emlen Physick Estate and Carriage House, adorned beautifully for the holidays and warmed by guides and carolers. The historic sites, inns, homes, and churches are so many that you will want to return to enjoy them all as did our grandparents over a lifetime from their honeymoon destination to summertime pleasure whenever they could make the then day-long journey from Newark. Our grandfather, born on Christmas Eve, would have claimed that the decorations were for him, a favorite joke come birthday time.

Historic inns of Cape May on the tour included The Harrison Inn (tall, middle) with a thank you for the long-time Instagram follow.

Our Lady Star of the Sea

Joy in the details, Congress Hall

A present-day parallel delight is the Winter Wonderland at historic Congress Hall, breathtaking in its charm. An endearing aspect of the hotel that distinguishes it from some fellow iconic ones is that visitors are also warmly welcomed. The lobby, shops, café, spa, and restaurants are available for everyone to enjoy year-round, underscored at the holidays with the carousel, holiday train, and Winter Wonderland village of vendors. The candy cane-lined hallway, elegantly simple, was a joyful welcome for every visitor and a cell phone photo-snapping sensation.

Rejoining the tour and wrapping up the evening on a recent visit, Cape May MAC trolleys and buses were available to complement the walk. One guide was so modest in her kindness that it was not clear at first. She had asked the driver to stop to see if any tour members were left behind at one of the homes, her errand requiring a walk of some distance in the cold. Her thoughtfulness was a good reminder to relinquish my New York Metro area dweller’s focus on “the schedule”. Returning to my car later, the only rival to the beauty of evening was above me. In that clear cold of winter was the panorama of the Shore night sky with stars like diamonds cast across black velvet. At this time of year, it is the star of hope and humility that shines the brightest. May it light all paths joyfully as we celebrate the Lord’s birth.

Thank you to all for a wonderful visit. For more information, please see Cape May MAC, Congress Hall, Our Lady Star of the Sea. Additional source: excerpt from The Moral Quandary of Heels © 2013 Kathleen Helen Levey.

Kindly check for more photos later as we dash away, dash away all to ready for Christmas! 🎄

A Cape May fairy tale

Winter Wonderland market at Congress Hall

A Happy Holiday Thank You

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On December 23, 2017

In Baking, Christmas, Family, Holidays

With a “thank you” to followers, posting a favorite gift for friends or hosts, the holiday festive Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint cookies of Nutley, New Jersey’s Martha Stewart. You probably have all of the ingredients at home, handy on this rainy day. (Still hoping for Christmas ❄️☃️! ) If you do not have wax paper to line the cookie sheets, just grease them and check on the cookies to see that they do not burn underneath. Children will enjoy helping to roll the dough, create the “dip” in the cookie, and spoon in the jam. Normally, cookies are not displayed in a bowl, but the ” Live well, laugh often, love much” message is irresistible. (#ViviBeneAmaMoltoRidiSpesso 🙌) The sweet polar bear towel is a gift from a friend.

Following are the ingredients:

“Standard” US

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup raspberry jam

“Standard” UK (Imperial)

20 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon (scant) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (scant) baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus two tablespoons smooth peanut butter

110 grams unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

1 large egg

3/4 teaspoon slightly rounded pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup plus 2 dsp (dessertspoons) raspberry jam

Metric

300 ml all purpose flour

30 drops teaspoon baking powder

30 drops teaspoon baking soda

30 drops teaspoon salt

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

110 grams unsalted butter, softened

75 grams packed light-brown sugar

75 grams granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

110 grams cup raspberry jam

(Conversions from AllRecipes.co.uk)

Enjoy making these! Martha Stewart’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints

“Holiday Light Spectacular at Turtle Back Zoo”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On November 19, 2017

In Culture, Family, Lifestyle, Travel

Carousel house welcome

If happiness is perspective, the soaring view from atop a father’s shoulders is a wonderful way to think of the world. Like many fortunate children, it was a first memory from Turtle Back Zoo where it is a joy to see such memories made today at events like Holiday Light Spectacular.

View from Savanna Cafe deck on another visit

The light display is free, as is the parking, and open to the public. From the time one turns onto Northfield Avenue and sees the dazzling lights along the South Mountain Recreation Complex entrance, it is clear that it will be quite a show. At the actual zoo entrance, a cheerful costumed Frosty the Snowman and Turtle greet visitors as the carols regale from loudspeakers. The first sign you will see, however, is the invitation to stop at the green tent to make a donation of canned or boxed food, unwrapped toys, or gently used coats to the Community Food Bank.

Endangered species carousel in carousel house

The zoo is immediately festive and fun with a menorah and Kwanzaa kinara ready to add to the celebration. Some animals are on view like the barn pets, and the train and carousel also charm for free. Pony rides are available for $2.00. Photo stations with themes from Peanuts to polar bears to penguins to How the Grinch Stole Christmas throughout the zoo are ideal for creating holiday cards or Snap Chatting (with the Mom & Dad filter), added holiday features. S’more stations ($4.50 for a kit) at the new Savanna Café gave a ski lodge. This is a delightful way to start the season.

Follow the leader on the boa and s’mores fire pits

What was different this year was the crowd. The visitors are always in good spirits, the staff, always welcoming. When we went to the zoo as children, we fed the deer, admired the wandering peacocks, played with the turtles, rode on the children’s train (whose whistle still thrills), and ate sandwiches at the wooden picnic tables. We thought it out-of-this-world fun. All of those things are still there and, impressively, more like the African Adventure, Outback Aviary, Treetop Adventure Course, and Mini Golf, but Friday night’s mood of the visitors, the friendliness and quiet joy around the s’mores fire pits, reminded me of the zoo of years ago. It was a happiness infused with gratitude. People were taking photos, but enjoying each other’s company even more, sparked by the delight that the animals bring.

Taking care at Turtle Back Zoo

Princeton’s Mary Chapin Carpenter wrote a beautiful song “Bells Are Ringing” from Come Darkness, Come Light about the essence of Christmas, and though the happy, flickering lights and the holly-jolly are at Holiday Light Spectacular in abundance, the underlying spirit of Christmas is at the zoo more so this year.

Some visitor notes: The winter hours are 10-3:30 daily, and stroller rental ($7) is available during hours. The zoo is wheelchair accessible. The grounds are hilly, so bring good walking shoes. (Lunch hour walkers have been onto this great aspect for years.) Now it is safer to let the zookeepers feed the animals. If you want to visit the zoo before the light show, you can ice skate at Codey Arena or have a bite until the show starts at 5 at wonderful places in the area. For more on the zoo and events, visit Turtle Back Zoo and South Mountain Recreation Complex.

Thank you to the zoo for another dazzling Holiday Light Spectacular and hope to visit again before it ends on January 1st!

“Swans in Winter”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On November 19, 2017

In Culture, Family, Lifestyle, Park, Travel

Swan paddle boats at South Mountain Reservation

The wonderful swan paddle boats from South Mountain Reservation move from the reservoir above to storage below in the winter. Though completely still, perspective transforms them.

At the holidays, we look both back and forward. While preparing for this year, we think of our Uncle Ray, a comedy writer and a Laurel and Hardy fan with whom we watched the warm-hearted “March of the Wooden Soldiers” every Thanksgiving morning, a family tradition. A little bit of silly for a rainy Sunday…. Make it a #SundayFunday with a trip to the Holiday Light Spectacular at Turtle Back Zoo, tonight from 5-9. As for the swans, they will return to the water in the spring, but the Regatta Playground at the dock is delightful, free, and open now as is the Holiday Light Spectacular: South Mountain Recreation Complex.

“March of the Wooden Soldiers”

New Jersey’s Jack Nicholson

Ingmar Bergman

“Sleeping Beauty”

South Mountain Reservation

“Remembrance Day”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On November 11, 2017

In Culture, History, Travel, US History

Red poppies “Honor the Dead by Helping the Living”. On travels, met a veteran selling the poppy flowers to raise money for his fellow veterans. People passed by him, unfortunately, because they did not know what the flowers meant. With the observation of the 100th anniversary of World War I this year and Remembrance Day in Commonwealth Countries, sharing again the story of their origin in that war.

Red poppies grew on battlefields of World War I, striking amidst rows of white crosses for the many lost lives. Moved by grief, Canadian Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon with Canada’s First Brigade Artillery, wrote a poem “In Flanders Field,” which resounded around the world. Through the work of Anna E. Guerin, France, and Moina Michael, Georgia (US), the sale of artificial poppies helped orphans and others impoverished by the war. By 1920 the American Legion assisted and the “Flowers of Remembrance” were sold throughout the US, Canada, Britain France, Australia, and New Zealand. To expand the support, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) began to sell the “Buddy Poppy” nationally right before Memorial Day in 1922, and this became their memorial flower. Donations help support veterans and the families of those who have died in service.

As you may have seen in ceremonies and exhibits in the news, the United Kingdom has revitalized this recognition. The VFW got a trademark for the “Buddy Poppy” to safeguard that proceeds do indeed go to the veterans who assemble them, veterans’ rehabilitation, related programs, and in part, the VFW National Home for Children. (Sources: VFW.org, VA.gov, Wiki) Photo from Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morris Township, NJ.

Writing New Jersey Life

People and places of New Jersey…with some travels.

Page 5 of 7

“Center Stage in Center City: The Philadelphia Flower Show”

“Washington’s Headquarters at Morristown: A Common Purpose”

“The Franklin Institute: At the Heart of Curiosity”

“Courage: Paul Robeson”

“The New York Botanical Garden, Always in Bloom”

“Cape May at Christmas”

A Happy Holiday Thank You

“Holiday Light Spectacular at Turtle Back Zoo”

“Swans in Winter”

“Remembrance Day”

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