2,643 miles - Gettysburg Battlefield

Dan taught American history for 38 years and the Battle of Gettysburg was always one of his main interests.  He liked teaching the Civil War in general, but really studied Gettysburg because it is considered to be the battle that changed the course of the war.  When we were planning our trip to the northeast, I asked if he would like to visit Gettysburg since we would be passing by there.  He didn't  have to think twice about answering yes.

When our daughter and son in love found out we were going to visit there, Todd recommended an open air bus tour that he had taken some years ago.  He said it was so enjoyable and you got to see everything while listening to descriptions of each location.  As it turned out, that is what they gave Dan for Father's Day this year and it was such a wonderful gift.  

We arrived at Gettysburg about noon eastern time and had just a bit of time before the tour began in an hour, so we walked around the town and grabbed a bite to eat before the tour began.  It was a beautiful sunny day with good breezes and a temperature of about 75.  Perfect tour weather.  We boarded the bus at 1, climbed to the top, put on our headphones and started down the streets of the small town headed to the battlefield sites.

Many original buildings still stand in the town itself, some with bullet holes and mortars still there from the war.  Heading out of town, the audio pointed out Seminary Ridge where General John Buford, Union Army, directed battles from the cupola of the Lutheran Theological Seminary.  Hearing Dan gasp when he saw the cupola affected me in a very emotional way.  I took off my head phones and he said "I taught this for 38 years and now I am actually seeing where it took place."  It took us a while, but we finally got there.

As we reached the edge of town, spread before us were vast, beautiful fields that the Civil War Trust and the National Park Services are continuously working to restore as accurately as possible to the days of the battle of Gettysburg which took place on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863.  Next year is the 150th anniversary of the battles.

Gettysburg was a town of approximately 2400 people at the time of the Civil War battles beginning July 1.  By July 2, the town had swelled to approximate 200,000 thousand people including soldiers, doctors, nurses, reporters and photographers.  My mind could not quite comprehend such a thing.

The first day of battle occurred at McPherson's Ridge, Oak Hill, Oak Ridge, Seminary Ridge and Barlow's Knoll.  July 1, 1863,  was the 12th bloodiest battle of the Civil War.

The picture above is the beginning of Culp's Hill which was part of the second day of battle.

A monument to the soldier's from Indiana at Culp's Hill (my home state).  There are 1400 monuments, markers and tablets at Gettysburg.  It broke my heart to see them all standing as reminders of such a sad and sorrowful time in our nation.

Fighting on July 2 also occurred at Little Round Top and the valley below referred to as The Devil's Den.

This field is full of huge, enormous boulders that were created by volcanic activity eons ago.  We got to get off the bus and climb to the top of Little Round Top.  Standing there, looking into the valley below made me know and understand the horror of those 3 days.  You can feel the presence of what took place on those three awful days.  It is truly a solemn place to be.

Imagining soldiers, some as young as 12, climbing that hill knowing they would never survive was absolutely heartbreaking.  The battle raged that day at The Wheat Field, The Peach Orchard, Cemetery Ridge, Trostle's Farm, Culp's Hill, Cemetery Hill, Little Round Top and the Devil's Den.  It was the 10th bloodiest day of the Civil War.  The audio said after the day's battle ended, survivors came into the fields by lantern light looking for any survivors or anyone they knew.  I could not keep back tears.

On July 3, fighting resumed on Culp's Hill, and cavalry battles raged to the east and south, but the main event was a dramatic infantry assault by 12,000 Confederates against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge--Pickett's Charge. The charge was repulsed by Union rifle and artillery fire, at great losses to the Confederate army. Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia. As many as 51,000 soldiers from both armies were killed, wounded, captured or missing in the three-day battle. Four months after the battle, President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for Gettysburg's Soldiers National Cemetery to honor the fallen Union soldiers and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.  civilwar.org


According to information from the Civil War Trust, General Lee lost 23 battle flags at Pickett's Charge, more than in the previous 14 months combined.  Statistics from the Civil War Trust say 93,921 Union soldiers and 71,669 Confederate soldiers fought at the battle of Gettysburg with 51,112 total estimated casualties.  There were 120 generals present, with 9 killed or mortally wounded.  This was the most officers lost in one battle.


The Battle of Gettysburg is by far the costliest battle of the Civil War, but not necessarily the largest.  There were 185,000 troops at Fredericksburg.  There were 63 Medals of Honor awarded to Union soldiers for actions at Gettysburg.  


I am neither a student nor proponent of war.  Today, these beautiful fields look nothing like they did on July 1, 2 and 3 of 1863, littered with wounded and dying men in the 90 degree heat - thankfully.  I am glad I took this tour as a reminder that freedom is bought at a great price and it is important to remember that always.  Would I recommend taking a trip to Gettysburg?  Yes.  We spent two hours on what Abraham Lincoln called hallowed ground.  I cannot say that I have ever felt such sorrow in the depths of my being other than from the loss of loved ones that I know.  Spending the time with Dan as he got to see places he had taught about for so many years was priceless.  May we never have to suffer such losses again.   Time to head home.  


Everyday Donna


Things to Remember:


Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.  Abraham Lincoln, November, 1963
  

2,643 Miles - The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

We left York Beach, Maine, early on Monday morning sad to leave the beach and Alma and Jack, but we were looking forward to an adventure that included the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.  Dan has been a baseball fan all his life and even had a baseball club at the school where he taught for 38 years.  The man LOVES baseball.  When we started planning our trip to the northeast, I asked him if he would like to go to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  He looked at me with incredulity and asked if I was kidding.  I told him no, I wasn't kidding because I thought he would like to see it.  His answer was a resounding YES!

Then, I asked him about Gettysburg.  I think he thought I had flipped my lid.  He taught American history for 38 years and had always been a bit of a Civil War buff.  You know, if you ask a question you get a history lesson kind of buff, but that's okay.  I always learned something new and interesting.  As for Gettysburg, he was all for it.  So that was our destination after the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Now let me make this point perfectly clear - The Hall of Fame and Gettysburg are both in the middle of NOWHERE and are a good day's drive from each other.  Holy cow, the drive was interminable from Maine to Cooperstown.  Thankfully, the countryside was beautiful in Massachusetts and New York.  The Berskshire's are gorgeous for the first few hours.  The heavily forested mountains and lush, verdant farm valley's are stunning.  But it's one L O N G drive a lot of which is on two lane roads with speed limits that are 55 and under.

Just outside of Albany, New York, we were engulfed in a summer thunderstorm - the kind where it rains so hard you can't see the road and have to pull over.  It even hailed on us.  If you look closely in the picture, you can see the hail on the side of the road and in the windshield wiper trough.  Yikes.  I was sure glad when that was over.

Once it stopped, we hit the trail again.  Driving and driving and driving some more.  There are only small towns here and there before you get to Cooperstown and lots and lots of driving.  Did I say we drove a lot?  We did.  I can't imagine baseball players having to drive/ride all that way to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  I mean I know it's worth it, but good grief.  But, we now have something in common with them.  We have made the endless journey.

As we headed into Cooperstown, we drove alongside beautiful Lake Oswego which is a long lake to the north of the town.  The temperature had dropped to  63 degrees after the storm and I had to put on a light sweater as the wind was blowing, but people were water skiing on the lake.  It probably seemed warm to them since they have rather harsh winters there.  We were't really sure exactly where the Hall of Fame was in the town but it's small, so we drove through a few streets and Ta Dah!  There it was, right in front of us.  There were people everywhere.  We actually got the first parking place in front of the building.  Guess this visit was meant to be.

As we got out of the car, we both stood for a moment and looked at the sign above the doors.  I am sorry the picture did not turn out better, but it is a bit awe inspiring to see the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum right before your eyes.  We were actually here.  Dan was almost speechless.

We passed through the hallowed doors and paid our entrance fee and started our tour.  There are three floors, theaters, the Hall of Fame where all the plaques for the inductees are, and rooms and rooms where uniforms, paraphernalia, equipment and pictures are housed.  It is a bit overwhelming actually there is so much to see and there were people everywhere.  Kids used their phones, videotaping every room walking fast with their phone held out in front of them.   My thought was you are here and you are not even looking at anything.  Oh well, guess that shows my age.  It was difficult to get good pictures because of all the people, but look we did!

First, we looked at the plaques of all the members of the Hall of Fame.  We found Dan's all time favorite player and childhood idol, Mickey Mantle.  I took a picture of him standing with "The Mick's" plaque for a keepsake.  Here is his plaque.

And of course, The Babe.  George Herman Ruth.  The King of Crash, The Sultan of Swat.

I loved this statue of "Satchel" Paige in the courtyard.  I took this through the window.  He was quite a pioneer in major league baseball.

Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971, the first player to be inducted from the Negro leagues.  Wikipedia


There was so much to see and take in, we could have been there for days.  This is Babe Ruth's uniform, hat and shoes in an actual locker from Yankee stadium.  

Actually, The Babe has an entire room dedicated to him and his baseball career.  It is quite impressive.


I loved this sign that hung over the area dedicated to baseball writers and broadcasters.  

There was even a display of all the things they used for sound effects on the radio to make you think you were right there in the midst of the game.  Awesome.  

There is a room dedicated to the women's league in baseball and at the entrance to the room is this  poster from A League of Their Own which was filmed in my hometown of Evansville, Indiana, at Bosse Field where I have attended many minor league baseball games throughout my life.  Sure made us proud.  

Check this out - the bat Willie Mays used to get his 3,000th hit.  He had a career total of 3,281 hits and 660 home runs.  Now that is quite an accomplishment.

Dan has also been a lifelong New York Yankees fan, so I snapped this picture of the display of their equipment.  If you can see the huge shoes on the bottom right, they belonged to Derek Jeter.  Yeah.  All of these things belonged to real Yankees players and there is a display for every major league team.  

There was just so much to take it, there is no way to describe it all or photograph it all.  Dan said it really didn't hit him until later that he was actually looking at Joe DiMaggio's uniform, or Johnny's Bench's uniform.  He was a happy happy man.  It may have been a long car trip, but worth every minute just to see the joy he experienced.  

If you are a baseball fan, it is worth the trip and I hope you get there some day.  Tomorrow we head to Gettysburg which was one of the most emotional things I have ever experienced.  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world.
Babe Ruth

2,643 Miles - Destinations Ogunquit and Kennebunkport, Maine, Portsmouth, New Hamspshire

Do I ever tire of the ocean?  Never!  You may get tired of looking at pictures of it, but the ocean inspires me.  Buildings are okay and I am not really much of a sightseer, I would rather sit and contemplate the ocean, the waves, it's moods and sounds.  That makes me very happy my friends.  Since, we had not been to the northeast except one other time (and I didn't get to see much of it), I didn't mind visiting a few of the local villages near York Beach, Maine.  Our hosts were ever so kind in touring us around and showing the all the beautiful sights.

This is a picture of Dan and me at the top of the Marginal Way in Ogunquit.  Ogunquit, which means "coastal lagoon" in the indigenous Abenaki language (Wikipedia) is a beautiful tourist town and artist's colony.  Lovely inns, galleries, and restaurants.  But for me, the real attraction was the Marginal Way which is now a paved 1.5 mile path that follows the coastline and can be walked.  Guess where we spent our time?  You guessed it.  


The day was gloriously beautiful, temperature amazing, water and skies azure, and we walked and talked.  Oh, the glories of our country!  

This is a view across a bay at Ogunquit which was founded in the 1600's and was a shipbuilding and fishing town.  

Another view from the Marginal Way.  Looking at the rocky coastline made me think of every novel I have ever read about New England.  I could have spent the entire day in this spot.  

Heading back down the Marginal Way.  You really should consider going there just to walk this amazing historical path.  


We had a delicious lunch at a lovely little place by the ocean where we sat on the porch and enjoyed the view, then headed back to York Beach to spend the afternoon on the porch watching the ocean.  Yes, it never gets old.  Ever.


On day three, we went to Kennebunkport, Maine.  Does that sound familiar to you?  Perhaps it's because the Bush family has a summer residence there that is extraordinarily beautiful.

The compound sits at the tip of a peninsula that juts into the ocean.  The picture does not show the house well, but I can say I would gladly spend my summers there!  


We spent more time in Kennebunkport wandering around the quaint little town.  

Kennebunkport was founded in the early 1600's and was a shipbuilding center where they built 5 masted ships and a special dory that was in demand.  There are large homes that once belonged to ship's captains in the town and they are New England beautiful as only New England homes can be.


Streets are very narrow in the northeast because the towns are so old.  It's hard to get good pictures because everything is so close together.  The town is full of tourist shops and restaurants and Alma said after July 1 it is shoulder to shoulder tourists.  How glad am I we were there when we were?  You have no idea.  

We enjoyed a lunch of New England Clam chowder to die for, walked a little more and headed back to York Beach to sit on the porch and look at the ocean some more.  Never. Gets. Old.


On Sunday afternoon, we headed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire which is just over the Maine state line.  It is a beautiful city which was also a shipbuilding and fishing town established in the 1600s.  Hard to get your head around cities that old when our country just celebrated it's 236th birthday.  This may be the town where I lived in a past life.  It is so beautiful with it's historical buildings and bricked sidewalks.  These buildings speak to me in a way that modern facades do not.

An historic church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Lovely.

Walking the streets of Portsmouth, admiring the architecture.

The interior of Flatbreads where was had some of the best pizza ever.  It was an old industrial building with high ceilings, wooden walls and floors.  That is their huge wood fired oven where they cooked their pizzas.  By the way, it's worth the drive just to have one of their pizzas.  Yes, worth it.  We walked around some more and returned to York Beach to sit on the porch and watch the ocean, drink coffee, talk some more, and watch the ocean.  Tomorrow, we leave (sob) for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  


It was such a wonderful visit and we cannot thank Alma and Jack enough for allowing us to stay at their home and look at the ocean for several wonderful days that we will never forget.  Maybe it's not New England where I lived in a past life, maybe I was a mermaid.  That could be it.  I will return to the ocean again as soon as possible.  Bye bye for now.


Everyday Donna


Things to Remember:


love builds up the broken wall

and straightens the crooked path.

love keeps the stars in the firmament

and imposes rhythm on the ocean tides

each of us is created of it

and i suspect

each of us was created for it”

--Maya Angelou 

2,643 miles - Next Stop, York Beach, Maine

Our only visit to York Beach, Maine, was in September of 2011 when our oldest daughter was so fortunate as to have her wedding at The Reading Room in York Beach.  I traveled by car with my mom in tow, a sewing machine, fabric for a bridesmaid's skirt, a wedding dress that I had made for Holly and never fitted, various and sundry sewing supplies, containers for wedding flowers, a mother of the bride's dress and clothing for the week.  Dan and our youngest son Tyler flew up to join us later in the week because Dan was still teaching at the time and Tyler was in school.  This Mom had to get there early because she had magic to do.

Remember, this was shortly after 9/11 and we crossed into NYC the first day the bridges were open to traffic.  The traffic was horrendous and my heart broke as I saw the smoke from the World Trade Center Towers still curling into the air.  We had not known until a few days before if we would even be able to get to York Beach.  The universe conspired to make it all happen.  While everyone else had a glorious week, I was buried in sewing and then making all the fresh wedding flowers.  I saw the basement of the beach house we were staying in and the ocean across the street and that was about it.  But, the wedding was fabulous and everything was beautiful, including our daughter.  Her wedding dress did not need one alteration which made my life easier, that is for sure!  I knew one day I would return and get to really enjoy York Beach.  This was my triumphant return.   : )

We left New York City early on Thursday morning hoping to avoid morning rush traffic.  All I can say is thank goodness we were leaving the city and not coming in.  Holy guacamole, I have never seen traffic that went on for  miles and miles, bumper to bumper all the way into Connecticut.  Just know that there is no way on earth I could do that every day.  Guess that's why I was a small town girl for so many years.  Fortunately, as soon as we crossed the Triborough Bridge, we really didn't have many problems because we were leaving the city and not coming in.  The sun was shining in a beautiful blue sky and away we went.

If  you have never driven up the East coast, it is truly breathtakingly lovely.  Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine are stunningly beautiful states with waterways and historical buildings.  I am so attracted to the style of houses and buildings that I feel I may have lived in New England in a former life.  Clapboard sided salt box houses make my heart skip a beat.  The quaintness of the villages and towns warm my soul.  I wouldn't care for the harsh winters, but the summers are stunning!   Highway travel was slow going at times because of all the road construction, but that is typical for anywhere in the summer. Enjoying the beautiful scenery made it all worthwhile.

We arrived in York Beach about 3 in the afternoon.  Talk about one gorgeous town!  Wow!!  I had Dan pull over as soon as we saw the ocean and I took the picture above.  This is taken from Long Beach Avenue.  Long Beach Avenue parallels the beach on one side and beautiful beach houses and restaurants on the other.  We stayed with our daughter's in laws who live right across from the beach.  Alma and Jack were such lovely hosts.  It has taken us ten years to get there to visit, but we had an amazing time!  We talked and talked, and laughed, and ate, and drank coffee and sat on the porch and watched the beautiful ocean morning, noon and night.  We did do a little sight seeing, but just being near the ocean and listening to the waves made it all worth the long drive.  Thank you Jack and Alma for your kindness!

This is where we got to sit on the porch and enjoy the beach at all times of the day.  This is the view directly across the street.

How fabulous is that?  Here is a sunset picture, just to tease you a bit.  Don't you wish you were there right now?  I sure do.

The craggy shore is so beautiful to stand and watch the waves crash against the rocks.  Heaven.

The universe conspired to give us absolutely perfect weather while we were there.  Alma and Jack said they had a cool, rainy spring and had been wearing sweat pants and sweat shirts on the porch until we arrived.  Thank you universe, we are ever grateful.

We had fabulous food while we were there - clams, chowders, lobster, and fresh fish.  It would be amazing to be able to enjoy such goodness all the time.  There was also some ice cream involved from Bob's which was also pretty amazing.  Dan is a big fan of ice cream.  Dan was a happy man.

We did some sight seeing and traveled to Ogunquit and Kennebunport, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  I will do a post on those side trips later.  My favorite spot was the Nubble Lighthouse in York.  It is reported to be the most photographed light house in our country.  Everything is so beautiful, these pictures don't look real and I took them on my phone.

Here is some information I found about the Nubble.

The Nubble Lighthouse has been fully automated since 1987 and has not been occupied by a lighthouse keeper since. The US Coast Guard now maintains the Nubble Light. The town of York Maine owns and maintains the island. The park where the Nubble Lighthouse can be viewed is Sohier Park.

Nubble Lighthouse Features

The Lighthouse:
The Nubble Lighthouse tower is 88 feet high and is made up of two layers of brick and reinforced with wrap-around steel plates. It is 13 feet in diameter at the base. The base floor of the Nubble Lighthouse is made of brick. The  stairwell is circular (or spiral) which wraps around the inside of the lighthouse and takes you to the lighthouse platform which leads to the base of the lens room. An eight-step steel ladder goes up through a wooden trap door, giving access to the platform surrounding the dome light of the lighthouse. The platform is enclosed by a cast iron railing holding twelve posts that are each topped by custom made cast iron moldings of the lighthouse tower for decor.  NHTravel.com

This picture was taken from Sohier Park.  I could have stayed there all day.  Don't ask me why, perhaps it all the fictional reading I have done in my lifetime, but there is something romantic and haunting about light houses.  Here is another view of the water around the park.

Look at the beautiful beach houses.  Talk about a view!  Doesn't it make you want to go there right now?

If you have never been to the shore in the northeast, you must be aware that the water can be frigid to say the least.  While we were there, there was evidently a warm current flowing because the water was nice.  All the beach goers spent the entire day in the water and that doesn't happen often.  School had just gotten out on the Friday we were there, so the crowds were not unbearable -  yet!  Alma said after July 1 it was wall to wall people.  Super glad we were there when we were!  

It's a long haul by car, but it is SO worth the trip, especially if you have never been to the northeast.  There is so much of our country's history there and the scenery is stunning.  If you are looking for a place to visit, check out York Beach, Maine.  I think you will love it there.  Tomorrow, we will visit Ogunquit, which is just up the road.  Now, I wish I was there again.  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

"When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come, I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, cleanses me with its noise, and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused."
- Rainer Maria Rilke

2,643 Miles Traveled - First Stop, NYC

After a two week hiatus from my blog, and after traveling 2,643 miles by car (yes by car), I can honestly say I am glad we made the trip but happy to be home.  As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, there's no place like home.

The first leg of the trip was New York City where our son, daughter in love, and grandson reside.  We left Nashville on Monday morning with said daughter in love and grandson, who had been in Nashville for the weekend, and arrived in the city on Tuesday afternoon.  We have made at least a dozen trips to New York to visit our children through the years.  Our oldest daughter moved to The Big Apple after graduating college, followed by her sister and brother.  They have all exited and returned on different occasions.  Now, our oldest son is there.  He has been performing in The Million Dollar Quartet as the understudy for Johnny Cash and Sam Phillips.  He also understudied Elvis in Chicago.  We made it in time to see him perform Johnny Cash on a New York Stage before the show closed after 3 years.  John was in the Chicago cast for 2 years and the New York cast for the last year.

New York City is an amazing place to visit, but I know that I have absolutely no desire to live there.  Maybe if I was much, much younger and a lot more adventurous, it would be a fantastic place to live, but it's just not for me.  It's too crowded, too noisy, the traffic is horrendous,  and I don't like subways.  On the other hand, there is no other place quite like it.  

We spent most of our time in Astoria and not in Manhattan which was just fine with me.  The one thing about New York neighborhoods is they each have their own personalities which I find interesting.   The neighborhood the kids live in is predominantly Greek and we did have some awesome food while we were there.  We had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Taverna Kyclades which is at 33-07 Ditmars Boulevard and operated by Chef Ardian Skenderi who works in the restaurant everyday preparing some of the BEST seafood I have ever eaten.

This is our grandson Roman outside the restaurant.  Isn't he adorable?  The restaurant does have patio seating which is nice for warm summer evenings.  It has a blue and white theme which replicates the Greek flag.  And the food?  Oh my!  If you live in NYC or are visiting, make every effort to visit Taverna Kyclades.  It is affordably wonderful food and so fresh you might think you are on a Greek island (except for all the traffic).

We started our meal with a Greek peasant salad that had the best feta cheese I have ever eaten.  I am not a fan of feta, but our son assured me I would like the cheese the Chef has imported for his restaurant from Greece.  He was absolutely right!  The cheese was creamy, almost like a farmer's cheese, not the sharp, tangy stuff you usually get here in the states.  I could eat that feta cheese every day and wish I knew how to get some of it - it was that good.

Then we had fried calamari to die for.  You say you don't like calamari?  It's because you have never had it like this.  Tender, crisp, delicious - nothing rubbery about it.  Wish I had a plate full right now.

We also had clams stuffed with crab and dolmades that were outstanding.

For our entree, we had grilled sea bass and John and Jessy had filet of sole stuffed with crab.  I mean, what's not to love about that?  You will just have to try it to understand.  It's worth a trip to Astoria to enjoy food from a restaurant that has a Michelin rating.

On Wednesday, we went into Manhattan to see The Million Dollar Quartet.  John was playing Johnny Cash.  We had seen the show in Chicago several times and it was interesting to see the New York Cast.  It's such a great show and if the touring company comes your way, go see it!  If you are within Chicago range, make the trip.   It's Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash (actors you know) playing live music and will make you stomp your feet and clap your hands begging for more when it's over.  They were all poor boys who launched rock and roll - you know, that music that would never last.

This is our son John standing in front of the billboard just inside the theater doors.  Sorry, it was dark and the picture isn't great.

Proud Momma and Dad standing outside the theater with John.  It was fun to see people asking for his autograph.  : )

Later in the day, we went to Astoria Park where I took these pictures of  the East River and two of the bridges that span it.  There are some beautiful sights in New York.  You can see the skyline behind the bridge.

We enjoyed our last evening in New York with our son and family and then headed out the next morning for York Beach, Maine.  Bye bye NYC, its been great but there are so many more miles to travel.  We'll be back.

Everyday Donna


Things to Remember:

Traffic signals in New York are just rough guidelines.
David Letterman

Cucumbers and Onions - One Of Our Favorites

Did your family have a recipe of some kind for  cucumbers and onions in vinegar?  Seems these recipes exist around the world.  When our kids were all at home, this was one of their most favorite sides that I would make.  They would eat a whole bowl full at one meal.  Since there was all that delicious vinegar goodness left in the bowl, I would simply peel and slice more cucumbers and onions and add it to the brine.  More for the next day!

I made these a couple of weeks ago when the family came over for dinner, and nothing has changed - they were devoured.  We all love them, except for Dan.  He is not a fan of anything made with vinegar.  I know, I don't understand it but that's the way it is.  He doesn't like salad dressings, most condiments and NOTHING that he even suspects has vinegar in it.  Let's face it, we all have something we don't like.

This is a dish that I grew up with and many of you probably did too.  My great grandmother, grandmother and mother all made these, especially in summer when there were plenty of fresh cucumbers.  There are a myriad of recipes available, some using mayonnaise, while most use vinegar, oil and sugar.  That's what I am accustomed to.  I tried to find the history of this dish and where it originated, but it seems to exist in some form everywhere.  

Cucumbers originated in India. where a great many varieties of cucumber have been observed. They have been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, and were probably introduced to other parts of Europe by the Greeks or Romans. Records of cucumber cultivation appear inFrance in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century.  Wikipedia


Cucumbers and pickling have been traced back as far as 4400 years ago.  There are references to Cleopatra believing that pickles enhanced her beauty and Julius Caesar was also a fan.  The Bible has several references to cucumbers, so we know they have been around a good long while.  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were also reported to be lovers of pickles.  Amerigo Vespucci, for whom our Country is named. was a pickle salesman.  I mean, other than Dan, who doesn't love a good pickle?  


Even though this recipe uses fresh cucumbers and onions, it is still a form of "quick" pickling because it involves vinegar.  Vinegar is a preservative and immigrants coming to America usually traveled with quantities of pickles because they were nutritious and would not go bad on the long ocean journey.  If you want some interesting reading, Google the history of vinegar.  At least I thought it was interesting.


Science now knowns that cucumbers contain anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.  Not only do they taste good, they are good for you!   Pickles also contain probiotics which are helpful to the digestive system.   It's nice to know that pickles are actually good for you!


Here is what you need to make a batch of these cucumbers and onions.


3-4 whole cucumbers, peeled and sliced
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil


I made these in a 1 1/2 quart Pyrex dish that we received as a wedding gift almost 43 years ago.  Yes, it's practically an antique, but it has a lid and that means I can store leftovers in the refrigerator.


First, peel and slice the cucumbers and onions.  Generously salt both sides of the cucumbers and onions, mixing them up with your hands or a large spoon to make sure they are all salted.  Let them sit for about 1/2 hour.  (I don't rinse mine but I do drain any water off that comes out of the cucumbers.)


Place the cucumbers and onions in the container you plan to serve them in.  For this size container, I mixed 1 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup vegetable oil.  Mix thoroughly with a whisk until the oil is combined with the vinegar.  Pour over the cucumbers and onions and refrigerate.  These can be served anytime, but if they marinate for a while the cucumbers absorb more of the flavor.


If you want to use white vinegar, or red wine vinegar, that is your choice.  I prefer the slight sweetness apple cider vinegar adds to the flavor and it's the way we always made them.   You know, it's the way I prefer them.  You make them however you want.


I am sitting here looking the the picture as I type and it is literally making my mouth water wishing I had a big bowl of these to have with dinner.  Looks like there is a project in my future.  Hope you give these a try.   If you didn't have these growing up, you may not know what you have been missing.  Mm mmm mmmm.  


Everyday Donna


Things to Remember:

American King James Version We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:  Numbers 11:5

Pork Butt At It's Finest - Low and Slow

Pulled pork, slow roasted, with tons of flavor - is there anything better?  Perhaps not.  I made this pork butt on Memorial Day and used a recipe I found at Food.com.  It's a keeper and we will be having this again and again.  It's an easy recipe that produced wonderfully seasoned, super tender pork that made us sad when it was gone.  It may sound like an odd combination to you, but it creates a wonderful bark on the pork butt that has a sweet barbecue flavor.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.  Wish I had some right now.

Recently while watching Bobby Flay, he gave an explanation of the difference between barbecuing and grilling.  Barbecuing is done low and slow, grilling is high heat and fast cooking.   Makes sense doesn't it?  This beautiful pork butt was cooked low and slow and was worth the time it took.  Here is what you need.

1 4 pound pork butt
whole garlic cloves (I used 5)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 cups apple juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

First, make slits all over the pork butt and insert a whole garlic clove into each slit.  If you like lots of garlic, go for it and add more.  I like mild garlic flavor in barbecue, so I used 5 whole cloves.

Just peel off the paper wrapper on each clove and shove them down into the slits you made in the meat.

Now, place the pork butt in a dutch oven or greased casserole that has a lid.  Let it sit at room temperature for 1.5 hours.  After 1.5 hours, spoon any Worcestershire sauce in the bottom of the pan back over the pork butt.

Using your hands, press the brown sugar onto all sides of the butt making sure it sticks to the meat.  Go slow and press hard.

Pour the apple juice down the side of the pan so  you don't knock any of the brown sugar off the butt.  Cover tightly.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.  Place the pan with the pork butt in the oven and IMMEDIATELY reduce the temperature down to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remember, LOW and slow.

The roast will take about 4 hours until the meat is fall apart tender.  *Here is where I did something a little different.  At 3.5 hours, I removed the pan from the oven.  We turned the gas grill on low heat and put a foil packet of hickory chips on the grill.  You soak the chips in water for several hours so they will smoke, then place them in aluminum foil and seal the top by folding the foil over.  Oh, it gives the meat such a good flavor.  Nothing like a good smoke flavor, like the barbecue we grew up with.  I put the whole butt on the grill and let it cook for about 45 minutes (low heat on one side, meat on the side with no flame) and then removed it to a platter.  At this point, you can pull the pork using two forks and sort of shredding it, or do as I did and slice it.

The pork butt was served with our favorite barbecue sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's, which is tomato based and has just an undertone of spice to it - not too much, just right.  The pork was so flavorful and delicious that it really didn't need any sauce as far as I was concerned.  Fantastic.

Summertime is a great time for serving meat that has been cooked low and slow.  You can make sandwiches or serve it sliced.  It's great for picnics or easy Sunday dinners.  Either way, it's worth the effort.  Give this recipe a try.  It has been approved by the whole family.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

The memories of childhood summer swirl around cook outs, picnics, friends, swimming, laughter, ice cream and fireflies.   Games of tag and kick the can, hide and seek and whiffle ball.  Those were golden days.   donna