October 18, 2017. Final Blog this Trip. Middlebury, VT.

October 18, 2017.  Final Blog this Trip.  Middlebury, VT.  Today is our final day in New England.  We drove 40 miles north to Middlebury, a town of 8500 in west-central Vermont.  We were there about five years ago to visit the 200-year old Stratford Inn featured on the Newhart television show which ran from 1982 until 1990.  The inn is actually called the Waybury Inn in real life.  The exterior has been painted, I think.  I remember it as being white on the TV show.

Middlebury is also home to Middlebury College, a highly regarded liberal arts school founded by the Congregationalists in 1800.  Many of the churches I've shown you were Congregationalists.  The Congregationalist Church evolved from the early Puritan Church.  Some Puritans objected to the strict dictates from the church hierarchy and separated, creating their own denomination.  New England is flush with Congregationalist churches.  I don't think I have ever seen one in the Midwest.

Otter Creek, one of the few waterways which flows from south to north, cuts through the downtown.  There is an impressive waterfall in the heart of downtown.  There is also a two lane covered bridge over the creek.  Finally, there is a Morgan horse farm on the edge of Middlebury.  It is operated by the University of Vermont.

The walker reminded us both of our friend, Fred.  Fred was a founding member of the Southside Running and Debate Club in the 1970s.  He is now a walker.  The walker shown above sorta looks like Fred from the back.  He even is wearing a Fred hat. 

Middlebury was Annie's idea for our final day.  She chose well.  Oh, and what is a trip to Vermont without a stop at Ben and Jerry's.  The Ben and Jerry's factory is in northern Vermont between Burlington and Montpelier.

We have enjoyed this trip without Harvey.  Harvey hasn't sold yet, so who knows, maybe we will reclaim him and return to the RV life.  Vacation home versus RVs?  I am still not sure which I prefer.

So, until our next trip, this is it.  Thanks for coming along with us.  Our next trip may be a cruise and if it is, I doubt I will blog.  But, who knows.  We'll see.

Until the next time, whenever that is, goodnight.

October 17, 2017. Norman Rockwell Country.

October 17, 2017.  Norman Rockwell Country.  Norman Rockwell was born in 1894 and painted America until his death in 1978.  He began to paint when he was a child because he wasn't good at sports.  While other boys were engaged in physical activity, Rockwell "drew and drew."  He excelled and was named as the art director for Boy's Life, the monthly publication of the Boy Scouts of America, at the age of 19.  In his nearly 70 productive years, he finished over 4400 works of publishable quality.  His art was featured on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post 323 times over  four decades.  The Saturday Evening Post was founded by Benjamin Franklin and was a highly influential weekly publication until the mid-20th Century. 

Norman Rockwell was not critically acclaimed during his lifetime.  However, he is considered one of America's most revered, talented and successful artists.  One of his paintings sold for 46 million dollars in 2013.  His WWII iconic painting of Rosie the Riveter sold for nearly 5 million in 2002.

Norman Rockwell lived in Arlington, VT, for 12 years in the 1940s and 1950s.  Arlington is about 40 miles south of here.  While there, he produced some of his best art.  He used his neighbors as subjects as he wove a story in nearly every painting.  His art nearly always told a unique American tale.  When the viewer looks at the painting he sees a moment in time which is the midpoint of the narrative.  The viewer intuitively knows the beginning and the end.

There is a Rockwell museum here, three miles from our condo.  There is another - called a Rockwell Exhibit - in Arlington.  We took in both today.  The first displays scores of original covers for various magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post and Boy's Life.  After more than an hour there, we drove to Arlington and viewed that exhibit.  The Exhibit focuses on the locals who were often Rockwell's subjects.  For example, Rosie was a 19-year old part-time telephone operator when Rockwell painted her.  He exaggerated the muscles in her arms and neck to convey the impression that her riveting job had made her into a physically powerful young woman.  She, like his other local subjects, was paid a standard fee of $5.00 to pose for Rockwell.

There is another museum in Stockbridge, MA, about two hours south of here.  Rockwell moved there from Arlington and that's where he finished his extraordinarily productive career.  We have talked about swinging through there on the way home.  We haven't decided yet.  Usually when we start toward home, we travel pretty directly and swiftly.  My guess is that the Stockbridge museum will have to wait for another trip.

I have included more than the normal number of pictures here.  Some are good and some not so good.  It was difficult to eliminate the glare from the overhead lighting and some of the pictures had to be shot from unusual angles.  But, they will give you a taste of Rockwell.  If you want more, you can find them online or in the book which is on our coffee table at home.

Tomorrow is our last day in New England.  I will finish the blog tomorrow night and we will start home.  Annie is in charge of planning our activities tomorrow.  As of now, she hasn't shared those plans with me.  That's okay.  I like surprises.

Goodnight. 

October 16, 2017. To Manchester, to Shop We Go.

 

October 16, 2017.  To Manchester, to Shop We Go.  Manchester is about an hour down Highway 7.  It is the home of many outlet stores and the anchor store of The Orvis Company.  Orvis was founded in Manchester by Charles F. Orvis in 1856 as an outdoor sporting goods retailer.  I've purchased a few shirts there over the years.  The shirts are comfortable, they wear well and they are expensive.  I guess you get what you pay for.

Annie Farkley is an unreconstructed, determined, hard-charging shopper.  I knew that before I asked her to marry me.  When we were 18, she and I went shopping at the Landing.  She was looking for a sweater.  She must have looked at and handled 1000 of them before she found the perfect one.  I stood with her at the racks and shelves until my feet ached.  I found a chair while she continued without me.  I walked around the store, then returned to the chair.  We went from store to store.  I personally saw 50 sweaters that would have been just fine.  But, "just fine" wasn't and isn't good enough for Annie.

Three hours and $35.00 (that was a long time ago) later, she had the perfect sweater.  I can still see it.  It was a dark green cardigan with dangly buttons down the front.  I would have been in and out of the store in 15 minutes with a fine sweater in my shopping bag.

Today, I found nothing in Orvis but Annie found a poncho that she liked but didn't buy.  We had lunch and then went to a shoe store and Talbot's.  I bought a pair of shoes, just like the last six pairs I have bought over the last ten years or so.  Annie didn't find the perfect pair of shoes, so she bought nothing.  She did buy some pants at Talbot's sometime during my third nap in the comfy chairs they set out for fatigued husbands. 

I was about ready to head back to the condo when she asked, "Should I buy the poncho at Orvis?"

I gave her a look.  We had been at the Orvis store for over an hour.  I thought, "If you wanted it, why didn't you buy it when we were there?"  I didn't say that, of course.  I may not be the brightest bulb in the room, but I know when not to say something really stupid.

"Of course, sweetheart.  We can go back."

"Will you look at it with me?" she asked.

"Sure, darling, I will look at it."  So, back we went.  I looked at the poncho and told her that it looked nice on her.  Then I found a chair while she tried it on.  A short nap later, she had it in a bag with a sales receipt and we were on our way home.

Two hours after arriving home, I was working on the pictures you see above.  She looked at me and asked, "Can we go back to Manchester tomorrow?"

"Why, is there something else you want to buy?"

"No, I think I want to return the poncho.  I didn't really think it was the right one, but you made me buy it."

Tomorrow should be interesting.  And, that's why I love her so much.

Goodnight.

October 15, 2017. Quiz Results - Everybody Wins!

October 15, 2017.  Quiz Results - Everybody Wins!  My quizzes don't test for intelligence or even knowledge.  They test for perseverance.  My grandchildren are both intelligent and knowledgeable and those are important characteristics for young people to have.  But as important, if not more important, is perseverance.  Intelligence and knowledge without perseverance are pretty meaningless.  What good is intelligence if you give up on a problem before it is solved?  What good is knowledge if you aren't willing to use it until the problem is solved?  Perseverance is keeping on until you achieve the desired result.  It means keeping on when you are tired and distracted.  It means finishing what you start.

To do well on my quizzes, you just have to persevere.  You have to look at scores of pictures until you match a cut-out with the original picture.  If you look at enough pictures, you will find the match.  But, you have to stay with it, you have to keep on when you are tired or distracted.

I am proud to announce that my grandchildren are tough kids.  They looked at more than 100 pictures and matched them perfectly to the originals.  All three sets of grandchildren matched all the cut-outs perfectly.  It makes a grandparent proud.

So, kids, don't let me forget that I owe you money.  Since it was a three-way tie for first, each family gets $30.  That is a small price to pay for the affirmation that my grandchildren are a persevering lot.

We drove to Weston, VT, today to the Vermont Country Store.  The store sells just about anything you need or want.  We spent a few dollars on candy but ate about twice the amount we spent on free samples of various goodies on display.  I have a daughter who would go to one of the big box stores late on a Saturday morning and circle the sample circuit several times.  She explained it by saying that it was her lunch.  Even after circling the sample circuit at the Country Store, we ate lunch anyway.

Tomorrow, we will travel about 40 miles to Manchester.  We have been there several times since 2011.  Some of the photos I will take will probably look familiar to you.

That's it for today.  Goodnight.