Today we are going to Muse about serendipity. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
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ser·en·dip·i·ty | ˌserənˈdipədē |
noun, the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way: a fortunate stroke of serendipity | a series of small serendipities.
We are between holidays and I have just experienced a tortuous serendipity. Having not much else to do at the moment I thought I would share it with you.
In July we were preparing for a several month trip to Mexico. Such a trip requires thoughtful packing and takes time. Among the items I knew I would need were reading glasses (readers). I have two pair I like, one for the newspaper and the other for the computer. I didn’t want to take them both . . . too much stuff. I packed the pair I thought I would least miss if it was lost or broken and put the other in a glasses case.
And off we went to Mexico. The pair I took was misplaced and wasn’t found until we returned home. In the travel it was damaged. Hmmm!
So once we were home I started looking for the other pair . . . nowhere to be found. I knew I put it in a glasses case. Frustrating! I thought I was being so careful. Where the hell did it go?
With one pair missing and one pair damaged the decision was made to order another pair. Shortly, a small box arrived. And in it was this.
Strange looking case
I was expecting something else. This did not look like a reading glass case.
But, looks are sometimes misleading.
That’s OK.
About this time I was working at my computer. It and numerous other devices feed into is a rats nest of electric plugs and surge protectors in the chair-well of the credenza next to my desk.
The Big Daddy is this fellow.
It has a backup battery that can power the devices for hours in the event of power failure.
But, you know, a battery has a limited life and just at this time Big Daddy died. When that happens . . . .
BEEP BEEP BEEP
Very distracting. So I had to turn it off, extract the battery and order a new one. These fellows are not found at the grocery store
With Big Daddy out of commission I needed an additional surge protector to accommodate all the things plugged into the rats nest. I only had one more available.
Do you see the little sucker near the left of the work table? The red arrow is a hint.
What you do not see is where the thing is plugged in. The outlet is floor level at the back left corner of the work area. That means in order to retrieve the protector and get it over to the computer area I had to pull the work table out into the room far enough to crawl back there and unplug it.
Do you have any idea how heavy that thing is? The drawers you see are paper files, filled with prints, drawings and supplies. That makes it REAL HEAVY. It takes all my effort to pull that table away from the wall and I am not a small guy.
But I did it.
I left the table partly out into the room so I could get back to the outlet. When the replacement battery arrived, I put everything back as it was before. In the process I pulled the table even further into the room for easier access to the outlet. And I found this:
Serendipity
More to come
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Today we are going to Muse about The Smoki people. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
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The Smoki
One of the great joys I experienced as a boy was an annual visit to my grandparents who lived in Prescott, Arizona. Most of these visits were in the summer when school was out and that meant I was often in Prescott for the 4th of July and Frontier Days and the rodeo.
Bronc rider
I was also there in August to view the Smoki Dances, which were spectacular, well-intentioned and politically incorrect. I thought we could talk about them today.
frontier days
The Smoki, pronounced “smoke eye”, date back to 1921. That year, Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo was broke and in dire need of money. A group of prominent businessmen and politicians decided to put on an “Indian” show in the hopes of bringing in more customers. Their show, billed “Way out West Show,” was a roaring success.
smoki snake dancers
They dressed in native attire, danced, beat drums, chanted and performed what appeared to be Native Americanrituals. The Smoki People were born. (In 1922, historian Sharlot Hall wrote a booklet, The Story of the Smoki People, a history of the fictitious tribe.)
The fake tribe’s popularity grew. The Smoki formed a women’s auxiliary, which took charge of costume design and fabrication. After two years as part of the Smoki, a woman could shed her “maiden” status and become a Smoki Squaw. Children also became involved and received costumes and wigs made of black yarn. The social aspect of the organization appealed to many, and, after a few years, most Prescott residents were affiliated in some way with the Smoki. Smoki was part history, Hollywood, social club and a who’s-who of Prescott society in the early years: Gail Gardner, Barry Goldwater and Grace Sparkes were members; and Sharlot Hall wrote a scathing editorial when a California newspaper criticized Smoki.
Even President Coolidge had contact with the Smoki. He became an honorary member. Here Coolidge is shown on October 22, 1924, holding a ceremonial hat of the fictitious[127] Smoki Indians. On June 2, 1924, Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted full U.S. citizenship to all American Indians, while permitting them to retain tribal land and cultural rights. However, the act was unclear on whether the federal government or the tribal leaders retained tribal sovereignty.
The Smoki people participated in parades as far away as Philadelphia spreading knowledge of the organization and its ceremonials. A particularly famous member of the Smoki was Barry Goldwater who often served as an announcer at the shows.
smoki in Phoenix 1928
The exclusive club dominated Prescott’s social scene for the next 70 years. The Smoki members were, for the most part, business people and could be recognized by distinctive, and discreet, tattoos on their left hands, three dots in the hollow between the index finger and the thumb.
Smoki Dancers and pueblo
Smoki historians say that even though the dances and performances may have started out as a money-making operation, their philosophy turned more lofty after they legally formed the Smoki group in 1923.
snake dancers
The shows were physically challenging due to the wide range of dances performed. The annual snake dance was the signature performance but it was only one of many dances. By the 1980’s, the Smoki had trouble recruiting younger members and, as a result, had increasing difficulty with staging a vigorous show. Although audiences, predominantly white Anglo Saxons, loved the annual snake dance performed in “the dark moon of August,” some Native Americans, particularly the Hopi, were not amused.
The controversy and animosity between some tribes and the people of Prescott started in 1921. It’s simple,” said Donald Nelson of the Native American Advisory Council for the Smoki Museum. “The snake dance is very sacred to the snake clan. It’s a religion issue.” In 1990, a delegation from the Hopi reservation observed the show and decided to protest recognizing that the Smoki dance emphasized entertainment while their ceremony was very religious. In 1991, in light of waning numbers to put on such elaborate performances and on the heels of a peaceful Hopi protest against the dances, the Smoki People disbanded.
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Today we are going to Muse about how we live our life. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
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Recently Jeanette shared with me a writing sent to her by Greg Howard. I have a birthday coming up and the thoughtful message resonates with me. Perhaps it will with you as well.
List for Aging
1. It’s time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don’t just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet.
2. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don’t feel bad spending your money on yourself. You’ve taken care of them for many years, and you’ve taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.
3. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well and get your sleep. It’s easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, do tests even when you’re feeling well. Stay informed.
4. Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together
5. Don’t stress over the little things. Like paying a little extra on price quotes. You’ve already overcome so much in your life.You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don’t let the past drag you down and don’t let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten.
6. Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: “A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection.”
7. Be proud, both inside and out. Don’t stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.
8. Don’t lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. There’s nothing worse than an older person trying to wear the current fashion among youngsters. You’ve developed your own sense of what looks good on you – keep it and be proud of it. It’s part of who you are.
9. ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You’ll be surprised what old friends you’ll meet. Keeping in touch with what is going on and with the people you know is important at any age.
10. Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are the future, and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday’s wisdom still applies today.
11. Never use the phrase: “In my time.” Your time is now. As long as you’re alive, you are part of this time. You may have been younger, but you are still you now, having fun and enjoying life.
12. Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it’ll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you older and harder to be around.
13. Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. If you’ve lost your partner (our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in with you and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live alone.
14. Don’t abandon your hobbies. If you don’t have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf. You can paint, volunteer or just collect certain items. Find something you like and spend some real time having fun with it.
15. Even if you don’t feel like it, accept invitations. Baptisms, graduations, birthdays, weddings, conferences. Get out of the house, meet people you haven’t seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). But don’t get upset when you’re not invited. Some events are limited by resources, and not everyone can be hosted. The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a field. Get out there.
16. Be a conversationalist. Talk less and listen more. Some people go on and on about the past, not caring if their listeners are really interested. That’s a great way of reducing their desire to speak with you. Listen first and answer questions, but don’t go off into long stories unless asked to. Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are. Everyone is going through the same things, and people have a low tolerance for hearing complaints. Always find some good things to say as well.
17. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the cycle of life we’re all going through. Try to minimize them in your mind. They are not who you are, they are something that life added to you. If they become your entire focus, you lose sight of the person you used to be.
18. If you’ve been offended by someone – forgive them. If you’ve offended someone – apologize. Don’t drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn’t matter who was right. Someone once said: “Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Don’t take that poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life.
19. If you have a strong belief, savor it. But don’t waste your time trying to convince others. They will make their own choices no matter what you tell them, and it will only bring you frustration. Live your faith and set an example. Live true to your beliefs and let that memory sway them.
20. Laugh. Laugh A LOT. Laugh at everything. Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life. But you did. So what’s not to laugh about? Find the humor in your situation.
21. Take no notice of what others say about you and even less notice of what they might be thinking. They’ll do it anyway, and you should have pride in yourself and what you’ve achieved. Let them talk and don’t worry. They have no idea about your history, your memories and the life you’ve lived so far. There’s still much to be written, so get busy writing and don’t waste time thinking about what others might think. Now is the time to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can be!
more to come
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My work is available as traditional prints on canvas, paper or metal, but it also available on greeting cards, phone covers, tote bags, shower curtains, t-shirts and more. It makes for some very personalized gifts. Below is the link to the site. I hope you like it.
Today we are going to Muse about our time in Mexico. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
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Seven Weeks
We were seven weeks in Mexico this year. Too short a time. I really love it there.
We head to the central mountains in the heart of colonial Mexico. This is not the land of sprawling beach front resorts and carefully crafted tourist retreats. This is the land of history, of real community, a magical land. To be sure, it appeals to tourists and has five star hotels, spas and restaurants. But that is just the surface. There is a depth and soul that is missing in the beach front resorts.
Cactus and Vistas
Outside the city of San Miguel de Allende it is a land of cactus, vistas and farming.
Prickly Pear
Near Posos
The City
The city it is a place of sophistication, history and wonder.
San Miguel de Allende
It is just a place of fun, on so many levels.
Would you see this at home?
Or This?Or this?
Exotic
Churches, Weddings and Ancient Buildings
San Miguel is a city of churches and thus weddings, and ancient buildings.
On the way to a wedding
East side of la Parroquia
La parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel
Parks and Public Places
This is also a city of parks and public places. Parks and plazas are abundant and they are used.
Parque Benito Juarez
El Jardin
Park Benches are always full
Crowds
On the weekends the population swells with people coming for a short get-away. Most are young people from the south, principally Mexico City, I think.
And there are people
And more people
And More People
Color is What You See
I am always struck by the vibrant use of color. Color is the urban spice.
Stunning
Color is everywhere
El Mercado
Folk art
A Walking City
If you like to walk this is a place you would enjoy. People walk! Yes, there are taxis ($2-3)and Uber, but around Centro, the colonial center of town, people tend to walk.
History
This also is a place of importance in Mexican History. In 1810 the people of Mexico rose up against the government and started their War of Independence, freeing them from Spain and France. San Miguel el Grande was central in this revolt. Ignacio Allende, lived in San Miguel and he became the military leader of the revolt. He was executed during the conflict, but after Mexico achieved its Independence the city name was changed to San Miguel de Allende.
Independence Day Fiesta
The last week we were in town we attended a grand party celebrating Independence day. There were at our table, Jeanette and Beatty, friends Don and Joan who live in SMA and myself. It was a huge affair held at the Rosewood Hotel with several hundred people attending. Open bars. Multiple Mexican food stations. Entertainment.
Here are a few photos:
Under the tent
Beatty
I was fascinated by the strange cloud and moon configuration seen in the background.
For us the night came to a close when an actor portraying Ignacio Allende read the Cry for Independence, El Grito. It was about 11:00PM. We toddled off to our respective beds.
The party went to 2:00AM.
more to come
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Today we are going to Muse about Mexican art and fine crafts. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
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Not far from the Santuary tucked away in the country is the Galaria Atotonilco. It is a destination gallery of fine Mexican art and crafts, one of a kind in Mexico and interestingly owned and run by Mayer Shacter and his wife, transplants from Berkeley, California.
Jeanette and I have been there many times over the years, but this summer we were joined by our friend Beatty. She wanted to see fine work, so we made arrangements to show her the gallery.
An appointment is required since the gallery is located way back on private property away from the main road. I made the appointment several weeks in advance of Beatty’s arrival.
On the chosen day we arrived at the entrance to the property at 11:00 AM, our appointed time. The gate was closed and locked. Hmm!
I gave the gallery a call and explained “We are here“. There was a silence and then questions: “Who made the appointment? We never make appointments before 12:00. We are having an open house today which starts at 12:00. We are still setting up.”
Not the warmest of receptions, but after discussion it was agreed they would open the gate and allow us to wander around outside while the final preparations were being made for the open house.
The first thing you see after winding down a long and narrow road is the gallery.
Galaria Atotonilco
It definitely stands out. Next to it is the residence which is also very contemporary.
house on the right
On the back side of the house is a pool, seating areas and vast open space.
Jeanette and Beatty at the pool
seating area and dogs
The property goes on and on
I enjoyed wandering around the property nearly as much as visiting the gallery.
The Gallery
However, visiting the gallery is incredible. The art is principally fine crafts, small sculptures and carvings, masks, ceramics and such. The attention to detail and pattern has to be seen.
Here are examples:
This is outside the entrance
masks and carvings
more masks
A room of treasures
Four Ladies
Sensory OverLoad
There are rooms and more rooms filled with these wonderful objects. There are so many that I tend to get sensory overload and stop seeing what is right before me. I need to take a break and come back again.
Look at these next items. I have narrowed the focus so you see specific pieces. I think the attention to detail is phenomenal.
Dragon?
Leopard and Cubs
Coyote
Princess
Two Ladies
That gives you a mini-tour. If you find yourself in San Miguel de Allende you should seek this out.
And just so you know, Beatty made it worth while for them to let us browse around.
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Today we are going to Muse about luck. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
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Wow. Sometimes we are just lucky.
While we were in Mexico, Jeanette and I were invited to a party, a birthday celebration, held downtown in a restaurant, appropriately called The Restaurant. It was “burger night”!
We were a group of ten, two guys and eight women. The conversation was lively and the margaritas fueled the evening. The burger was pretty good too.
Eventually the festivity wore down and it was time to toddle home. We grabbed a taxi just as it began to rain. Thunder and lightning. KaBLAM! KaBLAM! And torrents of rain.
The taxi inched its way through the narrow streets which were running curb to curb with water. The windshield wipers could not clear the water it came so hard and fast. Our driver could barely see the road.
Our house was located next to a park on a one way street that goes up-hill away from the main city streets. When we finally got to the house the street was a river six inches deep running curb to curb with the downhill run off. The rain was sheeting down. I was soaking wet standing in the rain while I paid the driver. I ran to the front entry fumbling for the key. Open finally, I stepped into the courtyard. Jeanette came flying in. I closed the door.
Then Jeanette shouted,
“My purse! I left my purse in the taxi!”
What! Her phone, drivers license, money and Filofax of contacts all in her purse.
I ran out to the street and saw the taxi slowly disappear up the street through the rain. Oh _ _ _ _! Big problem.
On the opposite side of the park there is a one way street running back down to the city center. I took the chance that the taxi would take that road out of our neighborhood and I ran through the park in the downpour. As I reached the street I saw headlights coming toward me. It was raining so hard I could no tell if it was the taxi or not, but I stood in the middle of the lane and it came to a stop.
Yes! Our taxi.
Laying on the back seat was the purse.
Sometimes we are just lucky
More to come
Ifyou like Musings, take a moment and click the sign up button on the side-bar to the right so you will be notified by e-mail when I make a new post.
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3. Click on option.
4. Click on image and a sizing slide will open allowing you to adjust the image to the way you like it..
Have fun.
My work is available as traditional prints on canvas, paper or metal, but it also available on greeting cards, phone covers, tote bags, shower curtains, t-shirts and more. It makes for some very personalized gifts. Below is the link to the site. I hope you like it.
Today we are going to Muse about Mexico. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
Colored text is a link. So is a word underlined in dots like “Musings” in the above paragraph. Clicking on the text will provide additional information about the subject.
We are back. Did you miss us?
Almost two months ago Jeanette and I flew down to Mexico to stay in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) where we go most every year. It is our way of escaping the heat and humidity of the Florida summer. It also helps to be away from the hurricane track.
As a result, my Musing went silent. But we are back and I’ll try to do some catching up in the next several weeks.
OUR HOUSE
The house we rented this year was one storey, which is unusual in SMA. Because of the small lot sizes, most homes are two, three or even four stories. It is a vertical town. But ours was all on one floor except for the Casita which we did not use.
This is the dining area and kitchen.
There were windows and doors on every wall.
Here is what I called “The Morning Room”.
This is where I would have my coffee and read my e-mail and internet news. It was the only room in the house that could get Wi-Fi.
Outdoors there was a comfortable loggia, a sitting area and a large gated yard. The latter was important to keep Teddy safe from harm.
TeddyloggiaSitting areaback yard
And there was the Casita which we did not use.
I liked the Casita staircase.
THE ROUTINE
Our time in SMA was spent doing the normal things: dining out, giving and attending parties, shopping, playing croquet, and hosting guests.
Shopping
At the Novell’s
It’s a party
Dining Out
Croquet
There was a rhythm to our day. I was up first, usually. Walk the dog. Feed the dog. Read the news, then off to croquet.
Jeanette was into yoga, massages and squiring around house guests. We had our friend Janet who came down twice for several days. Sandwiched between her visits was her ex-husband and our friend, Gary. Near the end of our stay we had Beatty. All contributed to making our stay special.
CROWDS
On the weekend SMA was swarming with tourists, young people for the most part. Many come up from Mexico city. When they come Centro (downtown) is really difficult to get through. We would try to stay away.
tourists
more tourists
Mid week, the crowds were much more manageable.
mid-week difference.
RYTHYM
Most days were sunny and nice with the temperature reaching the low 80’s. In the afternoon the clouds would begin to gather.
Afternoon clouds
Some skies were stunning
And on occasion we would have evening rain. Twice it rained really hard. Here you can see the clouds building.
It rained a lot later
In one storm, the transformer at the Hope Harmon Croquet Club was struck by lightning, blowing out the club’s electricity. The pump used to irrigate the courts was useless. When we left for home, the power was still off, some ten days later. The club did its best to water the court, using a hand held hose and trucking water in several times.
Trying to save the court
When we arrived, the court was in the best shape I had seen it. When we left there were brown spots and dead areas. It is too bad.
So now we are back. I’ll Muse some more about our time in Mexico in the weeks to come. Hasta luego.
more to come
Ifyou like Musings, take a moment and click the sign up button on the side-bar to the right so you will be notified by e-mail when I make a new post.
2. Click on one of the categories in the menu bar at the top: Wall Art, Home Decor, Lifestyle, Stationery or Apparel. It will list a number of options.
3. Click on option.
4. Click on image and a sizing slide will open allowing you to adjust the image to the way you like it..
Have fun.
My work is available as traditional prints on canvas, paper or metal, but it also available on greeting cards, phone covers, tote bags, shower curtains, t-shirts and more. It makes for some very personalized gifts. Below is the link to the site. I hope you like it.
Today we are going to Muse about Croquet. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
Colored text is a link. So is a word underlined in dots like “Musings” in the above paragraph. Clicking on the text will provide additional information about the subject.
Not a golfer
Growing up I was never into sports. The only sport-like activity I remember was ping pong and pool. Many hours were spent in those pursuits.
In my late fifties I met Jeanette. She is a golfer and loves the sport. I thought to myself “that is something we could do together” and I decided to take it up. I did it for five years and was never very good. I was also not good to be with. If I made a bad shot I would get surly, not enjoying the game and spoiling it for anyone with me. Finally one bad day it came to a head and I said to myself, “Enough! I hate this. I make others feel bad. I am not doing this anymore.”
And I quit and haven’t played it since.
But I needed something to do.
And, so . . . Croquet
At our club there are croquet lawns. I had played backyard croquet once or twice growing up but that was all. These courts were obviously more serious than the game we played as a child.
Croquet lawns
Years earlier a friend, Dwight Mayer, had invited a number of us to the courts and showed us some aspects of the game. He was trying to get us involved, but at the time I did not want to devote the free time I had on the weekends to any one thing.
Now, though, I thought, perhaps this is something I would enjoy. I bought and read the book, Croquet the Sport by Jack R. Osborn.
And about this time another friend, Carl Sturges, a croquet player, took me under his wing and gave me lessons.
Time has passed and croquet has become an important social connection for both Jeanette and me. We have friends across the country and in Mexico because of croquet. Recently we played in a tournament in New Jersey. There were players from several states in addition to New Jersey: Florida, California, Massachusetts, New York that I know of. Probably more. Some of the players were new to us but there were a number we knew from previous tournaments.
Croquet is a low impact sport in which women and men compete as equals. The key is skill and strategy. As much as anything it is a mind game. Properly played the contestant will be thinking three and four turns ahead, trying to anticipate the plays the opponent will make and how to defend from them and capitalize on them. It has been likened to chess and billiards played on a lawn.
Florida is the home of the National Croquet Center, the largest croquet facility in the country. It is located in Palm Beach County where there are at least eight croquet clubs. So we have it pretty good where I live.
If you have an interest you can contact the United States Croquet Association (http://www.croquetamerica.com) and see which clubs are in your area. They also have schools and a list of tournaments held around the country.
Art Work
On the commercial side, I have used the game as a subject of some of my art work. Here are some examples:
2. Click on one of the categories in the menu bar at the top: Wall Art, Home Decor, Lifestyle, Stationery or Apparel. It will list a number of options.
3. Click on option.
4. Click on image and a sizing slide will open allowing you to adjust the image to the way you like it..
Have fun.
My work is available as traditional prints on canvas, paper or metal, but it also available on greeting cards, phone covers, tote bags, shower curtains, t-shirts and more. It makes for some very personalized gifts. Below is the link to the site. I hope you like it.
Today we are going to Muse about a road trip. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
Colored text is a link. So is a word underlined in dots like “Musings” in the above paragraph. Clicking on the text will provide additional information about the subject.
On the Road Again
We are just back from a road trip north. I’m trying to get back in the groove.
A month or so ago, Jeanette and I decided to play in the Green Gables Croquet Club Invitational Tournament. The tournament takes place on the New Jersey National Guard base in Sea Girt, New Jersey. Rather than just fly up we made it a driving trip using it as an opportunity to visit sites and see friends along the way.
If you have ever driven from Florida where we live to the northeast on the I-95 highway you know it can be tedious, boring and stressful with heavy traffic and nothing to see except pine trees. We decided to go inland where possible and avoid the I-95.
Augusta, GA
Getting out of east coast Florida avoidance is not possible, so the first day we drove the I-95 from West Palm Beach to near Savannah where we went inland to Augusta, Georgia. The traffic was heavy and we were in rain much of the way. We saw two crashes, one right next to us nearly involving us. A long and stressful day.
Charlotte, NC
The next day we drove only a couple hours to Charlotte, North Carolina, where we stopped to see an old friend. A nice dinner, a nice visit made the day a winner. And it allowed the stress of the first day to fall away.
We left Charlotte traveling, through the Shenandoah Valley, on our way to Gettysburg where we planned to stay with our friends, Jim and Scott. They recommended that we stop along the way at Natural Bridge, VA, a state park.
“Its half way from Charlotte and a beautiful place to stop. At the bottom by the river there is a funky place to grab lunch, which is pretty good”, they said.
When you arrive you go through a large reception building which sells tourist stuff: tee-shirts, tchotchkes, hats and more. And entrance tickets!
Off we went.
Entrance
Jeanette led the way down the winding path to the bottom of the gorge.
heading down further down
At the bottom a river runs along the gorge and under the Natural Bridge. The bridge was formed over the millions of years by the erosion of the river. In the late 1700’s it was purchased by Thomas Jefferson and today it has a road across it.
Natural Bridge
We had our lunch riverside and then took a shuttle up to our parked car. Thank goodness for the shuttle. It was hot and the climb up would have been difficult.
Leaving Virginia behind us, we continued on to Gettysburg where we stayed two nights with our friends Jim and Scott. They purchased a home there several years ago. Jim’s family goes back several generations there and he has a fond attachment to the area.
We had been there a number of years ago, visiting the battlefield, but had not really spent anytime in the countryside. One afternoon while some of the party was napping, Scott took me for a drive through the surrounds. If you find yourself in the Gettysburg area, I recommend you do the same. The countryside is beautiful, rolling hills, apple orchards, cherry orchards, peach orchards, corn fields, with farmers markets, farms and small quaint towns. Very peaceful.
Jim, when he was in high school, had been the youngest battlefield tour guide at the time. He knows the battlefield and gave us a much better understanding of how the battle unfolded.
Tour Guide Jim Confederate position day one
The battlefield is immense. I think Jim said the national park is 35 square miles and does not include all of the territory where the battle was fought.
Union position day one/ Jeanette and Scott
As you can see, it was a great day to visit the park.
Around the battlefield there are many monuments, monuments to fighting units and monuments to individual commanders like Reynolds and Meade. Most are union monuments.
This monument is typical. It is a monument for the Pennsylvania Infantry. The plaque lists the number of officers and men killed, wounded, captured, or died by disease.
The area is beautiful this time of year. Our hostess, Peggy, keeps a summer home there. I asked her what the winters were like and she responded with one word: Grim.
The Tournament
The tournament started Thursday and concluded Sunday with both singles and doubles match play. There were thirty nine players. Rain threatened but never came and it was hot.
One day I played four matches, which is a bit more than five hours, in the sun. Another day I played four matches, nearly four hours in the sun. Each night I was beat.
In the end, I played in the finals match in the first flight losing to Quinn Reinhardt, age 18. He played a great game.
I knew I was in trouble when Quinn, three ball dead with his black ball on the line behind wicket one, going for wicket two scored the wicket across the court. If you don’t know croquet I will tell you that is an unbelievable shot. Wickets are set to 1/32 of an inch clearance in tournament play.
Quinn will be a national croquet presence, I predict.
It was a fun tournament.
Here are some scenes:
courts and lunch tent Jeanette scoring the hoopGames in play
Runner up First Flight Singles
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Monday we were on the road again and drove down the dreaded I-95 to Fayetteville, NC. Long day but uneventful.
Sea Girt, N J to Fayetteville, N C
West Palm Beach, Florida
And finally, home to West Palm Beach, FL. Long trip. Had fun. Glad it is over.
Fayetteville, NC to West Palm Beach, FL
More to come
Ifyou like Musings, take a moment and click the sign up button on the side-bar to the right so you will be notified by e-mail when I make a new post.
2. Click on one of the categories in the menu bar at the top: Wall Art, Home Decor, Lifestyle, Stationery or Apparel. It will list a number of options.
3. Click on option.
4. Click on image and a sizing slide will open allowing you to adjust the image to the way you like it..
Have fun.
My work is available as traditional prints on canvas, paper or metal, but it also available on greeting cards, phone covers, tote bags, shower curtains, t-shirts and more. It makes for some very personalized gifts. Below is the link to the site. I hope you like it.
Today we are going to Muse about things that go awry. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
Colored text is a link. So is a word underlined in dots like “Musings” in the above paragraph. Clicking on the text will provide additional information about the subject.
Things that go awry
Two weeks ago we were watching a PGA Tournament on our television. It was a cloudy day at the tournament. The sky was a light dull gray. The sun was trying to break through. It was a light faint white circle in the field of gray.
Then I noticed that one eye of the commentator was brighter than the other when his head was about in the same spot on the TV screen as the sun had been!?
Would you believe . . . we had a white spot forming on our screen!
I had never seen something like this before. Our set, an LG, is less that five years old. None of my previous sets had a problem like this.
As I was grousing about the issue, Jeanette did the smart thing and went into her files and found we had a five year warranty and that we purchased the set four years seven month ago. That was good news.
We got a store credit.
So now we have a new smart TV. Of course the new set has more capabilities than the old set and the picture is brighter and sharper so it cost more than the store credit. But what the hey, we have a new TV and a new five year warranty! Now all we have to do is learn how to navigate the various options.
I remember when the television had three channels. You selected them by manually turning a dial and the news was 30 minutes.
More to come
Ifyou like Musings, take a moment and click the sign up button on the side-bar to the right so you will be notified by e-mail when I make a new post.
2. Click on one of the categories in the menu bar at the top: Wall Art, Home Decor, Lifestyle, Stationery or Apparel. It will list a number of options.
3. Click on option.
4. Click on image and a sizing slide will open allowing you to adjust the image to the way you like it..
Have fun.
My work is available as traditional prints on canvas, paper or metal, but it also available on greeting cards, phone covers, tote bags, shower curtains, t-shirts and more. It makes for some very personalized gifts. Below is the link to the site. I hope you like it.
