Since we’re so close to Halloween, I’m sharing another happy Halloween memory. My daughter was all into Disney’s Pocahantas that year and I was into Deep Space Nine. It used to be so much fun to walk my daughter and her friends around the neighborhood after school and then come home to wait and see who would come around for trick or treating! I’m hoping we have some kids show up this year at our new townhouse.
A Happy Halloween Throwback
Since it’s almost Halloween, I thought I’d share a throwback to my sister, hubby (then boyfriend) and I all dressed up for a college Halloween party! We had a lot of fun putting together the costumes. My sister and mom worked on her Cowardly Lion costume. My mom helped me with my Mickey Mouse shorts. Hubby’s sister provided the big swatch of fabric for his cape and boy was it heavy. Hubby had an old Cadillac hood ornament hanging around that he used as his “Count” medallion. I guess I had a thing for vampires even then! LOL!
Last Doll Quinces Tradition
If you watched the South Beach Love Hallmark Movie, you may have seen some dolls during the scenes at the quinces party! Wonder what that’s about? Well in the quinces tradition, the young girl who is becoming a woman will give the doll to a younger girl to signify that she is now a woman. But it is also part of the tradition that the father will gift the young woman a doll that will become her last toy. That doll is one that is usually a keepsake for the young woman. This is a photo of my daughter’s quinces doll!
Don’t forget today is the last day to enter the South Beach Love contest at https://www.facebook.com/Caridad.Author/posts/10158235547410913. Post a photo of yourself or link to a photo to enter for the grand prize or tag/like/share for entries for the second chance prize.
Loving Chihuly Glass in Seattle
I was lucky to be able to visit Seattle a few years ago and it was fun to incorporate some of the things I saw into Trapping a Terrorist. The one thing I couldn’t bring myself to include in the story about a serial bomber was the Chihuly Garden and Glass. I couldn’t stand the thought of blowing up all that amazing glass artwork! My visit to Chihuly had to be my most favorite part of my visit followed by drinking Rainier beer (woo hoo for all the Longmire fans out there) at the ball game!
Sadness at Losing the Past and the Future
This year we lost our local bowling alley, the Lanes at Sea Girt. The lanes had survived COVID, but not the need for another strip mall apparently. The lanes had been there for 61 years.
Just this month the last of the Circus Diner disappeared when the well-known clown sign came down. The sign will go into storage until the town can decide what to do with it.
Like the Lanes at Sea Girt, the Circus Drive-IN had been around for over 60 years. I had the pleasure of eating there several times. Loved their onion rings and people would go there for the soft-shelled crab sandwiches and lobster rolls.
What’s going up in place of the Circus Drive-In? No word yet as far as I know except that it’s being redeveloped despite attempts by many to keep the restaurant alive.
It’s sad seeing so much history disappear and be replaced by another strip mall, fast food joint, or bank. It’s not just that we’re losing a piece of the past, but the future as well. Do we really want to live in a sterile America defined by one strip mall after another?
How about you? Have you lost any interesting landmarks, restaurants, etc. that really bummed you out?
Sharing our Time in the Public Eye
Every year we go into New York City to see the Christmas windows and other decorations, have a nice meal and watch the Nutcracker Ballet. We also drop by the NY Public Library on 42nd Street to check out whatever exhibit is happening. Several years back the exhibit was on 175 Years of Sharing various photos and the many ways we are seen via social media and surveillance. One of the things to do in the exhibit was a giant mirror where you could snap a selfie to share. Honestly, we couldn’t resist and here I am with my hubby and daughter!
A lovely visit to Colonial Williamsburg
Hubby and I were supposed to take a very special trip last year to celebrate my retirement from my full-time job, but unfortunately, the trip was canceled due to COVID. Fast forward to this August and the trip was canceled again. Sigh. With our days free to do something, we decided to visit one of our favorite places: Colonial Williamsburg. We drove down for a few days and had a lovely time basking in our Nation’s history! If you haven’t had a chance to visit, it’s definitely worth a trip. If you have, but haven’t been a while, there are a couple of new areas where they are doing archeological digs and quite a number of nice restaurants!
So for today’s Throwback Thursday, here are some photos from our visit. I’ve only done one historical romance (Snow Falling) but maybe I’ll do one in colonial times one day!
