Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a great holiday. I love the food we have for Thanksgiving--turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes...... We had 22 people in my family for the delicious meal. I think my mother's dressing is the best. I had some of the leftovers tonight and it was great.

We had the best time. The ages ranged from 77 to 1 and we had four generations. We were missing 6 of my immediate family who could not attend. Afterward, we played several games. One was "Catch Phrase". It was a team game and we had two very competitive teams. It was hilarious and I recommend the game for other family gatherings.

What a fun day!

Can you see me now?

I decided to put a photo in my profile for all to see. Let me know what you think? Was it too revealing?

Nellie

Home again

I got home today at about 5:06 pm. The change from eastern to central time and the daylight savings change gave me more sleep last night. I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night in Joliet, Illinois and travelled 498 miles from there to my door.

I drove a total of 3875 miles since October 18. The trip home was 1568 miles.

In the next few days, I plan to fill in more of my trip. I listened to an audiobook on the Mayflower by Philbrink. It was filled with stories covering about 60 years from their trip to the new world. It was very interesting.

Massachusetts is filled with history about the early days of our country. I went to some places to learn about the Pilgrims and others about the Revolutionary War. All of it was fascinating.

We saw art and stained glass and lighthouses on Cape Cod. I saw millions of exhibits at the Corning museum. It was beautiful.

I visited with relatives and friends. I caught up on all their lives. It was a great trip and just what I needed.

On my trip back, I spent the day in Seneca Falls and Rochester, New York before heading to Niagara Falls for the night. I got to see Niagara Falls Saturday morning before heading back to Nebraska. On Saturday, I was in five states--New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Today I only had three.

I loved driving instead of flying because I didn't have to limit what I took or what I could bring back.

I need to plan more road trips. I'll be going through all my pictures and will have more to see in the next few days.

Nellie

Niagara Falls American side

On Halloween morning, I went to see Niagara Falls before heading for home. I plan to show more later but this looks spooky like Halloween.

I plan to fill in more on the Adams family, my day in Rochester and Seneca Falls, and my last days of travel home.

Yesterday I drove from Niagara Falls to Joliet, Illinois. I was in five states--New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. I will be leaving for Nebraska soon and will be traveling through Illinois, Iowa, and then home to Lincoln.

Nellie

John Adams homes

John Adams spent much of the time during the Revolutionary War and after in Europe. He helped secure the agreements with France to stay out of the war and to settle the war with England. He was the vice president to George Washington and became our second president.

He was married to Abigail. Abigail was an educated woman--uncommon for that time. Her father was a minister and apparently in favor of education for women. She was a true partner with her husband and they corresponded regularly because she was usually maintaining the home place.

Peace Field is the family mansion that was lived in by the family until the 1920s. It is now maintained by the National Park Service. It is filled with furniture and belongings of the family.

Nellie

John Adams

On October 27, 2009, I went to Quincy, Massachusetts, and visited the "Presidents' Church". John Adams (the 2nd president) and John Quincy Adams (the 6th president) and their wives are buried in a crypt in the basement of the church. The only other president buried in this way is Woodrow Wilson in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. I have also seen where he is buried.

The photos above are the crypts, which were very hard to photograph due to the type quarters so I am only showing John Adams' crypt. On the wall outside the crypt, are plaques about each of them. Louisa was American but was the only first lady to be born outside the United States.

On October 28, I went back to Quincy and took a tour of the Adams family mansion, named Peace Field. Four generations of Adams lived there until the 1920s. I will do that blog later.

I want to add more about the ladies in my next blogs. They are interesting in their own right.

Also on display are some of the writings of John and Abigail Adams. I was able to get a good photo of Abigail's famous letter to her husband asking him to "remember the ladies".

I also have more ladies to tell about from my adventures yesterday as I traveled across New York.

I spent last night here in Niagara Falls and plan to see the falls this morning before I start deadheading for home. I'm staying at a fancy hotel, The Crown Plaza, for $89 because it's off season. I stopped at a rest stop where they had a tourist information and someone to help and he told me about this place and the rate. It's about $100 less than the usual rate and very close to the falls.

It's been a great trip and I have lots more to tell but need to get with the program as my dad would say.

This trip has been fabulous and everyday I've see so much and have so much more to tell you.

Nellie

Plymouth Rock

My last stop of the day was at Plymouth Rock. It seemed so appropriate and necessary after seeing the actual landing spot on Cape Cod yesterday to follow up with this. I must say it is not as exciting as seeing the memorials. I am listening to more of "Mayflower" as I am driving. It makes it all seem so much more real to see where things really happened.

I also saw the Mayflower II as the sun was setting. Can you imagine being on a ship like this traveling all the way from Europe?

There is a statue of a pilgrim which was placed across the road in 1920 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to honor the pilgrims.

Nellie

Fall River, Massachusetts

My next stop was in Fall River--most famous for the Lizzie Borden case. She was acquitted of killing her step mother and father with an ax. The original house is now a bed and breakfast. A tv movie was made in 1975 starring Elizabeth Montgomery (of Bewitched fame) as Lizzie Borden. I have always found this story fascinating and took a tour of the house today. The couch is where her father was killed and the bed shows where the stepmother was killed. It was a large house. One of the dresses Elizabeth Montgomery wore in the movie is on display in the house. How evidence is processed has come a long way. Children said the following rhyme:

Lizzie Borden took an axe

And gave her mother forty whacks.

When she saw what she had done

She gave her father forty-one.

Nellie

PS Emirel Lagasse is from Fall River and I wish he had a restaurant there. I would love to try his food.

Providence, Rhode Island

It has been quite some time since I have been to the east coast. I met an old friend in Providence, Rhode Island for a delicious lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. The restaurant is across the street from the state capitol. The top of their capitol has a fisherman on it, just as ours has the sower. It was quite beautiful.

Nellie

Halloween on Cape Cod

Halloween is a big deal on Cape Cod. Now we know where Michael Jackson is.

Nellie

Pilgrim's Memorial in Provincetown

Furry caterpiller on Cape Cod

Does this mean it will be a harsh winter?

Nellie

Cape Cod

Today, I went to Cape Cod with friends. The weather was perfect and the ocean was so blue. In Provincetown, there were signs up that the businesses were closing for the season. One store had beautiful stained glass and there were a number of artsy types of shops.

We had lunch in a small cafe in Provincetown. I had macaroni and cheese with lobster--not something that I have every day in Nebraska. Provincetown is on the tip of the cape and there is a memorial for the Pilgrims.

I saw several lighthouses--Naussett, Highlands, and Three Sisters. On my trip to the east coast, I was listening to an audiobook by Philbrink, Mayflower. I've only made it through the first half but the trip to Cape Cod was fascinating because I saw many of the spots referred to in the book. I recommend the book but only if you like history and are not expecting a fast paced mystery.

Nellie

New England foliage

As I traveled from the midwest to the east coast earlier in the week, I saw a lot of pretty color as the leaves were changing. Today, I took some photos of some of the color here in Massachusetts. The color of the trees has varied from greens to yellows to oranges to reds and browns. The leaves will be gone soon, but they are beautiful.

Nellie

Hartford, Connecticut

On Friday, October 23, 2009, my friend and I traveled to Hartford, Connecticut to go to a Stitches conference. It was about a variety of needlework, but primarily knitting and crocheting. There were thousands of colors and types of yarns to choose from

After we finished looking at all the yarns, we went to Mark Twain's house. He lived in Hartford for about 20 years and did much of his writing here.

Nellie

Corning Museum--off to see Pyrex

On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, I was in Corning, NY. I saw the day before that there was a glass museum in my AAA travel book for New York and drove from Buffalo to Corning to see it the next morning before heading on to Massachusetts. A few weeks earlier, one of my friends had mentioned that she would like to see the Corning factory where they made Pyrex. This is for you, Deb.

The ad showed that it was museum. The museum was huge and had many beautiful and valuable exhibits. One section consisted of a number of rooms of beautiful and expensive pieces of expensive glass art that was collected over several decades and donated by collectors from Chicago. Above are a few of the pieces. I would highly recommend this museum and the glass making demonstrations. They also have a little class where you can make your own glass ornament available but I did not have the time to do it.

Nellie

Buffalo Wings

Last night, I ate at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. I love buffalo wings and had to go to the place that invented them.

Nellie

On the Road

October 18, 2009, I began my road trip. I travelled most of the way that day and arrived in Warren, Michigan about 11:00 pm and stayed with relatives. On Monday, we drove through Detroit and saw some of the highlights there and traveled on to Cleveland where we (two of my relatives from Warren and I) stayed with relatives. We took a scenic route around Lake Erie rather than the interstate. The leaves are just starting to turn. There were lots of birds--blue herons, ducks, and gulls. Today I am going to show only one photo on Lake Erie and that is a nuclear plant. It felt immense and powerful. Seemed somewhat out of place next to wildlife refuges.

Last night I made it to New York state and will be travelling on to the Boston area today.

Nellie

Lincoln Boys Choir

On Saturday, October 17, Lincoln Boys Choir held its annual Waffleman and silent auction event. We heard the three choirs sing and many people donated items for the live and silent auction. It was held at the Shriners' Directors' Bldg. This was our most successful event to date and the proceeds will be used to provide for the choir. The waffles were great.

Nellie

Eyes like an Egyptian

On Saturday, I did a photo shoot for 5 cats. Each one had their own personalities and this one did a regal pose for us.

Nellie

Popeye the Sailor Man

For my last people picture for today, I will introduce you to Carson, my grand nephew, 24 hours after birth. He looks like Popeye. He is now 16 months and walks and runs and knows how to communicate what he wants even though he has limited ability to speak the words. No doubt that will change soon. He's a sweet little boy.

Nebraska Nellie

My grand niece

My grand niece, whom I referred to in my intro blog, is such fun and is a real character. She crossed her eyes and even has a little food from Thanksgiving dinner on her face. She is wearing my necklace. This was taken Thanksgiving, 2007. She just turned 5 in September. She still has a little cartoon voice.

Her mom and dad are doing a nice job raising their two little ones. They are well behaved and I love that.


Nebraska Nellie

Norwegian foreign exchange student

Sometimes I take people pictures and I was fortunate to have a beautiful young lady to take some photos for her senior picture. Apparently, in Norway, they don't do senior pictures. This one was at the Sunken Gardens here in Lincoln. I think it looks like a rain forest.

This charming young lady was fun to photograph. Her bright personality comes through in this photo.

Nebraska Nellie

Courthouse and Jail Rock

Again on my journey to western Nebraska, I found Courthouse and Jail Rock. It is near Bridgeport, Nebraska. It is surrounded by a field. Sometimes you see a tractor in the field and stacks of hay bails were nearby.

Nellie

BNSF Train

On my way out west for my photo expedition of western Nebraska, I travelled along Highway 2 at the recommendation of a friend. It was a beautiful drive that I want to do again. The railroad travels the same path. I saw this train hosing down the tracks. I had never seen anything like this before. I understand they were doing some maintenance on the tracks.

Nellie

Chimney Rock II

This view of the top of Chimney Rock shows the layers of the rock. Chimney Rock has eroded several feet and will continue to erode in the years to come.

Nellie