A Governess of Last Resort

Although predictable, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is easy to watch when the setting and scenery, period apparel and male suitors are all gorgeous!

A scene involving slices of cucumber induced a chuckle or two...out loud.

Paul Newman

"I have steak at home. Why should I go out for a hamburger?"

Paul Newman

1925-2008

Soup du jour

Butternut squash

Chicken vegetable

Tomato basil

Add a loaf of crusty bread and heat these up for dinner on these cooler evenings.

Charleston, SC: Middleton Place

Recently, I stopped by an 18th century rice plantation with lovely gardens designed with Versailles in mind.

I am drawn to the espalier technique.

Rice Mill Rice fields and the Ashley River
Live Oaks dripping with Spanish moss
Wood Nymph
Architecturally interesting brick and iron work
Admission was pricey @ $45.... very "Old South".

Tampa Treats

One must take a short ferry ride over to the highly touted and unspoiled Caladesi Beach.

Red Mangrove swamps greet visitors. Sunken Gardens is truly "Old Florida" at its best.

Once a tourist attraction in the 30's, it continues to show off examples of tropical flora and fauna such as: Bird of paradise
Chilean flamingoes
Golden shrimp plant
lobster claw plant

A Room with a View

Helena Bonham Carter, Daniel Day-Lewis (balancing spectacles on his nose!), Dame Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and various others working together made this a charming movie to watch recently.

Situated in Florence, Italy and England and during a more gracious and unruffled moment in time when young women travelled to the Continent accompanied by a chaperone, on this occasion, an aunt named Charlotte. Miss Lucy Honeychurch (also known as Lucia, while in Italy) is “transformed” during their visit. Lucy stumbles in and out of love and back in once again, ending happily. Surroundings in Florence and England are pleasing.

Keep an eye open for: medieval cathedrals and steeples, millinery such as bowlers, boaters and top hats, vicars, waistcoats, cornflowers, explicitly carved statues, bustling and dangerous town squares with pigeons, tennis on the lawn (Wimbledon style), leaded glass windows, tweed suiting, long lacy gloves, massive villas, wicker picnic baskets, sun-reflecting parasols, woven reed fencing, afternoon teas served on the lawn, steam-powered locomotives.

Delicate yet brilliantly colored Florentine art and scroll work surrounding the credits and scene changes leave no doubt as to where this film is set.

Boot scrapers

During the Colonial era, streets were largely unpaved or lined with brick and mud. Sturdy and made of wrought iron, boot scrapers were positioned into the front stoops of homes and other establishments to persuade visitors to remove grime and grunge from the bottom of their boots prior to entering.

Those featured here are located in Old Town Alexandria. Several remain in their initial position while others have been carefully removed from the original concrete and reinstalled during a renewal of the stoop.

nice touch...

Photo credit: JMcLaughlin

Sporting black capri slacks and a clean, pressed white shirt this past weekend, I had dinner with the Colonel and some friends at a very clubby and comfortable restaurant. Upon seating the group, the hostess presented me with a black napkin as she noticed the black slacks I was wearing. Nice touch.

Old Town

Follow along for a stroll along the cobble stoned streets of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Exquisite landscapes, architecture and intricate details will delight.

horizontal espalier
Elegant calligraphy
Intricate ironwork




a very old wooden door boasting a twig basket

scrolled gas-fueled lantern


gorgeous zinc planter

more lanterns

window boxes filled with cascading foliage

ivy