Life in the Bristolwood

Today’s awesome weather with sunshine and mild temperatures threw not only me, but Mark and Ben into “let’s skip out on our responsibilities today” mode!

After dropping Michelle at school today, we went over to Lowe’s and WalMart to bide some time until Mark’s doctor appointment at 8:30.  We then headed to the doctor’s office as Mark had an appointment to get a tetanus shot.  Last year, Ben, Michelle, and I all got our shots, but Mark needed a booster as well.

I went in with Mark to see the doctor and she is just the most wonderful doctor, ever!  Since Mark was her first patient of the day, she sat down and chatted with us as well as giving Mark his shot.  We had such a nice visit, it was almost like seeing our friend instead of going to the doctor! She is leaving on Friday to go to Haiti for several days to help.  Her heart is so good and I pray she has a safe and productive trip.

After the doctor’s visit, Mark and I came outside and the weather was beautiful!  We got into the truck with Ben and the two Scotties, and I mentioned perhaps a day off would be beneficial.  I didn’t have to twist any arms….Mark and Ben both agreed!  I mentioned a drive down Routes 5 &20 and Mark thought that would be great.

With no particular predetermined destination in mind, we set off.  We drove through Geneva, Waterloo, and on to Seneca Falls.  As we drove along,  I mentioned to Mark that there was a new WalMart down a side road.  Mark turned and thought we should just take a drive around to see what stores were there.  It was then that I remembered Priscilla, a visitor to this blog, had mentioned a Mennonite store located “somewhere” nearby.  Mark entered the store name into the GPS and we were only about 1/4 mile away!

We drove over to the store and all three of us went inside.  WOW! This store is even bigger than the other store I often visit. They are really a big grocery store with goods from food to a nice assortment of books including many on Mennonite and Amish living and beliefs.  I could have spent hours and hours there, but it was so crowded, it was tough getting around! The young Mennonite girl who checked out my order said that the fine weather brought customers out in larger-than-normal numbers.

We will definitely be visiting this store again. (and again!)

After looking around in the store,  we pulled around the back of the store so Mark could look up sites of interest on his GPS.  I looked down the small hill below us and saw a little stream meandering along.  In the stream were a few Canada Geese.  Now, in and of itself,  that is nothing unusual, but these geese were acting ***weird***!  They were splashing about in the water as though they were taking a bath to get good and clean!  I do know that geese need water to breed, but this didn’t appear to be in the minds of these geese. (unless a good bathing was needed prior to courtship!)

One of the geese was hysterical….comical…such a comedian!  The goose did a barrel roll several times…..round and round and round.  Don’t believe me? Click twice on this photo and it will PROVE I am not exaggerating!! Honest!

In all my hours and hours spent watching geese, I have never seen the likes of that before!  I didn’t bring my telephoto lens with me so I had to crop this photo in order to catch the barrel roll!

As an aside, Mark laughed as we drove out of the store parking lot.  The employees are all Mennonites and their autos were all parked in one area.  There must have been 20 cars….maybe a couple trucks….all black!  There was nearly every make represented in…..black!

We drove on a little further, keeping our eyes on the clock, as we needed to pick Michelle up again from school.

After arriving back home,  Mark wanted us to rinse all the salty dirt off the truck.  As we pulled into the driveway, there were some spots in the gutter next to the driveway that had dammed up, sending water spilling over the driveway.  While Michelle went down the driveway with shovel in hand to remedy the driveway,  Ben got out the pressure washer and rinsed off not only the truck,  but also the Explorer.  Ah, both the driveway and the vehicles look much better now!

I helped Ben wipe off the hose and wind it up, then put the pressure washer away.  By the time we were ready to go in the house, dusk was quickly settling in.  As I walked from the garage to the house,  I had to grab my camera.  This solar lamp is in the side garden next to the house.  The little lamp had been buried under snow from the last storm.  I wondered about it, but was surprised when I saw it glowing this evening! It just poked through the snow today, so you can see how much the snow sank down and melted today.

I think Ben, Mark, and I are all refreshed from taking this unplanned vacation day.  One of the greatest benefits about homeschooling is that we are able to take off a day every now and then without losing a day….Ben always makes up his work when we get back home.

Sooo…..conversation this morning.

Me: Wow! There’s a lotta snow out there!

Mark:  Nah, the snow is drifted, but it doesn’t *look* like there is much.  Just drifts here and there.

Ah, famous last words….

What Mark did *not* see was the snow the Scottie boys and I encountered early this morning before the sun came up. We three hopped down the steps only to witness snow that far exceeded the height of a wee-legged Scottie Dog!  I tried to push the snow aside with my boots, but it was so deep and heavy,  I could barely move it!  Seeing the frustration in my companions, I more or less “forced” them under the front porch where there was little snow on the ground!

As Mark and the kids did some things they needed to do,  I took a few photos of visitors to the suet feeder out back. The birds have been visiting with greater frequency the past few days.

This little Titmouse patiently awaited his turn atop the railing…..

And look at the lovely pose he struck just for the camera!

When Mark was nearly done with his chores, I went outside and shoveled off the back deck and part of the ramp.  I convinced Ben to finish the job and we had it cleared just as Mark was ready to wheel out the door.

I teased Mark the other day that the wheelchair ramp looks like a luge course.  Now that we have shoveled, it looks even more so!

Michelle took Murphy out to the front of the garage where she was about to shovel. She set him down and he more or less paddled his way through the snow to me.  He wasn’t the least bit impressed by this massive-to-him snowfall!

Both the truck and the Explorer are relatively high vehicles with a generous ground clearance. You can see that the snow in front of the garage was pretty deep!

Michelle and I worked at shoveling out the front of the garage as well as around the perimeter of the vehicles.  We always hand shovel these areas as Mark cannot get in tight enough with the plow.

The snowstorm last night involved snow that fell very finely.  Were it not for the fierce wind, we probably would have had a much deeper snowfall.  What did fall was not like the light, fluffy snow we had previously experienced this year, but heavy, wet snow.  As Michelle and I worked,  huge snowflakes began to fall.

Before Mark could plow with the ATV, he needed a bit of help to remount the two rear tires on the ATV.  He had removed them because when we had the inspection of the truck done yesterday,  he also had those two tires reseated on the rims as they were having some trouble losing air.

When Mark pulled forward to begin pushing the snow,  I couldn’t believe the snow was almost the same height as the ATV!

That ATV is worth its weight in gold.  It did indeed push through that enormous blockade and handily removed the snow from the driveway!

I tried to take the Scotties in the house, but Angus the Brave would not budge.  He wanted to linger outside, watching Mark plow the driveway.  Poor little fellow….he looked like a frozen Teddy Bear as he observed from the porch!

Murphy, on the other hand, bounded into the house with gleeful abandon as soon as the door was opened.  And still, Angus watched over Mark….

Michelle and I continued to work our way through that nasty pile of snow in front of the garage.

Mark worked on the driveway for a good two hours.  There was so much snow; this was a snowfall more like the “old-fashioned” ones we remember.

We were all thrilled with the mechanical advantage offered by the ATV! The only assistance Mark requires is a hand changing the blade direction on the plow from time to time.

As  soon as we finished clearing out the front of the garage, Michelle went inside the house to warm up.  I stayed outside a while longer, then as Mark was finishing  up, I shoveled the close to two inches of fluffy stuff that fell as we were working outside.

Ben helped Mark get things put away and then they came into the house.  Or, so I thought.

Mark kept hollering for me to grab a camera.

I raced to see what it was causing such a ruckus, only to find the boy like this…

Yup, that is how deep the snow is behind the house.  The disgusted look is because Ben claims he hates the snow.

We got everything secured and settled in to an afternoon of watching Team USA beat Team Finland in hockey.  One more game to go and we are assured at least a silver medal! Of course, we are so excited because our favorite team (the Buffalo Sabres) is represented in the form of TeamUSA’s winning goalie, Ryan Miller! What excitement!

The snow stopped falling, for the time being, and we were treated to another beautiful Bristolwood sunset.

We are told that the system that blessed us with this round of snowfall has stalled out and will now remain with us the next few days, causing flurries on and off.

We were off to an early start today.  It is Ben’s birthday, but we had lots of running around to accomplish.

While Mark headed off with Michelle  to drop her off, Ben and I headed to Kost Tire where I was to get new tires, an inspection,  an oil change, and an alignment on the Explorer.  I had forgotten to mention that Mark got the window all fixed this past weekend.  He had to replace a part called the regulator.   When I saw the door hanging open and parts sitting all over the garage,  my heart nearly sank, but I have seen Mark take things apart before and I knew all would end well! And so it did!

Before leaving the house, I wanted to get a photo of the little congregation of Goldfinches outside the bedroom window….

That photo is a funky color and that is okay because I took it well before the day had broken this morning and there was a fine snow falling.

After dropping the Explorer off for its work,  Ben and I climbed into the truck and we began making our way to Mark’s mom’s house.  We made a few stops along the way.  An interesting thing happened along the way, though….the blower fan on the truck quit working! Meaning, we spent the rest of the time in the truck freezing!  Although the temperature outside was right at the freezing mark,  it got so cold in the truck!  Time for another repair job!

We made it to “Grandma Cookie’s” house.  Yes, that is what Mark calls his mom and in so doing,  he nearly causes Angus to go ballistic!  Angus adores Grandma Cookie, after all!

While we chatted with Mark’s mom,  Ben tried to teach Murphy how to exercise on the treadmill….

Yup, as long as I held a carrot treat in front of Murphy’s nose, he would stride along on the treadmill for several steps! It was pretty funny!

Now, Scotties are known for their Braveheart disposition.  I would say on a scale of 1-10, my boys rate about 1.5 in the Braveheart category!  Particularly Angus who hightails it whenever he hears any device that makes a vibrating noise! Thus, the treadmill caused him to panic, so he jumped up on Grandma Cookie’s chair and watched a Western on television instead!

And just for Angus’s good name, he did dutifully bark those wild horses when they got out of control and began running!

Here is a natural ice sculpture outside my mother-in-law’s house…

We visited for a few hours, then it was time to go.  Back we went into the cold pickup truck.  We went to Henrietta, where Ben and Mark went into the Guitar Center to look at “stuff”.  Mark ordered Ben a bass guitar for his birthday but it will arrive tomorrow.  Bummer for Ben, but he was okay with it.  Ben has been having so much fun learning guitar and he wanted to learn bass as well so Mark figured we should let him learn as long as he is so willing.

We left and went back to Canandaigua so I could pick up the Explorer.  Mark dropped me off and he and Ben picked Michelle up at school.  I had a few minutes before meeting them at a restaurant for dinner, so I took the Explorer for a spin up the road.  Oh my! I had been driving on “slicks” so long,  I forgot that tires actually “bite” the snow!

We met up for dinner, then came home.  The fire in the woodstove had gone out and I quickly rebuilt a fire!  Now, I am finally warm for the first time today! Ah, it does feel good.  No more freezing toes!

I think Ben enjoyed his birthday and although the day was long, we had fun too!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

I just never will understand this family of mine.

Mark’s dad was born in the USA to Italian immigrants. Mark often talks about the delicious foods his grandmother prepared every year for Christmas and other special events.  He fondly recalls her cheese pie and all the tasty Italian dishes she made.

Being a “Heinz 57″ blend myself,  I am not sold on any ethnic dishes, really.  My Ukrainian grandmother made all manner of specialties that just smelled horrible to me.  Perhaps I shouldn’t admit that,  but many times the house smelled strongly of sauerkraut and being a picky eater as a kid, cabbage was one of the last foods I would have wanted to try…..especially “fermented”!  Or, maybe I was just spoiled, as my mom, (maybe fearful I would shrivel up and blow away) often relented and silently placed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on my plate, ending my vigorous protests! I am a much better eater today…..however, there is a line I will not cross when it comes to “exotic” foods!

So, this morning,  I decided I would prepare some Crockpot Lasagna.  I don’t crave Italian foods too often, but since it is bitterly cold and windy outside,  I figured this would be a great day for a filling and tasty dish.  Mark tells me he really doesn’t like lasagna.  Nor do the kids.

I wasn’t the least discouraged by my family.  No sir!  I scrambled up a pound of ground beef and then mixed up my cheese blend.  I had bought some no-boil lasagna noodles the other day when I shopped at Wegman’s, and Mark thought I had lost my mind.  He insisted in his bachelor days when he made up Lasagna (WHO was he making it for, anyway, if he doesn’t even like it?)  he used regular noodles and never cooked them before putting them in the pan. Debatable, say I!

I placed my layers in the waiting Crockpot and turned the button to “low”.  Within about two hours, I tested the noodles and they seemed tender to me.  I turned the pot to “off” and pulled the plug.  Ben walked past the pot and turned his nose in the air, while Michelle insisted she had just had a meal of Ramen Noodles and mixed veggies(GAG!!!) a short time before.  I decided to dish up a serving, sit down, and enjoy.

I sat at the table and with the first bite,   exclaimed to any listening ears, this Lasagna was exquisite!  It really was!  I ate one serving and was stuffed.  As I went back to the kitchen,  I looked into the pot and felt so overwhelmed…..

This is a whole lotta leftover Lasagna!  Mark made his way to the kitchen,  looking for something for lunch, rejecting mine!  I got so bent out of shape,  I decided to go upstairs and read for awhile as the dish cooled so I could put it in the refrigerator.  Mark called up, several minutes later…..Could you fry up some chicken sausages for lunch for me?

With clenched jaw, I headed down the stairs, mumbling that my family is nothing short of a collection of fruitcakes!  As I entered the kitchen,  Mark was sitting in the wheelchair with his back to me.  It was clear he was holding something in his lap, however, and upon looking,  there sat that huge stoneware with the Lasagna in it….on his lap….and a fork in his hand! 

Upon being found out, Mark looked me in the eye and told me….This is the best Lasagna I have ever tasted!

Ugh.  How does one win, anyway?  He then went on to tell me the dish would have been better if I served a salad and some bread with it.

Fruitcakes, I tell ya! Fruitcakes, one and all!

Run, Katya, run!

Argh….I am by no stretch of the imagination “lazy”,  but there are times when I wish that I had a house that, when cleaned,  stayed that way!  Having a husband and kids home 24/7 with me is sometimes overwhelming!  Well, it isn’t quite that bad, perhaps, but every time I walk into the kitchen, it seems the counters are actually growing dirty dishes!

Okay, I’ll stop the kvetching!

Michelle’s college studies resumed today and we were off early this morning. Yesterday’s temperatures rose well above freezing, melting all the snow we had on the ground.  This would have been serious enough to cause flooding in low-lying areas, but add to that a driving rain and flooding did indeed become the big headlines across New York and Pennsylvania today.  When we left this morning, however, it was snowing somewhat briskly and the roads were not in very good condition!

I drove up our road and it had been narrowly plowed with a small plow on a pickup truck…I found myself gripping the steering wheel tightly.  I thought that the county and state roads would be in better condition, but they were snow covered and I was concerned about black ice.  Fortunately, as we came nearer to Canandaigua, the roads were in much better shape.

Since I was in no rush to head back toward home with the roads in less than good shape,  I took a little drive, then filled the gas tank.  After that,  I headed to Wegman’s and bought groceries.  While I was driving,  I came upon a lovely farm and the sun was trying to poke through the seemingly endless cloud cover…

By the time I started back home at about 9:00, the roads were greatly improved.  I got home, took all the groceries in the house, put them away, did four loads of laundry including drying and folding and putting away,  then made some great soup for dinner.  By the time I finished making the soup, it was nearly 4:30 and time to run back to Canandaigua once again!

I left late to get Michelle, but that didn’t stop me from taking a photo along the way….the sunset was impressive! (too bad I wasn’t near the WalMart parking lot as I think this would have been so pretty)

I was late picking Michelle up, but only by a few minutes and she was with her friends, Jacob and Jeffrey.  After picking her up, we headed over to WalMart and grabbed a fresh loaf of Italian bread.  We got back home and ate….the soup and bread were a real hit and when Michelle brought out the football-shaped Snickers ice cream cake we found at WalMart, everyone was thrilled!

I forgot to mention a text message I got from Michelle this morning….she explained her statistics professor was from India and has “quite an accent”.   She went out to say that when the professor said “checks and balances”, all she heard was “chicken bottoms”…..she hoped the professor wasn’t upset with her giggling!  Oh my…perhaps this semester will offer a bit more of a challenge to the girl, eh?

Chicken bottoms, indeed!  And Michelle? She was sprawled out and sound asleep by 8 pm!

It is nearly 10:30 and we still have a ways to go before we reach home for the night.  And the worst part is I took my contacts out and forgot to bring a pair of glasses. So, if this is full of errors, don’t blame me!

Here is a clue as to where our day’s wanderings took us…

Mark and the kids made their way to Canandaigua this afternoon; the kids had plans to meet friends to take in a movie.  I had planned to go, but after dressing and going outside,  my body told me it might not be such a good idea!  My head was aching and my nose was beginning to get a bit stuffy.  Mark advised me it shouldn’t be too bad, as he suffered the same symptoms earlier this week. 

I called my mom later and we chatted for a long time! (sorry, Mom….we just don’t talk and laugh like we used to!!)  One of the things I had wanted to ask her about came to mind and she told me an interesting fact!  Mom’s maternal grandfather’s name was Charles Cunningham.  Mom wasn’t certain what nationality he was, but in looking online, I see the name is Scottish!  She did tell me some relatives visited from Scotland once when she was young and she couldn’t understand them!  This was a surprise to me, as I knew my paternal great-grandmother was Irish.  No wonder I feel such ties to the British Isles!

Well, I shan’t bore you with my whining. Instead, I shall show you photos I took as I drove to Kim’s house the other day!

I wish I would have gotten a better photo of the license plate on this truck.  From information I found online, this plate was probably issued between 1974 and 1984.  I would say this truck is in pretty good shape if it has been sitting for 25  years or so!

 When I went downtown Jamestown to have a look at the city “proper”, Michelle rode along with me.  We had brought the Scotties along with us and they stayed in the truck while we visited.  Michelle thought she would ride in the back seat with the “boys” so they could have a little company!  They are such good travelers!

I decided to take Michelle on a little tour of my world from when I was a child.  We drove down Spring Sreet, which is where my parents moved when I was only three months old. 

We lived at the bottom of this hill, on the next block.  As I drove down the street,  I looked and looked…a bit puzzled. 807 Spring Street seems to have disappeared!  Yes, our apartment was no longer there, but had turned into a parking lot for S.G. Love School, across the street!  The big green house on the corner next to ours was also taken.  I remember the names of the people who lived there….Mabel and Earnest S.  Mr. S. was a grouch, extraordinaire, and Mrs. S. insisted upon calling me “Katherine”.  My parents and family all called me “Katie”.

When we lived on Spring Street, we were within walking distance of downtown.  We walked a great deal and I remember loving it so much!  As we walked up the hill, I remember “the house on the corner”; the corner of Spring and Fifth Streets, to be exact.  I thought it was the most beautiful house I had ever seen and aspired to buy it someday when “I was rich”!

We circled back around and I parked the truck right in the center of town.  Michelle and the boys waited patiently as I walked the streets of the city.  Even though Jamestown is considered a city, it is fairly compact.  I love all the hills though!

I walked up to Fourth Street and took photos of some of the buildings  I remembered from the past. When we lived on Spring Street,  Nicky and Albert Erickson lived in the apartment upstairs.  Albert was a lineman for the Jamestown Telephone Corporation.  This is one building that never changed much, although it now sports the name Windstream.

I spent many happy hours at the YMCA, learning (or not) how to swim!

To the west of the “Y” is St. Luke’s Episcopalian Church.  This church looks the same as always! The church has a set of Westminster chimes that play every quarter hour, then strike the time on the hour.  I have wondered about the true color of the church….many years ago, the Jamestown Public Library had a similar appearance to this church.  After a sandblasting, it “suddenly” turned gray with a pinkish color trim! Who knows?  Perhaps the church really is this color!

On the next corner to the west of the church is the YWCA, where I took sewing classes and learned the fine art of sewing! This building looks the same as always!

Across the street from the church, there is a row of beautiful Victorian houses that look the same as always.  I think they are actually offices with apartments upstairs, perhaps.

I walked south down Main Street and was surprised to see Benson’s Ladies Apparel. That store has been around for ages and ages.

As has Lander’s Men’s Store, also on Main Street.

I stopped near the corner of Main and Second Streets and took a picture looking down towards Brooklyn Square.  I am not even sure if the area is called that anymore.  There used to be a large green area at the bottom of the hill where a huge Christmas tree was lit every year.  That custom has long since been aborted!

One of my fond memories of Brooklyn Square was of the store, Noah’s Ark.  I am not even certain what was sold there, as my attention was on the Chadakoin River which literally ran under the store!  Noah’s Ark and probably all of the stores that were in that area are now long gone!

I was surprised to see that Lisciandro’s Restaurant still remains!  Many kids used to stop by there on their way home from high school.

On the southeastern corner of Main and Second Streets is a huge office building.  This building looks the same as I remember, but I noticed Chautauqua Music Store is no longer located there. Upon searching Google, I found they moved from that location, but are still in business.  This was a huge music store, located right at the main entrance.

Looking eastward down Second Street, the light colored building at the end is Jamestown High School, where I attended grades 10-12. 

Turning 180 degrees for an about-face,  the large light colored building is the home of The Post Journal, Jamestown’s daily newspaper.  This location was a Sears Roebuck Store when I was a little girl!  I remember shopping there with my parents.

In the foreground of the next photo, The Post Journal,  with the huge Jamestown Furniture Exposition Building a short distance away.  Jamestown was a premiere furniture manufacturing center in the early 1900’s.  Many companies remained through the years, but slowly died out.  Every year, city furniture manufacturers displayed their goods at the exposition where buyers from all over would choose what to carry in their lines.

I headed back north toward Third Street.  I smiled as I saw this sign in the window…..

Jamestown is known for a large Swedish population.  Growing up, I was always surround by Carlsons, Andersons, Swansons and Johnsons!  In school, the Lucia Queen celebration was explained year after year. Jamestown even has a Swedish sister city, although the name evades me.

If Jamestown’s Main Street didn’t run north and south,  I think busy Third Street would be named Main Street!  This is Third Street, looking west.

And east…..

I walked around Third Street just a bit. The big building below was a Lerner’s Store (clothing) years ago.  It then became a downtown mall, and is now called Willow Bay Commerce Center.  In looking online, I was impressed at the current offering. There is a banquet hall for weddings and receptions and such, as well as office spaces available for really incredible prices!

The next block to the west is where the Lucy Museum and gift shop are located. (shown in the previous post) I remember seeing Jamestown looking like a ghost town, but was happy to see that most of the buildings have businesses now. 

The next photo is the Hotel Jamestown.   I believe it is now senior housing,  but am not sure.  It really is a very beautiful building.

Right next to the Hotel Jamestown, westward, is the building shown previously that was Bigelow’s Department Store.  Around the corner, to the north, on Washington Street is further evidence of Jamestown’s Swedish population, in the form of The Vikings Lodge.  Nicky and Albert took me there as a child several times.

I will never forget the corner of Washington and Fourth Streets, where my life was nearly taken at a very young age.  Carly and I were walking across the street, chatting away. She was a youngster of about five or six and I was looking down at her as we talked.  Suddenly, she forcibly jerked her hand from mine and ran back to the curb.  This happened so quickly, I turned to look back….only to look up and see a pickup truck stopped within an arm’s length of me!  A foolish man apparently was daydreaming as he motored along, passing right through the red light.  Instead of stopping to make sure everything was okay, he took off, leaving me feeling quite weakened and frightened!

Across the street from the Bigelow’s building is this building, which was the former Woolworth’s Store when I was growing up.

The daylight was drawing to a close, and I needed to hustle back to my parents’ home.  I drove down Third Street, making just a few short stops.  Perhaps one of Jamestown’s big businesses that has breathed life back into the downtown area is the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena.  Boy, when I was a kid, my parents drove way across town to take me skating outdoors at Allen Park!  Of course, with many years having wimpy winters,  I guess outdoor rinks have some problems keeping operations going!

As we drove further west,  I stopped to snap a photo of  Jamestown’s electric plant.  The plant is located on the Chadakoin River, and was coal operated.  I haven’t looked recently, but believe it still is run on coal.  Jamestown residents were fortunate for many years, paying a fraction of what other statewide consumers paid for electricity. Only in recent years have rates gone up to more competitive amounts.

And just before the Third Street Bridge,  I was totally shocked to see that Pace’s Pizzeria was still in business. This was a little shop we frequented many, many years ago while attending Lincoln Junior High School.

 The school is located across the bridge not too far away.  I didn’t photograph the school, which is now an elementary school.  An interesting thing happened at this school while I was in attendance.

 I belonged to the band, playing clarinet.  One evening, we were to have a concert.  After school that day, and before the program was to begin,  the ceiling of the auditorium where we were to perform let loose and fell to the floor.  Talk about Divine Intervention…

By the time we were ready to leave for home, it was dark outside and my parents lit their beautiful outdoor lights.  Everything was so beautiful with the heaping  sparkling mantle of snow!

My family has traditionally taken down Christmas decorations around New Year’s and this year, they left everything up so we could see and enjoy them.  Thanks so much, Mom and Dad!  And thank you for the wonderful day!

I realize that reconnecting with my past isn’t necessarily what I want to do, but seeing the town firsthand was a fascinating experience for me.  Even though so much has changed with the times, so much has remained the same!

We arrived at the home of my parents before noon on Sunday. 

Uh oh! I took so many photos going to my hometown of Jamestown, New York, that I decided to break this up into two separate blog entries!

We had planned to visit my parents and brother, Randy, the day after Christmas to celebrate.  It was not to be, though, as my mother caught a terrible cold that really hit hard!  I spoke to her every few days and she would tell me about the severe cough that seemed to linger, making life miserable and very tiring.  Thankfully, she began feeling much better the end of last week and the coughing was diminishing! (and becoming less “deep”)

We planned  our trip for yesterday and we couldn’t have asked for a better travel day!  It was a cold start…0 degrees. (F) As the day progressed, the temperature did warm up, but it was interesting watching the frost on the trees thicken as we headed into the higher elevations, then disappearing in the valleys!

I took a few photos as we got closer and closer to our destination. These are the places that I frequented in earlier days and I love.  This feels most like “home” to me….

Now,for a disturbing sign…..the first time I saw this billboard, I truly thought I dreamed it up!  I mean, it is soooooo graphic!  If I were a smoker and ever needed a good reason to quit, I think this sign might just be the ticket.  Every time I see it anymore, my eyes ache!

And from the strikingly graphic sign to one of the most picturesque farms I have ever seen…..

You must forgive the fact that all these photos were taken out the truck windows as there are signs all along the highway warning of “no stopping except for emergencies”.  I have taken so many photos of those barns out the windows with no success, but yesterday’s brilliant sky was the perfect backdrop and somehow, the photo wasn’t too bad!  Perhaps one of the reasons I am so attracted to this farm is the lovely yellow color, which is certainly a diversion from the typical “barn red”!

As we drove closer to Jamestown,  we could see a little change in the scenery…all of the pine trees looked like they belonged in a scene with a life-size Gingerbread House! They certainly had the “frosting”,  after all!

You can also see that the snow is definitely increasing in volume on the ground!  We finally reached our exit off the highway and I was so happy to be getting closer!  There was, however, one little side trip we had planned….

Now, if you have read here for any amount of time, you will realize that I find cemeteries not to be dreadful, scary places, but rather, some very attractive and beautifully peaceful spots to find remarkable photo ops!  I had seen some photos posted by a friend on Facebook that showed Lucille Ball’s grave marker.  I had wanted to visit there last fall, but we  never found the time.  I am so glad we didn’t, as the Lakeview Cemetery was amazing dressed in its snowy shroud!  I could have wandered about here for hours, but we needed to hurry a bit, as we were on our way to visit! So, for anyone who has laughed themself silly watching the I Love Lucy Show, the small town of Jamestown is very proud to hail as Lucy’s hometown!

The roads in the cemetery were plowed very narrowly and  don’t think I would have wanted to enter without four wheel drive! I had my little netbook propped in front of me with some very vague hints on how to find Lucille’s grave.  We drove right past it the first pass, but Mark said we should try once again.  Since the roads were so narrow, Mark needed to complete going around a loop because there was no turnaround and the snow was probably at least two feet deep! Oh, and by the way, this is a huge cemetery!

The above marker belongs to James Prendergast. He wa the founder of the city, thus the name, “Jamestown”!  I wish I would have photographed the writing on the front, as I cannot read it!

We also passed some other beautiful markers…..The Lady in Glass is a most awesome tribute!  There have been so many stories about this particular grave, but the bottom line is that the young lady’s father basically had the beautiful sculpture made to honor his daughter….

The grave is also beautifully landscaped with shrubbery around it, but the bushes were literally buried!

We made our way back up to the entrance and turned around, reentering the cemetery and Mark drove very slowly as I read the intstructions again.  We found the “Highland Section” and I got out of the truck and began looking….I was wearing a pair of very short boots and the snow came up above  my knees!  I counted the markers to the right, hoping I was aiming the right way.  When I saw this,  I knew I had found it!

This is a family plot,  listing Lucy’s father (Henry, of Scottish descent),  mother,  (Desiree),  Lucy, and her brother, Fred.

Under Lucy’s name is the  inscription, You’ve Come Home.

It was only after I had found the marker that I discovered a worn little path where others had visited Lucy’s grave!

Lucy was born in Jamestown but left as a tiny little girl. I read on the internet that she wanted to be buried in California, and was when she passed away.  In 2002, however, her children had her reinterred in the Lakeview Cemetery in Jamestown.  I was surprised that the grave marker wasn’t more elaborate, but it is much “fancier” than most modern markers.  The plot is located in an old section of the cemetery.

We made our way back out and were on our way to visit my family. 

We turned and headed south down Main Street….

Along the way, we passed S.G. Love Elementery School.  This is where I attended from Kindergarten through second grade….

We arrived and had a wonderful visit!  There is nothing as satisfying as visiting family and my mother fixed the most delicious meal!  We all ate until we thought we would burst!  

I will continue with my hometown visit in my next entry!