Thus far this summer Charlie and I have visited Winterthur and Longwood Gardens both in the Brandywine Valley of Delaware and nearby Pennsylvania.

The entrance is behind the Nemours Children’s Hospital.

Our most recent day trip was to Nemours Estate the elegant 77-room Mansion (every room except the bathrooms has a fireplace ),  Chauffeur’s Garage with vintage automobiles, and 200-acres of French-inspired formal gardens, grounds, and woodlands.

Right from the beginning we could plan our tour.

This property is well-marked with notes, maps, and signposts along the walking paths. In addition to a narrated shuttle tour we toured the house at our own pace.  Bottles of water were available at the visitor center free of charge — a welcome amenity. Various spaces in the house had docents who described the rooms and a history of the family who had lived there.

A beautiful entrance hall in the French chateau style at Nemours. Over the fireplace “Aimer et Connaître” (to love and to know).

We began in the entrance hall of the house — very, very French chateau.  Of course we weren’t supposed to touch anything or sit on the furniture but this house was not “off limits” to the extent many house tours are.  Clear acrylic chairs are set in rooms so visitors can take a seat and enjoy the ambiance.

The Library

Even with its grand dimensions it seemed like a home.

The table for 10 could expand with additional leaves to seat 22.

The dining room was set for dessert.

Notice that each one is different.

Being a dish aficionado I loved the hand-painted fish plates. I’m guessing Limoges.

The butler’s pantry has a very early warming cabinet (lower righthand corner) designed by Thomas Edison, a friend of the duPont family. (Note the acrylic chair for visitors.)

An early refrigerator.

Down the hall from the dining room, on the same floor, is the kitchen and staff living quarters.

Dishes with the yacht burgee insignia are stored in a open cabinet where visitors can get a close-up look.

Although the duPont yacht was sold decades ago, they retained the china.

The view from the servants hall.

The grounds are so beautiful that even the view from the servants hall is outstanding.

View from the front porch overlooks the long walk to the reflecting pool.

We toured a bit of the first floor then  went outside to catch the shuttle tour.

We rode by the garage which was temporarily closed while we were there due to bat infestation.

The 25-minute tour circumnavigated the grounds with explanations of various pavilions, statues, graves, natural topography, and buildings. (I suggest sitting on the left side for the best views.)

Dual gravel paths approach the front gate of the house.

After our tram tour we walked the path back into the house to continue our self-guided tour.

On the staircase landing between the first and second floors.

We headed up to the second floor of the mansion where both guests and residents of the house would find their bedrooms.  Many of the rooms were en-suite even in the 1910s when this house was built.

Guest room with en-suite bathroom.

Guests are at one end of the upstairs hall.

The bathroom of the lady of the house.

At the other end is the owner’s suite with his and her bathrooms, a boudoir for her, and a dressing room for him in addition to the bedroom.

Much like the view from my bedroom window. (Kidding of course.)

The view from the master bedroom is lovely.

Alfred duPont’s office was in the basement along with dual bowling alleys, indoor shuffleboard table, pool room with 2 tables, a mechanical bull, and other sporty entertainments.

All in all this was my favorite of the duPont estates we have visited thus far — grand, elegant, warm, and welcoming.

Jo

We often hear about the “dog days” of summer but few know what the expression means. Some say that it signifies hot sultry days “not fit for a dog,” others suggest it’s the weather in which dogs go mad. The Dog Days of Summer describes the most oppressive period of summer, between July 3rd and August 11th each year.

Canis Major looks a lot like Dash, our dachshund.

The name actually comes from Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky. Sirius is known as the Dog Star and is the chief star in the constellation Canis Major. In the ancient Greek constellation system, this star (called Seirios in Greek) was considered the hound of the hunter Orion and was given the epithet Kyon, meaning “dog.” Dog days traditionally began when Sirius rose at the same time as sunrise (heliacal rising), causing Romans to attribute the extra heat to the meeting up of the two stars (so Sirius is actually unseen since it is rising in the daytime). (Due to shifts in the equinoxes, this is no longer happens.)

The bright star in the middle of the left side is Sirius — pointed to by the 3 stars in Orion’s belt.

The Greek writer Plutarch referred to the hot days of summer as hēmerai kynades (literally, “dog days”). According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the term dog days comes from the 1530s, when it was known in Latin (translated from Greek) as dies caniculares, the source of our English phrase.

The invitation will be emailed to most invitees.

So on the final “dog day” of 2023 I’m inviting a few friends to swelter with us in the yard:

Would you care to join Charlie and Jo and Sug on the last dog day this year, 6 o’clock Friday evening,  for a low-key, keeping-it-cool, casual gathering?  Plans are to assemble outside in the yard unless the weather is just too doggone hot in which case we’ll retreat into the house.

The color scheme plus silver.

Décor:

• Colors:  Dark blue, white, yellow, silver
• Table setting Dark blue melamine plates, Silver dishes
• Sunflowers
  

  10 feet tall and finally blooming.

• Candles and tiki torches
• “Let’s Pawty” balloons
  

  Décor from Dashie’s 4th birthday pawty.

• Dark blue star fabric
• Yellow and blue pillows
  

  The pattern of this fabric is “A Field with Chicory” by Warner.

• White ceramics
• Croquet?
  

  It might be just too doggone hot to play.

Menu:

• Charcuterie tray and crackers
• Marinated tomatoes and mozzarella
  

  I’m going to use this recipe again this time with garden tomatoes.

• Hot dog bar or cheese dogs wrapped in puff pastry
• Watermelon
  

  Watermelon and blueberries — a classic combo — easy to eat on skewers.

• Pasta Salad
• Luigi’s Italian ice, S’mores
• Coffee, tea, sparkling soda, Glade Fizz

We’re ready!

Finally we’ll probably entertain ourselves with a not too difficult Dog Trivia Quiz:

1. What is the most popular breed of dog, according to the American Kennel Club’s registrations?
2. What is the name of the dog on the front of the Cracker Jack box?
3. Which dog breed is the smallest of them all? Shih tzu, Pomeranian, or Chihuahua?
4. What was the favorite dog breed of Queen Elizabeth II of England?
5. What is the dog’s most highly developed sense?
6. Which command is the most common training command taught to dogs: stay, dance, sit, or fetch?
7. Which Disney movie featured over one hundred dogs and a villain set on stealing them?
8. Which dog breed can run up to 44 miles per hour?
9. In the comic strip “Peanuts,” what is the name of Charlie Brown’s pet beagle?
10. Which country launched the first dog into space?

I love planning a party!

Jo

We struggled to make a total of 12 pounds of dough!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. cream of tartar
• Food coloring

Flour, salt, and cream of tartar first, then the water.

The mixture was creamy like pancake batter.

After the addition of coloring the batter was beautiful but still too thin.

Red with a little purple became salmon pink.

Forget the dough hook — I ran the mixer for a good 5 minutes and the consistency did not change.

More flour was helpful since the water could not be removed by mechanical means.

The stovetop method worked but not as quickly as we would have liked (x 4).

Kneading was easier if each batch was split in two.

4 double batches of play dough each in its own bag which we sealed to retain the moisture content.

We dirtied lots of pot, pans, bowls, spoons, and spatulas.

Peabody Institute (Conservatory of Music) and the Walters Art Museum are basically in the same block in Baltimore, Maryland, across the street from each other.

Looking north on Charles Street is the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon. Peabody is on the east side (right) and the Walters is on the west (left).

I decided to take a little trip downtown by myself to see the Peabody Library and the Egyptian exhibit at the Walters.

This heavy, recessed double door at 17 E Mount Vernon Place is the library entrance.

The most difficult part of visiting the Peabody Library is figuring out which door to enter.

The ornate yet functional Peabody Library.

I told the guard at the door that I was there to visit the library (opened in 1878) and he pointed to my left. I turned and saw the Peabody Stack Room with its five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies, which rise dramatically to the skylight 61 feet above the floor.

The Peabody Library.

I and other visitors were free to roam the ground floor stacks and alcoves.

A lovely study area with plenty of room to spread out.

No one was hurrying or shushing.  Lovely.

Entrance to the Egyptian exhibit includes 2 statues that have been on loan from the British Museum for 20 years.

I crossed Charles Street and walked down the hill to Centre Street, made a right, and walked half a block to the main entrance of the Walters Art Museum.

While touching is forbidden the art is certainly accessible. Statue of Nehy on the right, yours truly on the left.

I wanted to see the Ancient Art exhibit on the second floor which includes the art of Egypt but also covers ancient Greece and Rome. One of the very oldest pieces is the carved limestone Seated Statue of Nehy ca. 1250-1230 BCE.  Depicted much as she would have appeared in life, the Chantress Nehy sits on a chair and holds in her left hand the symbol of her profession, a sistrum or rattle used in the worship of the goddess Hathor. Judging from her fine clothing and elegant hairstyle, as well as the scale and quality of her statue, we may assume that Nehy was able to afford a fine burial to ensure her place in the afterlife. Most likely this statue, one of two known, graced a tomb at Saqqara, the ancient necropolis of Memphis.

Egyptian artifacts in ancient times were painted bright colors.

I had seen many of these pieces years ago but was impressed by the newly curated exhibit.

Falcon Sacred to Horus ca. 380-150 BCE

My favorite piece was the falcon.

Roman sarcophagus

Elvis is in the building.

Since Greek and Roman art are on the same floor I took a quick spin through both and found a famous rock star on the corner of a sarcophagus.

Admission to The Walters Art Museum is free.

The Walters Art Museum is itself a beautiful building with a wide variety of collections.

The monumental 3,000-pound statue of the Egyptian lion-headed fire goddess Sekhmet at the entrance to the Egyptian Art Exhibit

I’m glad to have seen the statue above and her mate before they head back to England in the near future.

Jo

I had an idea to have a French-themed outdoor fête in the summer.

Come party!

What better day than July 14th, Bastille Day?  Actually it’s not going to be revolutionary, rather it will be a chance for a few friends to gather.

The June garden.

The garden in July.

Charlie’s garden should be ripe with tomatoes, French beans, basil, cucumbers, and peppers by the middle of July.

Backyard parties can be large or small.

A more intimate set up.

The plan is to have a picnic-style menu on a Friday evening.  If the weather is too oppressive (which it can be in Maryland) or rainy, we’ll change the venue to inside the house.

My inspiration fabric for summer party colors.

In terms of colors and style I’m not going for the ubiquitous bleu, blanc, et rouge of the Revolution but rather a nice floral blue and yellow with the steadying influence of lots of green.

The fire pit may be called into action but I doubt it.

Tentative Menu:

• Roasted turkey breast
• French beans
  

  Charlie grows French filet beans especially for me.

•  Marinated tomatoes and mozzarella
  

  I’m going to use this recipe again this time with fresh from the garden tomatoes.

• Sliced cucumbers
• Crusty bread
• Grapes
•  Cornichons
• Dessert
• Fruit-infused water, sparkling water or bottled artisanal lemonades
• Coffee

It’s a casual soirée .

I’m actively working on invitations which I’ll mostly send out via email to a few friends.

Jo

We’re celebrating Independence Day on this fourth of July in the “land of the free” by proudly displaying our American flag.  That appellation comes from the national anthem and is followed by the phrase “and the home of the brave”.

This flag has also been flown over the capitol building in Washington DC.

We endeavor here at The Glade to be counted among the brave by loving our neighbor and taking a stand against injustice.  In our travels we have met likeminded people all over the world helping to make it a better place.  We try to remember that “other hearts  in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine”.*

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean.

Happy 4th of July!

*Finlandia

This is my song, O God of all the nations;
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is.
Here are my hopes and dreams, my holy shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean
And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine,
But other lands have sunlight, too, and clover
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations
A song of peace for their land and for mine.

Jo

July —  I usually get lethargic in July due to the heat but I still have things to do so my list this month is more about staying indoors and relaxing than planning outdoor adventures.  That being said I’m not a hermit so I do have a party planned, at least one day trip, and a paint project on the exterior of the house. I’ll also be thinking about future trips and adventures.

Celebrating freedom!

Here’s what I’m going to try to accomplish this month.

1.  Celebrate Independence Day.
   

   We’ll hear the fireworks but doubt we will attend in person.

2. See a movie — Mission: Impossible.
3.  Read a book —  The Alchemist.
4.  Start a ladies’ Bible study at home.
   

   Last year’s attendees received campaign ribbons for attending.

5.  Concert — loads to choose from in summer.
6.  Paint a distressed shutter.
   

   Some of the shutters on the front of the house need a little touch up.

7.  Take a day trip.
8.   Get rid of 10 more books.
   

   This should be doable.

9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: ADVENTURE.
10.  Write a goal list for August, 2023.

June is in the bag and with it the first half of 2023.  It’s been a busy month since a lot of  classes that began last fall were finishing up for the summer.  While I don’t take classes with final exams there is always a culmination of information and planning for the future that takes place in June.

Finally the potager has been infiltrated by a few flowering plants.

Here’s what I did in addition to the numbered list below:

• hosted our Disciple 3 mini-retreat with the able assistance of Sug and Charlie.
  

  We set up the back yard for part of the festivities.

  

  We filled the seats.

• attended a Master Gardener presentation about fall vegetable gardening and putting the vegetable garden to bed  — extending vegetable gardens into fall. Seems premature but really good information to have for planning purposes.

Charlie’s garden in June.

• took Dashie to the vet for his annual shots and check-up.
  

  Dash is a wonderful companion.

  He was such a good boy we went to Starbucks for a puppuccino (now called a “pup cup”).

• had some friends over for Coffee and Croissants and some friendly chatter on a Tuesday morning.  So much fun.
• toured the Peabody Library and the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.
  

  The Peabody Library.

  I went to the Walters for the Egyptian exhibit on the second floor.

  

  Entrance to the Egyptian exhibit. (The Walters has enjoyed loan of the 2 black statues from the British Museum for over 20 years.  Unfortunately they want them back. NOW!)

  The most challenging part of the visit is parking although I found a metered spot about 2 blocks from the museum for $1.50 per hour.

  

  I found a convenient on-street parking spot in front of the Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden.

• planned a party for mid-July.
  

  Come party!

Here’s what I accomplished this month on my pre-planned numbered list.

1.  Address one pile of papers in the bedroom.
   

   Some of this paper is important some clearly NOT.

   I made a plan to clear up some paper clutter in my bedroom every Friday for the entire month.  Things are beginning to improve.

2.  See a movie. I saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny which opened on the last day of the month — a satisfying end to the series which I loved.
   

   Always exciting.

   I also saw Saving Private Ryan which was very difficult to watch.  Ironically, without knowing much about the film beforehand, I watched it on June 13th the same date that is on the grave marker in the last scene.

3.  Read a book — I read A Thousand Miles Up the Nile by Amelia B. Edwards but had to read the entire thing on my computer.  I prefer actually reading a physical book but was unable to get a copy.
   

   The writer traveled the Nile in a dahabeeyah — the sailboat in the picture.

   Highly credible information from the latter part of the 1800s.

4.  Project — clear everything away from cracks in Treetops room so Charlie can plaster.
   

   The new color, Spinach White, is shades lighter and brighter than the old color.

   Charlie filled the cracks and I painted the ceiling.

   

   The Treetops Room wants a few more zhuzhes before being finished.

   Then I painted the walls.  (Number 75 on my 101 in 1001 list.)

5.  Go to a concert.  We had loads from which to choose so we did: Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band (Second Hand News),
   

   The empty spaces were all filled by the time the concert started.

   Classic Rock (The Switch), and Jerry Lee Lewis to Elton (Josh Christina Band) all at Lurman Woods, and the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra at Glenmar.  Love an evening of music.

6.   Attend some live theatre. — Charlie and I saw C S Lewis On Stage in DC.  The play was thought provoking and the audience was engaged.  A nice evening at the theatre.
   

   The set for C S Lewis.

   Then I saw The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which was a musical scheduled at the outdoor stage at a local community college.  The weather did not cooperate so we retired to the indoor theatre.  Generally this was worth seeing, especially the actress who played Olive.  Unfortunately there were actor types in the audience who felt the need to focus attention on themselves.

7.  Take a day trip.  We drove 1.5 hours to Longwood Gardens in Delaware.  Although the weather was slightly wet we had a grand time.
   

   The fountains at Longwood Gardens.

8.   Work on details of Egypt trip.
   

   Charlie and I will be visiting some of these ancient places in the fall. (Mosaic is a commissioned piece in the Walters Art Museum.)

   I had my old cell phone unlocked so I can take it to Egypt to use with an Egyptian sim card.  I tried AT&T’s online system 3 times, went to the AT&T store once, and used the automated telephone customer service once but to no avail. The phone was finally unlocked by AT&T agent Ben with whom I spoke personally after waiting for a callback to my inquiry.  Sooooooo complicated.  Then I had the battery replaced  —  $$.

9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word:  ENDEAVOR.
10.  Write a goal list for July, 2023.

Jo

Last month Charlie and I visited Winterthur Estate in Delaware’s Brandywine Valley.

Following the map in reverse order from 10 to 1 we turned left from the Visitor Center.

In June our destination was another duPont estate just over the Delaware state line in Pennsylvania, Longwood Gardens.  There were lots and lots of people at Longwood, many more than there had been at Winterthur.  However, there seems to be plenty of parking and we did not notice being crowded.

Looking right from the Visitor Center is the arched rose garden. We went left.

From the parking lot we walked to the Visitor Center where we were issued tickets after showing our Brandywine Valley passes at the desk.  Everyone was very cheery.  Wheelchairs and scooters are available for use.  Although there are some uphill sections of trail, the asphalt paths are easy to negotiate.  Most places are accessible.

Late in June the roses are fading but notice the very tall topiary shrubs behind the flowered area.

While we spent about 3 hours at Longwood including a bite to eat, we could have stayed much longer if we had entered every walled garden.

The scale of the fountain yard is very grand.

We were first attracted to the large fountains outside the conservatory.  We heard the music and saw the spouting water.  The intricate and changing patterns are mesmerizing.

The plantings in the conservatory were unique.

It was lightly raining so we tucked into the conservatory which was like a wonderland.

The juxtaposition of various forms and colors is inspirational.

Flowing streams, waterfalls, trees, plants, and ferns were elegantly displayed.

Almost every plant was labeled to educate us on even the most unusual specimens.

As we walked along the corridor we were lured outside to a bonsai display.

A large shallow pool with palm planters.

I certainly can’t describe everything in this conservatory.  I could have spent 3 hours just here looking and learning.

The attention to detail on a large scale was captivating.

One of my favorite areas (still in the conservatory) were lawns edged with colorful caladium and begonias which subtlety changed tones around the quadrant — first vibrant hot pink, then pink, then salmon.  Delicious.

We opted to eat inside since the drizzle continued.

Alas we needed to move on so we left the conservatory and walked up to the café/restaurant area.   Since it was noon we stopped for a quick snack at the cafeteria-style venue.

After eating we followed the path down to the Pierce-duPont House which houses a small museum and presents a looped information video.  Unlike Winterthur, Longwood is all about the gardens, not about the homes.

The water patterns in the Italian fountains changed from center geyser to side spouts including from the mouths of frogs stationed outside the fountain on the lawn.

Closeup of the center sculpture and frog in the background.

We walked past an enormous meadow garden which is absolutely hikeable for those so inclined.  We kept going until we arrived at the Italian water garden.  Again, there were multiple rooms to explore if you have the time.

Working gardeners were happy to talk to patrons about their job and the plants.

Now Charlie wants to grown some eucalyptus — I’m enamored of the large urns.

The last leg of our self-guided tour was was up a long allee  of plants and urns leading to the rose arches which we saw briefly on our entry.

The rose arches were being pruned when we visited.

I concentrated on the details of plant combinations in the large pots.

Longwood is designed so members can return time and time again and always find some new inspiration not only for gardening but also for self-awareness.

Here’s a neat idea: Kokedama is a decorative style of potting plants in a ball of moss and displaying them in a dish or suspended in the air.

We exited through the Visitor Center which has a large garden store/gift shop.  Live plants were on display for sale.  While we didn’t buy anything we were certainly interested in the presentation of unusual ideas.

Lots to enjoy.

Even on a drizzly day Longwood Gardens is an enchanting outing.

Jo

After removing all clutter from the room, including anything hanging on the wall, we started to refresh the Treetops bedroom.

The crack under the window.

The cracks have been spackled.

Charlie got his spackling supplies together and carefully filled in all of the large cracks including ones on the ceiling that ran the width of the room.  This was the messy part of the job as it also included some dusty sanding.

The darker half is the new color “Cloud Clover”.

In the meantime I found some paint for the ceiling from my stash of discount paints just waiting for a project.  I had an entire can of Benjamin Moore’s Aura paint in a flat finish of a color called Cloud Cover.  Why isn’t that perfect for the ceiling?

The cracks in the ceiling are not noticeable after spackling and painting.

I painted half of the ceiling then drove to the Sherwin Williams store to purchase wall paint and a new brush.  When I returned I second-coated the first half of the ceiling then moved all of the furniture in the room so I could paint the part of the ceiling nearer the door.  Then I took a break to let all that dry before second-coating the second part of the ceiling.  That was quite a job for this old girl.

The new ceiling color (Cloud Cover) with the new wall color (Spinach White) — the former color is just above the window.

After painting the ceiling I used Sherwin Williams’ Spinach White on the walls but first I scrubbed the baseboard so I could paint a nice clean line between the wall and the skirting.  While the ceiling was a bear and not very satisfying, the walls are bright and beautiful — just what this room needed.

If you check the mirror you can see the difference between the old and new colors.

My next tasks are:

• Paint the baseboard trim.
  

  The baseboard will look much better painted.

• Secure the phone line around the room.
• Paint the doors.
• Paint the window and door trim.
  

  The window trim looks scruffy compared to the new wall paint.

• Wash the windows.
• Set the room up for guests.
• Paint the headboard of the bed?
  

  I might like more contrast between the headboard and the wall color.

Jo