The Laurel Club

 

The Laurel Club was a club for women

who worked for Johnson & Johnson in

New Brunswick, NJ.  It started in 1907

and lasted until 1925.  According to the

Laurel Club charter the purpose of the

club was "...to create a center where all

may find opportunities of enjoyment and

education."  They charged a 25 cent monthly

dues which helped support charity work and

among those charities were helping local

orphans and entertaining WWI troops from

a local hospital.  Lunches and dinners were

provided for members and cooking classes

were held twice a week.  They had a basketball

team, a Glee Club and a lending library.

 

 

Here is a photo of the basketball team

and in the back row, second from the

right is my namesake, my Grandmother,

Nellie (Ellen) O'Rourke Taylor.  I  remember

my Mum telling us about this club and she

always said the mother of the poet Joyce

Kilmer was involved in running it.

 

Finding History

 

I should have a bumper sticker that says:

I Brake for History.

 

 

Recently we were out in the middle

of nowhere driving along the old

Lincoln Highway somewhere near

Ligonier, Indiana when we spotted

this old tavern.  We pulled in and asked

some people who were building a log cabin

on the property if we could take a peek inside.

 

 

They unlocked the door and let

us explore it on our own.

 

 

If I had this I'd make pies everyday...

 

 

The tavern was built in 1839 when General

Mad Anthony Wayne and his men widened an

old Indian trail northwest of Ft. Wayne to make

wagon travel possible.

 

 

The tavern became a place for "quilting bees,

town meetings, post office, stagecoach stop,

jury room, jail, dancehall and rest stop for

the weary traveler or drover."

 

 

The Stone's Trace Historical Society was

founded in 1964 to preserve and restore

the historic property and to "give the

past a future".  I'm glad they did!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Eating Well & Living Well

 

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well,

if one has not dined well."

                                    ~ Virginia Woolf

 

Mr. Wonderful and I spent a lovely weekend

in Michigan exploring the country back roads.

On Friday night we went to a Greek Festival

where the food was (of course) delicious.

 

 

On Saturday afternoon we were heading through

an Amish town in northern Indiana called

Shipshewanna and decided to stop for lunch.

We went to a place that is said to have great food...

 

 

This was my lunch.  The best thing I can say

about it is I'm glad I got the half order.

 

It was at this lunch that we made a pact,

to NEVER eat bland, boring food again...

ever.

 

 

This was dinner on Sunday when we got home.

Balsamic chicken with mushrooms, asparagus

and grape tomatoes and freshly picked corn.

It was divine.

 

You can't just eat good food.  You've got to talk

about it too.  And you've got to talk about it to

somebody who understands that kind of food.

                                ~ Kurt Vonnegut

 

 

Stitch Like an Egyptian

The Tentmakers of Cairo

 

 

As soon as I heard the Tentmakers of Cairo

would be at the AQS show in Grand Rapids,

I knew I had to make the trip to see the exhibit.

It was spectacular, if you ever get a chance to

see this wonderful show, don't miss it!

Here are a few photos from the exhibit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The use of color and intricate designs were

so inspiring, I'll be dreaming of these

great works for a long time.  And I can't

wait to get back to Cairo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



It's Greek To Me

 

While shopping for ex votos in the antique

markets of Monastiraki in Athens, I met

Achilles.  He started speaking to me in Greek

and I asked him if he spoke English.  He said

he thought I was Greek and when he found out

I was from America he said of course I must be

a Greek-American.  That's when I realized I

could be Greek, the dark hair, the dark eyes...

So sometimes I become Eleni Maria.

 

 

I am in Grand Rapids, Michigan today and

I found out there is a Greek Festival.

Oh yeah ~ time for Eleni Maria!

 

 

We checked out the food selections.

 

 

We had a delicious dinner of spanakopita,

moussaka, Greek salad and those fabulous

Greek green beans.  During dinner I even

met one of my friends from home.

 

 

After dinner it was time for dancing!

 

 

And to finish off the evening we split a

Baklava Sundae ~ sinful.

 

 

 

 

What Is It?

While on a hike last night we came across

this hanging in a tree.  I only had an iphone

with me so the picture quality is not great, sorry.

I have never seen anything like it.  It looks to

be the partial wing of an owl, I think.  So, if

there are any serious birders out there, please

let me know if you can identify it and if anyone

has ever seen something like this before.  I'm

thinking this is either from a Barred Owl or

 a Great Horned Owl.

Nature Girl Report

I love nature, I love to be out on the

trail and to see the changes that take

place every day. 

Recently, I met a man on the trail and

seeing my camera he asked if I was

getting some great shots.  Enthusiastically,

I said, "Oh yes, since we finally got rain

the fungus has been fabulous!"  The look

he gave me showed that not everyone may

share my enthusiasm...  I have a friend who

thinks my photos of fungus are disgusting.

Sorry, but I find beauty in the shape, form

and color of nature.  I always think of a

Dale Chihuly sculpture when I see the type

of funghi shown above.  So, here is fair

warning, that this post is about what I see

while out and about in the woods.

I love that the deer never run away from me, I

think they know I'm as much a part of these

woods as they are.

22 Years

22 years ago today I married Mr. Wonderful

and it has been, well... wonderful!

Te amo, Roberto.

Country Livin'

This city girl traded in her high heels decades

ago for a simpler, quieter life.  I thought I'd

share some photos I took today while driving

in the countryside near my American Homestead.

It is a part of the country many people who live

in the USA will never see, because they think

there is nothing out here.  But for me it stirs my

soul to see the beauty of the open country and

old barns, the animals and so much sky...

All of these pictures were taken from my car

on the country roads of Madison County and

Grant County, Indiana.

I hope you like them.

A Talent For Life!

Happy Birthday Julia Child!

Yesterday would have been Julia Child's

100th birthday, so of course we had to

celebrate!  When I was a little girl, we

always watched the public television

 station Channel 13 in New York and Julia

came right into our living room.  I can

remember her so vividly, I had never heard

a voice like that before.  I grew up with her and

when I started cooking I often referred to her

books for guidance (still do).

I have always said one of the most interesting

biographies I have ever read was Julia's.

What a life!

I have visited her kitchen at the Smithsonian.

I've read lots of books about her.

Yesterday I got the new bio, Dearie.

And last night I made a layered ratatouille

over couscous with a coin of goat cheese.

It is not her recipe but it is French...

I also made a few "petites" for lunch

today, perhaps I'll enjoy one while

reading a chapter of Dearie.

I've always loved this photo of Julia

and Paul, I hope that Wonderful and I

will end up just like this someday,

working together at a long table, side by side.

Bon Appetit!