From This Side of the Pond: Highpoint NJ

Showing posts with label Highpoint NJ. Show all posts

Monday, July 15, 2013

Summer in the City

The country too.

Lame. In my defense this old blog has been a bit neglected this summer, and I'm a little rusty when it comes to creating post titles.

We really were in the city this past weekend which I'll blab on about in a minute, but before the city there was the country.

England.

No we weren't there this weekend, but some friends we met while living across the pond trekked all the way to the Garden State for a visit. They're from Canada although he's originally from New Zealand, but we were all together in New Jersey for a fun few days.

Is anyone confused?

They arrived Thursday afternoon, and we managed to sit on the patio for a while after dinner, which was the only night we got to have a fire. I will refrain from commenting on the weather.

Friday was actually a good day to spend outdoors, because it was overcast and the rain and humidity didn't arrive until later in the day.

Oops, I mentioned the weather.

It was nice enough to have breakfast al fresco, which is my favorite way to dine. Afterwards we drove up to Highpoint and stood on top of the world.

Okay, we were only on top of New Jersey, but still the views are lovely.

We drove back to Tinytown for lunch and our friends got a glimpse of the sweet side of NJ wildlife-

If that were my tree I might not find this quite so sweet, but it wasn't so yes, it's sweet.

Saturday we spent the day in the city. It was raining when we left the house, but we forged ahead anyway, and the sun came out by the time we'd crossed the bridge. We were headed to the Met and normally you can just hop across the park, but Mariah Carey was having a concert that evening and there was no crossing the park.

Just ask these guys.

We had already attempted to go through, and did I mention the humidity? I know I said I wouldn't, but walking around Central Park on a humid July day is not for sissies. We finally gave up and hailed a taxi.

Do people say 'hail a taxi' anymore?

We made it to the
~~air conditioning~~
Metropolitan Museum of Art, and spent a few leisurely hours wandering the halls there. Absolutely one of my favorite museums in the world.

Afterwards we 'hailed' another taxi and headed all the way down 5th to Eataly. I've mentioned this spot on my blog before (here), but just know if you love all things Italian in the food and wine department you'll want to see it for yourself. It's a combination shop and dine experience, and we started in the cheese restaurant with a meat and cheese plate that was positively fantastico!

We eventually moved over to their seafood restaurant Il Pesce, and shared frutti di mer, fritto misto 'alla Ligure', and one ginormous, yet perfectly cooked flounder.

Course no trip to the Big Apple is complete without a stop in Times Square-

We went up to the lounge in the Marriott Marquis, and had a birds eye view of all the goings on down below. This view included a million and one different things, even a bride and her Marine groom.

As is always the case with weekends, this one went by way too fast. Once upon a time we sat at one another's kitchen tables in a village across the sea. We shared meals, sorted through stacks of pottery together, and compared notes on raising teenage daughters. We even put our car on the train and ended up in the picturesque seaside town of Le Touqet France one March weekend a lifetime ago.

The first year hubs and I were back in the states we made the drive north to their charming home on Prince Edward Island where we dined on mussels and lobster, and I stepped back into my childhood and the days of Anne of Green Gables.

So thankful for friends, that while the geographical distance may be great...

...the heart distance is always just a beat away.

Friday, February 10, 2012

All About Self

Continuing with the February Photo Challenge-today's prompt is 'self-portrait'.

Does anyone over the age of 25 really enjoy taking self portraits? First of all, it requires a coordination I'm not sure I possess. Secondly, they're usually super close up. No thank you.When I'm in a photograph I like to adjust 'things'...the angles, my chin, my hair...that's hard to do when you're taking a picture of yourself. Hubs took a picture of me in Central Park that was a close up of my face. Goodness, are those lines around my eyes always there?

I'm no quitter though, and I'm determined to see this challenge through to the last day of the month. Enjoy your weekend everyone...

'In every corner of our life, to lose oneself is to be the gainer; to forget oneself is to be happy. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Love is in the Hodgpodge-Volume 65

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! I'm so glad you're playing along today. Don't forget to add your link to the bottom of my post so friends can come a-callin'. Here are my answers-

1. What is something you are loving right now?

Conversation hearts.

Just keepin' it real people.

2. Paris, Venice, New York and Rome are considered four of the most romantic cities in the world. Of the four, which one would you most like to visit?

Well now. This one is tres difficile. Or molto difficile depending on which city I choose. It won't be New York because as much as I love NYC when it comes to romance France and Italy rule.

I am in love with Paris. I'd like an apartment on the Champs Elysees with those wonderfully tall windows where I could throw open the shutters and let the magnificent light in. Paris is all about the light. It's a city made for strolling and sipping champagne. Plus everyone is speaking French which, let's face it, makes even a grilled cheese sandwich sound like something more than a grilled cheese sandwich.

But Rome. Roma. Italy.

I've said it a time or ten here that Italy is my happy place. Paris may be about the light but Italy is all about the air. The air is intoxicating. Dreamy. Romantic.

And then there is the water. Venice. Spend a few hours in Venice and you understand why people fall in love there. Or remember why they fell in love way back when they were just a couple of crazy college kids.

The thing is, I've been to all of these cities and my memories of times spent there are muddy-ing up the waters and make choosing just one impossible. I seriously don't care. You could put me on a plane, not tell me which of the three we were headed to, and I'd be happy no matter where we landed.

3. Are you a romantic?

Yes. Hopeless. I walk thru life wearing rose colored glasses most of the time.

I still believe in fairy tales.

Hubs has to add a gentle dose of reality to my dreams now and then which I can appreciate. I also appreciate that he can be counted on to make a romantic gesture when one is called for...he's got a bit of the romantic in him too.

4. What's your favorite love story made for the Big Screen?

An Affair to Remember, Love Actually, Sweet Home Alabama...those are three of my favorites. You can't expect me to answer with only one when I've just told you I'm a romantic, can you?

5. Everyone loves Pooh bear and friends....which character are you most like and why? Click here for help in answering this question.

According to the quiz I'm Kanga-'You are warm and loving and great with children. People know not to misbehave around you or they'll end up in time out.'

It was sounding good until that last bit-ha!

6. What's the best chocolate something you've ever eaten?

When we lived in Maryland hubs used to get me a decadent, sinfully rich, chocolate cake for my birthday every year. He had a baker make the cake especially for me (see question #3) with a delicate raspberry filling. It was iced with the most scrumptious chocolate ganache I've ever tasted. He has tried his best to get bakeries everywhere we've lived since to recreate the concoction, and while they're all delicious its not quite the same.

I will say that the bakery here in our little town does come awfully close.

7. Share a favorite quote about love.

"There is no remedy for love but to love more."

Henry David Thoreau

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm using my random thought today to post my February photo challenge picture. Today's prompt is 'sun'. I took this picture during our Sunday afternoon hike-

We've been to Highpoint many times, but on Sunday we hiked a different trail and stumbled across this observation deck built into the woods. I know I shouldn't take a picture looking in to the sun but there was no way around it in this instance and I kind of like how it turned out. Here's what you see from the deck-

In my mind, sunshine was one of God's very best ideas.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Finding Gold in the Weekend

Hey, guess what?

We were at home this weekend.

And by home I mean we weren't sitting around doing nothing but we were also not standing in a queue at the airport or packing and lugging suitcases or stripping down for security.

Wait.

Hubs was at the airport. He'd been in Delhi all last week and his flight touched down in the US of A at the delightful hour of 4:25 am. Of course to him that felt like 2 PM so we did what we always do when he gets back from one of these upside down business trips-we went out to breakfast. Its possible we also went out to lunch later that same day but who's counting. He always has stories to tell when he's been to India, some interesting and some sad, so we spent the day catching up and running errands. And eating out obviously. He wanted some regular American beef for dinner so we grilled steaks and caught up on the DVR. Riveting stuff, isn't it? I've written an entire paragraph on our weekend eating habits.

Hubs finds it amusing that he travels half way round the world but I'm the one who kind of collapses when he gets home. In my defense I do not sleep well when he's in these places, so as soon as he's safely home I let my adrenaline crash.

Saturday it was off to the races. We were guests of someone business related (I don't know-I just go along for the fun day out) and they have a lovely tent at this event which raises money for a local hospital. The weather was very fall like with alternating sun and clouds and I was glad I wore my down vest.

(oh good, she's moved from discussing her dining habits to weather talk)

This horse race goes all the way back to 1870 and is host to the Breeder's Cup, the most prestigious race in American steeplechasing. I don't follow horse racing but I do read a lot of Dick Francis novels which are set in that venue so I think that counts. Do you think they saw this back in 1870?

Let me just say for record that he was not with us. Also, the rules clearly stated no pets but somehow this girl managed to sneak in a chicken.

Whyyyy? As you can see, the event attracts a wide ranging crowd. We were up on the hill above the chickens and the superheroes-

There was plenty of wonderful food and pretty table decorations-

I loved the centerpieces and they would be easy to recreate-

There were no Marvel Comic characters in our tent but we did spend a lot of time talking to some British guests which was fun. Will we ever lose that sense of feeling an immediate connection to every Brit we meet? These boys (they were men, but they were young men) had spent a lot of time in our little village, primarily in the pub there but still, it was fun talking about our mutual love of their homeland.

Hubs needed a bit of a low key day on Sunday and what a gorgeous fall day it turned out to be-

We took the little red car for a spin and enjoyed feeling the sunshine on our faces and the seeing the view from atop New Jersey's highest point.

We came home and relaxed on the patio (finally) and even had a fire in the outdoor firepit where this deliciousness happened-

That's hubs marshmallow...he has no patience for a lot of things but he could sit all day and roast a marshmallow to perfection. I have patience for most things but managed to burn two right off the bat with my impatience. He was nice and shared.

And what would your week be without a picture of my hillside?

The sunlight sparkled thru the leaves yesterday and made for a most peaceful and perfect late autumn afternoon. How can you not love the fall?

"There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!" Percy Bysshe Shelley