Of Cars, Trucks, Ambulances

There are some things in life that I never get tired of…seeing cars, trucks, and babies.

With the arrival of my 22^nd grandchild, I have never gotten tired of holding a baby, especially my own grandchild. I sat in the hospital room, amazed at this tiny creature with the most perfectly formed features. I had to keep looking at his face with the light colored eyebrows, tiny nose, and the most perfect lips. I had to touch his ‘baby’ soft skin. I loved the special smell of a baby, one that I identify with what heaven or beyond must smell like. I am intrigued at the smile that comes and goes on his face, as if he is having a secret conversation with angels. I would love to know what they are talking about.

While I’m enjoying my grandmother time with Nolan Eliot Hoolahan, his older brother, Will, who is 2-years-old,  and his cousin, Noah,  3-years-old are entertaining themselves as only little boys can find so entertaining. With the help of Will’s father, they are kneeling on the wide sill of the window ledge. They are peering down from their 8^th floor perch, from Children’s Hospital. It’s a crisp November day, with dark clouds in the sky and a beautiful scene of the downtown skyscrapers in the distance.

Their conversation goes much like this – “Cars – Trucks –Ambulance.” This pretty much says it all, on this cool November day, as I rock baby, Nolan, to the sounds of ‘cars, trucks, ambulances.’

Welcome, Nolan, your life is going to be filled with love and I promise you, it will be an interesting ride!

L' Albatros Brasserie

Looking for a place to dine after visiting the Cleveland Museum of Art, we ventured out of the Glidden House. Asking the doorman for a restaurant recommendation, he pointed to the alley beside the Glidden House and said to go down to the left and we would find L’Albatros Brasserie.

 

He had eaten there a few times. He told us that it was an affordable French Restaurant. Then he launched into his favorite dish, the Cassoulet:  a hearty dish, like a stew, with white beans, lamb, duck confit, and sausage. He waxed and waned about that dish, as if he was sitting at the table eating it.

It wasn’t the dish that sent us to L’Albatros, but how the door man described the dish. After that sumptuous description, we were eager to sample the food. During the meal, my traveling friend would say that this was a serendipitous decision.

L’Albatros was about three buildings from the hotel, on the left side. The restaurant was a rather non-descript looking place on the outside. Inside the restaurant were white tables and chairs, in a chic minimalist setting. We sat down and were given tiny slices of baguette bread with a delicious olive oil for dipping.

Our waiter was excellent. He was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. We both eyed the Coq Au Vin but that was the Monday special and this was Sunday. My friend asked the waiter about ordering it and he said that he would check with the chef. We looked over the menu for an alternative entrée. The waiter came back smiling and said that the chef was excited about putting the dish together for us. He said the chef wanted us to be happy. In the meantime we ordered a cup of soup for our appetizer. My friend had a rich mushroom soup while I ordered the Onion Soup Gratinee. Both soups gave each of us our own desired pleasure. Mine didn’t disappoint me. It was a rich soup with actual beef simmered in wine, added to the soup. It was totally delicious, not at all like the usual onion soups in thin watery liquids and onions floating throughout.

Then the Coq Au Vin arrived in oval white ramekins for each of us. It was a beautiful site. There were two chicken legs and thighs braised on a bed of potatoes, with small whole porta bella mushrooms, pearl onions, chunks of lardon (bacon that has been diced, blanched, and fried), served in a wonderful rich wine sauce.

The dish was heavenly! I think we each left a few scraps of food and the bones in our ramekin. There was no doubt about us being happy when the waiter asked. We paid and on our way out, we stopped and called out our thanks and praise to the chefs in the open kitchen. They were pleased.

“Yes, Chef, we were indeed happy!

The Glidden House Hotel

I just returned from a mini trip to Cleveland, where I stayed overnight at the Glidden House Hotel. The hotel is located on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. The Glidden House was built in 1910, as an impressive mansion. Now it’s used as a welcoming hotel.

I have driven by the Hotel and have seen it when I have visited the Cleveland Museum of Art. I often thought that it looked like an inviting place to stay. It is, not just because of the friendly staff but there are lists of reasons to stay there. The Glidden House is within walking distance to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Institute of Music, and the Western Reserve Historical Society. There are 60 air conditioned rooms with Wi-Fi access, a large plasma television, and a complimentary breakfast served in the delightful dining area, surrounded by windows in a beautiful setting.

   After a day at the Cleveland Museum of Art, it was nice to know that the hotel that I was staying at was just a few hundred yards away and that I wouldn’t have to jump in the car and drive two hours home.

Besides the convenience of the Glidden House, the place is close to some very interesting and tasty restaurants!

Hops and Hopper

I spent an interesting evening at the Carnegie Museum of Art, last Friday. The event was called ‘Hops and Hopper.’ At this event, seven Breweries were represented: East End Brewing, Four Seasons Brewing, Great Lakes Brewing, Grist House Brewing, Hitchhiker Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, and Voodoo Brewing.

Each Brewing House offered at least two different beers to sample. One could sample the beers a number of times. There were a few snacks to cleanse the palate, like braided pretzel sticks and tiny gold fish. Along with the admission, we were given our choice of a glass with an Edward Hopper etching on it. Edward Hoppe, (1882-1967), was an American realist painter and print maker.

By the time my friend and I got there, there were only two different glasses to choose from. We both chose the etching with a leafless tree. Then we were ready to sample the beers and talk to the people offering the samples.

After the tasting, and after writing our names on our coasters, we placed them on top of our glasses, and went upstairs to the Hopper exhibit.  From there we went into a room to view the special video of the life of Hopper and also another video of Hopper stories connected to one of his paintings. The stories were done by producers from different countries, as well as American producers with their interpretation of story line to go with a specific Hopper painting.

When the viewing was over, my friend and I, along with the others, went back to pick up our glasses before going home. The glasses were – gone, taken by others! That was a disappointment to both of us and the others who paid to get into the event.

Bottom line – the evening was really awesome from the beer hops to the Hopper paintings. But on the flip side, at an event where you would expect a bit more from those attending, it was a disappointment. Some people can be classless, no matter what they do and where they

Story Written - Sent - Accepted

I have been in bit of a writing slump. On my way to visit my hometown of Utica, New York…along the drive, a seed of an idea started to form. As I got closer to Utica…the idea started to grow even more. The next day I would find myself sitting at Barnes and Noble and writing 10 pages of a new book. Having an idea and being able to write about it is a high for me.

Then I came back home and found an email waiting for me. The sender asked me to send back a signed contract and a 100 word biography to accompany my story. I stared at the email and tried to remember what story I had sent or was this a hoax or a mistake. Eventually I took a chance and mailed back a response saying I never received a contract from them or it was accidentally deleted.

I pretty much figured that if I had a story accepted, I messed up and the story was gone. But then a few hours later, I received another email congratulating me on having my story accepted for their Animal Rescue Anthology. I had been sent a contract and I would need to send the signed contract back, along with the bio. The date was September 23, 2015, and I had to have both sent in by September 25.

It took me awhile to get excited. But after I worked on my biography and scanned a signed contract…I emailed both out by the 24th. After hitting the send button, I finally felt that old excitement growing and it felt pretty good.

Yes, getting a story accepted and published is a real high. It’s also the great motivator to do what I do…keep writing!!!!!!

End of Summer, 2015

Labor Day has come and gone. It’s the official end of summer for 2015. The family and friends backyard games and cookouts are over. And yes, meats taste better on the grill.

When my son held the kids’ small inflated pool on his lap, and I watched him deflate it and fold it up…I knew it was the end.

Yep…the deflation of the pool signaled the end of those lazy days of summer!