Happy 115th!

Al Roker was the surprise guest at the Good Housekeeping  115th anniversary celebration

I had the great good fortune to be part of the Good Housekeeping's 115th anniversary. Yes, 115 years of the Seal of Approval. Good Housekeeping pulled out the stops to make it a great day for the participants and to salute this legendary institution. There was a fabulous lunch, with my favorite sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Everything was delicious and the table setting was lovely. 

Yummy and (mostly) healthy eating, too!

Sticky Toffee Pudding and Bourbon Caramel Sauce  -- as good as it looked

After lunch we (media members and influencers) toured the Good Housekeeping labs. It was a fascinating afternoon. Each lab -- fabric, appliances, test kitchen for a few -- was so interesting. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with staff and see the various methods used to determine what products receive the Seal of Approval. 

The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen

 

The Test Kitchen was one of my favorite spots. This is where the recipes for the magazine are developed and where major appliances are tested. I enjoyed learning about everything that goes on here, meeting the staff and the delicious red velvet cookies that were served. 

Loved the view of Central Park

I can't begin to thank Good Housekeeping for this fabulous opportunity. It exceeded any expectations I had. Here's to -- at least -- another 115 years for Good Housekeeping and the Seal of Approval. 

My heart and prayers go out to friends in Florida. I'm watching the weather as I type and hoping, hoping that the reality won't be as dire as the forecast. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

  

Happy (Belated) Kanelbulle Dag

Cheers for the Cinnamon Bun!

Somehow for the first time in years I missed both National Coffee Day (September 29) and International Coffee Day (October 1). But I'm only a day late to celebrate Kanelbulle Dag, the Swedish holiday that salutes the Cinnamon Bun. Kanelbulle Dag is celebrated in both Sweden and Finland, in the latter with a slightly different spelling. It was created in 1999 and it salutes Swedish baking traditions. 

 

My salute is in this photograph at one of my favorite local bakeries. I didn't indulge, but yes, I was sorely tempted. I went with my standby, iced coffee. So one might say that I was celebrating National Coffee Day, although belatedly. 

My celebration of Rosh Hashanah was lovely, both at services and with my family of friends. I'm back from my late summer wanderings -- Maine, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Nova Scotia -- and now enjoying autumn in New York. It's back to the gym, errands, medical appointments and a few special events as well, including a leaf viewing trip in Connecticut next week. What's on your calendar for the month? 

A happy 50th anniversary shout-out to my dear Colorado blog friends, Pat and Vinny.  Here's to a wonderful anniversary celebration and wishes for many more years, happy and healthy. Pat was one of my first blog friends in the early years of Buttercupland and I'm so grateful that we are still in touch. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great weekend. 

Apples, Honey and Prayers for Peace

 

Tonight Jewish people around the world will welcome 5785, and tomorrow as is the custom I will share apples and honey with my family of friends that I celebrate with. Why apples and honey? Symbolically, to begin the new year on a sweet note. Practically, for the Jewish people of Europe apple season and the new year came together and honey was the sweetener used for centuries. Centuries later this is still the custom. 

I'm delighted to begin a new year and leave 5784 and its sorrows behind. Not that the sorrows and misery are ended for far too many around the world, but we begin once again with hopes and prayers for a better world in the year to come. 

As is my custom, I will be bringing prayer requests with me to services. Our services for the next ten days include two days for the new year (Rosh Hashanah) and two days for Yom Kippur. There will be lots of hours of prayer. Once again, I am honored to bring prayer requests that you have with me. Please feel free to message me or leave a comment. At the top of my list are prayers for peace and for relief for those affected by Hurricane Helene.

Let the new year begin with apples, honey, sweetness and may we see peace in 5785.

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

Life at Sea

 

The Enchanted Princess in the waters off Bar Harbor, Maine

I've written about some of the sights I saw during last week's cruise, but I haven't written anything about the cruise. I'm a fan of cruises -- my first cruise was in 1983 -- and this was my 14th cruise. I've been to the Baltic, Antarctica, Malaysia and Singapore and Alaska via ship. I love getting to places that otherwise might be difficult to get to. I also enjoy life at sea. I like the entertainment, food and meeting people. 

I've found it a great way to travel with friends. No one has to drive, figure out navigation or shop and cook. I took this trip with two friends from my working days. The ports were familiar to me, but there's always something new or an old favorite to visit. We'd hoped for autumn leaves, but sadly, except for Bar Harbor, there was no color in the trees to be  found. 

We enjoyed the buffet for breakfast and lunch. I loved lingering over coffee with the ocean view. That was a treat that never got old. Another treat was the sugar-free desserts -- Yummy! -- and the salad bar. 

Fabulous garnishes and terrific staff at the buffet

Our last day at sea featured a special cake dessert at lunch. There were a number of tempting choices, but I went with the strawberry shortcake. No regrets!

I'm a fan of a formal dinner in the dining room, and it was a great  week. I tried to order foods I don't often get at home and there were so many choices. I tried to eat prudently, but there were temptations and yes, I did eat dessert.  

Formal night, September 2024

It's all over -- except the photos, the memories and the friendships. So grateful to spend time with dear friends, make new friends and enjoy the beautiful sights of the trip. Now it's back to regularly scheduled programming, at least for a little while. Still have some travel and time with friends coming up. 

It's beginning to feel like autumn in New York and I'm out of sandals and back to socks and a jacket. There are pumpkins and pumpkin spice all around and I'm excited for all the fun and flavor of this season. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and dear friends in the path of Helene, prayers for safety. 

Colonial Days in Newport

 

At this moment, our ship has dropped anchor off beautiful Bar Harbor, Maine. I’m having a wonderful morning enjoying the ocean view before heading off to Acadia National Park. 

I spent yesterday in Boston — a visit to the Kennedy Presidential Library —and Sunday in Newport, RI. The highlight of my visit to Newport was a tour of Colonial sights, which were many and well-preserved. The house pictured above was one of my favorites. 

Trinity Church, Newport

One of our walking tour stops was Trinity Church, where George Washington worshipped when he was in Newport during the Revolutionary War. 

After our day in Bar Harbor, I’m looking forward to a day at sea and then somehow, it will be time for our fourth and final port, Halifax Nova Scotia. Many more pictures to come!

As ever, thanks visiting and have a beautiful Tuesday!

Leaf Peepers at Sea

 

Halifax harbor

In five days I will be sailing into Halifax harbor, accompanied by two friends from my working days and Pep. We've all been retired over ten years and as the years have gone by we don't see enough of each other. To remedy this we're setting sail from Brooklyn this afternoon to spend a week sightseeing, laughing, talking and hoping to find autumn leaves. We planned this trip months ago, and it seemed so far off. But far off is now and I'm just about packed and ready for our adventure. 

We'll be visiting Newport, RI, Boston, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The weather looks good -- I've been tracking rain further north for the last week -- and it's warmer than I anticipated. I'm packing a sweatshirt, shorts and an umbrella and Pep's got a hoodie, too.  Here's a toast to friendship and smooth sailing. 

I'm hoping to do a blog post (or two) while I'm away, and will definitely be posting on Facebook and Instagram. Please stop by and travel with us. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take care! 

Wordless Wednesday

 A picture is worth a thousand words.

In the midst of internet issues, and my almost finished post about September 11 is somewhere in cyberspace. In the interim I offer this memory of the World Trade Center, December 1999.

As ever, thanks for visiting and take care.