"America's Resort"

Ah, the Greenbrier. White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Vacation spot chosen by Presidents and rich people alike since 1778. Originally discovered in the 18th century as a location for taking in the "waters" - the sulphuric waters that occur naturally at the site. Sulphur is good for circulation and skin conditioning and I'm sure early Americans drank it as well with some other medicinal benefits in mind.


The Greenbrier has a wonderful iconic spring house in the middle of their grounds that tells the history of the spring and you can peer down into the well and smell the lovely sulphur smell. Yum. Two of the men in my life, George Washington and Robert E. Lee, spent time here, along with other presidents and political and military leaders. It was also the chosen location of a large bunker outfitted for the President and Congress during the Cold War - the bunker is still there and tours are offered (we didn't go) plus there's a great PBS show on it too. But anyway, enough history lesson - back to the vacation...

My mother and I got the chance to go on a mother-daughter spa package that gave us the basic room (overlooking one of the rooftops with heat pumps, etc.) for two nights along with spa treatments (big sigh). BUT we still got to live the luxurious lifestyle for a little while.

For those of you who have seen Dirty Dancing, the Greenbrier was much like that - lots of structured activities you could participate in such as nightly movies, afternoon teas, croquet, meditation walks, childrens' activities. Sadly no wig trying-on. And now that I mention it, I don't remember dance lessons or a talent show. Oh well.


This is the North Entrance to the Greenbrier - the most recognizable view. This is where you meet your instructor for your riding lessons. You can also pick up the shuttle bus if you don't want to waste the energy walking over to the outdoor pool or golf club or tennis courts.

The lower lobby (where you check in and where the shops are located) also has a grand mural running around its perimeter and up the steps to the upper lobby. Wonderful scenes of "colonial" life. The building had its major decoration in the 1940s - calling upon great Art Deco and great Colonial Revival design - what a mix!

The legendary interior designer Dorothy Draper led the major redecoration of the 1940s and her company continues to decorate the resort today. Her aesthetic is bright pinks and greens, crazy prints, and animal patterns all combined into one quirky look. It was fantastically impressive. They had a little exhibit of archival materials in one of the hallways all about the project and I spent quite a bit of time reading through that (now, how do I become the curator of the Greenbrier...). I thought of my friend Steve the whole time. These wing chairs sit just outside of one of the cafes - now named after Ms. Draper herself.

Even the public restrooms have the Draper influence. So glorious. This one was my favorite (yes, Mom and I checked them all out!). The one at the golf club ran a close second.

The most glorious spot, however, was the indoor pool. Words cannot describe how romantically retro this space was. According to old photographs, the pool at one time had diving boards and it looks like they'd have demonstrations of diving tricks in its heyday. The area around the pool had casual wicker furniture upholstered with great oilcloth-covered cushions in a wild tropical print. 1940s Cuba vibe along with a wonderful 1920s bathing beauty aesthetic (complete with draped fabric ceiling!).


My mother and I would take walks in the morning before our spa treatments and buy coffee and pastries and sit on these rocking chairs on the back veranda to watch the resort come alive. Very peaceful.

The golf club, fitness center, tennis courts, walking trails, and outdoor pool were all located a short walk from the main building. As you walk you begin to get great views of the mountains. This is the path leading to the golf club (which also has a restaurant, bar, and pool tables (yes, we ate, drank, and played).


There's even shuffleboard courts for those who actually know how to play.

Sadly, it rained on our last morning at the resort (when I was in picture-taking mode), but the outdoor pool on a sunny day was amazing. It is an infinity pool overlooking the golf course and the mountains beyond. The view was just so relaxing. Lounging in a chaise, with someone bringing you cold towels, samples of smoothies, mixed drinks, food, and whatever else you may desire. Aahhh, that was certainly the life. My mother and I spent one of our afternoons lounging.

After three wonderfully relaxing days of spa-ing, drinking, eating, walking, and other various activities, we had to say goodbye. I would love to spend more time - take up tennis again, maybe try off-road driving school in a Range Rover, or just lounge by the pool a bit longer.

We were next off to Lexington and Staunton. More to come...

Deflated

I've officially come off my vacation high. On Monday morning as I was unhappily trudging off to work, my tire pressure warning light came on when I was barely 100 yards from my house. Guess what? Two nails in my front right tire. Fun! This comes to a total of four nails since Father's Day weekend. I'm beginning to think there is either a pile of nails sitting on one of Fredericksburg's streets that I keep running into OR someone is sticking nails in my tires for fun. This is even more perplexing as I hadn't driven my car in over a week so must have picked up the nails right near my house? Hmmm...

Anyway, $15 and 1 1/2 hours later I was back on my way to work and my vacation bliss only a distant memory.

I still have great photographs to share from my week of bliss, so stay tuned!

Image courtesy myspace.com

Position open: sugar daddy

I've found my calling in life.

No, it's not to be a museum curator as we all thought. Well, I guess I can do that on the side, but my real calling in life is to spend the entire summer (and likely spring, fall, and winter too) at a resort like the Greenbrier. Okay, I'll settle for the Greenbrier only. Now, all I need to fufill this calling is someone to pay for it.

Mom and I had an absolutely fantastic, luxurious, totally decadent time during our Greenbrier getaway. It was fabulous. I have lots of pictures and lots more details to share once things quiet down a bit. I certainly didn't want to come back to reality and wish I was back in this fluffy, magical, cloud-like bed with a chocolate on my pillow...

The ears have it

Well, I promised to post more on the use of my fresh corn from this Saturday's farmers market. In the latest issue of Better Homes & Gardens (which I love since I now have a home, albeit a rental, and a garden!), there was this fabulous recipe for a Corn and Basil Tart. Perfect, since I knew corn was 'in' right now and I have a HUGE amount of basil growing in my garden that unless I dry for later will go to waste. So anyway, on to the recipe (which I've posted below).


Now, you know I normally don't follow recipes, but this one I actually did with one exception - I actually substituted skim milk for the half & half/light cream. And you know what, it worked just fine and I felt a bit healthier (although I know you can get fat free half & half)! The dough was easy to make with a hand mixer and besides cutting the kernels off the ears of corn, the tasks were very simple (the corn cutting was a bit messy). The final product was very fresh and summery. Having fresh basil really made it fragrant! I had a couple of big slices for a light dinner on Saturday night and froze the rest for the coming weeks.


Well, I'm off for a week's vacation today - my mother is here right now, singing and drinking coffee and being her usual chipper morning self. We're headed to Lexington, Staunton, and the Greenbrier for some shopping and spa-ing. I'll try to take pictures and will post about our adventures when we return. Enjoy the week!

Corn and Basil Tart

Prep: 25 min.
Chill: 55 min.
Bake: 49 min.
Cool: 10 min.
Stand: 10 min.

View Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half-and-half or light cream
• 1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
• 1/2 cup coarsely snipped fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• Chopped tomato and basil (optional)

Directions

1. For cornmeal crust, in medium bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Beat until combined. Beat in 1 egg until combined. Add in cornmeal and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer; stir in any remaining flour. Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill 30 to 60 minutes or until easy to handle.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pat dough onto bottom and sides of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press evenly onto bottom and sides with a small glass (see note). Line pastry with double thickness of foil and bake 10 minutes; remove foil. Bake 4 to 6 minutes more.

3. Meanwhile, in medium bowl whisk together 2 eggs and half-and-half. Stir in corn, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Pour into pastry shell. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove sides of pan to serve. Sprinkle with tomato and additional basil. Makes 8 servings.

4. Note: To assure even baking, lightly press dough on bottom and up sides of the tart pan. Using the side of a small glass, roll the crust smooth on the bottom. Holding the glass upright gently press dough to the sides of the pan for a uniform edge.

Recipe courtesy Better Homes & Gardens (http://www.bhg.com/recipes/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R120370&_requestid=606035)

Call the cops

I think something happened yesterday that technically is not allowed. Mother Nature broke some rules and made the day more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Do you ever have those days when just walking down the street makes you unbelievably happy? When you can't imagine life being any better?

Yesterday I awoke relatively early to get to the farmers market as is my usual schedule on Saturdays. Here's some wonderfulness from my walk downtown:


I turn the corner just two houses down and - bam! - I'm hit with the image of wonderful flowering vines with an amazing smell. It looks kind of like a moonflower but I think is a member of the jasmine family. Divine!


As I head to the bank to get cash from the ATM, I just happen to look way up and am overwhelmed with how beautiful the sky is. I had to stop and take pictures. I was sure I looked a little odd, but then I noticed another woman doing the exact same thing.

Then stopped in Hyperion to pick up my ritual venti iced skim latte and everything bagel to go. Per usual, the coffee shop was crowded. I actually stood in line in front of a group of runners and started chatting with them. Every Saturday morning I had noticed large groups of runners who congregated inside and outside of Hyperion after their runs. I learned they are a formal group, the Fredericksburg Area Running Club, that meets for 7AM and 8AM runs through town. Hmm...something to maybe strive for to meet new people. Now, I just need to learn to like running.

Anyway, it was then off to the farmers market. Even with the hot and humid weather, there were lots of people at the market, although sadly (and unexpectedly) my CSA was not there. Oh well, likely for the best as I'm about to leave for a week's vacation and the produce would have gone unused anyway. I did, however, pick up some fresh corn as I knew that corn was now 'in' in Virginia and I had a specific recipe in mind (more on that later).


The walk home was nice and leisurely, due to my loaded bag and the humid weather. Besides corn being 'in' right now, the crepe myrtles are also putting on a show this time of year. I really, truly feel very sorry for anyone who lives in an area of the world without crepe myrtles. I don't know if I could do it.


Much of my path home was overhung with heavy crepe myrtle branches - the blooms were large and fragrant and I came home with a sprinkling of blossoms on my head and in my bag.


And even the chain link fences seemed to be strutting their stuff.

Mother Nature was definitely putting on a show!

Inaugural intern day of fun

Sorry for the fact there was no new post yesterday morning. I actually had one of my field trips - I traveled with a number of colleagues and interns to James Madison's Montpelier in Orange, Virginia (about 1 hour west of Fredericksburg). We had a wonderful house tour and then explored the grounds before heading to lunch and an afternoon in the collections. The interns had never been to the site (some of them hail from as far away as Colorado), and we discussed topics ranging from restoration practices to databases, light levels, and pest management. Riveting, for you non-museum folks, I know!

I thought one of the more interesting projects they are currently working on is archaeology in an area just next to the mansion. You can see their latest findings here - a blog called "The Latest Dirt" (insert ba-dump-dump sound here).

I sometimes think I should have become an archaeologist. You get to be so hands-on with objects - bones, buttons, ceramics; do lots of research; dress casually; and make all sorts of interesting discoveries that help inform our understanding of the past (but also spend a lot of time in the hot sun just sifting through dirt)...hmmm...okay, maybe not.

Image courtesy The Montpelier Foundation

Looking for love

Theresa treated me to a pedicure when I was up in Boston this weekend (thanks again T!) and I think I've found my new summer color. I'm normally a hot pink kinda girl, but Theresa got an orange color and inspired me to 'go wild' and pick another color: lavender. (We're easing into my 'wild' - I need to be able to wear this to work, for goodness sake!)

Added bonus is that Essie nail polishes are cruelty-free. I may have to buy a bottle of 'Looking for Love' to have at home. With a name like that, who knows what will happen...

Mind the gap

I need a new mattress. There's no two ways about it. There is a distinct crater in my current mattress that turning and flipping don't seem to obliterate. I woke up in it this morning. And had to roll out of it to get out of bed.

My friend Jen has a friend who deals in luxury mattresses, but even with the friend-of-a-friend discount the price is a little steep. Why are mattresses so expensive!? Is there a government subsidy for us non-profit workers to buy a mattress that won't give us horrible back pain? I'll have to look into that.


In other news, I made another farmers market dinner last night (you thought I'd gotten off the farmers market kick, huh?). Well, because of my weekend excursion I actually missed the farmers market this past Saturday (gasp!) but had in reserves a few survivors from weeks past: new red potatoes and baby eggplant. Yum. I should have taken a picture of the baby eggplant. They were so cute. Some round and plump; others long and lean. Then I skinned them and chopped them and roasted them. Oh, and sprinkled the whole menagerie with sea salt and olive oil and rosemary from the garden. So simple, so easy, so good.

Safe and sound

Well, I'm back in Fredericksburg after a whirlwind trip up and back to Boston for Mommy, Esq.'s baby shower and a nice visit with some college and childhood friends. I ate way too much and drank just enough and had a really great time. Big thanks to Theresa for hosting and letting me invade her life (and the lives of Rob, Lizzie, Tillie, and Scout) for a few days. I took lots of pictures of baby shower food preparation (okay, just of the cake and frosting) and will send those to Theresa for her blog just as soon as my camera charges back up. (Sorry, T!)

I'd have to say I really enjoyed traveling by train. I know some may say I'm crazy to waste 9-12 hours sitting (and Mommy, Esq., I too had cankles by the end of my journey!), but I loved watching the East Coast fly by and I was smart and brought a blanket and feather pillow to crunch up against the window and slept rather well. Met lots of interesting people too, like the family who was from down south and was traveling all the way up to Boston as an adventure - and to see a Red Sox game; or the man who lives in Boston but came down to Virginia for his parents' 50th wedding anniversary; and the woman who now lives in New England but was traveling home to New Jersey to spend time with the extended family she left behind. People seemed friendlier on the train. Maybe it was just me - the women in my family tend to 'never meet a stranger' - but the train was relaxing and kind of romantic. I can just imagine how travel actually was during our grandparents times when the train was the norm.

Treat

So I'm leaving this weekend for Boston and have booked myself on the red-eye train from Fredericksburg. This means I will have lots of time on the train to either a) sleep (I'm hoping I get a lot of this done!) or b) read. In case sleep escapes me (I'm horrible about sleeping on planes because I people-watch too much but I'm hoping the train will be different), I bought myself a little treat to pass the time....

I'm not allowed to crack open the books until I get on the train (just like moms buy their kids new toys before a long car trip so they stay occupied). I've been wanting to read both Skinny Bitch and Skinny Bitch in the Kitch for a while now, so am super-excited. I'll report back!

Image courtesy Amazon.com

Livin' it up

So I'm thinking this morning about work. Sad, I know. But for me, one who actually loves her job, that's not as bad as it sounds. I'm actually thinking about field trips. Yes, us museum curators actually get to take field trips - we call them "work-related visits" but really it is also a day away from our museum (ugh!) visiting some other curator's museum (yeah!).

I somehow, when I wasn't looking, became the de facto intern coordinator this summer. I sent images of accommodations, answered questions about laundry and internet hook-ups, gave maps and lists of places of interest, and also assigned myself the task of coordinating educational field trips for our six interns.

So far we have many museums on our list, but three of them are local house museums with major restoration/reinterpretation efforts underway:

Montpelier

Menokin

Kenmore

I'll report back on our various outings - you can all live vicariously through me!

In need of a nap

I had a pretty productive Sunday yesterday - my cabinet is now sanded (at least the first round) and sitting smack-dab in the middle of my kitchen drying out from the soggy weekend. I hope to work more on it this week before I trek off to Boston.

However, I stayed up too late last night (11:00p.m.!) watching one of my guilty pleasures and didn't get enough beauty sleep. Wish I could be home napping right now...

Soggy

Well, my 4th of July ended with me in a very wet pair of capris, but I'd have to say that it was a great first 4th of July in Fredericksburg, marketed as America's most historic city and a very fitting place to celebrate.

Here's what we ended up doing on Friday: Breakfast at M's - yummy, fluffy pancakes and a big old glass of milk. Followed by a leisurely walk downtown where we stopped by Hyperion and discovered what may be my downfall: The monkey - a frozen mocha with banana (fresh!) mixed right in. They make mine with skim milk and use fresh banana straight from the peel. Um...yum. I've had two of them in as many days now. And today might be number three.

Our first stop was the raft race I've previously mentioned. What fun! We stood on the Chatham Bridge which was touted as the perfect vantage point. There were people lining both sides of the bridge and traffic slowly filtering by - many wondering why the heck all these people were peering over the sides of the bridge. So here's the point - people enter rafts in the race and pretty much just cross their fingers that the vessels make it from Falmouth to the City Dock down the Rappahannock River. I hear they give prizes for best Huck Finn rafts and for rafts that We Didn't Think Would Make It and other awards. Here's just a couple of the entrants:

You may notice patriotic themes here... Oh, and participants actually pushing the rafts...

One of the rafts had a sound system and a woman singing patriotic songs as they floated. I heard another raft had a live video feed to the City Dock so viewers could track their progress (they ended up sinking near the end, but the camera was luckily waterproof). It was a lot of fun and we're talking about getting some sort of museum curator raft together for next year ;)

Anyway, we then walked around the downtown street fair which was super-hot and super-crowded but a lot of fun. Vendors were selling everything from fresh lemonade and kettle corn to jewelry, vintage linens, religious crafts, wooden toys, and doggie treats. After lunch at Caroline Street Cafe (which was sadly unprepared for the crowds), we meandered home to rest and cool down.

For dinner we had hot dogs (veggie ones for me), baked beans, potato salad, grilled squash from the farmer's market, veggies & dip, and a berry trifle for dessert. We actually couldn't sit outside to eat, which was our plan, because Mother Nature decided to give us an evening of torrential wind and rain that blew sideways. My poor cabinet out on the back stoop made it through, but was a little soggy despite the tarps wrapped around her. I'm hoping the rain will eventually stop for a whole day so she can dry out and I can start sanding!

Oh, back to the evening. Well, as fireworks time came ticking closer, we were a little worried that the show would not go on. But it did! By 8:30 the skies were clear and the rain had moved away (sadly to some other town to ruin their night, I'm sure). Old Mill Park was packed and very, very muddy, but we braved the puddles and sat on the very wet grass on what became a very wet "waterproof" blanket to watch the display. Pretty great, I must say!


It was funny, though, to walk through my neighborhood down to the park. There were tons of people just setting up chairs in parking lots or on the sidewalks as we walked past. Somehow I think we could have just stayed home and gotten a pretty good show - maybe next year.

But now it's life back to normal. Did my normal farmers market run yesterday morning. Worked in the garden during the day pulling weeds and planting my new hydrangea until the mosquitoes chased me inside. Hope everyone enjoyed a lovely holiday weekend!

Independence

Well, it is that day - July 4th. Since I'm currently working at a historic site that was the birthplace of two signers of the Declaration of Independence, this day means a bit more to me than hot dogs, fireworks, and a day off of work. It is so amazing to me that just over 225 years ago we were able to coalesce into a rebel army that actually won its independence and formed a body of government that was successful in making it work! And the army didn't have a set uniform, or training, or even shoes on their feet in some cases. They just believed in the cause. That's passion.

Anyway, off my soapbox for the day. I'm up early so I can prep some veggies for this afternoon's BBQ (well, I'll actually be utilizing my grill pan again, so technically not a BBQ). I'm also meeting up with friends at 10AM this morning for some breakfast before we catch the raft race and head downtown.

I wish everyone a safe and fun 4th of July!

Image: This is actually from the Fredericksburg National Cemetery during the Memorial Day memorial celebration this past May where local Boy Scouts placed luminaries at the graves - it was quite a sight.

Growing family

I'm so excited. So many of my friends have blogs! I love keeping in touch with them on a semi-daily basis. Normally, everyone is so busy and it's hard to make calls, send e-mails, or otherwise keep each other abreast of what's happening in each others' lives. Now we all have blogs to fill in the blanks!

What I especially love is the banter about everyday happenings. Often when I see friends it turns into sharing of big news or other life events. Sometimes I just like knowing what Theresa has for dinner one night or the latest TV show that Mommy Esq is addicted to. Now I just need more friends to jump on the bandwagon. My friends L and M both recently started blogging and now I hear my friend Helen will be blogging about the new 90210 show.

Now I just need to work on my friend Einat ;)

The great white whale captured

So, you may remember that I previously posted about searching for a 30-inch wide chest of drawers to fit in this particular space in my hallway in my cute little house. Well, I've found it. Okay, so it's not actually a chest of drawers. But it'll be perfect.

I've started scraping off the modern white latex paint that the dealer had slopped on the cabinet. I've also purchased ivory glossy paint that seems to match the original paint layer. Right now the cabinet is out on my back stoop awaiting the next task. Add this to my to-do list...

Checking things off the list

Okay, so today I'm home using one of my plethora of sick days to go to doctors appointments. In the free time between appointments, though, I'm here updating my blog and reporting on the success of checking things off of my list from yesterday.

Did I clean up my piles at work? No, but I was productive yesterday. My intern is also happily working away on an independent project. Check. I didn't exercise yet. I did a couple of loads of laundry so far (but they lay where I left them, neatly folded but not put away). My appointments have been made and my oil changed. All in all I'm pretty proud of myself.


In other news, I'd like to report that my strawberry bushes have been very productive as well. I have a fresh new crop springing up just when I thought they were through for the season. They get a gold star.