A Rosson House Docent

  Today was my first day as a Docent, leading costumed tours through the historic Rosson House here in Phoenix. It’s the same thing I did in Colonial Williamsburg, but I don’t get paid. Oh well, I wanted to do it. The costumes are not historically accurate, but very cute– floor-length black skirt, white blouse, and a ruffled white pinafore with a picture of the Rosson House embroidered in black.

I shadowed a delightful Docent named Maggie to learn the ropes. She has been a Docent at the house for 27 years, so I got to learn some juicy tidbits. For instance, Dr. Rosson died of gastroenteritis at the age of 47, but he had taken out large insurance policies shortly before. There have been rumors–either that he committed suicide or was poisoned by his wife, Flora. Who knows? That’s part of the fun of being involved up-close-and-personal with a historic sight. You get to see and hear things the average tourist doesn’t.

Two fun incidents happened during the tours today. First, a little boy asked if the house has ghosts. I asked, “Are you worried about that?” He nodded solemnly. His father then proceeded to tease, “Look! I just saw one peeking out of the turret!” It took some persuading to get the little boy to enter the mansion. I had to tell him that I never saw any ghosts there, and anyway, they only come out at night.

A different guest wasn’t so shy. The TV show, Antiques Roadshow, is coming to Phoenix soon, and an antiques appraisor had arrived early to do some sightseeing. He was very knowledgeable about the furnishings, even going so far as to point out, “Hmmm, a Wooton desk.” That’s a large desk that swings open to show innumerable cubbyholes. As the sales brochure from the period says, “You can close it up and wheel it onto your yacht.” He he.  Maggie said in all her 27 years, no guest has ever told HER that it was a Wooton desk. 

All in all, a very pleasant afternoon, stepping back into 1895.

The Road to Phoenix

 ”I hope you didn’t Lucy me,” DH teased.

Remember that funny old movie, The Long Long Trailer with Desi and Lucy? It was all about their adventures hauling a trailer across the U.S. Lucy collected rocks from each site they visited, and they had a heck of a time getting the heavy trailer over the mountains. That’s what we felt like recently, moving things from Nebraska. Now, I’ve been known to collect rocks in our trips to Colorado, but this time, the heavy load was books.

We borrowed a huge van from DH’s carpet store and attached a U-Haul to the back of that. With 50 boxes of books and other things, it was a heavy load, believe me. But we got over the mountains just fine.

Now, like Maureen O’Hara in another good old movie, The Quiet Man, I’m happy because “I have my things about me.” It didn’t really feel like home until I unpacked my boxes and set up my office. More things will be coming from Nebraska on future trips. For instance, we have to bring two cats on the two-day drive. But for now, I can settle in.

I figured I’d better change my blog title and look. Hope you like it.

Rosson House

   1895. It was a momentous year. Among other events, Oscar Wilde had his downfall that year and went to jail in England. And Dr. Rosson built his house in Phoenix, AZ. A beautiful Victorian mansion it is.

I went today to Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix, where the town first began. (Actually where it “rose like a phoenix” from the ashes of the disappeared Hohokam Indian settlement.) The Square is Phoenix’s answer to Colonial Williamsburg although, of course, on a much smaller scale. And you know what a sucker I am for historic houses! Back then, the Rosson mansion was one of the most prominent homes in Phoenix and cost $7,525 to build. 

Within walking distance are the ASU campus, the Arizona Science Center with a planetarium that shows “billions of stars,” and the Phoenix Museum of History. Also a British pub, The Rose and Crown, to have Scotch Egg, bangers and mash, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie.

I couldn’t begin to do it all today, so will have to go back–many times since the area is a lovely one. So much to do in Phoenix! I’m making lists so I’ll know where to take visitors when they start coming down.

Visit to Phoenix

  So I’m spending the month of March in our Phoenix house with my daughter. DH will come down in a week to join us. The weather and desert are enchanting. I’ll never tire of palm trees, saguaro cactus, and the purple mountains surrounding the Valley of the Sun.

A visit and tour through Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesen West was thoroughly enjoyable. It’s a magical place, and now I’m reading the biography of Wright’s life. Also took a hike with my cousin through the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, soaking in the desert ambience.

Looking for a  job has not been as pleasant or easy as sightseeing. I apply online, but it just disappears into the ether (err…into the desert heat?). Haven’t gotten a job interview yet. I think I’ll just have to dress up in my suit and walk into places. Wish me luck!

Nebraska Weather

 

I’ve always thought Nebraska doesn’t have much scenery. I mean, what can you do with flat emptiness? When Oscar Wilde came through here in 1888, he described it as looking “like a piece of blotting paper.”

But what Nebraska does have in place of scenery is — WEATHER! We get every extreme, from drought to flooding, from scorching temps 100+ to bone-chilling below 0. All four seasons in all their glory. Since we live in the center of the continent, there are no oceans to moderate the weather, so it comes upon us in extremes. Instead of looking up to see skyscrapers or mountains, we see a constantly-changing sky show of clouds.

Climatologist Ken Dewey has been putting photos of Nebraska weather on the web, and his site drew nearly 30 million viewers last year. Here’s a small sampling:

                                                                                    

If you would like to see more weather photos of Nebraska, just go to his site at:

www.hprcc.unl.edu/nebraska/photos.html

Enjoy!

Covered Bridges

  Yesterday, I found myself in Winterset, Iowa. Dh had to do a carpet inspection, and I rode along. Naturally, I made him stop at one of the fabled “Bridges of Madison County.” We saw the Hogback Bridge, built in 1884.

What a romantic setting! Again, naturally, I was reminded of the novel and movie by Robert James Waller. I’ll have to get out the book and read it again.

This reminds me of a writing story I heard. Waller is kind of a funny-looking little man, and he used to go to writer’s conferences with a book in his briefcase. People would dismiss him. “So you’ve got a novel. Yeah, yeah … ” Well, it turns out that book was The Bridges of Madison County, which became a phenomenal success. That’s why I never dismiss struggling writers. You just never know who is going to have the next best-seller in his or her briefcase! 

13 Summer Solstice Facts

 

Today (June 21st) is the Summer Solstice!

This has always intrigued me because:

  1.  During college, I backpacked all over Europe one summer. On the night of June 21st, I was camping with friends in a tent at Stonehenge, England. They were having a huge Summer Solstice Concert, much like our Woodstock. “Peace and love, baby.” I remember dancing at midnight to the live music of Melanie. Remember her?

  2. A solstice means that the earth’s axis tilts the most toward the sun. This has been known since ancient times as the mid-point of summer. (Some say it’s when summer begins.)

  3.  The name comes from the Latin “sol” (sun) and “sistit” (stands still) because for several days before and after the solstice, the sun appears to stand still in the sky.

  4.  The celebration of Midsummer’s Eve was from ancient times linked to the summer solstice. People believed that mid-summer plants had miraculous healing powers and they therefore picked them on this night. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again. 

  5.  Shakespeare wrote a play about it, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which faeries, lovers, and a donkey figure prominently. Puck uses the magical juice from a flower to make the victim fall in love with the first living thing he sees when he awakens.

  6. Midsummer is one of the great holidays in Scandinavian countries, since long before the introduction of Christianity. A midsummer pole decorated with leaves and flowers is erected and children dance around it. 

  7. In Cornwall, England, it’s celebrated as “Goluan.” Dr. William Borlase wrote about it in 1754: “In the Cornish tongue, ‘Goluan’ signifies both light and rejoicing, for faeries prefer to carry lighted torches. This is certainly the remains of the Druid superstition.”

 8. There is a Winter Solstice, too, which is observed on December 25th, since establishment of the Julian Calendar in 45 B.C. Banned by the Catholic Church in its infancy as a pagan practice stemming out of the Sol Invictus celebrations, Christmas was revitalized as an authentic Christian festival after having already taken over much of the folklore and traditions of the Jul festivals. Jul is still regarded as its name in much of Europe. Yule and Christmas are considered interchangeable in English Christendom.

  9. My maiden name was the good old English name of “Payne,” which is said to have derived from the word “pagan.” I am not a pagan, but I am a Celt, and I’ve always had a special affinity and fascination for the history of pre-Christian pagan things.

  10. Midsummer has also been called “St. John’s Feast,” in honor of the birthday of John the Baptist.

  11. Wiccans celebrate Midsummer as one of their eight holidays. The witches believe it is the turning point when summer reaches its height.

  12. In one of my favorite books, Hardy’s Return of the Native, the heath folk of England light bonfires and do dances around maypoles. It’s very reminiscent of Midsummer Night. 

   13. Just hours ago, the news reported that “20,000 modern-day druids, pagans, and party-goers are–right now–converging on Stonehenge to welcome the 2007 Summer Solstice. The site has become a magnet for men and women seeking a spiritual experience–or just to have a good time.”

 Party on, all you revelers!

 

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Mahoney Melodramas

  Nebraska Romance Writers–what a great group! Tonight, some of us went to the Melodramas at Mahoney State Park.

First, we ate supper at the Lodge Buffet. 

  Then it was off to the theatre.

In Wings of Fire!, Crash McCarthy, dashing ace stunt pilot, (Yay! applause!) met lovely female wing walker, Wendy Wingnut, (aaahhh) at the annual fly-in at Scribner and love was in bloom. Crash had a famous barnstorming airplane act while Wendy was part of a rival wing-walking act with her partner, daffy Poppy Rivetts. But his jealous rival, Delbert D. Dorkmeister, (boooo! throwing popcorn) with the aid of his partner Ursula Undercarriage, planned to sabotage their planes so he could win the grand prize at the fly-in. Poppy discovered their evil plot but was kidnapped by Dorkmeister and Ursula. Could she escape their evil clutches in time to warn the others and save the day? 

What do you think?

The scenery was beautiful at the park, including the views of the Platte River. Laughter, quality time, and a good old fashioned sing-a-long, away from meetings, was a good way to strengthen our friendships. What an enjoyable evening! 

13 Marvelous Meals

13 Marvelous Meals

I can die happy, knowing that I’ve savored some truly wonderful meals in my life. They were memorable because of the food, the places, the occasions, and the company. Here are some meals I’ll always fondly remember:

1.   On vacation in Denver as a child, we ate many times at a restaurant called The Blue Parrot. The name delighted me. I would always begin with an appetizer–scoops of ORANGE SHERBET IN GRAPE JUICE, served in a parfait glass. RAINBOW TROUT followed, and we always laughed because the trouts were “as big as we were.”

2.   Captain Morgan took me and my daughter to The Trellis, THE nicest, most glamorous restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia. I wore my “little black dress,” and we dined on COSMOPOLITANS, steak, wine, and desserts. He must have spent a fortune on us. Afterward, the three of us walked up the street and drank “shots” on the steps of one of the stately old buildings on the College of William and Mary campus.

3.   At a romance writer’s conference, a group of us ate at The Prairie Restaurant in downtown Chicago. It was decorated very Frank Lloyd Wright-ish, and I had BUFFALO. Later at the same conference, we had PRIME RIB in a mirrored ballroom at the Awards Banquet. One of my girlfriends poured sour cream all over her food, only to find out it was horseradish! She was so mad, she flounced from the table in a huff. Ha!

4.   In college, I dated a man named Sam Rachid. He was from Egypt, and his specialty was COW’S TONGUE. First he would cook it in a pressure cooker (he’s the only person I’ve ever known to use this particular appliance). Then he would slice it into nice flat ovals and arrange them in a 9×13″ pan, cover them with a brown sauce, and bake them. Served over flavored rice, they were so tender and flavorful, you forgot you were eating tongue! The man is long gone–wish I’d thought to write down the recipe.

5.   My girlfriend, Mary, and I regularly eat lunch at Carlos O’Kelly’s for nice long heart-to-hearts. We start by inhaling chips and salsa with margaritas. I always order a #2 Combination–taco, enchilada, burrito, rice, and beans. We love our MEXICAN FOOD, and we’ve been known to alternately laugh and cry over it.

6.   I make a mean Thanksgiving TURKEY AND STUFFING with all the trimmings. The first time I made it for Dh was before we were married, and he invited all his relatives over to our apartment. I got everything on the table. He took one look at it and was so impressed that he swept me back to the bedroom where he slavered kisses and hugs all over me. Then we calmly returned to the group and sat down to eat. Was that one of the reasons he married me?

7.   When I visit my sister in Winnipeg, Canada, her husband is something of a gourmet cook. They were missionaries in Malaysia, so one of his specialties is CURRY. I beg for it every time I go up there. I remember gathering on their patio with the whole family (14 of us!), filling up on raita, rice, and the whole bit. Once, he made CHICKEN MARSALA. We passed around the fragrant wine sauce in a little pitcher and kept pouring it over our chicken again and again.

8.   I’ve been to Epcot at Walt Disney World many times, and I have a ritual–I go through the worlds and somehow always end up in Norway at lunchtime. They make the best SCANDINAVIAN OPEN-FACED SANDWICHES. I especially like the beef and cucumber ones, eaten outside while watching the birds. By the time I get to France in the afternoon, it’s time for a snack of the most exquisite CHOCOLATE-FILLED CROISSANTS from the French bakery. Funny how that happens every time!

9.   I remember eating lunch at Chowning’s Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia, with my friends and fellow tour guides. We were all in costume, having BRUNSWICK STEW, a historic colonial dish. Comfort food, par excellence. My best girlfriend, Carolyn, shared her BUBBLE AND SQUEAK with me–a fried potato dish with gravy. Delicious and heart-warming.

10.   As a child on another vacation, we had LOBSTER and KEY LIME PIE in Florida. I’ll never forget the sweet lobster dipped in melted butter, and the sweet/tart taste of the lime. It was all so fresh, with the smell of the sea, and the seagulls wheeling overhead. Ahhh…

11.   I was in heaven just being at Blenheim Palace near Oxford, England, one of my favorite places in the world. At the cafe, I had to sit down and ponder that I was really actually there, enjoying TEA and SUMMER PUDDING filled with berries.

12.   Living in Nebraska, you gotta love corn-fed beef.  The best PRIME RIB in Lincoln is served at Misty’s Restaurant–it’s almost an institution here. The beef is so tender and juicy, you can cut it with a fork, dip it in aus ju, and close your eyes.

13.   My mother made many memorable meals, and some not so memorable. But her best dessert was RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE, which she made every spring. The creamy sweet egg custard sets off the tangy rhubarb. I still make it every spring, using her recipe. 

Ahh, what lovely memories. Food, places, loved ones. Please excuse me now–after all this, I have to go find a snack.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

 

Hotel Wilber

  Nebraska Romance Writers is an active group. This weekend, we held a writing retreat at the Hotel Wilber in Wilber, Nebraska. Some stayed three nights; I stayed last night.

For those of you who don’t know, Wilber is the “Czech Capital of the U.S.” It’s a little town of 1,500 mostly Czech people with a rich heritage. They host the Czech Festival every summer, complete with kolaches, a parade, beer gardens, and the crowning of a Czech Queen. During the Festival, Wilber’s population surges to over 50,000. The Hotel Wilber was built in 1895; it’s very well-kept, with something interesting and charming to explore in every nook and cranny.

Six of us stayed up late, gorging on home-made food like sausage, sauerkraut, and potato dumplings, brainstorming our writing projects, making 2007 plans for the group, chatting, and laughing. Then we slept in quaint little bedrooms filled with antiques.

This afternoon, we visited the Czech Museum, where a woman sat at a loom, weaving rag rugs. I’m not Czech, but I did feel like I was traveling back in time, to small-town Americana. 

I had never been to Wilber before, and this was a great weekend get-away. It’s our 2nd Annual Retreat at the Hotel Wilber, hopefully to be continued every February. Just another perk of belonging to NRW, the local chapter of Romance Writers of America.