Our wine tasting group, the Cork Poppers, met with the theme "The Red, White and Blue," and the assignment to bring a red, white or blue wine (don't laugh, someone once did); a wine from a red, white or purple state, or just something reflecting those colors.
In other words, a good "anything goes" theme!
When Rick's mom visited in November, we were short on things to do! Mobility was an issue, so long walks weren't on the agenda (and the weather got really cold during her visit); all the theatres had finished their current offerings and holiday events hadn't started. But there was one thing we could do -- visit the Michigan History Museum.
I am wondering if I'd ever really "done" the museum before. I know I had been there for work events "back in the day," but I'm not sure I ever saw it all. I was quite pleased.
The Polar Vortex has its challenges. But it brings with it time to dig into those Christmas books! Here's a look at a couple of foodie-biographies, a fiction novel (novella?), a political biography, a fun mystery and a lovely art book.
If I was having an "imaginary dinner party" and inviting people who have fascinated me over time, living or dead, Julia Child would be on the list. (That is, assuming I'd have the confidence to serve food to the Queen of the Kitchen! Maybe it should be a pot luck.) So, when a Julia Child exhibit came to Jackson, Michigan, about a half hour from home, my friend Kate and I decided that this would be our "Holiday Experience" (in lieu of presents, more or less!) I'm so glad we went!
Back in "the day," the great and the good hosted salons in their homes. These were occasions that were either musical or literary and might include performance or discussion. (I suppose, in a way our contemporary book clubs are a salon of a sort.) They have existed since the first salon in Italy in the 16th century. Some of the greatest works of Faure, Poulenc, Debussy and Ravel got their start in the salon.
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| Photo: Sharon Emery |
Over the past year or so, Rick has brought that tradition to his home with house concerts by classical musicians. His first was with guitarist Onur Alkavuklar, and it was Onur who suggested Rick ask harpist Belle Coty to perform. I'm glad he did.
At long last, it's time to look at last year's books, the favorites (and the also-rans.) 2025 was far from my best reading year -- but within that year were plenty of wonderful books. I only pulled in 47 books this year, with a total of 14,947 pages. But I was pleased to see that my "favorites" list crossed many genres -- non-fiction, biography, mystery and history. I also found some authors new to me, meaning I can expand the hunt for used volumes. Here we go! (Links connect to the posts in which I reviewed the books.
We'll take another little break from England to check up on some real-life at home, books and more! (If you want to catch up on England posts, click on the England 2024 tab above.)
I'd like to think we've survived the polar vortex. So far, so good, but who knows? We still have a few months of winter. Meanwhile, Lizzie and I are hunkering down and doing some bird watching!
Reliving my England trip and sharing it with you continues with one more post of our road trip. We're still in Oxfordshire with Jenny and T, visiting historic buildings. After leaving Burford and that beautiful church, we headed toward Hughenden, the country home of Benjamin Disraeli, one of Victoria's prime ministers.
After a day perusing the intriguing collections and gardens at Snowshill Manor, we were ready to find our lodgings and have a good dinner. We headed off to Burford, a small town in Oxfordshire, and landed at the Royal Oak, a pub with lodgings above.
It wasn't our favorite hotel -- the rooms were cool and the dinner expensive. I wrote in my journal "adequate but not spectacular fish and chips." Still, the lodging price was right and I would return. The room was comfy enough, but I think we were spoiled by The Bear. (Maybe when it was a little warmer out!)
I'm already eager for spring. I may be a lousy gardener myself, but I love visiting a good one. Charles Paget Wade, whom we met as the quirky collector of Snowshill Manor, loved his gardens as well and reviewing the photos reminds me that he did a fine job with his property. They are far more simplified than his home, which we saw in the last post!
Even in autumn, maybe especially in autumn, the sense of the garden, the colors and textures, were so very alive! We found this true, even though our visit was in mid-October.
I'm a collector. Lots of us are. We pick several (OK, maybe more than
several) things that particularly appeal to us and build a collection.
In my house you'll find vintage postcards, lots of china and dishes,
figurines handed down from my mom, some British royal memorabilia (books, commemorative plates, cups and tins), plenty of Christmas and more than a
few books.
Sometimes our houses get a little full.
After visiting the beautiful, historic Basildon Park, it only seemed right that we overnight in a wonderful town and stay at a historic inn. So we were off to Hungerford, a town Jenny and T know quite well and one I had wanted to visit, in part because of their antique market, the Hungerford Arcade. (If you watch "Celebrity Antiques Roadshow" on PBS Passport, you'll find it in one of the episodes.)
What could be a more delightful way to explore England than a road trip? (Especially if it might include a visit to historic homes, including one that was in "Downton Abbey" (see link to see how t was used as the Crawley's London home) and "The Crown"?) Our friends, blogger Jenny and her husband, T, offered to show us some lovely spots, so we took the next three days to see more of England's beautiful countryside.
Our first destination would be Basildon Park, a beautiful manor house located in Berkshire. You may never have visited Basildon Park, but if you have seen programs like "Downton Abbey," "Pride and Prejudice," "The Crown," "Pride, Prejudice and Zombies," and "Bridgerton," you have seen a bit of this beautiful estate.
We're back in London with a visual treat today -- The Wallace Collection. I'd read about this but what really turned us on to it was a suggestion from the sales guy at the Steinway store. It was only a couple of blocks away (a good thing on a drizzly day) and he said it would be special. It was!
This elaborate collection was curated over time by several generations of the marquesses of Hertford and Richard Wallace, an illegitimate son. It contains an extraordinary amount of paintings, armor and arms, and decorative items.
We're headed back to England for a bit here on Marmelade Gypsy, sharing some of the things we experienced last October in London. One of Rick's goals in London was to go to as many classical concerts as possible. A second thing, one on his bucket list for years, was to attend a concert at Wigmore Hall, a concert hall that opened in 1901 and is known for its excellent acoustics. During its history, it has hosted many of the greatest musicians in the world. It is also known for promoting new talent and for its learning programs, which work to engage those who might otherwise not have opportunities to explore classical music.
So, after a wonderful breakfast at our hotel, we took off, first stopping in Oxford Street so Rick could take a peek inside the guitar store . . .
Will it surprise you to know that my reading really tanked in October, November and December? So, I'm putting these three paltry months together! Some of my reviews are a bit shorter than usual because I didn't write them right after finishing the book!
Happy New Year to you! It's a good time to look back, especially since I'm not that keen on looking forward! Some years are more stellar than others. This one definitely had its highs. But it had its lows, too. We'll start with the "highs," and one of them was spending time with these two!
And one terrific high of the year was our trip to England. I'm doing loads of posts on that, as you know (archiving them on the menu tab at the top of the page here). They'll continue well into 2025 -- my form of escapism and hopefully, yours too!
The Cork Poppers, our wine tasting group, celebrated the holidays by making plans to survive the political chaos of 2025 and beyond with the theme of "Wines to Get Us Through." Judging by the tastings, we will at least be somewhat festive, if numb.
Like so many of you, our family enjoyed more than one Christmas this year -- one at home, one at the kids' house.
That was our first one and it actually began a bit earlier in the week when Rick when down to kid-sit and I followed a couple of days later. They boys are six and seven (nearly eight) so it's a fun age to be with them. They're still young enough to have some magic in them, so when we went to the bookstore we came home with the elf on the shelf. It certainly kept them occupied.
Happily wishing all my blog friends a very Fun Festivus, Lovely Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Jolly Boxing Day, and good wishes for whatever else, if anything, you are celebrating at the end of this month.
May your days be merry and bright. . .
In the countdown till Christmas one must make time for a little fun, a little friendship.
My friend Suzanne (from Canada) came for a short visit -- partly to come to Cork Poppers, partly for Christmas shopping, partly for VERY belated birthday celebrating (my birthday is in August; we tend to do each other's about four months off. We'll do Christmas in January.)
It's time to deck the halls. Many of you blog friends have done that long ago. I'm behind the game but can happily say I've "hauled out the holly" and "decked the halls." It's a bit more low key than usual but it's been a very rough month and I'm just glad to get the cheer back into the house. (Where it will probably stay until Valentine's Day!)
I suppose I should start with my narrow entry hall. The greeting angel stays there year round, but I have a tall, skinny tree with mostly silver, red and white ornaments to light the way.
I said I'd be breaking up some of our London posts for Holidays at Home -- 'Tis the season, after all! And spending time with friends is what it's all about. So when fellow Corkie Barb texted Kate and me to see if we'd love to come cut pine greens and have tea and cookies, we said, "Well, yeah!"
It was a gorgeous day -- cold but not windy and sunny so it was pleasant. Most of our snow had melted and it was an easy walk to the back forty where six white pines were waiting for us!
Selfridges is one of London's oldest department stores and it is a beauty. It's not always for the fiscally faint of heart but no one can deny there are some beautiful things there. This is no more obvious than at Christmas time. Even in October, they had their "Christmas Shop" open -- and it was enchanting.
I think you can imagine that when I saw these two trees flanking the entry as I was walking down the aisle, my pace quickened a bit because I knew I had to see what was inside!
So, what did we do on our first full day out in London? We went to the library!
And believe me, the British Library is no ordinary library. Yes, there are books (although you have to get a special pass to the reading room to actually touch one, except in one of the two gift shops). But there is so much more!
Welcome to London! And welcome back to the travel posts! (I will probably be breaking here and there to fill you in on things like holiday fun). And yes, London was beginning to be decked for the season, too!
I thought that now I was back with posts about our Life Back Home for a bit, I'd share another spirited outing. Our Cork Poppers wine tasting group met in early November with a post Day of the Dead theme, "Wines to Die For" at member Bob's house, assisted by his daughter, Heather, and her son, Andrew. (Note to self: I really need to write these posts up immediately, even if I don't post them, as my notes are a tad sketchy!)
But we were all happy to get our take-away gift early -- these very fun black skull wine glasses that Heather found at Home Goods! Now it was time to start filling them up!
Before we move on to our visit to London, the Cotswolds and more, I thought I might give you a break from travel posts and fill you in on life at home since we've been back. It has been a bit of a whirlwind. We're talking art sale, ditch walks, bugs, and odd autumn happenings!
After a week in the country, we packed our bags, ready to leave for London. In some ways, neither of us wanted to go. Yes, we were excited for London and all that awaited, but we were so very happy here, we knew it would be hard to say goodbye.
Once our things were together, we decided on a last walk, about two miles. We headed toward Monkton Combe, walking well-trod paths. It was a lovely day and we took our time.
While I was admiring the magnificent architecture and glorious peace of Wells Cathedral, Rick took advantage of a beautiful day to do a hike.
Here's another guest post by Rick (actually, his Facebook post of that day) to give you an idea of the beautiful countryside as seen on foot.
