Saying goodbye...

The city of Boston, and the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts...

... is saying goodbye today to the people's Mayor, Tom Menino.

Mayor Menino was one of those rare politicians who brought everyone together.

More often than not, politics has a way of dividing people.

Not in Mayor Menino's Boston.

He rightly earned the admiration and respect of even those who may not have agreed with him all the time. 

There is no denying that for 20 years, Boston was blessed to have him as their leader. A devoted family man, kind and generous, who had an immense love for his city and its people.

Earlier this year, on his last day in office, he tweeted:

“Thank you Boston. It has been the honor and thrill of a lifetime to be your Mayor. Be as good to each other as you have been to me.”
I think that speaks volumes about who he was.

To say he will be greatly missed is an understatement.
But his legacy will live on.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. May you rest in peace.

A potpourri post...

 In other words, a bit of this, that, and the other...

After receiving an email from a local friend last night that she had spotted her first hummingbird, I made sure to get my feeders out this morning. Lord knows there's not a single blooming flower in our yard for them to visit!

The past few days have been spectacular. It's been wonderful being able to dry clothes outside without worrying about them freezing.

Our handsome boy continues to make remarkable progress after his emergency surgery (spleen and right eye removal). He is, however, in desperate need of grooming (both bathing and a haircut).

He has an appointment with his vet tomorrow to get the "all clear" for a visit to the groomers. Stitches and staples were removed weeks ago and incisions are healing beautifully, so I think he'll get the green light.

Back in November I shared this silly compilation of two owl prints I was working on...

Yesterday the UPS truck pulled up with the actual prints from my publisher.

As always, they did an amazing job with the printing.

And speaking of art prints...

This "God Bless Our Home" print, as well as three others in my Etsy art shop have been tagged as Boston Fundraiser prints. I'm donating the purchase price of these prints to The One Fund in Boston, whose monies will be donated to those who were so horrifically affected by the bombing at the Marathon. If you're interested, here's a link to the four fundraiser prints:

 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/folkartbydonna/search?search_query=boston&order=date_desc&view_type=gallery&ref=shop_search

 

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone.

Donna

Heartbroken...

After a very cold and bitter winter, yesterday promised to be a spectacular day here in Massachusetts with sunshine and mild temps. And, of course, Patriot's Day is always an exciting day for the city of Boston with the running of the Marathon.

(past photos of Boston I've shared on my blog)

I had just pulled into the driveway from grocery shopping yesterday afternoon when I received a text. Without reading it, I gathered up my groceries and headed into the house.

By the time I reached the kitchen and put my bags down, two more texts had arrived in rapid succession.

Text 1: Have you seen the news?

Text 2: Someone set off a bomb at the finish line

Text 3: Some are dead

Just as I will never forget where I was or how I heard about September 11th or JFK being shot, I will never forget where and how I heard this news.

How bittersweet those texts were because they came from my daughter who lives in Boston, and who I knew was at the Marathon with friends, cheering on all the dedicated runners.  Unlike a few years ago when she watched the Marathon, this time she was nowhere near the finish line.

I called her immediately and we cried on the phone together. I only remember saying, "Oh, my God," over and over, while she spoke. My prayers of thanks that she was okay were mingled with prayers and tears for those who are not, and for their loved ones. 

We are heartbroken and our thoughts and prayers go out to everybody affected by yesterday's events.

Donna

The Mid-Century Department Store Santa...

(My sister and I visiting Santa at Jordan Marsh, Boston, circa 1958.

She's the cute one looking up. I'm the one catching flies.)

 

Go to bed early tonight, boys and girls, because you-know-who will be making his rounds!

 

Ho Ho Ho!!!!!

 

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!

 

Inspired by Claudia (Mockingbird Hill Cottage)

who posted old photos of her family with Santa!

Donna

Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, Durgin Park & Newbury Street

I think I'm going to wrap up our walking tour of Boston with this post.

Again, we had such a great time last month getting together with our girls in the city. October is the perfect month for doing this kind of walk (especially if the high humidity and temps of the summer just drain you, as they do me!)

 

After leaving King's Chapel we headed toward Quincy Market.

Here are the girls standing in front of a statue of Samuel Adams.

The old Faneuil Hall meeting house, in the background, dates back to 1742.

The whole Quincy Market area is a feast for the eyes. I love the blend of old and new architecture.

 

And you never know who you'll see walking by!

 

We decided to stop and grab a bite to eat...

 

... and when I spotted Durgin Park I was very excited as I hadn't eaten there since the 70's.

 

Can anything live up to past, nostalgic memories?

Probably not.

I enjoyed our time at Durgin Park more for spending time with my family than our actual meals. We're really pinching pennies these days so we opted for the least expensive items on the menu. I got a simple fish sandwich which was good, but nothing spectacular.

Back in the 70's the dining area had communal tables and the wait staff was not known for making you feel welcome (that was a part of the charm - it was a no-nonsense place to get great food).

On this day, parties were all seated at their own separate tables. No more shared conversations with people from other states or countries. And our young waiter was charming, which one should never complain about (although, admittedly, I did long for an older, curmudgeonly waitress to make it seem more like old times!)

 

Amanda with the almost life-size mural downstairs of some of the original employees. Clearly their brusque ways were a put on as they all look delightful in this photograph!

 

Unfortunately lunch took a bit longer than expected, and since Court had plans to go to a corn maze later that afternoon, we quickly headed back to Newbury Street so she could meet up with her friends.

 

We said our goodbyes to Court and then headed back up Newbury St. to the parking garage...

 

... with me taking pictures all along the way.

 

It was such a fantastic way to spend this spectacular autumn day, with the bluest of skies and not a cloud in sight.

 

I think if I lived in the city, having an apartment above a shop on Newbury Street would be one of my top 3 locations!

 

Maybe in any one of these!! A girl can dream, right?

 

I hope you enjoyed this little 3-part tour through Boston.

I feel so fortunate to live so close to this beautiful city!

 

Wishing you all a beautiful week!

 

Donna

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Boston, Trinity Church and King's Chapel

Continuing our little walking tour of Boston... On our way to the Public Gardens and the Common, we stopped by Trinity Church on Clarendon St. to take a few photos. 

 

I wish I had taken more photos as this is one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in the city. 

 I've come across some old photos online dating back to the 1800's when there were horses and carriages on the street beside the church.

 

Oh, how times have changed....

 The courtyard inside the wrought iron gate is stunning in its simplicity.

 

Looking at the courtyard, you'd think we were in an isolated location...

 

... rather than amid the hustle and bustle of Copley Square, one of Boston's busiest locations...

 

... where new, old, and even older still live harmoniously alongside each other.

 

After stopping at Trinity Church we walked through the Public Cardens and Common to visit the old Granary Burying Ground, shared in yesterday's post.

 

It was then on to King's Chapel on Tremont Street.

We were happy to find it open to the public the day we stopped by.

The King's Chapel Burial Ground, right next door dates back to 1630 and boasts Mary Chilton, the first women to step off the Mayflower as well as Elizabeth Pain, whose headstone was the inspiration for some of the passages in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter" to name just a few...

 

Throughout Boston you will find wrought iron gates and fences, in every imaginable style. I find them to be so beautiful (King's Chapel Burying Ground behind fence)...

 

Ivy cascading through the lower section of the wrought iron fence at King's Chapel Burying Ground.

 

In my next post I'll share a bit of Quincy Market and Newbury Street with you.

Here's the first section if you are interested:

Boston Public Garden, Boston Common, Old Granary Burial Ground

 

Have a beautiful Sunday, everyone!

 

Donna

Strolling through Boston on a Crisp Autumn Day

Seeing my favorite city with my favorite girls!

Several weeks ago we decided to meet up with our girls in Boston to do our own walking tour of Boston along the Freedom Trail. This is Beacon Street as viewed from the Boston Common (think NYC Central Park, but dollhouse sized).

We left our car in the garage on Clarendon Street and then walked down Boylston.

We walked up through the Public Gardens into the Common where the girls posed for pix with the State House in the background.

We then wound our way around the pond where people were feeding the ducks and swans.

 

It was the most glorious October day, sunny with bright blue skies.
(And, I might add, it was a tad nippy!).

 

We could have spent a lot more time with these guys, but we had a lot of ground to cover.

 

A quick stop at the fountain...

 

...and then it was time to head out of the Commons.

 

Next stop, the old Granary Burying Ground which dates back to 1660.

 

Amanda, finishing off her veggie sandwich before heading into the burying ground.

 

There were several organized tours going on and we may do one of those in the spring.

 

But for today, we meandered and investigated at our own speed.

 

So many old markers...

 

... each one different than the last...

 

This probably would have been a good post for the month of October...

 

I'll share more of our walk in my next post.

Boston is a very small, walkable city and I hope we can meet

up with the girls and do this a lot more often in the future!

 

I'm linking up to A Favorite Thing Saturday

with Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

Be sure to stop over and share one of your favorite things!!

 

Have a great weekend, everyone,

 

Donna