Shall we have another outing?

[caption id="attachment_1934" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Flying the friendly skies to California once again[/caption]I'm in the mood for a little culture.  How about you?  Let's go to Pasadena, California and visit the Huntington.  The Huntington is a wonderful private non-profit collection-based research and educational institution founded in 1919 by Henry E. Huntington. Huntington was an exceptional businessman who built a financial empire that included railroad companies, utilities, and real estate holdings in Southern California.

The Huntington is a huge place composed of a library containing rare books and manuscripts in the fields of British and American history and literature.

It is also an art gallery composed of two separate buildings.  The Huntington Gallery, completed in 1911, originally was the Huntington's residence.  You would love walking through its rooms of elegant furnishings.

Just look at this gorgeous dining room.  While the Huntingtons were not known to have entertained regularly, the dining room was nevertheless suitable for important functions.  One such occasion was a dinner for the crown prince and princess of Sweden, who visited the Huntington mansion in the early 1920s.

Every room is exquisite.

I'm sure you would be most impressed with the building itself, never mind the extensive art collection it contains.  When planning the residence Henry Huntington first envisioned a more modest retreat, but his uncle's widow, Arabella Huntington, whom he would marry in 1913, was looking for home on a grander scale.  Looking at one of the staircases in their home I think you would agree Arabella achieved her grand vision.

The floor to ceiling windows are wonderful.  I had such windows in my last 1829 house.  I miss them.

The rooms are painted whites and off whites with gold accents.  The look is very elegant and peaceful.  I might copy Huntington's color palate should an addition ever materialize on my own home.

The 2,900-square-foot hall was added in 1934 for displaying the Huntingtons' Grand Manner portraits.  Now called the Thornton Portrait Gallery, the addition followed a trend begun with the Wallace Collection in London and the Frick Collection in New York, where grand homes were converted into museums.  (That's my son Patrick standing in the gallery).

The loggia on the east side of the house represents a concession by the architect.  Archival documents show that Myron Hunt preferred a modest terrace on the east side; Henry Huntington envisioned a bolder, more spacious "outdoor living room."  Huntington ultimately prevailed.

I think Huntington had the right idea, for a grand home like his truly needed a bold and spacious loggia rather than a small modest one.  Don't you agree?

Of course such a wonderful residence has wonderful vistas too.  It must have been fabulous to live in such a grand home, but all along Henry Huntington intended his home to function as a public gallery, which is why less remarkable spaces such as bathrooms and the kitchen were not saved.  It opened to the public in 1928, a year after Henry's death.

[caption id="attachment_2144" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Sculpture of George Washington by Pierre-Jean David[/caption]

The Huntington 's art collections occupy two separate buildings on the grounds.  A third structure, The MaryLou and George Boone Gallery, hosts changing exhibitions.

If you visit the Huntington you will find the finest collections of European art in the nation and  The Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art bring together American art from the colonial period through the middle of the 20th century.

Besides all this the Huntington contains  an incredible Botanical Garden.  There is too much to see at one in-person visit or one post visit.  People are truly blessed who live in or near Pasadena, California for they can and should return over and over again.

I hope you have enjoyed popping over to the Huntington with me today and I hope you manage to get there one day in person.  Join me again and we'll return to the Huntington one of these days.  Till then look for the beauty that's all around you.

 The beauty we focus on becomes us.

More on the subject of The Art of Letter Writing

This morning I had the pleasure of writing  a new old  friend.  Let me explain.  My letter will be going off to Barbara in Rhode Island.  I was quite excited to be writing her because Barbara and I had lost touch for many years and only recently did we reconnected.  If you're like me you love making new friends, but your old friends are very precious.  Only with old friends do our old memories come back to life and sharing  old memories, sharing anything,  doubles the joy.

I first met Barbara years ago in Boston where we both were  teachers and newlyweds.  That was an exciting time for both of us so it will be fun to not only catch up on our current lives, but also to revisit those great old times we shared together.

My first letter to friends is always written on stationery I create by assembling decorative papers in the form of floral bouquets.  Do you have a ritual for choosing  your letter papers?  There are so many possibilities: store-bought papers, greeting cards made into letter books, photo note cards, watercolor drawings ... the choices are endless.  So that I don't get waylaid by the decision-making process of what stationery to use I've created a list of my options.  Now, at letter writing time, that list helps me decide who gets what papers.  Creating rituals -  who to write,  when, where, how, and with what,  helps make letter writing almost automatic and definitely more fun!

And it's not only the letter paper, but also the envelope that can be decorated many different ways.  This week my letter friends are getting a cup of coffee or tea, whatever they prefer.  Most of my pen friends have great fun designing their letter envelopes.

Here's one from my pen friend Janet.  In this  letter envelope she's playing with rubber stamps

and here's another of Janet's envelopes where she's in the mood for some Summer fun.

Janet loves to take pictures.  Do you?   She shares these pictures in her letters.  You know what they say - one picture is worth a thousand words.  Pictures really make letters come to life.

In this summery letter Janet created a collage of many of the images she saw and photographed in recent days. She put the images  together, even drawing a "Happy Summer" sign for the airplane to pull through the sky.  You may also notice she was writing on stationery that looked like a real sky, a nice touch for her airplane.  The hot air balloon says "FUN" and that's what Janet's letters are - real fun to see!

In many of Janet's letters there are little fold-out pages (little booklets) attached to the letter's page.  These fold-outs contain even more pictures.  When I get a letter from Janet I feel like I'm carried away to wherever she wants to take me.  Good letters will do that you know.

In her most recent letter she shared  a series of performances she attended relating to the American Revolution.  Janet lives in Virginia and this program entitled "The Road to Revolution Heritage Trail"  linked historic sites and institutions in Virginia interpreting the life of Patrick Henry, orator of the Revolution and Virginia's first governor.  Reading about this program was good, but seeing her photographs of the men playing the parts of George Washington, Patrick Henry and the French marquis, Lafayette was even better.

Janet has so many pictures to share in her letters. They're everywhere - in the letter, on the front of the envelope and even on the envelope's back. Her letters are a visual treat besides being full of interesting commentary and thanks to her interesting envelopes the postal workers who handle her letters get a little treat too.  I bet you wish Janet was one of your letter friends.

[caption id="attachment_2096" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Chicago[/caption]

Well, I love to include photographs in my letters just as Janet does. Last week I was in Chicago enjoying an architecture river cruise through the city and you know how I feel about sharing my joy - so I took a million pictures all along the ride in order to have the fun of sharing that experience via pictures with my pen friends in future letters.

[caption id="attachment_2093" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Two of my many photographs of the Chicago river cruise.[/caption]

If you have a camera I hope you're using it not only to capture images for your own pleasure, but also for the  pleasure of your letter friends.

But of course the best things about letters are all the thoughtful ideas they convey.  More than in-person conversations letters seem to draw ideas out of us and they are a marvelous vehicle for sharing, sharing our own ideas and sharing the ideas we come upon while reading.  When writing a letter  we have time to find that book we're enjoying and copy the lines we love.  Yes, it's slow-going, but this helps us not only focus on those ideas but also remember them.

 In Janet's last letter she talked about creativity.  She wrote:  "In the beginning God created ... that was God's first action and I think God created us to be creative creatures.  One quote I recently came upon was a statement by Frank Lloyd Wright.  He said 'The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.  If you... ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it.  Your life will be impoverished.  But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.'  So if we keep trying  to convey creativity and beauty in our letters I think we'll be using our time wisely, don't you?"

I agree.

And what do you think?

What beauty and creativity have you shared with someone today?  It's not too late.  You can write a letter any hour of the day or night.  Go ahead.  Make someone's day!

Write a letter!

A little Romance please

[caption id="attachment_2035" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Dinner for two[/caption]I admit it.  I am a  romantic.  I've been this way for as long as I can remember.  I probably was born with a romantic spirit, but the films I watched growing up only exaggerated my romantic tendencies.  As a small child I loved the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  I'd swoon (along with my mother) over the music, the dancing, the wardrobes and the  romantic situations those actors  encountered.

Later it was Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant.  Remember the film "An Affair to Remember"?  I loved it! Then Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly came along.  These ladies would  inspire me.   They were the embodiment of  grace and  beauty.  Their films made life seem beautiful -  "Breakfast at Tiffany's", "High Society", "To catch a thief" and so many more.   I couldn't wait to grow up, dress in elegant clothes and carry on in the romantic way these ladies operated in their films.

Of course the world changed.  Most people don't 'dress up' so much anymore.  The world has gotten so casual, too casual if you ask me.  (But I still love to 'dress up'.  Don't you?)   Simplicity seems to be the way of the world these days.  Most people don't want to fuss with special sets for life no matter how romantic they might be.  Just too much trouble they say.  (But I love to fuss every now and then and I hope you do too).

To help me live romantically I make it a point to take mental notes (or paper notes) whenever I'm reading  a book or watching  a film containing  romantic ideas I might make my own.  Special touches added to  ordinary days can't help but make life even more special.  Some of these touches are truly simple and not much work at all, but I think even the ones that require extra effort are well worth the trouble for they break the monotony of daily life and create peak aesthetic experiences.

Being romantic means remembering that we are the heroines of our own lives and it's therefore up to us to create the magical moments that make our heart sing.

Barbara Taylor Bradford,  author of eighteen best-selling romance  novels, and this book, "Living Romantically Every Day", agrees with me completely.  If you're looking for a little romantic inspiration you'll find it in one of her books.  I was inspired to whip up one of Barbara's  romantic picnics, making it my own with just a little tweeking here and there.

Barbara suggested taking the picnic out into the country or out on the lawn, but  there's been a lot of rain in Hudson lately so I didn't want to go through a lot of bother only to be "rained out".    I  therefore decided to set the stage for my romantic picnic indoors on our enclosed porch.

My first step was to iron a very pretty tablecloth to cover my table and add elegance as fine linen always does.  I love a white tablecloth for dinner and my favorite restaurants always have them.

I know there are people today who wouldn't think of using linen.  Some people don't even own an iron anymore, and others who do might use it to press a shirt or dress, but never bother to iron a tablecloth, especially one with a lot of cut-work  like mine, cut-work that requires special attention.   But I don't mind the extra work.  It's for a great cause.

I love fresh flowers and buy them every week because  flowers are just too beautiful and red roses seemed to be just what my table craved for this romantic indoor picnic.

Because dinner wouldn't be served till after dark candles were a necessity.  Where was that candelabra I used to place  Liberace -style on top of the grand piano?  Found it!  Five candles would create just enough light for our indoor picnic, but not too much.  So far so good.

Of course I needed some china, and since it was Summertime, a floral china seemed just right.  I love this pattern and usually choose it for meals either on the porch or out on the patio.

And glasses would be needed for the champagne and water.  This special elegant romantic picnic required crystal.  Many of us have all sorts of pretty things, but use those things only for holidays or special events with guests.  Well, this picnic was a special event and I did have a guest.  The guest  was my husband.  But I've known elegant women, widows and other single ladies, who have gone through all this preparation just for themselves.  Why not?  The Loreal people have it right.  We are worth it, aren't we?

 I added the flatware and the napkin to my table setting and it was all set.

It was my hope that Bill, my husband, would appreciate this setting  created for our picnic dinner, and it was also my hope that the setting would bring out the Cary Grant in him, but even if it didn't, I knew it would bring out the Grace Kelly in me.

Wouldn't you feel a little different, a little more elegant, if you were about to have a meal at a table appointed with such care?  Of course you would.

Though in the light of the late afternoon, this table, set beside the french doors of the porch

and the wall of windows with light streaming in, didn't look very romantic, the scene was to change once the sun went down, the moon came out, and the candles were lit.

 Now to tell you about the food I planned. To me the food was the least important ingredient for this romantic evening, but I was sure my husband would feel differently, so I followed some suggestions found in "Living Romantically Every Day", Barbara Taylor Bradford's book, and  I  whipped up a fruit salad

[caption id="attachment_2060" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Assorted fruit with a garnish of mint from my garden[/caption]

 dressing for  Salad Nicoise

[caption id="attachment_2061" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Parsley Vinaigrette Dressing[/caption]

  The dressing is composed of shallot, olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh parsley, dry mustard, salt and ground pepper.

[caption id="attachment_2067" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Salad Nicoise[/caption]

And  Salad Nicoise  is composed of baby red potatoes, green beans, English cucumber, tuna, eggs, tomato,and Nicoise olives.  I'm sorry this image is a little dark, but I forgot to take the picture in the brightly lit kitchen.  By the time I served the salad at the table I was working with candlelight.

I did remember to take a picture of the walnut tartlet which became our dessert, and here it is.

[caption id="attachment_2065" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Walnut tartlet topped with a bit of whipping cream[/caption]

My husband arrived home from work and was happy to see the champagne was chilled and a special evening was in store for him (and for me too!)

He poured the champagne and our romantic picnic began.  It wasn't long before the sun went down and the candelabra was lit.   The music was playing and our porch was transformed into a  most romantic setting for a lovely evening together, a special evening that we'll remember for a long time... at least until I come up with another such event.

Romance isn't really about champagne and candlelight, but it sure helps every now and then.  When we  take the time to create special settings, little surprises for those we love, and insert small  gestures of beauty and  kindness into our daily lives, we are able to live romantically every day and if you're like me, a true romantic, this is the only way to live.

Have you gotten any interesting letters lately?

I have

and here it is!

I found this envelope in my mail box the other day addressed "just to me".  There's practically a radiance to any such envelope!  Don't you feel the same way when you find a letter in your box addressed just to you?  Letters are so great!  They're a complete treat!  And though each and every letter is a thrill to receive, this one, from a person I did not  know, was  especially exciting for me to discover.  It was a mystery letter!

I guess the people working in my  Hudson Post Office must know me by now.  I do give them a great deal of business so though the address on the envelope wasn't quite right they still managed to deliver the mystery letter to me. You see,  I live on East Streetsboro Street, not West Streetsboro Street.

 Being the  avid letter writer I am,  member of  "The Letter Exchange" (a letter writer's organization) and one who encourages people I meet and like  to write to me,  well, I get lots of letters from all sorts of people.  Many letters come from my old and steadfast pen friends, but other letters arrive from people  I don't  know very well or at all.  It's a thrill receiving each and every letter, but it's a special kind of thrill when the letter comes from a stranger.  There's mystery there and don't you love a little mystery every now and then?

I could hardly wait to open the envelope of this, my latest mystery letter.  Are you just a little bit curious too?   The return address told me the letter came from a gal named Andria and she lived fairly close to me, just across town.  What did Andria have to say to me?

I carefully cut open the envelope and discovered a handwritten message in copper-colored ink.  I love a handwritten letter.  It's so much more personal than one printed by a machine.  Now I discovered how Andria found me.  She opened her letter with these words:

"When I saw your website dedicated to the joys of letter writing I was thrilled.  I too have (recently) begun letter advocating.  I am always telling people what fun it is to find a handwritten letter peeking out from underneath the electric bill in my mailbox, but they usually just shrug and say that email is so much faster, cheaper, etc."

Well, I was thrilled that Andria not only discovered my website, but I was also thrilled to meet another kindred spirit, someone  spreading the word concerning the joys of letter writing.  I know there are many people out there like Andria and me  (maybe you're one of them), people who love letter writing  or would  love letter writing if they were only introduced to it.

 There's a lot of advertising going on regarding all the latest technology in communication, but not very much, if any at all, about the pleasures of the personal touch in communication - the pleasure of slowing down and reflecting with another human being in an unrushed, leisurely manner, pen in hand - the pleasure of using beautiful materials (colorful inks, lovely papers, sealing wax, charming postage stamps and stickers of all kinds -  the opportunity letters give us for art play as well as personal expression.

Email is fine.  It has its place, but to compare email to letter writing is like comparing  a meal of bread and water to  a gourmet feast, a feast complete with wine and fancy desserts set in a beautiful room drenched in candlelight with romantic music playing in the background  There really is no comparison.  This analogy reminds me of another from George Du Maurier, the French-born British cartoonist and author of the late 1800's.  George wrote:

An apple is an excellent thing - until you try a peach

and so it is with email versus The Art of Letter Writing!

Well, I had to answer Andria's letter right away so I dug out my art supplies and whipped up some stationery just for her,  one- of- a- kind stationery for my newest kindred spirit.

I do use store -bought papers at times, but I really enjoy creating my own stationery.  The art play is an added creative benefit to the expressive Art of Letter Writing.  We have the words and ideas to share in letters, but working with the physical materials of color and design adds our very own personal and creative touch.  Technology may be great, good at many things, but only a person can create their own personal touch!  And there's nothing like the personal touch to warm the heart and bring out the "human" in human beings.

I decided Andria's letter paper should be decorated with scraps of  papers put together creating  a floral design.  This is one of my favorite stationery concoctions.  The colors of the paper determine the color of ink I load into my fountain pen and it's my hope that  the look of the finished letter -

everything from its salutation

to its closing, where my "C" initial is stamped with sealing wax,

to my name which is always written on the back envelope flap

is pleasing to my letter friend.

The physical look of a letter is important for just as the look of our clothes or our home reflects us so too does the look of our letter and it seems important to me to send out as good and pleasing an  impression as possible. After all, the gift of a letter is like any other gift.  It's not about how much that gift costs, but rather the care and sentiment of that gift.

That's why even the envelope of any personal letter deserves a little extra attention to make it fun to receive.  I like to add exotic postage stamps from other countries.  I scan those stamps and add them to our US postage.  I'll also create photo stamps, but those  decorative touches are a subject for another post and  here's where technology comes in handy.

So a letter to Andria is waiting to go out, along with a few others, on the next mail day.

For all you know maybe one of these letters will be going out to YOU!  It could happen.  As with Andria, all it takes is for you to write me a letter first, and I'd love it if you would do just that.  Why?  You know.  I've said it before and I'll say it again and again and again.

Sharing doubles the joy

It really does, and The Art of Letter Writing is a wonderful way in which to share.

So

Write me a letter or write someone else a letter and you'll see for yourself what fun it can be - especially when you go to your mailbox as I do, as Andria does, and you find a return letter addressed just to you!  There's practically a radiance to that letter (or letters) you find.  Take my word for it.