FEELING QUITE PARISIAN IN LEXINGTON

 A series of essays....

OUR 'PETITE SLICE OF PARIS' ON NORTH LIMESTONE IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

What goes up will come back down, eventually....at least for a few more road trips, anyway!

We’re heading back to our Florida home after spending two cold, snowy weeks of Winter in April up in Kalamazoo! Some highly productive work accomplished on the inside of the house with enough demolition to fill a ten-yard dumpster! That was a very good thing. Anything that needed to be done on the outside was a distinct impossibility, and this set us back on our time schedule a bit, unfortunately.

A SCENE DAN AND I DON'T
EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY!

Months ago, Dan’s initial demolition of the back of the house was shared by the highly capable hands of our son-in-law, Matthew. Ripping out the existing three-season room was their specialty. I admit it; I played ‘voyeur’ by observing some of their hard work via the security camera we’d installed in the dining room, located in a window just off of the back deck. I remained in Florida for the long weekend while all of this was taking place.

POOR GUY IS STUCK IN
DEBRIS TWO RUNGS DEEP

During a subsequent trip we both made up to Michigan, I watched Dan and his brother, Leo, level out and finish the new floor deck, build the new portion of the kitchen’s side walls, and construct its vaulted beams and plywood clad roof. I was in heaven! We were making progress towards a new kitchen, as well as a new life, eventually, up in Kalamazoo!

This recent go around afforded us a two week span for completing kitchen demo, placing the new windows and doors that, also, needed to be stained, and figuring out electrical placement and heat runs.

"HEY! WE REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO
SUPPORT THE SECOND FLOOR!!"

The demo of most older houses can be tricky to quite difficult at best. You just never know what you’re going to find! Knowing all of this going in helped to ease some of the pain as Dan discovered floor joists cut in half, large notches cut out of studs to make way for water pipes, and the fact that one corner of the old, existing kitchen was so rotted from years of water intrusion that it had to be framed-up again before it came crumbling down on our heads. You know....the typical stuff, and all very frustrating and time consuming.

A SPIDER FROM HELL;
A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN!

In taking down some of the drywall in the garage ceiling to try and make sense out of the current pipes and electrical positioning, Dan discovered the quintessential outlet from hell. There were thick, black wires coming out of this ‘monster’ that traveled every point of the compass throughout the house and resembled a large, mutant spider that had been unleashed after many years of captivity. Always good for a laugh or two, right?

While Susie, Leo’s wife, thoughtfully brought a large pot of her delicious, homemade ham and bean soup which provided the four of us with two amazing, healthy meals, she and I made miraculous headway towards keeping dishes clean by utilizing the bathroom sink. Marsha had brought over a 'right out of the oven' quiche that we, gratefully, called breakfast the next morning. Delicious! Also, it was openly and gratefully discovered how productive Susie can be on a construction sight. Never afraid of getting her hands dirty or ignoring what needs to be done, she wields a mean trash shovel and is wicked when it comes to pulling a million staples and nails from the old kitchen flooring with a hammer in one hand and a crowbar in the other!

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES OF LEO AND SUSIE:
SKYPE SESSION WITH THEIR GRANDSON...

After attending a highly productive writer’s workshop by the author and poet, Jack Ridl, with my dear friend, Marsha, spending sweet, quality time at dance and gymnastic classes with two of our five grand babies, and going out to dinner with several of our good friends....our amazing neighbor, Ginny, sent us off last Saturday morning with a goody bag of rich, delicious homemade Michigan brownies layered with dark, sweet cherries. Yum! All in all, Dan and I felt very well taken care of and, of course, loved! 

MR. JACK RIDL: TEACHER, POET, AUTHOR,
AND A MOST DELIGHTFUL HUMAN BEING!

ADMIRING THIS WEDDING
GOWN IN A SHOP WINDOW

Deciding to spend the night in Lexington, Kentucky, we consciously shortened the first day of driving in order to relax and enjoy seeing this clean, beautiful city from a daytime perspective. “Where should we have dinner?” was the important question of the evening and we just took off heading downtown with the element of surprise in mind. Dan’s eye caught the green of an Irish Pub and took a right turn onto N. Limestone before realizing that we’d landed in the famous historical section of Lexington. Driving slowly by the Irish Pub, Le Deauville Bistrot, beautiful old storefronts and shops, and architecturally brilliant, restored, two-story walk-ups, we decided to park and walk this historic portion of Lexington while taking it all in slowly and methodically.

Le Deauville Bistrot was our dining place of choice. Just like its namesake located on Av des Champs Élysée near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Le Deauville Brasserie, it offered late-night food in a cozy and casual atmosphere.

WAITING FOR THEIR TABLE

Crowded with couples and small groups either already eating and drinking or waiting their turn at a table, the maître d managing the ‘front of the house’ asked if we had a reservation! What were we thinking? It was a Saturday evening at this intimate French Bistrot in major downtown U.S.A. and we thought we’d be able to be seated! Bon chance, my friends....

Well, good luck is exactly what we had because, you see, after a moment or two, he came back to us and said, “If you would like to wait, a couple will soon leave a small (as to verge on insignificant) round table that is positioned near the back of the bar area.” The hustle and bustle of wait staff and all of the warm bodies pressed up to the small bar before being taken to their reserved tables offered us a unique challenge but one we were happy to accept if it meant being fed. Since Dan and I are devout ‘people watchers,’ we felt we had nothing to lose. That is, of course, if you don’t count stepped-on toes and feeling quite exposed along with six to eight others brushing arms together by the curtained-off front door.

With patience can come great rewards. After a ‘loud’ span of around thirty minutes, our smiling maître d leads us towards a cloth covered table for two within the main dining area while explaining that we had been so patient and the couple at the tiny table had taken so long to wrap up their dessert and pay their bill. We were delighted, of course, and celebrated with a glass each of fragrant, Provençal Rose, a cheese and fruit board to share, and small loaves of crusty French baguette. Pure heaven!

The table for four near us was, eventually, vacated just about the time our entrées arrived and the staff was elegantly clearing away dishes and exchanging soiled cloth for clean, pure white linens. Each movement was orchestrated right down to the tinkling of the new glassware and spotless flatware being inspected and set out for four new guests.

THINLY SLICED ROASTED DUCK

DAN'S FILET MIGNON

As I am taking pictures of my thinly sliced duck with seasonal vegetables and sweet potato purée, I hear Dan saying, “We know the gentleman they just seated at that table. He’s a news or sportscaster but, I just can’t place him right now.” Sneaking subtle peeks at his table and peering out through the bottom of my tilted wine glass, I felt I had a good idea about who the man was seated only several steps from our table.

His name I could not connect with and I reasoned that we only saw him upon certain occasions as a broadcaster for the Peacock Station. Sitting in the heart of horse country, we associated him with the Derby and proceeded to Google him for a name. Tom Hammond was staring back at me from across the short distance as he drank his white wine. I didn’t have the heart to share with Dan, at the time, all of my thoughts about this man, a University of Kentucky alum who lives in Lexington (thank you, Google!) and has broadcast basketball, football, and the Olympic Games. After all, I couldn’t even remember his name a few moments ago!

TOM HAMMOND AND FRIENDS

This chubby man with his thick, salt and pepper mane and strange, overly made-up eyes was now staring at me because I was the only person directly within his line of sight in this small, three room maze of a French Bistrot that is so wildly popular with many Lexington locals. Instinctively, I did what anybody with an i-Phone would do and took his picture! Granted, Dan was intended to be the main subject but, I was pleased by the results. I am hoping that Tom Hammond was flattered because you couldn’t put much past anyone in such small quarters.

No dessert, coffee, or brandy for us after such a great meal. We had a long day of driving the following day and wanted to get enough sleep that night. 

What a wonderful date with my husband on a Saturday night in Lexington! It almost felt like being in a small bistrot on a side-street in Paris with delightfully anticipated food and wine to tantalize the taste buds and get the blood flowing. Perfect!

Oh, and when we sit down to watch the 2018 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 5, and listen to the dulcet tones of Mr. Tom Hammond serving as NBC’s main host and broadcaster, I’ll be sure to tip my lavishly eccentric, wide-brimmed, beribboned, “Southern Belle” inspired hat while raising a frosty mint julep his way. Cheers! And may the best horse win!!

MY SWEET GARDENIA PLANTS GREETED
US HOME IN FULL REGALIA ~ HEAVILY LADEN
IN SOFT, CREAMY FLOWERS...

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

Photo Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

STONE AGE TECHNOLOGY: IT’S REALLY WHAT WE GET USED TO

A series of essays....

THIS SHOWER CURTAIN HAS POCKETS FOR EVERY PHONE AND TABLET!

Credit: Davison Video


....as seen through my eyes!






 
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

I will be the first one to tell you that my cell phone is nearby me at all times, just in case someone calls or there happens to be an emergency. My i-Pad can be located either ‘at my fingertips’ (literally), on my desk, or on the end table that resides by my comfy corner of the leather couch where most of my Blog Posts are written. Most importantly, I am rarely seen without the current book I happen to be reading, whether in hard-bound or paperback form. And, I have been known to panic if it has been left behind for some unknown reason, even when making a visit to the dentist's office or to and from the grocery store only blocks away from the house!

Books are my life; books are that important to me! Consequently, when given the opportunity to lessen the inevitable ‘load’ of books we will be hauling up to Michigan in the next several months, I jumped on the bandwagon and filled as many boxes with my precious paper companions as possible. Dan, carefully, stacked them in the U-Haul trailer we pulled up to the ‘little yellow cottage’ on Hazel Avenue last weekend. 

Standing in our library in Orlando before leaving, I knew I’d only made a slight dent in the inventory that resides in that one room alone....and, still remained to be carefully nestled in their own cardboard carrying cases for the journey yet to come.

ONE BOOK AT A TIME....

I have written several previous stories about sitting across from strangers in the waiting area of a local restaurant where no one is communicating with one another via verbal discourse. My subjects have included a family of three and an unrelated young couple who may have been out on a Saturday evening date. Rather, the various devices held in their hands, with heads bowed in prayer to the gods of technology, were being revered as hymnals in the innocent hands of the choir section during Saturday evening mass. No one said a word to anybody for at least ten to fifteen minutes before the host appeared to say that their tables were ready. With a shuffle and/or bow they marched off to tables that would, probably, afford them a convenient resting place for their devices before their meals had a chance to arrive. 

"STRIKE A POSE"

Having visited the dentist every six months for more years than I care to count, toothbrushes appear to procreate and find shelter within various drawers, cubbies, and hidden spots throughout the house! Often, before I could say ‘no’ to the token of gratitude offered by the dental hygienist for not biting off one of her fingers, the colorful, bristled stick had already been inserted into a small plastic bag (displaying a larger than life picture of a sparkling, white tooth) where it played nice next to the dental floss and travel-sized tube of Crest toothpaste and ice blue mouthwash.

A few times, when I needed to get back into a very tight spot (behind faucets) to thoroughly clean, I’ve been known to wrangle one of these plastic treasures for the job! The color I would choose depended upon the mood I was in at the time and a white brush with vibrant lime green racing stripes might be just the ticket to a successful cleaning mission. 

Of course, this all came about due to the advent of the mighty ‘electric’ toothbrush that swirled and shimmied its way into our lives and mouths. The dentist relayed how they cleaned better than hand-brushing had ever cleaned, the gums were pinker and so much happier and more stimulated. The obnoxiously straight, white toothy smile on the dentist’s face grew larger and larger as many of his patients fell into a precision step on their way to purchase this exotic new device offered for sale, conveniently, right there in his office! Cha-Ching! 

We were hooked! I am certain that you have been hooked, as well. And, why not? They do a great job with minimum effort and, if you replace the head often, you will be the proud owner of this amazing unit for years and years to come.

Having shared our lives between two residences for the past three years, we found it necessary to purchase yet another electric toothbrush set so as to enjoy its adeptness while occupying either location. Cha-Ching! Oh, but quite necessary by this time. 

Our sincere appreciation to Costco for making this dual purchase as light on the pocketbook as possible! Sorry, Doctor.

While packing-up our cosmetic bag for this trip, the practical side of me wondered about the most convenient way to brush my teeth at the motel we planned to stay at in order to break-up our lengthy drive. I opted to dig into the handy-dandy, manual toothbrush drawer to handle the job. We, certainly, didn’t require two sets of electric toothbrushes up in Michigan for the duration and this was the best solution.

Now comes the sad story of ‘it’s all about what you get used to.’  I felt like a bumbling character right out of a Stone Age cartoon that hoped shoving a stick inside of her mouth would eradicate the particles of fruits, nuts, fish bones, and grasses that had lodged between her teeth at dinner. Instantly, I discovered that I’d lost the ability to believe that hand-brushing my teeth even worked in the first place or, would ever work again. Dan, harboring similar feelings, and I could only laugh at this instant revelation. 

Ah, the wonders of technology! These two experiences, the one in the restaurant foyer and the attempt to manually brush my own teeth in the motel, helped me better understand this thought: You can’t always live with it (technology), and, it's becoming very difficult to live without it.

And then I saw this advertisement on social media this morning. This one blew my toothbrush story right out of the water! 

If sex sells, well.....this little item, coupled with the prospect of a naked woman in the shower, is a sure winner. First of all, I must ask, how long does anyone plan on staying in a shower before becoming mummified? Now, add the actual productive device time you might have while taking that shower. Factor in the wastefulness of running the water for a lengthy amount of time. And then, please tell me how many of you would purchase a pocketed shower curtain that is guaranteed to hold, not one, not two, not three, but up to four tech devices in its multi-sized, mostly waterproof pouches for your enjoyment and elongated pleasure??? Party time!

I will live a long, full, and happy lifetime before I’d ever care about meeting the individual(s) who came up with this concept, no matter how much money he (they) will, eventually, make from it. And, sadly, they will make lots of money....

As we all remain in the state of 'Modern Day Limbo’ while learning how to survive its productiveness, as well as its pitfalls, we must, also, learn to embrace technology with logic and common sense. It's important to discover each day what is good for, not only ourselves as individuals but, the world and the environment in which we all live. When that happy balance of ‘all things possible’ leads us into a space where the common denominator is ‘productive reasoning,’ rather than anti-social behavior, then life is striking a positive balance. Embrace it!

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

FRIENDSHIP, FAMILY, AND FABULOUS JAZZ....OH, AND A REALITY CHECK, TOO!

A series of essays.....

JAZZ SAXOPHONES OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes 

Cocoa Village, located mid-way along the East coast of Florida in Brevard County, still resembles the small, quaint village it must have been so many years ago. Back when Henry Morrison Flagler was running his new train tracks along the coastline of Florida and creating a legacy for himself from St. Augustine, down to Palm Beach, and on to Miami! 

Tucked away just off Highway 520 and connected to Florida’s Space Coast today, Cocoa Village is noted for its colorful little shops, coffee houses, Riverfront Park, antique malls, restaurants, and art galleries. Truly, a small slice of heaven. With all that it has to offer everyone, we’ve become especially partial to two places within the village that have captured our hearts and thoroughly satisfied our cultural appetite for great jazz and incomparable theater productions.

TOP NOTCH JAZZ PERFORMANCES AT THE
BLIND LION, SPEAK EASY AND JAZZ BAR

Nestled behind Brevard Avenue (the main street) and the Ossorio Bakery & Cafe and up a flight of sagging, wooden steps, we take a left turn at the top landing and enter another dimension; a time of inaudible whispers and fleeting promises, booze generously flowing like a mountain stream after a heavy rain, and the high-pitched laughter that springs from the joy of momentary forgetfulness. Welcome to the Blind Lion, Speak Easy and Jazz Bar. We swooned with the best of them as talented jazz notes beckoned us in with their seasoned personalities and kept us there with brilliant, top-notch performances!

THE HISTORIC COCOA VILLAGE PLAYHOUSE

Have you ever been so ‘blown away’ by the professionalism and talent of a community theatre production that you just couldn’t stop talking about it for days afterwards? The production of The Secret Garden, performed at The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, open since 1924, was beyond brilliant and rivaled any theater production I’ve seen while living here in Central Florida. With its family of local performers and technical staff, the Playhouse’s full line up of Broadway Musicals has earned it the nickname “Broadway on Brevard” and, I believe, Broadway itself would be proud to have these productions performed on its hallowed stages.....any day of the week!

For the past several weeks we’ve been sharing our little corner of the world with others and introducing them to the wonders of Cocoa Village, spending a lot of time at the Cornell Museum of Art on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park, and feasting at local restaurants all along Central Florida from Orlando to Cocoa to the warm, sandy shoreline of Port Canaveral. Unfortunately, SpaceX did not have any launches scheduled during the time our company was here. A space launch is always a sight to behold. For over fifteen years we’ve been observing the Space Shuttle Program from our front yard and now, SpaceX has launched its way into history while boosting the importance of the Space Lab experiments, as well as initiating future space exploration.....Mars and beyond?

Closer to home in Orlando, the Cornell Museum of Art, located on the beautiful campus of Rollins College, is featuring a French Impressionism Exposition that rivals most intimate, European expositions and is guaranteed to captivate the heart of any art connoisseur. 

SUN-DAPPLED SHORES OF LAKE VIRGINIA,
ROLLINS COLLEGE, WINTER PARK, FL

After indulging in the wonders of French Impressionism, a lackadaisical walk around the sun-dappled grounds of Rollins and along its Lake Virginia shoreline made us all think about walking in the footsteps of one of her most intriguing graduates (1951). Fred McFeely Rogers, creator of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, is being honored with a walking tour on campus by featuring the classrooms and other places he frequented while a student there. It’s an interesting and insightful walk down memory lane while honoring a man who has given so much back to his community, country, and the people he loved.

PORTRAIT OF FRED McFEELY ROGERS,
PAINTED BY DON SONDAG

 HAND-KNIT SWEATER BY MR. ROGER'S MOTHER
AND TENNIS SHOES HE WORE ON SET

At this very moment, the dust is settling a bit after the whirlwind of the last few weeks. Rental cars have departed after being loaded with overstuffed suitcases that, eventually, rolled out the front door. Laughter and soft spoken conversations linger within the high-ceilinged rooms of our home accompanied by the gentle thoughts of mere mortals who shared time and space together while creating memories of ‘jazz hands’ and friendly games of Euchre at the kitchen table.

SELFIE WITH JANIS!!!!

JANIS AND FRED ENJOYING THE FLORIDA RAYS

JANIS, DAN, AND FRED....CHILLIN'

Family and Friends have gathered beneath the rafters at Morgan’s Mill Circle for, perhaps, the last time. After our last guests pulled out of the driveway Friday morning, I knew that the final chapter was being written; more than twenty-one chapters of ‘real life experiences’ were being wrapped-up, decorated with a huge, red bow, and neatly prepared for delivery and eventual publication within the eternal archives of human existence. And, I will never allow myself to forget a single spoken word; an individual moment in time....!

MARSHA & MICHAEL AT BLIND LION

DAN, LEO, SUSIE & ME AT A DETROIT TIGER,
PRESEASON GAME  

WITH MARSHA & MICHAEL AT CAPE CANAVERAL BEACH

ENJOYING GREAT JAZZ
AT THE BLIND LION SPEAK EASY

Instead of mad, last minute grocery shopping for vital items needed to create an Easter masterpiece for Sunday’s dinner, we were spending Saturday in Lowe’s and Home Depot purchasing small, heavy-duty cardboard boxes, packaging tape and paper, and other various moving paraphernalia we deemed necessary to have on hand. Sunday’s meal consisted of a delicious salad with avocado dressing; total compensation for all of the rich meals, bread, over abundance of wine, and occasional dessert consumed prior to this Holy Day. “Bless me, Father....!”

ANTIQUE OAK HUTCH IS DOWN

MY PITCHER/TEAPOT COLLECTION....
WAITING TO BE WRAPPED AND BOXED

Heavy pieces are coming off the walls (the antique oak hutch in our kitchen) while matching paint is being pulled from its hiding place atop a tall storage shelf and stirred to its original, cohesive smoothness before touching-up the walls. Did that hutch choose to relinquish its right to oversee our personal kitchen activities after so many years? Will it continue to hold my unique teapot collection and ‘unspeakable’ secrets close to its bosom when it resides on Hazel Avenue, soon? Does it even matter at this point in time? It certainly does, to me.

LET THE SUN SHINE BRIGHT AS
DIAMONDS IN THE POOL

You see, our lives are changing. We are being split into two identical parts, as if, at this age, our cell division has yet to halt, with one part packing up the memorabilia from two decades of living while the other part is wondering where it will all fit in the ‘little yellow cottage’ up in Michigan. We are learning, first-hand, that our path is not a monotonous straight line, but rather...a bright, multi-colored spiral and we return time-after-time to learn about what we believed we understood years before only to discover more about ourselves each time around.

We are forever appreciative of our friends and family who are helping to make our transition a bit softer, better, and kinder....! Dan and I could not do this without you!

I PROMISE TO REMEMBER THIS.....

By: Higher Perspective

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

Photos Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved