MARGARET'S ACTIVITIES

Thismorning I walked with one of Anne's friends for 11/2 hours on that wide path by the Wissahickon River.   This time I walked across the covered bridge, and rested awhile before slowly returning to the cafe to await the fast walkers. Was enjoyable sitting in the sun on a perfect spring day sipping on a berry smoothie.  

MARGARET'S ACTIVITIES

After our morning walk and coffee, we met Anne and Mel's friend Tom for a tour of huge tree park, The Morris Arboretum.  The land was left to the University of Pennnsylvania in 1932 by Lydia and John Morris.  Their parents began planting trees from North America, Asia, Africa and Europe in the late 1800,s.  Not a tree from Australia  to be seen!!!!  Currently more than 12,000 labeled plants of over 2,500 types  from temperate areas  make up the living collection of the Arboretum.

For two hours we wandered around listening to Tom's  extensive knowledge on a huge variety of trees, and admiring those with spring flowers.  Who needs to visit Japan to see Cherry Blossoms!!  

After a Nanna nap, we travelled to Anne's friend Nancy's home for a delicious dinner.   Bed at 10.30.

Today is sunny and not so chilly.  Spring is almost here.  I am returning to stay with Anne and Mel today until I fly to London on Sunday.  I made a beef curry for dinner.  All we have to do is find spinach to make polasammi.  In America it is called chard, but is not available everywhere,  like lime pickle which Anne finally found.  Will wander to the library now to do my blogs, also a couple from JUDITH who send me her information.  

A very old Katsura tree 

Mel, Barbara, me, Anne and friend 

A pine 

Flowering pear tree. Weeping cherry and forsythia.  

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A swan pond 

Swan and Canadian ducks, 

Lydia's tea house 

An recent artistic acquisition 

Tin sheep and lambs !!!!  They look so real. 

MARGARET'S ACTIVITIES

The day began with a walk beside a narrow shallow river  in the Wissahickon Valley Park with Anne's friends.  We had the fast and slow walkers. After walking to a covered bridge, Linda and I decided it was time to turn and head for the coffee place where we met the fast walkers.  The track is shared by walkers, horses and bicycles.  All have right of way to cross a busy road.  It is a beautiful part of a Philadelphia, within a half hour of the city.   

The coffee house 

The group

The babbling brook 

The covered bridge. 

A secondary track 

The walking track 

MARGARET'S ACTIVITIES

It is another cold day.  Mel called to take me shopping for ingredients to make a beef curry for dinner Wednesday night.  Seems you can not buy Lime Pockle in this country.  Spinach is called Chard and not all Markets sell it.  We have to shop elsewhere for chipatties.  Perhaps rice wil suffice. Fortunafely Anne and Mel had not used the BOLSTS curry powder I brought last year, so it was to the house to make the curry.  Think it will be a good one.  

Back to Barbaras for lunch, a walk around the gardens and a Nanna nap.  Am now sitting in the warm  quiet library , having just put up a blog for JUDITH who is busing around England.  

Tonight we will listen to a boys choir performing at the Village.  Dinner will be had in the dining room again.  I took photos of some of the residences in the village. A pretty Dogwood tree grows near the lounge room window.  Flowers are turning green. It's the favourite place for a family of squirrels to play,  some jump onto the concrete ledge near the sliding door of the lounge room,  waiting for an opportunity  to enter I am sure. 

Tomorrow will see me slow walking on a wide dirt path by a flowing river with some of Anne's friends.  We will meet the fast walkers for coffee at a quaint wooden building in the park.  The path is shared by bicycles and horses.  Good manure available for keen gardeners!!  

 Some homes have outside gardens,  

The back of some appartments.  

Barbara's unit first on the left. 

Barbara's unit on the top floor.  

Barbara's unit ..  Two top rooms in centre of photo.  A Dogwood tree  grows outside the lounge room window.  

Walk way leading to Barbara's unit 

Car park.  Barbara's  car is the red one.  

More units. 

The foyer 

 Front entrance, 

 

Heated pool 

Fitness centre

 The library, 

MARGARET,S. ACTIVITIES

We have been on the go.  Weather is cold but pleasant.  A visit to the Italian makets yesterday was fun and interesting.  Lots of fresh vegetables and fruit on one side of the street.  On the other, specialty shops.  The kitchen outlet was amazing.  Such a variety.  I purchased a small knife, a piece if flat plastic   For opening jars, and a pourer for olive oil. All these are available in Australia, except I haven't seen a leopard design on a knife before!'!!   After buying a taco that took ages to make, we drove to Anne and Mel's friends home where we washed down lunch with a beer.  

Time permitted, so we visited a gallery to see a photographic exhibition by a well known artist.  Actually I was disappointed, as all photos were of politicians.   Home for a Nanna nap, then to the local gallery to here jazz. What great music.  Four piece band, with four individual singers.  All Africo/American, so the beat and singing was heartfelt.  

Saturday was cultural. I joined eight residents from Cathedral Village to travel for 45 minutes to a huge theatre to see two operas broadcast in HD from The Met.   The music, singing and acting  from  Cavalleria Rusticana and Paliacci kept me enthralled for 31/2 hours.   Today, Mel  and I are seeing an opera streamed from Covent Garden .  Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, which will be great music, but heavy.  You have to love opera!! 

Lastnight we travelled a distance to the country to have dinner with Anne and Mel's friends who settled in America 25 years ago.  The Chinese banquet was delicious.  We were treated by a piano recital from their sixteen year old daughter who is playing in New York today.  

 

 

OVERNIGHT AT CAPE MAY......2015.... APRIL 18TH

Cape May is the southern most point in the state of New Jersey.  It is a popular holiday destination about  a 21/2 hr drive from Philadelphia. Houses are mostly three stories, some dating back to 1837.  Tourists flock to the area in summer to sit on white sand and swim in the Atlantic.  There are certainly no waves for surf boarders.

We stayed in an elegant two story building one block from  the ocean. After a walk along the esplanade, admiring the beach and a long line of what seemed to be hundreds of memorial seats, we lunched at a venue beside the footpath while listening to taped jazz.  

Sightseeing took in the old lighthouse, a birdwatching lake, a smashed concrete boat now almost submerged, and a small fortress used during the Second World War.  We drove through an alpaca farm, and many streets of the city area, before coming upon an interesting restaurant where we booked for dinner. 

What a great night it was.  We had drinks at the bar while listening to the piano player, then adjourned to an elegant dining area where service and food was excellent.  The piano was audible, so we had fun to see who was first to identify the tune. 

After a good nights sleep in a most comfortable bed, we were up to doing more exploring of the area. We window  shopped on the mall, then boarded a trolly bus for a tour of the city streets.  An old and long time  resident was full of information.  We thought we had seen most of the houses.  What a surprise we received!  

It was time to drive back to Philadelphia.  We found a quaint diner.  A simple sandwich is large, and mostly served with packet chips and a gerkin.  

After crossing the Delaware River bridge, we drove through the city, then fortunately took a wrong turn that landed us in a beautiful park full of flowering trees.  Cherry blossoms, magnolias and many more. Unfortunately it is raining today, so they won't be happy.  The tree in Anne and Mel's yard is dropping flowers on the car and footpath,  

After a delicious pizza and salad at Anne and Mel's, Ginny and Jon departed for the 2to 3 hour drive to Connecticut.  Their two dogs anxiously awaited their return.  

A memorable week end was enjoyed by all.