Octagonal Houses Were A Fad

Around 1850! Who knew?

The words Hendricks House on the historical marker caught my eye as I was a passenger in the back seat. We were at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck a couple of weeks ago and staying in Red Hook where this landmark is located. It’s the town’s Public Library.

Built in 1865. Randi pulled over so I could capture these pics.

“The Hendricks House is a rare surviving example of the octagonal concrete form of house construction popularized in the mid-19th century by phrenologist and author Orson Squire Fowler, whose book A Home for All (1850, 1854) launched a nationwide fad for octagonal buildings. Between 1847 and 1856, Fowler built his own octagonal concrete house in nearby Fishkill, which may have provided inspiration for local builders in Dutchess County”

Little Library at the Bus Stop

I had to stop and get out of my car to photograph this new (to me) scene.

Little Libraries have been posted on the blog before -in the snow , one Laura found and one in Pittsburgh on Friendship Avenue

Here’s the one I saw today

And a bench to sit on and read while you wait for the bus

Library Lions Don Masks in New York City

Another guest blog today.

The New York Public Library Lions don masks.

My sister has taken the role of a NYC tourist as she walks in the city and today she photographed Patience and Fortitude. They’re carved from pink Tennessee marble, designed by sculptor Edward Clark Potter.

Read about their naming and renaming here

“Patience and Fortitude, the world-renowned pair of marble lions that stand proudly before the majestic Beaux-Arts building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan, have captured the imagination and affection of New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world since the Library was dedicated on May 23, 1911.”

Man’s Best Friend and Books

The sculpture of the dog with a stack of books on his head has always caught my attention when I drive by the Millvale Community Library.  Tonight Steve  and I walked down Grant Avenue after dinner to see it up close. What an invitation to come inside and find a good book to read.

The artist is Pittsburgh sculptor James Simon and the sculpted dog’s name is Pages.

And how about those magnificent door handles? I know there’s a story there.

Miilvale. Just across the Allegheny River from the city of Pittsburgh. You’ve seen my posts of Panza Gallery, Grant Avenue Bar, McWalker Yarns, Jean-Marc Chatellier Bakery, Tazza D’Oro, bicycle racks and Esthers’s Hobby Shop  -to name a few.

 

Millvale Community Library  213 Grant Avenue   Millvale, Pennsylvania

http://millvalelibrary.org/staff-board/

Little Library in the Snow

My SIL James took this photo from the driver’s side, using my phone, on January 20 as we returned to Columbus. I’d seen the little library on our way into the street and I knew when we turned around, it wouldn’t be on my side. It’s the biggest Little Library I’ve seen.

A Tea Wallet

One birthday, my friend Donna mailed me a teabag in a little fabric envelope. Here’s how I learned about another Tea Wallet.

Last week at the NY Public Library, my sister found a murder mystery with knitting on the cover and thought of me. (Yarned and Dangerous by Sadie Hartwell) see cover image below

In the back of the book she said there was a knitting pattern for a Tea Wallet.  I found another Tea Wallet pattern for one by Diane Trap on Ravelry. I knit one for my friend Vincie because I knew she carries her own tea bags in her purse. In a little plastic baggie. Not any more!

I made a modification on the front flap and made it a triangle shape, decreasing at each side.

The quilted knitting motion bag serving as a pretty backdrop for the photo shoot was stitched by my Woolswap partner, Catherine, in New Zealand.

Knit with scraps of organic cotton yarn –Made in America Yarns, the Wildflowers Collection . from Philadelphia

(Modified the front envelope flap- shortened it by half and made a triangle by knitting 2 together on edges while in one row BO 3 then next row CO 3 to create a button hole.)

These were photographed vertically on my phone and I attempted to adjust them on the computer before publishing. And of course they look perfectly aligned and oriented to me but I can’t tell if I’ve gotten them correct for some viewers.  Trying

Halloween in Ohio

This morning it started at Halloween Storytime at the Clintonville Whetstone Library.

Charlie wore his astronaut costume and after the songs and stories the kids got treats from different stations in the library. The first was at the RETURNS slots. Stick you hand in and get a treat!   I thought that was so creative.  Then you had to know where to find the Shark books.  There was a shark passing out festive Snoopy and Great Pumpkin pencils.  There were so many cute and creative costumes but I try to not photograph children I don’t know so it looks like Charlie was on his own which was not the case.

 

 

 

Later Charlie wore a BumbleBee Transformer costume his Dad created from cardboard and duct tape. It was a lot of hard work but came out great.   It was fully operational and folded so Charlie could transform from a car to a Bot.  The neighbors had a mask Charlie could borrow.  Laura passed out the treats.  Their neighbors dog, Hudson sported a HOT DOG costume.

 

At 6:30 I got in the car for the 15 mile drive to Mark and Erika’s to photograph my four grandkids. It was dark and rainy by the time I arrived.  Michael was inside the house taking a break….scary mask.  And then I found Maura the unicorn her friend, a deer and and tried to capture them Trick or Treating.  No flash to be had.  Anna was at swimming practice and didn’t get home until after 8.  Jack was a soldier and all the kids gave me their Almond Joys cause they aren’t keen on them and they know I like them!

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Wings of Desire in Berlin

Tonight I saw this ad for the amazing 1987 film DER HIMMEL UBER BERLIN /(Wings of Desire) directed by Wim Wenders. Showing now in Berlin at Kino in der Kulturbrauerei

Steve and I watched this on a VHS tape from the Homewood Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, due to my sister’s recommendation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_of_Desire