Submerged Bounty

The Bounty went down in Hurricane Sandy yesterday. The US Coast Guard was able to snap a picture of the Bounty as it lay submerged off the coast of Hatteras.

Contrary to earlier reports that said the entire crew was rescued, the captain of this ship is still missing.

In the Midst of This Storm-- The Bounty

For history buffs and movie afficionados-- here is a piece of history and trivia that may get lost... a replica of the HMS Bounty

is now a ghost ship at sea as the crew was forced to abandon ship when they lost power off the coast of Cape Hatteras during Hurricane Sandy. Click on the link (hover your mouse over Bounty) to read a detailed report by the London Mail online.

Sandy-- Moving Up the Coast

Sandy's moving up the coast.

Sandy's slowly making its way up the coast. The driving rains have started and the air temp definitely has chilled! The complicating factor for this storm is that it coincides with a full moon and that effects the the water levels at high tide. Also, there are two huge air masses, aka low-pressure storms, converging from the north and the west colliding with the hurricane. That's what's making Sandy so different. Nothing to do but wait...

Waiting for Sandy

The temps have already dropped and overnight we went from high sixties temps to low fifties with cold air coming from the north. Hurricane Sandy is making its way up the East Coast, and so hurricane preparations are underfoot. the yard furniture is stowed on the back deck, and I've laid in a supply of candles, matches, and batteries. By far and away, these Eddie Bauer flashlights and lanterns are my absolute favorites!

These little lanterns act as flashlights or lanterns. They can hang because there is a hook that slips out of the top handle, or they can stand on their own. I've bought quite a few of these little wonders, but they keep disappearing and I'm down to these two. The little green guy on the left is a generator-type flashlight with a smart little hand crank that needs to be wound about 150 cranks to make the light work. It's fabulous because this one doesn't require batteries, and actually the handcranking is not so bad! I've also bought enough candles to get us through the entire holiday season and more, and then, of course, there is the storing up on human and animal food in case the power goes out. The electronics are charging, and so now it's all about waiting...

The Grand Black Dress!

For weeks, (no--- months!) I have been agonizing over what I would wear to the Green and White Ball! Silly, you would say? Yes, except that this event is the most important fundraiser for students at Wilmington University. I agonized over where should I go to look for dresses.

Dress shopping is not my favorite thing to do... just the thought of it all seemed so time consuming and exhausting! Should I look for a little black dress (aka short black dress) or a grand black dress... meaning long black dress? Then, yesterday after work on a whim I stopped by a local bridal salon and voila! The very first dress I tried on was the one! Granted, I don't quite look like this...

...but I will make a respectable showing (I hope!). See you at the Green and White on the 27th?

This One Is for Lili

This one is for Lili, who, as my youngest child often laments that we have so few pictures of her as a baby! It's sad but true because we moved to Delaware when she was only 8 weeks old and I had a not quite 2 year old, 4 year old, and 11 year old to get situated in the move. But Lili, the pictures we do have are precious, and here you are with Oma and you were just a few days old (and yawning).

You were such a cutie pie...always smiling and happy!

And just look at this happy bunch! Seems like yesterday...

Mom's Coffee Cream Frosting

My nephew asked me if I had my mother's mocha frosting... which was a family favorite when I was growing up. I was really surprised by the request since (a) I hadn't thought about it in years, and (b) couldn't figure why he would think to ask me since my days as domestic diva have long disappeared and been replaced with work and school. After I racked my brain and concluded that I couldn't remember, I finally found the recipe in Mom's recipe box!

This is by far the best frosting ever!

Museum Mesdag

If you ever want to see old Dutch painting at its finest, you must visit Museum Mesdag in The Hague for a truly unique experience!

The museum is most famous for its 360 degree panorama painting set in 17th century Holland. The scene is a fishing village surrounded by a town view.

You can see the panorama online by clicking on this link but it is not nearly the experience you get when you step inside the room and see this almost life-sized panorama all around you. It's like being transported back into 17th century Scheveningen!

The first time I saw the panorama was when I was in elementary school in Holland. At the end of each school year there was always a field trip to somewhere, and one year it was Museum Mesdag. It's become a Dutch institution and I know they've done extensive work restoring the canvas. It's such a treat to experience Mesdag that if you are ever anywhere near Holland, you need to see this!