tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33192301314036990762024-03-26T06:43:03.285-07:00The Traveling WriterJoin the journey to beauty, adventure and creativityIn Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.comBlogger324125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-12292362025840283892024-01-28T07:20:00.000-08:002024-03-26T06:42:31.310-07:00Hijinks in Dinan, Brittany<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 8px;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none;"><h3 style="outline: none; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">By Norma Hopcraft</span></h3></div></blockquote><p>My French friend Martine, her little white dog Tibou, my sister Chris and I went from solemnity in the abbey of Mont St. Michel to hijinks in Dinan.</p><p>We'll get to the hijinks. First I'll show you picturesqueness. Walking through the center of the village of Dinan, we found the side street that descends to the river Rance and the port of Dinan (this village is quite a ways inland but it does connect to the ocean eventually). The street knocked us sideways, it was so powerfully charming. </p><p>By the way, to be alerted when my next pictures from France are posted, sign up for my newsletter, at the upper right.</p><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRnWuCurZtRcNYcXSLSOHJwAcn9VYt-FzxsLFJIkX2emISU4KaivhINlQMMSNxLunVrGLibO1thyphenhyphenPX1aFT5VzFnyjMSnhZLS7P1k0SRzTnwRlojEpd9UrGQm1DSfH6oDSjngDCfDUd1NB775zebjJKhsDTQdFZKEID-9ZFED-7VO_xPaA_7iwXKD83R3H/s4032/IMG_2688.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRnWuCurZtRcNYcXSLSOHJwAcn9VYt-FzxsLFJIkX2emISU4KaivhINlQMMSNxLunVrGLibO1thyphenhyphenPX1aFT5VzFnyjMSnhZLS7P1k0SRzTnwRlojEpd9UrGQm1DSfH6oDSjngDCfDUd1NB775zebjJKhsDTQdFZKEID-9ZFED-7VO_xPaA_7iwXKD83R3H/w480-h640/IMG_2688.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Everywhere on the descent to the river we enjoyed charming scenes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAfU_jdOW_wOgNaBHgbbK6B6a4AzU-UzSuTLWqU-AuE6kdbTbxRGdbhkFS4eFyTlG99aPVxaIE2GO2oiDomBrwIEZRUecXAZRPSlWZFfpV0nKBO-uAG8bFYZpUMOMHzqk-S53JGZjHc8G2Ac8It1JBxA869J5cuaaVvm3OU8x2YOM0E1wFIQFe_pjNocv/s4032/IMG_2690.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAfU_jdOW_wOgNaBHgbbK6B6a4AzU-UzSuTLWqU-AuE6kdbTbxRGdbhkFS4eFyTlG99aPVxaIE2GO2oiDomBrwIEZRUecXAZRPSlWZFfpV0nKBO-uAG8bFYZpUMOMHzqk-S53JGZjHc8G2Ac8It1JBxA869J5cuaaVvm3OU8x2YOM0E1wFIQFe_pjNocv/w480-h640/IMG_2690.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The descent to the port on the river Rance is steep, but that adds to the charm. Can you imagine living your life in one of these houses? What a beautiful scene to come home to.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiQfka_IU-yjoSzw8D05iDKRt1MznjyD5lZR97ePAlERoVcAunsrODpJuci-seGiZETbxwD6boFg4JzBAMKbxLajg7qio9wznVVrW5_-Pbdsdq76qgcOzoQL6rgFihSe4pEMcIfwek1xX3MJ7IV1uQpDUo-2bJCJhIr1t3BPl8AdTaOA4gMtkxT4TFGdj/s4032/IMG_2729.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiQfka_IU-yjoSzw8D05iDKRt1MznjyD5lZR97ePAlERoVcAunsrODpJuci-seGiZETbxwD6boFg4JzBAMKbxLajg7qio9wznVVrW5_-Pbdsdq76qgcOzoQL6rgFihSe4pEMcIfwek1xX3MJ7IV1uQpDUo-2bJCJhIr1t3BPl8AdTaOA4gMtkxT4TFGdj/w480-h640/IMG_2729.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The roofline is so French too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGp-5BFZ9MXqKJWifkLBDtrQPOvgE_xH59rwfUhqqjqhqVeV1rssaMa6A6_4Jp7iIgKrnth4outsF-d6QzJJverWGoh5EAqvgaNM3vuTDKoEMXmmTsBYQjrRJAa5Yiw8RV0Z4Gmv-GVfVx0TV7SFhG0XL-fkrI3fr6XunaN0iHFMqN2hMsfBeS63w9RqL/s4032/IMG_2730.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGp-5BFZ9MXqKJWifkLBDtrQPOvgE_xH59rwfUhqqjqhqVeV1rssaMa6A6_4Jp7iIgKrnth4outsF-d6QzJJverWGoh5EAqvgaNM3vuTDKoEMXmmTsBYQjrRJAa5Yiw8RV0Z4Gmv-GVfVx0TV7SFhG0XL-fkrI3fr6XunaN0iHFMqN2hMsfBeS63w9RqL/w480-h640/IMG_2730.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I experimented with black and white on this same shot. What do you think? Which do you like better? Comment below!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtc_qO2IbyCIhTQIOtCBQ467iEnPeAfC4kVwuqlFWgi7J-dvOtN775aY9Kd4Kmy0WWNgCfoDn7qr0v21TZIlvUy-O7YdUw5auQEhXiUI9ibDKyOUqLFJf27-iilXNMwNPXvgVMosu-bVTEx46HpeLdj-x5_N4eVj390osZgxOEAc5aR2ydYew70z9vXxy/s4032/IMG_2735.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtc_qO2IbyCIhTQIOtCBQ467iEnPeAfC4kVwuqlFWgi7J-dvOtN775aY9Kd4Kmy0WWNgCfoDn7qr0v21TZIlvUy-O7YdUw5auQEhXiUI9ibDKyOUqLFJf27-iilXNMwNPXvgVMosu-bVTEx46HpeLdj-x5_N4eVj390osZgxOEAc5aR2ydYew70z9vXxy/w640-h480/IMG_2735.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hydrangea in glorious bloom graced our time in Brittany and Normandy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYjlZ2R7rFAJ37mo4oO4EWkv5JlaHhz4lDfk1AO9NFrLSIn15GlsuBy0j6-Yuz3bfRTsP06sSFuK9upzU3eUU4TBgZEGgWwPSlQe7qJiqzmvMkyfXmQKudsMe8Un3mqK9ISwVs3pj0FWGwKiGxwrvoHx5F9WmPRjH2POPiHz2v_Lspn75Nfqp7tvDyalu/s4032/IMG_2737.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYjlZ2R7rFAJ37mo4oO4EWkv5JlaHhz4lDfk1AO9NFrLSIn15GlsuBy0j6-Yuz3bfRTsP06sSFuK9upzU3eUU4TBgZEGgWwPSlQe7qJiqzmvMkyfXmQKudsMe8Un3mqK9ISwVs3pj0FWGwKiGxwrvoHx5F9WmPRjH2POPiHz2v_Lspn75Nfqp7tvDyalu/w640-h480/IMG_2737.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The perfect windowbox and the perfect sculpture for a home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK95dhes2lX32q_A1uX_RzYqxFNnOisxTJ8H1qBaIdVInKisDctLqobZFLm5laxKBVZ6zE8o42Go3GCONbajQtOj3ZjnWeXtfvkuCWekvHnDXfMIDzsaT1e6nI3r6GPubDnWtg6uDl1Ce3hxJHSMfwrZvEABncpcjdN4tNDHXHWjz_WhcJOwo3kvlYQMV/s4032/IMG_2741.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK95dhes2lX32q_A1uX_RzYqxFNnOisxTJ8H1qBaIdVInKisDctLqobZFLm5laxKBVZ6zE8o42Go3GCONbajQtOj3ZjnWeXtfvkuCWekvHnDXfMIDzsaT1e6nI3r6GPubDnWtg6uDl1Ce3hxJHSMfwrZvEABncpcjdN4tNDHXHWjz_WhcJOwo3kvlYQMV/w480-h640/IMG_2741.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A half-timbered home dating from the Middle Ages, maybe 1200 or 1300. Just down the hill, we enjoyed an amazing lunch of galettes (crêpes in the Brittany style, made with buckwheat). Mine had honey and goat cheese in it. So fabulous! A very memorable meal.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6w23um0OcJROti9yT0OMXwxjfa_q1FI18LaUQR2f-i2egNtJldzSfLXmr90EwlQFBZdS0bX3oKjbjfhOSrH163ozwxPpnpDfkdlnmtJRLvnxvj5kyEC_9xYwwbjGd0_WVpuMjmGGmH2hPCBlSesud2QbT9-CEbP18IwON999G9_nKH0dkkTKU2Y8QXIa/s4032/IMG_2692.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6w23um0OcJROti9yT0OMXwxjfa_q1FI18LaUQR2f-i2egNtJldzSfLXmr90EwlQFBZdS0bX3oKjbjfhOSrH163ozwxPpnpDfkdlnmtJRLvnxvj5kyEC_9xYwwbjGd0_WVpuMjmGGmH2hPCBlSesud2QbT9-CEbP18IwON999G9_nKH0dkkTKU2Y8QXIa/w640-h480/IMG_2692.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The French gift for making beauty against old stonework.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdhhRZq4PqWjYhdCLEmmUQOd00Fbp2-Mh7PIU6EvZfZNUpLp4uI_3UD85-buUP3hSW6AXFM2k-vZn8X3bo5WkpLUHHzew5xnJULeFbe4NlL4NHemk69d2vRGWbFBRlMx8mPC8MgAf4VulJkdaLoyKL5fSgQ_AHDkazc3iPmz7taAIpWHEZ2d4plC1khgd/s4032/IMG_2706.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdhhRZq4PqWjYhdCLEmmUQOd00Fbp2-Mh7PIU6EvZfZNUpLp4uI_3UD85-buUP3hSW6AXFM2k-vZn8X3bo5WkpLUHHzew5xnJULeFbe4NlL4NHemk69d2vRGWbFBRlMx8mPC8MgAf4VulJkdaLoyKL5fSgQ_AHDkazc3iPmz7taAIpWHEZ2d4plC1khgd/w640-h480/IMG_2706.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When we got to the port, we saw that teams from Kiwanis clubs in the region were practicing rowing toward each other and then knocking the jousters (note: on a tilted platform) off each other's boats.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzXVlnzJnTVC2W2UO8pJDW4sICkabP_sqHo-KCcYP_ZOVRe3c2Qwps3gur_Ku4HJ1x6pHTh3Cxhzwc5VDo1gg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Even though these boats were rowed by men and women, they moved fast, and each jousting encounter was over quickly. There was only one opportunity, one thrust, to knock off your opposition.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSIZb_qPbcnKDpP8INuQLTnL4N8R0fknh6UF_ncxIDVB2s16eh9y4lslXIOoHBQn8HqnStlQ5fIcSsYAQIeBRSXWS-DaWZOZ17tikyM0_JS5iSXgzCpNwTW8T2qtPnjPGBDya4ZzNmpOyKIvYMinJExXiBBoTvZJEieF53Gp63aVoCmnT96nznQvggRya/s4032/IMG_2751.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSIZb_qPbcnKDpP8INuQLTnL4N8R0fknh6UF_ncxIDVB2s16eh9y4lslXIOoHBQn8HqnStlQ5fIcSsYAQIeBRSXWS-DaWZOZ17tikyM0_JS5iSXgzCpNwTW8T2qtPnjPGBDya4ZzNmpOyKIvYMinJExXiBBoTvZJEieF53Gp63aVoCmnT96nznQvggRya/w300-h400/IMG_2751.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The next day, Sunday, we went back to the port for the actual competition. The boats' teams were now dressed in costumes, like these characters from a famous French comic book series, The Adventures of Tintin. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRK19OpAO-L5lV0XR7ct-Yo-nAY5izM0qZjbovZEoYhvrSn6lzhdFiMOm2Eda0a9cIr9msp0T-UIWp68zKZqZH5KqrvRiYDumciq4XJbHKzF4oks56bSYPB2dgp86xgpy3BshDoCbyhRVNR-lhTONfSnab45E6lUo0MFj16RdfMpgGBt3wccZMOax2pFQU/s4032/IMG_2754.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRK19OpAO-L5lV0XR7ct-Yo-nAY5izM0qZjbovZEoYhvrSn6lzhdFiMOm2Eda0a9cIr9msp0T-UIWp68zKZqZH5KqrvRiYDumciq4XJbHKzF4oks56bSYPB2dgp86xgpy3BshDoCbyhRVNR-lhTONfSnab45E6lUo0MFj16RdfMpgGBt3wccZMOax2pFQU/w640-h480/IMG_2754.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's a sea captain, Captain Haddock from the Adventures of Tintin, with a fake pipe that glowed. There were Native American teams in loincloths, teams dressed as zebras and other zoo animals, etc. The Kiwanis teams used their imaginations.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr99IQYbwqgcROqP7R6vyH1tPCriUoDeZaLlMoz89MNgYyD5a3Jv_Kv_u6UyXhNKS0jYk7mYzkqVP0AVoUUM7ZBnPD9oO9Rr8Ynyf5jB-UvEtODsxn9YZkW1IRx97jTlzwpJIuOrqNSPljoJjnWAllKHcAi5gZVMeZ9kunoFPKeNhu07PtIe0KGNmZd4f/s4032/IMG_2760.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr99IQYbwqgcROqP7R6vyH1tPCriUoDeZaLlMoz89MNgYyD5a3Jv_Kv_u6UyXhNKS0jYk7mYzkqVP0AVoUUM7ZBnPD9oO9Rr8Ynyf5jB-UvEtODsxn9YZkW1IRx97jTlzwpJIuOrqNSPljoJjnWAllKHcAi5gZVMeZ9kunoFPKeNhu07PtIe0KGNmZd4f/w400-h300/IMG_2760.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This team is dressed as construction workers, plus the caller, standing at the bottom of the jouster's platform, dressed as a ....?.... traffic cone?</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTKspLWnFDpFt8kYL2zARTg-gpIyrf_Qxs-kh3d_CYwd2JnrD5XlmZt3qhjAulIKu5PRNQJrr0l-lb-aZc8gCh-yO-DYNkDjLzxqL5WIllS4zxrI2ztvu6iotw7vQ2_esyAoy0I4wDZOchfw2bWFtzIQ017cveMUhU5AT3NoMZ2kzjH8DAaBZNWJbfMu-/s4032/IMG_2772.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTKspLWnFDpFt8kYL2zARTg-gpIyrf_Qxs-kh3d_CYwd2JnrD5XlmZt3qhjAulIKu5PRNQJrr0l-lb-aZc8gCh-yO-DYNkDjLzxqL5WIllS4zxrI2ztvu6iotw7vQ2_esyAoy0I4wDZOchfw2bWFtzIQ017cveMUhU5AT3NoMZ2kzjH8DAaBZNWJbfMu-/w400-h300/IMG_2772.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bagpipe music (we are, after all, in Brittany, with strong Celtic roots) played at the start of each jousting session.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>5.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yaimtOabMUssHluKS4024f75R-kiUpNq_EZ0Hxu2TcrTcLipjU1eBkNRy9md7ZBQlnyacyWh8QsBe4whyphenhyphenSSSon34FZ1DTNl4c64_KgYID-jPF2zKTN-pav3iKosr9xr3HARDbcgaykcp0MOg7bQtsA5bxsQwAK4qMC0lf0QE5VbIl5m8GmXxLg29P7Pk/s4032/IMG_2778.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yaimtOabMUssHluKS4024f75R-kiUpNq_EZ0Hxu2TcrTcLipjU1eBkNRy9md7ZBQlnyacyWh8QsBe4whyphenhyphenSSSon34FZ1DTNl4c64_KgYID-jPF2zKTN-pav3iKosr9xr3HARDbcgaykcp0MOg7bQtsA5bxsQwAK4qMC0lf0QE5VbIl5m8GmXxLg29P7Pk/w640-h480/IMG_2778.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's a team with the King of England, his subjects -- and polo ponies.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwiJ128yShhLFhlv2BL1TCOe9uhv8V8BLTinJ5gERn3XXFV27qreU17-xwnDnURODXDGRs02fusHkxKvMOb9g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's a joust in full costume, with bagpipe soundtrack.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRynK0Qdqacp1OdCQG6Q_eukmhYPaVqON_Uc27FxfMiap3WuEjZ8-jB7VkU7P-3MgGgVS7o4srym7QjtF7T-4f8DaNsPGKcJguOp7ngjlSya-YU1AdN2RQiRcnSXuxnxZzygQGqVw328w4uAwk1nWZyMmvoAH3k-Lal0See_XaYkj4JBbcmKPt1Rze3Sm/s4032/IMG_2797.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRynK0Qdqacp1OdCQG6Q_eukmhYPaVqON_Uc27FxfMiap3WuEjZ8-jB7VkU7P-3MgGgVS7o4srym7QjtF7T-4f8DaNsPGKcJguOp7ngjlSya-YU1AdN2RQiRcnSXuxnxZzygQGqVw328w4uAwk1nWZyMmvoAH3k-Lal0See_XaYkj4JBbcmKPt1Rze3Sm/w640-h480/IMG_2797.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div> This guy was shoved into the water, which was the whole point of the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>How about you? Would you participate if your local Kiwanis or Rotary or Lions Club got up to such hijinks? Comment below!</div><div><br /></div><div>And sign up for my newsletter in the top right corner to automatically get the next installment: the picturesque center village of Dinan. Then more from Brittany. Thanks!</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-19403949964843177832024-01-07T12:41:00.000-08:002024-01-21T13:13:36.955-08:00Beauty in this World: Sunrise at Mont St. Michel, Normandy<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By Norma Hopcraft</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Welcome to my blog, The Traveling Writer. I have great stuff for you! For the latest, sign up for my newsletter, The Traveling Writer, in the upper right corner.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Today I'm featuring a time-lapse video of sunrise over the 1,000-year-old abbey on Mont St. Michel. It was made this summer by a young man I met on the mount who generously shared his video. I'll get his name if I can.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With so much difficult news in the world these days, please take a moment to witness some of the beauty, some of the good things that this world still offers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>For more beauty, adventure and creativity, sign up for my newsletter, <i>The Traveling Writer,</i> to the right.</b></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwYsfamW0HmL_tMMvToLoSmDLlP6qW7qkuhZfbI_AjTgsimdsk-TicS-ZnPHdwxEHVL3NGl-ZTBMHLa-7vh-Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-64006574761488558202023-10-08T08:16:00.004-07:002024-01-08T08:35:49.601-08:00Celebrating 1,000 Years on Mont St. Michel<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By Norma Hopcraft</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mont St. Michel celebrates 1,000 years this year. Which is strange because parts of it are far older than that. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have a brochure in my hand that says the history of the island is thought to date to 708 when a bishop had a sanctuary built on the mount in honor of the Archangel Michael. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It became a major pilgrimage site. In the 900s, the Benedictines settled on the Mont.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So don't ask me why France is celebrating 1,000 years this year. But they are, and the official celebrations began the day we left in July and continued into August. We escaped before a giant wave of tourists.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But why quibble about a few hundred years? The Mont is spectacular, rising from an absolutely flat tidal plain. It has areas of quicksand, which doesn't stop people from walking around on the tidal plain. It usually gets just a few feet of water at high tide.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent one night (got a fantastic price from Bookings.com) so we could have the island to ourselves early in the morning. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were there in early July, very soon after the solstice, and it was light out until 11:30 p.m. The seagulls of the island made a racket until nearly midnight and started up again with sunrise. They must be exhausted in summertime.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu2EzVyUkhOeoMZCn3s5uP6DJSOFLRteSWvPoydbeWBRj99L0fk7oRWEZbbjScuj4HEs89fJ4CoHQdMPD3rRDNlCyFt3nWYuVsbeEhURN3E1wYBNZsqAWvM9RMjbQy655AvLdrnn3UXW_WT3-4VuxP5734luDcRy9zYvu4vR1Z-jxajNpxAKY7hFY7QcT/s4032/IMG_2566.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu2EzVyUkhOeoMZCn3s5uP6DJSOFLRteSWvPoydbeWBRj99L0fk7oRWEZbbjScuj4HEs89fJ4CoHQdMPD3rRDNlCyFt3nWYuVsbeEhURN3E1wYBNZsqAWvM9RMjbQy655AvLdrnn3UXW_WT3-4VuxP5734luDcRy9zYvu4vR1Z-jxajNpxAKY7hFY7QcT/w300-h400/IMG_2566.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">During the Hundred Years War, the fortifications of Mont-Saint-Michel resisted all British assaults and therefore the Mount has become a national symbol of identify.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxjAnLV9LjLmzVaLKQFpwid8AOrjQ4Z2-J1nydU8xhAkc6i0zG7tTyCbZnMGd0uqQDUUaYfLwDG_ZI3TH13oojwdGETN04y5GK73vH-LP-TKHPXlMAgk4PWMK-qHgrJGmnJ4vvK5B0nccFUeWbc3GGnlDSLfyQldIgauAh-A9-AzMBu8Q-6ceKQxhcn9e/s4032/IMG_2571.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxjAnLV9LjLmzVaLKQFpwid8AOrjQ4Z2-J1nydU8xhAkc6i0zG7tTyCbZnMGd0uqQDUUaYfLwDG_ZI3TH13oojwdGETN04y5GK73vH-LP-TKHPXlMAgk4PWMK-qHgrJGmnJ4vvK5B0nccFUeWbc3GGnlDSLfyQldIgauAh-A9-AzMBu8Q-6ceKQxhcn9e/w300-h400/IMG_2571.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Only a handful of people live full-time on the Mont, which gets overrun with tourists--like me. One of the residents said the whole world is there and it's very isolating.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO_nvtJJRHSFwquDEpeFB6PrfpMuQsKqy555bBcCQvlpgd--JeJC4IQTMjJ64rtX5XdV8W9mGpZ536roNUtuUMytXs-AGBVysH8p5ipEGEQ5hvI9liK-k8CJBtBuSsPDBH-wQT8oT8moYsnwjSaAQ9Sm3uJTFk3e4zA-LmUPHT0O8ypJpoxrvBrBPouLY/s4032/IMG_2582.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO_nvtJJRHSFwquDEpeFB6PrfpMuQsKqy555bBcCQvlpgd--JeJC4IQTMjJ64rtX5XdV8W9mGpZ536roNUtuUMytXs-AGBVysH8p5ipEGEQ5hvI9liK-k8CJBtBuSsPDBH-wQT8oT8moYsnwjSaAQ9Sm3uJTFk3e4zA-LmUPHT0O8ypJpoxrvBrBPouLY/w300-h400/IMG_2582.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A view from the ramparts.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDNJP1zlNrBnKaE7w4bAdX2Ap3wujxk0bm-iNYRl6C7oNqQnGyshxTIi93ViUc4xhf-2t3dPjgtJ9t1-9XKGyiGWuA99M-Q2PL2ycoN_b7dZhsoAveJ7wyo3Fiz0fzjsdTjtWOj9sg9T7mFEv7l7ghFo7QDjQZPv2StU3wGjxW7RMTWYHN4CF81CK2h3r/s4032/IMG_2585.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDNJP1zlNrBnKaE7w4bAdX2Ap3wujxk0bm-iNYRl6C7oNqQnGyshxTIi93ViUc4xhf-2t3dPjgtJ9t1-9XKGyiGWuA99M-Q2PL2ycoN_b7dZhsoAveJ7wyo3Fiz0fzjsdTjtWOj9sg9T7mFEv7l7ghFo7QDjQZPv2StU3wGjxW7RMTWYHN4CF81CK2h3r/w300-h400/IMG_2585.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ancient stone walls and thriving plants.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6iLnoYWUT1jRwAvq1EEst9EZl_Bb1LGFxZ4POz9sN-TpWTEbCAoyh_EoIpUfWEaLa5rL5WyGPEuk28U0cCiIRdhC1M8iULqHb2YaJ4brpH5DIs5b7LZaqzkpYGyFj_VRRTDXT8hcMJerpAY2bmMxQGIYNcHsdrEJkvI4f00q4ts_dTA0-SFjCCXlbWU0/s4032/IMG_2591.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6iLnoYWUT1jRwAvq1EEst9EZl_Bb1LGFxZ4POz9sN-TpWTEbCAoyh_EoIpUfWEaLa5rL5WyGPEuk28U0cCiIRdhC1M8iULqHb2YaJ4brpH5DIs5b7LZaqzkpYGyFj_VRRTDXT8hcMJerpAY2bmMxQGIYNcHsdrEJkvI4f00q4ts_dTA0-SFjCCXlbWU0/w300-h400/IMG_2591.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A picturesque door, steps, and set of lions to guard it all.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2-crIkAUOC8zXYamnPjKMHXyn5BsO4SkaWao-MKrqpu9yTAcfCaqjpJ-3O6hg8EdtVTOVExoqJzWDgWgrxHKPFb7fOvviX1kzWj5jpxLLqeL2tobSIR-YcBxzQPew4Ryt4hNnR5Z0RoAZGAjDB3_AmYekQAlKmpEEtuxF5L-5zYFepcO6PtrgBU5ZsdB/s4032/IMG_2594.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2-crIkAUOC8zXYamnPjKMHXyn5BsO4SkaWao-MKrqpu9yTAcfCaqjpJ-3O6hg8EdtVTOVExoqJzWDgWgrxHKPFb7fOvviX1kzWj5jpxLLqeL2tobSIR-YcBxzQPew4Ryt4hNnR5Z0RoAZGAjDB3_AmYekQAlKmpEEtuxF5L-5zYFepcO6PtrgBU5ZsdB/w300-h400/IMG_2594.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A shot taken from near the steps to the Abbey.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj54Y6KFpOCW33MmnM40uLeKRsfxDqUY1G1ZwQt9Ec6JzeLR2mj2YyqNKgZeOh4AwecMhxfz_Pq8DQ2QolhtO1fEFAmQm9w6G9ny4SsBC65p_-irJaxKlU3n5kwcgGisQPCpA5O09a37ettROivn3t6W3OT0DxDopvQI5Ownz78tqnO6iy6gxH3u0Nz6Qs9/s4032/IMG_2602.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj54Y6KFpOCW33MmnM40uLeKRsfxDqUY1G1ZwQt9Ec6JzeLR2mj2YyqNKgZeOh4AwecMhxfz_Pq8DQ2QolhtO1fEFAmQm9w6G9ny4SsBC65p_-irJaxKlU3n5kwcgGisQPCpA5O09a37ettROivn3t6W3OT0DxDopvQI5Ownz78tqnO6iy6gxH3u0Nz6Qs9/s320/IMG_2602.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This fellow landed next to me on the North Tower.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5eGf3pH7v5Ojx63ZKnhir6QuOBoCXqOT6sfgbWTxutoy015jz9xlF6P7k2t3B-ioSS3x1cnwVONAJ8zlWtQQGA0b-cfDwHkJxInd96F1bgoqB2rTDeDkYKovgNd6AOEISlYlnOITd--4WPNruU_Y3HdhRN7BLaE2vys8YGznj7ky2eHy2xxbpNo2yyQP/s4032/IMG_2613.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5eGf3pH7v5Ojx63ZKnhir6QuOBoCXqOT6sfgbWTxutoy015jz9xlF6P7k2t3B-ioSS3x1cnwVONAJ8zlWtQQGA0b-cfDwHkJxInd96F1bgoqB2rTDeDkYKovgNd6AOEISlYlnOITd--4WPNruU_Y3HdhRN7BLaE2vys8YGznj7ky2eHy2xxbpNo2yyQP/w300-h400/IMG_2613.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Incredibly old, hundreds and hundreds of years, and so beautiful.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtmNkIsxBDCT7K1xQ7aakcLYbqPJ1EzxmaptEns6I5oPAtiYTtQZZnhOjNwLNKXR8QrROeG9FfavoZIEO93eI6i5E4Sb3xoCaHT-Tx9UXJGdZgn8spz1aMCzZ5C5HL_8jVbR-QMm2BtUPe0RFVGs3bq0cDgoepr3HDaUUWd3a0hIkoPYBFd35A2I_OPLz/s4032/IMG_2615.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtmNkIsxBDCT7K1xQ7aakcLYbqPJ1EzxmaptEns6I5oPAtiYTtQZZnhOjNwLNKXR8QrROeG9FfavoZIEO93eI6i5E4Sb3xoCaHT-Tx9UXJGdZgn8spz1aMCzZ5C5HL_8jVbR-QMm2BtUPe0RFVGs3bq0cDgoepr3HDaUUWd3a0hIkoPYBFd35A2I_OPLz/w300-h400/IMG_2615.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The view out my hotel window. This is a residence -- I watched the owners go out for dinner.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjjV4XH9epj9V9KvWw-xh7wnxVq3Sy38_7tYKAqExdsIc24E5VwUOs7POMxkPp5rEC1bd4E9NcSxqRf2GNid-0cyZ-Z6fbHo-8jvtzKX1VV5o-ojpSD3GKR4c1uVGSCWLrd6cTDO8jj5mEU7Y3Y9e5Q1XvlmCefiv9dNzcbmKmo1Mseh-mr8fZRZ3hdnl/s4032/IMG_2617.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjjV4XH9epj9V9KvWw-xh7wnxVq3Sy38_7tYKAqExdsIc24E5VwUOs7POMxkPp5rEC1bd4E9NcSxqRf2GNid-0cyZ-Z6fbHo-8jvtzKX1VV5o-ojpSD3GKR4c1uVGSCWLrd6cTDO8jj5mEU7Y3Y9e5Q1XvlmCefiv9dNzcbmKmo1Mseh-mr8fZRZ3hdnl/w300-h400/IMG_2617.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Abbey high above the houses and businesses.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtr963i6fArVp2mr9c_-vjDOOgJnuBYmtrKYTlNmSKfyRpTw-g__l8A4r_5mPSYAOMvyTnlsglRAel2cfdys1fPcIHVIIOP58nNi1eillr8Ft2jR7_2M9jAsrANIsi0CvYkY5cCB5RnSEX4nannXlf-qGD1nmPu16HG_syGAwijM4gC3mdNpnixfSC8ra/s4032/IMG_2623.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtr963i6fArVp2mr9c_-vjDOOgJnuBYmtrKYTlNmSKfyRpTw-g__l8A4r_5mPSYAOMvyTnlsglRAel2cfdys1fPcIHVIIOP58nNi1eillr8Ft2jR7_2M9jAsrANIsi0CvYkY5cCB5RnSEX4nannXlf-qGD1nmPu16HG_syGAwijM4gC3mdNpnixfSC8ra/w300-h400/IMG_2623.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A perfect window.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TRmuExPKGgwJrexixet6HKCZxhGzLamMxkXwTYTDr_kB3zrKQkPUmHHjuDxK744mQtDarUTAP1t7cZVqEGNMgwMh201Op4qUXn7xZkT1bHMRugnIFsfPt35ud68FBukErwk6rTmUg_1yd7JW0Y3pQ5p_YnUQ6bxTlOrJqJXecsimEKVwrwsFEYOgRkHX/s4032/IMG_2627.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TRmuExPKGgwJrexixet6HKCZxhGzLamMxkXwTYTDr_kB3zrKQkPUmHHjuDxK744mQtDarUTAP1t7cZVqEGNMgwMh201Op4qUXn7xZkT1bHMRugnIFsfPt35ud68FBukErwk6rTmUg_1yd7JW0Y3pQ5p_YnUQ6bxTlOrJqJXecsimEKVwrwsFEYOgRkHX/w300-h400/IMG_2627.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I got up early in the morning, before the buses with tourists arrived, and explored. Up one path or staircase, and down another. It was sublime.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8piKsNA9VXyGM684v3I4NZl-ASvCuO2oETD6IZ2r0iLq49Gc71tQ4LGxP41Nvsm-7s012ekvuTYt8tCU_mfw-4s4_zg5eggXK-MIz_DF2M78lcfDTEHkXTpo3ozdEcetG0nSEZ_j-sUROSX1uVJcl30Lau_shRFXkIHNntI0llZf7GVKuCqi27MJQ40VL/s4032/IMG_2630.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8piKsNA9VXyGM684v3I4NZl-ASvCuO2oETD6IZ2r0iLq49Gc71tQ4LGxP41Nvsm-7s012ekvuTYt8tCU_mfw-4s4_zg5eggXK-MIz_DF2M78lcfDTEHkXTpo3ozdEcetG0nSEZ_j-sUROSX1uVJcl30Lau_shRFXkIHNntI0llZf7GVKuCqi27MJQ40VL/w300-h400/IMG_2630.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Mont's namesake, the Archangel Michael.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxB3Vwfmb59In29Du7Dm9TjJqFa6cCjUNDaHtkYjY9-XYNqBSvLSbilW_-GBDDbRI9UTCsXXMVWzBIJJV70DS8G83gOt_LVA3WaA1UyRVnEuj3GI-NEFCM13HH00_cVkF-hSm7ArsDrqe4RaxZVATS9P6IABZoAuLyus_aGTseSigdTykHelhS6aL1vQF0/s4032/IMG_2637.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxB3Vwfmb59In29Du7Dm9TjJqFa6cCjUNDaHtkYjY9-XYNqBSvLSbilW_-GBDDbRI9UTCsXXMVWzBIJJV70DS8G83gOt_LVA3WaA1UyRVnEuj3GI-NEFCM13HH00_cVkF-hSm7ArsDrqe4RaxZVATS9P6IABZoAuLyus_aGTseSigdTykHelhS6aL1vQF0/w300-h400/IMG_2637.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Knights in shining armor are another popular theme here.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgar3t6ZvSyf_qEDncrqdPlbkfpLYYhC6DKUqXDaDs2hMSY184Yx8y1YF7Z2dIrkiPXXws0zQO6us_X840MTSoqDpZOD5MfEmGy_MsAOe5si7eraddqt83vMc9MWkammAdWKhh3Wokm2y9kcgTNZtLhxYQOmv-Wq2a2mQbYYzW-ym3_hwWwwALyyPrMQDrr/s4032/IMG_2642.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgar3t6ZvSyf_qEDncrqdPlbkfpLYYhC6DKUqXDaDs2hMSY184Yx8y1YF7Z2dIrkiPXXws0zQO6us_X840MTSoqDpZOD5MfEmGy_MsAOe5si7eraddqt83vMc9MWkammAdWKhh3Wokm2y9kcgTNZtLhxYQOmv-Wq2a2mQbYYzW-ym3_hwWwwALyyPrMQDrr/w400-h300/IMG_2642.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A view of the bay at sunrise, above the North Tower.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlxXLd2qu1hoFMgNXNAfvWhEBnFGTganQgvJmyeL94z4d-gDMPW6SFYv7QbBKTJdnE077MSoNzsN-oG3qXj_Z9sdhI0ObZ_Lqc-GePJOErFaLjBwQ6FhJgQaGV95Qr15peDG4LZVJwJBbhGg98reKk7GzUdDyrsOz2CXBd4_9NkBU5qZQZaCNxGucBMON/s4032/IMG_2650.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlxXLd2qu1hoFMgNXNAfvWhEBnFGTganQgvJmyeL94z4d-gDMPW6SFYv7QbBKTJdnE077MSoNzsN-oG3qXj_Z9sdhI0ObZ_Lqc-GePJOErFaLjBwQ6FhJgQaGV95Qr15peDG4LZVJwJBbhGg98reKk7GzUdDyrsOz2CXBd4_9NkBU5qZQZaCNxGucBMON/w300-h400/IMG_2650.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The wash of colors in sky and sea was stunning all day long.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2s8C6CFWtlKEkgnuWD19VRZqpvgT26YJV1jPeytV08aZ4RkRFSUbdc7SFuAFF4rFfD2PvNig_U8nAAmVcwUVrfesGgsAI_L2QiXMX-kR2nRqqt56yL0KXWa9o__Z7Vp1mcAwnw06U4Lkd6DVMhiq2ANHP10RR5D9s0Mn8wC-j53HTYpvib9YnKs930MLR/s4032/IMG_2652.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2s8C6CFWtlKEkgnuWD19VRZqpvgT26YJV1jPeytV08aZ4RkRFSUbdc7SFuAFF4rFfD2PvNig_U8nAAmVcwUVrfesGgsAI_L2QiXMX-kR2nRqqt56yL0KXWa9o__Z7Vp1mcAwnw06U4Lkd6DVMhiq2ANHP10RR5D9s0Mn8wC-j53HTYpvib9YnKs930MLR/w300-h400/IMG_2652.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The agapanthus were stunning in Normandy and Brittany.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ72nfkaNO8o6HJNhm_9hbIEyYK6czMxuldXssuebhEA3dCugBij651JaRoWaxyMPMB7VY0qB32WDp1AHd7tpG6kTDcGqBbIx_HteZA70ZhsD5RFqoCKECZ0zq_sfraUliA58i86Y3mKnL-teyoVkY1QuhtjJQMizWDYvQWZ5QcBurFAq6vhdtup4uVxnW/s4032/IMG_2656.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ72nfkaNO8o6HJNhm_9hbIEyYK6czMxuldXssuebhEA3dCugBij651JaRoWaxyMPMB7VY0qB32WDp1AHd7tpG6kTDcGqBbIx_HteZA70ZhsD5RFqoCKECZ0zq_sfraUliA58i86Y3mKnL-teyoVkY1QuhtjJQMizWDYvQWZ5QcBurFAq6vhdtup4uVxnW/w300-h400/IMG_2656.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another unexpected visitor.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYp85uoMXT3Sg-bFVRFbYDGjEcJf_txR7O9Lj9acLg9aTcpKh7PzMXpdcjO60g8Q64i8NeQE69Gs4rbMdclTLHnxN-wGI2u6T-eQXa_60XhDbyiTagE2-PifcIWw1RsVbhWwshBr5mt5O-iqA90HOyKMjjO60QN3LVgNTLiBKwgFxA3z4IlJL3qNHXzGn/s4032/IMG_2657.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYp85uoMXT3Sg-bFVRFbYDGjEcJf_txR7O9Lj9acLg9aTcpKh7PzMXpdcjO60g8Q64i8NeQE69Gs4rbMdclTLHnxN-wGI2u6T-eQXa_60XhDbyiTagE2-PifcIWw1RsVbhWwshBr5mt5O-iqA90HOyKMjjO60QN3LVgNTLiBKwgFxA3z4IlJL3qNHXzGn/w300-h400/IMG_2657.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Abbey at the top of Mt. St. Michel. The straight line you see descending on the left is the track where supplies were once lifted into the abbey.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3dPyLEbt2RxkCagAwjA9YmYhYSMx0vcatA1UWhC2J-7niWjgnN_vzZoMxGRfQ8psybxeKkjSqTpisaIxti8A6MboEbg7mwA9BEh8dP18SBOQzNw4y8lzC3GJVRy2cND0Geoz7JtWYchd1wkfds4mWtcy2pVquCY5sJvw4F-PjV-QgqEORiReJJL9m5Gd/s4032/IMG_2660.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3dPyLEbt2RxkCagAwjA9YmYhYSMx0vcatA1UWhC2J-7niWjgnN_vzZoMxGRfQ8psybxeKkjSqTpisaIxti8A6MboEbg7mwA9BEh8dP18SBOQzNw4y8lzC3GJVRy2cND0Geoz7JtWYchd1wkfds4mWtcy2pVquCY5sJvw4F-PjV-QgqEORiReJJL9m5Gd/w300-h400/IMG_2660.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just something picturesque.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMcl5pTmE2K5DP7vxh8jrHGMeSxVz2WEWV9ppa4AZEyvlqt8ydecpGRgWmNQXKPjg0azoujvQFew-t2oRHHY-2XgaH2InEZGSY8Y1csQXrFlhtKgMjFURWtRyUR0NTgLIxQAy5f8wWMm56eZoLmhUvcwAsdvEhTVhqkDQyPDur5f1AX_PXCP-krvy_QVF/s4032/IMG_2672.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMcl5pTmE2K5DP7vxh8jrHGMeSxVz2WEWV9ppa4AZEyvlqt8ydecpGRgWmNQXKPjg0azoujvQFew-t2oRHHY-2XgaH2InEZGSY8Y1csQXrFlhtKgMjFURWtRyUR0NTgLIxQAy5f8wWMm56eZoLmhUvcwAsdvEhTVhqkDQyPDur5f1AX_PXCP-krvy_QVF/w400-h300/IMG_2672.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The cloister in the Abbey, which is still inhabited today with Benedictine nuns and monks. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYLSpzgCAPsiACFTFjFWZPGHC_va600f45NxujyQgf8t8BgZRSHLFWI1Fdukjbb-PAQBQx03pFyYwoJzVj8LMhbiakz72nJIjvg0DyvlcnLrWalLfvdNK24Q4Lu4aMKKZF1GZd-dfWk8Z9ghCBRzLsqgydVOjyPopCt6s0mWbAcWN_gTzNEg4MlnVllWY/s4032/IMG_2675.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYLSpzgCAPsiACFTFjFWZPGHC_va600f45NxujyQgf8t8BgZRSHLFWI1Fdukjbb-PAQBQx03pFyYwoJzVj8LMhbiakz72nJIjvg0DyvlcnLrWalLfvdNK24Q4Lu4aMKKZF1GZd-dfWk8Z9ghCBRzLsqgydVOjyPopCt6s0mWbAcWN_gTzNEg4MlnVllWY/w300-h400/IMG_2675.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the Abbey's doors.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadUGwtNEsKankcy2hpSaeqWNQGxr8tCXCIZNDlRnohRmqABNxwXSnCp-SLibwuCwFk-IA8cs6oLnAjpc03N65_SmtMaKnp0bYdAS1aO6N8dvivx14Em5iki4wWh3iA4kp2sRSJJs8_aAs6nO2qLMcwFIdkvHT3KpDXyUQtZTc4L_wDB1LrlQp6mlhIiDU/s4032/IMG_2678.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadUGwtNEsKankcy2hpSaeqWNQGxr8tCXCIZNDlRnohRmqABNxwXSnCp-SLibwuCwFk-IA8cs6oLnAjpc03N65_SmtMaKnp0bYdAS1aO6N8dvivx14Em5iki4wWh3iA4kp2sRSJJs8_aAs6nO2qLMcwFIdkvHT3KpDXyUQtZTc4L_wDB1LrlQp6mlhIiDU/w300-h400/IMG_2678.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">During the French Revolution, 5 prisoners walked inside this wheel to bring supplies up the track into the Abbey, which was used as a prison.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From Mt. St. Michel we proceeded to Dinan. What a hoot that was! Wait 'til you see! Comment below, if you please, to boost me in the search engine. Thank you!</div><br /> <p></p>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-30707692561134034362023-08-20T03:10:00.001-07:002023-08-20T03:13:49.484-07:00Bayeux Is a Special Place in Normandy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By Norma Hopcraft</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bayeux in Normandy is a neat town. It's the home of the famous Bayeux tapestry, a 210-foot-long linen scroll. It's embroidered with scenes from the 1066 Norman invasion of England. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">You can see pictures of it </span><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=image+bayeux+tapestry&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS852US852&oq=image+bayeux+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i19i512j0i19i22i30l2.7693j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#vhid=Sal0SkwsUR0h0M&vssid=l" style="font-family: arial;">here</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As a person who has done a lot of needlework in her life, I recognize a work of art and a testament to women's craft.<span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> I attribute it to women's artistic achievement because historians think women made it--evidence indicates that only women in medieval England embroidered,</span><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> according to <i>BBC History Magazine</i>. More info <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/period/norman/unravelling-the-bayeux-tapestry-historyextra-podcast-series/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bayeux is also the home of the <span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">cathedral of Notre-Dame of Bayeux, consecrated on 14 July 1077 </span><span style="background-color: white;">in the presence of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England, and his wife Matilda</span><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">. </span><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">All that survives from the construction of this period is the crypt, the towers at the western end and the first level of the nave.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">It's lovely. It's one of the few cathedrals I will trouble you with. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTdAEhcCZMsc1IIJ72EjyLGqhnekvGwxZACrFuf_JuPvkcAhe7sJ2O6DcjSPDxRJhVlbFEGCKudLXCdwtkl1qWZFXNvTRgOcKXRGC6cWJeRwxccS-_knlgItgqi5_nO9XS2iLjNo0fIti-GV8JsC__c8idOeUUm2HvG1uel9hi9nTX4QRa528a5hauMnF/s4032/IMG_2490.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTdAEhcCZMsc1IIJ72EjyLGqhnekvGwxZACrFuf_JuPvkcAhe7sJ2O6DcjSPDxRJhVlbFEGCKudLXCdwtkl1qWZFXNvTRgOcKXRGC6cWJeRwxccS-_knlgItgqi5_nO9XS2iLjNo0fIti-GV8JsC__c8idOeUUm2HvG1uel9hi9nTX4QRa528a5hauMnF/w300-h400/IMG_2490.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xxzZNF87-5bnosv7RXo7_9T9VqyAwb-u8AkRb0daVLETF-A94AnNt9y5vRg9mZdPceR_qF17qvAbgPQ4VOMKhB8Wb1jwbdwquRATZz_lc4PaFFvMZHz544rZ_B9Jy3ombeQ1GuO7Jmy7Dc43efQKxSy85RRcF5eMOGsAnRkD4fCiQMkwOVJ7NAGqdlBh/s4032/IMG_2494.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xxzZNF87-5bnosv7RXo7_9T9VqyAwb-u8AkRb0daVLETF-A94AnNt9y5vRg9mZdPceR_qF17qvAbgPQ4VOMKhB8Wb1jwbdwquRATZz_lc4PaFFvMZHz544rZ_B9Jy3ombeQ1GuO7Jmy7Dc43efQKxSy85RRcF5eMOGsAnRkD4fCiQMkwOVJ7NAGqdlBh/s320/IMG_2494.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LXvOfIuaTwSnJhTVZJXW_FxMGmPT-x8Tn_g-Lg9CQarOizCqPdhPuMqQSsXmys6Ji_G3ADn26KbvijbL38AjaytRix5ye5e1CgwKnNQAI5T9Spm0bVsay1h9BL9pmv-Gq6zc4-hXW8oN5RXsuOUz79WhDt9MnVMO6q7Xq0qbURH_e6O3LMShZ8o0fVhI/s4032/IMG_2495.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LXvOfIuaTwSnJhTVZJXW_FxMGmPT-x8Tn_g-Lg9CQarOizCqPdhPuMqQSsXmys6Ji_G3ADn26KbvijbL38AjaytRix5ye5e1CgwKnNQAI5T9Spm0bVsay1h9BL9pmv-Gq6zc4-hXW8oN5RXsuOUz79WhDt9MnVMO6q7Xq0qbURH_e6O3LMShZ8o0fVhI/w300-h400/IMG_2495.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWXM1fwGOb9rEwqBe2FsmOEZX6vbr-CMgKxPnfsxqSMDbFPU4CIB0FQfK0leA9LtTJBYjTG51kZ5sXBqQhG4xLBLT8g3DnSnwtxaAaBtl-Mv3tFAQMGGwfyq8nrXIhVzdW6zmZu_7ULn6ck6OWUXobqbowG37eucB9XKhgnTZkA824999OowW-TCZ86fS/s4032/IMG_2496.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWXM1fwGOb9rEwqBe2FsmOEZX6vbr-CMgKxPnfsxqSMDbFPU4CIB0FQfK0leA9LtTJBYjTG51kZ5sXBqQhG4xLBLT8g3DnSnwtxaAaBtl-Mv3tFAQMGGwfyq8nrXIhVzdW6zmZu_7ULn6ck6OWUXobqbowG37eucB9XKhgnTZkA824999OowW-TCZ86fS/w300-h400/IMG_2496.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9-EVJLNI059asQ6GjVpSH51iiwxnihSS2CIQxqL4FUTFwiHWkDv3pwcbHgGBeHXA6Yh_64y--XFy_ZhuOUtenLmJyLbgsXayJBhONd6UDBwvWpr-qb2u_ZDxDpJ-BoLeDN9KUy_BcKKFp6D0_hyNViXRIP1Jnx1F8YB0z8BD6OqD8jGjGm3TlkjTsnzx/s4032/IMG_2499.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9-EVJLNI059asQ6GjVpSH51iiwxnihSS2CIQxqL4FUTFwiHWkDv3pwcbHgGBeHXA6Yh_64y--XFy_ZhuOUtenLmJyLbgsXayJBhONd6UDBwvWpr-qb2u_ZDxDpJ-BoLeDN9KUy_BcKKFp6D0_hyNViXRIP1Jnx1F8YB0z8BD6OqD8jGjGm3TlkjTsnzx/w300-h400/IMG_2499.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyJDam9ATTzVVMXrwUj9C3C99gFeeA5SdBXqhHBAl81XpAOLBEbV5rF9N9LFUfnMaZfwcpoNy5ZzbOAzex83XNZFUdX7d3FbV3wZZz76IHvEm6SAfZyYuHvYYBLr_zpoXUUw9zE4byxVp-M2jCa8BBldAnzkrvQR9GLz2-99FB6qcCZ4fNbUnPlgsH7p8/s4032/IMG_2503.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyJDam9ATTzVVMXrwUj9C3C99gFeeA5SdBXqhHBAl81XpAOLBEbV5rF9N9LFUfnMaZfwcpoNy5ZzbOAzex83XNZFUdX7d3FbV3wZZz76IHvEm6SAfZyYuHvYYBLr_zpoXUUw9zE4byxVp-M2jCa8BBldAnzkrvQR9GLz2-99FB6qcCZ4fNbUnPlgsH7p8/w300-h400/IMG_2503.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>The town of Bayeux itself is picturesque. It has a river running through it. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuITmdukQP6amqrQY0dhOaAg87oPFQG0aPXbhk9kiozAjCM2_kAG89YrFF44ZzkwPMbuD5Sv2QQl-FmM2GFh5EFKetKhU9ZTx-vMs3CiVtbmLpPJk69honNHOwDaEDO53zcvzUz1gbRG0E0DBb-LFPxkB0Zvm42ruMZ2a8zqd6F-K4pPXK9_Ba-MRNHDO/s4032/IMG_2547.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuITmdukQP6amqrQY0dhOaAg87oPFQG0aPXbhk9kiozAjCM2_kAG89YrFF44ZzkwPMbuD5Sv2QQl-FmM2GFh5EFKetKhU9ZTx-vMs3CiVtbmLpPJk69honNHOwDaEDO53zcvzUz1gbRG0E0DBb-LFPxkB0Zvm42ruMZ2a8zqd6F-K4pPXK9_Ba-MRNHDO/w400-h300/IMG_2547.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCphgfJElNypWOT1E6aEWg67hwx6ottPxoFfNtMwqnF0rw5xe0Cj4au4MrqfEQ2D8R-9n86wrDv2q8ZAt6FkvTK99V2Kpl6qFqfi5_vZ0K2syzE7KkntI676w8S1ALYWF3yIv3RylpWybkiSRj-swe7CWjq-GD6K2zh0HYXtyDITXuM8zZDI-Rxh5_7Spt/s4032/IMG_2493.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCphgfJElNypWOT1E6aEWg67hwx6ottPxoFfNtMwqnF0rw5xe0Cj4au4MrqfEQ2D8R-9n86wrDv2q8ZAt6FkvTK99V2Kpl6qFqfi5_vZ0K2syzE7KkntI676w8S1ALYWF3yIv3RylpWybkiSRj-swe7CWjq-GD6K2zh0HYXtyDITXuM8zZDI-Rxh5_7Spt/w300-h400/IMG_2493.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmx-xUwbNhgSuCNKQRRhrbi1fC76n_KJ2gRe9vR-HkcEEaeTXqeAJb3LWUpZYm6_0O1_-iVSgVLI88wr_GzrEwt59anOKN62DVX4g23THvBMa9Xj4JslLQQ9_DeiBbm13snYrDi0bueQG6i5l1dXtamh5c8vyFhQqVq9yj2TdMUUZuVpGnjHdvKxg07xO/s4032/IMG_2548.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmx-xUwbNhgSuCNKQRRhrbi1fC76n_KJ2gRe9vR-HkcEEaeTXqeAJb3LWUpZYm6_0O1_-iVSgVLI88wr_GzrEwt59anOKN62DVX4g23THvBMa9Xj4JslLQQ9_DeiBbm13snYrDi0bueQG6i5l1dXtamh5c8vyFhQqVq9yj2TdMUUZuVpGnjHdvKxg07xO/w300-h400/IMG_2548.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; text-align: left;">The houses along the river have water doors leading to their gardens.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm_UH4CuYuupNKSzy26uaSMZ-ZUuH_dP6B3-9vgD_TG2z86El2qqc7sWgmyYZA9lQWF4xrpB02lDM-dpN83KIYfcX0-VQfFSnW_JTLPmXU3t8WthGb-Y_BWtAMW4REYyb8TtsQqVTNTlEiWpm2e6Mxmt3bFaPBba9Tu_6fr9CzCBKZtTj3zc9R_Bn9sG8/s4032/IMG_2549.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm_UH4CuYuupNKSzy26uaSMZ-ZUuH_dP6B3-9vgD_TG2z86El2qqc7sWgmyYZA9lQWF4xrpB02lDM-dpN83KIYfcX0-VQfFSnW_JTLPmXU3t8WthGb-Y_BWtAMW4REYyb8TtsQqVTNTlEiWpm2e6Mxmt3bFaPBba9Tu_6fr9CzCBKZtTj3zc9R_Bn9sG8/w300-h400/IMG_2549.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdBGMAvjlD-JzMzUBhn0IZCANkfR2jUmFz3bqzK6BiGjmwbCzHRV3SwxHIa7ON0QB4kdywWmlXQ89fx-QHO-Em6S31Dt2ChBNx6i14bf0da4WZWmIOLz6BTlgBgrINiUAYPoQuRot-ErfnoHx0c2hVyEw7prRC5T9neNKIHhxRSRBYNpjU9QE-Ymi8yyU/s4032/IMG_2555.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdBGMAvjlD-JzMzUBhn0IZCANkfR2jUmFz3bqzK6BiGjmwbCzHRV3SwxHIa7ON0QB4kdywWmlXQ89fx-QHO-Em6S31Dt2ChBNx6i14bf0da4WZWmIOLz6BTlgBgrINiUAYPoQuRot-ErfnoHx0c2hVyEw7prRC5T9neNKIHhxRSRBYNpjU9QE-Ymi8yyU/w300-h400/IMG_2555.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Isn't this the perfect window?</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYzk_OzhN3e5WyUhufBzKg3BPnI7RhEf52VAkfdCBhpRsg4Err-ES3bhwDCOjApTC5md4ZyxT-YxiaqAxnJ8epQoTcpzTz85l22G-XsqR4SYbLXdSkotSYBzT_4IPwdci2A7NOrrx-awQ4AxLxlAK3H3RH2ZcvIFdT3lVlIf1jmlEdHL4R7uBMrelqIZJ/s3024/IMG_2561.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYzk_OzhN3e5WyUhufBzKg3BPnI7RhEf52VAkfdCBhpRsg4Err-ES3bhwDCOjApTC5md4ZyxT-YxiaqAxnJ8epQoTcpzTz85l22G-XsqR4SYbLXdSkotSYBzT_4IPwdci2A7NOrrx-awQ4AxLxlAK3H3RH2ZcvIFdT3lVlIf1jmlEdHL4R7uBMrelqIZJ/s320/IMG_2561.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The roofline of Bayeux. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It's worth a visit, especially coupled with a side trip to the nearby Normandy invasion museums and sites. My experience in these historic places is <a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2023/08/respect-and-gratitude-at-normandy.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div><br /> <p></p></div>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-44910467768517426332023-08-05T06:35:00.001-07:002023-08-05T06:35:51.610-07:00Respect and Gratitude at the Normandy Beaches<h3 style="text-align: left;"> by Norma Hopcraft</h3><div><br /></div><div>While we stayed in Bayeux (see previous post for photos of the hostel / convent we stayed in), we visited the Normandy beaches.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've wanted all my life to see this place where freedom vs. slavery of the world was contested. I've always wanted to pay my respects at the American cemetery. So many young men died on D-Day. There are 12,000 Americans buried in the American cemetery, and there are British and Canadian and Aussie and New Zealander graves in other burial grounds in Normandy. There's a huge German cemetery too.</div><div><br /></div><div>So many stories of heroic leadership were written that day.</div><div><br /></div><div>And so many young men died.</div><div><br /></div><div>The day we visited was a somber day though the sun was shining relentlessly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDhm0BV-mNrbfVvDnYEiB3eFRr_I_NazzRCvaGkMxdBiqhG3uF1yxgXdaxdHoUYJnn6PC9hWmBD6IdXdY05Rb54bLSaCR1g0cOH9cpg0YP31X0cI9hRn_igEuxX2BwE_hjrKToyPhRFcZHN22L1Dxz-7jZJ0e_Zv1kyGZfnnSCnZjwNKusOM8AtxHvpHj/s4032/IMG_2505.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDhm0BV-mNrbfVvDnYEiB3eFRr_I_NazzRCvaGkMxdBiqhG3uF1yxgXdaxdHoUYJnn6PC9hWmBD6IdXdY05Rb54bLSaCR1g0cOH9cpg0YP31X0cI9hRn_igEuxX2BwE_hjrKToyPhRFcZHN22L1Dxz-7jZJ0e_Zv1kyGZfnnSCnZjwNKusOM8AtxHvpHj/w400-h300/IMG_2505.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">This is Pointe du Hoc, <span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: left;">a 100-foot cliff and the highest point between Omaha and Utah Beaches. During World War II it was fortified by the Germans and believed to be impossible to breach. There are a number of German bunkers still embedded in the hillside. There are also huge craters where American bombs fell. The craters are now full of wildflowers.</span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBN-lhEKBLw_af7ufBhmIJJlrJJz9yH2XCfFiRbLXSgV0d25qysEI5Yg63MjaFMMRYP47UwuFANmixqscrA43I1FFTtuE8DprhtnV1tzh3qYaKudgOVa0mX8GLoIWnQUtwzCwCdrdMExw7UDE4NDbrJzzlCDukw56oDaDa0SHDKDDK4F4Hf4R3K5S-Vjw6/s4032/IMG_2506.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBN-lhEKBLw_af7ufBhmIJJlrJJz9yH2XCfFiRbLXSgV0d25qysEI5Yg63MjaFMMRYP47UwuFANmixqscrA43I1FFTtuE8DprhtnV1tzh3qYaKudgOVa0mX8GLoIWnQUtwzCwCdrdMExw7UDE4NDbrJzzlCDukw56oDaDa0SHDKDDK4F4Hf4R3K5S-Vjw6/s320/IMG_2506.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />The Pointe was full of people, all respectfully quiet and serious. Many young people were there with tour guides telling them about D-Day, and about all that was at stake that day. It was gratifying to see their serious interest in history. May we never have to repeat a day like that one.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KF2wlnfcklniKMsNa3EgiDbPNyaKWXJlubY3JoFq9tp0IJTOeO4VrIpGL3uJP9fBOcVAO201J7GUeBd-rR9hZVNple7YDk3oEadFFBpOAb-onGJ1cpaigqGZlnwkl11UwOjfJqLMYjF59bgLsVj8LrhyGRh7kZccmIDII92bCOutJgIuG9biDLt-h0pe/s4032/IMG_2508.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KF2wlnfcklniKMsNa3EgiDbPNyaKWXJlubY3JoFq9tp0IJTOeO4VrIpGL3uJP9fBOcVAO201J7GUeBd-rR9hZVNple7YDk3oEadFFBpOAb-onGJ1cpaigqGZlnwkl11UwOjfJqLMYjF59bgLsVj8LrhyGRh7kZccmIDII92bCOutJgIuG9biDLt-h0pe/w300-h400/IMG_2508.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />The barbed wire has been there more than 80 years.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbFcDo7V7tyxICSEoJvx6NNS1CIgchy1VFAuh9AQYAnZZ_lOh9nhRxGEJcZIgWqHBCoygJ-X7iPx1mDtNv-7L-Hcl2esaLoiaHU4YDcuURtvF1cW8dz6iJGAEIgX3x31sN-FEhf92ww8b7cDsBu26YTsbvUWdRn4GSyUYIgiFeKyMlXvCKSGkGzPwmybv/s4032/IMG_2510.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbFcDo7V7tyxICSEoJvx6NNS1CIgchy1VFAuh9AQYAnZZ_lOh9nhRxGEJcZIgWqHBCoygJ-X7iPx1mDtNv-7L-Hcl2esaLoiaHU4YDcuURtvF1cW8dz6iJGAEIgX3x31sN-FEhf92ww8b7cDsBu26YTsbvUWdRn4GSyUYIgiFeKyMlXvCKSGkGzPwmybv/w400-h300/IMG_2510.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From Pointe du Hoc you can look east toward Omaha Beach.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeXAWF-khsCvQTuENnXqZv5TChKLqcrsASAJYu9HO9wAJDKnAMDUhHUWrzBowIGj1jtBSv7GfWQU-Qua04kJfJsgCSjVGDJY0zXFMUSdppYtNo-01eYkyjvJlCYUMI1FVNGBYDm0G3o6STC7FWnfx02m1RHQO0mqE3yY3x1eu_9os1R66erGvb9R-LW-U/s4032/IMG_2515.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeXAWF-khsCvQTuENnXqZv5TChKLqcrsASAJYu9HO9wAJDKnAMDUhHUWrzBowIGj1jtBSv7GfWQU-Qua04kJfJsgCSjVGDJY0zXFMUSdppYtNo-01eYkyjvJlCYUMI1FVNGBYDm0G3o6STC7FWnfx02m1RHQO0mqE3yY3x1eu_9os1R66erGvb9R-LW-U/w300-h400/IMG_2515.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Can you see the windsurfer in the center of the picture, just beyond the wall of the American Cemetery?</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tgSubP6J5lY_Pr2wR_2oI0MyeKUsn5SNOCXn-mReRz4xnCg4wQ8ZOAKaAB3tCuX7Iz1XSLm7Kwbr64BSAoqw76KVn6njouYp2moIvDDUrCYu2HujQPKOjHPw9CZoJioFfb4nYcdsWoCzTPWzrSFF1OgcPvf5mDKG9G3TZamEXRqUXc5pIjOwC2Qh2Z1O/s4032/IMG_2516.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tgSubP6J5lY_Pr2wR_2oI0MyeKUsn5SNOCXn-mReRz4xnCg4wQ8ZOAKaAB3tCuX7Iz1XSLm7Kwbr64BSAoqw76KVn6njouYp2moIvDDUrCYu2HujQPKOjHPw9CZoJioFfb4nYcdsWoCzTPWzrSFF1OgcPvf5mDKG9G3TZamEXRqUXc5pIjOwC2Qh2Z1O/w300-h400/IMG_2516.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All these young men fought and died so we'd be free to do things like windsurf </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">instead of slaving in Nazi mines. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And free to vote.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhvntALVmN_Qydp833t8jNgBkj8IJ2hMw0xYD1ewM-YlyA2BZUdExoCx3Nd62W8P6g2UjbhhK-qfQQyxoykJkHpnsrIYvZ_SMY0yhnIqTQZFOT_Mdymo6jqFo51O2sqxYgNbn3DwX2idmXxCehvyaH-iPTVoZUFfaV3whWl35QRnlw4syFuvmB7ksSFdY/s4032/IMG_2520.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhvntALVmN_Qydp833t8jNgBkj8IJ2hMw0xYD1ewM-YlyA2BZUdExoCx3Nd62W8P6g2UjbhhK-qfQQyxoykJkHpnsrIYvZ_SMY0yhnIqTQZFOT_Mdymo6jqFo51O2sqxYgNbn3DwX2idmXxCehvyaH-iPTVoZUFfaV3whWl35QRnlw4syFuvmB7ksSFdY/w400-h300/IMG_2520.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The number of crosses is overwhelming.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaES4xpxpGiyX0ZjChkeSr055ttIwjX1sC7XVyMZpyKxRfwS8wO8eGbG9I5LzSg5scyVHff3eaiUS_dhOMlG-ll5hi7nAcB_8KPoDj4Z4OscUjoabYRZBt9QEzRzsJgm6aHVjuOg9FltmW23d6SniI6VU8PcImNGicmlHSE6Oqqre_Jg3aE8mODTsorC6z/s4032/IMG_2522.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaES4xpxpGiyX0ZjChkeSr055ttIwjX1sC7XVyMZpyKxRfwS8wO8eGbG9I5LzSg5scyVHff3eaiUS_dhOMlG-ll5hi7nAcB_8KPoDj4Z4OscUjoabYRZBt9QEzRzsJgm6aHVjuOg9FltmW23d6SniI6VU8PcImNGicmlHSE6Oqqre_Jg3aE8mODTsorC6z/w400-h300/IMG_2522.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-8272199942335750012023-08-01T06:03:00.001-07:002023-08-01T06:03:45.012-07:00A Dream Come True -- to Be in France<p> By Norma Hopcraft</p><p>At long last, some photos from France, as I promised! After 15 hours of travel, my sister Chris and I took one day to adjust to jet lag in Maisons-Laffitte, where my friend Carol's house is, the one I'm housesitting in. After a nap, we walked into town and enjoyed the shops.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-FocRYga7osBhJ8hYT05HSRs9qmlmNrYtkRKkAYeEnThirq8d2D7Ejj_ZWzpZiJX0WDeiSVELnSxQt_FX_6BxHeF1J637i9Sy1gBq1u9h83jesjn6rwxyMOBZfIC9pP51RhvPO7Y5GIwKnFRfW2CQzSf6gqRHYQftWXuWeDsEYPO-KfK9UiLpCNiLr4x/s4032/IMG_2464.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-FocRYga7osBhJ8hYT05HSRs9qmlmNrYtkRKkAYeEnThirq8d2D7Ejj_ZWzpZiJX0WDeiSVELnSxQt_FX_6BxHeF1J637i9Sy1gBq1u9h83jesjn6rwxyMOBZfIC9pP51RhvPO7Y5GIwKnFRfW2CQzSf6gqRHYQftWXuWeDsEYPO-KfK9UiLpCNiLr4x/s320/IMG_2464.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg7Fc7cNwUhHVxbyB3QGWjfQGtBWYf4q1cbCj38FUr7A0rEmhP42JGKJ-XqlNw3n89i-IDxCi3xI09aYDartFeEw6C0El7CJUU_KsqV3Z5hRFsvtfH2NzF2FcQDKKQhU702Q21vUu8mLWGTw0vOcVVd1HT-Q63lly5-g7LcLd6oHI_YWG58TTBhx1nz9r/s4032/IMG_2470.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg7Fc7cNwUhHVxbyB3QGWjfQGtBWYf4q1cbCj38FUr7A0rEmhP42JGKJ-XqlNw3n89i-IDxCi3xI09aYDartFeEw6C0El7CJUU_KsqV3Z5hRFsvtfH2NzF2FcQDKKQhU702Q21vUu8mLWGTw0vOcVVd1HT-Q63lly5-g7LcLd6oHI_YWG58TTBhx1nz9r/s320/IMG_2470.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><span> </span><div style="text-align: center;">"How can you govern a country with 400 kinds of cheese?" Charles de Gaulle once </div><div style="text-align: center;">lamented. Here is a typical sampling.</div><br /><p>Then we took a train to meet our French friend Martine and her little Himalayan Mountain Dog, Tibou (which means morsel in French argot) in Rouen. From there we went around Normandy and Brittany in Martine's car.</p><p>We had a very good time!</p><p>Let's start in Rouen today, and then head to Normandy.</p><p>First, meet Martine, my landlady when I lived in Paris for a year. She's an actress, and this is a photo of her that she gave me 10 years ago:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-En3plYMZkG9XgQtnlAH7Mg23ppAr8zGJ7aapIEZrzr9c5aOUKy97iOuiBHzhDryrKx905ere0t54_lHvBe-xiZ1-9WzfprkqE39ahiuenWgjWe4xGjIjkQfZlUDkqf_rl1uaSx95y10cFA7L2Aagvkev4mr0RXgkdTgZQDFmYnFtgTRuWEfL47jAK_JY/s2048/Martine_Bourreau-smaller.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-En3plYMZkG9XgQtnlAH7Mg23ppAr8zGJ7aapIEZrzr9c5aOUKy97iOuiBHzhDryrKx905ere0t54_lHvBe-xiZ1-9WzfprkqE39ahiuenWgjWe4xGjIjkQfZlUDkqf_rl1uaSx95y10cFA7L2Aagvkev4mr0RXgkdTgZQDFmYnFtgTRuWEfL47jAK_JY/s320/Martine_Bourreau-smaller.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p>Next, here's Tibou -- or rather, here's a Shih-Tzu, a type of Himalayan mountain dog, also known as a cat-dog (because they're so independent by nature). You'll see a picture of the real Tibou later in this series.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuI7VdV54ecTUfF52ls0jOYybqhfZccjFDwHtCDaDL96HVW49TJy7ZuLqwixo6b7MAmn-01rq0Io9QjyWKnGzj26OELKDKVONSbMM9xNJb_Z_Vp5fMgKzVSf9QfA_NCYhrcyTxeti7fbm8GGDrR-y8UoJqe5kLPEwEUps97imaPIzRKN6cL2WGiO3tqWUw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="780" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuI7VdV54ecTUfF52ls0jOYybqhfZccjFDwHtCDaDL96HVW49TJy7ZuLqwixo6b7MAmn-01rq0Io9QjyWKnGzj26OELKDKVONSbMM9xNJb_Z_Vp5fMgKzVSf9QfA_NCYhrcyTxeti7fbm8GGDrR-y8UoJqe5kLPEwEUps97imaPIzRKN6cL2WGiO3tqWUw" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p></p><p>Now, let's go to Rouen, which has an elaborate, ornate cathedral that Monet spent a year on, striving to capture an impression of its appearance in all kinds of weather, every season, all times of the day. He made more than 30 paintings of this cathedral.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmoZhII93XU5xxjUzAGOkUv4ElPMS3o9fw03SS4cuwYKmVE3c16nmDMtuwH_K306vr2Kde_WdTD2n9egjdMQjdJH0hAVGX8x9hgCzE-UO9LdJaYZIjQvcunoWkbUgtzXkUiciMWBI_w1RIB4nJhfSEgt1jIpyue3RdrL5OM7y8ghFuR84KU9IBUc6E_l4/s4032/IMG_2477.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmoZhII93XU5xxjUzAGOkUv4ElPMS3o9fw03SS4cuwYKmVE3c16nmDMtuwH_K306vr2Kde_WdTD2n9egjdMQjdJH0hAVGX8x9hgCzE-UO9LdJaYZIjQvcunoWkbUgtzXkUiciMWBI_w1RIB4nJhfSEgt1jIpyue3RdrL5OM7y8ghFuR84KU9IBUc6E_l4/w300-h400/IMG_2477.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8tLeNSWd9JObJMzV9OL_c46ro_ZwYUk6h1d_7QcIapCwM3Z8L6BAo9MLrKYxD1CQh-Kp1JpCwrOfHuQ7BOUVUlgPKJeeQZZcIiXCoeK-fNKgZQo-Osj5Zz_51gKKvoit57xvk_6Ni10UtPzKXYrcsoh73QVS0MLdXUhzHF9TE2xqUUWiAxloCWwBulAV/s4032/IMG_2478.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8tLeNSWd9JObJMzV9OL_c46ro_ZwYUk6h1d_7QcIapCwM3Z8L6BAo9MLrKYxD1CQh-Kp1JpCwrOfHuQ7BOUVUlgPKJeeQZZcIiXCoeK-fNKgZQo-Osj5Zz_51gKKvoit57xvk_6Ni10UtPzKXYrcsoh73QVS0MLdXUhzHF9TE2xqUUWiAxloCWwBulAV/w400-h300/IMG_2478.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhuA4_7DeIgFVyncx_dlM70SKN1O02RvIMKyQLsakfF46SvB-RAvbcUZhTawYU439OQDSI_yz_q0cM-PP4ZKnpImWxbyqKM7CEnW-G0xyHRimKOiuvU88P-QPY-vCDsU4vRR6N7Fs-cN397PUy2Sjbzo9U0dOcKG8O13PvH4THSmmmPP0dCCwwCZk9ry5/s4032/IMG_2481.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhuA4_7DeIgFVyncx_dlM70SKN1O02RvIMKyQLsakfF46SvB-RAvbcUZhTawYU439OQDSI_yz_q0cM-PP4ZKnpImWxbyqKM7CEnW-G0xyHRimKOiuvU88P-QPY-vCDsU4vRR6N7Fs-cN397PUy2Sjbzo9U0dOcKG8O13PvH4THSmmmPP0dCCwwCZk9ry5/w400-h300/IMG_2481.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_xBkq29H8vjX01D6_0eQ4x5egJ-SqBKZNJLpz3yhkTnnTBahNqvPD8S7703Tgsksmobp4bkp3SFsHqmqRKDvmW1VH9mGF9QPTYvOReFdspkAdHR3_LZcwyR1SjZ5HdK0_JDwPoO96kWLJak0VCa67Vtrcd_ARdH8JVJ-PDXEWH5RJhZXZpC2EzjX050R/s4032/IMG_2484.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_xBkq29H8vjX01D6_0eQ4x5egJ-SqBKZNJLpz3yhkTnnTBahNqvPD8S7703Tgsksmobp4bkp3SFsHqmqRKDvmW1VH9mGF9QPTYvOReFdspkAdHR3_LZcwyR1SjZ5HdK0_JDwPoO96kWLJak0VCa67Vtrcd_ARdH8JVJ-PDXEWH5RJhZXZpC2EzjX050R/s320/IMG_2484.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When you look closely at the details, the ornateness of the entire cathedral becomes even more overwhelming.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoeEdzLvT9r_NU-4mOrg2KjhXObCiVBUsNsMODkPS9brNUb_pornRBLdyqgSZ2b5JHhVoyTDNNgnKu2SSg_uP0yWE8GpjzEgl1dGSi1mvjf7hQOdwuWYIozUAI-esVoCFA3SDXwAi0B1g1kWzqRxYsE3MSdUt-bJTcYpd5n1RIbCENOhChFeMya_Qbp57/s4032/IMG_2485.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoeEdzLvT9r_NU-4mOrg2KjhXObCiVBUsNsMODkPS9brNUb_pornRBLdyqgSZ2b5JHhVoyTDNNgnKu2SSg_uP0yWE8GpjzEgl1dGSi1mvjf7hQOdwuWYIozUAI-esVoCFA3SDXwAi0B1g1kWzqRxYsE3MSdUt-bJTcYpd5n1RIbCENOhChFeMya_Qbp57/s320/IMG_2485.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />Here's one decorative column on one side of one doorway, surrounded by stone </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">cut so fine as to look like lace.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESEn9m8zgNnNvGM-kU8ejidYtdTuyOTiOCP5tBWUm1pG7iMe_e1qwhospRD-2f4GIA4xK2mAkWN2KQJ_Eyx4tu34zOm0JLkUx3ML9KA3uVxQPeD0Gqysjq9ZH1f2lip8hnnjSxOT4L_q40824eKsqmMVjopg47x4jFJm-X2NU3yE_WG_Q_i25yAxs_bXb/s4032/IMG_2487.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESEn9m8zgNnNvGM-kU8ejidYtdTuyOTiOCP5tBWUm1pG7iMe_e1qwhospRD-2f4GIA4xK2mAkWN2KQJ_Eyx4tu34zOm0JLkUx3ML9KA3uVxQPeD0Gqysjq9ZH1f2lip8hnnjSxOT4L_q40824eKsqmMVjopg47x4jFJm-X2NU3yE_WG_Q_i25yAxs_bXb/s320/IMG_2487.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's the arch over the doorway. Sculptors carved the stone </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">on nearly every inch of this cathedral.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Cathedral at Rouen is so very elaborate, it's actually not to my taste, if I may be so bold to say. It's "over the top." You'll see more over-the-topness when we get to the opera house designed by Garnier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That same evening we drove 90 minutes to Bayeux, where we wanted to see the 1,000-year-old Bayeux tapestry and the Normandy beaches the next day. We stayed in a hostel, to cut costs of course, but then the hostel magic I hoped for actually happened--I met a woman who lives in Rochester! She told me all kinds of fascinating things about my adopted city. Here's the hostel where we met -- it's in a former convent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxxTdCnx2GcfGgR7O4OQGZP2MvukwN_GqAcaQttQouAwOATAjDFpqdqXDyR1OIAkZBxQT3CWgdfldfKD_w39U3sTToTiAjjd-CGhMMPZchwP7g0W4N5OK0FMx8az14T3qbudv9VHukiyFLWxsFyEdUtsWgsspsrudCWl_PIrbGs5czBk525mpr_ghiHa7/s4032/IMG_2552.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxxTdCnx2GcfGgR7O4OQGZP2MvukwN_GqAcaQttQouAwOATAjDFpqdqXDyR1OIAkZBxQT3CWgdfldfKD_w39U3sTToTiAjjd-CGhMMPZchwP7g0W4N5OK0FMx8az14T3qbudv9VHukiyFLWxsFyEdUtsWgsspsrudCWl_PIrbGs5czBk525mpr_ghiHa7/w300-h400/IMG_2552.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The front gate to the building, from the 17th century, I believe.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-d_HM3Fq3d4EaXKFe8M2--Icyw-Vu_a7RrWoWKeWp6WHQY8AaYhCga_Ge4yGeQ-Hofv07qOvCpFYgzOlXar2EI4bM_4SaQYu_KhEd13mxhVqpLGSUDRsNavxIT8fAMAktLkgLu5cHM_RojUqsmNLghP5e4Xm6q0Q0z3sXAPZzOm7YmW_tn4jmwK8Fxqg/s4032/IMG_2553.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-d_HM3Fq3d4EaXKFe8M2--Icyw-Vu_a7RrWoWKeWp6WHQY8AaYhCga_Ge4yGeQ-Hofv07qOvCpFYgzOlXar2EI4bM_4SaQYu_KhEd13mxhVqpLGSUDRsNavxIT8fAMAktLkgLu5cHM_RojUqsmNLghP5e4Xm6q0Q0z3sXAPZzOm7YmW_tn4jmwK8Fxqg/w300-h400/IMG_2553.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The front door.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD8NM3CqmD8N9MR5oH72LCJCdInZJgD_3YUWj8X89X5QlVQPik9B2QMBpyrR6kFoccuxOtsssF1PWDgigWwTxqGCG2uQWg1IYG7jzGHH3vHRKlDUeLJyGH_2FZ1DXH6tbn0DHnJci2UF1fvZdK2S4zUGCNHnI-xIHPQ5XwF66fGlfYklYVDXSd_NPs70f/s4032/IMG_2554.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD8NM3CqmD8N9MR5oH72LCJCdInZJgD_3YUWj8X89X5QlVQPik9B2QMBpyrR6kFoccuxOtsssF1PWDgigWwTxqGCG2uQWg1IYG7jzGHH3vHRKlDUeLJyGH_2FZ1DXH6tbn0DHnJci2UF1fvZdK2S4zUGCNHnI-xIHPQ5XwF66fGlfYklYVDXSd_NPs70f/w300-h400/IMG_2554.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The wing where I slept, upstairs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The accommodations were spare -- we made our own beds and the showers, sinks, and toilets were down the hall -- but the place had an abiding peace and grew on me over the two nights we stayed there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next post: Bayeux, the Normandy beaches, and the American Cemetery.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See my recent photos of Rochester immediately below this post.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-26649006957830321222023-07-03T13:11:00.003-07:002023-07-03T13:11:41.041-07:00For Fun, Try a Photo Walk!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm in JFK, on my way to Paris -- photos from France up next!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But first:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I went on a photo walk last Saturday, led by a film company named Cinestill that refinishes Kodak film for movies. They lead photowalks all over the world. They took us -- us being at least 75 photographers, with cameras strapped all around them (I, however, had an iPhone and was fully adopted into the family) -- on a windy path through the annual Rochester International Jazz Festival to a secret neighborhood I didn't know existed until that day. Then to the Genesee River and back into town.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are my photos from that day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGW193fTUQjGY7ZQiNrJCzrRmtZmkqKehfzIdoG4S7V6vee5h6dVVlXqnwfmBhZKxCOl1bIuT2iMANm0CuGCb3ubk87YYNOv6VjC8jN57H-bwjbikB-8Cj6VugkIZ892LG0joFb2wbka48GvWPIf726qOg7hlJBDxh5fqyrTns_SLqNZk7RWqsYViNU7t/s4032/IMG_2324.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGW193fTUQjGY7ZQiNrJCzrRmtZmkqKehfzIdoG4S7V6vee5h6dVVlXqnwfmBhZKxCOl1bIuT2iMANm0CuGCb3ubk87YYNOv6VjC8jN57H-bwjbikB-8Cj6VugkIZ892LG0joFb2wbka48GvWPIf726qOg7hlJBDxh5fqyrTns_SLqNZk7RWqsYViNU7t/w320-h240/IMG_2324.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You're getting a picture of a classic car simply because I love classic cars.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOYwIlp9N7egOcJBLaEtdBH_Rb7n4fZjGuX8PqAkuH_0vUOd3ucFAEoaTbRoYZ5KA0NkRwskBaORLc9U9FiLcX1cyZWWApJC06IcWG8oxDX3auJXnwIFn-OjFQ5tNJ5JCeP-VZhGOhbmzAHYD4nqIost2GEPjY9nlfMikpJWxhm80UkxOP2tjooz8BUVF/s4032/IMG_2325.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOYwIlp9N7egOcJBLaEtdBH_Rb7n4fZjGuX8PqAkuH_0vUOd3ucFAEoaTbRoYZ5KA0NkRwskBaORLc9U9FiLcX1cyZWWApJC06IcWG8oxDX3auJXnwIFn-OjFQ5tNJ5JCeP-VZhGOhbmzAHYD4nqIost2GEPjY9nlfMikpJWxhm80UkxOP2tjooz8BUVF/s320/IMG_2325.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Isn't this a handsome building? It's across from Ugly Duck Coffee Shop, for those of you who live in Rochester.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlmYijpsYTHDA9ItYgbPF6ZTnfzPViEPh2Xw0PI2pIaV-Omp1oH9HxtVSt4TnW0cfpx0Zohfl9_m1ZU7muZjgAi6_smiJWJnsBnU4qp03hxX5I2q1Ejw_is9vOU1CYMzQgtOZoSZhz-vQLd6EWVIuswRrOEaU_FNMTAXRO_ArGnxGgIM6elo5sGn5aFeL/s4032/IMG_2327.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlmYijpsYTHDA9ItYgbPF6ZTnfzPViEPh2Xw0PI2pIaV-Omp1oH9HxtVSt4TnW0cfpx0Zohfl9_m1ZU7muZjgAi6_smiJWJnsBnU4qp03hxX5I2q1Ejw_is9vOU1CYMzQgtOZoSZhz-vQLd6EWVIuswRrOEaU_FNMTAXRO_ArGnxGgIM6elo5sGn5aFeL/s320/IMG_2327.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lots of patterns in this photo!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXylTaMsFZR0HaaVgbsko9gNBkIWy7ql97elOcj03jWJ8kYQDf75GMTpMw2Gj_levBY55BqPyWjloiJqqu1_io7p0pDkqSdq638lOwh9q1wI_FA3QvC26ixAQSs_GJC0UN-uMwxOkkyHTQvaTicAePHWWmJwsaUbqGMd3f3ibBDY78LgNe65jc3QqkzE5R/s4032/IMG_2329.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXylTaMsFZR0HaaVgbsko9gNBkIWy7ql97elOcj03jWJ8kYQDf75GMTpMw2Gj_levBY55BqPyWjloiJqqu1_io7p0pDkqSdq638lOwh9q1wI_FA3QvC26ixAQSs_GJC0UN-uMwxOkkyHTQvaTicAePHWWmJwsaUbqGMd3f3ibBDY78LgNe65jc3QqkzE5R/s320/IMG_2329.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's the first house in the secret neighborhood.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaRB7b77bbZmyfeNfXCH9bbPjNueqt0Zs_y91W6PbPwptgOYG3XZRc8nog6UGDpMaJMOpTJEqlEUneRh5xWxGE70is6ZfdKzThBeDYNXzqGBDYot2hE1d5ieMfToLMwQwbL7U7z5ZERmd7UaFahJ63TDUvoXqOkEER_KLxrtHvO28hBOWEjUvWoUNCWbQ/s4032/IMG_2330.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaRB7b77bbZmyfeNfXCH9bbPjNueqt0Zs_y91W6PbPwptgOYG3XZRc8nog6UGDpMaJMOpTJEqlEUneRh5xWxGE70is6ZfdKzThBeDYNXzqGBDYot2hE1d5ieMfToLMwQwbL7U7z5ZERmd7UaFahJ63TDUvoXqOkEER_KLxrtHvO28hBOWEjUvWoUNCWbQ/s320/IMG_2330.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />I love the purple!</div><p><br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSVO3hJvz3IdEDv_m9Uc1fyhliKu7LbKPEuDvXGbtmOh2sdYm5C3UOWlsfCB_hHXbqvv-nwwDmqo_QFn-hXRnkyF1xoaUapPcIEY9NmxTAdqVdvGCwavKRwLZZRJLGX1IkRbsyvdeG4iumJX3ov812cE9z2_-C558_F_RyMbZi5IyTcTEu50Hrt5JySoh/s4032/IMG_2331.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSVO3hJvz3IdEDv_m9Uc1fyhliKu7LbKPEuDvXGbtmOh2sdYm5C3UOWlsfCB_hHXbqvv-nwwDmqo_QFn-hXRnkyF1xoaUapPcIEY9NmxTAdqVdvGCwavKRwLZZRJLGX1IkRbsyvdeG4iumJX3ov812cE9z2_-C558_F_RyMbZi5IyTcTEu50Hrt5JySoh/s320/IMG_2331.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm a sucker for May Apples and shady gardens.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDcYekVghTtk2_MGYJ1ae3Zi-o8ZttZAzBOhAG4m0meDaOVJyUPzznYpNkfby8T90CM1sLkUZMB4RNwTj2sVlpmsoVvRHkHcDpX44P4R4lPqsEJFuPiGXXTE6pT0V0nHdCkbLyxb7cCIFBXZdo2exhcxl1Zp6aM31KWDah3CWnv9z1UV9W_95PxD0457Y/s4032/IMG_2332.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDcYekVghTtk2_MGYJ1ae3Zi-o8ZttZAzBOhAG4m0meDaOVJyUPzznYpNkfby8T90CM1sLkUZMB4RNwTj2sVlpmsoVvRHkHcDpX44P4R4lPqsEJFuPiGXXTE6pT0V0nHdCkbLyxb7cCIFBXZdo2exhcxl1Zp6aM31KWDah3CWnv9z1UV9W_95PxD0457Y/s320/IMG_2332.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another house in the secret neighborhood.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWm0hUZSnYFuOuioHzQnGdCmFTc5lCNc9BPEYaHn0f2g0GaBw-Au9LiMw-ROvJU2YRU-MS68-AHw5Tyc6P5BPjpMQAJgBwl-J2rProABp92Ll6ek3XJ_Pg4wIXOZR-niGxqeL8EE6Qw2sl_FmR7r7dgLCHGQVvLew4PPLtdlnmia7ig-wHJkmEyM52kL71/s4032/IMG_2333.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWm0hUZSnYFuOuioHzQnGdCmFTc5lCNc9BPEYaHn0f2g0GaBw-Au9LiMw-ROvJU2YRU-MS68-AHw5Tyc6P5BPjpMQAJgBwl-J2rProABp92Ll6ek3XJ_Pg4wIXOZR-niGxqeL8EE6Qw2sl_FmR7r7dgLCHGQVvLew4PPLtdlnmia7ig-wHJkmEyM52kL71/s320/IMG_2333.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A shady garden</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjgALUJQNEe157zx_DoBSWwlgf57arDkESxXBQTmgfJjABGMAghAnEIVpeVOzLbCqOfAIuyMi87sU7GQRqY87fPzkZDrfOWCaPvPdYL-S2t6RNri2KXftutVCDMdM150SGaZrjtEw2WXTiXCxpguZ2nS_xbMgU32jdB_VJUWyTT_dzu_XWUjSRQqPIv3F/s4032/IMG_2334.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjgALUJQNEe157zx_DoBSWwlgf57arDkESxXBQTmgfJjABGMAghAnEIVpeVOzLbCqOfAIuyMi87sU7GQRqY87fPzkZDrfOWCaPvPdYL-S2t6RNri2KXftutVCDMdM150SGaZrjtEw2WXTiXCxpguZ2nS_xbMgU32jdB_VJUWyTT_dzu_XWUjSRQqPIv3F/s320/IMG_2334.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I call this photo "No Privacy" because I probably shouldn't have taken it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglh9gQ9OoWPHMbXHkp0eY1lalKwbWNxsAFahwimy2Q4-Hz4ss_VedQJ_my09qAAh75Sqson8Vc7w_tEVaBrUYnqOB7kB2x4xxPX_rxK3KLJlh_qjxzX1mmN365pkNtFLbUP4r0oFFc5p-MU6dg_dv5v3bP_rUS-ZvSkZ-6poD4o0GdDkgQnXSZ2VSmUT0h/s4032/IMG_2335.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglh9gQ9OoWPHMbXHkp0eY1lalKwbWNxsAFahwimy2Q4-Hz4ss_VedQJ_my09qAAh75Sqson8Vc7w_tEVaBrUYnqOB7kB2x4xxPX_rxK3KLJlh_qjxzX1mmN365pkNtFLbUP4r0oFFc5p-MU6dg_dv5v3bP_rUS-ZvSkZ-6poD4o0GdDkgQnXSZ2VSmUT0h/s320/IMG_2335.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More from the secret neighborhood (whose name I don't know)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZVVF5tbqd4TkRoIOEYCxdswaeYiv9fsPNZAyTUpIDxiKSNpE31V2vZzocxyT26Gb3h8UwD52P8unfi-F-_SpvnVpdREf-dA3q-toYKWc3WQcPbfFma_q00vuiGw2B0t7GEOL1GMBZaLFOpkkkq37kYUDlr5r9InAiTgQtgwAyo8ru6ZsTIBETw5JdtbS/s4032/IMG_2337.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZVVF5tbqd4TkRoIOEYCxdswaeYiv9fsPNZAyTUpIDxiKSNpE31V2vZzocxyT26Gb3h8UwD52P8unfi-F-_SpvnVpdREf-dA3q-toYKWc3WQcPbfFma_q00vuiGw2B0t7GEOL1GMBZaLFOpkkkq37kYUDlr5r9InAiTgQtgwAyo8ru6ZsTIBETw5JdtbS/s320/IMG_2337.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPKp1J-EgyDqHrZTPwcphez4cdBKS9WgOtvdDkluRsm2gCTjKpDVyH__cSiRZIFDTyO9GFrKao89tJhTXrsnJdRzky9uyh3uMb52XL3FChBzzA1QM5oyO2cqbFswwFYF0w5H3EdjZCCj6lYNEyqrEElSbteGGuSVk7wP5f55AMcNh8XOOCL6Za69ulsv1/s4032/IMG_2340.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPKp1J-EgyDqHrZTPwcphez4cdBKS9WgOtvdDkluRsm2gCTjKpDVyH__cSiRZIFDTyO9GFrKao89tJhTXrsnJdRzky9uyh3uMb52XL3FChBzzA1QM5oyO2cqbFswwFYF0w5H3EdjZCCj6lYNEyqrEElSbteGGuSVk7wP5f55AMcNh8XOOCL6Za69ulsv1/s320/IMG_2340.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />Here's a fellow photo walker fiddling with his gear.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGRKXEct-4upB4a8jqR3hdGsWEv-_pH2Wpp_YYcWiYgSF3rkTWIiNAZ4s5nvQUfGJOVP5DyFpOfn239vlNsD4H-RWXFdAAd9jcRjvlRIdGM_-t7VZ4HH9cTzZ1nzF-a8iPgftExv7_U_UhuWUCVQxSjNm0giXFFo-XqaIsxRdhs37KmZHVrzssIpWu9FV/s4032/IMG_2343.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGRKXEct-4upB4a8jqR3hdGsWEv-_pH2Wpp_YYcWiYgSF3rkTWIiNAZ4s5nvQUfGJOVP5DyFpOfn239vlNsD4H-RWXFdAAd9jcRjvlRIdGM_-t7VZ4HH9cTzZ1nzF-a8iPgftExv7_U_UhuWUCVQxSjNm0giXFFo-XqaIsxRdhs37KmZHVrzssIpWu9FV/s320/IMG_2343.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A bit impudent of him</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OVF_nnVgsP6QNxZfZ2k7VxnBY-ytRBXUtewJm2E_BDVGwMjIe7w7Lf1kUCGm7DWL3A70mOOtxONN6mnB8uh5b_RE2qivdPweYXSE0sxt7WC8DoH2bpldCfpi7AoJu45msTvSguFeuHfiVyb5qyopZDbnHw5g6lVCky8jVCcGIZH4g5pRgVFQYEb8xWDF/s4032/IMG_2348.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OVF_nnVgsP6QNxZfZ2k7VxnBY-ytRBXUtewJm2E_BDVGwMjIe7w7Lf1kUCGm7DWL3A70mOOtxONN6mnB8uh5b_RE2qivdPweYXSE0sxt7WC8DoH2bpldCfpi7AoJu45msTvSguFeuHfiVyb5qyopZDbnHw5g6lVCky8jVCcGIZH4g5pRgVFQYEb8xWDF/s320/IMG_2348.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A photowalker NOT in comfortable shoes</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE3Gr6JTuOOOMdUppxhHYloga2l5ZxGZaPAySpjb_uoTsTUY-lOsrFsVVVioDqtY7JAplnpayVWkNGh0r8t3admsNPnfkmYjY8LbCz3Hmcs-OVtbTz2SOkKob8c90ZiiVHtgtYdRMha_igO-WczWrWAk1XI4lAhexg4Q11GM5I71Hx262CIbiulgZr8HK/s4032/IMG_2351.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE3Gr6JTuOOOMdUppxhHYloga2l5ZxGZaPAySpjb_uoTsTUY-lOsrFsVVVioDqtY7JAplnpayVWkNGh0r8t3admsNPnfkmYjY8LbCz3Hmcs-OVtbTz2SOkKob8c90ZiiVHtgtYdRMha_igO-WczWrWAk1XI4lAhexg4Q11GM5I71Hx262CIbiulgZr8HK/s320/IMG_2351.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love messy buns.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgFtfgBxuNNnIHn8ui4DXxkmESdQUW23LjWBRb1GphUQt2g1gqjQRTucTpVSQlWDlDaExPZAVUmXKwui5OBe3p_ll7m90TE3JTl4PsNULvXq-oawKcrkzDBKOgRm7BDhVH8vJbxu7AzMn0c2LbNZMPj4OauFOhuU2r6cyOf3nFzjTii4G-dzh10_3jtYB/s4032/IMG_2352.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgFtfgBxuNNnIHn8ui4DXxkmESdQUW23LjWBRb1GphUQt2g1gqjQRTucTpVSQlWDlDaExPZAVUmXKwui5OBe3p_ll7m90TE3JTl4PsNULvXq-oawKcrkzDBKOgRm7BDhVH8vJbxu7AzMn0c2LbNZMPj4OauFOhuU2r6cyOf3nFzjTii4G-dzh10_3jtYB/s320/IMG_2352.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More tats</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMl1em4MbkLQU8OQ6gcAohpYwhLsxpd5LONyP1F6QIcJ49sohzGa492sakLS-r1Oou1z77SzZqih3lYkpqz6nMySBpt8eGTuJj08mphlorxsmZmIgocXLtHfPtrKm1Ugyi-KIAGvl2wC58UQ15m3ZmUsjqX7jfZrT-kg97k5B8DYRFJW-UtoP3PxSON8n/s4032/IMG_2355.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMl1em4MbkLQU8OQ6gcAohpYwhLsxpd5LONyP1F6QIcJ49sohzGa492sakLS-r1Oou1z77SzZqih3lYkpqz6nMySBpt8eGTuJj08mphlorxsmZmIgocXLtHfPtrKm1Ugyi-KIAGvl2wC58UQ15m3ZmUsjqX7jfZrT-kg97k5B8DYRFJW-UtoP3PxSON8n/s320/IMG_2355.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another handsome downtown building</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChGA6Ka6YxW8UQKhhp03ln4SRVn8Os2QWulirzIq2D1iXcuf8ynOBo0bOvksOeDSVMs806yGsCfjHsOvVuTdT9jAufy2oFzktqXPRaU3pkT1pm8r-pqELlT2jIf__x_d6Nic3eohiycMfwnRD_SJtr2vICoEEVMzOfWKMpe8LRr6bsLYXPC0MtByBxOVB/s4032/IMG_2357.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChGA6Ka6YxW8UQKhhp03ln4SRVn8Os2QWulirzIq2D1iXcuf8ynOBo0bOvksOeDSVMs806yGsCfjHsOvVuTdT9jAufy2oFzktqXPRaU3pkT1pm8r-pqELlT2jIf__x_d6Nic3eohiycMfwnRD_SJtr2vICoEEVMzOfWKMpe8LRr6bsLYXPC0MtByBxOVB/s320/IMG_2357.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A fellow photographer</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzN7su9yEzil71G4UfjpvYx8x4bBptVDAVeBl4Ii8q0QxztDTfQbfc2ErTuJRLRzt3re3a2nB3EM6bofrbFCntoylGzIG--cdMcT9NxSZAl707u08H3Hq-gzqN5wwFimH9tX11ddpX4HwPT7VBh31HNdDiqzwzKBmHZzcaYu0-gEX6lK6Pb_ZLufd2V13t/s4032/IMG_2359.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzN7su9yEzil71G4UfjpvYx8x4bBptVDAVeBl4Ii8q0QxztDTfQbfc2ErTuJRLRzt3re3a2nB3EM6bofrbFCntoylGzIG--cdMcT9NxSZAl707u08H3Hq-gzqN5wwFimH9tX11ddpX4HwPT7VBh31HNdDiqzwzKBmHZzcaYu0-gEX6lK6Pb_ZLufd2V13t/s320/IMG_2359.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Looks like a church, right?</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9Tie7NExsd8VJ_XnzJprM7dOYdw41v7uRjMLkABhFLxkdJScbGZYzzQLkO6pS0-v74y2iFb-fbQMeRGXmxtNlsYdV6tRiJNlrRZe049tFTtoBjVdbor2dd0qXU2FpGQBUyZ9tfFDYZ9BaKgXOUPu7VILHOQPOhFHW6zLBR21Nf-Zc0sEmw7nZhRMerIl/s4032/IMG_2360.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9Tie7NExsd8VJ_XnzJprM7dOYdw41v7uRjMLkABhFLxkdJScbGZYzzQLkO6pS0-v74y2iFb-fbQMeRGXmxtNlsYdV6tRiJNlrRZe049tFTtoBjVdbor2dd0qXU2FpGQBUyZ9tfFDYZ9BaKgXOUPu7VILHOQPOhFHW6zLBR21Nf-Zc0sEmw7nZhRMerIl/s320/IMG_2360.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It has no roof</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQiBKdSIHnSFWxr-z3qqpw9z1py-xI5SHWmm309XMnKNvO4p52xDpvx9DL1TO8eLOYARYsLCI57ddm_L3UtG8qHnTth3eUm0-8vaL0WIhrz-QeM7YOVBYfK3SdToUkBwAVHfnSCdTu5AyQ8_p8VIa1_L2IMSSzjH_bmNCYQvaAt1fsew12UxbMjlzmv_c/s4032/IMG_2362.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQiBKdSIHnSFWxr-z3qqpw9z1py-xI5SHWmm309XMnKNvO4p52xDpvx9DL1TO8eLOYARYsLCI57ddm_L3UtG8qHnTth3eUm0-8vaL0WIhrz-QeM7YOVBYfK3SdToUkBwAVHfnSCdTu5AyQ8_p8VIa1_L2IMSSzjH_bmNCYQvaAt1fsew12UxbMjlzmv_c/s320/IMG_2362.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Inside it's going wild</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlTGwcM8akERvEm99XDqMiOrIHcmKeUxrVT2P50qkfbOlvAuBjUyE84GIyNVM4cTFfPsifMdNfz5hNO-j4e2Kcr6bSTA1lwfcus2GRpTmfBhni0tfvhpQFROMgbl98A8OdKVpbAy45_9AK8nseCYYC_uiJKpyDViJ9nUhCUHf1ZEYmTIWBvs4l0pyLpW1/s4032/IMG_2363.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlTGwcM8akERvEm99XDqMiOrIHcmKeUxrVT2P50qkfbOlvAuBjUyE84GIyNVM4cTFfPsifMdNfz5hNO-j4e2Kcr6bSTA1lwfcus2GRpTmfBhni0tfvhpQFROMgbl98A8OdKVpbAy45_9AK8nseCYYC_uiJKpyDViJ9nUhCUHf1ZEYmTIWBvs4l0pyLpW1/s320/IMG_2363.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tree growing out the window. This is the old St. Joseph's. The roof and interior were destroyed in a fire in the 1980s.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgPgtCg7QvzC_D_5bwNTolgD4Fgu9XUHW6djZuJXlXHXRYYdoIlBxcfJLveOXzKXdoSxuQJVdqAZo7m0FpDdERWLTDG2QpEnDsmpcOOAWydT6eLlJPCpxE0dwku5ttVVsajtcjVl2AADEpycgBV08wjBW1ePZpKE1MmT7KlUb7YSCumPe32hFR4EPfVQu/s4032/IMG_2369.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgPgtCg7QvzC_D_5bwNTolgD4Fgu9XUHW6djZuJXlXHXRYYdoIlBxcfJLveOXzKXdoSxuQJVdqAZo7m0FpDdERWLTDG2QpEnDsmpcOOAWydT6eLlJPCpxE0dwku5ttVVsajtcjVl2AADEpycgBV08wjBW1ePZpKE1MmT7KlUb7YSCumPe32hFR4EPfVQu/s320/IMG_2369.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A bridge over the Genesee, downtown, reflecting in the water.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckFVvxWof3JiYORU7UVDXTYtUD1dvnbnIQkOHrzoBaVr0LgZfccaqEB6DSvAJIgLYjBYwdMI7caB4joAIqg8JPLD7GwsmIdbsQGKfaLrb77IifsmrtV6-WQAzMtxmiqP_g4cPI0XCUNsiGkrBuvttgNjqeQT5-S6_baTXKLEjpgx2DTyDLJdYtmh20RFO/s4032/IMG_2370.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckFVvxWof3JiYORU7UVDXTYtUD1dvnbnIQkOHrzoBaVr0LgZfccaqEB6DSvAJIgLYjBYwdMI7caB4joAIqg8JPLD7GwsmIdbsQGKfaLrb77IifsmrtV6-WQAzMtxmiqP_g4cPI0XCUNsiGkrBuvttgNjqeQT5-S6_baTXKLEjpgx2DTyDLJdYtmh20RFO/s320/IMG_2370.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another bridge over the Genesee</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshXP9Nxx_XgHVft7VcAq0u3gJCsiTp9nwbnuILkA1hjkIks0MqNIdeKoD8YyeGR7P0TA4jkyCygwMsiyFQ_hjiKdrGrF0Dj_OHrcMBo2nqHFWTrfKFnHIGaDvtnZEnRq0XfN45Vb9J9EuaydnDqxC3v-j1j9LTU4p3yTqA0YtX3t2fwOrRCL6FJ6nRnp9/s4032/IMG_2373.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshXP9Nxx_XgHVft7VcAq0u3gJCsiTp9nwbnuILkA1hjkIks0MqNIdeKoD8YyeGR7P0TA4jkyCygwMsiyFQ_hjiKdrGrF0Dj_OHrcMBo2nqHFWTrfKFnHIGaDvtnZEnRq0XfN45Vb9J9EuaydnDqxC3v-j1j9LTU4p3yTqA0YtX3t2fwOrRCL6FJ6nRnp9/s320/IMG_2373.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo is even more successful as a black and white.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAltb2nEoWwRvHTHjRMiKWujgq0KRQ0KUSgWPiNSW3jFZIa3LKzlCtOoxa3RAHOltB-LEjwjmspNuhFzf3yTasBWXxgjR1D5CTiuM4Hf9mlBIJnxW9yXMSdLAUCs2rur4kCWhY2ZwkCRdUenuq-bVgEa7gpubAC5CVS3HHRXH7j22kyn9Dse9UBvJtriHO/s4032/IMG_2375.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAltb2nEoWwRvHTHjRMiKWujgq0KRQ0KUSgWPiNSW3jFZIa3LKzlCtOoxa3RAHOltB-LEjwjmspNuhFzf3yTasBWXxgjR1D5CTiuM4Hf9mlBIJnxW9yXMSdLAUCs2rur4kCWhY2ZwkCRdUenuq-bVgEa7gpubAC5CVS3HHRXH7j22kyn9Dse9UBvJtriHO/s320/IMG_2375.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKygoIjFX5o7jnjXWrCQQS4GKuztMIJbTU-hmEh7jxRyQ37hMhegXfPQicIOMXypnn8K-WtyAF38AdbdAMBvP6eJ4D6vu0dW8QE0O9GeDod3A_OC4NQmtoeaKX8Qv8LKEMfcTmMLO36Ib1FP6Tqd_xUczkjhEjX8c3EKbc0jTFYlUyPb4qcDAw90WmmYXH/s4032/IMG_2376.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKygoIjFX5o7jnjXWrCQQS4GKuztMIJbTU-hmEh7jxRyQ37hMhegXfPQicIOMXypnn8K-WtyAF38AdbdAMBvP6eJ4D6vu0dW8QE0O9GeDod3A_OC4NQmtoeaKX8Qv8LKEMfcTmMLO36Ib1FP6Tqd_xUczkjhEjX8c3EKbc0jTFYlUyPb4qcDAw90WmmYXH/s320/IMG_2376.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A man we're proud to claim as a Rochesterian</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77_eepSvN4ky1aoIcKD1kqcuk7WxqW4ksrOo4kmFjVg-qQtrs_Dx7oOnzf9reyRmkzTeGpt5U6uhULuIOn7D0O2q4iuWezz3yVJGvERWdNlYJ29zuujijLPWkGB_Ma53EI-utuxS1Q7RW-8fN5sY3_h_0CejqeuDKtOIM693p8wP8yXHzWt3S0xuPU3NV/s4032/IMG_2377.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77_eepSvN4ky1aoIcKD1kqcuk7WxqW4ksrOo4kmFjVg-qQtrs_Dx7oOnzf9reyRmkzTeGpt5U6uhULuIOn7D0O2q4iuWezz3yVJGvERWdNlYJ29zuujijLPWkGB_Ma53EI-utuxS1Q7RW-8fN5sY3_h_0CejqeuDKtOIM693p8wP8yXHzWt3S0xuPU3NV/s320/IMG_2377.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Reminds me of the Grace Building in NYC.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8LPnWZqZ04pOZe3UgsASKNPoz_SbDk96346Iokjz0n6btG_j1VkR9cmqOM58GPN-Rxhx-9Qt_N0jUIqeGKjK8cnZqm3UE_Wz_nNZHZaRh4okEj1gHtJk3ZfJwhsDjcI1uRt0PXjPml5Byywgr9cR3nVU9M9G-oGRBunrhK8Rz4GMU04Zd3h-mfPrvSqB/s4032/IMG_2378.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8LPnWZqZ04pOZe3UgsASKNPoz_SbDk96346Iokjz0n6btG_j1VkR9cmqOM58GPN-Rxhx-9Qt_N0jUIqeGKjK8cnZqm3UE_Wz_nNZHZaRh4okEj1gHtJk3ZfJwhsDjcI1uRt0PXjPml5Byywgr9cR3nVU9M9G-oGRBunrhK8Rz4GMU04Zd3h-mfPrvSqB/s320/IMG_2378.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE18hzk-ZAk8lxkTnXF0ezSR2p5ryTxW0oed4IRD3mUsmuwrzyDSNRNfVfnFPtCx97Tm7-taMW2JY8x6qgVs67z79OQGxrXJFLcUrkYEv7A9mI9-4x-AY7DDbEEsVZAO483MBraOBUMlrNgyDSSVZCcjqZ7oLZi4UKsqQ6rEqpnO6Ooxv4i-LWJRTn-N7/s4032/IMG_2380.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE18hzk-ZAk8lxkTnXF0ezSR2p5ryTxW0oed4IRD3mUsmuwrzyDSNRNfVfnFPtCx97Tm7-taMW2JY8x6qgVs67z79OQGxrXJFLcUrkYEv7A9mI9-4x-AY7DDbEEsVZAO483MBraOBUMlrNgyDSSVZCcjqZ7oLZi4UKsqQ6rEqpnO6Ooxv4i-LWJRTn-N7/s320/IMG_2380.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Three years in, I've come to call Rochester home.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiYOhhxdIn444kHvuaz10Rdff6LrAEOILJW3n164ZiZZwRNS90p8RoBnIO3JRUnRDDvW3fVd9fDtZ5bADvBFaWni-DHtbxKKV_tey2BK2_te2HSpb5F_t_Gw506CXZKwJ9ECBKn9OPIs6NrI08FoQZfEL3yGTPTMwjC_6oJuEh99Vg-FwIumm49l8LrQg/s4032/IMG_2395.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiYOhhxdIn444kHvuaz10Rdff6LrAEOILJW3n164ZiZZwRNS90p8RoBnIO3JRUnRDDvW3fVd9fDtZ5bADvBFaWni-DHtbxKKV_tey2BK2_te2HSpb5F_t_Gw506CXZKwJ9ECBKn9OPIs6NrI08FoQZfEL3yGTPTMwjC_6oJuEh99Vg-FwIumm49l8LrQg/s320/IMG_2395.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A fantastic drummer at the jazz festival.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowPIGp8hM6XLI5dboYAAWY1-5C94L-1JtYXftLgH-cB2SCwgR6xMHT3BLJEaSc1aIyzuOjFW1lZawO-wvIEo5Ypb5UCZEjeQmE7ShHBSGpb9YSnTAjcKKzb9fJ8tYLpsoJnxPLhzjOYNZSKo4-1RZslXoChChFImaJwXspwjLh1FQXtg2VA7czzColr1l/s4032/IMG_2414.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowPIGp8hM6XLI5dboYAAWY1-5C94L-1JtYXftLgH-cB2SCwgR6xMHT3BLJEaSc1aIyzuOjFW1lZawO-wvIEo5Ypb5UCZEjeQmE7ShHBSGpb9YSnTAjcKKzb9fJ8tYLpsoJnxPLhzjOYNZSKo4-1RZslXoChChFImaJwXspwjLh1FQXtg2VA7czzColr1l/s320/IMG_2414.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A tree in my Park Ave. neighborhood</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5lXNahjOgtYRZqgbEqEN6hruqYNmAElb_Fn2xyNCL1FN9N8UC5utd-wL-ExzLwsdF_8OT7qPEoctPi7ZDKhm7c70Wqba1kwiqixxoGfe6LOreoA0hfk3kenh8TTsfBT2X1HczxoxBWkm1O8OkIUm97K4857gQWdxLRFGiXlipxb54Qcbb5g4NcvVHaSV/s4032/IMG_2415.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5lXNahjOgtYRZqgbEqEN6hruqYNmAElb_Fn2xyNCL1FN9N8UC5utd-wL-ExzLwsdF_8OT7qPEoctPi7ZDKhm7c70Wqba1kwiqixxoGfe6LOreoA0hfk3kenh8TTsfBT2X1HczxoxBWkm1O8OkIUm97K4857gQWdxLRFGiXlipxb54Qcbb5g4NcvVHaSV/s320/IMG_2415.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Korean dogwood in black and white.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRl_3eAi3q3VIiojZTnXBWyIgncOZk9b8bGbNLD3rPGjblClmgJS5IUSzpxJjNkyIjPyh4K_QKTrQKkXEJ5Pgwmi2W8k4FGHZC1AOCja4F5lFLhr9oZbLS8TUb0lrhYG2rZVAVieIXALnoOMdZ5Mqf7Ljx5PjCGmmf5XJ1sgriJt8CFk2Z4EcMCSrx712I/s4032/IMG_2419.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRl_3eAi3q3VIiojZTnXBWyIgncOZk9b8bGbNLD3rPGjblClmgJS5IUSzpxJjNkyIjPyh4K_QKTrQKkXEJ5Pgwmi2W8k4FGHZC1AOCja4F5lFLhr9oZbLS8TUb0lrhYG2rZVAVieIXALnoOMdZ5Mqf7Ljx5PjCGmmf5XJ1sgriJt8CFk2Z4EcMCSrx712I/s320/IMG_2419.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The fragrance garden behind the Science Center.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you have any comments, feedback, insights to share, please use the comment box at the bottom of this post. I'd love to hear from you! </div><br /> <p></p>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-58354486070787549242023-06-17T05:01:00.000-07:002023-06-17T05:01:40.302-07:00New Adventure -- France All Summer!<p> Hi, fans!</p><p>I'm in the midst of a countdown: just two weeks until I fly to France for the summer!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUbm6WnghJdzu8SoVuZmoSTb9BJLdeuhUJ5Ak47DElvHzGsrvj2KIon_7yWIuZviba-s9W5FX681chovUWOqGSvJfa_awCiySY9fV1wXFdI4h1YqR5AuDarlYxcb4y7tiOrEd1f5UVx6xDTOU_74sJ44HZIAOEhxeJP166jW65WpXo5aYH1CQM_FrUg/s640/2014-08-23%2009.07.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUbm6WnghJdzu8SoVuZmoSTb9BJLdeuhUJ5Ak47DElvHzGsrvj2KIon_7yWIuZviba-s9W5FX681chovUWOqGSvJfa_awCiySY9fV1wXFdI4h1YqR5AuDarlYxcb4y7tiOrEd1f5UVx6xDTOU_74sJ44HZIAOEhxeJP166jW65WpXo5aYH1CQM_FrUg/s320/2014-08-23%2009.07.09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>I'll be staying with friends that I met in 2014-2015, my year of creative writing sabbatical in Paris.<p></p><p>Please come with me on this current trip! I'll be posting photos and commentary here on my blog. You can correspond by leaving a comment--each post will have a comment box at the bottom.</p><p>So I'm visiting friends in different parts of France and also house-sitting on the edge of Paris for a month. My friend Carol owns a house to the northwest of the city. She is a retired American major magazine reporter on French and EU economics, and after spending her working career in Paris she chose to retire in France. I can't wait to see her!</p><p>I too am retired, just six weeks ago. One part of this trip is a retirement gift to myself. For 9 days I'll tour Normandy and Brittany! It's quite extravagant of me, but I worked for 57 years and I feel that I earned this reward.</p><p>There is only one downside to being away for two months, and that's being away from my little grandsons for so long. They will have grown and changed by the time I get back, without my witnessing it in person. Nothing in life is unalloyed--there's always both an upside and a downside. </p>Stay tuned for more from France! Posts start in July!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDktsy7Gu-k8mdg4E3YYcOVLxOA47xQeeGK3Cf0TGqGr0IPWQyer4H77BbPsXyZHCf3VG3jsO6bHQtEm0KCPlH16N71GoxzZ9C8Pzfa19Tky0lW3I7nkGzx4O-m_64mHwXrkECpvDotJiQ_1OxjQWBNJpfSl6S2mXljZ4myZ9PkeAhIZ7MuPE_tBsikw/s640/IMG_0608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDktsy7Gu-k8mdg4E3YYcOVLxOA47xQeeGK3Cf0TGqGr0IPWQyer4H77BbPsXyZHCf3VG3jsO6bHQtEm0KCPlH16N71GoxzZ9C8Pzfa19Tky0lW3I7nkGzx4O-m_64mHwXrkECpvDotJiQ_1OxjQWBNJpfSl6S2mXljZ4myZ9PkeAhIZ7MuPE_tBsikw/s320/IMG_0608.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It can be only the French who wear high heels while riding a scooter!</div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p></div>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-75732675096550127602023-03-04T12:32:00.008-08:002023-03-20T08:23:59.281-07:00I'm Changing the Name of "In Search of the American Dream"<h1 style="text-align: left;"><b>Saying Goodbye to the Old Blog Name</b></h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Norma Hopcraft</h3><p>My mother once introduced herself at a little talk she gave as a person who had lived the American Dream. My father and she made it happen together.</p><p>My father started his career right out of high school, lower than the secretaries, he told me, adding columns of numbers in the insurance business. After years of struggle and setbacks, he rose through the ranks. He retired from a corner office at the top of a skyscraper in New York City's Financial District, with a view of the East River, where in summer he sailed his 36-foot sailboat.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.sailboatlistings.com/sailimg/m/63684/__1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://m.sailboatlistings.com/sailimg/m/63684/__1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>My mother's role in all this was to be a helpmeet. She started out as a motherless child, raised by a great aunt and uncle in the Depression, collecting eggs from the chickens in the backyard. She worked as a secretary for a few years and was forced to quit when she got pregnant, which is how all companies operated in the 1950s--not that long ago. She took care of the kids, cooked, cleaned, and ironed Dad's shirts for 20 years, even in the height of summer, making the shirts crisper than a professional laundry, until Mom and Dad could afford to pay someone to do it. They never ate out for the first 20 years of their married life because it wasn't in the budget.</p><p>But Dad rose, and his dreams of being in charge of lots of people, saying to them, "It's time to jump," and the people saying "How high?" came true. He loved it, he told me. And he had his boat.</p><p>If all this sounds like high success on my parents' part, I'm only telling you the surface. You'll have to read my memoir, coming out in about a year, to know the truth.</p><p>But right now we're talking about the American Dream.</p><p>So along comes me, who decided 30 years ago to be a writer and to risk investing tons of time and energy in it to make my fortune. My American Dream was to write such great stuff that people would tell their friends about it, and sales would soar. I would retire early from my corporate career (such as it was -- marketing writers are not very high on the food chain) to write full time in the capitals of Europe, since I'd be able to afford lots of travel.</p><p>I still believed in it 12 years ago, when I started this blog as I traveled around the U.S. -- on a shoestring budget, taking the bus and staying in hostels, sleeping 12 or 24 people to a room. And I couldn't even afford that. I put it on a credit card and spent the next 8 years paying it off.</p><p>I wrote some great books, in my opinion, and got some great reviews, but the books didn't catch fire the way I hoped.</p><p>Now I'm restarting my blog after a one-year hiatus, and I had to take a long, hard look at the name. I'm wondering if I still believe in the American Dream. My American Dream died a painful death over the last five years as I faced the reality that my books had not outperformed the other 33 million books on Amazon. I resolved -- to be honest, I resigned myself -- that I would write just for excellence, just for the glory of God (as did my favorite composer, J.S. Bach), just to make my own small contribution to the culture of the world. I expunged fame and fortune from my hopes and dreams. </p><p>But is that really what I want?</p><p>I've always believed in having a BHAG, a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, as one of the writers on corporate excellence puts it. My BHAG was to give readers something fun, funny, interesting, thought-provoking to read. And I wanted my work to lead to a full-time writing life. My dream didn't come true the way I envisioned it. I didn't get to retire at 55, but I'll retire eventually, in my late 60s, to write fulltime. So in a way my dream of retiring to write fulltime is coming true, just not the way I'd hoped.</p><p>I'm glad to report I have 3 books out there and 3 books nearing completion. I think they're fun, funny, interesting, and might provoke some thought. </p><p>But I had wanted that financial piece.</p><p>For years I drew lots of energy from my American Dream of making money, energy that's vital to a long, protracted apprenticeship in writing. To be honest, I don't get that same surge of energy from dreaming solely about excellence. But would dreaming once again of fame and fortune make a dupe out of me? Dreaming of it gives energy, but it's not a good reason to write, according to writers who have written acclaimed books. Maybe it could still happen, though I'll be too old to do much more with it than pass it on to the younger generation -- and it might not be good for them.</p><p>The important thing is to serve people, to serve my readers, to serve my Higher Power (whom I call Emmanuel), with excellence in every undertaking.</p><p>What are your thoughts? Is the American Dream still alive? Do only a very few, exceptionally educated, talented and lucky people get to make theirs come true anymore? To do what my father did these days, you'd have to have an MBA from Harvard. But why are immigrants still coming to our country believing in the American Dream more vividly than any native-born American?</p><p>I'm still in search of my dream, refining and revising it as I go. </p><p>What's your opinion on all this? What do you think of the American Dream? </p><p>Please comment below!</p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-13520378653704267312023-02-25T09:26:00.000-08:002023-02-25T09:26:30.992-08:00I Got a Fragment of My American Dream--but still working on it<p>I live in Rochester, NY, now. Yes, I'm a snob about cities. I commuted to New York City for 25 years, then I lived in Paris for a year, Barcelona for 3 months, Brooklyn for four years. </p><p>Rochester does not have the cache of any of those cities. </p><p>But it can be an amazing place. </p><p>It hosts the world's longest running international film festival, and it's the only film festival that provides feedback and critique to each filmmaker.</p><p>It houses the world's largest collection of American classic films. That's because Kodak is based here, and most of the American classics were filmed in Kodak film.</p><p>It hosts a long-running international jazz festival.</p><p>And it has an interesting art museum. </p><p>It recently hosted an exhibit of Egyptian sculptures that had been chipped away at -- mutilated.</p><p>The exhibit was full of fragments of statues. I find fragments more interesting than whole things.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzHLpLPI4u9jqdkE-4dilBPyxex8lM9vDMIcd3vowMKdYMv8-2f1Csr1V0-FRcl-Cpk7E58W1EN62uEO-47yHPNhFU2EY8aPKl-KdwTFAjAGypwe9jxDh_hk1qtGR85bxDLP1bdiFA6jqAYfwh60pGqoblKvIH05WQ_wtqT7dSTYEeVGVi1hTXrRnYw/s4032/IMG_2019.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzHLpLPI4u9jqdkE-4dilBPyxex8lM9vDMIcd3vowMKdYMv8-2f1Csr1V0-FRcl-Cpk7E58W1EN62uEO-47yHPNhFU2EY8aPKl-KdwTFAjAGypwe9jxDh_hk1qtGR85bxDLP1bdiFA6jqAYfwh60pGqoblKvIH05WQ_wtqT7dSTYEeVGVi1hTXrRnYw/w300-h400/IMG_2019.jpeg" title="fragments of an American Dream" width="300" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>These sculptures were attacked thousands of years ago because the ancient Egyptians believed that statues of kings had inherent power, that they actually embodied the spirit and authority of each king. When they wanted to malign a king's reign and legacy, they chipped off the royal symbols on a statue -- the upright cobra on the headdress, the stripes on the headdress, the royal beard. They chipped off the eyes or nose so the spirit of the king couldn't see or breathe.</p><p>Fragments of statues are like my life. I started out whole (I think--don't children start out undamaged? a <i>tabula rasa</i>, a blank slate?) and then life happened. Plans and desires and longings went unfulfilled. I ended up with just a fragment of what I thought I wanted. And what I wanted was very much shaped and inspired by being an American, being brought up in times when it seemed like the sky was no limit.</p><p>I wanted lots of money from my writing, lots of travel, a big house to float through.</p><p>What I got was different. It's a fragment of my big, big American dream.</p><p>So now I'm sorting among my fragments, among the things that remain. Thank God I have my health, I have a growing sense of God's love for me, I have a family here in Rochester to spend happy time with, I have my driving desire to write--to connect with people, to give people something worthy and nourishing to think about. </p><p>What are your fragments? What remains of your hopes and dreams?</p><p>What's driving you these days? Want to make some art? Leave something behind?</p><p>Perhaps take some inspiration from these ancient fragments:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5Cz88UQ8Ao6IqR0rwTgmatsj--LkNhp7fz3lV_OGGP8dq9b8GMvBaNC3P8YPlWzXxT-Zzoml0R3FIUr8X6djbCbaA0ofE_MylqZTWNO_xpRDdPBeSKBZ5zU1oKjrEfjM75RlkXCltRPvg8OKr9jhEk8DLVHnSD2znUB9UyyNlc_S86Q6s46__BKrwg/s4032/IMG_2022.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5Cz88UQ8Ao6IqR0rwTgmatsj--LkNhp7fz3lV_OGGP8dq9b8GMvBaNC3P8YPlWzXxT-Zzoml0R3FIUr8X6djbCbaA0ofE_MylqZTWNO_xpRDdPBeSKBZ5zU1oKjrEfjM75RlkXCltRPvg8OKr9jhEk8DLVHnSD2znUB9UyyNlc_S86Q6s46__BKrwg/w300-h400/IMG_2022.jpeg" title="fragments of an American Dream" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnr1aKmIgQl0wOJzxnr6ZkGigqkxRbMVUhAkNAHyWT93FLx8ez4iOieWYz16koqjcpOvlRinTiS-Eitk5qIZXKdUKsmhEwvBAgh0F6KoCzxkZ-njACTK8tI5on_rwii1cp2g5JNZNc2C9ipAJ5ssiGUZigWeA9RtU9KSVakV_5VCrseQ578b9MVoTXw/s4032/IMG_2025.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnr1aKmIgQl0wOJzxnr6ZkGigqkxRbMVUhAkNAHyWT93FLx8ez4iOieWYz16koqjcpOvlRinTiS-Eitk5qIZXKdUKsmhEwvBAgh0F6KoCzxkZ-njACTK8tI5on_rwii1cp2g5JNZNc2C9ipAJ5ssiGUZigWeA9RtU9KSVakV_5VCrseQ578b9MVoTXw/w300-h400/IMG_2025.jpeg" title="fragments of an American Dream" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibs_Eteq3HhrHoSQYva51GqeekK_fIf7FmscFkZAej__RZGOJo46_54TEnylLCBiYh7OHq1IXxKoAp-NtSFg3KGVa5gUhwLz-L7R9KXwWrjP2KLJwKM4-H9FcIQauYThIgxmelo36mwz6InX6ohNo0P_MMUFbml1XxMPNzoju39xu4nMaSX90ZqYRTjA/s4032/IMG_2027.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibs_Eteq3HhrHoSQYva51GqeekK_fIf7FmscFkZAej__RZGOJo46_54TEnylLCBiYh7OHq1IXxKoAp-NtSFg3KGVa5gUhwLz-L7R9KXwWrjP2KLJwKM4-H9FcIQauYThIgxmelo36mwz6InX6ohNo0P_MMUFbml1XxMPNzoju39xu4nMaSX90ZqYRTjA/w300-h400/IMG_2027.jpeg" title="fragments of an American Dream" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hAPfV6w0C0Gb3kuWixGTGkHukE19Jcwu5-9asygfRPO6m4AumTomc2QBwcOakJ99s5bddtyi1vK777ZA-WghVxLRJbdA2h948Bdm1G9cJi869roe8HQICh1IYEa4ZyTEjSv-CsEtekLn67nk_i9MmEWA60FB5PVeBsXDZL1BVB93XR5Q2B9cTcTWDw/s4032/IMG_2028.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hAPfV6w0C0Gb3kuWixGTGkHukE19Jcwu5-9asygfRPO6m4AumTomc2QBwcOakJ99s5bddtyi1vK777ZA-WghVxLRJbdA2h948Bdm1G9cJi869roe8HQICh1IYEa4ZyTEjSv-CsEtekLn67nk_i9MmEWA60FB5PVeBsXDZL1BVB93XR5Q2B9cTcTWDw/w300-h400/IMG_2028.jpeg" title="fragments of an American Dream" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbHoNhTQ__cBcYCTWo1Ucu1SQoMiINq5aPCDltpn9ArkQ7EL0rNaP7D1jgpOKXtLnjj0N0qZ-GdF8KFnqQ85dp5K28K3zEeMnn9IX43VCbzomA7Z8kAjvVwzyJcW-ZC0Ibasy-XQprGVTX6Ftbl090Ny0z9IBA5xZydkmpDaW9iKIChP3CiKdVbkLdg/s4032/IMG_2021.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbHoNhTQ__cBcYCTWo1Ucu1SQoMiINq5aPCDltpn9ArkQ7EL0rNaP7D1jgpOKXtLnjj0N0qZ-GdF8KFnqQ85dp5K28K3zEeMnn9IX43VCbzomA7Z8kAjvVwzyJcW-ZC0Ibasy-XQprGVTX6Ftbl090Ny0z9IBA5xZydkmpDaW9iKIChP3CiKdVbkLdg/w300-h400/IMG_2021.jpeg" title="fragments of an American Dream" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>Here's another post of mine that involve fragments:</p><p><a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2019/07/walden-pond-providence-ri.html" target="_blank">Bits of sculptures and architectural details in Providence, RI</a></p><p>Isn't the face above beautiful? Let's make something beautiful today. Comment below!</p>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-72904320284775732102021-09-16T16:35:00.028-07:002021-10-12T06:13:12.544-07:00Light and Space for Your American Dream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By Norma Hopcraft</h3><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Writers are artists of words, images, ideas, moods.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Painters are artists of images and feeling.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Musicians are artists of notes and feeling.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Architects are artists of light and space and feeling.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The best architects, like the other artists, help us to feel affirmed in our humanity.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m crazy about historic commercial architecture, which you’ll find plenty of in Providence, RI (pics below). I like it because these buildings were built to be, and still are, places where people sit in light and space, which architects skillfully divided, and work to make their dreams come true.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Providence itself is a city of light, space, and air. It's rich in historic commercial architecture and water views. It’s on huge Narragansett Bay, and the Providence and Woonasquatucket rivers flow through it. There’s always a breeze.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ttYS4HguO8joe_-CjyQ9qYk7RZewK_u3ppU4EnVVuXRikR1m6hyphenhyphenlfipJ9oH4dWzAgNHXe6XdJJupgEfuC8R37UBkXylXdXRSbWjY3MDcG8VYvnrRhlErsRZwYcFpOr-k7qYHX7-xSwTA/s1280/IMG_4087.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ttYS4HguO8joe_-CjyQ9qYk7RZewK_u3ppU4EnVVuXRikR1m6hyphenhyphenlfipJ9oH4dWzAgNHXe6XdJJupgEfuC8R37UBkXylXdXRSbWjY3MDcG8VYvnrRhlErsRZwYcFpOr-k7qYHX7-xSwTA/s320/IMG_4087.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">A sculpture along the Providence River</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvy1ov7oEkAriLONLyeYdHyt_l_wlO6BLIpaqBHgWSF3ZnKq5kgA_jCu_pKU_5ZTGCFpesxhAjLPupLw7Mzc4SHW-0qeFrdGxnupRMcOwc1Ec-dKOWYSHS2ToHafYhCAS-XMtNfWuMrE6/s1280/IMG_4091.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvy1ov7oEkAriLONLyeYdHyt_l_wlO6BLIpaqBHgWSF3ZnKq5kgA_jCu_pKU_5ZTGCFpesxhAjLPupLw7Mzc4SHW-0qeFrdGxnupRMcOwc1Ec-dKOWYSHS2ToHafYhCAS-XMtNfWuMrE6/s320/IMG_4091.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">A fragment of the sculpture</span></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let me digress quickly to Rochester, NY, where I live now in an apartment full of light, air, and nicely proportioned space. It’s in a 100-year-old building, so I dub it historic.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s always a breeze in this city, too, so near a humungous lake—Ontario. So when I open my south- and east-facing windows, a breeze barrels through, so much so that my little living space feels fresh, like standing on the deck of a boat. I like that. I grew up on a small sailboat, so the breeze ignites memories. As much as weather permits, my windows are open. It's mid-October and they're still open, even in Rochester.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is where I’m now pursuing my writerly American dreams, after a difficult four years in <span class="s1" style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Brooklyn</span>. You would think, “New York City: a creative person’s paradise,” but in the immense city, with teeming millions of strangers full of near-maniacal energy, I got very disconnected, very lonely, no matter how many friends I called.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now, I’m near family, making new friends, and working on my memoir (unfortunately, I have a memoir-worthy life). I’m also fiddling with a novel set in – no, not Rochester, but Brooklyn. It's about a theater set designer, a person flourishing in NYC, though struggling with directors and actors and costume designers in the theater world.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Recently I had an artistic breakthrough in my writing in Rochester that I’d like to offer you, because it will probably help you. To do so, I’ll tell a story of failure—mine.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For most of my writing career, I’ve sent pieces to literary magazine editors that I revised, rehashed, and refined to within an inch of the piece’s life. After 25 years of rejection slips (Stephen King and his spike filled with rejections have nothing on me), I stopped submitting work to create time to self-publish three novels. They’ve gotten good reviews but they haven’t broken through. A crushing of my American Dream of financial success from my books.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Recently I saw a segment on the PBS Newshour about black women trying to break through in the country music world. White female singers have long complained that they get much less airtime than white male musicians. Can you imagine how much harder it is for a black woman, especially in a Southern-rooted genre?</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The reporter interviewed several black female artists. One of them said a life-changing thing for me. Brittney Spencer happens to be breaking through quite well, and she said:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“I no longer ask if it’s good enough, I ask if it’s me enough.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So I’m no longer asking is this novel/memoir/poem/blog post “good enough”, but is it “me” enough? Have I infused it with the wry humor that I love to read myself? Does this piece express the emotional truth I experienced in that situation?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It gives me light and space to let a piece breathe. A beautiful breeze off Lake Ontario that was born in the Canadian wilderness can now pour through the windows. Maybe it will mean acceptance from those meanies, the literary editors.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I don’t know what wry humor would look like in architecture, but I do know whimsy, and you’ll find it amongst the pics of Providence below.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If and when you begin travelling again, consider Providence as a destination for creative inspiration. The historic commercial architecture will lift your spirits.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Plus Providence is a foodie town, with Johnson & Wales culinary school and tons of restaurants and cafes. Rhode Island ocean beaches are only ½-hour away in Newport, and you can tour the mansions of incredibly wealth Americans, if you’re into that sort of thing (i.e., seeing how other people’s American Dream came fabulously true.) You must guarantee me that you won’t compare and despair, an activity that derails me often. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On top of all those goodies in Providence, you can take a boat ride—<a href="https://www.gondolari.com/" target="_blank">in a gondola</a>, no less!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Providence light and space, in the form of architecture, gondolas, and bridges, are shown to you below. How about you? Does Brittney Spencer’s words help you in art or life? Comment below!</span></p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBWMwtCFhxdQ4SnCHdj7dgGAdZm-uxVcB4_Zjprr4YoRsu658WeJCyN5XFTCOQrlkss6JbQlvYf6ZL18isd2xjxS-98rl53VxtvGLFsyPcMn_nAz9yo8ceS7Dz8o0BoXlG2bhpgLrG6f1/s1600/IMG_4088.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBWMwtCFhxdQ4SnCHdj7dgGAdZm-uxVcB4_Zjprr4YoRsu658WeJCyN5XFTCOQrlkss6JbQlvYf6ZL18isd2xjxS-98rl53VxtvGLFsyPcMn_nAz9yo8ceS7Dz8o0BoXlG2bhpgLrG6f1/w300-h400/IMG_4088.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I find it interesting that a fragment of something can be more interesting than the whole.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRCu2YmKXTBmwSGdvLtlS_eNCbaTCVLvobtA8_rpA_uZKFD5eK547L6DBp_ICiE5Yho1kNRwChfv_qFVV6LJVtXXVAylRJxbbyyDJDTCk2dKD09RDaLyUYP6vuj9kIPDn3W471fNHwv1r/s1600/IMG_4089.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRCu2YmKXTBmwSGdvLtlS_eNCbaTCVLvobtA8_rpA_uZKFD5eK547L6DBp_ICiE5Yho1kNRwChfv_qFVV6LJVtXXVAylRJxbbyyDJDTCk2dKD09RDaLyUYP6vuj9kIPDn3W471fNHwv1r/w400-h300/IMG_4089.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A former power plant partially turned into condos.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7gFmg3ERQXigCGwbx4K4j_GXnzYTNrSVSDPxGC1cYPF5A-Ztb-r7I_9untonP6ruJPIXPmwoefxARWOG-XU-bu0wbwsoMfIFtTFSoqA6Vu9ANWCNuXGKKp690xEHSjBhudlZckYAuw_J/s1600/IMG_4091.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7gFmg3ERQXigCGwbx4K4j_GXnzYTNrSVSDPxGC1cYPF5A-Ztb-r7I_9untonP6ruJPIXPmwoefxARWOG-XU-bu0wbwsoMfIFtTFSoqA6Vu9ANWCNuXGKKp690xEHSjBhudlZckYAuw_J/w300-h400/IMG_4091.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Dinosaur teeth?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASSdYakloQpKlgMJ9woCXxIiL4Tzn-jIQFDMxvLwugoultJPSHCWQEAMlq74zoAMv4iak47SeICGP_3a-nFGfRSMYo2dTIcaHUakE4Mmy4-y5s7ppa0SMQBSaMU3kD41NirObP-ZK7GUP/s1600/IMG_4092.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASSdYakloQpKlgMJ9woCXxIiL4Tzn-jIQFDMxvLwugoultJPSHCWQEAMlq74zoAMv4iak47SeICGP_3a-nFGfRSMYo2dTIcaHUakE4Mmy4-y5s7ppa0SMQBSaMU3kD41NirObP-ZK7GUP/w300-h400/IMG_4092.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This sculpture is near the Rhode Island School of Design. The designer may have graduated from there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd5SHKCocQRpkvXBUVy55MwK79cDU_hyddBOiuiXDqJBmYib8anegUe8ouInTXzpJIq0ztDyfU1hC3nOtylXhcpqEt8DhNXacdQ5pYTTRTZkjuFp_-ovHVB_6eAVV-SWTkMzYT5HkPyen/s1600/IMG_4093.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd5SHKCocQRpkvXBUVy55MwK79cDU_hyddBOiuiXDqJBmYib8anegUe8ouInTXzpJIq0ztDyfU1hC3nOtylXhcpqEt8DhNXacdQ5pYTTRTZkjuFp_-ovHVB_6eAVV-SWTkMzYT5HkPyen/w300-h400/IMG_4093.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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More river views toward downtown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1X5UZCmoN8Uo4sv025ha9M3CSWbdBaMg2Cpsus12WR2PusFYZI3mAxo8Q8En72opTDbWanhnN1TmnRPUMZHzO2i8-k3ry3PwfiIfsxt6lNaxHsb-Kpjtj763m3UnEznEGtp6V1AqJFjXW/s1600/IMG_4094.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1X5UZCmoN8Uo4sv025ha9M3CSWbdBaMg2Cpsus12WR2PusFYZI3mAxo8Q8En72opTDbWanhnN1TmnRPUMZHzO2i8-k3ry3PwfiIfsxt6lNaxHsb-Kpjtj763m3UnEznEGtp6V1AqJFjXW/w300-h400/IMG_4094.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The river was busy with boat traffic.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRc-BXRnZ70yuXCbIubldQxBiNqi7fr7p6vzXHoERD-ZMhsXS6gzJUlOX2SHTiZDXVsL8Sw9HN4SBnAzQ1YqhCo4e-j0w9bsX0uGCSY4UewYRCOPNLRXsDkbw3h-KV-Qp1byH7fNTr2ej/s1600/IMG_4095.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRc-BXRnZ70yuXCbIubldQxBiNqi7fr7p6vzXHoERD-ZMhsXS6gzJUlOX2SHTiZDXVsL8Sw9HN4SBnAzQ1YqhCo4e-j0w9bsX0uGCSY4UewYRCOPNLRXsDkbw3h-KV-Qp1byH7fNTr2ej/w300-h400/IMG_4095.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The gondolier wasn't singing but giving a spoken guided tour.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjh4BzENlcfbMcJDDAhzrunxK0oda8EO71_zzEvS9dhl6vvE5Cd1aoqioxqfQk4IO_RDR6EgQJqScsUQ2IrBdtT072INawjzpLeKy8x3RSOqEwUKJfwvpWENynuGuqoE7Wp8ImsrsLRr4/s1600/IMG_4099.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjh4BzENlcfbMcJDDAhzrunxK0oda8EO71_zzEvS9dhl6vvE5Cd1aoqioxqfQk4IO_RDR6EgQJqScsUQ2IrBdtT072INawjzpLeKy8x3RSOqEwUKJfwvpWENynuGuqoE7Wp8ImsrsLRr4/w300-h400/IMG_4099.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is the architecture I love -- detailed, gracious, interesting.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_F8RgGJjDhbK-5EHleqN1rj4x221UTfC9k_k2fJhurhVaomqojcY6EL7bRq7HVUE8scwj0WOrUofIp63985YYgDeq9R8CMK9wBkFrmtTamTfzk_XEcVSKxKwqHhbJ3DfWD6Q8rEwvIP3g/s1600/IMG_4100.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_F8RgGJjDhbK-5EHleqN1rj4x221UTfC9k_k2fJhurhVaomqojcY6EL7bRq7HVUE8scwj0WOrUofIp63985YYgDeq9R8CMK9wBkFrmtTamTfzk_XEcVSKxKwqHhbJ3DfWD6Q8rEwvIP3g/w300-h400/IMG_4100.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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One project was halted after the historic facade was saved (on the opposite side) and the wall propped up. Then the mural painters got to work.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FuhmfyoXhIXtsdkM6v_9TcLoDczf5CTLo1DvWyiANWs9Vvt7HxUbxHvKj7ri4S2VG9XElp1ZX-6PMKpQ8MPo4vn5g5GUlD6dtl2C7-wb1AnAZ1QiGqCNzHbM3wur26wcbdYSWZeGpVDl/s1600/IMG_4101.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FuhmfyoXhIXtsdkM6v_9TcLoDczf5CTLo1DvWyiANWs9Vvt7HxUbxHvKj7ri4S2VG9XElp1ZX-6PMKpQ8MPo4vn5g5GUlD6dtl2C7-wb1AnAZ1QiGqCNzHbM3wur26wcbdYSWZeGpVDl/w300-h400/IMG_4101.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Another angle.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxi0lLDS0DsAh1kCpKL7xq2Sv5Ea-ld_E6E3bHV0AFgLgu-BpAgSsEX7HW2-99TmEmGxhV9UTVzz8zZCRAur1xj9x8T-fq3tvPY0yd53SS_o-53rJt3CdiGnlrNUkmxBg29MDGWqicB_8/s1600/IMG_4102.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxi0lLDS0DsAh1kCpKL7xq2Sv5Ea-ld_E6E3bHV0AFgLgu-BpAgSsEX7HW2-99TmEmGxhV9UTVzz8zZCRAur1xj9x8T-fq3tvPY0yd53SS_o-53rJt3CdiGnlrNUkmxBg29MDGWqicB_8/w300-h400/IMG_4102.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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More historic commercial architecture that brings distinction to the downtown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanTF67zer5guYfhyphenhyphend-0Seh0NOeffO8g29BvebQpAEjkO0SIUewJOepj0u1ngi93HALMrZOJn_bVlZvIKlOVBCQpeA_OM7ubB7iARASOZcjuaAT30o4Gj6EFKV0MRkQLpH7rjQI0_uol1l/s1600/IMG_4103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanTF67zer5guYfhyphenhyphend-0Seh0NOeffO8g29BvebQpAEjkO0SIUewJOepj0u1ngi93HALMrZOJn_bVlZvIKlOVBCQpeA_OM7ubB7iARASOZcjuaAT30o4Gj6EFKV0MRkQLpH7rjQI0_uol1l/w300-h400/IMG_4103.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Look at the details around the windows -- each floor is different!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoj5YxgjAgbgOjtQBzYhcraQ0xhc7TC1ClvBu0QSuTf36rei9W9j-BkmIskv7JUO6Qp72s6NShvuo4wUKBA5lXKjZKiAnF4B1RZWCl5d8vENbDhgZiuT3jMtosCqdYiR2g7tDLQ86brNb/s1600/IMG_4105.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoj5YxgjAgbgOjtQBzYhcraQ0xhc7TC1ClvBu0QSuTf36rei9W9j-BkmIskv7JUO6Qp72s6NShvuo4wUKBA5lXKjZKiAnF4B1RZWCl5d8vENbDhgZiuT3jMtosCqdYiR2g7tDLQ86brNb/w300-h400/IMG_4105.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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A mural. Just cuz.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkG9Y-HHznSkKMul2KawLbAmFlupwHWyaPDm2VjEn3x_WZ1J305l9ov1_9Z8Gi_BNrkzyV-LSkg_1bKEwg8fLoiQoXERqC_Tomc3c2jaKl9KzqTje070gGob23x2oxhackiPj_lVlMqXm/s1600/IMG_4106.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkG9Y-HHznSkKMul2KawLbAmFlupwHWyaPDm2VjEn3x_WZ1J305l9ov1_9Z8Gi_BNrkzyV-LSkg_1bKEwg8fLoiQoXERqC_Tomc3c2jaKl9KzqTje070gGob23x2oxhackiPj_lVlMqXm/w300-h400/IMG_4106.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Looking up in an indoor shopping arcade.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtb3nHOw5ubIN_8Qz88ZY3QjYJvj5OvpSEcNL9uR2wtv2dnBBZfEkEY6S3nx-jbRExBGWY-qOHZ5mazfOLru3hk_VrB4f3jK42Dusu5ATrZFSFvXjgmmUyqDGqDPSJDaZIkel_qYkS_KR/s1600/IMG_4108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtb3nHOw5ubIN_8Qz88ZY3QjYJvj5OvpSEcNL9uR2wtv2dnBBZfEkEY6S3nx-jbRExBGWY-qOHZ5mazfOLru3hk_VrB4f3jK42Dusu5ATrZFSFvXjgmmUyqDGqDPSJDaZIkel_qYkS_KR/w300-h400/IMG_4108.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Light and space in the arcade.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzjDx__CrkFuvCNabAPF6_XdQFEqpRQ2scjGc1cjbAFcyXUEVBaCKD_kJLCAkZHENj6AsGFG2WWVMUzEfMclGKj2QPujRitzaOH5iX0Np3P7rGDhFeOIAew4WmHfmoMmwpoVtuS0zFSoO/s1600/IMG_4109.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzjDx__CrkFuvCNabAPF6_XdQFEqpRQ2scjGc1cjbAFcyXUEVBaCKD_kJLCAkZHENj6AsGFG2WWVMUzEfMclGKj2QPujRitzaOH5iX0Np3P7rGDhFeOIAew4WmHfmoMmwpoVtuS0zFSoO/w300-h400/IMG_4109.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The interior of a fancy restaurant. I felt like I was in Paris!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwX1O1xlLKI9-4yltmCLZxbV1k03wyrsoIQJ9rl5qeXZ7SIxdJe7QtMnyfxcDER6F6Z8YU2xVFT58LGMVonmSPAfGwn0iLmIm18X_3pPkf6FFOkrj92o9QWH-tdkY4R-3wNfe7XcyAV-TH/s1600/IMG_4110.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwX1O1xlLKI9-4yltmCLZxbV1k03wyrsoIQJ9rl5qeXZ7SIxdJe7QtMnyfxcDER6F6Z8YU2xVFT58LGMVonmSPAfGwn0iLmIm18X_3pPkf6FFOkrj92o9QWH-tdkY4R-3wNfe7XcyAV-TH/w300-h400/IMG_4110.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The details in this facade -- can anybody design and build something like this any more?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVIMUc-VAQ8gQ3ABxzcPSiXCbcuXCBBlOiaPueiPPCBjSo9jqOS3nK-ABNEVCceLjahqvnn0mnNDA2pdd7GCFFZ3SyUt-RkK2dbr7UHUmSlHT5nbEqofc9cXrar8MEZlMxGEx6mmJmryN/s1600/IMG_4111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVIMUc-VAQ8gQ3ABxzcPSiXCbcuXCBBlOiaPueiPPCBjSo9jqOS3nK-ABNEVCceLjahqvnn0mnNDA2pdd7GCFFZ3SyUt-RkK2dbr7UHUmSlHT5nbEqofc9cXrar8MEZlMxGEx6mmJmryN/w300-h400/IMG_4111.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The entrance is catty-corner under the arches.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJB0sm79ovs61fvsBBECbDmzSManOQH1Dv_qvZirxe2ugKeUlh3DEZYXtx4-8IeJ36mNQKl1PtfgI_y8RRil1Wt8A8EgHeuPPhZ4pVP3eon9FrQpwxlgzC_ml-JhxR66a5akr9xczfn3R/s1600/IMG_4114.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJB0sm79ovs61fvsBBECbDmzSManOQH1Dv_qvZirxe2ugKeUlh3DEZYXtx4-8IeJ36mNQKl1PtfgI_y8RRil1Wt8A8EgHeuPPhZ4pVP3eon9FrQpwxlgzC_ml-JhxR66a5akr9xczfn3R/w400-h300/IMG_4114.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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a very big, life-like mural.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQ8Q8cR_p3nrzNYa3wpZR2GlpV-kFQtBojLr-lOCxPO9l2sXtyrXGyIhdWDzqEHxlhEFdkNFyZzZBCYm7almEzEogjTlL-Tg_Fmr7jmoN7PSihPQYVNa9mqM6h1FzfY9fCBsc6gXcDj6P/s1600/IMG_4115.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQ8Q8cR_p3nrzNYa3wpZR2GlpV-kFQtBojLr-lOCxPO9l2sXtyrXGyIhdWDzqEHxlhEFdkNFyZzZBCYm7almEzEogjTlL-Tg_Fmr7jmoN7PSihPQYVNa9mqM6h1FzfY9fCBsc6gXcDj6P/w300-h400/IMG_4115.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Whimsy in the downtown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEkmKSmYTMwU10GhMjoSZFDec2IBroHyoKfie8m6yDOk8gGpxwPAyhf6BWQjSHIaQdox1nDJANpvVNQhQ0RxDvfYThokCNfSLMv7akBADzVDZZXB8eUcP1EafJURztIf8zWNutU1kKLoe/s1600/IMG_4116.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEkmKSmYTMwU10GhMjoSZFDec2IBroHyoKfie8m6yDOk8gGpxwPAyhf6BWQjSHIaQdox1nDJANpvVNQhQ0RxDvfYThokCNfSLMv7akBADzVDZZXB8eUcP1EafJURztIf8zWNutU1kKLoe/w300-h400/IMG_4116.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Beautiful wood carving as well as brickwork.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHggNAyvPjZ_s6yiwR1V-eXde8yioRcsx2bheEl1LeMwKJ5wE58jip5rRv23FD_Z5SRS5E5fOJmdNu-KDrC0NZ36dcYiZcpZEJBx2gmkJu2bg0BBBAZ1u2DNC1ikhlrNlDrxihbIInqKl/s1600/IMG_4117.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHggNAyvPjZ_s6yiwR1V-eXde8yioRcsx2bheEl1LeMwKJ5wE58jip5rRv23FD_Z5SRS5E5fOJmdNu-KDrC0NZ36dcYiZcpZEJBx2gmkJu2bg0BBBAZ1u2DNC1ikhlrNlDrxihbIInqKl/w300-h400/IMG_4117.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Another gorgeous facade.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcW6TntZNy3lJRtosVij-t2w0NpCYSgksj0XMijY4IlGLlfr_AM6FMOnds2K_Xlk10W0i3AlZmu07CgzW1SsgWrYWae6dP4csCjbYiDMniuIPnU5lLKbOFgFgEZ1-MR4L-touFQa2Gv9Di/s1600/IMG_4118.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcW6TntZNy3lJRtosVij-t2w0NpCYSgksj0XMijY4IlGLlfr_AM6FMOnds2K_Xlk10W0i3AlZmu07CgzW1SsgWrYWae6dP4csCjbYiDMniuIPnU5lLKbOFgFgEZ1-MR4L-touFQa2Gv9Di/w300-h400/IMG_4118.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I'm loving the windows.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTDMgzr_uqipp9nXeXVFsc8Vb-WV7WtX_wVL9ZBknRAGbyWbhUM0H-kJ7q28g_6WqJ4AjBeqLPnStSJ8WeNvkWceN3ItmPSoW4ZIqACF1p2UlB5wOjYjgLh1VChJROHcvKYDn6LES_O8T/s1600/IMG_4119.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTDMgzr_uqipp9nXeXVFsc8Vb-WV7WtX_wVL9ZBknRAGbyWbhUM0H-kJ7q28g_6WqJ4AjBeqLPnStSJ8WeNvkWceN3ItmPSoW4ZIqACF1p2UlB5wOjYjgLh1VChJROHcvKYDn6LES_O8T/w300-h400/IMG_4119.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here's an example of terrific stonework.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DvNZwQkl5g82P5FY28LcMYD2HbPqiKQuzytcXr6V_70JFkQi33F6AEGM_-Xc1D9hDTVRW0lp8mYFBf7qLWlBtlhU7JRrEP_TC82KJLCGyEcFtoQrwgkb3D_CUUVcVMwgRHIWeQmPVJvJ/s1600/IMG_4120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DvNZwQkl5g82P5FY28LcMYD2HbPqiKQuzytcXr6V_70JFkQi33F6AEGM_-Xc1D9hDTVRW0lp8mYFBf7qLWlBtlhU7JRrEP_TC82KJLCGyEcFtoQrwgkb3D_CUUVcVMwgRHIWeQmPVJvJ/w400-h300/IMG_4120.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A two-master, with raked masts, after getting through the drawbridge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0XY4dLaZoqn4QD8CGnkxzviCpRSITiX_M0eE0eNmeqVH_Vua2VW-wSSU6rVvXchbnhZQi5oIuPlcUV6lJS-QT8dn84ht7h2r0iBqWP4VrHVw2Bd7TOAWcqJe3IkcDd1QONSun0yWWuWJ/s1600/IMG_4121.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0XY4dLaZoqn4QD8CGnkxzviCpRSITiX_M0eE0eNmeqVH_Vua2VW-wSSU6rVvXchbnhZQi5oIuPlcUV6lJS-QT8dn84ht7h2r0iBqWP4VrHVw2Bd7TOAWcqJe3IkcDd1QONSun0yWWuWJ/w400-h300/IMG_4121.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Raked masts are tilted toward the stern just slightly. How about you? Been to Providence? Do you enjoy historic commercial architecture? Relishing light and space these days? Comment below!</div>
<br />In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-37090952920475391612021-05-06T06:24:00.004-07:002021-10-12T06:09:40.463-07:00Escape to Walden Pond<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In Search of My New American Writing Dream</span></h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">By Norma Hopcraft</h3><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In a pre-COVID escape from New York City, a tough place to live because of the non-stop noise, crowding, lines of people for every service, subways, dirt, asphalt, concrete, steel, exhaust fumes, millions upon millions of strangers rushing past me, I took Amtrak from NYC to Providence, RI in 2019 to visit my brother. We planned a trip to Walden Pond.<br /><br />To get ready for this trip, I read <i>Walden</i>, an American classic by Henry David Thoreau. I read about the fish, the loon, the war between ant colonies, the lake, while standing on the Q train, swaying as it pounded through the tunnels from my apartment in Brooklyn to my job in Manhattan. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The contrast between his simple, quiet, solitary life in the woods and mine, hurtling at high speed in a noisy steel tube, crushed between strangers, could not have been more stark.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><i>Walden </i>is fantastic nature writing. And philosophy. It challenges Americans today to consume less and live more simply.<br /><br />Thoreau was a bit of an oddball, it seems--which you might expect of someone who chose to live in the woods and eat mostly beans he farmed himself. He did go into nearby Concord nearly daily, apparently, so he did do plenty of socializing.<br /><br />But it was a little off beat. Here are the things he valued most when socializing: "I sat at a table where were rich food and wine in abundance, and obsequious attendance, but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away hungry from the inhospitable board. ...I called on the king, but he made me wait in his hall, and conducted like a man incapacitated for hospitality. There was a man in my neighborhood who lived in a hollow tree. His manners were truly regal. I should have done better had I called on him."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Enjoying this post? Please <a href="https://ctt.ac/cSpP3" target="_blank">Click to Tweet it!</a> Thanks!<br /><i><br /></i>Thoreau lived on Walden Pond in a house he built himself, approximately 8 feet x 10 feet. When I stepped into the replica (his actual cabin no longer exists), there was only space for a narrow cot, a fireplace, and a small table. I think he had two chairs, because he did get visitors.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Walden</i> is so worthwhile, and full of quirky observations like this one, in which he opines that the grand houses his neighbors lived in in Concord were similar to a forest creature's home, in that "It's basically a porch leading to a burrow."<br /><br />Cool, huh?<br /><br />He had more cool writing.<br /><br />About spring:<br /><br />"The grass flames up on the hillsides like a spring fire...as if the earth sent forth an inward heat to greet the returning sun; not yellow but green is the color of its flame."<br /><br />About truth:<br /><br />"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth."<br /><br />About being fully alive:<br /><br />"Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Other famous quotes:</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">“Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations.”</span></div><div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I find these last three particularly encouraging because I do end up alone so much that I have to suspect that I engineer my life that way, just as Thoreau did. So I'm in good company.</span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And I built castles in the air -- the castle of a comfortable amount in my retirement account thanks to the success of my books. Well, at least I have three books out in the world. I also have a memoir, a book of essays, and a new novel (set in Brooklyn, where I lived for four years) all well on their way to completion. I was ambitious, and worked hard, and did not make 100% of my dream come true. But six books written (Lord willing)? Not bad for a castle in the air.</span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My dream of comfortable retirement thanks to my writing had to die (yes, it was keen grieving for months over that one), but my new dream still has to do with writing. Like the quote from Thoreau above, I want my writing to reveal the truth. Beautifully.</span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The third quote means a lot to me because I've adored books and reading from the moment the little black squiggles on a page resolved themselves in my mind as, "See Sally run," and my imagination saw Sally running--wow! What a moment! I decided then I wanted to be a writer and return the gift I'd just been given, to create great pictures and stories in readers' minds. So I'm glad to see a kindred spirit in Thoreau, with his vast respect for books as treasures.</span></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4i7-GCgz6Z8XBYd2enB8YuEIavQVugsNi40PgIvzv422xAFlyoTpOH6u-3adxk9iRdPWdRgly6EflvkH1qmYGS4Un7AtA_U3E0EmkytKymOdGWcwefSEryLToh8h4BzaX0_rv3JuDJDU/s1600/IMG_4075.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4i7-GCgz6Z8XBYd2enB8YuEIavQVugsNi40PgIvzv422xAFlyoTpOH6u-3adxk9iRdPWdRgly6EflvkH1qmYGS4Un7AtA_U3E0EmkytKymOdGWcwefSEryLToh8h4BzaX0_rv3JuDJDU/w400-h300/IMG_4075.jpg" title="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Walden is now a state park, and people swim in the lake and sit on manmade beaches.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ihmWQzYZSXJzS9zPzI16LZeJHR7FVZCOrSNrgMIflBXXDlpEeD4__xDEpEsqJJZQhZwtIpXEYY9wAgkFGIXxqLXE-puQOFocymt5oxeD2V5Xo-dZgxE_juwK85BM5gmoSkCc0PVfZv4r/s1600/IMG_4076.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ihmWQzYZSXJzS9zPzI16LZeJHR7FVZCOrSNrgMIflBXXDlpEeD4__xDEpEsqJJZQhZwtIpXEYY9wAgkFGIXxqLXE-puQOFocymt5oxeD2V5Xo-dZgxE_juwK85BM5gmoSkCc0PVfZv4r/w300-h400/IMG_4076.jpg" title="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The path leading to the site of Thoreau's cabin (which no longer exists, but there are stone markers).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfGdiQSUMxJwUj1lRqX4PmJwvwJtlLm6u6dvOjMgfjASd7m0bx_q04M-BlUe72cSI_jRVqCiWgZNvoeZDeLz-Ld4XapplMmIPuLNK2tla6AYj0Ip1S-TjFAySFaYWx87Dfo1oWm078GZV//" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfGdiQSUMxJwUj1lRqX4PmJwvwJtlLm6u6dvOjMgfjASd7m0bx_q04M-BlUe72cSI_jRVqCiWgZNvoeZDeLz-Ld4XapplMmIPuLNK2tla6AYj0Ip1S-TjFAySFaYWx87Dfo1oWm078GZV//" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These are the markers on the site of his cabin, where he wrote the greater part of his world classic, "On Walden Pond." He lived in it for two years, two months and two days. This photo was taken by <span class="ArticleLeadArt_attribution__2HWZN" face="Graphik, -apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, roboto, "helvetica neue", "segoe ui", arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #5e6a74; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;">J. WALTER GREEN / AP</span></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicM9-cFqTBZzETT5WKknNNcllqgnrZEICmFOSe-ZY0DhFXOC-J3bQWyiap5F4-gWjpxhVnONSuiMT9nknOTfpoE2fqAeYKkZpFAjyhk1hkG8yD_5HJqTdaP_99J0Nl6kBG96OdurCepOJ-/s1600/IMG_4077.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicM9-cFqTBZzETT5WKknNNcllqgnrZEICmFOSe-ZY0DhFXOC-J3bQWyiap5F4-gWjpxhVnONSuiMT9nknOTfpoE2fqAeYKkZpFAjyhk1hkG8yD_5HJqTdaP_99J0Nl6kBG96OdurCepOJ-/s400/IMG_4077.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Walden is a popular spot. Thoreau used to have it all to himself, except for an occasional hunter, fisherman, or visitor to his cabin.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mM__yE45AWj01z-oe69efQtzPyzjADhAFelN64V4i77UOFEtw30A_K47upTTTjzj4Fa6OiXezrpDS1FEl6rfvY56vgw57jHQPa_wVzzoN0P7pr61LVjZSxJtQD8O_ARCxVdLcSzhXAw9/s1600/IMG_4078.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mM__yE45AWj01z-oe69efQtzPyzjADhAFelN64V4i77UOFEtw30A_K47upTTTjzj4Fa6OiXezrpDS1FEl6rfvY56vgw57jHQPa_wVzzoN0P7pr61LVjZSxJtQD8O_ARCxVdLcSzhXAw9/w400-h300/IMG_4078.jpg" title="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The water of the lake all comes from underground springs, so the water is very clear. There is no stream feeding the pond or exiting it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_lubSQC71ew4gX9NWYZcVCqZEv1fsZLiTwaFNIyoOxOqZMJmD58P4YIjrD3f1qrn8mRYHpwmnf0B8CKxzqRgb8hQ4so8HCnDNPEpkruq5xk_N5x9uyC85DYJ1h9XdUZZF1x7Q7Zs1gVS/s1600/IMG_4079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_lubSQC71ew4gX9NWYZcVCqZEv1fsZLiTwaFNIyoOxOqZMJmD58P4YIjrD3f1qrn8mRYHpwmnf0B8CKxzqRgb8hQ4so8HCnDNPEpkruq5xk_N5x9uyC85DYJ1h9XdUZZF1x7Q7Zs1gVS/w300-h400/IMG_4079.jpg" title="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A replica of his house, and a statue of Thoreau.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMZu-OYBG8OElGJaHYs0IhADQ3A1oVwNXpa2KBVoQ1e5xNsLKEanJo-TzEfmIr1y_zPtQ1tb4tM0Tsn_5Ucoycon54NLmnn1HjfZsXDUsUOGWESzHXzJuwIYwQcYJ7IlzRFdRmLsUfD2R/s1600/IMG_4081.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMZu-OYBG8OElGJaHYs0IhADQ3A1oVwNXpa2KBVoQ1e5xNsLKEanJo-TzEfmIr1y_zPtQ1tb4tM0Tsn_5Ucoycon54NLmnn1HjfZsXDUsUOGWESzHXzJuwIYwQcYJ7IlzRFdRmLsUfD2R/w300-h400/IMG_4081.jpg" title="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me, asking a deep question about consumption, non-conformity, and the meaning of life.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRfEPKiOOJ507ChatEIvSNNXGmqnXhf4ZeCiEckrhNt7-KaIQBYozUyCCdzh_iysuaRKPQKo-AU9vQd6Y9SbrtgbXCG1Z_tDm6ImrheEPFDcGLRx-B5yGrHQ67PsVBlkMMKLwhOiwOuco/s1600/IMG_4086.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRfEPKiOOJ507ChatEIvSNNXGmqnXhf4ZeCiEckrhNt7-KaIQBYozUyCCdzh_iysuaRKPQKo-AU9vQd6Y9SbrtgbXCG1Z_tDm6ImrheEPFDcGLRx-B5yGrHQ67PsVBlkMMKLwhOiwOuco/w300-h400/IMG_4086.jpg" title="the traveling writer in search of the american dream" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me outside the replica of Thoreau's cabin, so you can see the scale of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Enjoying this post? Please </span><a href="https://ctt.ac/cSpP3" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Click to Tweet it!</a><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> Thanks!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1862/08/thoreau/306418/" target="_blank">The Atlantic Magazine's article about him</a> says, "<span>Mr. Thoreau dedicated his genius with such entire love to the fields, hills, and waters of his native town, that he made them known and interesting to all reading Americans, and to people over the sea."</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>He left a huge contribution to the world in his writing. </span><span>When he died, the famous philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said of him: "</span><span>The country knows not yet, or in the least part, how great a son it has lost." How about you? Have you read <i>Walden?</i> Want to go there? Want to simplify? Comment below!</span></span></div></div>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-53458311500820738112021-03-06T08:15:00.008-08:002021-10-12T06:11:22.116-07:00American Dream: A Special Place You Return To<h2 style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fire Island Restores My Soul</span></h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By Norma Hopcraft</span></h3><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Yoga weekends--I'll never manage another one." Alison, the manager of my hiking club's cabin on Fire Island, dusted her hands together.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Why's that?" I asked.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I pause the story there to tell you a little about Fire Island. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">With this pandemic affecting our lives drastically for a year now, many of us have a pent-up desire to get out of the house and see new places -- or return to old favorites. </span></div></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For me, that's Fire Island. It's basically a 30-mile-long sandbar that runs parallel to the southern coast of Long Island, New York. The Atlantic breakers arrive there unblocked for thousands of miles and pound the sand with a roar that delights my ears.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvw6vHCv8qzhtBkWTwYOUgHN5XdpFb4vkuxTEnjtGajPEjEKjdeW5b4qlCGLovRMLQ6r-yjEkm7StTADstwQKW4OXCQP0ZrL4mcEM434rVvS0RgAC-Jlr5fYuYpPeSR1SBMIOanCeewtb/s1024/IMG_0036.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Traveling Writer In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvw6vHCv8qzhtBkWTwYOUgHN5XdpFb4vkuxTEnjtGajPEjEKjdeW5b4qlCGLovRMLQ6r-yjEkm7StTADstwQKW4OXCQP0ZrL4mcEM434rVvS0RgAC-Jlr5fYuYpPeSR1SBMIOanCeewtb/w640-h480/IMG_0036.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Water horses, with manes flying behind them in the wind, course onto the beach at Fire Island.</div><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Enjoying this post? <a href="https://ctt.ac/p_cUu">Click to Tweet it?</a> Thanks!</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It can be a pricey place to visit, but my hiking club has a cabin there, an inexpensive way to stay.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The fun thing about my hiking club cabin is that you never know who you're going to meet. One summer, on one of my four trips to Fire Island that season, I attended a yoga weekend at the cabin. I chatted with the manager, Alison. Managers work hard over the weekend, feeding everyone and keeping the place organized. But they do get to stay on Fire Island for free.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Alison dusted the corn meal clinging to her hands. She was working on dinner.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Yoga weekends--I'll never manage another one."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Why's that?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"This woman came in the kitchen this morning while I was making fruit salad for the cabin for breakfast. I had just finished slicing a banana and folding it into all the other fruit. She saw me throw the peel away and said, "Oh! I can't mix fruit with banana. It's not good for my system."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"So I picked all the banana slices out and put whole bananas on a plate, to be served next to the fruit salad."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />"Yes?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"And I saw the woman put fruit salad in a bowl. She grabbed a banana. A little while later her fruit bowl was empty and she was eating a banana! Sheesh! She's a little bananas to make me do all that extra work."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Even if some people stay at the cabin who are a little bananas, I still love it and go there as often as I can.</span></div></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I've been returning to the cabin for 10 or 12 years, but it was closed all last year. I missed it terribly. It's a place that feeds my soul with wildness, with natural beauty, with huge expanses of sky, sand, and sea. It feeds my eyes after being among the brick, concrete, asphalt, and razor wire of Manhattan and Brooklyn.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I go there to rest from the brutal noise of the city. I go to journal about my writing, to hone my craft. I go to rejuvenate and get in touch with my inner creative springs again.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Won't you please tell me a favorite place that you'd like to return to? And why? Comment below!</span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I know that some people aren't crazy about the beach and sand. But to me, wet sand clinging to my feet is just part of being in a panoramic seascape: sun, surf, sand. The glitter of sun on the water, the ability to see the entire expanse of sky -- I love it! To be in the vast expanse of beach and sky has been essential to me all my life. I hope you enjoy these scenes from Fire Island!</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5luCa7O0BH6rPWtlXm92JPc14WFkb79B1ybzG24NzYnzs6j9mSMwCA9x7yjUSlVjDMIyWdonCEIELd3nyhJdaVPdBnFwSEwtHxB2TCqWGZkKI9wj30q9GVXxVr8serPA5QtJq5f4foa9Z/s1600/IMG_4180.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5luCa7O0BH6rPWtlXm92JPc14WFkb79B1ybzG24NzYnzs6j9mSMwCA9x7yjUSlVjDMIyWdonCEIELd3nyhJdaVPdBnFwSEwtHxB2TCqWGZkKI9wj30q9GVXxVr8serPA5QtJq5f4foa9Z/w300-h400/IMG_4180.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You get to Fire Island by ferry. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAH7vV8irfxiU9RUzjT-P2MT1G5wtQnizc92JBAJ4s52fVz3D6clXg2LBk5ysrVJeg6CSx5ssFXwnJJN_XX_aMbG_BEFJh41KTi9R5k7n50LwwCXnRHeG5oJOy8sQCWjNZ0IpOBQRYDBgb/s1600/IMG_4181.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAH7vV8irfxiU9RUzjT-P2MT1G5wtQnizc92JBAJ4s52fVz3D6clXg2LBk5ysrVJeg6CSx5ssFXwnJJN_XX_aMbG_BEFJh41KTi9R5k7n50LwwCXnRHeG5oJOy8sQCWjNZ0IpOBQRYDBgb/w300-h400/IMG_4181.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My friend Jane loves Fire Island too. This is called un Sunken Forest because it's located between the tops of two sand dunes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfWNFnIcMKClkUZhSe881onzPBj1NKEbcVkKoKuZMIIoqbyB1bdAFRji8KCkdiuknxPYP8QkXpWv8Jd-QLVp3HFYDlzrQA6hCOPk8v5GEqWeZuYE2wPzKmI-WJpEBJaSOCP5l5V_Klvkl/s1600/IMG_4188.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfWNFnIcMKClkUZhSe881onzPBj1NKEbcVkKoKuZMIIoqbyB1bdAFRji8KCkdiuknxPYP8QkXpWv8Jd-QLVp3HFYDlzrQA6hCOPk8v5GEqWeZuYE2wPzKmI-WJpEBJaSOCP5l5V_Klvkl/s320/IMG_4188.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wipa4waJKVabvL0yPTTpJyh1CpHxasaVBYmwiO6FG4nQZR-CwLlzAMAKX-IN-k76m6HxrUs6oIYcmolGTcey5cfjRqZPSuD0OeazjdMXEQsnUNrieiS-wudE97OfPLy-_GUEYaZc1rHl/s1600/IMG_4189.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wipa4waJKVabvL0yPTTpJyh1CpHxasaVBYmwiO6FG4nQZR-CwLlzAMAKX-IN-k76m6HxrUs6oIYcmolGTcey5cfjRqZPSuD0OeazjdMXEQsnUNrieiS-wudE97OfPLy-_GUEYaZc1rHl/w300-h400/IMG_4189.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A view of the Great South Bay, and beyond it the southern edge of Long Island, from the Sunken Forest.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe8b0UHIBSM-iH9E2ZU0MlEF2HJVU4PFLudf_0skvY8vrUvsEJVTevDU1zCXDAW1GuTomxzsiiTncxY0R3VvRkaPGNjZVDs1VfLysFQncdZCLYQc5GaQVbbAbc8M9CmnDCkzyrvV05sK-/s1600/IMG_4200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe8b0UHIBSM-iH9E2ZU0MlEF2HJVU4PFLudf_0skvY8vrUvsEJVTevDU1zCXDAW1GuTomxzsiiTncxY0R3VvRkaPGNjZVDs1VfLysFQncdZCLYQc5GaQVbbAbc8M9CmnDCkzyrvV05sK-/w300-h400/IMG_4200.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the ocean side of Fire Island, at twilight. I love to walk a mile to the next town and its restaurants, with my feet caressed by the surf.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1omrv3vnLyQrJa12lgqbAMJEaG4jJZImo7jSatwPGWfzERlnemXhAB9eM2V5Ar9LrOuWIJqHwPyorZVps1FaC5_-0KaxH-rbpH3wDCH_htCZQlY_fYCTY1y04JaZFUc_Gs6JLUZTFIac/s1600/IMG_4230.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1omrv3vnLyQrJa12lgqbAMJEaG4jJZImo7jSatwPGWfzERlnemXhAB9eM2V5Ar9LrOuWIJqHwPyorZVps1FaC5_-0KaxH-rbpH3wDCH_htCZQlY_fYCTY1y04JaZFUc_Gs6JLUZTFIac/w400-h300/IMG_4230.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A sunset, looking over the Great South Bay.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKgg8jr6t_roYPiG29pEPA0aIGhe4wOhf8B2jr9lNC6aUyPrAhyWGLnoeRJEjlIduUfM-qTvcJQIdt76OjIBpEHiyOO0lOlnt0iWMajGVUqZjNZIf8KTaZCbBYlg1CoPyCRJejpmYxOAl/s1600/IMG_4232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKgg8jr6t_roYPiG29pEPA0aIGhe4wOhf8B2jr9lNC6aUyPrAhyWGLnoeRJEjlIduUfM-qTvcJQIdt76OjIBpEHiyOO0lOlnt0iWMajGVUqZjNZIf8KTaZCbBYlg1CoPyCRJejpmYxOAl/w400-h300/IMG_4232.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ2hHUr805Ji4c0VFAT_9FStGGcAOJJCizr5w7UUA59c2inKQ7qROF9SAN80tePicyQ4N9eDdp32fmhX0uc63ZZ8FnKYjzmRM_KVLT8VzDCoymnJFGrG9rS6_bz4TVy3OZhEz8gcV0X_t/s1600/IMG_4234.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ2hHUr805Ji4c0VFAT_9FStGGcAOJJCizr5w7UUA59c2inKQ7qROF9SAN80tePicyQ4N9eDdp32fmhX0uc63ZZ8FnKYjzmRM_KVLT8VzDCoymnJFGrG9rS6_bz4TVy3OZhEz8gcV0X_t/w400-h300/IMG_4234.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Fire Island Lighthouse, seen from the ferry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7BerWELYvScN48tK5lPnXfjKJIwAhBwb2QVMAMzxmraow3wQ2EdH8RYAuQHBVhiI6sVyV8V1Ztj2ycyXbckymqAwizzjKkh1uC3QXb2TJFdwR9qed4Fx8bpc4s1YG3TWUW1RjE7P3rz7/s1600/IMG_4235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7BerWELYvScN48tK5lPnXfjKJIwAhBwb2QVMAMzxmraow3wQ2EdH8RYAuQHBVhiI6sVyV8V1Ztj2ycyXbckymqAwizzjKkh1uC3QXb2TJFdwR9qed4Fx8bpc4s1YG3TWUW1RjE7P3rz7/w400-h300/IMG_4235.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Houses on the bay side of Fire Island.</div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxAUrCrG2MDO08tGc5bl1wIzdB91BVlADLereNC5VggIoTRsqJxui_ag2QjMi124BhyphenhyphenhhRk-P-EvIwIyPcNPNOVcdmQMsxbPNUfYLJxbdhSUwsHT2lO_yNPkzdEObEkXx7MKy9nqDCCAd/s1600/IMG_4237.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxAUrCrG2MDO08tGc5bl1wIzdB91BVlADLereNC5VggIoTRsqJxui_ag2QjMi124BhyphenhyphenhhRk-P-EvIwIyPcNPNOVcdmQMsxbPNUfYLJxbdhSUwsHT2lO_yNPkzdEObEkXx7MKy9nqDCCAd/w400-h300/IMG_4237.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I always sit on the top level of the ferry. Except in rain.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gmt39w-f1NjQD8yasBk-h9aqFV8C4A1OAyWuzUl6Mln6TCtI5iZirPi7AYqHyY4Mdz5yeKgwbyUoLPAvtpLS1Yq3svQlOHe5xhZv1Y0TkelL2sZbp65btiDqJd7V3SGrjqR3xZ5fS_cD/s1600/IMG_4238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gmt39w-f1NjQD8yasBk-h9aqFV8C4A1OAyWuzUl6Mln6TCtI5iZirPi7AYqHyY4Mdz5yeKgwbyUoLPAvtpLS1Yq3svQlOHe5xhZv1Y0TkelL2sZbp65btiDqJd7V3SGrjqR3xZ5fS_cD/w400-h300/IMG_4238.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTc4_LOSvCKCLycBJ-jRJODwfQYfT3CNPWSUQnR_j3-YI4-GHrK-H0gbCz_19sgCIHTJR4Qr2O8imbjV8Z-i7GgSDITLVfwFQIoIgMhkH7etz5tmujDUf5X5rypfkARiPMMU46oHrBXlC/s1600/IMG_4240.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTc4_LOSvCKCLycBJ-jRJODwfQYfT3CNPWSUQnR_j3-YI4-GHrK-H0gbCz_19sgCIHTJR4Qr2O8imbjV8Z-i7GgSDITLVfwFQIoIgMhkH7etz5tmujDUf5X5rypfkARiPMMU46oHrBXlC/w400-h300/IMG_4240.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On another trip, a different day, the sky and water appeared different.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysQddpUmcHkPo16GsQ1pOEcIti7Z5MAP2wYYw68rz2x9P7K3wnlhhADZ7DWMbX4o094yg_I63_cE-Cbi__eek4y8mNgGU9yFgnmrAfbJRWelTEG29BgHo0kkbdUMiKM0rHx5RZIO2aM5j/s1600/IMG_4241.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysQddpUmcHkPo16GsQ1pOEcIti7Z5MAP2wYYw68rz2x9P7K3wnlhhADZ7DWMbX4o094yg_I63_cE-Cbi__eek4y8mNgGU9yFgnmrAfbJRWelTEG29BgHo0kkbdUMiKM0rHx5RZIO2aM5j/w400-h300/IMG_4241.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was a silvery, coppery, bronze day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdk0Lk2yAD9W5JXIC6OtmLBlKcI-3y7sOxwXMlLR-z4rRodqjyiEkhqFjU11zA4dwIVelzMOcBd9OAflPtuKf6RmIHd8VqGO537vmsHYpAZpVgHR4OMOHev_2wKIcWC8XkuHOnKegoI9R/s1600/IMG_4242.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdk0Lk2yAD9W5JXIC6OtmLBlKcI-3y7sOxwXMlLR-z4rRodqjyiEkhqFjU11zA4dwIVelzMOcBd9OAflPtuKf6RmIHd8VqGO537vmsHYpAZpVgHR4OMOHev_2wKIcWC8XkuHOnKegoI9R/w400-h300/IMG_4242.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another day and another mood for the Fire Island Lighthouse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyunu0RK0tBmFNSzmdupvG3tsZfq9WFG-SFQP2SgSQ-H8kfz1N00y_6pMpIOog0Q9DgnLraPJUvFfYocA640ER26ZsOFqXgarREmv2WCcbDutZUll8cx9vQQwDIuqb0kD7axeC66KjhFL/s1600/IMG_4244.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyunu0RK0tBmFNSzmdupvG3tsZfq9WFG-SFQP2SgSQ-H8kfz1N00y_6pMpIOog0Q9DgnLraPJUvFfYocA640ER26ZsOFqXgarREmv2WCcbDutZUll8cx9vQQwDIuqb0kD7axeC66KjhFL/w400-h300/IMG_4244.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkhF6pUBkKheHug8PJ76RgUd4aQvt9xkb8v1DlDmbbECgcMdxXazRU1kWXSxbESnYlIFp29DPXBImHE1Nt0Gw42ZrzJLsWv7btuplB4hW6YMKOziB1Y01gkwCBiC8AmvvJfxPJj6LWWN2/s1600/IMG_4227-crop-more+pix.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="574" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkhF6pUBkKheHug8PJ76RgUd4aQvt9xkb8v1DlDmbbECgcMdxXazRU1kWXSxbESnYlIFp29DPXBImHE1Nt0Gw42ZrzJLsWv7btuplB4hW6YMKOziB1Y01gkwCBiC8AmvvJfxPJj6LWWN2/s320/IMG_4227-crop-more+pix.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My author pic was taken on Fire Island. By my friend Jane!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpfLdUdB0iettKRi5XUMzssxTvDjyEAT3oYUajEZU0AcsGfnSf64XiTPzdOBYnDBGJ5kCRANVPE1LAGJwJo1NS1s3LEWbiCAWM8hyphenhyphenD4HalV8SrKQr9v8OttdZRVfkv_s08BruGCAlJMc5/s1600/IMG_0039.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpfLdUdB0iettKRi5XUMzssxTvDjyEAT3oYUajEZU0AcsGfnSf64XiTPzdOBYnDBGJ5kCRANVPE1LAGJwJo1NS1s3LEWbiCAWM8hyphenhyphenD4HalV8SrKQr9v8OttdZRVfkv_s08BruGCAlJMc5/s320/IMG_0039.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There's an ice cream shop in Ocean Beach. This man is feeding his dog ice cream with his spoon! My sister Chris captured that photo and also these pictures of surfers on the day after a big storm:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LgMUZuMg7FwAUR5GyPHCskaGo8jAx4tywV6NhuErdKs7c27LWf2pAsdI8f_BdOr30c0GnaTwc2Url8Mj_D41XhAWJl8sXJ-s4XXUCiihGxUplvuvFDJZd7HAdVBs5s5wRK7jG0IYAu6G/s1024/IMG_0031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LgMUZuMg7FwAUR5GyPHCskaGo8jAx4tywV6NhuErdKs7c27LWf2pAsdI8f_BdOr30c0GnaTwc2Url8Mj_D41XhAWJl8sXJ-s4XXUCiihGxUplvuvFDJZd7HAdVBs5s5wRK7jG0IYAu6G/w400-h300/IMG_0031.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIxR5SI50mromlc2WPOuWnwHRBuPuP64_nBHhO34sADUD9ZjQyQXbEUROW0qhFbiGpSf3qxK5FwI8InS95efGu9OgAcArybLEuQ_3l1QxeDSyM8xX7vfMDczRU04YMpxZ3HaizwfvxcLF/s1024/IMG_0032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIxR5SI50mromlc2WPOuWnwHRBuPuP64_nBHhO34sADUD9ZjQyQXbEUROW0qhFbiGpSf3qxK5FwI8InS95efGu9OgAcArybLEuQ_3l1QxeDSyM8xX7vfMDczRU04YMpxZ3HaizwfvxcLF/w400-h300/IMG_0032.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9bhsmVvQjMKBiUy6DyEQEvjcWlR3xRb6hsd2X9gStehPVjKWbIgA9wgyxYGc5BmrUpT4EzeXn9oTyA_awEAStb4s7Tpd9u3dS9Nd7VJ9Wx9DjzEraC6F22ZQfGTgGGAaSRbzlFERMR0U/s1024/IMG_0033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9bhsmVvQjMKBiUy6DyEQEvjcWlR3xRb6hsd2X9gStehPVjKWbIgA9wgyxYGc5BmrUpT4EzeXn9oTyA_awEAStb4s7Tpd9u3dS9Nd7VJ9Wx9DjzEraC6F22ZQfGTgGGAaSRbzlFERMR0U/w300-h400/IMG_0033.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtZDnVsJKUobBLqkwpbRjWOxIGxewMdb2jpk6EZDuUb8kGlvYSA9ClGTZUMjXYErri7ybR5wg5OTseXGgidoIJBYdgGeeQov8xD9ZU53wEFtzQ0IrYKhapjv2Gj2xdGdSNZi-a52vbI4f/s1024/IMG_0035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtZDnVsJKUobBLqkwpbRjWOxIGxewMdb2jpk6EZDuUb8kGlvYSA9ClGTZUMjXYErri7ybR5wg5OTseXGgidoIJBYdgGeeQov8xD9ZU53wEFtzQ0IrYKhapjv2Gj2xdGdSNZi-a52vbI4f/w480-h640/IMG_0035.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDodId7d8xhoi9TvcHsz3sGcILaSgeqO2d9gH5_K_vSGCL1saUnMNiOsao8kpZqtpgnOBjMD99lExmJbcRw6MSM-MYb-SJszoEowBrOUw9_WOCeZ5yWa-QxKWlCB6iTpGVXFOUoFkv0PZ/s1024/IMG_0034.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDodId7d8xhoi9TvcHsz3sGcILaSgeqO2d9gH5_K_vSGCL1saUnMNiOsao8kpZqtpgnOBjMD99lExmJbcRw6MSM-MYb-SJszoEowBrOUw9_WOCeZ5yWa-QxKWlCB6iTpGVXFOUoFkv0PZ/w300-h400/IMG_0034.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdooR3z4RGVWp5JEUBqS5X7GGyOc-ugdhvL5CI7-HEUXK2vnh6YURqgdZZWGijSWCV4f9TXubf1gKHhCIqTgzNtLij7H8Pw56oS1gWvVSN9V16P6plDP1odLvuyN0TL8RW2Pb4TMBH9CqM/s1024/IMG_0037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traveling Writer "In Search of the American Dream"" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdooR3z4RGVWp5JEUBqS5X7GGyOc-ugdhvL5CI7-HEUXK2vnh6YURqgdZZWGijSWCV4f9TXubf1gKHhCIqTgzNtLij7H8Pw56oS1gWvVSN9V16P6plDP1odLvuyN0TL8RW2Pb4TMBH9CqM/w640-h480/IMG_0037.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I took this one, on a quieter day. How about you? What favorite, spiritually renewing place do you return to? Comment below!</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<br />In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-10333915468050512822020-12-20T13:40:00.002-08:002020-12-27T08:39:27.395-08:00American Dreams of a Loire Valley Vacation<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Let Me Take You Away in this Pandemic </span></h1><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">By Norma Hopcraft </span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">You're probably frustrated, as I am, by the necessity to delay plans to see great places due to the coronavirus. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">To encourage you as you wait for your opportunity to travel, </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">in the next several posts I'm going to take you to places I visited (before the pandemic) but that I haven't published anything on yet.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">Each place you'll see in the series was an important part of my creative journey, giving me either rest, or inspiration--or both! I hope they do the same for you.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">Where do you want to go first, when you get your chance? Comment below!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">For me, it will be back to France! I lived in Paris for one year, where I wrote </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Paris-Writers-Circle-Norma-Hopcraft/dp/0999408917/ref=" target="_blank"><span>The Paris </span><span>Writers Circle</span></a><span>.</span><span> I</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> lived <i>chez famille,</i> in a house with a lovely garden, with an aunt my age and her two nieces in their twenties. They're all dear friends now. One of the two nieces is my lovely French friend Christelle. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The summer of 2019, I went back for three weeks</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span> (</span><span>two blog posts: on <a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2019/09/french-attic-windows.html" target="_blank">Paris attics here</a>, and on <a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2019/10/" target="_blank">boat life on the Seine, here</a>)</span><span>. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Christelle put me up for most of those three weeks! Her aunt, my Paris landlady Martine, put me up for the rest. That's true friendship. That's the kind of friends the French are, in my experience.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To give you ideas for your next travel plans, see Christelle's pictures, here and below, of her bike vacation through the Loire River valley this</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> past summer, when the pandemic was more quiet in France.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2kMAZrd8vdcWyi2MPEabajBJ_7KhD7Vz47Xl751teBL4cOy02SXyM8CJjQXmbsDU49Hj2BegfDXOiinho4AWFiX7Z0qSt-qtlohHnsNuPrA6GizkMKYo3zqrO7K3081NByqMeuSRnFMd/s2048/IMG_Loire_083048.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2kMAZrd8vdcWyi2MPEabajBJ_7KhD7Vz47Xl751teBL4cOy02SXyM8CJjQXmbsDU49Hj2BegfDXOiinho4AWFiX7Z0qSt-qtlohHnsNuPrA6GizkMKYo3zqrO7K3081NByqMeuSRnFMd/w416-h312/IMG_Loire_083048.jpg" width="416" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">If you're enjoying this blog post, <a href="https://ctt.ac/N068J" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">would you click </span></a>to Tweet it? Thank you!<!--ClickToTweet Embed Code Start-->
<script src="//clicktotweet.com/embed/y17g7/1" type="text/javascript"></script>
<!--ClickToTweet Embed Code Start--></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Loire Valley has hundreds of castles. Chateaux galore! The region is full of history, too, as the kings, dukes, and dauphins of France came and went from the Loire Valley and fought over the castles. Enjoy a glimpse of the fairy-tale quality of the <a href="https://www.experienceloire.com/loire-valley-chateaux.htm" target="_blank">architecture at </a></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.experienceloire.com/loire-valley-chateaux.htm" target="_blank">this link</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>France has so many castles, cathedrals, churches, mills, etc., built in the Dark Ages through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, that it's a huge undertaking to preserve and maintain this historic heritage. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>That's the job of the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">French</span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> national institute of cultural heritage, called Institut national du </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">patrimoine</span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> (otherwise known as the "Inp"). It is the only academy in </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">France</span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> in charge of the training of both curators and conservators. You can read more about the Institute <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institut_national_du_patrimoine" target="_blank">on Wikipedia, here</a></span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;">. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;">"Patrimoine" means patrimony, or heritage, and the French work hard to preserve their architectural heritage. They also maintain their <i>patrimoine fluvial</i>, which is the network of rivers and canals--thousands of kilometers of them--that wind their way through France. My friend Cris Hammond wrote a book about losing his job and ending up on a boat enjoying a boat life on the <i>patrimoine fluvial.</i> You can <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Here-Paris-Laid-Barge-France/dp/0615918581/ref=" target="_blank">check out his book here</a>. It's called "From Here to Paris" and it's laugh-out-loud funny (so's mine : )</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial;">I'm sure Cris took his boat, the Phaedra, down the Loire at some point in the twelve years he lived on a boat in France. Here are more pics by Christelle:</span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-g7wWYkkYZDqxVa99_Sg1Y8mP_AF-lr9ZwDfU08WMm14YMyOB3a-72yfdBkJFLrzGQhtBZiq8K87qnU2lWFMJMFk3vXTj7g1qXXz1O3k_hFi7R8jUS3FOgv8KV1ZX0qkcXLflfNAQOAB/s2048/IMG_Loire_090017+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-g7wWYkkYZDqxVa99_Sg1Y8mP_AF-lr9ZwDfU08WMm14YMyOB3a-72yfdBkJFLrzGQhtBZiq8K87qnU2lWFMJMFk3vXTj7g1qXXz1O3k_hFi7R8jUS3FOgv8KV1ZX0qkcXLflfNAQOAB/w328-h436/IMG_Loire_090017+copy.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Remember that this tour of the Loire Valley was done on bicycle. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hence the shot from the verge of the road.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNgYGir8Cbg6rpSFEC5s29dQ9NTemRPe1JQvfV0KihotRpPYs26dvWl63pYeK6W_DvMdHx9poouu_UvquG_CSnBRzB5tqrO5ekFLWPsKTta6Gd5KrpQUamLMrmKMlnqfuGstIH2nMSNaO/s2048/IMG_Loire_150552+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNgYGir8Cbg6rpSFEC5s29dQ9NTemRPe1JQvfV0KihotRpPYs26dvWl63pYeK6W_DvMdHx9poouu_UvquG_CSnBRzB5tqrO5ekFLWPsKTta6Gd5KrpQUamLMrmKMlnqfuGstIH2nMSNaO/w400-h300/IMG_Loire_150552+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACJa-KhOLBnVRjkOHhHkGIdz6tlUz1dqc9A5lJl6bgMpnW8LnCfTiKA5s4J6kWXXveZidoNUBt3X1ykQkwC1Tw4SgPoFI2J9mIBB2DaBFI6oOsnsGIh1PsXjB3bFz2bMNY6EtaZiUlkM5/s2048/IMG_Loire_151720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="France despite COVID-19 pandemic" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACJa-KhOLBnVRjkOHhHkGIdz6tlUz1dqc9A5lJl6bgMpnW8LnCfTiKA5s4J6kWXXveZidoNUBt3X1ykQkwC1Tw4SgPoFI2J9mIBB2DaBFI6oOsnsGIh1PsXjB3bFz2bMNY6EtaZiUlkM5/w400-h300/IMG_Loire_151720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">T<span style="font-family: times;">he above two pics are of the <span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Château d'Ussé in</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> Rigny-Ussé. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">You can find its l<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/n15ZLG8egEnjomB58 " target="_blank">ocation on Google Maps here.</a></span></span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVM0kh3r6zFy4ceJwDh2UNFl1pSwl1P6lQyaC_AqvasDVVKDtkYwOaRyonUtGM9kHch-_pRUTs8EX1ctF2Ysm48kIGtyqXn9ABTKqD2aRJdJCeJxqltQIvOVUOkhCmGjpWBChLGdgmvR3I/s2048/IMG_Loire_154202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="France despite COVID-19 pandemic" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVM0kh3r6zFy4ceJwDh2UNFl1pSwl1P6lQyaC_AqvasDVVKDtkYwOaRyonUtGM9kHch-_pRUTs8EX1ctF2Ysm48kIGtyqXn9ABTKqD2aRJdJCeJxqltQIvOVUOkhCmGjpWBChLGdgmvR3I/w400-h300/IMG_Loire_154202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh_4KPMPbPMy8slhxYmehah5NxLINvycHYFRoHgNdVBSPmAStjU4PPIfOQVlAsl5846f4abL99n4KeRLo2WOfrALgKb02dVYNR6BbJsUdqawJjwZGYnEwYQpmJBRJYH3nu1ygbuqIe7zN/s2048/IMG_Loire_163452+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="France despite COVID-19 pandemic" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh_4KPMPbPMy8slhxYmehah5NxLINvycHYFRoHgNdVBSPmAStjU4PPIfOQVlAsl5846f4abL99n4KeRLo2WOfrALgKb02dVYNR6BbJsUdqawJjwZGYnEwYQpmJBRJYH3nu1ygbuqIe7zN/w400-h300/IMG_Loire_163452+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope this post gives you some ideas for travel plans later, and ways to enjoy France now (for example, by reading Cris's book. And mine, about which a reviewer said, "If you love Paris, you'll be swept away!"). Both books would make great gifts for a Paris-lover in your acquaintance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Please stay careful and well. And if you're thinking about visiting France, tell me where you'd like to go in the comment box below! I may have some ideas for you! I respond to ALL real comments.</span></p><p><br /></p>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-6408636674676179322020-10-16T12:57:00.003-07:002024-01-10T07:59:09.400-08:00My American Dream: Finding Its Way<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Brooklyn vs. Rochester</span></h2><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft</span></h3><p><br /></p><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Someone I knew from New York City wrote to me yesterday with what seemed to be a snickering attitude.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">“What, Rochester?” he wrote, implying “Where the heck is that?” I can’t condemn him, I’ve had the same attitude, and still do, just a little.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />I’ve lived near New York City, and the immense range of activity it offers, most of my life. Then, starting six years ago, I began a series of moves to places with a ton of cach</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">é</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">: Mystic, Connecticut, then Paris and Barcelona. Then I fulfilled a life-long dream and moved into NYC itself: the Upper East Side of Manhattan (for two months), and Brooklyn (for four years). Brooklyn in its own right is such a storied city. I saw baseball caps with “Brooklyn” on them in France and Spain.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">How Can I Search for the American Dream Here?</span></h2><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />Where the heck, on the other hand, is Rochester? The downtown has two tall buildings and is dead at night. There is a more lively neighborhood of cafes and restaurants known as the Park Avenue neighborhood, and I’m searching for an apartment in it. But even that neighborhood doesn’t seem to have much “there” there, not after the electromagnetic force of Brooklyn.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />I must suspend judgment of Rochester as a city, as a venue for the arts, as a place that fosters my creative inspiration, until the pandemic eases. It won’t feel like home until ballroom dancing resumes, and the theater group I want to be involved in (as a mere set painter, not as the superstar that I, in reality, am) springs into action again, and the Wild About Writing circle can meet in person. And in Rochester, I will be able to afford to hear live classical music regularly at the <a href="https://www.esm.rochester.edu/" target="_blank">Eastman School of Music</a>! Carnegie Hall was beyond my reach.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><b>I'm a snob</b></span></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span>I do miss Brooklyn. Not so much living there, because life was tough, overwhelmed by tons of stressed-out strangers in a brick, asphalt, chain-link, and razor-wire jungle. But I miss being FROM there. I wrote on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Norma-Hopcraft/e/B0781SL5WS?" target="_blank">my Amazon author profile</a> that I’m a writer who lived in Paris, Barcelona, and now Brooklyn. Those place-names have cach</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">é</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">. I’m a sucker for cach</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">é</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">. I’m a location snob, I admit it.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span>“Rochester, New York” has ZERO cache. But maybe it should have a little. It is a unique epicenter of social justice. <a href="http://www.harriet-tubman.org/house/" target="_blank">Harriet Tubman lived near here</a>. Frederick Douglass lived here, wrote here, and delivered his famous speech here, <a href="https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/" target="_blank">"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?"</a>, delivered on July 5, 1852, addressing the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society. Women’s rights were championed by women in this area, notably Susan B. Anthony, <a href="https://susanb.org/" target="_blank">who lived and wrote in Rochester</a>. Another example of social compassion: Rochester Institute of Technology has a nationally recognized <a href="https://www.rit.edu/ntid/aslie" target="_blank">center for deaf students</a>.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> <br /><b>Brooklyn's advantages</b></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Brooklyn had advantages. I could choose all kinds of organic fruits and vegetables at the Flatbush Food Coop, a 10-minute walk. I can’t find that variety here, and you have to drive to the grocery store. I could walk to three Indian restaurants, three Mexican, two burger joints. I could have lavender latt</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">é</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">s at Café Madeline. I don’t know of a café in Rochester that has even dreamed of serving them. Prospect Park, with world-class design, was a 10-minute walk. </span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In Brooklyn I lived near three international airports that could take me on direct flights to friends in France or family in small cities like Asheville, NC, Providence, RI, or Rochester, NY. I could easily grab a bus to visit family in Bethlehem, PA. I could easily take the train to Fire Island or to the Jersey Shore. Now that I’m in Rochester, I’m closer to one part of my family but have bigger hurdles to overcome to get to the rest. And getting to the Atlantic Ocean is a huge undertaking.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />In Brooklyn, I felt I was in the center of the world. On Ocean Avenue, during my quarter-mile walk to do my laundry, I heard voices from Pakistan, Liberia, Panama, Jamaica, Barbados, Senegal, Kazakhstan. At any given moment on Church Avenue, I could make videos for my little grandson of trucks of every shape and size and function, and long, articulated city buses. </span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Rochester contrasts</b></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Here at this house in Rochester, it’s quiet. Once a week a garbage truck goes by. But I can do my laundry downstairs instead of trundling it a quarter of a mile each way.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />There were other downsides to Brooklyn. In spite of my best efforts to build friendships and stay connected, I felt acutely alone. The streets felt dangerous. People were indifferent (of course they were, we were all strangers to each other). It broke my heart to see groups of young men hanging out, passing a joint, with tons of pent up energy and talent but lacking the education—and faced with racism in hiring practices—that prevented them from getting into a decent job, unleashing that talent, making a living wage, and making a contribution. They could have run a company—or a country—but were trapped.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> <br />I felt a keen desperation in the atmosphere on the streets. I lived in a gentrifying neighborhood. As rents leapt upward, people were more and more worried about making rent that month. I could feel the anxiety in the air. So many people lived hand to mouth with no hope of a better life – and angry about that fact, and about the racism that locked them into this predicament, locked them out of the American Dream.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />And then there was the dog poop. Many people did clean up after their dogs, but enough people didn’t that there was a hazard when out walking or pulling a cart full of laundry. I had to keep my eyes on the sidewalk. Which might have been just as well—looking at groups of young men passing a joint might get me in trouble, so I had to keep my eyes down anyway. Which I didn’t like. As an artist, I love to look around and notice things. I want to look at people and imagine their lives. In Brooklyn, that wasn’t wise to do because you might notice a crime. I really hated keeping my head down.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Starting over in Rochester</b></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />Here in this suburb of Rochester, I can smile and give a little wave to the people I pass when I’m out walking, and get one in return. We’re privileged to be living in a lovely neighborhood. I’ve nicknamed it “The Arboretum” because of the stately huge shade trees, and blooming trees, and shrubs. During the summer there were eight-foot-tall hydrangeas in some gardens, burgeoning with blossoms, exuding charm.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span>So I’ll start life anew in Rochester. I have to overcome my location snobbery and embrace the advantages this situation offers. One of them might be a sense of dislocation. Exile has proven to be good for my creativity in the past, especially in Paris and Barcelona, and it’s helping me again, I believe.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span>I have discovered, to my joy, that I really love swimming in Lake Ontario. I thought the lake would never suffice, not after the joy of being in the Atlantic surf at Fire Island or the Jersey Shore. But the lake has its advantages—most days, it’s quiet enough for me to really swim without having to fear being inundated by breaking waves, as I would in the Atlantic.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br /></span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Also, in spite of the pandemic, I’ve made a new, in-person friend! She has put me in touch with working artists in the area, including a local set designer. I’m working on a novel about a set designer, so that interview will be very interesting! </span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />Brooklyn is a great place. I miss it, and I’m so relieved to be out of it.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">How about you? Do you have mixed feelings about a place you used to live? Or that you live in now? Comment below! </span></div><p><br /><br /></p>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-20744351579763852662020-07-31T14:20:00.004-07:002024-01-10T08:08:17.486-08:00Saying a Lingering Goodbye to Brooklyn<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><font size="5">I'm Now a Covid Refugee from Brooklyn</font></h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><h3 style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">By Norma Hopcraft</h3>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>I went back to Brooklyn from July 10 to 17, to linger over it, romance it, appreciate the good, take note of the bad so I could leave with less pain</font></span><span style="font-family: arial;">—</span><span style="font-family: arial;">and then to leave it all behind. My life as a Brooklyn writer closed on Friday, July 17, when I hopped into U-Haul’s biggest truck, jammed full of my studio apartment’s contents. I drove that monster 400 miles to Rochester, New York.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>My inventory included:</font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span><font face="arial">1 box of filled-up, written-in journals</font></span></li><li><span><font face="arial">1 box of blank journals (I can't stop buying them)</font></span></li><li><span><font face="arial">2 boxes of quilt bits to be pieced together</font></span></li></ul></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>I had arrived in Brooklyn on July 10 and enjoyed my apartment organized for two days—my cozy nook, my little abode, my bit of peace in the tumultuous, tossing sea of people in New York City. While I lived there, it was usually quiet</font></span><span style="font-family: arial;">—</span><span><font face="arial">except when the neighbor left her dog unattended and it cried for hours at a time. Except when there were occasional arguments across the courtyard or out in the street. I always prayed, "Please, no violence." </font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>There were gunshots the first day I lived here, in 2017, and again this past Christmas. Other than that, this apartment was a refuge from the sea of strangers I passed through every time I went out the door.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The nightmare of moving</b></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>On Monday morning, July 13, I took pictures of my sweet space whole and complete, and then I did my least favorite thing in the world: I tore my home apart to pack. <o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> It's not something I had decided upon lightly. </span>I had fled to Rochester, NY as a Brooklyn Covid refugee on March 14. Four months, one-third of a year, went by. From the moment I arrived in Rochester, I began wondering if I would ever live in Brooklyn again. I started to question moving full-time to Rochester.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>It took until Thursday, July 9, for me to come to a decision to move. It’s risky. My employer may require me back in the office at some point. When will that be? When a vaccine is developed, and that will take an unknown amount of time. Another risk: I’m on the hook to pay the Brooklyn rent until a new tenant takes over. When will that be?<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>If you know of someone interested in living in Prospect Park South—10-minute walk to the park, 3-minute walk to the Church Avenue B & Q station, 35-minute train ride to Mid-town Manhattan—and who would qualify financially with the landlord, please leave a comment below!<o:p></o:p></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><b>What a studio in Brooklyn looks like</b></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>My studio apartment in Brooklyn has been a great space—in a pre-war building, which means parquet floors, high ceilings, gracious proportions to the rooms. But I felt disappointed in my life there: I had survived living in Brooklyn but I had not thrived: I hadn't been as creative in this studio as I had been in my studio apartment in Paris, where I wrote and revised great chunks of <i>The Paris Writers Circle</i>. Here are some pics:</font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhtMReJAF6FNuhbzE_xjls9RyxBpwPnK0RnbSaK57HoLqeKf4jYI67_SV3cAGXxZaiYwhGh9WVqxTSQ2JqcExeJ0EY7x7HW7mbhyphenhyphenyjWmdrNQbje73N3kklDD2BXI-Lng_MtPGd3ov44Sl/s2048/IMG_0744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhtMReJAF6FNuhbzE_xjls9RyxBpwPnK0RnbSaK57HoLqeKf4jYI67_SV3cAGXxZaiYwhGh9WVqxTSQ2JqcExeJ0EY7x7HW7mbhyphenhyphenyjWmdrNQbje73N3kklDD2BXI-Lng_MtPGd3ov44Sl/s640/IMG_0744.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <font size="2"> Eat-in kitchen, with a window, no less! Not common in NYC!</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8TS_P9sFoVzy-FrWj3JHe82NvSaV4AhVzojrwAB6ztgVlfUuUH0BoF5Fek6peRM0j0k6VN00YlGj2Q1LN7__Td7Ku3lO0S1TjGDfg3xItkmU3HK68bDjh_PNKC75BBUSR_LANn3obOOc/s2048/IMG_0745.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8TS_P9sFoVzy-FrWj3JHe82NvSaV4AhVzojrwAB6ztgVlfUuUH0BoF5Fek6peRM0j0k6VN00YlGj2Q1LN7__Td7Ku3lO0S1TjGDfg3xItkmU3HK68bDjh_PNKC75BBUSR_LANn3obOOc/s640/IMG_0745.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <font size="2"> Plenty of cabinets and counter space -- also rare in NYC!</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBZCWQ8HbhYyF4tzPcl72kMtEpH1PNyO5Rl16efccL1m7QL5G8NtJLmuYG25-yjgh9iQzyKI6sCWr0cMVDzU8GHHTWtcHwWY6-_xjDnPjtMujk2M_U7LUA4YFvrzuF7BpSSNsdk4FPWUy/s2048/IMG_0747.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBZCWQ8HbhYyF4tzPcl72kMtEpH1PNyO5Rl16efccL1m7QL5G8NtJLmuYG25-yjgh9iQzyKI6sCWr0cMVDzU8GHHTWtcHwWY6-_xjDnPjtMujk2M_U7LUA4YFvrzuF7BpSSNsdk4FPWUy/s640/IMG_0747.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <font size="2"> Here's where I lived. My grandmother's marble-topped chest of drawers, on the right, held lots of quilting supplies and journals. My work table is where I tried to sit and write, but usually I felt too restless, too compelled to get out.</font><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALRQMAQPd_knP-BEHEKPDtdTsViCghIwIgt2rFPLYrjCguK9sb5ZEiD4dSu2gKtopfdg0Dlk362trI3sTBhPEvZOEaWf7WPY5hLd2Il44ZKvn1N7lkSAPJQOmSCLuVGpgqhh-boPAsRxN/s2048/IMG_0749.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALRQMAQPd_knP-BEHEKPDtdTsViCghIwIgt2rFPLYrjCguK9sb5ZEiD4dSu2gKtopfdg0Dlk362trI3sTBhPEvZOEaWf7WPY5hLd2Il44ZKvn1N7lkSAPJQOmSCLuVGpgqhh-boPAsRxN/s640/IMG_0749.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <font size="2"> My dressing room (kidding).</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoR_MwoGLwdOB5bFzxGeXt4M9yjtD-nZRzE625owcNO_mfaXgZVHl8ghlPLItVn9KD5rtqde2UFiTiGD7l1cJi9Py13ezQpsWdDE8q0VnZkYpY2l8_vYmGVW88Truqd3rhMYSgFWPeCc6/s2048/IMG_0766.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoR_MwoGLwdOB5bFzxGeXt4M9yjtD-nZRzE625owcNO_mfaXgZVHl8ghlPLItVn9KD5rtqde2UFiTiGD7l1cJi9Py13ezQpsWdDE8q0VnZkYpY2l8_vYmGVW88Truqd3rhMYSgFWPeCc6/s640/IMG_0766.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font size="2">My work space. Note the parquet floor.</font></div><br /><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><span><b>Being a writer in Brooklyn </b></span></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><span><br /></span></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>Here in Brooklyn, I had found it hard to be alone in the apartment and write. I always felt restless, like the tumultuous crowds of people in the city. During the week it was difficult to concentrate on writing before facing the commute on a crowded Q train. On Saturday mornings, I couldn’t stand to sit alone at my worktable and write. I felt I had to get out and see what was going on. The lively streets have a strong allure.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>To be able to write, on Saturdays in good weather I would walk a mile to my favorite bench in Prospect Park. When it was too cold, I’d walk half a mile to a café to write among people and steel myself to not buy a muffin or a scone. Or I’d walk two miles to the Brooklyn Central Library to work among people in a huge room with 18 long worktables.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>Since Covid shut things down, I couldn’t sit in the library or caf</font><span style="font-family: arial;">é</span><font face="arial">. And my favorite bench in Prospect Park is inaccessible now due to refurbishment of the Oriental Pavilion (see my post on <font color="#2b00fe">this decaying architectural delight <a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2018/05/a-brooklyn-writers-dream-to-see-two.html">HERE</a></font></font><span style="font-family: arial;"><font color="#2b00fe">.</font> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I nicknamed it the Sparrow Hotel for all the nests in its derelict eaves.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISh7hOXPyTBrVdvGUheQ6AIIRN-fxtJlYUv1K4F9tj332jATwCxp_MK4QpwaPpgC5cDYLJVa7C6ouUmntnEcHac-jNSViRBW_0B4SJwRhyB62Z0TRrVLnbbAH6Lt75gD-g492uhgEi198/s2048/IMG_0787.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISh7hOXPyTBrVdvGUheQ6AIIRN-fxtJlYUv1K4F9tj332jATwCxp_MK4QpwaPpgC5cDYLJVa7C6ouUmntnEcHac-jNSViRBW_0B4SJwRhyB62Z0TRrVLnbbAH6Lt75gD-g492uhgEi198/s640/IMG_0787.jpg" /></a></div><font face="arial" size="2"> </font><font face="times" size="2">My favorite bench to sit and write is entangled in the refurbishment of the Oriental Pavilion.</font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>In the midst of Covid, in March, I was grateful to have somewhere to escape to. If I had stayed in Brooklyn during Covid, I would have lost my mind. The isolation, the confinement within a small space, the sound of sirens day and night, would have sunk me. I thank my Higher Power for providing an escape—the Rochester home of my daughter and beloved son-in-law and 2-1/2-year-old grandson. We’ve had a pleasant few months.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<font face="arial"><span style="line-height: 18.5467px;"><span> </span><span> </span>When I went back to my Brooklyn neighborhood on July 10, I was immediately struck by one of its strengths: diversity. I saw a Latina girl swing her long black hair, a Pakistani man dressed in a white <i>shalwar khameez</i>, the pajama-like pants and tunic,</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 17.12px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18.5467px;">walking near her, and black and white neighbors: young, old, and in between. It’s a beautiful aspect of this neighborhood.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>I spent a lot of time in Prospect Park the first two days of my July stay. I visited the lake and made this little video of my favorite thing: water reflecting on the underside of leaves.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>On Monday the brutal packing work began.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>As I packed, I found things of my mother’s, father’s, grandmother’s that I had put in a drawer and forgotten about. I missed these departed loved ones intensely. I tenderly wrapped a little nut dish my grandmother left to the family. It's cut glass, and its sharp little edges prickled my fingers. She loved cut glass and bought it as an investment. My family sold off all the big pieces when my mother died. I just have this one little dish, and I like to put it in a window where the sun will shine on it.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><b>Nostalgia for the life I was leaving</b></font></span></div>
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<font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>As I packed, I felt nostalgia for my Brooklyn life: ballroom dancing on Friday nights; <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><a href="https://www.sohoshakes.com/" target="_blank">Soho Shakespeare</a> </span></span>rehearsals </font><span style="font-family: arial;">(check them out, they have free acting classes online), where I did</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> research for my next novel; waiting on the Church Avenue Metro platform for the Q train; lavender lattes at nearby Café Madeline; filming the profusion of buses and trucks on Church Avenue for my grandson; occasional trips on the Q to Coney Island (<font color="#2b00fe">pics </font></span><a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2016/10/fun-in-coney-island-but-its-little.html" style="font-family: arial;"><font color="#2b00fe">HERE</font></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><font color="#2b00fe">)</font>; walks in Prospect Park; worshipping at my beloved church, St. Paul’s Episcopal, where I was the only white face and was welcomed warmly by everyone while I was fully aware that if these black parishioners showed up alone in a white church, they might not receive as beautiful a welcome—it was true Christianity in action and I’ll never forget it.</span></div>
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<font face="arial"><br /><span> </span><span> </span>During my recent week in Brooklyn, I checked up on Mr. Kosher. <font color="#2b00fe">Stories about him <a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2020/02/chicken-wings-and-american-dream.html">HERE</a></font>. He made it through a Brooklyn winter, day and night, never going indoors, foiling all my anonymous attempts to find him help. Now he’s camped under a huge golf umbrella in Prospect Park, in Drummer’s Grove. He was shirtless the day I saw him. I talked with my pastor, the rector of St. Paul’s, who said he talks with Mr. Kosher too. Mr. Kosher offered him a debit card to pick up smoked turkey thighs for him. That experience turned my pastor into a smoked turkey thigh fan himself. Mr. Kosher may have his debit card funded by his son, who lives far away in the Bronx, or perhaps by his Jewish temple, I don’t know.<o:p></o:p></font></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span></font></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6mAyMZE-Fi0m9I3yoIVoXJfylmB4exC_I6uupLJsV8nXf9CJYOcuJyZWkaIx554yAYFecPmRsFOgE7mUpF1f1-JU1bj9n59u4DQJO1rBm1KHyoprx8T3GBBg9xFRNfqEKiDGtEifGFj-/s2048/IMG_0771.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6mAyMZE-Fi0m9I3yoIVoXJfylmB4exC_I6uupLJsV8nXf9CJYOcuJyZWkaIx554yAYFecPmRsFOgE7mUpF1f1-JU1bj9n59u4DQJO1rBm1KHyoprx8T3GBBg9xFRNfqEKiDGtEifGFj-/s640/IMG_0771.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"> <font face="times" size="2">Mr. Kosher (his real name is Hosea, like the prophet) is back to camping</font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font face="times" size="2"><span> </span><span> </span><span> within Prospect Park, instead of spending the winter outside the Prospect Park</span></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="times" size="2"> B&Q Station.</font></span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">I was happy to sense a new optimism in the air in my neighborhood, Prospect Park South, which is the developers' new name for the north end of Flatbush. It's full of pr</span><font face="arial">e-war brick apartment buildings in which so many people live who, when I escaped in March, seemed to have no hope of prosperity, no chance at economic equity with someone like me. I’d sensed despair, hopelessness. People were always anxious, not knowing if they could make rent that month. It saddened me. So many people in my neighborhood could not afford healthcare. There was a marked prevalence of people limping, of people using canes, of people missing teeth. Many people looked angry. They were trapped in a racist system and had given up hope for a better future </font><span style="font-family: arial;">for themselves and their children. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hoping to make a difference</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>I tried to help <font color="#2b00fe">by getting involved in <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: white;"><a href="http://circlesofsupport.org">circlesofsupport.org</a></span></font>, an organization that helps people coming out of incarceration and that meets at St. Paul’s. I helped a group through one cycle. Then Covid came, activity was postponed, and I had the lucky option that others didn’t have, of fleeing a Covid hotbed.<o:p></o:p></font></div>
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<font face="arial"><span><span> </span><span> </span>When I returned to Prospect Park South in July, however, I felt a new, positive energy in the air. Now that both white folks and black are demonstrating on behalf of racial equity, p</span>eople are hopeful of change. Now they feel they are being listened to by politicians who are in a position to legislate a more level playing field. They are not looking for a hand-out, they are just looking for a chance. I felt the new hopefulness. I wanted to stay and be a part of it.</font></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>These characters in my neighborhood! The lovely people in my church! The stateliness of the trees in Prospect Park! This new hopefulness in the air! All the cach</font></span><span style="font-family: arial;">é</span><span><font face="arial"> that saying “I live and write in Brooklyn” conveys! How could I not live here forever?<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>But how could I not live near my grandson? And the baby that's expected in October?<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>I called a friend and told her how torn I was about leaving Brooklyn.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>“You were a lost, lonely soul in New York,” she declared firmly. “I could hear it in your voice. You’re much better off in Rochester with your family.”<o:p></o:p></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font face="arial"><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><span lang="" style="margin: 0px;"><span> </span><span> So on July 17, </span>I said goodbye to my 4-1/2 years of Brooklyn life. Those years went FAST. I lived in three neighborhoods in Brooklyn: Bedford-Stuyvesant (for one month), Sunset Park (for one year) and Prospect Park South for 3-1/2 years. I tried to milk my Brooklyn experience for everything I could get out of it for my writing: the feel of various neighborhoods, <a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2016/10/american-dream-brownstone-in-brooklyn.html">pictures of row houses and brownstones</a>, lots of scenes in <font color="#2b00fe">every season from <a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2018/11/prospect-park-in-four-seasons.html">Prospect Park</a></font>, one of the great parks of the world.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><span lang="" style="margin: 0px;"><span> </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><span lang="" style="margin: 0px;"><span><span> </span><span> </span>I'll miss Brooklyn.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><span lang="" style="margin: 0px;"><span> </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><span lang="" style="margin: 0px;"><span><span> </span><span> </span>But I was very lonely there – every face was that of a stranger. The people around me were stressed by being among too many people, and I was stressed to be thrown shoulder to shoulder with so many strangers. As my friend Cecilia says, "New York is a special place with lots of advantages, but emotional support is not one of them." </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><span lang="" style="margin: 0px;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><span lang="" style="margin: 0px;"><span><span> </span><span> </span>Toward the end of my Brooklyn life, in February and March as news of Covid was increasing, I felt so alone. I was calling my daughter once or twice a day, calling friends, and then not feeling any better. It was unsustainable. By mid-March the sirens, which could be heard day and night even in regular times, were now sounding continuously, day and night. I was frightened, I felt so alone. I knew I couldn’t survive working alone from home, day after day, in a studio apartment, in the middle of a pandemic, surrounded by strangers. What if I got sick? Who would even know? Maybe the paramedics would be too busy to come and help me.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><b>Starting over</b></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><span lang="" style="margin: 0px;"><span> </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;"><span lang="" style="margin: 0px;"><span><span> </span><span> </span>On March 14, I fled to Rochester and family.</span></span></div></font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>I went back to Brooklyn in July, and by July 17, I was packed. That morning I got up early and dressed up a bit—makeup, earrings, a cute top, new slacks, ballet flats—I believe in looking my best when I travel so that, if I need help, people will be more inclined to help me—and climbed way up into the U-Haul, packed with the things I’ll need to create a place of my own in Rochester.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHa8SnbuhHoT13IKDwy4kkND9uPsLA_EuMLUY3ZlKfHma4qJe902NWpfXl9UG021_XuuFnucQqjiCrk4J6wIjyPqo5VwfR90RZZjsKz_GyaeC7O52SA9qWkU6ukyg_BK0ZdO-Ou9Jb0-k9/s2048/IMG_3209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHa8SnbuhHoT13IKDwy4kkND9uPsLA_EuMLUY3ZlKfHma4qJe902NWpfXl9UG021_XuuFnucQqjiCrk4J6wIjyPqo5VwfR90RZZjsKz_GyaeC7O52SA9qWkU6ukyg_BK0ZdO-Ou9Jb0-k9/s640/IMG_3209.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>I turned the key. The engine roared. This beast was huge, taking up almost all of a lane. The rear-view mirrors stuck out even farther. I drove, scared out of my wits, through the narrow, car-clogged streets of Brooklyn to the Verrazano Bridge, across Staten Island, across the Goethels Bridge to New Jersey, across that state in rush-hour traffic to the Poconos, then </font></span><span style="font-family: arial;">with growing confidence </span><span style="font-family: arial;">through vast open spaces in Pennsylvania and New York State.</span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>I arrived in Rochester safely. My belongings are now in my daughter’s garage and attic.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
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<span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>And I’m left wondering: where’s my home? Now that I’m in a city of 750,000 people, compared to NYC and its 8.4 million and its 23 million in the New York metro area, with all the arts opportunities it incubates, can I still grow as an artist? </font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><span> </span></font></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> <span> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">I'll be journaling on that topic, and piecing together a new quilt of my life. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span>What will I do with my one wild and precious life?</font><span style="font-size: 17.3333px;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px;"> </span><font face="arial"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px;"> </span>How about you? Have you said goodbye to a special space, a special place, special people, because of Covid? What will you do in your new place with your one wild and precious life?</font><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><br /></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><font face="arial"><span> </span><span> </span><br /></font></span></div>
In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-84477786092719827332020-04-30T11:12:00.020-07:002020-06-02T13:50:14.909-07:00One Response to Today's Difficulties: Pausing<h2>
A Pause Might Lead to Greater Creativity</h2>
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By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft</h3>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">How are you doing? What are you doing? Write to me at norma at normahopcraft dot com to let me know. Now that I'm working remotely, I'm no longer commuting an hour each way each day and I have extra time to respond. I'd love to hear from you! What's happening in your life?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I am doing okay -- I thank God, I was able to get out of Brooklyn in mid-March, when the sirens were already sounding all day all night. The sirens were very distressing, adding to the anxiety already in the air in my poor neighborhood, among people who worry every month about making rent -- what happens now, with so many jobs shut down?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I am blessed because I was welcomed to go to Rochester, New York, near Lake Ontario, where my daughter, darling son-in-law, and hilarious 2-1/2-year-old grandchild live.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">"Social distancing is so much better with other people," a friend said. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Very true. I'm grateful for the quiet companionship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">After one week in Rochester, I caught a cold--I don't think it was COVID because my temp never went up above 99.4. "If it's not 100.4 or above, it's not a fever," a nurse told me. I had a dry cough for three weeks afterward though. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Other than that, I've been fine, cooking up a storm. I made chicken soup yesterday, and baked cornbread, for dinner. Actually, I put so much rosemary in my chicken soup, it's really rosemary soup. I love the flavor mysteries that that tortured herb puts into cooking. There's lots of white wine in my soup too -- a generous helping of Clos de Bois this time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm calling my older friends who are stuck quite alone. I hope you'll do the same.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm taking my grandson for walks around his neighborhood. I tell him to look for cats, for dogs, for the daffodils that are finally blooming in Rochester. The small pleasures are growing in importance as the playgrounds, library, the Museum of Play, have all been shut down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">He's learning the names of the flowers: snowdrops, crocus, primrose. He has a little-child lisp, so "crocus" comes out as "cwocuth."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I am cut off from the big excitements in New York City, like taking an acting class as part of the research I do on the theater for my next novel. Museums. Ballroom dancing. All closed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But hearing my baby grandson say "cwocuth" takes away any regret over not having access to those grown-up pleasures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm grateful for the quiet life I'm leading in the company of my family. Evenings are spent talking a bit, reading a bit. Jane Austen lived like this, and the Bronte sisters. I'm hoping that this quiet life leads to a focus of energy that results in great novel writing that I can leave behind in the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So there's an upside to this pause. I'm privileged to be able to enjoy an upside when so many people have lost loved ones and jobs. I thank my Higher Power and hope that people will see that they can get through everything with the help of their Higher Power.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I confess, I've also been watching TV a bit with my family. We're enjoying Shetland, a murder mystery series on Britbox. Except for one episode that I thought too graphic and violent (Season 3, Episode 2), it's been a huge pleasure. I may never get to the Shetland Islands, but I'm very happy to know that such a beautiful place exists.</span><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">One thing I can recommend to you is to enjoy Fire Island. I won't be able to go to my hiking club cabin this summer -- the cabin is shut due to Covid-19. But I have pictures for you from a stay there in 2012, just one month before Superstorm Sandy. The pictures will provide a mini-vacation at the beach for you, in time for Memorial Day. <a href="https://njaegerhopcraft.blogspot.com/2012/12/last-pics-from-fire-island-ny.html"><b>Check out the loveliness on my blog, here.</b></a></font></div><div><br /></div><div><div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">How about you? Any excellent shows to share? Do you see an upside to this quieter life we're living? </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you put lots of rosemary in chicken soup? </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Write to me at norma at normahopcraft dot com. I'd LOVE to hear from you! Or comment below! I'll be sure to respond.</span><br />
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<br /></div></div>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-41320840628382516572020-04-05T10:06:00.001-07:002020-04-06T14:15:37.153-07:00French Things To Do in Confinement. Enjoy.<h2 style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Search for the American Dream Gone French</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope this blog post finds you safe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My heart goes out to the many people affected deeply by the pandemic. I left Brooklyn on March 14, the day after my office closed. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of my daughter, beloved son-in-law, and 2-1/2 year old grandson, I can shelter with them in Rochester, NY. Ordinarily, I live in a studio apartment in one of the densest parts of Brooklyn, packed with six-story apartment houses where people are stacked in layers. The sidewalks are crowded--it's impossible to keep six feet away from everybody. The day I left, sirens were constantly sounding, adding to the feeling of anxiety. So to be here, in a roomy house, in a quiet neighborhood, with easy-going dear-hearts instead of all alone among millions of strangers, is a huge blessing that I'm very cognizant of.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoiU1ZUJ_R-MEkQJvArh0homgrG4uE8F4jXhE4BNKamI531Pl1B7RACGEBuRscsuHcei_Rk_wxwIAFDUf9Sn4kPts_LThgTFpK7dBa6j4YrSHh6qFlMGQ29Y66Ewwj4vuzVNnnZ5Uyg6V/s1600/IMG_3975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="In Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoiU1ZUJ_R-MEkQJvArh0homgrG4uE8F4jXhE4BNKamI531Pl1B7RACGEBuRscsuHcei_Rk_wxwIAFDUf9Sn4kPts_LThgTFpK7dBa6j4YrSHh6qFlMGQ29Y66Ewwj4vuzVNnnZ5Uyg6V/s400/IMG_3975.jpg" title="In Search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I live in a vast neighborhood of six-story brick apartment buildings. They're "pre-war," which means they were built before WW II, and many apartments have parquet floors, high ceilings, and gracious proportions to the room. That's nice. But it makes my part of Brooklyn incredibly densely populated.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To live temporarily in these circumstances in Rochester, especially to have so much more time with my grandson, is a huge blessing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd like to share some blessing with you! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's one way!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please do take a look at this link by MyFrenchLife.org. There's a long list of free activities for adults and children. With the time you don't have to spend on commuting, learn more French! Or photography! Take a virtual tour of Versailles! Binge-watch every single episode of The French Chef with Julia Child! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please take a look at the free possibilities here, provided in a neat list of links, at <a href="https://www.myfrenchlife.org/2020/03/20/myfrenchlife-live-resource-page-for-your-creative-pursuits-projects/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">https://www.myfrenchlife.org/2020/03/20/myfrenchlife-live-resource-page-for-your-creative-pursuits-projects/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Credit where credit is due: My writing friend Gray, whom I met while I lived and wrote in Paris and am still collaborating with on writing projects, sent me the link.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another possibility for you:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Macaron baking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a really funny YouTube video that will help you overcome macaron-baking fear and to enjoy chocolaty macarons with a minimum of fuss and muss: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsCvAijBn4Y" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsCvAijBn4Y</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The chef makes cute fun of the snobbiness that can surround macaron-making. His is a down-to-earth method, and the results will taste stupendous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lastly, how are you doing in these difficult times? Which French activities did you choose to look into? Please comment below and tell me about your circumstances, and any silver lining you may see. Or send me an email at norma at normahopcraft dot com. Thank you! Please, let's be in touch! I'd love to hear from you!</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-81753296122468492232020-02-25T04:36:00.001-08:002020-02-25T04:36:05.316-08:00Chicken Wings and the American Dream<h2>
A Window into a Life</h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft</span></h3>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I've gotten used to the cold," he said, as if he wanted to comfort me, the person with plenty of heat in her apartment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, I've kept loose tabs on Mr. Kosher. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He lives under a canopy of three layers of plastic tarps just outside of Brooklyn's Prospect Park. His campsite is a 20-minute walk from my place. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's now the last week of February, and he has managed to avoid going into a homeless shelter all winter.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He's managed to do that in spite of my best efforts.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9vItL4LcYYyuQVmqQ_Ojm3w1J6vP4Z7EVfIq2xmzqcGbJuFcHcZky1lttFa6D9oNLwA34CEqIVFdOUQpAAbf8fBHhY79910FGlA9PCJ-RsruXPcWc2iPbJ5_mFlCtIsoe7961zn99CDw/s1600/IMG_0195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9vItL4LcYYyuQVmqQ_Ojm3w1J6vP4Z7EVfIq2xmzqcGbJuFcHcZky1lttFa6D9oNLwA34CEqIVFdOUQpAAbf8fBHhY79910FGlA9PCJ-RsruXPcWc2iPbJ5_mFlCtIsoe7961zn99CDw/s400/IMG_0195.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The homeless man I'm writing about has lived outdoors outside the B and Q subway station, near this spot in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, all winter, at least so far.</span></td></tr>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In my previous post (see below), I described what happened when I took him a hot--well, warm--ham dinner. He turned down the dinner because he's Jewish and eats kosher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I couldn't stop thinking about him. One bitter cold Saturday morning soon after, I felt that I just had to do something to give him some bit of comfort. Reluctantly I walked up to the three layers of plastic sheets that covered him in his wheelchair and that partially covered the three or four shopping carts jammed with stuff that surround him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I called a hello, to warn him, and found a small slit in all the plastic sheets. There he was, in hat and jacket. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Hi, would you like a hot cup of coffee or tea?" I asked.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"No, thank you," he said, politely enough. "But would you get me a plate of chicken wings and fries? From the deli right here?"</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since it was close by, I said I'd to it.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"And a two-liter bottle of ginger ale?"</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Okay."</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Tell the cook I want the wings cooked extra brown and the fries very lightly."</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This guy had been sitting in his wheelchair outdoors for months. All spring, summer, autumn, and now all winter, in the cold day and night, hour after hour. He needed something hot. I said I'd do it.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I walked towards the deli, I heard more instructions coming from under the tarps. "Chicken cooked real well," he said.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I went into the deli and placed the order.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The fryer is being cleaned. I can't make french fries," the short-order cook, a Bangladeshi man, said.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"OK, make it rice." I hoped Mr. Kosher wouldn't complain--I didn't want to hear it. "And cook the chicken wings really well."</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Is this for the guy outside?"</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I nodded.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're enjoying this story, would you click to Tweet? Thank you!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the order was ready, I took it back to Mr. Kosher, planning to get his real name for the receipt in case the IRS ever asked. I handed the plastic container of food and the giant bottle of ginger ale through the crack between tarps.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Thank you," he said sweetly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What's your name?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Hosea, like in the Bible."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He started talking about his life. The homeless say that one of their greatest hardships is that they're invisible, nobody talks with them. So I listened.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He told me he only has one leg (I couldn't see that because his lap was covered by blankets and another tarp). He told me that he's used to the cold, as if to comfort me. He spoke longingly, just for a moment, of wanting to take a shower. He smiled at me and asked me if I didn't have a place for him. He didn't know that the part of me that's like Don Quixote had thought of it, and the part of me that's practical had brought me to my senses.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I managed to break in to his flow of words for a moment to ask why he didn't go to a shelter to get out of the cold. That really set him off on a diatribe about the police being the enemy, stealing the drums he sold for a living; about the shelters housing people doing crack and ecstasy while he only smoked weed (he delivered that line with a sidelong glance at me and a little smile); and that the last time he was in a shelter, the previous winter, someone had stolen his two leather jackets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Leather jackets? I don't feel I can afford a leather jacket (and it wouldn't look good on me : ). What was he doing living outdoors in the rain with two of them?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He said he had to get his stuff into storage, and then he'd go live with his son in the Bronx. Well, the weed explained why he hadn't managed to get his mind wrapped around his storage situation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I broke into his flow of words to say that I had to go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Would you exchange this Seagram's ginger ale for some Schweppes?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"No, I can't." I really had to go, and I had no desire to hunt for a store that sold Schweppes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"That's okay, I'll get somebody else to do it."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've kept my eye on the overnight forecast for weeks. Twice, when the forecast was for overnight lows in the 20s, I called Department of Homeless Services. They checked on him and emailed me that he had refused services. When the temperature actually descends below 32, the DHS refers my calls to the police, who respond under "Code Blue." Code Blue <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">allows them to take </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">homeless</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> people to local shelters, even if they don't want to go.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But Hosea had talked to me with such hatred of the police, I was sure that, when I called for them to help him, he was showering them with abusive speech. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I called Code Blue three or four times. And I'd walk by his campsite the next morning on my way to work hoping he was gone, hoping he was finally warm, sitting in a hot shower for the first time in maybe a year, with a chance to stretch out full length on a bed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hosea was still there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He's still there today. He's made it through a New York City winter so far, into late February. He's still there after two nights in a row when it went down to 14 degrees. Maybe he'll make it outdoors year-round. Is this a case of incredible human endurance against the odds? Isn't it also a case of incredible human stubbornness? Can the shelters really be worse than living for months in the cold, day and night?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know he's getting help -- his campsite is littered with chicken wing bones, empty ginger ale bottles, plastic forks. When I brought him that plastic container of food, he placed it in his lap on top of another one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What do I do about calling DHS and the police to help him? He's probably abusive to them. Do I keep calling and sending these public servants into an abusive situation?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've gone back my previous position, thinking to myself, "Hosea, you're on your own, kid. I'm not meddling any more."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I say a prayer or two for him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A story from last week and a family favorite recipe* : )</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I called my girlfriend Jane to talk over something that had just happened.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“There’s this man,” I said. <o:p></o:p></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I heard her catch her breath. She’s hopeful for me, and for
herself, especially around the holidays when most single people deeply miss
having a partner. We agree that we just have to live our lives and find other
happinesses, but that we especially feel it at the holidays.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I immediately set the record straight.<o:p></o:p></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Not a desirable man, a homeless man.”<o:p></o:p></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Oh, nuts!” she said, laughing.<o:p></o:p></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I recounted to her that this man is wheelchair bound and
lives surrounded by shopping carts jammed with what he may call belongings but
appear to me to be detritus. And he has drums—small congas and bongos. In
summer he camps under a big umbrella in Prospect Park near a semi-circle of
benches called “Drummers Grove.” I can hear the drums on the opposite side of
the park, and I’m not wild about it. I would prefer to hear birds.<o:p></o:p></span>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwol_r4OHP8BAGj2zSpD7LRFnKaf6yhUONThnqji5KPJRCbCP8dbH9YNES_rOFhhP1PTZShML5D2efGqa8qmw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Caption: These geese are walking amusingly on ice on the opposite side of the park from the Drummers Grove. In summer, I can hear the drums from here...You've heard of the March of the Penguins, filmed in Antarctica? This is the March/Skate of the Geese, in Prospect Park. Just 7 seconds of fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, I see this homeless man every day as I walk through the park to
the subway to go to work. I avoid him because I feel I can’t afford the
time—and he undoubtedly needs money—and I don’t want him to shout out at me
every day and have expectations of me every day and to depend on me every day. So
I skirt him when I see him. From behind him, one time though, I saw him reading
what looked like a Bible, with double columns, and I’ve hoped for him to have a
relationship with Higher Power.<o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The police must have forced him to leave the park because since
October he’s been camped outside of the Lincoln Road B and Q station, one-half
block east of the park. He lives under three layers of tarps: two clear ones,
and a blue one, the kind I used to drag autumn leaves around my yard when I
still lived in New Jersey and didn’t have to studiously avoid homeless people
in Brooklyn.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My daughter, son-in-law, and grandbaby came to visit me just
before Christmas, and we passed this man, or rather the hump of plastic over
and around him. Maybe because my kids were there and I felt I should set a good
example, or maybe because it was Christmas, I stopped postponing doing
something for him.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I called 911. They referred me to 311, which referred me to
the Department of Homeless Services, the DHS. I described the man’s location
and asked them to check on him. I knew he might not accept help, but I thought
I’d at least get the man on their radar for the upcoming nights when the
temperature plunges into the 20s, the teens. He'd been through two nights in the 20s already. He must be holding out on going into a shelter to the very last minute. I've heard the shelters are terrible. Can they be that much worse than sitting in the freezing cold for months at a time with tarps rattling around your ears?<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The DHS took my email address and gave me a case number.
They updated me over the next two hours: A unit has been dispatched. A unit has
arrived. The subject has refused services.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I decided to take him some dinner. I had purchased a huge
ham for Christmas (every ham was huge, there were no small ones to be had). So
I had lots of leftovers. <o:p></o:p></span><!-- ClickToTweet Embed Code Start -->
<script src="//clicktotweet.com/embed/486qI/1" type="text/javascript"></script>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I cubed and warmed up some ham, some pineapple pudding*, and
some broccoli. I covered it carefully to keep in the heat, figuring a hot meal
would be so enjoyed on a late December day. I wrapped the dinner in a dish
towel, put it in a thermal bag, and walked the mile to the Lincoln Road B and Q
station. I even included a huge paper dinner napkin and a sturdy plastic fork. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I felt good. This is the way I like to live, I thought,
helping others. Getting involved, even a little bit, even though it’s
inconvenient. I felt Mother Teresa-ish, perhaps a bit Jesus-ish.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I got to his campsite, I lifted the edge of tarp, which
was flapping and rustling in the breeze. <o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Hello? Hello?” Under the tent, it didn’t smell bad, which I’d been concerned about.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The man turned his head. He had on a leather hat lined with
fleece, and a parka unzipped to reveal a big chest and tummy under a bright red
shirt. The rest of him was lost in blankets, tarps, and detritus.<o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Hello, mammy.” That’s a greeting of endearment that the
other Caribbean black men in my neighborhood use.<o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I brought you some dinner.”<o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“What’s in it?”<o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought that question was a bad sign. I steeled myself for
something weird to happen.<o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Ham,” I began—<o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I can’t eat that, I’m Jewish.”<o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Never in a million years could I have anticipated that.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Yeah, I eat kosher,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Okay.” And I dropped the flap and took a step away.<o:p></o:p></span>
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</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Would you do me a favor, though?”<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I lifted the flap again. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Yes?” I felt like I was about to be taken advantage of, if
I couldn’t summon the strength to resist being taken advantage of.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Go to Chick Filet and get me some dinner?”<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I called Jane as I walked home.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Jane, isn’t that….” I struggled to find the word…”I guess amazing?
He’s homeless. Talk about someone living with food insecurity. And he turns
down homemade food? And it took a lot of nerve, didn’t it?” I really wanted to
know if she thought so too. “To turn down my food and ask me to spend $15 or
$20 for something else?”<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Yes, that took nerve.”<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I was so happy at first to be taking him dinner and then so
relieved that I hadn’t brought any cash or cards with me. So relieved I
couldn’t do it even if I had been fool enough to go do it. And I’ll never take
dinner to him again. I walked a mile and he turned it down.”<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“He’s not very hungry.”<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“No.”<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“He must have someone who helps him regularly.”<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I think so. I hope so. But from now on my attitude is,
‘You’re on your own, kid.’”<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was glad to know he wasn’t very hungry. I was relieved—for
him, and for the fact that I’d never have to try taking dinner again. Would I?
The good and the bad of me, always at war.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I prayed for him. I had not gotten his name, which I’d meant
to ask for. Homeless people complain of being invisible. I should have at least
learned his name. When I pray for him, I refer to him as Mr. Kosher. It’s got a
little bit of an un-prayerful edge to it, doesn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I give this man so much credit for physical toughness -- he's out in the cold day and night, not able to move to warm up. </span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Later I checked the upcoming nighttime lows in my weather
app and put a reminder in my phone so that the next time the temp
plunges I remember to call DHS and ask them to go offer him some help. But take
him a hot dinner or a hot drink? <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m off the hook. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few pictures from Prospect Park in early winter, and then a delicious recipe!</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*My mother’s Pineapple Pudding recipe, one of the most
delicious foods I’ve ever tasted. Great with ham (don’t forget to serve Dijon
mustard with the ham):<o:p></o:p></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pineapple Pudding (to fuel you in your search for the Am</b></span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">erican Dream)</b>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1-3/4 sticks salted butter, melted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">10 slices white bread, cubed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 eggs, beaten</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 Cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 Tblspn flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 tsp pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 #2 cans crushed pineapple (#2 cans = 15 to 17 oz.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 tsp grated lemon peel (1 lemon)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heat oven to 325. Butter a casserole. Mix everything together. Bake 1 hour. Makes 6 to 8 servings.</span></div>
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In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-61674056649073551742019-11-27T06:46:00.001-08:002019-11-27T06:46:45.920-08:00My American Dream Is Only Half Come True
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<h2>
<span class="s1">But My Search for My American Dream Has Given Me Unexpected Gifts</span></h2>
<h3>
<span class="s1">By Norma Hopcraft</span></h3>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><br />
Today I'm offering other people's links--selfless of me, I know. Actually, I do hope these links are highly useful for you as you plan your trip to Paris -- or dream of planning your trip, which is the foundational step to making it a reality.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
I believe in dreaming big. As a kid who played piano diligently, thanks to my mother's influence, I one day decided, while watching an episode of the TV show The Name of the Game (glamorous sports cars, beautiful women, settings in the great capitals of Europe), that I wanted to live and work in Europe. The only means I had of making that dream a reality was my skill at the piano. So therefore I would study to be a concert pianist.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
I practiced like crazy, four hours a day, for a year, and I mastered complex music by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and many others. And then I changed my mind. But in that year I made huge strides as a pianist.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
For the last 30 years, without changing my mind, I've been dreaming of being someone who is just about as rare as a concert pianist: an author who makes enough money on their books to quit their day job and just write. That's been my American Dream for three decades.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
Another way to say it is my BHAG: a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. The United States had a BHAG, writes Jim Collins, who invented the phrase, when we decided to put a man on the moon. A simple, clear, memorable, compelling, engaging BHAG that can be expressed in several ways.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
My BHAG: Have the financial and artistic freedom to write lots of novels that grab people's hearts.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
In other words, "to publish my writing to critical and popular acclaim." Even more succinctly: "great reviews and bestseller sales."</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
I've known for those three decades, each jam packed with writing, that I was taking a risk pursuing this dream. I put hundreds of thousands of hours into writing, knowing my dream might not come true. But hoping. Plugging away anyway. I felt like I just had to write.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
I think what my dream was really about was to earn the chance to feel good: the feeling that my life and my art really mattered, that my self-discipline to sit down every day to write had paid off, as I deserved. That my fans loved me and therefore I could finally, finally love myself and feel fulfilled and satisfied and loved.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
In addition to satisfaction and fulfillment, I wanted a financial payoff. I wanted my writing to provide for my old age, and also to free me from the daily grind of supporting myself in order to devote big chunks of time to writing.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
I've gotten half my dream. I've gotten terrific reviews.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
The second half of my dream, acclaim from the populace as shown in bestseller sales, has not come true. There's a chance that word of mouth will take off, but I'm not counting on it. When I look at the funds I'll someday retire on, I don't add in one single dollar from book sales. The royalties I make I plough directly back into Amazon Ads. </span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
I'm telling you all this because I've really wrestled with my Higher Power over the financial half of my dream. I tell him I've worked diligently for 30 years, I've done the right thing by developing my gifts, and I've exercised the Protestant work ethic (he who hustles wins). Not only that, the American Dream that I've grown up steeped in says that hard work will pay off financially. And I haven't seen it.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
Have you felt this way, too? I've gotten really upset over it at times in the last six months, to be honest.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
But after wrestling for six months, I've come to believe that my Higher Power is trying to wean me away from finding my fulfillment in "success" as I defined it in these previous paragraphs. Instead, he's asking me to look to him to provide the love, life satisfaction, self-acceptance and appreciation that I crave. As I sit with him each morning with spiritual literature, I do Step 11 from the Twelve Steps ("</span><span class="s3">Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out"). Most mornings I get enough of a sense of his love for me that I'm filled up enough to go out and be kind, even on the overcrowded and frustrating streets of New York City.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
</span><span class="s3">I still feel sad that the financial half of the dream hasn't come true because I want so dreadfully badly to write several more books before I die. Right now, while I work full-time and commute two hours a day, I only get 600 words written per day. That's on a good day. A large number of days I accomplish 0. I'm a frustrated artist. I want to write! I want all aspects of my BHAG to be true right now!</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
But good things besides financial rewards have come to me because I worked toward my BHAG:</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li4"><span class="s1">I've lived more richly and fully as I've looked for insights and details about people, places, and things that I could use in my novels.</span></li>
<li class="li4"><span class="s1">I studied two topics that fascinate me for 30 years--writing, and the human psychology behind storytelling--and I made huge strides, just as I did in piano when I applied myself diligently.</span></li>
<li class="li4"><span class="s1">I delved into the world's greatest authors to deepen my own understanding and craft (and still do). </span></li>
<li class="li4"><span class="s1">I took a journey around America on a bus. Never would have done that if I hadn't been enamored of John Steinbeck's classic, <i>Travels with Charley</i>.</span></li>
<li class="li4"><span class="s1">I finished a creative writing degree at New York University (<i>magna cum laude</i>, I might add).</span></li>
<li class="li4"><span class="s1">I lived in Paris for a year and wrote a novel there.</span></li>
<li class="li4"><span class="s1">I lived in Barcelona for three months and wrote several travel essays there.</span></li>
<li class="li4"><span class="s1">I've been part of writer's circles where I've gotten to know amazing human beings very well.</span></li>
<li class="li4"><span class="s1">Now, for my next novel, I'm interviewing amazing theater people and getting involved in productions. Fun!</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><br />
None of that would have happened if I hadn't been dreaming my dream, pursuing my BHAG, developing the gifts my Higher Power gave me, and working diligently toward making my dreams a reality.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
And lightning may yet strike my books. They're quite worthy of it -- and you're free to understand that two ways : )</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
So I believe in setting a BHAG.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
I believe it's never too late.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
I believe in dreaming big dreams, overcoming obstacles, and running the race. Not that I'm perfect at it.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
My daily, real life is different from the dream I nurtured for 30 years. I <i>am</i> free to write, actually--not because I've been able to shed the day job but because I get up at 5:30 a.m. to carve out an hour to write.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
That isn't to say I haven't been deeply frustrated with this. I've kicked against the goads. But lately I've decided to just accept what is and to get on with my writing BHAG.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
Now, if your BHAG includes exploring Paris, I can help.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
Some terrific links about Paris have come to my attention, and I've saved them up for you. I highly recommend these links as you dream, as you set your BHAG to be in Paris by X date:</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
The 25 Most Beautiful Places in Paris, from Conde Naste Traveler.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b><a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/the-25-most-beautiful-places-in-paris?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=cnt&utm_mailing=CNT_Daily_PM_082619&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5c92ab7afc942d0bdffd2afb&cndid=29138620&hasha=b8e1d618699dc140ef8d724de26c7780&hashb=92c166ee0d1f598b6186d738cee7db1e4f48ee28&hashc=ced626f2dac9faee8de4511b015a1eb9a07a05c3409d94caa719e8fa28c2e2c8&esrc=SLVNA_16&utm_term=CNT_Daily"><span class="s4">https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/the-25-most-beautiful-places-in-paris?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=cnt&utm_mailing=CNT_Daily_PM_082619&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5c92ab7afc942d0bdffd2afb&cndid=29138620&hasha=b8e1d618699dc140ef8d724de26c7780&hashb=92c166ee0d1f598b6186d738cee7db1e4f48ee28&hashc=ced626f2dac9faee8de4511b015a1eb9a07a05c3409d94caa719e8fa28c2e2c8&esrc=SLVNA_16&utm_term=CNT_Daily</span></a><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
The 7 Best Places in Paris for Literature Lovers, from Newsweek:</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/7-best-places-literature-lovers-paris-1456124?fbclid=IwAR0x8o1kms6NQlY6Z_Mtg3x0i9g1lNvTRGpdVMT3cLT7r-fNoczPzWTaddo"><span class="s4">https://www.newsweek.com/7-best-places-literature-lovers-paris-1456124?fbclid=IwAR0x8o1kms6NQlY6Z_Mtg3x0i9g1lNvTRGpdVMT3cLT7r-fNoczPzWTaddo</span></a><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
And for children, 5 Little Museums of Paris for Little Travelers, from the New York Times:</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/travel/5-little-museums-of-paris-for-little-travelers.html?fbclid=IwAR1fphU2hzf1bhEWFuryPoUofEZE_IJ4IILO5MRcFwLXQATJV1Orx4ewOnY"><span class="s4">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/travel/5-little-museums-of-paris-for-little-travelers.html?fbclid=IwAR1fphU2hzf1bhEWFuryPoUofEZE_IJ4IILO5MRcFwLXQATJV1Orx4ewOnY</span></a><b><br />
</b></span><span class="s1"><br />
<i>Au revoir, mes amies!</i> Dream big! Comment below if you'd like a big dose of encouragement for your quest for a BHAG.</span><span class="s2"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<br />In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-74588403401912285072019-10-05T10:57:00.000-07:002019-10-07T17:05:30.807-07:00Life at the Water's Edge in Paris<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Norma Hopcraft</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On my recent adventure to Paris this summer, I found myself gravitating toward the Seine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To me, it's the most fascinating aspect of Paris--flowing through the city with its abundance of <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment--><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">péniches</span><!--EndFragment-->. </i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are barges. Some are work barges--family businesses carting coal and many other products around the canals</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and rivers of France. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some were converted to pleasure craft. Families live on them and cruise the canals and rivers of France for fun. Or they tie up in Paris (with permission of the authorities) and live within walking distance of Le Louvre and the many other treasures of Paris.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The canals and rivers of France offer a pleasure-boater 5,000 kilometers to explore. In France, it's known as the <i>patrimoine fluvial, </i>or the fluvial heritage--an incredible gift from past generations, who dug the canals and connected the rivers. You can wind past ancient stone villages, through cities, past quiet fields of wheat or cows. My friend Cris Hammond did this -- please see the link at the bottom.</span></div>
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Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>péniches</i></span><!--EndFragment--> that are converted look absolutely delightful. I've been welcomed on board two of them, and that experience is part of my novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Paris-Writers-Circle-Norma-Hopcraft/dp/0999408917" target="_blank">The Paris Writers Circle</a>. I'll show you some incredible <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>péniches</i></span>, below.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPkFu6zqHa9n7eRws1h5GDZ3KYoScvqFK2SKnCM6xoH7kcpx2nD0Co-Zxf5SvqvFK3UEqVFq9Vi-j-rvE_xC0v5MwuThU1ivCx7JFvmtNK7WmqptRhlVqwCVmMMl_Ho-9AMdLVQiiSsIl/s1600/IMG_4423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPkFu6zqHa9n7eRws1h5GDZ3KYoScvqFK2SKnCM6xoH7kcpx2nD0Co-Zxf5SvqvFK3UEqVFq9Vi-j-rvE_xC0v5MwuThU1ivCx7JFvmtNK7WmqptRhlVqwCVmMMl_Ho-9AMdLVQiiSsIl/s400/IMG_4423.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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I couldn't get the whole boat into the picture! But you can see it has a gangplank (in the center; it's raised) and bikes on the deck. Under the deck -- cabins! I'd love to be living in one of them!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHYmCL81JXlzXAcFeX5H4XbnABmXA-Jf5wacf3IEfn_kUxz9t6eRgvTN7FdX_STiorTFDeS-SWIeHVLIkerRnkx3ng1wewb3G44AnoAShAqSToemFYDPb4nh1ATpvlHIJGlcvNE1upQxD/s1600/IMG_4425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHYmCL81JXlzXAcFeX5H4XbnABmXA-Jf5wacf3IEfn_kUxz9t6eRgvTN7FdX_STiorTFDeS-SWIeHVLIkerRnkx3ng1wewb3G44AnoAShAqSToemFYDPb4nh1ATpvlHIJGlcvNE1upQxD/s400/IMG_4425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's the other end of the barge. It has seating on the bow.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTBw9pDPTs9iVaqyl1yhb4wDPcHmpIJVUC3prYgOv-1te2jMaETthj2h44cC0WKEKu8JTPsNk8xSc7dmjJIAh-EjPo5zPDCcdKYUd3WK4oGm6szHkUzIYGzjbabM2xKbh-TiiO2ObsPJH/s1600/IMG_4427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTBw9pDPTs9iVaqyl1yhb4wDPcHmpIJVUC3prYgOv-1te2jMaETthj2h44cC0WKEKu8JTPsNk8xSc7dmjJIAh-EjPo5zPDCcdKYUd3WK4oGm6szHkUzIYGzjbabM2xKbh-TiiO2ObsPJH/s400/IMG_4427.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's the seating area -- curved wicker chairs. Can you imagine the wonderfulness of sitting out there, watching Seine boat traffic go by, or tied up on a river or canal in the countryside, watching the sun go down behind an ancient church?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHzTXcEAF9fx_9IaSYUzy8QSOiiM7gp8PWxwgjgFvZFZw5WdR1oZZCsScY6-EEiwkBUyiKQCNHLMF4E8npONCBI25F6f-PXJiPPPzSgwU3-jkoOgNh2NaLMNZmaZmUipzBswdi-N8_eeK/s1600/IMG_4428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHzTXcEAF9fx_9IaSYUzy8QSOiiM7gp8PWxwgjgFvZFZw5WdR1oZZCsScY6-EEiwkBUyiKQCNHLMF4E8npONCBI25F6f-PXJiPPPzSgwU3-jkoOgNh2NaLMNZmaZmUipzBswdi-N8_eeK/s400/IMG_4428.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bikes ready to explore Paris. I biked in Paris--once! Nearly killed myself.</div>
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Look at all the wires, cables, pulleys, winches.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKybvhfhBDiMIT74H8ZMDO2Ryq7nehkMwBuMoRRJQ13iIrvL-Z4EGjtyHz46wQBVpe2vW7HCAmZLwBGZ9NoSXebhcztLQ5zdH1guRfNhzWvdGe48PWZWn7af77b5EPJzXshm1V2WZy4b1/s1600/IMG_4430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKybvhfhBDiMIT74H8ZMDO2Ryq7nehkMwBuMoRRJQ13iIrvL-Z4EGjtyHz46wQBVpe2vW7HCAmZLwBGZ9NoSXebhcztLQ5zdH1guRfNhzWvdGe48PWZWn7af77b5EPJzXshm1V2WZy4b1/s400/IMG_4430.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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The gangplank is raised, and iron bars hold the barge away from the embankment, meaning that this family and the things they have left on the deck are quite safe -- a floating island.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid85uek1GYOn52ErXbEaUETc-Y0HlEXMo8kl9fzCsiqpE6S7tWqc1WUqcMy_Tplu0WMOXwLs6s3HWTbSmo1w0ulyqSyPUU_QcBX3Kg-SjgBigm5nKTxOThoAtPrNKhNtIg8-rUAKdISbkq/s1600/IMG_4431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid85uek1GYOn52ErXbEaUETc-Y0HlEXMo8kl9fzCsiqpE6S7tWqc1WUqcMy_Tplu0WMOXwLs6s3HWTbSmo1w0ulyqSyPUU_QcBX3Kg-SjgBigm5nKTxOThoAtPrNKhNtIg8-rUAKdISbkq/s400/IMG_4431.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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The masts have to be lowered to pass under bridges. These are the mechanics for doing that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijo_GwVrhRGqstTiQL2JYODrMNPRM2OWFLCmpNXoE0qA3MnpXgehTNqyKwWGUBwNCNJS5IcCUrqdtnfeE52mg3Wz05fEhQIdbSUNF3lhoYgF85bZXWe32vIjlYqlKNjxw1wMt6glIj9FWL/s1600/IMG_4432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijo_GwVrhRGqstTiQL2JYODrMNPRM2OWFLCmpNXoE0qA3MnpXgehTNqyKwWGUBwNCNJS5IcCUrqdtnfeE52mg3Wz05fEhQIdbSUNF3lhoYgF85bZXWe32vIjlYqlKNjxw1wMt6glIj9FWL/s400/IMG_4432.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here are the mast supports and stays (thin steel lines that run from the hull to the top of the mast).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ppx243nnGWRjO6TyOrcSLyRxVHTnzt_sooqwPbSAWVtFygVTEcqewcVryG7R4H84X0AAWRnUFX_3UNbLzlyVlyKAcT-23sVVtJ6tSUQ6KbJvOryghmCNT0h9p5a7yJQlSgfBNzf6zj9y/s1600/IMG_4433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ppx243nnGWRjO6TyOrcSLyRxVHTnzt_sooqwPbSAWVtFygVTEcqewcVryG7R4H84X0AAWRnUFX_3UNbLzlyVlyKAcT-23sVVtJ6tSUQ6KbJvOryghmCNT0h9p5a7yJQlSgfBNzf6zj9y/s400/IMG_4433.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Not easy to manage all this equipment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_Avqaf3megCg9VnAP_YXWfvjZIe32i6Q271sWH9zl2YntxPfIBEnLweR9mNBnkLC97KRT6qWk2tFnEeknU3Bm71bGv9gcRB57cNShJSSxZMNvPfJ3R0l6glqcIPI1-XcOl8NbDzqPb87/s1600/IMG_4434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_Avqaf3megCg9VnAP_YXWfvjZIe32i6Q271sWH9zl2YntxPfIBEnLweR9mNBnkLC97KRT6qWk2tFnEeknU3Bm71bGv9gcRB57cNShJSSxZMNvPfJ3R0l6glqcIPI1-XcOl8NbDzqPb87/s400/IMG_4434.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is the cabin, in the stern, where the captain operates the barge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg6hoMCu2SppO0MJ5akAfdpESbgqWTz46OqFQd3ugB9e5HExxM2T_i2AM2JDI6Hfo4h0QyZr2_ce2pfePZ3SIxuZd2zk_BVmN2tkd_oukR9rG2RfZNO4y1rAwTUVwwlxwDP8-llpZcWR9/s1600/IMG_4435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg6hoMCu2SppO0MJ5akAfdpESbgqWTz46OqFQd3ugB9e5HExxM2T_i2AM2JDI6Hfo4h0QyZr2_ce2pfePZ3SIxuZd2zk_BVmN2tkd_oukR9rG2RfZNO4y1rAwTUVwwlxwDP8-llpZcWR9/s400/IMG_4435.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The barge is held off of the stone embankment by iron bars. The waters of the Seine are choppy with all the boat traffic making wakes, and without these iron bars, the hull would be damaged by the stones.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmDpQ3lSUwmebw5FPPw-oovkFO4uAoZkTpLlblnNohR4rj9zWBw9gWngbAyFK9UVQ4xkNSyZJm4ZTQL9Eu6OMBe-fI40y1wXRcPPv1AnO3lsUMg34-oAzicGhhfanOLw8K66S-0q-yUgW/s1600/IMG_4436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmDpQ3lSUwmebw5FPPw-oovkFO4uAoZkTpLlblnNohR4rj9zWBw9gWngbAyFK9UVQ4xkNSyZJm4ZTQL9Eu6OMBe-fI40y1wXRcPPv1AnO3lsUMg34-oAzicGhhfanOLw8K66S-0q-yUgW/s400/IMG_4436.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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A view of the stern.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukNZSaGg4Nz-WTao8Qz_OtpWlDI6_6BejuCBwIYd7Ov5iZ6i75RaLBwzdI4JzhXb8nctUHpoA3zp9pVOeBquC5lyBoj3tglHqRV-duWTdpxn_WebLpEekairGzaDyJz9TWlcIbjogkcjX/s1600/IMG_4439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukNZSaGg4Nz-WTao8Qz_OtpWlDI6_6BejuCBwIYd7Ov5iZ6i75RaLBwzdI4JzhXb8nctUHpoA3zp9pVOeBquC5lyBoj3tglHqRV-duWTdpxn_WebLpEekairGzaDyJz9TWlcIbjogkcjX/s400/IMG_4439.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The gangway is huge! </div>
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Pont Neuf, "New Bridge," is in the background. It is now the oldest across the Seine, but it was new when it was built in 1578-1607.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC0F7DX28wl7c_2OEim6cVivLGUJV5zqjN_9Hyt6WICKRWEuz85wv49agJYTktgDb_I_zPTNtsSEjrKUXltmr7VTeBRSf_DVanqk6LEZYlz1B-7Cz-wRG2bunId0dYO_kzXo1qKgfVYr4/s1600/IMG_4440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC0F7DX28wl7c_2OEim6cVivLGUJV5zqjN_9Hyt6WICKRWEuz85wv49agJYTktgDb_I_zPTNtsSEjrKUXltmr7VTeBRSf_DVanqk6LEZYlz1B-7Cz-wRG2bunId0dYO_kzXo1qKgfVYr4/s400/IMG_4440.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The bridge is lined with gargoyles. They are 400 years old. Think of the generations that have walked across this bridge!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_85ee-ATB7nE2jRsaAq1ddXsH4IYl1SsLD2ijIDSaNkYgziVI1VsRvO_gAuj68KBvZWK2wEwUxIObZ3kDIklbkVm0f7aPuVMr8HG6SYbLtoRJZ9kjSYYnFq2AiKARmQXDtms3MxSTTqO/s1600/IMG_4441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_85ee-ATB7nE2jRsaAq1ddXsH4IYl1SsLD2ijIDSaNkYgziVI1VsRvO_gAuj68KBvZWK2wEwUxIObZ3kDIklbkVm0f7aPuVMr8HG6SYbLtoRJZ9kjSYYnFq2AiKARmQXDtms3MxSTTqO/s400/IMG_4441.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The gargoyles.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwhNvZCYu51064FwoaWcMlSk9hTr-7T9eRvdWR_hTd-e4wFdHnwKfCdTCwRF5uz-R3cV8q1O7vX5p-CzpnlWWwAoZYK-em2jJT7v_adygwjFsJp4WNnHKOhqAvuQESdo5EFhyqT74FM2t/s1600/IMG_4443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwhNvZCYu51064FwoaWcMlSk9hTr-7T9eRvdWR_hTd-e4wFdHnwKfCdTCwRF5uz-R3cV8q1O7vX5p-CzpnlWWwAoZYK-em2jJT7v_adygwjFsJp4WNnHKOhqAvuQESdo5EFhyqT74FM2t/s400/IMG_4443.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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There's constant traffic under the bridge, not just boats but people walking and on bikes on the embankment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkBwoZryieikfrx-0fypM5mrj_Vae349OdCpOsOWLadUcOD3_R1gZStIzhfwZwXzm80TezCCaqSekqCYACyIyVz0GC8PkaaNe0qCYzolrTlFchlBzxBlFs7wbvGe9Y1aK-RauXwqo-d9S/s1600/IMG_4445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkBwoZryieikfrx-0fypM5mrj_Vae349OdCpOsOWLadUcOD3_R1gZStIzhfwZwXzm80TezCCaqSekqCYACyIyVz0GC8PkaaNe0qCYzolrTlFchlBzxBlFs7wbvGe9Y1aK-RauXwqo-d9S/s400/IMG_4445.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Near Pont Neuf is Notre Dame, now shrouded in scaffolding. A symbol of resilience (my specialty). If you read my novels, you'll see my characters in all kinds of trouble -- most of that is from my own life! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TvFop6gf4Z-ck3rat3s_DUzCZAhX-LCY0tveN1QD5URSGWWovjY3MNyCQr-oEdmbxXtpzw-Is0fObFCdR39P08uo6UVHA6gMuwATTATK4yRrC0CaMjvEqZkCBoxt_RKU7kPX-B2CLLrg/s1600/IMG_4753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TvFop6gf4Z-ck3rat3s_DUzCZAhX-LCY0tveN1QD5URSGWWovjY3MNyCQr-oEdmbxXtpzw-Is0fObFCdR39P08uo6UVHA6gMuwATTATK4yRrC0CaMjvEqZkCBoxt_RKU7kPX-B2CLLrg/s400/IMG_4753.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is the bow of a working barge. The boat is extremely long -- you'll see that over the next four pictures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cOgic7j7Spvta8-wf8sEFPcy9ymFLOeHpQGLERa7PFDOERPHG3Ytr1zdIomozhCKnhqVKWZ5jhV2JkiP7bVFn_cRvY0ZPZrf67hXkBg0_AvyBe-uDyaQPghhaYOyOCbEqGsxumZCEYce/s1600/IMG_4754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cOgic7j7Spvta8-wf8sEFPcy9ymFLOeHpQGLERa7PFDOERPHG3Ytr1zdIomozhCKnhqVKWZ5jhV2JkiP7bVFn_cRvY0ZPZrf67hXkBg0_AvyBe-uDyaQPghhaYOyOCbEqGsxumZCEYce/s400/IMG_4754.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's more of the hull...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbRvU3KpsSPCojQ0qZKQWO776oeyKdLapELI03J3lET_Nmk35tAUBukTAFnRcgmt5plo0V4UGQd77k_jENS8L74lWEyZYOGMHcK2Qh2Bw__Xn8CH97wZZyAfDCUx7kqt_vPtKgMknJf84/s1600/IMG_4755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbRvU3KpsSPCojQ0qZKQWO776oeyKdLapELI03J3lET_Nmk35tAUBukTAFnRcgmt5plo0V4UGQd77k_jENS8L74lWEyZYOGMHcK2Qh2Bw__Xn8CH97wZZyAfDCUx7kqt_vPtKgMknJf84/s400/IMG_4755.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Still more of the hull...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmnWZh_skObdLBLAlA-AfDP5KcrWmN926mOzBohU8Cgzxu_9uQ2PrIztn18y77VUXizvxefe1JH6Bcic6Tx2CVJ60_tlHfOnwwtCCpfSfzZXJxZCrbTfhnh_Zl4osYg9g59veM5GaEZS2/s1600/IMG_4756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmnWZh_skObdLBLAlA-AfDP5KcrWmN926mOzBohU8Cgzxu_9uQ2PrIztn18y77VUXizvxefe1JH6Bcic6Tx2CVJ60_tlHfOnwwtCCpfSfzZXJxZCrbTfhnh_Zl4osYg9g59veM5GaEZS2/s400/IMG_4756.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Still more of the hull....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GJTx8xVx7MdkG2xB9HjGPRepl_SHlK5r2X5L7ANRR8Cc0yWB1HSk5dv5qdaEtcaRxze6Bz3yqkGqinJLj5z3-NAg0GqMhvJLQb5aY-L9FfJtS8b1emqVKk5khkr6Ao7MHyl1VX63hOjm/s1600/IMG_4757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GJTx8xVx7MdkG2xB9HjGPRepl_SHlK5r2X5L7ANRR8Cc0yWB1HSk5dv5qdaEtcaRxze6Bz3yqkGqinJLj5z3-NAg0GqMhvJLQb5aY-L9FfJtS8b1emqVKk5khkr6Ao7MHyl1VX63hOjm/s400/IMG_4757.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Still more of the hull...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSV5LTDyQb0W8VICJjk06evAsd-mTdTWv8rd5pd3GfNglZQQT7R51ui3_pi1WCa9kWqxXVUI2G7j2iss8lJcNTYGneqCC9r9wixI5t8YrHNSsYBTMQY8hN2NSmkpEs8rIH3G61Nsrf18G/s1600/IMG_4758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSV5LTDyQb0W8VICJjk06evAsd-mTdTWv8rd5pd3GfNglZQQT7R51ui3_pi1WCa9kWqxXVUI2G7j2iss8lJcNTYGneqCC9r9wixI5t8YrHNSsYBTMQY8hN2NSmkpEs8rIH3G61Nsrf18G/s400/IMG_4758.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And the cabin in the stern. Please note that there are curtains on the windows and a small life raft on the cabin roof. Some barges have cars on the roof (and a boom to lift them and swing them onto land). How about you? Would you like to travel around France on a barge? You can experience it vicariously by reading my friend Cris Hammond's humorous, delightful book about his first year doing exactly that! Read the first 3 chapters here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Here-Paris-laid-barge-France-ebook/dp/B00H055PNU/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Cris+Hammond&qid=1569775110&s=gateway&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.com/Here-Paris-laid-barge-France-ebook/dp/B00H055PNU</a>/ Cris and I didn't talk about this--it's a surprise!</div>
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</style>In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-51055203074569156402019-09-18T10:09:00.003-07:002020-01-10T07:41:02.426-08:00French Attic Windows<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In Search of the American Dream in Attics</h2>
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By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft, The Traveling Writer</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Imagine all that goes on in attics around the world! And to spark your imagination, I'm offering pictures of attic windows in Paris and in Viroflay, the suburb of Paris next to Versailles where I stayed this summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The French do attic windows in tremendous style, like they do so many other things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What do I think of when I think of attics? Mr. Rochester's crazy first wife in <i>Jane Eyre</i> was an incredible attic dweller, completely secret even to people who lived in the house below her. She had wild hair, and when she was angry her lips and eyes became inflamed. Eventually she burnt Mr. Rochester's incredible home down.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifw4rhh_e4ouOgIEc0MIJ7KsfbXjy3xo5xC-jmDvP5HYy6-1F7NlE468KFvuqvHwCByZzTBxXdGB4k3JeKWjqQiYAatblqL0By_9PVTca78QxteUrIFP7fKbnF4bqsdnKL9qRV7gelTAMT/s1600/IMG_4544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifw4rhh_e4ouOgIEc0MIJ7KsfbXjy3xo5xC-jmDvP5HYy6-1F7NlE468KFvuqvHwCByZzTBxXdGB4k3JeKWjqQiYAatblqL0By_9PVTca78QxteUrIFP7fKbnF4bqsdnKL9qRV7gelTAMT/s400/IMG_4544.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Look at the top row of windows. Who lives up there now? What goes on up there? What scenes of seduction, murder, childbirth, played out behind those windows in the course of history? Maybe those windows never had a home behind them but instead were storage for papers from the offices below. What do those papers have written on them? What miscarriages of justice did bureaucrats come up with against their enemies that could be discovered today? The injustices would have been perpetrated centuries ago, with no way to even begin to make things right now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had an interesting attic in the big house I grew up in. It had an unheated, uninsulated attic, which my parents promptly stuffed with furniture and boat gear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In one corner was a little room closed off, with a small radiator, a window, and a long worktable. My brother claimed it and used it as a radio shack at first, building short wave radios and listening to conversations from around the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eventually he moved in completely. The table was strewn with radio parts. The room smelled of solder. He hid out from the family there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When my brother went to college, I immediately moved into the attic room. At this point the room held a dresser and a twin bed in addition to the long table. I would spread my papers out on the table. I opened up my portable typewriter. I sewed there. Or I laid on my bed and read. I would play my music loud. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was a constant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My poor mother used to climb two sets of stairs to knock on the door of my tiny room and tell me it was time for dinner. Teenagers! I was so incredibly self-involved, fleeing to my attic room, avoiding chores, so unwilling to help out with the work of a home and a family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I loved that attic room, though, and nowadays attic windows still speak to me. They evoke a feeling of creativity -- a space to spread out and make things. Quilts. Books. Blogs. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02yr8MFsM_Q1qpBYnHpqPJQeDR6Kxv_2GKWtBdNlgtJMi06IWt0TLTPZjEFkU7xRUx83wStpNuhRjA3AGKAXYCCDMDKOcKrgHG9Rx1TGBe8kxBCB-3K_1SzWD40AALrHbE2XwcSx-u6-a/s1600/IMG_4545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02yr8MFsM_Q1qpBYnHpqPJQeDR6Kxv_2GKWtBdNlgtJMi06IWt0TLTPZjEFkU7xRUx83wStpNuhRjA3AGKAXYCCDMDKOcKrgHG9Rx1TGBe8kxBCB-3K_1SzWD40AALrHbE2XwcSx-u6-a/s400/IMG_4545.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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So many attic rooms to choose from...I'll take one that gets sunlight.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgK7TQj_F1zz49wd_RsjK55fgRMCVs9RtXEzUGR5kMx9V0hC1AhoCDtJu2Za522lrL0kphv-y7eqSk8wduFtQbBxjwQ1T_sEJDU2Y0Hsi6OJ4OZ7zqqlcggtXgDmZYkCUGuwyNQRiM6h-/s1600/IMG_4546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgK7TQj_F1zz49wd_RsjK55fgRMCVs9RtXEzUGR5kMx9V0hC1AhoCDtJu2Za522lrL0kphv-y7eqSk8wduFtQbBxjwQ1T_sEJDU2Y0Hsi6OJ4OZ7zqqlcggtXgDmZYkCUGuwyNQRiM6h-/s400/IMG_4546.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Look at the interesting roof shape on the left. That's the room I want, with the circular window.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLLxUnUwhvEk8J4OqPAxPhSoI66jm4av-hZApYfJSI3sLB6uqw0vNAwAG8TnQjsBXKcOwP-cfx5quZcsQqbtdAbx2MSTeKKfSB4suEQy4sTLH7LraX8SBLUq6uFtVaCJaj3-sVg27zJk3/s1600/IMG_4547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLLxUnUwhvEk8J4OqPAxPhSoI66jm4av-hZApYfJSI3sLB6uqw0vNAwAG8TnQjsBXKcOwP-cfx5quZcsQqbtdAbx2MSTeKKfSB4suEQy4sTLH7LraX8SBLUq6uFtVaCJaj3-sVg27zJk3/s400/IMG_4547.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Maybe you want an attic window that has a statue outside it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXfh5SOwC5C_e0iw4BIIxR_Fj5VdBbCvKqG-2RIuw2JGmsx6i9lvlwsyFAMApSvzOTfHFnSdOc3MrDaWmHgC8DBW7UJWFQo0-vJW8UIW277MmHey5c2xVUU7-t3A26NlYgPX_-yp0J-3z/s1600/IMG_4548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXfh5SOwC5C_e0iw4BIIxR_Fj5VdBbCvKqG-2RIuw2JGmsx6i9lvlwsyFAMApSvzOTfHFnSdOc3MrDaWmHgC8DBW7UJWFQo0-vJW8UIW277MmHey5c2xVUU7-t3A26NlYgPX_-yp0J-3z/s400/IMG_4548.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's that same attic, zoomed in on.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPR6BrC9ogSYQeqZJ85Emzq1GVz819EWLdcfY09K0sqKzmWBYjgz5DBnXv9QPKrPZemLxkJ669CnGeyWGNzcN5x6E20kjVr-LFn6i9pRjMLNEhr549EkBre-XV-xNzzSFxJtctiJPJwU5/s1600/IMG_4551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPR6BrC9ogSYQeqZJ85Emzq1GVz819EWLdcfY09K0sqKzmWBYjgz5DBnXv9QPKrPZemLxkJ669CnGeyWGNzcN5x6E20kjVr-LFn6i9pRjMLNEhr549EkBre-XV-xNzzSFxJtctiJPJwU5/s400/IMG_4551.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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In some Paris buildings, the rooms under the eaves were for the hired help. A female maid is called a "bonne," and the room she stayed in was called the "chambre de bonne". These get rented out now. Often they're six floors up--no elevator and a shared toilet. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWjMQUpPl5sWTDC6I7TNx44GhpeXIgUH0G3Ce7ujr7W_05EXwa7tRJloVEnwLVFsATNQuXl-Jcde61npgeunA3ULtb_r9Te6wFWdW4ad0y2KwrWQSDwh_SOFx9wcrhGXvOjgPNHV91x8k/s1600/IMG_4726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWjMQUpPl5sWTDC6I7TNx44GhpeXIgUH0G3Ce7ujr7W_05EXwa7tRJloVEnwLVFsATNQuXl-Jcde61npgeunA3ULtb_r9Te6wFWdW4ad0y2KwrWQSDwh_SOFx9wcrhGXvOjgPNHV91x8k/s400/IMG_4726.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is an attic window in Viroflay. Isn't it exquisite?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGAJLv4_Jd5q_PxfM-KX8B-vCzYWKrmHXShGfC4qUsN-oKir9W4jCKR_4Nge1F05grYCgEt7B_an5DSC9N7XjERVoEEvXX76Ey7ebbi9FXxVDl7xJyk907Kg7d7Bpa21WueDFElXHvWY5/s1600/IMG_4727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGAJLv4_Jd5q_PxfM-KX8B-vCzYWKrmHXShGfC4qUsN-oKir9W4jCKR_4Nge1F05grYCgEt7B_an5DSC9N7XjERVoEEvXX76Ey7ebbi9FXxVDl7xJyk907Kg7d7Bpa21WueDFElXHvWY5/s400/IMG_4727.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here are two interesting attic windows in Virofly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEdi_rH99L22iwQYGrTxVFcrNeHPSCkg4neRIl31WxXkQB9nR-xfHqxuPEoXTQXxt64CwlWLZnGV2WCDtxT-VDcd-gRAeqAwxmEc4e4IRIGm6sbTGA_PPfHsp-hixO7jw6n5jDsVoa964/s1600/IMG_4728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEdi_rH99L22iwQYGrTxVFcrNeHPSCkg4neRIl31WxXkQB9nR-xfHqxuPEoXTQXxt64CwlWLZnGV2WCDtxT-VDcd-gRAeqAwxmEc4e4IRIGm6sbTGA_PPfHsp-hixO7jw6n5jDsVoa964/s400/IMG_4728.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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If I owned this house, I would open those shutters and let the light pour in.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNTRv_wGgTKBJ35jP9dzq300mVBNuzd8bD-NSo4RlieMhJgBKAPzod_BTbM3cvbSj3yL7X7Tn3DoVVF3TCAFLjUl76NnJQVfBiscFXBXQb6nPlpIHzuSZ8XiV8ICzAYJbnlJPyBFh40AT/s1600/IMG_4729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNTRv_wGgTKBJ35jP9dzq300mVBNuzd8bD-NSo4RlieMhJgBKAPzod_BTbM3cvbSj3yL7X7Tn3DoVVF3TCAFLjUl76NnJQVfBiscFXBXQb6nPlpIHzuSZ8XiV8ICzAYJbnlJPyBFh40AT/s400/IMG_4729.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Same with this house.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbnDpX26y2EhElfeNeTV8YdUSOJ8BwewQ88LvWmz6xC_w91g9eagfffuV_gSUEJKtV39bwUn_x9cggdUhyvIyS-FzDpNk1XkH8eIVZfZeZHE9jNgktCzft3kMEXQ82ALas-25g8xkhSFX/s1600/IMG_4730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbnDpX26y2EhElfeNeTV8YdUSOJ8BwewQ88LvWmz6xC_w91g9eagfffuV_gSUEJKtV39bwUn_x9cggdUhyvIyS-FzDpNk1XkH8eIVZfZeZHE9jNgktCzft3kMEXQ82ALas-25g8xkhSFX/s400/IMG_4730.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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More attic windows in Viroglay</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwJqpdfg74Pr1aoXBHEwJEfjziB0eUe8Sg85XNt827kZc9xDCcBI0lK1U00Lmx6-nIWZlL3jElJumcHruLaXGgfgE1nhVyXSkfDHUClj1BScdWItcOS2gzD18dgpMij-NoSdTR6NVyvZ3/s1600/IMG_4731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwJqpdfg74Pr1aoXBHEwJEfjziB0eUe8Sg85XNt827kZc9xDCcBI0lK1U00Lmx6-nIWZlL3jElJumcHruLaXGgfgE1nhVyXSkfDHUClj1BScdWItcOS2gzD18dgpMij-NoSdTR6NVyvZ3/s400/IMG_4731.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here's a modern house, with big sheets of glass for doors and windows.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmytu7i2NqrzAoFfpV7bIoLGWrZcq6JTxtGcaAXgUOK2GIE6ql9_lqi4yFvzM6Kf0rZjZLgOZDeWihMdSP6JsdnDV7d_cv9sZT8XS0sqYhJcPgPIlCl1tBuwIDQEc5mrKgkdyQgjft8zF/s1600/IMG_4737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmytu7i2NqrzAoFfpV7bIoLGWrZcq6JTxtGcaAXgUOK2GIE6ql9_lqi4yFvzM6Kf0rZjZLgOZDeWihMdSP6JsdnDV7d_cv9sZT8XS0sqYhJcPgPIlCl1tBuwIDQEc5mrKgkdyQgjft8zF/s400/IMG_4737.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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An adorable attic -- let me up there!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNkbaaOt9f9RtCtb56VBeID7LPPM9TogY08PlhgML6njLMx1hhNUg-rJGLmkInW5X0htzgWAvwkfGfBAOzsbdMiH55wATlNh24f55rJW0Ijl75YF58427Cx6x6mqYiKSVcv5wVgGj3-Pd/s1600/IMG_4738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNkbaaOt9f9RtCtb56VBeID7LPPM9TogY08PlhgML6njLMx1hhNUg-rJGLmkInW5X0htzgWAvwkfGfBAOzsbdMiH55wATlNh24f55rJW0Ijl75YF58427Cx6x6mqYiKSVcv5wVgGj3-Pd/s400/IMG_4738.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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A home in local Viroflay stone, with a French-style eyebrow window in the attic.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog4BQRDkfl8mOXgzCVCowVO9zm2WLsqw4xtmwWYfcBfoPU3jfJDaGaH9P8s21CL2TS478h8qjnfrZGqH3aTNKyjkOBS3ELtslEPoaymCmzMeT8eFQbtJrH0r6aiQovlD1YCOKOMQQq-d6/s1600/IMG_4739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog4BQRDkfl8mOXgzCVCowVO9zm2WLsqw4xtmwWYfcBfoPU3jfJDaGaH9P8s21CL2TS478h8qjnfrZGqH3aTNKyjkOBS3ELtslEPoaymCmzMeT8eFQbtJrH0r6aiQovlD1YCOKOMQQq-d6/s400/IMG_4739.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Wouldn't it be cozy to live behind that window, under those eaves?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxWKJs6ndOK7ExJCLMWyUa7kHe2ksABUYj_A934iUrTzmmAc6H_4npQCrZqCPdx-B5Zy2_xU5CmWNhhEVWMubEhr887uLvWY_BVgS4HmRT3TO2prFA1R0RJ63FLrmYVehFuynsebi61k1/s1600/IMG_4740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxWKJs6ndOK7ExJCLMWyUa7kHe2ksABUYj_A934iUrTzmmAc6H_4npQCrZqCPdx-B5Zy2_xU5CmWNhhEVWMubEhr887uLvWY_BVgS4HmRT3TO2prFA1R0RJ63FLrmYVehFuynsebi61k1/s400/IMG_4740.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Yes, a balcony of my own. Exactly what I need.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MBk-G7PEax4xi-rMTrc9VZPq_L74t_Etpi3PvrnWW4_JDPbPE3luqQfaLUeUiDthKaPAaYpZ5dCi098ePGeP4Stpv35zVotVaJU_rbAWVKxWYIBVAVN64tNl3FdqbVXKTCORCtIaEUBI/s1600/IMG_4743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MBk-G7PEax4xi-rMTrc9VZPq_L74t_Etpi3PvrnWW4_JDPbPE3luqQfaLUeUiDthKaPAaYpZ5dCi098ePGeP4Stpv35zVotVaJU_rbAWVKxWYIBVAVN64tNl3FdqbVXKTCORCtIaEUBI/s400/IMG_4743.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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An older home in Viroflay, with local bricks and tiles.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfZRyw2QSro4JuLm6JpGaOeLdxFdsAQukV8RXS6z-nbgVQr5jizS5Mn-Dguz4Oq5GU6qCSKq2sCmdNJ8wsRhYyxQZ5kkG-UvpbOMmucSErliFxo0p6cQBWfuakvwRV3-x5jVlNQKcAS4/s1600/IMG_4745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfZRyw2QSro4JuLm6JpGaOeLdxFdsAQukV8RXS6z-nbgVQr5jizS5Mn-Dguz4Oq5GU6qCSKq2sCmdNJ8wsRhYyxQZ5kkG-UvpbOMmucSErliFxo0p6cQBWfuakvwRV3-x5jVlNQKcAS4/s400/IMG_4745.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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How do they keep the shutters at those perfect matching angles?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9tq-649lQml4VU_V404Vdt_ICuc2WQVR_YcOGFYIs5WJ0qfVlnP4Ck3x__BqQHUp8pkOPz3vczbcAMtNJ0nqjXht443YUfL1fy_SbHSfVhKsYvY0lIER1GVAYu1HXc3DKo6eayxD8Uvp/s1600/IMG_4751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9tq-649lQml4VU_V404Vdt_ICuc2WQVR_YcOGFYIs5WJ0qfVlnP4Ck3x__BqQHUp8pkOPz3vczbcAMtNJ0nqjXht443YUfL1fy_SbHSfVhKsYvY0lIER1GVAYu1HXc3DKo6eayxD8Uvp/s400/IMG_4751.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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This was taken in Paris. They attic overlooks the Seine. Can you imagine how much it costs to rent?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHD2QPVPL6Foi5OKmEp_JUL8tOSfubZsfYLteoUIeIIRu5hp2wWYLjn9tqip8XSKhyphenhyphengvio0g_7SZKoiwR-jR2cw_nS-36Hg5vZLQJFyFKHMjAk5rrJ7ugSTIjH9jDvBXjqXk91mVffmPh/s1600/IMG_4799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHD2QPVPL6Foi5OKmEp_JUL8tOSfubZsfYLteoUIeIIRu5hp2wWYLjn9tqip8XSKhyphenhyphengvio0g_7SZKoiwR-jR2cw_nS-36Hg5vZLQJFyFKHMjAk5rrJ7ugSTIjH9jDvBXjqXk91mVffmPh/s400/IMG_4799.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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These attics look over L'Arsenal boat basin, near La Bastille.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYIXa97INSD9DjLZYRL3VGCDeGtDcqq2JEC0zE0Aj5eEg35V1SwNBDgGm6FpkFTgmBuEPqC3iHfB9XT_AT-wxEaYPyJ4T2NSKxdI9MF3kimEjj1kADzQWWMJkwMjwBRowmbGoMnEtDKwa/s1600/IMG_4846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYIXa97INSD9DjLZYRL3VGCDeGtDcqq2JEC0zE0Aj5eEg35V1SwNBDgGm6FpkFTgmBuEPqC3iHfB9XT_AT-wxEaYPyJ4T2NSKxdI9MF3kimEjj1kADzQWWMJkwMjwBRowmbGoMnEtDKwa/s400/IMG_4846.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I'd love to live in that attic, too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQWf2d_IXW9-a4dnw0xxATft7FJPbY66D0iFGA72odD0jui5umhtIEL1DmuXZNlnIfyCMOT27hFKF7npto9llOYOD2n4AJ1YKgZHPmTx_st4WD20VDJgUzF6KT5aX54g9TfDUmvnib_k6/s1600/IMG_4800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQWf2d_IXW9-a4dnw0xxATft7FJPbY66D0iFGA72odD0jui5umhtIEL1DmuXZNlnIfyCMOT27hFKF7npto9llOYOD2n4AJ1YKgZHPmTx_st4WD20VDJgUzF6KT5aX54g9TfDUmvnib_k6/s400/IMG_4800.jpg" title="in search of the American dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here we are in Viroflay again. </div>
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Viroflay. The sun gives the local stone a warm glow. I crave to live in that attic! How about you? Do attic windows make you start to think about what goes on in that house? : ) Comment below!</div>
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<br />In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-49922286938869440732019-08-19T05:02:00.001-07:002019-08-22T06:32:06.210-07:00Yet Another Beautiful Historic Library in Paris!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Craving France while In Search of the American Dream</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft</span></h3>
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my writing that I treasure. Brooklyn (where I live) and Manhattan (where I
work) are such harsh environments, while France has a grace, elegance, ease,
breathing room, that I love. I feel hopeful there. Gratitude comes easily as my
gaze shifts from one beautiful building to another.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I’m back in the harsh realities of
Brooklyn. I live among minorities whose lifelong reality is dishwashing jobs,
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neighbors—I would prefer to live in Paris, write in beautiful historic
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I visited another historic library
in Paris. L’Arsenal is located near Place de la Bastille. It’s the former
residence of the Master-generals of the Ordnance, hence the word "arsenal." Its
earliest books were first gathered in 1756! Therefore many of the books are
older than that. In L'Arsenal, scholars can pour over books, journals, manuscripts, prints,
maps and plans, sheet music. Here's more on the library: </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><a href="https://www.bnf.fr/en/arsenal">https://www.bnf.fr/en/arsenal</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2MocLwxo1LNL-9HHXua2NVKFTb33c2a8qhoEoC59f09hyphenhyphenHXVmJaiOtamLQeNNzBJKVRsIGfD_zRs9csYV19jmTfngiJSBO8sMBxdUh4jIBjHXyKjkWpWfBL50PVJM0PFahJq-3rDlccL/s1600/IMG_4819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2MocLwxo1LNL-9HHXua2NVKFTb33c2a8qhoEoC59f09hyphenhyphenHXVmJaiOtamLQeNNzBJKVRsIGfD_zRs9csYV19jmTfngiJSBO8sMBxdUh4jIBjHXyKjkWpWfBL50PVJM0PFahJq-3rDlccL/s400/IMG_4819.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, near Place de la Bastille.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I didn’t have to do
research on any of those documents, though that would have been fun. But I was
there to write my own book! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333;">L’Arsenal’s reading rooms,
like the Richilieu’s (see post immediately below), are part of the Research
Library of the Bibliot</span>h</span><span style="font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: normal;">è</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">q<span style="color: #333333;">ue Nationale de France. To gain access to these
research libraries, I thought I was going to have to prove that I was in Paris
to do research on the French Revolution or Napolean or some other French topic.
I didn’t think that was going to work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">But when I told the
gatekeepers that I was a writer, that I didn’t need to handle any of their
manuscripts, that I just wanted to write my own manuscript, they issued me a
card! The French have so much respect for writers. I bask in it when I’m there.
<br />
<br />
In New York, tell people you’re a writer and their eyes glaze over. They switch
the topic instantly to the latest hit on television.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In France, tell people you’re
a writer, and they ask what you’re working on with genuine interest. They
listen to what you tell them, and they ask follow-up questions. It’s blissful!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">At L’Arsenal, it was lovely
to write a book while the people around me gently and lovingly rested old books
on supports, called lecturns, and ever so carefully turned the pages. Handling
manuscripts in itself is an art form, my friend Margaret, a scholar of medieval
manuscripts, told me. You try to touch just the edge of the page. The method of
binding, the materials used to make the pages, all give clues to the history of
the book.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">At L’Arsenal, the lecturns are covered in green velvet. At Richilieu, they are red.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<h3>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">Writing in Great Libraries while In Search of the American Dream</span></span></h3>
</div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">While writing my next novel, trying to make my American Dream of a successful writing career come true, it was great to look out the window at L’Arsenal and see horse chestnut trees and beautiful
Parisian buildings just across the way, with wrought iron balconies and
mysterious attic windows. Stay tuned for a post on attic windows!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The beauty of the architecture within the library, and the deep love of books displayed by the scholars studying manuscripts around me, and the beauty of the architecture outside the windows all led to one of my happiest days ever writing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here are some more pictures from
L’Arsenal:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf39XPoc1Gsf669LfdEBrBOA1bmZjX2skaFh5cysKneN__u79sSA4wH_PCnm7o9kxT9wtKYcKXxiZHKfLL6Cpz5MBhbkxOhgYrHyAAWN0MngTvdbaSvFb43RAC9b6plEBzoWEjGQ1vaGN/s1600/IMG_4816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf39XPoc1Gsf669LfdEBrBOA1bmZjX2skaFh5cysKneN__u79sSA4wH_PCnm7o9kxT9wtKYcKXxiZHKfLL6Cpz5MBhbkxOhgYrHyAAWN0MngTvdbaSvFb43RAC9b6plEBzoWEjGQ1vaGN/s400/IMG_4816.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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During my hunt for the library, I saw these impressive lanterns framing the doorway to the Horse Guards.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA51jLadxHfv2-8-r2aQXDY_USXKpyv9Tk7cIC8SrZSktp9Nljr_MmU2gI5JY3-KBYBlnXDqLW2o7VSP7MylsMZGWzeSEaGFK11pm-ClpIAuJtFVK6rbysQgU9ohAzVdfyjZL6yk5E8gi4/s1600/IMG_4817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA51jLadxHfv2-8-r2aQXDY_USXKpyv9Tk7cIC8SrZSktp9Nljr_MmU2gI5JY3-KBYBlnXDqLW2o7VSP7MylsMZGWzeSEaGFK11pm-ClpIAuJtFVK6rbysQgU9ohAzVdfyjZL6yk5E8gi4/s400/IMG_4817.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Close-up of the lanterns. Aren't they beautiful? There are things like this to catch your eye all over Paris.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1s-XtjSZcL0T-Pu0RAL0wTEcc-1dMwQNuQjIJPTt-Mx-M4caJs7CTJchmCzIzetYak_-RyJ3EA4VM02Jo47byaHA5ZtHpvbd2vXmnPFFcM8WBkOE-R6_mqC7tQl3cByYn-vHdRUfEheQh/s1600/IMG_4818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1s-XtjSZcL0T-Pu0RAL0wTEcc-1dMwQNuQjIJPTt-Mx-M4caJs7CTJchmCzIzetYak_-RyJ3EA4VM02Jo47byaHA5ZtHpvbd2vXmnPFFcM8WBkOE-R6_mqC7tQl3cByYn-vHdRUfEheQh/s400/IMG_4818.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here's one doorway to the Horse Guards.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGZ9nyndbljxVYJOIEmj6FIi2J-FrQRuI0SmKnUwn-jAWI6W3ndPcxjifZROIjEXQ78Cjs2Y34zOAFmJROvvVYuCeEZQx9RwPzDQH-C9krq7Px7ce6P_zMmHmbCiGmpG8-8T0PCe6fiVC/s1600/IMG_4820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGZ9nyndbljxVYJOIEmj6FIi2J-FrQRuI0SmKnUwn-jAWI6W3ndPcxjifZROIjEXQ78Cjs2Y34zOAFmJROvvVYuCeEZQx9RwPzDQH-C9krq7Px7ce6P_zMmHmbCiGmpG8-8T0PCe6fiVC/s400/IMG_4820.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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In the entryway to the library, a stunning floor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpzBKnl6r_ZIC4CX5RrAzTbSgmWZ6xJilJ6dy51XSQq3VSUQSIHEgBhtVZri-vent81qrMg2Lx_xF34X9JQE0XXM4LNgWRwFswlAfaUsPug12YB2sCtoy-dUCtHQy5lpALBLhOGDZqHRl/s1600/IMG_4821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpzBKnl6r_ZIC4CX5RrAzTbSgmWZ6xJilJ6dy51XSQq3VSUQSIHEgBhtVZri-vent81qrMg2Lx_xF34X9JQE0XXM4LNgWRwFswlAfaUsPug12YB2sCtoy-dUCtHQy5lpALBLhOGDZqHRl/s400/IMG_4821.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Then go up these stairs...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcCx7Hw8xpLizd9QknueVIs0_w1X-uo7F1TxWllswLwk82g5HGHkR1D6OF_HF5FDiyFhIP0OUaKjnUJIM2InaUnNojtb5pl3Gq56UfJvprsHB1upabDdQsobAtRoYyJ8TOEaTpff3yYr1/s1600/IMG_4822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcCx7Hw8xpLizd9QknueVIs0_w1X-uo7F1TxWllswLwk82g5HGHkR1D6OF_HF5FDiyFhIP0OUaKjnUJIM2InaUnNojtb5pl3Gq56UfJvprsHB1upabDdQsobAtRoYyJ8TOEaTpff3yYr1/s400/IMG_4822.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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and up again...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSkjwSANeIS1sh1EM03Yg67iQIIyxJilFFyym2S8U4XvzxnaioYwJoD74LF-3WfBW3_FshsrELRIyWrVVUWjM070CMDA8AY3xFnSSf0gfAchxratJHBbb945yxef8gtfOgAMZ1qvDwKrC/s1600/IMG_4823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSkjwSANeIS1sh1EM03Yg67iQIIyxJilFFyym2S8U4XvzxnaioYwJoD74LF-3WfBW3_FshsrELRIyWrVVUWjM070CMDA8AY3xFnSSf0gfAchxratJHBbb945yxef8gtfOgAMZ1qvDwKrC/s400/IMG_4823.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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To the second floor, with big windows overlooking beautiful houses.</div>
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Go down the hallway to the library...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zokaJoqlW2lDpGtqKnxDp2mapgxPKc2jPy3R4AGCbs-IHPbtxTPEOoKAIpqO5cK0PiQNTPCbBetqpJ13Nns0jjT89fXX9_L02NXE_YyOoMBgPPRv4Grv7BOuum1RiVYw-Obh7DxOtmYV/s1600/IMG_4825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zokaJoqlW2lDpGtqKnxDp2mapgxPKc2jPy3R4AGCbs-IHPbtxTPEOoKAIpqO5cK0PiQNTPCbBetqpJ13Nns0jjT89fXX9_L02NXE_YyOoMBgPPRv4Grv7BOuum1RiVYw-Obh7DxOtmYV/s400/IMG_4825.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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...and be told by the receptionist that you cannot take your backpack into the library. You have to store it in one of these lockers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jrsp9o3Z8IVzbjorOr3X7deP8_yirl_c7GYZg20OQPC5XHuOK4_uJnFuC-YAUkAbXbH5lj-Ew_WUt6RxLt0bMep3FTG3llD0K5YZeNgkREZtruRcxSS1OSGkSTiWIwx3nCfgdzyH2iNo/s1600/IMG_4826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jrsp9o3Z8IVzbjorOr3X7deP8_yirl_c7GYZg20OQPC5XHuOK4_uJnFuC-YAUkAbXbH5lj-Ew_WUt6RxLt0bMep3FTG3llD0K5YZeNgkREZtruRcxSS1OSGkSTiWIwx3nCfgdzyH2iNo/s400/IMG_4826.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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In the room with the lockers is a spot for scholars to eat, overlooking a horse chestnut tree.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-S-u-RRyczfA5bcZC1OJMxsNLsukPHIGf1d9ESX46rzn3o4w7WNDCjUgfZVDiVe3OOmsMOMRUClE8iSCKJOdpFBrzrf2VB3h0d1mMBhFuiQ9fXkP0_-5Rd0gPPnRf9nid5YUQvQKYMS39/s1600/IMG_4828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-S-u-RRyczfA5bcZC1OJMxsNLsukPHIGf1d9ESX46rzn3o4w7WNDCjUgfZVDiVe3OOmsMOMRUClE8iSCKJOdpFBrzrf2VB3h0d1mMBhFuiQ9fXkP0_-5Rd0gPPnRf9nid5YUQvQKYMS39/s400/IMG_4828.jpg" title="in search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Back to the library to be assigned a place to work. More next week! What do you think of this place so far? Comment below!</div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3319230131403699076.post-45749130193817258322019-08-05T09:24:00.001-07:002019-08-05T09:25:52.157-07:00Wait--Another Gorgeous Library, You Say?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visiting Libraries While In Search of the American Dream</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Bibliotheque Mazarine (featured immediately below) closed for the month of August, which forced me, ever so unfortunately, to find another historic library to work in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My search, conducted online (here's the link again to the <a href="http://www.blog.welcome2france.com/10-of-the-most-beautiful-libraries-in-paris/" target="_blank">10 of the Most Beautiful Libraries in Paris</a>, according to Welcome2France), showed me which library I wanted to visit next.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's the Bibliotheque Richelieu. It <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">was opened to the public in 1868.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For 20 euros, I got a pass to the Manuscript Room for five days. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the Manuscript Room, people study manuscript -- of all things. They rest a big, thick, old, fragile book on a red velvet covered frame that allows a person to open and read the pages without laying the book open flat, which would stress the binding. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I wrote another chapter or two last Wednesday, people were ever so patiently and gently flipping the pages in these old books. They would read, jot a note in their notebooks, read some more, jot some more. They would tenderly take a photo of a page.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It gave me so much happiness to write in a room where people had such a great respect for, love for, books. It was an emotionally satisfying experience to create a new book in a place where people have such high regard for books. I've never experienced a day of writing quite like it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I look forward to being there another two days and hope to have lots of good scenes written and then two days at The Arsenal, and then it will be Sunday.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Sunday I'll take my host Christelle and her boyfriend to lunch, hopefully somewhere near the Montparnasse station. Around 1 I'll catch the Orlybus. Then I'll hunt for a bus within Orly that will take me out to where my airplane is on the tarmac.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">6 in the evening (Paris time) is take-off. Eight hour flight. Land in Newark, NJ. Take the monorail to the NJ Transit train station. Transfer and go into Penn in Manhattan. Walk 2 long blocks east to Broadway and the Q. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I'll arrive home in Brooklyn at approximately 3 a.m., at least that is the time that my body and brain (acclimated to French time) will think it is. If I slept until 7 in the morning in Paris, by the time I get home in Brooklyn I will have been awake and struggling with travel (based on the Latin word travail) for more than 20 hours.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I'll fall into bed at what is really 9 p.m. New York time and sleep until 8 the next morning. I hope. And maybe that will be it -- there will be no jetlag. What are the chances of that?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Here are my pictures of the Richelieu.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKPF4g6qG1f8VBPjs1-uAJI8MQuskXF6bv8Icldm7sFOyv8z6bJeK4wzCwT6Jh8uLAH4pJFZ2RuIP8PjL4dgTZ3cwiE3kncaqmTZlImeBQmdXoCZojYOR_qlp-TjzNSmPU2i95oq0m9rU/s1600/IMG_4524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKPF4g6qG1f8VBPjs1-uAJI8MQuskXF6bv8Icldm7sFOyv8z6bJeK4wzCwT6Jh8uLAH4pJFZ2RuIP8PjL4dgTZ3cwiE3kncaqmTZlImeBQmdXoCZojYOR_qlp-TjzNSmPU2i95oq0m9rU/s400/IMG_4524.jpg" title="in Search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Look at this front door! It's freakin' amazing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrfhKOxGlRsFxiiCdzkGsRinKRo_1rdYdE7mV_eBEpK1ZlBYO-FkGdyPtPPdS7TUzf8ngEScJ1_hI_qKXarWBQ__RtohdAZk0-VFT6mnzQWQ_n42NbJ-XEGaWeI0cUg-astGL_UecYedd/s1600/IMG_4525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrfhKOxGlRsFxiiCdzkGsRinKRo_1rdYdE7mV_eBEpK1ZlBYO-FkGdyPtPPdS7TUzf8ngEScJ1_hI_qKXarWBQ__RtohdAZk0-VFT6mnzQWQ_n42NbJ-XEGaWeI0cUg-astGL_UecYedd/s400/IMG_4525.jpg" title="in Search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Just your average window...with a gargoyle, and above, a row of intriguing attic windows. Stand by for a post with pics of French attic windows!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwR4II_oSdZot0PHOWYQKJPMMLQ8ta1ljR5fpBOzoDsN5wOcc-7YPBl5Xw1fTBEAXR5apERrFgqiXSe3-7yuWjmQ2cjhCmp8Y-QEkHeCzwXcpe_LtKfHPMbePN5zuNf7CoGW-Etb5wUIO/s1600/IMG_4526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwR4II_oSdZot0PHOWYQKJPMMLQ8ta1ljR5fpBOzoDsN5wOcc-7YPBl5Xw1fTBEAXR5apERrFgqiXSe3-7yuWjmQ2cjhCmp8Y-QEkHeCzwXcpe_LtKfHPMbePN5zuNf7CoGW-Etb5wUIO/s400/IMG_4526.jpg" title="in Search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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One of the facades in the courtyard leading to the Richelieu.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqX64D2d-pX3DSt5t1FahOBfuLEvABSMn1Z2NgCtlgmXhhHiWvGAiD29dwh9WszI_i7rQDPEfOrxNGlW6tZygqsSLF-ROWdXEv8wJq-F_jAVEGAahKfNqgen0PvBcKBdFKgLw7waFJKpu/s1600/IMG_4527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqX64D2d-pX3DSt5t1FahOBfuLEvABSMn1Z2NgCtlgmXhhHiWvGAiD29dwh9WszI_i7rQDPEfOrxNGlW6tZygqsSLF-ROWdXEv8wJq-F_jAVEGAahKfNqgen0PvBcKBdFKgLw7waFJKpu/s400/IMG_4527.jpg" title="in Search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is the main reading room. As a member of the general public, you can take a picture from the entryway. Only scholars are allowed to sit down.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8k-RS30Yw_BnbeRi7D88nXew02iahKMNl0qBfWYVQMmsm22GGcKdILuzfcBb9g0eOJrhLA3o3IMlZ1LEoOiuBC1n5L-5at6w_jWmj8dkAVlw9Jndhs4OOdYceMfVWh190RPqwGL-FHQMZ/s1600/IMG_4528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8k-RS30Yw_BnbeRi7D88nXew02iahKMNl0qBfWYVQMmsm22GGcKdILuzfcBb9g0eOJrhLA3o3IMlZ1LEoOiuBC1n5L-5at6w_jWmj8dkAVlw9Jndhs4OOdYceMfVWh190RPqwGL-FHQMZ/s400/IMG_4528.jpg" title="in Search of the American Dream" width="400" /></a></div>
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Arches, tables, table lamps, books.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxpUAr_6fIxuiAJsoWMe4y0ezBgQQmoTxSFrF9DVKWW8BR2H6CAhiT770SU0xhZw_jacI9FUZHqhDBmIjrAQZGJz9Jldq5ptLYFlgNqrHgB47458Duyp-wofYHRcV2MDPUCtHh6KnzDx7/s1600/IMG_4529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxpUAr_6fIxuiAJsoWMe4y0ezBgQQmoTxSFrF9DVKWW8BR2H6CAhiT770SU0xhZw_jacI9FUZHqhDBmIjrAQZGJz9Jldq5ptLYFlgNqrHgB47458Duyp-wofYHRcV2MDPUCtHh6KnzDx7/s400/IMG_4529.jpg" title="in Search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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Holding up an arch is a beautiful sculpture -- of course! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgK0lwXR0_P9P8GK4B8_lk_zwwxG5mnNG3L4hWI-LsC-AT9nXqkoynpxfOJibAXDBuXpMk6EAbMtcWYZHJ3iCUtHtgDfDBFg6U5ALzGWAb0ts0KAW9XhsRF6eFQXhcHxqOXXRqBv-VYOI/s1600/IMG_4533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgK0lwXR0_P9P8GK4B8_lk_zwwxG5mnNG3L4hWI-LsC-AT9nXqkoynpxfOJibAXDBuXpMk6EAbMtcWYZHJ3iCUtHtgDfDBFg6U5ALzGWAb0ts0KAW9XhsRF6eFQXhcHxqOXXRqBv-VYOI/s400/IMG_4533.jpg" title="in Search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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The Manuscript Room was on the third floor, at the end of this very modern covered walkway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwZUDTRshvXgo4UFdRShijsipqh1LHLelXFor2L5wOR0Zbbm_IvmDWePuUuVWhP3trVFnesmRDQ7UqYaIkZNo4ibGMIzcVSpY_4CoPqKKE0VQtfJUmwRVm7ZgcKuiY1vG_0LxEf9uECpU/s1600/IMG_4535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwZUDTRshvXgo4UFdRShijsipqh1LHLelXFor2L5wOR0Zbbm_IvmDWePuUuVWhP3trVFnesmRDQ7UqYaIkZNo4ibGMIzcVSpY_4CoPqKKE0VQtfJUmwRVm7ZgcKuiY1vG_0LxEf9uECpU/s400/IMG_4535.jpg" title="in Search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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A mere door to the Manuscript Room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbQ6XS6iB2wZVSUkY7mLAwDfW1rT5ZBArQNEGECs0OQDkVKa0258u5KX4tUZvdJ58XXqzaFPNC_3tTd2LxxpAC-2Mpnue57MWWAp810Lny2B1ZmlIEBhSLySxHI4vXRIvez0Ghs_H6RZC/s1600/IMG_4536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="in Search of the American Dream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbQ6XS6iB2wZVSUkY7mLAwDfW1rT5ZBArQNEGECs0OQDkVKa0258u5KX4tUZvdJ58XXqzaFPNC_3tTd2LxxpAC-2Mpnue57MWWAp810Lny2B1ZmlIEBhSLySxHI4vXRIvez0Ghs_H6RZC/s400/IMG_4536.jpg" title="in Search of the American Dream" width="300" /></a></div>
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A row of arched windows.</div>
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This is the red velvet-covered frame that holds the big, old books.</div>
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At each end of the library was a circular staircase leading up to the next level.</div>
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The arch of the window is reflected by a reverse arch carved into the wood. </div>
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This is the cover to the access to the catalog of manuscripts.</div>
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A jolly little rolling staircase to reach the high-up books. It has little traps under each stair, to prevent any books that might be stacked on the stairs from slipping and crashing to the floor.</div>
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The stair rolls along a built-in edge (see the very top). </div>
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I just loved writing in this library! I think it's beautiful! What about you? Commend below!</div>
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In Search of the American Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05802734639904509591noreply@blogger.com2