Saturday, November 29, 2014

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2008. Mattie was in the Hospital and as you can see a lot was happening in his small room. Posing with Mattie was Scooby Doo! Mattie loved Scooby, and Mattie had many Scooby visits while inpatient. Accompanying Scooby was Linda, Mattie's child life specialist. Linda and Mattie were close and I knew Linda understood Mattie, and Mattie trusted her to get his needs met. Peter and I needed was many allies as possible in the Hospital and we knew Linda was one of them who we could always turn to for help and advocacy!  


Quote of the day: In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

On the property of the Hotel we were staying at for Thanksgiving was this wonderful stone "mansion." The Mansion dates back to 1905. The reason why I photographed the sign and the structure itself is because it has sentimental value to me. When I was 13, I had a confirmation party in the Mansion and then many, many years later, Peter and I had our rehearsal dinner for our wedding in The Mansion. 

The Mansion has a wonderful history. The Mansion, sometimes called "Red Oaks," was a countryside estate that belonged to John Carrere, a well known architect. Some of his famous works included the NY Public Library, the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. 



Every time we stay at this particular hotel and we see it change and be remodeled, it bothers me. Mainly because I know MORE about this hotel property than MOST of the people who actually work there. I have seen this hotel grow and be transformed over the decades. When my parents relocated to Los Angeles when I was in high school, we would visit New York frequently those first couple of years. When we did, we would stay in this hotel. Therefore I have experienced this hotel as a guest, my family hosted parties at this hotel, and of course when Peter and I visit New York on occasion now, we stay at this hotel. Therefore I have been involved with this Hotel for decades. Almost like a home away from home. So when you see a home change, it is hard to accept, especially when you do not view it as an improvement. 

The latest renovations involve a complete modernization of the hotel's entry way and restaurant. The new restaurant is called THE HIVE. Perfect name, because it is ALL A BUZZ!!! I honestly do not consider the Hive just a restaurant! It has become an all purpose room. It is where people gather, get drinks (at the bar), coffee/tea, and work on computers! It is a space that just doesn't know what it wants to be. Also you can watch TV there!!! The chairs are just as crazy. Mind you, you have to dine on these chairs! Some are actual stools with NO backs!! Trying to have breakfast or dinner on such a chair is a pip! Sure it looks hip, cool, and trendy!! But when push comes to shove it is a frenetic space and NOT inviting! I want to meet the architect who came up with this design!!!! 

As soon as I entered the hotel, I literally complained to the front desk. I told them I did not care for their recent remodel! She said that guests were raving about the new space! I figure they were raving because they did not know the old space. Here is what the old dining room looked like! I can't find a single photo on line to post on the Blog! The hotel must have scrubbed all the photos! So instead, this is a photo I took of Peter from a PREVIOUS visit to the hotel. You can see the dining room had amazing picture windows that looked out onto tranquil trees and grounds! It was like a hide away! Away from the hustle and bustle of our busy worlds. The dining room was spacious and people weren't on top of each other. There weren't TVs all around us while we were eating and it was simply a pleasurable experience. A totally different experience from what is happening above. 

As we drove back to Washington, DC today, many of the trees have already lost their leaves. But this wonderful grouping by the George Washington Bridge caught my attention. 

The George Washington Bridge speaks for itself! So does this whitish sky which to me shows you just how cold and frigid it was outside. 

Close up of the Bridge!

As we got closer to Maryland, we started to see bluer skies. Which was lovely. Usually in DC, I am used to being greeted with grey skies! 

I joked with Peter as we headed closer to Baltimore that I bet there would be a cruise ship in the Harbor today! Sure enough, as we came through the Fort McHenry Tunnel, I saw Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas! Some how that just reminded us of warmer weather despite the fact that it is winter and cold out.