Holiday Downsizing

What's become to regarded as the unofficial last day of summer, Labor Day, was celebrated this past Monday with a 3-day weekend. 

Traditionally, this day is time for picnics, family get togethers and getaways. We'd considered a road trip, but increasing gas prices, dealing with holiday traffic and last minute vacationeers made us re-think that plan. Instead, we stayed home, aside from a trip to the supermarket and a walk outdoors. 

It was a good weekend to tackle Christmas holiday downsizing. Believe me, empty containers are a very good thing especially at this stage of our lives when less is much better. We wil still enjoy Christmas, but with a lot less to put up and take down, which will also be good.

Empty containers are a very good thing

Grenville hauled five of these containers from storage and we spent time sorting through Christmas stuff — this 'n that, stockings & holders, wooden signs, Nativity, tree skirts, lights. One tote had styrofoam pieces (now discarded) and Buffalo snow (artificial snow to be donated) that were used for the holiday village, which won't be set up this year. 

There were too many ornaments, so a decision was made to keep special ones like those given by family (only one each of grandpa and grandma ornaments needed, not 3 sets). Also kept were ones bought at craft shows or when on travels. 

Progress was made, two containers were emptied and then there were three, not five. These totes definitely need to be relabeled much neater once this project is completed.

These three containers will soon become two

The to go items were boxed, loaded into a cart and taken to a large thrift store yesterday — the sooner the better. When donating Christmas holiday items it's best not to wait until right before the holidays. That's when thrift stores will be inundated and may not accept giveaways, which could then become toss-aways. The start of October is a good time.

All of this went to a thrift store this week

Sorting will be ongoing with the goal to reduce Christmas items into two containers before Grenville returns them to storage. It's handy that in the absence of a garage or attic, a storage unit is just down the hall from our apartment. Of course, the goal is to not add more stuff.

In between the holiday downsizing, a mini scarecrows and pumpkins display was set up outside our apartment entry — it was downsized from previous years.

Your Turn — Do you have excess holiday — if so, any downsizing plans?

Rough and Tumble

This is one a post that's been in draft form since an early spring road trip to Lancaster, PA, to visit family. We had a day of exploring as family was either working or in school. We've been in this area before, yet always find something new to us.

It seemed appropriate to post it on Labor Day weekend, a U.S. holiday celebrated annually on the first Monday of September to mark the achievements of American workers. A PA museum we visited focused on agriculture, industry and workers.

Founded in 1948, the Rough and Tumble Engineer Historical Association, is a non-profit, all-volunteer PA museum that celebrated its 78th year in 2026. Located in Kinzer, PA, Lancaster County, it's one of the first and longest running organizations of its type in the U.S. 

The museum celebrates agricultural and industrial history and the men who worked steam and gas-powered farm equipment. Called threshermen, they operated steam or gas-powered threshing machines to loosen and separate grain or seeds from stalks and husks. 

Threshermen would travel between farms with heavy equipment to bring in and thresh the wheat harvest, usually processing crops for multiple homesteads. Crews covered several states and hundreds of miles within a single harvest season. Sadly, the development of the combine harvester in the 1940s and 1950s lead to the demise of the threshermen and their equipment.

The association's name derives from this 1891 text

The rough and tumble name derives from the above 1890s guide for farm machinery, Rough and Tumble Engineering: A Book of Instructions for Operators of Farm and Traction Engines by James H. Maggard. This book was an operational manual for heavy steam and traction engines. 

Rough and Tumble has one of the world’s largest collections of old traction engines on site. There's antique farm implements and machinery and three barns of old steam engines and stationary gas engines, including an Otto-Langen Engine, one of the world’s few surviving examples of the first commercially successful gas engines. Most of these machines are kept in operating condition.

Some vintage steam-powered tractors

Exhibits include a collection of steam tractors, including a restored 1886 Schiedler engine, one of the oldest running steam traction engines in the U.S. There's a working sawmill and shingle mill, a traditional blacksmith shop, a line shaft machine shop, and a detailed model shop. Another building houses a collection of vintage automobiles and commercial trucks. 

One building holds vintage cars and trucks on permanent display

On the grounds there's a large display of kerosene, gasoline and oil-powered tractors from the early 1900s onward, featuring brands like John Deere and Rumely. The machinery is maintained in operating condition and run during the annual Threshermen’s Reunion and other shows. 

Some steam-powered threshers on display

The museum didn't begin as a collection of memorabilia, but as an event. After crops were harvested, steam threshermen and farm families would gather for a reunion and picnic. Manufacturers and salesmen would show new models. Farm equipment dealers, farmers and threshermen organized The Pennsylvania Threshermen and Farmers' Protective Association (PTFPA).

Then, as the days of the steam-powered traction engine waned, two local threshermen's chapters voted to spend remaining funds on a Threshermen's Reunion. 

In 1948, the first reunion was held on the grounds of farm equipment dealer, Arthur Young, across Route 30 from the present location. The son of a custom thresherman, Young operated a steam traction engine during harvest season, before opening a farm machinery business. The PTFPA provided food and advertising for the first event. In 1950, before the second reunion, Young recommended the Rough and Tumble name to the Board of Directors.

In 1951, Rough and Tumble developed a national reputation through promotion in The Iron Men Album magazine (now Steam Traction Magazine) devoted to preserving the heritage of threshing and farm life. Interest grew and the organization began to collect, preserve, restore and exhibit artifacts of agricultural and rural society. 

Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association (from website)

In the mid-1950s, contributors established a fund that allowed the organization to purchase land on the north side of Route 30. Nine acres were initially purchased. Today, Rough and Tumble has expanded to 33 acres and 15 buildings.

Farm equipment isn't the only attraction here. Two working railroads operate on the property. Adults and children can ride around the grounds on a coal-fired 2/3 scale Shay side-geared steam locomotive. 

A 2/3 scale Shay steam engine takes visitors on a ride 

A Shay locomotive is a geared steam engine that originated and was primarily used in the U.S. It's named after Ephraim Shay who invented it in the late 19th century for logging, mining, and steep mountain railways. Unlike standard locomotives that use side-rods connected directly to driving wheels, a Shay uses a side-mounted drive shaft and bevel gears to power every single wheel on the engine and tender.

Little Toot is a smaller ridable steam locomotive for younger visitors.

Throughout the years, Rough and Tumble has hosted events in response to popular demand such as a two-day “Steam School” of hands-on learning, an Antique Tractor Pull, a Spring Steam-Up Day, Blacksmith Days and a celebration of the harvest in October. 

The Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association is located in Kinzer, PA, on historic Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30). There's an admission charge and a separate fee to ride the steam train. We found this excursion was well the cost to explore. If you plan to visit, be sure to check when Rough and Tumble is open as this is a volunteer-run operation.

Other than dates for special events, the Rough and Tumble grounds are generally open for visitors the first Saturday of the month from May through the Time of Harvest event in October. After that, there's no exhibits on the grounds until the Spring Antique Tractor Pull in April.

Best Wishes to U.S. blog friends on this Labor Day Holiday

No holiday travel  for us. Our far-away travels are next week

Blog Commenting, Not

Fellow bloggers, it seems there is some sort of glitch going on in blogger. Comments are not publishing.

UPDATE: As of this morning, I have been able to leave comments, so it seems that this universal issue has been resolved. — at least for now.

Earlier today, I tried leaving comments on many blogs, only to have the Publishing button stay on and on and no results. A comment simply would not publish. So, while I have read your recent posts, there's no way to comment.

I read that other bloggers had expressed the same frustration.

A fellow blogger (Kathy) stated in a blog post that she had this issue in the past. She said she went through several new blogs, but would not recommend doing this. Not only did it not help, but you would lose your main blog.

This is the first time that this issue has presented itself for myself being unable to publish a blog comment. Similarly, any reply to a previous comment also will not publish.

So, after doing an online search, AI came back with this statement:

If your Blogger comments are not publishing as of September 4, 2026, this is a known technical hurdle that frequently occurs due to recent browser security upgrades, cookie policies, or specific dashboard configurations. No widespread global server outage is currently reported for Google's platform.

One of the suggested fixes was to in your browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari), turn off Enhanced Tracking Protection for your blog site, or explicitly add blogger.com to your browser's cookie "Allow" whitelist. 

My browser is Safari and I do have Enhanced Tracking Protection turned on and it will remain that way. Also, an online checked came back that Safari does not have a built-in allowed cookie whitelist that lets you block all cookies by default while permitting specific websites.

Fellow blogger, Kathy, reported going through this issue for weeks and through an online search found that Google no longer supports this platform.

Doing another online search, I queried whether blogger is still supported with these results:

Yes, Google Blogger still exists and remains active. You can still sign in, create new blogs on blogspot.com subdomains, and manage old posts using a Google account. While it is rarely used for major new marketing campaigns or high-end commercial projects, hobbyists and personal diarists still use it. It receives very few modern updates compared to competitors like WordPress or Substack, leaving its interface and SEO tools feeling dated.

Google Blogger is largely outdated and rarely chosen for new professional projects, though it remains functional for basic, personal hobby sites.

WordPress.org remains the best overall blogging platform in 2026 because it offers complete ownership, unmatched customization, and superior search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities. 

Also, I found this question (dated April 2026) on a blogger community help platform:

I regularly publish posts on a weekly basis and currently have over 100 posts on Blogger (Blogspot). I wanted to know if there is any possibility that the Blogspot platform might be shut down in the future, even if not immediately.

And, this answer from a Diamond Product expert:

 

Sometimes between today and the heat death of the Universe, Blogger will surely shut down. Google has not announced plans to do so before then. It's still a good idea to back up your blog regularly.

Finally, I did a check on many blogs listed on my sidebar, most comments on these blogs were left a day or so before today, September 4.

Just wondering how many other fellow bloggers have noticed this no comment issue. 

Of course, I realize that you will not be able to comment below, so perhaps can do so in your own blog post. 

Hopefully, this is a temporary glitch, but who knows?

Art in the Park

This weekend was perfect weather to stroll an art show in a local park and that's what we did on Sunday.

The Greeley Park Art Show in Nashua, NH

The 73rd annual Greeley Art Show sponsored by the Nashua Area Arts Association was held in Greeley Park, Nashua, NH. This annual 2-day event is always held on the last weekend in August featuring work from local artists and from other New England states.

The Greeley Park stone house

This public park sits on 125 acres on property originally bought in 1801 by Joseph Greeley. In 1896, his grandson deeded the land to the City of Nashua 1896. In 1901, a local businessman donated $5,000 matched by city funds, to change the Greeley Farm into a public park. The monies were used to create a stone and cement rest house, fountain, shallow pond, gravel walk and flower beds. The park includes hiking trails, horseshoe pits, ball fields, tennis courts and a community garden.  

Some art on display at the Greeley Park art show

Over 50 artists exhibited their work throughout the weekend including painters, water colorists, woodworkers, photographers and mixed media artists. 

Ornaments and lamps crafted from old books

One of the most unique displays was this one which features various items including animal figures, snowmen, ornaments and lamps made from old books. The artist told me that after her mother-law-passed away, a couple thousand books were in her home and that these provided the material for this craft.

The weekend event featured live performances by area musicians such as Electrik Soul (above) as well as artist demonstrations, children's games and a raffle.

This year's exhibitors included painters, photographers, woodworkers, potters, water colorists and mixed media.

Woodworker Ronald Marcoux presented live demonstrations of his craft during the two-day show and was very animated in discussing his craft.

I've learned from previous art shows that while some artisans don't mind photos being taken of their work, others are much less accommodating and have even posted signage, no photos allowed. Unfortunately, there are some who would seek to copy another's work. Therefore, I don't linger too long or take many individual photos.

Hopefully, you had a good weekend for anything outdoors. 

Welcome to a new month.

Friday Funnies

Every now and then you see a photo opp(ortunity) which has some distractions in the way. 

This post has a couple of examples. The photos were taken last weekend in Alton Bay, NH, after we went to Pop’s Clam Shell and stayed to watch a water skiing competition.

This canine has one paw on the wheel as he/she snoozed on the dashboard.

Shortly after the first photo was taken, the pup woke up still keeping a paw on the wheel.

This license plate aptly describes this post and, ironically, was spotted the same day.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

 We're going to the 73rd annual art show of the Nashua Area Artists association

in Greeley Park, Nashua, NH

Homemade Dutch Oven

I enjoy baking fresh bread at and admittedly do less in the summer months.

But, now that cooler weather is arriving, a return to home baking is coming not only in the form of bread, but also popovers, pizza, muffins and more. 

Baking is true comfort, not only does it provide me with a sense of accomplishment, but we get to eat the results. There's nothing quite like fresh-baked bread with butter or enjoyed with a meal.

Years ago, I owned a bread machine (long gone) and also have used a cast iron Dutch oven. But, there's nothing more needed than loaf pans and metal binder clips to bake an easy, no-knead, quick-rising bread. 

The recipe is mixed in a single bowl and baked in a homemade dutch oven created from two 9x5-inch loaf pans and two metal binder clips. 

Other things needed are a plastic mixing spoon, spatula, salt, instant yeast, bread flour, water, glass bowl, measuring cup, sesame seeds (optional):

• 12 oz warm water
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 3 C bread flour
• sesame seeds (optional)

Turn on the hot water, when it gets warm, rinse a glass bowl then dry. Fill the measuring cup with 14 oz warm water (105°F to 110°F) and pour into bowl.

Sprinkle instant yeast on top of the water, add salt, stir to combine. Add bread flour by dropping it along the side of the bowl so it doesn't splash.

Stir to combine using the spoon handle, scrape bowl along the sides to bring the flour into the center of bowl. Scrape the bowl side with the spatula.

Tumble the dough with the spoon handle to thoroughly mix wet and dry dough. The dough will be what's called a shaggy dough.

Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot to rise. Hint: an oven with the door closed and the light turned on is a perfect proofing spot.

Proof for 1-1/2 hours, after this time the dough should have doubled.

Spray the two loaf pans with a non-stick spray.

Use the spoon handle to pull and de-gas the dough, scrape the bowl sides with a spatula. Sprinkle some flour on the dough and roll to coat. Sprinkle 2 TBSP of sesame seeds (optional) on top of the wet dough. 

Pour the dough into the prepared pan. There's no need to shape the dough to the pan as it will expand with the second rise. 

Place the second loaf pan on top, secure the ends with two binder clips. Keep pans clipped together and proof 30 minutes for second rise.

Before the end of the second rise, move an oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 400℉.

Bake 35 minutes at 400℉ with the top pan on. Carefully remove the clips and top pan using oven proof gloves. Bake for 5-10 minutes to finish the crust.

Remove from pan and cool completely on rack before cutting and enjoying homemade bread.

Recipe courtesy of Steve Gamelin who hosts a YouTube channel, artisanbreadwithsteve.

How We Celebrated

First, Thank You to everyone who extended well wishes on our 27th wedding anniversary this past Friday. We enjoyed reading all the comments and appreciated all of them. 

We had a very enjoyable anniversary weekend from Friday evening to Sunday morning even without venturing out of state. We ate some foods that while normally do not, except, of course, for the ice cream

Our weekend celebration started Friday evening with the Celebration of Life event for Sue's husband who passed away in 2022. We met her on our Alaska cruise last August and have stayed in contact since. We'll reconnect with her in December when she visits family in NH.

Pop's Clam Shell, Alton Bay, NH

On Saturday we took a road trip to Alton Bay, NH for our first and only lobster roll of this waning summer season. Our destination was Pop's Clam Shell, a road side eatery popular with tourists and locals serving local fresh seafood and summertime favorites and unlike many fast-food places, everything is made in-house. Pop's is open seasonally and will be closing shortly after Labor Day. It's been family-owned and operated for 40 years and often has three generations of family working within. 

Lobster rolls, onion rings, coleslaw from Pop's

Aside from enjoying lobster rolls, we had the pleasure of another meet-up with fellow blogger Erika and her husband, Dave. We all enjoyed lunch on the rooftop deck at Pop's.

Anniversary ice cream treats

After a short walk around Alton Bay and watching a demonstration of water skiing, we enjoyed a celebration dessert of ice cream sundaes.

Omelets breakfasts at Midfield Cafe, Nashua, NH

Capping off the weekend, we went for Sunday breakfast at Midfield Cafe in Nashua. What sets it apart from other local breakfast places is the view. If you're lucky enough to get a window seat you can watch small planes landing and taking off while dining. Unfortunately, Sundays are the busiest day and we missed out on window seating this time.

Cards are always displayed on our LR bookcase

Our living room bookcase has anniversary cards on display replacing the recent birthday cards for Grenville's July birthday.

We're planning to take a short New England road trip after the upcoming U.S. Labor Day holiday. The first of several long-distance adventures will start in mid-September. These will not be auto trips, but will include planes and boats. More to come later.

Celebrating 27 Years

It was that many years that we said I do in our home state of NJ. We're still celebrating every year day and this year’s anniversary date will be no exception as you will learn below.

People often are surprised to learn that we met on a dating site. This was years before the onset of online videos. Instead, we exchanged text messages for a couple of months before finally meeting in person. The card above was often sent back and forth in messages between us. Framed, it now has a spot on our bedroom wall. where we have a penguin theme going with cards.

Longtime friends, Sara and David, who know of our fondness for penguins have sent this same card for at least two anniversaries, so it's been framed for display as well.

This year they sent a different one, but also with a penguin theme. They know us so well.

This card traveled the farthest distance, across the pond, and was sent by Kath and Andrew, UK friends, who share the same wedding anniversary date. We met up with them in London a few years ago and hope to again next month when we will tour the Yorkshire Dales in the UK.

A previous post showed the many decorative signs in our apartment home. But, we also have a few magnets. These are two that I gave to Grenville (Patrick) after our marriage and they are still on display today after all these years.

Today, we're attending a Celebration of Life, ironically for a man (David) we never met. Granted, that sounds strange, but we met his wife/widow, Sue, on our Alaska cruise last year. She shared that they had lived in the Nashua, NH, area for years before relocating to AZ, which is why she's having the event a nearby town. A couple of others we met on the cruise will also be there, so we will know other attendees.

As for our anniversary celebration, we plan to on a road trip after the Labor Day holiday. Now, many New England locations are over crowded and/or over priced, mostly both.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

We're going to Pop's Clam Shell (Alton, NH) for our first & last lobster roll this year