The 4th Again

Today is July 4, the 249th Independence Day in the U.S. and the start of an anticipated year-long celebration leading up to the 250th anniversary in 2026.

This flag hangs outside our apt entry

As most folks already know, Independence Day commemorates the July 4, 1776 adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, wherein the 13 original colonies declared independence from Great Britain.

Did you know that as of 1870, July 4 became a federal, but unpaid, holiday and stayed that way until 1941? That's when it was expanded to a paid federal holiday. Today, government offices, banks and post offices will be closed plus many private businesses. However, most big business retail and grocery stores will remain open with the exception of U.S. giant retailer, Costco, which is closed for the day.

This flag also is by our apt entry

There's no parade in Nashua for this holiday. Instead, the second annual 4th of July ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. in front of Nashua City Hall. As in 2024, it's again supported by various local veterans groups: Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and Disabled American Veterans. We're planning to attend this event, as we did last year, hopefully there will be a larger public response than last year.

As in past years, Holman Stadium, the local baseball stadium, will have a full day of activities including a game by the Silver Knights collegiate baseball team, free concert, drum and bugle corps performance and a fireworks show at dusk. We won't attend any of these events, but usually watch the fireworks display from our 5th floor apt.

Our plans for the holiday are spending it with friends who live in Nashua. The same couple we regularly met up with for weekly dominoes  games during the pandemic. A big plus is that their home has a small back porch for outdoor dining, weather permitting. The menu is summertime fare. My food contribution was detailed in yesterday's post (crockpot pulled pork and homemade salads). Our hosts are providing drinks, appetizers, dessert and the outdoor venue.

The photo below was taken a number of years ago when the three grands celebrated together in PA. Many long-time followers will remember this trio from previous posts. The oldest (grandson) graduated high school in June and his sister, the oldest granddaughter is in high school. The youngest granddaughter (their cousin)  is now an avid soccer player. 

Our 3 grandchildren a number of years ago

The photo was a birthday gift to their grandfather, Patrick, who will celebrate again in mid-July and it's one of our favorites.

However our fellow U.S. bloggers will be spending this holiday, we hope it's special for you, once again. 

Enjoy Your Weekend

We're staying close to home, holiday travel is not favored

Foods for Celebrating

Tomorrow, we  will be celebrating the 🇺🇸 holiday by getting together with friends and sharing some popular and easy foods. As we did during our regular pandemic and dominoes playing meet-ups, we're splitting the food tasks. We'll also share eating 😋 and game playing.

Top, pork butt with spice rub; bottom, coleslaw & potato salad

The above photo shows what foods we will be bringing. All of these were being readied or prepared today, which is why this post was much later than usual. The coleslaw and potato salad (bottom left and right) have been made earlier today. The pork has been seasoned with a dry rub and is marinating overnight in the fridge. It will go in the crock pot very early Friday for a low and slow cooking and then shredding.

There are many different recipes for pulled pork rub and just as many preferences. A basic pulled pork rub includes a mix of sweet and spicy flavors. Often used ingredients include brown sugar, paprika (smoked or sweet), salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, chili powder, and optional cayenne pepper for heat. Some recipes also add in mustard powder, cumin or even cinnamon or coffee. I add in a bit of liquid smoke, a flavoring used as a substitute for cooking with wood smoke while retaining a similar flavor

Dry Rub for Pork Butt

As a general rule, use 1-2 tablespoons of dry rub for every pound of meat. You can experiment with different spices to personalize a rub. 

• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp paprika
• 1-2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 TBSP onion powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp dry mustard
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TBSP smoked paprika
• ½ TBSP fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
• Optional: 1 TBSP cayenne pepper to taste 

Pat pork dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Rub pork with some olive oil.

Generously apply rub, cover all sides and crevices. (Use one hand for the rub and the other for applying, so you save any leftover rub.) Massage rub into meat and let meat sit at least 1 hour, preferably overnight in fridge for best flavor.  When ready, put in crockpot,(no need to add any liquids). Cook on low for 7-8 hours until meat shreds easily. Cool before shredding. You can strain some of the oil from the crockput and skim off the fat, then apply to the shredded pork to add moisture OR you can use a homemade or bottled BBQ sauce.

Rather than shred a head of cabbage, I buy a package already shredded, then shred and add extra carrots as there's never enough (if any) in the package. The dressing used was originally included on a package of Dole shredded cabbage..

Cole Slaw Dressing

This recipe provides a base that captures the key characteristics of the Dole coleslaw dressing. You can adjust ingredients to your taste, like adjusting the amount of sugar or adding other spices.

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package classic coleslaw mix (optional)

1. Mix together dry mustard and celery seed in a small bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice.
3. Add spice blend to mayonnaise mixture and mix thoroughly.
4. Chill dressing for a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
5. Before serving, drizzle  chilled dressing over coleslaw mix (or your chosen coleslaw ingredients) and toss to coat evenly. 

The potato salad recipe I have been using most recently is from Joanne and Adam, the couple behind Inspired Taste. I've made a few substitutions and additions here and there, but here's the basic recipe.

Creamy Red Potato Salad

You can use dried herbs for this salad; add 1 to 2 tablespoons, dill and chives are recommended.

• 2 lbs small red potatoes
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or dill pickle juice
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup  mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, substitute Dijon or whole grain mustard
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
• 1 to 2 medium dill pickles, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with 1 ½ inches of water. Season with salt (one tsp for every quart of water).
2. Bring water to boil, reduce to simmer (boiling potatoes can cause them to hit one another and break apart). Cook for 15 to 20 min. until easily pierced with a fork.
3. Set up an ice bath. Add cold water to a medium bowl filled with ice. Drain potatoes, then place into ice bath.
4. When cool enough to handle, chop potatoes into bite-size chunks and add to a large bowl. Scatter vinegar over potatoes, lightly season with salt.
5. Stir mayonnaise, sour cream, mustardtogerther.
6. Add mayonnaise mix, celery, pickles and herbs to potatoes. Gently stir to combine, being careful not to mash potatoes.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Optional: Sprinkle with smoked paprika before serving

Storing: Make potato salad up to 3 days in advance. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

Sour cream: Substitute 1/2 cup crème fraîche for sour cream.

And there you have the basic prep of food we will be bringing to our friend's home. They will be providing everything else including appetizers, drinks, dessert; however, the best thing about the day is sharing our continued friendship. Hopefully, this post didn't make anyone too hungry today. 

Your turn — are you preparing any foods for the July 4 holiday?

Friday Funnies

Some drivers, myself included, can find parallel parking a bit of a challenge at times.

Especially, when there's a car in front or back of the open space

But, this driver certainly didn't have any concerns and seemingly just drove in and left.

As seen in the photo, there was one vehicle parked behind this car, but no car was parked in front. Backing up and straightening out would have been easy or so it seemed..

At times, folks have asked Where do you find these things? 

The answer is simple, everywhere.

The above photos were taken last weekend on a walk to the library. You just can't make this stuff up, folks. It's much easier just to look around.

Sunset on Monday evening this week as seen from our apartment

Along with so many other states, it's been a hot beginning of the week in New England as well. Temperatures in Nashua, NH, were close to 100℉ this past Tuesday. By yesterday (Thursday) a cold front came in and temperatures dropped to the more tolerable mid-80s.

While there's been a heat wave this week, it's wasn't the hottest recorded temperature ever recorded in Nashua. According to the National Weather Service, the record 106°F (41°C) was set on July 4, 1911, the highest temperature ever recorded in the state. And, 2024, was the warmest year worldwide since record keeping began in 1850.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

Heat wave over, but a(nother) rainy one is  forecast for Nashua, NH

Trading Off & Nonna's

That's what we have been doing in the kitchen the past few weeks — only for dinner. Breakfast and lunch are excluded aside from Grenville's weekend breakfast prep.

This routine started soon after Grenville said complained that I was hogging the kitchen. He explained that he wanted his own kitchen time to try some new recipes from his America's Test Kitchen subscription.

This is our apartment kitchen, both sides

Before this changeover, we usually took turns cooking dinner depending on which one of us volunteered or insisted (guilty as charged). He was right in that I was spending the most time there.. The exception was on weekends when pancakes (sometimes crepes) or omelets were for breakfast, Grenville's favorites.. 

A small kitchen is nothing new to us. In our former NJ homes we had small galley-style kitchens (sorry, no photos,). Back then, there were outdoor grills there, so most warm weather, even in colder temps we cooked outdoors. Now, living on the 5th floor of a former mill, outdoor grilling is in the past. There's no open spots on the grounds because of the parking lot. Such is one of the drawbacks of apt life, but there are also pluses, like so many local restaurants in walking distance.

Later, after we purchasing and relocating to VA, we knew that a larger kitchen definitely was in the future. So, as part of the renovations, we replaced a very small kitchen there. It was really smaller than in our NJ homes and even our current NH kitchen.

This was the kitchen in our former VA home

The above photo shows the remodeled VA kitchen looking from the entry near the refrigerator.

Another view of the VA kitchen

This photo shows the opposite end of the remodeled VA kitchen looking to the stove. There was a lot of counter space to work. we often shared kitchen duties with one doing the prep and the other the cooking, a joint effort. We miss this space.

Now, living on the 5th floor of a former mill, there's no outdoor cooking. not even on the grounds since there's an outdoor parking area.

Dining out is nice when we travel and also as we have so many restaurants in downtown Nashua, NH (about 30 within walking distance). We both enjoy cooking at home, but tend to get in each other's way — two chefs and limited counter space. Yes, it can be done, but our styles of food prep and cooking are different.

Grenville does crepes in VA

Beatrice prefers to have ingredients prepped, chopped, measured (spices, liquids) and put in bowls or containers for quick access when cooking starts. She also spreads kitchen utensils, cookware and cutting boards on counter space. (Some of you may know this by the French term, mise en place or everything in its place.)

Grenville is less ordered and doesn't like to clutter the counter space. The best way to describe his style is as you go; meaning he gets ingredients and pans out as needed.

At first, we considered alternating kitchen days; but, Grenville said that he would rather have an entire week, so we agreed on Monday - Sunday, seven days and started trading off about 6 weeks ago. Also, when one of us cooks, the other does cleanup (usually). If we've been away or dined out with friends during the week, we don't add or subtract a day(s) to one another's week, overall it sort of evens out.

Our cookbook collection which was downsized, slightly

One thing is definite, there's no shortage of cookbooks in our apartment as shown in the above bookcase collection. Yes, they are used depending on what's planned for dinner during the week. Our preferences tend toward fish and chicken, then pork with beef in last place. Vegetables and salads are also favorites here. I don't know if it's the same for any of you, sometimes we have to look through a few to find a recipe. And, when all else fails, we search online — doesn't everyone?

Giveaway cookbooks went to friends and the library

This photo above was taken, after we downsized the collection (a bit) and found new homes for them. The biggest book on the bottom was given to a friend, the others were donated to the Friends of the Nashua Public Library for a future sale. Cookbooks are always big sellers; there's never a shortage of donated ones.

Special cookbooks have their own shelf space

The left side of this bottom shelf is reserved for specialty and/or holiday cookbooks. The right side has vintage cookbooks that belonged to our mothers. Two that are taped and wrapped are from Patrick's mom, the red one above those was my mom's basic cookbook. The classic Betty Crocker Cookbook was bought 40 years+ ago after a move to my first apartment.

As this is a food post and we both cooking in and dining out, here's where we dined at a NH restaurant in February while on our road trip to the White Mountains. We had spent the afternoon traveling on the Snow Coach on Mt Washington as part of my birthday celebration. We learned about this area restaurant from a couple who had dined there the night before and were going back that night.

It was a happy coincidence as we had recently seen the Netflix film, Nonnas, based on the true story behind the founding of Enoteca Maria, a restaurant in Staten Island, NY, where actual grandmothers (nonnas) cook from traditional cook family recipes. The film is focused on owner Joe Scaravella, who risks financial ruin to honor his late mother and grandmother by opening an Italian restaurant, hiring local grandmothers as chefs. The restaurant is well known for hiring nonnas from around the world. 

The stars of the Netflix Film, Nonnas (Internet source)

The film features Vince Vaughn as Scaravella and Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro and Susan Sarandon as the nonnas. We found it to be a heartwarming, very enjoyable film which focused on food and family complete with strong performances from the lead actresses who played the nonnas. 

Nonna's Kitchen in Gorham, NH

While we haven't been to Enoteca Maria, we found something just as good and so much closer in the small town of Gorham, NH. This small restaurant, Nonna's Kitchen, is located in what was once a barber shop on historic Exchange Street. The interior has the original tin walls and ceiling and is very cozy, It was the perfect setting to enjoy a delicious Italian meal on a Saturday evening. While the restaurant looks empty in the photo below, we dined early, within a half hour, tables were filling up. 

Interior of Nonna's Kitchen

After dinner, we talked with the mother of the current owner, who is now the Nonna. She had opened the restaurant in April 2017 with her husband and it was named in honor of her mother (also Nonna). Although her husband and mother have since passed, the family has carried on the tradition. The restaurant is now run by herself and her son along with his wife.

Tomato-basil soup, homemade pasta and tiaramisu

The family-owned restaurant continues their passion and love for cooking. Recipes have been passed down from generations with some added new creations. All the pasta is made fresh daily and cooked to order. Everything was delicious, including the homemade dessert of tiramisu. If you're ever in NH, do yourself a favor and eat here. You won't be disappointed.

How about You ?

Are kitchen chores and cooking shared or is it a solo effort? And, do you cook from a book, online recipe, freestyle method or all (or some) of these?

BIG THANKS to fellow bloggers who read the previous post about how this blog started and commented too. Also, thanks for sharing your own blog journey, and in such great detail which were shared with Grenville/Patrick. We appreciate that sharing our lives and adventures is interesting and plan to continue.

Looking Back & Ahead

It's been a pleasure over the years, 15+ to be exact, for Patrick (Grenville) and myself Dorothy (Beatrice) to have met many wonderful people through blogging. 

It's greatly enriched our lives to become blog friends with many here in the U.S., Canada and worldwide who have shared their lives, adventures, family and more. And, we've been fortunate to have met bloggers in person, not only on road trips, but on getaways abroad — all wonderful, exiciting and fun experiences. 

WAIT . . . this isn't a Farewell Post

Instead, it's a bit of nostalgia after time (too much) was spent time looking back at earlier posts this week and realizing this blog so long ago. And, I also, learned that text in colors, like yellow, do not work well, black always is best. Also, found out that, photos in many older posts no longer display or the alignment is off.

Yikes! Once we started blogging, we were quite active at it. In fact, there were some months when we posted more blogs than there were days in the month! The first 2 years we had over 400 posts for each year, more days than in the year. While we've become less prolific in terms of posts per month, posts have usually been longer. We're never at a loss of ideas it seems.

How did the blog name happen?

Penguin is misspelled as Penguinn with an extra "n" on purpose. Once upon a short-lived time we thought idea of starting a B&B at our VA home and giving it a unique name. We had a collection of frog and penguin stuffed toys, many were gifted to us (never share that you like something or your family and friends will add to your collection). The name The Frog and Penguinn was selected. However, the B&B plan never happened after a friend who ran one in NJ shared her experiences and later sold the business. The blog name stayed.

The first post in mid-January 2015 was written by written by Grenville T. Boyd; the next one was authored by Beatrice P. Boyd. 

What about those odd author names?

Blogging was new to us and rather than give our actual names, we used aliases that we modified a bit. The names Grenville and Beatrice were borrowed from Boyds Bears figurines we owned and we added the random middle initial for fun.

Our Boyds Bear Collection of Beatrice & Grenville still on our bookshelf

How did have so much to post about early on?

To start, especially for those who have not been reading the Frog & Penguinn blog from back then, here's why. We sold our home in our native NJ and relocated to a very small town, Onley, on the VA eastern shore (spelled differently, but pronounced as only). The VA house was our first one together after our later-in-life re-marriages and each having our own home/townhouse. We wanted an "ours" home even if we would have to do some home-work and we were not disappointed there..

The VA house at first sight and a For Sale by Owner sign

The house we bought (above) was an older 1913 Victorian-style former farmhouse and it definitely needed updating. After deciding where to relocate, we made a couple of house hunting trips to the Eastern Shore. We saw this on our last day there, then called the number, met the owner, made an offer and hand shook on the sale. Try doing something like that in today's housing market anywhere else.

When I said Onley, VA, was small, here's a comparison: In our Beachwood, NJ, town there were over 11,000 residents compared to Onley, VA, with just over 530. We now live in Nashua, NH, the second largest city in the state with over 91,000 residents.

What did we post about?

Once we were settled in, we decided to share our progress with anyone who would read about it. Everything  — not just the renovations, but the gardening for both vegetables and flowers and recipes (a lot) and meals on for how we used the veggies which was very large for only 2 people. One thing you quickly learn on the VA Eastern Shore in summer time is that a lot of your neighbors also grow veggies, no one needs giveaways. We bought a small freezer; I made many zucchini breads and zucchini-based meals.

Who commented?

It was a slow start and most posts received no comments or just a few, often from our friend and neighbor, Possum. We weren't deterred as we had a lot of projects going on with renovating the older Victorian home so there was never a lack of subject matter and if there weren't a lot of folks commenting, that didn't matter.

Also, we had internet service, but no TV connection as the local cable company was not especially reliable. Years back, streaming wasn't as popular as today. DVD movies rentals were our source of entertainment from our own collection or rented from the video store in town (remember those days?). Truthfully, after dinner and writing a blog post, it was bedtime for us.

Then it (finally) happened

After a few months, OK give or take 6 or more, we started getting comments from other bloggers. WOW! it was great to find out that folks were reading our posts. Among the earliest to comment were John (AC or Anvilcloud), Lois who posted from a cruise ship on which her husband, Kjell, was an officer. There was also Doris in PA and Denise in VA (both of whom we’ve met several times), Kathleen (Eggs in My Pocket, TX), Elaine in Alaska (who we met when she and Marty visited NH), Grammie G in ME (who we also met), Ludwig in GA (another meet up when visiting my cousin).

By the end of that first year, along with some regulars, we were receiving comments from bloggers throughout the U.S. and beyond, including Mona (Montana), Steve (Iowa), Connie (Iowa), Elaine (Canada), Sandra (FL), Scott (Utah), Larry (Iowa), Valerie and John (England), Christer (Sweden). It was very exciting, that's the truth!

In the years since that first post, there's been many more comments from folks who comment now and then (or no longer comment) and from bloggers from years back who still read and comment and those we've met. You know who you are; we appreciate y'all. 

Bloggers are an online community of friends

And, we miss them when they're no longer here. Sometimes, a blogger has stopped blogging completely, maybe giving a reason, or not. Sadder yet, several bloggers have passed away: Mona (Wsprsweetly of Cottages), Lorraine (Mamas Mercantile) and most recently John (By Stargoose and Hanglands). We miss all of them.

In some cases, a family member kindly posted an update of a blogger's passing. But, when nothing has been posted, we wonder if anything had happened or did he/she just decide to call it quits, as some have done. Maybe the same has happened to some bloggers you've known as well ?

There's always a NJ connection

Former blogger Goldendaze-Ginnie (NC) was born in the same (and only) hospital in Plainfield, NJ, as myself and also had family living there. Another connection was that she grew up and attended college in New England, where we now live, later moving to NYC. Ginnie voluntarily stopped blogging in 2022 at age 89. If anyone has an update, please share.

In looking back over more than a decade of blogging, not only have fellow bloggers shared their lives and interests, but been there for many of ours, including:

• Moving from our native NJ to VA
• Renovating and gardening of our old home
• Moving (again) from VA to a mill apt in NH
• Births of grandchildren
• Deaths of loved ones 
• Celebrations of birthdays & holidays
• Anniversary celebrations & special occasions
• Day trip getaways & road trips in the U.S. and Canada
• Travels abroad (more to come)
• Humor (Friday Funnies posts)
• Curiosity (What is This? posts)

As noted earlier, we don't blog as often as before, also while I do read your posts, I do not comment on each and I'm sure many also do the same here. We both have other commitments and interests, volunteering to ham radio and still enjoy road trips, near and in recent years even farther. 

We enjoy sharing our lives with all who read, regardless of any comment left. Today, Beatrice (Dorothy) is the primary blogger; Grenville (Patrick) is semi-retired from active posting, but reads and contributes (a lot). Jointly, we invite you to come along on our wanderings and anything else that interests us — and maybe you as well. 

Your Turn — Please feel share to share your blogging story, THANKS.

Diana's Baths

Spoiler Alert: what follows has nothing to do with the late Princess or her bath. (Thanks to blogger Sandra for the chuckle about the post title.)

Our May anniversary road trip to North Conway, NH, included a short hike to Diana's Baths a small series of waterfalls near the town of Bartlett, NH, in the White Mountain National Forest. The cascading falls measure about 75 feet high. The main attraction is a 12-foot waterfall which is fed by Lucy Brook and cascades over large granite boulders.

If you're wondering if the waterfalls were named after the Roman goddess of the hunt,. Yes, they were but the details are very scant. According to online sources, around 1859, a Miss Hubbard of Boston, who was a guest ay the old Mount Washington House in North Conway, christened them Diana's Baths, presumably after the mythological nature goddess. 

In the 1960s, the name became official in the when the U.S. government purchased the land and made it part of the White Mountain National Forest.

Before time, and still today, the pools were known as Lucy's Baths. The stream that flows into the waterfall is named Lucy Brook after the family that operated a sawmill here in the 1800s. 

In the 1860’s, the five-acre site was purchased by George G. Lucy, who after building a house and barn on the banks of the brook, built a water wheel powered sawmill in the middle of the cascading waterfalls. In the 1890s, Lucy who recognized the tourist appeal of the falls, built a three-story, 12-room boarding house for visitors. But, the business proved unsuccessful due to competition from five other hotels in the area. 

In the 1930’s, Chester Lucy, built a concrete dam with a water feed and turbine system to replace the water wheel used to power the sawmill. However, the site was abandoned when the invention of portable mills was introduced.

Hattie Lucy operated a gift shop beside the falls through the 1940s with an ice house behind it to cool soda that was sold to tourists. Lucy and her son, David, lived in the home through the late 1950s when the house was sold. The new owner, who also purchased the remaining land, wanted to install electric power at the property and live there. Forest officials objected as the power would need to come over national forest land. So, the land was sold to the government and became part of the White Mountain National Forest. In the 1960s, due to vandalism and deterioration any buildings still remaining on the site were torn down and removed.

Today, remnants buildings that once stood on of the site are still visible including old cellar holes and parts of the dam system, feed tube and turbine gears that were used to power the sawmill.

The waterfalls are popular with visitors, especially children, who like to explore the many rocks, ledges, cascading falls and pools in the brook. There's several levels with numerous small waterfalls and pools. The park service allows swimming here, another reason its large appeal during warmer months. 

The hike to Diana’s Baths is a fairly easy, about 6/10ths of a mile on a relatively flat, wide gravel path. It's well-kept and cuts through a forest of tall pine trees. The day of our visit in mid-May was warm and sunny and the site was fairly uncrowded with other visitors.

There's a large parking lot at the entrance to the hiking path along with a self-service pay station. Visitors must purchase and display a daily pass on their vehicle's dashboard. However, if you already have one of the various national park passes, as we do, that can be displayed instead.

If you are ever in this part of the White Forest area in NH, a visit to Diana's Baths is highly recommended. We can't believe it took us so long to make our first visit.

This N That

Today is Friday the 13th 😱 all day.

If you have a fear of this date, your fear is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. 

But, fear not, as this is the only Friday the 13th in 2025.

This post contains That N Thats — vintage cars, a theater mural, unique seating in a downtown Nashua NH, walkway, Father's Day and knee update — all in a single post. 

On Wednesday, the Hudson Senior Center, which we're members of, had an early Father's Day  vintage car show. While the turnout was smallish, here's a few of the vehicles.

These two Jeeps are privately owned

These two Jeeps ere equipped with a lot of ordinance, including hand grenades, all of which were deactivated and served as reminders of what soldiers used in times of conflict.

Hudson's low-slung body gave it a sleek look uncommon for its time

This Hudson sedan was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company produced sedans from 1909 until 1954, with production continuing under the American Motors Corporation (AMC) brand until 1957. Hudson was a medium-priced brand. It cost more than a Ford or Chevrolet, but less than luxury models like Packard. 

The Ford Galaxie was a best-selling convertible

The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car model produced by Ford from 1959 to 1974. It was a top-trim level car, often competing with the Chevrolet Impala and Plymouth Fury. The name was inspired by the Space Race and the excitement surrounding it. Initially, it was the top trim level for Ford's full-size cars. 

The Chevrolet Impala was in production from 1958 to 2020 for a total of 64 years. with some periods of discontinuation. It was among the better-selling American-made automobiles in the U. S. The model was discontinued primarily due to declining sales and a shift in consumer preferences towards SUVs and crossovers. 

Chevelle SS convertible is highly sought by collectors

The Chevelle SS (Super Sport) was available as a convertible starting in 1965 and continued to be produced as such through the 1970 model year. Chevelle was a mid-sized automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors (GM) in three generations for the 1964 to 1977 model years. It was one of Chevrolet's most successful nameplates that was retired in 1977 with the Malibu taking its place.

Hot rods reached their peak popularity in the US during the 1950s and 1960s, often referred to as the golden age of automobiles. This era saw a surge in interest in modifying classic cars for speed and unique customization. 

Mercury was a popular U.S. car in the 1930s and 40s

While this classic Mercury sedan has undergone some engine modernization, it was still a beautiful car. This sedan was part of the Mercury brand which was produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1939 to 2011. The brand was established to bridge the gap between Ford and Lincoln models.

An Oldsmobile from 1967 was easy to identify

The Olds 67 license plate refers to the 1967 model year of this Oldsmobile which was produced by General Motors. Oldsmobile produced a variety of models in 1967. Although Oldsmobile as a brand continued to produce cars until 2004, the specific models that were introduced or redesigned in 1967 would have ceased production at the end of that model year to be replaced by their 1968 counterparts. 

This vehicle looked like a modified PT Cruiser

The Chrysler PT Cruiser was produced from 2001 to 2010. Production began in 2000 for the 2001 model year and ended in July 2010 with the last PT Cruiser coming off the assembly line. A convertible variant was available from 2005 to 2008. Car enthusiasts enjoy modifying and customizing vehicles to enhance performance, appearance or both. This car is a popular choice for such projects.  Some PT Cruiser modifications, such as those inspired by classic hot rods, are designed to attract attention and showcase creativity. 

The Ford Ranchero model was a car-truck

For car buyers who couldn't decide between a sedan or pickup truck, there was the Ford Ranchero, which was produced from 1957 to 1979. This was a coupe utility vehicle, also known as a car-truck, that combined the features of a sedan and pickup truck. Unlike a standard pickup truck, the Ranchero was adapted from a two-door station wagon platform that integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. A total of 508,355 were produced during the model's production run. We learned that the one above had belonged to the current owner's grandfather and was all original after being stored in a barn and later a garage.

This mural was recently completed on the walls of the Court Theater which is the primary stage used by a local children's theater group, The Peacock Players.

A new mural in downtown Nashua, NH

The mural is one of the newest in Nashua, NH, completed by Positive Street Art (PSA), which has been responsible for creating many colorful downtown murals in the city.

New seating options in downtown Nashua, NH

The top photo shows a walkway that leads from Main Street to the Nashua Public Library, and is known as Library Walk. Last month, the above seating areas fabricated by MakeIt Labs were installed here. (MakeIt Labs is New Hampshire's first and largest maker-space, a unique non-profit organization run by a volunteer staff.) Full disclosure, I tried the new seating and none were very comfortable.

This Sunday is Father's Day and while the calendar changes annually, it's always celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Below are photos of our fathers, who passed away years ago.

Happy Father's Day to ours (Patrick's top & Dorothy's bottom)

Did you know that according to Hallmark — about 72 million Father's Day cards are exchanged in the U.S. annually. It's the fourth-largest card holiday (after Mother's Day). The most popular dad gifts are cards, outings, and clothing, but a survey revealed that what most fathers wanted was to stay home or spend time with family. If you are fortunate enough to have your father nearby, do celebrate this day with him. Time is priceless.

Last, an update on my left knee posted about previously. After a 6-week orthopedic follow-up and PT sessions, I’ve been discharged with at-home exercises, The orthopedic PA (physician's assistant) advised that an MRI could be done if wanted, which she neither recommended nor discouraged, so I opted out (for now). There's recurring, but not persistent, discomfort due in part to arthritis.

Enjoy Your Weekend Everyone

It's another ☔️Saturday in Nashua, NH, the 13th consecutive rainy weekends

Just a Coincidence?

The HS Graduate

Last weekend, we took a short road trip to attend the high school graduation of our oldest grandchild, Bobby. It hardly seemed possible to us that 18+ years had gone by since we had made a rushed trip to the West Coast for his birth. 

Many long time readers of this blog may recall seeing photos of Bobby in his much younger days. He has grown up to be a wonderful young man of whom we are very proud.

Graduation ceremonies were held indoors at the University of RI which was a good thing because after we were indoors and seated it did rain a bit. But was over by the time, the 2 hour ceremony had ended about noontime.

We were seated in the higher seats which gave a good view of all the proceedings down below. There were about 400 graduates in this 2025 graduating class.

These photos of our grandson going to the stage area were taken with my cell phone. While he didn't know where ourselves and other family were seated, it looked as if he had seen everyone.

The above photos were taken from that screen as our grandson received his diploma.Because of our location, which was at an angle from the stage, it would have been difficult to get a good image; however, there was a large screen close to our seating area. 

Afterwards, there was time to pose for a few obligatory family photos back at his home, including a funny one of he and his mom. 

Later, everyone gathered at the home of a family member for an outdoor BBQ which was moved to a covered area when downpours started. This gathering was small as several out of state family had other commitments. Also, we will be seeing many of them (and more) at an upcoming family wedding next month.

A very proud mother and her son, who will be attending a New England college this fall and (as of now) is planning to study architecture, but then anything could change. It will be another 4 years before we will attend the high school graduation of his younger sister, the oldest granddaughter.

Thanks for your well wishes for grandson Bobby which were made in the comments of a previous post. We shared them with his mom who was very appreciative.

Our congratulations and well wishes to family members of fellow bloggers who are also celebrating graduations this year.