The last house on our Derbyshire house tour was the Hardwick Estate, one of the two houses built by Elizabeth of Shrewsbury (1527-1608), who was a true Boss Lady and the second richest woman in … more

My friend and intrepid travel buddy Marystephanie and I were ready to see Chatsworth on the fourth day of our tour, but we were a bit panicked. Word had leaked out from some of our fellow tourmates that we would have to climb a six-foot stile on our journey to Chatsworth. When questioned, our guide Christopher “Gentle Incline” Garibaldi admitted that it was true. Now we had made it through some pretty interesting squeeze stiles so far on our treks, but the thought of a six-footer was definitely daunting. Nevertheless, we set off with a spring in our step and fingers crossed. more

At long last the day arrived. I was going to be visiting the legendary Chatsworth estate in Derbyshire. It was the promise of a visit to Chatsworth that had lured me on this journey to begin with. … more

As we enter September just like the trees around us, we start to change with the change of the season. more

My friend Marystephanie and I were enjoying our hikes to country houses in Derbyshire, England, much more when the heat broke after two days of 90+ degrees.  Our next day’s journey took us to … more

Our tour of English country houses continued with a welcome change in the weather. My friend Marystephanie and I were relieved to find the temperature lowered to 84 degrees. Believe me, those ten … more

Day 2 of our tour of Derbyshire Houses proved to be the most strenuous of the lot. Temperatures hovered around 90 degrees. The day’s journey was described thusly: “A walk along an enchanting … more

Marystephanie and I were anxious to start our walking tour, in spite of the fact that Great Britain was in the middle of a major heat wave. We took an Uber to Euston Station for our train ride to Derby. more

I have given you all two weeks of explaining why and how I decided to return to the United Kingdom this past June, and enough of the suspense, already, you must be thinking. Let’s get this … more

After a bit of planning, my second trip to the United Kingdom this year was underway. However, this trip was going to be a bit different. more

No one can understand how difficult retirement is until you have entered the struggle yourself.  I know, I know, you think it’s all sunshine and rainbows and gumdrops, but NO!  It is none … more

Over the holiday weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to attend two concerts at the jewel of the Catskills, Bethel Woods. This venue, a gift to concertgoers from the visionary Alan Gerry … more

Star sightings occur when you see a celebrity out walking around in the world, like a regular person or something.  A celebrity, according to the currently accepted definition, is a person who has been in People magazine. more

In March I saw a presentation by two women from the Hudson Valley Alzheimer’s Association.  These presentations are available to any community organization who requests them. Just last week, … more

This is the time of year when my gardening skills start to falter.  I’m an inept horticulturist who really desires to be ept, but somehow can’t find the correct formula to create the … more

I have a friend who recently had a stay in a hospital. She received a bill, but although she has insurance, the bill was still over $1500. This was quite a quandary, since she doesn’t have that kind of money at hand. What would she do? more

The last leg of our Spring Break tour brought us to the City of Lights, Paris. Daughter Liz, son-in-law Peter, granddaughter Adeline and I had already had wonderful adventures in England, and as … more

My son-in-law Peter’s Aunt Carol and Uncle Peter live in the glorious Radford Villa in the Cotswolds.  After our long day of touring in Bath, our merry band was eager to get home and relax. … more

This record of our journey finds us still in the English city of Bath, in my beloved Cotswolds.   Uncle Peter and Aunt Carol had designed a comprehensive tour for us (daughter Liz, SIL Peter, … more

When we last left our intrepid travelers (daughter Liz, SIL Peter, granddaughter Adeline and yours truly), we had just arrived at Radford Villa, the charming British home of Peter’s Uncle Peter and … more

The most fabulous things happened on our third day in London—we got to view the artifacts of a genius filmmaker and we saw the immensely talented Cynthia Erivo in person in her one-woman show. … more

I forgot to tell you about some of our adventures on our second day in London. And by “our” I mean my daughter Liz, son-in-law Peter, granddaughter Adeline, et moi. After leaving our friend … more

“ To err is human; to really foul things up requires a computer.”  --Everyone My Travel Crew—daughter Liz, son-in-law Peter, granddaughter Adeline et moi—took it easy on our first … more

Your faithful columnist has just returned from an epic 11-day family odyssey across the pond. My daughter Liz, son-in-law Peter, granddaughter Adeline, and I revisited two of our favorite cities and … more

There’s a new video trending on social media these days. The videographer goes around the office, asking people what year they were born.   If they were born after 2000, they’re safe, but if … more