Glass Pavilion

Toledo, historically, was big in the production of glass, earning the city the nicknames “The Glass Capital” and “The Glass City.” The Toledo Museum of Art houses one of the largest glass collections. A few years ago, the museum built its Glass Pavilion; the building is dedicated to art glass, which is created and displayed there. Glass-blowing demonstrations are offered, as well as classes. With an award-winning design, the Pavilion’s interior walls are all made of glass, so you can see through the entire building.

I (finally!) made my first trip to the Glass Pavilion over the weekend. Here are some of the pretties you can see there.

Irish Charm

Last night, for the first time, I saw The Duke on the big screen. I'm something of a classic film buff and, thanks to Butch, I've seen LOTS of John Wayne flicks. I love the chemistry between him and Maureen O'Hara, so I was thrilled to see The Quiet Man. It was shown at Detroit's Redford Theater, built in 1928. This place is beautifully restored, with a ceiling that looks like a night sky complete with twinkling stars!

This flick was filmed in Ireland and, being St. Pat's weekend, the organist belted out a couple mournful Irish tunes as well as a few jigs. What a treat!
Today brought a trip to the Land o' Lakes, the Irish Hills with Mom and Sal. Lunch was corned beef, followed up with a shamrock shake.
In Florida, I met an Irish couple who run a B&B in Ireland's remote wilderness. I will go stay with Jerry & Hannah sometime. If you're on Facebook, give a "like" to their Leim Siar Bed & Breakfast at: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1716168726&ref=tn_tnmn#!/leimsiarbedandreakfast

Florida Outtakes

I don’t have a lot of Florida pics, since I was also there last year. It was a great trip, though. We spent most of our time in the pool and the hot tub. Nice . . .
There are a few things about Florida that I think are really cool -
People aren’t encumbered by age there. Up here, when you see an elderly person, that’s how they are considered; not so in Florida, though. I don’t know if it’s because older folks make up so much more of Florida’s population, but it’s really nice. That’s the kind of place I’d like to be when I get old!
Older people are more active and healthy there than they are here. I met a couple in in their late 80’s; they were headed out to play tennis! I’m not sure if people are healthier because the climate allows more activity, if healthy people are the ones who have the inclination to relocate in their later years, or if it’s a class issue. There’s something to it, though. Despite the number of older folks there, I saw only one person using a walker and no canes the entire time. It’s just so different from here! (It encouraged me to dig out my old
yoga tape again!)
There’s a lot of old touristy kitsch still left in Florida. In most places near the water, developers are constantly demolishing to build bigger and brighter places. Not so in the Gulf Beaches area. Here’s the Thunderbird Resort. It looks like an early Vegas remnant, doesn’t it?

Try, Try Again . . .

My first solo attempt to offer my landlord class will be a bust. I’m kind of discouraged, but I suspect that I didn’t follow USPS regs when I designed the postcard. That would be the best reasoning, anyway.
It’s a tough knock, but I’ll try again in April. Hopefully, these invites make it to their destination!