Excerpt from presentation at the Rhinebeck Historical Society

We know of two mercantile stores in Woodstock at the turn of the 20th century. ID Rose and Layman’s. There was also an Ice Cream Parlor run by Nellie Jane Mower. They were all ready to welcome the artists. Once Byrdcliffe was built, and the Art Students League opened its summer school down the road a piece on route 212, Nellie and her parents kept their ice cream store open on Saturday nights when the Art Student League held dances. Catherine would serve home made oyster stew. Noah and his son Walter had developed a fruit and vegetable route, traveling thru the Mink Hollow notch to the summer houses in Tannersville and Elk Park. They were awarded the exclusive rights to deliver fresh food to the Byrdcliffe Art and Craft Colony.
As so eloquently put by Hervey White’s observations:
Due to economic hard times, not everyone stayed in Woodstock. The youngest sister of Walter and Nellie Mower moved to Rhinebeck at some point and the 1900 census shows that she is working and living as a waitress in a hotel run by Vernon and Sara Lake. ( She may have represented just one two many mouths to feed for the family – Walter has a growing family ) There, Addie as she is referred to met her future husband Patsy Sullivan who was working as a coachman and living in Rhinebeck with his parents and seven siblings.

Signs of Spring from the morning drive

The mounds of snow are receding, revealing signs of last winters garbage along the roadside.
The real estate signs placed last fall are making a reappearance.
The scent of skunk, wafed into my car as I stopped at the red light on route 28.
The air feels and smells different as I walk from my parking spot in the employee lot to the hospital.

Day 2 You are not an accident

From Rick Warren Purpose Driven Life page 21
This will be my 5th round of reading thru this book.
It’s part of my public LENTEN journey
Feel free to comment, question, add- this is, as the say at Planet Fitness, a NO JUDGEMENT ZONE.

Chapter Title; You are Not an Accident

Day 2 Thinking about my purpose
Question to consider: I know that God uniquely created me.
What areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?

Janine’s Thoughts;
I know I was an accident- in my parents eyes- but everything turned out ok! LOL
What I can’t accept I work to change. Now, I get into trouble when I try to change things that I just have to accept.
That sounds like the human struggle.
I can diet and exercise and that will change some things, however, my body is aging, and I just have to accept that.
Patience and prayer are good friends.
Rick says “ we discover that meaning and purpose only when we make GOD the reference pointof our lives.” Do we do that? Am I going to work this morning to please GOD or pick up my pay check?
I think it has to be a little bit of both!

Commercial Real Estate in Woodstock

I'm here at FreeStyle realty in Woodstock. There are almost a dozen commercial properties available for sale, at reasonable prices, even in this seemingly uncertain economy. You see, I am the eternal optimist. I do believe that there is someone in the universe that would love to come to Woodstock and own a business or buy a building to put their dream business in. The prices range from 600,000 to 1.5 million.
Do you have a dream you would like to put into action?
I'm here and I'm ready!

It all starts with GOD

From Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life page 21
This will be my 5th round of reading thru this book.
It’s part of my public LENTEN journey
Feel free to comment, question, add- this is, as the say at Planet Fitness, a NO JUDGEMENT ZONE.

Chapter title- It all starts with GOD

Day 1- Thinking about my purpose
Point to ponder- It’s not about me.
Question to consider- In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for GOD, not myself?

Janine’s thoughts;

I still rebel against this idea. I want my life to be about me.
However, deep inside, I know better, that I am part of a greater… the word escapes me at the moment. Some days I think the word is “experiment”. LOL And, GOD is experimenting with humans.
I have to remember to change my question from- what do I want to do with my life to
GOD, guide me in where you want me to go. So, I am hearing acceptance and surrender.
Some days it’s easier than others.

I must remain in contact with the higher power I chose to call GOD thru prayer, meditation and surrender. Sometimes, minute by minute! I think the surrender part is where we let GOD use us for the purpose we were intended. Sort of like what we do with REIKI. We are vehicles for the healing energy of the earth to come in contact with others.

"Sarcasm is the domain of losers "

Joe's Squawk- box wisdom for this morning.

My take on Sarcasm is that it represents hidden anger therefore
anger is the domain of losers

Ash Wednesday

I think the key to Ash Wednesday, Lent and the Glory of Easter is reflected in the reading for last Sunday from The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 43: 18

Thus says the LORD- ( to Isaiah and also us in the present moment)

Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.


The people ( us humans ) I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.

Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob.
for you grew weary of me, O Israel.

You burdened me with your sins, and wearied me with your crimes.

It is I, I who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses;

Your sins I remember no more.

And this, my dear friends, is what we are charged to do with one another, in the present moment, as we represent GOD on earth.

Join in my Lenten conversation