Yearly Archives: 2009

Decorating a New Home

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I had wanted to move out of my little guest house for some time.  It was so very little, with just two windows.  Two windows?  That’s just not right.  I am a painter, and along with having basically no room to move around my little house as the walls were lined with stacks of canvases, there was not enough light coming in at all.  So when I had finally gotten into a gallery, and began to make a much more substantial living on my art, I decided it was time to look for a new space.  I was hoping to find an old warehouse downtown, with high ceilings, lots of wide open space, and you guessed it—loads of windows.  When I found the perfect one it was time to move in and make it a home/studio.

The walls are bare brick, perfect.  The floor is cement, perfect.  And the windows and the wide openness has allowed me to breathe for the first time in my life.  Being downtown however, I did need to find a way to give myself a little more privacy, and at Next Day Blinds, reviews are rare as the customer service is impeccable.  I found the perfect window shades.  The salespeople knew what I was looking for, privacy but with the ability to let in the light as I needed it, and their suggestions helped a great deal.  They even helped with shades for the skylights.

Next was my bathroom.  I know that the cloth shades were most likely not going to work for a room that is often hot and humid, and the salesperson suggested a number of options as far as blind are concerned.  He told me that the vinyl ones would be easier to clean, but I choose some wooden blinds. The wood had been treated and as long as I kept up with them, the humidity would not have much of an effect on them.  Now I finally have the space to paint, and the vibe to create is just overwhelming.  My new home is perhaps not the kind of home many people would find appealing, but for me, it is bare and open, with a bit of style provided by the window coverings at Next Day Blinds.  And now, time to paint!

Americana in Lowell

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Twenty-five miles north of Boston, and two hundred twenty five miles from New York City, you’ll find the fourth largest city of Massachusetts, Lowell.  It’s also the location of the United State’s tribute to the Industrial Revolution from the 19th Century. You’ll find mill buildings here, restored, as well as more than two miles of trolley track and canal boats.  There’s a three thousand plus seat auditorium, which offers to the residents and tourists concerts and performances at reasonable prices.  In fact, if theater is what you like, you’ll also find here one of the Northeast’s repertory theater companies.

Check into one of the hotels Lowell provides for its travelers, and you’ll find a host of activities in this community which is built around the Merrimack River and a system of canals that once provided the energy that early manufacturers needed to run their mills.  The purpose of the canals have changed over time, and now you’ll find they’re a part of the city’s character.  Events are planned around them, such as a folk festival that brings in about two hundred thousand people each year, as well as Riverfest, First Night and Fourth of July fireworks.

Year round, though, you’ll find that the museums provide a chance to delve into the past, going back to see how people lived in the first days of the industrial age, with booming textile factories.  You’ll find out these facts in any number of interesting museums, such as the Textile Museum, the Working Peoples and Immigrants Museum and the Boott Cotton Mills Museum.  The Lowell National Historic Park appears to go out of its way to provide a relaxing setting amid the trolley cars and canal boats.  If you’re looking for a part of true Americana, you don’t have to look much farther than Lowell, Massachusetts.

A Farmer’s Market in Santa Monica

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If you’re traveling through California, perhaps staying at a Santa Monica hotel, what are your options for food?  A cafe?  A restaurant?  Vendors from large trucks selling hot dogs and tacos?  There’s an even better, fresher option for a daily meal, and that’s to stop in at one of the four Farmer’s Markets Santa Monica offers throughout the week.

For tourists as well as locals, the bayside city of Santa Monica offers some excellent ways to relax: strolling on the Third Street Promenade, walking out on the Santa Monica Pier, or stretching out on the beach.  There’s always a great view of Santa Monica Bay, sailboats, and sunsets — a view available from a park that overlooks the Pacific Coast Highway and coastline.  Eating the freshest foods available at a Farmer’s Market is one of the pleasures of the city.

Four markets are managed by the city and provide seasonal produce for about nine hundred thousand people a year.  All four are members of the Certified Farmers’ Markets (also known as CFMs).  What does it take to be a member?  The market must be made up of farmers who have a Certified Producer’s Certificate, which the county’s agricultural commissioner issues.  They have to be non-profit.  For the buyer, it’s probably more important to know that all the products and produce at a California farmer’s market has to be made or grown in the state of California.  This last part makes certain that the Farmer’s Markets support the community as much as the community supports them.

In the area, the first Los Angeles County farmer’s market started out in Gardena, with four stands.  Today, there are over three hundred CFM’s in California.  But we’re concentrating right now on the four in Santa Monica.  You can easily find any one of the markets on the weekends or on Wednesdays.  On Sundays, you may find a market at 2640 Main Street.  On Wednesdays, a market is held inside the Third Street Promenade, an open air mall, at Arizona Avenue and Second Street.  On Saturdays, there are two markets available, one on Virginia Avenue Park, and the other, back at the Third Street Promenade, on Arizona Avenue and Third Street.

Fireplaces Accessories Enhance Style, and Provide Functional Purposes

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Even with the modern designs of fireplaces today, and with the safety features of them, a fire needs to be watched constantly.  And the fireplace, especially the wood burning fire places, need to be cleaned.  And, of course, the home must be decorated accordingly, so when taking care with and care of fireplaces, accessories become a part of the whole.   Any fireplace can be turned into a design masterpiece, as well as providing you with the necessary tools, with the addition of the perfect accessories.  It takes a special touch to create a warm and cozy atmosphere in your home.

The fireplace will add much on its own, but the perfect accessories will enhance the balance, add some personal flair to your mantle, and serve to make guests feel much more at home.  Andirons are one of the first items to consider, as they are not only beautiful, but they are functional as well.   They replace the grates, hold the logs on the fire, and add to the elegance of any fireplace.  Fireplace rugs running along front?  Again, the fire resistant materials add to the safety and to your peace of mind, while adding to the color and the overall decor of the room.  A fire back will add to the color of the fire itself, creating a beautiful reflection and creating the illusion that the fire is much bigger than it actually is.

It is the definition of smoke and mirrors, or of fire and mirrors as the case may be.  Other decorative options such as great caddies for firewood, great pokers and brooms with hand painted designs…the options really are limitless.  Fireplaces are functional, but their beauty can not be denied, nor can the beauty of one of the elements be denied.  By installing a fireplace and adding just the right accessories, you will transform your house into a home, and a welcome refuge for your family and for your guests…a soft glow that will soothe the soul.

Traveling in Kansas

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There was a time when I traveled to Kansas annually; I’d rent a car from the Wichita airport, then drive to friends and relatives in Hutchinson and northern Oklahoma; Wichita is so close to the line that it took me less than three hours to reach the farming community of Cherokee, where my father grew up.  But I’ve gone in the opposite direction as well, heading north, throughout the state, where I’ve had the occasion to find some of the best of the hotels Kansas offers its visitors.  Along the way, I’ve stopped off at some of the more intriguing sights available in that state.  Here’s a sampling of one possible trip and the sights you might see along the way:

In Wichita, check out the Wichita Art Museum, the largest art museum in the state.  Through March, you’ll find an photographic exhibit called This is My Land: A Photographic Portrayal of America by James Yarnell.  The photographs document a cross-country tour of the U.S. from the air, from a book first published in 1962.

Travel northwest along the 96 highway to Hutchinson, where you can check out the Underground Salt Museum, opened in just the last few years.  The museum takes you down 650 feet below the Earth’s surface to witness a salt mine and salt deposits millions of years old.  In the winter months, it’s advisable to call ahead and to make reservations.  From Hutchinson, you can head north, rejoining the I-135, headed for Kansas City (if you want to take quite a detour, keeping going north once the I-135 turns into the 81, and take a left at the 24, until the 24 joins the 9.  On Highway 9, continue until you pass Beloit, pass Glen Elder, and you’ll find yourself at Cawker City, and the world’s largest ball of twine!  If twine isn’t the thing you want to see, take a left from the I-135 onto the 70, and head on over to Abilene, where you’ll find the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.  Continuing along the 70 will take you to Kansas City.  Check out this city’s boutique hotels (in one hotel, you can step outside and smell coffee from a nearby coffee plant!), and also the city’s train station, where you’ll find an excellent steak house.

If you happen to make this journey, definitely watch out the window for camels.  Kansas, in fact, has a small population of camels.  I’m not exactly sure how many, but they are there, grazing the small hillsides somewhere between Abilene and Kansas City!

A Little Install

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Now that you have spent your weekends looking through the stoves for sale adds and finally found your gem, it’s time to get it installed. Maybe you are great at this sort of thing and want to learn how to do it yourself. If that is true, you should consult the professionals for the best advice in the matter. If you just want to learn a little lingo about fireplace installations and maybe just have a little idea of what is inside the walls of your home then read on.

The most important part of the installations would be the chimney. All wood stoves really really really need a chimney. A good one to not a stovepipe hanging out the window. Get a good masonry chimney or a stainless steel class A chimney that is UL approved. If you are going to put in a Class A Insulated chimney it will be called HT which means High Temperature chimney. There are a few designs to choose from depending on whether you are working with a single level or double level home. It makes a difference if you are going to run the chimney up the outside of your wall. It also matters whether the roof is slanted or straight. No matter what design you are going with, It must come up 3 feet above the roof surface and 2 feet taller than any other piece of the roof or house that is within 10 feet.

Now be care full with masonry chimneys. Make sure you get a great reference and check previous work. One of the problems that is common is that they are built to large and not insulated which creates poor draft and to much creosote formation. Make sure there is enough clearance from other flammable areas like siding and wood framing. Make sure there is enough room built in for the expansion due to heat. If the Flue expand and it was not expected than the tiles could crack and damage the liners. So it does take a some good knowledge to install a stove so maybe the best lingo to remember and ask for is the Hearth Professional. At least that should get you to the right person with a phone call.

All May Enjoy the Luxury of a Spa

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For all you proud owners and users of portable spas and hot tubs: do you know the history of spas and where they originated from? Back in the day, hot tubs and spas were made out of wood, which were extremely relaxing to sit in, but they soon became a troublesome health risk; infections and bacteria proliferated from the damp wood.  But technology has advanced and the spas of today are much different, much easier to take care of.

Today, you can get portable spas that are made with acrylics, plastics and steel. Plus, you can get a wide variety of spas with shapes like a heart or get a size as small as a table or big as an entire room. Spas were created back in the day with only one shape and only one size. Back then, the technology of the powerful jets, nozzles, heaters, wave generators and filters weren’t even a consideration. So, the atmosphere created with innovative technology, which we have today, wasn’t even possible back then. Try to imagine sitting in a spa without the massaging jets aimed at your entire body. Doesn’t seem so desirable.

They had to have attendants constantly running in and out to fill the spa with hot water. Spas were probably more expensive to maintain than what they cost today. The chemicals we use today, to keep the water microorganism free, wasn’t available back then, so they frequently had to change the water, which meant all spas had to be near a large water source and spas were for the elite only. Today, we can put a portable spa in our backyard and not have attendants running around disturbing our peace of mind. Today, we have the luxuries that was reserved for select few back in the ancient world. Modern times has afforded us the pleasures once known only by the very wealthy. We can relax in the comfort of our own backyard spa and feel like royalty without the court.

The Other Traffic in Delhi

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The destination for my latest travels is India, mostly in Delhi, the city where everything and anything can happen instantly. I’ve once again tied up the laces on my travelling boots and set off for the unknown, leaving behind the comforts of English living, safe water and clean food. My motivation behind this latest expedition is the opportunity to volunteer for three month with the WWF in their wildlife traffic department. Trafficking of animals is a big issue and WWF is doing their best to educate with projects around the world.

Before I met up with the WWF volunteer programme coordinator, I booked a room in one of the Delhi hotels, just for one night. I wanted a buffer zone between comfort and I’m not sure what kind of accommodations I’ll get with the WWF. I originally applied with the WWF in my final year of college. I was looking for any opportunity to get experience abroad. I did hear back from them, but unfortunately, the time they had available was during my final exams.

Time passed and I had completely forgotten about the project, until one hot day, I was out in Egypt and sitting in an Internet cafe with donkey carts and horns blaring out in the street, I received an email saying there was another opportunity and they were asking if I was interested. Of course I was! Although, to begin with, I was a little uncertain as to the timing, I would only have one month between finishing Global Xchange and then heading off to India. Eventually, I decided life is for living and I would kick myself  if I didn’t go for the opportunity. So, I responded, completed a phone interview, refreshed my application and answered tons of questions about wildlife trade in India. As you can now tell, I was accepted!

Tower of Time

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Located in South Mumbai is the Majestic Rajabai Clock Tower. South Mumbai is the precinct of Mumbai University in Fort Campus. It is located near the High Court. The Tower is an amazing structure decorated with oriental figures. it was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, and English architect, back in the late 1800s. I was inspired by the Big Ben Clock of London but built with a different flair. It reaches heights of 280 feet and it took about 9 years to construct. The project becan in 1869 and was finished in 1878.

It was a successful broker, Premchand Roychand, who financed the entire cost of building. Premchand Roychand is also the man who founded the Bombay Stock Exchange. The tower was named after the mother of the financier, Rajabai. She was blind and was a deep follower of Jainism. The clock rang out across the city and Rajabai never had to ask someone for the time. She was able to eat her dinner before evening, at the time required for her to follow her religious practices.

The clock is a beautiful blend of Venetian and Gothic styles of design and it was constructed out of Kurla stone which was a local buff colored stone. Back in the day, the tower used to play the songs Rule Britannia which means God Save the King and A Handel Symphony. All together there were 16 songs that would play in rotation of four tunes a day. Now a days, the clock only plays one tune, Big Ben, (and it chimes out every fifteen minutes. So to get a glimpse of this tower, get out of the hotels. India, Mumbai itself has many, and head over to the now, university library located inside the clock tower building and see the stain glass windows cast the brilliant colors throughout the room.

Keeping Your Vehicle’s Tires and Engine Protected in Hot Weather

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Drastic climate changes have an effect not only on the engine of your car, but on the tires as well.  There are many things that you can do on your own to lessen the impacts that extreme heat has on your vehicle, which will ensure to keep you and your family safe when the hot summer season roles around.  One standard that people in hot climates stick to is to have a few gallons of water in your car at all times.  This may save you should your car overheat in the middle of no where, and will safe you as a person, should that car break down in the middle of a road trip.

Before you set out on family vacations, in any season, it is wise to inspect your vehicle, to assess whether or not it may be time to buy new tires, get a tune up or an oil change.  On long trips made in hot weather, take a look at your tires every one hundred miles or so.  The pressure will increase due the raised temperatures outside, and the due to the friction between the tires and the road.  If your tire is too hot to touch, this is a good time to find a rest stop and stretch your legs while the tires cool down.   A hot tire may blow out, or even catch on fire.

Along with the extra water, it is good to have some coolant stored in the trunk.  Check the overflow receptacle for the coolant, as this will allow you to keep an eye on it even when the engine is hot.  Be careful when checking any aspect of a heated car engine.  Do not ever remove the radiator cap until your car cools down, as this can cause serious burns from the hot liquid and the steam, which will seriously shoot out of a hot radiator.  Once you are able to touch the cap with your bare hand, it will most likely be safe to remove it, but stand back non the less, just to be safe.  Consistent inspection will keep you on the road, and will keep you safe and headed toward that vacation spot.