Hey Janice,

This snow storm reminds me of a few years ago when I went to Buffalo, NY to visit my friend Alicia the first week in October. Three days after I left, they were hit with the earliest and worst October snowstorm on record (I think). Amherst got 2 1/2 feet of snow and some areas were without power for more than a week. The leaves were still on the trees so the heavy wet snow caused a lot of damage. It was a mess.

I just came back from my drive through Garrett County and it is beautiful up there. I was surprised that I didn’t need my jacket up there since it’s cooler up there than in Cumberland, but the sun was nice and warm. Thankfully I didn’t see any bears but I did stay near my car when I got out to take pictures. I love those back roads where you can stand in the middle of the road to take pictures and not have to worry about getting run over! It wasn’t all like that, but it was nice that I had most of the roads to myself. I took Savage River Road which (logically) runs along the Savage River! It also goes around the reservoir. I would have taken more pictures but there were stretches where there was no place to pull off. That road is a blast. It is so narrow in parts that, although they have a double yellow line going down the middle, it’s only about 4-5 feet from the edge of the road. You have to have a narrow car to stay on your side of the road! I did almost get hit by some jerk who came around a curve on my side of the road. Fortunately, I had just pulled back on the road from taking pictures and I wasn’t going fast, not that I would have been going that fast on that curvy stretch anyway. He was flying around those curves like a maniac. I’ll look for the accident report in the paper tomorrow!

Anyway, I drove a little over a hundred miles today and since I haven’t had lunch yet, that’s where I’m heading. I think I’ll find a good football game to watch while I’m eating. I’m glad you had a chance to get out and enjoy the lovely weather. It is absolutely delightful with brilliant sunshine and 72 degrees in Cumberland. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’ll be sending you some pictures of my adventure today!

Take care,
Margie

Hey Janice..

Snow is hard for me to imagine, after a day of 86 degrees..

Your morning/afternoon sounds delightful..a stroll, shopping and a snooze..what more could a girl ask for…ha

I hope your evening is wonderful as well..

Margie sounds like you had a nice trip also..I bet you took some spectacular pics…

Have a great evening..
Deb

You’re right Janice: it was a beautiful day in New york!
And I love the pumpkin with the cat

Margie, I forgot you were already in vacation and your trip sounds wonderful. Can’t wait to see the pictures of the landscapes you’re describing. (by the way I love the pictures of your nephews!)

Is Dawn already in vaca?!

Deb I forgot: are you in Texas?? or I’m getting confused with Gwen?!
Don’t get mad at me: I’m forgetting everything today!
But 86 degrees definitely seem pretty hot to me for October!!

Don, I meant to ask you last week: what profession do you do to get involved with the Somalian piracy and human trafficking? It definitely sounds like a very interesting job to me!

I went to the screening of a French movie yesterday night. It was followed by an invitation to a prestigious Italian restaurant. And there I was surprised to see one of the star of the movie: Catherine Deneuve, a true icon in my native country.

My roommate didn’t hesitate to go to her table to say hi. I couldn’t; I’m too shy! By the end of the diner, my roommate was tired and wanted to go. When we left the place, I saw Catherine outside smoking a cigarette (of course!) so I came to her to tell her how much I loved the movie and its creativity (and particularly the soundtrack) and how much I really appreciated her talent and her career; I think I caught her by surprise for she looked like a little girl and kept telling me with a smile “merci merci merci” as she shook my hand. I was in Heaven

She’s really super cool…and still looks very glamorous.

Only in New York!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Guillaume

Hey Guillaume,

Dawn is on vacation and I think Gwen might be starting hers. It’s hard to keep everyone straight on this blog, but I can help you out: Deb is from Tennessee, Gwen is from Mississippi, Dawn is from Connecticut; I’m from Maryland. Jennifer is from Texas and I think there’s someone else from there too, but I don’t remember at the moment. (It’s late and my brain is tired!) The ones that get me really confused are Don from Richmond and Don from Alexandria, especially since they live in the same state! I always have to double check when I’m writing to them to make sure I keep them straight!

It sounds like your encounter with Catherine Deneuve was very special. I haven’t met any movie stars but I’ve met just about all my favorite contemporary Christian music singers and I correspond with one on a regular basis. I’m sure in New York you have a lot better chance of meeting famous people than I do in the mountains of Western Maryland! I’m glad you had that special encounter with Catherine.

Margie

Once again, Margie, thank you so much for clarifying everything!
I’m going to copy and paste your info note about where is everyone from to be more vigilant and be able to picture better everyone when they talk about their local weather!!
(see, I even forgot there were two Dons )

You’re right about the amount of celebrities you can see in New York.
But yes indeed for Catherine Deneuve it was special to me because even if I’m not a true fan of hers, I have to admit that as far as I can remember in my life I’ve been watching her movies on TV. Then in the movies when I was a teenager. And then I get to meet her here in New York, a city I know she loves, after watching a movie from a French director from the new generation.
I’m glad she still makes movies.
And seems to remain very much herself.

Her daughter Chiara was also in the movie and during a scene with a close-up, it was amazing to see how she really looked identical to her Dad, the great Marcello Mastroianni. (La Dolce Vita and La Notte came right away in my mind…)

Keep enjoying your vacation, Margie!
(and send us your pictures!)

Guillaume

Your comment about walking in Central Park brought back memories of one time when I did exactly that. It was in July 1978 and I was in New York for a week, staying at the Algonquin. I left from Chicago early one Sunday so I could enjoy the day walking around Manhattan. I checked in the Algonquin about 1 PM, unpacked, change cloths, and headed north toward Central Park.

It was warm, somewhere in the upper 70’s. As I walked through the Park, I heard some music I hadn’t heard before and then saw people dancing. I walked over to watch. They were Latinos, and I soon learned they were Puerto Rican. They were dancing the salsa, one of the hottest dances I had ever seen.

A large big band was playing the music. I counted 19 musicians plus singers and dancers. I asked the Latina standing next to me about the band. “That’s Eddie Palmieri and Ruben Blades, one of the best salsa bands in New York.”

Then she smiled. “Care to salsa?”

I told her I had never danced the salsa. “C’mon,” she said, “I’ll show you….”

That was one of the best afternoons I ever had in New York!

George Spink
Los Angeles

Vacation whats that? LMAO just kidding I take mine in August usually to coincede wth my birthday. Thats why teaching would fit me work for 10 months off for 2. As they have it here in Illinois. Oh those mountains can get snow whenever the heavens want to open. I remember being on top of Pikes Peak a few years ago 93 in the valley had to have been about 40 or 50 14,000 feet up. that was a cloud passing over cloud passed and back to 70? 60? What a contrast. But my Dad being stationed there in the early 70’s right before being shipped off to Vietnam got to live work and play there for 7 months with my Mom they loved it. As for the weather here today AH! Got a chance to mow the lawn for maybe the last time this year hit about 75 here today early to mid October in Chicago is usually 60 degrees supposed to be around 80 tomorrow for the Chicago Marathon and where will I be? Watching football maybe a trip outside is called for. I’ll take it thanks for the repreive from the cool weather

Hey George,

Great story! At my previous job many years ago I knew someone from Cuba and she got me interested in Latin music. Somewhere in my vast eclectic music collection I have CD’s or albums by Eddie Palmieri and Ruben Blades. My favorite Salsa singer is Willy Chirino. I just downloaded his latest release a few weeks ago. He hadn’t released anything new in years so it was a treat to find something new from him. I love Latin music. Now that you brought it up I’ll have to dig out my favorite Willy Chirino CD and listen to that today!

Margie

Sounds like heaven. HEAVEN! I can almost hear, see, feel and taste it. Almost. UGH!!
Hope the rest of your weekend is fabulous. I’ll be stuffing myself with Thanksgiving treats up here in the ‘Peg.
amanda

” Happy weekend…just about to take a nap after a long stroll in Central Park, and a craft sale along Columbus Avenue! It is a gorgeous weekend here in New York. Leaves are falling, dogs are happy to be walked and the streets are bustling”

JD – I just read that article and was coming over here to see if you had posted anything on it … And you had … Too funny …

The weather has been incredibly weird this past week … On Thursday, we had rain and hail and sun and wind and cold … One time we had a light hail shower with pea-sized hail … Then about an hour or so later, it was pouring rain AND hail at the same time … Friday – it was warm if you had the sun shining on you, but the minute you/the sun moved, it was way cold … We have thunder & lightning … Snow in the passes …

I think this is more proof that glow ball worming is a fraud …

Margie – I remember that blizzard in Buffalo … My dad’s cousins still live there & one works for the county … She said it was beyond a nightmare …

We had a freak blizzard in April … when the plum & cherry trees were full of leaves and blossoms … My plum tree still has damage that we haven’t been able to fix yet …

Margie and Guillaume – I have met a lot of celebrities (movie / tv / music) as I grew up in/around “Hollywood” and also worked in the entertainment/news industries … I went to school / church with celebs … One wouldn’t think anything if they went to Gelson’s grocery in North Hollywood and there was a celeb with their kids/spouse buying groceries …

The majority are very nice & grateful (I had a few bad experiences – Capt Kirk & a few others) … It seems like those who gained their fame since the early 90s are NOT the same way … Plus, the internet and tabloids have created swelled egos and some very dangerous situations …

Two of the sweetest celebs that I’ve had interaction with are Delores Hope (Bob’s wife/widow) and Bob Fuller (Dr Brackett from “Emergency!”) … If you remember Bob (err, Robert) from “Emergency!” and thought he was attractive, he’s even better looking in person … And he’s a true gentleman cowboy …

Good Morning All,

Guillaume, I am in middle Tennessee, our temps are about 10 degrees warmer than normal this time of the year… Your encounter with Ms. Deneuve sounds wonderful. My son went to the Nascar Race over in NC this weekend, and he met some of the drivers and he was excited about that.

I hope Dawn is enjoying her well deserved vacation in Georgia, and I think Gwen is going to NC this coming weekend, but I maybe wrong.

Have a wonderful Sunday everybody, it is another gorgeous day here..more 80 degrees temps and lots of sunshine..

Deb

I’m thinkin’ Amanda is a Canuck in Winnipeg …

I always forget that Canadian Thanksgiving is before the US Thanksgiving … which is why I was totally confuzzled when I was watching “Steven & Chris” the other day and they were in “Thanksgiving” mode with Chef Rodney and the turkey … I love that show … Steven & Chris could whup Martha & Oprah with one hand tied behind their back …

(Yep…wenchie on vaca…Sun Chips, Robert Rothschild’s Onion Blossom horshradish dip, Raspberry Honey mustard dip….Coke Zero….and things is GOOD…. )

Hi guys!
Yep, I’m going on vacation. We’ll be in North Carolina next week. Don’t worry Guillaume. I get confused too and have to go back to look and see who said what, but I’m the one born and raised in Mississippi. I’ve lived here all my life and expect to for the remainder of it. How cool that you met Catherine Deneuve. She has always been so gorgeous. I can’t think of a single celebrity that I’ve ever met. My son (Nick) worked for a while at Universal in Orlando as a security guard. He had encounters with several celebrities who turned out to be real jerks. (I won’t name any names here.) He did meet Evander Holyfield and also Aretha Franklin and said that they were both extremely nice.

Y’all hold down the fort and I’ll be back in a week.
Gwen

Wow. That’s VERY impressive. I have yet to meet one American, and that includes those living in North Dakota just 2 hours away, who know the name Winnipeg and where it is. Never mind getting the reference to the ‘Peg!!!! I like it!

Janice…
Oh dear! I don’t even want to think about snow! And probably won’t have to for a few more months, actually. Whew! That’s a relief for sure. It has been a beautiful day here in Ohio also….sunny and crisp. A perfect day. I too, loved the story George. Hi Margie…sounds like you had a wonderful drive, and I am looking forward to your pictures. Latin music, I agree, is wonderful. We are all reminded, and searching frantically for the cd’s to play!!! ~~smiling~~

Hey everybody. I don’t want to think about snow, ice, or any other wintery precipitation. Here in central Texas, the whole world comes to a screeching halt. Schools close, roads are closed (if there is the slightest bit of incline), businesses close, etc. Although, 2 years ago, this was a good thing. My boys got their science fair projects done when they were stuck in the house for 2 days during the big ice storm.

It’s been a horrible weekend of football for me. My beloved Aggies got their rear ends handed to them, the hated Longhorns beat Oklahoma (and could leapfrog Alabama in the rankings to be #1 after Mizzou and LSU lost). My Cowboys are currently playing like a bunch of little girls. Jessica Simpson must be in the building because the only time they play this badly is when she’s there. (And rumor has it that she and Tony Romo are getting married at the end of the season, so it may not get any better.)

I did get a really cute picture of my baby girl, Elizabeth, on Saturday. If I can figure out how to send it via text message off my phone, then I’ll send it for posting. She just might be her mother’s daughter after all.

Jennifer,
Living in Texas, surely snow won’t be an issue. Moving to yankee country from Texas, it is an issue for me!!! And even after all these years, I dread the winter with a passion. My hubby watched the Ok/Tx game yesterday, and said it was the best game he had seen all season. We have my father with us, from Texas, but an Oklahoma boy, so it was fun to watch the game…and a lot of laughing going on while it was on. Our Buckeyes won also, so it was a good day all around. I haven’t figured out yet, how to get the pictures off the cell phone. I think I am going to have to go and have “them” show me!!! And soon, as it is almost full now….not much space left.
Ah Texas! I will be thinking about you in January, when it is brrrrrrrrrrrrr cold, in Ohio, and you are cozy and not brrrrrrrrrrrr cold, in Texas!!! lol

Hey Janice,

I just sent you 6 pictures from my fall foliage photo expedition yesterday. I had so many good ones that it was hard to narrow it down. I’m sorry I sent so many again! I included a picture I took of Cumberland even though there’s not a lot of color in town yet. Cumberland is only at 900 ft. in elevation so the color isn’t as rich as it is higher up in Garrett County, although there are some really pretty spots. If the weather is nice next weekend, I’ll take a drive around Allegany County for pictures.

I don’t want to think about snow yet. Driving in the mountains is always an adventure in the snow. I’ll concentrate on the fall colors for now and worry about the snow later! I bet Central Park is pretty in the fall. I’m glad you have a nice spot to go for walks to enjoy the beautiful weather. I hope you have a quiet work week ahead.

Margie

Wow! You all have been busy while I’ve been busy being a slug all day. Normally my daughter comes up from Albuquerque and spends the day, but she wasn’t feeling well today.

We had one heck of a thunder storm yesterday afternoon. It had drizzled off and on all day and been pretty windy, but late in the afternoon the heavens opened up. The rain coming down was so loud on the roof and skylight that I couldn’t hear the tv at all. I can’t even imagine what it did to all the dirt roads in my area. I’m sure the arroyos were all running bank to bank with flash floods, too. I heard they got a couple of feet of snow at the ski run, but it’s still too warm here in town for snow.

I get names mixed up, too, so I’m usually pretty rude and don’t try to mention a name when I address something that’s been said here.

Celebreties have always flocked to Santa Fe. When I was growing up western movies were popular. We always had some movie or another being shot here. A lot of my friends got parts as extras and the pay was really good. If they had their own horse, it was even better.

Many of them buy homes here, which has pushed up the cost of real estate for locals. That’s not appreciated much. For the most part, when they are in public they are decent to folks who approach them. Gene Hackman lives here full time and has for many years. He’s always pleasant to people and very little notice is given to him by locals anymore. Ali McGraw also lives here and does a lot of work for the animal shelter. I’ve run into her many times at the vet’s office and she’s always very pleasant.

Christie Brinkley was married briefly to an old friend of my aunt’s. She was a sweetie pie. Always smiling, polite to a fault, and more beautiful than any photo you’ve ever seen of her. I also met her parents and they were just as wonderful as she is. When we were in public and people would approach her, she was quick to pick up any child and put them on her lap for the mom to take a photo. I once commented to her that it must be hard after all her years in the public eye to remain so nice (even while trying to eat). She said that as a teenager and up and coming model she had approached her idol, Barbra Streisand. She said Streisand was extremely rude to her. She made a vow that if she ever gained any fame she’d never treat fans that way. Looks like she kept her vow.

I thought I remembered Deneuve as being a model rather than an actress. Shows what I know. And I didn’t recall at all that she’d been married to Mastroiani.

I have kind of a “holiday” tomorrow. Since I run a mail order business out of my home and there’s no mail service tomorrow, I can kick back. Wow! Two days in a row for me… that’s unheard of.

Well, Jennifer, I guess Dallas must have heard you yelling at your TV, cause thanks to a touchdown by Barber and a field goal at literally the last second the game is in overtime. Maybe Jessica left to go get her nails done or something!! Oops, no, I was wrong, the Cardinals just won, sorry my fellow Texan!

Guillaume, how very cool that you got to meet a true French National Treasure! I loved your story about meeting her, you must still be on cloud nine. I really like French movies and my two favorite French actresses are Audrey Tautou, of Amelie and Da Vinci Code fame, and Juliette Binoche, whose career has been amazing and who has become known to American audiences in Dan in Real Life and Bee Season, though my favorite of hers is definitely Chocolat, especially since Joanne Harris is my favorite author. One day I want to visit your mother country and two primary destinations will be, of course, Paris and the residence of my favorite artist, Monet, in Giverny. And, naturally, being married to an Army man, there must also be a stop at Normandy for my family and I to pay our respects.

Hope everyone enjoys a relaxing Sunday evening before the crazy work week begins!!

Hi Gina. I was watching. I freaked out the baby when Folk kicked the field goal. Kyle could hear me in the shower. My husband admits to being a sports widower.

Then I saw the polls. I knew tu was going to go up to #1 at halftime of the LSU and Mizzou games when they were going down. Heads are already inflating in Austin. This bites. At least Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters have made up for the crappy sports viewing.

Gwen when you said “I can’t think of a single celebrity that I’ve ever met. ” that’s actually what all my New Yorker friends say! And then they get surprised when I tell them I see at least one every weekend . It’s because there’s such a mix in the crowd here it’s easy for celebrities to go incognito in the streets. Or almost.

I never talk to them. Part of me because I don’t want to disturb them..or because I don’t want to be disappointed by any rude reaction like some of you have mentioned. (Barbra Streisand or Capt Kirk!!)

I believe celebrities deserve privacy but then it doesn’t mean they have to be rude in dealing with fans. After all, it comes with the territory of their job, for good or for bad.
And of course, it doesn’t give the right to us to be rude either. It goes both ways.

For Catherine Deneuve, it was different since the dinner was part of the promotion of the screening for that movie, so I didn’t mind talking to her…although I’m pretty shy so it came at the last minute and I’m still wondering what came to my mind

And even if I didn’t like her (which I do!) she is indeed a National Treasure for French, like you said Gina!

Deneuve might be known in the US for being a model because I think she was representing Chanel Number 5 for many years. (and we thought in France it was THE fragrance of Marilyn!!)
and she was also the favorite muse of designer Yves Saint Laurent.

And no, she never got married with Marcello Mastroianni. But she had a daughter with him and a son with Roger Vadim.
And she was a lioness at keeping successfully at distance the paparazzi from her private life.

I like Binoche and Tautou very much too. I actually thought Dan in real life was very good.
And Chocolat was addicting

Gina I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t know that well my own native country!
But I do love passionately Paris. And Normandie is beautiful (and you eat divinely well in that region thanks to the creme fraiche..so forget about any kind of diet!).
Those cemeteries are breathtaking…. and museums dedicated to D-DAy are impressive (I think they opened a new one this year).

Dawn I’m glad you’re enjoying true well-deserved vacation!

After paying more attention this time to the state each of us is writing from, it is truly amazing that we all come from so many different parts of the country – from Mississippi to Tennessee (ouch I’m learning here the spelling too!!), from Texas to New Mexico…. and that’s really awesome!!!
Especially when it comes to the weather….

And today was another winning beautiful weather here in New York!

Guillaume

Be glad you werent around here about 3 central yesterday. When the Bears snatched a loss from the jaws of a win oh well cant win em all right? I’ll take 8 wins for the week if JD’s Giants can pull off the win which they should in Cleveland tonight

Hey Kelly,

The Redskins did the same thing so there must have been something in the air yesterday! I did feel better when the Cowboys lost to the Cardinals in overtime. That was nice! (I root for the Redskins and everyone who plays against Dallas!)

Margie