Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Ford Mansion - Washington's Headquarters

The Ford Mansion in Morristown, New Jersey was built by Jacob Ford, Jr. in 1774. My mom and I took a tour on a frigid Sunday in December. It served as George Washington’s Headquarters from December 1779 to June 1780.

The grand front entrance is beautiful. 

Doesn't this Park Ranger have an interesting job?

Nothing compares to 18th century wavy glass, does it? It appears that some of these panes are replacements. 

I'll post more of my iPhone photos from time to time. Read more about this historic site here.

Craving Plain Food

I don't know about you, but nothing tastes good to me except fresh fruit and green vegetables. This must be my body's way of recovering from all the fancy rich food I've been eating lately. I had my first office meeting of the year yesterday and I took some candy for the agents to enjoy so it wouldn't tempt me at a weak moment. 

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Blue Spruce

Another of my iPhone photos of a blue spruce bough with raindrops, the only decorations my evergreen trees ever get. I so admire people who make the effort during the holidays to decorate outdoors. I give them demerits though if they don't take them down pretty soon after Christmas. I am slowly undecorating my cottage and putting the boxes away for another year. 

Wonderland Fungus

This fungus is getting curiouser and curiouser. I wonder if it's one that Alice ate? I'm certainly not going to taste it to find out. It's been growing on a tree at the edge of my woods for quite a long time and is a perfect subject for iPhone photos.

The Most Comfortable Chair in the Room

 
I really do love the ticking slipcover on this wing chair. And the framed page from a children's book too. via

I Cannot Believe My Eyes

 
This is just too much, agreed? There is nothing left to wish for. I'll let you know if I find out anything more about the child who has everything.
via 

Monday, January 2, 2012

Sad Decay of An Architectural Beauty

Lost by Alecu Grigore
Urban Decay Slideshow

Bracken House | Typical of Colonial Williamsburg


The main room in my cottage is one room deep. As I sit in my living room I can see views of both the front and back. It is so nice to be able to catch the breezes when the windows are open in nice weather. My kitchen is almost the same except for the small entrance vestibule. My front door is glazed at the top and there is a french door from the vestibule into the kitchen so I can still enjoy both exposures. Then I have a hallway off the living room that leads all the way back to my bedroom at the end of the house which is also one room wide. The bathroom is on one side of the hall and the guest room is on the other. I love the layout.

I have a center chimney with a fireplace in the living room. On the other chimney wall there are enclosed staircases going downstairs on one side and to the attic on the other.

The first two iPhone photos are from a book in my architectural library:
Colonial Williamsburg Its Buildings and Gardens
by A. Lawrece Kocher and Howard Dearstyne 1976