The Stillroom

I just returned from the mountains of New York where I enjoyed nothing but nature and the Internet.  I know, that sounds  weird but for me that’s the best of both worlds.  The Catskills are very different from the Alleghenies.  These are MOUNTAINS.  High and vast  As a kid,  my family “summered” in the Cook Forest area, near Warren, PA.  To us, that was “the mountains”.  As children, we enjoyed the fruits of my grandpap Ameel’s labors in the form of a great camp, right on the river.  We fished, swam, and bathed in the river with ivory soap because it would float. We also canoed, waded, caught tadpoles, grilled fresh fish, hunted for night crawlers, walked to the farm for fresh milk… the list really just goes on and on.  It was a pretty wholesome childhood.  These days I pretty much would not even put my toe in a river.

This part of New York state is surprisingly very “Witches of Eastwick” in that the architecture and layout of the town is a lot like that movie.  I did not know what to expect in that regard, so that was cool.  There were several great little towns within driving distance of where we stayed and one was Woodstock.  We decided to take a drive there  to see what that was all about.  I was fourteen when that great music scene happened and too young to really understand or care about  the hubbub at the time.  My music choices at that age were just on the cusp of leaving the Archies and The Fifth Dimension behind to the more happening sounds of the Beatles Abbey Road, The Stones, Creedence and The Grass Roots to name a few.  Now, about Woodstock.  First,  the drive in the Catskills was beautiful   The trees were still full and still lush, although in some areas you can see the leaves ever so slightly losing the battle with the seasons. My general assessment is that Woodstock  was kind of a beat looking  town full of old hippies.  It does have its charm if you’re looking to experience a piece of the 60s.  From the pot smoking folks at one end of the park to the chamber of commerce looking folks having a meeting at the other end, it still seemed to have a pretty caring, vibrant, eclectic and most likely, high community.  Lots of little shops and eateries etc…the usual hippie stuff like spelt pizza crust with soy cheese.  Yeah, sure, I’ll take a large, not.

The main reason for this little adventure was actually to see the  Rhinebeck Aerodrome museum.  You need to enjoy vintage air planes and I mean like what Snoopy flew around in.  They will take you up in one but we opted to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground, thank you.  I don’t want to be in the one that decides to take a dump.  Besides, who would be your local tea monger if I go down in flames?

My vacation to the Catskills was very relaxing and I really like watching how the weather affects the water surface patterns on the river there. It poured when we got so there so there was that.  The raindrops pierced  the surface of the Hudson river like crazy for hours.   There were days with sunny skies and a constant breeze that made tiny wavy curls that sparkled like glitter.   Loved that.  Then we had the calmest days that made the water a giant mirror.  Really very pretty.  Now, if we only could have eliminated the very busy train tracks twenty feet from the bedroom, we would have been gold!  lol.

August was awesome at the store!  The month long sale brought in A LOT of shoppers which was fantastic!  The next event to look forward to is the Antique Appraisal Fair on Sunday, September 27th from 10-2.  There is a small fee of $5.00 per item involved so that we can pay the expert for his time and knowledge.  This is a pretty cool event so bring in that special item that you always wondered about.  Is it real?  Is it valuable?  Come in and find out!

Diamond Antiques is ready for the change of seasons and summer is now fully in the rear view mirror.  Insert frowny face here.  Yes, it does go by fast.  But, part of living in our area is changing with the seasons and we do it with gusto and fanfare!  We love to decorate, celebrate, cook and savor a whole new set of flavors that delight the senses.  As sure as summer brings us the lightness of lemon and strawberry, fall brings us cinnamon, clove, allspice, anise and cardamom.  Separately or combined in a chai, we embrace these heavier flavors in our food and  tea experiences

Diamond Antiques and all of the vendors are looking forward to the annual Holiday Open House.  The date has been set and it is Wednesday, November 11th.  More specific details will be available as they develop.  It usually runs in the evening but I don’t want to post the hours until I know for sure.  In the meantime, come in and take some time to step back for a bit and enjoy everything that Diamond Antiques has to offer.  Above all, a great shopping experience in an old timey atmosphere.  That is really nice.   Hope to see you soon!