Catching up!

While we were rusticating in the lovely Adirondacks, Beverly of Makanani presented me with not one, but three awards! As I told her, I am blushing! First are the "Best Kept Secret Award" and the "Breakout Blogger Award" - and the other is the "Totally Fabulous Award." See below - clicking on them will bring you to the original sites that started them.










Naturally the next step is to pass along the compliments to other bloggers. I don't know how much of a secret any of these bloggers are, but they are certainly award-worthy. Here goes:

Best Kept Secret/Breakout Bloggers:

Elizabeth of Inside Betty's Head. Always very well-written, thoughtful posts.

M of m's blog. M writes very interesting posts about various subjects, ranging from her daily life to finances and beyond.

Odessa of Freefalling Me. Odessa's blog is a great mix of wonderful photographs and poetry.

And for the Totally Fabulous Awards:

It's always hard to pick blogs for these awards because ALL the blogs I read are absolutely fabulous! So here are just a few:

PunditMom - informative and enjoyable, always writes about interesting topics.

Rhea of The Boomer Chronicles posts generally Baby-Boomer-related stories, facts and information on her blog, but her subject matter is of interest to everyone.

Lisa of O My Word!. Her blog is addictive and she also has another great blog, Politics After 50, which you should check out as well!

Last but definitely not least, Evil Spock over at The Needs of the Few. This blog is unique and if you haven't experienced it yet, head on over! Evil Spock's subject matter ranges from politics to various and sundry other subjects as the mood strikes.

That's it for now. I love all of the blogs I read so it's always hard to have to pick a few out, and it takes a lot out of me!

Moving right along, I'd like to summarize what I learned about the Adirondacks in our trip there, which was our first time in this lovely region.

What the Adirondacks have:

-Gorgeous scenery - everywhere. Leaves that are every shade of orange, red, gold, brown, and yes, some that are still green, contrasting with sparkling blue lakes everywhere you look.

-Friendly, down-to-earth people who greet you with a smile.

-Lots of beautiful old houses, ranging from ornate Victorians to colonial homes that must be 200+ years old. Some may be a little down on their luck but it is amazing to see the wonderful housing stock that exists in this area.

-Quaint, unspoiled towns, each with its steepled church and its historical society (surprisingly, even the smallest towns all seemed to have a historical society - maybe that's why the old houses haven't been torn down). Many towns have gas stations and motels that look as if they haven't changed since the 1950's.

What the Adirondacks don't have:

-Crowds
-Traffic
-Graffiti
-Surly waiters/waitresses or cashiers
-Malls
-McMansions
-Ethnic restaurants (one drawback!)

We did eat at a pretty good Italian restaurant a couple of times, but I have to say the pizza didn't measure up to that of Star Tavern in my native New Jersey. But that is a sacrifice I am willing to make for relaxation and lack of stress! We will definitely be back again next year. It was a very successful first trip to the region.

On our way back from the Adirondacks we took the long way home, through the park, and then down Route 87. When we hit the Garden State Parkway, that is when I returned to reality, as the traffic built up to rush hour proportions. I could feel my blood pressure rise 10 points.