Review of A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline

Scene from Port Clyde Area

For my book  club, we just read A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline.  I knew it was historical fiction and that it took place in Maine, but it wasn't until I started reading that I realized I had been to all of the small towns that were mentioned in the book.  I find it delightful to be able to picture the area that the story take place.  The photo above is one that I took on my visit.

The Book

I had read books by Christina Baker Kline before and really enjoy her writing style.  She wrote The Orphan Train and Sweetwater both books I would highly recommend.  So, I started A Piece of the World with high expectations and I was not disappointed.  Christina Baker Kline has a way of bringing you into her book and making you feel empathy with her characters.

Although this book is a work of fiction, the major characters are all real people and the author did a lot of  research into the characters and the area to give a realistic view.  The book is based on a painting by artist Andrew Wyeth  Christina's World , and in particular about the life of Christina.
The author alternates between describing Christina's early life in the early 1900's to describing her life when Andrew Wyeth is painting her in the mid 1900's.  Christina leads a simple and hard life on a farm in a remote area of Maine.  She grows up with her parents and three brothers on the family farm overlooking the bay.  Although it sounds like a beautiful setting the work is hard without any of the conveniences of modern day.  They have no electricity or indoor plumbing and Christina has a debilitating disease that makes it hard for her to move around.  Despite this she manages to do her chores and eventually take care of the household.

In her late teens and early twenties Christina meets some summer people who visit the coast each summer and we hear of her friends and love interest from Boston.

Later in life the painter Andrew Wyeth summers in the area and uses the upstairs rooms in Christina's home to paint.  Christina becomes friends with Andrew and his wife Becky and he is the one person that seems to understand things from Christina's point of view.

I found this to be a very intriguing book that really makes you consider life's choices.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. 

Amazon Links to the Book and the Painting

 

Rockland and Port Clyde Area Today

I have written about the Rockland and Port Clyde area in two different posts.  This post is primarily about lighthouses in the area and was written on my lighthouse blog.

Mid-Coast Maine Lighthouses

I've also written a post on Review This about the area Review of Port Clyde Maine

Today Andrew Wyeth's son is a prominent local artist.  There is a gallery just above the General Store that displays his works along with some of his fathers.

Photos of the Area

Here are some photos I took of the area around Port Clyde.  I found it to be very picturesque.

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Photographing Christmas in Historic St. Charles

One of my favorite Christmas outings is a walk down Main  Street in downtown St Charles, Missouri.  This charming town was built on the banks of the Missouri river.  I wrote about this town in a previous post World Wide Photo Walk
In that post you see the town decked out in their fall décor.

In this post I will give you a brief history of the town and then share my photos taken during early December.

A Brief History of St. Charles

Here is a few of the highlights of St. Charles history. If you'd like to know more, check out the link below.

• Founded in 1769 by French-Canadian fur trader Louis Blanchette
•  In 1804 on the banks of the Missouri river, Lewis and Clark met here to begin their westward expedition.
• In 1818 Saint Philippine Duchesne established first free girls school west of the Mississippi.
• Between 1821-1826 St. Charles served as Missouri's first capital.
• Today it is a destination for over one million visitors each year.

https://www.discoverstcharles.com/about/history/

Conservatory for Weddings

Before we started our walk  down Main Street we stopped by the Conservatory a greenhouse turned into a wedding venue.  It was my first visit and I found it a delightful setting for small weddings.  Below is a shot looking toward the front of the greenhouse.

Photos from our Walk down the Historic Streets

After visiting the Conservatory  we proceeded down Main Street to photograph the historic buildings in their Christmas décor.  I was especially drawn to the windows and doors as you can see in the photos below.

Zazzle Products from Main Street Photos

Christmas in Historic St. Charles Holiday Card
by mbgphoto

Lewis and Clark Monument Poster
by mbgphoto

Historic St Charles Missouri Postcard
by mbgphoto

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Review of Hot Drink for the Holidays

Hot Holiday Punch Recipe Postcard

by mbgphoto 

Hot Drink for Cold Days

I love to entertain during the holiday season. When my guests come in from a cold winters evening a cup of hot holiday punch will make them feel warm and festive.

Over the years I have experimented with several combinations for hot drinks and have ended up using this one for the past ten years or so.  It has just the right blend of juices and spices and is great with or without alcohol added.  I always serve the alcohol on the side and let the guest decide how much to add or not.

Hot Holiday Punch

Ingredients

• 1 Jar (48 oz) cranberry juice 
• 1 can (46 ox) unsweetened pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon allspice
• 3 sticks cinnamon
• one orange cut into slices

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in large crockpot and heat.  I put a decanter of rum nearby for those who would like to add a bit of liquor.

At the beginning of this page I added a link to a recipe card for the punch that you can purchase on Zazzle.

Mugs for Hot Drinks

Here are some festive mugs I found on Zazzle.
The first one can be personalized with your name.

Custom Ugly Christmas Sweater 11oz ringer mugs
by logotees

Watercolor Pine Tree Joyeux Noel Espresso Cup

by JunkyDotCom 

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a festive holiday season!!

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Photographing Plymouth Harbor

Happy Thanksgiving from the staff of Review This.  Today's post is a bit of history and photography from the site of the first Thanksgiving.

Plymouth Massachusetts is a delightful harbor town on the shores of Cape Cod Bay. It is located 40 miles south of Boston.  I'd like to share some of my photos of the harbor with you but first let's review a bit of the history of this historic town.  

History of Plymouth

The colony of Plymouth (first called Plimouth) was established in late 1620 when the Mayflower landed in this area on the shores of Cape Cod Bay.  These early settlers from England were called Pilgrims and had embarked on the new country to escape the religious beliefs of the Church of England.  

They landed in Cape Cod in December and were not prepared to handle the harsh New England winters.  Their first year was very rough and they survived with the help of friendly Indians.  After surviving the first year they had a celebration to thank God for protecting them during the first year.  This celebration is considered the First Thanksgiving Feast.

Photograph of Plymouth Harbor Today

As I walked along this historic harbor I was struck by all the little everyday features of this small town.  Yes, there are the tourist attractions like Plymouth Rock (really only a rock engraved with 1620) and other sites of interest throughout the town, but I wanted to concentrate my photography on the features of the harbor and the docks.

Here are a few of the photos the depict the harbor on the June afternoon when I visited.  It includes a replica paddleboat for tourists along with items that represent the lobster trade that is popular today.

Zazzle Products from  my Photos

Bug Light Plymouth Notebook
by lighthouseenthusiast

Bug Light Plymouth Gift Box
by lighthouseenthusiast

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Visit Missouri-Augusta

On a beautiful early autumn afternoon I took a stroll through Augusta Missouri with a group of fellow photographers.  Augusta is a small town located on the Bluffs of the Missouri River about 35 miles west of St. Louis.  In this post I will review of little about Augusta and show you my photographs.

History of Augusta

Augusta was founded in 1837 by a settler that followed Daniel Boone to Missouri. (Here is a link to an article on the nearby Daniel Boone home site https://www.reviewthisreviews.com/2018/05/review-of-daniel-boone-home-site-in.html ) Leonard Harold chose the town site for the excellent river landing on the shores of the Missouri river.  When the town was incorporated in 1855 it had become a booming agricultural community.  It's main produce was grain, livestock and wine grapes.

Augusta Today

Today Augusta is a thriving community of 200 residents.  It has two wineries, Augusta Winery and Mt. Pleasant Winery and several Bed & Breakfasts.  It has become a popular stop for tourists visiting the Missouri wine country.  Augusta has several small shops for tourists to stop at when they are in town.  Here are some photos I took during our stroll through the town.

Augusta Art Gallery

Cranberry House

Downtown Streets

Augusta is host to several different festivals during the year including:

• Plein Air Art Festival
• Harvest Festival
• Candlelight Christmas Walk

Augusta Bed and Breakfasts

Red Brick Inn

Augusta features several bed and breakfasts, such as The Red Brick Inn pictured above, which was built in 1865.  Here you can enjoy a wonderful breakfast and great hospitality from the owners Chuck and Esther.  Just click on the link below the photo for more information.  It is a great place to spent your nights while taking in the scenic views and wonderful atmosphere of the Missouri wine country.  https://www.augustaredbrickinn.com//

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Photographing Historic Scituate Lighthouse

Scituate Lighthouse

On a trip between Boston and Cape Cod my husband and I made a small detour to see beautiful Scituate Lighthouse. This lighthouse is located on the South Shore of Boston. On this page I will review a bit about the history of this lighthouse along with sharing my photos from our visit.
 

Lighthouse History

Scituate Lighthouse is the 5th oldest lighthouse in New England and the 11th oldest in the United States.  It was activated in 1811 and is built of split granite blocks with a 1 1/2 story house attached.  While searching online for information on the lighthouse I found the interesting story listed below.  The information is from the Scituate Historical Society web page.

Captain Simeon Bates, the first keeper of Scituate Lighthouse, his wife, and nine children lived at the house. During the War of 1812 Abigail and Rebecca, young daughters of the lighthouse keeper, prevented the British from sacking the town. Noting the approach of two redcoat-filled barges from a British ship of war, the girls snatched fife and drum and hiding behind a thick cluster of cedar trees made such a din that the British mistook them for an entire regiment and made a hasty retreat. Abigail and Rebecca Bates have gone down in history as 'The American Army of Two" and their courageous act has been recorded in many textbooks and story books.    http://scituatehistoricalsociety.org/light/

I also find it fascinating that the captain and his family of 11 lived in the small house attached to the lighthouse.  Here is a photo I took of the lighthouse with the house attached.

The Lighthouse Today

Today the lighthouse is located at the  end of Lighthouse Road.  It is now an active private aid to navigation and is managed by  the Scituate Historical Society.  It is only open limited hours but we were able to walk around the grounds and I was able to capture photos from various directions.

As we left the lighthouse we pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant and I was able to photograph the lighthouse from across the bay.

Read More of Tales of New England

If you found the story of the two sisters fascinating you may  want to  read more tales from early New England or perhaps this story about a Rhode Island lighthouse keepers daughter.

Zazzle Candle from my Photo

Scituate Lighthouse flowers Pillar Candle
by lighthouseenthusiast

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Explore St Louis-The Old Courthouse

In this post I will give you a pictorial review of the Old Courthouse in St. Louis Missouri. 

History of Old Courthouse

First I'd like to give you a very brief history of the Old Courthouse.  In 1816 land was donated for a courthouse in St.  Louis.  This land is just west of the St. Louis riverfront.  A federal style brick courthouse was first built on the site in 1828.  By the mid 1830's St. Louis had already outgrown this courthouse.  In 1839 construction began on the current courthouse which incorporated the original courthouse as part of the east wing.  Other revisions have been made to the courthouse over the years and the courts remained in the building until 1930.  In 1935 the courthouse became a National Monument and today it hosts many visitors.   The view below is from the southwest.

Important Events at Old Courthouse

There have been many important decisions made and events happening at the Old Courthouse.

Two of the most well known include:

• 1847 and 1850  Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom.
• 1872  Virginia Minor sued for the right to vote.

Both of these cases ended up going to the Supreme Court and lost.  But they are both considered to be key  turning points in history.

Prior to the Civil war slaves were sold on the courthouse steps. See the plaque below along with  two photos depicting the Dred Scott case.

Photographing the Old Courthouse

I was able to go down to the Old Courthouse on two different occasions in September and was able to photograph the Old Courthouse from different angles.  The photo below shows the courthouse in a distance as I was walking through the park just west of the courthouse.

In 1965 the opening of the Gateway Arch changed the landscape of downtown St. Louis.  Since that time a popular photo of the Old Courthouse is one where it is framed by the arch as you see in the photo below.

On my second visit during September to photograph down by the arch and courthouse we arrived before sunrise and were able to get some photographs in the early morning light.

Zazzle Items from my Photographs

St Louis Landmarks Poster
by mbgphoto

Historic Old Courthouse
by mbgphoto

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