The Town In The Window ...

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”

                    ~ Henri Matisse

                              ~ 1869-1954

 Beautiful flowers pop with color in the window of Fragrant Designs Florist, Belvidere, New Jersey, greeting the town reflected in the window on a rare warm February afternoon just after Valentine’s Day.

Belvidere, one of my very favorite places, is a charming Victorian town on the banks of the Pequest and Delaware Rivers.

Where Retro Is King ...

“Well, it’s one for the money

Two for the show

Three to get ready

Now go, cat go

But don’t you

Step on my blue suede shoes

You can do anything

But stay off of my blue suede shoes …”

         ~  “Blue Suede Shoes”

           ~ Written & recorded by Carl Perkins

                           ~ 1955

            ~ Recorded by the great Elvis Presley

                             ~ 1956

Elvis Presley’s “Blue Suede Shoes” may well be one of the hits you hear playing at Charlotte Fay’s Main Street Diner, Slatington, Pennsylvania, where retro is king at this cool and cozy eatery.

The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll is well represented at Charlotte Fay’s, joined by photos showcasing retro icons such as Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean in the 1956 film “Giant,” Marilyn Monroe, Route 66, and a young Elvis and Johnny Cash posing for a snapshot. There’s also a nod to the New Jersey Seashore and Steel Pier. The large map behind Elvis depicts President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, championed by the then-president when it was formed June 29, 1956.

And of course there’s the tasty food, wonderful to nosh on as you drink in the nostalgic atmosphere. Owner Jason Ruff named the diner after both his great-grandmothers, and uses their recipes.

The menu and atmosphere are the perfect mix to stir up a recipe for success fit for a king.

Legacy In Winter ...

“Si monumentum requiris, circumspice.”

        (“If you seek his monument, look around.”)
 
         ~ Epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723) in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England, of which he was architect. The phrase is generally used to describe a person’s legacy – and can be taken to mean that what we leave behind (including intangible things like relationships) best represents our life.

General Harry C. Trexler looks majestic and stately on horseback as a light January snowfall brushes this beautiful bronze statue of his image on a winter afternoon at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

General Trexler (1854-1933) is the father of Allentown’s park system. He was an industrialist, agriculturist, philanthropist, conservationist and soldier. The park is his namesake.

During his lifetime, General Trexler contributed a great deal to the growth and quality of life in the City of Allentown and the surrounding County of Lehigh. 

This bronze statue of General Trexler was presented to the City of Allentown by his trustees Nolan P. Benner, William B. Butz, Joseph S. Young, Carl J.W. Hessinger and Richard E. White. It was commissioned January 16, 1979 and dedicated May 8, 1982.

General Trexler was a great man, and I’m personally very thankful to him, as Trexler Memorial Park and Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania are two of my very favorite places to be and to photograph.

Frosted Magnolia ...

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."
                              ~ Albert Camus
A bud on my favorite magnolia tree at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania is frosted with a hint of winter magic during a light January snowfall.