One of my most utmost favorite sandwiches in the world is Peanut Butter and Jelly. Can you believe that? I am in my fifties and I still would choose a PB & J sandwich over a ham and cheese sandwich. Add a nice cold glass of milk and I am all set for the night !Now, since I am so fond of this sandwich, I learned that there is a company that makes peanut butter & jelly vodka. Yep, this is very true! Van Gogh Vodka, the leader in developing different flavors for their ‘spirits’ has been able to blend its unique tasting vodka with rich aromas and the boldest of flavors to produce an extraordinary new taste.

The Van Gogh Vodka is produced in the family owned Royal Dirkzwager distillery in Schiedam, Holland. This distillery has been producing fine spirits since 1879 and has been passed down through generations of Voss’. The process of making the Van Gogh Vodka starts with pure, clean water, the finest of grains and the exquisite taste from a variety of fruits. The vodka then goes through another process of distillation and then is infused with the different flavors. In order to produce the finest, smooth tasting vodka, this last process takes about six weeks to process and the results are truly the best-flavored vodkas in the world.

I was truly amazed at how long the process of making the Van Gogh Flavored Vodkas took that I almost forgot the sample that they had sent to me. I love reading the history of how different companies, organizations, etc, evolved as I believe that the knowledge of what was involved in making has a real impact on the present day products. Such is so with the Van Gogh Vodka.

It was finally time to taste the vodka and I was very excited. Actually, I didn’t have a clue as to how they were going to mix the flavor of peanut butter and jelly into a drink. And, it’s not just any jelly, but jelly that is made with the freshest of raspberries. Well….. It was amazing. Beyond amazing! At the first sip, I was greeted with the taste of juicy, ripe raspberries, followed by an introduction of peanut butter. The taste lingered for a while which I really like when tasting something that is truly unique. There were undertones of graininess and crisp clean tasting water, complimented with the richness of the PB&J. It tasted so much like a PB&J sandwich, but only in liquid form. Is that possible?

I also liked the PB&J Vodka by itself; not mixed with something else. Having it that way allowed me to truly taste the peanut butter and jelly. I let it savor in my mouth for awhile before swallowing. It tasted that good! After having it alone, I decided to mix the Vodka and some soda water. Still, the PB&J was very strong tasting, almost as if the soda water actually enhanced the flavor. Either way, I was very pleased with results.
Who would I recommend to try this vodka? Anybody! Anybody that likes to try something new and different; anybody that likes good vodka; anybody that likes to have a nice drink after dinner. It’s really that good.

Van Gogh PB&J vodka is now being sold in many liquor stores around the U.S. The cost for this particular vodka is $26.00 for a 750 ml bottle. I would suggest visiting their website at: www.vangoghvodka.com to indulge yourself with the many varieties of new flavors. It’s a go!

Before modern technology, captains and sailors could only rely on the light from the lighthouses to guide their vessels to safety. And for centuries, the families that manned these lighthouses were just as important in guiding sailors to safety as were the lighthouses.

One of these lights is Nantucket Light, often called the Great Point Light, on the northernmost point of the island. First built in 1784, the original wooden tower was destroyed by fire in 1816. The following year a stone tower was erected which stood until toppled in a storm in March 1984. Rebuilt again in 1986, the stone tower was built to replicate the old one, and still remains in operation today. Modern additions include solar panels to recharge the light’s batteries, and a sheet pile foundation and 5-foot thick concrete mat to help withstand erosion.

Other Nantucket lighthouses include the Brant Point Light, originally erected in 1748 and replaced nine times, and the Sankaty Head Light, with its distictive red and white coloring.

The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum’s exhibit, “Guiding Lights: Nantucket’s Lighthouses, Keepers & their Families,” celebrates the island’s historic monuments. This warming exhibit, running May 24 – October 8, 2012, celebrates the beacons of light and the families that guided mariners through the treacherous shoals for centuries that surround Nantucket.

This year’s exhibition celebrates not just the Island’s historic monuments but also these early heroes. The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum is excited to honor and pay tribute to the men, women, and children by sharing their stories and photographs of their daily life as well as true tales of shipwreck sights and salvage at sea.

The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum shares the fascinating stories of yesterday’s maritime heroes through permanent and changing interpretive exhibits and special events. The Museum houses a collection of over 5,000 objects, including surfboats, beach carts, vintage photographs and more, a silver medal awarded to Marcus W. Dunham for his role in several rescues during the Great Gale of 1879; the incorporation of oral histories into their “Madaket Millie” retrospective; an interactive shipwreck map; and a whimsical Newfoundland dog chair created by ‘Sconset’ artist, Clara Urbahn.

The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum is located at 158 Polpis Road, just 3.5 miles from Nantucket Town. The museum exhibition opens Thursday, May 24 and runs through Columbus Day, Monday, October 8, 2012. Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily.  Admission: $5 adults,  $3 children ages 5 – 18, free for children under 5, includes admission to the museum and the historic Coffin School, located at 4 Winter Street. For more information, including a full calendar of special events and Family Fun Days for people and their pets, call (508) 228-1885, or visit www.nantucketshipwreck.org or www.eganmaritime.org.

I am  one of those old fashioned people that just love to sit down and read a real good book.  I don’t like reading a book on those new, fancy Nooks, or Kindles or even on my phone.  I want to hold a book in my lap with my legs curled up under me, kick back in my comfy leather chair and get ready to be entertained.  I must not forget my mug of coffee or hot chocolate, depending on what is happening outside at the time. Then, I turn the first page and away we go. 

I must point out that after reading almost a chapter, if the book doesn’t ‘grab me’, then the book goes away, under my coffee table where it will collect dust until I send it off to Goodwill.  This wasn’t the case with The Gift Giver  novel.  From the very beginning, I knew I was going to like this book.  Why?  Because it was written from a real person talking about real events that happened in her life with her family.  It wasn’t laced with all flowery words and redundancy but talked of real emotions; the kind that most people can’t even imagine saying, much less putting on paper for the whole world to read. That is what I really, really liked about this book.  It was real.

Now to some people, the content of the book may be a deterrence.  Why so?  Well, because it talks about the main character, (who happens to be the author of the book), Jennifer Hawkins, who is able to communicate with her recently deceased husband.  There are many people in this world who do not believe in the after life.  Honestly, I have to say that after reading this book, some of the things I had been questioning about the after life just seemed irrelevant as compared to the devoted love that she and her husband shared, even after he was gone.

Jennifer’s life became torn apart by the unexpected death of her husband Mark. The tormenting days that followed were unfathomable to her.  Yet, she received hope one day when she hears a voice she thought she would ever hear again; her husband’s.  From the moment that he spoke to her, she knew that her fears of why he had left would eventually be answered. 

During the course of her transition from being a married mom to a single mom, Jennifer writes from her heart about what transpired after Mark’s death.  The endless paperwork, figuring out who would run Mark’s business, the painful memories that she feels every time someone pays their respect to her — all are relived in her book and through her writing, the reader actually feels the same as she does. I felt her pain and her sorrow of losing someone so dear to her.  It was very very real. Authors normally tell a story, but Jennifer was shared her story.  I felt like I was walking in her shoes, through her day-to-day activities and basically just existing at times.  I could relate to her as that is how I felt the day my ex-husband walked out on my family many, many years ago.  Through faith, support from loved ones and looking at the smiling faces of my three young boys, I made it.  And, Jennifer is doing that, too. 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.  Not just people that have lost loved ones, but also those who want to read a love story; a love so strong that not even death could break their bond.

Jennifer Hawkins lives in Texas with her two sons.  She presently is still involved in Real Estate and is presently working on her sixth book.  She is an inspiration to all.

For more information on Jennifer Hawkins and where to purchase “The Gift Giver” and other books, please visit her website at: www.thegiftgiverbook.com.  It’s definitely worth a look!

For the dancer with a broad taste in music, or perhaps one who just can’t quite make up his mind, Cranston offers Mardi Gras, a dance “location”, with four dance floors, each devoted to different music.

Want country line dancing? You got it. Disco/80′s? Yep, got that too. Techo/New Age stuff that doesn’t have much of a beat for the younger crowd? Look for that upstairs. They even have one area set aside for live music with a heavy metal ear-splitting volume.

Show up early to save a couple of bucks and to get a parking spot.The parking lot is very small, so you might be stuck parking across the street or next door. The place is crowded, and gets more crowded as the night progresses, so Mardi Gras uses an escalating cover charge, increasing a dollar an hour.

There is a mix of age groups, so the music selection varies. All of these people generate a lot of heat — industrial fans on the corner of the dance floors do little do disapate the heat. Happily, there are a long row of glass doors that let you escape onto the patio and cool off a bit.

The disco/80′s space is broken up by support columns, meaning that if you’re energetic, you can bump into something that might give you a bruise.

The country line dance space is set up like a rodeo ring. There you can see wannabe Texans strutting in synchronized unison. But don’t join in if you don’t know the moves, the regulars can be a bit unforgiving if you stomp on their Justin boots. Show up early on Wednesdays to get country dancing lessons.

Mardi Gras is not for you if you want an upscale and quiet place to drink or if you are into the newest and hottest music. But if you want a place in the middle of the state where you can sample a little music that’s just outside your usual range, you might try Mardi Gras. After all, if the something new doesn’t work for you, you know that there are three other choices right there.

Mardi Gras is near Warwick Mall at 1500 Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston, RI. You can call them at 401/463-3080.

For most of us, a night out is going to the movies, a happening dance club, or out to eat. That can get kind of repetitious after awhile. If you’re looking for a little more to do with you nights out, come with me and I’ll take you to a place where you can be a war-hungry goblin or maybe a giant alien with a machine gun! Welcome to the world of wargaming.

Nestled in a quiet little plaza down Warwick Avenue there is a little gem of shop called Veterans Gaming. It’s a cross between a hobby shop and a coffee shop – a little small, but it has a lot of character. Game tables line the back of the store, and Tim Blaney, the owner, has placed a few fold-out tables in the middle. These tables are free to use for your own pick-up game, when they aren’t in use for a tournament.

The store is amply stocked with Warhammer minatures kits and hobby paints. It also has a nice selection of collectable Magic the Gathering cards in the glass cases as well as a selection of roleplaying dice and game mats. You can even buy, sell or trade collectable game cards for store credit or cash.

At any time during the week you will find people reading books, working on laptops, or painting miniatures. After just a year, Veterans Gaming is quickly becoming the place to go for collectible card and tabletop gamers. From Magic the Gathering to Warhammer 40k, the shop hosts a nice assortment of options for the roleplaying gamer.

Tim Blaney the owner has been a Dungeons and Dragons enthusiast since he was 10 year old. His love for D&D and other fantasy games has manifested itself in his shop. The atmosphere at Veterans is friendly and laid-back, mostly due to the shop’s staff and regulars. Tim hopes to one day expand the store into two more locations, one in the Boston area and the other in central Connecticut.

Every week, Veterans Gaming hosts many different Magic the Gathering events. Tuesday and Thursday are your draft nights for Magic the Gathering. If you’re looking to start playing Magic, drafts are a good place to start. They are one of the more popular events at Veterans Gaming.

For the more seasoned magic player, Wednesday’s legacy tournament and Friday night’s FNM (Friday Night Magic) are probably more for you. These are the nights when the shop’s weekly sanctioned Magic tournaments are held. On top of increasing your ranking among Magic players, Veterans offers up an array of cards for prizes for the top performers in the tournaments.

Want to control and army of bloodthirsty orcs or lead your troops into battle in a heavily armored battle tank? Then you should probably check out the Warhammer events at Veterans. Throughout the week you can find people locked in mortal combat with their miniatures playing on the professional-looking, custom-made battlefield tabletops. On Saturdays, Games Workshop sponsors the Warhammer 40k tournaments.

For the D&D gamer, Veterans offers a couple of options. Beginning dungeon explorers and monster slayers will be happy to know that Veterans has them covered with books, dice, and figurines. Typically held on Wednesday nights, two different D&D events carry players into fantasy worlds. Every other week, Veterans holds an encounters game. A boardgame version is on the alternate weeks. For more information on the D&D gaming, visit www.rigaming .com

The staff makes this shop a standout. Besides being very knowledgeable, employees Frank and Javier are fun and energetic. Whether you come to play in the weekly events or sell some cards, they are more than happy to help you with your needs. What they don’t have in the store they can most likely order for you.

If you’re looking for a place to kill some extra time (and maybe a dragon or two) during the week or looking to start a new hobby, then Veterans is the best place to start.

You can find Vetrans Gaming just of Warwick Avenue at 943 Namquid Drive
Warwick, RI 02888. Their phone is (401) 572-3390. The shop’s hours of operation are Sunday 1-9pm, Monday-Thursday 1pm-11pm, Friday 10am-12pm and Saturday 1-9pm.

There are times that a weekend getway is just what you need. So, road trip style, with a minimum of planning, head East on I-195 until the freeway runs out and you find yourself in the very eastern tip of our neighboring state Massachussetts in the artsy destination Provincetown.

Popular activities such as boating, whale-watching, fishing and kayaking are perfect ways to spend a morning before heading down Commercial Street and stopping in the many shops and galleries that feature work by local artisans. Or choose to spend a day relaxing on one of the many beaches with stunning views. The Cape Cod National Seashore offers amazing opportunities to enjoy Provincetown’s world-renowned dunes that have been artist destinations for years.

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) sits comfortably amongst the historic homes that line the main thoroughfare; its galleries housing an extensive collection of American artwork. Restaurants for any budget offer everything from locally caught sea food to innovative and eclectic cuisine. No matter the taste or the budget, something for everyone can be found in Provincetown.

A seaside fishing village that is truly like no other, Provincetown has been hosting culturally diverse visitors since the Pilgrims first arrived in 1620 and encountered the Native Americans. A year-round destination nestled along the National Seashore, Provincetown transports visitors into a world that meshes significant arts and culture with America’s best beaches, the historic with the modern, and old-world charm with world-class lodging, dining and entertainment. Provincetown is also the number one destination for same sex weddings in America.

In our most recent visit to Provincetown, we were guests of the newly-rennovated Harbor Hotel, sitting right on the water. Locals remember it as the former Holiday Inn and more recently the Cape Inn. In its new incarnation, the hotel features crisp interiors that decorators call “Mid Century Modern”, a decor that feels appropriately artsy for Provincetown. The hotel has 118 rooms, some of which are dog friendly. We stayed in one of the ten suites, ours was on the second floor looking out across the tidal flats. As the weekend progressed, we watched the water advance and withdraw hundreds of feet across the sand.

On Saturday night, after a fine meal at the hotel’s restaurant, the Whaler Lounge, we sat outside at the fire pit, listening to the weekend’s live music entertainment as we watched the distant lights sparkle on Cape Cod Bay. On Sunday morning, after a filling contenental breakfast, we took a walk across the sand, looking at discarded shells and hints of underwater life.

During the afternoons, we explored galleries and shops in the buzzing downtown area, but we were always happy to return to our room to just kick back and relax. For us, before the height of the tourist season, the hotel was nothing but peace and quiet. During the season, the hotel with its restaurant, pool, and poolside bar would likely be a great place to kick back and relax with friends.

Had we been able to spend more time, we would have explored more of Provincetown’s natural attractions, particularly the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Ways to spend a vacation in Provincetown

Guided and Self-Guided Tours

• Marsh Walks (guided) – Nature’s Nursery Comes Alive through Science and Observation
• Canoe Tours (guided) – Discover the Nature and Wildlife of Provincetown’s Wetlands and Marshes
• National Seashore Bike Trail (self-guided) – Explore Province Lands’ Wilds with a Bike Ride Moments Away from Town’s Center
• Nature Trails throughout Cape Cod National Seashore (self-guided)
• Lighthouses and Life-Saving (guided and self-guided) – Tour Highland Light in Truro, and Old Harbor Life-Saving Station in Provincetown.
  Open seasonally.
• Kayaking (guided and self-guided rentals)

Provincetown Heritage Sites

• Provincetown-Area Shipwrecks on Stellwagen Bank www.nps.gov/caco/heritage/shipwrecks.html
  stellwagen.noaa.gov/
• Outer Cape Cod Light Houses www.nps.gov/caco/heritage/light_move.html
• Provincetown Public Library and the 62-foot-long half-scale model of a Grand Banks fishing schooner
• Expedition Whydah Sea Lab and Learning Center www.whydah.com/

Nature/Scenic Destinations

• Province Lands Visitor Center, Cape Cod National Seashore – Exhibits and Films Exploring a Diversity of Natural and Cultural Resources www.nps.gov/caco/places/provincelandsvc.html

Cultural Variety

• Race Point Station – Where Cape Cod Bay Meets the Atlantic Ocean www.nps.gov/caco/places/racepointstation.html
• The Truro Highlands – The Ice Age’s Glacial Outwash in the 21st Century www.nps.gov/caco/places/thehighlands.html
• Whale Watching Excursions – Dolphin Fleet or Portuguese Princess www.whalewatch.com — or — http://www.provincetownwhalewatch.com

The Arts in Provincetown

• The Provincetown Art Association and Museum www.paam.org
• Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center www.fawc.org/
• Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum www.pilgrim-monument.org

For more information about Provincetown, please visit www.provincetowntourismoffice.org.

One of the oldest cities in the country, the Society Capital of America for the prosperous, Newport Rhode Island is celebrated by a splendid display of countless structural designs, most noteably the mansions bult as summer cottages for the incredibly wealthy of the Gilded Age. But even though many of the mansions are now opened to the public as museums, there are still many Newport mansions still in private hands and viewable only through the front gates.

Sherwood Beachmound Clarendon Court High Tide Champs Soleil The Orchard  Photos by Linda S. Manning

Many 17th century fishing captains built modest colonial homes along the waterfront and close to the wharves. In the 1700’s known for her excellent port, Newport was a bustling city trading rum and spices. On a small scale, a building boom was in existence. Some of the oldest pre-revolutionary homes were built on the waterfront. Newport, for hundreds of years has attracted a varied population of inhabitants. With the success of production of luxury goods from famous artisans such as Townsend-Goddard, the 1800’s brought about talented architects such as Sanford-White, Peabody and Sterns, Richard Morris Hunt, George Champlin Mason and many more. The later part of the 1800’s found many pillars of society, the Vanderbilt, the Berwinds and the Oelrich’s in yet another building boom of the now famous Newport Summer Cottages along picturesque Bellevue Avenue.

With her glorious 22 miles of coastline surrounded by Rose, Gould and Coaster Harbor Islands, she is a magnificent representation of time gone by. Today, dressed up with gas lit lamps on cobblestone streets the Grand Mansions of long ago, still stand majestically on avenues and drives.

Step back to the past during the time of glitz and glamour and enjoy the elegant and luxurious mansions, many of which are now owned by The Preservation Society. However illustrated brilliantly, many of the remarkable mansions standing impressively on the high-status Bellevue Avenue and Ocean Drive were owned by various people of society, the Goelets, the Thaws, the Gammells, the Warrens, the Drapers and the Knights. Many of these flamboyant homes never open to the public stand as a testimony of the wealthy and their choice of superb architects of its time.

Beachmound, located on the end of Bellevue Avenue and the beginning of Ocean Drive overlooking Bailey’s Beach was built by Henry Ives Cobb for Benjamin Thaw in 1898. With walls and high hedges, it is difficult to see. Mr. Thaw was grandson of John Thaw who established a branch of the United States Bank of Philadelphia. The Thaws were major stockholders in that enterprise. Beachmound is a typical representation of a Colonial Revival structure. Gloriously standing today it houses condominiums and a third floor apartment of 3,000 square feet renting on a monthly basis in the summer for $12,000.

Built near the waters edge, on Ocean Avenue High Tide, a French Norman designed structure was erected in 1900 for New York industrialist and real estate operator, William Starr Miller. Architect Warren & Wetmore captured the essence of design. The interior was designed by Ogden Codman.

Horace Trumbauer, Architect for Edward C. Knight built Clarendon Court off Bellevue Avenue in 1904. Surrounded by cement walls and decorative gates Clarendon was built as a grand English house of the 18th century. Trumbauer also designed and built The Elms, for Edward Julis Berwind.

Champ Soleil built with 22 rooms by New York Architect Polhemus & Coffin in 1929 depicts a French-Norman Chateau. Located on 5.5 acres and planned after a residence in Versailles, the wrought iron gates imported from a Queen Anne home in London make viewing difficult. In 1946, landscape architect Unberto Innocenti designed the French parterre and formal gardens. Robert Goelet, son of Ogden Goelet, (owner of Ochre Court given to Salve Regina) purchased and completely renovated the mansion.

A drive on Bellevue Avenue with all its opulence and architecture shows the many mansions erected in past times that now transitioned to condominiums, such as Sherwood on 553 Bellevue.

The Orchard behind green and gold iron gates on Narragansett Avenue was built for Mrs. William Draper. A long tree lined drive fringes the estate.

As we wander through history, there isn’t a better place than Newport Rhode Island to experience the lavish and ornate architecture that skirts the oceans edge. Keep in mind most of the splendid cottages owned by affluent individuls are behind walls, gates, fences and lots of trees.

Enjoy a scenic drive and see for yourself!

With its centuries of appeal from the Colonial days of the 1600’s to a venue for the wealthy during The Gilded Age in the late 1800’s, Newport boasts the birth of a prosperous society’s summer cottages used for lavish parties for the likes of the Dukes, Astors, and Vanderbilts.

I love hardwood floors.  I grew up with hard wood floors; no wall-to-wall carpeting but beautifully constructed hardwood floors.  My dad was always polishing them with the old-fashioned buffer and butcher’s wax.  They were gorgeous when he was done. Then, the four of us kids would wander into the house with our wet boots and mark up the floors, again.  Sound familiar?

Today, I own my own home.  It’s small, but big enough for my family.  One of the things that I encouraged me to buy this particular house was the fact that it had hardwood floors.  Beautiful, original hardwood floors, complete with the wear and tear of its former owners.  I never wanted to do anything to floors but clean them occasionally. I am not really partial to the shiny, polyurethane floors; I like the look of hardwood floors, in spite of (or maybe even because) the inevitable scratches and dings from a house being a home.

Now that the floors are mine, it is time to clean my hardwood floors.  In the past, I think I tried every possible hardwood floor cleaner on the market, but still wasn’t pleased with the results.  My youngest son kept telling me that I should buy a steamer for the floors, as that is probably the best way to clean them.  Would you believe that after considering this option, a company that makes hardwood floor cleaners, The Haan Corporation, asked if I wanted to try theirs?  What a coincidence!

The Haan Corporation was started by a Korean woman named Romi Haan.  Being a Korean wife and mother, one of the things that is very important to their culture is having a clean floor. After tireless days of cleaning and worrying about whether the floor was sanitary enough, Romi developed the idea of cleaning with steam.  No chemicals, no more wringing out a dirty mop, but using clean tap water that is heated to produce steam.

Romi Haan worked with a multitude of engineers and product designers to develop a product that would be easy to use, clean, sanitize and last a long a very long time. From that point on, her desire for better quality products that are also Earth friendly resulted in a whole line of steam products that would suit just about anyone. In fact, after her products were introduced to the United States in 2007, more and more consumers opted to use steam to clean their homes instead of chemical laden products.

Knowing that I wasn’t going to be applying heavy chemicals to the floors that my animals could become sick from, I was looking forward to using this machine.  I had the pleasure of using the SL60 Haan steamer.  This particular product had two steam settings; the low setting is used on hardwoods and vinyls and the high setting is used on tile and stone. It also came with two microfiber floor pads that can be used over and over again after being machined washed.  I set the setting for low and within 20 seconds, the tap water was heated.

I pushed the lightweight steamer over the floors and instantly noticed that they didn’t look as dingy as before.  The water tank is used only for producing the steam and the floor pads absorb all the dirt.  I was amazed at how dirty the floor pad was after only a few applications of the steam.  I was able to get into hard to get at places plus, the corners of the room as the head of the steamer swiveled back and forth.

After the room was cleaned, I waited for the floors to dry and see the results.  While they were drying, I emptied the water tank and removed the floor pad.  Was it dirty?  It was MORE than dirty.  I couldn’t believe now dirty the floors had been, but I shouldn’t have been surprised with a family and four animals.  And, to think that I used to apply chemicals to the floors that my animals would lay on daily and even walked over the floors sometime when they were drying.  With this steam cleaner, I didn’t have to worry anymore.

Clean floors at last!  I mean, clean!  I could even see the designs of the hardwoods now, and not the dirt that laid in the cracks.  I was so impressed!  I told everyone about how well this product was and how it can be used on so many things, not just hardwoods.  I was also pleased with the fact that my floors were now germ free, as steam kills more than 99% of all germs.  And, it was so easy to use that I was done with one room in only 15 minutes.  To clean an entire room’s floor in only 15 minutes was more than remarkable.

I definitely would recommend this product to anyone that wants to keep their home germ free, be kind to the environment and still have enough time left over to relax.  Would I buy another Haan product in the future?   Definitely!

The Haan Corporation produces a whole line of steamers that would be compatible for many different consumers. This has to be one of the best inventions yet!  Check out their website for more information, pricing and availability at: www.haanusa.com/steam-cleaners.html.   Clean floors at last!

The 1801 Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington that lives in the Newport Colony House was recently covered so it is not clearly visible. With the busy summer season approaching, why cover such an important painting? At the 1739 Colony House, where the portrait resides, Phase Three of vital restoration work is beginning.

Located at the head of Washington Square, the Colony House, a striking reminder of Newport’s prominence during the colonial era, is undergoing a series of important repairs. The work includes: repairing the brownstone, including the outside stairs; work on the roof’s structures; repairing the clock on the building’s façade; painting the floor in the Great Hall; and painting the second floor chamber rooms.

The Old Colony House, also known as Old State House or Newport Colony House, is located at the east end of Washington Square in the city of Newport. It is a brick Georgian-style building completed in 1741, and became the meeting place for the colonial legislature. From independence to the early 20th century the state legislature alternated its sessions between here and the Rhode Island State House in Providence.

It has not been altered much since its construction. As one of the best-kept surviving Georgian public buildings in the United States from the colonial era, it was designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1960. It is also a contributing property to the Newport Historic District, later designated an NHL itself. It is still owned by the state, but managed as a museum by the Newport Historical Society.

Besides its political and architectural importance, the building was the site of many important Revolutionary events in Rhode Island. George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower have both been guests at the building. It has been used as a barracks, hospital, courthouse and even as a location for a Steven Spielberg film.

Paint analysis, a scientific study of the wall’s paint used to determine the 18th and early 19th century colors, was performed by John Vaughn of Architectural Conservation Services. Mr. Vaughn’s work informed a team comprised of staff members from the Newport Historical Society and the State’s Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission who will determine the scheme for painting this spring. Colors are being examined for the Council Chamber’s 1784 and 1812 appearance. In the Chamber of Deputies, Mr. Vaughn determined colors for the 1841/1842 appearance which reflects the courtroom’s early Victorian design, and for the polychrome paint campaign that was applied in 1854.

The Colony House, owned by the State of Rhode Island and managed by the Newport Historical Society, was constructed between 1739 and 1742. Phases One and Two of the restoration, which ran in 2010 and 2011, focused on painting the building’s exterior and the Great Hall: painting, restoring the plaster and individually repairing the building’s grand windows.

“The Colony House is one of the most important buildings in Colonial America,” explains the Historical Society’s Executive Director Ruth Taylor, “and we are delighted to assist in helping to return the property to its historic appearance.”

Many of the events leading up to and surrounding the Revolution in Rhode Island centered on the Colony House. In 1761 news of the death of King George II and his succession by his grandson George III was announced from the balcony. Three years later, the inaugural board meeting of the Corporation of the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island, which became Brown University, took place in the building. In 1765, Newport’s citizens gathered around to celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act, which led to riots that damaged the houses of three prominent supporters of the Act, including the nearby Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, an NHL which is today the oldest house in the city.

As the colony’s General Assembly began preparing for war, it ordered that weapons be stored in Colony House in 1774. Two years later, the Declaration of Independence was read from the front steps. The British occupied Newport, then the colonial capital, later that year. During that time the building was used as a barracks. When the French joined the war later and drove the British out of the city, they used the building as a hospital. It is widely believed that a French Army chaplain celebrated Rhode Island’s first Roman Catholic Mass at Colony House during this period, but no evidence has been found of this.

After the surrender at Yorktown, in 1782, Rochambeau held a banquet in the building’s first-floor Great Hall to honor George Washington.

Visitors can view the work in progress during the Society’s Public & Private Spaces tour. Offered on Saturdays from April through June 16th at 11:30am, tour the Colony House and the c.1697 Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House. Tours cost $12 per person and depart from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, 127 Thames Street. Call 401-841-8770 for reservations.

Since 1854, the Newport Historical Society has collected and preserved the artifacts, photographs, documents, publications, and genealogical records that relate to the history of Newport County, to make these materials readily available for both research and enjoyment, and to act as a resource center for the education of the public about the history of Newport County, so that knowledge of the past may contribute to a fuller understanding of the present. For more information please visit www.NewportHistory.org.

My little adventure, called an “Airman’s Flight”, was designed to introduce potential student pilots to the joy of flying. Not as intense as a formal flight lesson, I still received a detailed walk-through on the pre-flight inspection and the use of the yoke, rudder, throttle, and trim controls. Sorry about the jargon there, I could have said “all the knobs and wheels that control where the plane goes.”

The teaching started on ground. “An airplane is not the best place to learn the basic concepts,” said Horizon’s office manager, Chris Porter. “There’s a lot going on and a lot of noise.” Student pilots get 40 hours of classroom time, with extensive flying experience, but for the airman’s flight, I got a half-hour of easy-to-understand instructions on what a small plane owner goes through every time he wants to fly off to Block Island or Niagara Falls.

There’s no substitute for actually flying, though. Being told on the ground that a plane has a delay between turning the yoke and when it actually begins to tilt is not the same as experencing it in the air. Being told that the bumps and wobbles are absolutely normal and nothing to worry about is not the same thing as seeing the calm pilot not even reaching for the controls when the plane jumps to the side.

We started at Horizon Aviation’s offices at the north end of TF Green Airport, in the building that lifelong Rhode Islanders may associate with Hillsgrove. Under the watchful eye of my trainer Steve Wesolowski, I steered the plane along the ground using foot pedals to control the rudder and the brakes. Just that experience drove home the point that an airplane does not drive like a car.

We took off from the same runways the big airliners use, taking to the air in just a few hundred feet. Flying South, we were past Goddard Park and almost to Quonsett Point before we settled in at 2500 feet and Steve said it was my time to fly.

Flying at 130 mph at 2500 feet feels like you’re barely moving. Tilting the nose down by pushing the yoke forward a little doesn’t change the altitude much, since the plane speeds up and creates more lift. A 30-degree turn may seem tame when you’re sitting at home describing it to your family, but in the air it feels like the whole plane is standing on the tip of the wing.

I was so focused on the dials and the horizon line, I didn’t even notice that we had traveled from Quonset to Point Judith. Once we turned West to travel out toward Misquamicut Beach, I started paying attention to the ground.

It was a beautiful day for flying, and a beautiful day for looking at the world from a couple thousand feet up. The views were incredible.

We circled back, across the bottom of Jamestown Island, up the eastern side of Newport, over the Mount Hope bridge, and finally back to TF Green.

Before I flew, I had never looked out the front window of a plane in flight. Now I’m not sure I’ll ever be content to look out the tiny side windows of airliners ever again.

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My airman’s flight was arranged through the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association and courtesy of the the wonderful folks in Rhode Island’s Horizon Aviation. To book your own airman’s flight or to set up a full series of flight lessons to get your certification, visit the AOPA website at LetsGoFlying.com, or Horizon Aviation at www.HorizonAviation.com.