Friday, September 1, 2017

The Tales of the Traveling Tote #12 and GIVEAWAY



The Tales of the Traveling Tote is a series of adventures that share where our Mackenzie Childs tote bags have taken us.  Four times a year a group of bloggers each write a connected post about the places we have been. We have built incredible friendships through our blogs and we hope you enjoy our tales as much as we do!

To read about how it all began, go HERE


Here's my tale:

 The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything!


Many Saturday mornings over the summer were spent at the Farmer's Market ...


...and my Traveling Tote was often filled with fresh veggies and fruits...
  

...and flowers.


There were a few trips to Ohio this summer to visit family:


Mom and I (and Miss Taylor) spent a Sunday in July in Sharon Springs with the Beekman Boys, touring the farm, lunching and shopping:


...you can read about the day here



A few days later John and I ventured out to Sodus Bay....


...a beautiful town in NY on Lake Ontario...


...and we visited the Sodus Lighthouse Museum...


...which was built in 1870...


...with an adjoining dwelling for the "keeper"...


...which is now a museum.

In the distance you can see the Sodus Point Beacon:


...the property is lovely, with gardens, benches and a refreshing lake breeze! 


The next weekend was the Mackenzie-Childs Barn Sale, so it was "back to the Motherland" for some great bargains and my "Barn Sale Pic with Justin from NYC" and you can read about that day HERE:


August came quickly and we went to Ohio for a Yankees Game and a birthday party - three generations spent the weekend in Cleveland:



At least once in the summer we drive up to Oswego, on Lake Ontario, to eat at Rudy's - a local fried food joint on the water.  A week before, a storm, with waves of over 10' high, washed stones up over their sea wall and ripped up parts of the cement patio.  Many hours were spent cleaning up the area however there is still a lot of work to do as some picnic tables are still under stones!  The water was so calm that night, but it was not too sunny and we missed what could have been a great sunset!  So on the way home we stopped for ice cream and John had an idea for a photo op in the large Adirondack chair:



At the end of August I spent a few days working in Albany and enjoyed Saratoga Springs after work each day.

Saratoga water is rich in minerals and is one of the few carbonated springs in the country.  The springs are the result of a geological fault that allows water trapped in shale layers to surface. Historically, Mohawk and Iroquois tribes drank and bathed in Saratoga waters to celebrate the waters' supposed strong healing and curative properties. Local lore says that the Mowhawks called the area "Serachtuague" to refer to it as a "place of fast moving water." Early settlers may have mispronounced this word, leading to the anglicised "Saratoga."
Once discovered by settlers, accounts of its healthful benefits caught on in a big way. Even George Washington was an advocate of its restorative powers.
Each time I work in Albany, I scout out something new to discover and this time I was on the hunt  to find the springs and take a taste of the water!

Today there are approximately 21 mineral springs in Saratoga, located at various points throughout the city, each one varying slightly in its chemical makeup and flavor. The springs also taste different depending on the season.  I brought along a cup in hopes of gaining some healing powers!  The Hathorn Springs tasted like sulfur and it left a terrible taste in my mouth!

Hathorn Spring, renowned as a digestive curative:


Columbian Spring:


Deer Park Spring


Island Sprouter Spring, surrounded by an island of hardened minerals:


Polaris Spring in Saratoga Spa Park:


If you go to Saratoga Springs, take the time to search for a few of the springs!


August ended with the NY State Fair, which signifies the unofficial end of summer in NY:



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


 Linda at More Fun Less Laundry is sponsoring our giveaway this time so leave a comment to enter the giveaway on her blog!

Stop by our hostess Linda’s at More Fun Less Laundry to leave a comment to enter the giveaway


Come along and travel with:
Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 
Emily with Miss Courtney ChildsThe French Hutch
Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron
Katie with Miss Daisy @ Preppy Empty Nester
Linda with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry
Linda with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda
Rita with Miss Luna C Panoply 
Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul



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Patti @ Pandoras Box
Patti @ Pandoras Box

I live in central NY and I am a retired family and consumer science teacher. I enjoy all types of crafting, decorating and cooking

13 comments:

  1. Patti, You have a beautiful family! And you look adorable sitting in that hilariously huge chair! I hope the ice cream was yummy. I'm looking at your tote within a tote on the back seat of your car. A very clever idea! Did you notice how excited you look in your photo at the Barn Sale? We must all meet there someday. Not so excited to be drinking that water, though! I've tried various "health springs waters" from around the world and they all taste like that!! And usually smell too! I'll stick with my favorite fresh water Poland Springs from Maine! That lighthouse is a very similar design to the Stonington Light on the CT/RI border and one in the bay in Newport, with the stone tower on a building. Fascinating, thanks for taking us along on your adventures! Linda

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  2. Great post Patti! In my next life I want to come back as your tote. One of next year's resolutions includes making it to the barn sale. Have a great weekend!

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  3. I agree with Katie, your tote gets around!! You seem to always be taking trips, are you ever just at home?! I can't imagine going to the barn sale with manic MKC lovers, what a blast! It's so fun that your husband suggests photo ops, mine never has a clue as to what I'm up too, which he thinks is always something crazy :) I am curious about how the springs taste, I figured they wouldn't taste good, but maybe you got some restorative powers with just a sip! Thank you for including me in the tote sorority and I look forward to more of your trips and adventures!

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  4. Patti, what a wonderful and exciting summer you've had. I love to follow you around through your posts, I always come away feeling as if I've traveled there. Maybe we can all meet up and attend the barn sale at some point, from the look in the photos It must be exciting and such fun coming away with all those bargains. I"m intrigued with the springs, were you allowed to try it? Looking forward to seeing you soon..............

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  5. Patti, it's always fun reading about your adventures! :) I would love to visit the Beekman Boys....I bet their farm is so pretty. Next year I'm determined to visit the Barn Sale......My MacKenzie-Childs I-Must-Needs-This List is getting ridiculously long!!! ;P

    xo,
    Ricki Jill

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  6. Well, I'm here to tell you that you certainly get around. I marvel at all you get done as well as all the traveling you do. I'm a tab jealous of all those beautiful flowers and gardens, not to mention the trip to meet the Beekman Boys. I hope to visit their farm next summer when in upstate NY. Actually I'm so excited about next summer and what's in-store I almost want to just skip over the next months and welcome July. '-)
    Of course there are lots of fun things in the works before that. Looking forward to October in NY!

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  7. Your travels are so rich, so many and so varied that a synopsis with links is about the only way to fit all of yours into one post, Patti! I absolutely loved the trip to OH celebrating 3 generations and, of course, Aurora and Sharon Springs. What I didn't realize was the vast number of mineral springs! I knew Saratoga had several, and had that 'healing waters' in common with West Virginia's White Sulphur Springs of the Greenbrier, but you were much braver than I'd be to taste that sulphur quality - yuck!
    A busy summer for you, and I'm beginning to wonder if you EVER slow down. Energizer bunny's got nothing on you!
    Thanks for leading us through the friendship and antics, and what has now become a natural tendency to find a 'trip' (and photo op) in just about any and every day life experiences!
    XO

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  8. Fun!! Upstate New York is just so beautiful. I'm jealous that you spent time there. I have a great friend in Fairport so I've been there several times. Two years ago we went MC but it was right after the barn sale. I'd love to go to that sometime.

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  9. Love the picture with traveling tote...

    Please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

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  10. Wow, you had a busy summer! Joe went to college in Oswego, on Lake Ontario, and I've been wanting to go to Rudy's. Next summer for sure, maybe Harborfest. Looking forward to our get together in October. Have a great weekend!

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  11. Good Times toting your tote 👜!!!!! I love when u write about places in NY ... in this southern gal's mind, days in NY are all supposed to be cold, snowy and well...not summery. Is that crazy? Plus I always visit in the fall/winter months and that's what it's been like. So I LOVE seeing your fun summer times toting ms childs around in the sunshine!!!

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  12. This is a great post...lots of photos which I like. :)
    Looks like you AND the bag had a busy and fun time. xoxo

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  13. You and your traveling tote had a great summer! I love the Sodus Point Lighthouse area....so pretty. We went to a concert there that was held in the gazebo....so nice. I loved all your pictures!

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