Nadine Moved

I even got to help Nadine Sedai move! I helped her put up her Tiki collection.



After all the moving was done, we went out and got a tree for the holiday season, and I helped hang ornaments.




My time so far with Nadine Sedai has been really informative and exciting. I look forward to my next adventure!

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving we went to Zhareen Sedai's house. Zhareen made us lots and lots of yummy food, and of course she had a cheese plate for us Browns. :D




She also introduced me to Starbucks, the greatness of the Green Goddess! She gave me my own super sized cup! It was goodness! :D

Last Day in Easton PA

Our last day visiting Easton, PA, Nadine Sedai took me to get a hot dog at Jimmy's Hot Dogs. They are the best hot dogs ever!! They have been in business since 1910!!! They originally started in a tiny shop in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, right across the river in downtown Easton. That is where Nadine Sedai's Mom grew up and she would take Nadine there to get hot dogs and chocolate milk when she was a little girl.

Then in 1991 Jimmy's moved across the bridge into a shopping center in Easton.

Touring Easton, PA

Today was awesome! I got to see lots of neat places in Nadine Sedai's hometown. First thing in the morning we went to pick out her wedding cake. Nadine Sedai's Mom told me how it was one of the best bakeries in Easton, even though it is only this little tiny hole in the wall place. But sure enough when we got there, the place was jumping! Tons of people coming and going, picking up the bakeries home made doughnuts, or cakes. It was very exciting! And the lady, Mitzi who will be doing Nadine Sedai's cake was very friendly and really knew the business.

Here I am with Nadine Sedai outside Easton Bakery.




Next, we toured around downtown Easton. Nadine Sedai's Mom was really excited to show me around and was more than happy to take pictures.

First stop was the main tourist starting place, Two Rivers Landing, where folks can come and get tickets to go to the Crayola factory, a trolley ride through Easton, and other tourist attractions. And to prove why Nadine Sedai can be so stubborn, as is common for Two Rivers folk. *wink*



And here we are in front of the Crayola store. Nadine Sedai's Mom works for the company that makes the Crayola markers. She told me about how the barrels are made in molding machines, and then the ink is put in, and the tip, called a nib is placed in the top. Rather fascinating.



Then they took me around the back of the building and told me to stand in this one particular place. *blinks* Not sure why though...




Next stop was the famous clock outside of Bixler's jewelry store, America's oldest jeweler. They were established in 1785 and are celebrating 220 years of service!! Nadine Sedai told me that Bixler's has been doing the areas high school class rings, and that is where she got her's.




Then we went across the street to the Centre Square where the Declaration of Independence was read on July, 8, 1776, and where it is continued to be read every year on that date when Easton has a huge celebration, and downtown is shut down for a few days.




Then Nadine Sedai took me over to an alley off of the Centre Square to show me one of the dance clubs she used to frequent, called Mother's.




Down another alley a couple blocks up from the Centre Square, I got to see the famous ice cream shoppe, The Purple Cow Creamery! Yummy!



Down the same alley right next to the Purple Cow Creamery is the Pez Museum, which I found very interesting. To think one person collected enough pex dispensers to open their own museum. *blinks*




Then we went down to the rivers and saw the waterfall and I read some of the history of Two Rivers.




Nadine Sedai also showed me the State Theater in Easton. The theater has gone through a lot of remodeling and a lot of big names have been there including Bill Cosby and Jeff Foxworthy.




Right across the street from the State Theater is a little tattoo and piercing boutique called Pleasure and Pain, where Nadine Sedai got her tongue pierced.




Whew! What a busy day we had!

My trip to Easton, PA

Well we arrived in Easton, PA safe and sound. Nadine Sedai's Mom was really happy to see us and took us all out to dinner that night. She told me that this little Italian restruant, called LaBella's, served the best hot wings in the whole Lehigh Valley. So I bravely tasted them, with some yummy Bleu cheese dressing of course, and I concur, they were rather tasty!



After dinner we went back to Nadine Sedai's parents house and relaxed and talked and played some cards. They also taught me a neat game 25 Words or Less.

Then it was off to bed to rest up.

Arriving at Nadine Sedai's

Well, my time with Adolla Sedai was awesome! And she sent to spend some time with Nadine Sedai. And it has been really busy ever since. *blinks*

I arrived and she first introduced me to her two dust bunnies, Chocolate, and Lisa.



They seemed pretty friendly, though much more interested in just reading than the adventures I was looking for.

Then Nadine Sedai introduced me to her cat, Nia. I was pretty scared at first, but then Nia curled right up next to me after sniffing me for a bit. I then decided she liked me :)




I was pretty tired from my trip there, and the very next day we were leaving to travel to Nadine Sedai's hometown Easton, Pennsylvania to visit her family and for her to do some wedding planning.

Historic Frederick

Today Adolla took me exploring sites in her home town. Our first stop was Mount Olivet, a historic cemetery. Here I am sitting on the memorial marking Francis Scott Key's final resting place.

Key was born in Frederick and practice law in the area. During the War of 1812 he was taken prisoner aboard a British ship where he wrote the poem that became the National Anthem. His family had his body moved from it's original burial plot in Baltimore to the family plot in Frederick where they erected this monument. They rededicated this chapel in his honor in 1998.

Another patriot buried here is Governor Thomas Johnson. Johnson was a member of the Continental Congress. He nominated George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, he served as Maryland's First Governor and was Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. His is one of the first written opinions found in the US Supreme Court Records.

Moving up in time we find the Burial place of Barbara Fritchie. She was immortalized in a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier. Supposedly when the Confederate Army was marching through Frederick this frisky 95 year old leaned out of her second floor window and proclaimed, " Shoot, if you must, this old gray head, but spare your country's flag." It's unknown if this scene actually happened but in her earlier years she was a patriot and friends with Francis Scott Key.

Maryland may have remained in the Union but most of her citizens remained supporters for the Southern Cause during the Civil War. In a corner of the cemetery 408 unknown confederate soldiers buried side by side.

Next we headed out to see where these men died. The Monocacy National Battlefield.

Fought near the Monocacy river this battle was the third and final attempt of the Confederacy to enter the North. General Grant had sent the majority of his troops to Petersburg Virginia to fight General Lee's troops so Confederate General Jubal Early took his chance to storm the Shenandoah Valley and possibly capture Washington while it was nearly defenseless. Grant refused to heed warnings from B&O Rail President John Garrett and refused to send troops. Union General Lew Wallace took it upon himself to check out matters and meet the confederate troops at the Monocacy River. They fought hard and eventually lost the battle but they were able to hold the Confederate troops enough for Grant to move reinforcements to DC.

Here I am standing next to a monument to General Lew Wallace and the 14th New Jersey Regiment that fought so bravely here.

Long Train to Maryland

So this weekend was fun. Adolla took me to meet Lexie Sedai. I was warned that Greens lick and it was definitely true.

I learned that non-cushy cats are really big and scary.

This morning Adolla's mother drove us up to Greensboro where we drove by the Woolworth's where the Sit-in movement started on February 1st, 1960. Unfortunately we were unable to get a picture due to construction. :( We got our tickets for DC and waited in the newly refurbished train depot.

The train ride was exciting and we got to see lots of pretty scenery.

I took a long nap and before I knew it we were at Adolla's home in Frederick Maryland.

My First Stop

After a weary day I have reached my first destination, Asheboro North Carolina. My means of travel, the United States Postal Service, was efficient if lacking in emenities. I arrived upon the doorstep of Adolla Sedai's mother.

I was greeted with much enthusiasm, though I was told that Aes Sedai were rather dignified. I think my decission to trust these women was not in error despite the various warnings I keep getting.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I was sitting around with all my cushy brethren when I decided to read my tag and apparently today is my birthday. The wise people at Purr-fection named me and all my brothers Adrienne. How boring, I want to be unique, I want to travel, I want to see the world beyond the toy-cupboard. So I've decided that today, my 8th birthday, I would adventure forth into the world.

I got online and found some helpful ladies at TarValon.net. They call themselves the Brown Ajah and they seem to know a great deal about the world. With their help I rechristened myself Ferdinand, which means courageous traveler. Tonight I will set off on my first adventure.