Tag Archives: veterans

Newport – Day 5… a brewery/vineyard combo where we made a new friend.

April 29, 2025 Rivergirl 11 Comments

As our fifth day in glorious Newport, Rhode Island was drawing to a close… we made one final stop.

Needing a bottle or two of regional wine to gift our pet sitting neighbor upon our return, we ducked into a local favorite.

I can honestly say I’ve never visited a winery that’s also a brewery, but this place made it work.

With multiple tasting rooms…

And outdoors spaces…

We browsed their large retail shop, purchased two bottles of wine for our neighbor and chuckled at this hard cider I know Mark would love.

Making our way into the tasting room, we stood on line and ordered a flight.

Which is when the men who stood beside us paid for it. Thanking my husband for his service and saying Semper Fi started a conversation with one of them which would last until the employees were locking the doors and we were the last people in the building. My husband’s money was no good and stories of the military flowed.

Turns out this fellow was a Commander who was in the Persian Gulf the same time as my husband and an instant friendship was formed.

I’ve been married to my guy for 41 years and have heard his stories so many times I could recite them myself, but there’s something about veterans getting together and talking about their experiences that resonates. It’s special. A brotherhood that civilians can never truly understand.

Commemorating the meeting with a photo as I always do, our new friend asked me to text him a copy and shortly after we parted ways sent me this message.

He included this old photo.

And not that we needed one, but reuniting these two men will be an excellent excuse to visit Newport again.

❤️

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Newport – Day 5…. in which we visit Narragansett and Galilee and have lunch beside an old Marine.

April 27, 2025 Rivergirl 8 Comments

Another day, another scenic coastal drive.

Through Narragansett…

And under the remnants of its once famous casino.

Down to the end of a peninsula, an area called Galilee.

You can see Jerusalem from there.

No, I wasn’t kidding.

Our destination was George’s.

A seafood restaurant with a water view.

Lunch off season left us with the place pretty much to ourselves….

So I settled in with a perfectly refreshing Spring Sangria…

grey goose l’orange vodka, st. germain, pineapple, white wine, club soda

Husband started with garlicky mussels..

And I had Rhode Island clam chowder, which is pretty much the same as New England clam chowder… rich, creamy and delicious.

Before long a few locals joined us at the bar.

Since the gentleman closest to me was wearing a Marine Corps hat, a conversation began. These two men had been friends since they were in elementary school. They married local girls, went to war and came back home to raise families.

We bought their drinks.

As we watched the Block Island ferry come into port.

My crab stuffed shrimp with garlic butter roasted baby potatoes and broccolini was divine.

As was the husband’s shrimp scampi.

After eating, serious storytelling commenced.

😊

I left them to it and wandered outside to enjoy the view.

You can always tell when a fishing boat has taken on bait.

They have a dedicated seagull following.

🐟🐟🐟

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This makes my heart smile.

October 4, 2024 Rivergirl 14 Comments

We had a surprise visitor the other day.

It was a childhood friend of my husband’s from Connecticut who had stopped by my BIL’s and wanted to drop in to say hello.

After thoroughly checking out the husband’s new treasure, we moved into the man cave/Barn Mahal where I took a picture.

(Husband’s brother on the left, old friend in the middle.)

If you look closely… in between my husband and his friend, you’ll see a framed photo on the wall.

This photo, taken in Vietnam in 1968.

( Husband on the right, old friend on the left, brother next to old friend)

Three of those four men were reunited in our barn 56 years later.

That made my heart smile.

❤️

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A nice surprise.

March 21, 2022 Rivergirl 19 Comments

The husband and I tried a relatively new restaurant/pub last week.

And from the quality of their cocktails, I see a return trip in our future.

The snow covered cranberry was delightful.

As was the gin sipper, but it was this sign that got my husband’s attention.

Now that’s a great idea, and clearly quite popular.

When our spinach flatbread appetizer came out to the table without the aforementioned spinach? The owner immediately came over and said a replacement was being made which he would box up for us take home, free. As was the fabulous error flatbread we were already halfway through. And when he saw my husband’s USMC hat? The beer was free as well. I could get used to this place.

A fried haddock sandwich with dill aioli and a harvest salad with blackened chicken later, we were replete. After tipping large and dropping $10 on the bar to pay for a couple of veteran’s beers later… we walked out past this.

Clearly there’s a history of service at this restaurant/pub.

And while I’m not a religious person, I do appreciate the honor paid to our veterans.

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Love was in the air.

March 2, 2021 Rivergirl 22 Comments

A rather tardy Valentines Day post.

A bouquet of flowers was delivered that morning….

And while I don’t think it was our local florist’s best work, the sentiment remained steadfast.

Early afternoon found us out in the barn and back at the Scrabble board.

Although the way it started reminded me a little too much of Bill and Monica.

Did I win?

Such a silly question.

Unbeknownst to my husband, I’d made early evening reservations at one of his favorite restaurants and before the place got too crowded, we slipped in for a glorious meal.

Long stemmed red roses were given to ladies upon entry… and petals were scattered everywhere. On the floor, on the window sills, on the chairs…..

Even under the beer taps.

We settled happily at the bar (the husband’s preferred spot because one of the bartenders was a Marine which can lead to hours long conversations) and I tucked into a few delightful Rum Punches. We had appetizers that I forgot to photograph… garlic Parmesan wings for the husband, creamy clam chowder for me… and were awaiting our meals when this older couple sat down across from us.

In case you can’t see it, the man was wearing a Marine Corps tee shirt. It was at that moment I knew I was doomed.

Like recognizes like… and within minutes the gentleman uttered the words I never want to hear on Valentines Day.

Semper Fi.

My husband bought them a round of drinks. They bought us a round of drinks. Military stories were traded across the bar….and by the time our lovely meals arrived?

Filet Oscar with fresh lobster, roasted fingerling potatoes and grilled asparagus for the husband.

Filet au Poivre with cremini mushroom brandied cream sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes and grilled asparagus for me…

I’d lost him.

And ended up eating most of my meal alone.

So when I said love was in the air?

Apparently I was talking about the Corps.

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Random things and thoughts.

December 3, 2020 Rivergirl 24 Comments

What passes for news in my town?

Oh no! The poor girl. Being roosterless is a terrible thing.

Or so I’ve heard…

A while back I made a Facebook Veterans Day post with some photos of the hubby in uniform. I found these after the fact.

In Beirut, Lebanon October 1983 with the bombed out Marine barracks in the background.

He took 12 bodies out of that building.

A horrible day.

This one was in Newport, Rhode Island (not sure of the year) He was receiving a commendation for saving a man’s life.

That’s my husband. And yes, I’m proud.

A frosty sunrise photo down by the river.

Okay, maybe you didn’t used to drink in the woods…. but I was a teenager who grew up on an Island in Maine. We drank everywhere.

And finally, an update.

Yay.

I love a happy ending.

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Strolling Colonial Williamsburg…. The Liberty Lounge and peacocks.

January 31, 2020 Rivergirl 17 Comments

I’m not sure you could find a more charming place to spend the day than Colonial Williamsburg.

History aside….

It’s just a perfectly lovely town.

Did you know the pineapple is a symbol of hospitality?

Learn why here.

Live Oak trees dominate the landscape, spreading their limbs for decades on end….

And I was seriously enjoying the all natural Christmas decorations.

How clever is that?

And while I was wreath gazing….

The husband spotted the entrance to a lounge reserved for veterans and their families.

To be honest I dreaded going inside. My husband has the gift of gab every day of the year, but when surrounded by other servicemen and women? I’ve spent half my married life waiting for him to conclude conversations.

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But there was free tea, coffee and hot cider…..

And thankfully, a veteran free room.

Of course he spotted the challenge coin cases which started a 45 minute long convo with the staff of volunteers….. but he added a coin of his own, which admittedly was rather nice.

An hour later? More decorations…

More wreaths…

Some cleverly trimmed shrubbery ….

And the silversmith’s shop…

We oohed and aahed and chatted with the man who ran it.

Did you know the phrase “put your money to work” dates from colonial times before the advent of paper currency? You were normally paid in silver, and instead of having bags of the stuff laying around your home…. you took it to the local silversmith who melted it down and made you a fabulous coffee urn or tea set. Your money was “put to work” and you got to flaunt your wealth to visitors. A win, win situation.

Many of his beautiful pieces were for sale in the shop next door…. but the husband wasn’t thrilled with the idea of me spending his hard earned silver to bring some home.

So we strolled.

And were amazed to learn some of these nice little homes were still privately owned.

Who in the world would want to live in the middle of a tourist attraction?

But more importantly…

Where do I find a peacock for next year’s Christmas wreath?

22ey1p

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Cape Cod Day 4….Martha’s Vineyard

January 2, 2020 Rivergirl 15 Comments

The forecast for Veteran’s Day was warm and bright so we decided to book passage on the Steamship Authority’s car ferry over to the Vineyard. This is something I’ve always wanted to do and I was tickled pink. Having no idea where, how much, or when…. we dropped by the ticketing office the night before and were rewarded with these –

Free tickets for the husband.

How sweet was that?

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We reserved a spot on the 9:30am ferry from Woods Hole and were told to arrive half an hour before departure. Ever the type A personality, I made sure we were there 45 minutes prior and as soon as we pulled up, they pointed us towards the 8:15 freight trip and boom!

We were on board.

With a giant load of Christmas trees.

Being used to small Maine island ferries, I was amazed at how large these ships were.

And how clean, and how spacious, and what great views they afforded.

We happily roamed around taking pictures…

And found a snack bar!

Okay…. it wasn’t open off season, but still. If you want a snack on a Maine ferry? You better dig in your purse for that crushed pack of Nabs from 2003.

And then, before we knew it….

We were there.

Approaching Vineyard Haven.

And yes, it was just as beautiful and quintessentially coastal New England as you would imagine.

Here’s another ferry getting ready to depart, so you can see how large they are.

We had booked an 8:30pm trip back, so we arrived ready to spend the whole day exploring.

map 12

Of course none of the tourist information kiosks were open this time of year and we had no utter clue where we were going. ( I didn’t find this map until we were ready to leave.)

So we just drove.

Past weather beaten waterfront homes…

And homes…

That had their own private lighthouses.

How cool is that?

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What a deal!

April 3, 2019 Rivergirl 14 Comments

As many of you know, we have a timeshare.

And no, I don’t want to sell it it you.

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But timeshares aren’t what they used to be, and we aren’t stuck with just one week in Boca for the rest of our lives.

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We travel when we want, where we want, for as long as we want and we’re loving it. When we no longer love it, we’ll give it to someone else so they can love it too.

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Last year when we were vacationing in the Berkshires, we ran into a veteran and his wife at our resort in the mountains. Naturally, the men spotted each other’s Marine Corps hats and began an hour long conversation detailing where they were stationed and when. Fascinating as that was, I struck up a conversation with the wife and asked how she liked the condo. She said she loved it and you couldn’t beat the deals they get with AFVC. ( Armed Forces Vacation Club ) 7 nights in a 1 bedroom unit for $349. (Turns out I could beat it with our timeshare last call program, 7 nights in a bigger 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit for $299… but I kept that to myself.)

But the idea intrigued me, so when we got home I joined. For free.

It’s open to:

All current, veterans, and retired members of the United States military, National Guard, Reserves (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard) Gold Star families. Civilian employees of the DoD (appropriated, non-appropriated, or retired)

So if you qualify, go take a look… it’s a nice benefit for your service and there are some lovely resorts.

https://www.afvclub.com/

Anyway…..