Princeton Reunions

It is Princeton University Reunions Week and although Bill and I have stepped down from serving the Class of 1975 as Reunion Chairs, we have many friends we look forward to seeing on campus when it is alive with so much memorabilia, traditions, lectures and new buildings or advancements always. Here is a banner our class hangs and updates  on a campus site we are given for our major Reunions. The image is from an early post card remembering back to George Washington's days at Princeton and celebrating with oracle and physical competitions in his honor. The complete image had George Washington opposite the tiger and was found in the Seeley G. Mudd Library archives where student thesis work has been housed. I enlarged the image greatly, added two colors and had Humphry's Flag Company in Philadelphia sew the appliqued banner for us.

Croquet Courts

This old farm came with seven manicured acres which means a lot of mowing this time of year and plenty of room for a regulation croquet court measuring 50' X 100'. This open, slightly pitched field will be laid out for games of croquet using several vintage croquet sets seeming so suitable here. In England country house lawns are often used as croquet courts and a new, very competitive game called "Crolf" has emerged involving any number of players shooting for "hools"; or three-way hoops.

Above is Flitwick Manor, similar to other croquet hotels or resorts. Middle images via Pinterest. 

House Of The Future

My father began his career as a mechanical engineer who designed and produced plastic parts back in the 50's when suddenly anything seemed possible in plastic. Here is the "House Of The Future" he produced parts for which was designed by MIT's Department of Architecture and built in 1957 for visitors to Disneyland, CA. The walls, ceilings, and floors were all plastic and it sat on a 1.5 sq. meter block of concrete. We drove across country to see it when I was little and the microwave, dishwasher and large screen TV seemed crazy concepts back then. Twenty million people toured the home in it's ten years. I wish I now had the Knoll fiberglass blank chair parts he collected in our basement.

The Majestic Horse Chestnut Tree

Whether one is a horse lover or not, the species as well as the Horse Chestnut Tree are both majestic to observe at their best. Now is when this old horse farm has it's horse chestnut trees in bloom. A glorious white and soon rare red blossoming one to come. The stone smoke house behind this tree is also lovely in it's own way.