November 17th, 2015
One of my usual suspects, Debbie, and I took off for Wilmington, Delaware…just a quick, ovenight, get-a-way trip. Tickets to see Delbert McClinton in concert were ordered by another suspect, Paula…who is my entertainment director. I have always loved this hotel. It encompasses timeless elegance and beauty. It is located at 11th and Market Sts., Wilmington, DE 19801 Tels. 302-594-3100, 800-441-9019. You can find it on Facebook, as well. Website? http://www.hoteldupont.com
The hotel is an Italian Renaissance building. It was commissioned by Pierre S. du Pont in 1913. It took 2 1/2 years to build. It has 12 stories with 217 rooms and suites. Almost all rooms have king size beds but if you would like a room with 2 beds, please give them a call. They do have some rooms with 2 beds. They are very large and comfortable rooms.
One of the most favorite ball rooms is the Gold Room. During weddings a signature from the hotel is when they bring their baked alaskas for each table all lit. It is something to see. The Gold Room was built in 1918 in the French Neoclassic & Louis XVI style. It can accommodate up to 500 guests. The chandeliers are gorgeous.
Another smaller room, more intimate is The du Barry Room. The chandelier was imported from Yugoslavia. It can accommodate up to 125 guests.
Every Sunday brunch is served in the Green Room. It is an iconic room with families coming here for this amazing brunch on a regular Sunday or just to celebrate a special holiday year after year. It serves as their main dining room, as well. The oak paneling is impressive and so is their impeccable service. There is live music from the gallery above the restaurant on Friday, Saturday, and during Brunch on Sundays. On Sunday, Crystal took care of us. She was great.
The brunch starts at 10 a.m. and reservations are a must. We were just having a regular breakfast but that did not keep us from staring at all the food that was being set up.
We started with a few baked goods…Crystal staged my plate.
My French Omelette had asparagus, Brie, and white truffle oil. I chose very well done scrapple and I have to say it did come out perfectly crispy on the outside, just like I like it. The fancy cut was something new since at Crystal in Rehoboth Beach…they do not go that far.
These are a few of the Brunch offerings that caught my attention.
The desserts looked well so incredibly delish.
Throughout the room there were other stations offering eggs, tenderloin, pastas, vegetables, breads, cheeses, and seafood.
I have to tell you that Debbie and I behaved well….we did not touch one dessert!!
If you would like to learn more about the history of this iconic hotel, please visit http://www.hoteldupont.com/about-en/html.
Inside the hotel you can find the The Playhouse. This theatre has been entertaining guests since 1913. Comming up is Annie, Chicago, Mamma Mia!, Blue Man Group, 42nd Street, and Jersey Boys. Please visit http://www.duponttheatre.com.
And last but not least, you have to get them for you or for a friend….Dick Bryan their Famous Pecan Macaroons. As you check in or out they are right their behind their counters. I am sure they are addictive!!
June 5th, 2014
“Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul….and you answer.” terri guillemets
The Delaware Arts Alliance (DAA) is the unifying voice for the arts and arts education throughout the state, advocating for the central role of the arts in advancing dynamic communities and a creative citizenry.
In its first 3 years, the Alliance has made presentations to the Joint Finance Committee of the Delaware legislature, hosted speaking events, and organized advocacy programs throughout Delaware.
In January 2014, DAA launched its Free Individual Membership plan with the goal of increasing membership to 500 by December 2014. For more information, and to find out what DAA is all about, please visit http://www.delawareartsalliance.org.
ARTS ADVOCACY EVENTS
Monday, June 9th – Arts Rendezvous in Sussex County at Possum Point Players, http://www.possumpointplayers.org located at 441 Old Laurel Rd., Georgetown, is the first in a series of DAA learning and networking events for Kent, New Castle, and Sussex Counties. The programs will educated and engage the arts community in all three counties about impactful arts advocy, and will facilitate the creation of a strong base of advocates through DAA’s Free Individual Membership Campaign.
Arts Rendezvous in Sussex County will start at 4:30 p.m. $5.00 for DAA members and $10 for future members, payable at the door. Light fare will be served and advance reservations are recommended. Please rsvp to nmercado@delawareartsalliance.org.
Liane Hansen, former Senior Host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday and DAA member, will be the Arts Rendezvous in Sussex County spokesperson and convener. A resident of Sussex County, she is active in the theatre community, performing at Clear Space Theatre Company.
Ann Marie Miller, Executive Director of ArtPrideNJ, will be the event speaker. Prior to joining ArtPride in 1995, Ms. Miller served as Director of Development at McCarter Theatre, a Tony-award winning regional theatre and performing arts center. She has over 30 years of experience as an arts manager…she will consider, “How to be an effective arts advocate; the New Jersey experience”.
Monday, June 23rd – Arts Rendezvous in New Castle County at Opera Delaware, http://www.operade.org located at 4 South Poplar Street in Wilmington, is the second in the series of DAA learning and networking events for our 3 counties. It will start at 4:30 p.m. and light fare will be served. Advance reservations are recommended and you may do so my emailing nmercado@delawareartsalliance.org. $5 for DAA members and $10 for future members, payable at the door.
John Schratwieser, Executive Director of Maryland Citizens for the Arts, will be the Guest Speaker. He will be discussing arts advocacy best practices. He has led Maryland Citizens for the Arts since June 2010 and has more than 20 years of experience in the field of arts and non-profit management. For the last 5 years he was Executive Director at the Prince Theatre Foundation in Chestertown on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He previously worked at Lincoln Center Theatre in New York and Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. John received a B.A. from Fairfield University in 1991, and an M.P.A. from The George Washington University in 2005. He has performed, as an actor and singer, for most of his life, rounding out his understanding of, and affinity for, arts organizations of all shapes and sizes.
For further information, please contact Lynn Calder at lcalder@delawareartsalliance.org or call 302-425-5500, Ext. 103.
Have a great day!!
January 31st, 2011
If you are on Facebook, you know that there is a “wall” where you state your status. Well, I can tell you loud and clear that my status is “I love Scrapple”. No, they did not have it in Puerto Rico when I was growing up. They still don’t have it but that would be the perfect place to introduce it. It might go well with their “morcillas” which are blood sausages.
I ate scrapple for the first time here, in the States, and fell in love with it immediately. Today someone told me that she needed to acquire a taste; not me. Another one, Colleen, told me that she did not like to eat something with that much fat. Well, it has less fat than bacon.
I like it in different ways. One being as a side dish; crispy and thin. The other one is a scrapple sandwich. I like thin, white bread and I again, will have the scrapple very thin, crispy and a dollop of ketchup. Hey, that’s my taste.
 Scrapple just starting to cook
 Scrapple, thin and crispy I few of my good friends get together from time to time for breakfast at Crystal in Rehoboth Beach. They don’t mind me mentioning their names, Roberta, Debbie, Missy and at times Alice will join the group. I always say I am not having scrapple. I need to be on a diet; but the moment Missy asks for a side order of scrapple I can’t help it. I immediately order it myself, as well. No willpower, really.
When I heard that Dirty Jobs was doing the show on scrapple I could not believe that my favorite Rapa Scrapple was not the one. Then I read than the nephew submitted Hughes Delaware Maid Scrapple, located in Felton. That is where the show will take place tomorrow on the Discovery Channel at 9 p.m.
A good friend, Tyler, sent me the promo link http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110128/entertainment/101280304.
Giant is the market where I buy pretty much my groceries and they sell Rapa Scrapple, Milton, and Kirby & Holloway.
Rapa is my favorite but that is my personal opinion. Rapa Scrapple has been in business since 1926; Ralph & Paul were the two brothers that started this pork product. The location is Bridgeville, Delaware and it is the largest producer of scrapple in the world. Please visit www.rapascrapple.com. The website is full of information including a recipe for Scrapple Breakfast Burrito.
Every year the town of Bridgeville hosts the Apple Scrapple Festival. Every year I say I am going but never go. It celebrates the town’s heritage of apple orchards and scrapple manufacturing. It is usually held in October. Maybe this year Missy and I will make it.
The Delaware News Journal mentioned some of the restaurants in Delaware that take scrapple seriously. But, one of those mentioned, Helen’s Famous Sausage House in Smyrna, takes it to a different level; a Scrapple Sub for $7.20 that has 4 slabs of scrapple, accompanied with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, hot peppers, sweet pepper, mayo or oil.
I am writing Rapa Scrapple. Because of one ingredient, wheat flour; anyone with a gluten allergy cannot eat this delicacy. I hope they can make one substituting the wheat flour for rice flour or any flour that is gluten free for that matter.
Cannot wait for the show tomorrow. Should be interesting.
Talk to you later….you know I will…..
January 30th, 2011
I did not know what heading to give this post but I think the one I finally gave it was perfect.
I was driving north on Rt. 1 today and the combination of a cold winter’s day, the snow geese and all the vast farmland reminded me how lucky I am that I can call Delaware home.
I grew up in the island of Puerto Rico but I have now lived in Delaware longer than I lived in the “Isla del Encanto”.
Delaware is a Small Wonder. It is also one of those states that have everything. It is small, that, it is, but I like it that way. Delaware has so much to offer, the arts, museums, hotels, Dover Downs (NASCAR), entertainment, medical facilities, air force, beaches, bays, the Lewes Ferry, historic towns, fishing, surfing, crabbing, quaint coastal towns, farmland, poultry, low property taxes, no sales tax and even gambling.
I love the idea that I have so much space. Delaware is pretty much flat; more so where I live, in Sussex County. You can see for miles. Todays was such a day. While I was driving I came upon a gigantic flock of snow geese. For a moment you would have thought it was snow.
The snow geese breed in Greenland, Canada, Alaska and the northeastern tip of Siberia; winter in warm parts of North America.
They mate for life, feed in flocks, nest in colonies, migrate in large flocks, and females will return to the place they hatched to breed. The young feed themselves but will stay with their family until they are 2 to 3 years old.
I pulled to the side of the road and got out and then they were all over. Here are the pictures of these geese.
A few hours later, at dusk, I saw one of the big airplanes of Dover Air Force base coming back to the base. The scenery at that time of the evening was just so pretty; a day’s end.
Peaceful…have a good one…talk to you later….
November 8th, 2010
Art is so subjective. You might not like what I like and vice versa. But, I do enjoy visiting art galleries and museums. I just did that, some weeks ago in New York. The MOMA, modern art, oh yes, did not understand a lot of it but interesting to say the least.
Sometimes something catches your eye. That’s exactly what happened on Saturday when I was walking on Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. I was going to take a picture of the location where the Clear Space Theatre Company is now located. They are at the old Epworth Church building, now renamed Celebration Mall.
Right on the courtyard and to the side, color caught my eye. There was a sign on the door, Juleez. It was an art studio. So here is what I found out.
Juleez is located on 20 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. 302-227-3792. The website is www.juleez.com.
The artist? Julie Borden. She was not there but I spoke to Guy.
Juleez is a member of MOSAIC which is an association of privately owned commercial art galleries whose mission is to promote art awareness in the Rehoboth Beach area. If you would like to know about them, please visit www.mosaicrehoboth.com.
You could not help but smile; there was color everywhere. Whimsical, definitely not boring.
Her work is all custom, from her signature curvy piano and piano plates to giclees and hand painted bags. All conversation pieces and very unique.
 Her own national brand 
Her piano pieces are beautifully custom painted; some are music boxes and some are jewelry boxes.
The same goes for the painted musical instruments. At times, an instrument, dear to someone’s heart will be brought in for her to paint. Upon inspection, she will do that, as well.
At the present time a lot of her work is in Wilmington, Delaware at The Grand Opera House & Baby Grand, 818 N. Market St., Tel. 302-652-5577. Website www.grandopera.org.
Wilmington is hosting Art on the Town as part of the Delaware Valley Artist Exchange. For more information, please visit www.WilmingtonDE.gov/artloop.
Julie Borden attended the Rochester Institute of Technology and to date has completed more than 700 commisioned works of art.
Commissioned work is one of her strengths and does this year-round for clients all over the U.S.
 Painted Chocolate Frames Her mother does not stay behind either. At the gallery in Rehoboth you can see some of her work, under Mad Creations. She works with dichroic glass which is one of the most expensive glass products made today. It is used in jewelry, and in the laser industry for camera filters, by NASA and other commercial applications.
Each piece is as special. Some pieces are smooth to the touch; others have more texture.
I thought the gallery was so interesting and Guy was very friendly and helpful.
At the present time Juleez is open Wednesdays through Sundays. So, if you are in Rehoboth stop by. Remember, it is that time of the year; shopping for the upcoming holidays.
Have a great day….talk to you later….
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