What is to come of us? Where have we brought ourselves? One thing we have seen from times past, is that despite whatever happens,  the art will go on...

from the Forgotten Romance Collection

I am a huge admirer of architecture and the art, structure, and planning that makes it possible. I am that person in the middle of a busy city street staring up at the towering structures or pulling over on a country road to admire a perfectly aged wooden barn. I am the person who will walk over and touch a building just to feel it, or give it a whole photo shoot like it's a fashion model!

I just ran across these pics I took a few years ago in Hartford City Hall, a beautiful and historically rich structure right in the middle of Downtown. Every inch of the place is exquisitely tailored and decorated with individual moments of classic inspiration, more than I could ever catalogue. Whatever my business in city hall, I make it a point to stick around for a bit, and have a beautiful moment just reconnecting with time and art.

Visited the CT Trolley Museum during the holidays for Winterfest. I am still glowing from one of the most magical nights I have had in a long time! 

Though it was bitterly cold out, there was an undeniably warm glow that permeated the entire outing, from the life-like, sparkling museum models to the enchanting live music, to the spirited trolley rides. The lines were quite long for both the open air trolley and the old-time closed in Canadian trolley with lovely woven heated seats (!) . Even so, the bustling anticipation in the lines, followed by piling in and shimmying  through the decorated frosty forest was delightfully cozy and cheerful.

I was completely impressed by the experience, and even more so by the fact that the museum is run completely by volunteers upholding the tradition of the trolleys. The conductors were more than happy to share a bit of history or answer a thousand little boy questions over a cup of hot cocoa.
Thoroughly pleased!