Kirk V. Hamlet

Original oil painting by: Grandfather's wife Grandfather remembers the family trip to Maine. That was in 1961 and the family was Grandfather-yet-to-be, Grandmother-yet-to-be, a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son. The son was left with friends and the "Three Remainders" took off, in a 1959 VW Beetle, loaded as follows: 5.5-horsepower Johnson outboard motor on top, a 12-foot fiberglass boat over that, and an ice chest slung with rope from the transom of the boat so it hung down behind the car. Inside, tent and camping stuff. Parents in front seats; Daughter in the cubbyhole behind the back seat, over the engine. We started out from Arlington, Virginia, in what was to be a 24-hour steady rain. Near Baltimore, the wipers failed and Grandfather drove the rest of the way with his face a few inches from the windshield, peering through the rain. Eventually we arrived at our destination in Baxter State Park, where the campground was flooded and we were dire...

  Wrought iron entry doors have delivered a look of luxury and grandeur to doorsteps around the world for centuries. Widely regarded as being timeless, heavy-duty, and multi-faceted, wrought iron doors offer security and function for any home. When combined with a sidelight or transom, or highlighted by an outdoor hanging light, a wrought iron door can create an unforgettable entryway. The most appealing aspect of wrought iron entry doors is their stylistic diversity. Traditionally-styled wrought iron entry doors typically boast carefully handcrafted spiral designs. Meanwhile, contemporary iron doors are still available for more modern homes, and feature more angled The post 5 Benefits of Wrought Iron Doors (Plus Many Photo Examples) appeared first on Home Stratosphere .

Relocation of your home is a huge change in a family's life and moving is at the top of the list of stressful situations. Do you want to deal with the packing, loading, unloading, driving the truck, and then unloading and unpacking? That's a lot of very hard work and can be absolutely overwhelming for most people. Plan your Relocation; 8 Tips from Professional Movers The professional movers,  Blake & Sons Moving & Storage  in Frederick, MD offer packing, transport, and unpacking. This type of project pushes some people to their limits but when you turn for help from professionals, they take a lot of that stress off your shoulders. But, regardless of who you hire for your move or if you choose to do it yourself, Blake & Sons Moving want you to be relaxed and confident throughout your entire move. So, courtesy of Blake & Sons , here are some tips you need to know before you begin to plan your home relocation. Relocation moving truck sitting front of luxury home. ...

Sputnik chandeliers, orb sconces, could we love you anymore? But those prices, oh my! We know decorating with mid-century modern lighting doesn't come cheap, so we scoured the web for some of your favorite styles and shapes–at a fraction of what you'd pay at other retailers. Read on and decorate with abandon–not guilt! READ MORE »

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe … Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what's been going on in the world of money and personal finance. We've got a lot to cover this week, so let's get right to it … "As a bull market goes on, people who take great risks achieve great rewards, seemingly without punishment. It's like crime without punishment or sex without sin." - Rob Chernow "The tendency to whine and complain may be taken as the surest sign of little souls and inferior intellects." - Francis Jeffrey "I'm convinced that the way to build a better world is not capitalism. Capitalism leads us straight to hell." - Hugo Chavez Credits and Debits Credit: This week Apple - one of the so-called FAANG corporations comprised of Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google - became the world's first trillion-dollar company .The iPhone maker hit the magic number on Thursday...

The words "naturally sweetened" or "low-sugar" can sometimes seem, well... a little less exciting. We might assume that by giving up some of the sugar, we're giving up some of the flavor, too-the decadent goodness that makes dessert, dessert. Not so, says Joanne Chang , owner of Flour Bakery and all-around dessert wizard. And despite having a self-proclaimed "insatiable sweet tooth," she's discovered that less sugar can often mean more flavor. She poured those learnings into her cookbook, Baking with Less Sugar , which has over 60 dessert recipes using natural sweeteners and little-to-no white sugar. You'll find a wide range of sweet (but not too sweet) treats to please every palate-from brownies and banana bread to cakes, pies, and pots de créme. Read More >>