Hermitage Interruptus

I interrupted my hermitage this morning to exercise my great American privilege of voting.  

Our town hall is not far...especially as the crow flies...so there is not much to see along the way.  I neglected to take a photo of the town hall.  I suspect many of you would find it amusing if not charming....all 1 room of it.

But I can never pass this old homestead without a pause.

I know I am not alone wondering what lives were lived here...what memories were made....and why did it end like this? Will the good earth just swallow things up again someday??

(No one even bothered to remove the license plate.  Next time I go by, I will need to look more closely for a year on the plate.)

(These were just two of the many vehicles "resting" here.)

The old "suicide" doors as they were called (like the doors in the car in the above photo) are not much seen these days, although they are making somewhat of a comeback with new safety features of course.

I have always found them intriguing - if only for their namesake.  They actually harken back to the days of horse-drawn carriages and were convenient for the ladies and their large (often hooped) skirts.  They could simply "back into" their seats and easily step out at journey's end. 

They were particularly popular during..and are most usually associated with...the 1930's and the era of the "gangsters."  They were an easy way for rivals and undesirables to be "disposed" of, shall we say?

I also believe that these were the types of doors on the car that President Kennedy was riding in when he was assassinated. 

The doors today that open in this manner are obviously no longer referred to as "suicide" doors...and car manufacturers are chagrin at the reference I am told.  Those bold enough to include them call them "coach doors," "rear-access doors," or "freestyle doors."  And, as I mentioned, there are now safety features. Most won't open unless the front door is opened or if the vehicle is going more than a minimal speed.

Stick with me....you never know what kind of useless information you will pick up LOL and you can never know what to expect with my posts, can you?

How my mind wanders these days.

In any event, I have voted.  I only found two typos in the ballot.  A new low record for our county.

Even with my lollygagging, I was home in time to "finish" finish this little piece.  I punched it years and years ago, but never "did" anything with it after the punching was done.  After I framed it, though, I realized that I was going to do a decorative stitch on the wool around the punched area.  Oh well.  Serves me well for taking so long in the finishing I guess. I love the French knot "flowers" on top of the blooms.

("Night Burglar" by Sean Williams/Threads That BindSean )

Until next time, be well, stay well.