Travel – THE SPECTACLED BEAN

Notes On Getting My TSA Known Traveler Number + Chitchat About Where I’ve Been

Let’s heAR it for Ms. Bean

This summer, after yabbling about doing this for years, I finally enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program.

The online application was easy. The total cost was $85.00 for five years. But it did require an interview with a real person at a TSA-approved IdentoGO office that happened to be nowhere close to where I live.

My interview appointment time, the soonest I could get, was 4 weeks from when I sent in my enrollment– and then it was 10 days after that before I got my official TSA Known Traveler Number [KTN].

For me this was not a fast process

Do I need this TSA PreCheck status? I dunno. But after some of my air travel experiences, most notably standing in the Las Vegas TSA line for 1 hour 45 minutes, I’ll do anything that *might* make the process less painful.

[Click HERE to read an article that helped me to better understand the program.]

And on that note, having talked about the practical side of travel, I’ll share the following fun and pretty stuff.

I created these images using the Visited Countries Project on Douwe Osinga’s website. You may already know about this because it’s been around for a long time.

Nonetheless here is where I’ve been

I’ve been to 9 countries which amounts to 4% of the world.

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I’ve been to 34 US states which amounts to 68% of the country.

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I’ve been to 3 Canadian provinces which amounts to 23% of the country.

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QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Are you in the TSA PreCheck program? If so, how has that worked out for you?

Where did you go for your favorite vacation ever? Where did you go for your worst vacation ever?

Got any travel plans for the rest of this year?

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#ThursdayDoors | Visiting A Rose Garden, Finding Some Pithinicity

Today I’m joining Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton, so that I can share with you photos of the following doors plus a little more.

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A few weeks ago Zen-Den and I had the chance to stop by the Columbus Ohio Park of Roses again. [Click HERE for post about previous visit and information about this park.]

It was a beautiful summer day but the garden was not at its rosy best like the last time we were there. I snapped a few pics anyhow, ostensibly to be part of this project.

While the doors we saw were more utilitarian than awe-inspiring, the carved stones in the walking path that connect the Shelter House [event venue] to the park itself were eclectic.

I hadn’t noticed the messages on the stones during our previous visit. So below, for the heck of it, are two photos of the doors we saw and the pithinicity on which we walked.

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DOORS on side of Shelter House looking into the park.

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*“HAD I ALL LANGUAGE AT COMMAND AND SPOKE THE* [1 of 4]

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*TONGUE OF EVERY LAND, I COULD NOT FIND THREE WORDS* [2 of 4]

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*MORE SWEET OR FORM A SENTENCE MORE COMPLETE: THAN* [3 of 4]

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*THESE THREE WORDS I LOVE YOU.” ~ YOUR FAMILY* [4 of 4]

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DOOR on side of Shelter House leading into Bridal Room. [*Doesn’t this door look ominous to you?* It does to me.]

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#ThursdayDoors | Finding History In Front Of Us, Hello Texas Saltbox Houses

Today I’m joining Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton, so that I can share with you photos of the following doors.

Using my cell phone camera that is not so great, I took these photos last month when we were visiting San Antonio.

Come to find our hotel, Plaza San Antonio, had a past. Situated on 6 acres located in a historic district originally settled by German immigrants in the 1800s, this hotel was built around old homes.

[Also, but not pertinent to doors, this hotel allegedly has a ghost running around in it. I didn’t know that when we were there, but hat tip to Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge for letting me know what I missed.]

On this hotel property, owned by Marriott, were well-kept old houses built in the New England saltbox style. These various buildings, one of which I feature here, charmed the socks off me with their small scale and sturdy vibe.

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DOOR, very narrow, on side of Elmendorf-Tyler House.

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DOOR, seen up-close, showing hardware painted the same color as the door.

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Gate on property surrounding Elmendorf-Tyler House.

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DOORS, maybe still used as such, opening onto long porch on what I guess was the front of Elmendorf-Tyler House.

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Brick sidewalk between long porch and hotel rooms.

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DOOR, rarely used it would seem, leading into small shed attached to side of Elmendorf-Tyler House.

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#ThursdayDoors | Visiting A Northeast Ohio Store, Finding A Unique Chapel

Today I’m joining Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton, so that I can share with you photos of the following doors + a bit more.

I took these photos when we decided, on a whim, to stop at P. Graham Dunn, a factory + retail store + chapel in Dalton, OH.

P. Graham Dunn makes inspirational home and wall decor, often in the form of wooden signs. Above the factory there’s a humongous retail store in which you can lost looking at all the merchandise.

Interesting barn adjacent to retail store.

Outside the store is a beautiful pond with a path around it that leads to a small narrow chapel, named Anna’s Chapel.

The chapel is by the side of the pond and is like none other that I’ve seen. Inside the chapel the raw wooden walls are almost entirely covered with graffiti that praises Christianity + a few personal messages as well.

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DOOR into Anna’s Chapel.

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Graffiti on inside chapel walls.

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Example of P. Graham Dunn’s merchandise as seen inside chapel.

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More graffiti on inside chapel walls.

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DOOR as seen while standing inside Anna’s Chapel.

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One last look at graffiti on inside chapel walls.

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View of pond as seen from within Anna’s Chapel.

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Just A Closer Walk: We Attended A Funeral Last Week

It’s been 2 weeks since my FIL passed away.

He was 89 years old, diabetic, and had Alzheimer’s, the long good-bye.

His funeral was a week ago Monday in the city where Zen-Den grew up, a 4 to 5 hour drive from here. We drove there on Sunday and came back later in the week.

The funeral wasn’t a sad or maudlin affair because the person FIL had become was nothing like the person he’d been in his prime; even then, in his better days he was a ‘hale fellow well met’ with some Archie Bunker thrown into the mix– stubbornly clinging to the past.

However, as is the way with people who suffer with Alzheimer’s, FIL deteriorated slowly, forgetting his resentments along the way. He became physically weak, and seemingly ready to leave this world.

The best part of the funeral was FIL’s 3-year-old step-great-granddaughter who stole the show. She was cheerful, of course. Dressed in a sundress + straw hat. Delightfully curious. So much so that at one point during the memorial service she went up front, quietly, to join the pastor, sitting her little self down on a chair nearby him to watch.

Which was cute– and a visual reminder that life goes on.

And on that positive note I’ll end this post. I’m not even sure why I’m telling you this, but some days, occasionally, I write here in a serious way as if this were my journal– instead of a personal blog filled with flapdoodle and twaddle.

Today is one of those days.

#ThursdayDoors | Visiting Fort Pulaski [Not Moultrie], An American Civil [Not Revolutionary] War Site

PLEASE NOTE: It’s been brought to my attention by my husband that these photos are from Fort Pulaski, south of Savannah, GA. I had my forts wrong. However, considering that Fort Pulaski is named for a Revolutionary War general my idea of posting these pics on George Washington’s birthday still makes sense.

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Today, in honor of George Washington’s birthday, I’m joining Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton, so that I can share with you the following door photos + a little bit of American ~~Revolutionary War~~ history.

I took these photos last April ~~when we visited Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan’s Island, SC~~.

The fort is named for a Revolutionary war general, who, on June 28, 1776, defended Charleston, SC, from the British. Since then the fort has been rebuilt a few times and gone through a few more wars. At the ~~end of WWII the fort closed.~~

The day we visited Fort ~~Moultrie~~ Pulaski the weather was sunny and mild, lending an unexpected peaceful vibe to the entire well-kept large complex.

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Outer perimeter of Fort ~~Moultrie~~ Pulaski, surrounded by a moat, with visible cannon ball damage on the brick wall.

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DOOR leading into interior of fort.

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DOORS on one small part of the storage area that forms the perimeter of the inside of the fort.

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DOORS in a row leading to storage areas shown with people walking above the storage areas to give a sense of scale.

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DOOR into stairwell that goes up to the area where people were walking.

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DOOR into officers’ quarters.

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Photo of lighthouse ~~in Charleston Harbor~~ as seen from Fort ~~Moultrie~~ Pulaski.

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#ThursdayDoors | Visiting A Museum Dedicated To The Mighty Eighth Air Force

Today I’m joining Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton, so that I can share with you the following door photos– and a bit of history in honor of Veterans Day.

Just outside of Savannah, GA, is the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. The Mighty Eighth originated during WWII and is known for the Bomber Boys who fought in the air against the Germans.

We visited this well-organized museum last spring when we were on our vacation, and while the whole museum is fascinating, the beautiful stained glass windows in the chapel called to me.

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DOORS leading into the chapel vestibule.

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Stained glass window with military imagery.

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Stained glass windows behind the altar at the front of the sanctuary.

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DOOR with stained glass panels on one side of the sanctuary.

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Stained glass window with Jesus and cherubim.

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DOORS in the vestibule that lead to the outside as seen from the sanctuary.

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