Penpals

When I was a child in elementary school, long before the World Wide Web was a gleam in CERN’s eye, having a penpal — someone you’d never met but to whom you wrote letters — was not uncommon, and in fact, there were a number of girls with whom I corresponded on a somewhat regular basis. With the rise in popular usage of the Internet and the subsequent ubiquity of email, I’m not sure if the traditional penpal relationship has changed somewhat, but the notion seems to remain fairly well understood, as evidenced by a number of dictionaries I consulted for the definition of “penpal.”

I honestly don’t remember when I started any of my penpal relationships, nor do I remember how many I had or where they lived. I was in elementary school, maybe in the third or fourth grade (basic literacy was a requirement, of course, so I doubt it was any earlier than that). By the time I was in high school, I ceased writing because by then, I was away at boarding school, and life had simply become that much busier.

By now you may be thinking, “Get to the point,” so I will. The fact is, one particular girl — I’ll call her Celeste — who lived in Peekskill, New York, wrote to me for much longer than any of the others. She was two years ahead of me in school, so she was growing up first, and I remember feeling somewhat in awe of her experiences, which seemed so much more exciting than mine. For example, she was already married by the time I graduated from high school, and then gave birth to two boys while I was still in college.

As the years went by and I drifted around the country, we lost touch, until one day not so long ago, out of the blue, I received an email message asking me if I was the same Becky Ikehara from Hawaii who had had a penpal from New York. Thanks to the Internet and AOL member search, Celeste had found me again! We started emailing each other and gradually caught up with each other’s lives.

CelesteAnd then, we decided it was high time that we met in person. Celeste had planned a two-week vacation on Cape Cod, which is only a 2-1/2 hour drive from my house, so yesterday I drove to South Dennis, and at last, after 40 plus years, we met in person! We had a great time talking and reminiscing about the years we had shared with each other as penpals, and we vowed to continue writing. Here is a photo of my most faithful penpal that I took outside on the deck — I also have some photos of us together, but I haven’t had a chance to scan them yet.

Another Sunday Excursion

While many consumers enjoyed a second day of sales tax-free shopping in Massachusetts, I left the state early this morning for the rustic charms of Moultonborough, New Hampshire, a small town on the northwestern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. Here in the Lakes Region, one of the most visited attractions is the estate now known as Castle in the Clouds.

Built in 1913-1914 as a mountain-top retreat by a rags-to-riches shoe manufacturing tycoon, it was home for Thomas Plant and his wife Olive for over 25 years. A millionaire when he built the property, Mr. Plant subsequently lost most of his fortune. During the Great Depression, he attempted to sell the property but was unsuccessful, so he and Olive continued living there until his death in 1941, at which time Olive moved to California.

In 2003, after a series of negotiations, the Castle and the surrounding 5500 acres were purchased by the Lakes Region Conservation Trust. Here is a view of the Castle looking up from the footpath that leads to the Carriage House, a view of the Castle entrance, a view of Ossipee Mountain from one of the second floor bedrooms, and a view of the Lake from the Terrace (these are all clickable thumbnail images):
Castle from BelowCastle EntranceOssipee MountainView of Lake Winnipesaukee
Lucknow, as the estate was named by the Plants, is a striking example of the Arts and Crafts style, and in its design and construction, it expresses this early 20th century movement’s aesthetic philosophy of living in harmony with nature. The Boston firm of J. William Beal & Sons is credited with the architectural plans for the castle, while 1200 mostly Italian stonemasons were responsible for the granite exterior and other skilled craftsmen for the exquisite interior details. My camera’s flash decided to work today, so I was able to photograph some of the rooms:
Interior 1Interior 2Interior 3Interior 4
Here are some photos of the exterior showing the beautiful stonework:
Exterior 1Exterior 2Exterior 3Exterior 4
This artistic gem is considered a historic home of national importance because it retains all of its original features and furnishings. A major renovation is currently in progress, scheduled for completion in 2014, the 100th anniversary of the Castle’s construction.

Visitors to the Castle can tour the Castle Springs bottling plant on the adjacent property, but I looked at the sky and saw a layer of cumulus clouds at 6000 feet so hurried on home.