Red Hatters for April 2024

We made it through the Fools Day yesterday. When we were kids we always came up with some joke to play on our friends, for that was the day we could get away with it; but not any more.

We are now senior adults and on the 2nd of April we planned on going to the Schwamb Old Mill Museum in Arlington.

The Museum claims to be the oldest continuously operated mill site in the nation. There is documentation history of operation dated back to 1684. The current building erected in 1861 was put on the Nation Register of Historic Places in 1971.

The building was sold in 1969 to a trucking company but Patricia C. Fitzmaucrice, an Arlington resident, petitioned the town to safe it as a museum and here we are.

Our guide Lynette Aznavourian is the museum director and she walked us into history.

The mill is still using the tools of the 1800 hundreds as David Graf comes to work whenever a request is made for a special frame by individual families. They do not sell in bulk as they did many years ago; but to see the tools and tables,and wood high on the wall shelves catalogued by size and shape is amazing.

The texture of the woods and the shapes of the frames made for portraits, mirrors and documents is almost breathtaking.

It was a wonderful trip although many members could not go.. The building is not handicapped accessible, but they are working on updating the structure without diminishing the great history.

Our lunch was at Jimmy's steer house a few minutes away and as always, the food and service was excellent.

Another amazing Red Hat Day...

On April 9th. we headed for the Northeastern Correctional Center, commonly called the Concord Jail.The weather was perfect; 60 degrees and sunny.

We have been to this facility many times and enjoy it always. The Correctional Center has a program for minimal detained prisoners that enables them to work in a restaurant environment while learning the culinary trade.

Lunch today was....Corn chowder, salad, chicken with veggies and rice, and cookies or cupcakes for dessert all this for $3.23. We even had cold drinks with refills.

The servers are pleasant and smiling and Eddie the cook and overseer is always there checking to make sure the patrons are happy.

After all this then the ride back home, we stopped for ice cream at "The Daily Scoop " in Stoneham.

So much fun just being a Red Hatter on any day.

April 11th we were off to Mason NH for a visit and lunch at Parker's Sugar Maple house and restaurant. The drive from Melrose was about 1hour and 15 minutes in drizzle and fog but not

uncomfortable.

Parker's has been our destination for many years during maple sugaring season; but this year the yield was not so great ,so we did not visit the sugar maple house only the restaurant.

It is a great place to go just for the ambiance. A real barn with wooden walls and ceiling rafters.

The signs on the wall are fun to read, and the old pictures fun to see.

The menu is primarily breakfast but some of our members did get sandwiches; the rest of us had chocolate chip pancakes, strawberry chip pancakes, French toast, eggs and omelets , all served with tiny bottles of maple syrup. One member even took an order of deep fried donuts holes home also.

Most of us went over to there wonderful gift shop to browse and buy. Then we started our trip back home with the drizzle not so bad.

It was a very good fun filled day for all of us. We seem to have those days a lot just by being friends and enjoying each others company.

April 25th. and the Bad Art Museum was our destination. Having been there before and enjoyed the fun artwork we decided to check out the changes that have been made.

The Museum is located in the Dorchester Brewing Co. building in Dorchester.

This is a fun place to visit and get a perspective on what is good while being bad.

The Clinton's and Gores.

We had our lunch at a diner right up the street, and we drove home happy to know that all things are really not BAD.

Keep an eye on us as we head into warmer weather with many more places to go.