Winterthur and the Brandywine River Valley

If you live close enough to pay a visit, go to Winterthur and see a fine exhibit this summer, "Who's Your Daddy?" http://winterthur.org/calendar/needlework.asp. It's a small exhibit, but loaded with rich needlework documenting families, handed down through generations. It's going to be up until August, so try to fit it in with your summer plans if you love needlework. Winterthur is a great place and one of a kind. The gardens are fabulous, too, if you prefer being outdoors! Nearby other sites are Hagley Museum, Nemours, and Rockwood--all in Delaware. Close by in Pennsylvania are Longwood Gardens, the Brandywine River Museum, Chaddsford Winery, and more. We've been to all of these over the years and our visits are always fun. Yes, we have dragged the kids with us, mostly with success. (My parents indoctrinated me, therefore I must do the same to the next generation.)

I have to put in a plug for an antique shop I visited when we made a trip to Winterthur last month. Take a detour a few miles north along Route 52 to Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Go to Springhouse on US Route 1. It has a bit of the French country flair, with some garden things, porcelain, a nice mix in all. Unfortunately, there isn't a web site for the shop, but check it out in various online business sites. We discovered that a shop we liked in Centreville, DE, had closed. The Windles had great early things. It's always disappointing when a good shop closes--they seem to get fewer in number all the time!