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Vacation does not really produce many "homekeeping" moments, I've noticed. When you're far from home, you can't cook, clean, and garden in the way that you would if you were. Vacation is all about eating out, shopping, and visiting with family and friends. A good vacation doesn't involve tearing apart someone's kitchen to make yourself scrambled eggs or ripping out their hydrangeas so that you can grow some tomato plants.

Mr. Beeton, Ella, and I have been on vacation, traveling first to Pennsylvania and then spending Saturday night in Virginia with Mr. Beeton's parents to celebrate his mom's 60th birthday with a sixties-themed party. The entire week was filled with fun though not particularly filled with "homekeeping" moments (though I'd love to get and post the recipe for some delicious cheese puffs stuffed with olives that Mr. Beeton's aunt made).

Perhaps the farthest we strayed from home was in our visit to the Sands in Bethlehem - the casino built on the South Side of Bethlehem, which used to house the massive steel plants. After a bit of a battle with city residents, the Sands was finally built at 77 Sands Boulevard in Bethlehem (though locals will know that Sands Boulevard is a fictional street... it's really off 412, near Fourth Street and the Minsi Trail Bridge). 

When I first heard talk of the plans, I didn't really know how I felt. My brother, his wife, and their baby girl live near Atlantic City, and I've heard first-hand the potential problems that might come with slots in the Christmas City. Yet, I didn't really feel like this would be the city's downfall. Not being much of a gambler myself, I also didn't feel as though this was the next best thing to Musikfest. The Sands had to prove itself.

My family decided to venture down on Friday night. They were curious to see for themselves, make their own judgments. My Pop-Pop had worked for Bethlehem Steel, so like many residents, we felt like we had a vested interest in whatever went up in those abandoned plants.

And, I can't say we were disappointed. As cheesy as casinos are (and cannot avoid being), the architects at the Sands did a great job of retaining the integrity of the building. You drive right under a steel structure as you enter the grounds, which firmly cements the contemporary building in the history of the city. Inside, too, the designers went to great lengths to connect the casino to what came before. In particular, there were orange and reds lights hanging artfully from the ceiling, reminiscent of molten steel. 

While none of us came away big winners (my dad won $6.50), it was definitely worth going. And, besides, a fancy casino is about the furthest thing away from our D.C. railroad apartment so being couldn't have felt more like a vacation.

Keep sweeping, Martha 

Watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop.