Hi!
Blake's piano has been visiting my place in the woods!
This place reminds me of Blake!
Hopefully some of his magic will be left behind...
Andra
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Shalu
Shalu took Blake's cardboard piano on a tour of New York City.
She visited Strawberry Fields where she thought Blake would pay tribute to another music man.
A stop at Grand Central Station shows us the Poughkeepsie Line.
Finally, Shalu stopped at one of her favorite yarn shops on the upper west side (Knitty City) in tribute to Mouse.
Enjoy!
She visited Strawberry Fields where she thought Blake would pay tribute to another music man.
A stop at Grand Central Station shows us the Poughkeepsie Line.
Finally, Shalu stopped at one of her favorite yarn shops on the upper west side (Knitty City) in tribute to Mouse.
Enjoy!
Jen
I am a member of the Poughkeepsie Street Team—readers and friends who support, promote, and otherwise flail over Debra Anastasia’s novel about a girl who falls in love with a man she meets at the train station.
In April, 2013, I was fortunate enough to have been a stop on Blake’s Cardboard Piano tour, and as a local to the Poughkeepsie area, there really was no question where I’d take the piano for my photo shoot.
I’m sure Debra’s got the characters busy while she finishes up Return to Poughkeepsie, so I took the piano back to the station for a welcome-home visit. And we made a couple of little detours while we were there.
It’s one thing to read a story and to visualize the scenes in your head, and with Debra’s writing, that’s easy to do. But it’s quite another to walk along the path of the character and trace his or her footsteps, seeing what they saw, hearing what they heard.
If you know the story, you know that Blake has an aversion to sunlight, and for someone who’s pretty much homeless, that’s an issue. But there are some nice shady spots at the station.
There are so many references to stairs, running up them, down them, hiding under for shelter. And there are several different sets of stairs, but I’m pretty sure these are the ones referred to at least a few times.
Don’t worry, like Blake, I wouldn’t leave the piano on the stairs unattended. The stair picture is one of my favorites; it’s simple, yet it speaks of the despair and loneliness that was his life before Livia.
We found a nice shady spot with a bench. Can’t you just imagine Blake and Livia sitting there? The shade would keep Blake safe from the sun, and it’s more private–set apart from the rest of the station. I can imagine them sitting on the bench and holding hands.
On a cold day, Blake might have stepped inside the station, although he might have been too proud to seek warmth. There are quite a few warm corners in the station, some offering a pretty backdrop for the piano.
There are some beautiful architectural elements, including a steel overhead walkway outside and high arched windows on the facade.
There is a large, not-to-scale rendering of Dutchess County down one long hallway and a bright sitting area for the weary traveler.
But there were a couple of other places I wanted to visit, so I carefully rolled up the piano and headed out on foot, the way Blake would have.
Looking out toward the Hudson River and the Mid-Hudson Bridge—or the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge, officially—you can see the park mentioned in the story.
Named Waryas Park, after Victor C. Waryas, former mayor of Poughkeepsie, it sits just at the edge of the river, one block west of the station. It is peaceful and beautiful and such a surprise to find right there at the edge of the city. There’s a plaque dedicated to the former mayor that’s built into the front of this very large boulder, conveniently located at the entrance to the park.
You may notice that within the park, similar architectural features as the station can be found. The pyramid-shaped roof and steel frame of the picnic area mimic the distinctive walkway from the street level to the tracks at the station. The streetlamps are the same, as well.
A few blocks east of the park was a surprise the first time I found it, as I had no idea it was so close to the station. But as you approach the station, the steeple to a church is visible through the trees for at least a mile. I thought, “No way; that can’t be Cole’s church.” But after checking with the lovely author herself, I was assured that it was, indeed, Cole’s church.
Known to locals as Church of the Holy Comforter, this Gothic Revival church built in 1860 is stunning, made of local bluestone with dark red trim accenting the doors and stained-glass windows. The doors are actually red and just gorgeous. I can almost picture Cole throwing open the doors and welcoming his congregation.
At the front of the church, there is a statue of Mary holding baby Jesus, and there are wildflowers and daffodils blooming all around in the spring. The only disappointment was the fence surrounding the church.
We couldn’t look inside or even get close enough to the front, so we had to limit ourselves to pictures at the back door, which was really red! As unfortunate as the fence is, its also understandable. Some of the windows have been broken, and in the few times I’ve visited, haven’t been repaired. Which is sad. It’s a beautiful landmark in the community and it’s a shame to see it mistreated.
We tucked Blake’s piano in the fence for one last photo before heading back to the station.
It was absolutely wonderful to have a chance to take Blake’s piano back to Poughkeepsie, back to the train station, where the story began.
Thank you Debra and the Poughkeepsie Street Team for their all-around awesomeness in allowing me to be a stop on the tour, and thank you for visiting!
In April, 2013, I was fortunate enough to have been a stop on Blake’s Cardboard Piano tour, and as a local to the Poughkeepsie area, there really was no question where I’d take the piano for my photo shoot.
I’m sure Debra’s got the characters busy while she finishes up Return to Poughkeepsie, so I took the piano back to the station for a welcome-home visit. And we made a couple of little detours while we were there.
It’s one thing to read a story and to visualize the scenes in your head, and with Debra’s writing, that’s easy to do. But it’s quite another to walk along the path of the character and trace his or her footsteps, seeing what they saw, hearing what they heard.
If you know the story, you know that Blake has an aversion to sunlight, and for someone who’s pretty much homeless, that’s an issue. But there are some nice shady spots at the station.
There are so many references to stairs, running up them, down them, hiding under for shelter. And there are several different sets of stairs, but I’m pretty sure these are the ones referred to at least a few times.
Don’t worry, like Blake, I wouldn’t leave the piano on the stairs unattended. The stair picture is one of my favorites; it’s simple, yet it speaks of the despair and loneliness that was his life before Livia.
We found a nice shady spot with a bench. Can’t you just imagine Blake and Livia sitting there? The shade would keep Blake safe from the sun, and it’s more private–set apart from the rest of the station. I can imagine them sitting on the bench and holding hands.
On a cold day, Blake might have stepped inside the station, although he might have been too proud to seek warmth. There are quite a few warm corners in the station, some offering a pretty backdrop for the piano.
There are some beautiful architectural elements, including a steel overhead walkway outside and high arched windows on the facade.
There is a large, not-to-scale rendering of Dutchess County down one long hallway and a bright sitting area for the weary traveler.
But there were a couple of other places I wanted to visit, so I carefully rolled up the piano and headed out on foot, the way Blake would have.
Looking out toward the Hudson River and the Mid-Hudson Bridge—or the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge, officially—you can see the park mentioned in the story.
Named Waryas Park, after Victor C. Waryas, former mayor of Poughkeepsie, it sits just at the edge of the river, one block west of the station. It is peaceful and beautiful and such a surprise to find right there at the edge of the city. There’s a plaque dedicated to the former mayor that’s built into the front of this very large boulder, conveniently located at the entrance to the park.
You may notice that within the park, similar architectural features as the station can be found. The pyramid-shaped roof and steel frame of the picnic area mimic the distinctive walkway from the street level to the tracks at the station. The streetlamps are the same, as well.
A few blocks east of the park was a surprise the first time I found it, as I had no idea it was so close to the station. But as you approach the station, the steeple to a church is visible through the trees for at least a mile. I thought, “No way; that can’t be Cole’s church.” But after checking with the lovely author herself, I was assured that it was, indeed, Cole’s church.
Known to locals as Church of the Holy Comforter, this Gothic Revival church built in 1860 is stunning, made of local bluestone with dark red trim accenting the doors and stained-glass windows. The doors are actually red and just gorgeous. I can almost picture Cole throwing open the doors and welcoming his congregation.
At the front of the church, there is a statue of Mary holding baby Jesus, and there are wildflowers and daffodils blooming all around in the spring. The only disappointment was the fence surrounding the church.
We couldn’t look inside or even get close enough to the front, so we had to limit ourselves to pictures at the back door, which was really red! As unfortunate as the fence is, its also understandable. Some of the windows have been broken, and in the few times I’ve visited, haven’t been repaired. Which is sad. It’s a beautiful landmark in the community and it’s a shame to see it mistreated.
We tucked Blake’s piano in the fence for one last photo before heading back to the station.
It was absolutely wonderful to have a chance to take Blake’s piano back to Poughkeepsie, back to the train station, where the story began.
Thank you Debra and the Poughkeepsie Street Team for their all-around awesomeness in allowing me to be a stop on the tour, and thank you for visiting!
Autumn
Hey!
I hope you like my pictures of Blake's keyboard.
Peace, love and endless sunshine from Winter Park, Florida!
All the best,
Autumn
I hope you like my pictures of Blake's keyboard.
Peace, love and endless sunshine from Winter Park, Florida!
All the best,
Autumn
Marijee
Marijee here to show you Blake’s Piano stop in Salem, Oregon.
I live in Salem, Oregon and have for the last twenty plus years. It is the State Capitol of Oregon and has the majority of State Offices, Prisons and Mental Institutions. We are very diverse! LOL!
The State Building is the third one built in Salem. On it’s dome rests The Pioneer or as most Oregonians call him: The Gold Man. It’s a bronze statue covered in gold leaf, and it definitely glows when the sun hit it. There are some wonderful murals inside the Capitol building and some detailed carvings in marble at the entrance. Oregon ends the trek west by Lewis and Clark and we have many tributes to their success in making it to the West Coast.
Salem is located in the Willamette (Will-am-ette) Valley. I've included a photo of the Willamette Valley with Mount Hood in the distance. We are forty-five minutes to the Pacific Coast and about two hours to the Cascade Mountains.
The current Amtrak Station is also the third train station built in Salem. The first two burnt down and this third one was built in 1918. It was restored in 2000 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Oregon gets lots of rain from November until late April. We don’t say our summers really start until July 4th. I think we have one of the best summers in the States. Our weather is usually dry (and not humid!) from July through the middle of October.
I volunteer as a Master Gardener with the Oregon State Extension Service. We answer calls on local garden and pest issues and also have a demonstration garden called Marion Garden. We grow vegetables and herbs and donate them to our local Food Share to be distributed to needy families. It’s a very worthwhile endeavor. We get to play in the dirt and help our community!
I've shared a picture of Marion Gardens looking from the herb garden to the raised veggie beds. See our greenhouse in the distance.
Thanks so much for allowing me to participate in Blake’s Piano tour.
I had so much fun revisiting some of the important pieces of Salem’s history.
I live in Salem, Oregon and have for the last twenty plus years. It is the State Capitol of Oregon and has the majority of State Offices, Prisons and Mental Institutions. We are very diverse! LOL!
The State Building is the third one built in Salem. On it’s dome rests The Pioneer or as most Oregonians call him: The Gold Man. It’s a bronze statue covered in gold leaf, and it definitely glows when the sun hit it. There are some wonderful murals inside the Capitol building and some detailed carvings in marble at the entrance. Oregon ends the trek west by Lewis and Clark and we have many tributes to their success in making it to the West Coast.
Salem is located in the Willamette (Will-am-ette) Valley. I've included a photo of the Willamette Valley with Mount Hood in the distance. We are forty-five minutes to the Pacific Coast and about two hours to the Cascade Mountains.
The current Amtrak Station is also the third train station built in Salem. The first two burnt down and this third one was built in 1918. It was restored in 2000 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Oregon gets lots of rain from November until late April. We don’t say our summers really start until July 4th. I think we have one of the best summers in the States. Our weather is usually dry (and not humid!) from July through the middle of October.
I volunteer as a Master Gardener with the Oregon State Extension Service. We answer calls on local garden and pest issues and also have a demonstration garden called Marion Garden. We grow vegetables and herbs and donate them to our local Food Share to be distributed to needy families. It’s a very worthwhile endeavor. We get to play in the dirt and help our community!
I've shared a picture of Marion Gardens looking from the herb garden to the raised veggie beds. See our greenhouse in the distance.
Thanks so much for allowing me to participate in Blake’s Piano tour.
I had so much fun revisiting some of the important pieces of Salem’s history.
Squally
Hey Guys!
Blake's Cardboard Piano made it's first trip overseas.
The gorgeous Squally took some requests and the piano for a wonderful tour of Perth, Australia. Check it out:
And here's a message from Squally:
Blake has a bed waiting for him if he ever needs one again. I'm glad he found a home in her arms and not just a roof over his head.
He can play music for me anytime. I'll write the lyrics if he composes :) Perth was happy to to host his soundless concert here. As far as I'm concerned he's officially an Aussie.
Best of Luck,
Squally Girl
Blake's Cardboard Piano made it's first trip overseas.
The gorgeous Squally took some requests and the piano for a wonderful tour of Perth, Australia. Check it out:
And here's a message from Squally:
Blake has a bed waiting for him if he ever needs one again. I'm glad he found a home in her arms and not just a roof over his head.
He can play music for me anytime. I'll write the lyrics if he composes :) Perth was happy to to host his soundless concert here. As far as I'm concerned he's officially an Aussie.
Best of Luck,
Squally Girl
Tiffany
Dear Blake,
I’d like to thank you for entrusting your piano to myself and the many other Poughkeespie “groupies” out there. It has been an honor and taking it out in Oklahoma City was more fun than my mom and I could have expected.
Yours and Livia’s love story is one for the ages. I have thanked Debra many times for sharing your story with us and allowing us to be such a big part of it by putting your cardboard piano “on tour.” I hope you enjoy the stops I have chosen.
When my mom and I started our adventure on an absolutely beautiful Oklahoma Sunday afternoon, I knew the first stop had to be The Santa Fe Depot, the train station in downtown Oklahoma City.
It originally opened in 1934 and its main service was from Topeka, KS to Texas. It was later bought by Amtrak and traveled from Chicago to Houston. It was closed in 1979 and was reopened, renovated and ready to start transporting its passengers from OKC to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area in 1999. The Heartland Flyer (the train itself) is a fun and unique way to travel to TX. And now when I have the opportunity to go down to the station you can bet I’ll be looking for someone handing out sandwiches to all the passengers, just so that the one person she wants to give one to will accept.
On April 19th, 1995 at 9:02am, the state of Oklahoma was changed forever when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was the sight of the Oklahoma City bombing. The lives of 149 adults and 19 children were lost in this tragic event. Their loved ones and the survivors of the vicious attack, needless-to-say, are still greatly affected by this tragedy. It was if the world stood still the days following the bombing. It was such an unfathomable act, people repeatedly asked “How could this happen on U.S. soil?” Rescue workers and aide came from all over the world and Oklahomans will be eternally grateful for the support they brought the state during this time.
It was without question when your piano went on tour that I would bring it to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. I really could have just taken pictures at the memorial and could talk about it for this entire post.
The memorial is a beautiful tribute to those lives lost, the survivors and the endless aide we received. The large entrance gate you see behind the piano is one of The Gates of Time. There is one at each end of the memorial and the inscription at the top of this one is “We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.”
The memorial not only serves as a place for to people to honor those directly involved with the attack, its serves as a reminder that in times of true crisis the world can unite and it is possible that we all work together for the greater good.
St. Joseph Old Cathedral is located directly across the street from the Bombing Memorial.
The day of the attack the old cathedral sustained tremendous damage. However, throughout the explosion, the tabernacle candle remained lit and the old life-sized crucifix remained unscratched by all of the flying debris.
The cathedral was closed for almost two years, and reopened completely renovated in 1997. The monument behind the piano is yet another tribute to the ones involved in the attack. They also erected a statue of Jesus entitled “And Jesus wept.”
This cathedral reminded me of Cole so much. I could see him here ministering to his old people. This cathedral is known to even have a midnight mass on occasion Cole could visit.
When my mom and I were driving around OKC looking for great places to stop, we wanted places that would pay tribute to Blake, Cole, Beckett and Mouse.
We drove through some seedy parts of town looking for the perfect place Beckett and Mouse would set up their “enterprise” and still couldn’t decide exactly what the next stop should be. Then it hit me…tattoo shop!
So I chose the first licensed tattoo shop in Oklahoma. Yes living in the buckle of the Bible Belt, tattooing did not become legal in OK until 2006. However, knowing Beckett, he would have seen to it that whomever needed a tattoo prior to 2006 would have been taken care of. Also the shop signifies the importance of the brother’s tattoo in the book, and Mouse adding his knitting needles. *sniffs and wipes a tear*
As soon as I can, I plan on getting the Poughkeepsie tattoo, following in my dearest friend Jillian’s footsteps and the other fans who now have one.
Finally, I’d like to once again thank Debra for giving all of us such a fantastic book. For bringing the lives of Blake, Livia, Cole, Kyle, Beckett, Eve and Mouse off the pages of a book and into our hearts. Jillian Stein pimped Poughkeepsie to me and I have continued keeping my pimp hand strong, pimping it out to everyone I know.
The group picture is of me and the ladies at my office that have read this wonderful book. We all loved it and all signed the piano before it was mailed off to North Carolina for its next exciting tour stop.
Debra, you rock!
THANK YOU from (pictured left to right) Me, Mom (Linda,) Nancy, Susan and Cozetta.
I’d like to thank you for entrusting your piano to myself and the many other Poughkeespie “groupies” out there. It has been an honor and taking it out in Oklahoma City was more fun than my mom and I could have expected.
Yours and Livia’s love story is one for the ages. I have thanked Debra many times for sharing your story with us and allowing us to be such a big part of it by putting your cardboard piano “on tour.” I hope you enjoy the stops I have chosen.
When my mom and I started our adventure on an absolutely beautiful Oklahoma Sunday afternoon, I knew the first stop had to be The Santa Fe Depot, the train station in downtown Oklahoma City.
It originally opened in 1934 and its main service was from Topeka, KS to Texas. It was later bought by Amtrak and traveled from Chicago to Houston. It was closed in 1979 and was reopened, renovated and ready to start transporting its passengers from OKC to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area in 1999. The Heartland Flyer (the train itself) is a fun and unique way to travel to TX. And now when I have the opportunity to go down to the station you can bet I’ll be looking for someone handing out sandwiches to all the passengers, just so that the one person she wants to give one to will accept.
On April 19th, 1995 at 9:02am, the state of Oklahoma was changed forever when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was the sight of the Oklahoma City bombing. The lives of 149 adults and 19 children were lost in this tragic event. Their loved ones and the survivors of the vicious attack, needless-to-say, are still greatly affected by this tragedy. It was if the world stood still the days following the bombing. It was such an unfathomable act, people repeatedly asked “How could this happen on U.S. soil?” Rescue workers and aide came from all over the world and Oklahomans will be eternally grateful for the support they brought the state during this time.
It was without question when your piano went on tour that I would bring it to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. I really could have just taken pictures at the memorial and could talk about it for this entire post.
The memorial is a beautiful tribute to those lives lost, the survivors and the endless aide we received. The large entrance gate you see behind the piano is one of The Gates of Time. There is one at each end of the memorial and the inscription at the top of this one is “We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.”
The memorial not only serves as a place for to people to honor those directly involved with the attack, its serves as a reminder that in times of true crisis the world can unite and it is possible that we all work together for the greater good.
St. Joseph Old Cathedral is located directly across the street from the Bombing Memorial.
The day of the attack the old cathedral sustained tremendous damage. However, throughout the explosion, the tabernacle candle remained lit and the old life-sized crucifix remained unscratched by all of the flying debris.
The cathedral was closed for almost two years, and reopened completely renovated in 1997. The monument behind the piano is yet another tribute to the ones involved in the attack. They also erected a statue of Jesus entitled “And Jesus wept.”
This cathedral reminded me of Cole so much. I could see him here ministering to his old people. This cathedral is known to even have a midnight mass on occasion Cole could visit.
When my mom and I were driving around OKC looking for great places to stop, we wanted places that would pay tribute to Blake, Cole, Beckett and Mouse.
We drove through some seedy parts of town looking for the perfect place Beckett and Mouse would set up their “enterprise” and still couldn’t decide exactly what the next stop should be. Then it hit me…tattoo shop!
So I chose the first licensed tattoo shop in Oklahoma. Yes living in the buckle of the Bible Belt, tattooing did not become legal in OK until 2006. However, knowing Beckett, he would have seen to it that whomever needed a tattoo prior to 2006 would have been taken care of. Also the shop signifies the importance of the brother’s tattoo in the book, and Mouse adding his knitting needles. *sniffs and wipes a tear*
As soon as I can, I plan on getting the Poughkeepsie tattoo, following in my dearest friend Jillian’s footsteps and the other fans who now have one.
Finally, I’d like to once again thank Debra for giving all of us such a fantastic book. For bringing the lives of Blake, Livia, Cole, Kyle, Beckett, Eve and Mouse off the pages of a book and into our hearts. Jillian Stein pimped Poughkeepsie to me and I have continued keeping my pimp hand strong, pimping it out to everyone I know.
The group picture is of me and the ladies at my office that have read this wonderful book. We all loved it and all signed the piano before it was mailed off to North Carolina for its next exciting tour stop.
Debra, you rock!
THANK YOU from (pictured left to right) Me, Mom (Linda,) Nancy, Susan and Cozetta.
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