Sweets

Penn State 4-H Creating Community Networks held its annual "Be a Sweetheart" fundraiser on a recent Tuesday evening at the Kennett Flash, and I don't think I've seen so many goodies since the Hershey's baking contest at the Unionville Community Fair. The wonderful desserts and drinks were all donated by local restaurants, caterers and businesses, and after eating, the sugared-up guests had the chance to "sponsor" various health, welfare and enrichment programs that the group runs for underserved children in our area -- things like reading, crafts, yoga, dance, riding, nutrition, and computer skills. (I donated money toward books for the literacy program.)

Committee members Connie Carter, Laurie Szoke and Harold Brosius did a great job explaining the group's services, using the metaphor of "a one-room schoolhouse on wheels" that travels to bring programs to those in need.

Thanks from Tilda

This being Thanksgiving (and what a wonderful holiday it is!), I want to say thank you to my readers for all the kind comments I've received about my little column since it started in September:

• "It's like an old-fashioned hometown paper, the way newspapers used to be."
• "It's the first thing I read in the paper."
• "I wish we had one in my town!"
• "We absolutely love it. It's so local."
• "How do you find out all that stuff?"

Quite frankly, I was surprised when the editor of this paper told me he had fallen in love with my blog and asked if he could run it as a weekly column. But apparently he knows his audience: I think people want a change from the ugly, nasty, snark-filled name-calling that passes for discourse these days, and they seem to adore reading about the "little" news, with no "spin" added, that's going on in their backyard.
Especially when it's such a colorful backyard as Unionville.

100 Artists

My friend and former newspaper colleague Catherine Quillman's wonderful new book "100 Artists of the Brandywine Valley" has finally arrived from the printer, just in time for Christmas (apparently it literally took a slow boat from China). I had the pleasure of editing the introduction, so I can tell you that Cathy profiles not only the "old favorites" but also fascinating newer artists working in all sorts of media.
According to her website: "The book focuses on 100 contemporary painters, photographers, and sculptors. However, it also includes illustrated sections describing 18th and 19th century painters as well as the early photographers of the Brandywine Valley. There are also several contemporary photographers who work in either traditional (large format cameras) or experimental forms."
Like the good marketer that she is, Cathy will be holding several local book signings in December; the schedule is at http://www.quillman-publications.com/.

Infrastructure issue

Brinton's Bridge Road in Pennsbury Township has been closed for the past few weeks due to a crumbling bridge between Chaddwyck Lane and Pocopson Road, forcing residents to take a lengthy detour. Neighbors say that what's especially aggravating is that the same bridge, which crosses a tiny stream, was completely rebuilt only a few years back.

Year of the Locked Door

This afternoon I walked past the King's Island Chinese restaurant in the Longwood Village shopping center, which has been closed since a kitchen fire this spring, and was thrilled to see active signs of repair work going on inside! The lights were on, and I saw a ladder, extension cords and some new recessed lights. I hope they manage to reopen in time for their wonderful annual Chinese New Year buffet. For the past five years, three friends and I have made that a much-anticipated winter ritual, and we would really miss the delicious food. (And I'm sure John and the rest of the staff would miss us taking up a table for three hours.)
In contrast, still dark, vacant and up for rent is the former Acme supermarket in New Garden. The grocery store moved to Avondale in February 2008.

Coffee Schopenhauer

The past few weeks, I've become a fixture at the Starbucks at Jennersville. I've been proofreading a 1,200-page philosophy textbook on hard copy, and this required more spreading-out space than I could find at home. The tables at Starbucks are exactly the right size and height, so I could work for literally hours without slouching or getting a crick in my neck.
(You may ask: Why not Longwood Starbucks, or the Bayard Taylor library, or Cafe Lindo? Answer: I'd see too many people I know and would get no work done.)
Apparently a lot of folks besides me use Starbucks as their office or a daily stopping-off spot, and the extraordinarily friendly and dedicated staff greeted regulars by name and knew exactly what drink they'd want.
Because a lot of my work was pretty mechanical, I could amuse myself by people-watching. One day at the table next to me I overheard a woman give a sales pitch, complete with little flip charts, for her jewelry "home party" business. I wouldn't say she was exactly pushy, but she obviously had plenty of experience overcoming objections. When this one demurred, she asked her to set a date when she might be ready to reconsider. "Go home, talk to your husband," she advised. "He can call my husband if he wants."
Then there's the music Starbucks plays. I never knew what to expect: the Beatles, Bob Dylan, "Saturday Night Fever," reggae, squawky progressive jazz. It was surreal, proofreading Marx's "Communist Manifesto" while listening to a swingin' Frank Sinatra medley.
So now I'm finished, all the way from ancient Greece to Martin Luther King Jr.'s amazing Washington D.C. speech. And I think it'll be quite a few days before I have another Tall Iced Non-Fat Caramel Macchiato.

Not just for horses

In the words of Dave Barry, "I am not making this up."  According to an article in the "Wall Street Journal," "a growing number of top kitchens...are harnessing hay's comforting, pastoral quality in their dishes." The article gives example of how chefs at six trendy restaurants use hay's "grassy, autumnal, haute-barnyard goodness" and includes a recipe for hay-charred scallops with horseradish mayo. (The link to the article is too long, so just do a search for "hay-charred.")

Formerly known as Sestrich's

Catherine's Restaurant in downtown Unionville is now open for breakfast and lunch, and my friend Susan and I enjoyed a terrific lunch there. It's as if it's a different restaurant in the daytime -- at night it's very dimly lit. Our waitress was very friendly and the food was just delicious -- I had a crabcake sandwich and Susan had chicken salad, and we split a dessert (lemon pound cake with black raspberry ice cream). Even on a chilly, bleak day, they were several other folks lunching there, so I hope business is good.
Menus and hours (they're closed Mondays) are at http://www.catherinesrestaurant.com/

Bricks and mortar

A woman named Tracy Culgan has organized a fundraising group to try to preserve the historic but now-abandoned Red Rose Inn in Jennersville. The website is http://www.savetheredroseinn.com/, and she has a Facebook page by the same name. "Any rich ghost hunters or historical benefactors, get in touch with me," she suggests.

Huzzah!

The Fourth Continental Light Dragoons had a beautiful sunny weekend for their encampment at Primitive Hall, and the Hillendale Cub Scouts and lots of other history buffs, local folks, children and photographers stopped by to watch and gain a new appreciation for our Revolutionary War soldiers.
It was so amusing watching the kids practice drilling with wooden pretend muskets under the direction of the Dragoon's commander, Bill Ochester. And when the soldiers were firing their muskets and demonstrating how they would've operated in battle, even the high-energy Cub Scouts stopped racing around and watched with rapt attention.

"No, we don't use real bullets," deadpanned Ochester. "There would be a lot fewer re-enactors if we did."
A few women accompanied the soldiers, and they were busy sewing and roasting a turkey on a spit over a campfire. The turkey was blackened on one side; the cook said ruefully that it caught on fire early in the proceedings.
The officers held a mock court-martial for one soldier who provided alcoholic beverages to the troops, above and beyond their ration. The unfortunate soldier, who hammed it up to the hilt, was found guilty after a brief, no-nonsense trial inside the Hall. His sentence was to run the gantlet, being smacked by each of his comrades, then undergo 12 lashes, and then -- dreadful! -- be demoted to the infantry. "Which is a fate worse than death," the commander informed him matter-of-factly.
His parting words as he was hauled off: "Could I have some rum?"
(Photo courtesy of Tilda's sister-in-law.)