Happy news from a gym friend in West Grove: the family lizard, Perry, who had been missing for over two months, was found alive and well, out back by the playset. "Survived the snow!" she notes with disbelief. Perry is back in his cage after his adventure.
According to last week's paper, Kennett borough is considering enacting an ordinance banning exotic pets, but I think Perry, despite his wanderlust, would be exempt because he isn't venomous and poses no threat to humans.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
Getting there
If there's a (1) direct and (2) pleasant route from Unionville to the Wegman's supermarket outside the borough of Downingtown, I wish somebody would tell me about it. Route 30 through Coatesville, Thorndale and Downingtown is certainly direct and interesting, but it has too many traffic lights. Strasburg Road is a fine east-west road and easy to get to, but there's no direct connection up to Downingtown; the best route would seem to be Marshallton-Thorndale Road (which gets you to Route 30) or Shadyside Road (which gets you to Route 322, near the Harmony Hill/Gibson's covered bridge). I've heard that Sugarsbridge Road north from Marshallton is another good connection between Strasburg Road and Route 322; next time I'm going to try that.
And yes, this was actually a topic of animated and heartfelt conversation at a recent brunch I attended. Welcome to the world of Wegman's fans.
And yes, this was actually a topic of animated and heartfelt conversation at a recent brunch I attended. Welcome to the world of Wegman's fans.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Township meeting
If you live in West Marlborough, clear your calendar for the evening of Thursday, Dec. 15. The township supervisors are holding a special meeting at 7 p.m. at the township hall to discuss "1) the required permitting process for all work done in the Township and 2) whether to apply to PennDOT to request the turn-back of maintenance responsibility for a number of roads in the Township currently maintained by the State."
In recent months, both have been the subject of animated discussion not only at township meetings but basically anywhere and anytime that township residents run into each other. This should be an interesting meeting.
In recent months, both have been the subject of animated discussion not only at township meetings but basically anywhere and anytime that township residents run into each other. This should be an interesting meeting.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
The pause that refreshes
Out of the blue I got a letter from a saleswoman I've dealt with in the past, informing me that she moved to a new job. I caught up with her, and she explained that two years ago, she had gotten laid off from the job she'd had for nearly 20 years. She was shocked and decided to take a hiatus and regroup. She thought she could swing it financially: she's single, lives frugally, has her house in West Chester almost paid off and had some savings socked away, in addition to unemployment checks.
So she spent a year reading, going on day trips, doing yoga, getting involved in neighborhood and municipal groups and helping out her friends and neighbors with errands and projects. By the end of the year she had her balance back and was ready to return to the working world. She got hired immediately by a former coworker and seems very happy where she is, personally and professionally.
So she spent a year reading, going on day trips, doing yoga, getting involved in neighborhood and municipal groups and helping out her friends and neighbors with errands and projects. By the end of the year she had her balance back and was ready to return to the working world. She got hired immediately by a former coworker and seems very happy where she is, personally and professionally.
A heated discussion
If you have car seat warmers, I don't need to tell you how wonderful they feel on a frosty morning, or after a tough lower-body workout. You get used to them very quickly.
My brother is normally a rugged and low-maintenance man of few words, so it was a bit startling the other day to hear him grumbling that the seat warmers in his Ford truck (King Ranch model) have only two settings: off, and "rump roaster."
"At least you can adjust yours," he said to me, peevishly.
Our mother quickly played her trump card, though, pointing out that HER car has not only heated seats .... but also a heated steering wheel.
My brother is normally a rugged and low-maintenance man of few words, so it was a bit startling the other day to hear him grumbling that the seat warmers in his Ford truck (King Ranch model) have only two settings: off, and "rump roaster."
"At least you can adjust yours," he said to me, peevishly.
Our mother quickly played her trump card, though, pointing out that HER car has not only heated seats .... but also a heated steering wheel.
One L or two?
Is the quaint village in West Bradford spelled Marshallton or Marshalton?
Speaking of names, Blow Horn lives! Even though the sign on the old mill at Routes 82 and 841 was erased back in October, casting a pall of local gloom, someone with a sense of humor posted a "Blow Horn 5 miles" sign along Route 82 in Unionville. And we continue to use it as a landmark: it was mentioned in two recent e-mails from the Cheshire Hunt Conservancy giving directions to fox-hunting fixtures.
"Marshallton is correct," states a history-buff friend of mine who lives there. The town was named after Humphry Marshall, a Quaker botanist who was born there in 1722. He also lends his name to Marshall Square Park in West Chester.
Speaking of names, Blow Horn lives! Even though the sign on the old mill at Routes 82 and 841 was erased back in October, casting a pall of local gloom, someone with a sense of humor posted a "Blow Horn 5 miles" sign along Route 82 in Unionville. And we continue to use it as a landmark: it was mentioned in two recent e-mails from the Cheshire Hunt Conservancy giving directions to fox-hunting fixtures.
Matchmaker
Congratulations to Liz and Bob Burns of Kennett Square, who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. As part of the festivities they visited Sister Eleanor Echardt, the woman who introduced them while Liz was a student at Immaculata University (then College).
Explains Liz: "I needed a date and she had a cousin with his own tux! Wanted to dump him but he never stopped talking long enough for me to get a word in to do the deed."
Explains Liz: "I needed a date and she had a cousin with his own tux! Wanted to dump him but he never stopped talking long enough for me to get a word in to do the deed."
"Dogs soon learn to count"
Caroline Rance, a Londoner who writes the blog "The Quack Doctor," rediscovered her copy of Horses, Dogs, Birds, Cattle. Accidents and Ailments. First Aid, published in 1906 by the makers of Elliman's Embrocation (no, drug marketing is NOT a recent invention). "Rather than posing as a general veterinary work and sneaking in adverts for the products, the book is openly about Elliman’s Embrocation and it’s no surprise that the product is recommended as a treatment for most things," writes Ms. Rance.
Here is some of the advice the book offers for giving medicine to dogs:
"The majority of persons who keep dogs seldom or never give a dose of medicine to them, and it is often difficult to do so. When medicine can be conveyed in food or drink, it is, of course, the easiest plan of administering it. The dog should not see the prepared food, neither should the first morsel contain it. The suspicious pet should taste the appetising morsel and find that it is all right, and take the medicament in a subsequent one. Dogs soon learn to count, and the programme should be varied each time."
Here is some of the advice the book offers for giving medicine to dogs:
"The majority of persons who keep dogs seldom or never give a dose of medicine to them, and it is often difficult to do so. When medicine can be conveyed in food or drink, it is, of course, the easiest plan of administering it. The dog should not see the prepared food, neither should the first morsel contain it. The suspicious pet should taste the appetising morsel and find that it is all right, and take the medicament in a subsequent one. Dogs soon learn to count, and the programme should be varied each time."
Picks
Once you've played fantasy football, your brain is permanently altered. I'm not even a team owner this year, but I still can't watch football without keeping an eye on the statistics crawler at the bottom of the screen. Without even meaning to do so, I notice myself calculating how many points Reggie Bush or Tony Romo would've racked up for their fantasy owners.
"Whoa, 307 yards, sweet!"
"Whoa, 307 yards, sweet!"
Parking in Kennett
I don't know about you, but I've always been confused about downtown Kennett's parking rules, especially since I heard that new regulations are in place for the Christmas holiday. So I went straight to the source, and here's the answer I got:
"From Nov. 25 to Dec. 25 parking in the metered spaces in the parking garage is free for three hours. All metered parking is always free after 5 p.m. and on Sundays. And parking in the garage and in the surface lots is always free on Saturdays as well."
OK. Got it now!
"From Nov. 25 to Dec. 25 parking in the metered spaces in the parking garage is free for three hours. All metered parking is always free after 5 p.m. and on Sundays. And parking in the garage and in the surface lots is always free on Saturdays as well."
OK. Got it now!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Deer season
Today was the first day of deer season. Time to pull out the blaze orange vest from my coat closet whenever I venture outdoors! This morning I heard shots from up the road, more like distant explosions, two at a time. I saw a lot of hunters' pickups off the side of the road, and lone men wearing blaze orange and camouflage walking along the edge of the woods. The fox hunters, wisely, take a hiatus during the first few days of the season.
My childhood friend Karen, now a college professor near Wilkes-Barre, had the day off from teaching on Monday, as did many students in more rural areas. She recalls: "When I moved to Milton in central PA to teach many, many years ago, I asked why we got the Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving off. I was told because it was the first two days of buck season and was asked, didn't I get them off where I went to school? I explained I grew up in suburban Philadelphia, where the only thing I hunted was a bargain at the mall."
My childhood friend Karen, now a college professor near Wilkes-Barre, had the day off from teaching on Monday, as did many students in more rural areas. She recalls: "When I moved to Milton in central PA to teach many, many years ago, I asked why we got the Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving off. I was told because it was the first two days of buck season and was asked, didn't I get them off where I went to school? I explained I grew up in suburban Philadelphia, where the only thing I hunted was a bargain at the mall."
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