A friend from Cochranville checked in this evening and reports that now that deer season's over, "The other hunters and I went out to take in our hunting tree stands today (when
the ground is frozen, thus good and solid). Six straight hours in the cold – no
lunch break. I was cold. A cold day is usually not thought of as a window of
opportunity." He's right there! At lunchtime I spent a mere 10 minutes in the post office parking lot chit-chatting and felt chilled through and through.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Namaste to you, too
A yoga enthusiast I know returned to her car the other day to find a cranky handwritten note on the windshield reading "Next time park inside white lines & centered in space." I suggested that perhaps the message wasn't really so offensive as it seemed: after all, isn't yoga really about being "centered in space"?
Looking up
I had a great time at Friday's Astral Harp presentation by Kevin and Janet Witman at Kennett Friends Meeting. Kevin showed stunning photographs of the planets and stars (some taken by him, some by the Hubble Space Telescope) and told us some mind-boggling facts about the age and size of our galaxy, while his wife Janet performed wonderful music on her harp (including "Twinkle Twinkle," "Stairway to Heaven," "Moon River," "Ain't No Sunshine," and Gustav Holst's "Jupiter").
Kevin, a workout buddy of mine from the Jennersville YMCA (seeing him in a necktie was a novelty!), is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable speaker who lectures at Franklin & Marshall's planetarium, and Janet is a professional harp player and teacher and director of the Brandywine Harp Orchestra. They live in Cochranville.
Kevin showed close-ups of the moon's surface and compared its potholed surface to a Pennsylvania road in the spring. And during the section of the lecture on the sun, a stinkbug crawled up the screen and seemed to be walking on the surface of the sun, right near a sunspot. Kevin was able to shoo him away.
The program ended on a more terrestrial note, with some vacation photos of Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, where the couple went so Kevin could photograph an annular solar eclipse; the Grand Canyon; and Scotland, where Janet was attending a harp conference and Kevin went along as "harp-schlepper."
At one point Janet said the purpose of their program was to "entertain and calm nerves," and it certainly did both. The harp music was remarkably soothing, as was the candlelit setting. I feel like I would be able to recognize Kevin's profile anywhere now, as he was silhouetted against the screen for much of the program.
The meetinghouse was standing-room-only, including a busload (literally) of people from Jenners Pond, including former Kennett residents Dick and Janice Taylor. I also saw in the audience my friends Babette Jenny (whose harpist daughter, Gillian Grassie, studied with Janet) and Karen Statz.
This was one of the most memorable and best-attended Hadley Fund programs I've ever been to.
Kevin, a workout buddy of mine from the Jennersville YMCA (seeing him in a necktie was a novelty!), is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable speaker who lectures at Franklin & Marshall's planetarium, and Janet is a professional harp player and teacher and director of the Brandywine Harp Orchestra. They live in Cochranville.
Kevin showed close-ups of the moon's surface and compared its potholed surface to a Pennsylvania road in the spring. And during the section of the lecture on the sun, a stinkbug crawled up the screen and seemed to be walking on the surface of the sun, right near a sunspot. Kevin was able to shoo him away.
The program ended on a more terrestrial note, with some vacation photos of Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, where the couple went so Kevin could photograph an annular solar eclipse; the Grand Canyon; and Scotland, where Janet was attending a harp conference and Kevin went along as "harp-schlepper."
At one point Janet said the purpose of their program was to "entertain and calm nerves," and it certainly did both. The harp music was remarkably soothing, as was the candlelit setting. I feel like I would be able to recognize Kevin's profile anywhere now, as he was silhouetted against the screen for much of the program.
The meetinghouse was standing-room-only, including a busload (literally) of people from Jenners Pond, including former Kennett residents Dick and Janice Taylor. I also saw in the audience my friends Babette Jenny (whose harpist daughter, Gillian Grassie, studied with Janet) and Karen Statz.
This was one of the most memorable and best-attended Hadley Fund programs I've ever been to.
Wired in
I'm not sure this is entirely healthy. I was just making my usual Saturday-morning rounds on Facebook when an error message popped up informing me that my account was down "due to site issues." My first reaction was to share that on my Facebook status --- but, of course, I couldn't because ... my account is down. I felt thwarted. So instead I'm sharing it on my blog.
Speaking of today's technologies, while I was working on my Christmas-present knitting the other evening at home (Christmas 2012, that is; yes, I know it's February, thank you) my smartphone started making an alarming siren-like noise that I'd never heard before. It wasn't an incoming call or email; it wasn't a Facebook comment; and I didn't have an alarm set. Was it some kind of super-duper Weather Channel alert warning of impending doom? No. It seems that Amber Alerts (for missing kids) are now being broadcast as text messages, accompanied by this startling noise. But all the text does is tell you that an alert has been issued; you have to check online to get the details.
Speaking of today's technologies, while I was working on my Christmas-present knitting the other evening at home (Christmas 2012, that is; yes, I know it's February, thank you) my smartphone started making an alarming siren-like noise that I'd never heard before. It wasn't an incoming call or email; it wasn't a Facebook comment; and I didn't have an alarm set. Was it some kind of super-duper Weather Channel alert warning of impending doom? No. It seems that Amber Alerts (for missing kids) are now being broadcast as text messages, accompanied by this startling noise. But all the text does is tell you that an alert has been issued; you have to check online to get the details.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Lifestyle
West Marlborough resident Richard Hayne, founder of Urban Outfitters and Terrain, got some ink this week in a Jan. 30 Wall Street Journal story, "Backyard Farms Gets Fancy: Meet the $1,300 Chicken Coop."
"A $58 garden hose, anyone? Or a $258 bronze-and-limewood spade? Such are the offerings at Terrain, Urban Outfitters Inc.'s fledgling retail concept that caters to the older, higher-income consumers adopting a well-appointed homesteader lifestyle."
Mr. Hayne was quoted only in his chief-executive capacity rather than speaking about his own VERY fancy and extensive ventures in backyard farming at Doe Run Farm in Springdell. He did reveal that he hopes to open more Terrain stores eventually and to add a spa to the store in Glen Mills.
Another Chester County resident featured in reporter Anne Marie Chaker's story is Peter Zimmerman, a Chester Springs architect whose sign is seen on a fair number of construction sites around here. He and his wife Eliza keep bees and make their own honey.
"A $58 garden hose, anyone? Or a $258 bronze-and-limewood spade? Such are the offerings at Terrain, Urban Outfitters Inc.'s fledgling retail concept that caters to the older, higher-income consumers adopting a well-appointed homesteader lifestyle."
Mr. Hayne was quoted only in his chief-executive capacity rather than speaking about his own VERY fancy and extensive ventures in backyard farming at Doe Run Farm in Springdell. He did reveal that he hopes to open more Terrain stores eventually and to add a spa to the store in Glen Mills.
Another Chester County resident featured in reporter Anne Marie Chaker's story is Peter Zimmerman, a Chester Springs architect whose sign is seen on a fair number of construction sites around here. He and his wife Eliza keep bees and make their own honey.
For rent
The Longwood CrossFit "box" (that's what CrossFit devotees call their workout space) will be closing up shop in mid-February and is selling off its weights, mats and other equipment on Craigslist. It was located behind Holly Peters' Oriental rug store, on an alley off Broad Street in Kennett Square. I never tried the workout myself, but I understand it was very challenging, and I have friends who were huge fans. The jumping-up-on-high-boxes thing was the deciding factor for me: I worry about my knees.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Up in the air
I first wrote about the Chester County Hot Air Balloon Festival two summers ago, when I was coming home from a party near Marshallton and just happened upon this huge event that I hadn't heard anything about. And then during last summer's fest, while I was out for an evening walk, I saw several of the balloons drifting silently over Doe Run.
Well, the ballooning enthusiasts had to move their event because the Embreeville Complex where it was held has been sold. So where's it going to be in 2013? At Plantation Field here in Unionville! Those of us who live nearby should be able to get a great view from our backyards. The event is set for June 14 and 15. Plantation Field is on the north side of Route 82 west of Unionville, between Green Valley Road and Tapeworm Road.
Well, the ballooning enthusiasts had to move their event because the Embreeville Complex where it was held has been sold. So where's it going to be in 2013? At Plantation Field here in Unionville! Those of us who live nearby should be able to get a great view from our backyards. The event is set for June 14 and 15. Plantation Field is on the north side of Route 82 west of Unionville, between Green Valley Road and Tapeworm Road.
Coolness fail
So I'm watching TV at the Young Relative's house and a current celebrity comes on whom I actually recognize! (This is rare.)
"It's Pit Bull!" I exclaimed with glee, poking him in the arm. "See? And you thought your [Older Relative] Tilda wasn't hip!"
I got the same long-suffering sigh and pitying look that I've received since he was about age 5.
"[Older Relative] Tilda," he said patiently. "It said `Pit Bull' right there on the screen."
I was crestfallen: for once, I actually DO recognize a performer, and I can't even score any hipness points for it!
"It's Pit Bull!" I exclaimed with glee, poking him in the arm. "See? And you thought your [Older Relative] Tilda wasn't hip!"
I got the same long-suffering sigh and pitying look that I've received since he was about age 5.
"[Older Relative] Tilda," he said patiently. "It said `Pit Bull' right there on the screen."
I was crestfallen: for once, I actually DO recognize a performer, and I can't even score any hipness points for it!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Warmer
Weren't those few balmy days last week just wonderful? What a pleasant end to that fierce cold snap!
One of the places where I work out is an unheated garage in the borough of West Grove (it's a nicely gussied-up garage and it has a stuffed bear, a real bear, in a glass case in the lobby). During the cold spell, when the temperature was in the teens, I took my exercise class wearing a knit hat pulled down like a cloche, a fleece pullover, a turtleneck and fleece tights. I may have stripped off one layer of fleece halfway through class.
In contrast, on my most recent visit, it was 60 degrees out. I wore shorts and a tennis skirt and no socks.
However, one of my gym friends, who works as a contractor, takes issue with something I wrote in last week's column. I quoted a mechanic friend as saying that he prefers to work in the cold. My contractor friend begs to differ. He said he can drink hot coffee all summer long while working outside, but when it gets below freezing and the wind kicks in, "I think, man, I should've gone to a better college."
The wind and heavy rain that came through on Jan. 30 downed some power lines on a back road near me. I was passing by the next afternoon and asked one of the repair guys what had happened. He said a tree took out both a long stretch of wire and an entire utility pole. He and his colleagues were there until well after dark patching up the damage.
One of the places where I work out is an unheated garage in the borough of West Grove (it's a nicely gussied-up garage and it has a stuffed bear, a real bear, in a glass case in the lobby). During the cold spell, when the temperature was in the teens, I took my exercise class wearing a knit hat pulled down like a cloche, a fleece pullover, a turtleneck and fleece tights. I may have stripped off one layer of fleece halfway through class.
In contrast, on my most recent visit, it was 60 degrees out. I wore shorts and a tennis skirt and no socks.
However, one of my gym friends, who works as a contractor, takes issue with something I wrote in last week's column. I quoted a mechanic friend as saying that he prefers to work in the cold. My contractor friend begs to differ. He said he can drink hot coffee all summer long while working outside, but when it gets below freezing and the wind kicks in, "I think, man, I should've gone to a better college."
The wind and heavy rain that came through on Jan. 30 downed some power lines on a back road near me. I was passing by the next afternoon and asked one of the repair guys what had happened. He said a tree took out both a long stretch of wire and an entire utility pole. He and his colleagues were there until well after dark patching up the damage.
High praise
Wow, the Financial Times, Great Britain's equivalent of the Wall Street Journal, gave Longwood Gardens a giant green thumbs up. In a Jan. 25 column he wrote on the best garden tours around the world, the paper's gardening columnist, Robin Lane Fox, recommended that visitors to Southeastern Pennsylvania stop by the Barnes Foundation, the Chanticleer garden in Wayne, and then "the unsurpassed Longwood Gardens, where the conservatory displays are
the world’s best."
Tractors for sale
The farm equipment collection of the late Bill Dreisbach is going to be auctioned off on March 7, starting at 9 a.m., at his farm, 829 Marlborough Spring Rd., East Marlborough Township. As the ad for the auction notes, Mr. Dreisbach was an "avid" John Deere collector, and there are a LOT of JD items listed, along with other farm equipment and antiques. The auctioneer is Wolgemuth Auction out of Leola.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Arrivals and departures
Last week I got an email from a friend and loyal reader urging me to see "Boeing Boeing," a comedy that opened Jan. 23 at the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington. I know she has a good sense of humor, so I took her advice and went to the Sunday matinee.
"Boeing Boeing" is a very funny, very silly classic farce that's set in Paris in the Swingin' Sixties. The American businessman Bernard manages to juggle three girlfriends, all stewardesses, by keeping meticulous track of their flight schedules. Given the vagaries of air travel, of course, the equilibrium doesn't last long, and inevitably the three women end up in his apartment at the same time. With the help of his visiting friend Robert and his temperamental housekeeper Berthe, romantic disaster is averted and -- unbelievably -- there's even a happy and symmetrical ending.
The energetic actors give the requisite over-the-top performances throughout this two-act whirlwind, taking quite a lot of pratfalls (the sofa in particular takes a beating). The physical comedy is hilarious -- one of the girlfriends, the German Valkyrie Gretchen, tosses everyone around. And I loved the Sixties costumes and decor.
The show runs through February 10. Thank you, Susan J., for the tip!
"Boeing Boeing" is a very funny, very silly classic farce that's set in Paris in the Swingin' Sixties. The American businessman Bernard manages to juggle three girlfriends, all stewardesses, by keeping meticulous track of their flight schedules. Given the vagaries of air travel, of course, the equilibrium doesn't last long, and inevitably the three women end up in his apartment at the same time. With the help of his visiting friend Robert and his temperamental housekeeper Berthe, romantic disaster is averted and -- unbelievably -- there's even a happy and symmetrical ending.
The energetic actors give the requisite over-the-top performances throughout this two-act whirlwind, taking quite a lot of pratfalls (the sofa in particular takes a beating). The physical comedy is hilarious -- one of the girlfriends, the German Valkyrie Gretchen, tosses everyone around. And I loved the Sixties costumes and decor.
The show runs through February 10. Thank you, Susan J., for the tip!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)