Another Saturday night

Pomegranate molasses, salad with local blue goat cheese and North Star Orchard pears, perfectly grilled hogfish, gin and tonics with two superlative gins (Hayman's Old Tom and Martin Miller's), great conversation on everything from the infamous "Butcher" album cover to the perils of getting sick in Phnom Penh adds up to one absolutely magical and memorable evening in Embreeville with old -- or, rather, longstanding -- friends. Thank you, Bob and Carol, for your hospitality!
Sources: the pomegranate molasses is available at Wegman's (of course), many of the fresh goodies were purchased at the West Chester Growers' Market, North Star Orchard is in Cochranville, the Beatles' "Yesterday and Today" album with the original gory cover is available online for a pretty penny, and the hogfish was from Gadaleto's in West Chester.

Picnics

There was a group of serious picnickers at Wolf's Hollow County Park in Cochranville this beautiful fall afternoon. There were two men, four women and a tiny leashed dog. The men went ahead to see if the desired picnic tables were free. They set off, each carrying portable chairs and rolling a large wheeled cooler, and a few minutes later hollered back that the tables were unoccupied, and the ladies should join them. The women followed, each carrying two chairs, slung over their shoulders, and bags full of food. I got the sense they'd done this once or twice before.
I spotted something at the park I hadn't noticed before, the "Boathouse Ruins." It's basically just three low stone walls, but what an evocative name: doesn't it conjure up a Victorian-era picnic with ladies in white dresses with parasols and mustachioed gentlemen in boater hats?

Honey of a beer

Congratulations to West Marlborough beekeeper Walt Broughton! Iron Hill Brewery is using his Swarmbustin' Honey in its "Swarmbustin' Saison" ale ($5.75 for 16 oz.). Here's their description: "Belgian-style farmhouse ale brewed with 80 lbs of local Chester County honey. This pale, unfiltered beer stings the pallet [sic] with flavors of mandarin oranges, tangerines, peaches, bananas and light wisps of honey." (Thanks to the Sharp-Eyed Friend for spotting this on Iron Hill's menu.)

Stink bugs are back

You don't need me to tell you that the stink bugs are back, looking for a warm place to spend the winter. They started on my screen door, and now they've moved inside, flying around and landing on walls, curtains, appliance cords and lampshades. (The one in the photo obviously likes Sandra Bullock's back.)
I already have my zip-lock bags ready for action in each room: I drop the bugs in, zip up the bag and then toss it when it gets full.
Then, of course I repeat the process, because a few minutes after I've cleared a room, it's full of them again!
Let's just hope the smelly invasion is not as bad as it was two years ago. I well remember pulling a scarf from a bureau drawer and finding dozens of them nestled in its folds.

Asking for trouble

This evening I went to stash my stuff in the Kennett Y's locker room before Pilates class. I opened one locker -- and just sitting there was somebody's purse, wide open, with cash and an iPhone clearly in view. Sure, yes, it's nice to trust people, but that seems a bit foolhardy. Lock your locker!

A cutting remark

The Cranky Friend is extraordinarily loyal to the woman who cuts his hair, having followed her around from shop to shop over the many years of their relationship.
After his most recent haircut, he enthused about her skills.
"Monica is the ONLY person I know who totally knows what she's doing," he stated.
"Hey!" I retorted, stung. "I totally know what I'm doing!"
He left a perfectly timed little pause.
"That Monica," he said. "She is the BEST!"

Families That Thrive

On the post office bulletin board I spotted this interesting-sounding event that's going to be held at London Grove Friends Meeting on Friday, Oct. 11. It's a parenting workshop called "Creating Families that Thrive," led by John Scardina. It's free of charge, open to the public and kid-friendly: child care and kids' activities will be provided by the Meeting's kindergarten so that parents can attend the program! The family pizza dinner starts at 6 and the program runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. RSVP to info@londongrovefriendskindergarten.com or on Facebook.

Magnolia Place

Magnolia Place, the new Kennett Square development at the site of the former Shur-Fine market at Cypress Street and Mill Road, is finally getting under way. There's heavy equipment out there doing earth-moving, and a couple of the townhouses are taking shape. I checked out the development's website, www.kennettmagnolia.com, and learned that there are going to be 79 townhouses and twins, starting at $319,000. "Also included in the community will be a wonderful building that will further enhance Kennett Borough with a Nice Restaurant, Fine Retail Stores & Luxury Apartments." Among them, of course, Victory Brewing.
The real estate agents for the development are the Riggin Group of RE/MAX of Wilmington; the builder is SAI Builders, LLC.

The new HR world

Since when are job interviews held in public places? I was sitting outside at Starbucks on a Wednesday afternoon and overheard what was unmistakably an interview for a fairly high-level position happening at the next table.
All the standard questions: What do you like about your current job? Dislike? Any further educational plans? How many people do you supervise? What's a typical workweek like?
Because it was some kind of a data job, there was all kinds of jargon that was incomprehensible to me, like "aggressively growing IOS architecture." ("Sounds like something you'd spray bug killer on," commented a waggish friend of mine when I shared the story.)
The interviewee was pretty smooth. What he didn't like about his job, he said, was all the obstacles the company put in his way in terms of hiring people quickly; it made his team less nimble and less competitive. (Good answer!)
And as part of his management philosophy, he won't ask his employees to work extra hours if he's not willing to do so, and he gave an example of some kind of a recent computer system crash when they all worked 80 hours a week.
When the interviewer started asking frankly about salary, I could bear no more and got up and left. There is no privacy anymore.
Oh, and if you recognize yourself in this item? Let me know if you got the job. You aced the interview as far as I'm concerned.

Stocking up

I've had quite a few proofreading projects to do recently, which means frequent trips to the local office-supply company for ink cartridges and paper. Naturally, they are stocked at opposite ends, which means you have to walk through the entire store. And -- gee, what a surprise! -- inevitably you realize during that walk that you're out of rubber bands or mailing envelopes, or you spot some clever must-have office gadget. Today the Christmas card display caught my eye, and I was actually not outraged by the fact that Christmas wares were on sale a month before Halloween; rather, I made a mental note to check if I had any leftover cards from last year. Might as well buy them while there's a good selection.
(The friend who was with me was perturbed that you couldn't buy just one pen; he was baffled that they were sold by the dozen. Frankly, I don't understand why you would need to buy just one pen, much less ANY pens, in the first place: merchants and banks keep my home well stocked.)

Early verdict on Patton

As regular readers know, the Young Relative and his family had an excellent experience during his five years at Hillendale Elementary. And so far, Patton Middle School looks to be a continuation of the same, I'm glad to say. When I was a kid I resented few things more than "dumbed-down," condescending teaching and being told, "Oh, you can't read that; that's too advanced." Somehow I don't think that's going to be an issue at Patton: the Young Relative is being challenged to excel and grow. I've always said that the Unionville-Chadds Ford schools are the equivalent of a private school anywhere else.
In other education news, I was pleased to see a yard sign proclaiming that an occupant of the house  attended the Pennocks Bridge Technical College High School in West Grove. I receive their course catalog and am always very impressed with the high-level, up-to-date, practical programs being taught there.

Pet blessing

I just got this email from the Rev. Annalie Korengel Lorgus, the pastor at Unionville Presbyterian Church: "My church is hosting a pet blessing on Sunday, September 29, at 3:00 in the backyard of the manse on 812 Wollaston Road. I would like to invite the community." Consider it done! (Speaking of pets, I was just remarking to my lunch pal today that my guinea pig Binnie is seven years old, a long-lived little cavvy indeed!)