Sunday, December 31, 2017

KENNETT SQUARE: An evening with friends

We spent Saturday evening with two dear Unionville friends, enjoying dinner at Giordano's and just catching up with each other. There was a lot of laughter, bad jokes and quotations from "The Simpsons," as well as more serious conversation.
At one point we were discussing the new tax code: the husband of this couple is a professional money guy and needs to keep up with such matters. I expressed my fervent hope that health insurance premiums would still be deductible, as my monthly premium is now upwards of $800 a month.
"Eight hundred dollars!" exclaimed the wife. "That's more than I spend on horseshoes!"
She and I looked at each other and laughed uproariously, realizing the First World nature of so many of our problems.

Saturday, December 30, 2017

LONGWOOD: Even in the winter

Longwood Gardens just informed me that my membership would be expiring in a few weeks, and I immediately renewed. After all, visiting just a few times a year pays for your membership, and members get discounts on plays and concerts.
We're so lucky to have one of the world's great horticultural attractions so close by. I will occasionally pop by on a cold winter's day just so I can visit the staghorn ferns, the bonsai, the Venus flytraps, the roses, or the banana plants; stroll down the acacia passageway into the wonderfully humid, fragrant orchid room; and listen to the visitors from all over the world chatting in multiple languages.

CHRISTMAS: The power of lights

People's Christmas lights were pretty remarkable this year. A lot of folks have bought those projectors that shine images all over the side of your house, either stationary dots of color or rotating snowflakes, snowmen or Santa Claus heads (which makes me a little dizzy). The ever-inventive manufacturers have even equipped these projectors with discs for multiple holidays: circling pumpkins for Halloween, or the Eagles logo for football season.
The workers at the SECCRA landfill always put up decorations on the chain-link fence along Route 41, and this year I noticed that they had installed a single lighted tree, like a beacon, on the very top what we call "Mount Trash."
Some bicyclists I saw a few nights before Christmas were getting into the holiday spirit (along with increasing their visibility). A group of six or eight were riding single-file westbound along Route 82 through "downtown" Unionville, with multicolored flashing lights on the spokes of their wheels. The effect was almost psychedelic. 
But once again, some residents of Church Hill Road, south of Avondale, take top honors for their incredible Christmas lights display, which they put up in memory of their son. Each year they use a crane to hang large white lighted stars high up in the trees along the road, and the light is reflected in the water of the White Clay Creek below. It's a stunning and moving sight.

BAYARD TAYLOR: Happy Birthday, Bayard!

The Kennett Library will be celebrating Bayard Taylor's birthday on Thursday, Jan. 11. I'm told there will be birthday cupcakes for all, as well as a "literary open mic" program starting at 6 p.m. According to the library's website: "Come share a poem, short story, or excerpt of your own work, or read us one of your favorites from an author you admire. Don’t have anything to read? Just bring your mind and ears to support literacy in your local community."
The library is at 216 E. State Street. Bayard Taylor was born in Kennett Square on Jan. 11, 1825.

Monday, December 25, 2017

WALMART: Navy and gold

It can now be written.
Back in November I got the idea of knitting winter hats in the Unionville High School colors, navy blue and gold, as Christmas gifts for two family members. I went to Walmart to buy the yarn, knowing they stock sturdy, washable yarns in a kaleidoscopic assortment of colors.
Too kaleidoscopic, in fact: I couldn't decide which was the perfect blue. I asked a fellow yarn shopper for help, but she had never heard of Unionville (I know; imagine!). I had better luck when I asked three nearby sales clerks. Not only had they heard of Unionville, but they even called up the UHS website and held up skeins of yarn next to the computer screen to get the closest possible match.
Excellent customer service --- and the hats turned out perfectly.

STINKBUGS: It's crunch time

Perhaps it was my later-than-usual bedtime the night before (with its larger-than-usual dessert intake), but I must have been groggy indeed not to notice the stinkbug sitting in my Christmas-morning bowl of Cheerios.
Until, of course, I bit into it.
I am here to tell you that stinkbugs taste exactly like they smell. You're welcome; thanks to my serendipitous misfortune, now you don't need to take part in the time-honored scientific tradition of self-experimentation.
On the upside, I got to cleanse my palate with some awesome chocolate fudge made by a kind neighbor.

MARSHALLTON: Historic house destroyed

A fire that broke out at 6 a.m. Christmas Eve Day destroyed a c. 1800 house at 1408 West Strasburg Road in Marshallton. No one was hurt. The house was set back from Strasburg Road behind a high hedge, and the property backed up to Northbrook Road, next to the Martins Tavern historic site. All that remains is a white-painted stone foundation and a pile of charred timbers and lath, broken glass, and shingles.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

UNIONVILLE: Healing and hope

In her "Longest Night" service on Dec. 21 at Unionville Presbyterian, the Rev. Annalie Korengel did a beautiful job describing the disconnect that a great many people feel at this time of year: How can you feel jolly like you're "supposed to" at Christmastime when you're grieving for a loved one or suffering from the misery of depression? 
Light, hope and faith will gradually conquer the darkness, she assured us, just like the hours of welcome daylight gradually lengthen as we get past the Winter Solstice. Part of the opening prayer was, "Help us know that You are present with us in all of our moods and feelings and seasons."
The 45-minute service also included New Testament readings, a hymn, Christmas carols and a candle-lighting ceremony to remember those who have passed.

KENNETT TOWNSHIP: Way's Lane property sold!

The Bayard Taylor/Kennett Library wrapped up 2017 with two huge wins.
In November the citizens of New Garden Township voted to support the library by paying a direct tax. Previous library boards had failed to convince New Garden residents that this was a good idea, sponsoring and then losing at least three referenda.
And in December the library board sold what was known as the Waywood property on Way's Lane, which it had purchased more than 15 years ago in hopes of building a new library there. To the board members' consternation, their vision of moving the library "out of town" turned out to be a spectacularly unpopular one. There was a candlelight vigil outside the library. Heated letters to the editor filled the Kennett Paper, each side accusing the other of skullduggery. The ensuing fissures and mistrust took years to heal.
But now a completely new library board, under the direction of veteran fundraiser Tom Swett, has purchased from the borough an "in-town" site on East State Street, just a stone's throw from its current building, and has done a great deal of the behind-the-scenes diplomacy needed to secure political and financial support from the community.
The sale of the 5.3-acre Way's Lane property (to Chatham Financial, which has its headquarters on McFarlan Road, very close to the site) will provide both proof of the board's commitment and some ready cash. The Board originally paid $550,000 for the property; Chatham Financial bought it for $900,000.
Here's the Board's statement on the sale:
"The $900,000 proceeds from the sale will be used to help build the new Kennett Library at the corner of State and Willow Streets. The Kennett Library is very grateful for the generosity of Chatham Financial who paid considerably above the appraised value of $750,000 in order to help fund the upcoming capital campaign. The sale of the property is an important step forward that was needed to make the vision of a new Kennett Library a reality."

Friday, December 22, 2017

WILMINGTON: A Solstice Walk

I marked the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21 by taking part in a mid-day Labyrinth Walk at the Delaware Art Museum's open-air labyrinth, housed within the stone walls of a former reservoir. It was just above freezing but sunny, and the winding paths of the labyrinth were more crowded with walkers than I'd ever seen them.
When they reached the middle of the labyrinth, some people lingered quietly to savor the moment. One free-spirited woman -- attached to the laces of her burgundy boots were cut-outs of Monarch butterfly wings -- stood smiling with eyes shut and face and hands uplifted to soak in the sunshine.
Another festive visitor wore a marvelous steampunk top hat with a garland of holly and ivy around the brim.
There were a number of young kids, competing to see who could get to the middle the fastest. They made a funny contrast with the visitors who were walking in stately fashion, seeming to measure each pace as they negotiated the labyrinth's 90- and 180-degree turns.
It was great to see our tireless hostess Carol Maurer, who looks after the labyrinth, schedules periodic maintenance get-togethers for volunteers, and organizes events like the Solstice walk.

EAST MARLBOROUGH: New car wash

The new Go Green N Clean car wash by the Kennett Walmart has finally opened, just in time for winter salt season. I was going to check it out today -- my car is perpetually in need of a wash -- but I drove right past the entrance. Either it's not clearly marked or, just as likely, I totally overlooked the sign. The entrance, I now know, is on Onix Drive, behind the Hilton Garden Inn.

KENNETT: Distracted?

Motorists in downtown Kennett Square are a columnist's dream; it seems like I could feature a new instance of what-were-they-thinking? behavior each week.
Today, for instance, a woman parked in front of Sam's Subs on East State Street and blithely opened her car door right into traffic. I had to brake sharply so as not to crash into her or the door. And one can't even excuse her recklessness by saying that she needed a Sam's Sub stat, because while I waited, she took pains to carefully fold in her driver's side mirror so it wouldn't get hit.
I'm shaking my head.

KENNETT: New townhouse development

There's a big difference between reading in the newspaper about a forthcoming project and actually seeing it get under way. I was driving on Hillendale Road the other day, west of the Five Points intersection, and saw that construction has started on the Ryan Homes development called Sinclair Springs. Seventy-eight townhouses will be built on the 20-acre site, which will have two entrances/exits off Hillendale Road. Prices start in the $320,000s, and the townhouses will be built in groups of four to six.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

CHRISTMAS: Prince of Peace

The benches were filled for the annual carol sing at Marlborough Friends Meeting the evening of Dec. 17. After a short period of silent worship in the Quaker style and two Bible readings, the singing part of the program started, led by a guitarist and a harp player.
We sang a nice mixture of traditional hymns like "Joy to the World" and "The First Noel" and secular songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Jingle Bells." "The 12 Days of Christmas" had us all out of breath by the time we finished with all those lords and maids and drummers.
It's funny to hear the different ways that people pronounce words like "Deity" (Day-ity? Dee-ity?) and "Alleluia" (Is there an initial H or not?).
Several of the songs took me back sharply to elementary-school Christmas programs. Thanks to our martinet of a chorus teacher, I still make a point of enunciating the "gel" in "angel" very distinctly, and I pronounce the second syllable of "comfort" like it's a military fort, not "fert." 
The evening closed with a beautiful, reverent version of "Silent Night," followed by cookies, cider (fitting; the Barnard family of Barnard's Orchards were among the founders of Marlborough Meeting) and good fellowship.

GARDENING: A great calendar

Landscape architect and gardener Carol A. Krawczyk of Kennett Square has published a beautiful wall calendar, "The Garden Calendar for Southeastern Pennsylvania 2018."
Carol describes the calendar as "filled with monthly gardening tips, full color photos of plants in bloom during each month, and gardening suggestions in the actual calendar. The actual calendar part includes red letter days (deadlines), green planting/harvesting dates, and blue to-do chores in the garden."
You can buy a copy at RP Nurseries in Willowdale; the State & Union shop in Kennett Square; the Gateway Garden Center in Hockessin; and online at eBay. Carol has also created a Facebook page for the calendar if you want more information.

EAST MARLBOROUGH: Just deserts

We were loading our groceries into the Jeep at the megalomart on Saturday evening when the guy across from us climbed up into his giant pickup truck, started the engine and revved it up loudly a couple of times, pumping out noxious-smelling exhaust. He then pulled out from his parking space abruptly and sped through the lot, probably not the most considerate move given the place was full of little kids and distracted shoppers pushing carts overflowing with Christmas stuff.
Just a few minutes later, we came across his broken-down truck with its four-way flashers on, sitting there blocking a lane of traffic. I was ashamed at the sense of satisfaction I felt at the guy's misfortune.

PETS: The squeaky cat toy

The other day the mischievous Clarence swatted one of his squeaky cat toys into his water dish, causing the mouse's internal squeaker speaker to chirp without ceasing. Thinking that perhaps it just needed to be dried out, I tossed it in the dryer for 20 minutes. It was dry, but it still squeaked.
I stuck it in the fridge, then the pantry, just to get it out of earshot. No luck: I could still hear its high-pitched chirps.
I put it outside, but then it started to rain, which I feared would be counterproductive.
Finally I stashed it in the freezer overnight. The next day, mercifully, it was back to normal, chirping only when Clarence batted it around.
Pretty sturdy technology for a cat toy!

NEW GARDEN: Primo's Hoagies is coming

Fans of Primo's hoagies are in luck: there's a franchise opening on Baltimore Pike in Toughkenamon, on the east side of the Jenkins & McMahon plumbing supply house. The sub shop is set back a bit, so it's difficult to see when you're coming from the west.
And speaking of Toughkenamon, every time I've driven past the Brown Derby restaurant for the past few weeks, there have been no signs of life inside. Out of curiosity I peered inside and saw only the word "closed" written on a piece of white paper taped inside the front door.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

MEDITATION: The pain cave

Twice a week I take part in a high-intensity exercise class at the Y that's challenging not only physically but mentally. Let me illustrate: at one point the other night we were doing crab-walks back and forth across the room, for four minutes straight, while the "Sponge Bob Square Pants" anthem was blaring. You look ridiculous, you're panting for breath and your muscles are screaming (it helps that the instructors are funny, loud and motivating).
So I was describing the class to friends the other day, trying to get some new recruits, and one woman commented, "It sounds like meditation."
Say what?! To me meditation means sitting quietly with your eyes closed, letting your distracting thoughts drift away, with perhaps some incense smoldering and a gong chiming. (More often than not, I nod off.)
But my perceptive friend was absolutely right. Talk about focus: in the midst of this class all you can think about is the next 30 seconds (that's how long a set lasts) and how you're going to get through it. You can't think about the hassles of your day, or the problems of the world, or your skyrocketing health insurance premium. There's no room for ego or "spin."
Plus it absolutely torches calories. A win-win situation.

ENCORE: A store with a history

Apparently I am very late to the game in discovering the Encore consignment shop on Route 1 in Hamorton. I've been donating a lot of my late mother's household things to charity, but some things are just too "good" to give away. A few friends suggested that I try consigning them at the Encore, an upscale shop that benefits the Chester County Hospital.
So I did some online research to get ballpark prices, read through the shop's detailed and sensible rules, collected several "good" items (some artwork and silver) and headed over there on Monday morning. The consignment process operates on a number system, like at a bakery, and I waited in my car for about 15 minutes before my number was posted on their bulletin board.
The volunteers went through my stuff to see if it met their quality standards (all but an unexciting silverplate dish did), and we agreed how they should be priced. I found the volunteers to be friendly, organized and knowledgeable, and I'll be eager to see what prices I get (the shop, of course, keeps a certain percentage).
An interesting historical footnote, courtesy of my friend Joan: in the 19th century the Encore building housed a store that sold only "free" goods (those produced by free labor rather than by slaves). From R.C. Smedley's 1883 "History of the Underground Railroad in Chester and Neighboring Counties of Pennsylvania":
"Hamorton's activity against slavery included more than building a school and hall, and listening to speeches. The village also supported a long-running "free store" operated by Sarah Harvey Pearson. Pearson first opened a store which boycotted goods produced by slave labor in a stone house on the north side of Baltimore Pike. In 1844 she built a new store of brick on a lot across the road which she had recently purchased. The store originally was kept in the north room but was moved to a frame addition built by her husband George on the south. George Pearson also was an ardent abolitionist and active in the Free Soil Movement. Pearson operated her business as a free store through 1858."

GOOGLE: Twenty questions

One of the side effects of keeping the "location" function of my phone activated at all times is that it allows Google to keep track of my movements. Their algorithm even tries to predict my next destination and it's often spot on (not too tricky when it involves my fairly regular gym schedule). 
Supposedly to provide helpful information to other users, Google often asks me a litany of questions about the places I've visited. When I have time, I answer them. Most of them are straightforward, asking about parking, takeout food, and wheelchair access, but others are judgment calls: How are my inquisitors defining "expensive"? What do they consider a "good" place for vegetarians? What does it take for a venue to be easily noticed from the street "in normal traffic"?
Other questions are just plain bizarre, like the one asking whether the Kennett Walmart sells borax.
I've bought some strange things in my day, but never borax. What is borax? What aisle would it be in? (Back in the day, wasn't there a cleaning product called 40 Mule Team borax?) 
Perhaps they're just trick questions to make sure you don't answer "yes" to everything indiscriminately.

BULBS: Paperwhite mania

I was tardy buying my bulbs for indoor forcing and managed to snag pretty much the last paperwhite bulbs in Kennett. And when I opened the box containing my amaryllis bulb, I discovered that it had already started growing inside its cardboard confines. It was sending up a ghostly white stalk and flowers. After being exposed to the light for a couple of days, the stalk has turned a light green and the flower is showing slight tinges of pink (it's supposed to be bright red). I supposed I could have returned it to the shop, but it's more interesting to conduct a natural history experiment. 

Sunday, December 10, 2017

WILMINGTON: A seafood dinner

What a spectacular meal we had on Sunday evening at Harry's Seafood Grill, which is on the Christina River in Wilmington. We were celebrating a family member's 32nd birthday and let him choose the location. Happily for all of us, he picked Harry's.
We were a little late getting there. Not used to Wilmington's one-way roads, we ended up driving past the restaurant three times before discovering the parking lot. There's a nice big sign ... once you see it.
The menu is a lengthy one, so much so that the waiter had to give us some guidance. The fact that we hadn't seen our guests for a while and had lots to catch up on didn't expedite the ordering process.
The food was wonderful. I had three kinds of raw oysters, briny and delicious, followed by big-eye tuna with pea shoots, noodles, scallions and shiitake mushrooms. The others at the table also ordered seafood: crabcakes with arugula, garlic and tomatoes; the three-course lobster dinner; and seared Hawaiian opah with squash and kale. One member of our party avoids eating gluten and was happy to see that there was a variety of gluten-free choices.
For dessert I had stunningly delicious home-made chocolate and cherry gelato, possibly one of the best desserts I've ever eaten. The woman next to me ordered a dessert coffee flight, which turned out to be three small glasses of coffee, assorted liqueurs and whipped cream. She shared some for tasting, and by the time they returned to her she couldn't figure out which one it was that she preferred (salted caramel, maybe?).
By the time we left, the restaurant was full, including a rowdy group of ladies next to us and a family party all dressed up in sparkly holiday clothes.
After dinner we visited our guests' high-rise apartment, which is only a five-minute walk across the river. We had to get off the elevator at the floor below and sneak upstairs so as not to frighten their anxious dog, who actually seemed very happy at the return of her minders.

HANS HERR: Candlelight tour in the snow

Some of you may have spent a cozy Saturday evening in front of the fireplace, hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree while the snow fell steadily outside.
Not us.
We had tickets for the sold-out Christmas Candlelight Tour at the Hans Herr House in Lancaster County, and we were determined to get there. We left early, stuck to the main roads and got there only a few minutes late. We were amazed at the amount of traffic we encountered, including Amish buggies.
We thought the tour would be something simple, perhaps just a costumed guide showing us around the house, which was built in 1719 by immigrants from Germany who came to this country seeking religious freedom. But it turned out to be a fascinating tour of the entire property, including demonstrations by a weaver, a flax spinner, a blacksmith, and a basketmaker. We rode through the snow in a Conestoga wagon.
One of the highlights for me was the Native American longhouse, which we had seen before, but only from the outside. Our guide, actually the museum director, explained that it was an accurate recreation of the way that the Eastern Woodlands Indians lived in pre-European Contact times in the 1500s and 1600s. Two layers of wooden racks lined the walls, the lower one for sleeping and the upper one for storage. There was a small fire burning in the middle of the longhouse, offering some welcome warmth despite the ample smoke.
In the kitchen of the Hans Herr House, a guide explained how linen was made. I had no idea that it was such a painstaking process. The flax needs to be carefully grown so that the stalks are straight and long. Then it needs to be pulled up by the root, soaked, crushed in a brake and then run through a hackle to separate out the desired fiber. Only then can it be spun into yarn and woven.
As always when I visit historical places, I'm reminded of how tough our ancestors were and how easy we have it in comparison. The basketmaker, for instance, was telling us that baskets were not a decorative art form; they were a vital part of life. You couldn't just go out and buy some Rubbermaid, he quipped. (He also told us how they preserved eggs during the winter: they poured lard over them.)
The evening ended in the candlelit dining room-slash-chapel of the main  house, where the guide, with the help of a German guest who happened to be on hand, read the Christmas Story aloud in German. Then we all sang "Silent Night," also in German, with the help of lyric sheets.
It was a magical evening -- and fortunately the drive back home was much easier.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Rokeby Road

It looks like work on the long-delayed Rokeby Road project will actually begin in January 2018. At the West Marlborough Township meeting on Dec. 5, Supervisor Hugh Lofting said the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has decided that the work must be done between January 1 and March 30 so as not to disturb the bog turtles that live in the area. Bids have been solicited for the project, and a meeting of contractors was set for Dec. 11.
The goal of the project is to shore up a steep slope that has been collapsing into the Buck Run. Residents have been complaining about the worsening situation for years.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

WEST MARLBOROUGH: An explosive topic

Just what are those loud "booms" that many local residents have been hearing at all hours during the past few months?
The mystery prompted a lively discussion at the monthly West Marlborough Township meeting on Dec. 5.
Bill Shaw, who lives on Newark Road south of London Grove village, came to the meeting to express his concerns to the supervisors. He said the noises sounded like explosions going off north of him (he said he was familiar with how explosives sound, having worked in demolitions in the military). He said he knew they were much too loud to be coming from the nearby gun club (the Southern Chester County Sportsmen's and Farmer's Association).
Mark and Anna Myers said they too have heard the noises, sometimes as late as 1:30 a.m., and thought they sounded like a cannon being fired. Anna Myers said it was difficult to tell which direction the noises were coming from because they echoed.
Supervisor Jake Chalfin said that after hearing about the noise from several residents he contacted the Pennsylvania State Police, but they had no leads or theories to offer.
The supervisors suggested that residents keep track of the times they hear the noises.
Theories put forth so far include the following: (1) there's blasting going on at a quarry somewhere; (2) someone has a cannon on his property and likes setting it off for fun; and (3) the noises are sonic booms from aircraft breaking the sound barrier.

MARKETING: Nothing but the truth

With all the apocalyptic hyperbole, meaningless buzzwords and self-serving spin that bombard us these days, it was downright refreshing to see this slogan on a work truck in West Chester the other day: "Roofs Leak. We Fix Them."
Plain, straightforward, and to the point. I applaud!

Sunday, December 3, 2017

KENNETT SQUARE: Open-air market

The Kennett Square Holiday Village Market at The Creamery (401 Birch Street) is well worth a visit. I stopped by the open-air market on Saturday and was amazed at the variety of items that the vendors were selling, like scarves, ornaments, vintage Christmas decorations, S'mores kits, prints and artwork, ceramics, wooden bowls, jewelry, cards, shiny silver spoons with phrases stamped on them, and fancy polenta and catsup from Happy Cat Farm. Musicians were playing "Feliz Navidad," and an ice sculptor was carving a snowman. Members of the Spade & Trowel garden club were selling greens, holiday arrangements and paperwhites kits. There was a variety of food and drink for sale, and portable heaters kept everyone warm. 
I got a chance to meet Meredith Langer, a Kennett Square calligrapher who organized the market, and complimented her on a job well done. I was impressed with the variety and quality of the vendors and, judging by the large crowd, the organizers clearly have found a niche. 
Parking on Birch Street was difficult; a free shuttle bus runs between the 100 block of South Broad Street and the Creamery.
The market is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10.




NPR: The Squire of the Square

A loyal Unionville reader called me the morning of Saturday, Dec. 2, to report that Kennett Square had just been mentioned on National Public Radio! She was listening to a quiz program in which celebrities were asked to identify bits of information as truth or urban legends, and this celeb didn't believe that Herb Pennock was really the Squire of Kennett Square. The host corrected her and went on to mention that Kennett is the Mushroom Capital of the United States. 

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Good food and good company

The annual pre-Hunt get-together at Lydia Bartholomew's Plumsted Farm on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 2, was great fun as always. Addressing the guests from horseback just before the hunt moved off, Anne Moran, one of the Masters of Mr. Stewart's Cheshire Foxhounds, took a few minutes to thank Lydia for her hospitality and to express appreciation to the landowners for allowing the Hunt to cross their properties. 
Then the foxhunters headed off to the east, toward Newark Road, while the rest of us socialized with friends and neighbors and enjoyed the lavish spread of pastries, fruit, chili, fruit, subs and hot coffee (with or without additives). It was a lovely morning, with bright sunshine and brisk but comfortable temperatures.

EARTHQUAKE: An odd sensation

The 4.1-magnitude earthquake that rattled our area just before 5 p.m. Nov. 30 was greeted by either excitement (by me), jaded boredom (by those who have lived on the West Coast) or confusion and regret (by those who missed it). 
I was sitting on the sofa trying to solve a puzzle (I participate in a weekly nerd-fest competition) when I heard a rumbling noise and the house shook. My first thought -- who thinks of an earthquake initially? -- was that it was either a cattle trailer or a heavy dump truck on the road outside, but there was no sign of either. Nor was there a low-flying helicopter, which can also shake the house. 
Puzzle-solving was preempted as I immediately went online to find out what was going on. 
I should add that the cats showed no reaction to the tremors; both continued snoozing per usual.
I missed the August 2011 earthquake (I was in my car), so I was glad to experience this one. 

ST. PAT'S: The Sharrett Courtyard

On Thanksgiving morning, Father Chris Rogers dedicated the new courtyard at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church to the parish's longtime priest, Father Victor Sharrett. The Father Victor F. Sharrett Courtyard sits between the church and the former school building. (Thank you, dear Doug, for sharing this photo.)
As Father Rodgers wrote to his parishioners:
"The vacant land between our Church and School was for decades the place of our parish convent and the home of the Sisters of St. Joseph who taught in our parish school. As such, the ground is holy. Our project will recapture that holiness, creating a welcoming path and entrance in the shape of a Celtic cross, a shrine on the convent porch and a garden with benches, beauty and life. The ground that housed our Religious Sisters will once again be a place of welcome, reflection and prayer for many years to come."


The Father Victor F. Sharrett Courtyard was dedicated on Thanksgiving.





FIRE: Generous support

As I mentioned in last week's column, the response was swift to the fundraising campaign set up for the family that lost its Dean Drive house, possessions, and pets in a Thanksgiving night fire. The initial goal was $25,000; within nine days 549 people, many of them anonymous, had donated a total of $40,263 and the campaign was ended. 
One of the fire victims wrote what I thought was a beautiful message of thanks: "The kindness of our community, including many of you whom we have never met, has been immeasurable and has continued to fill our hearts. You have truly made a difference in our lives and given us hope for the future. We are witnesses to the good that exists in this world and that alone has provided more mental and emotional healing than you’ll ever know." 

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Ready for winter

West Marlborough Township's new road grader arrived on the morning of Nov. 27, and it is so big it barely fits in the township garage. Hugh Lofting Jr. and "Brother" Wilson of the township's road crew were happy to show me the features of the yellow 2007 John Deere grader, including its gigantic side plow. They said it's much quieter than the old grader. 
The township used $70,000 in state funds to replace its 1973 Caterpillar grader, which will be sold to neighboring Newlin Township. The new grader came from Jackson County, Iowa, where it was used to maintain the county's 550 miles of dirt and gravel roads. 

"Brother" Wilson and Hugh Lofting Jr. with the new grader.

BIRDS: Late arrivals

Finally the birds have found the seed and suet in my backyard! I've been filling the feeder regularly, but only the squirrels have been enjoying the seed. This week I was happy to note that numerous chickadees have shown up, and just this morning I spotted a red-bellied woodpecker at the suet feeder. Maybe the birds' tardiness has something to do with the warm autumn?

QUAKERS: Sing we now of Christmas

If you're looking for somewhere to sing Christmas carols, with no new-fangled inflatables, glitz or projected lights, here are three "Friendly" suggestions from the local Quaker community.
Bradford Friends Meeting will hold its annual Christmas sing at its meetinghouse in Marshallton at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 17.
Marlboro Friends Meeting will hold its annual Carol Sing at its meetinghouse in Marlboro Village at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17.
And West Grove Friends Meeting is holding its annual Carol Sing at "New" West Grove Meeting, which is actually a very old, mostly unused meeting house at 609 West State Road. There's no electricity, but there are candles and a red-hot pot-bellied stove. It's at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18.
I can tell you from experience that all receive a warm welcome at these events.