Thank you!

It was as if Christmas had arrived early when I saw that PennDOT had erected two additional stop signs at the intersection of Routes 841 and 926, making it into a four-way stop. Those of us who frequent this intersection have become accustomed to seeing both near-misses and the aftermath of non-misses. Motorists on 926 seem to be getting used to stopping, but I'm still going to be really cautious for a while before assuming that they will.

I've come in for some gentle teasing about this by an urban sophisticate friend (he lives in downtown West Chester), but it really does improve my life and the lives of other locals, judging by the downright joyous comments on Facebook. Next on my wish list: a similar four-way stop at the intersection of Routes 841 and 842.
Other thank you's, in addition to PennDOT and the local officials who made the stop signs possible:

• The guys at Unionville Feed and Pet, for always knowing exactly I'm looking for 
• Charlie at the Unionville Post Office, for always being so cheerful
• Paula at Perkins, for remembering how I like my eggs and ensuring we always get perfectly cooked pancakes
• Cintra and Judy at Willowdale Country Store, for helping me choose a scarf
• John at Sterling Optical, for fixing my eyeglasses so quickly
• Jen and the rest of the staff, front and back of house, at the Farmhouse Restaurant, for making a recent family celebration a beautiful and memorable event.

The other Las Vegas

As always, books are playing a vital part in Joe Lordi's life. Joe, who retired after 30 years as director of the Bayard Taylor Memorial Library, has just finished writing another book. After doing three books about Kennett and one about Oxford, Joe went a little further afield this time: his latest is a 144-page postcard book about Las Vegas, New Mexico. Joe, who lives in Kennett, visits the Southwest often and became fascinated by this colorful little town. Over a period of a few years, he collected stories and postcards, talked to residents, did research, and took photographs of Las Vegas as it is today.
It's an entertaining and thoroughly researched story about the history, schools, churches, businesses, architecture, fraternal groups, houses and people of the town. Joe's book is at the printer, DavCo in Kinzers, and should be ready for purchase by the end of the year.

"Cognizant"

Yes, I know, she could well have been packing heat. I don't care. I'm sick of people who selfishly risk accidents by flouting traffic signs.
The busy parking lot at the Y has clearly marked one-way routes through the lot. There are arrows indicating which direction you're supposed to drive. But the other morning, no sooner did I pull into a space than a woman in a leviathan black vehicle drove into the lot the wrong way, against the arrows, and parked.
I went up to her and pointed out how dangerous that was.
Rather glibly, I thought, she said that she was "cognizant" of the traffic and would never have done it at a busy time.
I felt like saying, Oh, really? Did you look into every single car and make sure no one was about to back out? In order to save herself a couple of seconds, and to get a space closer to the Y WHERE SHE WAS GOING FOR EXERCISE (!!), she was willing to risk wrecking somebody's vehicle -- and greatly complicating someone's day.
The definition of selfish.

Honor

If you feel like throwing up your hands in dismay with everything that's wrong with the world, here's some advice: Attend an elementary school program. You will see the world in a new and rosier light.
I went to Hillendale Elementary's Veterans Day assembly and cannot imagine a more heart-warming event. Relatives of the Hillendale students and staff who are veterans were invited to the program and were given seats of honor. The kids recited the Pledge of Allegience (yes, they still say "under God") and sang the National Anthem, and then Principal Steve Dissinger, wearing an American-flag tie, read the names of the veterans, their branch of the service, and when they served. There were veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam (one man fought there in the 101st Airborne, the "Screaming Eagles").
I was moved to tears watching these quiet heroes, now mostly in their 70s and 80s, stand proudly and wave at their beloved grandkids in the audience.
And then a sweet little girl got up and sang "America the Beautiful" in front of the whole school -- imagine the guts!
It was a beautiful event, and I'm so glad I got to be there. Mr. D, you know how to put on a great assembly. And maybe the world would be a more peaceful place if everyone everywhere would take to heart the slogans around the school gym about safety, teamwork, cooperation, fitness and making good choices.

Pain and Love

It's really hard to get any sympathy for an ache or pain when you're around serious horse people. Just try mentioning that your back is out of whack and you can't bend over. They'll launch into a story about how they "came off" their horse, lacerated their liver, suffered a concussion, underwent hours of surgery -- and then were back in the saddle within a week, strictly against doctor's orders.
As if that's perfectly normal. Broken ribs are scarcely worth a mention unless they puncture something. Get more than one rider together, and believe me, the litany of injury stories you will hear will be downright gruesome.
I was told recently that I had a high pain threshold. It was a nice thought, but obviously the person had no other Unionville clients.
All kidding aside, though, sometimes catastrophic accidents do happen. Local amateur steeplechase jockey Jake Chalfin, age 32, was severely hurt in a Sept. 18 accident at the Blue Ridge Fall Races in Berryville, Va. "Stealin' the Start," a fundraiser to help with his expenses, is planned for Dec. 4 at The Stone Barn in West Marlborough. Details are on http://www.chasinforchalfin.com/

Huh?

1. Sign on the gas pump at a local convenience store: "Gas Prices You Can Trust." I'm not sure how "trust" comes into it. I choose where to buy gas based on where I am when I'm running low, plain and simple.
2. In a drugstore circular: "Get a FREE Eagles T-shirt with $30 purchase." Seems to me the Eagles, and any other commercial enterprise, should be the ones paying us to wear their logo-emblazoned clothes.

Game Set Match

My tennis partners and I finally decided to pack it in for the year: It's just gotten too cold and windy to have fun. It was a terrific season, despite the kamikaze vole that raced across the court at game point and that marathon game-that-wouldn't-end in the rain (it must've gone to 12 deuces). And though we had a few spectacular falls and some mid-season dental surgery, there weren't any career-ending injuries.
It must be amusing to watch us getting ready for a match, coddling our aging joints with various braces and wraps, anointing ourselves with SPF100 sunblock per doctor's orders, and making sure there are plenty of ice packs ready for the drive home.
A young member of my family has been taking lessons from Tony DeFelice of Tony's Tennis Camp, and I'm so glad to see the kids having fun learning the sport. He's a terrific instructor.
(Pay-to-play FYI: the district cost per participant at Unionville High School is $184 for the boys' tennis team and $243 for the girls' tennis team. That's less than basketball, cheerleading, field hockey, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, sottball, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.)

Sentence structure

Ponzi schemer Tony Young will learn his fate in two weeks. Sentencing is set for 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, before the Honorable Juan R. Sanchez. Mr. Young pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and money laundering.

From the past

Just a reminder that the Revolutionary War re-enactors from the Fourth Continental Light Dragoons will be camping out at Primitive Hall this weekend, and you are welcome to visit the encampment, free of charge, and talk to the soldiers from noon to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 13. At 1 p.m. there will be a mock court-martial for an unruly soldier. At 2 p.m. there will be a "Children's Muster," where the soldiers will teach kids how to drill using wooden muskets. Then at 3 p.m. "the infantry and cavalry will perform a joint drill to demonstrate how a combined legion of troops operated in the 18th century."
Primitive Hall is on Route 841, between Route 926 and Route 842, near the village of Chatham (830 North Chatham Road).

Over timber

It was a beautiful, sunny, bracing afternoon for the 76th running of the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup on Sunday. My friends and I had the best (and possibly warmest) vantage point on the entire gorgeous course, and we had heaps of fantastic food (from Hood's) and drinks. It was great to see so many friends and neighbors and dogs, and the races were dramatic. It's especially exciting when you know some of the jockeys who are galloping by.
Many of the spectators were so wrapped up in jackets, blankets, scarves and sunglasses that it was sometimes hard to recognize folks walking by. But we saw one unfortunate woman in a short skirt walking in stocking feet toward the parking area, carrying her high-heeled shoes. It looked painful.
At one point the wind died down, we were standing there looking over this beautiful vista and somebody waxed philosophical and said, "We are so lucky." Yes, indeed.
One particularly merry group of Unionville tailgaters set up their lavish buffet table under a large white banner featuring a brown stink bug emblazoned with the red letters SBP.

What does that stand for, a curious passerby asked.
"Stink Bug Party!" they chorused, going on to explain that their party's platform consisted of flatness, persistence and sheer strength in numbers.
(I will spare you my own stink bug experience this week. Suffice it to say that they really, really like my scarf drawer.)