Burglars

A Newlin friend said she heard that seven houses in the same Embreeville neighborhood were broken into last week. I'm not sure if "broken into" is the right wording, though: apparently the burglar didn't have to force entry into a single one. Believe me, I know it's a nuisance to lock up, but it's the smart thing to do and it could avoid a really embarrassing session with your insurance agent.

Prom season

I just saw on Facebook the first prom photo of the season, and it was a stunner. The Unionville girl was beautiful, wearing a one-shouldered, intricately wrapped shades-of-blue ombre gown with a turquoise pendant and light-blue nails. Her handsome, well-groomed date wore a dark suit with a tie and pocket square that matched her dress. Both looked wholesome and classy, not like those thuggish, scruffy and/or barely dressed celebrities that young people have as role models these days.
Then again, my prom gown was a hippie Indian batik print in blue cotton, so I guess I don't really have room to criticize anyone's taste du jour.

Coming clean

A pal of mine had accumulated some farm-related laundry to do that she didn't want to inflict on her own washing machine, so on Friday we headed into Kennett Square to the laundromat across from the borough police station. We got out quarters from the change machine (it sounded like a slot machine paying out), packed two big machines full and then headed out for a delicious lunch a few blocks away at the Michoacana Grill at Union and Cypress Streets (salad bowl for her, chicken burrito for me; her treat in return for my participation in this laundry trek!). By the time we finished, the laundry was done, too. It was such a warm day that she decided to take it home and let it dry outside rather than putting everything in the dryer.
The laundromat was busy with customers, some of them doing really significant loads, and my friend commented that for people with kids and no washing machine at home, doing laundry has got to be a major expense.

BBQ

Hood's in Unionville had its big BBQ grill running in the front lot this morning, wafting the delicious smells of chicken out to passers-by. A friend said whenever she and her husband drive past on a BBQ day, he leans halfway out the window like a dog to savor the aroma. What a great sales tool!

On the run

Two members of the Tally-ho family, father and son, competed in the "Run for Our Sons" first thing this morning at Patton Middle School -- and I was there with the rest of the family to watch and cheer them on. The 5K course, which turned out to be surprisingly hilly, wound through the developments across from the school complex. The finish and start line was on the north side of the middle school.
Both father and son were close to the front of the pack the whole time, finishing in about 22 minutes, and the younger athlete said he was delighted to hear some much older runners far behind him saying, "Oh my gosh! Those kids are in elementary school!"
His runner number was the same as my Unionville post office box number, so I suggested that he run up to the post office and collect my mail. He gave me his "are you out of your head, Tilda?" look, which he has perfected.
Beautiful morning, wonderful turnout, well-organized race and a great cause: fighting Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The third annual event is in honor of two boys with the disease, Elliott and Henry Johnson, sons of Unionville High School Spanish teacher Mrs. Johnson. Proceeds benefit Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, the largest nonprofit organization in the United States focused entirely on Duchenne..

In the coop

Last week I quoted a wise West Marlborough resident as observing that "the hens have come home to roost" with regard to the township's serious financial problems, which might require the supervisors to enact a 0.5 percent earned income tax.
Several readers have said they don't understand that old country saying. The online Free Dictionary gives a good explanation:
"If you say that chickens are coming home to roost, you mean that bad or silly things done in the past are beginning to cause problems." 
As Sherlock Holmes said in "The Empty House": The parallel is exact.

In the mud

A truck from Weaver's Mulch ran off Route 842 east of Byrd Road in East Marlborough on Tuesday afternoon. I was passing just after the accident happened, and the driver was standing outside his vehicle surveying the sorry scene. I'm told it was quite a messy business pulling the truck out of the mud. Could have been much worse, though: the truck stopped just short of the bridge railing, and the driver appeared unhurt. I went by the scene later that evening and this is what it looked like (looking west on 842).

Body and sole

A new fitness program geared to women has a few people up in arms at one of our local gyms.
The promotional flyer for the program shows a drawing of a pink high-heeled, pointy-toed shoe and reads, "Strong women wear their pain like stilettos: No matter how much it hurts, all you see is the beauty of it."
A friend objects to this stereotyping and complained to me as vigorously as she could after a grueling Extreme class.
"This is what we fought back in the Sixties!" she said. "Women don't have to wear those things anymore."
She said she proudly wore Teva sandals to her daughter's wedding and intends never to don heels again.

Off the cuff

Quick thinking is de rigueur for an elementary-school principal, but Hillendale Elementary's Steve Dissinger was truly impressive when Hillendale hosted the school board meeting on Monday, April 16.
"Where's the Husky?" demanded district superintendent John Sanville at the beginning of the meeting. (The Husky is the school's energetic mascot who shows up at all special events.)
Mr. D didn't miss a beat.
"The Husky is in training," he replied. "For the Iditarod." 
Mr. D went on to honor Hillendale students who participated in the Reading Olympics and in the before-school running program.
After which I departed; I left Wm. Shawn Weigel listening attentively in the front row, like the good reporter that he is, and his article about the meeting appeared in last week's paper.

Water Jump Ball

The people who are organizing the Willowdale Steeplechase (Sunday, May 13) kindly sent me an invitation to the Water Jump Ball they are holding at the Yellow House on Friday, May 11. This year's theme is "Havana Nights," with "Latin-inspired cuisine by Jimmy Duffy" and music by Edgardo Cintron. The dress code calls for "Old Havana Chic" and tickets cost $195 per person.
There should be some fun party photos posted on Facebook late the following morning.

On course

I had a great day today at the Plantation Field Horse Trials. This is a two-day, three-part event where horses compete in dressage, stadium jumping and cross-country. I was what is called a "fence judge" for the latter part of the competition, which means that you sit out on the course and report in by walkie-talkie on whether each horse clears the jump to which you are assigned.
Pick up a walkie-talkie and immediately you start sounding like you're in a war movie: "Roger that," I heard myself saying at one point. And I've noticed that each judge has his or her own style of reporting in: some sound like excited sports announcers; others end every announcement with a rising tone of voice, like they're asking a question or are not quite sure.

Fortunately, I had absolutely no problems at "my" jumps: all the horses cleared them with no refusals or falls. It's fun to hear the riders praising their horses after a clear jump: "Good boy!" And the people who run the competition have it down to a science so that everything runs very smoothly.
And the weather was lovely, which is not always the case: one of the organizers recalled that last year it was 40 degrees and raining so hard that they had to cancel the final day.

Daffy for daffs

I know a lot of people think that White Flower Farm in Litchfield, Connecticut, is overpriced for bulbs, but I am still reveling in their "The Works" daffodil mix. You may pay more upfront ($62 for 100 bulbs), but the  bulbs I planted last fall are blooming prodigiously: I have been getting a vase full every day for a few weeks now.  It was a good choice, especially since I used a gift card to buy it. (WFF's nicely written catalog is a delight to peruse, as well.)