Tricentennial for London Grove Meeting

2014 marks the 300th anniversary of London Grove Friends Meeting here in West Marlborough, and the anniversary committee has an impressive schedule of events planned throughout the year.
At 7:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting General Secretary Arthur Larrabee will be discussing "The Future of Quakerism." A covered dish supper will precede the talk.
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 (Feb. 22, snow date), Ellen Endslow, Director of Collections/Curator, Chester County Historical Society, will be discussing Chester County Quilts. Refreshments will follow.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29, pianist Thomas Pandolfi, a graduate of the Juilliard School, will give a concert. Refreshments will follow.
From 11 a.m. to noon Sunday, April 27, arborist Scott Wade, who coordinates Pennsylvania's Champion Tree program, will be on hand to talk about the marvelous William Penn white oak at the Meeting House.
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7, architectural historian Seth Hinshaw will discuss "Meeting House Architecture."
On Sunday, Sept. 21, Downingtown painter Adrian Martinez will be discussing "Native Americans in Southern Chester County." A covered dish supper will start the evening.
Saturday, October 18 marks the official anniversary date. There will be graveyard tours at 1 and 3 p.m., exhibits in the Meeting House, a continuous video of "The Faces of London Grove." At 2 p.m. Swarthmore historian Chris Densmore will discuss “London Grove Quakers and their Peace Testimony in the American Revolution” and at 4 p.m. there will be a presentation on "London Grove Quakers Confront Slavery." Dinner will follow at 5:30.
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8. local historic preservationist Karen Marshall will speak on "Quakers and the Early Development of Chester County: The Mark They Left on the Landscape."
Finally, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, Unionville native Gillian Grassie will give a Celtic harp performance. A covered dish supper will precede the concert.

Eggs-actly!

On Thursday I spotted this bumper sticker at the Kennett Y (which has one of the busiest parking lots in existence) and wanted to share it with all of my chicken-rearing friends. The hens aren't laying very many eggs this time of year, but that should improve as we start to get more daylight.

Polar Plunge

This year's Polar Plunge to benefit the Brandywine Valley Association will be held Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Brandywine Picnic Park (formerly Lenape Park) at Routes 100 and 52.
You can register online at the BVA's website or on the day of the plunge from 10 to 11 a.m. The plunge into the Brandywine takes place at 11:30.
In this one case, merely participating rates a trophy, as far as I'm concerned, but the official prizes (which are hotly contested, as it were) go to the person raising the most money; the team raising the most money; the group with the most plungers; and the best costumes. One entrepreneurial young fellow I know is asking his friends to join him in the icy waters; if they refuse, he assesses them a $1 "Chickening Out Tax."

Not my speed

The other day I received an invitation to an especially fancy fundraiser in Philadelphia and got a kick out of reading the card listing the levels of support. For a cool $10,000 you get free "preferred" parking, a "reserved private lounge for 10" of your best friends, early admission and -- my favorite part -- a "dedicated beverage server" for the evening.
"Does he hold your purse when you're dancing?" asked one practical-minded friend. Another said she'd be happy to do the job for only $5,000.
With the lowest-priced ticket ($400), you get one free parking spot (but not "preferred"), and no early admission, no private lounge and certainly no beverage server, dedicated or not. Pretty shabby in comparison.
I'm sending my regrets.

Taking a break

I met a pal for lunch today at Hood's, and already at 11:45 there were perhaps 15 high-school teachers having lunch. They had pushed three tables together and were very merry indeed. They told us that unlike on normal school days, when they get only the briefest lunch break, during mid-terms they're allowed to take a little more time and can actually go out for lunch.

Unrealism

En route from Kennett to Jennersville on Baltimore Pike (does anyone still call it LR131?) on a bleak, rainy Wednesday evening, I was driving through Toughkenamon and spied a top-floor garret, with bright light streaming out of its dormer windows. I immediately conjured up a fanciful image of a homey, cozy retreat, with a nice sofa and cheerful wallpaper and African violets, the kind of place where you could work or think out a problem, or relax and scratch the cat. I have no idea where that romantic notion came from: it's just as likely that it's drafty in the winter and hot as heck in the summer, and you have to climb three drab, depressing staircases to get up there.

Incognito

I spotted our local real-life Mad Man going incognito on his way into the Unionville Post Office on Tuesday afternoon, burrowing down into his jacket hood. Or maybe he was just trying to avoid the driving rain. Either way, he looked like he could teach a master class in eluding the paparazzi!

Resolution

As expected in early January, there's an influx of newcomers at the Y. My gym class at Jennersville was mat-to-mat on Monday evening, which contributed to a certain sense of camaraderie when we had to coordinate our movements so as not to kick each other. The fitness center was so crowded at 5:30 p.m. that an employee had to walk in front of the treadmills and elliptical machines carrying a sign reminding people of the 30-minute limit. She reminded me of the "ring girl" who announces what round it is at a boxing match.
I say, more power to the newcomers! I think it's great to see heavy-set, slow-moving or out-of-shape people starting their journey to fitness. Just remember: The arrows in the parking lot are there for a reason. And fiddling with your playlist doesn't count as exercise.

Can you hear me now?

I've never denied having more than my share of curiosity. So when someone's old AT&T flip phone appeared Sunday afternoon at the end of my driveway, I immediately tried to turn it on and find out who the owner was (and, yes, just maybe take a peek at his or her Contacts list). Unfortunately the battery was dead and, after the heavy rain of the previous day, there was condensation inside the screen. I tried recharging it and dehumidifying it, but to no avail.
The next day I heard that over the weekend there had been several thefts from vehicles in a neighboring township, and apparently the thieves had discarded their unwanted loot around the countryside. I turned the phone in to the police department. I'm hoping they'll be able to ID the owner through the little memory card underneath the battery. Even if the phone is toast, if I were the owner I'd still want to know where it was.

Punk'd Pineapple

So what if it's January? A new ice-cream place opens, and you can rest assured I'll be there sooner rather than later. So on Sunday afternoon we paid a visit to Punk'd Pineapple, the newest vendor inside the Market at Liberty Place in downtown Kennett Square.
On our way in we saw a friend who works at Nourish, and she immediately recommended the "pineapple whip." She was right: it's delicious -- I had mine topped with plenty of chocolate jimmies, my tasting pal had his with chocolate sauce. I loved both. (And for those who care about such things, the pineapple is gluten and dairy free.)
They also serve vanilla and chocolate soft-serve, with a rotating assortment of exotic toppings, like toasted coconut, candied pretzels, and macadamia nuts. As an old Anglophile I was astonished to see the British ice-cream parlor staple "Cadbury Flake" (a milk-chocolate bar) on the menu as well.
Punk'd Pineapple is well worth a visit. Even in winter!