EAST MARLBOROUGH: Fine-tuning the bridge over the Red Clay

A faithful reader notes with approval that East Marlborough's road crew has replaced the "ugly, if practical, steel guardrails on the northeast end of the Mill Rd, bridge over the West Branch of the Red Clay, at the intersection of Mill and Wollaston roads. That steel guardrail was there for several months and sort of marred the appearance of the otherwise handsome wood and iron bridge."
He said he was happy to hear that the shiny steel guardrail has now been replaced "with an attractive wooden guardrail.  It looks very nice. We'll see how long it lasts...  hah!"

 

BINNIE: Goodbye to a little furry friend

This week I said goodbye to my sweet guinea pig Binnie, who lived to the remarkable age of eight years (the usual cavy lifespan is about six years). I adopted Binnie, her brother Fennel, and their mother Ellie when the little ones were only a few days old. Binnie outlived both of them. Yes, she was getting frail, and losing a little bit of her hair, but she was healthy and happy until the day she died, eating her carrots and lettuce and squealing vigorously for more.
We should all be so lucky.

LUNCH: Just what the doctor ordered

I happened to be in an elevator on Tuesday and overheard a doctor on his cell phone, calling in an order. Par for the course in a medical building, but the order wasn't for a test or procedure; it was for his lunch: a large cheesesteak with extra fried onions.
I was sharing this anecdote with a friend, and she told me that Tuesday was in fact National Cheesesteak Day. Yes, apparently this is a real holiday, and not just in the Philadelphia region. I can't tell you whether the doctor knew this or was just ordering his standard mid-day meal.

NEW BOLTON: A typical week caring for baby animals

On March 24 Dr. Emilie Setlakwe gave a fascinating lecture at New Bolton Center, describing a “typical” week in the life of a veterinarian in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She told us in detail about four of her patients: a pregnant goat who couldn't stand up (her treatment included a "goat float"), a premature foal with "dummy foal syndrome" and other problems, a sow who needed a cesarean section, and a cria (a baby alpaca) with seizures. Judging from her account, NICU vets need ample amounts of stamina, technical know-how, creativity and compassion. I was glad to see a few youths in the audience -- perhaps future veterinarians?

POST OFFICE: Unionville's loss is Lincoln's gain

I was sorry to hear that Shoon Ok is transferring from the Unionville Post Office to the Lincoln University one. She was friendly and competent, quickly learned customers' names and our corresponding box numbers, and always provided good customer service. As one customer noted, "She helps me mail old 78rpm records all over the country and we talk about old-fashioned things and times." Another lamented, "Now we'll have to train someone else!"

APPRAISER: Keeping you apprised of this honor

Congratulations to Kennett Square native Susan Hall, a real-estate appraiser who just earned the title of Member of the Appraisal Institute. Susan's family and friends know how much work she had to do -- and how many classes and exams she had to take! -- to achieve this status from the national organization. According to the institute's website, "The MAI designation is held by appraisers who are experienced in the valuation and evaluation of commercial, industrial, residential and other types of properties, and who advise clients on real estate investment decisions."

OLD TIME MUSIC: Fiddle, guitar, banjo and mandolin

Eric and Suzy Thompson and Rafe Stefanini performed a fun variety of bluegrass, gospel, Cajun and blues songs at this month's Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music concert in Newark. Eric and Suzy live in Berkeley, California, and Rafe lives in Elkins Park, so they don't get to play together very often. Suzy mentioned wryly that the audience "might see the creative process at work" during one song they hadn't rehearsed very much.
One song was about Aunt Caroline Dyer, an African-American woman who offered both hairdressing and fortune-telling services to her clients. Another was about the romantic adventures of Lord Bateman, Americanized as "Lloyd Bateman" because, as Suzy explained, "in the United States we don't have lords and ladies." Even in the American version, though, he still owned a castle.
The audience for these concerts skews toward the AARP demographic (there are a lot of gray beards), so it was good to see a young girl with her parents at the show.

GIORDANO'S: Good food and excellent service

We enjoyed a good dinner Saturday night at Giordano's in Kennett Square, thanks to a gift card from the generous senior Tally-hos. I had a wonderful green salad with mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, pecans, and apples topped with two large pieces of seared ahi tuna. My dinner partner had the crab and roasted pepper soup (he let me have half and it was delicious), and a big dish of spaghetti with mushrooms and red sauce. We both brought home leftovers.
Our waiter, Lisandro, was the model of a good server: efficient, pleasant, well-spoken, attentive but not hovering, and knowledgeable. And the kitchen was so well organized that even though the restaurant was full of families, we got our meal quickly.
As we do at any local spot, we ran into people we knew: this time it a local real-estate agent, and a couple who are getting married in May.

DR. OST: Embarking on a new medical practice

Patients of Dr. Mary-Anne Ost's, take note: As of May 29, she will be starting a new practice. She is joining MDVIP, a national network of primacy care doctors, a move that she hopes will allow her to combine old-fashioned, personalized "local doctor" care with high-tech wellness programs.
"I just want to take care of people the best I can, and empower them," she told me. "This is why I went to medical school."
She'll be moving her practice from its current site at the medical building of Jennersville Hospital to an office building across Baltimore Pike, and she plans to open another office in Willowdale later in the year.
On the MDVIP website (mdvip.com/MaryAnneOstMD) there is a lot more information about Dr. Ost and the services she will offer, such as unhurried appointments (30+ minutes), 24/7 availability via cell phone, coordination of care with specialists, and an extensive annual physical. When traveling, patients will able to use MDVIP’s network of almost 800 doctors for urgent care needs.

The cost to join the practice will be $1,650 a year, with payment options available.

To learn more about the new practice, you can call Debbie Gowl at 877-767-7351.

(I should add that Dr. Ost has been my doctor for many years. She is also the mother of three, a farm owner, and a side-saddle rider.)