Saturday, June 27, 2015

LIBRARY TOUR: People love to see inside other people's houses

Louise Colburn, who chaired the Bayard Taylor Library's Home & Garden Day tour on June 6, reported that the event raised over $25,000 for children's programs at the library! I congratulated her on the hugely successful event, which reflects an amazing amount of effort on the part of the Special Events Committee volunteers as well as the generosity of the homeowners, artists, restaurants, florists and raffle donors who participated.

DRINKS: My friend is a smoothie operator

A health-conscious gym friend shared a useful tip. She loves smoothies and makes them in bulk in assembly-line fashion, pureeing berries, chia seeds, protein powder, and other nutritious stuff in her blender and then pouring the results into a dozen reusable drinking bottles, which she keeps in the freezer. She has a week's worth of smoothies, only has to clean the blender once -- and has more time to work out!
I've been mixing an overripe banana (they ripen so quickly in the warm weather!), strong coffee and a little cocoa powder in the blender and then letting it sit in the freezer until it's the consistency of sorbet. Delicious!

SUMMER STORM: Restoration drama after an intense storm

The big news this week was the storm that hit in the late afternoon of Tuesday, June 23. Although it blew through quickly, the rain and wind were intense. The storm destroyed many trees, knocking out power to large chunks of the area. Downtown Kennett, including the Y, was out of power all day Wednesday, and the Dukes of Destiny concert at Anson B. Nixon Park, the first in the summer series, had to be cancelled. Hood's BBQ was open thanks to a generator. The Unionville post office was running on partial power, thanks to a very long extension cord stretching across the parking lot from the Po-Mar-Line fire hall.
Utility workers were called in from all over the region, but some unfortunate souls in remote pockets didn't get their power restored until late Friday afternoon. Some roads in the Birmingham Township area, near Route 202, were still blocked by downed limbs on Saturday.
The storm was weirdly sporadic, though. I talked to some people who never lost power, but had next-door neighbors who were out for hours. Damage was also localized: a friend told me about one unfortunate couple who lost the tree that was the main reason they bought their property.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Because all politics is local

Just a reminder that West Marlborough Township's monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 7, at the township hall at 7 p.m. At 7:30 there will be a hearing to get the public's comments about the latest revisions to the township's zoning ordinance, produced by the township planning commission and supervisors. A copy of the revisions is available from the township office. Come out and see your township government in action. (And congratulations to newlywed township supervisor Jake Chalfin, and best wishes to his wife Kate!)

OUT OF CONTEXT: Gen. Washington picking up rations for the troops

With his gray ponytail, distinguished profile and military bearing, local resident Carl Closs brings General George Washington to life in his frequent appearances at school and community events. He looks utterly right and absolutely in character in his tricorn hat and colonial uniform.
So it was disconcerting to spot the Kennett Square man yesterday doing his grocery shopping at the Giant, wearing a loose summer shirt, and then loading his bags into his car. Not an aide-de-camp in sight to assist the General. You just can't get good help these days!

ERCILDOUN: A trip up Route 82 to Tender Touch Gifts

After lunch at Hood's the other day, a friend and I stopped by Brenda Hillard's Tender Touch gift shop in Ercildoun (next to the Triple Fresh Market). It's a delightful little shop, chock-full of artwork, gifts and antiques, most with country or equestrian themes, like a map of foxhunting venues in Aiken, S.C., and a replica of a folk-art sign from a long-ago Strasburg Road coffee shop. Upstairs are rooms devoted to riding clothes and boots and tack (some sold on consignment). And it's always nice to chat with Brenda, who is full of information about not only her wares but also her customers and local goings-on.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

KENNETT SQUARE: Third Thursday visitors enjoyed food, music and history

Downtown Kennett Square was one jumpin' joint on Thursday, June 18. Despite the iffy weather forecast, people were dining in the streets, artists were painting, musicians were performing, and parents and kids were dancing.
As if that wasn't enough activity, there was also a history tour going on, focusing on the activities of the town's 19th-century abolitionists. I was one of the tour guides: I took two groups of folks on a tour that started at the Underground Railroad mural on Willow Street and continued along East Linden Street to North Union Street. The tour script, prepared by town historian Lynn Sinclair, was excellent and contained all kinds of historical nuggets. For instance, I never knew there's a cannon (now almost hidden in the ivy) at Broad and Linden Streets, in front of the former borough hall. It's called "Old Ben Butler," in honor of Benjamin Franklin Butler, a Union general in the Civil War. The cannon was fired to celebrate Union victories.
On both of my tours I was fortunate to have knowledgeable folks who added interesting side notes. Tourgoer Tom Herman of West Marlborough shared with the group that General Butler was so despised by Southerners that they actually made chamber pots with his picture prominently displayed.
Throughout the evening I had happy memories of the late Mary Dugan of Marlboro Village, a local schoolteacher who was an authority on Underground Railroad activity in the area and did a great deal of research on the history of East Linden Street.
After the tours, one special tourist and I returned to State Street, where I had a terrific chicken burrito from A Taste of Puebla, which set up a tent in the Genesis Walkway. My dinner companion and I were sitting next to each other at a table on the sidewalk, and one humorous friend came up to us and said it looked as if we were available for consultation, a la Lucy offering psychiatric help for 5 cents in the Peanuts cartoon.
"Have a seat," we said.

BIRMINGHAM: A backyard party with all the trimmings

It was Party Central at a pre-Father's Day event we attended on Saturday in Birmingham Township. Two parties were going on across the street from each other, so the cul-de-sac was lined with parked vehicles.
Our hosts have a back yard that is marvelous for entertaining. The swimming pool has a fountain and a whirlpool, and the owners use a miraculous non-chlorine chemical to keep it clean. It was wonderful to be able to open my eyes under water without having them sting and turn bright red. And no lingering chlorine odor in hair, beach towels or swimsuits.
It was great fun to watch the kids splashing around, playing catch and floating on rafts, and we adults did our share of swimming as well. A brother and sister who grew up in the Unionville area were reminiscing about how they took Red Cross swimming lessons in various local ponds (like Smiths' on Glen Hall Road and Strubles' on Marlborough Road).
The owners have a super-duper Weber BBQ grill. The son of the household, home from college, was cooking hamburgers, hot dogs and marinated chicken simultaneously, along with a pot of sausages. Tiki torches, lights and stereo speakers are spaced throughout the yard. There's plenty of seating under giant umbrellas, and those who prefer air conditioning can head inside.
The landscaping was beautiful as well. I was especially impressed by the towering Smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria), which was in full bloom. The owner told me it's hardy and requires minimal care; he just whacks it back every few years.

AVONDALE: A tasty breakfast at the health food store

A pal and I breakfasted at the café at the new Avondale Natural Foods store on Friday and enjoyed egg-and-cheese sandwiches on their fresh-baked bread. The store is in a former bank, and it's fun to see the elaborately decorated metal door on what used to be the bank vault. It reminded me of the magical safety-deposit boxes at Gringotts, the goblin bank in the Harry Potter books.
While we were there chatting, a fellow stopped in at the café for the first time. He said he spends his days driving around the area for work and was looking for a healthier alternative to eating potato chips when he needs a snack.
Avondale Natural Foods is at 122 Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 41), right in the middle of Avondale borough.