LIGHTS: She doesn't love a parade

So there I was at the Kennett Y on Friday evening, looking out the windows forlornly and watching tractors and farm equipment festooned with strings of lights getting lined up for Kennett's annual Holiday Light Parade down State Street.
I opted to miss the parade only because the Friday night gym class is one of my absolute favorites. It caused me pain to see Chris Barber's wonderful photos of the parade online (doubtless you'll see them elsewhere in the paper this week, too).
One woman in my gym class had no such regrets, though: She hates parades, she announced.
I stared at her, speechless at this heresy. She explained that as a child, she and her family went on vacation to Disney World, and her older siblings got to ride the rides but she was only allowed to watch the parade. Ever since, she has loathed parades.
"What's the point?" she said, with great animation. "You stand there and wave at people. 'I don't know you, but hi there! Hi!'"
I told her she really needs to come and watch one of Kennett Square's blockbuster Memorial Day parades. If that doesn't change her opinion, nothing will.

OLEN GRIMES: Let's help out a really nice guy

Odds are really good that you know Olen Grimes. He's a pillar in the downtown Kennett Square business community, a super-friendly, high-energy guy who owns the ArtWorks gallery and its Union Street neighbor, the My Polished nail salon.
Olen was in a bad car accident on Nov. 11 and broke his left hip, leg, ankle and foot. He's going to need multiple surgeries and an extended period of physical therapy. Besides the health implications, this is catastrophic news for someone who's a small business owner.
We pride ourselves on our close-knit community and how we pitch in to help others in trouble. Here's your turn to join me in walking the walk. Support Olen's businesses while he's out of commission, and donate to the online GoFundMe account that his fellow Rotarian Matt Grieco has set up to help Olen and his family with their medical bills and lost income. (As I'm writing this, 33 people have donated in the four days the site has been active.)
I miss seeing Olen at My Polished, which is where I get my nails done. He pops in, sits down in a pedicure chair for split second to talk to me (usually town politics, or what I think of his latest improvement to the shop), then jumps up to answer the phone or ring up a customer before rushing back down the street to his gallery.

Olen Grimes at his ArtWorks Gallery on Union Street.

THE HUNT: A Unionville tradition

The traditional Thanksgiving morning hunt of Mr. Stewart's Cheshire Foxhounds could not have gone better had it been stage-managed. It was a remarkably warm morning (good for us spectators but not so good for the hunt; it seems the hounds have an easier time picking up the fox's scent when it's cold). Dozens of cars filled the Kennel Lawn. Many people set up tailgate parties, and folks were walking around carrying beer bottles, red plastic cups with celery sticks, Champagne flutes, or coffee cups as they greeted their friends. I talked to lots of wonderful people I hadn't seen for ages and just hope I didn't mess up too many people's names.
As the time approached for the foxhunters and hounds to move off, Anne Moran, one of the Masters, said a few words of welcome and thanked the spectators for coming and the landowners for allowing the Hunt on their properties.
And then just as the field was heading down the hill toward Plantation Field, a fox raced along the crest of the hill in full view of the crowd. Perfect timing; it was almost like he knew he had an audience! The hounds soon followed, and the perfectly turned-out riders and horses streamed behind, making for a gloriously colorful scene straight out of a vintage English hunting print.

FRIENDS HOME: Goodbye to Renna

Best wishes to Renna Van Oot, who left her position as Executive Director of the Friends Home in Kennett to take a new job as chief operating officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Dana Smiles will serve as interim director of the 117-year-old senior citizens' home until the board of directors hires a replacement for Renna.

BUCKS COUNTY: A short road trip for dinner

I went to a wonderful Thanksgiving feast up in Perkasie, with ample food, three little kids and two large dogs. The host is a marvelous gardener; in fact, his backyard garden is big enough that I could plainly see an aerial view of it on Google Maps. He grows his hardy crops in a plastic-covered tent with heat lamps, so the Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and coleslaw on the table came straight from the garden.

Ron's sheltered garden, where hardy crops like cabbage can overwinter.

Milk in old-fashioned glass bottles from Pennview Farms.

Another highlight was the milk, which came in old-fashioned returnable glass bottles from Pennview Farms in Perkasie. The chocolate milk was so thick it was like drinking a milkshake.
This wasn't my biological family, so a lot of the family members were new to me. I come from a small family, so trying to sort out siblings, cousins, nephews and companions was quite a challenge. I got absolutely nowhere asking my date to identify everyone around the table (he is SO not a reporter!), so I just gave up and thanked everybody for their extraordinary hospitality.
I had a great time driving to Perkasie. Because of an accident on the Northeast Extension, my GPS (my new best friend!) rerouted me through Worcester and Hatfield. Bucks County has a lot of highways that end in the number "63," and I think I was on all of them, in addition to a short stint on "Unionville Pike" (that was a surprise).
On Bustard Road I passed a Century Farm owned by, of course, the Bustard family. I also saw some entertaining signs: a barn that promises "A Spiritual Walk With a Horse"; "Mrs. Benner's Homemade Slap Jack Candy"; "Good Time Rentals" (offering a winter discount); "The Rockhill Filling Station" (a restaurant; get it?); and a lounge billing a special holiday performance by "Bobby Himself"!
I enjoyed the slow-lane trip so much that I was actually sorry when the GPS directed me onto Route 309 for a while. On the way home, though, after sundown, I just got onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Sumneytown Pike and cruised nonstop all the way to Coatesville.

SMALL TOWN: A merchant does a good deed

A Tilda reader who wants to remain anonymous was kind enough to share this delightful story with me:

I wanted to relate an experience I had yesterday shopping in the Borough of Kennett Square.  I popped into Bedbugzzz to pick up a gift for a newborn baby and parked outside the store.  I put money in the meter and did overstay my time there and received a ticket for this violation in the amount of $20 (twenty dollars!!!). 

The irony is that while I was making my selections (just shy of $150) and the helpful sales associate wrapped the gift, I shared that I'd looked at a baby boutique in Greenville, Delaware, and found its inventory wasn't more interesting or better priced than Bedbugzzz so I opted to return to Kennett to purchase the gift and support our stores in town. 

I was angry and disappointed at the outcome but had another stop to make at STATE AND UNION.  While purchasing items there, I laid the ticket on the counter to access my wallet.  The proprietor, Doug Harris, noticed the ticket and asked if I'd just received it.  My answer and explanation followed and he did the most amazing thing. 

Wanting me to feel good about shopping in Kennett and to smooth my ruffled feathers, Doug insisted on taking the ticket to pay my fine.  Although I protested his courtesy, he prevailed in absorbing my anxiety and the $20 ticket. 

That is the pleasure of our small town shopping and forward thinking of the merchants.  Please consider supporting our local merchants every day, not just on the upcoming Small Business Day, November 28th. As for the borough meters... 

THANKSGIVING: Much gratitude at the Tally-hos'

The Tally-ho family celebrated Thanksgiving a few days early for scheduling reasons and had a jolly time together, with conversation ranging from the new Wegman's supermarket ("huge!") to the history and future of trade unions. The evening was punctuated with calls of "What's the password?" as we all tried to connect our devices to the host's WiFi and Facebook to share photos and stories. Family tradition was broken when my mother banned cranberry sauce from the table as being too high in sugar. But she atoned for it when she issued a few of us pens and an L.L. Bean catalogue and told us to select our Christmas presents.
All of us offered suggestions for what word the trend-setting Young Relative should introduce at Patton Middle School to replace the now-tired "indeed." If your kids start saying "Insightful!" or "That party was such a romp," you have Tilda to thank.
Happy Thanksgiving to my readers. As I am all year round, I'm grateful for your tips, your praise, your criticism and your support in so many ways.