This morning I made a nice pot of hearty chili for a potluck we're attending this weekend, put it on the stove on "low," and returned to my editing work at the computer.
Moments later, an angry, hot, red patch developed on the back of one hand and my palms and fingers started tingling.
Who knew! That age-old advice about wearing gloves while dicing hot peppers has a sound basis in fact: the same jalapenos that give your food a nice kick can also irritate your skin. ("It stands to reason," as my old friend George Turner would have declared.)
I looked online and found that it's a common problem. One blogger listed a litany of household products that failed to relieve the burning before she got around to stating to the one that actually worked: a two-year-old bottle of mustard! I mixed some ground mustard with water to make a paste and applied it -- a mustard plaster! -- and it cut the worst of the irritation right away.
Or, of course, the capsaicin may have just timed out.
Update: My palms felt sunburned and sensitive to warm water the rest of the day.
Friday, June 1, 2018
HAMORTON: Encore on vacation
The Encore consignment shop at Routes 1 and 52 in Hamorton will close for the summer at noon on Friday, June 15. Consigners who want to pick up their unsold items must do so by 2 p.m. Thursday, June 14.
The summer break will be preceded by a sale. On June 11 through June 14, everything is 20% off, and on June 15 from 9 a.m. until noon, the remaining merchandise is 70% off.
The store will reopen on Tuesday, September 4.
The summer break will be preceded by a sale. On June 11 through June 14, everything is 20% off, and on June 15 from 9 a.m. until noon, the remaining merchandise is 70% off.
The store will reopen on Tuesday, September 4.
KENNETT SQUARE: New marchers
Due to deadlines I didn't get a chance to write a full account of the always amazing Memorial Day parade in Kennett Square, but I did want to mention just some of the new participants in the latter: a handsome K9 named Bico from the Concord Police Department; Kennett Library board chair Tom Swett in his yellow-and-white Nash Metropolitan with library director Megan Walter; a troupe of Aztec dancers; two undulating dragons on poles; a guy in a Transformer-style costume with articulated panels that lit up; the Sin City Band, singing its famous "Chester County" song; the Oscar Mayer Weiner-mobile; the Leif Ericson Viking Ship; the Chester Clippers marching band, led by a caped fiddler playing "Heart and Soul"; veterinarian Dr. John Moss and his wife Anne on horseback in Western frontier regalia; and a Family Promise of Southern Chester County float with a "Wizard of Oz" theme (Unionville Presbyterian pastor Annalie Korengel was Dorothy, cuddling two Bichons).
LONGWOOD: It's fireworks season
How do the pyrotechnicians at Longwood Gardens do it? They keep coming up with new types of fireworks to amaze us! At the first display of the season, on May 26, there were fireworks that filled the sky with dense gold dust; others seemed to depict a flower opening up between leaves. Still others reminded me of multicolored Christmas tree lights, all suddenly lighting up at the same time.
COCHRANVILLE: The worst possible day
On May 31 we attended a sobering presentation by Pennsylvania State Trooper Reginald Easterling Jr. about what to do if we found ourselves in an "active shooter" situation. He used the words "unfortunately" and "God forbid" frequently during his talk.
It seemed utterly surreal: there we were, sitting in the comfortable sanctuary at Manor Presbyterian Church in Cochranville. Pastor Dan Perrin had just given us a warm welcome, and the idea of any kind of violence seemed completely foreign.
Yet the trooper was listing places just as peaceful, just as unlikely, where mass shootings have taken place recently. Chills ran down my spine when he explained that these shooters have one goal: to kill as many people as fast as possible.
He showed a video illustrating the three recommended alternatives for action -- "Run, Hide, Fight" -- and stressed that taking some kind of action increases your chance of survival. He backed up that assertion by showing that the death rates during the Virginia Tech shooting were higher in classrooms where the students simply huddled together versus when they escaped or barricaded themselves in.
Escaping is the preferred strategy, and he urged us to be mindful of our surroundings at all times and think about possible exits and plans of action.
Hiding means keeping the lowest profile possible, barricading yourself in a safe place (the video showed an office worker pushing a photocopier against the door), turning off the lights and silencing your phone.
And fighting means taking action to throw the shooter off -- anything from sounding a horn to discharging a fire extinguisher at him.
Trooper Easterling was an excellent presenter, spoke from experience, and handled difficult questions tactfully. I'd recommend that if you're part of an organization or institution, you should get in touch with him at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Avondale and invite him to present a similar seminar.
It seemed utterly surreal: there we were, sitting in the comfortable sanctuary at Manor Presbyterian Church in Cochranville. Pastor Dan Perrin had just given us a warm welcome, and the idea of any kind of violence seemed completely foreign.
Yet the trooper was listing places just as peaceful, just as unlikely, where mass shootings have taken place recently. Chills ran down my spine when he explained that these shooters have one goal: to kill as many people as fast as possible.
He showed a video illustrating the three recommended alternatives for action -- "Run, Hide, Fight" -- and stressed that taking some kind of action increases your chance of survival. He backed up that assertion by showing that the death rates during the Virginia Tech shooting were higher in classrooms where the students simply huddled together versus when they escaped or barricaded themselves in.
Escaping is the preferred strategy, and he urged us to be mindful of our surroundings at all times and think about possible exits and plans of action.
Hiding means keeping the lowest profile possible, barricading yourself in a safe place (the video showed an office worker pushing a photocopier against the door), turning off the lights and silencing your phone.
And fighting means taking action to throw the shooter off -- anything from sounding a horn to discharging a fire extinguisher at him.
Trooper Easterling was an excellent presenter, spoke from experience, and handled difficult questions tactfully. I'd recommend that if you're part of an organization or institution, you should get in touch with him at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Avondale and invite him to present a similar seminar.
INFRASTRUCTURE: Inspecting poles
Last week on a back road in Newlin Township I saw a crew of Osmose Utility workers digging around utility poles, and when they were on my road yesterday morning I stopped and inquired what they were doing.
The pleasant fellow explained that they're inspecting the underground portions of the poles. He said told me they've found several rotten ones that will be replaced by PECO in the next few months.
The pleasant fellow explained that they're inspecting the underground portions of the poles. He said told me they've found several rotten ones that will be replaced by PECO in the next few months.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
KENNETT: Moves and openings
The local business shuffle continues.
Mrs. Robinson's Tea Shop has moved into the former Torelli's men's store at 129 East State Street in downtown Kennett Square, and Clean Slate Goods ("accessories for you and your home") is renovating the former tea shop at 108 North Union Street.
Portabello's Restaurant is moving this summer from 115 West State Street, into the former Enzo's Pizza at 108-110 East State Street.
And demolition crews have started clearing out the former Superfresh supermarket on Baltimore Pike, where OshKosh B'Gosh, Ross Dress for Less, Ulta and a state liquor store will be moving in by the summer of 2019.
The inside of the former Kennett Pizza and Pasta on 420 West Cypress Street has been gutted. An antique glass "Highland Dairy" bottle, I assume rescued from the rubble, was sitting on a windowsill when we walked by the other evening. I'm not sure what's moving in.
Mrs. Robinson's Tea Shop has moved into the former Torelli's men's store at 129 East State Street in downtown Kennett Square, and Clean Slate Goods ("accessories for you and your home") is renovating the former tea shop at 108 North Union Street.
Portabello's Restaurant is moving this summer from 115 West State Street, into the former Enzo's Pizza at 108-110 East State Street.
And demolition crews have started clearing out the former Superfresh supermarket on Baltimore Pike, where OshKosh B'Gosh, Ross Dress for Less, Ulta and a state liquor store will be moving in by the summer of 2019.
The inside of the former Kennett Pizza and Pasta on 420 West Cypress Street has been gutted. An antique glass "Highland Dairy" bottle, I assume rescued from the rubble, was sitting on a windowsill when we walked by the other evening. I'm not sure what's moving in.
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
HOCKESSIN: Seafood at the Crownery
On Saturday I had a hankering for Chinese food, which usually means a trip to China Kitchen in West Grove for their delicious take-out food. But we also wanted a sit-down meal, so we decided to try the Crownery Chinese Restaurant in Lantana Square.
Rather than ordering old standards like General Tso's Chicken and Happy Family, we deliberately chose their house specialties. Dearest Partner had the Chilean sea bass with scallions, ginger, beans and mushrooms, and I had scallops and sesame shrimp in an orange sauce with broccoli and walnuts. Even though the waitress (who wrote down our order in Chinese, I noticed) warned us that there might be a delay in getting our food, there wasn't.
Both of our dishes were delicious; in fact, the scallops were some of the best I've ever had.
Dinner for the two of us was $65 without drinks, and there were plenty of leftovers to take home.
Rather than ordering old standards like General Tso's Chicken and Happy Family, we deliberately chose their house specialties. Dearest Partner had the Chilean sea bass with scallions, ginger, beans and mushrooms, and I had scallops and sesame shrimp in an orange sauce with broccoli and walnuts. Even though the waitress (who wrote down our order in Chinese, I noticed) warned us that there might be a delay in getting our food, there wasn't.
Both of our dishes were delicious; in fact, the scallops were some of the best I've ever had.
Dinner for the two of us was $65 without drinks, and there were plenty of leftovers to take home.
MEMORY: Unforgettable ads
The other day at the Y there was a new woman in one of the gym classes that I take, and as is my wont I introduced myself and welcomed her. We shook hands and she said her name was Libby.
Immediately the old advertising jingle popped into my head, and I blurted out, "Oh! As in Libby's Libby's Libby's on the label label label!"
The poor woman winced and finished the verse: "You will like it like it like on the table table table." She explained that her family moved around a lot when she was growing up and kids greeted her with that ad at every single new school she attended.
I can remember and sing, verbatim, an advertising jingle from 1974, yet I often forget what I'm saying in the middle of a conversation. The brain is an amazing organ.
Immediately the old advertising jingle popped into my head, and I blurted out, "Oh! As in Libby's Libby's Libby's on the label label label!"
The poor woman winced and finished the verse: "You will like it like it like on the table table table." She explained that her family moved around a lot when she was growing up and kids greeted her with that ad at every single new school she attended.
I can remember and sing, verbatim, an advertising jingle from 1974, yet I often forget what I'm saying in the middle of a conversation. The brain is an amazing organ.
LAURELS: Conservation awards
Due to the rain and mud, the Buck & Doe Trust had to postpone its annual outdoor breakfast at the Brandywine Conservancy's Laurels Preserve until May 27.
Receiving "Pass the Buck" land-preservation awards at the breakfast were Dean and Laura Richardson (who eased their property), Cathie and Michael Ledyard (who also eased their property), and Janet Sidewater (who already had eased her property, and was also chosen for her work on behalf of the Newlin Open Space Committee, including educational seminars for residents).
Receiving "Pass the Buck" land-preservation awards at the breakfast were Dean and Laura Richardson (who eased their property), Cathie and Michael Ledyard (who also eased their property), and Janet Sidewater (who already had eased her property, and was also chosen for her work on behalf of the Newlin Open Space Committee, including educational seminars for residents).
According to Buck & Doe Trust chair Amy McKenna, the award “is in honor of Frolic Weymouth, fellow
supporters and eased landowners for their foresight and efforts into the land
conservation movement."
UNIONVILLE: Parade for rescued dogs
Kathleen Crompton reminded me that a Rescue Dog Parade will be held at Plantation Field at noon on Wednesday, June 20. The parade, which is open to all, is held each year in conjunction with a horse show, and all the entry fees go to local dog rescues. There will be prizes for the oldest dog, youngest dog, and the dog from farthest away.
"Last year there were 28 dogs," says Kathleen, "and I’m hoping for 50 this year."
I've attended the dog parade for several years now and it is always heartwarming.
Plantation Field is at 387 Green Valley Road in Unionville.
"Last year there were 28 dogs," says Kathleen, "and I’m hoping for 50 this year."
I've attended the dog parade for several years now and it is always heartwarming.
Plantation Field is at 387 Green Valley Road in Unionville.
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