Category Archives: local interest

Jan7

Brandywine Christmas

Posted on Saturday, January 7, 2012 by Dianne

Brandywine Christmas 076, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Sean and I ventured down to the Brandywine River Museum to see their Christmas display as it will be over soon. We enjoyed getting in for a good price between Sean being a student and having a entertainment.com coupon (from the book I get every year). I particularly liked the above shot of the statue ‘Boy with Hawk’ with the wreath. The Ann Wyeth McCoy dolls were really sweet and varied in size from tiny to life size. The trains are always a hit with the kids to the grown ups. They had a drive-in, fairgrounds, and a replica of the Herr’s Snack food plant that is down in Nottingham, Pa. Did I forget to mention it was in the 60s and it’s January? I always like looking at the Wyeth paintings too. I don’t recall seeing the Helga nudes, so that was interesting. We had fun seeing the rabbit sculpture to the left of the museum.

That’s a painting of the collector Ann Wyeth McCoy in the background there.

Amazing ‘critters’!

Nov14

Grateful for a fine fall day

Posted on Monday, November 14, 2011 by Dianne

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I wanted to do some walking for exercise as I was a couch potato over the weekend. It wasn’t a difficult choice to go to old faithful-Longwood Gardens. A few others had the same idea, but I didn’t mind. I always take my camera. I figure I got a good 3/4 -1 mile in.

November rose

Some of their fabulous Mum displays

Did you know there were so many Mums?

I love the Orchid room and like this shot

Another unusual mum topiary

And I thought this was really neat-a Pomegranate Bonsai (over 100 yrs old) with two gorgeous fruits

It’s a lovely pink sunset, nice ending to a pretty decent day.

Only problem, the store manager hasn’t called to tell me when to come in for training.

Update-He called at 5:30 and I got in for a few hours on Wednesday afternoon-finally!

Nov13

Paranormal event in my hometown

Posted on Sunday, November 13, 2011 by Dianne

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I’m on a Facebook group called ‘you know you grew up in Media, PA…if’ and it really snowballed into a popular group. If you haven’t started one for your hometown, you should. One of the memories that was stirred from my subconscious was about the Helibron Mansion located on Rose Tree Road not far from Penncrest high school. Seems the school bus use to go by this place every day. What I remembered more was ‘the cat house’, up the road and had a cat visible in every window of the cottage like place. The summer air would not be sweetly perfumed from that place. So the mansion was the subject of a non-fiction winning book called ‘Night Stalks the Mansion’written by Constance Westbie and Harold Cameron and back in 1977. Cameron and his family lived in the house for 2 frightful years. I don’t know why they say they lived in ‘Wynne, Pa’ which isn’t even a town in this state!

It’s been investigated a number of times. A friend of my brothers did a photo documentary about the place and was inside it many times. Seems 3 ghosts haunted it, a mother, her daughter and a black man who was a slave and hung on the property for killing the daughter.
There were a few things brought up by the local paper that Margaret (the young girl) was on the 1870 census, 6 years after she was suppose to have been killed.., Anyway…spooky. Why was the house just abandoned with all it’s antiques and I also read a safe full of Christmas gifts from about 1942? The Camerons lived in the place in the 1960s, so around the time we were living 5 miles or so away. I’m glad it’s a short book as I’m reading it at bedtime and then turning off the light to pitch blackness. Yikes! There were plans for a movie, but they can’t seem to sign on actors.
On a more pleasant note, the original place was hazed in the late 1980s and rebuilt shortly afterwards and it’s beautiful. Heres’ an update and a dark photo of it. The present owners don’t have any ghostly inhabitants either. The book is available on Kindle.

Nov12

In the country

Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2011 by Dianne

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I thought you’d like to see one of the quaint buildings about 5 miles from here where Brian and I went to a book sale. Usually book sales are swamped around here and sadly this one at London Grove Friends wasn’t. Most of the books were $1 and I found some awesome ones, even a couple for my mom for Christmas. The place has a plant sale every year that is better attended. I posted on Facebook to give them some publicity.

Here is Ina parked outside the Kindergarten area.

It’s so sweet in there and I’d love to work there if I had enough credits (they need a teacher). It’s one of those places where you have a good vibe. From the internet only 33 kids (Quaker oriented-‘friends’) attend.

London Grove Meeting was settled in about 1724, although Friends had been worshipping in each other’s homes since 1714 when several Friends’ families settled in Marlborough. The home of John Smith was a regular venue. The first meeting house was built in 1724, and a larger one constructed in 1743. The present one is larger still, built in 1818. It is on Newark Road and Route 926, five miles west of Kennett Square. It was held by the Hicksite majority at the time of the separation in 1827. The Orthodox withdrew and met in a small house on lower ground about a quarter mile nearer the railroad station. [A Little Book of Information on the Particular Meetings composing Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends (n.d.).]

'Penn Oak" at London Grove meeting house

Photo on the left is the London Grove burial ground and the ancient “Penn Oak”. It is a quercus alba, a white oak that provided shade once for William Penn when he ate lunch beneath it. [Norma Jacob, ed., Quaker Roots: The Story of Western Quarterly Meeting of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (1980), 23.]

I’m waiting on the store manager to tell me when to come in for training. I think it will be Tuesday or Wednesday. Then I have to shadow people as a trainee. Then I’m wondering after all that they won’t need me anymore? Staying positive. : )

Nov7

Aligning of the universe

Posted on Monday, November 7, 2011 by Dianne

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I don’t know guys, this is a pretty unusual coincidence. My friend Karin, who is a chef instructor in Illinois, showed me the label of a package of mushrooms she was checking in for class. So the mushrooms were from-can you guess? Yes-Avondale-right down the road from me as a matter of fact-about 4 miles if that.

Karin’s photo:

So I asked my friend Nicki, whom I have know since 8th grade, if that happens to be the mushroom place her husband works for and she replied (this is all through Facebook) Yes, and he delivers to Illinois! Get outta here, right? I bet Nicki’s hubby even handled that exact carton. Small world!
I haven’t heard from the store down the road. And now I have to decide if I really want to be a babysitter. I have a family in mind, but I want to meet them. It would be the time of day when I am getting dinner ready, but then I could surely make something earlier in the day.
I had Cosmo to the vet and having a pet is so expensive these days! It was $150 for an exam, a few shots and a tube of heart worm stuff. They also suggested since Cos is a ‘senior’ now at age 11, he should get his blood pressure checked and blood work. And his teeth cleaned. Wow-that’s a lot of stuff and about $450 more. I forgot about the flea and tick stuff-which I think I can get online. I can get the treats that help the tartar issue. A vet I had for my other cat use to scrape the teeth right on the exam table! Just like plumbers-every little thing they do they charge you for it.
I so needed a walk in the park-it was around 60 degrees out, so lovely. I dropped the noisy cat off and headed to the township park. A younger woman got out at the same time and disappeared for a while, like a gazette she pranced off! I did a few rounds and took a few photos with my phone.

And my car with a lovely tree behind her:

We had some tasty brisket in bbq sauce and smashed potatoes for dinner. The meat is pre-packaged. I have a sore spot in the back of my neck and have ice on it. I think it’s a pinched nerve from picking up the cat in his carrier. It figures.

Oct18

Can you find the Monarch butterfly?

Posted on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 by Dianne

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You may have to enlarge the photo by clicking on it and then looking at the largest image by clicking through the one that comes up-from the right corner-got that? Update-he is on the flower below the tallest flower in the middle.
Went for a walk at Longwood Gardens today and I was surprised by all the flowers still in bloom-and the bees and butterflies. I went for a peaceful walk around the lake there, the opposite direction I went with my friends last time.

Oct12

Spirit of 76 Ghost tour in Philly

Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 by Dianne

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It’s really hard to take photos at night, but I hope you enjoy my efforts here.

Dr. Philip Syng Physick house, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Here’s a shot of Sean listening to Emma, the tour guide down in Philadelphia last night. We walked about 1.5 miles throughout the darkened streets of the Old City area, something neither of us had done before! Here we are at Dr. Philip Syng Physick’s elegant house and she was telling us about him being the father of surgery and how some gory stuff about waiting for bodies to be disposed. It was rough back then.

Where two thousand people are buried. It looks like a park and has sidewalks. Unfortunately some homeless guys were on the benches. It’s suppose to be really haunted here. I felt a bit weird walking around here. At the far end was the stump left from the ‘Moon tree’. It was grown from a seed that went to the moon and back and planted for the Bicentennial. There is a sapling from it planted now.

Pine Street Cemetery (pretty sure) where Nicholas Cage filmed a scene from the movie ‘National Treasure’.

A quaint home on Pine Street. Not sure what home, but a witch was suppose to reside on this street centuries ago.
A trip to Philly wouldn’t be complete without a visit to The Liberty Bell!

I don’t recall seeing it in this pavilion. We didn’t get to go in any buildings or cemeteries which would have been more interesting. Independence Hall is somewhat shrouded in the front as it goes through renovation

There are still cobblestone streets. Rubber against cobblestone sounds strange

The building where we were suppose to have dinner (grabbed a slice of pizza), but I forgot it closed at 6 pm. It would have been a great place to look around as there were some stores there too.

We did park right next door.
Suppose to be the most haunted street in Philly-Pine Street. Full apparitions were spotted here.

I did see a few pinpoints of light in the two upper window (left and middle) of Carpenter’s Hall. People say they have seen a face in the first window. A few people living here heard footsteps and pounding on the walls.

If you click and enlarge, you can see the lights too.
Awesome statues:

Commander John Barry-Father of the American Navy
and
The Signer-George Clymer-signed both the Constitution and Declaration of Independence

And finally-a graveyard you just don’t see every day-St. Mary’s

Oct9

Moon over farm near Mount Joy

Posted on Sunday, October 9, 2011 by Dianne

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Moon over farm near Mount Joy, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

We went on a little day trip like we did last year up to central PA. It was just Brian and me this year. First we went to York (about 64 miles one way) where I did some stash building at the Heirloom rubber stamp and paper show. I felt a bit rushed last year as I had two guys waiting on me, but I was more relaxed this year as Bri didn’t mind waiting. We then went to a book store and emporium in downtown York (which was the first capital of the country). I would have liked to taken a few more shots of the historic buildings there.Here’s a sampling in the area of the book store.

The book store was packed with merchandise. Since I had just browsed the other place for 2 hours, I was a bit bushed in the book store.

I did find a ‘surprise’ for someone and will mail it along soon.
We then went about 20 miles (toward home a bit) and went to Bube’s Brewery (the first syllable is pronounced ‘boo’) and we ate burgers outside on the patio.

They were pretty good but we waited for them and for the bill way too long. We had seen a Turkey Hill place that was new (their specialty is ice cream) on the way to the restaurant, but they had closed a half hour earlier.

We got to the Strasberg ice cream place 5 minutes before they closed for our desserts. Bri got caramel and I got pumpkin. So we had a full day and it was nice to see something different.

Here’s my post about the trip last year.

Oct6

Fun day at Longwood

Posted on Thursday, October 6, 2011 by Dianne

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The Fritzens and me, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

My pal Jennifer brought her son down to Longwood for his 2nd birthday today and was nice enough to invite me. The last time I saw both of them was in Ocean City, MD back in June, 2010. N. was about 8 months and he’s just as sweet and laid back as he was as an itty bitty. He was a bit shy with me at first and warmed up to me later. Longwood has a beautiful train display featuring Thomas the blue-faced engine in his own garden. I don’t think N. could believe the big layout for the trains. He really enjoyed that part, put when he got to the water fountains, he was in heaven! He got to check out several fountains and had to be changed. A true water lover. We had lunch also. I have been wanting their mushroom soup since the weren’t up at the Mushroom Festival last month. It was good. N. wasn’t too hungry, he wanted to ‘drive’ his stroller around which I remember Sean doing way back when.
The pumpkin here weighed about 840 lbs and N. said it was ‘heavy’. He was correct.
Here’s a neat parasol display:

and my little buddy playing:

Such a pretty display:

Good day!!

Sep20

Peep peep!

Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 by Dianne

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Peeps Mobile from Penna.!, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

It reminds me of my car a bit-minus the Peeps topper! : )

I decided to go through my Flickr photos for a blog topic. I just gave my niece the ‘Peeps’ hat they were giving away at the National Harbor store and she loved it. She’s a hat gal like her auntie. So you all know this is a Pennsylvania company? Here’s their fun VW that was at the Abbey Road on the River show. They were a sponsor there.

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Well the heater is fixed-it was a bit chilly for a few mornings here.
Got my chipped molar fixed today-my mouth is sore, but more on the bottom where I didn’t have the chip. The bottom left teeth have been patched and worked on so much and with all the air blowing and water and stuff at the dentist, they are really hurting now. I have Anbesol right here whis is helping.
Now I can reveal something-B. had an online phone interview with LivingSocialdot com and they sent him a ‘Dear John’ email today. Very disappointing. I would apply if I had more experience. I was in the other room listening to him on Thursday and he sounded tired and could have known more about the company. He tends to talk fast on the phone and was asked to repeat what he said several times. Bummer.
We’re going down to Ocean City, NJ just for overnight coming up this weekend to spend time with some former h.s. classmates of mine. One of them opens his home and yard to us-third year I think. Mom and Sean are invited to the shore, but not the get-together, but to enjoy the beach and scenery. Sean may not go, he’s not sure with his work load. I think we will probably go to Atlantic City that evening and head home early the next day.
Anyway, they asked me to bring dessert-will probably do chocolate chip cookies and bring a few bottles of wine. : ) And it’s my mom’s 81st birthday on Friday, so it’s a gift to her too.