Dinner with Friends

I haven't been out and about much this week, getting things done at home!

I had dinner with my friends, and new employer's Steve and Leslie at Olive Garden. It was nice to get out with other "grown ups"! I should have taken a picture of them, but they are not yet accustomed to my crazy photo habits. The restaurant was really full for a drizzly, icky, Wednesday!

I am going to be working par time for them helping them with marketing for their salon "Tranquility Life Spa and Hair Design" in Hatfield. I will also be their Friday receptionist. As much as I love being off this summer, I am looking forward to working those few hours!

Around Town

After our day in Philly on Friday, the rest of our weekend was pretty quiet. We spent some time at church, which was celebrating it's 50th anniversary. There was a carnival on Saturday (I forgot my memory card) and on Sunday they had a beautiful service and a catered "picnic" type lunch in the fellowship hall. I enjoyed reconnecting with church "folk" many I have known since I was a child!

Monday, Tara and I spent the afternoon with my friend Leslie. Leslie owns Tranquility Life Spa and Hair Design, in Hatfield, PA. I had gotten a hair cut on Saturday, but went on Monday for some skin care and a make over with the awesome makeup line that Leslie sells. I felt so pampered when we left, and with a bag full of new make up goodies, I am no longer going to dread the morning make up application! Tara got pampered as well with a hair wash, dry and trim! The salon is quaint and small which I have always loved. Leslie not only wants to care for your outward self, but she wants to make sure you feel good on the inside too! If all works out I will be doing some work for Leslie and Steve in the way of helping them to market the salon.


We also stopped by Freddy Hill Farms. I grew up right next to the farm, and spent a great deal of time playing there with the Seipt family children. Like me they are all grown with families of their own, many of whom work on the farm. In the 1970s they added a dairy store where they sold the milk from their cows that was processed and packaged(in plastic bags at the time)on site. They also sold ice cream. It was a frequent stop for a summer (and winter - egg nog and peppermint stick ice creams) treat. Through the years, both my brothers worked on the farm, my sister Linda was active in 4-H with a prize winning cow, Helena, that was owned by the Seipt's, and at one point in time, my mother even worked in the ice cream parlor! The farm holds an awesome Fall Festival each weekend in October, with hayrides, corn stalk mazes, and so much more. During the 90s, they added two miniature golf courses, batting cages, and driving ranges, as part of their entertainment center. I think it is awesome that they were able to make this step which I would guess has enabled then to keep Freddy Hill Farms as a working farm, and quite a bit of local property undeveloped!
The plaque at the bottom is in memory of my brother Robin.

A Day in Philly

Today, Tara and I boarded the R5 and headed to Center City, Philadelphia. It had been quite some time since I was last in the City of Brotherly Love. I believe Tara was five when we last took this adventure, and we didn't much make it out of the Gallery (shopping mall that connects to the train station) when she was ready to go home!

We rushed to catch the 10:02 train, and I had to scrape together the $12 fare (I read the rate schedule wrong) because I didn't have time to stop at the ATM! With .22 cents to spare, we settled into our ride to the city. I have always loved watching the world go by from the train. I made the commute to the city for a short while during my Bell of PA career, and later would go about once a month!

Within an hour we had arrived at our destination - Market St East. I had forgotten how overwhelming the city can be. It took me a couple minutes to get my bearings and find an ATM. With that out of the way, and cash in my pocket, we headed out to the street. First we saw this awesome mural.


Once on the street, I immediately saw the "purple wings" I was looking for that designated the stop for the "PLASH" bus. This bus makes a loop around the city to the most visited tourist stops; the Liberty Bell area, the zoo, art museum, train station/shopping area, etc. You can pay $2/adult for each destination, or $5/day. I chose the $5/day per person since I didn't know how much we would be up for. My one "mistake" was not crossing the street to get the bus that was headed for the Liberty Bell, instead we got on the one just coming from there. It was a nice ride, and in my mind not really a mistake. I got to see where the bus stops for the next time, and I also got to see many things I have not seen in a very long time. I always seemed to be the one driving, so it was nice to sit back and enjoy the scenic tour. We never stopped long enough for photos, and I did not have a good seat for snapping out the window, so I have nothing to share from that journey!

We got off the bus less than a block for the Liberty Bell building, quickly moved through the line and bag check. We scanned the displays and then went to see the bell. There was a rather annoying school group there...they were "hogging" the bell, laying on the floor trying to take pics under the bell, and just plain annoying me. I just wanted 30 seconds of and unobstructed view of the bell for a photo! This was NOT the place to try and take a group picture of all the kids!




We then headed back outside and decided to take a carriage ride. This is something I have always wanted to do and Tara like the idea. Our horses name was DaVinci, and I think our tour guide/drivers name might have been Kim. We went through the historic area, Society Hill & Old City. It was an hour tour, and we learned some interesting facts. I thought it would be a great way to take pictures, and in some cases it was, but because it was "spitting" rain, she had put the top up which sometimes impeded my shot!
I personally could spend hours walking around ALONE with my camera, so many windows, doors, statues, sculptures, textures, etc to photograph. Here is just a couple!




Philadelphia has hundreds of murals on buildings, through the Phila Mural Arts Program
The ones I saw from a distance were pretty amazing. I think they need a mural tour!

Once our tour was over, we hopped on the "Phlash" bus and headed back toward 12th & Market. I was wanting some lunch, and wanted to take a swing through the Reading Terminal Market.... WRONG thing to to on a Friday afternoon! It was packed, and something made Tara sneeze. She sneezed from the time we walked in until a couple minutes after we left! I'm hopping the train early some Sunday morning and hitting it when it opens!


We both had decided we had enough of the big city for the day, it takes some adjusting to the ENERGY.
Before we left, I did catch a glimpse of Billy Penn a top of City Hall.


So that's it for our day, we caught the train and headed back home! Have to run to a much needed hair appointment!

Dinner for Five

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family. ~Thomas Jefferson

We were invited by my nephew Chad and his girlfriend Tasha for dinner on Thursday. I had not met Tasha before, and had not seen their home, both of which I had heard wonderful things about from my sister. Tasha really helped out when my mom was moving too, so it was nice to finally meet her!

We arrived a bit before Tasha got home from work, so we caught up with Chad, and admired the great decorating job they have done!

Tasha arrived home from a busy day at work in a doctor's office, and we promptly sat down to a great dinner of Baked Ziti, tossed salad, garlic bread and cheesecake!

They have a great aquarium, and it was fun watching the fish. Tara of course talked everyone's ear off with all of her "Animal Planet" knowledge!

We visited for a bit after, and then headed back home. I was not totally familiar with the area we were in and wanted to get out to the main road before it was totally dark!

I am hoping now that we are back "in town" that we can have many more informal family dinners, and not always wait for a special occasion! It was very enjoyable!
Here is a photo I took of Chad, Tasha, Mom and Tara

Historic Building - Masonic Hall

Today's stop in Lansdale is in "downtown" and was one of my favorite buildings when I was growing up!

The building at 313 West Main Street in Lansdale was built in 1912 during the industrial revolution. It is of the Greek Revival style of architecture. It was the Masonic Temple, a meeting place for the Free and Accepted Masons. The building is now home to the Lansdale Center for Performing Arts. I think it is wonderful that that building is being preserved, and renovated for such a great use. Hopefully this will help bring downtown Lansdale one step closer to being revitalized!

Martha

North Penn HS Viet Nam "Memorial Grove"

(that's my name for it, don't know that it has an official title!)
This small monument sits at the corner of E Hancock St and Church St, in Lansdale, PA, and I would venture to guess, very few people even know that it is there, or the reason it is there. Since Memorial Day just passed there are flags and a wreath, that makes this memorial a little more noticeable.

This was one of the first things I wanted to visit once I got back home. It memorializes my brother Robin Miller, and 13 other alumni of North Penn High School that were killed in Viet Nam.

There is also a grove of trees, each one dedicated to one of the fallen soldiers. The marker was dedicated 15 years ago, and I attended that ceremony, and would visit frequently until I moved away. If a ceremony is held next Memorial Day, I plan to attend!

The marker was placed thanks to a student who thought there should be something to show the significance of the grove of trees. I for one thank Ms. Fiore, and the NP Key Club members throughout the years who participate in this ceremony.

This is an excerpt from the The Reporter on May 29, 2009 regarding the monument.

A few blocks away, the North Penn High School Key Club held a Memorial Day service at Penndale Middle School, honoring North Penn School District graduates who died in the Vietnam War. Khadijah Lewis and Christina Radley, sophomores at North Penn and Key Club members, each read a poem by Nancy Byrd Turner.

Corina Fiore, a former Key Club president, said she started the ceremony 15 years ago when she was a student at North Penn.

"At the time we had just this grove of trees planted in honor of these fallen soldiers, but there was nothing listed, there weren't any markers or names."

Through fundraising and Fiore's leadership, the Key Club purchased a placard that bears the names of 14 North Penn High School graduates who died in Vietnam: Stanley S. Cope, Jr., Class of '65; Albert M. Finn, Class of '62; John A. Glorioso, Class of '66; William E. Hannings, Class of '66; James W. Holliday, Class of '61; Gregory Jeremicz, Class of '65; Eric A. Lord, Class of '68; Robin B. Miller, Class of '67; Barry A. Molettiere, Class of '66; Robert I. Moore, Class of '66; Ronald J. Murphy, Class of '66; Andrew Mark Phillips, Class of '69; George E. Shade, Class of '63; David R. Weigner, Class of '62.

Sunny Day in PA!

Hello, from the now SUNNY state of Pennsylvania. It had been raining since we arrived on Thursday evening, but today is sunny and beautiful. I have had a couple good nights of sleep, but I still feel so drained, so I have not been able to get my posts together for the journey, nor our first day here! Those will come. Right now I am trying to get things moved/unpacked in my bedroom so I can put my bed together. Tara and my mom both have their rooms situated, but my room was where all the "stuff" went as it was brought in!

I will leave you for now this one picture that I took today! I know I'm back in Philly (well not the city, but you know what I mean!) If you enlarge, or look closely, you will see the Eagles, Phillies and Sixers logs. They are missing the Flyers, though!

Molettiere's Cafe 530 N Cannon Ave Lansdale, Montgomery County, PA