Tag Archives: chester county

retro cold night dinner

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So it is a cold night and I went old school. Casserole called essentially no peek chicken.

You cook boneless skinless breasts or thighs in uncooked rice broth Campbell’s condensed soup with vegetables and basically this is my own invention because I had sort of southwestern on the brain and I had cilantro to use.

I used a can of the diced chilies and tomatoes from Aldi, a can of the condensed Campbell’s cream of cheddar soup, one of those little small wheels of queso fresco, a small onion diced up, a small bag of thawed frozen corn, oregano, salt-free chili powder, 1 1/2 cups of dry rice, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, and four boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Basically you preheat your oven to 350°, and while you’re doing that you grease a rectangular baking dish and you put your chicken breasts in the bottom. I add a slight drizzle of olive oil to the chicken breasts.

Then, in a big mixing bowl, I put the dried rice, the onion, the can of chilies and tomatoes, the can of condensed soup a bunch of cilantro I had chopped up and the chicken broth and I mix it all together. I don’t add salt. I add oregano and sprinkle a little salt free chili powder.

I pour everything over the chicken breasts, add one of those little wheels of queso fresco all crumbled up and cover the pan tightly with nonstick foil.

You put it in your preheated oven for an 1 1/2 hours, maybe less depending upon your oven and you do not ever take the tinfoil off to peek, but as it’s getting close to done, you can stick a thermometer into the foil through one of the breast to check your temperature.

Yes it’s a little 1960s housewife but it tastes pretty good. Last time I did it with cream of mushroom soup and fresh mushrooms, etc.

ahh yes the sweet smell of gaslighting from human dumpster fires.

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Some kooks have surfaced.

I’ve decided that this must be some kind of seasonal disorder. They’re not being paid attention to, and they love their ridiculous. They’re all some form of Klanned Karenhood, and yes, I have mocked some of them. They are like caricatures of adult mean girls.

They like to project their behavior onto everyone else.

If you are not like them, you are bad.

If you don’t share their precise politics, you are bad.

Essentially, if you are not just like them, you are bad.

Some of these women have been coming at me for years. They are women who feel emboldened in a MAGA world. They are very limited in their world view , and they can’t handle anything that’s different or disagrees with their crazy.

When these women are online, they are extraordinarily emboldened. In person I wouldn’t know as obviously we don’t move in the same social circles or world.

Generally speaking, they’re just obnoxious. And I decided years ago I didn’t have to put up with it. Mostly I just blocked them then I don’t have to deal with them, but then they pop up again. And when they pop up it’s new gaslighting city.

I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but this seems to be the time when the people that I just choose not to know like to gaslight me. Last year when it happened, someone acted on it, and it ended up being a real life police thing that the district attorney took to court and prosecuted. It’s like it’s a seasonal disorder for keyboard warriors.

Yesterday, the woman in West Goshen/West Chester we still refer to as the QAnon princess Anonymous Ada decided she was going to throw up her version of fake news.

She conveniently left out what I said, and what I said when I updated the post. I didn’t hide that. I corrected the original post which was essentially that people thought ice had been spotted in Coatesville the other day.

I wasn’t chasing ICE vehicles in my vehicle with a whistle or waving a sign on a street corner. I shared a post. What I shared was not a responsible it was just what people thought they saw.

What I first said was:

Then, when I received updated information, this is what I said, and I will note you can check the edit history because all I did was update the original post:

So there you have it. The simple, unvarnished truth.

Ada Nestor, who is a failed politician vis-à-vis a bad attempt at joining WCSAD school board and she is at present, vice chair of West Goshen Republican Committee is ridiculous. Of course it’s not the first time she’s been the QAnon Princess of alternative reality is it?

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Also I take issue with the way she denigrated my friend Barry and his WCHE “All Politics Are Local” show.

Here allow me yet more screenshots which will also contain the 200+ ridiculous, gaslighting comments :

You notice she doesn’t want to say what radio station it is? Probably because Barry’s shows are great. That would be a threat to her as she apparently tries to play radio, right? According to her Barry is disloyal to Republicans because I am sometimes a guest. And she stupidly refers to him as a “committee member” as in she doesn’t even know the hierarchy of her own political party. He’s an area vice chair, actually. Oh and his show is “All Politics Are Local.”

The show is not one political party. It’s welcoming to all. It’s about the stories NOT being told in our communities. Barry is helping us cross the local news desert. She should say thank you. And of course the West Goshen Republican Committee should be ashamed to have her as one of them, but they are fairly consistently a train wreck with multiple scandals so will they do anything? Probably not.

Then there are the others. All of these lovely women who talk a good game about supporting other women….but only if you agree with them, right?

A peek into the past:

So these two women? Nasty. Why? Because I am not part of their group. Basically what they represent is distasteful. And they are not about supporting other women. They both used to make scenes at school board meetings. They were caught on video quite a few times yes? One used to brandish a bible and calling down the devil or something in Downingtown and her pal would wear a gas mask. The other one would sputter and spit whilst pointing her finger.

There is more, but no point, it’s just the wash, rinse, and repeat of ugliness. If you aren’t them, you are bad.

So I am bad I suppose.

Whatever.

But what is really fascinating is that they are almost obsessed with me. I had forgotten about most of them because that’s the joy of being able to block people you don’t care for on social media. It’s literally out of sight out of mind.

I was perfectly content to lead my life and to leave them to the annals of time. After all, they’re not important to me, I don’t want them as friends.

But I wasn’t counting on their somewhat ridiculous interest in me at this point. Yes I’m a blogger. I’m not a public figure. I live my life. They are not part of it. Yet here they are in all their truth stretching, gaslighting glory.

To them I am a bad, crazy person.

I am always amused as they refer to me as this like die hard total completely over-the-top liberal. And I’m actually not. I’m a moderate and politically, I’m an independent. I know plenty of very liberal people and I don’t have a problem with that or them. It’s what they believe, just like I have plenty of friends who are true conservatives, it’s what they believe, and we all coexist quite nicely. It’s actually kind of sad that they don’t have those kind of relationships, but it’s not my job to help them.

And I have zero desire to know any of them. They are human dumpster fires.

At the end of the day, I’m considering the source or sources. I have made a conscious choice not to know people like that.

I marvel at them, but I am truly grateful I am not like them.

Peace ✌️ out.

welcome to new slumlord city?

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Yep. That’s part of the regular view at 249-269 Lancaster Avenue in Malvern, East Whiteland. This week it’s a dumped mattress and some other stuff a couple of weeks ago. It was bags of trash, just sitting in the middle of their property. As in somebody dumped trash, it wasn’t collected there. A lot were white kitchen trash bags.

The property is rotting. It looks like hell. Why should residence and anyone that drives by look at new slumlord city there? And what about the businesses nearby? Don’t they deserve better?

I seem to remember that when the property sold around 2019, we knew that the buildings were going to be torn down and at first we were told a Lidl Market was going there.

Lidl went elsewhere. Then there was this whole thing about putting apartments there. East Whiteland Township did not want that and I don’t remember what happened but the apartments didn’t happen (thank goodness.)

So every once in a while, you hear a little rumor but mostly it just sits in rots and becomes a trash dump.

I took some moody photos in 2020 because I wanted to record the vintageness of both locations.

I don’t know about my readers, but I am of the opinion that these developers and property owners shouldn’t just be allowed to let locations rot because they can’t get their own way. Can you agree on that? I mean, if you want another example, look at one of my favorites, the farmhouse at Clews and Strawbridge with boats in front of it half of the time, right?

Would it be too much to ask if they would tidy up their properties while they are pending whatever is going to happen? And is there other stuff going on with that property that people need to know about?

Would the property owner like to look at this if it was sitting on his front lawn or whatever?

brandywine view antiques has been utterly robbed and burglarized.

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I saw this earlier today and literally started to cry. This is my friend Lisa’s business. I started out as a customer years ago when I met Lisa at one of the first Clover Markets in Ardmore all of those years ago. Literally we met in 2010 and became friends, I am not jut a customer. And I am a happy customer.

Lisa the owner is a wonderful warm hearted person who would give someone a hand up if they needed help. She has a rare generosity of spirit that someone or several someones has decimated. I think there should be a special place in hell for people like that.

Even Martha Stewart has been to her store. She has a great eye and a wonderful mix of new, vintage, and antiques. And this is a very historic property and fabulous adaptive reuse.

In case people can’t read her message via my screenshot, here it is in her words:

Dear Friends.

I am sorry. I need to close the store for a bit. I have tried so HARD the last couple of months to try to keep it together. In almost 30 yrs of doing what I ABSOLUTELY LOVE to save, we had a very bad robbery. They pulled in the back driveway with a van, and uhaul. I don’t understand how, but they managed to override the system. They had at it. The basement, attics, backyard, shop, and my office. Let alone a constant supply out of my vehicle, and trailer. I believe this was over time, LOADS of vtg xmas, art work, costume, jewerly, primatives, salvage, garden, paper, glass, minitures, mirrors etc.. many collections and memories in boxes.

I IMMEDIATELY shut our social media down, and was trying to work through the trauma. It HURTS so bad. I watched it go through auctions, area consignments shops, in the antique shops as well as marketplace. I feel so LOST, betrayed, and mentally EXHAUSTED. We work so HARD at being a small business, let alone save 2 old houses over 200 yrs old. It is so SAD we live in this kind of world.

Take pictures, do inventory it will save u in the long run. Don’t keep keys out, let alone how you store your valuables. Keep your guard up. DON’T think it WON’T happen to you.

I CAN’T THANK my family and friends, state police ENOUGH for helping me work through this. Esp. my husband Spencer. Quite tough loosing the bits and pieces of your life’s work. I know the man upstairs has a plan. I TRUST him. I look forward to being, and feeling our happy place again. “Three floors, have fun. ”

#brandywineviewantiques, #chaddsford, #chestercounty, #delco, #kennettsquarepa, #Glenville, #smallbusinessbigdreams, #community, #mentalhealth.

I thought it was bad enough when the losers stole her hydrangeas outside a few years ago. But this? This is like someone raped her. This is her business, livelihood, dreams, hopes, hard work.

This is the kind of crap stuff that is a joy sucker. What she sells can’t be magically replaced like it is an Amazon warehouse.

What I am asking of readers, especially fellow antique and vintage dealers is keep an eye out. Be wary of too good to be true and unknowns wanting to peddle things like she describes. If you are a dealer be aware, this could happen to you.

Lisa will rebuild and we will all support her. I firmly believe there is a special place in hell for people who do things like this to wonderful people and small businesses.

berwyn firebug does it again….in york pa

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for story, follow this link: https://local21news.com/news/local/woman-charged-with-arson-in-connection-with-york-county-duplex-fire-that-displaced-7-pa-pennsylvania-fire-blaze-ogontz-street-new-years-day

I think this might break the Chester County Internet. I had readers contact me this afternoon…oops she did it again. For real.

https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county/woman-charged-arson-new-years-fire-displaced-5-people

I mean FOR real? Burned a 3rd place? I mean I JUST HAVE to oops song it.

This is scary and ridiculous.

First Berwyn (Easttown).

Then Radnor Township (whatever that was.)

Now York.

Oh, and the DUI in SC?

She is literally not right, is she? If someone has already set fires and the courts are taking forever to get the cases heard is that fair to anyone?

How does someone go from beautiful young doctor/bride/wife/mother to the mugshots? And she was a doctor too?

Why do we have such inadequate mental health services in this country?

https://local21news.com/news/local/woman-charged-with-arson-in-connection-with-york-county-duplex-fire-that-displaced-7-pa-pennsylvania-fire-blaze-ogontz-street-new-years-day

Original fire:

https://6abc.com/post/chester-county-fire-easttown-township-leopard-sugartown-road/15090808

House in December (my photo):

Photo from CBS affiliate (note the apartment is Tudor-ish):

Stuff from South Carolina:

https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/crime/2026/01/06/woman-charged-with-arson-in-york-area-fire-also-charged-near-philly/88047015007

Woman charged with arson in York-area fire also charged near Philly

Aimee Ambrose

York Dispatch

Updated Jan. 6, 2026, 4:31 p.m. ET

  • A woman is charged with arson after she allegedly used a heat gun to start a fire New Year’s Day at a Spring Garden Township duplex.
  • A firefighter was injured in that blaze and another resident was treated for smoke inhalation.
  • Kathryn Frankel also faces arson charges in Chester and Delaware counties after fires there.
  • Greater York FF photo Facebook

This time someone was hurt, a firefighter. And someone else had smoke inhilation.

I found the report from NBC affiliate WGAL in Lancaster particularly interesting and the article has a long video:

https://www.wgal.com/article/woman-charged-with-arson-following-fire-in-spring-garden-township/69938937

Police say Kathryn Frankel is accused of starting a fire using a heat gun in a home on Ogontz Street. They also say she has a previous arson arrest out of Chester County from 2024, also with a heat gun.

Details of the arson

Police said Frankel was living in the basement of the home on Ogontz Street when the fire started just after midnight on Jan. 1.

The fire department was dispatched for a reported basement fire, and upon arrival, they saw people trapped inside. Several residents had to be rescued, with some jumping from the second floor, and one person was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

A firefighter was also hurt.

According to charging documents, witnesses told officers Frankel was acting suspiciously before the fire and tried to stop others from going into the basement.

Police say they found a pile of burning clothes and blankets on the floor, as well as seven burned aerosol cans and a can of lighter fluid.

Frankel admitted to being in the basement and using a heat gun in the area shortly before the fire started, according to the charging documents. Kathryn Frankel is charged with arson and recklessly endangering another person.

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/crime/2026/01/06/woman-charged-with-setting-fire-to-york-county-home-on-new-years-day-kathryn-frankel/88046581007

Look I am sorry she is so mentally ill. But she is not safe out on the street. Someone is going to die. Once again, she could have died, and this time others got hurt.

She needs to NOT be out on the street. This is not the first fire. She is not safe, she may never be safe with this hobby of hers, correct?

Below are the dockets. Imagine if the wheels of justice had moved a little faster? Maybe those people in York wouldn’t have been displaced. I hate to say lock anyone up, but she is a danger to herself and others. She went from high style on the Main Line to a basement apartment in York County, PA.

Here is the York docket:

Frankel York CountyDownload

Here is the Chester County Docket:

Frankel Chester County DocketDownload

Here is the Delaware County Docket:

Frankel Delaware County DocketDownload

it’s always shady in west goshen township….january 2026…the slippery car wash game.

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Yes, it’s a dead Rite Aide but if West Goshen has their way TONIGHT they will push to change the zoning and make it a car wash??? Allow me to quote West Goshen Sunshine and Hello West Chester verbatim (I do not think they will mind):

A Sunshine Report heads-up: West Goshen Board of Supervisors will hear a Zoning amendment tied to the former Rite Aid site on Phoenixville Pike at tonight’s annual organizational meeting.

The amendment, if approved, would permit a car wash to open at 1307 Phoenixville Pike. Under the Township’s current Zoning Ordinance, car washes are only permitted by Conditional Use in the C-5 General Highway Commercial Zoning District. This section of Phoenixville Pike is part of the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District.

The request is being advanced in connection with a proposed redevelopment by Spotless Car Wash Brands. The site is owned by Peter Kathopoulis, of 92 Victory Investments of Upper Darby, PA.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at the West Goshen Township building. Approval of this zoning amendment could expand where car washes are allowed township-wide.

As always, sunshine prefers daylight. Worth knowing. Worth watching.
Link: https://www.westgoshen.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/366… 

— with westgoshensunshine.

No meeting minutes for real for real so trying to sneak it in much West Goshen? There was a blip in November with this but then NOTHING. Can’t find any old minutes or plans and that is anti sunshine (for a change) and sleazy.

I am REALLY familiar with this intersection. Why? Because PECO or AQUA or PENNDOT has had W. King Road Closed for so long between Ship and Boot, I go through there once a week on average. It’s a busy, difficult intersection with others near by that West Goshen because when you cross over it goes towards Fern Hill and the hospital stuff and Greystone development. A spit away is West Whiteland Township and I don’t know any residents who knew about this there!

And let’s talk environmental impacts from car wash runoff?

Oh and look at their traffic study and other comparables …. Maryland AND Virginia??? OH COME ON.

The meeting starts at 5PM

https://www.westgoshen.org/AgendaCenter

rite aide to car wash west goshenDownload

day 1 on 2026: happy new year

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The word of the year should be grateful. Not the misused, overused version of faux Christianism found on social media, but the feeling at the core of your being inside your truth.

development at swedesford road and valley creek blvd. has begun

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For years, we have watched the former faculty housing for Church Farm teachers deteriorate. No that’s not the fault of the school, the land was sold decades ago at this point.

I have followed it here on my blog and so have many in the community. The land has been for sale and vacant forever and we knew this development was coming.

The development is 55 and over so it won’t be putting kids in the school district. It’ll be like a Hershey’s Mill in West Whiteland. However it’s rather dense, and it is yet another reason why in my opinion, whatever happens at the Exton Square Mall needs to have less density. It’s so much development not too far apart.

And even if the mall developer and his attorney, don’t like my opinion, I’m allowed to have it.

Anyway, it’s New Year’s Eve 2025 and the development has begun. 

I wish this was less density here because I do not know where all these developers think we are going to put and care for all these additional people? We don’t even have a hospitals to care for our residents now. (Of course this is also why I think that the Exton Square Mall would be the perfect site for a new hospital but developers won’t make enough money on a new hospital will they? What do they care about us getting sick? )

So again, it’s not like this wasn’t approved or we didn’t know it was coming. It’s been very much out there. But it is quite jarring to see the land stripped bare bit by bit as this development begins.

On New Year’s Eve I’m going to make my last play of the year for lawmakers and Harrisburg to get off their asses and do a comprehensive update of the municipalities planning code. There hasn’t been one since it arrived circa 1969 and as I have said innumerable times before, that’s what gave us Chesterbrook.

I’m going to share some of my old photos taken over years past for many years, and a little video compilation.

First the photos:

These were at one time really nice little houses. They could’ve remained nice little houses as starter homes or step down homes for people downsizing.

Here are some additional photos from today:

Here is the video and that’s all I’ve got:



‘tis the season, santa for a christmas meander…

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This is a post which is still a bit raw form-wise. This has evolved over several days, ending with today, Christmas Eve.

I will admit this year that I have been having an off and on case of the bah humbugs. I think everyone has a year like that and I didn’t even decorate as much as I normally did.

I’m just starting the Christmas cookies today. Thank God, I remembered to get the Christmas turkey out of the freezer to put into the refrigerator to thaw.

Sometimes the cause of Christmas blahs can be traced to dealing with people who are selfish or unpleasant. I will admit that there’s quite enough of that to go around this year in general given the world and the odd environment in which we all find ourselves living.

I’m finding it hard to be positive because everything around us is so negative and the genesis of that is the grudge keeper in chief living in what was the White House. I don’t know what we call that place now, maybe the tacky palace with not a hall of presidents, but maybe a hall of vindictiveness?

Anyway, I found myself in an awkward situation the other day that I wasn’t even directly involved in but now it’s sitting in my head so I am going to write it out to release it.

We sent some presents to out-of-towners and received a phone call that there wasn’t a present for a particular person. I felt like I was living in the twilight zone because it’s someone who is not in regular contact with us and we don’t really know.

This is very much not a kid, but an adult who also doesn’t know us. If I was going to be in that particular home, I would come up with gifts for all, but since we are just mailing a couple things up and this isn’t someone who lives at that address, it simply didn’t occur to me. It wasn’t a slight.

Honestly it just doesn’t occur to me to get presents for everyone, especially people that don’t actually connect with you or see. I mean, honestly I don’t think I’ve ever received a present from this particular person so they are not on my radar. I’m not being mean or keeping book or anything, it simply doesn’t occur to me because it’s not somebody I never exchange presents with. Honestly, I don’t exchange anything with them except pleasantries if I see them somewhere.

And then there’s what do you do about someone that you were once very close to that seems to be just cutting people out of their life? I mean, this is someone with whom I used to speak with and see quite regularly, but they’ve put a wall up around me and lots of other people who were once in their circle.

They are literally withdrawing. And it’s not because of an argument or a major disagreement they’re just withdrawing.

Sometimes people do that for health reasons, I really don’t know what the case is here, but you know you do just get tired of trying although you don’t stop caring. If it is illness, they will have to tell people in their own way in their own time if that’s what they choose.

I don’t expect a lot out of people, but when you try to include people in things and it’s just like it goes nowhere after a while you’re like OK, the phone works both ways.

I have found that this was a year where I stopped tolerating people being mean. And I’ve gotten tired of the endless criticism of what I should be doing as a blogger, followed by then you should be writing about XYZ. Since I have started to push back on these things oh my goodness, the comments and the private messages that are unsolicited just blow my mind.

I write about what I want to write about, and the people that are in my world are the people that I want to be in my world. It’s pretty much that simple.

But honestly, I’m going to go make some Christmas cookies now because I need to find my Christmas spirit again.

As more random thoughts form I will come back to this post.

So now the cookie dough is prepared and I’m coming back to my readers on Sunday.

You know the simple gift of a thank you, or and I’m sorry when you’re wrong has immeasurable value.

This morning, I received a note from an elected official who said in part:

📌 I…want to thank you for your coverage on issues that always don’t make frontline news but are important for the community to know about and understand. Your coverage has helped me to be a better public servant, and person. Transparency, communication, coordination and humility are not just words but values I remind myself of everyday. Thank you again for being a strong voice! 📌

In an era when so many elected officials are literally trying to figure out how they can “get me” or non-elected officials that just don’t like what I write who are behaving in a similar manner, this means something. Especially because I’m not a compensated blogger I write about things that interests me because I care.

It’s like when you start to wonder if there is hope for humanity left, something happens to remind you it is indeed. And I’m not being overly dramatic saying that, I know plenty of people who have thought that especially this year.

I had one friend who came to our Christmas party who thanked me because she said she’s been having a fit of the bah humbugs. And then I had something unexpected this afternoon.

I heard from the now former sister-in-law of a friend of mine whom I love and miss very much. And it was just that simple contact and it led to me connecting with my late friends now former husband who always meant a lot to us as well. I swear the fey part of me felt like she sent them or it was just a nice god wink.

Whatever the case may be, it was just so nice. And it was just so nice in a world where people don’t know how to be nice anymore. I’m not excusing myself from that statement because sometimes I’m not nice and I know that. I get pushed to a point where I’m just done.

But this has been a Christmas season where the Christmas spirit has been in fits and spurts. I am watching people I know, being hurt, unnecessarily, sometimes by the very community in which they live by the very government that they try to believe in, or should I say, tried.

Municipalities like many others in this country have actually forgotten about the U.S. Constitution and how citizens (mostly through the First Amendment) have the right to peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a “redress of grievances.”

Residents can literally under the U.S. Constitution have the ability of direct appeals, which means they can contact government officials themselves. Residents can also perform very simple forms of advocacy and lobbying by using free speech and assembly – going to meetings, etc. they also have a right to peaceful protest. Yet in this crazy world in which we live, apparently our rights are subjective, and I think a lot of it depends on who you know these days which is not the way it was designed by our founding fathers was it?

Democracy is not supposed to be just a word is it?

I find all of that rather depressing. And these municipalities in some cases, need to get over their God complexes. Some are going after residents when there are even traditional media reports to back up their claims, and yes it’s kind of crazy when they’re going after residents isn’t it?

This was the year where I didn’t watch the news as much anymore. And a lot of that has to do with everything that is happening in this country. Most of it is beyond our control. Except then you think about people that live through World War II and other things and what they’re seeing, and in a lot of cases they see more than we do because they lived through that once already.

What was it Joan Baez said this summer? Truth doesn’t age, and neither does courage?

That statement of hers made me think. Just like another statement from Maria Shriver I saw on her socials this morning and am sharing:

May God bless you all during this holy season. May you hold those you love dearly. May you make time to be with those you care about and tell them so. And may you head into a new year filled with hope. I know it might feel tough right now to feel hopeful, but that is exactly why we must all take some time to reflect and find the light within.

So, I’m going to focus on my refilling my light, strengthening my spirit, and surrounding myself with love. I’m going to take a break from social media for the rest of the year, and I’ll see you back here in 2026! ♥️ #takingabreak

She’s not wrong. Maybe that’s what we all need to do? Unplug a little?

It’s now Christmas Eve and yes this is a disjointed meander. My mood has improved and the cookies are baked, Christmas Eve dinner is planned, and the turkey for Christmas Day is about to go brine dunking.

Today has had visits from friends and neighbors reminding me that goodness exists in spite of strife.

I started the day by calling into the WCHE morning show. Barry and Steve and Eric were talking about giant snowflakes. Talk about an amusing excuse to call in, right? Anyway we had a good giggle.

Earlier this week I played Santa with my neighbors. There is a tradition that started when this neighborhood started, way before my time. We leave little gifts for each other. Some have moved away, and others choose not to participate, and one family is so new they probably have no idea why people are leaving presents. It’s a nice tradition, and more people should do it but our neighborhoods are more transient, so in a lot of cases today, people don’t know their neighbors.

So maybe now it’s time to wind up this ramble and wish people Merry Christmas. 2025 has been a crazy year, but now we are on the precipice of a new year, right? What will our future be?

Merry Christmas readers.

….and to all a good night (a little early.)

bob lange’s last willistown meeting

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My photo 2012

I was asked to be there in person and life got in the way, and I was unable to attend the last Willistown meeting of the year and I am sorry I couldn’t be there. I saw no sewer rats in attendance so it probably would’ve been a nice meeting with the exception of Mrs. Golfball the lone public comment, which I have included. Complete segue but what does one expect when one moves next to a golf club and golf course? And do we really think some golfer meant to hit her with a golf ball? Why doesn’t she just ask them to or put up netting herself near the edges of her property to catch the golf balls so they don’t come onto her property?

Mrs. Golfball was quintessential of the types who move to Willistown and then complain about the color of the sky, the scent of horse and cow manure etc. and don’t get me started about sidewalks on twisty dangerous windy roads that won’t ever work, right?

Sorry, I digress.

Bob Lange gave way more many years than most people ever would to municipality.

He’s done an amazing amount of things for his home community in Willistown, and the meeting this week, reflected that. It was really nice to see some old familiar faces like Andy Dinniman.

I was glad to see that the Willistown Republicans or some Republicans got up to say job well done, especially after the treatment he received for exercising his right to choose his own political candidate to vote for in a presidential election as an American.

Willistown Township social media photo

Again, I noticed that it didn’t seem as if the sewer rats were in attendance, and I will mention them again because in my opinion they are the most horribly rude people consistently in Willistown Township and I would love to know how much money the Township spends per annum on the often frivolous right to know requests that they file? Anyway did they think they were punishing Bob by denying their presence? I am sure they will be back, don’t you?

But back to Bob Lange’s last meeting.

I first met Bob when I came out here to be with my husband. The picture you see in the post above I took in 2012 when I happen to be on the farm one day because he was nice enough to let me take pictures of some of the fields one fall. They were just so beautiful even then getting ready for winter.

Willistown is a beautiful township. A lot of that is down to Bob’s part in the stewardship. For 27 years. People talk about public service, Bob Lange has lived it.

As human beings, we are all flawed. Bob Lange in my estimation has never pretended or pronounced himself to be perfect like a lot of his armchair critics seemingly self-proclaim, but in Willistown you have always known that he cares about the township and acted proactively. And sorry not sorry, the abuse heaped on the supervisors there in general and the manager over the past few years has been astounding and that’s not a positive. (Yes, sewer rats and your motley band of malcontents I am speaking about all of you. You have made yourselves public figures via your antics.)

One of my favorite parts of this meeting was listening to Andy Dinniman. So many pearls of wisdom last night. And he spoke of when we were all still different political persuasions but essentially we behaved better.

Anyway, job well done Bob and thank you and Merry Christmas and we will see you around your farm!

Also Bob? Episcopal Academy has always been a sentimental favorite of mine as a Shipley gal because of some of the amazing friends I still have from there.