not all ramblings are related.

“Did you start another Ramblings blog?” was the text message I received.

“No!” I replied with a laughing 😂 emoji .

So I noodled around and found Rittenhouse Ramblings. It’s creator is much younger than I, and a native New Yorker with a background in marketing. Her name is Zohray.

I am still an OG blogger hailing from the bad old days of Philly Future (no longer exists except as a memory) and Save Ardmore Coalition (no longer exists except as a memory.) I am not a compensated blogger nor a lifestyle blogger, although sometimes lifestyle it is a topic.

Not all “Ramblings” are the same and we don’t have to be. My Chester County Ramblings originated circa 2012, Rittenhouse Ramblings originated circa 2023. While I write about whatever strikes my fancy, the other ramblings is about a specific area of the City of Philadelphia I am well acquainted with.

So like I said, not all ramblings are created equal. And that is fine.

Happy Sunday from the original OG rambler 😊

my easter woods visitor

I was reminded once again how many critters we have close by in our woods. This is one of the yearlings. She is completely unfazed by humans. I do not feed the deer, but this was NOT taken with a zoom lens. I was just that close. truthfully it was kind of a cool, peaceful experience.

Of course this made me think of Sunoco Logistics again too. Our wildlife deserves to be protected from them and their pipelines, fracking, and drilling too. Please contact your elected representatives today, gubernatorial candidates in Pennsylvania, and the Public Utility Commmission.

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additional fun for july 4th: east goshen farmers market is OPEN! (and there is a cookbook swap too!)

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How totally fun!  The East Goshen Farmers Market is OPEN this coming THURSDAY JULY 4th from 3 pm to 7 pm!!! 

cookbooksThey will feature BBQ recipe handouts, special surprises, fabulous food and produce and a COOKBOOK SWAP!  (Sorry but I am madly excited to go to a cookbook swap!)

The deal with the cookbook swap is bring cookbooks that are gently used but in good enough condition to go to a new home. Bring any  food-related books that you’re ready to trade –  cookbooks, foodie memoirs ,cooking reference books.  Add them to the table.  In return, take your pick from books others have brought. Each home chef is welcome to take as many books as they bring is the unwritten rule of cookbook swaps.

Cookbooks are EXPENSIVE and a lot of the cool ones are out of print, so I hope this becomes a regular market feature here.

4th of July is not just about celebrating America’s birthday and our freedoms, it is also a time of family, fun, friendship, and community. So why NOT head out to the East Goshen Farmers’ Market?  If you are usually working it is a great way to check it out, if you are feeling like you want someone else to bring that little something something to a BBQ or picnic or cook out, why not either check out the amazing produce or maybe find something already prepared to contribute?  Or just come to hang out at a community activity at probably the best municipal parks in multiple counties?

PLEASE NOTE THE MOST UP TO THE MINUTE UPDATES FROM THE EAST GOSHEN FARMERS’ MARKET ARE ALWAYS FOUND ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE!  LIKE THEM TODAY!

East Goshen's Market Manager HeidiAnd I have to say a shout out is in order to Heidi, East Goshen’s market manager and her crew of volunteers.  They have done an amazing job fixing a market that some might say was deliberately left in a shambles following the purple huff departure of the former market managers.  And they are all so pleasant, welcoming, and helpful. They want you to have a good market experience.
The layout of the East Goshen market is fabulous and welcoming – you can stroll along as if you are in a more European style market and every week it gets better and better.  I am also discovering a lot of my favorite  vendors from West Chester Growers Market and the West Chester Artisans Market are calling East Goshen home on Thursdays.  As a matter of fact, check out West Chester Patch this morning for a great article about one of the shared producers, Sunny Slope Farms:

Buy Fresh, Buy Local Means Sunny Slope Farms at 2 Local Farmers Markets

These farmers don’t bring food to market the way big stores and growers do.

Posted by Bob Byrne (Editor), July 1, 2013 at 09:50 pm

This is the peak time of year for buying fresh and local summer produce. One Lancaster County farm has a unique “community” business model that puts some of the freshest fruit and veggies on West Chester and other area tables every week.

Sunny Slope Farms of Christiana, PA in Lancaster County is a regular vendor at Thursday’s East Goshen Farmer’s Market and the West Chester Artisan Farmers Market on Saturdays.

The friendly folks from Thornbury Farms

 

just another bend in the road….

….As a related aside, apparently my photos start running today on the GIANT screen at Commerce Square in Philadelphia.  They are somewhere in the 9 to 11 A.M. and 5 to 7 P.M. time slots.  If you see them, let me know what you think! I am in the same time slot of photographers like the fabulous Laura Kicey and Betsy Barron Fine Art Photography!

Laura Kicey is a particular favorite of mine – I met her way back when we were both photographing the demolition of Addison Mizner’s La Ronda in 2009 and I have followed her work here and there ever since.  I am honored to be considered good enough to show with the fabulous photographers that Thomas Realty Partners chose to do this!

Just another bend in the road…

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chester county antiques show this weekend at phelps school

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I love antiques shows.  Great place to educate your eye at a minimum.  (Unless you have a bottomless checkbook or just don’t care, show prices are generally marked up.) This week is the Chester County Historical Society’s Antiques Show – I am very psyched to go!

SHOW HOURS     SATURDAY, APRIL 6 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

SUNDAY, APRIL 7 11:00 AM – 5:00  PM

EXPERT VERBAL APPRAISALS     SUNDAY, APRIL 7 11:00AM-1:00PM

$I5.00 GENERAL ADMISSION     INCLUDES SHOW CATALOG & FREE PARKING Free admission to the Chester County Historical Society for Friday and Saturday

A New Location for 2013 -The Phelps School Malvern, PA

Featuring 18th and 19th Century American and Continental Antiques.

FOR INFORMATION 610-692-4800

Dealer list from the CCHS website:

A Bird In HandAyscough Antiques

Back In Time LLC

Brennan and Mouilleseaux

Britannia House Antiques

Cecelia B. Williams Antiques

David Good & Sam Forsythe

David Pownall Willis

Dixon-Hall Fine Art

Douglas Constant, Inc.

Dover House Antiques

Dubey’s Art and Antiques, Inc.

Edward J. Rayeur Antiques

Emele’s Antiques

Eve Stone Antiques, Ltd.

Gallery 51

Greg Kramer and Co.

Greshville Antiques and Fine Art

Hanes & Ruskin Antiques

Heller Washam Antiques

Hilary and Paulette Nolan

H.L. Chalfant American Fine Art Antiques

Holly A. Peters Oriental Rugs

J. Gallagher

James M. Kilvington, Inc.

Johanna Antiques

John Chaski Antiques

Joseph J. Lodge

Kelly Kinzle Antiques

Malcolm Magruder

Marc Witus Antiques

Margaret Johnson Sutor Antiques

Neverbird AntiquesPaul J Decoste

Port ‘N Starboard Gallery

Roger D. Winter, Ltd.

R.M. Worth Antiques, Inc.

Ruth C. Rogers

Saje Americana

Sally Good Antiques

Salt Box Antiques

Shaeffer’s Antiques

Sidney Gecker American Folk Art

Spencer Marks

Stevens Antiques

Steven Schuyler Bookseller

The Antique Store In Wayne

The Bar and Diamond

The Fassnachts

The Haneberg’s Antiques

The Norwoods Spirit of America

Thomas Brown Antiques

Thurston Nichols American Antiques Inc

Van Tassel Baumann American Antiques

Wesley T. Sessa Antiques

West Pelham Antiques

William Hutchison Books-Prints-Paintings

William R. & Teresa F. Kurau

* Dealer list as of 2/7/2013

smithfield barn open this weekend!

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Yes, yes, yes!  My favorite picking barn has hours this weekend – 425 Little Conestoga Road, Downingtown, Pennsylvania 19335 – they open Friday at 10 a.m. and will have daylight hours through the weekend!