Talking about Art!

An acquaintance of mine, Al Horner is a brilliant Pinelands photographer and through his book and cd, he has opened my eyes to beauty I had never seen in the Pinebarrens despite my lifelong love affair with hiking in the woods.  

You may think you know something, but art can show it to you in a new way.  If you love the Pinebarrens and you enjoy photography, you may want to attend:

 Please join us for the opening of a stunning photography exhibit celebrating the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve that is on display in the renovated historic barn at our offices.

Exhibit Opening on Saturday, Nov. 3rd from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Browse the new exhibit, enjoy wine, beer, light appetizers and acoustic music by The Pitch Pines. Awards for the winning photographs in each category will be presented during the reception.

Free, no RSVP required.  We are located at 17 Pemberton Rd. (CR 616) in Southampton, NJ.  Directions to our offices.

Also if you are an artist and wish to join in with the sharing of art, you may wish to participate in the ALEXANDRIA QUARTERLY UPCOMING CONTEST:  (I plant to!)  you confined the Alexandria Quarterly on the internet at www.alexandriaquarterly.com

CONTESTS & CALLS

WE TALKED WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT EACH OTHER: ART INSPIRED BY THE POETRY OF EMILY DICKINSON

AQP is working on a collection of artworks inspired by the poems of Emily Dickinson. We are looking for art in all mediums except video. Please send up to five high resolution (300 dpi or higher) images and identify the poem/line(s) the piece is drawn from in your cover letter.

Any form/style is welcome.

Submissions close December 1, 2018. Submit here.

All artist who submit will receive a complimentary copy of the book. Artists selected to contribute will receive 3 copies of the book and discounts on aditional copies.

Developing an idea

Often people I have known since we all retired have said to me that they have no interests, no hobbies, no inspiration and they don't know how to get any.

"Interest" like "Willpower" or "Changing a Mind" are the great unsolved mysteries of our social world.  Where is the generator that allows someone to become interested and even passionate about doing something, or that allows someone to make a decision to change as in for example, to stop smoking, or take up exercise or meditation; where does willpower come from?

I have read a  lot of books on it but I can only speak from own experience which is that some things that captured my interest when I was a child, I nurtured throughout my life, and they blossomed like the branches of a tree into lifelong passions:  Reading, Art.  My mother sowed the seeds with books she got at the supermarket with green stamps and by reading to me at night and at other times.  My grandmother nurtured the garden indirectly by giving me access to the book in her basement, her old family books, European classics, and girls books like Outdoor Girls On A Hike from the 1920's.  It must be admitted that I was the kind of a child to venture to the basement and FIND those books and ask, so perhaps some of it is inborn.

My mother also subscribed to many magazine in my childhood, Life, Look, The Saturday Evening Post, National Geographic and my father was a reader.  The Saturday Evening Post was my introduction to Art, an art style that I still practice, representative genre painting, which means pictures from real life, in a realistic style.  However whereas Norman Rockwell, my great childhood inspiration, may have practiced a very effective and beautiful Narrative art, pictures that told a story, mine tend to be more poetic, as in they are created from a feeling that something I saw inspired in me, and I try to recapture that feeling in the painting and hopefully the viewer will feel it too.  

Just at this moment the amazon delivery man rang the bell and handed me two packages, new books.  I read every day for many hours, magazines and books and the books inspire new interests and expand one that have already existed.

An interest that I developed from my father is for trains and train stations.  He built a platform every Christmas with an elaborate train set-up - the real deal - Lionel trains with smoke and the smell of motor oil, track transfers, tunnels, and glorious snow covered villages of small European style bungalows with cellophane windows "Made in Japan."  And many family vacations took in old time steam trains that would chug us up a mountain or through fields of corn like the Strasbourg train, the Jim Thorpe train, or the ones in West Virginia.

In fact, one of my father's great job accomplishments for Hake Rigging company was to move a train into the Smithsonian, which we went to see on family trips.

So, one summer when I was driving along the railroad that runs through a old hometown of mine, Maple Shade, and the town where I went to high school, Merchantville, taking photographs of the train stations, I noticed that the one in Merchantville was also a coffee shop to I stopped in.  It turns out it was also an Art Gallery and Literary Center - Eiland Arts Center!  I took an advertising postcard and blogged about it, then found out two of my old friends from my Art School days showed their work there.  I went to an opening, and I decided to show my work there as well.

This Saturday, the 20th of Oct. I dropped off 3 paintings for the Winter Group Show running through November!    I hope you will visit The Station and see the work, in the upstairs gallery, and perhaps buy a cup of coffee and a pastry and sit down and enjoy a peaceful afternoon.  Who doesn't love a coffee house?

Eiland Arts also has a literary component called AlexandriaQuarterly, which you can find online  And there, I saw a posting for an upcoming art project where you could submit 5 works of art based on 5 poems by Emily Dickinson.  Since I believe, (along with many Dickinson scholars) that she was a groundbreaking poetry genius, I was excited by the idea. I found some documentaries on amazon (one was deadly dull because the actors adopted a stilted speech pattern I have heard in other period documentaries that I sincerely doubt people used in ordinary life in the past) and one that was exciting and enriching, which included observations by Dickinson scholars about her life and work.  I heard recitations of at least 5 poems that I loved and found my inspiration to do 5 works based on them.

I have finished one already "Look back on time with kindly eyes - he doubtless did his best...." and a photo a friend gave me recently from our college days provided the image to go with the poem.

So that's how it happens, from the past to the present, from experience to endeavor, idea to inspiration.  I stopped in Merchantville Library and found a collection of Dickinson's poems and plan to read 20 a day.  I will let you know how it goes!

Halloween and More

Hello!  Halloween is one of my favorite holidays though, to be honest, I love ALL the holidays!  I love to decorate and see decorated houses.  And most of all, I celebrate the seasons since I am lucky enough to have been born and raised in a state that HAS seasons.  

The trees are finally beginning to turn this third week of October.  Took long enough!  

The things I like about Halloween are that it is a celebration of the space between the living and the dead, the old year of abundance in summer and fall harvest, and the coming months of what appears to be death but is actually only a long winter's rest - the dark and bare trees, the frosted yards, the barren bushes and shrubs (except of course for New Jersey's famous thriving holly - green all year and ripe with red berries in the winter!)

Another thing I like is the harkening back to the old European Pagan traditions.  And the opportunity to wear a costume!  And the chance to re-visit the old movies of my childhood like Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, and Arsenic and Old Lace.  
I adore the pumpkins and black cats, the ghosts and witches  hats, and the brief chance to encounter and enjoy magic and mystery.  I DO NOT enjoy horror movies of the modern bloody variety or extreme scary stuff.  

Anyhow I discovered that when I copied and posted 'visit New Jersey' emails, the html erased my older posts, so I am trying to just pick a few here and there that I like and not post the whole shebang.  My posts are apparently archived, so they weren't lost, just not appearing on my blog.

Here is one from visit New Jersey - I really think Woodstown is a charming small New Jersey historic town:

Woodstown Fourth Friday

Friday, October 26 | 5 PM - 9 PM
Historic Downtown Woodstown

Join Historic Woodstown for Fourth Friday along Main Street sponsored by the Woodstown-Pilesgrove Business Association. Every fourth Friday of the month, guests can enjoy extended store hours, food trucks, and live music! There are plenty of children's activities including face painting, balloon animals, and so much more! Make sure you come dressed up in your best Halloween attire to be entered into the costume contest! This is the last Fourth Friday of the season. 

Ghost Tours Friday, October 26 | 6 PM - 7:30 PM Downtown Woodbury   Take a walking tour of Woodbury's historic buildings and encounter the ghosts that haunt them! Make sure you bring a flashlight because you never know what might pop out! Guided tours last about one hour and will begin at 6 PM and the last one will start at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Participating eateries will give you 10% off dinner when you present your ticket.  I have fun trick or treats all ready for my excited and adorable neighborhood kids - I am giving out parachute men, rubber snakes and assorted toys for Oriental Trading Company! Happy Halloween! Jo Ann

From the Crossroads of the Revolution e-mail - October Halloween Events

"Halloween chills and thrills combine with Revolutionary fun this October in the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area! Many of our Heritage Partners are hosting ghost walks, haunted hayrides and other eerie events for the adventurous. There's plenty of fun for those looking for a non-spooky experience, too."   Below are some of the many events scheduled for the second half of the month. Consult our online calendar and Facebook page to explore the rest, and plan your visit to Revolutionary New Jersey! Some events may require reservations - please contact the event site as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.  Multiple dates Downtown Bordentown Association Haunted History Tour. City Ghost Walk Tours. Take a guided stroll to explore the mysteries of this historic community. Multiple evening times. More information and tickets.  October 18, 19, 20, 21 Haunted Seaport in Tuckerton. Take a fright-tastic adventure at Tuckerton Seaport with pirates and sea captains of the past, meet the Jersey Devil, plus (non-scary) kid-friendly activities for the little ones. 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. More information.  October 19 Punch and Pie at Mrs. Kearney's Tavern in Closter. Enjoy refreshments, entertainment and tall tales at this centuries-old, riverside historic site. 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. More information.  Oct 19 and 20 Ghostly Gatherings at the Hancock House in Hancock's Bridge. Take a candlelight tour of the site of the 1778 Hancock's Bridge massacre. Tours at 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. More information and reservations.  Oct 19, 20 and 26 Halloween Ghost Walking Tour in Greenwich. Join the Cumberland County Historical Society on a spooky stroll through a historic 18th century community. More information and reservations.  October 19, 20, 26 and 27 Ghost Tours in Moorestown. Experience Moorestown's haunted history, starting at the Smith-Cadbury Mansion. Visit two graveyards and the old town jail on this spooky walking tour. 7:30 p.m. More information. October 19 and 26 Candlelight Ghost Tours at Liberty Hall Museum in Union. Hear about spooky encounters as you tour the home of New Jersey's first elected governor. Tours at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. More information and reservations.  Oct 19, 20, 26 and 27 Haunted Hayrides and Haunted Village at Historic Allaire in Farmingdale. This historic community takes on a spooky air as twilight turns to night! 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. More information and reservations.  October 20 Harvest Homecoming Festival at the Frazee House in Scotch Plains. Enjoy a farm-to-table demonstration, kids' crafts, live music and more at this historic homestead and former farm. 12:00 noon to 4:30 p.m. More information.  Hearth and Home at the Union Forge Heritage Museum in Hampton. Colonial cooking demonstrations are part of the fun at this 1760 home. 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. More information.  Paranormal Evenings at the Kingsland Manor in Nutley. Meet up with fellow ghost hunters to discover whether spirits inhabit this 18th century dwelling. More information.  Fireside Chat: Tea Leaf Reading and Afternoon Tea at the Hageman House in Somerset. Enjoy a traditional tea, then have the tea leaves read by psychic Dawn Strouse. 2:00 p.m. More information and reservations.   October 20 and 21 Four Centuries in a Weekend in Union County. More than 20 Revolutionary-era sites are included in this two-day open-house of historic places, offering Crossroads stamps to holders of the Passport to Your National Parks. 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. More information.   Lighthouse Challenge - statewide. The 1764 Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Tuckerton Seaport are among more than a dozen stops on this road rally of New Jersey's nautical heritage. 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. More information.    October 21 The Annual Country Living Fair at Batsto Village in Hammonton. Soak in the beauty of the Pinelands at this annual celebration of country life. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.    Revolutionary War Day at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville. Meet General Washington, watch troops prepare for the march to Trenton, learn about Colonial ferries, find out about the Ten Crucial Days, and more! 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. More information. Lambertville Autumn House Tour in Lambertville. Take a self-guided tour of this historic Delaware River community. 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. More information.    Jonas Cattell Run and 18th Century Field Day at Red Bank Battlefield in National Park. Mark the anniversary of the Battle of Red Bank with reenactments, colonial demonstrations, food and fun! 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.  Presidential Pets at the Van Horne House in Bridgewater. Kids of all ages will discover the fun and unusual animals who've lived with our Commanders in Chief. 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.   October 22 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, in Woodbridge. Alisa Dupuy dramatizes this classic Halloween tale at a meeting of the Historical Association of Woodbridge Township. 7:00 p.m. More information.  October 25 Adult Pumpkin Carving Party at Liberty Hall Museum in Union. It's a Halloween happy hour for grownups, complete with pumpkins to decorate, plus wine, beer and snacks. 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. More information and reservations.     October 26 and 27 Haunted Lantern Walk at the Proprietary House in Perth Amboy. Spooky stories and history mix on this walk from the former Royal Governor's home to St. Peter's graveyard. 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Reservations and more information.   October 26, 27, 29 and 30 Ghost Tours at The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus. Psychic medium Craig McManus shares his perspectives on ghost hunting through the home of Revolutionary Neighbor Theodosia Prevost. 7:00 p.m. More information and reservations.     October 27 Halloween on the Hill at the Cornelius Low Mansion in Piscataway. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, magic lanterns, kids' crafts and more await in this family-friendly evening event. 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. More information.    Discover the Ford Mansion's Ghosts in Morristown. Investigator Gordon Thomas Ward shares spooky evidence from paranormal data collected at Washington's Morristown headquarters. 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. More information and reservations.    Pumpkin Patch Day at Liberty Hall in Union. Family fun includes pumpkin picking and carving, hayrides, crafts and more. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. More information and reservations.    Halloween Walking Tour of Lambertville. What goes bump in the night in this scenic Delaware River town? Find out during this daytime tour! 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. More information.    Ringwood Manor Cemetery Tour in Ringwood. Visit graves of notables including Washington's mapmaker, Robert Erskine, and learn about gravestone symbolism on this walking tour. 1:30 p.m. Registration and more information.   NJ Paranormal at the Abraham Staats House in South Bound Brook. What have ghost hunters found at this Patriot home? Find out, then seek out spirits yourself! 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Registration and more information.   October 27 and 28 Revolution along the Raritan Encampment at East Jersey Old Town Village in Piscataway. Continental and Crown Forces take over with camp life, crafts, demonstrations and a fashion show. Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. , Sun. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.  October 28 Halloween at Batsto: Haunting the Pines in Hammonton. Kids ages 12 and younger can enjoy trick-or-treating in a non-scary Halloween environment. 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. More information.    Legends of Sleepy Hollow at the Drake House Museum in Plainfield. Storyteller and reenactor Alisa Dupuy relates the classic Halloween season tale. 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.   Halloween Hocus Pocus at the Miller Cory House Museum in Westfield.  Kids from age 3 through elementary school are invited to wear their costumes to this afternoon of crafts, storytelling, facepainting, snacks and more. 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information. Mount Holly History, Pumpkins, and More bus trip from Hunterdon County Arboretum. Visit sites including the state's oldest school house and the Burlington County Prison Museum (which may be haunted!). 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. More information. The Real Music of Alexander Hamilton at Historic New Bridge Landing in River Edge. Anne and Ridley Enslow tell the story of Hamilton's life, along with period music relevant to his experiences. 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tickets and more information.

Recurring events and site tours* Tuesdays Tours of the Smith Cadbury House Museum in Moorestown. Built in the mid-18th century, this home is said to have hosted both Hessians and allies of the Patriots. 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information. Wednesdays Tea and Tour at Historic Morven in Princeton. Enjoy a cultured afternoon at the home of Declaration of Independence signer Richard Stockton and his wife, poet Annis Boudinot Stockton. 1:00 p.m. More information. Tours and Tea at the Proprietary House in Perth Amboy. Following teas and homemade desserts, discover the only Royal Governor's house still standing in the United States. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  More information. Saturday and Sunday Tours of the John Abbott II House in Hamilton. Find out how the Abbott family hid valuables and public funds from ransacking British soldiers enroute to Trenton in late 1776. 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. More information. Historic Somers Mansion Open House in Somers Point. Visit the oldest house in Atlantic County and the home of Patriot Colonel Richard Somers. 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. More information. Corn into Cornmeal at Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold. Watch as an authentic gristmill crushes dried corn into cornmeal! 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.   Sundays Tour the Proprietary House in Perth Amboy. Discover the diverse 250 year history of the nation's last remaining original Royal Governor's mansion. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.  Step back in time at the Hamilton-Van Wagoner Museum in Clifton. Tour this 18th century Dutch homestead and hear stories of a once-rural community that's existed since 1679. 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.  Open House at the Wortendyke Barn Museum in Park Ridge. A 1760 New World Dutch barn reveals Bergen County's agricultural past. 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. More information.   Historic Princeton Walking Tour from Bainbridge House in Princeton. The American Revolution made an indelible mark on this college town. Find out how in this two-mile walking tour of downtown and the campus. 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. More information.  *Please contact site to confirm dates and times before visiting. Discover Revolutionary New Jersey all year long. Watch your inbox for our eNewsletter for November events. Crossroads Heritage Partners are eligible to list events on our website. Contact Kate Brindle by email or at 609-341-3246 for details. From the Crossroads o

More Eiland Arts Events - Pop-up Dinners!

POP UP DINNER!

We are excited to announce the first date of our pop up dinner series featuring gourmet chef, Justin Lingl!

Join us for this vegetarian three course adventure for your tastebuds. This month we will celebrate the Fall and all of the tasty delicacies the season brings. Check out the menu below:

First Course:
Chestnut Soup- roasted chestnuts, cream, chestnut pesto, roasted mushrooms

Second Course:
Fall Panzanella- delicara squash, house sourdough, radicchio, pumpkin seeds, maple vinaigrette

Third Course:
Beet Cavatelli- braised cabbage, ricotta salata, brown butter

Dessert:
Espresso Pot de Créme- whipped cream, petite biscotti *served with complimentary brewed coffee or tea.

$55 per guest (includes gratuity). *Additional beverages available for purchase. 

This will be a limited, farm house style table setting, so book your reservations now and save the date. BYOB. 

For reservations, email Nicole at ni@eilandarts.com

(we will send you an invoice)

Eiland Arts Center, Merchantville, NJ

As you know if you have read my blog, I am a big fan of railroad stations.  They speak to me of romance, mystery, adventure, the lonely cry of the locomotive in the night!  And I am overjoyed when a train station is saved and put to a purpose for the community as is the case with Eiland Arts Center, located in the train station at Merchantville, just off Center Street.  

At an given time you can find at Eiland Arts Center:  music and art classes, concerts, workshops, parties, and art shows among other things.  Recently a writing component has been added to their wide programming, The Alexandria Quarterly, with a just published chap book  called What the Piper Promised, by Katherine Hawd Machon.

I dropped by yesterday, Friday, October 12th, to leave some photos of my painting in hopes of being chosen for an upcoming group how around the theme 'Illumination.'  While there I picked up a bunch of postcards advertising local events to share with you:

1.  Play With This, Toys and Collectibles, 19 West Park Ave.
pwttoys@gmail.com, 856-320-6163
2.  Spirit of Place:  a fifty year retrospective exhibition, Eyes Gallery, 402 South St., Phila., Pa. www.eyesgallery.com
3. at Eiland Arts now - Moments and Movement, artists-Liz Assolina, Diane Paul, Geoff Chalky, up till Oct. 31st
4.  Market off Centre, Locally grown and locally crafted goods
N. Centr St. & Chestnut Ave. 
5.D&V Organics members pick up a share of what we grow each week www.dandvorganics.com  Community Supported Agriculture runs Oct. 31st through Dec. 21st - 9 week of farm fresh vegetables.

Stop in at Eiland Arts for more information on this or the many other things you can learn there, and stay for a cup of coffee and enjoy the artwork!  open Mon - Sat 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.Call 856-488-0973 for info.

Happy Trails!
ps.  Wish me luck on getting in the show! And if I do I hope to see you at the opening reception on November 2nd from 7 to 9 pm.
Jo Ann

What a dog can teach you if you listen.

I wrote a few blogs about adopting my dog, Uma.  I wrote bout the Camden Co. Shelter, about the Dog House Groomers in Audubon, and about Janice Barlow, and then Steve Spence, trainers extraordinary!

Our twice a day walks, Uma's and mine, is an opportunity to meditate, to watch the seasons, to meet neighbors I haven't spoken to in decades, and to see the close-up world in a new way.  Today, it was about what she has taught me about relationships.

When I adopted Uma in June, I was in terrible emotional pain over the stroke and subsequent death of my angel of a dog, Trixie.  Tribe was a Weimaraner and Labrador mix, and she was an older dog, already trained, very quiet, and calm, and easy going.  Every day, Trixie and I would walk at Knight's Park in Collingswood which was a delight of my day.  She walked perfectly on the leash, except for her many stop and smell breaks which sometimes made me impatient, but I always told myself the park was her library, "Let her browse!"  And I felt sorry for the dogs running around next to men on bikes, or joggers, because they missed that element of their walk.  It was all exercise and no sniffing.

So, when I adopted Uma, I wanted to take her to Knight's Park, but she is a Husky Lab mix and I didn't know anything about Huskies at the time.  This dog had a different background.  She had been exploited as a breeding dog, and then abandoned.  No one adopted her because, presumably, they could see how exciteable she was, what people would call a "Handful."  And she was.  I couldn't take her to any park because she immediately became overwhelmed by the stimuli and literally drag me from spot to spot.  She had a trick she used  to break leashes and control.  She reared up on her hind legs and made a powerful dive which increased her muscle power.  She could break free and go after other dogs, or anything that caught her frantic fancy.  That was when I called in the Dog Trainers.

First Janice Barlow came on board and helped with a lot of things including 'jumping,' simple basic commands like 'leave it.' and a few other things including walking.  But, though she stopped Uma from beating me up every day, it wasn't enough after a month or so I called my vet in despair and his office recommended Steve Spence, Zen Animal Training.  Since I practice meditation, the name seemed to bode well, and two months later we are well on the way to 'good dog land."  Steve took us to the park, taught me how to put on Uma's collar without getting battered, how to get her to 'place' and walk 'loose leash.'

In the meantime, what Uma taught me was to walk in my own neighborhood.  Right from the start, she did best with a solid routine walk from our porch around a mile, down to Northmont, over to the Railroad, and back.  It is her patrol.  And so I have watched the little local gardens in full summer bloom, and the emergence of the lawn and tree fungi!  I have talked to the man who made a model windmill for his yard, the lady with the backyard chickens, the people waiting all summer for their porch to be finished, and many other neighbors.  Also, I have learned to not make Uma live Trixie's life or walk in Trixie's park, but to find her own place and to teach me what is interesting in my own backyard.

Also, Uma has taught me to sit on my own porch, which I never did  although it is a pretty little porch enclosed in shade trees and holly.  

If you open your mind and let go of some of your controls and expectations, you can be led to wonderful truths by the most unexpected guides.  

Happy Trails, Happy Tails, Happy Tales!
Jo Ann

Specca Farm - Pick Your Own Oct. 7, 2018

Today, with three friends, we took an expedition to Specca Farms to pick our own.  Perhaps I have mentioned in previous posts that I don't drink alcohol, so no wine expert, and I don't cook, so no good recipes, unfortunately.

However, the people I went with, Dorothy Stanaitis, Maryann Corsini and their friend Ellen Bernstein, all cook, and after we picked, we went to Maryann's house and she cooked the most delicious lunch.  She roasted red and white beets, and made a greens and white beans dish, with quinoa, and a lovely side of sliced peppers, onions, and green beans in a delicious kind of vinaigrette.  Sorry I don't know enough about ingredients to give a better description, but it was delicious beyond my powers of description.  This was in fact, my first experience with farm to table cooking and eating.  I am inspired. 

For myself, I bought a pumpkin, wonderful apples from orchards in Franklinville, and cherry tomatoes that I picked myself.

Who knew there was such a large population of Turkish people in South Jersey?  There is a Turkish Cultural Center, and Specca's farm had rows of specialized crops of Turkish vegetables in Turkish writing.  

One other thing I really enjoyed seeing aside from the green and lovely fields and the robust and fresh vegetables, was the large number of families with young children picking vegetables to take home and cook.  What a nice thing for families to do together.  It is my opinion that children don't get enough outdoor time these days and families don't get enough together time, so this was a lovely way to accomplish both beneficial experiences.  

It almost makes me wish I could cook, almost makes me want to learn how, but for one person, it hardly seems worth it.  

For more info, look up Specca Farm on Facebook and here is the address and phone number.

Address: 870 Jacksonville Mt Holly Rd, Bordentown, NJ 08505

Phone: (609) 267-4445

English as a Second Language

Some high school teachers have had the added experience of teaching English as a Second Language students, known in the business as ESL.  I was one.  It my was true pleasure 'back in the old days' of somewhat unregulated ESL instruction, to teach a young man from China, who still writes to me via Facebook, and three girls from Jordan, as well as half a dozen Indian and Pakistani children.  

As I mentioned in a previous post, I bought Raining Cats and Rats
at My Fair Trade Lady shop in Haddon Heights last week and I have been reading it with my morning coffee.  It is the memoir of Donna Gottardi's time as an ESL teacher in "Chinese Siberia" - a small town on the border between Northern most China and Russia.  She was teaching Chinese English teachers in the time right after English had become a mandated subject in the curriculum.

When I taught ESL, back in the 80's, none of us were trained or certified, some weren't even English teachers!  But I had taken language classes when I lived in Germany, so I had at least that experience to guide me as I developed my own curriculum.

One of the things I have enjoyed about roaming far and wide in South Jersey, has been the discovery of other writers.  At Bogart's Book Store in Millville, i met a woman who had written a novel based on the story of her family fleeing Freiburg, Germany during World War II.  Now, shopping at My Fair Trade Lady shop, I have met a writer who has written a memoir of her time in China.

Oh yes, I met a fiction writer at the Egg Harbor Historical Society too!  Along the way, it has been my honor to have met and bought the books and periodicals of many history writers as well.  One of my greatest honors was the opportunity to speak by telephone with Shirley Bailey before she passed away.  She provided an immeasurable wealth of information on Southern NJ history in her lifetime.  

Stop by My Fair Trade Lady shop and pick up one of Donna Gottardi's two wonderful books.  Her shop is located on Station Ave, next door to Local Links right near the railroad tracks.  You may find just the right exotic item for your wardrobe or your table or a gift while you are there, too!

Happy Tales!
Jo Ann

ps:  Mystery solved.  I had received a number of comments from a hotel cafe' in Frankfort, Germany.  From reading Donna's book, I learned that students of the English language meet in cafe's to practice.  I think my German commentaries may have been a club of that kind!  If they were, then I want to wish them "Gruss Gott, und Willkommen nah mean blog!"

Raining Cats and Rats & More

On my latest visit to The Fair Trade Lady hope on Station Ave. in Haddon Heights, I found out she had written a fascinating memoir of her time in China as an English as a Second Language instructor to Chinese teachers learning English.  She lived in a northern border town across the river from Siberian Russia.  

I strongly recommend that you try the breakfast burrito at Local Links and stop by afterward to browse amidst the treasures of the world gathered for your perusal at The Fair Trade Lady shop, and if, like me, you enjoy a good adventure story, buy her book - Raining Cats and Rats!  Also, you might want to stock up on gift bags.   I give all my gifts in cloth gift bags now instead of paper wrap, it is not only easier, more charming and more memorable, it is more ecological and the bag is a gift that can be used and used again.

I am always amazed at the adventures of people you meet when you take the time to have a conversation with them.  

Speaking of adventures, Donna Gottardi of The Fair Trade Lady shop reminded me that this Saturday evening is the Witches Ball in Mount Holly.  Get out your broom, your wizard cape, your witches hat and fly on over!  I wish I could but I have my 55th high school reunion that day and not enough magic to be in two places at once.

Today, my new adoptee, Uma, and I had our lesson with Steve Spence, Zen Dog Training expert.  I mentioned him in an earlier post but recently I noticed that copied and pasted posts from Visit South Jersey, seemed to have wiped out all my previous posts through some black magic of html, so I had to delete them.  You can get on the mailing list for visit South Jersey on your own and you should, but I tried to put the link on here and more mayhem ensued so try to find your way on your own - sorry!

Meanwhile, if you need help with a fractious pup, I strongly recommend Steve Spence.  He was recommended to me by my vet's office and Dr. Sheehen is a well respected, indeed, well loved local vet - another good recommendation for you if you have a pet. Steve has been working with my excitable Huskador for about a month and she is a new person.  So am I!  Today, I learned how to get her walking/training collar on without getting mauled and trampled by her explosion of excitement.  

Steve, too, has a fascinating story, and has been working with dogs and dog training since he was in his early teens.  He trains police dogs, therapy dogs, has a dog camp, and works miracles.  You can find him on Facebook where you can also find The Fair Trade Lady, and probably Local Links - that breakfast burrito - mmmmm!

Happy Trails!
Jo Ann

Supporting local businesses - Fair Trade Lady and More!

Today I met a friend for lunch at Local Links.  I had my favorite breakfast burrito - delicious!  And then we went next door to the Fair Trade Lady.

This coming weekend is my 55th High School Reunion Luncheon, and although I had a couple of outfits, I felt they were too drab,  I had a black dress, and a skirt and black shell.  I felt the right jewelry would pull the outfits together and make them more dressy and the Fair Trade Lady shop would be the best place to find that unusual and interesting necklace.  I found a gorgeous woven beaded necklace with Mexican "Day of the Dead" design that really made the black shirt an eye catcher!  And I bought a gorgeous silk scarf made of recycled Indian Sari silk  Everything was reasonably priced and the Fair Trade Lady and my friend helped me make the outfits new and exciting for my reunion and also, with the scarf and the dress I am now set up for Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

If you are looking for the perfect outfit that is different and exotic, this is the place to look!  And the prices are reasonable!  

Happy Shopping!  Make a day of it and have lunch at Local Links then you can even consider checking out The Fair Trade Lady for the perfect and unique gifts for birthday, Christmas or to decorate for Halloween!

The Fair Trade Lady, 531 Station Ave., Haddon Heights and Local Links is right next door.  If you want to call - 856-310-5239
Jo Ann