The forecast is calling for warm weather this Saturday, which will be perfect for Merchantville's town-wide yard sale AND Merchantville's annual Toy and Collectible Street Fair.
Eiland Arts in the old railroad station will be open from 7:30am - 9pm serving coffee, food, and best of all, gelatoall day!
And don't forget there is a nice rails to trails paved path right through the heart of town to stretch your legs after the gelato!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Friday, September 20, 2019
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Greenwich Fair!
It isn't often that Crossroads has events listed that are being held own inner neck of the woods, but here is one that is a favorite of mine:
September 28 and 29
Greenwich Artisans Faire and Marketplace in Greenwich. Colonial-era demonstrations, works from local artists and more on historic Ye Greate Street. Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you don't know where Greenwich is, it is as far south as you can go, down below Bridgeton, south of Shiloh and Shephardstown and Rhodestown. It is a beautiful small town with a great historical society, and the site of a tea burning during the Revolution.
I have attended this fair several times and enjoyed it very much!
Hope you do too - Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Ethnic people in early Philadelphia
Thrilled to receive in the mail today, THE PEOPLES OF PHILADELPHIA; A history of Ethnic Groups and Lower Class Life, published in 1973 by Temple Univ. It is a collection of essays derived from the papers presented at a conference on the same subject held at Temple in 1972. The editors Davis and Haller collected the essays, edited and expanded them and produced this invaluable book.
In the Introduction, the editors state that little had been written or studied on the subject previous to the conference and publication of this book and that is certainly true if you ever try to find out anything specific about, say, German immigrants in Philadelphia, or the early Swedes.
My interest was ignited by my having attended Gloria Dei, Old Swedes Church, as a child. My mother taught Sunday school there and her mother was a lifelong attender. I found this in a quick search just now:
In the Introduction, the editors state that little had been written or studied on the subject previous to the conference and publication of this book and that is certainly true if you ever try to find out anything specific about, say, German immigrants in Philadelphia, or the early Swedes.
My interest was ignited by my having attended Gloria Dei, Old Swedes Church, as a child. My mother taught Sunday school there and her mother was a lifelong attender. I found this in a quick search just now:
"A visible reminder of the colony’s original influence and lasting impact is the Gloria Dei Church, or Old Swedes’ Church, in South Philadelphia. Constructed during the last years of the seventeenth century, its religious services continued more than three hundred years later."
An essay by Mark L. Thompson
Recently, I had posted about STONE HOUSE LANE a forgotten village of farms and canals hewn from the swamps below my old neighborhood in South Philadelphia. I had lived on Warnock Street, below Johnson and a few blocks west of 10th Street. I wrote about the hucksters who came up from what we called "The Neck" with horse drawn wagons of produce for sale. Poking around on the internet had provided many unsubstantiated theories about the origins of the people in ''The Neck" including that they were originally Hessians left behind after the Revolution. They drained the swamps into canals and small farms and raised pigs, chickens, goats, and dairy cows there until they were driven off by eminent domain for the airport and other industrial usage.
My new book also discusses how there has been so little study or publication about the lives of the ordinary working class people of Philadelphia. My mother and father were both born and raised in Philadelphia. My father came from German immigrants and research on them described them as brewers, seamstresses, tailors, watchmakers, and bakers. My father worked in construction after the second World War. He was an Ironworker.
My mother's people were Irish and her grandfather had a stable and hostelry on the waterfront and delivered goods from the ships to the markets. Her mother was Episcopalian and attended Gloria Dei on the riverfront, which was then a small remnant of the early Swedish community. I was aware from early childhood of the extreme age of the church and its uniqueness to the history of the city.
Hopefully as I delve into this treasure of a book, I will find bits to share with you on my blog. Meantime, I wanted to let you know this book exists!
Happy Trails,
Jo Ann
Though I have been a happy New Jersey resident most of my adult life, I think we all carry the roots of the city of our birth with us!
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Recurring themes on this blog - family history research
As you may recall, I recently attended three EXCELLENT lectures on family history research provided by Camden County Historical Society and given by Bonnie Beth Elwell, a wonderful researcher and guide.
The lecture consisted of the resources available at CCHS, and how to use your DNA results, as well as many other useful topics. Bonnie used examples from her own vast research experience to illustrate her points.
Bonnie is President of the Genealogy Society of Salem County and they hold regular meetings filled with useful information to aid your research. Here is a notice on an upcoming meeting:
The lecture consisted of the resources available at CCHS, and how to use your DNA results, as well as many other useful topics. Bonnie used examples from her own vast research experience to illustrate her points.
Bonnie is President of the Genealogy Society of Salem County and they hold regular meetings filled with useful information to aid your research. Here is a notice on an upcoming meeting:
Greetings--
The Genealogical Society of Salem County invites you to a program entitled “Become a Probate Detective: Rejoicing in the Probate Files of Our Ancestors” presented by Dawn Carson on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the Friends Village Auditorium in Woodstown, NJ.
The probate files our ancestors have left behind not only served their immediate families and relations, but also us, the contemporary family historians. In this lecture, you’ll learn how to locate the probate files of your ancestors, examine the bounty of information they may contain, and what other documents they may lead us to in order to further our research.
Dawn Carson is a professional genealogist and has been involved in genealogical research since 2000. Her research is focused in the Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey areas. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society and the Association of Professional Genealogists. She holds a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University and is a member of ProGen 24.
This program is free and open to the public. For more info, call 609-670-0407. Hope to see you there!
The Genealogical Society of Salem County invites you to a program entitled “Become a Probate Detective: Rejoicing in the Probate Files of Our Ancestors” presented by Dawn Carson on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the Friends Village Auditorium in Woodstown, NJ.
The probate files our ancestors have left behind not only served their immediate families and relations, but also us, the contemporary family historians. In this lecture, you’ll learn how to locate the probate files of your ancestors, examine the bounty of information they may contain, and what other documents they may lead us to in order to further our research.
Dawn Carson is a professional genealogist and has been involved in genealogical research since 2000. Her research is focused in the Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey areas. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society and the Association of Professional Genealogists. She holds a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University and is a member of ProGen 24.
This program is free and open to the public. For more info, call 609-670-0407. Hope to see you there!
--Bonny Beth Elwell
VP of GSSC
Monday, September 9, 2019
Cemetery Time in Camden County
Always about this time of year, I find myself driving to Haleigh Cemetery to visit Walt Whitman's Tomb. When the leaves begin to change color, and fall cools the mornings and darkens the evenings, I drift spontaneously to Haleigh and find Whitman's tomb.
Today, our senior group was talking about the labor movement in memorial to Labor Day and I showed some photos of the grave of Peter J. Maguire in Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken. I visit his memorial monument every Labor Day and leave a wreath or flowers at the foot of his statue.
One of the most interesting essays on Camden Cemeteries was written by Hoag Levins many years ago. I had gone searching for information on the Cemetery in Collingswood alongside the railroad and the old railroad station. I came across it when I was working on one-room schools and there is one on the corner of the street across from the railroad station. Research led me to Hoag Levins essay and that led me to another essay of his on the deteriorated cemetery where many of the Newton Meeting Quakers were buried. They are also buried at the Collingswood cemetery. They are the original settlers from along Newton Creek in what is now Collingswood.
On this visit to Whitman's tomb in Haleigh Cemetery, I was astonished to find the the wrought iron gate and the door to the tomb open and an empty chair seated inside.
I went back to search for Hoag Levin's original essay and found many many more at this web site:
http://historiccamdencounty.com/index.shtml
There were so many interesting essay at this link that I hastened to post about it here on my blog. Some of the ones I had to stop and read were the one on Slave Ships on the Delaware, Camden's Most Neglected Cemetery, Camden's Oldest Cemetery, and many essays on Civil War burials.
It was shocking to me during my family history work to find the cemetery of my paternal Grandfather had also been completely abandoned. Even though I had the plot number and area number, Mount Moriah was so overgrown, it was a jungle, and the original and once beautiful office building and archway were burned and destroyed. Somehow I hadn't imagined such a thing could happen, that on one was responsible for maintaining the graves of family loved ones after time has caused original management to somehow evaporate. Fortunately the other cemeteries of family were intact and well maintained, Laurelview and New Cathedral in Philadelphia.
There has been much outrage about the vandalism and decrepitude of the Camden City cemeteries but apparently not much action.
Perhaps some legal forethought could have been applied to insure proper care of cemeteries when the original operators died out or disappeared. Most people, I assume, today, go in for cremation instead of burial. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Today, our senior group was talking about the labor movement in memorial to Labor Day and I showed some photos of the grave of Peter J. Maguire in Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken. I visit his memorial monument every Labor Day and leave a wreath or flowers at the foot of his statue.
One of the most interesting essays on Camden Cemeteries was written by Hoag Levins many years ago. I had gone searching for information on the Cemetery in Collingswood alongside the railroad and the old railroad station. I came across it when I was working on one-room schools and there is one on the corner of the street across from the railroad station. Research led me to Hoag Levins essay and that led me to another essay of his on the deteriorated cemetery where many of the Newton Meeting Quakers were buried. They are also buried at the Collingswood cemetery. They are the original settlers from along Newton Creek in what is now Collingswood.
On this visit to Whitman's tomb in Haleigh Cemetery, I was astonished to find the the wrought iron gate and the door to the tomb open and an empty chair seated inside.
I went back to search for Hoag Levin's original essay and found many many more at this web site:
http://historiccamdencounty.com/index.shtml
There were so many interesting essay at this link that I hastened to post about it here on my blog. Some of the ones I had to stop and read were the one on Slave Ships on the Delaware, Camden's Most Neglected Cemetery, Camden's Oldest Cemetery, and many essays on Civil War burials.
It was shocking to me during my family history work to find the cemetery of my paternal Grandfather had also been completely abandoned. Even though I had the plot number and area number, Mount Moriah was so overgrown, it was a jungle, and the original and once beautiful office building and archway were burned and destroyed. Somehow I hadn't imagined such a thing could happen, that on one was responsible for maintaining the graves of family loved ones after time has caused original management to somehow evaporate. Fortunately the other cemeteries of family were intact and well maintained, Laurelview and New Cathedral in Philadelphia.
There has been much outrage about the vandalism and decrepitude of the Camden City cemeteries but apparently not much action.
Perhaps some legal forethought could have been applied to insure proper care of cemeteries when the original operators died out or disappeared. Most people, I assume, today, go in for cremation instead of burial. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Anyone remember "The Neck" in South Philadelphia?
When I was a little girl, hucksters would come up the alleys and lanes of our neighborhoods selling produce from horse drawn wagons. I was fascinated by the horse that pulled the wagons.
The hucksters came from what my grandmother called "The Neck"
and later I found out it had been Stone House Lane a community of farmers who reclaimed swamp land by making canals and dykes and created small farms. They had pigs, goats, some dairy cows and chickens and horses.
Here is what I found on one google search recently:
A trip through the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin archives reveals detail on the otherwise lost neighborhood Stonehouse Lane, in deepest southeast Philly, where residents lived on the fringe of city life in semi-rural conditions into the mid-20th century. Hop in the wayback machine with Jake Blumgart:
The hucksters came from what my grandmother called "The Neck"
and later I found out it had been Stone House Lane a community of farmers who reclaimed swamp land by making canals and dykes and created small farms. They had pigs, goats, some dairy cows and chickens and horses.
Here is what I found on one google search recently:
A trip through the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin archives reveals detail on the otherwise lost neighborhood Stonehouse Lane, in deepest southeast Philly, where residents lived on the fringe of city life in semi-rural conditions into the mid-20th century. Hop in the wayback machine with Jake Blumgart:
It’s hard to imagine that South Philly was ever anything besides a great expanse of concrete and brick, with row homes stretching off to the horizon.
But the city fought its way southward through the marshes and farms that used to occupy that land. By the 20th century, the battle was largely over. The exception lay in deepest South Philly, below Oregon Avenue, where an incongruous community of farmers and squatters hung on until the 1950s.
Stonehouse Lane is one of the dozens of forgotten neighborhoods in this old city that have been bulldozed, burned, or otherwise brutalized. One origin story alleges that this particular corner of Philadelphia was formed by Hessian mercenaries who weren’t quite sure what to do when General Cornwallis surrendered.
Despite Stonehouse Lane’s murky origins, by the 20th century it seemed a clear anachronism in a modernizing, industrial city. The road that formed the spine of the community wound its way down from Oregon Avenue past Pattison Avenue to the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. It was flanked on both sides by canals. Each house featured a bridge that would allow residents to cross from the street to their front doors. There was no running water and the sewer system didn’t stretch down that far south either. The closest trolleys were a mile to the north on Oregon Avenue, and burning piles of trash on its northern border hemmed in the community. This, just six miles from City Hall.
It made me think of all the lost neighborhoods of South Philadelphia, the Jewish haberdashers and tailors, the German brewers and bakers, the Italian Market.
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Something fun to do on Sunday
Rancocas Woods Antique Show
Rancocas Woods Antique Show this Sunday,
Sept 8th 9-3 pm
Shop antiques, vintage and collectibles
Food Trucks will be there along
with a some special crafters
and live entertainment!!
Don't forget to visit all the
local shops and eateries!!
Rancocas Woods Antique Show this Sunday,
Sept 8th 9-3 pm
Shop antiques, vintage and collectibles
Food Trucks will be there along
with a some special crafters
and live entertainment!!
Don't forget to visit all the
local shops and eateries!!
So there you have it - a whole weekend of fun. Come to the Art opening at Eiland Arts (Merchantville Train Station) Friday Night at 7. The Sunflower festival posted earlier today on Saturday, and Rancocas Antique Show on Sunday!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
Up for a little mystery?
The Ritz Theatre Company Presents: The Ghosts of Ravenswood Manor
September 13 - 29 | Times Vary
Ritz Theatre Company, Haddon Township
Ritz Theatre Company, Haddon Township
This September, the Ritz Theatre Company is presenting an original production: The Ghosts of Ravenswood Manor. This brand new comedy was written by Ritz veteran Kumar Dari, and will be directed by Bruce Curless. The show previews Thursday, September 12, opens Friday September 13 and runs through Sunday September 29! Grab your tickets today!
Festival of Sunflowers! & More!
Festival of Sunflowers
September 7 & 8 | 10 AM - 7 PM
Dalton Farms, Swedesboro
Dalton Farms, Swedesboro
Join Dalton Farms for their first Sunflower Festival! They have close to 30 acres planted with 18 varieties of flowers available for the picking. This will be the first of several weekend festival dates throughout the fall. Enjoy tons of activities including paddle boats, hot air balloon rides, hayrides and so much more!
Also, tomorrow night at 7:00 is the opening for the Group Art Show at the Merchantville Railroad Station Gallery (Eiland Arts) just off Centre Street in Merchantville at the railroad (turned into a rails to trails!) I have 3 paintings in the show, the theme of which was trees and flowers, and two of my Art Club buddies (we went to college together in the 80's) have work in the show too! Hope to see you there!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
September, National Suicide Prevention Month
Interesting how signing up for a protest against the internment of immigrant children in camps in the Southwest, brought me e-mail from organizations I had never encountered before.
Today one came on suicide which is, of course, connected to gun laws. At first I thought I didn't know anyone who had ever committed suicide but I remembered a woman I knew whose son had killed himself. He was at the end of his ability to cope and everyone had grown tired of his ceaseless drama. His wife had divorced him and she was re-marrying. Mainly, his loved ones, a brother and a mother and a distant father had taken the "Pull oyourself together and move on" kind of advice. It isn't substantially different, I think, from what I might have thought and said. But, so full of despair, he couldn't do that, he went to a motel and overdosed on pills instead.
Sometimes all we need to do is listen with sympathy and empathy and not with judgement, not something I have found it particularly easy to do in the past. Anyhow I am passing on the e-mail I received today because I think it is worth thinking about - a little kindness today could save someone's life and give that person the peace and calm they need to carry on a little longer.
Today one came on suicide which is, of course, connected to gun laws. At first I thought I didn't know anyone who had ever committed suicide but I remembered a woman I knew whose son had killed himself. He was at the end of his ability to cope and everyone had grown tired of his ceaseless drama. His wife had divorced him and she was re-marrying. Mainly, his loved ones, a brother and a mother and a distant father had taken the "Pull oyourself together and move on" kind of advice. It isn't substantially different, I think, from what I might have thought and said. But, so full of despair, he couldn't do that, he went to a motel and overdosed on pills instead.
Sometimes all we need to do is listen with sympathy and empathy and not with judgement, not something I have found it particularly easy to do in the past. Anyhow I am passing on the e-mail I received today because I think it is worth thinking about - a little kindness today could save someone's life and give that person the peace and calm they need to carry on a little longer.
"Love you, miss you, and blow a kiss."
That's how my dad ended all of our phone calls. I still have the urge to dial his number and talk. I wish I could. But nine years ago, he took his own life with a gun.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. My story, and the story of so many others like my dad, are far too common. Claiming the lives of over 22,000 Americans every year, including over 1,000 children and teens, firearm suicide is a significant public health crisis in the US. Nearly two-thirds of all gun deaths in the US are suicides, resulting in an average of 61 deaths a day. It's by far the most lethal method of self-harm; less than 5 percent of suicide attempts using methods other than a gun result in death.
September is a month to remember people like my dad, and to resolve to do what we can to save the lives of others. We can share their stories so they are never forgotten. We can pass stronger gun safety laws that limit access to people in crisis. We can make sure that our loved ones receive the care they need.
My dad was the ultimate caregiver of our family, neighbors and friends. Life has forever changed without him. Now, I end my phone calls with my two sons the same way he did with me: "Love you, miss you, and blow a kiss."
Thank you for helping to spread awareness of firearm suicide this month. And thank you for everything, Dad.
Together, I know that we can end this crisis and save lives.
Together we care,
Debbie Weir
National Senior Managing Director, Organizing and Engagement
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
National Senior Managing Director, Organizing and Engagement
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
P.S. – If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741 for free, confidential support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Music Event
48th Annual Delaware Valley
Bluegrass Festival
August 30 - September 1 | All Day
Salem County Fair Grounds
Salem County Fair Grounds
The Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music continue into their 48th year presenting and promoting traditional American folk music with the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival. Attend jam class, clogging class, or just relax and enjoy the sounds of main stage!
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Colonial Crafts Classes at James & Ann Whitall House September & October 2019-2020
Phone 856-307-6456 for information and registration for Colonial Craft Classes at the James & Ann Whitall House, Red Bank Battlefield, National Park, NJ.
Classes will be held on Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 12:00.
October 26 - Dried Gourd Painting
November 16 - Tole Painting
December 14 - Fabric Holiday Candy Ornaments
January 18 - Locker Hooking
February 15-Tin Punch
March 16-Mosaics
HEARTH COOKING $30, Six Persons per class limit, 12 to 4 pm
January 18 & 25, and February 15, 22. Participants will prepare and eat a full Colonial Meal. All four classes are the same, it is not a series.
I have a mailing address to send the registration forms but you will need to get the forms by calling the phone number listed and ask them to mail you one or let you know where you can pick one up. Mine came via e-mail.
G> C> Certified Gardeners
1200 North Delsea Drive, Bldg.E
Clayton, NJ 08312
Personally, they look like things I would like to try - ALL of them! And at $15 a class, you can't beat it! You know what all the experts say about protecting your brain from dementia and Alzheimers, "Always be learning something new!"
Happy Trails!
Also - don't forget the Re-enactment of the Battle of Red Bank with takes place in October, usually around the 22nd so check the web-site or Facebook for correct date - what a great day trip that is! You can pack a lunch, eat in one of the lovely picnic shelters overlooking the magnificent Delaware River, enjoy the re-enactment of one of the Revolutionary Wars most important South Jersey Battles that took place on land and river!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Classes will be held on Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 12:00.
October 26 - Dried Gourd Painting
November 16 - Tole Painting
December 14 - Fabric Holiday Candy Ornaments
January 18 - Locker Hooking
February 15-Tin Punch
March 16-Mosaics
HEARTH COOKING $30, Six Persons per class limit, 12 to 4 pm
January 18 & 25, and February 15, 22. Participants will prepare and eat a full Colonial Meal. All four classes are the same, it is not a series.
I have a mailing address to send the registration forms but you will need to get the forms by calling the phone number listed and ask them to mail you one or let you know where you can pick one up. Mine came via e-mail.
G> C> Certified Gardeners
1200 North Delsea Drive, Bldg.E
Clayton, NJ 08312
Personally, they look like things I would like to try - ALL of them! And at $15 a class, you can't beat it! You know what all the experts say about protecting your brain from dementia and Alzheimers, "Always be learning something new!"
Happy Trails!
Also - don't forget the Re-enactment of the Battle of Red Bank with takes place in October, usually around the 22nd so check the web-site or Facebook for correct date - what a great day trip that is! You can pack a lunch, eat in one of the lovely picnic shelters overlooking the magnificent Delaware River, enjoy the re-enactment of one of the Revolutionary Wars most important South Jersey Battles that took place on land and river!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Today - Rancocas Arts and Crafts FAIR Saturday, August 24th, 2019
Today, an old high school friend of mine with whom I renewed an acquaintance through our Merchantville High School Reunion Group, are driving out to Rancocas Woods for the Arts and Crafts Fair and Open House!
Honestly, I can't imagine a more perfect day for it. Have you ever noticed how the next season (in this case Autumn) is often preceded by a few days of weather inviting you to anticipate! I am always so tired of summer by the end of August, that the two days of cool we are enjoying have been like heaven to me. I walk my dog every day and I have felt like a melting block of cheese after our walks in the 90 degree heat. Yesterday it was 70 and it was wonderful.
Rancocas Woods has been one of my favorite places to visit since early youth. My first boyfriend, when I was 16 and he was 17, had a car. He was an automobile aficionado and collector of foreign sports cars, so we spent a lot of time on Admiral Wilson Bvd. which in the 1960's was one car lot after another. And we spent a lot of dates driving places, which I LOVED!
We drove to Rancocas Woods often. We liked the little log cabins, especially me. Since childhood and Lincoln Logs, I have always been a big fan of log houses and the ones at Rancocas Woods are CHARMING! Also, over the many years, coffee shops and little luncheonettes have risen and disappeared like mushrooms, so we would drive there have a cup of coffee or a lunch and drive home.
I continued the day tour during my daughter's childhood as soon as I had a car. All the shops by then were closed and it was kind of sad looking there, although our first trip was winter and the log cabins looked wonderful in the snow.
Now, Rancocas Woods, along Creek Road is flourishing with many shops of antiques, furniture, gifts, crafts, and a small luncheon place as well as a coffee corner in an antique shop, so if you are looking for a fun place to visit, try Rancocas Woods. I can't tell you what it will be like on Arts and Crafts Fair Day because I have never gone on a Fair day before, so I anticipate parking may be difficult. I hope not. But I will let you know.
If you are looking for interesting birthday or Christmas gifts, you can't go wrong at Rancocas Woods, Creek Rd shopping strip. Hope you find your way there if not today, some time soon. You will make it a regular day trip destination once you enjoy it.
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
Honestly, I can't imagine a more perfect day for it. Have you ever noticed how the next season (in this case Autumn) is often preceded by a few days of weather inviting you to anticipate! I am always so tired of summer by the end of August, that the two days of cool we are enjoying have been like heaven to me. I walk my dog every day and I have felt like a melting block of cheese after our walks in the 90 degree heat. Yesterday it was 70 and it was wonderful.
Rancocas Woods has been one of my favorite places to visit since early youth. My first boyfriend, when I was 16 and he was 17, had a car. He was an automobile aficionado and collector of foreign sports cars, so we spent a lot of time on Admiral Wilson Bvd. which in the 1960's was one car lot after another. And we spent a lot of dates driving places, which I LOVED!
We drove to Rancocas Woods often. We liked the little log cabins, especially me. Since childhood and Lincoln Logs, I have always been a big fan of log houses and the ones at Rancocas Woods are CHARMING! Also, over the many years, coffee shops and little luncheonettes have risen and disappeared like mushrooms, so we would drive there have a cup of coffee or a lunch and drive home.
I continued the day tour during my daughter's childhood as soon as I had a car. All the shops by then were closed and it was kind of sad looking there, although our first trip was winter and the log cabins looked wonderful in the snow.
Now, Rancocas Woods, along Creek Road is flourishing with many shops of antiques, furniture, gifts, crafts, and a small luncheon place as well as a coffee corner in an antique shop, so if you are looking for a fun place to visit, try Rancocas Woods. I can't tell you what it will be like on Arts and Crafts Fair Day because I have never gone on a Fair day before, so I anticipate parking may be difficult. I hope not. But I will let you know.
If you are looking for interesting birthday or Christmas gifts, you can't go wrong at Rancocas Woods, Creek Rd shopping strip. Hope you find your way there if not today, some time soon. You will make it a regular day trip destination once you enjoy it.
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
Friday, August 23, 2019
A lovely way to spend a day - Rancocas Woods EVENT
RANCOCAS WOODS CRAFT CO-OP
10th Annual
Fall Open House
August 24th 9-5
10th Annual
Fall Open House
August 24th 9-5
We're ready for Fall...
And loaded up with fall goodies!
Enter into a drawing to win a $50 Co-Op
Gift Certificate!!
Don't forget the outdoor craft show!
Amazing vendors, live music,
Beer Garden & yummy food!
show hrs 10-4
And loaded up with fall goodies!
Enter into a drawing to win a $50 Co-Op
Gift Certificate!!
Don't forget the outdoor craft show!
Amazing vendors, live music,
Beer Garden & yummy food!
show hrs 10-4
***next Rancocas Woods Antique Show***
Food Truck event with live music...
Sept 8th 9-3pm
Food Truck event with live music...
Sept 8th 9-3pm
Monday, August 19, 2019
Of Skulls and Skeletons - Am. Rev. Roundtable Event
Sunday, Sept. 8, 2 pm
Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences
1st Floor Community Room
307 High St., Mt. Holly, NJ
**Please Note: $5 admission for nonmembers**
Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences
1st Floor Community Room
307 High St., Mt. Holly, NJ
**Please Note: $5 admission for nonmembers**
Robert A. Selig is a historical consultant who received his Ph.D. in
history from the Universität Würzburg in Germany in 1988. He serves as
project historian to the National Park Service for the Washington-
Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Project. He has
also served and continues to serve as Project Historian for the American
Battlefield Protection Program since 1997. His articles have appeared in
William and Mary Quarterly, Eighteenth-Century Studies, American
Heritage, Naval History, and Military History Quarterly.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Hate Speech unacceptable in New Jersey
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Am. Rev. Round Table of South Jersey Event
"Of Skulls and Skeletons," will be presented by Robert A. Selig at the Lyceum on Sunday, September 8, at 2 pm. Bob is a historical consultant with a PhD in history from the Universität Würzburg in Germany and has served as project l for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (WR3) since 1997. He will be in town for a couple of days in September, and was able to make time in his schedule to talk to us. Join us for what promises to be an interesting talk on an unusual topic. For more info see the flyer below.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Eiland Arts
I have three paintings on display in the group show at the Merchantville Railroad Station Cafe and Art Center. It is a beautiful show on the theme of trees and flowers. Stop by and enjoy the art and have a cuppa!
Crossroads of the Revolution Events calendar for the rest of the summer
In case you are not on the mailing list, here are the events listed! I am especially happy to see White Hill on the list as it was just in the process of being saved and cleaned up by a friend of mine (Loretta) who led the struggle to conserve and open the house when I first toured the beautiful Revolutionary era house.
By the way, three of my friends have been instrumental in the saving and opening of historic houses and they are worthy of mention, remembering, and honoring: Chris Borget with a group of devoted Alice Paul fans saved her family homestead in Mount Laurel and turned it into the Alice Paul Institute. Loretta saw and studied White Hill for a conservation degree she was working to achieve and it became a long life's work for her to save it, clean it out, and set up a touring schedule. Barbara Solem worked tirelessly to open up Atsion Mansion to the public and organized a group of volunteers to do tours there. Just ordinary people can do extraordinary things in the history world!
By the way, three of my friends have been instrumental in the saving and opening of historic houses and they are worthy of mention, remembering, and honoring: Chris Borget with a group of devoted Alice Paul fans saved her family homestead in Mount Laurel and turned it into the Alice Paul Institute. Loretta saw and studied White Hill for a conservation degree she was working to achieve and it became a long life's work for her to save it, clean it out, and set up a touring schedule. Barbara Solem worked tirelessly to open up Atsion Mansion to the public and organized a group of volunteers to do tours there. Just ordinary people can do extraordinary things in the history world!
August 18
Ice Cream Day at the Whitall House in National Park. Learn the history of ice cream and sample cold treats from the 18th century as you tour Red Bank Battlefield's Whitall House. 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
The Village Inn House Tour in Englishtown. Visit the tavern that hosted a conference of Continental Army leaders on the eve of the Battle of Monmouth. 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. More information.
Tour the 1760 Joseph Turner House in Hampton. Discover the story of the Union Forge and how it provided ammunition to the Continental Army during the Revolution. 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
Tour the 1761 Brearley House in Lawrenceville. Enjoy more than 40 acres of parkland plus a tour of this 18th century gem. 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
August 16
Tour White Hill Mansion in Fieldsboro. Learn about the namesake family of Fieldsboro and tour their 300 year old mansion. 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. More information.
August 20
Tea Rooms & Taverns Lecture in Woodbridge. Learn about the development of tearooms, taverns, hotels, restaurants and other social establishments in Woodbridge and New Jersey from historian Judith Krall-Russo. 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. More information.
August 25
DAR Van Bunschooten Museum Tour in Wantage. Tour the historic home of Rev. Elias Van Bunschooten and other buildings. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
Revolutionary Intelligence Gathering at Dey Mansion in Wayne. Learn about the secret war of New Jersey and more about revolutionary espionage from historian Todd Braisted. 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. More information.
August 29
William Livingston Day at Liberty Hall in Union. Celebrate the 243rd anniversary of New Jersey's first elected governor with fun and games on his estate. 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
Twilight Walking Tours at Historic Morven in Princeton. See the home of Richard and Annis Stockton in a new light on this combination architectural, historical, and garden twilight tour. 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Reservations and more information.
September 1
Walking Tour of the Battle of Monmouth at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan. Take a walking tour and learn first-hand about the longest battle of the Revolution. 1:30 p.m. More information.
Walking Tour of Lambertville. Start at the Marshall House to walk your way through the history of this charming Delaware River town. 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. More information.
Tour the 1760 Joseph Turner House in Hampton. Discover the story of the Union Forge and how it provided ammunition to the Continental Army during the Revolution. 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
September 1 and 2
Historical Fun and Games at Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold. From tangrams to trap ball, enjoy a fun-filled day of activities and games for all ages. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
September 7
Comparing Country Houses: George III's America and George V's England at Wallace House and the Old Dutch Parsonage in Somerville. Explore the similarities and difference between these 18th century New Jersey homes and British estates. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Reservations and more information.
September 8
Open House at the Garretson Forge & Farm in Fair Lawn. Visit this nearly 300-year old farmstead for a look into one family's agricultural life. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
Watson House guided tours in Hamilton. Visit the oldest house in Mercer County and take a look into the life of the Quaker Issac Watson, who came from England in 1684. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
DAR Van Bunschooten Museum Tour in Wantage. Tour the historic home of Rev. Elias Van Bunschooten and other buildings. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
September 14
Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair in Manalapan. Join us at Monmouth Battlefield State Park and experience over 300 years of New Jersey history! Exhibitors sharing artifacts and history will be present with fun for all ages. 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. More information.
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Recurring events and site tours*
Every Tuesday
Tour Buccleuch Mansion in New Brunswick. Visit the 18th century mansion representing Colonial, Victorian, and Federal design styles and furnishings, plus 18th century children's toys. 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. More information.
Wednesday - Sunday
Historical Craft and Trade Interpreters at East Jersey Old Town Village in Piscataway. Discover and learn of Revolutionary War-era trades in 14 historic Raritan Valley buildings. 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Open until 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays in August) More information.
Every Friday
Tour Morven's Reimagined Historic Gardens in Princeton. Enjoy a 45-minute tour of what's in bloom. Garden guides will share how the house and gardens evolved under each family that resided at Morven, starting with Annis Boudinot Stockton, based upon writings and journals. 11:00 a.m. Online registration and more information.
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Monday, August 12, 2019
Was there something you always wanted to do? Eiland ARTS!
Was there something you always wanted to do and never got around to because you were working and parenting, and furthering your education?
I always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. I had fantasies of playing (a guitar a piano a ukulele a drum) an instrument of some kind and singing along. Never mind that I can't sing, have no range, and can't remember any songs. It was a fantasy right?
Nonetheless a few years ago on Mother's Day, my daughter bought me a ukulele and I started taking lessons in Collingswood at the music shop just off Haddon Ave next to the bakery. My teacher's name was Scott and he was a young jazz musician and a very good teacher. After a year, however, I ran into financial difficulties due to car repairs and other household repairs and had to cut back. The lessons were $30 each or $120 a month. I gave up the lessons, Wawa, and for a time, I gave up getting my hair done. It saved a lot of money. Still, I kept thinking how good I would have been by now if I had kept on playing.
It is the same thing people think who had piano when they were young and gave it up as they entered their teens.
I never dreamed of being coming really good my modest fantasy was to be able to noodle around and play simple songs, folk songs. When I stopped my lessons, I was learning a Woody Guthrie song "All they will call you is deportees" about flying the migrants home to Mexico after they pick the crops in the US.
Well, right now, at Eiland Arts in Merchantville (the old railway station that is now a coffee shop and Art Center) I am taking ukulele lessons again. They ran a summer one month accelerated music course. You pay one flat fee ($200) and you get two lessons a week for a month. That's a discount over the regular less fee which is $30 a lesson. And I am really enjoying playing again, though my naturally vagrant memory has forced me to go back to the very beginning on my own practice time. That way I have a hope of keeping up with my new teacher, Matt, though he is the kind, patient and relaxed type of teacher that is necessary for someone as nervous as I am.
Zen Mind Beginners Mind, is a way of looking at things. When you are taking up something totally new and outside your usual experience, you are not good at it unless you had a hidden gift that you are discovering. Generally, if it is woodworking, stained glass, music, painting, any kind of craft or art practice, or for that matter a sport; you start out rather clumsy and slow. It takes time and practice and experience to become good at anything. So I am a clumsy, slow, and humble learner on the ukulele!
But, I am good at painting and have three paintings on display at the Gallery at Eiland Arts right now. The opening is Sept. 6, I think, but the show is up and running and I had a chance to see it. It is a beautiful show full of diversity in the approach of the artists to the theme which was trees and flowers.
Go grab some brunch or lunch and coffee and enjoy the show and if you too always wanted to learn to play an instrument, guitar, ukulele, piano, whatever, sign up at Eiland Arts and make your dream come true!
The Railroad Station in Merchantville is right off Centre Street, make a right into the parking lot and drive to the lot on the east side of the station. On Saturdays they have a fun farmers market there too and live music at Eiland Arts. It is a dream come true! You can enjoy a nice meal, shop, and listen to music in the shade of the trees that line the rails to trails that is where the railroad once ran.
Happy trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com'
ps. Get on the mailing list, they have pop up dinners, and all kinds of art programs there too!
I always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. I had fantasies of playing (a guitar a piano a ukulele a drum) an instrument of some kind and singing along. Never mind that I can't sing, have no range, and can't remember any songs. It was a fantasy right?
Nonetheless a few years ago on Mother's Day, my daughter bought me a ukulele and I started taking lessons in Collingswood at the music shop just off Haddon Ave next to the bakery. My teacher's name was Scott and he was a young jazz musician and a very good teacher. After a year, however, I ran into financial difficulties due to car repairs and other household repairs and had to cut back. The lessons were $30 each or $120 a month. I gave up the lessons, Wawa, and for a time, I gave up getting my hair done. It saved a lot of money. Still, I kept thinking how good I would have been by now if I had kept on playing.
It is the same thing people think who had piano when they were young and gave it up as they entered their teens.
I never dreamed of being coming really good my modest fantasy was to be able to noodle around and play simple songs, folk songs. When I stopped my lessons, I was learning a Woody Guthrie song "All they will call you is deportees" about flying the migrants home to Mexico after they pick the crops in the US.
Well, right now, at Eiland Arts in Merchantville (the old railway station that is now a coffee shop and Art Center) I am taking ukulele lessons again. They ran a summer one month accelerated music course. You pay one flat fee ($200) and you get two lessons a week for a month. That's a discount over the regular less fee which is $30 a lesson. And I am really enjoying playing again, though my naturally vagrant memory has forced me to go back to the very beginning on my own practice time. That way I have a hope of keeping up with my new teacher, Matt, though he is the kind, patient and relaxed type of teacher that is necessary for someone as nervous as I am.
Zen Mind Beginners Mind, is a way of looking at things. When you are taking up something totally new and outside your usual experience, you are not good at it unless you had a hidden gift that you are discovering. Generally, if it is woodworking, stained glass, music, painting, any kind of craft or art practice, or for that matter a sport; you start out rather clumsy and slow. It takes time and practice and experience to become good at anything. So I am a clumsy, slow, and humble learner on the ukulele!
But, I am good at painting and have three paintings on display at the Gallery at Eiland Arts right now. The opening is Sept. 6, I think, but the show is up and running and I had a chance to see it. It is a beautiful show full of diversity in the approach of the artists to the theme which was trees and flowers.
Go grab some brunch or lunch and coffee and enjoy the show and if you too always wanted to learn to play an instrument, guitar, ukulele, piano, whatever, sign up at Eiland Arts and make your dream come true!
The Railroad Station in Merchantville is right off Centre Street, make a right into the parking lot and drive to the lot on the east side of the station. On Saturdays they have a fun farmers market there too and live music at Eiland Arts. It is a dream come true! You can enjoy a nice meal, shop, and listen to music in the shade of the trees that line the rails to trails that is where the railroad once ran.
Happy trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com'
ps. Get on the mailing list, they have pop up dinners, and all kinds of art programs there too!
Thursday, August 8, 2019
United Nations Scientists Major Report on State of Planet and MORE
"CNN reporter Isabelle Gerretsen reported on the United Nations Scientis Major Report released Thursday: Change food production and stop abusing land - Humans have damaged around a quarter of ice free land on earth, scientists warned, stressing that further digression must be stopped to prevent catastrophic global warming. The warning comes a year after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded in a landmark report that we only have until 2030 to drasticaly reduce our dependance on fossil fuels and prevent the planet from reaching the crucial threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
I read this when I turned on my phone this morning and it made me think how important my talk was with the Chef and Owner of Colonial Diner in Woodbury on Wednesday. A group of my friends who are vegan and vegetarian have been meeting there because they have a large and delicious array of vegan choices on their menu. On Wednesday, we met the chef and praised his recipes and his dishes. He told us he had become a vegan 6 months ago and it has changed his life. He feels so much better and healthier and has lost a lot of weight.
Animal agriculture is one of the main factors in global warming. Also this week I read an article about an outbreak in the midwest of antibiotic resistant salmonella from picnics featuring pig roasts. The animals had been raised in unhealthy conditions (needless to see inhumane as well) and were so sick the farmers pumped them full of antibiotics for pneumonia and other diseases, creating a new strain of salmonella that is resistant to antibiotics.
It seems the general public is so stupid and ignorant as well as lacking in compassion that they will have to sicken and lose their homes before they realized that bloated gas guzzling vehicles and meat based diets are bad for us and for the planet.
When I see the state of the people in my supermarket, I am appalled. And their carts are filled with sugary sodas (another report connects sugar laced drinks with early onset dementia) and fattening unhealthy foods. Along side that, they are eating at fast food places. They drag their bulging bodies through the store blindly buying salt and sugar filled and nutrition deficient foods to eat at home and feed their children. It makes me sad.
We have had revolutions before and we will again and the chef at the Colonial Diner gave me hope!
Happy Trails,
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
I read this when I turned on my phone this morning and it made me think how important my talk was with the Chef and Owner of Colonial Diner in Woodbury on Wednesday. A group of my friends who are vegan and vegetarian have been meeting there because they have a large and delicious array of vegan choices on their menu. On Wednesday, we met the chef and praised his recipes and his dishes. He told us he had become a vegan 6 months ago and it has changed his life. He feels so much better and healthier and has lost a lot of weight.
Animal agriculture is one of the main factors in global warming. Also this week I read an article about an outbreak in the midwest of antibiotic resistant salmonella from picnics featuring pig roasts. The animals had been raised in unhealthy conditions (needless to see inhumane as well) and were so sick the farmers pumped them full of antibiotics for pneumonia and other diseases, creating a new strain of salmonella that is resistant to antibiotics.
It seems the general public is so stupid and ignorant as well as lacking in compassion that they will have to sicken and lose their homes before they realized that bloated gas guzzling vehicles and meat based diets are bad for us and for the planet.
When I see the state of the people in my supermarket, I am appalled. And their carts are filled with sugary sodas (another report connects sugar laced drinks with early onset dementia) and fattening unhealthy foods. Along side that, they are eating at fast food places. They drag their bulging bodies through the store blindly buying salt and sugar filled and nutrition deficient foods to eat at home and feed their children. It makes me sad.
We have had revolutions before and we will again and the chef at the Colonial Diner gave me hope!
Happy Trails,
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Monday, August 5, 2019
Vegetarian News
Autumn Picnic Potluck
September 7, 2 pm
Smithwoods, part of Historic Smithville Park
Eastampton, NJ
contact Maryellen@vssj.com 609-744-8328
September 7, 2 pm
Smithwoods, part of Historic Smithville Park
Eastampton, NJ
contact Maryellen@vssj.com 609-744-8328
It is spreading - the news that vegetarian living is healthier for us and for the planet. Get on board! I have been a vegetarian for about 40 years and I can vouch for the delicious lifestyle and health benefits!
Happy Trails,
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
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