New Wilmington

From where I used to live, New Wilmington was about 45 minutes to an hour away by car. How did I ever find this town, you say? Well, a long time ago I went to square dances. Someone there mentioned they lived in New Wilmington. I never heard of it so I got out the map and away I went. I figured if someone from New Wilmington was coming this far to go square dancing, then I could go for a visit. There are not too many things in the town, except the college makes it productive.

The town was very quaint. There was a single street with shops lining both sides. I used to get an ice cream cone or a drink and find a bench to sit at. I liked watching people walk by. Mostly it was college kids with their brains too wrapped around something to even notice anyone watching them. Westminster College is the university in the town. Once in a while an Amish person would walk by. The women dressed one way. The men dressed another way. The clothes were the same but the people were different.

There was a Five and Dime on the main street. It was cool to go in there. It reminded me of the stores I went in when I was a child. Everything was neatly arranged in wooden cases or glass cases. There was everything in the store you could imagine.

Down the road a bit, there was a store called the Cheese Haus. Yep. Full of cheese. Some other things, but a long long case of cheeses. Some were made by the Amish. Some were commercially bought cheeses. There was old fashioned candy in a display. You got butter in a whacked off chunk because it was homemade. I used to buy a pound of cheddar port wine spread, a box of crackers and some coconut watermelon slices or coconut neapolitan bars. Yum! Most of the cheese never made it home. A half box of crackers got lost. The watermelon slices would disappear. And I'd be happy in my tummy the whole way home. For me, it was better than fast food.

I love reminiscing like this. Those were some really good times for relaxing.

Take care.

Rainy Days and Reading

More rain. Lots of rain. What more can I say on this subject? Hubby said he went to the strawberry patch and felt like he was in a rice paddy because there was so much water between the rows. He brought back about a quart of really large berries. They are about quarter-sized and bigger. Yes. Bigger! The second round grows above the ground on raised stems. There is no rotting and no slugs eating them. Yay! They are really really nice looking strawberries.

I just finished reading a book called 'Alaska' by Tracie Peterson. It is Christian fiction. I enjoyed it very much. It was 4 short stories spanning a family's life in Alaska from late 1800's to sometime close to the present. It was pretty good. I'll be reading more from her.

Now, I'm reading a book from Leslie Gould called 'Courting Cate'. I call it a 'calgon' novel. It takes me away... Anyhow, it's Christian fiction about Amish families. This author writes a little differently than the rest I've read. I like her style. I've been reading a whole slew of these Amish novels because they remind me of where I grew up. I used to take long rides to New Wilmington, PA on my days off. It was a college town in an Amish community. It was interesting to ride the countryside and watch the Amish play and do chores. Of course, it's not polite to stop and gawk, so I viewed on the fly. There were also communities all around where I lived. Another was in Enon Valley. Now, when we go for a visit to my stepson's place in DuBois, there is an Amish community there, too.

I also checked out 3 novels by Suzanne Woods Fisher. A few more Amish novels in her Stoney Ridge Seasons series. Actually they're books 1, 2 and 3. I've never read anything by her, but I think I will be. Her story lines are a bit different from the others.

I hope you have something you enjoy that would be your 'calgon'.

Take care.

Books to Read

I don't know about you, but I enjoy reading books. All kinds of books. I have such diversified interests that Hubby just rolls his eyes when I come home from the library. Usually I check out self-help books which will help me understand our health problems better. However, my all time favorites are Christian novels...namely novels about Amish people and their lives. Of course, this is according to the author and is structured to give a fantasy view of daily Amish life. Take me away! I love living in these fantasy places where there are problems but they are always solved by the Grace of God. Nice! Being a believer in God, I like these types of novels.

My recent reading is the Pleasant Valley series by Marta Perry. I just read Leah's Choice. Now I have the next two novels on hold at the library...Rachel's Garden and Anna's Return. The fourth one is Sarah's Gift and I have that right now, but there is so much going on between 1 and 4 that I can't bring myself to read ahead. LOL!

Well, I hope you have a nice and pleasant day!

Take care.