Buc ks County
Winter 2024 CONTENTS
g Santa’s Photo Shop
When Christmas is coming, photographer Candy Hoehn turns her four room studio into a winter wonderland where children and their families have an hour-long session with Santa / By Bob Waite
g Cottage On Byecroft Farm 80 g Christmas Takes A Village
Stephen and Nancy Bye were given the opportunity to build a home on land that has been held in his family since 1699 when Thomas Bye purchased the land as part of a William Penn land grant / By Beth S. Buxbaum
Peddler’s Village becomes a special place when Santa comes to the village to pull a switch for the Grand Illumination—a dazzling colorful light show that lasts throughout the season / By Chrysa Smith
Financial planning is more complicated today than ever before, which is why you need someone to advise you on how to plan for your family’s financial future and help manage your wealth / By Bill Waite
With the current advances in medicine and a greater awareness of fitness and nutrition, people are living decades longer than in previous generations On The
Our Artist-in-Residence Jennifer Hansen Rolli’s Bucks County Farm with a decorated Christmas tree shows us the simple beauty of Christmas in the Bucks County.
46 g Art Galley / By Michele
Malinchak
Painter Kathie Jankauskas is a civil engineer, self-proclaimed math-geek and website designer, yet she paints with loose brushstrokes and vivid colors, saying, “I just love bright colors”
50 g People / By Cynthia
Marone
Suzanne Crawford used to work in a high stress information environment and took respites walking in the woods, and now she brings live wood inside to make her beautiful creations
53 g In the Garden / By Lori Rose
Seedlings harvested before they mature, microgreens, have stronger and fresher flavors than when they are full-grown and are a healthy and delicious way to get vegetables into your diet
92 g County Fare / By Diana
Cercone
At her shop, The Forager, Dana Pezza prides herself in carrying handcrafted, artisanal cheeses from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Vermont, California, Wisconsin and Italy
118 g Getaway / By Bob & TanyaWaite
Tanya and I were awed by the imposing 26-foot of Neptune that overlooked he boardwalk, delighted by the view from our balcony and fell in love with Virginia Beach’s orange sand and deep blue water
Publisher
William N. Waite
Executive Editor Bob Waite
Art Direction
BCM MEDIA CO., INC.
President
Vicky M. Waite
Administration Melissa Kutalek
Calendar Editor
Melissa Kutalek
Marketing Assistant Bobby Waite
Cover Artist
Jennifer Hansen Rolli
Contributing Writers
Beth Buxbaum, Diana Cercone, Michele Malinchak, Cynthia Marone Frank Quattrone, Chrysa Smith, Vicky Waite, Bob Waite
Circulation
BCM MEDIA Co., INC.
Contributing Photographers
Randl Bye, Stacey Simcik, Bobby Waite, Paul Wesley
Account Executives
Rich Baldwin, Frank Boyd, Jess Graves, Ann Ferro Murray, James Padilla, Bobby Waite
Bucks County Magazine, (ISSN 2164-9847), 309 W. Armstrong Drive, Fountainville, PA 18923, phone 215-766-2694 • Fax 215-7668197. www.buckscountymag.com. Published quarterly by BCM Media Company Inc., Fountainville, PA. All contents copyright by BCM Media Company DBA/Bucks County Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Published quarterly. Four-issue subscription for U.S. is $18.95, in Canada $35.00, U.S. dollars only. Standard postage paid at Lancaster, PA. Single-copy price is $5.95 plus $3.00 postage and handling.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bucks County Magazine, PO BOX 36, Morrisville, PA 19067. This magazine welcomes, but cannot be responsible for, manuscripts and photos unless accompanied by a stamped, selfaddressed return envelope.
Signature
•JOSEPH BARRETT
IBy Bob Waite
think the villagers are going to come after me with torches and rocks in their hands. And if that doesn’t happen, they at least think I have rocks in my head. Yet, I can’t help it. I more than like winter—I love it. I get all kind of objections to this preference. “I like to be outside.” Or, “I hate snow.” These are reasonable objections, but I still love winter. Especially as snow brightens up the dreary leafless trees and grayish brown fields. It thrills me when I hear the high-pitched voices of children as they make snow angels and glide swiftly down snow-covered hills. And I love the way snow slows down the world and allows us to think great thoughts— thoughts away from the urgency of work and school.
But for sure, what I like most about winter is Christmas. I love what it is celebrating and love the fact that everything is lit up and decorated. In our towns large trees are lit in the presence of a gathering of people who live there and those who visit and join in on the fun. And almost always present is that tubby but jolly elf wearing his signature red suit and a big white beard. Well, he not only comes to town but he also comes to Bucks County Magazine In our feature, “Santa’s Photo Shop,” we take you into the studio at SugaShoc Photography where photographer Candy Hoehn works magic with her camera, taking very personalized photos of children with Santa (Santa Claus Fred). These sessions last an hour and the kids get to play with Santa, receive gifts, and of course, make their requests known.
To focus even more on that most wonderful time of the year, we have a feature by Chrysa Smith, “Christmas Takes a Village. We are not talking about any village, but rather Bucks County’s own Peddler’s Village, where there is an astounding light show that costs nothing. Not only that there are events from gingerbread house contests to the Grand Illumination, when Santa pulls a switch and all the lights come on.
Our featured house for the Winter 2024/2025 issue of Bucks County Magazine is the home of Steven and Nancy Bye on Byecroft Farm. Steven’s cousin Randl Bye photographed Steven’s colorfully decorated home on the one day we had an accumulation of snow last winter. “Cottage on Byecroft Farm” is written by Beth S. Buxbaum, who not only describes this beautiful house, but also delves into a history that dates back to William Penn’s Land Grant.
In the Winter 2024/25 issue of Bucks County magazine you will meet a master pasta maker, a woodworker who discovered that she had enough of the corporate world and wanted to do something creative. In our Getaway department, Tanya and I go to Virginia Beach. We have a Guide to Senior Lifestyles, a Guide to Financial planning, a couple of great restaurants to read about, and much more about the people, places and events that take place in our beautiful county and surrounding areas. We at Bucks County Magazine wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
12/31/24
… since 1971, Ski Barn has been outfitting New Jersey with the largest selection of premium ski & snowboard gear, apparel & accessories. Come in or visit our website and see how many gifts you can knock off your list! We offer gift cards and extended holiday hours. Ski Barn, 2990 Brunswick Pike, Route 1, Lawrencevile, NJ. 609-530-3900’; www.skibarn.com.
Sampler
…Bergin's Chocolates has been making gourmet quality candies since 1935. Known for their butter cream, they also offer a wide variety of other chocolates. Located at 2634 Morris Rd, Lansdale, PA. 215-699-3420; www.berginschocolate.com.
at Henning’s Trains we are celebrating 85 Years of serving the model railroader. Celebrate with us by picking up one of our Limited Edition anniversary O Gauge Boxcars. See a wide variety of new and used trains and accessories in their store at 128 South Line Street, Lansdale, PA; 215-362-2442; www.henningstrains.com.
…”Snowy Night on the Ulrich Farm’ is a favorite limited-edition giclée print by Jane Ramsey. Available in a custom frame at Simons Fine Art Framing & Gallery in Dublin, PA; www. simonsfineartframing.com.
cozy up to the bar with family and friends. We offer a wide variety of custom and pre-made bars, something for every home. Royal Billiard and Recreation is located at 515 Bethlehem Pike, Colmar PA; 215-997-7777; www.royalbilliard.com.
curated artisan jewelry collections, hand crafted in precious mixed metals…perfect for spreading Sparke and joy! Visit Accents On The Rocks, 4064 Skippack Pike, Skippack, PA. 610-615-5901;www.accentontherocks.com.
fencing offers a unique mix of mental and physical exercise, combining strategy and agility for a full-body workout that’s anything but boring. Improve coordination, boost reflexes, and enjoy a fun, engaging sport that challenges the mind! For more information contact Bucks County Adademy of Fencing, 287 South Maing Street, New Hope, PA; 215-862-6112; visit www.bcaf.com.
THE ROOSTER & CARROT
Walking into Chef Kelly Unger’s cooking class at her Carversville cooking studio, The Rooster & The Carrot, is like being on the set of a Food Network show.The kitchen sparkles and the place settings are set and ingredients are carefully laid out at each station. This could be one of the themed dinners, for example, it could be one from Chef Kelly’s “Eat Like an Artist” series. If it is, then the menu is developed around locations where the artist had lived, the foods from the region and yes, even his artwork. In an intimate workspace, Kelly will tell you about the artist’s life.
Chef Kelly is a champion of whole, fresh and farm-to-table food. With a background that includes going to the prestigious Johnson & Wales Culinary Program, she also worked in Florida for three Disney restaurants. She honed her culinary skills there, but something more was calling her. Returning to Bucks County, she finished a business degree, started nursing school, and began teaching at a friend’s year-round farmer’s market. She says, “The owner asked me to do cooking classes at his place. I jumped in and fell in love.”
Soon, after the business where she developed a desire to teach closed, she opened her own. She says, “But my kids still needed me, and my husband traveled. So, we moved and bought a property with a barn where I could teach and still be present for the kids.” On the property sits an 1854 farmhouse, built as the headmaster’s house for the nearby Excelsior Normal School.The land became known as The Parsonage—and is now home to Kelly, her family and The Rooster & The Carrot. The name combines Kelly’s signature carrot with her friend’s (for whom she had been teaching) rooster insignia.
ronment within our local communities. After a while the foodshed alliance acquired the Doylestown Farmer’s Market putting Kelly in charge of this beloved Doylestown institution.
Kelly describes her environment as offering her guests a chef’s farm-to-table experience based on personally developed recipes and food from local markets. Now she sits on the board of the Foodshed Alliance—a non-profit organization based out of New Hope, all about sustainable farming/food and the envi-
The Rooster & Carrot is thriving and it is wise to enroll in the classes as soon as they are announced because they fill up fast.The Rooster & The Carrot is located at 4230 Wismer Road, Doylestown, PA. For more information, contact Kelly on her website at www.theroosterandthecarrot.com, where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
ARTISTRY AND FUNCTIONALITY
Conte Design & Millwork is a testament to passion and craftsmanship, founded by husband-and-wife team Jamie and Michelle Conte. Together, they share a vision of bringing high-quality art into people’s homes, combining beauty with functionality in every piece. Jamie discovered his love for woodworking at eight years old, and since then, he has dedicated himself to creating furniture that encourages people to live with nature and art comfortably within their spaces. Jamie wants people to feel that they can
have beautiful, high-quality pieces that are both practical and beautiful, blending form with function. At Conte we specialize in creating unique, sculptural pieces—from furniture and lighting fixtures to custom-built installations—designed to beautifully complement your home while offering practical functionality tailored to your needs.
Michelle, who holds a Master’s degree from Thomas Jefferson University, keeps the business thriving behind the scenes. As the other half, she is the voice of Conte, connecting with clients, managing marketing, and ensuring each project runs smoothly. Her dedication to client interaction ensures they feel included and valued, bringing their visions to life alongside Jamie’s designs.
Conte Design & Millwork (contemillwork.com) is built on a foundation of personal connection, quality craftsmanship, and a deep care for the people they serve. Jamie and Michelle believe in creating pieces that not only enhance living spaces but also reconnect people with the natural world in their daily lives. By blending artistry with functionality, they invite clients to embrace the warmth of nature and experience the comfort of beautifully crafted furniture. For them, each project is more than furniture—it’s a way to bring a touch of nature’s peace into the heart of the home.
Conte Design & Millwork is located at 2756 Route 737, Kempton, PA. Phone Jamie at 484-697-9694; email Michelle at mtconte.des ign@gmail.com or visit www.contemillwork.com.
THE TINIEST MOUSE
The Ballerina Peach, Georgia Birenbaum, is a kindergartener at Doyle Elementary by day and Ballet Prodigy by night! At just 5 years old, when many children are still taking an afternoon nap, Georgia Peach leaves kindergarten to attend dance classes four days a week is spending her weekends in the ballet studio rehearsing for The Nutcracker She is debuting as “The Tiniest Mouse” and will be opening and closing The American Repertory Ballet’s The Nutcracker this season. She is the youngest ever in American Repertory Ballet's, The Nutcracker.
The Peach was born a ballerina. According to her parents, Darby and Bradley Birenbaum, she never crawled but began walking at 8 months old. Her parents do not have a dance background, but after watching her perform original numbers with stacking cups on her feet, her parents decided to buy her a tutu and enroll her in ballet for her first birthday. At 16 months-old her dance teacher marveled at her cashew feet, a term used to describe the perfect ballet foot.
The Ballerina Peach is in her second year of attending weekly
ballet classes at both The School of American Ballet in NYC and Princeton Ballet School in NJ. On top of her TriState training schedule, she is taking both contemporary and lyrical at Debra Sparks Dance Works in Newtown.
When Georgia was asked, “Why she likes to dance?” She simply said, “Because it's in my heart!”
Her performance Dates at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ are November 29 at 7 p.m. and December 1 at 1 p.m. She performs at the State Theatre located at 15 Livingston Avenue New Brunswick, NJ on December 22. For more information, visit www.arballet.org/event/nut.
CA CHEERY HELLO
onsignments By Nona is located in the beautiful historic Harrow Inn. Built in 1740 the Inn was originally a stage coach stop between Philadelphia and NY. Business owner Andrea Perkins opened the shop in December 2023, after a 15-year career at Lehigh Valley Health Care.Andrea chose the name because of her grandson Nolan who is the love of her life. Barbara Anderson, manager was hired in May 2024, and came with many years’ experience. Barb and Nona have become a dynamic duo and will welcome anyone with a warm smile and cheery hello.
This little gem of a shop offers antiques, furnishings, jewelry, clothing, candles, and many one-of-a-kind gifts. Nona's supports many local artists, including metal works which is all done by recycled materials.Wood carvings which are one-of-a-kind and done by chainsaw, by another local artist.
The shop also offers small venues for any occasion. Spaces are available to rent for vendor's, please inquire within.
Come out and visit this beautiful unique shop located at 8340 Easton Rd. Ottsville, PA, in the historic Harrow Inn. For inquires, call 484-948-5602.
CAPE MAY CHRISTMAS HOUSE
Come to Cape May, N.J. and enjoy the crisp night air and strolling carolers as you walk through the historic district and are welcomed inside historic homes, churches, museums, and inns to see beautifully decorated interiors. Don’t miss this highlight of the holiday season in Cape May, the Christmas Candlelight House Tours, presented by Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture).
A large selection of historic properties open their doors and welcome visitors to share the warmth and hospitality of the season during
these popular, self-guided, walking tours. Strolling musicians entertain throughout the area on these nights.The three Christmas Candlelight House Tours of the 2024 season are Saturdays, Dec. 7, 14 and 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Christmas Candlelight House Tours include admission to Cape May’s authentically decorated Victorian house museum, the Emlen Physick Estate at 1048 Washington St., and the exhibit “An Old-Fashioned Christmas: Holiday Traditions through the Years” in the Carroll Gallery in the Carriage House located on the grounds of the Physick Estate. The exhibit’s main attraction is a display featuring a Dept. 56 Dickens Village, model trains and vintage Christmas memorabilia, all beneath the boughs of a giant Christmas tree.While there, letters to Santa can be deposited for mailing to the North Pole. Admission to the Christmas Candlelight House Tour is $45 for adults and $30 for children (ages 3 to 12). A list of participating properties is available at capemaymac.org.The tour is limited; it is strongly recommended that tickets be purchased online by visiting capemaymac.org or reserved in advance by calling 609-884-5404. Tickets should be picked up early after purchase at the Emlen Physick Estate. Any remaining tickets on the day of the tour may be purchased at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth,Washington and Ocean Streets. Properties on the tour are subject to change. Updates can be found at www.capemaymac.org.
HOLIDAY MOVING SALE
Michaels Jewelers is moving it’s new Yardley location at Prickett Preserve ( Wegman’s shopping center) in early 2025.To make the move easier they are having their biggest store wide sale ever starting mid November until the first week in January with up to 70% off store wide (some exclusions apply).
Michaels Jewelrs is very excited to move their store to Prickett Preserve. They are doubling the size of our store which will allow us to move their repair shop to the new location. They will also have a separate bridal boutique to offer the largest selection of engagement rings in the area. Michaels will also continue to offer the most extensive selection of unique fine jewelry. Visit jewelrybymj.com.
Join a cast of nationally-acclaimed Celtic performers as they take you on a magical journey through Scotland and Ireland this holiday season when Bucks County Playhouse presents “Seán Heely’s Celtic Christmas” at Villa Victoria Academy in Ewing, NJ.The one-nightonly event will be held on Thursday, December 18 at 8:00 pm. The concert is part of the Playhouse’s Community Arts Series.
The core group features U.S National Scottish Fiddle champion and Gaelic singer Seán Heely. He is joined by acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and all-Ireland singing champion Kevin Elam, bouzouki and bass player Beth Patterson, acclaimed percussionist Lucas Ashby, piper Jesse Ofgang, champion fiddler Colin McGlynn and percussive dancer Agi Kovacs. The band performs Scots Gaelic (Gàidhlig) songs, ballads, sea shanties, pub songs and more from the rich Celtic folk tradition.
Bucks County Playhouse recently launched a Community Arts Series — where the Playhouse will bring arts programming into performance venues throughout the region. Seán Heely’s Celtic Christmas concert will be presented at Villa Victoria Academy, 376 W. Upper Ferry
Road, Ewing Township, NJ on December 18, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets start at $58 and are on sale now at www.buckscountyplay house.org or by contacting the box office at 215-862-2121. Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more.
COULD YOUR HOME BE THE NEXT DESIGNER HOUSE
For almost 50 years, the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown (VIA) has sponsored the Bucks County Designer House & Gardens, an annual fundraising event benefiting the Doylestown Health Foundation and other community initiatives supported by the VIA.
VIA is looking for their 2025 Designer House, planned for next spring. The ideal property contains a generously sized main house, outbuildings such as barns, garages and stables and acreage with space for outdoor landscaped areas, event tents, and parking. The area’s premiere interior designers and landscapers work from late February through April to completely transform the property, using top-ofthe-line materials.
VIA works closely to support the homeowner, respecting any wishes for items that should remain as is, e.g., stained woodwork—and we ensure approval for any permanent improvement other than paint. Though not all of the homes have been for sale, the event is a good opportunity to showcase a home that is currently listed.
The Designer House is then open for tours during the month of May. The VIA markets the event in central Bucks County as well as nearby counties in PA, NJ, MD and DE using a variety of media.
The thousands of visitors offer wonderful advertising as well and being chosen as the Bucks County Designer House & Gardens sets your property apart from others in the area. So, if you feel your house is the right one or you have some questions, please contact Monica Mosley, Chair, 49th Bucks County Designer House & Gardens at 215.262.5040 or mmosley@via-doylestown.org.
JULY AND EVERYTHING AFTER
The book, July and Everything After, written by Bucks County author Allie Nava, story of resilience amid unspeakable oppression and dehumanization during overlooked period in human history. Drawing upon ancient wisdom, it’s a pow erful story of survival and healing. Conveyed through eloquent prose, the novel's mes sages of hope, resilience, and transformation mark Allie Nava's debut as a standout contemporary fiction.
On the eve of Maya's 22nd birthday, civil war breaks out in Sri Lanka. During what will become known as “Black July,” Maya is targeted and attacked in the organ ized massacres and pogroms against minorities, and she barely escapes the genocidal chaos.
Haunted by the horrors she witnessed, Maya returns to the US and tries to rally a diverse group of allies to help expose the atrocities in her birth country, among them her Norwegian-American best friend, a magnanimous Catholic nun, and a gifted young man from her past.
Bent on justice, Maya isn’t prepared for the unexpected twists and turns, and confrontations with a nemesis that will test her resolve. As the war and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka intensify, so does Maya’s disillusionment, but contact with a mysterious mentor whose wisdom she once ignored holds the key to her future.
Fans of Paolo Coelho, Amy Tan,Vaddey Ratner, and Khaled Hosseini will be captivated by July and Everything After, a modern tale of resilience and transformation against extraordinary odds is available for purchase through Ingram and Amazon.
Participating in St. Luke’s University Health Network’s community health research program, DNA Answers, is quick, easy, and at no cost to you. You’ll learn about your genetic risk for certain cancers and heart disease, for which actions may be taken to help prevent, delay, or reduce symptoms. You may share your results with any healthcare provider at any facility for consultation or care. These insights can help you and your healthcare provider make more informed and proactive care decisions for you and your family. Health insurance is not required to participate.
If you participate, you also have the opportunity to learn about your ancestry
Your voluntary participation supports research that could lead to new discoveries for improving healthcare for your community and generations to come
ODDITIES AND CURIOSITY SHOP
Esoterica, a new oddities and curiosities shop, is bringing the weird and unusual back to New Hope, just in time for Halloween! Esoterica specializes in dinosaur fossils, real framed butterflies, meteorite jewelry, ethical taxidermy, and other natural history collectibles. Items on display and for sale include giant megalodon shark teeth, dust from Martian soil, 400+ million year old fossils, and an entire peacock.
As the brainchild of two New Hope locals, Esoterica aims to build
up a local community of enthusiasts of any age who are interested in natural history and curious about the world.The shop will also be hosting family-friendly educational classes and workshops on natural history topics.
Look for the Tyrranosaurus in the window! Esoterica is located at 128 S Main St, New Hope, PA. For more information visit, www.esotericatheshop.com.
MARK SFIRRI: THE FLOWER SHOW
Turned wooden flowers, initially made for his son’s wedding, have preoccupied artist Mark Sfirri for more than two years. This exhibition brings springtime into the Michener Art Museum’s galleries with exuberant botanical sculptures made of different exotic woods. Sfirri’s flowers dance on twisting brass stems and emerge in lively arrangements from custom-carved and turned bases, demonstrating the artist’s skill and creativity in woodturning.
Mark Sfirri received his BFA and MFA in furniture design at Rhode Island School of Design. His specialty is multi-axis spindle turning, an area that he has been exploring since the early 1990s. He has lectured and demonstrated his techniques throughout North America, Europe,Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. His work is included in the permanent collections of twenty-eight public institutions, including the Michener Art Museum.
Sfirri is professor emeritus at Bucks County Community College where he ran the Fine Woodworking Program from 1981 to 2017. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Educator Award from the Renwick Alliance (2010), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Collectors of Wood Art (2012), and the Professional Outreach Program’s Merit Award from the American Association of Woodturners (2024).
Mark Sfirri: The Flower Show will be exhibited from in the Pfundt Gallery from December 14, 2024 to May 4, 2025 at the Michener Art Museum. The Michener Art Museum is located at 138 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, PA. For more information, visit www.michenerartmuseum.org.
Winter 2024 CALENDAR
ANTIQUES
Golden Nugget Antique and Flea Market
Ongoing: The Golden Nugget offers authentic antiques, collectibles, art, and interesting items. Over 60 indoor shops and 200 outside dealers. Free parking. Open Wed., Sat, and Sun. 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1850 River Road, Lambertville, NJ. 609397-0811; www.gnflea.com.
Rago Arts and Auctions
Ongoing: Monday Walk-In Valuations
December 3: Space Toys featuring Star Wars and the Collection of Jane & Jack Pillar
December 10: Icons&Heroes:Comics, TCG,Sports & Video Games
333 North Main Street, Lambertville, NJ. 609-397-9377; www.ragoarts.com.
Allentown Fairgrounds
November 24: Super Gigantic Garage Sale
December 7-8 Antique & Modern Arms Show
December 18-22: Star of Bethlehem Dog Show
302 North 17th Street, Allentown, PA. 610-433-7541; www.allentownfair.com.
Stephenson’s Auctioneers & Appraisers
Ongoing: Stephenson's Auction holds a general auction of residential contents, antiques, and col-lectibles every Friday evening at 4:00 pm in our comfortable, 5,000-square-foot, climate-controlled gallery. 1005 Industrial Boulevard, Southampton, PA. 215-322-6182; www.stephensonsauction.com.
ART
Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio
Ongoing: A full-service fine art investment firm specializing in 19th- and 20th-century
Civic Theatre of Allentown
What to do in Bucks County and surronding areas!
American paintings. There is an emphasis on the Pennsylvania Impressionists, the Philadelphia Ten, and artists from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Fine art framing services, as well as conservation services, also are provided. 5230 Silo Hill Road, Doylestown, PA. 215-348-2500; www.gratzgallery.com.
The Barnes Foundation
Ongoing: The Barnes Collection
Ongoing: Education & Empowerment: Scholarship Recipients at the Barnes Foundation
Through January 12: Mickalene Thomas: All About Love
March 9-May 25: Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 215-278-7000. www.barnesfoundation.org.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Ongoing: Informal Moments: Portraits from Photography’s First Decade
Ongoing: Collecting Japanese Art in Philadelphia
Through January 5: Rodin’s Hands
Through February 9: The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure
Through May 2025 Firing the Imagination: Japanese Influence on French Ceramics, 1860-1910
Through June 2025: Mythical Creatures: China and the World
2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA. 215-763-8100; www.philamuseum.org.
New Hope Art Colony
Through December 31; Morgan Colt Rediscovered. Saturdays and Sundays 1 - 4 pm or by appointment.
2584 River Road, New Hope, PA. www.newhopecolony.org.
Woodmere Art Museum
Ongoing: Expressionism in Bronze: The Sculpture of Viorel Farcas
Ongoing: La Cresta: A Land-Sculpting
Washington Crossing Reenactment
Installation by Syd Carpenter and Steve Donegan
Ongoing: Just In: Recent Acquisitions
Through January: Barbara Bullock: Fearless Vision
Through May: Strange Narratives-Resilient Bodies
9201 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. 215-247-0476
Banana Factory Arts Center
Through January 1: A Window into Motherhood
Through January 1: Compendium: Self, a Juried Exhibition
Through January 1: BananaRama Juried Exhibition
25 West Third Street, Bethlehem, PA. 610-332-1300; www.bananafactory.org.
Brandywine River Museum of Art
Through January 5: Brandywine Railroad Through January 19: The Crafted World of Wharton Esherick
February 8-May 11: Robert Frank and Todd
Turn Your House Into Your Dream Home
Webb: Across America, 1955
1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford, PA. 610-388-2700; www.brandywine.org.
Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery
Through December28: Annual Small Works Show
It is a good opportunity if you are looking for a special new piece of art by a local artist foryourself, or as a gift.
1093 General Greene Road, Washington Crossing, PA. 215-493-3660; www.canalframe.com.
Artists’ Gallery
Through December 1: Chromatic Wanderings featuring Carol Sanzalone and Andrew Werth
December 5-January 5: Gallery Group Show 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, NJ. 609-397-4588; www.lambertvillearts.com.
Covered Bridge Artisans 29th
Annual Studio Tour
November 24-26: Visit 22 artists in 8 studios and Sandy Ridge Church. www.coveredbridgeartisans.com ; 609-397-1535.
The Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art
November 23- January 12: Joseph Barrett Buckingham Green Shopping Center, 4920 York Road (Route 202), Holicong, PA. 215794-4300; www.silvermangallery.com.
Patricia Hutton Galleries
November 29-February 23: Our annual Winter Exhibition featuring twenty award winning artists painting seasonal landscape and still life in oil, watercolor and pastel. The show will be on view through February 23. 47 West State Street, Doylestown, PA. 215348-1728; www.patriciahuttongalleries.com.
Artists of Yardley (AOY)
December 1-7: Small Works Show 949 Mirror Lake, Yardley, PA. 215-4931205; www.aoyarts.org
Jame A. Michener Art Museum
December 7: Holiday Gift Shop
December 13-14: Town and Country Holiday Show
December 14-May 4: Mark Sfirri:The Flower Show
Through March 9: Charlotte Schatz: Industrial Strength
138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, PA. 215-340-9800; www.michenerartmuseum.org.
Wayne Art Center
December 7- January 25: Wayne Art Center presents the 28th International
November 16 - December 31, 2024
Supported by:
Michelle Pedersen
Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft, in the following mediums: basketry, ceramics, fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art, and wood.
413 Maplewood Avenue, Wayne, PA. 610-688-3553; www.wayneart.org.
Lachman Gallery 70th Annual Show
Through December 14: Now celebrating 70 years of fine art by Bucks County Artist, AL Lachman.
Peddlers Village, Street Road, Lahaska PA; www.allachman.com
Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley
Ongoing: Ai Weiwei: Golden Age
Through July 2025: New Conversations: Renaissance & Baroque Art at the Allentown Art Museum
Through April 2025: New Realities: The Lens of Abelardo Morell
Through February 9: Interventions: Video Works by Allora and Calzadilla
Through February 9: American Galleries Fall 2024
31 North Fifth Street, Allentown, PA. 610432-4333; www.allentownartmuseum.org.
CRAFTS
Byers’ Choice Ltd.
December 14-15: A Christmas Carol with Gerald Dickens
Through December 18: Design Your Own Mrs. Claus
Through December 31: Byers’ Choice Christmas Experience 4355 County Line Road, Chalfont, PA, 215-822-6700; www.byerschoice.com.
Christkindlmarkt
Through December 22: This noted Lehigh Valley holiday market offers aisles of handmade works from around the globe. Visitors also can enjoy live Christmas music, food, craft demonstrations, and St. Nicholas. PNC Plaza, SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. 610-332-1300; www.artsquest.org.
Pearl S Buck Holiday Craft Show
November 29-December 8: The Holiday Craft Show has been a Bucks County tradition for almost three decades. Enjoy a unique shopping experience at this highend craft show which offers jury-selected gifts, decorations, food, jewelry, apparel, and more from professional crafters, artists, and chefs. The Holiday Craft Show is the perfect place to find an array of amazing holiday gifts for
your family and friends. 520 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA. 215-2490100; www.psbi.org.
Kringle Christmas Shoppe
December 6-8: Plan on attending this annual holiday event by the Haycock Historical Society. There will be work by over 50 locally renowned juried contributors, books by local authors, fine art, sculpture, jewelry, sweet treats, and much more. Admission is free. Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Haycock Community Center, 1014 Old Bethlehem Road, Quakertown, PA. www.haycockhistoricalsociety.org.
The Pen Ryn School Annual Craft Fair
December 6: Over 65 juried crafters with quality handmade crafts. There also will be a bake sale, raffles, book fair, and Christmas wreaths. The Pen Ryn School, 235 South Olds Boulevard, Fair-less Hills, PA. 215547-1800; www.penryn.org.
Secret Santa Craft Show
December 14: No matter what holiday you celebrate, it is the season of giving. Shop till you drop at our holiday craft show at the Community Center. Come on out to support local artisans and find unique gifts for
the holidays. There will also be fresh delicious food available to purchase from food vendors including the popular food truck Crepes of America.
913 Willow Street Southampton, PA; www.ustwprec.com.
ENTERTAINMENT
Town and Country Players
December 13-15:Holiday Show 4158 York Road, Buckingham, PA. 215-348-7566; www.townandcountryplayers.org.
The Actors’ NET of Bucks County
December 6-22: Georgiana and Kitty
January -February 16: Dangerous Corner by J.B. Priestley
March 14-30: Now and Then by Sean Grennan
The Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville, PA. 215-2953694; www.actorsnetbucks.org.
State Theatre Center for the Arts
December 5: Mannheim Steamroller
Christmas
December 6: The Nutcracker
December 7: Straight No Chaser: Top Shelf Tour
December 20: Christmas in the Air
December 22: The Wizards of Winter
January 11: Frank Smith Photography
Workshop
January 17: The Sleeping Beauty-A Timeless Masterpiece of Love and Beauty
February 15: Andrew Dice Clay
February 22: Little River Band 453 Northampton Street, Easton, PA. 800-999-7828; www.statetheatre.org.
Bucks County Symphony Orchestra
December 8: Family Concert (Central Bucks High School West)
February 16: Winter Concert (Central Bucks High School West) 215-348-7321; www.buckscountysymphony.org.
Roxey Ballet
November 30-December 8: The Nutcracker
December 10,11,18: Library Performance and Storytimes 609-397-7616; www.roxeyballet.org.
New Hope Winery
November 30: Jesse Garron-A Tribute to Elivs
December 5: Ted Vigil, A John Denver
Christmas
December 7-8: EagleMania_-The World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute Band
December 12-14: Raul Malo
December 20-21: Beginnings-A Celebration of the Music of Chicago
December 26: Classic Stones Live
December 28: Jeffery Gaines
December 29: Stephen Kellogg 6123 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA. 215-794-2331; www.newhopewinery.com.
McCarter Theatre Center
November 29-December 1: American Repertory Ballet Presents the Nutcracker
December 10-29: A Christmas Carol
December 16: The Brandenburg Concertos
January 30: Sun Ra Arkestra
February 4: The Crossing
February 21: Czech National Symphony Orchestra
91 University Place, Princeton, NJ. 609258-2787; www.mccarter.org.
Bucks County Playhouse
December 18: Celtic Christmas
Through January 5: Anastasia
70 South Main Street, New Hope, PA. 215862-2121; www.bcptheater.org.
Pennsylvania Ballet
December 6-29: The Nutcracker
The Academy of Music, 240 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA. 215-893-1999. www.philadelphiaballet.org
Allentown Symphony Orchestra
December 7-8: The Nutcracker
December 13: The Anderson Brothers Play
Irving Berlin
December 13-14: Lehigh Valley Chorale
Presents Where Hope Is Found
December 15: Puccini’s Tosca
December 21: Holiday Pops
January 17: Hot Club of Philadelphia
January 25: Nothin' But The Blues - Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday, and more Miller Symphony Hall, 23 North Sixth Street, Allentown, PA. 610-432-6715; www.millersymphonyhall.org.
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem
December 7: Christmas Concert. 8 p.m. (First Presbyterian Church, Allentown)
December 8: Christmas Concert. 4 p.m.
(First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem) 440 Heckewelder Place, Bethlehem, PA. 610-866-4382; www.bach.org.
Sellersville Theater
November 30: Beatlemania Now
December 1: Christmas with The Duprees
December 1: Morgan James
December 5: Chris Knight
December 6: Beer Tasting: Holiday Brews
December 8: Christmas with Chris Ruggiero
December 9: Wishbone Ash
December 11: The Empty Pockets
December 13: Kiss the Sky: World’s Greatest Tribute to Jimmy Hendrix
December 18: Criag Thatcher & Friends “Rocking Holiday Show”
December 21: Christmas with the Rat Pack
December 22: Quinn Sullivan
December 23: It’s a Wonderful Life the Movie
December 29: Todd Oliver & Irving the Talking Dog
December 30: Live Wire
December 31: New Year’s Eve: AM Radio
January 2: Popa Chubby 24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, PA. 215-257-5808; www.st94.com.
Civic Theatre of Allentown
November 27: Prima Facie on Screen
December 6-24: A Christmas Carol
December 13-22: Vixen’s Holiday Speakeasy
December 22: Rockin Holiday Show with Craig Thatcher & Friends 527 N 19th Street, Allentown PA. 610-433-8903; www.civictheatre.com
Bristol Riverside Theatre
February 4-15: Fires in the Mirror
March 25-April 27: In the Heights 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA. 215-785-0100; www.brtstage.org.
EVENTS
Peddler’s Village
November 30: Dueling Pianos & Desserts
December 7-8: Holly Jolly Weekend
December 15;21: Brunch with Santa at Cock n Bull Restaurant
Through December 21: Photos with Santa Through January 19: Gingerbread House Competition and Display Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, PA. 215-7944000; www.peddlersvillage.com.
Christmas in Doylestown
December 6-7: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Doylestown, is proud to present their annual Christmas in Doylestown House Tour re-imagined” as a FREE walking/driving tour of exterior holiday decorations. Borough residents are decorating the exterior of their own houses and maps of partici-pating houses will be available on the church website by Dec. 1st. www.StPaulsDoylestown.org
Mount Hope Estate & Winery
Nov. 29-30 & Dec. 1, 7-8 & 14-15: Yuletide Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire 2775 Lebanon Road, Manheim, PA. 717665-7021; www.parenfaire.com
Quakertown Alive
November 24: Christmas Tree Lighting Festival
December 4: Holiday House Tours Quakertown, PA. 215-536-2273; www.quakertownalive.com.
Perkasie Borough
December 7: Holiday Tree Lighting Families can expect a traditional evening out, with Holiday music, food and fun. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will arrive on a Perkasie Electric Truck to light the Christmas tree at 7pm and one lucky child will be chosen to climb on the stage to help Santa light the tree; bring a non-perishable food item for Pennridge FISH to enter the drawing. www. perkasieborough.org
Bucks County Wine Trail
November 23-24: Holiday Celebration
For participating wineries in Bucks County, visit www.buckscountywinetrail.com.
American Consumer Shows
January 3-5: Greater Philadelphia Spring Home Show (King of Prussia, PA)
January 4-5: Bucks & Montgomery County Spring Home show (Philadelphia PA) 888-433-3976; www.acsshows.com.
Philly Home + Garden Show
February 21-23: Visit this annual show for decorating and remodeling ideas, learn more about companies, and stroll through gardens by area landscapers. Admission. Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks, PA. https://phillyhomeandgarden.com.
FAMILY
Bucks County Children’s Museum
Ongoing: A fun, interactive, and educational environment for children, parents, and schools, with exhibits that reflect Bucks County’s history and culture. Exhibits include Town Square, Factory Works, Artifact Dig, Covered Bridges, Tree House, and Hot Air Balloon Ride. Activities are planned year round. 500 Union Square, New Hope, PA. 215-693-1290; www.buckskids.org.
The Crayola Experience
Ongoing: This fun and colorful children’s attraction features interactive Crayola exhibits. 30 Centre Square, Easton, PA. 610-515-8000; www.crayolaexperience.com.
Da Vinci Science Center
Ongoing: This Lehigh Valley science center promotes creativity, curiosity, and imagination with exhibits designed to encourage science and math learning. 3145 Hamilton
GEMMI KEEPS YOU (& FIDO) HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Celebrating over 25 years of award-winning craftsmanship in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. GemmiConstruction.com 215-340-4600
Boulevard, Allentown, PA. 484-664-1002; www.davincisciencecenter.org.
Giggleberry Fair
Ongoing: Climb Giggleberry Mountain, learn at Giggles Discovers, visit The Game Room, and take a ride on the antique Grand Carousel at Giggleberry Fair. Peddler’s Village, Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, PA. 215-794-4000; www.peddlersvillage.com.
Northlandz
Ongoing: Visit the home of the Great American Railway, doll museum, and art gallery. Up to 100 trains travel over 8 miles of track, 40-foot bridges span huge canyons, and
cities and villages feature thousands of buildings. Admission. 495 U.S. 202, Flemington, NJ. 908-782-4022; www.northlandz.com.
Please Touch Museum
Ongoing: Visit the Children’s Museum of Philadelphia, where the key word is play. Families can enjoy over a dozen themed exhibits, theater, art, music, special programs, the carousel, and sto-rytime and character appearances. Admission. 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA. 215-5813181; www.pleasetouchmuseum.org.
The Franklin Institute
Ongoing: Wondrous Space
Ongoing: Mazes & Brain Games
Ongoing: Daily Live Science Demonstrations
Ongoing: Fels Planetarium
222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA. 215-448-1200; www2.fi.edu.
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Ongoing: Outside In
Ongoing: Member Mornings Through February 17: Heirloom Plants: Ancestral Seeds in Philadelphia Through May: Ice Dinosaurs Through August: The Ecology of Fashion 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA. 215-299-1000; www.ansp.org.
Shady Brook Farm
Through January: Holiday Light Show 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, PA. 215-9681670; www.shadybrookfarm.com.
Lehigh Valley Zoo
December: Winter Light Spectacular
December: Photos with Santa 5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, PA. 610-799-4171; www.lvzoo.org.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad
Through December 31: North Pole Express
& Santa’s Steam Spectacular
32 West Bridge Street, New Hope, PA. 215862-2332; www.newhoperailroad.com.
Sesame Place
Through December 31: A Very Furry Christmas
100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, PA. 215-702-ELMO; www.sesameplace.com.
Linvilla Orchards
Ongoing: Farm Market and Garden Center
November to December: Cut Your Own Christmas Tree 137 West Knowlton Road, Media, PA. 610876-7116; www.linvilla.com.
Black River & Western Railroad
Through December 29: Santa Express Through December 29: North Pole Express Liberty Village, Flemington, NJ. 908-7826622; www.blackriverrailroad.com.
PEEPSFEST
December 30-31: This interactive two-day family event highlights PEEPS. The festival culminates December 31 at 5:15 p.m. with the dropping of the 200-pound PEEPS chick to welcome in the new year. SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. 610-332-1300. www.artsquest.org
Charlann Farms
November 30: Holiday Kick Off Party
December 1,3,9,10,16,17: Photos with Santa 586 Stony Hill Road, Yardley PA; www.charlannfarms.com/
Tree Trails Trevose
Ongoing: Tree Trails Adventures
November 29: Gobble, Gobble Turkey Time
March 14-16: Join us for Opening Weekend – For Lucky Fun &Camp
301 West Bristol Road Suite A. Trevose; PAwww.treetrails.com
GARDENS
The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
Ongoing: Morning Walks
Through December: Holiday Garden Railway Nights
Admission. 100 East Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. 215-247-5777. www.morrisarboretum.org.
Longwood Gardens
Ongoing: Open: Air Theater Fountain Shows
December 7: Handcrafted Copper Orchid Ornament
December 10: Holiday Hues Floral Design
December 12: Traditional Wreath Workshop
December 17: Mini Green Wall Workshop
December 21: Elegant and Elevated Holiday Design
Through January 12: A Longwood Christmas
January 17-March 23: Winter Wonder Admission. 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA. 610-388-1000. www.longwoodgardens.org.
Winterthur
Ongoing: Member Bloom Report Guided Walk
December 4: Santa Claus Meet and Greet
December 4,11,18: Wonderful Wednesdays
December 11: A Christmas Carol Live
December 11: Craft a Leather Wallet with Millmont Leather
December 14: Holiday Candlelight Concert
December 18: For the Birds: Birding Walks
December 21-January 1: Twelve Days of Christmas Toy Train Display
Through January: Yuletide at Winterthur Admission. 5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE. 302-888-4600; www.winterthur.org.
The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College
December 4-6 Green Wreath Workshop
December 7: Scott Arboretum Holiday Sale
December 11: Nature’s Narratives: The Electricity of Every Living Thing Admission. 500 College Avenue, Swarth-
more, PA. 610-328-8025. www.scottarboretum.org.
Hershey Gardens
Ongoing: Guided Walks
December 6-7: Winter Wreath Workshop
December 7: Crafty Christmas Creations
December 7: Garden Gnome Winter Family Workshop
Through January 5: Christmas Tree Showcase
Through January 1: Crafty Christmas Creations
Admission. 170 Hotel Road, Hershey, PA. 717-534-3492; www.hersheygardens.org.
HISTORY
Battleship New Jersey
Ongoing: The Battleship New Jersey is open for guided and audio tours. Visitors can select from a variety of tours. Admission. Camden Waterfront, Camden, NJ. 856966-1652; www.battleshipnewjersey.org.
Historic Craven Hall & The John Fitch Steamboat Museum
Ongoing: House and John Fitch Steamboat Museum Tours
December 8: Holiday Open House Street and Newtown Roads, Warminster,
PA. 215-675-4698; www.craven-hall.org.
Historic Summerseat
Ongoing: First Saturday of every month: The stately Georgian mansion of Summerseat is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free tours also available by appointment. Historic Morrisville Society, Hillcrest & Legion Avenues, Morrisville, PA. www.historicsummerseat.com.
Historical Society of Princeton
Ongoing: Historic Princeton Walking Tours (Sundays)
Ongoing: Einstein Salon and Innovators Gallery
Ongoing: Treasures from the Trove
Ongoing: Rex Goreleigh: Migrant Worker’s Witness
December 11: Colonial Taverns of New Jersey
Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, Princeton, NJ. 609-921-6748 ; www.princetonhistory.org.
New Hope Historical Society
Ongoing: Walking Tours of Downtown New Hope
45 South Main Street, New Hope, PA. 215862-5652; www.newhopehistorical.org
Appointments recommended. Schedule your Fr
Mercer Museum
November 28: Gingerbread in the Log House
December 3: Holiday Open House
December 7,14,21: Holiday Market at the Mercer Museum
December 27: Kwanzaa: Celebration at the Mercer Museum
Admission. 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, PA. 215-345-0210; www.mercermuseum.org.
Pearl S. Buck House
November 24-December 3: Holiday Craft Show
December 10: Holiday Community Night 520 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA. 215-2490100; www.pearlsbuck.org
Fonthill Castle
Ongoing: Fonthill Castle Guided Evening Tours
Through December 27: Holidays at Fonthill Castle
Through December 17: Winter Wonderland
Daily Guided Tours at Fonthill Castle East Court Street and Route 313, Doylestown, PA. 215-348-9461. www.fonthillmuseum.org.
Historic Bethlehem
Ongoing: Historic Bethlehem Tours
November 29-December 29: Central Moravian Putz
December 6-20: Spirits of Christmas Pub Walking Tour
Through January 2: Trees of Historic Bethlehem Bethlehem, PA. 610-882-0450; www.historicbethlehem.org.
Newtown Historic Association
December 7: Newtown Holiday Tour: Now in its 61st year,this tour gives visitors the opportunity to peek into several of Newtown’s unique private residences, all dressed up for the holidays! The streets of Newtown Borough will be alive with the sounds of the season astour-goers make their way to the six town residences on this year’s tour. Besides the private homes, there will be several public buildings open for visitors. All sites are within easy walking distance from the town center. The cost of the tour ticket also includes entry into the Half-moon Inn, home of the Newtown Historic Association. Once inside this beautifully restored 18 th Century building, tour-goers will en-joy period musical entertainment and hearthside colonial cooking demonstrations. Newtown, PA. 215-968-4004; www.newtownhistoric.org
Heritage Conservancy
December 8: Christmas at Aldie: This year’s Christmas at Aldie will be in the style of a cocktail party. The fresh change will allow guests the opportunity to mingle, take in the spectacular decorations, and bid on exciting auction items displayed throughout the mansion all while enjoying delectable bites and stations from Jeffrey A. Miller Catering. Historic Aldie Mansion, 85 Old Dublin Pike, Doylestown, PA. 215-345-7020; www.heritageconservancy.org.
Pennsbury Manor
November 30: Ornament Workshop
December 5-6: Holly Nights
December 13-14: Candlelight Tours 400 Pennsbury Memorial Road, Morrisville, PA. 215-946-0400; www.pennsburymanor.org.
Washington Crossing Historic Park
December 7: Thompson-Neely House Encampment Tour 2024
December 8: First Crossing
December 25: Annual Christmas Day Crossing Washington Crossing, PA. 215-493-4076; www.washingtoncrossingpark.org.
Pennypacker Mills
Guided Tours: documented historic site where
you can see what it was like to live in the early 1900s. With a unique original collection, the mansion is fully furnished with antiques collected and documented by former Pennsylvania Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker reflecting his interests in early Pennsylvania history, German and Dutch settlers, native Americans, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Visitors are now able to see the "modern," i.e. 1900s, kitchen, indoor
Bucks
County Joyrides
Ongoing: Experience a one-of-a-kind private tour with Bucks County Joyrides! Join us as we ex-plore the area, showcasing scenic landscapes, traversing meandering creeks, and visiting historic covered bridges and landmarks along the way. We do the driving, so you don’t have too! www.buckscoountyjoyrides.com;215-664-7092
The Friends of Howell Living History Farm
November 30: Thanksgiving Hayrides & Corn Picking
December 7: Christmas on the Farm 70 Wooden’s Lane, Lambertville, NJ. 609737-3299; www.howellfarm.org
NATURE
Bucks County Covered Bridge Tour
Ongoing: The Bucks County Conference & Visitors Bureau and the Bucks County Covered Bridge Society present this self-guided tour of Bucks County’s covered bridges. The tour begins at Washington Crossing Historic Park. The 90-mile tour makes a large circle through Bucks County and is designed so that travelers can start at any one of the bridges. GPS coordinates are given for each of the bridges. Pick up a copy of the brochure Visit the Historic Covered Bridges of Bucks County at locations throughout Bucks County. www.visitbuck scounty.com; www.buckscountycbs.org.
Churchville Nature Center
Ongoing: Morning Bird Walk
December 13: 2024 Owl Prowl Campfire
December 15: Life in Winter Nature Walk 501 Churchville Lane, Churchville, PA. 215-357-4005; www.churchvillenature center.org.
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
December 5: The Insect Crisis, an evening with Author Oliver Milman
December 20: Fourth Fridays for Families: A Long Winter’s Sleep with Priscilla Hayes and Peg-gy O’Connor
1635 River Road, New Hope, PA. 215-8622924; www.bhwp.org.
Bucks County Audubon Society at Honey Hollow
Saturdays: Bird Walk
November 27: School Holiday Camp
2877 Creamery Road, New Hope, PA. 215297-5880; www.bcas.org.
Silver Lake Nature Center
December 7: Volunteer Work Day
December 7: Jingle Tails
December 14: Invasive Plants Removal
December 21: Christopher Westfalls ‘The Wonder of it All‘ Holiday Concert 1306 Bath Road, Bristol, PA. 215-785-1177; www.silverlakenaturecenter.org.
Peace Valley Nature Center
November 30: Discovery Day: Give Thanks to Nature
December 1: Knitting & Crochet Group
December 8: Edible Ornaments for Wildlife 2024
December 13: Luminaria Stroll
December 21: Winter Solstice Hike
December 27: Winter Break Discovery Day 170 North Chapman Road, Doylestown, PA. 215-345-7860; www.peacevalleynaturecenter.org.
Loves Bright Colors
Painter Kathie Jankauskas is a civil engineer, self-proclaimed math-geek and website designer, yet she paints with loose brushstrokes and vivid colors, saying, “I just love bright colors”
Artists typically rely on the right side of the brain that deals with intuition and creativity. The more analytical left brain is oriented towards logic and reason. Kathie Jankauskas is a paradox in that both sides of her brain work in harmony. A selfproclaimed math-geek and former civil engineer, she’s also a skilled website designer/developer, graphic designer and a fine artist.
She’s been painting in oils since 2009, depicting a range of subjects including animals, landscapes, still life and abstracts. Her style of modern impressionism is characterized
by bold, loose brushstrokes and vivid colors. “I can’t help it,” she said, “I just like bright colors.”
She still recalls the excitement of opening a new box of crayons as a kid, with 64 colors and endless possibilities. “I know that Crayola smell of crayons,” she said.” She gets the same feeling when she paints today.
Kathie mixes all of her colors and is especially fond of purple madder. Her painting process begins by sketching her subject with purple or raw umber onto canvas, linen or gessoed board. She paints alla prima or wet-on-wet and attempts to finish a painting in one or two sittings. “I love the depth of
color and energy that oils bring to the canvas,” she said.
She likes to play with texture and color by incorporating collage in some of her work. Colored tissue paper is arranged onto the board or canvas and glued in place with Mod Podge® and then painted over. Sometimes even a decorative paper bag with an interesting pattern becomes part of the background. She uses this technique in the cardinal painting pictured here in which you can see the raised texture in the background.
Kathie loves to garden and collects flowers from her yard to use in her paintings. Next to flowers, she enjoys painting animals. “I like to catch their expressions and personalities,” she said. She especially likes cows for their faces and bulky, angular bodies. “And like all animals their ears are so expressive!” she said. Her animal paintings are all done from photos while her landscapes are painted both on site and from photos she’s taken. If she’s working directly from a photo, she’ll often
use Photoshop to alter it.
In addition to representational art, she has experimented with abstract painting. Through a process called paint pouring, she applies liquid pigment to the canvas and then later paints over it.
When she was 11 she attended art camp where she learned a variety of different techniques. She still has her camp sketchbook and two of the watercolors she painted there.
“You come up with color combos that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise,” she said.
Kathie was born in Hartford, CT and grew up in the town of Wethersfield. She recalls drawing a lot as a kid and had a sketchbook full of dogs. “My parents got me a subscription to Dog Fancy magazine and I don’t think I ever read them, but drew pictures from all the photos.”
When she was 11 she attended art camp where she learned a variety of different techniques. She still has her camp sketchbook and two of the watercolors she painted there. Though the scenes have changed over time, “I’d like to recreate those two paintings as seen from today,” she said.
Kathie’s father taught high school biology and her mother was a computer programmer and math major. Kathie also excelled at math but her creative side led her to also take art classes in high school and college. She attended Lafayette College in Easton, PA and graduated in 1982 with a civil engineering degree.
She landed a job at Stone & Webster in Cherry Hill, NJ where her first boss,
Narenda Amin, happened to be an accomplished artist. He worked in a variety of mediums including oils, pastel, stained glass, sculpture, ceramics, watercolor and pen and ink. Each year he would organize the Stone & Webster Employee Art Show and encouraged Kathie to submit her artwork. Narenda remained a good friend, mentor and inspiration up until his death.
Years later when he moved in with his son, he gave Kathie his oil paints which she uses along with her own. “That way he’s still with me while I’m painting,” she said.
She moved to Langhorne, PA when she married and left her job as a civil engineer in 1988 to raise her son and twin girls. Longing to return to her own artistic roots, she took watercolor classes from Fairless Hills artist Alice Seufert.
She also attended evening classes in illustration and Photoshop at Bucks County Community College in Newtown, PA. A teacher there encouraged
In addition to graphic design, she continued to focus on developing her fine art and studied with several artists including Pat Martin, Trisha Vergis, Tracy Everly, George and Emily Thompson and Mashiul Chowdhruy.
her to put her illustrations on the computer which eventually led her to pursue graphic art and design. In 2004 she earned a certificate in graphic design and created the KJan Studio which serves small businesses in the greater Philadelphia area. In addition to website design/development, Kathie creates marketing
material including logos, business cards, brochures and illustrations. “Designing websites is the perfect combination of math and creativity,” she said.
Kathie has been awarded several graphics awards including first place in Advertising Illustration at Phillustration 2010 from the Philadelphia Sketch Club.
In addition to graphic design, she continued to focus on developing her fine art and studied with several artists including Pat Martin, Trisha Vergis, Tracy Everly, George and Emily Thompson and Mashiul Chowdhruy. From these classes she met other artists whom she painted with plein air for several years. The group of eight became known as The Painter’s Collective of which Kathie is a member. They still paint together on occasion and show their work at The Art Colony Gallery at Prallsville Mills, Stockton, NJ.
Kathie is a member of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association and has shown her work at the juried Art Exhibition at Phillips’ Mill for several years.
Each year she also designs the show catalog, sets up the entry system and is responsible for putting the art online. In addition to the fall juried exhibition, she also works on the Mill Members Art Show & Sale and Youth Art Exhibition.
She’s also a member of Artists of Yardley and the Kittery Art Association in Kittery, ME, where her sister has a home. Kathie enjoys travel and has painted scenes from her trips to Maine as well as Ireland.
Contemporary artists she admires include Carol Marine, Colin Page and Janine Dunn Wade. She also holds past artists Van Gogh and Monet in high regard.
Kathie now lives in Yardley, PA with her husband, Joe. Their home overlooks a pond and she enjoys observing all the wildlife that passes by, some of which she’s able to capture in her paintings. She also does commissioned pieces and works from photos or real life.
Some of her paintings have been made into greeting cards which are sold at the Commonplace Reader in Yardley, Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery in Washington Crossing, Kittery Art Association and The Shops at Cape Meddick, ME.
Her greeting cards have stickers on the back that read, “Share a little art to brighten someone’s day.” Whether it’s a vase of fresh cut flowers, cows in a field or cardinals in a tree, there’s a joyfulness to Kathie’s work. “Art has many moods,” she said. “I just want people to be happy when they look at my paintings.”
Kathie’s work can be found on her website: www.kathiejankauskas.com, at Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery, located at 1093 General Greene Road, Washington Crossing, PA; 215-493-3660; www.canal frame.com. Also at Kittery Art Association, Kittery, ME and The Art Colony Gallery at Prallsville Mills, Stockton, NJ. Her graphic design website is www.kjanstudio.com.v
Michele Malinchak is a freelance writer who has a degree in art and enjoys oil painting.
Now on view—Robert Duran. Trace the arc of Duran’s evolutions and experiments in painting, drawing and watercolor from roughly 1967 to the late 1990s. Discover more wow at statemuseum.nj.gov.
For more information and to be included...
Contact Vicky Waite 215-480-9675
vicky@buckscountymag.com
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Robert Duran, Untitled, 1970. Acrylic on canvas, 102 x 141½ in. ©Estate of Robert Duran. Courtesy the estate and Karma.
Bucks
Woods To Wood
Suzanne
Crawford used to work in a high stress information environment and took respites walking in the woods, and now she brings live wood inside to make her beautiful creations
Nature has always been a balm for Suzanne Crawford. Each walk in the park or stroll in the woods was a soothing respite from her work in the chaotic corporate environment of information technology and health care. The only problem was that it was temporary, and Suzanne craved something more permanent. “I had always been thinking of ways, well, how do I bring that joy from outside, how do I bring it inside. I don't want it to stop just because I've walked in the house,” the 12-year Feasterville-Trevose area resident said. “I want these reminders around me.”
The natural world has a way of righting itself, and Suzanne took its cue. During a time of career crisis, she stopped making nature her Band-Aid and started making it her business as the owner of Rustic Mountain Chic, which specializes in live-edge wood and epoxy home goods. Since its launch in 2021, her woodworking creations, and those of husband Larry, are not only inspired but inspiring. “The cool thing about wood and epoxy is you have so many options for bringing the outside in. First, you have the live-edge wood, which is very evocative of the trees and
the character and all of the interesting things you can see in the woods and, literally, in the trees in the woods,” Suzanne, 55, said. “Then you have these bright pops of color that are like the bright blue streams or the bright green leaves. I dry flowers and leaves and things like that. You can preserve all of those things in epoxy.”
Suzanne, who has been married to Larry for 12 years, rhapsodizes about knots and burls in wood, the uniqueness of each epoxy, the best way to preserve foliage and flowers for future use, the particulars of her many power tools and all of the other intricacies that lead to her pieces. It makes it hard to believe she began her training and subsequently launched Feasterville-Trevosebased Rustic Mountain Chic only a few years ago, after she was let go in 2021 from her position as assistant vice president of healthcare informatics at InnovaCare Health following a company merger.
As her ensuing job search in the professional world she had known since graduating from Penn State University in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in communications proved disheartening, Suzanne began to turn more and more to woodworking and epoxy.
photo: Paul Wesley
She had already been checking out every online tutorial she could find on the subject for years, but she used this time to pursue classes at Philadelphia Woodworks. It became clear the corporate world wasn’t the one she belonged to anymore and, with Larry’s encouragement, a transformation of space so she could properly create and an investment in tools from miter saws to drill presses, Rustic Mountain Chic officially became a seedling.
“It really is something that maybe isn't completely explainable, but I think that desire to want to bring the outdoors inside along with the popularity of this live-edge wood and epoxy online, where I could easily watch it and where it was explained in a way that made it seem doable and not something that was outside of my skill set or what I could do, I think it was just enough of those things that made me try it,” Suzanne, who is stepmother to Larry’s daughters Cailin, Bridget, Isabelle and Megan, said.
Her passion for woodworking and epoxy creations—and the start of her
business, though this was barely a thought at the time — took root at a Doylestown craft show in 2019. “Somebody was selling these beautiful bowls that were turned wood, but it had this big crack in it that was filled with this bright blue epoxy. For some reason, I just was mesmerized by this. I thought that was so interesting that you have this really interesting piece of wood that was turned into a bowl, but then it's not just wood, it has these bright pops of color in them,” Suzanne, a 2002 graduate of Penn State University with a master’s degree in information systems, said.
“When I got laid off, the one bright part in that was I got six-months’ severance, so I used that time to explore other options.”
Rustic Mountain Chic’s sapling phase was a short one. It, along with Suzanne, Larry and their wares, have made numerous appearances, including at the Manayunk Arts Festival, the Tinicum Arts Festival in Erwinna, the Collingswood Crafts & Fine Art Festival in New Jersey,
the Congregation Beth Or Chanukah Bazaar in Montgomery County and at several events at Playwicki Farm in Feasterville-Trevose, such as its Friday Food Truck Rallies.
The artistic process for Suzanne, whose clippings from her personal garden sometimes make their way into her projects, starts the moment she considers the unaltered slab before her, with its uneven natural gaps that she will fill with liquid epoxy and, in its final stage, smooth. “It's easiest to say it starts with a piece of wood. I have a couple places where I like to go look at live-edge wood. The pieces that speak to me, we'll buy and bring back,”
Suzanne, whose mixed-breed rescue dogs Otis and Sophie have been affectionately dubbed the company’s branch manager and supervisor, respectively, on its social media sites, said. “We have two different workflows. We make small things, like the boards and things like that, that are all our ideas. We have the custom workflows, which is completely different because the customer drives that creative
process. For the stuff we make ourselves, I bring back a piece of wood or wood we think is really exciting or interesting and think about, well, what is going to show off that piece of wood, what would look really great with that piece of wood. And go from there.”
That wood, from walnut, cherry, maple and cedar to sassafras, zebrawood, mulberry, cypress and more, has been crafted into clocks, serving boards, whiskey/beer/wine flights, decorative wall
hangings, menorahs, lazy Susans, headphone stands, candleholders, coat hooks and more. One of Suzanne’s most satisfying projects was a barn door and matching coffee table she created for a family’s New Jersey beach house, but many of her company’s ready-made pieces can be found on its website, www.rusticmountainchic.com, or seen by appointment at its space in Warminster. No matter the end product, it all begins with a piece of wood and what Suzanne
sees in it. “They all have their charms. For me, the more character it has, the better,” the recent member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen said. “Sometimes it's the markings on it. Sometimes it's the rotten spots. Sometimes it's just a really interesting shape of the wood.”
The wood speaks to Suzanne now just as the woods on those walks spoke to her then, whispering of potential joy to come. One thing Suzanne did not expect to come from her wood and epoxy creations was how close it brought her to her late father, Lytle Wenrick. He did a bit of woodworking, crafting jewelry boxes and stereo stands, but he was really a jack-of-alltrades who owned disparate businesses and could build just about anything, she said. Much like his daughter, it seems he could learn quickly, execute expertly and wasn’t afraid of a challenge—or the great unknown. “I do look back on what I was able to accomplish and think, in a very short period of time, I figured out how to use a table saw and how to do all of this different stuff. I really think it's partly because I'm his daughter, and I got more analytical traits from him than I really thought I did. Or should I say, the analytical traits I got from him, I didn't recognize could be transferred from the technology world to a handcraft world. It's part of the same thing where you've got to be analytical and creative at the same time. He definitely was both of those things, and I just didn't know to what extent I was too,” said Suzanne Crawford, adding after a brief pause, “It’s ironic. What happened at my job was very, very, as you can imagine, very stressful. To be able to transition from there into this other, rewarding side was a blessing, but also wouldn't have happened if I hadn't gone through that.”
For more information about Rustic Mountain Chic, visit their website at www.rusticmountainchic.com, email scrawford@rusticmountainchic.com or call 717-940-7735.v
Cynthia Marone is a freelance writer who lives in Philadelphia
Growing Microgreens
Seedlings harvested before they mature, microgreens, have stronger and fresher flavors than when they are full-grown and are a healthy and delicious way to get vegetables into your diet
The first time I heard the term “microgreens” I thought it was just a trendy new word for “sprout”. Nope. Not only are they grown and harvested differently, but microgreens are easier to grow and better for your health than sprouts. Sprouts are grown in dark, wet conditions, which according to the FDA can harbor pathogens such salmonella and E. Coli. Microgreens need soil or a soil substitute, sunlight, and good air circulation, reducing the risk of food borne illnesses. But the real reasons to grow microgreens are that they are fun to grow and delicious to eat.
Microgreens are simply seedlings of vegetables, herbs or salad greens that are harvested well before they grow to maturity. They are bigger than sprouts, which are harvested as soon as the seed
germinates, but smaller and younger than baby greens, which are harvested later when the plants are about three inches tall with several fully grown leaves. Microgreens can be grown and harvested year-round for salads, garnishes, soups, eggs, or any dish that can use a little extra zing.
Use microgreens in the kitchen just as you would use their fully grown counterparts but expect the flavors to be stronger and fresher.
Try: cilantro on tacos, burritos, or in salsa, basil on top of a plate of spaghetti or in bruschetta, chives on potatoes or in sour cream, mustards on hot dogs, lettuces as sandwich toppings, mints in hot or iced tea, mixed herbs in cream cheese, kale in fruit smoothies, basil or chives infused in oil or vinegar or any microgreen in stir fries or sushi. Don’t limit these flavor-filled little
plants to garnishes and salads—be creative. The results may surprise you.
Microgreens are an easy, fun and flavorful way of getting your vegetables in your diet. They are very nutrient dense and can contain up to forty percent more phytochemicals (beneficial nutrients) than their fully grown counterparts. Although the nutrients vary from plant to plant, in general microgreens are rich in potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium and copper, as well as polyphenols and other antioxidants. Polyphenols especially have been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and certain cancers. They also help lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. Since there is very little risk in eating microgreens. Why not give them a try? Just be sure to use high quality seeds and growing medium to prevent bacteria growth.
This is the perfect season to create a micro farm for microgreens since they will grow well in any sunny location indoors, and we can all use a little pick-me-up this
time of year. Start with a shallow container such as a small window box planter, a tray that held summer annuals, a windowsill seed-starting greenhouse (available online or at a home improvement store), or my personal favorite—plastic take-out con-
tainers with lids. Poke about five holes in the bottom of the container for drainage, and then fill it with potting mix, seed starting mix, or any other sterile and fertile soil substitute such as peat moss. Leave about one inch between the soil and the top of the container.
Use seeds left over from last growing season or scour seed catalogs for fun or unusual seeds. Popular seeds for growing microgreens include arugula, cilantro, basil, beets, celery, chard, chives, cress, fennel, kale, lettuces, mints, mustards and parsley. Some seed companies have created mixes specifically to grow as microgreens. Or try seeds packaged as mesclun, a mixture of several varieties of salad greens. Some seed mixtures are packaged according to flavor. Mild mixes may include cabbage, Pak choi, kale and kohlrabi; spicy mixes may include mustard, arugula and cress. Or create your own mixtures, using different varieties of lettuces for a mild flavor or varieties of mustards for a spicy flavor.
Sprinkle the seeds densely (about 1/8
inch apart) on top of the soil. Seeds for microgreens can be sown close together because they will only grow for a few weeks, until they are one to two inches tall. Gently sprinkle a thin layer (not more than 1/4 inch) of soil over the seeds, and water them in with a fine mist from a spray bottle. Fill the drip tray (use the lid of the takeout container) with water and let it stand for 10 minutes. Then empty the drip tray and put it back under the container. Water every few days, from the top with a sprayer and also from below to prevent damping off, a condition where seedling stems rot at the soil line.
Place the container in a sunny location. Create another microgreen micro farm one week later for a continuous harvest. When the seedlings peek out from the soil, check them daily. They will grow quickly. It’s time to harvest your microgreens when the second set of leaves form.
Harvesting microgreens is easy and fun. Most seedlings will be ready to harvest seven to ten days from when the seed
was sown. The first leaves to emerge are called “cotyledon leaves” and may look different from the true leaves, which will emerge next. Harvest the little plants when the first true leaves have fully opened and spread. Simply slip a pair of scissors between the leaves and the soil and snip the little stems. Gather up the leaves and use them as soon as possible; they don’t keep for long. Store unused microgreens in a loosely closed plastic bag in the refrigerator for a day or two. Basil must be used right away. After the harvest pull out the stems and roots left behind in the growing container, then start again with a little more soil and new seeds.
As with growing any plant, sometimes microgreens just don’t grow well. Here are some common issues and solutions: Poor or no germination can happen when the seeds are too old, or they are not getting enough moisture. To test seeds, wrap some in a moist paper towel. If they don’t germinate within 2 to 4 days or if only a few germinate, try new seeds. If the greens are
yellowish, they are probably not getting enough light. Try moving them to a sunnier location or using a grow light. Mold in the planting mix can be caused by poor airflow, overwatering, or too much humidity. Remove and discard the moldy section and allow the planting mix to dry for a couple of days. Just be sure not to mistake tiny white root hairs for mold.
Microgreens are surprisingly flavorful and taste similar to their fully grown counterparts. Try mixing several varieties together to create unique flavor combinations. Their fresh, delicate appearance will add beauty, color and texture to imaginative food presentations. Or simply sprinkle them on top of store-bought salad greens to add home grown freshness, and pretend it is springtime.v
Lori Rose, the Midnight Gardener, is a Temple University Certified Master Home Gardener and member of GardenComm: Garden Communicators International. She has gardened since childhood and has been writing about gardening for over twenty years.
Frenchtown New Jersey
Tucked in along the Delaware River is Frenchtown. It features cafes and eclectic shops offering art, pottery, designer clothing, and home goods. Many come to experience the recently opened ArtYard, a multimedia art center founded by writers, curators, artists, and filmmakers. Notable restaurants in Frenchtown include The Frenchtown Cafe, The National Hotel, and The Frenchtown Inn. The Widow McCrea House Bed & Breakfast is a popular place for guests to enjoy a weekend stay. This Holiday season is a great time to visit Frenchtown for shopping, dining and getting into the Holiday sprit.
Santa’s Photo Shop
When Christmas is coming, photographer Candy Hoehn turns her four room studio into a winter wonderland where children and their families have an hour-long session with Santa
by Bob Waite
The Christmas season is a time when the world lights up. Houses are decorated with lights and front lawns with nativity scenes, town trees are lit, carolers walk the streets singing Joy to the World And hope abounds. We welcome the king who came into the world to end the curse and abolish sin and death. It is called the incarnation, the day when God became a man. It is a day full of hope.
Another kind of hope also abounds in the heart of children, who wait eagerly for Santa Claus, who is coming to town after town making a list that classifies each child as either naughty or nice. This oversized elf is jolly and portly, and he laughs with a hearty “ho, ho, ho.” He wears a red suit trimmed in white to match his large white beard. He usually wears spectacles and gets around on a flying sleigh powered by nine reindeer. He comes down the chimney of every house in the world in one night, delivering toys to the children on the nice list, and if you
leave him cookies and milk, he will have a short repast in your living room by the Christmas tree where he leaves the presents.
Although the real Santa doesn’t come to our homes until Christmas Eve, we can see him on street corners and in front of stores ringing bells for the Salvation Army, in Christmas parades and in shopping malls where children sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. On his side are a couple of elves and in front of him is another elf taking a photo. These sessions last, at most a couple of minutes. But there is a way that children can have more than a 10-minute photo session with Santa and that’s if their moms make an appointment with Candy Hoehn at SugaShoc Photography in Doylestown. With a studio that has four rooms and a wardrobe room to boot it is
Twas a spell before Christmas and Santa did find that he and elves were running behind. He thought to himself, "What can I do?" then he wrote for some help from Tyler, Cameron, and Ella too!
When they arrived there was much to do.
Santa exclaimed, "I'm really glad to see you!"
The first task at hand was to check his list twice, to see if they had been naughty or nice.
nothing less than a Christmas destination.
Candy, throughout the year, does women's portraiture—maternity, newborn and boudoir. She says, “My friends always joke about it, because I get them when they want to come in for their boudoir pictures for their wedding. Then they get pregnant, and they come back again when they want photos for their newborn. So, I do it all over again.”
Her actual career did not start with boudoir photos, then pregnant photos and then newborn babies. It actually began with newborns. She started taking photos after her second son was born. Candy says, “I started taking photos when my second son was born and I wanted to do his newborn photos, but they turned out horrible. Because when you're first starting, you don't know anything about lighting, posing and so on.
So, I started doing workshops and training. I first started with photographing newborns and then with the newborn babies came maternity photos. And so, I started doing maternity, and then they kept wanting to have nude maternity portraits. So, that kind of flowed into boudoir photos.”
And Candy’s clients come back. “I have clients who come to me in their 30s, and then 10 years later, they come back in their 40s, and they still appreciate their body, which I love.”
Candy loves to photograph children of all ages. She has three herself—Tyler 16, Cameron 13, and Ella 9. And what time of year captures the precious expressions of children more than the anticipatory days leading up to Christmas. And beginning in November Candy is taking appointments for photo sessions with Santa.
SugaShoc’s Santa Claus is Santa Fred from Hatboro who decided early into his personification of Santa that he would not wear a fake beard. This decision came about when he was filling in at a Breakfast with Santa event that was held in King of Prussia. A child baited Fred Standaert into eating a certain cookie which ended up in a twisted beard and a half-on half-off mustache, and this caused Fred to vow that he would never be in that situation again.
Fred likes being Santa and actually was awarded a Bachelor of Santa from the International University of Santa Claus. Keeping a real beard, he has joined several Santa organizations and has been awarded various honors in his pursuit to be an authentic representative of that jolly elf.
Candy’s photo sessions last about an hour. They are interactive and the child in her studio gets to know Santa in a way most children do not. Candy says, “They color with Santa, they read with Santa, they eat cookies, and drink hot chocolate with Santa. They do tons of activities with him.” Their reaction to all this yuletide attention: “They're loving it.”
Santa personally gives each child a gift. “I have the parents buy a small wrapped gift and bring it to the session in a plastic bag, and I grab it from them and put it in Santa's sack. When it’s towards the end of the session, Santa will pull out the child’s present and give it to him or her.”
Christmas photos are often a family affair. “During a session we do family portraits, first without Santa, but some families like their family portraits with Santa, so we do some of those too. And then after their family portraits, we do the children with Santa. We do some with pajamas or casual clothing without Santa, because sometimes my clients like to have pictures up all year round and not only on the holidays,” Candy explains.
Candy asks the parents and children if they want to see the wardrobes that she has in her wardrobe room. In the wardrobe room Candy mainly has clothing for girls because they are easier than boys clothing, since there is more to a boys outfit (pants, shirts, jacket, vest ) and they come in all kinds and sizes. Her boys’ clothing is up to 18 months while for girls she has clothing that fits older children, since keeping a variety of different sizes in dresses is much easier.
After they leave, Candy sets up an appointment over Zoom to see the photos and select the ones they are going to purchase. She also can make a storybook album. “I write the story based on the family with their names and what activities they're doing, so it's their own very special Christmas storybook.”
Candy loves what she does. She says, “I like interacting with the kids and I like photographing women. I love their reactions to their photos, because many women hate how they look in photos. So when they come here, they get dolled up and get their hair and makeup professionally done. And then, because of the way I pose them, they see themselves in a totally different light. So I love it when they're sitting here looking at their photos on this TV and they get really emotional and they actually find themselves beautiful in a photo. And, of course, I love photographing the babies. They're so cute. I love, being able to print albums and have them blowing up their pictures and hanging them on their walls. It's really nice.”
To make an appointment with Candy Hoehn at SugaShoc Photography in Doylestown, call 202-455-0306 or visit www.sugashocphotography.com.
Bob Waite is the editor of Bucks County Magazine.
Cottage on Bycroft Farm
Stephen and Nancy Bye were given the opportunity to build a home on land that has been held in his family since 1699 when Thomas Bye purchased the land as part of a William Penn land grant
Text
by Beth M. Buxbaum | Photography by Randl Bye
MMEMORIES OF PLANTING IN THE FIELDS, FAMILY
gatherings and the joys of being part of a close-knit family fill Stephen Bye’s thoughts as he reflects on the history of the property he now calls home. Living on his ancestral land has been a sentimental journey. The original land purchase dates back to 1699 when Thomas Bye bought 200 acres in a William Penn land grant. This land, known as Byecroft Farm, has been in the Bye family for centuries; either handed down, bequeathed or sold to Bye family members.
One of Thomas Bye’s well-known descendants, Dr. Arthur Bye, was an historian. In his History of the Bye Family, he writes “the original homestead of the Byes in Bucks County has been occupied continuously until the present day by a Bye.” The property, also referred to as Old Congress, was posted to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. As a family of artists, the Bye family’s widely recognized lineage includes Steve’s father, Ranulph Bye, a renowned Bucks County artist who was considered one of the foremost watercolorists in the country. Ranulph’s father, Dr. Arthur Bye, was an artist who
Stephen Bye
painted Bucks County landscapes, as well as an historian penning several books. Steve’s journey has returned him to this family homestead, after years elsewhere. “We lived just three miles away,” explains Steve. “I have memories of spending a lot of time here growing up,” he adds, “a lot of that time planting in the farm fields.”
Steve explains that when Arthur Bye, his grandfather, passed away, the land was split amongst the four children. Steve’s father, Ranulph, was one of the sons. Another son, Ed, was a landscape architect who lived off this land and developed a patch of the land in hopes of creating a business venture. “This land was farmland,” Steve describes, “until my uncle created a tree nursery on it with the help of all the cousins.” Over the years, family members have handed down their piece of the property to
their relatives. Today this family homestead, which is approximately 65 acres, is currently occupied by several family members and is surrounded by preserved land. Steve was away from the area for years attending college and art school. He met Nancy while they were both attending Tyler Art School, sharing their interest in photography. The thought of returning to the family homestead may not have been something Steve entertained once he moved away. When Steve and Nancy were married they lived in Clinton, NJ. for four years while establishing their lives and careers. “I have been a house painter since high school,” Steve says, “which began as a summer job and evolved to having my own small residential painting business.” After several years living in Clinton, an unexpected opportunity arose in 1987. “My
Opposite Top, this cozy cottage was built in 1988 on a family-owned homestead. A mix of Colonial and Carpenter Gothic styles, the home was designed with a one-room-wide footprint. Opposite bottom left, this barn-garage was built in 1994. Above, a close-up of the back of the house displays the porch-entrance.
In this farmhouse-style kitchen, the centerpiece and the interior were designed around the wood stove in the middle of the eating area. An old farm table sits on yellow pine pickled floors. A black and white checkerboard tile is the setting for the wood stove and comfy corner seating.
This charming cottage is infused with woodsy, natural elements throughout. The centerpiece and foundation of the interior living space was designed around the wood stove in the middle of the eating area.
Uncle Ed, who had inherited 20 acres from my grandfather, wanted me and my wife to have the land,” Steve explains. While somewhat unexpected, Steve was excited with the idea of returning to his family’s homestead.
Cherishing those memories of his youth growing up nearby, this new chapter would bring him back to his early years at Byecroft Farm. Steve and Nancy built their forever home here in 1988. They had the opportunity to define and create their new home from the ground up. After looking through a series of architectural style books to identify a style they preferred, they contacted Jeremiah Eck, an architect known to their family, to create the blueprints. Modestly designed for comfort and function, the concepts for the house’s interior footprint were put into place. Steve notes that Jeremiah even built a small model of the house that he still has on display in his office. As the preliminary design elements were developing, Steve and Nancy requested a few specifications. “We knew that we wanted a one-room-wide house,” explains Steve, “reminiscent of Colonial-style architecture.” One quality of many colonial homes is low ceilings without a lot of windows, making the interior dark. “We wanted windows on both sides to bring in the light,” Steve explains, “and afford us views of the landscape.” He adds that they also wanted a kitchen sink with a view. Putting these specifications into place, they used the backdrop of the land as the focal point. All the rooms were designed with windows to bring in the natural light and enjoy views from anywhere in the house. With the blueprints in place, they contracted Jarrett Vaughan Builders to construct their new home.
Construction began, appointing all the elements and details that were in the plan.
Above, another angle of the kitchen showcases the center island and breakfast bar. A picture window and skylight flood the room with natural light.
Steve characterizes the exterior details as Carpenter Gothic. Carpenter Gothic is described as a decorative architectural style using Gothic Revival elements in woodframed buildings. Having a more modest decorative quality, this style is known for its charm and quaintness. Features incorporated into the building of their home reflect both Colonial and Carpenter Gothic. From the outside, the many windows are prominent features that add an interesting dimension to the exterior structure. “This house was built with board and batten on top and siding on the bottom portion,” Steve continues, “and the roof has steep gables and deeply pitched and pointed roof lines to emphasize the vertical definition.” With a distinctive Carpenter Gothic styling, the exterior design enhances the quintessential quality of the home.
This charming cottage is infused with woodsy, natural elements throughout. The centerpiece and foundation of the interior living space was designed around the wood stove in the middle of the eating area. “We wanted a stove that could be centralized to heat the entire house,” adds Steve. As for the footprint, rooms are moderately sized and the house’s interior flow is compact. For years, the space was adequate for their first two children. In 1994, to accommodate their third child, they repurposed the screened porch into a second living room and added another bedroom
Below, elegantly appointed, the formal dining room has been fashioned like a Paris dining spot. A beaded chandelier swings delicately over a Spanish tile-topped table. Walls are striped in shades of salmon and the floors are black and white marble.
to the second floor. In a flow from room to room, the appointments are distinctively different and boldly displayed.
Embellished with both artsy and elegant touches, the interior living space is a mélange of colors, textures, and stylings. Eclectically appointed, from the furniture to the wall art, an array of materials, patterns and tones fill every room. Flea market and yard sale pieces, family heirlooms and more current purchases define the living space with a sense of comfort and familiarity. Guided by Steve’s keen eye and curated palette and complimented by Nancy’s nuanced talent for capturing and defining the room’s ultimate feel, they embellished their interior living space. “When we moved in we painted all the walls white,” Steve explains, “then five years later we changed all the wall colors.” Now the interior is awash in many colors. Artistic patterns, florals, and stripes add splashes of color on the walls, fabrics and rug-covered floors. Walls showcase collections of art objects, artwork, stained glass and photography.
Steve explains that much of the house’s personality is a testament to his wife,
Embellished with both artsy and elegant touches, the interior living space is a mélange of colors, textures, and stylings.
Opposite, a view from the hallway reveals the desk nook furnished with an antique desk handed down from family. On the left side is a slice of the second living room.Top, brightly decorated, the front porch entrance is filled with colorful patterns and art objects. Bottom, tucked in to a corner of the second living room is a beautifully crafted chest of drawers with a display of collected art objects and artwork.
Nancy, who passed away several years ago. He adds that Nancy created the feel of the house with her sense of style and artistry. “Nancy lived her life in an artful way,” Steve muses. He shares how Nancy was an amazing shopper and had a knack for finding just the right pieces to fill their home, mostly on their flea-marketing adventures. Nancy was involved in a variety of artistic ventures and owned a small shop in Holicong with imported art objects from Indonesia. Together they accented their modest home in a unique style, from informal and cozy to elegant and sophisticated. Each room offers a different sense of décor and personality. Informal space; like the kitchen, living room and enclosed porch entranceway, are bathed in warm colors with a lot of wood accents. With quite a departure from the rest of the interior, the formal dining room has been fashioned like an elegant Paris dining spot. A beaded chandelier swings delicately over a Spanish tile-topped table. Walls are striped in shades of salmon and the floors are black and white marble. This room’s sophisticated feel is heightened by its uniquely different ambiance from the rest of the house. Every room feels lived in and welcoming. Together all the accents and tones bring the home to life. Interior elements are a testament to their passions and talents.
Left, dressed in many colors, the newer living room was designed around the fireplace mantel with wood carvings and travertine marble surround. Family art, travel memorabilia and stained glass accent the space. Below, a closer view of a windowed wall in the living room showcases a model sailboat and a more detailed view of the artwork.
Steve explains that much of the house’s personality is a testament to his wife, Nancy, who passed away several years ago. He adds that Nancy created the feel of the house with her sense of style and artistry.
Top, on the second floor landing is an art piece consisting of a series of photos of Gothic Revival buildings. Bottom, in the second floor hallway is a Ranulph Bye watercolor of the town of Easton. On the back wall is a series of decorative metal plates by John Derian. Opposite, in the second floor hallway is a Ranulph Bye watercolor of the town of Easton. On the back wall is a series of decorative metal plates by John Derian.
All of these influences from their lives define their home. From Bye family art and Nancy’s unique finds and imports, to their photography and their travel mementos, the living space is a culmination of their lives together. Enjoying the landscape and the views, they immersed themselves in this life. “It’s all about inside and outside and appreciating the land where we are,” adds Steve. Gifted this priceless piece of land on the family estate, Steve has come full circle; living on the land he once visited and owning a swatch of his family’s history.v
Beth S. Buxbaum is a freelance writer from the Philadelphia area.
Christmas Takes A Village
Peddler’s Village becomes a special place when Santa comes to the village to pull a switch for the Grand Illumination a dazzling colorful light show that lasts throughout the season |
By Chysta Smith
Back in August—back when most of Bucks County was summering at the shore, the elves in Central Bucks County were hard at work. Unboxing, unraveling, uncovering. Trimming, climbing and hammering. And in October, they were still at it. It was clear that it was ‘GO’ time for the workers in Peddler’s Village, as they were readying for that most magical time of the year.
In a region of the country so rich in colonial history, it’s fitting that we’re still holding onto cherished memories—memories of days gone by. When things were cozier, quainter. When towns weren’t full of chain stores and people walking through shops looking at their cell phones. When there were cobblestone or brick paths, stores privately owned, a welcoming sense of charm and community spirit. In a nutshell, that’s Peddler’s Village. It’s no wonder the ‘village’ has been a destination location since 1962. And while it is quite alive year-round with its various apple, harvest, strawberry and myriads of festivals, yet for many of us the holiday celebration beginning in mid-November tops them all. Maybe because the world seems a little gentler, happier, more festive gearing up for the holidays, or it’s the excitement
Photo: Courtesy of Peddlers Village
Photo: Bobby Waite
of all that’s sparkly and new again. It’s an especially nice time to be in the village. And as anyone who’s been there at this time of year can attest to, it all culminates with the annual Grand Illumination—when the village will be sparkling from head to toe—this year, with over a million lights.
“The excitement is palpable,” notes Christine Triantos, Director of Marketing & Communications at the village. “It not only builds within the village, but in the offices as well.” Lights are up, trees are decorated and shops are bustling. On November 15th at 6:15 p.m., Santa will be in the town to pull the switch that ushers in that most magical season, when all colors, shapes and sizes of lights come to life, and the village is officially ready for the Christmas/winter holidays. And as Christine rightly points out, it really is one of the only free holiday light displays in the region. No admission fees; no parking fees. Just come. And the lights stay on daily, long and late enough for most to drop in, or catch a glimpse while driving past.
While most of the people drawn to this picturesque village are from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia, people also come from the world over while passing through. Not to be outdone by the visitors are the handfuls of locals intimately involved in the ongoings at the village. From participating in the various contests to frequenting the shops, it’s a great place to be out of the ordinary—to get a break from the ordinary been there, done that malls and strip centers, spend some quiet time admiring the decorations or get involved in one of the many events.
One holiday event that begins in advance of the lighting is the Gingerbread Competition & Display which runs from mid-November through Mid-January. “We team with the village guests and ask them to participate in the contests,” Christine says. “We put out a call for entries in July for the competition,” A brochure is posted in the visitor’s center and on their website. Each year, competition categories change a bit. This year they will have traditional gingerbread houses, 3D creations, reproductions
Photo: Courtesy of Peddlers Village
Photo: Courtesy of Peddlers Village
Photo: Bobby Waite
Photo: Bobby Waite
of movie or TV sets, a People’s Choice category which bypasses the official judges, and a catchall theme called Holly Jolly. It’s further categorized by adults, teens, youth and kids, so everyone has a fair chance to compete. Judging is serious business—no added ingredients, no previous entries. Pure gingerbread and nothing else. Last year there were 150 houses submitted, with cash prizes for the winners. This year, it will happen on the Sunday before the Grand Illumination, and there are expected to be some 100,000 visitors. If you’re a fan, be sure to arrive early—dress warm.
Just when you’ve had your fill of gingerbread, Santa kicks into overdrive with a flurry of activities geared toward children and the child in all of us. Simply wandering around the village, you might come face-to-face with the jolly, singing fellow who wears a white trimmed red suit and has a big round belly. You can snap a picture with him, or take a photo in an antique sleigh, which is intended as a photo site. Great place to snap a shot for a holiday card too. If you want to ensure a visit with him, catch him at Giggleberry Fair on Fridays through Sundays. Whether around
the block or from miles away, “People feel the need to come here to celebrate,” Christine says. And here are some of the many reasons why.
Breakfast with Santa promises to be a fun morning at Giggleberry Fair—where the grand carousel, arcade games and an obstacle course are housed. Breakfast consists of a buffet, story time with Mrs. Claus, passes for the carousel and other games. It’s only a 1 ½ -hour event, so you have time to shop and tour the village too. And guess what parents? This is one of the few times your ticket actually costs less than the kids. What an inviting idea. For other breakfast options, check into FresCafe and the Buttonwood Grill.
But, if getting up later is your thing, there’s an opportunity to brunch with Santa. This one takes place at the Village’s flagship restaurant, The Cock ‘N Bull. Naturally, what you might typically find on a brunch menu, are favorites for the children—like decorating your own pancakes, Santa will make the rounds to visit with your group, take a photo and even participate in a holiday sing-a-long, Christmas crafts, story time. For both morning food events, tickets are required and can
Photo: Bobby Waite
Photo: Courtesy of Peddlers Village
be booked on the website or through their app.
And if the morning passes you by completely, there is always lunch and dinner at one of the many quick eats and fine dining establishments on the grounds. Menus at the restaurants change with the seasons, so even the dining takes on a new spirit during the Christmas season.
Truly, everything is orchestrated to complement every other experience, making it unlike most any place I know. There’s even a special treat for the adults who want their holiday experience to take on a slightly jollier vibe, at one of the several happy hours in the village, as well as a wine tasting room, distillery and brewery.
Those are the events, but the mainstay of the village is the 60 year-round, almost exclusively locally owned shops, eateries and other residents that sit on some 42 acres of prime Bucks County real estate. Christine says its location is truly one of the key things that makes this destination so unique. She’s right. Outside of New Hope and Doylestown, perhaps Newtown, the village is the place for unique finds and a place where you can support the local Bucks community business owners. Several stores have been in the village since the 1970s, with a few even being generational—one passed on from
grandmother to mother to daughter.
It’s a far cry from the original property usage—a hen farm. According to Christine, Entrepreneur Earl Jamison had a grand vision. After returning from trips to California, where he saw unique towns and the world-renowned Disneyworld, he decided Bucks County also needed a spectacular oasis—a destination that evoked a different era—a different setting. Fitting the region, Peddler’s Village was born as a homage to colonial times. Early days saw the Cock ‘N Bull as the anchor restaurant, while small, town-like shops popped up continually, now selling everything from clothing to books to wine to distilled adult beverages. Being a horticulturalist, Earl’s wife Sheila was responsible for the planting of the gardens in and around the village. Through the years, the gardens gained notoriety—even awards. Especially during the warmer months, the plantings are a spectacular adornment to the grounds. In winter, they take on a festive atmosphere, as bare trees burst into life with colorful string, hanging and flashing lights. Still family-owned, it’s the village’s second generation to see Earl’s vision of a destination dining, shopping, and lodging experience come to fruition.
For out-of-town visitors or those who’d like to get the most out of the holi-
Christmas Holiday Activities in the Village:
Gingerbread Competition, November 15th through January 19th in the Visitor & Event Center
The Grand Illumination Celebration, November 15th, 6:15 pm. The holiday lights stay on daily from 3:30-11:00 pm
Breakfast with Santa, weekends, November 17th & 24th, December 1st & 8th (ticketed event) at Giggleberry Fair
Brunch with Santa, weekends, December 15th & 21st (ticketed event) at the Cock ‘N Bull Photos with Santa, throughout the village and at special events
Fire & Frost, January 10th & 11th, 17th & 18th throughout the village
If you’re looking for all the excitement a Christmas experience can offer, a weekend visit is a must. If you’re looking to meander more quietly, take in the lights, and do some serious shopping, perhaps a weekday is for you.
Photo: Bobby Waite
day events, there’s lodging at the Golden Plough Inn. Once a stagecoach stop for those traveling from New York to Philadelphia, the original inn has expanded through the years, with the rooms having been renovated to reflect the character of the inn and the village. One of the most interesting rooms to book might be on top of one of the retailers, as the hotel meanders throughout the top floors, above village shops. During the holidays, be sure to check out their packages, which can be found on www.goldenploughinn.com.
While the Christmas lights stay on through the first weekend in January, there’s not a total blackout afterward. The lights will change hues for a winter festival called Fire & Frost. Fire artists and ice carvings take center stage on the green, complete with a DJ and scavenger hunts for the kids. As with all of their outdoor
festivals, there is no admission fee.
If all the excitement has you in the spirit, but not sure where, how, when to go, Guest Services comes to the rescue. Christine says, “We feel that hospitality and warm welcomes are an important part of the culture here. There is always someone available to answer questions, recommend shops, provide a digital map to take you to the proper place and make reservations.”
Twenty-two social media accounts and shop owner accounts keep the visitors coming, as well as the 75,000 folks on their mail list. There’s even a mobile app on Google Play and iTunes, where you can download information on events, make reservations and score retail coupons. “We’re delighted when people have a good experience and share it on a social media platform,” Christine says. Funny how
technology winds its way into a venue that’s richly steeped in the character of the past. That’s the village today—the best of the past with an eye toward the future. It’s one that’s always evolving, while continuing the mission as a beautiful, historical retail, dining and lodging destination smack within our beautiful, historical county.
Peddler’s Village is located at Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, PA. For more event and shop information, advance ticket sales and gift cards, log onto www.peddlersvil lage.com, or call Guest Services at 215794-4051.v
Chrysa Smith is a regular contributor who fondly remembers outings to Peddler’s Village as a child, long before residing in Central Bucks County.
Photo: Paul Boger
Making Fresh Pastas
Mario, Richard Zeck and Alex Spitale, have established have made LoRé Pasta in Hopewell, NJ a local leader of handmade pastas and delicious sauces and specialties to eat with it
Pasta—in its various styles, ingredients, preparations and names—can be found in every cuisine throughout the world. Still, it is those of Italy that we associate best when we hear the word pasta. (Sorry, Marco Polo, you did not bring back pasta from China. It was being made in Sicily and Italy long before you were born.)
Today Italy boasts more than 300 pasta shapes. Italians so pride themselves in their pasta, they even have a museum devoted to it in Rome, the Museo Nazionale della Pasta. But, perhaps, Federico Fellini had said it best: “Life is a combination of magic and pasta.”
And from what I’d been hearing, the owners of LoRé Pasta in Hopewell, NJ, have been conjuring up some magic of their own. Brothers Mario and Richard Zeck are the pasta-makers
behind LoRé as well as their partner, Alex Spitale.
So on a recent Monday afternoon, I find myself sitting on a chair at one of their patio tables outside their shop on East Broad Street talking with Mario, the head pasta maker.
“Growing up in an Italian family,” he says, “everything revolves around family, laughter and food excessive food.” It was hard not to be seduced by the tastes, aromas and palate pleasures of pasta, he says. “My mother would come home from work and make penne with marinara sauce and toss the sauced penne with fresh ricotta.” If he closes his eyes, he says, he can still taste his grandmother’s manicotti and rigatoni. If he wasn’t watching them in the kitchen, he was watching Lydia Bastinach’s cooking show with his Italian grandfather.
By the time Mario was in high school, he was making cres-
Photo: Paul Wesley
pelle, an Italian crepe. After high school he headed to Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas. From there he worked his way up the culinary ladder in both Italian and French restaurants, including with Chef Marco Sgrizzi at Parma where he learned the art of making fresh pastas.
Call it Kismet—or maybe, pasta’s spell—but after five years in Vegas’ top restaurants, including a stint in D.C. at Equinox under Chef Todd Grey, Mario knew making fresh pasta was what he wanted to do. That, and to come back home to his roots in New Jersey. His decision brought Mario’s father and brother flying into Vegas where the three rented a car and headed East for home in Jersey. On the way they not only hatched a business plan to open a pasta shop but stopped at Arcobaleno pasta machine company in Lancaster and walked out with the first of their pasta machines. The year was 2014.
In the 10 years since, LoRé has established itself as a local leader of handmade
pastas, serving both a wide swath of customers from Hunterdon, Mercer and Bucks counties and restaurants, including FiNNBAR in Frenchtown, the Broadmoor in Lambertville, the Logan Inn in New Hope, Witherspoon Grill in Princeton, Sergeantsville Inn and Lola’s in Ardmore. Come Saturdays, you’ll find them at the West Windsor Farmers Market.
Mondays are when the three partners gather to prep for the week’s pastas and specialities. Though they have some pastas that are made religiously every day, such as rigatoni and ravioli, other shapes and ingredients can be featured, such as a recent carrot linguine made with local carrots. (I paired the pasta with LoRé’s marinara sauce which underscored the fresh, garden taste of the carrots and that of the tomato and basil sauce further. Delizioso!
The partners are all about local ingredients and supporting area farms, beginning with Alex and his wife’s farm, Chestnut Pond Farm in Robbinsville.
Others include Blue Moon Acres, Zone 7, First Field, Lima Family Farm and Jeff’s Organic Market. For their hard winter wheat flour and einkorn (an ancient grain), they turn to Morganics Family Farm in Hillsboro. Says Mario, “We’re always looking for more local farms to use.”
Like countless generations before them, Mario says, “Our recipes are inspired by and created with variations of our grandmother’s.” To honor their grandmother, the brothers named their pasta company after her maiden name, LoRé. Her own grandparents emigrated from Sicily. Now, at 93, he says, she still inspires them.
Not surprising when Alex came on board two years ago, bringing his expertise as a chef at some of Jersey’s renowned restaurants, including Agricola in Princeton, he also brought his Italian grandmother’s recipes. Her cheese ravioli recipe is an ambrosial mix of four cheeses: ricotta, mascarpone, pecorino and provo-
lone. All of which is tenderly wrapped in its own blanket of pasta dough.
Inside LoRé’s tidy storefront is their retail shop. A large refrigerated case holds the day’s wholesale pastas awaiting delivery and pick-up. To the right of the counter is a giant, glass refrigerated case brimming with containers of their pastas as well as prepared sauces, e.g., their signature sauces of marinara, meatball, and vodka. They are always creating new
This winter look for their Bolognese, which simmers for 12 hours before they declare it’s ready. The addition of cream to an extra basil tomato sauce is the secret to their Pink Basil, their take on a virgin vodka sauce. Others to look for are Butter Parmigiano, Brown
sauces, Mario says.
This winter look for their Bolognese, which simmers for 12 hours before they declare it’s ready. The addition of cream to an extra basil tomato sauce is the secret to their Pink Basil, their take on a virgin vodka sauce. Others to look for are Butter Parmigiano, Brown Butter Sage and Vodka Pepperoni. Then there are seasonal pastas, like this winter’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Pumpkin Ravioli.
Along with the sauces are containers of meatballs and prepared meals like lasagna. Each comes with directions for
cooking, heating, baking or freezing. For home cooks who don’t want to make their own pasta, but want to make an accompanying sauce, LoRé has DIY kits, like its popular tortellini en brodo. A sure-fire way to step up your Italian culinary game.
When cooking their pasta, Mario recommends adding salt once the water boils—and only enough to make it slightly salty. “I usually add some of the pasta water after to adjust the consistency of the sauce with the pasta. If it’s too salty, it can ruin the dish. Also I often toss my pasta with Locatelli pecorino, which is a dry, salty sheep milk cheese.”
Like an open-kitchen, the pasta-mak-
by Robert A. Kline
ing area is directly behind the retail space. Along with their original pasta machine, also known as an extruder, is another as well as a ravioli sheeter. All three use bronze dies. The bronze dies create a rough, porous texture to the produced pasta which allows the sauce to coat the pasta more effectively, improving the mouthfeel and flavor of the pasta dish.
With the two extruders, Mario says, they make around 30 different pasta shapes such as rigatoni and penne. The ravioli sheeter not only produces several different types of ravioli but also lasagna sheets, spaghetti all chitarra and fettuc cine. All are vegan friendly. Their Stroz zapreti pasta is gluten-free.
For most of their hand-rolled, handcut and stuffed pastas, such as Tortellini, Agnolotti and Raviolo, they use eggs and 00 flour. When hand-making their Cava telli, Gnocchetti Sardi and Orecchiette, they use semolina flour, salt, warm water and a little olive oil.
Rigatoni is their most popular pasta. They’re easy to spear onto a fork, Mario says, and, for kids, they’re just fun to eat. Recalling his own childhood, he says, “You can stick your finger in one and eat around it.” (You just know he’s already taught his three young children to do just that.)
On the night I made LoRé’s Semolina Penne I paired it with their Meatball Sauce. Made with Alex’s grandmother’s all-beef meatball recipe, the rich and pleasantly spiced tomato sauce was generously studded with both large and small meatball chunks. The meaty sauce clung to the ridges of the penne, spilling into the tubes and creating a burst of flavorful sauce with each bite.
For dessert, I served LoRé’s Apple Pie Panna Cotta. The rich creaminess of the panna cotta was the perfect base for their seasonal apple pie topping. It was an immediate hit with their customers. Look for it and a Pear Panna Cotta this winter.
On Fridays, Mario says, they also bake several types of focaccia. Ordering ahead for any of their pastas, sauces and specialties is recommended. But just because LoRé’s website (www.lorepasta.com) says an item is sold out, Mario says, that may not always be. “If you come in and the item you want is sold out,” he says, “give us 1020 minutes and we’ll make it for you.”
Now that’s what I call magic! Buon Appetito!
LoRé Pasta Shop is located at 21 East Broad Street in Hopewell, NJ. For more information, call 609-460-9009 or visit www.lorepasta.com.v
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food,
and travel. On the night I made LoRé’s Semolina Penne I paired it with their Meatball Sauce.
Upper Bucks County
Historic small towns and villages connected by country roads that run beside farms, forests, lakes and rolling hills is Upper Bucks County where the old provides a setting for shopping, dining and entertainment. Visit Upper Bucks!
Imagine iconic villages surrounded by rolling hills presenting historic stone farmhouses, barns, open space, parks, and it’s very own Vansant airport where you see vintage biplanes fly above the Delaware river. Then think of new shops, upscale boutiques, fine restaurants, breweries, artists and artisans. Your imagination has taken you to Upper Bucks County. Here we see small farms, baled hay and shoppers scurrying in and out of stores shopping. The contrast seems almost stark; cosmopolitan and small-town, commercial and rural, historic and modern. This is why Upper Bucks County
with its deep roots in the past, scenic countryside, glistening river and bountiful farms is a tourist destination that caters to lovers of natural beauty and up-to-date culture, art, cuisine and fashion.
The towns in Upper Bucks County are connected to each other by state and county roads which traverse the rural countryside. Although there is similarity between them, they each have their own history and character. Take a drive up there and visit the shops and businesses on the attached two pages and enjoy it!
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Upper Bucks County
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Let it Snow
A PHOTO ESSAY BY
BOBBY WAITE
Snow highlights what we love about our county. The white backdrop, not only gives a special credence to our decorated landmarks but also gives us contrast as we drive through the idyllic countryside on back roads. Santa arrives at New Hope train station ready for a busy season. Fonthill is dressed for the holidays and memories are made through photography.
A winter’s drive in the snow through Upper Bucks County may take us through the Loux Covered Bridge or by historic farms and we may even see a bright red barn framed in snow and bolstered by a stone wall. New Hope’s empty streets bring us back centuries when a light snow shows us that it still retains its small rural town character. We are nourished by scenes of snowfall in the county. So, let it snow!
Why We Need Financial Planners
Financial planning is more complicated today than ever before which is why you need someone to advise you on how to plan for your family’s financial future and help manage your wealth |
By Bill Waite
Bucks County is a great place to live, raise a family and retire. A place that we all love.
Yet, Bucks County has undergone many changes since we began publishing Bucks County Magazine 33 years ago. Bucks County grew. Our towns have spread beyond their borders and many new businesses have arrived. There has been both economic and population growth throughout the
county. We have handled the growth well through township planning commissions, the Heritage Conservancy and land trust organizations who wanted to keep the picturesque historic towns and rural countryside intact, while acknowledging that growth is inevitable. This could only be done by planning for the growth.
Analogous to this is an understanding of how im-
GUIDE TO FINANCIAL PLANNING
portant financial planning is to your financial future. With proper planning your goals can be obtained. These goals may change along the way but without planning we really can’t realize them.
I can remember when we all had piggy banks. Putting a few nickels, dimes and pennies in it over time accumulated enough for that extra money you could use on a family vacation. And it taught children how to save for something they really wanted. It showed us the benefit we could enjoy by saving up for something.
When it comes to financial planning, saving is only part of the equation. Financial planning is, in fact, more complicated today than ever before, Which is why you need someone to guide and explain to you what the best scenarios for your specific individual needs. A good advisor can help in even the most complex life planning situations.
Some already have wealth and are interested in a wealth manager to make sure they maintain their money and grow it over time. While many are just starting out and want to start an IRA or Roth. While some think
about a plan for their business, retirement, college education, life insurance, investments and taxes.
Planning for the future and making some financial goals can encompass many things including your business, liabilities, real estate, life insurance and estate planning. A financial plan is best handled by a financial advisor. A good financial advisor understands it’s about life planning using a well-balanced plan to achieve your goals. And they help you make realistic goals. Whether it’s putting aside a monthly savings or investing or balancing out your portfolio that you currently have. An advisor will work with you to determine your risk level.
A financial planner can make recommendations on retirement planning, education financing, insurance policies, investments, taxes, real estate, long term healthcare, building wealth and so much more.
Every step in the course of our lives involves financial decisions: getting married, having children, buying a house, inheriting money, retirement, education, health and life insurance and many others. The right financial advisor can keep you on the right track to make your
At WhiteCliff Wealth Management, our clients always come first. We focus on aligning financial strategies with your unique aspirations, ensuring every decision supports your lifestyle and goals. When you feel truly confident in your financial future, we know we have fulfilled our mission.
As a fiduciary, I always put your interests first! Utilizing a goals-based approach coupled with our proprietary investment models allows clients to feel secure and empowered about their financial futures. Aligning your strategies with personal aspirations, you are not just managing wealth, but also building confidence. Your complete financial picture is documented in a financial plan and reviewed annually to ensure your lifestyle remains secure, even as circumstances change. If there is anything specific you would like to discuss or elaborate on, feel free to contact me!
GUIDE TO FINANCIAL PLANNING
We strive to provide excellence in all that we do for our clients. John takes a holistic Planning Aproach.
John’s goal is to help you protect your assets, manage your family wealth, and ultimately achieve your wealth transfer goals. He works closely with you to determine the most effective strategy for your estate planning needs.
His wealth management and retirement planning philosophies are rooted in his belief in developing a relationship with you based on his personal values of integrity and transparency. With 25 years of experience, he does his utmost to understand your deepest concerns and priorities.It’s a process through which he strives to know you, your goals and dreams. This helps him to make recommendations and design a flexible plan that is uniquely yours. What makes John different? He listens and he cares pure and simple. He believes each person’s situation is unique. Therefore, his recommendations are never a one-size-fits-all approach to planning.
This means examining your overall financial situation, helping you set goals and assisting you with determining an asset allocation that is in-line with your goals. John will monitor your portfolio as you progress toward your goals while reviewing your financial situation simultaneously. His primary goal is to be available and accessible to you to provide insightful advice.
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dream come true. They create a strategy designed specifically for you. And they work with you to keep you on the right path in the good and bad times of life.
Wealth management is protecting your wealth. Sounds simple. However, it requires an expert wealth manager who usually handles investment management, financial planning, estate planning, retirement planning, accounting and life insurance. Their job is to grow and protect the wealth you accumulated or a large sum of inheritance you received. They are skilled in managing portfolios and reducing tax impact while building wealth.
This process involves you and the financial planner in developing a plan. The Financial Planning Association defines a plan as “The output of a collaborative process between client and advisor that helps maximize a client’s potential for meeting their individual life goals. The plan provides financial advice that integrates relevant elements of the client’s personal and financial circumstances.”
Maybe start with how in our early years we often think of retirement as being a long way off, so we don’t really put a plan together. We tend to think about immediate needs
for our family like housing, education, life insurance and healthcare. These are all elements of a financial plan, but retirement tends to be pushed aside. As the saying goes—”Tme flies.” So, a good financial advisor can keep you on track, so you don’t neglect any aspects of your future financial security.
It’s always good to do your homework when choosing a financial planner. Decide what services you need. A retirement plan, investment strategy, life insurance, tax planning, estate planning, wealth management or other services.
Put a list of questions that you would like answered on paper before talking to financial planner. They could include asking about their experience, the costs, the advisor’s areas of specialization, the services they offer and the areas that you need the most help.
Building wealth is something you can do over time. It takes a lot of planning, investing and saving. And, once you build wealth, good wealth management allows you to build on it, manage your risk, and plan for the future.
Bill Waite is the publisher of Bucks County Magazine.
John Crowley MBA, FRC - CEO Licensed in 17 states
Jason Weckerly is the owner and lead advisor of Montgomery Wealth Management, LLC. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), holds an MBA in Finance from La Salle University, and a BA from Temple University. Before beginning Montgomery Wealth, hew worked in Malvern, PA as a Series 7 licensed securities broker at Vanguard, serving clients in various roles at the world’s 2nd largest financial institution by AUM. He moved on to Fidelity, where he had the privilege of managing a book of just under 300 clients. Jason began Montgomery Wealth to form deeper relationships with clients and offer his clients more options through an open architecture suite. He wanted to remove any “sales” from his process, and instead, serve his local community with thorough financial planning, effective strategies for growth, true tax planning, and an often overlooked asset – transparency.
Retirement Income Planning • Tax Efficiency through Deferral and Elimination
Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits • Fundamental Analysis (Equities)
Suitability of Tax Vehicles for Long Term Savings • Estate Planning
Small to Medium Size Business Structure and Management • Economic Forecasting
Protection Vehicles • Bonds and Money Market Funds
Jason considers himself both an educator and collaborator. He teaches his clients not to be afraid of jargon by breaking down complexities to their simplest elements. Jason also considers it necessary to give back to his local community. He is an active sponsor of Montgomery Township Baseball and Softball Assoc. where his daughter Ellie (8) and son Nate (10)are involved. He has also worked with Big Brothersand Big Sisters of Bucks County, and the local IRSVITA program.
Elissa Gore
Getaway /Bob & Tanya Waite
Visiting Neptune’s Domain
Tanya and I were awed by the imposing 26-foot of Neptune that overlooked the boardwalk, delighted by the view from our balcony and fell in love with Virginia Beach’s orange sand and deep blue water
It’s a beautiful Indian Summer day and only a few days before Halloween that we leave our Langhorne home to take that six-hour drive to Virginia Beach. By 10 a.m. we are all packed and on our way. We both eagerly anticipate the Chesapeake Tunnel Bridge. The last time Tanya traveled to Virginia Beach was decades ago. Same with me, although in my twenties, I used to take that bridge regularly when I worked for
a company that had a branch in Norfolk, Virginia. All I remember about Virginia Beach is the beautiful orangish beige fine sand that contrasts with the deep blue Atlantic.
As we approach the Tunnel bridge, Tanya is all eyes. She says, “Look at the boats.” I point out an oil barge. She is amused by seagulls sitting on posts, each equidistant from the other. We see sailboats, fishermen in small boats and soon land disappears, and
Opposite top, King Neptune statue, 26 feet tall with his back to the sea, keeps watch on the boardwalk as Tanya and I are standing in front of him to give the reader a sense of his size. Above a scene of the Virginia Beach boardwalk running alongside hotels and the carousel outside the Carousel Hotel. Center left, a view of the king-size bed in our room at the Marriot Courtyard Virginia Beach Ocean South. Center right, a view of the beach and ocean from the south end of Virginia Beach. Bottom left, Crabcake dinner at CP Shuckers Cafe & Raw Bar. Bottom right, Statues at the Naval Aviation Monument Park, which is next door to the Marriot Courtyard.
all we can see is the horizon and the bridge ahead of us. We leave the 17.6 mile bridge tunnel and are again on dry land. The directions from our Maps app take us by large rental homes on the beach and then hotels, restaurants, beachwear stores, small taverns and oyster bars. We get to 25th Street and we are at the Marriot Courtyard Virginia Beach Ocean South. Our room is on the tenth (top) floor with a glorious ocean view.
Tanya and I immediately put down our suitcases and sit on the balcony that overlooks the beach and ocean. The con-
At first I think Goth has come back in style, but after seeing someone looking just like Wednesday Addams walking past us, I realize that all the wait staff are dressed in costume as are some of the guests.
crete boardwalk is below us and the beach is still occupied with sunbathers, beach walkers, a man with a metal detector and even a few swimmers. Tanya says, “It’s too cold to swim.” I told her the water temperature is probably warm. But still the air is only 66 degrees. Sitting there we enjoy each other. Our conversation about this trip and many others we took continues for a couple of hours. So, we unpack and look for a restaurant. The desk clerk recommends CP Shuckers, only two blocks away.
Our hotel is right next to the Naval Aviation Monument Park. So we have to marvel at the incredible statuary before going out to eat. Best described by visitvirginiabeach.org: “The monument represents the culmination of an eight-year undertaking by NAF's Hampton Roads Squadron, supported by the City of Vir-
ginia Beach. View the six larger-than-life bronze sculptures with action-oriented presentations depicting three historic eras in naval aviation. The Monument graces a plaza encompassing 16,000 square feet at the intersection of 25th Street and Atlantic Avenue, adjacent to the Norwegian Lady monument, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.”
While admiring this incredible installation, two women stopped to talk to us. They were attending a Christian women’s conference and spoke to us for about five minutes. Tanya hugged them both. And so did I, after they asked my wife for permission. They say that they are old school and Tanya, an old schooler herself, smiles.
As we approach CP Shuckers Cafe & Raw Bar we see the outdoor dining, which is packed, but as we turn the corner, we find the door to the indoor dining. Neither of us want to sit outside and eat. It is getting cooler, around 60 degrees, so we go inside. At first I think Goth has come back in style, but after seeing someone looking just like Wednesday Addams walking past us, I realize that all the wait staff are dressed in costume as are some of the guests. Our waitress, Jessica, is dressed as the White Rabbit from “Alice in Wonderland.” Rock music from the 80s’ is pounding over the speakers and people are having a good time, especially those around the standing-room-only bar. We order drinks and order Dynamite Shrimp as an appetiser. It is delicious.
For her entrée Tanya orders the Crab Cake Dinner ( Two broiled lump/backfin crabcakes served with seasonal vegetables and wild rice) and I order the NY Strip Steak, served with broccoli and wild rice. The crabcakes make Tanya smile. They are full of crabmeat. My steak is big and tender and cooked medium rare. We enjoy the meal. After dinner we walk back towards the hotel.
Across from the Courtyard Hotel is Sunsations, that bills itself as a beach department store. All the prices are slashed. Summer is over and everything is on sale. We enter, looking for swimwear. The store
Holiday Pops!
is big. Tanya is going one way and I am going in another direction. I hear Tanya from across the store saying in a loud voice, “ Babe, babe!” So I begin looking for her. I am yelling, “Where are you?” She yells back, “Over here!” I ask in a louder voice, “Where?” Finally I find her and she wants me to tell her how she will look in a certain swimsuit. I shout, “Good!” She says, “You don’t have to yell.” So, it goes on like that for about a half an hour. We leave with swimsuits, a covering, two pairs of beach footwear, a Virginia Beach long sleave tee shirt and a bag of candy.
We wake up late on Sunday morning and I run down to the snack bar and get coffee and a couple of toasted bagels. We go on YouTube to watch our church service, since we cannot be there. We listen to our pastor preach and we both miss the people at Olney Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Afterwards we read from the Bible, pray and get dressed, as is our custom every day.
We take a ride around a residential area and see gorgeous homes, some in the Williamsburg style, others that look like manors with columns and electric gates, and a few are so hidden by shrubbery that driving by we can only catch a glimpse. We come to a very small movie theatre called Beach Cinema Alehouse that offers a movie with full dinners and microbrews. We looked at what is playing and decide not to go. Besides we have a reservation at Waterman’s Surfside Grill adjacent to the southern boardwalk.
Our waitress, Anna, comes immediately taking an order for drinks. We know what we want for an appetizer, so we order Flash Fried Calamari with banana peppers and orange chipotle sauce. It comes to us almost instantly and is fresh and tender. She takes our order for entrées. Tanya orders the blackened fish of the day, blackened and served with cilantro, lime rice and sauteed veggies (broccoli). Deviating from my usual order of steak, I order Waterman’s Original Pasta, a filling blend of shrimp, scallops, pork sausage, red bell peppers, onions, cavatappi and Cajun
We eat and are pleasantly surprised by the food and it’s presentation. My pasta dish did not look like too much, but it was. I am full. Tanya never asked what fish of the day is, but she loved it. We still do not know. We are done, except I remember when my son at the age of 8 could not finish his supper, so I told him that he must not have room for ice cream. Then he presented to me his two-stomach lesson in anatomy. He said, “My dinner stomach is full, but my dessert stomach is empty. A doting father, I gave him the ice cream. So, I am in that condition—I want something in my dessert stomach. Tanya is not sure about this, since she doesn’t believe that she has anymore than one stomach. We
We wake up late on Sunday morning and I run down to the snack bar and get coffee and a couple of toasted bagels.
order The Perfect Crush Cake, which is a soft and fluffy cake, made perfectly with Waterman Spirits’ The Perfect Crush vodka. It is delicious. Tanya, after eating half of this dessert discovers to her surprise that she really does have two stomachs.
As the day drifts away and evening displays the city’s lights, we think about swimming in the indoor pool. After all we bought swim suits and I got two for the price of one. We are ready to go to the pool, but in the pool are a bunch of marines on leave, and Tanya being shy about wearing a bathing suit, gives me the look that says, “Not now.” I defer to her demur demeanor and we retire to our room. Fortunately for us, the movie Seabiscuit is playing on one of the premium channels. The movie leaves us both teary eyed and we decide to sit on the balcony for a few minutes and then retire for the night.
We wake up early and decide to go
out for breakfast. We drive inland until we find our favorite breakfast spot, IHOP. Now, by my choices you can tell that I am not a breakfast gourmet and Tanya hardly likes to eat breakfast, but we both like to eat a late breakfast. So it unusual that we would be in an IHOP at 9 a.m., but here we are.
We are greeted at the door by Jessica, who is a hostess and Waitress. So she seats us and asks us what we would like to drink. We eat. I have steak and eggs and Tanya has a combination breakfast. It is not too busy and we sit and talk. On the way out Tanya hugs Jessica and we go back to the hotel, but we stay outside. It is time to walk north on the boardwalk, since we already walked south.
About a half mile up the boardwalk is the remarkable King Neptune statue. It is described by www.visitvirginiabeach.com: “Created by artist Paul DiPasquale, King Neptune stands 26 feet tall, sun reflecting off his frame, wave-inspired curls cast in bronze. He is the son of Saturn, Lord of the Sea. He is King Neptune, and with a majestic presence only he can muster, he presides over Virginia Beach’s newest oceanfront park. Located at 31st and Atlantic, Neptune’s Park is the third venue of its kind along the resort strip. Like its sisters at 17th and 24th Streets, it’s a setting for entertainment, as well as a place for people to congregate, to stroll, or to stop and enjoy the view. And what a view it is.”
We reach the statue after passing hotels, restaurants and bars. Beside us is the Atlantic Ocean sparkling in the sun. The sand is gorgeous, glistening in the sun. It is a little windy and about 60 degrees, so there is no one on the beach and only a few on the boardwalk. We feel small next to this huge figure holding a trident, who is surrounded by sculpted fish, dolphins and other sea creatures. We ask someone to take our photo and are pleased by his readiness and thank him profusely.
We walk further up the boardwalk and back towards our hotel. Along the way we see another statue of a large conch.
Again we are aided by a passerby who gladly takes a photo of us by this giant shellfish.
We do not see all the attractions and cultural sites, but we will when we visit again. Some that are recommended by the nice woman at the Virginia Beach Visitors Center are the Princess Anne Wildlife Center located at Munden Road, which serves as one of the major waterfowl hunting areas in the state. “Four tracts, totaling 1,546 acres, make up the Princess Anne Wildlife Management Area. Located on the western shore of Back Bay, a slightly brackish body separated from the Atlantic Ocean by False Cape.” For more information, visit www.dwr.virginia.gov.
Another place for outdoor recreation is Stumpy Lake Natural Area, which is a forest with 1.7 miles of trails and overlooks of a cypress-lined lake that provides the opportunity to observe songbirds, woodpeckers, wading birds, waterfowl, butterflies and dragonflies. For more information visit www.VBgov.com/cityparks.
There are whale watching boats that leave from boardwalk and there are fishing boats too. Virginia beach has several fishing piers and lots of beach to surf cast. There are art galleries, museums and a self-guided African American History tour. And this only scratches the surface.
There are several websites to visit before planning a trip to Virginia Beach. They are www.visitvirginiabeach.com, www.virginia.org and www.virgini abeach.guide.
It is our day to check out. A six hour drive lies ahead of us, so we leave early thinking that our three night stay is not long enough. Nonetheless, we leave and are looking forward to another crossing of the Chesapeake Tunnel Bridge. It is a sunny day. We talk about trip on the way home and begin to look forward to being back in our all-time favorite place—Bucks County.v
Bob Waite is the editor of Bucks County Magazine and Tanya is his wife, travel companion and the co-writer of this department.
Bucks County Magazine’s SENIOR LIFESTYLES
With the current advances in medicine and a greater awareness of fitness and nutrition, people are living decades longer than they were in previous generations. It is becoming common for people to live into their 90s and beyond. This brave new world has its upsides and its downsides. Having a long period of time after retirement gives us time to do many of the things we wanted to do when we were building careers and taking care of our homes and children. Now free time is available to travel, write, paint, go to the theater, join clubs, give back to the community by volunteering and list can continue. The downside, however is that many of our faculties diminish as we age. No matter how hard we exercise our bodies lose strength, our hearing and eyesight diminishes and we become
Iforgetful, sometimes as a result of normal aging and sometimes from more serious causes.
Aging can be thought of as a continuum from being able to live on our own to needing various degrees of help. This continuum begins with independent living, then assisted living, and then total care. Not everyone goes through all three stages, and many elders are independent up into their nineties. But even with this group, often widowed, there can be isolation and loneliness that can cause anxiety and even depression. These people need friendship, community and things to keep their mind and bodies active.
Aging nowadays is often something we face twice—with our parents and with ourselves. The sunset years are a good time but they can take a toll on families, especially when disabilities and memory challenges are added to the mix. The
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EXPERIENCE PENNSWOOD
magine a welcoming and vibrant Life Plan Community for individuals 65 and older that offers maintenance-free living, financial security and a continuum of healthcare, as well as an abundance of lifelong learning opportunities. For nearly 45 years, Pennswood Village has been such a community, one that is focused on the wellbeing of its residents, and guided by Quaker principles of equality, integrity, peace and community. At Pennswood, our residents are able to thrive by living their lives to the fullest, while enjoying the modern amenities, activities and surroundings that our community has to offer.
Pennswood Village features an 82-acre campus, with bucolic meadows and trails, located within historic Bucks County, PA in close proximity to Princeton, Philadelphia and NYC. Beautifully designed modern apartments with spacious open floor plans.Exceptional array of campus features, including a Community Center, fine dining, lap and heated pools, fitness center and exercise classes, art galleries, library, woodworking shop, garden and greenhouses. A wide variety
of enriching resident-run programs and activities and a comprehensive continuum of onsite healthcare.
From the natural beauty of our campus and meadows, to the exceptional modern amenities of our homes and community center; from the vibrant cultural, social and intellectual engagement, to the care and compassion provided by our staff, Pennswood Village is the ideal community to begin and continue your exciting journey in life.
AAt Pine Run Village, a sense of belonging isn’t just a theme – it’s the very heart of the community.
Located in Doylestown, Pine Run offers an inviting retirement living experience where every Villager feels valued, supported and celebrated. The self-named Villagers enjoy independence, vibrant social connections and a full range of wellness support. Friendships flourish, passions thrive and new experiences await.
Pine Run Village offers a tight-knit community experience with opportunities for personal enrichment and recreation. Imagine spending your days participating in art classes, book clubs, fitness activities and nature walks on the beautiful grounds. The community’s Lifelong Learning Program opens doors to new skills and hobbies, with expert-led classes tailored to a wide range of interests.
Pine Run Village also stands out for its people-centered philosophy. Here, every resident is empowered to lead a life that is active and fulfilling. Whether you enjoy lively social gatherings or quiet time in peaceful surroundings, there is a place for you at Pine Run.
Discover a place where community means connection. Where you’re always welcomed with open arms. Discover Pine Run Village.You Belong, Here. Learn more about Pine Run Village at www.psl.org/pinerun.
Christ’s Home is one of the few organizations in the country to offer an array of life-enhancing services for both senior adults and children. Christ’s Home delivers on its mission statement every day and in every way. “The heart of Christ’s Home is to serve the Lord by providing services to senior adults and disadvantaged children in an atmosphere graced with love, dignity, compassion, and respect.”
Christ’s Home was founded in 1903 as a faith-based, nondenominational organization caring for children in Philadelphia. In 1923, Christ’s Home purchased Saint Stephen’s Farm in Warminster and opened a retirement community to meet the needs of senior adults in the area.
Currently, Senior Services offers living options for senior adults including independent living cottages, suites, and apartments; personal care apartments; a skilled rehabilitation and nursing unit; and a memory care unit with private rooms. Christ’s Home has been recognized by US News and World Report as a five-star health facility and by the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid as a fivestar choice for post-surgical care.
Ground will be broken soon on a major expansion which will include new opportunities and amenities for independent living residents to grow and thrive. There will be 30 new independent living suite apartments. The apartments will include a combination of two-bedroom units and two-bedroom units with a den. There will
also be a large, two-story atrium lobby with a fireplace and seating. The current dining facility will be enlarged to include fine dining. Outside of the dining area will be a large outdoor patio with many features. Smyth Hall will be expanded to provide seating for approximately 180 people. A new physicians’ office suite will be added, where physicians and specialists associated with Doylestown Hospital will treat residents, as well as local patients. There will also be a small movie theater and a community room. If you are interested in joining the Christ’s Home community and reserving one of the few remaining suite apartments, please contact Mary Thompson at 215-956-1802 or mthompson@christ shome.org.
SENIOR LIFESTYLES
BUCKS COUNTY ELDER LAW GETS PERSONAL
At Bucks County Elder Law, we get personal, and we are proud of it. That’s what separates us from other Elder Law Firms. When you call Bucks County Elder Law, we ask a lot of questions, learn about your concerns and goals and get to know what’s keeping you awake at night. This continues when you walk into the office. Bucks County Elder Law’s Attorneys take the time to explore your concerns. We educate you on the law and how it applies to your specific issues. We value you as a client and provide personalized service to you and your family. Every client receives guidance and the appropriate plan for their individual needs.
Nothing is “Cookie Cutter”. While other Law Firms use a “one size fits all” approach, where everyone gets the same plan, Bucks County Elder Law does not. The plan that is developed for you is customized to your specific situation. Then we go one step further our Care Advocates works with you to assure the plan is followed. Our motto is “We stay in touch, we follow through. We check in on you and we are always here to answer your questions.”
Going above and beyond is what makes Bucks County Elder Law unique. Henry A. Carpenter II, Esq. has been practicing Elder Law for over 35 years. As a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), Henry has the expertise you need to accomplish your goals.
Call to schedule your complementary, no obligation, initial consultation. Meet our friendly, knowledgeable and caring staff.
“We want you to feel comfortable with us so you know that we are the right people for your job. Yes, we get personal. It’s our responsibility to learn more about you to find the appropriate solution to your problems. We care about you and are proud to consider you part of our family.”
Bucks County Elder Law is located in the Makefield Executor Quarters, 301 Oxford Valley Road, Suite 101B, Yardley, PA. Visit us at www.buckscountyelderlaw.com or call 215-493-0727.
SENIOR LIFESTYLES
MEMORY CARE IS ALL WE DO
Arden Courts Memory Care Community in the greater Philadelphia area, is located on Stony Hill Road in Yardley, PA. We cater to the special needs of our residents with memory loss. Staffed by specially trained caregivers, Arden Courts cares for individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Our Yardley community features friendly common areas, a welcoming kitchen space and family rooms and walking paths within enclosed courtyards, all designed for the safety and comfort of our residents.
Many families providing long-term care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related type of dementia express a desire for relief from caregiving. For loved ones living with memory loss, the benefits of respite care include a new stimulus, the chance to interact with new people, and the opportunity to share new and different experiences. Respite care is flexible. Call us for more information about respite care for your loved one. For information contact Arden Courts at 215-565-5881 or visit arden-courts.org/Warminster.
SENIOR LIFESTYLES
CARE PATROL
We are the nation’s largest and most trusted senior living placement organization with over 150 Local Senior Care Advisors throughout the country. We assess each client’s care level needs, financial needs and general preferred locations to recommend the best independent living, assisted living, memory care and in-home care options.Our services are available at no cost to you, as we are paidby tens of thousands of quality pre-vetted providers across the nation.
CarePatrol specializes in guiding families to find the right care option and solution for a senior loved one. Our services encompass advocacy, consultation, and education to ensure a smooth transition into Independent and Assisted Living, In-Home Care and Memory Care. Services are provided at no cost to families they assist.
For finding the right option in the Lehigh Valley, Upper Bucks Doylestown region contact Care Patrol at 510-5090445. We’re here to help you with options that will fit your needs.
Living Care Home Services is the oldest home care company in the state of PA to receive a license from the PA Department of Health. We offer reliable in-home personal care services, 24/7 live-in care, concierge transportation, case management, home modifications and many more supportive services to families in our Bucks County communities. Call today! We take the worry out of caring for someone you love
We have been in business since 2001!
A CARING FAMILY
Living Care Home Services is Family Owned and Family Oriented. We are not a franchise nor are we owned by a parent company in another state. This allows us the freedom to provide services in any location a family wishes us to go. We work for our clients and change what we do to meet your needs. We are not bound by decisions based on the bottom line. If we don’t have the right person to meet your needs, we will tell you so at the time of intake. Matching the correct caregiver to your individual needs is essential in creating a positive relationship from the beginning.
Family values are especially important to our family of caregivers. All our caregivers are highly skilled, dedicated, and compassionate. They care for and about their clients.
SENIOR LIFESTYLES
BRIDGING FAITH, COMMUNITY, AND CARE
Short - term, long - term, and respite stays
Personal care and independent living
Spacious synagogue on - site •
CREATING A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP
Living Care Home Services is Family Owned and Family Oriented. We are not a franchise nor are we owned by a parent company in another state. This allows us the freedom to provide services in any location a family wishes us to go. We work for our clients and change what we do to meet your needs. We are not bound by decisions based on the bottom line. If we don’t have the right person to meet your needs, we will tell you so at the time of intake. Matching the correct caregiver to your individual needs is essential in creating a positive relationship from the beginning.
Family values are especially important to our family of caregivers. All our caregivers are highly skilled, dedicated, and compassionate. They care for and about their clients.
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generation who is assisting their parents are often themselves in the process of downsizing and planning for their own sunset years.
Our Senior Lifestyles section presents a variety of living situations from retirement apartments that allow for independent living on campuses that offer care along a continuum of assisted living to total care. All the options that we explore in this section offer residents a sense of community and active living according to the circumstances of each resident.
In our section you can learn about options. It is all about options for a variety of situations that include such things as on campus food service, outings into the community, cultural programs, transportation and continuing education. In our area aging can be done purposefully and with dignity. Living situations are now staffed with professionals who offer rehabilitation, recreation and medical care. Lifestyle can make a difference, so it can never be too early to think about these things for ourselves and those we love. Aging does not have to be something to dread, but rather can be another step in our development.
Restaurants with Taste / Frank D.Quattrone
Geronimo’s Peruvian Cuisine
Perched majestically above you in the front dining room of Geronimo’s Peruvian Cuisine is an outsized photo of Machu Picchu, the iconic 15th century Inca fortress rightly dubbed a wonder of the modern world. The image couldn’t be more appropriate for what is arguably the only authentic Peruvian restaurant in the Phil-
They and their staff take pride in “educating” guests on the culinary culture of their homeland, with its extensive coastal fisheries, Andes Mountain delicacies, and fertile inland farmlands. Perhaps with just a touch of hyperbole, Daniel boasts that “there are 3,500 types of potatoes in Peru, which are very popular in many of our dishes.” Take, for example, the “Appetizer
we enjoyed (as part of our first course) the Leche de Tigre, a ceviche “cocktail” of wild sea bass and calamari, dusted with cilantro and choclo, a large-kernel variety of Andean field corn.
Situated at the near end of a host of international restaurants along Butler Avenue, the heart of Ambler’s popular entertainment district, Geronimo’s opened in 2021, quickly attracting a loyal following. The reasons are clear. Eager to open their first restaurant, co-owners Daniel Salazar and his brother, executive chef and coowner Benjamin Salazar, natives of Lima, Peru, chose this location because they recognized the adventuresome taste choices of the visitors and residents of Ambler.
Huancaina, an Andean potato dressed with a yellow cream sauce, queso fresco, a hard-boiled egg, and a touch of spicy Peruvian cheese sauce.
And then there is ceviche, a classic Peruvian appetizer consisting of raw fish marinated in citrus (usually lime) juice, which literally “cooks” the fish, firming the flesh and turning it opaque. Onions, tomatoes, and peppers are often added to the marinade. During our most recent visit, on a drizzly mid-autumn Saturday evening,
Speaking of corn, all visitors to Geronimo’s—named after the Salazars’ 94year-old grandfather—will find at their table a complimentary bowl of crunchy, better known as Peruvian popcorn.
Daniel Salazar suggested that we launch our meal with Tequeños, a popular appetizer in his homeland served to any guests who visit. These are delectable deep-fried wonton wrappers filled with queso fresco and topped with huancaina sauce.
For our Appetizer del Mar (of the sea), we had the perfectly prepared Pulpo al Oliva, tender grilled octopus served over Botija olive sauce (especially popular in
Photos: Paul Wesley
Buttonwood Grill
On the cusp of its popular annual Apple Festival, Buttonwood Grill was up to its old tricks. Executive Chef Kevin Herbe had already trotted out his seasonal specials menu, with all manner of creative apple-infused touches. For an appetizer, think Baked Brie, topped with honeyed pecans accompanied by apple cranberry chutney and crostini. (A favorite
board for ten of the restaurant’s fifteen years, first as sous chef and, for the past two-and-a-half years, as the kitchen’s head honcho. Humble and self-effacing, the chef admits that, even after years of helming the kitchen at several fine-dining restaurants, including William Penn Inn, “I love making comfort food well. You can call it upscale comfort food. I know what our guests like—our menu hasn’t essentially
with smoked Gouda, creamy horseradish, arugula, and red pepper—a dish we ordered as a starter but substantial enough to serve as an entrée.
We also ordered, for our actual entrée, the modestly named Lump Crab Cakes, two four-ounce crab cakes accompanied by a mound of mashed potatoes, crisp haricot verts, with a Dijon cream sauce and several dollops of delectable apple slaw.
at our most recent meal there!)
Or, arguably, the most popular burger at an eatery renowned for having among the best burgers in Bucks County—the Harvest Apple Burger, served with spinach, smoked bacon, smoked gouda, and homemade apple butter. Or, to help wet (or whet) your appetite, a tall glass of Green Apple Sangria, a refreshing blend of Moscato, pineapple juice, and Apple Pucker Liqueur.
Not bad, huh? Kevin has been on
changed—but over the years I’ve enjoyed adding my own little touches.”
Some of these touches are bold, as in the aptly named Inferno Burger, spiced with habañero salsa, smoked tomato aïoli, pepper jack, and fried jalapeño. Others are more subtle, as in Baja Fish Tacos, filled with blackened mahi mahi, shaved lettuce, shaved radish, guacamole, salsa fresca, and chipotle lime ranch dressing. During our most recent visit, we reveled in the Short Rib Flatbread, a taste sensation topped
It was another excellent meal at one of the eight restaurants at Peddler’s Village. This one, attached to the popular Golden Plough Inn, has been around for quite some time. Situated behind the stately buttonwood tree that gave the initial restaurant at this site its first name, it has also seen life as the Spotted Hog and Sweet Lorraine’s before reopening fifteen years ago.
Fun fact: Assistant General Manager Carolyn Trudu, who has been in the hospitality business for many years (she and
southern Peru), with avocado, roasted peppers, and toasted garlic bread. Our meal was accompanied by homemade Peruvian bread, with a special sweet quinceinfused butter dating back to Daniel and Benjamin’s childhood table.
Perhaps our favorite dish of the evening was the Causa Limeña, an artfully layered dish featuring potato puree squeezed with fresh lime juice, avocado, and crabmeat salad topped with shredded boiled eggs. A pre-Columbian dish reimagined during Peru’s civil war in the second half of the 19th century, it can also be layered with chicken, shrimp, or vegan alternatives.
But the crowning glory of most Peruvian restaurants—and Geronimo’s is no exception—is Pollo a la Brasa, a magnificent taste explosion starring a charcoaled whole chicken, marinated in herbs and spices for 24 hours, and served with a salad and a side of rice—a dish hearty and delicious and big enough to feed a small family! Developed by Swiss immigrants who fell in love with Peru, this wildly popular treat is now grilled on the original oven used in the 1950s that the Salazars
BUTTONWOOD GRILL
her husband once owned an Italian restaurant in Massachusetts called Mangia Bene, or “Eat Well”), recalls having had a dinner date years ago at the Spotted Hog. A resident of Richboro, she loves the friendly environment in the 250-seat restaurant, where she has worked alongside General Manager Jessica Reiter and Chef Kevin Herbe for the past three-and-a-half years, greeting guests and seeing to it that Buttonwood is fully amped and ready to go for the Village’s countless festivals, including the end-of-year Grand Illumination Festival, whose brilliant holiday lights will be on display every evening through early January.
The first course was your choice of House Salad, Caesar Salad, or Goat Cheese & Zucchini Fritters. The second in-
brought here to America just last year.
Good news for residents of Bucks County! The Salazars have just opened their second restaurant—Don Hector, where Pollo a la Brasa will be served “as a full experience,” according to the Salazars. Named after their father, Don Hector will first be available strictly for takeout and delivery. Here the charcoaled rotisserie chicken will be served with homemade Peruvian bread and paired with your choice of seven different side dishes, including various potatoes, pesto pasta, and more. Peruvian sanguches (sandwiches) will also be available.
Located in the Town Center of New Britain, Don Hector will be open seven days a week—Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 to 10. As of this writing, the website was still under construction, but you can check out Don Hector Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken (@donhectorusa) Instagram photos and videos.
Don Hector will be manned full-time by Benjamin Salazar, a self-taught chef who has worked in the industry for twenty-plus years, including at several
Montgomery County restaurants. The mantra of the gregarious brothers Salazar has always been: “Go with your heart. What we’re creating at Geronimo’s is a unique positive energy that reflects the warmth and hospitality of our culture and our homeland.” The same applies to the friendly, efficient staff, including Christine Delise and Summer Han, who made us feel like royalty rather than happy guests. Don’t miss this rare and wonderful Peruvian dining experience.
Geronimo’s Peruvian Cuisine is located at 131A E. Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA 19002; 215-6410900; www.geronimosambler.com. Open Sunday, 1–9 p.m.; Wednesday-Thursday, 4–9 p.m.; Friday, 4–10 p.m.; Saturday, 1–10 p.m.; Closed Monday & Tuesday. BYOB. Pollo a la Brasa available for takeout Wednesday through Sunday, 12:30–3 p.m. Reservations recommended. Don Hector is located at 420 Town Center, New Britain, PA. Open Sunday–Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. All takeout and delivery: Pollo a la Brasa and sanguches.
cluded your choice of Homestyle Meatloaf, Baja Fish Tacos, Vegetable Chili, Grilled Salmon, or Roast Chicken Linguini. And your dessert choice could have been Apple Crisp, Nina’s Dutch Chocolate Pretzel Ice Cream, or Cinnamon Bun Bread Pudding. Carolyn Trudu says that the restaurant will resume offering a similar Dinner Fixe menu sometime after the holidays.
Chef Kevin loves tweaking the restaurant’s longtime favorites as well as creating new specials. Eve and I loved our special seasonal dessert at our last meal here. It was the Apple Crumb Cake, a giant apple cider cupcake with a cinnamon streusel topping and vanilla custard on the side.
He for “survival.” Well, sort of. As much as he loves his parents, he recalls how uninspiring their TV dinners and canned
vegetables were. He said, with a laugh, “I knew there must be something better than this, so I started working in fast-food restaurants, went to culinary school in Pittsburgh, and then began working in several really good or fine-dining restaurants both there and then in this area, where I moved to in 2000.”
Visitors to Buttonwood Grille can expect to continue enjoying the restaurant’s warm service and lively atmosphere for years to come.
Buttonwood Grill is located in Peddler’s Village, ; 215-794-4000; www.buttonwoodgrill.com. Open Sunday–Thursday, a.m.–8:30 p.m., and Friday & Saturday, 11 to 9:30. Breakfast daily, 8–10 a.m. Full-service bar. Walk-ins only during festival weekends. Reservations recommended at other times.
Dining Out Guide
BUCKS COUNTY
Alessio’s Seafood Grille, 827 Easton Road, Warrington, PA 215-483-8500.
www.alessioseafoodgrille.com
Alessio’s Seafood Grille serves fresh, flavorful Italian seafood dishes prepared with the finest ingredients from around the world. Everything is made by hand in our restaurant everyday, from delicious appetizers and favorably sauces to our salad dressings and homemade Italian seafood specialties. Serving seafood, Italian dishes and pizza.
Baci Ristorante
Route 202 & 413, Buckingham, PA 215-794-7784
www.baciristorante.com.
A charming Bucks County fieldstone restaurant that offers fireside and balcony dining in the upstairs restaurant. Enjoy the Heart of the Oak Pub offering both the Pub menu and Baci’s menu. Serves Northern Italian cuisine including pasta, seafood, chicken, chops, veal and steak entrees. Facilities for weddings and
Winter Wonderland Light Display
Dinner with Santa
Wednesday, December 11th from 4:30 to 8:30. We will be offering our full ala carte dinner menu as well as our children's menu for kids 12 and under.
Photos with Santa are free to take. Complimentary Reindeer food and hot apple cider. Reservations Required. 609-882-0303.
Let us take you away by inspiring your imagination and thrilling your taste buds
1140 River Road • Ewing, NJ 08628
609-882-0303 • erinirestaurant.com
private parties up to 120. Extensive wine list and imported beers on tap in the Oak Pub. Online menus. Enjoy the piano bar on Friday and Saturday evenings. Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Menus online.Reservations accepted. Accepts major credit cards.
Charcoal BYOB
11 South Delaware Ave. Yardley, PA 215-493-6394 www.charcoalbyob.com
A neighborhood gem, since 1995, Charcoal has been crafting seasonal meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At Charcoal we experiment with modern culinary techniques while incorporating the classics.The room is casual and comfortable, entertaining both young families and long time regulars. In the evening, the music changes, candles are set out on the tables, and many diners show up with some of their favorite bottles of wine. Handmade pastas, the freshest seafood, Painted Hills beef, Griggstown Farm Chickens fried to order, and house made bread and desserts make any evening feel special. Charcoal BYOB is a family restaurant, with a bit of a modern twist.
Dining Out Guide
Ferndale Inn, 551 Churchill Road (Route 611), Ferndale, PA 18921; 610-847-2662; www.theferndaleinn.com.
Casual fine dining with Chef Karen Baron’ signature dishes that include jumbo lump crab au gratin, soft shell crabs, duck with green peppercorn-brandy cream, angel hair pasta with lobster, and creme brulee. Full bar. Online menus. Open for dinner Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 5–9 p.m.; Sunday 4–8 p.m. closed Tuesdays. Reservations accepted. Accepts Visa, MC, and American Express.
Golden Pheasant Inn
763 River Road
Erwinna, PA 18920
610-294-9595
www.goldenpheasantinn.com
Indulge in French-inspired cuisine, enhanced by the charm of Bucks County’s lush surroundings. With a commitment to seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients, each dish showcases fresh, vibrant flavors crafted by renowned chefs who blend
classic techniques with innovative touches. Signature dishes might include pan-seared duck breast, tender filet mignon, and elegant vegetable-forward creations, all accompanied by an extensive wine list curated to enhance the flavors of each course. Whether for a special celebration or a leisurely meal, dining at the Golden Pheasant Inn is an experience that celebrates the art of fine dining in an intimate, countryside setting.
McCoole’s at the Historic Red Lion Inn,
c 1750, corner of Main & Broad Quakertown, PA; 215-538-1776
www.mccoolesredlioninn.com
Upscale atmosphere for the working person’s wallet, featuring humanly raised, antibiotic and growth hormone free foods with cooperation of local farms. The best of live entertainment on weekends and Al fresco dining on the patio in season. Online and phone reservations available and suggested for weekend dining.
La Villa Pizza and Family Restaurant
Dining Out Guide
Country Inn Serving Fine & Casual Fare
We invite you to sample freshly prepared seasonal specials…
Come in and relax in our comfortable dining rooms featuring unique pieces of original art
Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat. dinner from 5pm • Sun. dinner from 4pm
Closed on Mon. & Tues.
Reservations Appreciated 610-847-2662
Rt. 611 and Churchill Road, Ferndale, PA 15 miles N. of Doylestown on Rt. 611 www.theferndaleinn.com
21 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Morrisville, PA
215-736-3113
www.lavilla-restaurant.com
La Villa is a family owned and operated restaurant. You will always receive the most pleasant and quick service. We offer the best in Italian Cuisine. Everything is prepared from scratch, from our Bruschetta to our Fettuccini Alla Villa. We have Trenton tomato pies. BYOB. Hours are Sunday Thursday 10 a.m.—10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.—11p.m. Weekday buffet 11a.m.—3 p.m. Major credit cards accepted.
Non Solo Pasta Ristorante
900 West Trenton Ave. Morrisville, PA; 215-736-0750
www.nonsolopasta.restaurant
Non Solo Pasta features creative Southern Italian cuisine with the delicate flavors of an authentic Italian kitchen. Our menu includes modern and original interpretations of handmade pastas, seafood, veal and other traditional dishes that maximize the flavors of seasonal fresh ingredients. Carry Out Premium Wine and Beer available.
Pineville Tavern
1098 Durham Road, Pineville, PA 215-598-3890
www.pinevilletavern.com
Since 1742, the Pineville has served the greater Philaselphia area, making us one of the country’s oldest operating taverns. Serving steaks, pasta, ribs, burgers, crab cakes and chicken. Upstairs, the
1742 Room is an intimate space that boasts vaulted ceilings, random-width pumpkin pine flooring, and a handcrafted farm table made from reclaimed wood. An ideal venue for business functions, birthdays, wine dinners, holidays, and showers.
Springtown Inn
3248 Main Street, Springtonw, PA 18981 610-346-7262
www.springtowninn.com
We offer a large selection of delicious, freshly made to order entrees and desserts at reasonable prices. Our friendly, professional staff provides exceptional customer service. Specialities include Prime Rib, Steak,Seafood and Chickenn. Tavern Menu and our famous Strawberry Shortcake.
Tonys Place
1297 Greeley Ave, Ivyland, PA 215-675-7275
www.tonysplaceivyland.com
Prepared by a world class culinary staff, the menu at Tony’s Place features a full array of small plates, sandwiches, salads, and entrees that are sure to delight. Our chefs have developed a menu that adapts to the seasons with locally sourced ingredients to satisfy your taste buds. Cocktail bar and entertainment.
T HE FIRST STEP TOWARDS A BEAUTIFUL , HEALTHY
SMILE IS TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.
Tooth Extractions • Anesthesia
Wisdom Teeth • Impacted Canines
Dental Implants • Bone Grafting
3D Imaging • Stem Cells
Doylestown Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
3655 Route 202 • Georgetown Crossing#210 Doylestown, PA | 215.345.6880 www.doylestownoralsurgery.com
Kathleen Herb Brower
D.M.D. M.D.
Staying Fit at Any Age
CROSSFIT INTO THE NEW YEAR!
by Vicky Paraxismos Waite
Ireceived the nice email from one of our longtime subscribers who had a Teeter FreeStep Cross Trainer. Usually when it comes to fitness equipment, I am on it. I know what's out there but honestly, this was a new one for me. I've never heard or seen anything on the FreeStep Cross Trainer. I didn't think much of it until Renata had called me on the phone. She made it sound quite impressive of all the things she went on to say about the Teeter FreeStep Cross Trainer. I was sold on the idea to meet up with Renata and wouldn't you know it? It worked out conveniently. She was from the Pocono mountains, and she lived only 10 minutes from our place up in the mountains. We were already penciled in on the calendar to head up there for the week for some quiet time. Timing was perfect. Bill drove me over, and he and Charile, Renalta’s husband hung out watching the Eagles game. Renata and I headed back to the room with the FreeStep Cross Trainer. Renata and Charlie have three dogs. Bill is allergic to dogs and here we have three! Every time Bill and Charlie yelled at the game on the television, all three came running to the back room me and Renata were in with their tails between their legs. Bill was doing most of the yelling and I think I know why. Meanwhile Renata was showing me the ropes on the Teeter FreeStep Cross Trainer. I was ready to give it a go.
exercising with ease! I'm starting off exploring the handlebars. You can adjust to an upright position to three other positions with these suregrip rubberized handles that target different muscle groups. The comfort select seat is another bonus with increased thickness, larger service area, depth and height adjusting and three position recliner features. The rubberized thread petals offer a softer durable grip surface for added cushioning, traction and control. With its natural stride it aligns the joints for better muscle engagement with less stress to the hips, knees, and ankles.
This is a full body workout free from joint pain. Actually the Teeter FreeStep is the only recumbent cross trainer with patented physical therapy technology. The dual power motion works your upper and lower body engaging in all major muscle groups. I chose from three recline settings for posture, muscle and comfort. I adjust the upper and lower body resistance to intense. The push pull handles are targeting my back and chest muscles. The Teeter FreeStep is designed to help develop muscle strength throughout the entire body while burning calories. Unlike other recumbent exercise machines that strain the joints, the Teeter FreeStep is so smooth, eliminating stress on the muscle groups.
It didn't look complicated, so I figured I would feel it out as I go. Right from the start so smooth and so quiet. This is
The FreeStep combines arm and leg power for a full body workout that gives muscle exertion so not one muscle group gets burned out by making the workout feel easier while burning more calories. The Freestep is made to solve all problems
that other cardio machines present to all those suffering from joint pain and at the same time getting a great total body workout. Handles upright, hands and thumbs over the top. I do the chest press. By focusing on the push, I alternate, pushing the handles away from my body with each arm. I avoid reinforcing the motion with the opposite arm. I try some leg exercises with the direction I pedal in will target different muscles in my legs. By pedaling forward I’m targeting the front of my legs. By me pedaling in a different direction will target the back of my legs. By me pedaling in a different direction will target the back of my legs and calves. There is also the single leg pedal exercise to isolate one leg and build strength and burn fat. List just goes on and on, all the exercises that you can do. You can do exercises that tackle your entire body, such as leg exercises like forward and reverse stepping motions to work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes along with upper body exercises by pushing and pulling the handles to engage your chest, back, biceps, and triceps while maintaining a focus on core engagement throughout your workout. You can just adjust the direction of the stepping motion to target specific muscle groups in your legs depending on your desired focus. There are countless variations for working out in the leg and arm positions. There are countless ways you can change your workout in terms of resistance and pace.
The Teeter FreeStep Cross Trainer comes with 21 pre-programmed workouts, such as cardio, cruising, uphill climb, fat burn, and interval programs. The Teeter Freestep move app is helpful to anyone with an ipad, iphone or android device. Download the app, place your device on the media rack and choose how you want to workout. Just a reminder: The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen. For information visit www.teeterfreestep.com. And, like with any other exercise program, consult your physician before beginning.
Sunset
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; Psalm 19:5-6 (NKJV)
