Musings

I moved to Harrisburg about 13 months ago.  Today as I was driving on Pennsylvania 581, with the sunroof open and windows down, singing along with Eddie Money and Ronnie Spector, I realized how happy I am. When I finished my master's degree in public policy, I wanted to use it to help rebuild Detroit, the city I truly love.  Of course, reality intervened, and there were no jobs in any field, let alone in a non-profit working to rebuild Detroit (there are quite a few of those).   You all know the story of how I ended up here, and I realize how incredibly fortunate I am.  And how my life was turned upside down in 2009, and I am a better, stronger, happier person than ever.  Life is so good.

My pictures today were taken at Hershey Gardens in (of course) Hershey, PA.  The gardens were originally on the grounds of the Milton Hershey mansion.  Milton founded The Hershey Company in 1894, when he developed a chocolate coating for caramel candies.  Ultimately, through mass production, he was able to make chocolate candy affordable, not just a luxury for the upper class.  I have periodically published pictures of Hershey, including my favorite, the roller coaster at night.

Hershey Gardens were established in 1937, when Milton Hershey wanted a garden to share his rose bushes with the public.  The garden was originally 3-1/2 acres of rose bushes.  By 1942, it had expanded to its current size, 23 acres.

I have never seen a perfect Lilypad until now.

Obviously these are roses!

Last but not least, the Royal Chocolate Distinction Poppy:

Tomorrow:  Baltimore.  I can't wait. Have a wonderful week!

Valley Forge

A couple weeks ago, I explored Valley Forge.

I have to be honest:  I don't remember much of what I learned about Valley Forge in U.S. History in high school  (my clearest memory is that my teacher reminded me of Mr. Magoo).  I do recall the story of the harsh winter and a lot of soldiers dying.

I learned quite a bit on my visit.  After the British captured Philadelphia in September of 1777, General George Washington retreated with his army of about 12,000 soldiers  to Valley Forge, about 18 miles west.  The site was strategically chosen on the western bank of the Schuykill River (this is pronounced skoolkill, but people say it so fast, it often sounds like skoocull) to prevent British troops from pushing farther into Pennsylvania.  The Americans were never challenged at Valley Forge, but it became their winter camp from December of 1777 till June 1778.

Although we've all heard the stories of starving and cold soldiers, that story is oversimplified.  An observer from the New Jersey Gazette reported visiting the camp and finding the soldiers building huts, a bridge over the river, and earthen forts called redoubts.  The observer stated that the soldiers were singing while they worked.  Most of the 2,000 who died in the encampment perished of dysentery, typhoid, and influenza during the spring.  Few died of exposure or starvation.

The months spent at Valley Forge were important to the American Revolution for 2 reasons:
First, in February 1778, a former Prussian General, Baron Friedrich von Steuben arrived in Valley Forge to train the colonial troops, with the result being a well-trained physically fit army.  Second, France recognized the United States as an independent country in May of 1778, and sent troops to help the Americans.  Together, the two events made the winter and spring in Valley Forge the turning point in the war.

The Valley Forge encampment was not preserved, and when George Washington returned 10 years later, found no trace of it.  The recreation of the site did not begin until 1877, 100 years after the encampment.


Reconstructions of the mud huts the soldiers lived in:

Interior of the mud huts.  These tiny buildings held 12 bunks:

General Anthony Wayne, one of the commanders at Valley Forge (and for whom the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana and many others were named):

Anthony Wayne was known to be eccentric and capricious, earning the nickname, "Mad Anthony Wayne."  He was singled out as a hero at the Battle of Monmouth.

Finally, the Memorial Arch, built in 1917.

Lancaster County

Hello, everyone!  I have been out taking pictures every weekend, but my vertigo, which comes and goes, exhausts me, so I spend less time online.  More tests to come!  For now, I am in physical therapy, hoping to learn how to stop it when it starts, or at least cope with it.

Since I last posted, I bought a wonderful camera, and I love the quality of the photos!

Today I drove to eastern Lancaster County.  Going back to my lessons in how to speak Pennsylvanian, Lancaster is pronounce LAN-cuss-ter, with the middle "a" sounding somewhere between the "u" in custard and the "i" in Kiss.  

Lancaster County is home to many Amish people, and the movie, Witness, was filmed there.  After visiting, I will probably watch it again tonight!

I read on the PA tourism site that State Road 23 through Lancaster County is a beautiful drive and only an hour from home, so I headed that way.  State Road 23 starts in western Lancaster County and goes all the way to Philadelphia.  The city of Lancaster itself deserves its own separate entry, and I will spend some time there in the next couple weeks.  

I saw my first Amish horse and buggy since I've been in PA.  I considered taking pictures of them, but thought it might be disrespectful.  

Traveling east from Lancaster, I drove through several smaller towns, then into farm country on these beautiful rolling hills.

This is outside New Holland, PA.  I have always thought of mountains as being too rocky for farmland, but obviously not.  It's clear from this picture that at some point, you cannot grow crops in the mountains.

This picture is across the road from the one above.  I love the silos in the middle of the hills.

Anxious to take more pictures, I found a side road that headed into the hills.  Although it wasn't marked, it was a private road into a farm.  No one was home (thankfully).  But ever since Field of Dreams, I have been fascinated by cornfields.  I really want to walk through a corn field when the stalks are taller than I.   Of course, I didn't, but I managed to take pictures of the rows of corn.  My mother used to say that corn should be "knee-high by the 4th of July." I found that to be true in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.  Corn season is much earlier here, and is already being sold on roadside stands.

One last photo, just because I love this picture.

Have a wonderful week!

A Question with No Immediate Answer

The past few weeks have been very tiring.  There have been a lot of changes at work with some unexpected consequences, and a lot of overtime hours.  It is settling down now, and some very good things have come of it, but right after it started, I started have spells of dizziness.  My walking has slowed down, and my diet has been fairly awful.  After about three weeks of this, I went to the doctor this week, who, after a lot of discussion, believes it is my ever-present sinus problems, complicated by not sleeping well and  just being tired.  So now I am taking flonase and a decongestant, and it seems to have improved a bit.  In March, I scheduled an appointment to see an ENT doctor, but the appointment is still three weeks away.  It takes three months to get an intake appointment.

But all this has made me think about my health in general.  When I was in high school, I had mono followed by some unexplained infection that would not go away.  My doctor finally hit on the idea of allergies, and I was tested.  I was allergic to many many things...dogs, cats, horses, grasses, tobacco, milk, newspaper print (I used to break out in hives when I read a newspaper and touched my face without washing my hands), ragweed, milkweed, etc.,...and wheat.  Many of those allergies have improved (although I still have a huge problem with cats and a few other things).  But wheat gluten is now everywhere (and in everything), and I realized that since this very stressful period started, I have been eating things I could prepare quickly or fast food, all of which have wheat in them.  So I'm wondering if that could be part of this, and focusing on eating less wheat.  Egg salad (one of my favorite things) on lettuce instead of a sandwich; spaghetti squash instead of pasta; fruits, vegetables, and nuts for snacks.  Breakfast is a problem:  most oatmeals have at least been in contact with wheat.  But I am trying, and will discuss it with the doctor when I see her in three weeks.  I'll let you all know how this goes.

And have a wonderful week!

Wheeling, West Virginia

In my late 20's, I had a job that involved extensive travel in the U.S.  In the 2 years I held that job, I visited 32 states.  I decided then that one of my goals in life would be to visit all 50 states.  To count as being "visited," I have to actually stop and do something, not just pass through.  Over the weekend, I crossed West Virginia off the list.  The states I have left are:  Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Delaware, New Mexico, Nebraska, Montana, Alaska, and South Dakota.

Wheeling is in the northwest corner of West Virginia, and Interstate 70 passes through it between Pennsylvania and Ohio.  It was settled in 1769 as part of Virginia.  At the start of the Civil War, the western counties of Virginia seceded from the state because of the slavery issue, and the state was organized in 1861.  Wheeling has been the capital of West Virginia twice, but in 1877, Charleston was officially declared the capital.

In 2010, the population of Wheeling was 28,486.  The Ohio River runs through the center.  

These pictures are of the Wheeling Island Suspension Bridge, which crosses the Ohio River, and links the city of Wheeling to Wheeling Island. The green bridge in the background is the Fort Henry Bridge, which is Interstate 70 across the Ohio River.

Wheeling Island is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It includes beautiful Victorian homes (photograph below), in addition to some very depressed areas.

Finally, a picture of downtown Wheeling from Wheeling Island.  

There is much more to see, and I wish I had had time yesterday.  Have a wonderful week!

Flight 93 Memorial

The Flight 93 Memorial is about an hour and a half east of Pittsburgh, 2-1/2 hours west of Harrisburg.  It's outside the borough of Stoystown, and well-marked on the PA Turnpike.  I have been wanting to visit since last April.  Today I had some time to kill on the way to Columbus, and went to go see it.  It's half an hour off the turnpike, on US 30.  

It's a very solemn, respectful place.  I learned a lot while I was there.  There was one Park Ranger, talking to people.  He knew all about the people on the flight, their lives and personalities.  It was clear he loves them and their courage.

When it's complete, it will be beautiful and peaceful.  There will be 40 groves of maple and oak trees, one for each person on the plane, and a 93 foot tower with 40 wind chimes. It will be called the "Tower of Voices," representing the voices of those who died.  In 2013, 12,000 saplings were planted, with 12,000 more in both 2014 and 2015.

There is a black walkway leading out to the memorial plaza, with alcoves cut into it where people leave pins, flowers, coins, and other items.  The crash site is to the left.  It was filled in shortly after the crash.

At the end of the walkway is a wall of 40 marble slabs, each with the name of one of the people on the plane.

There is also a long sandstone wall, blank except for the date.

I spent almost an hour there, and will return when there is more progress on the memorial.  It is partially funded from private donations.  Here's the link for more information about the Memorial and the plans.  http://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm

Happy Easter to you all!

New Cumberland

As you know, I moved in here on December 21, and the winter has been a little hard, so I have not been taking many pictures.  

But today, Spring is in the air!  It's 55 and sunny, so I took a walk around downtown New Cumberland, my new home.  New Cumberland was incorporated as a borough in 1831, but has been in existence since around 1689.  I am fascinated by that...nothing in the midwest dates back that far.  It was a major trade center because of the intersection of the Susquehanna River and Yellow Breeches Creek, which is where the ships parked to unload.

New Cumberland is just west of Harrisburg, so 5 miles to work.  The population is 7,200. This picture is Yellow Breeches Creek in the New Cumberland Borough Park.

A few pictures of downtown:

First, Coakley's, a restaurant in downtown with outside seating in back.  Many of the buildings here are painted in these beautiful vivid colors.  It feels so festive!

This building is right next door to Coakley's.  I love the blue!

Finally, some of the homes lining Bridge Street, the main drag in New Cumberland.

My training at work is now complete, and as of about three weeks ago, I am on my own.  I love that I can make the job my own.  It is crazy busy, and I work an extra hour each night, and 4 hours every Saturday.  Sunday's are free.  I am starting to search for a church.  This should not be a problem.  I have been going to Methodist Churches for a while, and there are 3 in downtown New Cumberland.

Tonight I am going to a meet up for people who are committed to ending bullying in the workplace.  It is unusual to find one so specific to me (this was the topic of my master's thesis.  Settling in!

Have a wonderful week!

Moving Forward

It has been a month since I posted, and I have been very busy.  The weather here has been cold and rainy/snowy, but nothing like my friends and family in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois have had.  I am so relieved not to be a part of that, but also concerned about you all.

I work overtime every night except Friday. Thursdays are my late day, when I work till 7.  And I work about 4 hours every Saturday.  Although I still like my job, it is mentally exhausting. There are so many hard stories.  And a few people who play you.  Sometimes I can tell up front that I'm being played, but I work on the theory that I trust them until they show I can't.  Even then, it's not easy to send them to foreclosure.  Easier, but not easy.

I have received some very good news, though:  I found a doctor I really like, went through a lot of tests, just to catch up from not seeing a doctor for 3 years, and here's the good news:  I have lost 20 pounds, and my blood pressure is so low, they cut my medication in half!  And I received an okay to start going to yoga.  My good friend who is in training to become a yoga instructor is helping me find a class here.   I have changed my diet quite a bit (an ongoing project).

In short, my life is finally heading in the right direction!  What a relief!

I went to take pictures of the riverfront park in New Cumberland on Saturday...there is too much snow, and it was closed.  I have one picture of the Susquehanna River.

Thinking of you all.  Have a good week!

Pat

These are the days I love my job....

Today I was talking with a borrower who is 3 months behind in his mortgage.  He is clearly ducking my calls.  Today he called and said he needs help, and admitted he has been ducking my calls because he was too proud to say he needs help.  He said he's desperate, and he lives in his house with his wife, his kids from his first marriage, her kids from her first marriage, one kid together, his wife's sister who lost her job and is going through a divorce, and her kids.  He said it's crazy, and he is trying to keep a good attitude.  In fact, he was going home and making two big pans of lasagna for dinner.  I asked him if I could come, because there are so many people at the table, he wouldn't notice a stranger.  He laughed and said yes, and if I didn't make it on time, he would overnight a piece to me so it would still be warm when I received it.  We both laughed and finished our business.  As we were hanging up, he thanked me.  He said he hadn't laughed in weeks, and I gave him hope and a good laugh.  Those are the moments I know I am in the right place.

Yesterday, my trainer, Tina, called me into the conference room for some training.  We NEVER go into the conference room, so I was a little nervous.  I didn't have my contact lenses in (another of my goofy stories), and when I walked in ahead of her, there were a lot of people standing in the corner.  I turned around and told Tina the room was full.  That's when I realized the room was full of my coworkers who were saying, "Surprise!"  I stood there in total shock, and said it must be for Tina, because I'm not getting married. They told me to look at the cake, which said, "Home Sweet Home, Pat"  It was a housewarming party.  They gave me a gift card, some handmade dish towels, a used TV (I gave mine away when I left Detroit), and a homemade lemon cake.  It was wonderful.  Life is sweet.

Catching Up

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope all of you are safe after yesterday's storm.  Here in Harrisburg, we had freezing rain, followed by sub-zero temperatures starting tonight...then into the 50's by the weekend.  Climate change?  Oh, yes, I think so...

It has been over 3 weeks since I last posted, and it's been a wild ride.  The quick move to Chris' house, followed by the second move to my new home the Saturday before Christmas.  Then Christmas, New Years, lots of strange weather, and here we are!

Both moves went very well.  I am now living in the small city of New Cumberland, PA.  I live in a 3 bedroom ranch home with 1 other woman (actually 2).  In the upstairs, the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and side porch are common areas.  My roommate, Ginger, has the living room and one bedroom as her private area, and I have the other two bedrooms.  No furniture in my living room, yet, but it will get there.

There is a separate apartment in the basement, with its own kitchen, bath, etc.  Lorri lives down there.  We are all divorced, and within about 3 years of each other in age.  Lorri and Ginger work together.  They are both very nice people.  Ginger is a very thoughtful roommate, and as a housewarming gift, gave me an individual teapot and teacup.  Ginger drinks LOTS of tea.  Last Thursday, and again on Sunday morning, the three of us sat and talked for several hours.  We have a lot of fun, with many laughs.

When the weather calms down a little, I will go take pictures of New Cumberland.  It is very cute, with a lot of shops and restaurants in downtown.  Downtown is about 5 blocks away, down some steep hills.

I am starting to think about what I want to do with the rest of my life.  The answer so far is "I'm not sure."And since I'm not sure, I clearly don't know how to get there from here.  I am journaling a lot to center myself.  For now, I am focusing on my new job, getting my health back together after many years of focusing on survival, and building a life for myself.  Maybe the future will take care of itself?

Take care, everyone!