Parchment Paths

              Last week I brought home a new addition to my home, a kitten I have named Ghost. As you may have guessed from the name, the kitten likes to hide, a lot.   Her elusiveness is understandable; she was born in my Dad’s backyard and was coaxed into a neighbor’s house for the winter. She lived there with her mother, siblings, as well as the family’s two cats and one dog. It was a full house that she was slowly adapting to when her mother and one sibling found a home.             Then, I brought her to my house where it’s mostly just me. So, she hid, sometimes so well I had no idea where she was. Once, she hid behind the washer and dryer and could not get back out. Even after the washer was moved, she was still hesitant to creep out for food, water and her litter box.             Since then, she has star...

  I love when a place goes all out for Christmas, fake snow, tiny villages, gifts, trees, lights, the works.   Places that play Christmas music get extra points.   I feel this way every year, but even more so this holiday season. This year has been the absolute worst so, I think that we all deserve a good holiday this year  , no matter how different things may be. No matter how changed Christmas 2020 is, Christmas itself is still the same. Visitng friends and family may take place online, but we can still connect.  Church services may be smaller or online, but we still have Christ’s birth to celebrate.   I pondered this things as I explored a local farm and dairy store, Hillside Farms. The store and even the barns are always decked out for the holidays. Exploring the grounds and the mercantile always cheers me up no matter what is going on. Christmas will not be the same this year, but eating a peppermint bark sundae and looking at a parade of trees re...

  I know worrying does no good, but not worrying is a struggle. I know I will never stop worrying though; it’s a part of life. Maybe, instead of trying not to worry, I should try to worry less, remember more blessings, do more of what makes me happy, or do nothing and rest. Rest is so underrated in a society that glorifies constant activity.   If you can’t check of a lengthy list than what have you accomplished? Sometimes, rest overrules any to-do list, sometimes it overrules everything. Sleep in, lay in bed listening to birdsong, savor coffee while still in pajamas, just rest. Rest with a good story, whether on the page or the screen,  , rest with a bubble bath or a hot shower, whatever refreshes your body and spirit.

            Wilkes-Barre. We all know it for one reason or another. Maybe for the two colleges squeezed unto the same street, maybe for The Fine Arts Fiesta or possibly The Kirby Theater. Or maybe you know it because the best library book sale in perhaps the state also takes place in Wilkes Barre.             Like most communities in North Eastern Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre has its own local ghost stories. As in most ghost stories, the dark past does not stay buried forever.             Francis hadn’t heard the stories though she grew up just a few towns over from The Diamond City. As an adult, she found herself working at The Shady Oaks Nursing Home by the Susquehanna River.  At first glance, it seemed to be a standard nursing home, a cute name and elderly patients crowding the T.V. room no ma...

                       The light is dim; the air is musty, and yet there is something else lingering in this house. House, it can hardly be called a home any more, if it ever was.  How could it have been with its macabre paintings and its ghastly past?              The trouble is, that ghastly past is so vague and yet it hovers over the house like the dust that lays on every surface.  You need only to creep in through the broken windows, edge your way over the broken floors and come to the main staircase with its askew red carpet to see what I mean. Look at those skeletal paintings atop the stairs. Were they placed there for a Halloween party? Stories say no, they were part of the home’s normal décor.  What does that tell you? Maybe nothing, maybe everything.  Stop by some time and find o...

        Opening weekend of the Pennsylvania RenaissanceFaire looked different this year, the masks, less crowds, no wondering performers, actors, or vendors. Some performers, vendors, and shows were missing from past seasons.   Notably missing were the Lady Mayor, the Grave digger, The Bee Folks, and Human Chess.       While, I couldn’t help but notice the changes, I kept thinking, “I’m actually here, it’s actually open.”  Most faires made the painful but understandable decision to close this season. I can only imagine how difficult that was for all involved.       That being said, those of us who call the PRF home are so blessed that we can walk through the gates at all, We can see shows, shop, and enjoy good food and drink.       Yes, the shire is quieter, some vendors and performers could not join us, yet, the shire is open. For an entire day, I was home again. I bought incense and soap fro...

  This Tuesday I finally made it back to my local farmer’s market. It’s been around a year since I was there last and I’ve missed it. There’s just something special about coming home and making a sandwich with bread from a local bakery and a tomato from a local farmer and then washing it down with cider from a local orchard.   I know that the people who sold me the honey crisp apples either grew or picked them, maybe both. The couple who sold me the bread and cookies baked them.   The market doesn’t just provide me with healthier food and allows me to support local business, it keeps my community connected. This year has been difficult for everyone, which makes community connections even more important than usual. I try to support local businesses whenever I can. We will get through this, it will just take some time.