Take a Glass Blowing Class

This has to be one of my favorite Groupon-inspired activities. Along with three of my friends I took a one-hour glass class at Taylor Backes, a glass art studio tucked away on Washington Street in Boyertown, PA. I made this fabulous paper weight on the left. Really, can you believe I made that? In one hour, no less? Here are a few things you might be interested to know.

1.We didn’t actually do glass blowing. There was no blowing involved in this. But we did, under the direction of our very patient teacher, Dan, learn about the art of making beautiful works of art out of glass. At least, to us they were works of art.

2. The Gallery. Taylor Bakes has been producing beautiful glassworks in Boyertown for 25 years. My friends and I had no idea it even existed, but we were wowed by the  studio from the moment we walked in the door. Gorgeous glassware was on display in several rooms that featured an impressive variety of artwork, from  enormous and colorful vases, to small dragonfly ornaments and even smaller pendants and earrings. It was worth the trip just to gaze on the merchandise. On the left you can see the owner, Will, standing in front of a display of bowls. It’s worth noting that studios like this can make me nervous, I feel like I might break something. But everyone we met put us at ease, and we felt comfortable exploring the gallery.

3. The lesson. Located off the gallery is the production studio. Our instructor, Dan, introduced us to the basics of the studio. This included an oven that is heated by propane and remains heated at all times (except when it is cooled for maintenance) because it takes a lot of energy and time to bring it to the proper temperature. I don’t recall what the temperature is, but I can tell you this: It’s very hot. Dan used a long pole to pull a blob (I’m sure that’s not the correct term, but you get the idea) of glass from the main oven. Then, he gave us some brief instructions and brought us over to a second oven (in photo) where we would work on the glass. Even in this small photo, you can see how intensely hot it is. Next to it is a table with different colored bits of glass.

4. Hands-on.  Our job was to heat the blob of glass in the oven, then dip it into the colored glass of our choice, then reheat it, then dip into a second color, reheat, and, if desired, dip into a third color. “Less is more,” Dan warned us. Nevertheless, I couldn’t resist using three colors, and felt tempted to use all the colors, but I think this would be like mixing all the Easter Egg dyes–the paper weight would have turned out grey. So I didn’t. My friend Diane went first (I went last because I couldn’t make up my mind about which colors to use. Also, I was nervous about messing up.). We all watched as she, as per Dan’s instruction, kept spinning the pole in the oven, then dipped the molten glass into the colored glass.

5. Colors. Here’s my friend Anne dipping the glass into the colors. The colored glass had different textures. Some were powdery, others coarse. Dan explained that these textures each produced slightly different effects. This meant, of course, that I had more decisions to make–not just color, but effect.

 

6. Twisting: Once we’d chosen all our colors and finished heating them, we brought the pole over to Dan, who kept it rolling while we used what looked like a very large tweezers to pull and twist the glass. On the left, Barbara is twisting her glass. Although it is pliable, the hot glass is still thick and harder to pull than I’d expected. Still, I liked that part of the process because, well, manipulating hot glass was just kind of cool. Each time someone did this we were amazed by how pretty the colors looked. Of course, they were molten hot, and looked nothing like the finished product would, but they still looked great!

 7. I finally decide on colors. Okay, after everyone else went I had to make up my mind and be brave. I chose three colors: cobalt blue, green, and white.  There I am on the left. I look like a pro! But I kept worrying that my glass would drop off the pole–it felt like it would. Dan, sitting patiently in the back, assured me it wouldn’t. Also, I was startled by how intense the heat felt when I was standing right in front of the oven. But it was enjoyable at the same time. I felt like I was really learning something.

 

 

8. Finishing: Once we finished twisting, Dan took over and made it look nice for us. He added more clear glass, then formed it into a round ball using the tool on the left. It’s a wooden bowl with the side cut out and it’s dipped in water. Dan also used a metal table top to roll the glass into the proper shape. I still think he had to work a little longer on mine, even though my friends assured me that wasn’t true!

 

9. Cooling. When they were all done, the paper weights were placed into a cooling unit, which was still very hot. The glass needs to cool slowly or it will crack, we learned. This takes about a day, so we didn’t take our finished product home with us. I think they look kind of cozy in there.

 

10. Thanks Dan!: This wouldn’t have been half as fun if Dan weren’t so patient and willing to explain things to us. He answered all our questions. We learned that he went to Tyler School of Art, and had worked for another glass blowing outfit in Reading, Pa before coming to Taylor Backes (which I thought was interesting because I never really thought about what the job market might be for glass blowers). He also explained, in answer to our many questions, that glass blowing is a collaborative effort that is almost always done with more than one person. Making a large piece will sometimes take four or five people. Our friend Barbara teaches yoga, and he said he could do a warrior pose. That’s what he’s doing in the photo on the left! Anne asked him if we were the chattiest bunch he’d ever taught. He kindly said we weren’t!

Our finished products:  

Don’t these look great! We learned that Taylor Backes offers a much more intense six-hour class that actually involves glassblowing. I really hope to try this. Also, I’m keeping my eye out for another Groupon like this. I would love to have my 14-year-old son try it.  Even if there isn’t another groupon for glass blowing, I’ll definitely go back to the studio next time I’m shopping for a really unique gift.

Doing Something Meaningful

I’ve made up my mind to change my blog a bit, so it won’t just be about doing something different every week, but will focus on my efforts to do something meaningful every week. I’m not always earth’s most organized creature,  nevertheless, I’ve learned that when it comes to blogging (and when it comes to many things, if you think about it), some degree of organization is necessary. Therefore, my first step will be to outline specific goals for the year. (I know most people probably do this sort of thing on January 1, but, whatever). Here’s my to-do list.

1.  Support a Cause. I often blow off requests for support. Or else I decide to think about it later, which I never do. I will choose a few causes and find ways to help out.

2. Volunteer. When my kids were in elementary school, I spent a lot of my time in volunteer activities. Now, not so much.  Nevertheless, requests for volunteers pop into my almost daily. This year, I’ll read through them and instead of automatically hitting delete, and select one or two get involved in.

3. Visit someplace meaningful. Traveling is a good way to add meaning to your life. I’m planning a trip to England in April, so before I go I’ll do some research to find one activity that is, in fact, particularly meaningful.

4.  Read up. I tend to read novels and steer clear of anything that smacks of self-help. This year, I plan to read a few books on adding meaning to my life.

5. Sign up for a benefit ride.  Every year I think about doing one of those bike rides where you have to raise money for a cause. But I’m the worst fundraiser imaginable. I wince at the idea of asking for money. Still, I’ve been dreaming about it forever, so I think it’s finally time to stop wincing.  I will sign up for a ride and figure it out from there.

6. Make contact. It’s easy to just let go of friendships once you stop seeing people regularly. I want to make a better effort to keep in touch with friends I no longer have the opportunity spend a lot of time with.

7.  Join something. Believe it or not, the reason I usually don’t join clubs or community organizations is because I hate attending meetings. Sound lame? Think about it–a lot of organizations are really about meetings. Nevertheless, there are plenty of organizations in the community that are doing really good things that I would like to be involved in.  I plan to get involved with one of them.

8. Donate items thoughtfully. I have a tendency to donate only when it’s convenient. I drop my old clothes off at the nearest drop box, and contribute to food pantries when I happen to think of it. I want to make more of an effort to donate food more regularly and, when I have clothes or furniture in good condition, to seek out a charity that needs them.

9. Engage in a meaningful activity. By which I mean, take a yoga class, because it seems like this is an exercise that is intended to improve your mind and your attitude, as well as your body.

10. Continue to blog occasionally about trying something new. I think trying new things does add meaning to my life, so I will integrate new activities into my blog whenever I can.

What I Learned from Trying to do Something Different Every Week

I don’t think I actually got to 52 diffferent things last year. There were a few weeks when I just didn’t manage anything blog worthy. But the goal to do at least one new activity each week was always on my mind, and, for the most part, I stuck to it. Here’s what I learned.

1.  It doesn’t matter what you wear. When I first started trying different things, I noticed that, as soon as I considered embarking on unfamiliar territory, I began fretting about what outfit I should wear. The question of whether to dress nicely or casually, to wear jeans or a skirt would honestly take up space in my mind. I’ve always done this, but because I was trying something new weekly, I became keenly aware of how much energy I was investing in fashion anxiety. So I came up with a strategy that has has worked for me. That is: when in doubt, dress up.  If you look better than everyone else, that’s never a problem. Honestly, I’m still waiting for that to happen. Also, I’ve noticed that unless you are attending a very formal event, nice jeans are universally acceptable.

2. It takes effort. I am not a good planner. Nevertheless, I became aware over the course of the year that I needed to plan a bit in advance if I wanted to try something different each week. Otherwise, a week could quickly fly by and I’d be staring into the empty face of a Saturday with nothing scheduled, searching event calendars for something I could talk my husband and son into trying.

3. Event calendars are great. I learned that there is always something new and different to try within a one to two hour radius of my house. How do you find them? You check online event calendars posted by newspapers. Or you log onto visitor center sites and click on their “Things to Do” button. Also, Groupon. It gives you an opportunity to try new things at half the cost. Read the fine print though. I still haven’t done that zipline tour I signed up for last summer.

4. The scarier it seems, the better the experience often is. Some of my favorite adventures caused me the greatest anxiety beforehand. I worried intensely about taking my son on the Bike Philly ride (worried about a crash, his hating it, not finding parking, etc.), but that was incredibly fun for both of us, and afterward I felt good that I had introduced him to the festive world of event rides. Similarly, I had some qualms about going to the beach for a girls weekend last spring, and was curiously apprehensive about attending an Elton John concert, after not having been to a concert in years. New experiences are like roller coasters or  really steep descents on your bike–the scarier it seems beforehand, the better it usually is.

6. It’s a good way to connect. I went on a tubing trip with my brother, took a pottery class with friends, went on a bike ride with my son, took a wine tour with co-workers and was introduced to Indian food by another group of friends. When you experience new things with people, you develop a new connection to them, and that adds a wonderful dimension to whatever it is you’re trying. I fell like the best part of this year was all the fun I had doing things with friends and family.

7. It’s good for your brain.  I had a few people question my decision to try something new every week. But having it on mind kept me more aware of how many different things there are to try. It also forced me to be more open minded about what I would try (tubing, for example, and that zip  line thing I’m still scheduled to do in April). What’s more, I found that the more I tried different things, the less anxious I became in preparing for them. Most new adventures end too quickly. I spent a lot of time worrying about doing Yoga on the Steps at the art museum (I don’t do yoga, so I feared falling off the steps). But  none of my worries were warranted and I met some great people that day. Because I had many such experiences, over time I began to worry less and approach new challenges more thoughtfully.

8. It fosters self-discovery. At my age, you would think I would know everything about myself. But, in fact, I was sometimes surprised at the activities I was drawn to. Not suprisingly, a lot of them revolved around food and bike adventures. But Ialso enjoyed tremendously some art-related experiences (a trip to the GoggleWorks, in Reading, and a pottery class). I consider my greatest discovery this year to be Longwood Gardens–a place I’d only visited once before, but found could be visited and revisited in every season with something new to discover each time. That surprised me, a bit, since I don’t necessarily consider myself a garden person.

9. I recommend it. Although my year of blogging about doing something different each week is over, I still plan to continue trying new things regularly. I have a better attitude toward trying new things. I no longer feel you have to be majorly adventurous, and I discovered there’s a lot to do that requires very little adventurous spirit. There’s plenty of discovery to be had in trying small things. You can learn a great  deal, for example, by going to a horse race, if you’ve never been to one; or by taking a chocolate tour of Philadelphia, if you’ve never given more than a passing thought to the infinite varieties of chocolate. I am still amazed, whenever I consider it, at what goes into producing a bottle of wine–a lesson I learned on our mini local wine tour. There are so many things to learn and experience, but it’s easy to fall into the habit of doing the same things over and over again.  Making a commitment to try new things, at least periodically, should be on everyone’s agenda.

10. I’m not completely done. I still plan to blog about new things, I just want to change the focus to trying something meaningful every week. But I’ll blog about that, next time.

Visit a Greenhouse all Decked Out for the Holidays, Go to the Zoo and a few other things

I’m going to admit right up front that I love New Year’s Resolutions. Even though they seem somewhat unnecessary (I mean if you want to change something in your life, why not just do it whenever?) And even though I’m sometimes finished thinking about my resolutions by February, I still find that resolving to change for the better is an enticing January endeavor. Nevertheless, I’m done with resolving to lose weight and exercise more. That feels so 2010 to me. Last year I resolved to do something different at least once a week. And for the most part I kept that resolution. This year, though, I’m going to focus on blogging better and more often-especially since I missed a few weeks recently. My goal is to blog twice a week.

And, instead of doing something different every week, I’m going to try to do something meaningful every week.  Volunteer more, donate to charities more thoughtfully, and get more active in community and school organizations that are seeking assistance.

Meanwhile, here are a few things I’ve done differently since my last blog.

1. Visit a Greenhouse filled with Poinsettas. For years I’ve been hearing about Glick’s Greenhouse’s holiday display. So, last weekend, my husband, son and I went out there and waited in a long line of cars just to get into the parking lot. I theorized that this quite possibly was the biggest traffic jam that back Oley Valley Road has ever seen. Once inside the Greenhouse, there was another long line which moved slowly through a display of wreaths creatively designed by local businesses that featured things like curlers for hair salons and miniature guitars for a music school. But the real attraction were the pointsettias. Boasting over 1,000 pointsettia’s, the display featured a beautiful variety of colors (even blue, my son noted). The theme was a cowboy Christmas, so the plants were interspersed with western accents, such as cowboy boots, horseshoes and saddles. My husband and I thought it was stunningly beautiful and a fun holiday attraction. My son described it later as “Room after room filled with the same plant.” So, maybe not exciting to a 14-year-old. But they offered free popcorn, cider and hot dogs, and even Ian was happy about that.

2. Go to the zoo: I’ve been to the zoo many times, but I never went to the Pittsburgh Zoo. Several weeks ago, while visiting my daughter in Pittsburgh on one of those unseasonably nice weekends, my family and I decided to spend a few hours checking out the zoo. In the past, I’ve only ever gone to a zoo in the summer. So this is what I learned about going on a cool fall day: all the animals are awake. Every lion, elephant, ostrich and primate was out moving around and, in some cases, interacting with one another. Aside from that, the Pittsburgh Zoo, I discovered, is very entertaining for several other reasons. First, it’s a nice size. There’s a lot to see but you don’t feel weary by the end of the day. Secondly, the animal habitats are, for the most part, roomy. I hate when I visit a zoo and leave thinking all of the animals were unhappy because space was inadequate. But the thing that really made this zoo spectacular, in my opinion, was that it also had an aquarium with many, many interesting sea creatures on view. So, if you find yourself in Pittsburgh, I would definitely recommend taking a trip to the zoo.

3. Bake bread. I have made bread before, but I’ve never made it with a group of friends. Recently, after our regularly scheduled book club meeting was canceled unexpectedly, three members of our club decided to get together after all. We discussed the book only briefly; our real goal was to bake bread. This idea came at the suggestion of my friend Diane, who hosted the get together and had recently purchased a 25 lb bag of flour for holiday baking. This made for a particularly fun evening, since we first mixed and kneaded the dough, then sat and chatted as we waited for it to rise. Then, because we were making a braided challah loaf, we braided the dough and formed the loaves. By that time, it was fairly late,  so two of us went home and Diane put the bread in the oven to bake. The next morning I picked it up from her and couldn’t wait to taste it. There is nothing like the smell, taste and texture of home made bread, but this was especially good since I’d made it with friends.

4. Go to a play. There are so many great holiday productions, but this year  I went with friends went to see the musical comedy Motherhood at Philadelphia’s Society Hill Playhouse. This, again, was organized by my friend Michelle, who is amazingly good at finding fun things to do and rallying us together to do them. Before going, I worried that I was too far beyond the young motherhood stage to enjoy this show. As it turned out, though, any mother could relate to this musical. The acting was great, the singing fabulous and there too many genuinely funny lines and songs to list here. You can listen to clips of the songs here. Who could not relate to the Costco Queen song? (My favorite line, preceeding that song: “She’s having a storegasam!”) At the end of the show, I really felt the  kind of camraderie you feel after you’ve spent an evening with a group of mothers who relate well to your own experiences. I definitely recommend seeing this. The good news is, it’s playing in Philadelphia through February 19, so there’s plenty of time to buy your tickets and organize a group of friends to see this together.

Take a cooking class

Several months ago, my neighbor and good friend, Anne, won a cooking class for six in an online benefit auction for a public TV station. The class was sponsored by Gracie’s 21st Century Cafe, in Pine Forge, PA. The tricky part was rounding up six people and finding a date that worked for all of us. Miraculously, it happened. On Wednesday, we all met up at the charming, off-the-beaten path restaurant that is Gracie’s. Along with two other groups, we were invited back into Gracie’s kitchen and shown how some of the most delicious food I have ever tasted was made. It was an amazing experience.

To begin with, we sat: It is always nice, especially on a weeknight, to have a moment to sit and relax before you start on a new experience. When we arrived, our group was seated at a table. The only other people in the restaurant were the other groups. So we had some time to chat with one another. Some of the women I had met only once before, during the Yoga on the Steps event in March, so I enjoyed seeing them again and having a bit of time to catch up.

Getting to Gracies: Gracie’s is located in what can reasonably be called an out-of-the way spot in Berks County (which, if you think about it, has many out-of-the way spots).  Driving there on a dark night, I felt pretty much like I was in the middle of nowhere, when suddenly the bright red neon sign that spelled out “Gracie’s” made it clear that I had arrived. Also, my friends Barbara and Anne pointed it out to me.

The decor: On the exterior,  Gracie’s juxtaposes neon signs, funky asymmetrical sheds and cute, colorful, decorative lights against a very traditional stone terrace. The restaurant itself is in a historic 1700′s home. Inside, there were large 18th Century fireplaces and the cozy smell of recently burned wood, but, again, some very modern touches, including neon lights over the bar and fun,  colorful, yoga-posing figurines on the mantle. Overall, there was a unique mix of funky and traditional decor that seemed less gimmicky, and a lot more interesting than most restaurants. If felt serious and fun at the same time.

Gracie: Gracie’s, I learned, is owned by chef Gracie Skiadas. She welcomed us at the door, and then came into the dining room to talk about what would be prepared that evening. According to her website, she started the restaurant in 1988 and included this message on her menu: “Gracie’s was designed & created out of respect for life and well-being.” In a way, I was surprised to learn that she’d been in business 22 years. She seemed knowledgable, of course, but also incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about her business. Here’s another quote from her website: “My intention and  the shared intent of those who work with me has not altered. My role is as it has always been, one of supreme passion with regard to my “COOKING” and my ART.” You can read more about the restaurant in this County Lines Magazine article.

In the kitchen: It seemed a privilege to be invited back into the kitchen of a serious chef. It wasn’t real large. But I’d estimated there were a dozen of us attending the class, and we fit in fine. I was somewhat relieved to learn that this wasn’t a hands-on cooking class. Instead, Gracie led us step-by-step through the process of making a three-course vegetarian meal. Like a cooking show? Not really, a lot more personal and less scripted than that.

Here’s the menu:

• Autumn broccoli and stilton bisque with mushroom/apple/walnut garni (This was a terrific blend of flavors)
• Autumn Acorn squash: This was stuffed with a mixture of different veggies including yams, parsnips, leeks and oyster mushrooms. It was amazingly good.
• Warm eggplant caprese: I can’t wait to try making this dish of layered eggplant, mozzarella and marinara sauce.
• Braised cabbage and fennel: My favorite dish of the evening, it was drizzled with a Dijon truffle cream.

Wines: Gracie included wines that best accompanied each recipe. So, it was a great evening. We got a cooking lesson, then got to sit down and eat this amazing food and taste some really interesting wines.

My favorite quote of the evening: “I love parsnips.” Gracie said that. Honestly? Parsnips!? I’ve never cooked with a parsnip. I can’t wait to buy some.

Chaos and Creativity.  Gracie gave us a paper she’d written up in advance that included this statement: “Creativity comes from chaos, and the passion of chaotic vegetarian recipes comes from the contrasts in flavors that we will experiment with tonight.” She went on to say that “My philosophy of vegetarian cooking is that you should Never Miss the Meat.” I didn’t miss the meat. And I’ve been thinking about parsnips ever since.

The photos: We were all so deeply entranced by this experience that none of us took photos. Therefore, all the images on this post are from Gracie’s website.

Support a cause with purple hair

When a friend of mine convinced a salon to provide purple hair extensions in support of epilepsy awareness, I knew I wanted to be in on it.  For one thing,  my friend has a daughter, 13, who has struggled with epilepsy since she was a baby, so I thought this was a great way to offer support and do my small part to bring awareness to a frequently misunderstood ailment.  And, of course, I wanted purple hair pretty badly.  Here’s how it went.

1. November is epilepsy awareness month: My friend, Sandy,  has organized various awareness campaigns every November for the past several years. This year, her daughter Grace put this together as a project for a Middle School class. They began planning a few months ago by asking Lords and Ladies Salons to provide purple hair extensions (a year ago, the salon had supported a breast cancer awareness fundraiser with pink extensions).  The salon owner or manager agreed to order the extensions and offer them  from Nov. 1-19 for $10 apiece,  including cost of applying them to your hair.  The entire $10 goes to the Epilepsy Foundation, since even the stylists donate their time for the cause.

2. I’ve never had purple hair before. In fact, the only color I’ve ever dyed my hair is brown, so purple was quite a stretch, even if it was only a thin lock of purple.  I went on Nov. 1, when Sandy held her kickoff event at the Pottstown Lords and Ladies. In addition to Sandy and Grace, there was quite a crowd waiting for purple extensions when I arrived.  Fortunately, I knew most of the estimated 20 women and children waiting, so it was fun to watch how the purple strands looked in everyone’s hair.

3. I opted for two: I decided to get one on each side. I never knew how extensions were put in, so I was surprised that it involved a heating device that melted a keratin-based adhesive onto my hair. The stylist was very friendly, and told me about her niece who was recently diagnosed with an unusual form of epilepsy. She also told me the extensions would last over a month, could be styled like the rest of my hair, and if I wanted them out earlier I could come in and have them removed.

4. A word about Lords and Ladies Salon. If you’ve never been to Lords and Ladies’ Pottstown office it’s probably worth trying just to see the building it’s in. Located on King Street in an old Victorian Home, it has been renovated as a salon, but the owners kept some of the most interesting architectural details intact. The room we were in featured pillars with impressive decorative trim, charming window seats and beautiful wood floors.

5. A word about epilepsy. I could fill a lot of blogs with all the things I don’t know about epilepsy. Fortunately, there are some really good websites that can help people like me gain a better understanding.  Here are a few facts from the Epilepsy Foundation website:

• Epilepsy affects nearly 3 million Americans and 50 million people worldwide.
• It affects more than 300,000 children under the age of 15–more than 90,000 of whom have seizures that cannot be adequately be treated.
• Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in the U.S. after Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.
• Julius Ceaser had epilepsy. So did Dante, Dickens and Mozart.
• And, it turns out I’m not alone in having a pretty slim understanding of epilepsy.  It is, in fact, “among the least understood of major chronic medical conditions, even though one in three adults knows someone with the disorder.”

6. A word about purple hair. My purple extensions were buried under my real hair, so they didn’t show all that much when I got them. However, the day after I got them I rode my bike to work and, let me just say here that biking to work is great for many things, but it is never good for your hair. The purple locks stuck out pretty noticeably on both sides of my head. The next day I trimmed them shorter so they tucked in better, and it hasn’t been a problem since. Honestly, if people notice them, they don’t mention it. My daughter, who is 24, loved them, of course, and went the next day to get two of her own. She has long, dark hair and she doesn’t bike to work so they look a lot better on her.

7. A great way to support a cause. Of all the ways there are to support a cause, this was one of the most fun things to do. It was different, and kind of exciting and, since I did it with friends, it also made for a nice get together in the middle of the week. The extensions are available from all Lords and Ladies Salon locations through Nov. 19, so you can try it yourself if you like. I recommend it. Just call and ask or walk in and they’ll squeeze you in. It only takes a few minutes, you’ll have intriguing purple locks for month and you’ll support a really important cause.

8. If you do get purple extensions.  There’s a good chance, if you get extensions, that people might notice them. Two of my co-workers mentioned them. Here’s what I said: “I only did this to support a cause. I am, of course, past the stage of my life where I need to put purple in my hair for effect!” That of course was such a lie.  I mean, I really did want to support epilepsy awareness, but I liked the effect!

Visit a coffee house, a treehouse and Mum Mountain

While I have diligently stuck to my commitment to do something different every week, I haven’t continuously blogged about it. Here are three things I’ve done since my last blog.

1. Visited a coffee house: When my daughter told me that a good friend of hers was performing at Steel City Coffee House in Phoenixville, I knew I wanted to go. As it turned out, my son went to a football game that evening, so my husband and I had a free night anyway. We made the decision to go at the last minute. This turned out to be  a unique and enjoyable experience. For one thing, I got to connect with some friends I haven’t seen in a long time. I also had the opportunity to experience first hand the talent of Jillian Miller, who has been friends with my daughter since elementary school, and who not only plays the piano beautifully and has an amazing singing voice, but also writes her own very compelling songs.  The next band was terrific as well, although we could only stay for part of that performance.  The atmosphere at Steel City is relaxed and a little bit funky. The space is small, but all in all an intimate and interesting setting for listening to live music. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been to such a small venue, and I was reminded of how music really comes alive in such a space. In addition, the food was delicious (check out their menu) and the staff was friendly. My husband and I agreed we both hope to go back soon. I just hope he doesn’t try to get me to participate in open mic night!

2. Climbed a Treehouse: Earlier in the year I visited Longwood Gardens for the first time in years. That was a cold winter day, so I explored only the indoor exhibits. Recently, thanks to a Groupon, I returned with my husband and son to check out the grounds I hadn’t seen the first time. I discovered a lot of interesting garden and fountain areas, but my favorite places were the three treehouses. Longwood refers to them Nature’s Castles and lists them on their website under family fun.  And while these undoubtedly have great kid-appeal, they are fascinating to adults, as well. Although none were built onto tree branches, the way you normally envision treehouse, each was spectacular, raised high off the ground on stilts and surrounded by trees. Each treehouse has a different theme. The first, Canopy Cathedral, was inspired by a Norwegian Church.  The second we visited was my favorite. Called Lookout Loft, it included copper soundhorns for listening to nature. My son and I used them to whisper to one another across the platform, which was fun. The final treehouse was called the Birdhouse. My husband and son were too tired to climb up its many steps, but I ventured up and found a view well worthy of a treetop birdhouse. What always fascinates me about Longwood Gardens is how someone took a tract of land that maybe wasn’t even extraordinary to begin with, then built gardens and fountains and greenhouses and treehouses, so that piece of land became a place to explore nature.

3. Experienced Mum Mountain: For years I’ve read about Ott’s Greenhouse in Schwenksville, PA. Recently, my parents were up visiting and I was looking for something to do in the vicinity of my son’s soccer game, and I came across a listing for Ott’s Mum Mountain. I thought my parents would enjoy this, so we went. We were not disappointed. I wasn’t quite sure how to get there, but as it turns out, there was no missing this place. It was located right off Route 29, and the mountain of colorful mums is very visible from the road.  The hillside is covered on both sides with mums, offering a dazzling array of color.  You can walk underneath it through an impressive stone-walled tunnel built, or climb to the top along a staircase.  Equally fascinating is the large greenhouse, shaped, I thought, somewhat like an oversized circus tent balloon.  Inside was a waterfall, coi pond and hundreds of exotic plants.  Like Longwood, it amazed me how a space can be tranformed into an adventure through plants!