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The Sun is shining the grass is green the orange and palm trees sway....

Heading out to where the sun is shining, the grass is still green, the trees still have leaves, flowers are blooming,  and the temps are in the 80s for three weeks of rest and relaxation. Spending time with friends and family too! 

Vacation November 28th-December 18th

David Zippel, A Local Legend, and my Friend

David Zippel and I Junior Achievement Banquet 1970

I met David Zippel when we both were members of the Lehigh Valley Junior Achievement 1969-1971. In Junior Achievement we actively operated a closed circuit television studio under the supervision of the J.A. Leaders of Sammons Communications on Sullivan Trail in Forks Township/Easton, PA.    I knew as soon as I had gotten to know Dave that he was destined to do something big one day.  He was extremely talented and a true leader.

Dave also was always willing to go the distance, it is no wonder that this would one day be the title of the lyrics penned by this extremely successful lyricist.  During one creative think tank session I can remember Dave coming up with an idea to have a show on Extra Sensory Perception and he would try to get the Amazing Kreskin to perform on the show.  Dave's father Martin Zippel was well known in the area as the owner of Martin Zippel Toy Company in Phillipsburg, NJ.   Marty Zippel was a good friend of Lou Reda, the entertainment agent who landed a syndicated series for his client, the mentalist known as the Amazing Kreskin.


 At Christmastime we put on a puppet show of The Night Before Christmas. Once again Dave was instrumental in coming up with the idea of a children's show.   We hand made all of the puppets with papier-mâché  heads and cloth bodies.

There were about ten members and we each invited our toddler relatives and friends to be in the live audience.  My nephew Mark Dunwell, and my cousin Paula's daughters Andrea and Juliann Di Risio were in the audience.  Everyone was thrilled to see their children on TV!  Our show was a complete success.

Dave was a year behind me in school and that year was my senior year.  Mr. Donald Shreve who was the Operations Manager of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of Junior Achievement asked me to come back during the 1970-71 season as a leader and Sammons Communications gave me their seal of approval to represent them as one of their leaders.

I was quite happy to see that Dave decided to join again and be in our company.  That year we achieved the highest honors at the Junior Achievement Awards Ceremony winning both the Company of the Year, and the  President of the Year award which went to David Zippel.

David Zippel went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976.  I ran into him that Christmas at the Palmer Park Mall and he was telling me that he was going to attend Harvard Law School.  But he decided to switch gears when he was handed the opportunity to write lyrics for the prominent Tony Award winning Broadway songstress Barbara Cook.  I had the pleasure of seeing Barbara Cook and Barry Manilow sing a duet at an Aids Benefit at Carnegie Hall in 1999, and she was amazing.  I see why David was so impressed as to take such a chance with the direction of his career.  Together with composer Wally Harper, they created more intimate voice and piano pieces for nightclub shows and  impressive over the top orchestral concerts for Barbara at venues such as Carnegie Hall.

David went on to write the lyrics for City of Angels on Broadway, and for this he won a Tony Award.  He was then nominated for an Academy Award for Go The Distance sung by Michael Bolton for the Disney cartoon Hercules, and then again nominated for Best Original Music Score for Mulan one year later.  He also wrote lyrics with Phil Collins for the cartoon Tarzan.

That local boy who came from College Hill in Easton, now lives at Central Park West and has accomplished the dreams he set out to achieve so long ago while putting on shows for closed circuit television in Junior Achievement. A few years ago I was quite surprised to receive a note from Dave talking about our memories of those days of our youth.   It is such a thrill to see that someone I knew made his dreams come true, and I knew he would!

Some of his achievements from Wikipedia:

• City of Angels (1989), an original musical with book by Larry Gelbart and music by Cy Coleman. Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Actor (James Naughton Best Featured Actress (Randy Graff), and Best Set Design (Robin Wagner) and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics.
• The Goodbye Girl (1993), a musical based on Neil Simon's 1977 screenplay, with music by Marvin Hamlisch.
• Princesses (2003), loosely inspired by A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Zippel conceived and directed; book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, music by Matthew Wilder.
• The Woman in White (2004), an adaptation of the novel by Wilkie Collins, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, book by Charlotte Jones. The music and lyrics received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score. The show was nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best Musical.

Zippel contributed lyrics to The Swan Princess (music by Lex de Azevedo, the song Far Longer than Forever was nominated for a Golden Globe Award), as well as provide the singing voice of Jean-Bob the Frog and his composition I'll Stand by You (performed by The Pretenders), and more notably wrote the lyrics for the Disney films Hercules, with music by Alan Menken (the song "Go the Distance" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song) and Mulan, with music by Matthew Wilder. The music and lyrics received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Musical Score. A year later, Zippel collaborated with Phil Collins for Tarzan. He was in his agent Richard Kraft's film Finding Kraftland.
Current unproduced projects include Buzz! (with Menken and Gelbart), The Private Lives of Napoleon and Josephine (with Coleman and Gelbart), and Going Hollywood (1981), an unproduced adaptation of Once in a Lifetime by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart; book by Zippel and Joe Leonardo, music by Jonathan Sheffer.^[3]
Pamela's First Musical, written with Coleman and Wendy Wasserstein, based on Wasserstein's children's book, received its world premiere in a concert staging at Town Hall in New York City on May 18, 2008.^[4]
In 2011, Zippel wrote the lyrics to the song "The Star-Spangled Man" featured in the film Captain America: The First Avenger. Alan Menken composed the music for the song, which was an affectionate send-up of 1940s Irving Berlin songs

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Zippel

A Few Of My Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes

Night Before Christmas Mice

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse.



3 cups of all purpose flour 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 cup unsalted butter softened 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 large egg  

Sm. bag almond slivers 

10 feet of black licorice laces
6 ounces of semisweet chocolate melted and kept slightly warm.

Whisk flour and salt together in a small bowl.  In  large bowl beat butter until creamy, gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy, add vanilla and egg, then beat.  Mix in about a third of the flour at low speed.   Gradually add remaining flour until well blended.   Scrape dough onto large piece of plastic wrap, and cover completely, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.  Needs to be firm enough to roll into balls.   Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll dough to 1/4 inch ovals, pinch one end to make appearance of the face, eye sockets, and nose of a mouse.  Gently add two almond slivers just behind eye sockets as in the photo.  Place the mice two inches apart on the cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes until light golden brown on bottom edges.  Remove from oven, and quickly pierce rear end with tooth pick and insert a 3/4 inch piece of licorice lace for tail.  After they cool, pipe eyes and nose using melted chocolate, you may make a parchment or wax paper cone* or use a decorator bag with smallest writing tip.    *Directions for making a parchment cone: Click Here







Merry Cheese Cakes

Filling:

16 oz. softened cream cheese
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients until fluffy.
In mini muffin pans, place cup-cake liners (silver or holiday ones are very festive). Drop tsp of graham cracker crust mixture into each lined cup, and press down with thumb, then fill 2/3 way full with cheesecake mixture,top  tsp. with cherry  pie filling..


Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow mini cakes to cool, before storing. Keep refrigerated until transported or served.

Crust:

•                      1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
•                      1/4 cup sugar
•                      1/3 cup butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar; add butter and blend well


                 

Cookie Cutter Sugar Cookies

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Scrape down bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. Stir in the flour mixture until incorporated.
5. Cover the bowl, and chill the dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
6. When you are ready to bake the cookies, make sure one of your oven racks is in the center of your oven and preheat oven to 400F degrees.
7. Line your cookie sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper. Alternatively use ungreased cookie sheets.
8. Scoop out about 1/3 of the dough onto a lightly floured surface and return the rest of your dough to the refrigerator until you are ready for it.
9. Roll out dough on floured surface or parchment paper to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, getting it as even as you can.
10. Cut into desired shapes with your favorite cookie cutters.
11. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.
12. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven for thin cookies and 8 to 10 minutes for thicker cookies.
13. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

This recipe makes about 4 to 5 dozen sugar cookies, depending on size and shape of the cookie cutter used.





Some tips:

• Chill the dough thoroughly, when instructed to do so.
• Roll only a portion of the dough at a time and keep the rest in the refrigerator.
• If the dough seems sticky, you can roll the dough between parchment paper to avoid sticking.
• Roll the dough to an even thickness so your cookies will cook at the same rate.
• The thinner you roll the dough the crisper your cookies will be. Thicker dough will result in a softer cookie.
• Only place cookie dough on cool cookie sheets.
• Dust your cookie cutters with flour between cuttings.
• For best results bake your cut out cookies one sheet at a time in the center of your oven.
• To decorate, simply sprinkle your sugar cookies with colored sugar before baking.
• Plain cookies can be painted using clean good artist or model painting brushes with your favorite sugar icing once baked and cooled.
• I have also beaten an egg yolk, separate to make different colors, add food coloring paint unbaked cookie as you like it, then bake.  This stains the cookie and adds no extra sugar or changed flavor.

Egg yolk paint:

5 egg yolks
2 tsp. water
Food color

Frosting for painting cookies:

1 egg white, room temperature
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
Food coloring

Beat egg white until frothy. Add sugar; beat until stiff. Add cream of tartar until thick. Dilute with food coloring and water. Paint on cookies with paint brush.




Nut Tossies or Nut Cups

1 cup flour
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 lb butter or margarine, softened
1/2 brown sugar, packed
1 egg, beaten
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or English walnuts)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Mix softened butter and cream cheese. 2. Add flour to butter mixture. 3. Divide into 24 balls. 4. Press into tossie or mini muffin tins. 5. Mix brown sugar, vanilla, and nuts together then add beaten egg, mix well. 6. Fill crust about 3/4 full. 7. Bake for 20 mins until crust is brown.

Delicious Appetizers:   I have also used this recipe for delicious appetizers, just make the cups and bake them empty until lightly golden brown about 10 minutes, take out and allow to cool.

Spinach Cream Cheese Filling:  Mix one package of cream cheese, with 1/4 cup grated onion, 1 tsp. chopped garlic,  1 box of thoroughly drained and patted dry frozen chopped spinach, pinch of seasoned salt or soul seasoning, and dash of pepper, spoon into cups.

Liverwurst Cream Cheese Filling:  Beat one package of cream cheese, with one tube package of Oscar Meyer Liverwurst until smooth, you may add onion if you wish, spoon into cups.

Chudder Filling: Beat one package of cream cheese with one container of Wispride Cheddar Cheese, spoon into cups.

A Heartwarming Family Thanksgiving That Was Super Fun For All!

I am so thankful and blessed for my wonderful family.   This year my daughter Jennifer and her husband Ariel hosted the Thanksgiving Dinner.  Everyone contributed something to the meal.  Jennifer won the thirty pound turkey at work, and it was fresh and delicious; cooked to perfection.  Ariel kept testing it with a meat thermometer to insure it was thoroughly cooked, yet not over done and dry. Jen's totally homemade PA Dutch Stuffing was out of this world!  She also  used her food processor to create a mouth watering cranberry orange relish.  And as if that wasn't enough she had jellied cranberry,  glazed carrots, and broccoli.  She also contributed a pumpkin roll and red velvet roll made by a friend from where she works. 

My daughter Jamiann brought scrumptious hors d'oeuvres and a delightful whipped pumpkin dip served with ginger snaps and graham crackers.  Jami and Mike also brought along an ice cream cake to help celebrate Abigayle and Jake's birthdays. Each year they combine the Nov. 11th birthday of Jake, and the Dec. 11th birthday of Abby into one party.  Well, their family will be going to Disney World in December where they will celebrate in Cinderella's Castle on December 11th, so the ice cream cake was to share their birthday celebration with family.

My sister Irene brought her family famous cole slaw, and beverages(non-alcohol kind).  My sister Ruth Ann brought her Farmer's Fair Award Winning pies, Vanilla Cream, Pumpkin, and Apple.  I brought the Caramelized Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts, a salad, and the kid's favorite marshmallow topped candied sweet potatoes. 

Where is Santa?

We hung around Jen and Ariel's home for awhile, conversing, and waiting for the food to settle as darkness fell upon Port Clinton, PA.  We all then piled into three vehicles and headed over to Koziar's Christmas Village just outside of Berneville, PA.  What a fabulous, fun time we all had there!  I don't care how old you are, at Christmastime you are a kid!  Who doesn't love to see millions of twinkling lights, and kids racing around each corner to see a wonderland of Christmas Cheer!

I am so truly blessed!  Thank you God for all of this LOVE!

Koziar's Christmas Village Bernville, PA Enlightening the Spirit of a Childhood Christmas

From our home we traveled west on route I-78, we took Exit 19, route 183 south, and just a little south of the village of Bernville we made a right onto Robesonia Road, bearing right onto Christmas Village Road . Soon we found ourselves wondering if we were going in the right direction while driving through the darkened countryside. Then just as we came over the last hill, suddenly we found ourselves in a magical, sparkling valley aglow with more twinkling lights than we had ever seen before.
( I truly can't express how breath taking this site is the first time you suddenly come upon this lit up spectacle out in the middle of no where on a dark country road! You really must experience it for yourself, however expect to be in a traffic jam on certain evenings)
Koziar's Christmas Village began sixty-one years ago when William Koziar and his wife Grace began decorating their home and property in the rural area of northern Berks County, PA. Along with their four children, they did such a marvelous job in decorating that soon it became known to the locals as the "Christmas House".

Each year they added more, and more decorations, light displays, along the fences, walk ways, out buildings, barn, trees, and the lake. The word spread, and soon people were driving by, and eventually began to stop in to get a closer look.

This magnificent spectacle now attracts thousands of tourists each year from all over, to view the more than one-half million Christmas lights adorning the rural Berks countryside, and is now known as Koziar's Christmas Village.

My youngest daughter Jamiann, her husband Mike, and their three adorable children, along with my younger sister Ruth Ann, her husband Tom, my husband Roger, and myself visited Koziar's  Thanksgiving  2008 after stuffing ourselves with a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner at The Blue Mountain Family Restaurant in Shartlesville, PA, just about twelve miles north of Koziar's. The village is quite compact, and there are places to sit and rest along the way.

My sister Ruth Ann enjoyed this so much that she requested we go there again this year after our Thanksgiving Dinner. 


Here is a video slide of our trip:








Please Check Out Their Site...It is Fantastic!!!!Oh and don't skip the Flash Intro...it's Great!




Click here to check out their website, it is just as magical!

Thankful

"Thankful"

Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster

Somedays we forget

To look around us

Somedays we can't see

The joy that surrounds us

So caught up inside ourselves

We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for

What we know can be.

And on this day we hope for

What we still can't see.

It's up to us to be the change

And even though we all can still do more

There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves

There's so much sorrow

It's way too late to say

I'll cry tomorrow

Each of us must find our truth

It's so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for

What we know can be

And every day we hope for

What we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change

And even though we all can still do more

There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences

There is a place we're all connected

Each of us can find each other's light

So for tonight we pray for

What we know can be

And on this day we hope for

What we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change

And even though this world needs so much more

There's so much to be thankful for

To purchase products that include this song: 
Click Here

Re-Post From Dec. 2009 My Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes

Traditionally the Christmas Cookie was the cut out sugar cookie in shapes that resemble items that remind us of Christmas. Ever since the nine-teen thirties children in the USA have been leaving cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve.

However, baking Christmas Cookies is not necessarily a female tradition, it is a predominately female tradition. In keeping with that idea it is easy to understand how we ended up with a huge variety of recipes for cookies that are baked for Christmas. Since the United States is the melting pot of many nationalities, it is inevitable that recipes from other nations were added to the mix.

Somewhere along the time line of baking cookies for Christmas, someone decided that they would make a great Christmas gift to be enjoyed by the whole family. Many attractively decorated tins popped up in the super markets, some may even had been sold containing mass produced commercialized versions of our favorite home baked cookies.  I love to re-use tins that I have either bought or had given to me.  Recently, I received a huge box of tins that were loving used by one of Alpha's best bakers, Yolanda Savary. 

My Uncle Dick's wife our Aunt Jenny is of Hungarian decent and was known for her Kieflies. She called them Kieflies, but many Germans call them Kiffels. In her recipe she used yeast and sour cream, and this was the recipe our mother used for many years.

Then in 1978, we were introduced to our neighbor Andy "Gumps" Penyak's sister Anna "Anky" Moyer who was of Russian decent. She gave us the recipe for Kiffels made with cream cheese, which is much more simple than the one with yeast and sour cream.

One Christmas I gave a tin of my cookies to Aunt Jenny and Uncle Dick, and she asked for my recipe for the Kiffel with cream cheese. It was my understanding that from that time onward she used the cream cheese recipe. I think that the cookie comes lighter, more flaky, and richer with cream cheese.

I had previously been known in my circle of friends as the person who made wedding cakes. My dear friend Georgia called me to make her brother Jimmy's wedding cake. At their wedding reception I was introduced to Mrs. Georgia Kustopias Crouse's delicious, melt in your mouth Greek Crescent Cookies.  Later that year while I was giving the dear late Mrs. Crouse a perm, she wrote the recipe down for me.  These cookies are so very good!

When I was about eighteen my cousin Paula Jessamine "DiRisio" made tons, and tons of Christmas cookies for her family on their farm in Karrville, NJ. One of my favorites of Paula's cookies were her powdered sugared pecan sandy balls, that looked like a snow ball. They too would just melt in your mouth. The recipes was quite similar to the Greek Crescent Cookies so I incorporated the two. I separate the Greek cookie dough into two parts, and add pecans to one part for the "snow balls".

Three years ago my daughter Jennifer gave me a Christmas Cookie book. In the book was a recipe for "Mice Cookies", they were so adorable looking and so easy to make that my grandchildren helped me make them. They are now an whimsical addition to the many cookies our family enjoys each Christmas season.

There was a day many years ago when I made thousands of cookies and gave them as gifts. Well, those days have hit the skids for me. Physically I am not able to bake so many cookies, and the cost of ingredients have sky rocketed since the seventies and eighties.

I now wrangle the help of the granddaughters and even the grandson's if they would like to learn how to bake. My father was an excellent baker and candy maker. His cream puffs, danish, and bread were scrumptious. My friend Georgia would take them to her Aunt's former restaurant in Easton to be sold at the counter. He also tried his hand at making homemade sauerkraut, horse radish, and pickles. So as to not leave the gentlemen out of this tradition of baking Christmas cookies, I think that I should see if Jacob and Gabriel would like to try their hand at baking.

As to not make this blog any longer, I will now add my first Christmas cookie recipe, and will post the rest of them next week.

I think if I took a poll in our family the Kiffel would win the first choice of the cookies I bake. Therefore it will be my first recipe:


CREAM CHEESE KIFFELS

4 c. flour "You may need more if dough seems too wet."

1 lb. butter

1 lb. cream cheese

Mix well. Divide into about 4 large round balls. Refrigerate overnight; however, if there is not enough time to refrigerate overnight, the dough may be worked immediately after mixing. Roll dough in powdered sugar/flour mixture into a large round circle to about 1/4 inch in thickness. or on parcment paper. Cut 5 inch squares with a pizza cutter or crimper. Fill with apricot, lekvar, etc. (many fillings can be store bought at the deli section). Don't be afraid to fill. You may make them smaller if you want. I have also used a pastry bag to put the filling on the dough. Fold sides inward to pinch and seal in the filling. Bake at 350 degrees starting at 13 minutes and watching until kiffels are golden on the surface. (This time will vary on the size of the kiffels. 5 inch kiffels with filling will turn out somewhat large.) Use unbuttered cookie tray. Remove when hot. 1 batch makes about 5 1/2 dozen kiffels. These freeze very well.

NUT FILLING: 2 c. ground walnuts 12 tbsp.condensed milk 8 tbsp. sugar My mother added black walnut flavoring, which is hard to find, but really enhances the flavor.*

LEKVAR FILLING: Lekvar is sold in the jelly section of the grocery store, it is prune filling, and my personal favorite. Back in the day I would purchase Lekvar in a white paper dish, wrapped in the white meat wrapping paper, at the meat counter in Alpha's well known, Central Super Market, which also sold black walnut flavoring, and the little silver balls that Mom used for the eyes on her Mirror Cookie Press Peanut Butter Camels. Everyone in Alpha sure miss the Pados family and their Central Super Market.

APRICOT FILLING: I use Apricot Jam that I get at Aldis, and would also be found in the jelly section at any grocery store.

*After the nut filled kiffels are cool, I place them in a zip lock bag with some powdered sugar, lightly shake, and remove from bag.

If you happen to be too busy to bake and live in the Lehigh Valley, you may want to take a trip to the Kiffel Kitchen on Route 512 in Moore Township north of Bath, south of Wind Gap. They also ship! Here is a link to their website: The Kiffel Kitchen http://www.kifflekitchen.com/

I have had their kiffels, nut cups, and cream cheese brownie cups and they are delicious. The store is really nice too, and they sell country craft gift items, and play Jimmy Durante background music, definitely worth the trip.

Mrs. Crouse's Greek Crescent Cookies & More

Georgia Kustopias Crouse's Greek Crescent Cookies

This is the recipe that I received from the mother of a life long friend, Georgia Kustopias Crouse. Like my own dear mother, Georgia passed on several years ago. I am very grateful that she gave me this recipe so many years ago. These cookies melt in your mouth, and they add a pretty touch to a tray of cookies for their shape and snowy appearance.

325 degrees 15 minutes

1 lb. butter

6 egg yolks beaten

3/4 cup of confectioners sugar

1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking powder

5 cups flour (may need a little more)

whole cloves

confectioner sugar to dust after cool


Mix butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together thoroughly. Blend in flour. Divide dough in half. Shape dough by rounded teaspoon into crescents. Press whole clove into center of each. Bake on ungreased baking sheet 12-15 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

Pecan Snowballs

Should you choose to divide in half and use this dough for the pecan snowballs, add 2/3 cup of ground pecans to the dough and roll them into balls. Bake on ungreased baking sheet 12-15 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool. Dust with confectioner's sugar.



Scottish Shortbread

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 cups flour
Thoroughly cream butter and sugar, add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix thoroughly. Turn onto board floured with remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Knead in flour until dough cracks on surface. Roll out to a thickness of 1/4 inch, use 2 inch glass or round cookie cutter to cut into circles. Stamp the centers with Scottish Shortbread Cookie Stamp. I have a Father Christmas and a "Clement Moore" type Santa design on my stamps. *If you don't have a stamp you can just make them circles or cut into squares or shapes.
Bake at 275 degrees on ungreased baking sheet 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

We The People~ Must Occupy

The nation has debt, the 99% have debt, do you think the 1% have debt?

If you ever get the opportunity to visit Jim Thorpe aka Mauch Chunk, PA please do yourself a favor and tour the Old Jail Museum.  I have toured it several times, and would do the tour again, and again just to be reminded of just how a large corporation can seal the fate of its lowly laborers.

The guides of the museum spoke of the injustice served on the Irish Immigrants of the mid to late 1800s who mined the coal in the Pennsylvania coal mines of the region.  You will hear of how the coal miners worked long arduous hours in the mines; and did not get to spend the money they earned as it was always owed to the Company Store and the Company Landlord.   If the coal miner died whether from black lung or in a mining accident his widow and children were evicted immediately and left for homeless unless they had a son to take over the father's job.  They had boys as young as nine or ten mining in the coal mines.   If there was a threat of an accident, the miners were instructed to save the mules first and that every miner had to save themselves.

In the town there were signs in the windows of the shops; No Irish Allowed.  There would be no justice for the hard working laborers in the mines.  The irony of it all was that Franklin B. Gowan was a first generation Irish Protestant and President of both the PA & Reading Railroad, and the PA & Reading Coal & Iron Company yet had no respect for those who worked hard so he could enjoy the fruits of their labor.

When the coal miners assembled and tried to negotiate with the company for better work conditions and a decent wage they were threatened and murdered.  Franklin Gowan hired the Pinkertons, a Philadelphia Detective Agency to investigate those who were organizing unions.  History has conflicting stories, just as our media today who report the activities of Occupy.

If one was to hear the stories handed down from generation to generation of the coal miners you will hear as I have heard from my own mother whose grandparents were from Mauch Chunk/Jim Thorpe. The story I was told was that the miners were innocent of the Pinkerton's accusations of murder, and the company run government condemned them to death by hanging.  The handed down stories state that the Pinkertons themselves were the murderers and framed the lowly miners who had no means of defending themselves against the Dystopian Society of the day.

They were in an Oligarchy structured society where the elite 1 % ruled the government and the 99% of coal miners and their families were bound to servitude to the coal company that controlled all aspects of their day to day activities.  When they stood up for themselves they were "railroaded" by the 1% that controlled the media and government.  In the end there was a public hanging to send the message to anyone who had ideas of standing up to the 1% of the elite who ruled.

At the present time the conditions of our daily lives as the 99% are much better than that of the coal miners during the mid to late 1800s.  However, we must stand up of our rights now before it quickly deteriorates to that of our ancestors here in the coal region of Pennsylvania.  We should not allow the 1% of our country to dictate policy such as the latest campaign finance laws that will only give the 1% more power to control who we vote for in our elections.

During the past decade or so the 1% have gotten their ducks in a row, and are on a roll toward a Oligarchy structured society; the actual literal translation from the Greek is "rule of the few". They have organized to take away the blue collar worker jobs through outsourcing/NAFTA, the carefully placed corporate pawns in government have passed bills to deconstruct our Labor Unions, the home and land ownership of the former middle class sunk into foreclosures through the Subprime Mortgage Crisis, the big corp. insurance companies dictating the health care of the former middle class, the big "Pharma Companies" courting the doctors to spread their control of the public through controlled substances, the massive dependence on foreign fossil fuels without regard for employing the unemployed to develop alternative energy sources,  and the lack of government funding for all forms of education for the former middle class and the lies perpetrated by the government to wage war on the Iraqi people. Make no mistake; the 1% dictatorship ruled Iraq, but it was the 99% who go on suffering from the "Shock and Awe" of the Bush Administration. 

It is much easier to control a beaten down, unemployed, uneducated, drugged up, group of people that have lost all sense of contribution, pride of ownership, and wisdom.  So when you see or hear of the media condemning Occupy, think of the Irish Miners of Mauch Chunk who were labeled Molly Maguires by the Coal Company pawns, and the media of the their day who spread the word that they were criminals. The 1% Wealthy Hierachy were responsible for the public opinion of their day, let us not allow history to repeat itself.

When Occupy demonstrators are in an urban setting they should not be labeled the criminals.  There are and always have been crimes committed in these urban settings on a daily basis.  The police and media have attributed these crimes to the demonstrators.  I also would not find it very hard to believe that like the Pinkertons of the mid to late 1800s there is some instigated or provoked violence that has been attributed to the demonstrators in order to give Occupy bad publicity.

I have also seen where the Conservative media has promoted the idea that Occupy is a predominately Liberal/Socialistic endeavor, even eluding to racial overtones of a black influence because of the current seated President's ethnicity.  I have seen several links to Conservative Tea Party enthusiasts who have condemned Occupy. 

We need to unite in order to stop the 1% while there is still a chance to do so.  WE THE PEOPLE were regular laborers and farmers. Abraham Lincoln said it best when he said, "our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Related links:


 Irish Coal Miners Of Pennsylvania/Molly Maguires

 Mauch Chunk Jail HIstory

Allison Kilkenny Occupy

Jamie Kilstein Occupy

Occupy Wall Street The Official Website

Working America

Big Brother Is Watching You-George Orwell's 1984

A Memorable 60th Birthday Bash!

The Best Birthday Party ever! A very special thank you to my daughter Jamiann and her husband Michael for making it happen!  Also a very special thank you to my daughter Jen, and granddaughter Emily for their help, my sister Ruth Ann, cousin Paula, cousin Kathy, friends Erin, Cynthia, Heather, and Kathy for bringing their delicious contributions to the food, and helping in the preparation back in the kitchen!

With a grateful heart my 60th birthday bash was such a wonderful experience because of all of the great family and friends that showed up to make it so very special. Getting to see all six grandchildren having such a great time, and knowing that 7 year old Jacob just took over in the clean up duties, sweeping floors and taking out the trash.  I also have been so blessed to have family and friends who were not able to make it, but sent me cards, gifts, and sentimental wishes!

One of the greatest gifts of being able to have made it through life to celebrate such a landmark birthday is knowing that my life has been blessed by so many!  

Elizabethan Masquerade Party Centerpiece

My favorite scene in the movie Labyrinth is the elegant Elizabethan Masquerade Ball.  I so love the mysterious opulence of the Elizabethan era.

My daughter Jennifer and I have created centerpieces for just one such occasion and on a shoestring. 

 Terracotta flower pots from Walmart $1.59 each, 40lb Sacrete/Quickcrete $2.99 Lowes, Branches

/free from my trees, Spray Paint four cans from Lowes  .99 cents each, 2 lg containers of glitter Walmart $2.29 each, Elmer's clear glue $1.69, black feather raven $1.00 from the Dollar Tree. Black tulle, was purchased online, however
A.C. Moore $4.72 for 25 yards six inches wide or Michaels would have this.


Mix Sakrete per directions with water, we wedged some Styrofoam broken apart from packaging we had on hand to hold in place, or have someone help you to hold the branch centered in the pot while you pour the Sakrete into the pot.  The weight of the Sakrete kept the branch in place.

Allow to dry overnight. In the morning take them outside to spray paint as in the photo.  I used black and white, however you may make them whatever color you want.  You may pay more for other colors of spray paint.

By late afternoon they were dry, and I brought them in to begin the glittering.  Glittering is optional, but it adds some elegant glitz to the finished piece.  Glittering was the most tedious of the tasks.  I painted each branch with Elmers clear glue, and sprinkled the glitter on them, also mixed some glitter with glue and painted them too.  There is spray paint that has glitter in it, and that may be easier, but I am not sure if the affect will be the same. Allow them to dry overnight.

I took black tulle and made bows as if I were making Pew Bows for a wedding and added them to the base of the tree, on top of the pot.  I also painted some mini pumpkins with glue and sprinkled them with gold glitter and added one to the top of pot tucked into the bow on several of the centerpieces.  These pieces were for a Halloween Elzabethan Masquerade Party(Which turned out to be my 60th Birthday Party-Surprise).


Here are directions for Tuille Bows.

The first one has the raven on it, the others without raven.

"The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty!" Lady Macbeth   William Shakespeare

11/11/2011

11/11/2011

 The date of 11-11-11 is one of the most powerful shifts in human awareness that you will experience in this lifetime. It is a rare opportunity to release lifetimes of karmic scripting and ancestral entrapment. Entrapment in the sense of the conscious and unconscious habit patterns which have you wondering why you can’t seem to actualize the life you really want to have, and know is possible.

 It's a day that arrives once in a century: 11/11/11. The unique pattern of numbers has inspired weddings, New Age ceremonies, and even cesarean births.

 It doesn't hurt that 11/11/11, is an especially memorable number for anniversaries.  "With 11, you have the significance of the number one -- two becoming one, the 'number one marriage,' one soul mate, finding 'the one,'", not to mention that it's a "once in a lifetime" experience.

Both of my sisters were married on the 11th, but not November 11th, they were married on 9/11, but way before the 2001 tragic events.  I guess you could certainly say it was a lucky marriage date for my sister Irene and her husband Allen because they were just married 40 years on 9/11/2011.

So Best wishes to Marissa and Kevin, and Nikki and Steve!

And today my grandson Jacob turned 7, and my friend Anne turned 61. Happy Birthday!

My New Hometown, Tilden Township/Hamburg Pennsylvania

In 2012 Tilden Township will celebrate a 125 yr Anniversary

In 1740, the first Amish congregation in America established themselves one mile west of Hamburg, in what is now Tilden Township. Indian raids in the 1750's drove most of these Amish Mennonites from the area. They fled the region, heading south to locations in and around Lancaster County. Indians made frequent raids upon settlements in this vicinity because the gap in the mountain at Port Clinton provided them with an easy approach from the north.


Prior to Tilden Township being organized as a separate district, there was a depot station and store in the vicinity of Lowland Road. It was the first railroad station on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad which ran along the west bank of the Schuylkill River. In addition to the rail lines, West Hamburg and Berne were two important shipping points. In 1870, the first telephone lines ran through the township to the Shartlesville area. The Berne Post Office was established in 1878.


In 1887, Tilden Township was taken from Upper Bern Township and organized as a separate district. The Township is situated west of the Schuylkill River, bordered on the north by Schuylkill County, to the east by Hamburg Borough, to the west by Upper Bern Township and to the south by Centre Township. It was named after Samuel J. Tilden, who was a presidential candidate in 1876. During this era, most of the residents were involved in farming. Some of the other industries in the area included foundries, brick works, two creameries, a wool mill, two gristmills, saw mills, blacksmith and watchmaker's shops and a rolling mill. All the mills were driven by water power.


From 1887 until 1929, the schooling of local children was conducted at seven different one-room school houses located throughout the township.

Our Schools: The Tilden Elementary Center, located on the original site of the Tilden Elementary School at 524 West State Street, Hamburg, opened its doors on August 25, 2008 for 710 elementary students in kindergarten through 5th grade.

My daughter Jen in gray sweat shirt/PTO Mom helping Heritage DayAt School

Hawk Mtn. Sanctuary Volunteer

Tilden Elementary Center consists of a three multi-story classroom wings, library, gymnasium, auditorium, combination cafeteria and auditorium, administration offices and educational support areas. They actually have electronic black boards, no more chalk!

 The high school underwent a $21.4 million building project that began in the spring of 2000 and ended the fall of 2002. It added a 30,000-square-foot gymnasium, wrestling and weight rooms, a 250-seat large group instruction room, administration offices, a community and board meeting room, and central air conditioning. The auditorium was completely redone, and other renovations included replacing windows and 300 computers.


Hamburg Schools have a huge athletic program:  http://www.hasdhawks.org/athletics.cfm


Hamburg Schools have a dedicated music program: http://www.hasdhawks.org/community.cfm?subpage=786854


Hamburg Schools also have a talented fine arts program: http://www.hasdhawks.org/community.cfm?subpage=856365

 The Tilden Township Municipal Building is a 5,000 sq. ft. municipal and police building. Municipal spaces, located on the first floor, include offices, 100-occupant meeting room, receptionist, tax office, fire-rated record storage and a break room. Police spaces, located on the second floor, include receptionist, holding cells, interrogation rooms, offices, squad room, conference room and evidence storage.

Just behind the municipal building is the brand new state of the art Tilden Township Playground.

 Cabela's retail division operates overwhelmingly popular stores throughout the U.S. As much wildlife museums and education centers as retail stores, Cabela's showrooms provide a truly unique shopping experience. True destination stores, Cabela's showrooms offer outdoor enthusiasts and their family an educational and entertaining shopping experience. Right across Rt. 61 there is Murphy's Jewelers which is billed as the "Hunting Store For Women".

Some of the restaurants in Tilden Township include, McDonalds, Wendys, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, and Cracker Barrel. .  There is a restaurant in the Boat and RV Mega Store just across from Cracker Barrel. Next door is the Microtel Hotel/Pappy Ts restaurant/lounge that has live entertainment on Fri. and Sat.  On Hex Highway/Old Rt 22 there is the Indian Fort Inn, which sits next to the Extreme Home Makeover home. This bar/restaurant was also remolded by the Extreme Home Makeover crew. 

This year marked the opening of the Tilden Ridge a 390,000-square-foot shopping center situated next to Cabelas featuring a Walmart Super Center, Lowes, Logan's Steak House, Red Robin, Pizza Hut, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, JA Chinese Buffet, a hair salon, and several other stores including a pet store.


In downtown Hamburg we have a one auditorium movie theater The Strand, the good ole fashioned Miller's Five and Dime Store, and the Hoffman Lanes Bowling Alley. Hamburg's downtown district with its quaint brick sidewalks, turn of the century vintage gas lamp posts, there is a variety of "Mom and Pop" owned shops. During the Christmas season you will enjoy Christmas music coming from the rooftop over hang of a very interesting antique store while shopping on Fourth Street.  

The downtown district is also the home of a Rite Aid Pharmacy, Weiss Kings Pharmacy/Grocery Store, Redner's Warehouse, Louees Pizza, Pizza Como, and Russo's Pizza.

Right off Hex Highway/Old Rt 22 there is a Mennonite family that sell fresh fruit, veggies, and homemade jellies, jams, relish,  pies, cakes, cookies, and bread right in their front yard on Thurs. Fri. and Saturdays. 

There are several Service Clubs in Hamburg, the Jaycees, Lions, VFW, American Legion, Moose, P.O.A., Fish & Game Assoc.,  Our Town Assoc., Boy/Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts/Brownies and Free Masons.


On Palm Sunday 2006 my husband Roger and I joined one of the many local churches in Hamburg.  We  participate in many pot luck supper religious study groups where we share fellowship with several talented and friendly neighbors.   Our church has a registered, licensed day care facility, holds Boy/Cub Scout, AA meetings, Vacation Bible School, Youth Group, and several other groups dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people of the region. 

View from foot bridge on Bartram Trail just off the Hamburg Park

While Hamburg has a lovely park shaded by many trees with an Olympic sized swimming pool, there is also the Schuylkill River Walking Trail/Bartram Section.  To get to the southern trail head near Hamburg from Interstate 78, take Route 61 North and turn right onto Jetson Drive, directly across from Cabela's. At the T turn right onto Industrial Drive, and follow this road to the railroad tracks. Make an immediate left onto Kernsville Dam Road and follow straight to the trail head and parking. This is a comment from one of the trail hikers: "My family and I checked out this trail for the first time yesterday. With blue sky, cool temps. and some color still on the trees, we enjoyed a great ride. With fallen leaves, running down the trail with us in the breeze, it was quite magical! We started from the trail head in Hamburg, went out about 6 miles and then back again. We found the trail that we traveled on to be in great condition, smooth, and well marked. We passed a few other bikers and walkers enjoying the trail too. Our only caution about this trail is that it is not one for young children to bike on as the drop off is quite steep in some areas and there are no fences."
 http://www.schuylkillriver.org/

Kaercher Creek Park

My daughter and granddaughter fishing

My daughter preparing picnic, they have grills too.

And as if all of that isn't enough we also have the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the Appalachian Trail, and Hamburg's lovely Kaercher Creek Park.   We have had many a family outing there; enjoying its beauty, fishing, and picnicking. 

Grandkids having fun with new found friends

Grandkids Kaercher Creek Park

I love living here, even in the snow!

All of this and the average estimated 2011 annual real estate tax rate is  $2,168-$3,027.00.  It is no wonder why I try to encourage my family members in New Jersey to jump ship and come join us in God's Country!


The reality TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and the Home Builders Association of Berks County built a new home for a Tilden Township family.  The home was for Trisha Urban, and her 1-year-old daughter, Cora Catherine after her husband Andy died of a heart attack the night Cora was born. 

Tilden Township Haunting, Berne, Five Locks, A heavy mist appears across the canal and starts to form in the shape of a young woman. This can be seen on a Midnight drive only when the moon is full, on a semi warm night.  Berks County's most famous ghost hunter and author, Charlie Adams: http://www.facebook.com/CharlesJAdamsIII?sk=wall


Watch this video created by the Hometown Association of Hamburg!



 http://hamburgpa.org/category/recreation/


What's not to love about my new hometown, Tilden Township/Hamburg, PA???? 

Other Berks County Attractions: 

Koziar's Christmas Village

782 Christmas Village Rd
Bernville, PA 19506
610-488-1110

Ozzy's Family Fun Center

5411 Pottsville Pike
Leesport, PA 19533
610-926-6162

Reading Phillies Baseball Club

FirstEnergy Stadium
Rt. 61 S.
P.O. Box 15050
Reading, PA 19612
610-370-BALL

Reading Royals Ice Hockey

645 Penn Street
1st Floor
Reading, PA 19601
610-898-7825

Roadside America

109 Roadside Drive
I-78, Exit 23
Shartlesville, PA 19554
610-488-6241

WK&S Railroad

42 Community Center Drive
Kempton, PA 19529
610-756-6469

BeeTree Trail Farm/Horse Drawn Carriages/Sleighs

http://www.usframecrew.com/berks/index.php

Goggle Works Art Gallery-Reading

Reading Museum/Arboretum/Planetarium 

Reading Pagoda

Blue Marsh Lake

Lake Ontelaunee

Antietam Lake

 Sovereign Center/Reading

The Daniel Boone Homestead