Philadelphia-Part Two: A Rich History

Life has been really kicking my butt lately with no signs of letting up any time soon. I now present to you the (long overdue) part 2 of my Philly visit.

I lived in Philly for several years, though I never got to explore it that much. I was a college student (broke and distracted). 'Nuff said. So its been nice in years since to visit and "discover" gems. I stayed at a hotel in Center City (downtown). Philadelphia's City Hall is an amazing structure. It's an interesting dichotomy: an elaborate structure in the center of a city incorporated by Quakers.

City Hall has portals from every direction. The facade of each portal has a theme. I was drawn to and spent a lot of time examining the West portal. This was the entrance that prisoners heading for trial would use. The reliefs and statues on this facing depict images of prayer, meditation, admonition and forgiveness. They also contain images of Native Americans to depict the American frontier.

Man praying.

I lived and spent most of my waking time in North Philly so I took a gander at the North facing portal. This facade is dedicated to Europe and local government. I love the the thought and the skill that went into this structure. I could have spent all day here.

Victory - Male

About twenty or so years ago the City created the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network to beautify communities and combat graffiti and vandalism. This is one of the murals in my old neighborhood - Spring Garden/Art Museum.

My all time favorite, though there are others.

On the crafting front, I have been pretty quiet. I have several projects on the needles, but so far only one with a self-imposed deadline. For my first ever Rhinebeck festival, I am making a Central Park Hoodie. I know, I know, I am a little late to the party, but I have never made myself anything except a hat and a pair of fingerless mitts so I am very excited. I took it to Philly with me.

Central Park [Hoodie] meets Fairmount Park!

Lastly, I took a self-guided walking tour. The city has all of these signs denoting historic events. Very cool.

Philadelphia-Part One: A Fat Ass' Tour

They say that Seattle is the mecca for good coffee and New Orleans is the home of the best jazz. Outside of being the birthplace of the US democratic system, what is Philadelphia the home of? Great food!

Hail Alma Mater!

For those who do not know, I went to Temple University for my undergraduate studies. It was there that I learned that Philadelphians know how to eat. And eat good.

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I attribute this to two things: its blue collar roots and the Pennsylvania Dutch (how they don't have a higher incidence of obesity I do not understand). And, if Philly is the home of good eats, then this is ground zero.

Reading Terminal is one of my favorite places to to. The offerings are abfab.

Saturday morning we made several stops for breakfast. First up...

Next, we stopped here to get more nutritious offerings. That is, of course if you consider a turkey bacon, egg and cheese sandwich or blueberry pancakes nutritious. Take a gander...

At least it's wheat bread!

No visit to Philly is complete without stopping by Chocolate by Mueller's. They are a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch chocolatier. The English language fails in its ability to describe the tastiness of their chocolate. They also have other candies including marzipan and a chocolate covered onion.

Lest you think the consumption only applied to food, while walking Fabric Row (increased the fabric stash), I also stopped by Sophie's Yarns and snagged these...

Two skeins of Asland Trends Ivernal (ravelry). It's 50% Rabbit Angora, 25% Merino Wool & 25% Polyamide and it feels yummy. I have absolutely no idea what to do with it, maybe a small shawl/scarf. Until inspiration hits, it goes into the stash. ~ksp

Trouble the Water

I went into The City with a good friend to see Trouble the Water at IFC. It's a newly-released documentary on a ninth ward New Orleans family affected by Katrina.

A nice turnout.

This showing was sponsored by PolicyLink. Both the directors and the editor of the film were present for a Q&A session after the screening. It was all very insightful. Right now the film is in limited release. The producers were told by theather groups that, "no one wants to see a movie about tough economic times during tough economic times." I suspect this is not true of those already inclined to watch documentaries.

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Because conversations about social justice and equity can work up quite an appetite, Carla and I fortified ourselves here.

John's of Bleeker Street

Several lives ago, we worked together at a think tank in the West Village and so we took the opportunity to visit an old haunt. This joint is typical of NYC's West Village, as it is SMALL, SMALL, SMALL; but that's the only small thing about it. It's big on taste and portions. Just look at this...

Pepper and onion calzone! We couldn't finish it. We tried!

So if you are inclined to see a film that raises questions of access and opportunity, human rights and political responsiveness, I encourage you to see this film (or request your local indie theatre show it)...and take a friend. ~ksp

In These Tough Economic Times

I know, I know, it has been a long time since I last posted. It's totally my fault. Sometimes I take the whole "hyperactive thing" too far and completely over-extended myself. Let's see...I have a list...I owe you gals/guys a few posts on the following topics: a trip to Philadelphia (still uploading photos), a canning bonanza, some knitting/quilting, the 2008 US Open tennis Championships, a recently-released moving documentary and some garden shots.

But today, as we focus as a nation on the upcoming November elections, and as we stand in the time between the DNC and RNC conventions, I bring you my effort towards restoring fiscal responsibility to this nation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Created in West Virginia in the 1930's and planted in NJ in May 2008.
Weighing in at 13.2oz in a beautiful rosy pink, I present to you...

The Puryear Garden 2008 - Mortgage Lifter!

[Wait for applause to end.]

Gardeners, I imagine, are a lot like parents of multiple children. You love all of your plants/children the same (at least that's what you say), but deep in your heart of hearts, you know you have a favorite. (This is complete speculation on my part as I do not have any kids.) The mortgage lifter is my favorite.

I first came to know of this heirloom variety tomato at the 2008 Philadelphia Flower show. It caught my attention first because I was looking for non-red heirloom fruits; second, this plant, like my mother, hails from Wet, Wild, Wonderful West Virginia. According to its lineage, it was created in the 1930's in Logan, West Virginia by a radiator repairman trying to ease the impact of the Great Depression on his family.

This has been a rough summer in the garden. NJ had a cool spring, so I got off to a late start transplanting my seedlings. When summer did finally arrive, it was a wet and humid one (not the best conditions for growing tomatoes). in mid-summer my non-gardening life necessitated some neglect-method gardening and one morning I discovered the damn plant toppled over.

Despite these many setbacks, my (intentionally) low-yield, organically grown tomatoes are coming along nicely. As each of us pays more and more for fuel and food, I am so happy to organically grow local food that is tasty to boot. More garden photos to follow in the coming weeks.

Happy Labor Day to everyone in the US. ~ksp

Liberation

I am a huge fan of Gwen Marston and her style of quilt making. Not because I've read any of her books, but rather as a fan of her many converts seen here, and here and here. I get tremendous inspiration from these women.

So last night, after sketching out ideas for weeks, I began a quilt top for my friend Tim in Atlanta. Tim and I have been friends since college, after seeing the quilts on my blog, he made a (not so) subtle request for a lap quilt of his own. My intention is to create a 72" x 60" wonder for use while watching television (he is a big guy). Since it will live in the living room (which is shades of beige) when not in use, I am using very neutral tones.

This is what I have so far.


This process has shown me how, even though I think of myself as a rebel, my sewing/quilting is reliant on patterns and someone else's directions. When faced with the opportunity to chart my own course, I floundered a bit. I must find my seam ripper. Between this "square" and the obnoxious Olympic commentators on NBC, I went to bed early last night. Sigh.

I am now off to the public library to borrow a copy of Liberated String Quilts. Hopefully, it will help. Live and learn. ~ksp