Great Places to Shop in Lancaster County (Fifth in a Series)

If you are looking for unique gifts, I suggest you visit this weekend. It’s the start of the bazaar season in Lancaster County. You’ll be able to find locally-made crafts, home-baked goodies, art, jewelry, doll clothes, and great food. But be warned...most folks have to hustle to take them all in. And the locals are up and out early – some of the bazaars open at 7:30.

No need to hit the mall or the outlets. Local folks find the best gifts just around the corner from The Artist’s Inn – you can walk to several of these bazaars that are held in local churches or homes.

Most of all, it’s a great way to support the local community as many of the bazaars help non-profits. So get up early and go – you'll be able to find lots of coffee, hot tea and good eats.

Here’s a partial list of the events. When in doubt of where to go, just follow the signs!

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church – (105 West Main Street in Terre Hill) Offering 15 different kinds of homemade chocolate and great food, including soup “to go” to enjoy later.

Real McCoys Christmas Bazaar – (Held at the home of Doris Weidner, 128 Center Avenue in Terre Hill) – Holiday gift baskets, old-fashioned woolen Christmas stockings, natural ornaments and even dog treats.

Berean Church Bazaar – (407 West Main Street, Terre Hill) – My favorite local Jeweler will be at this one.

Weaverland Auction – On Precast Lane, just outside of Terre Hill. Lots of great crafts, including QUILTS. They usually go for low prices.

Bangor Church - Route 23, Churchtown – This is worth a stop just to take a peek inside this wonderful historic church.

Bergstrasse Evangelical Lutheran Church (9 Hahnstown Rd. in Ephrata) – Their Fair-Trade Fair will feature handmade crafts by artisans from 35 different countries.

Mount Culman Evangelical Congregatoinal Church (1885 Turkey Hill Rd, East Earl) – (just north of Terre Hill on Route 625) – Features local crafts and hot lunches.

The Happy Chapmans – Featuring Folk Art on the Farm – (Route 897 just north of Terre Hill) – Hand-painted signs, especially Christmas items. To read more about the Chapmans, see our previous blog: http://blog.artistinn.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

Liberty Auxiliary Fire Company – (330 East Main Street, New Holland) – You’ll find candles, Chirstmas ornaments, and handmade baby items and much more.

Annunication Orthodox Church of Lancaster – (64 Hershey Ave. in Lancaster) Greek Food Bazaar – Imported items from Greece, pottery and, best of all.....stuffed grape leaves and other Greek Foods.

Did all that shopping make you hungry? St. Paul’s UCC Church in Bowmansville (just north of Terre Hill at 133 Church St.) will be holding a Corn Pie Supper starting at 3:00 p.m.

Happy shopping!

Lancaster County – The Land of Pumpkins!

It’s pumpkin time! Whether they grow them for fun or food, Lancaster County’s farmers sure know pumpkins. I never realized there were so many varieties before moving to Terre Hill.  Of course, you have your typical “face” pumpkins – great for carving on Halloween.  They are at every farm stand this time of year.

See how many of these others that you know.  Some of the names are as interesting as the varieties - Jack-be-Littles (tiny orange ones) and Little Octobers are shown with Baby Boo's (the tiny white ones pictured above).

The New Moon is white-ish and small and sit in front of the wagon. The big white rounded ones are called Full Moons.

In the back right of this picture, you'll see one of my favorites.  French Fairytales are elegant and very proud - with a lovely blend of green and orange and deep ridges.

It’s easy to see why the SuperFreaks get their name.

These light green, small pumpkins are called Jarrahdales and are terrific for baking.

Cinderellas are beautifully bright orange and squat - as though someone sat on them.  They too are among my favorites.  They are a unique French heirloom whose correct name is "Rouge vif D'Etampes". Some say they resemble the pumpkin that Cinderella's fairy godmother transformed into a carriage. And they were also served at the Pilgrim's second Thanksgiving dinner.

The peanut pumpkins are not to be confused with the Red Warty things.

Another one of my favorites – and a little hard to find – is the One Too Many. So pretty.

Pumpkins are great for decorating, no matter how you stack them – all the way up to Thanksgiving.

The Autumn Cups are small and dark green.

The Turk’s Turban is easy to remember..

As are the beehive - or maybe they are winter squash.  To tell you the truth, sometimes I have a hard time telling the squash from the pumpkins, but they are so much fun to decorate with, who cares? 

Perhaps the best part of pumpkin growing is catching a glimpse of orange in the fields as you drive along the back roads.  Slow down and you'll see them!

So if you just can't live without a pumpkin, or two, or twenty, head to Lancaster County and support our local farmers.  We'll be happy to share a list of the best pumpkin patches near The Artist's Inn.  But be warned - once you buy one, you'll want more.

Great Places to Shop in Lancaster County (Third in a Series)

I saw these cute folk craft signs on the street corners in town one day last fall. They advertised “Folk Art on the Farm”. My friend Kathy noticed them as well and we were intrigued. So off we went to follow them. We travelled north on Route 897, just outside of Terre Hill and only about five minutes from The Artist's Inn. In no time at all, we found where the signs led.

To a barn behind a house, filled to the brim with all things painted - snowmen, signs, and trees.

Berries in the Meadow is the name of a local business run by The Chapman Family. In the back of their house sits a barn that is magically transformed – depending on the season. We first saw it just before Christmas, so naturally I purchased several gifts.

I particularly liked the old objects that were painted - like a child's hand-painted ice skate stuffed with pine decorations. Yep, you'll now be able to find that amoung my Christmas collection.

Lancaster County just seems to bring out the creative side in folks - often using old items for their craft. Ah yes, there are usually yummy treats at the open houses.

I loved the bright colors and cheery sayings.

The second time we visited was in the spring and I purchased stuff for me. Their next show is this coming Labor Day weekend, so if you are in town, make sure you stop in. If you aren't in town, call us at 888-999-4479 or visit www.artistinncom/reservations.htm and we can help with that situation! I can't wait to add to my fall collection.

Their motto is “Put a Little Happy in Your Life” and I’m hoping these pictures will help you do just that – in case you can’t make it to The Chapmans in person. To keep track of them, you may want to follow their blog: http://www.berriesinthemeadowart.blogspot.com/ or visit their online store at http://www.berriesinthemeadow.etsy.com/

From Fallen Tree to Dr. Seuss in Lancaster County

A nasty storm rolled through Lancaster County in late June. Terre Hill was right in the path. We lost a White Cedar tree behind the Olde Stone Cottage. I hate to lose trees, for they enhance the quality of our property and lives. Trees provide homes for birds, shade the yard and help clean our air.

As is common after every storm – winter or summer, we walk through town and talk with neighbors – seeing how everyone fared and assessing the damage. As we looked at the large broken limb, a name came to mind – Dean Fox (717-355-2566). Dean has been chain saw carving all sorts of creatures for our town park at our Terre Hill Days celebration each year. That would be a great tribute to our fallen tree.

The first job was to tear down the part of the tree that we couldn’t use. We called Jerry Ink in Terre Hill (717-445-7577)– he does a terrific job of putting the limbs down exactly where he wants them.

It is quite a show to watch him work - climbing all over the tree. In fact, the event drew a few spectators.

Unfortunately, we discovered that the tree, although healthy at the top, was rotted from the base up to 6 ft. – which is the part that Dean would need to carve. So Dean took what he could use for other projects and we went home disappointed. The rest of the tree was ground up for mulch. As you may know, cedar makes great mulch, because it doesn’t attract insects and smells nice when warmed by the sun.

Dean offered to carve a felled Red Cedar tree for us that had been drying at his house for two years. We agreed.

There was only one choice for subject matter.

As an inn that hosts four cats and seems to attract most of the neighborhood strays, it was only fitting that Dean carve a 6 ft tall Cat-in-the-Hat – our tribute to one of America’s most beloved poets, Dr. Seuss.

Thank you, Dean, for doing such a great job. We love it so much that we were inspired to write:

Come and meet our newest cat,
He’s six feet tall and wears a hat,
He does not shed or use his claws,
He stands and smiles with two gloved paws.
He’ll gladly pose for photographs,
To show your friends and share some laughs.

Great Places to Shop in Lancaster County (First in a Series)

Do You Yearn For An Urn?

The time had come to do something about our front yard. Years ago, Main Street in Terre Hill had been lined with huge oak trees. Their branches reached for each other across the street and met in the middle, creating a canopy that shaded sidewalks and cooled front porches. But when the electric and phone companies started trimming them, the trees began dying off. All that remained of the two that were in front of the inn was a tangle of roots and rotting stumps. Our ivy did a fair job of covering up the uneven ground.

So we replaced the sidewalk and had the rest of the old stumps ground out. But it looked so empty. That’s when I remembered Hoover’s Farm Market.

Located on Route 23 between Goodville and Churchtown (a mere five miles from the inn), they make concrete statues and urns.

It's where I purchased my beloved three-foot bunny for the back gardens of The Artist's Inn. He has survived several years – in fact this winter’s snow covered almost all of him.
My mom and I stopped at Hoover’s and I quickly found what I wanted-two beautiful large urns to replace the trees. She insisted that I get them. In fact, she paid for them too. Now you know where I learned my shopping philosophy: “If you see something and fall in love with it, you just need to buy it.”

There’s a wide selection of urns from which to choose – along with nursery plants, fresh vegetables and home-baked goods –

even "outhouses" - so it’s worth a stop whether you need statuary or not.

There is one drawback.....Hoover’s offers no delivery on urns.

Time to call some good friends for help. Good friends like Bob and Lynne. They own an inn, the Australian Walkabout. They also own a pick-up truck. And so we invited them to dinner.....

Getting the urns in the truck was easy - Hoover's had a contraption - sort of a cross between a backhoe and a forklift. Now came the moment of truth - unloading the urns without breaking them - or any other body part.

And so Bob and Bruce wrestled with the urns. (Funny, but neighbors seem to disappear from their front porches when a project like this gets underway.)

No job would be complete without a cheerleader, though I suspect that Taylor was more excited about the ice cream at dinner than the urns.

Lynne stood by with refreshments for moral support.

I was busy taking pictures.

The flowers are planted and now we just wait for the ivy to fill in. So if this gets you yearning for an urn, you’ll know to head to Hoover’s.

One of Lancaster County’s best secrets: great little shops that offer so much – they aren’t found on any tourist map and rarely do advertising. But the locals know about these jewels throughout Lancaster County. I’ll introduce you to some of my absolute favorites in this blog.....so stay tuned – after all, there’s always some shopping to do!

County Comes to Town….A Visit to New York City

There’s no better time to visit New York than at Christmas. Everyone seems to be in a happy mood – at an accelerated pace, but happy just the same.

It’s been five years since we were in the city…enough time to forget what a pain it is to drive there. We managed to switch lanes at the last moment, when the Lincoln Tunnel “green” sign on our lane turned to a blaring red “X”, and, after searching several levels of the Port Authority Parking Garage, ditched the car and set out on foot.

I couldn’t help but notice the contrasts between home in Lancaster County and this day in New York City. New York assaults all your senses at once – the horns, the rapid movement of scores of people walking and cars bumper-to-bumper, the smell of a dozen different kinds of food – and most memorable this time of year – the smell of chestnuts roasting on street corners.

Lancaster County is certainly known for its smells too - the most memorable being the fertilizer that is spread on the fields, especially in the spring. Certainly a visitor to both NYC and Lancaster couldn’t help but notice the aromas. And the chimes from the church across from our inn is very much a part of the experience of Terre Hill.
Instead of the brick walkways of downtown Lancaster, we walked across metal grids, beneath which could be heard the roar of subway cars below the streets of New York. And there in front of us were two horses (hey, we have lots of those in Lancaster!). These belonged to the mounted police but were no less majestic and well-mannered than the ones pulling a buggy.

There is an “energy” about both places….Lancaster’s large vistas of farmland give one a sense of peach and calm. It makes you feel small compared to all that is around you. NYC’s energy is infectious and also makes you feel small in comparison – the vistas are mostly vertical, rather than horizontal, with buildings soaring into the sky.

There is a mix of cultures in both places – the Amish and Mennonites blending with the “English” in Lancaster. In New York there’s a diversity of cultures coming together. Because New York and Lancaster County are big tourist attractions, you are likely to hear several languages on any street corner in either place.

There is a juxtaposition of old and new – from the dazzling electronic billboards at Times Square – (there used to be just a few, now they are everywhere) to the classic art-deco architecture. There are brand new shiny skyscrapers next to century-old churches. The bike-riding couriers fight for space on the street with a limo that would easily seat twenty.

In Lancaster, the Amish travel by horse and buggy, and use the same roads as modern vehicles. And both the Mennonites and Amish use the shiny new roller blades. Stores along Route 30 offer the latest in everything from fashions to electronics.

We walked past the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, stepped in to sniff the aromas of what Dean and Deluca had cooking, admired the tree in Rockefeller Center and waved to the skaters. Times Square was very busy – but in less than two weeks this will seem quiet compared to the million people that will jam this intersection to welcome the new year.

Lancaster, too, has its busy places – the hustle and bustle of Route 30, the excitement of the new downtown Convention Center, Gallery Row and all of the places whose business it is to produce food – from hand-twisted pretzels to chocolate to ice cream. Amish and Mennonites love to skate on the ponds and streams. There is skating all winter at Clipper Stadium as well.

We ate lunch at Tony’s (Times Square) at 2:30 and were lucky to get the last of the tables. Everyone here seemed to be celebrating – there were big tables filled with folks and their shopping bags. Downstairs I passed a little girl dressed in a green velvet dress with white fur trim, and a waiter carrying a huge tray filled with glassware and then piled with linens, all balanced on one hand and carried way high above everyone’s heads.

The restaurant was a study in efficiency as waiters hoisted the table next to us and carried it over our heads down to the front of the restaurant…no matter, a new one soon appeared, was reset, and ready for the next customers. Drawings of Broadway actors and actresses lined the walls, next to a huge menu board. I loved my dish of Tony’s Chicken – a chicken cutlet in a balsamic sauce with tomatoes and basil and, I am sure, lots of garlic. Bruce’s Chicken Parmesan was probably the best we’ve had since eating in Little Italy. The pasta was perfect and the sauce and bread to die for. I would have been happy to sit all afternoon and drink wine – as we were quite possibly the only two people in the restaurant without an alcoholic drink in our hands. There is no better place in America to eat Italian food than in New York City.

Lancaster County also has its share of special foods – showcased at the immense smorgasbords offering Pennsylvania Dutch fare. The sight is not unlike what we found in NYC, with big tables of families and friends gathered together….sans the alcohol.

We walked past the theaters where we had seen so many Broadways shows, past Spiderman (opening in February), Minnie Mouse, two of the Muppets, and two people being interviewed on the street by a TV reporter. Lancaster, too, has its own grand lady of the theatre, The Fulton, where we’ve enjoyed wonderful performances. We also have Sight and Sound, a huge new theatre dedicated to Christian stories.

Looking at the perfect blue sky and the helicopter overhead, I couldn’t help but think of that day in September nine years ago when people were going to work and sightseeing….and then the world stopped. We, too, had a tragic day in 2006 when a gunman opened fire on a one-room schoolhouse in southern Lancaster County. Citizens of both places will never forget, nor will the world that watched these events.

This day was a study in contrasts and similarities. Both destinations are special treasures – found only in America.

The Mysterious Noise At The Olde Stone Cottage

It was a dark and stormy night. Well, sort of. It was getting dark and storms were in the forecast. I was at the cottage and had just finished putting the new coverlet on the bed in the back room. I checked the bathroom to make sure there was enough soap and shampoo. It was then that I first heard it.

It was a mournful cry….muffled and sort of distant….like something in distress or pain…something that needed help. Oh no, my mind raced, the poor thing – how long had it been crying? What was wrong? Could I help it? Where was it trapped? And….most importantly, what was it?

Could it be a bird trapped in the gutter outside? – I opened the windows and looked, listened in the other rooms, went outside and looked up at the roof, ….no it seemed to be in the bathroom….odd.

Having read too many Nancy Drew books in my childhood, I knew I had to investigate and find this “creature” before the guests checked in the next day. (It seems these things always happen when Bruce is out of town – he left early that morning for an art show in Maryland.) Being the (not so) brave innkeeper, I quickly sought the help of my friendly neighbors, Kathy and Bob. They are, after all, used to our antics as innkeepers – it’s part of the price of knowing the Garrabrandts - and sharing the adventures of running an inn and two houses. Surely they would know what to do.

I found Kathy with Michael at the kitchen table going through the spelling list for school – equivalent and beverage were the hard words for the night. Kathy suggested that it might be a bird stuck in the attic. The attic – a look of horror must have come over my face because she quickly volunteered Bob to investigate. By law we must keep the door to the attic locked (no second means of egress from that floor). So the first order of business was to find the key.

A call to Bruce bought forth the following: “it’s a small silver key next to the kitchen door”. We live in an old house – 160 years old. In that time lots of keys have collected on the key rack behind the kitchen door – in fact some would say there’s a convention taking place. Where these keys belong is anyone’s guess, but we are hesitant to throw any away because surely we will need that very key the next day, even if we never used it. It’s just the law of keys. So as I’m looking for the small silver key, there are no less than a dozen that would fit that description. Half of these fall off the little hooks and onto the floor, where the cats are quick to “help” me, as they become the latest soccer toy.

With my keys in hand, I set off for the cottage – thinking that if none of these fit the lock, I won’t bother Kathy and Bob and the poor creature will have to wither away in the attic. Maybe it won’t smell too bad and when Bruce comes home he can smash the lock off the door. My mind was racing. Did I mention that it is now dark? Luckily, Bob and Kathy see the lights on at the cottage and are brave enough to both come over. Michael also shows up at the door, but Kathy tells him to go home, fearing that whatever is in the attic will come flying after the three of us….

And so we start up the stairs to the second floor. Step by step we climb higher…and enter the bathroom. All is quiet. And then it starts. Low and mournful, we all hear it and a silent look passes between us. What the heck is that noise?

There is no choice but to try to get into the attic…and so we go to the back bedroom toward the lock…..luck is with us as the third key fits, the lock unsnaps and we slowly open the door and listen…….all is quiet…the creature is probably just up the steps waiting for someone. Kathy and I manage to step back in unison as Bob, (hey, he’s the guy), bravely reaches behind the door, turns on the light and starts the long walk up the attic steps…alone.
Kathy and I look at each other – surely there will be a yelp or a scream any second as the creature comes flying around the corner. Visions from "The Birds" flood my mind from some dark recess.

But all is quiet. We hear a few footsteps…..and then, when Kathy and I can’t stand it any longer, we tentatively yell out….Bob? A muffled voice from the back of the house says “there’s nothing up here, I can’t hear the noise”.

Confused, the three of us now head back to the bathroom. Bob is listening to the wall, Kathy is inside the shower listening to the drain and she determines that it’s too rhythmic a sound to be an animal – perhaps it’s a child’s toy or some kind of alarm. I center on the area around the toilet. With one brave move I lift off the tank cover and there it is.

We all stare in amazement.

I will pause here to explain that almost everything in the cottage was replaced, removed or repaired when we remodeled. Everything, that is, except the toilet. Being an innkeeper I qualify as a semi-expert on toilets. (And having had eight old ones and one new one, that darn new one gave us so many problems that we tore it out and swapped it with an old one – there is no sight quite so terrifying for an innkeeper than a guest with a plunger in their hands morning after morning.) So no matter how much the plumber wanted to sell us a new toilet for the cottage, I held firm and kept this old one.

The noise is coming from inside the tank. The three of us watch in amazement as a mixture of air and water move rhythmically back and forth in the tube connected to the round bowl connected to the flapper.

And then Bob flushes the toilet.

All is quiet.

And so, the mystery of the noise at the cottage is solved and life in Terre Hill is once again peaceful.

Spring is (Literally) Just Around the Corner

I couldn’t fight it anymore. I saw the lights on late at night. I knew what they were doing in there. I’ve driven by the signs, fighting the urge to turn in. On quiet days I could hear them call me by name. And once the weather broke a little last week, I was overcome with desire. My willpower caved, my resistance forgotten and I just had to go.

And so began my visits to the nurseries. They surround The Artist’s Inn in Terre Hill, and range from small mom-and-pop greenhouses that are only open until they sell out their inventory, to large wholesalers like Frysville Farms that grow 500,000 mums in the fall and just as many poinsettias at Christmas time. One thing all the greenhouse owners have in common – they are passionate about their love of growing plants and very knowledgeable about what they do.
Oh what a treat it was. As you walk through the door, you’re greeted by green, green, green in every direction. It’s the promise of Spring and all the hope it brings. You can feel the mist and rise in humidity as it falls from the overhead sprinklers (and straightens your hair), smell the herbs as you explore new varieties, and almost hear those happy little leaves growing as they gobble up the nutrients in the soil.

It is a bit of a tease, as it’s really too early to plant anything. But oh, the dreams these trips feed. Your mind races as it tries to visually place flowers in just the right conditions in your gardens. I usually explore Lancaster County greenhouses with my two innkeeping buddies, Ruth from Flowers and Thyme, and Carl from Harvest Moon. Together we have found many treasures for our yards, taking notes about new varieties, adjusting our lists of what we want more than need, pulling our wagons through the perennial beds, up the gravel lots to the annuals, oohing and ahhing our way through and cramming our cars full of newfound plants like excited kids on a scavenger hunt.

Some of the greenhouses have come to know us (is that why they call for more help as we head for the check-out?) – we certainly do not go unnoticed at many. Between the three of us, we can usually talk about our past success (or not) with most plants, discussing the benefits, the drawbacks, the pests and the blooming cycle. Of course, my specialty seems to be finding plants that take over your garden, encroach on your neighbors and seed half the town….but that’s a blog for another day. We clog the aisles, get caught in the rain, pull carts through the mud, and wolf down lunch along the way, all the while answering our cell phones and taking reservations.

Ah, but those trips are a few more weeks away, and we still have a little time yet to prepare for our annual trek around the county. So make your lists and plan now to take advantage of the best selections that our local nurseries offer. Weaverland Auction, just a mile from the inn, will soon be opening, offering wholesale prices and breathtaking displays if you can buy in bulk.

Black Creek is now open year round and we had a nice conversation with the owner about what is new on the herb scene. Actually, we were working on research for our Herb Tour on May 9, but that is another blog for another day. They always have a great display. That is where these pictures are from – I love the brave little flower blooming its heart out - do you see it? It’s certainly bigger than the leaves and stem that support it.
Your list of local greenhouses that surround the inn, complete with directions, is waiting. And if you listen closely, you can hear those plants calling you. They know your name. We hope to see you soon. In the garden! After all, Spring is just around the corner.