Whew! I made it!

Remember what I said before about me seeing them get the leaves while I was on my way home?  I got home and went back outside to rake the leaves to the curb so that I could catch them before they got there.  Well I did manage to rake the leaves to the curb but they didn't come and get them so I thought that maybe I missed them.  I saw the other leaves raked to the curb across the street so I thought to myself that I couldn't have missed them - could I?  I know I saw them getting the leaves and even the mailman told me that they were getting the leaves.  Oh well - there wasn't anything I could do about it right now.  But I'm happy to say that a few days later they did indeed come and get the leaves.  I would have captured a picture of it to post but I was too slow!  Oh well - maybe next time.

Christmas Lights?

I must confess that I'm one of the ones guilty of not having Christmas lights (or any other kind of Christmas decoration) on the windows or outside of the house.  On my last errand to the store I noticed that there are a lot of others who don't have them as well.

Personally I want to change this even if it only means having a wreath or something smaller.  I think people get a kick out of seeing Christmas decorations.  It may put them in the holiday mood or even brighten up their spirits.

I saw that someone had a great big giant Santa on their lawn and I have seen a few windows with the simplest of decorations.  I like that there is a variety and that not everyone has the same amount of decorations.  Variety is good!

Somebody is in a really good mood

as they whistle while walking down the street.  It's kind of dark right now and I really can't see who it is but I can definitely hear them.  Usually I will hear the mailman whistling while he is delivering the mail but the mail has already come so this could be somebody else.  But whoever they are they are certainly in a good mood!

Snow is in the forecast!

The weather channel is talking about snow for next week - Tuesday, Wednesday - there abouts........Of course I'm not ready - what else is new!  But I plan to be ready with the rock salt, the snow shovel and the hot chocolate.

I have seen some very interesting things happen in the area when the snow has fallen.  For instance (this was a few years back) but a car was stuck in the snow on the 1800 block of Graham Lane and a couple of residents came out of their house, snow shovels in hand to help get the stuck car out.

One of my neighbors said that we the residents kind of hibernate during the winter and he's right.  If we get a really big snow storm we'll have a hard time of it but I know that everyone will do their darndest to make it through!

Septa is on strike! Day 1

The first day of the Septa strike!

Here is a comment from a Septa Commuter:

Well I should consider myself very lucky in that I don't have to take public transportation to get to and from work every day but I did have to do some errands. So there's no bus so I walk! From around 18th & Cheltenham Ave I walked to Cheltenham and Ogontz and on my way I met a guy who was walking to work. He told me that he worked at the "Dollar" Store that is on the far side of the Cheltenham Mall. He told me it would take him about a half an hour to get there and he decided since the weather was nice that he would get an early start. So we walked and talked while walking the distance. He told me that him and his wife were moving down south - its not so much that he hated the philly area - he said his wife was from down south.

We parted ways when he had to cross Cheltenham Ave to get to his work place. I saw quite a few people walking and we kind of nodded to one another knowing that we each were "stranded" commuters making our ways to where we had to go.

It was pretty much a case of "oh well, Septa's on strike but we still have to go where we have to go!

Hopefully the strike won't last too much longer!

Signed

A Septa Commuter

About The Community Garden(s)

Across the street from where I live is the community gardens.  I know that it is very late in the season but I was writing about the gardens and so I decided to add an entry about them here.

There are people that still are out there tending their garden and its October.  They are a very nice bunch of people and it is really a shame that they are being taken advantage of when others go in there to steal their crops.  All they have to do is ask because a lot of the gardeners there grow a lot more than they will use and they don't mind giving away some of their crops if you just ask!

To All The Cooks In The Area!

You may not know this but one of the reasons why this area seems and feels so "homey" and comfortable is because the smells of those that are cooking can be smelled by everybody and anybody that just happens to be walking past.

Since the weather is warmer that means that when you cook we can smell it from the outside and sometimes it just makes our mouths water!  Mostly this is apparent during the afternoon when people are cooking dinner.

Okay its 8 o'clock at night and the grass is getting cut!

I have really got to hand it to Temple. Whoever that is that they have to cut the grass they are always there - day or night! I can hear them out there now and it occurred to me that "hey it's dark outside!"

Your exact name and address!

I suppose that there is no way to find out exactly how they got the information but I got an email from a company that wants me to sign up to get a lower interest rate mortgage.  This email had my exact name and the address of the property.

From what I can tell from the email there is no name for this company and the return contact information is to an account manager of their PA Branch.

Junk email is annoying and its especially annoying when they have your exact name and address!

Harvey Portner - Some basic information

There has been a lot of people searching for information about our area's Commissioner, Harvey Portner so I thought that I would include some basic information below:

Harvey Portner is Commissioner of Cheltenham Township and is also president of the Board of Commissioners of Cheltenham Township and is district representative of the LaMott district.

Ward 6 - Elkins Park

Harvey Portner, hportner@cheltenham-township.org

The Cheltenham Bus

I was going to start talking about our own little Cheltenham Bus at length but someone recently did a search about it so I'll talk a little bit about it now.

Currently the Cheltenham Bus runs 3 days a week - Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  It travels through the Cheltenham area starting from the Rowland Community Center and ending at the Glenside Train Station and visa vers.  Roughly speaking there are 3 trips meaning 3 separate times to board the bus at any given stop.  Some of the stops include the Melrose Shopping Center, the Coventry House, the Fox Pavillion and the Cheltenham Mall. 

Of course the bus doesn't run on holidays and residents over the age of 62 can ride free with a Township Transit ID or with a PennDot Id or a Medicare Card.  Other residents can ride by paying a $4 fee but there are trip tickets available in quantities of 10 trips for $10 which comes out to a dollar a trip. 

More information about the Cheltenham Bus (and its routes) can be found at the cheltenham site at:

http://www.cheltenhamtownship.org

or by calling the Township's Administration Building at 215-887-1000

Waiting for the sun to go down......

Sometimes you just don't want to make an entire trip to the grocery store or you run out of something that you need so you decide to make a trip to your local store - at least that is what I'm going to do.  It's been so hot for the last few days that I wanted to wait until the sun went down to avoid as much of the heat and humidity as I could.

Although nothing replaces the supermarket sometimes you just don't want to have to go through all of that.  My next grocery trip isn't for a few days yet.  There are a couple of local stores in my immediate area that I can walk to - although I have walked to the Shoprite in the Cheltenham Mall its something that I really don't look forward to - to get some "necessities".  About the best place (as long as they have what you're looking for) is the "Dollar" store that's on the corner of 19th & Cheltenham.  There's also the gas station at about 17th and Cheltenham but be forwarned you should only use this for emergencies since they are so expensive.  Depending on how far you don't mind walking there is also a Rite Aide at Broad & Cheltenham.

I haven't had a chance to go to the little group of stores in the little mall  on the Cheltenham Side of 19th and Cheltenham Avenue so I don't know too much about those stores there.

Yes, its been VERY hot here!

There have been a number of heat related deaths in the area!  Of course this isn't just limited to the Philadelphia region alone - it's everywhere.

It is sooooooo hot today!

There is a heat advisory for today and I can certainly see why - actually I can feel why!  I had to do some grocery shopping and run a few errands and unfortunately I chose the middle of the day to do it.  As I was coming home I noticed that there weren't many people outside and the air conditioners were running and this is what I wanted to do - be inside with the air conditioner running - which I'm happy to say that I am doing just this thing now!

PS - Of course later I have to take out the trash!

Did they move?

I'm sorry I haven't posted for awhile but I have been very busy.

I noticed that there was a Rent-A-Center that moved into the Cheltenham Mall just above the Shoprite.  Last week when I past by there I noticed that the sign was down (their truck was still parked nearby in the lot) and inside there was no furniture - just the rugs and carpet.  Did they move?  They weren't there for very long.  Which I guess is a sad thing to say for the Cheltenham Mall because now they have another conspicuous building that isn't occupied.

The area is buzzing with activity!

Memorial Day Weekend!

The weather is gorgeous (and breezy) and a lot of people are out.  Some are working either in their garden or doing yard work.  I can hear it all from my window while I'm at the computer.

Latest Search - Norman Triplett

According to the stats on my page someone did a websearch for a picture of Norman Triplett.  I do know that the Triplett Family name is known very well in this area.

The best place to get donuts for a Sunday Morning?

So far the only 2 places that I know of to get the best tasting donuts are the Dunkin Donuts that is located on Ogontz Ave where it turns into route 309 - its kind of a walk down from the Aldis. The other place is where I get my donuts now which is the Shoprite also located on Ogontz Ave kind of right across from the Aldis. If you're driving its no problem but the Dunkin Donuts location is definitely a longer walk if you're taking the bus. On Sundays the Shoprite is open as early as 6am.

Latest search - Yoga in Elkins Park?

I'm guessing that who was ever searching for this was looking for Yoga classes in the Elkins Park area.  I believe I have one or 2 listed on my LaMott directory at:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb44170l/direct.htm

Apple Blossom Time!

My backyard neighbor has an apple tree and its blossoming now.  It's almost to the point where I could almost reach out and touch it!

There is also an apple blossom tree right near the corner of Willow and Cedar kind of next to the mailbox that's on the corner.  I don't know who's responsibility its is to sweep that area though.  It's sort of like the back part that is wall separated by that big stone wall.

It's Cold!

Weren't we in the 70's just a few days ago?  Now it is so cold that the radiator has come on!  I was watching the weather channel and it showed snow in Pittsburgh!  I mean its a ways away but its still close enough to us to make a difference.  That must be why its snowing there and colder here.  Mind you I like the cooler weather but there's no sense in me getting used to it because it will be HOT soon!

Everybody is out enjoying the day!

I do have to admit that it is gorgeous outside today.  I can tell by how the sun is shining outside my kitchen window.  My neighbor is out in his backyard enjoying the sun.  (I think he fell asleep (-:

I hear people taking a leisurly walk outside and I hear someone else doing work because I can hear some type of drill going.  Yes, its gorgeous outside and alas I'm inside - there's work that has to be done )-:

Cemetaries?

While sending a message about AOL's decision to discontinue access to the Usenet Groups I mentioned about a particular binary newsgroup that is devoted to pictures of cemetaries and that made me think of the cemetary in our area - Chelten Hills.  There is another cemetary that is near but for the moment I can't think of its name and I feel that one is more located in Phila. than here in our area.  Actually there's another one right across the way from the Cedarbrook Mall - sorry, don't know the name of that one either. 

So who is the student.......

that is playing drums across the street?  It's about 5:45 in the afternoon and who ever they are - they don't sound very good!  Hopefully with enough practice they will sound better!

A Lost Dog?

I looked out my kitchen window today and saw a big german shephard/mixed dog roaming around. He's very big and he was wandering around. Now I know that one of my neighbors has a dog but I don't know if this was their dog. Everyone please check to see if your dog is missing. They just shouldn't be wandering around - especially in this cold weather!

We're in the midst of yet Another snowstorm!

Need I say more!

Another Snowstorm!

Yes, its snowing right now.  Started during the afternoon rush hour today (Thursday).  The weather forecast also says that more snow is coming!  Now I could enjoy this if I wasn't at a loss for some supplies!  Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

No sooner is the snow melting then...

comes the weather forecast for snow showers tonight! I was just getting used to being able to see the ground again!

Everybody is digging out!

Everybody is digging out of the snow.  Digging out their cars, guys are shoveling the sidewalks and guess what?  It started snowing again!  We're supposed to get 1/2 to an inch of additional snow.

YIKES! The Snow has Cometh!

It has been snowing for 5 hours straight now!  I went out the front door and could barely see beyond the end of the block!  I haven't seen any activity but I heard the firehouse (LaMott Firehouse Co. #1) making noise.  If you have cable TV you can find out the latest information relating to the weather if you tune in to channel #42.  If you don't have cable access you can tune into KYW and the local news.

No Snow huh?

Of course we know that snow was forecasted for today. It was supposed to start around noon time. Well, while I was out I was talking to someone and I mentioned how I wanted to get home before it started snowing. They huffed and said that it wasn't going to snow and you know for a moment I believed them. I mean the sky was kind of gray and it was just bitterly cold. But I still made the effort to get home before noon.

Guess what? It snowed! I'm glad I got home before it started!

Yuck! - Trash Day - A Necessary Evil!

Man was it cold outside today! I think it was 15 degrees! Had to put the trash out and since there was a holiday the trash pickup is a day later! Had more trash than usual to set out which is why I did want to set it out because I didn't want to miss the pickup.

One thing that you have to be careful about is arranging the trash so that the cats (and other animals) don't get to it. When they do they start picking at the trash bag and the trash just spills out all everywhere!