Not all about the food: A walking Tour of Lansdale featured Wilson's Hardware

Wilson's Hardware ~ brand new sign

Yesterday I gave two walking tours of Lansdale, one planned the other when a dinner guest got restless so the men folk took a walk down Main Street while the women folk moved from the dining room to the living room.  The tours, which were 11 hours apart, were heavy on pointing out where we enjoy eating, but I did point out Wilson's Hardware Store.

One day I walked into Wilson's knowing the problem but not the solution.  I left with a turkey baster.  The problem of how to remove excess water from the glass grinder (with clogged drainage tube) solved and that is a wonderful thing.

scrap containers next to grinder

And then there was the problem of attaching wings to a commissioned angel, I knew what I needed and they had it...

Thanks for being part of our downtown...

Wordless about Alice Chocolate

Alice Bakery & Confectionary

Alice Bakery & Confectionary

      Alice Bakery and Confectionary

Shopping Local: Buying Perlite and Vermiculite at Rhoads

Wayne Stratz in 2007 at Rhoads Gardens

It was in 2007 when I last gave Rhoads Garden a shout out, and what is a bit scary is that most of that time they have been preparing for and witnessing road construction on route 202 where they are located just south of the intersection with Route 63. 

This week in a moment of frustration with myself (Yo fool, you had off for over a week and did you get to Rhoads) I posted something like this on facebook:  "I really really really need to buy perlite." 


So today I supported my favorite local nursery and got myself some perlite.  Why, well at work the aloes clearly desire to be re-potted, the marjoram seedlings need to move on, and seeds will need to be planted.  So I walked through the gift shop and went back into the deserted garden center and re-emerged with 10 paperwhite bulbs, and big bags of vermiculte and perlite.

If you want a variety of plants, friendly staff who love their workplace, and quality gardening supplies:  check out Rhoads. 

Shopping Local for a Scientist at Rocket Hub

photo by Sheba Also

Yes, Saturday has come and pass, but I hope all of you are still shopping locally.  I just did a bit myself by visiting a website that provides scientists a new way of obtaining funds,  from the public.  Mosaic woman and I figured if we can support jazz artists at Kickstarter (more on that tomorrow), we can support a scientist.  Well, as local as I could find was Susan Tsang in New York.  She digs bats in peril and her passion has led to a research project:  Watch the video below and feel free to  Support her here. 


#SciFund Challenge - Flying foxes: where are they from and where are they going? from Susan Tsang on Vimeo.

Support Local: Centennial Blueprint and my mandalas

  

I grew up with blueprints.  You see my dad work was one of a draftsmen...

  

and so many of the tools I use in my studio are those very tools which he used in his work.  The clear plastic angles that give you immediate right angles as well as the often used 30, 60, 90, and 120 degrees.  The tape which peels off so nicely.  The erasure that really work. The templates that have tiny circles. 

So I feel right at home with a local business with Blueprint as their last name.  And what Snowcatcher does not know about her lizard stepping stone is how important Centennial was to its existence.

It starts with my need for a big circle, and for that I needed the Staedtler kit I had bought at Centennial years ago ...

... but then I had a large design that could not be copied at home, so off I went to Centennial and got the copies I needed. 

so this afternoon I celebrated what these tools have led to in a video, it starts showing me in action drawing a card, then flashes to the design colored in, and then moves on to past designs with circles.  All the way Thelonius Monk plays Round Midnight... check it out here

also:  out Joy postcard and amazing new business card were created at Centennial!