Stouch Tavern +

  My tablet has given out at the moment, so you'll have to settle for my handsome boys, a long shot. Ron is really trying to fatten me up. We had supper at The Douglasville Hotel on Wednesday, we love that place. Marjorie Yoakam, the lady that makes the wooden dolls, lives there. The Mary Merritt Doll Museum used to be there. I was there long before I moved to Reading. Then he got pizza at Blue Marsh up the road on Friday. They have really good pizza. Today we finally made brunch at Stouch Tavern circa 1785 in Womelsdorf. We had wandered into there while visiting Cornwall Furnace and The Blue Bird Inn around Christmas. George Washington slept there. It is off-the-hook awesome. The place across the street is for sale; I want to live there. I went to the Feed the Fish event at PetSmart yesterday. It was the same wonderful lady as the Valentine's Day party, and I finally replaced Ector with a new electric green Glo cory cat, Danu. It's taken me months to find another. Ron never saw the James Bond flicks. Somehow, I missed Her Majesty's Secret Service. It's got Telly Savalas. I've also made it to the third season of Grantchester. TTYL... 💕

Stouch Tavern

Frankie's First Christmas Cookie & Necronomnomnom

  Frankie and I have been up all night baking. Shiner was my supervisor, but Frankie is worse. He eats about anything. He loves oysters and clams. We are using my Early American Cookbook this year. Christmas has been catproofed, so we're keeping it simple. We made simple butter cookies with a glaze: Yeti, Anne and Andy, unicorns, elephants, and ducks. I'd had one at Cornwall Furnace, a moose, and it was so good, better than mine. Cornwall has Christmas cookies, tea, and cocoa around their Christmas tree once a year. Next stop molasses and ginger snaps. My dear friend sent me Necronomnomnom, and I can hardly wait to get to that. Oh, my ghoul. I have a handmade Lovecraft doll and have yet to finish the complete works, which is huge. I've been sending offers out on Ebay for Collinwood, asking them to save it from the Leviathan, (Frankie). He's been checking into The Collins Port Inn for Christmas. Guess I have to move that too. 🌟

 

Trains at Cornwall

All Aboard!

Christmas at Cornwall

Christmas at Cornwall Furnace

    It was another fabulous holiday starting at Cornwall Iron Furnace (1742). They have yummy homemade cookies, cocoa, and Christmas tea. Last year it was so warm that we walked about the town, but today was cold; and although Mummy's Ewok coat is warm, the Christmas pants Theresa sent me several years ago aren't. I'm just happy they still fit as I wash everything in hot water and put it in the dryer. I have to fit into my handmade green velvet from the seventies for the Shoenhut gig at The William Penn next week that I've only worn to see Loreena McKennitt, so looks like I'll be fasting this week. Didn't happen today, afterwards we went to The Bluebird Inn (1859). I had a Merry Cranberry house cocktail served in an ornament that was off the hook, and their chili puts Trooper Thorn's to shame: all so good. They crumble cornbread on top. I'm going to have to remember that. I got videos of the fabulous trains, but I'm having technical difficulties uploading them. I'll keep trying. My beautiful Christmas cactus is blooming too. Frankie was a very good boy and napped with me when we got back. 🎄

 

Christmas at Joanna Furnace 2024

  Joanna Furnace is a charming way to kick start the holidays. We've been coming for seventeen years, but this was the best yet. We began the evening with supper at Stampede Barbeque. They have the best cider on tap. It's my brother's and my place, but Ron enjoyed it tonight too, and said that we can come more often. I think he was impressed as he thought he knew our cashier from wrestling and Amish Mafia. It's the same wonderful staff. I actually discovered this place last year at Apple Fest, they were selling cider. I love the hushpuppies and coleslaw, but Ron was impressed with his brisket salad and peanutbutter pie. Joanna's is usually packed, but not tonight. The dollhouse is new. I think somebody created it to look like the original furnace owner's mansion that was sadly demolished long ago. Best band ever! They usually feature a school choir, but this year was a gentlemens' brass band. I haven't been in the mood for Christmas music this year. Frankie and I have been listening to Shiner's favorite party songs because it's all new to Frankie. This band played all my favorites. They were great. I had gotten some Starry Slumber wine from the Sleepy Cat Urban Winery in Allentown, better than the sweet stuff I got last year. There were no letters in Kris Kringle's box at the general store where I get the little Civil War soldiers like I left in Jeremy's Room at The Farnsworth House in Gettysburg, so I left him a letter thanking him for Frankie. Actually we all had major Christmas scores as I got a dollhouse sized Heidi Lotte doll from the forties from Mr. Glass, the third doll I've gotten from him. He was also selling for the German woodcarver that I'd gotten a gnome from who could not make it tonight, so Ron got something handmade for his stocking that is still very light. It's not even his real stocking, the blue velvet topped with berries that I made him seventeen years ago, as the house is cat proof this Christmas. I didn't get everything out of the attic this year, certainly nothing breakable. Frankie was a very good boy, the tree was still up when we got home. He made out like a fat cat, his stocking is full. His stocking is from my childhood, and Shiner's first stocking. Shiner nibbled it's hand when he was a puppy. It's a cat in a Santa hat popping out of the stocking. Tonight a Packers catnip mouse and an alpaca caterpillar finger puppet were added, plus he got a hand knitted hooded cat bed. He's going to love it. Frankie loves boxes and bags. Shiner graduated to the big Tinkerbelle stocking that Mummy got me that Ron is settling for this year. Actually it's bigger, so I have some work to do. I also got a darling little knit bee and a new hat for Cornwall Furnace tomorrow. 

The Train

Light Maze