Frank Raffa of Sound Sensation DJs and Entertainment arranges the music for First Fridays in Skippack. Here he brings dance beats to the steps of Audra Lingerie Boutique in Skippack during First Fridays.

In Skippack, on the First Friday of each month, May thru November, from 5 pm to 9 pm: Shops stay open late and musicians, artists and family entertainers enliven sidewalks, porches, shops and restaurants throughout the village. 

A room is just a room. And if it is empty, it may be filled with gloom. But add music and the room comes alive. So it is with First Fridays – a key element that turns this monthly event into a joyful celebration is the music that fills the air in Skippack Village.

The Man Arranging the Music

Frank Raffa, owner of Sound Sensation DJs and Entertainment in Skippack, arranges the music as well as other entertainment, such as juggling and face painting, for First Fridays in Skippack. He recruits the musicians, almost all of whom are volunteers, arranges for multiple locations for entertainment throughout the village, and works with merchants to make sure the event runs smoothly.

Frank is friendly, patient and professional. He makes me feel at ease when I speak to him. He takes pride in providing professional-quality DJ entertainment and service for his clients as well as contributing as a member of the Skippack business community.

John Salamone, at right, an instructor at the Creamery School of Music, with Chris Genovese who plays in a band with John, performs in Front of Mal's American Diner during First Fridays in Skippack.

What They Do for Love

“As someone in the entertainment business, I really appreciate what the musicians are giving,” says Frank Raffa, speaking of First Fridays in Skippack. “They’re taking the time out of their schedules, away from their families, driving, setting up, tearing down, and sharing their talent with us so that we can have great First Fridays.”

Nearly all First Fridays musicians perform without payment.

“Without them,” Frank adds, “First Fridays would not be as successful for Skippack as it has been. Thanks guys and gals.”

Frank explains more about his role in Skippack First Fridays. “We try to arrange the entertainment so that the musicians complement each other and aren’t stepping over one another. This way you can walk Skippack Village from Justin’s Carriage House to La Villa Mexican Grille and take in a great variety of sounds.”

Bunny Barnes brings soothing folk-pop guitar sounds to First Fridays in Skippack. She plans to return in July. The Skippack Blogger plans to listen to her play.

One of the musicians you may see during a First Fridays visit in Skippack is John Salamone, guitar and bass instructor at Creamery School of Music in Skippack and the leader of a rock band that bears his name.

John describes his experience performing at First Fridays in Skippack. “It’s a great sense of community. We get to reach out and perform for people whom we normally wouldn’t. When my band plays downtown, we usually play in a club or bar, we can’t reach teenage kids, younger kids, or older people no longer part of the club scene. All these people take in our music at First Fridays. It’s pretty cool.”

A Message to First Fridays Musicians from the Skippack Blogger

The end of the show: Night falls, toward the end of First Fridays in Skippack.

There have good times and bad times in the life of the Skippack Blogger, fire and rain, darkness and light. Even in the darkest of times, music is always there for me. Music never lets me down. Music is never critical or cruel. Like a guiding angel, music is beside me to touch the deepest part of my soul when it is burning. Music helps me understand the complex emotions born of human relationships–beautiful, flawed and fragile.

For me, local musicians are the greatest of all musicians. They play their melodies without pretense. They give much of themselves in exchange for little in return, asking only that we stop for a moment and listen. At our slightest appreciation, they pay us back in gratitude. They are as unique and individual as the manifold creations under the sun. As long as there is a local musician playing at a bar or event in Skippack, there will be someone whom the Skippack Blogger can write about and respect.

“Give me the beat boys and lose my soul. I want to get lost in your rock and roll.”

More Photos and a Special I Love Skippack Music Video

I enjoyed listening to Brian Bingaman play during First Fridays in May. He has a strong tenor voice and projects his personality well. He is lead singer and guitarist with Fish Relics (cover band) and a staff writer at The Reporter.

Each month, First Fridays in Skippack offers a different feature band. In May, the feature band was the Hearts Club Band, a Beatles tribute band that played both well-known hits and more obscure songs. Visitors loved it.

Mike & Tina Oelschlager of SpiritsHigher will play this upcoming First Friday in June, hosted by Bella's Boutique, in the patio between Bella's and Southwest Trading Post.

Links

Frank Raffa

Sound Sensation DJs Website

Sound Sensation DJs Facebook Page

John Salamone 

Creamery School of Music Website

Creamery School of Music Facebook Page

Al Angello Comic, Juggler and Magician

The real magic: Al Angello and Bonnie Alderfer

One of the great things about being the Skippack Blogger is you get to meet great people, for example, Al Angello, comic, juggler and magician. I often see Al perform during First Fridays in Skippack and he also shows up at the Farmer’s Market of Skippack every third Sunday of the month, juggling golden pins with the greatest of ease. I know not what to praise more, his light-hearted magic and juggling or his kind, gentlemanly demeanor.

This past Sunday, at the Farmer’s Market of Skippack, I learned that Al and I have something in common. We both found soul mates late in life. It was not until age 44 years that I met my wife-to-be Debby. Al met his significant other Bonnie Alderfer when he was 42 years old. They have been together for 24 years. Bonnie has worked 48 years at the Skippack pharmacy.

Love in the twilight of a man’s life. It makes me think that happiness is like the disappearing rabbit in the famous magic trick. At times during our life we may not be able see happiness, or even perceive the possibility that happiness exists, but it is always there. One day, a magician like Al Angello will pull it out of a hat.

You can see Al perform this Sunday May 27 at the grand opening of the new Farmer’s Market of Skippack.

Putting Al Angello to the Test

Al has been a professional juggler for more than twenty-five years, but can he keep the pins in the air while answering tough questions from the Skippack Blogger? Watch the video below to find out:

Al Angello Juggler Magician Website

Al Angello Facebook Page

His honey and my honey: Rich Howe, one of the managers of the newly-revived Farmer's Market of Skippack, explains the virtues of locally-grown honey to the Skippack Blogger's wife.

A high-energy, fun-filled farmer’s market is coming back to Skippack under new management, with a new location on Skippack Pike/Route 73 across from the WaWa as you approach Bridge Road/Route 113 heading west. The Farmer’s Market of Skippack will be open every Sunday thru November 18th, beginning at 9 am and staying open until 2 pm.

The Grand Opening

This upcoming Sunday, May 27 will be a special grand opening celebration featuring:

• Live entertainment from reggae band Local Dub beginning at 11 am until 1 pm — live musicians will be featured throughout the summer
• Juggler and magician Al Angello — kids love him, Al appears the 3rd sunday of each month at the farmers market
• Neil’s Knife Sharpening — bring your knives, mower blades, chain saw chains, and get them sharpened while you wait (also available the last Sunday of each month)
• Simply Be Well LLC — Get a soothing chair massage and guidance about living a simple, healthy life (last Sunday of every month)
• Black Sheep Pottery featuring pottery wheel demonstrations with wonderful local artist Nicole Dubrow (a great lady)
• Ridge Valley Farms, a maple syrup farm (the Skippack Blogger loves real maple syrup)
• 12 Vendors selling local goods

The coolest management team I've ever seen: Managers of the New Farmer's Market of Skippack. From left, Ali Howe, Rich Howe, Dennis Guarnieri, Megan Guarnieri. Not shown are Michael and Tracey Damiani.

In June, the Farmer’s Market of Skippack will add:

• The Sinful Cupcake — Skippack’s gourmet cupcake sensation
• More local crafters and vendors

This past Sunday, the Skippack Blogger had the joy and pleasure of visiting the new, revitalized Skippack Farmers Market. I love it.

A farmer’s market removes the middle man who stands between the creator of goods and the consumer. We can buy directly from the farmers who grow our food, the creator of crafts that adorn our person, the honey harvester, the coffee roaster and so forth. Our purchase is a direct gift from the man or woman who brought it into existence, just as my writing is a direct gift from my heart and soul to you, dear reader.

Rich Howe: How the Farmers Market of Skippack was Reborn

“Our market is a producer’s market,” explains Rich Howe, one of the managers of the new Farmer’s Market of Skippack. “You can only sell here if you produced the goods you are selling. If you are selling goat cheese, it must be from your goats and you must have made it yourself.”

Jeremy Mankes of J&H Produce at the Farmer's Market of Skippack.

Rich is part of GHD Farms, a local honey and produce farm. He is managing the farmer’s market along with his wife Ali Howe and his associates from GHD farms and their wives, Dennis and Megan Guarnieri, and Michael and Tracey Damiani.

Rich explains how he joined with Dennis and Mike and took on the responsibility of reviving the Farmer’s Market of Skippack: “Dennis Guarnieri and I have been working together as tile masons for the past five years. Work became very slow. I was raised on dairy farm and I knew something about farming, so I began harvesting honey and growing produce.”

“My dad advised me to set up a road side stand. It was good advice. People showed appreciation for locally grown produce and our road side stand started making money. It’s been really good for us.”

Fruit of the vine: Tina Dellose of A'Dello Vineyard and Winery at the Farmer's Market of Skippack.

In the past few yeas, Rich and his partners Dennis and Mike came together as a team. During the holiday season, Rich, Dennis and Mike sell Christmas trees in the lot by the Cedars Country Store. They also do tile work for Hunsberger Builders, helping to restore buildings in Skippack Village and making our town the beautiful oasis in the suburban desert that it is.

The revival of the Farmer’s Market of Skippack is their newest venture. “We learned that Mr. Markel wanted to revive the farmer’s market here and that’s when we stepped in,” explains Rich.

As most Skippack residents know, Rich is referring to Dave Markel, a businessman and entrepreneur who, over the years, has bought and renovated many buildings in Skippack Village. Beautiful Skippack.

Any questions for Rich Howe? Email him at GHDproduce@gmail.com.

The Skippack Blogger at the Farmer’s Market of Skippack

A happy choice: The Skippack Blogger's wife with Linda Crompton of Crompton Creations at the Farmer's Market of Skippack

The Skippack Blogger had a great time at the Farmer’s Market of Skippack. For one, it did not take long for Mrs. Blogger to discover Crompton Creations, jewelry by artisan Linda Crompton from nearby Oaks, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Blogger soon found a beautiful pair of dangling earrings that perfectly matched what she wore that day.

Next, Mrs. blogger spied out Rising Sun Coffee Roaster, owned by Patti Watson from Telford, Pennsylvania. My wife is a coffee maven and since last Sunday she has been raving about Rising Sun Coffee. It is better, she says, than Starbucks. Sorry, corporate America.

We all know that when the Skippack Blogger’s wife is happy, the Skippack Blogger is happy.

In addition to Debby’s joy, it was the warmth and hospitality of my own town and the participants in the Farmer’s Market of Skippack that gave me happiness. Everyone we met was kind and helpful, patiently waiting as I wrote down their names and took their photos. I had the opportunity to meet real farmers from our area like friendly and helpful Kim Stauffer from Stauffer Family Farms. I left with that great Skippack feeling.

A Real Farm Family: Members of the Stauffer Family of Barto, Pennsylvania from left to right: Karen, Katie, Jacob, Kristin and Kim Stauffer at the Farmer's Market of Skippack

The Moral of My Farmer’s Market of Skippack Experience

A thought from the Skippack Blogger: You seekers of adventure who travel the seven seas to see the wonders of the world and purchase exotic souvenirs, forgot not your neighbor who works hard to bring his food and crafts to the local market. Each man or woman is a universe unto themselves, and the work of their hands a wonder of its own.

Facebook Page

Like the Farmer’s Market of Skippack Facebook Page

Scroll Down for More Photos from the Farmer’s Market of Skippack

Come to the Farmer’s Market in Skippack on Sundays now thru November 18th to meet these wonderful people, and sample their fine goods.

Debby buys coffee from Patti Watson owner of Rising Sun Coffee at the Farmer's Market of Skippack. She LOVED it and my wife is not easy to please when it comes to coffee.

Freeland Market offers fresh sausages and smoked meats, bacon, scrapple, pâté and more: From left to right, Josh Davis, Elise LeBoutillier, Ben Moscia

Her customers stand on all fours and are loyal: Marlene Doyle owner of Lucky Dog Treat Company LLC at the Farmer's Market of Skippack.

Marcy’s Granola™ begins with raw, all natural ingredients. It is made with oats, dried fruits, nuts, and seeds, using only the finest oils and sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup or blue agave to give it a "touch" of sweetness.

An historic occasion: First meeting of the Perkiomen Valley Blogger's Society at Mal's American Diner in Skippack. From left to right: Brad DeForest, Michael Shaw AKA the Skippack Blogger, Jon Stolpe.

The first ever meeting of the Perkiomen Valley Blogger’s Society took place at Mal’s American Diner yesterday, starting promptly at 6:30 a.m., at a table by the window. In attendance were  the Skippack Blogger (me), Brad DeForest, web designer and social media consultant for the I love Skippack website, and honored guest Jon Stolpe, resident of neighboring Schwenskville and writer of the Stretched Blog.

The first thing I did at the meeting was elect myself president of this newly established society. I figured there were only two people who could object to this bold move, and both of them, Brad and Jon, were preoccupied with what to order for breakfast when I announced my decision. I am not sure they heard me. So you, dear reader, may be the first person who knows I am President of the Perkiomen Valley Blogger’s Society. Oh, thank you for the congratulations and good wishes. Will Brad and Jon mind? No worries. What’s a coup d’état between friends?

Mal's American Diner, a great place to meet up with friends in Skippack.

Of course, the Skippack Blogger is always willing to share the glory, so I am thinking of titles for my fellow members. I am going to make Brad “Vice President in Charge of Returning Menus to the Server.” Jon will be “Executive Director in Charge of Making Sure the Coffee Creamer Bin is Filled.”

To be honest, I don’t think the Perkiomen Valley Blogger’s Society accomplished a great deal during the first meeting, except for that I ate a wonderful bagel, egg and cheese sandwich, shot the breeze with friends, talking about blogging, Facebook, family, careers, social issues and other such matters and had a great time. Yet for me this will be marked down as the most important meeting of the decade.

Why? Four years ago this July I moved to Skippack, not knowing anyone who lived in town or the immediate area: A stranger and sojourner among you. At the first meeting of the Perkiomen Valley Blogger’s Society, I came to appreciate that I now enjoy the blessing of friends near my home. Brad and Jon are great guys and great examples of the people you get to know when you move to Skippack. Yes, Skippack has beautifully restored buildings, wonderful shops and restaurants and great events, but the real reason I love this town are the great people.

Speaking Through Action

Brad explaining the subtleties of new media to the Skippack Blogger: Thanks, Professor.

Brad has been working with me for more than a year on I Love Skippack, helping out with design, our Facebook page, and now our first efforts at selling ads. My friend and fellow local blogger Coreen Tossona just sent me a message on Twitter saying, “every time I go to your site, I just love the design over & over again.”  That’s thanks to Brad.

Aside from his remarkable talents (take a look at our home page), his love of Skippack and understanding of new media are guiding me as I struggle for my place as a writer in the new digital age, just as he is guiding many Skippack shop owners in a new era of digital marketing. During our strategy sessions for this and other projects, I become a student again, listening to Professor Brad, and concentrating on soaking up knowledge. I appreciate that he is sticking by me, listening to my ideas, and patiently steering me back if I veer off course. A loyal guy, offering knowledge and wisdom, speaking through his actions.

Walking the Walk

Author of the Stretched blog Jon Stolpe: Always willing to share his journey

Jon has become my partner in an online interfaith dialogue, as he and I are of different religious backgrounds but enjoy sharing ideas and observations on matters spiritual. Jon prays in a church and I pray in a synagogue. Through online comments on each other’s blogs, we are building a bridge between our prayers as they ascend to heaven.

When taking stock of any creed, I think people look for sincerity and authenticity demonstrated by action. Does the self-proclaimed believer walk the walk as well as talk the talk?  Jon is a great example of what I respect most; a man who lives by his beliefs. He is open and honest about who he is and uses his blog to share from his heart, soul, and guts.

Meet Me in the Real World

The Mal's American Diner Egg and Cheese Sandwich

Brad, Jon and I first met online, exchanging comments and messages on each other’s respective blogs. Thankfully, Skippack gives us places like Mal’s American Diner, places to meet and talk, great places to step out of the virtual world into the real world and partake of the pleasures and challenges of relating to flesh-and-blood human beings, as well as to sip hot coffee and consume a delicious egg and cheese sandwich.

However busy I become in this crazy world, I will always have time for early morning breakfast at an American diner and the blessing of friendship. Without this blessing, Skippack would be a lonely town, this universe a lonely universe, this life a bitter journey. Indeed, I have been on that journey, though I will not look back. With the blessing of friendship, Skippack is a great town, the universe is filled with possibilities, and life becomes a wonderful adventure. Hey, Brad, Jon: Are we gonna split the check?

Links

The Conversation Continues on Facebook (you can join in)

Jon Stolpe gives his version of the same meeting in the Stretched Blog

Brad DeForest Web Design Facebook Page

Coreen Tossona’s Blog In The Crowds

The Skippack Blogger's Mom

The Skippack Blogger has a confession to make: This weekend is one of Skippack’s biggest events, Spring Fest, with wonderful craftspeople, shops and restaurants staying open, and delicious treats. I am not going. In fact, I have never been. The reason? Spring Fest always falls on Mother’s Day and I go visit my mom who lives out of town.

From my mother I received many things, aside from the gift of life itself: A deep sensitivity and sense of humanity, an appreciation for art and beauty, creativity, and an understanding of the gifts women bring to this world and how they complete the lives of men. Thanks, Mom!

Last summer, my mom was very sick. Sitting in her hospital room while she was unconscious and on a ventilator brought home the truth that the opportunity to say “I love you, Mom” is a gift more precious than all the gold in the world. I must appreciate it while I have it. No guarantee is given for tomorrow. Kind words are a gift not unto the receiver but unto ourselves, for the happiness and joy they generate bounces right back.

A rose from the garden of the Victorian Carriage Homes, LLC, a group of shops in Skippack Village.

Thank you mom for pulling through. Thank you for coming back to us.

I find it a little troubling, however, that we have a holiday called Mother’s Day. We are commanded in the Bible to honor our father and mother. We should love and appreciate them as a matter of course. Are we so caught up in pursuit of materialistic goals that we need a holiday to be reminded to honor and cherish our own moms?

Every day should be Mother’s Day. Every day should also be Father’s Day, Children’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, Aunt’s Day, Uncle’s Day, Brother’s Day, Sister’s Day, and Friend’s Day. Each person who enters our lives and touches us is a walking miracle.

And maybe one day we will have a holiday even more special called Stranger’s Day. It will be a special day to acknowledge the lost and forsaken in this world. Those individuals who never had a mom who loved them or, if they did, never found their way in this harsh and cold world of ours. We will send cards and give presents to people we don’t even know. On this day we will acknowledge that every man and woman is a walking miracle, a soul sent down to earth, created in the image of God.

Scroll Down for More Skippack Flowers

Outdoors at Mal's American Diner in Skippack

By Green Wolf's Village Barn Shoppes

From the porch of An Enchanted Florist in Skippack Village (where the Skippack Blogger buys many flowers)

From the gardens of the Victorian Carriage Shops, LLC, in Skippack Village

An Enchanted Florist in Skippack Village

Azaleas in front of Liberty Tattoo in Skippack Village

More flowers from the gardens of the Victorian Carriage Shops, LLC in Skippack Village

The Skippack Blogger with his Mom and Dad; see you guys tomorrow.

Opening Scene from the 2012 production of An Ideal Husband by Playcrafters of Skippack, from left to right: Ken Uller, Mare Mikalic, Mark Ayers, Christine Martuscello, Anthony Marsala, Liz McDonald.

If one night among all others proves living in Skippack is as close as we come in this life to living in paradise, it is theater night. My wife Debby and I have been subscribers to Playcrafters of Skippack, our local community theater, for three years. Our tickets are always for a Saturday evening performance. We get a chance to rest during the day and come evening, dressed in fine but casual clothes, we take our long-anticipated stroll through Skippack Village to the Barn theater.

Find Your Seat and Enter a New World

We ascend a narrow staircase, find our seats, the lights go down and we are transported to a new world. Why is this moment of theater becoming more special to me as the years go by?

The home of Playcrafters of Skippack, the Barn Theater, located in the heart of Skippack Village, 100 feet West of Route 73 on Store Road.

As a blogger at night and web content manager for a large company 9-to-5, I spend long hours in front of electronic screens: The computer both connects me to people and distances me from these same people. Flesh and blood actors with their presence and immediacy, their ability to bring words to life, and their ability to confront emotion are a refreshing jolt of energy to a soul benumbed by digital waves.

Playcrafters of Skippack gains even greater power through its willingness to stage less-well-known and more thought-provoking productions when compared to many other community theaters. Indeed, Playcrafters seems to embody many characteristics that go to the core of what makes Skippack special; small town intimacy and warmth blended with a touch of big city sophistication.

A Stellar Season Ahead for Skippack

If the opening production of the 2012 season, An Ideal Husband by Victorian playwright Oscar Wilde, is any indication, this is going to be a stellar theater season in Skippack. An Ideal Husband has finished it’s run and, if you missed it dear reader, you missed an amazing night of theater. Fortunately, there are six more productions remaining in the Playcrafters of Skippack season.

Mark Ayers as himself. He played Lord Robert Chiltern in Playcrafters of Skippack production of An Ideal Husband. I have also seen Mark at Playcrafters in Cabaret and Doubt. In each role he was completely different and completely believable.

As lovers of Skippack, we support Playcrafters as a community. However, as members of an audience we experience each play as an individual. It is the province of the live actor to touch our inner consciousness in a unique way. We each have freedom to see and interpret the play in our own way; freedom of thought is, of course, the greatest freedom of all.

The Biggest Comedy of the Season

Wilde wrote An Ideal Husband, a comedy of manners with both glittering wit and a serious moral center, in 1895, the twilight years of the late Victorian era. Director Margo Weishar O’Moore made a brave decision to set the play into a time closer to our own, around the middle of the 20th century. In my opinion, this bold move made the dramatic conflict in the play more relevant.

An Ideal Husband opens during a dinner party at the home of Sir Robert and Lady Gertrude Chiltern (played by Mark Ayers and  Mare Mikalic). Robert Chiltern is a prestigious member of the House of Commons. His wife, Gertrude Chiltern, is a woman with strong moral convictions. She believes she has an “ideal husband”—that is, a man who is unblemished in both private and public life and whom she can worship.

During the party, an acquaintance of Gertrude Chiltern’s named Mrs. Cheveley (played by Christine Martuscello) attempts to blackmail Robert Chiltern.

Lord Goring (played by Anthony Marsala), a friend to Lord Robert Chiltern, tests his wit against the scheming Mrs. Cheveley (played by Christine Martuscello) in Playcrafters of Skippack 2012 production of An Ideal Husband.

Many years earlier, Robert Chiltern had sold a Cabinet secret. Truth be told, he made his fortune and built his political career with dirty money from this deal. Mrs. Cheveley has a letter which proves his guilt and threatens to destroy both his marriage and career, unless he is willing to give his support to a highly-questionable foreign investment scheme she favors in an upcoming vote in the House of Commons.

I cannot help but think that it was a telling choice to stage this comedy in an election year in which the cost for running for president is expected to be hundreds of millions or even a billion dollars or more. Whatever side of the aisle you sit on, dear reader, do not be a Gertrude Chiltern; do not idolize the candidate of your choice as an “ideal president” in the mold of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. A political candidate does not raise this kind of money using the qualities of a boy scout. Indeed, let us see our trip to the voting booth this November as the biggest comedy of the season.

The Only Answer Is to Laugh

Playwright Oscar Wilde uses his urbane wit, keen sense of pleasure in pointing out social hypocrisy, and love for the clever flow of words to resolve the questions he raises in An Ideal Husband. Here are a few of many great lines from the play:

• “The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.”
• “Life is never fair…And perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.”
• “No man is rich enough to buy back his past.”

Up next at Playcrafters: The Children’s Hour a hard-hitting drama by playwright Lillian Hellman which opens May 31. The Skippack Blogger is looking forward to it. I love having my guts ripped out at the Barn Theater.

Links

Playcrafters of Skippack Website

Playcrafters of Skippack Facebook Group

Skippack 2012 Theater Dates and Other Events

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The cast of An Ideal Husband: Front - Mark Ayers, Mare Mikalic. Back from left - Ken Uller, Judy Van Buskirk, Christine Martuscello, Anthony Marsala, Kristen Riley, Rich Geller, Janene Gibbons, Christopher Applegate.

Ken Uller played the role of Mason (a butler) in the Playcrafter's 2012 production of An Ideal Husband and also served as stage manager. I have known Ken for about a year; he is a modest gentleman who volunteers much of his time at Playcrafters, helping to make Skippack a better place to live.

Next up at Playcrafters of Skippack: The Children's Hour, a hard-hitting drama by Lillian Hellman.

My leading lady, photographed at the Barn Theater in Skippack: Keep laughing at life, baby, and we'll make it.

After the show: The Skippack Blogger and his leading lady at Hotel Fiesole. A perfect Skippack evening.

Members of the Skippack MOMS enjoy a book club meeting. Back- Kelly Miller, Front - Heather Wilson, Stefania Revelli, Meg Riefer

If you are a fairly new mom then you’ve probably already figured out that simply reading titles like Naptimes are the New Happy Hour does little to prepare you emotionally, mentally or physically for the challenges that come with motherhood. And by challenges I mean things like savoring a showering alone or loading the dishwasher with one hand (yes, we’ve all been there and if you are like me, still are).

Stefania Revelli, editor, mom and the first guest author on I Love Skippack. We are honored.

When I casually joined the Skippack MOMS Club nearly seven years ago I was new to the area, was the only mom I knew and could have never imagined the role the club or its members would have in my life—as mom and as a woman.   Turns out these were not just a bunch of moms who wanted to meet up in the comfort of their sweats and let their kids play while they vented to one another about the trials and tribulations of motherhood – they  were all that and so much more. Among them were vets, nutritionists and chemists; writers, nurses, teachers and lawyers.  And beyond mommy talk, they made for good friends and great casual conversations.

A Skippack MOMS club get together: left to right: Amanda Denner, Leah Pro, Robin Reed, Amy O'Sullivan, Stefania Revelli, Marla Levin

Six years and three kids later I am saddened to hear some troubling news: Membership is thin and getting thinner.  Veteran moms like me have older school kids and are less active or are aging out, while new membership has been slow.

Wait, what IS the Skippack MOMS Club about? The club offers plentiful opportunities to share quality time with your kids through local events, playgroups and get-togethers, but it’s also a chance to make new friends, engage in some adventure (stroller walks, park outings, hay rides!), glamour (Moms Nights Out are a great opportunity to slap on some lip gloss and high heels), literature (book club), philanthropy, education, culinary arts (homemade meal delivery for new moms) and even politics (we have a board with a president and a VP).

MOMS keeps me active in the community; helps me share special time with the kids; provides opportunities to give back to charitable causes, helps me laugh every day, and above all helps me to keep my sanity.

If you are a new mom and reading this… wait, if you are a new mom you probably don’t have time be reading this. Scratch that. If you know a new mom or a mom with young kids, give them some sound parental advice and encourage them to check out the Skippack MOMS Club today!

MOMS Club of Skippack meets monthly at The Sinful Cupcake & Cafe every third Tuesday of each month at 10 am. Learn more about the Skippack MOMS Club.

Note from the Skippack Blogger: Stefania Revelli, our first guest author, is an editor, mom, the Skippack Blogger’s neighbor and friend and a wonderful young woman. 

Skippack Blogger and Web Designer unite in creativity and build an amazing new Skippack Village website

Today is a special day. I have lived in Skippack for almost 4 years. But as of today, my words too have a new Skippack home; My thoughts, my ideas, and my sentences have taken up a new residence. You are looking at it. The new, redesigned I Love Skippack website is the new home for the Skippack Blogger’s words. Check it out:

• New home page that feels more like a family photo album than a blog.
• Separate sections dedicated to Skippack shops, restaurants and events: Eat, Shop, Visit
• A new section, Life, for exploring the world of Skippack and world inside all of us.

And much more.

How My Words Found their New Home

Michael Shaw, Skippack Blogger; click on my shirt to read an important message.

Let me, dear reader, tell you the story of my words. When I was a boy, my words were alive, gushing, eager to spill out onto a page of notebook paper. My teachers praised my writing, I went to creative writing programs, and won essay contests. Everything seemed possible. I needed only to study and work hard, and my words would become my livelihood and my joy.

But then, real life laughed at the foolish, dreaming boy. Needing to make a living, I took a job as an editor, moving to the area to edit nursing and medical books. The slow-drain of working life took hold. Long hours at the office, hundreds and hundreds of pages to edit, the routine of working life, personal disappointments, and lost opportunities slowly but surely stifled my words.

My words became like ragged, abandoned children, left in a cellar with only a pail of water and a loaf of bread. They became sickly and weak and deformed. With few invigorating experiences to nourish them, my words gave in to their weariness and went to sleep.

Then a miracle happened: A lively, spirited, brilliant woman came into my life. We married and moved to Skippack. I started to become strong again. Suddenly, the words inside me to started to wake up and gasp for air. They opened their eyes and saw Skippack; the beautiful main street, the free, open spaces between beautifully-restored buildings. “We’re still here,” they cried, pounding at the side of my brain. “Let us out. We want to work again. We love Skippack.”

Thus my blog, I Love Skippack, was born.

Meet the Architect of My New Home

I LOVE SKIPPACK under construction

Now, each free moment I can steal, I spend walking in Skippack looking for something to capture in words: A new store opening, an upcoming event, a new acquaintance, or just a beautiful moment in this beautiful town.

But the world I write in today is much different from the world when I was a kid. Now words are carried on digital waves through the Internet to the hearts and minds of readers. The home for my words is more like a space station, carrying my observations about Skippack and ideas farther than I ever imagined they could travel, reaching more people than I thought possible.

A friend, Brad DeForest, is the architect of this digital home for my words, In plainer terms, Brad, a Skippack-based web designer with a long history of dedication to this town, built the new I Love Skippack website.

Demolition of old I LOVE SKIPPACK Blog

Brad and I have been working together for more than a year on I Love Skippack. I am proud to work with this guy: He is a man of his word, clear-thinking, innovative and resourceful, with a straightforward approach to meeting challenges. His even-tempered perspective is a helpful balance to the flights of enthusiasm that carry me from one blog post to the next, as I fire myself up for long nights at the computer keyboard. Brad honors both the beautiful town of Skippack and the hard work of creative expression.

Recently, I had the honor of locking horns with Brad in a fine rumble on the I Love Skippack Facebook page. A week before the launch of the new I Love Skippack website, Brad wrested control of my Facebook page from me, while I took my best shots at him by posting comments in protest of his unlawful takeover. Read some of the banter here. At its best, work is a path toward brotherhood.

Flipping the Switch

Brad DeForest, Neighborhood Web Guy

As I write this post, it is the moment when Brad is about to flip the switch that will turn off the old I Love Skippack blog and turn on the new I Love Skippack website that you see now. We are sitting at the bar in the Hotel Fiesole in Skippack. Brad is drinking a Dogfish Head IPA Beer. What a beer geek. I have never even heard of it. I am drinking a Michelob Ultra (the Skippack Blogger is concerned about his weight). Brad says that my beer is lame. I value his opinion on website development and social media, but not on such issues.

I will be a poet wannabe until they bury me. I want depth and meaning. The blog I have worked on for close to two years is entering its next phase. I want the moment to be meaningful. I turn to my neighborhood web guy.

“Turn the key brother; the home for my words that you built is a home for my soul.”

Brad looks at me like I am nuts. I have seen this look before. “Michael, it’s a website.”

“OK, OK, flip the switch.”

Welcome to the new I Love Skippack.

The I Love Skippack Team: Blogger Michael Shaw and Web Designer Brad DeForest enjoying beers at the Hotel Fiesole in Skippack. Brad appears to be ready for round two.

The Perkiomen Valley High School Jazz Band: Teacher and band director David Overholtzer is fourth from right.

Until now, my exploration of Skippack has focused mostly on the center of the village along Skippack Pike, the location of most of our shops and restaurants, where shopping, dining and entertainment provide ample material to keep me writing.

But there are many aspects of Skippack life unknown to me and, until now, unexplored. Today, I boldly go where no Skippack Blogger has gone before.

I am on my way to a rehearsal of the jazz band at Perkiomen Valley High School, the high school which serves Skippack and surrounding communities: Collegeville, Lower Frederick, Perkiomen, Schwenksville, and Trappe.

Accompanying me on my journey is Barbara Schang, owner of Schang-Hai Gallerie, in neighboring Creamery, Pennsylvania, and mom to two kids, both of them participants in the Perkiomen Valley High School music program; her son, now graduated, was a member of the jazz band.

Let’s listen to some jazz.

Skippack Blogger Goes Back to High School

The school’s music facilities are impressive: Large rooms with high ceilings for teaching, practice and rehearsing, shiny brass instruments, a xylophone, a gong, timpani drums, and walls decorated with trophies, plaques and banners from past music competitions.

The horns stand up: Students at Perkiomen Valley High School carry on America's greatest musical tradition, jazz.

The moment Barbara and I walk into the jazz band rehearsal, a horn line is blowing Woodchopper’s Ball. Man, they sound good. Barbara explains that all the kids are accomplished music students who must audition to participate in the band.

The band is led by David Overholtzer, director of the band programs at Perkiomen Valley High School. David teaches music full throttle: He gets everyone’s attention; conducts a music selection; scats out the melody; tries out different sections — the horns, the rhythm; provides an analysis of the students’ playing; instructs individuals on how to improve; adds a few words of friendly encouragement; tells a joke; keeps the pace of the class lively; and returns to conducting. The young horn players stand up: Out comes the jazz. Swing it, Mr. Overholtzer.

The lesson in the music: David Overholtzer teaching and leading the Perkiomen Valley High School Jazz Band.

The students are attentive, occasionally laughing or indulging in short, private conversations while waiting for their parts. The rehearsal is demanding, both for the students and for Mr. Overholtzer, who is musician, teacher, guidance counselor, music critic and performer all at once.

Sitting in my metal chair in the back of the room, however, no demands are made on my ability to concentrate.  As an observer, I am allowed the privilege of letting my thoughts wander, just as they did when I was a student sitting in class during my own high school days. My thoughts wander back to the time when I was the same age as these students, back to the time when I made that great discovery: Jazz music.

The Skippack Blogger’s Jazz Memories

I was in high school when I saw Earl "Fatha" Hines, an innovator on the jazz piano, play. Although he was past age seventy, the jazz legend still put on a great show.

I never studied a musical instrument. My jazz memories have nothing to do with school. I discovered jazz on the weekends. Living in the suburbs of Baltimore, my older brother would sometimes take me to a place downtown called the Famous Ballroom where we would see jazz shows put on by a group called the Left Bank Jazz Society.

Most audience members were well-dressed, middle-aged African-American men and women. How goofy I must have looked in my jeans and t-shirt. But it was my first taste, without parental supervision, of adult sophistication, the good life that comes with achieving independence and learning to appreciate finer things.

An Etta Jones album cover: Many people today confuse her with rhythm and blues singer Etta James. Etta Jones was a subtle jazz vocalist.

I saw piano great Earl “Fatha” Hines, who had played with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and the All Stars. Past age seventy but still vibrant, he and his back up musicians put on a great show.

I saw Houston Person, a tenor sax player who blew soulful, thick tones, play alongside vocalist Etta Jones. Check out her rendition of Don’t Go to Strangers, a great song for a town like Skippack. Houston Person is still living and playing music.

At venues other than the Famous Ballroom but around the same time, I saw more jazz greats who have since passed on: Stan Kenton, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan come to mind.

My greatest jazz memory, indeed my greatest music memory of all time, was when I saw Ella Fitzgerald, the First Lady of Song, grace the stage at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore.

Ella Makes Her Entrance

Ella and her fellas: They called Ella Fitzgerald the First Lady of Song. It wasn't hype. So I learned when, during high school, I saw her in concert.

Never will I forget; the entire audience got to their feet when Ella made her way to the microphone, a plain woman with thick glasses in her late-middle years, wearing a simple gown. No video or laser show announced her presence, just Ella and her fellas — four incredible jazz musicians.

When Ella hit her last note of St. Louis Blues, the sound was so beautiful, so perfect, that an elegantly-dressed woman sitting near me screamed.

But it is a not a scream from thirty-five years ago I am hearing now. A horn line from the Perkiomen Valley High School Jazz Band wakes me from my reverie; the clean, resonating sound betokening hours of practice by the students and the strength and optimism of their youth: The joy that comes from within our own heart and lungs.

More Than Just Music

The Perkiomen Valley High School Jazz Band in rehearsal: My friend Barbara Schang, a mom to two children, emphasizes the positive impact of the music program on the lives of students.

The rehearsal ends, the students file out, and I leave with Barbara Schang, pleased that the program at the high school is focused on traditional jazz, music I associate with the happiest memories of my youth. I feel great having heard jazz played in a high school in my town.

Back in the car, Barbara turns toward me. ”The music program is about more than just the music,” she says. “Some of these kids struggle. They may be dealing with peer pressure, troubles at home or simply inner conflicts and plain old insecurity. There is always the fear that a kid will turn to drugs or crime. When a student takes up a musical instrument, it is a wonderful, positive step.”

Barbara continues, “David Overholtzer is not only a teacher and band director, he is a mentor to many of these kids. A teacher like David can completely turn a kid around.”

Come Out and Listen

On the wall of the rehearsal room is a sign which reads “Objective: Develop musical independence.” That pleases me. It summarizes the goal of all education: To enable kids to become independent. I think of the lyrics to one of my favorite jazz standards Summertime:

One of these mornings
You’re going to rise up singing
Then you’ll spread your wings
And take the sky

(Music by George Gershwin, lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin)

Playing the sax at Perkiomen Valley High

Before they take the solo flight described in this beautiful lyric, most kids do better if the people around them encourage their early, fledgling attempts at take off. And that is where we come in, dear reader.

The Perkiomen Valley High School Jazz Band performs at many competitions and community events from December through June. When student musicians take the stage, let us take our place in the audience, as parents, grandparents, friends, and, most importantly, as citizens of Skippack, the greatest small town in Pennsylvania, and her neighbor communities.

Thousands of people in small towns like Skippack across America come out for Friday night lights football, but how many in comparison come out to hear the high school jazz band? Nothing against high school football, but the skills students learn in music class will serve them for a lifetime.

David Overholtzer, director of the band prgrams, at right, with some of his students: Thanks for allowing me to listen to your wonderful music and for bringing back some great memories.

Performances are open to all: People are welcome to attend regardless of whether they have children participating in the music program or attending high school. Public performances give residents of Skippack an opportunity to tell these fine young people that their early attempts at finesse and creative expression are worthwhile. We speak encouragement through our applause.

And the self-discipline and grace students learn through music will help them in whatever career they pursue, whatever twists and turns their road takes. Listen to our kids.

Related Links

Perkiomen Valley High School Jazz Band

Perkiomen Valley High School Viking Band

Note: The Weekly Bulletin, found in the right column of the Viking Band web page, includes information on jazz band performances and rehearsals.

Schang-Hai Gallerie Facebook Page

Thank you Barbara Schang, owner of Schang-Hai Gallerie, for the idea for this post and for helping me out.

Today is the first day of spring. Please, my friend, join me for a quick walk in Skippack this morning. Sharing an experience makes each moment much more meaningful.

Scroll Down to Join Our First Spring Morning Walk

Fog covers Skippack on the first day of Spring. Even when she wears gray, my village is so beautiful, loveliness beyond words.

A foggy day in Skippack town

Lest this heritage be forgot: An American Flag with an image of a Native American warrior flies outside the Southwest Trading Post, a wonderful shop in Skippack.

Making Skippack even more beautiful: Restoration work on the building which houses Skippack Pizza, 4038 Skippack Pike.

Good people everywhere: I stopped to talk to these two men from Hunsberger Builders, who are restoring a building in Skippack, at 4038 Skippack Pike.

Restoration Work at Skippack Pizza. For an actual pizza, call 610.584.4998. Tell owners Vince and Rosie hello from Michael and Debby.

The newly restored exterior of Black Sheep Pottery in Skippack, also at 4038 Skippack Pike, directly across from Skippack Pizza, foreshadows the beauty of the completed restoration. Nicole Dubrow, owner of Black Sheep Pottery, is a lovely woman and I am looking forward to speaking with her and learning more about the potter's craft.

Beautiful Skippack, a foggy first morning of spring

Lifting the fog: The Skippack Blogger, like many local working people, gets his morning coffee at the WaWa, corner of routes 73 and 113.