1. No category

THE PROSPECT HILL & BACK BAY
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, INC.
It was, it is, and it will be
a great place to live
ENGINE 6
FOUNDED IN 1985
Volume XIX – No.12
NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2014
JOHN R. ROLLINS
INCORPORATED 1996
EDITOR JIM ROSS
DID YOU NOTICE?
THE LOCATION OF OUR MEETING HAS
CHANGED! WE ARE NOW MEETING AT THE
HISTORIC JOHN R. ROLLINS SCHOOL!
PARK IN THE REAR OF THE BUILDING OR ON
PLATT STREET. USE THE REAR ENTRANCE
TO THE BUILDING.
DO NOT PARK ON HOWARD STREET IN
FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
THAT IS A NO PARKING AREA!
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, MERRY
CHRISTMAS TO EACH OF THEM. WE PRAY
FOR THEIR SAFE RETURN TO THEIR
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
LAWRENCE LARRY SAYS
“Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah,
and a Joyous Kwanzaa! Don’t forget
to have a Happy and Prosperous New
Year!”
We look forward to seeing you at our next
meeting Wednesday, January 21, 2015
At the Rollins School, 7:00 PM!
e-mail us at [email protected]
VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT
http://home.comcast.net/~phbbna
DECEMBER
No gardener need go far to find
The Christmas rose,
The fairest of the flowers that mark
The sweet Year’s close:
Nor be in quest of places where
The hollies grow,
Nor seek for sacred trees that hold
The mistletoe.
All kindly tended gardens love
December days,
And spread their latest riches out
In winter’s praise.
But every gardener’s work this month
Must surely be
To choose a very beautiful
Big Christmas tree,
And see it through the open door
In triumph ride,
To reign a glorious reign within
At Christmas-tide.
~ Dollie Radford (1858-1920, aka, Caroline Maitland,
British Writer & Poet)
Christmas Gift
Suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
~ Oren Arnold
A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the
parent of all the other virtues. ~Cicero
During this holiday time we show our
gratitude for all our wonderful blessings…
the love of family and friends, the roof over
our heads to shelter us, the food that satisfies us each
day, including the delicious Christmas feast we enjoy.
Yes, we have much to be thankful for.
It came without ribbons! It came without
tags! It came without packages, boxes or
bags! Then the Grinch thought of something
he hadn't before! “Maybe Christmas,” he thought,
“doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas...
perhaps... means a little bit more!” ~Dr. Seuss, How
the Grinch Stole Christmas!
LAUGHTER IS G OOD FOR THE SOUL
Always can use a little Maxine at
Christmas…
>It’s time to get out the earmuffs. My ears aren’t cold,
I’m just tired of hearing people whine!
>It’s hard to be thankful when you’re stuffing bread
crumbs up a cold turkey’s butt @ 5:00 AM.
>I wish a bright star would appear in the east over
Washington, DC. We could use a few wise men up
there!
>I’ve decided to bake this Christmas. So don’t tell me
miracles don’t happen!
>Notice how the recipe for gingerbread men doesn’t
call for manners or brains!
>The great thing about gingerbread men is that each
one is a new chance to bite somebody’s
head off!
>The holidays always make me want to deck
something…but it ain’t the halls!
>If I wanted a fat, bald guy to show up at my house
with gifts, I’d do online dating!
>I don’t know when or how alcoholic beverages
became such a big part of New Year’s celebrations. But
me likey!
>There’s a trick drivin’ on ice…and apparently nobody
knows it!
BOOKS ~ Mrs. Blayney
To learn to read is to light a fire;
every syllable that is spelled out is
a spark. ~ Victor Hugo
Wow! December, the busiest
month of the year, filled with light
and hope, and a thousand things
to do in preparation for the
holidays. Finding presents for those we love, making
plans to go home, or getting ready for loved ones to
come home. A time of giving, gathering around, for old
traditions and new ones. It is a hectic time of the year,
but also a favorite. As we all know, holidays aren't
always perfect. But I wish you a season filled with joy
and blessings, and may you be a blessing to others.
And as the year draws to a close, may it find you
healthy, happy, and where you want to be. I hope it was
a good year for you, that the holidays will be peaceful,
and that next year will be all you wish it to be. Merry
Christmas to one and all!
►THE SECRET PLACE – Tana French
In the 5th installment of Tana French’s popular
Dublin Murder Squad Series, detectives Stephen
Moran and Antoinette Harper revisit the unsolved
murder of a teenage boy at an Irish boarding school.
There’s a taint on the posh private Dublin high
school, St Kilda’s, where Frank Mackey’s daughter
Holly attends. Last year, the most popular and goodlooking student, Chris Harper, was killed. His
murderer has never been identified. Now, Harper’s
file is in the Dublin Cold Case department, and
Detective Stephen Moran, who is aiming for the
Murder Squad, receives a clue from Holly, who
ditched school to seek him out. The clue was a picture
of Chris and some alarming words attached in cut up
letters from a book, tacked up on the secret school
corkboard, otherwise known as the Secret Place. That
was the headmistress’s idea…that board for students,
a place to vent about anything anonymously. But, the
kids know, nothing is anonymous for long.
If you’re a thriller fan and haven’t discovered the
wonders of Tana French, The Secret Place will surely
get you hooked…and by hooked I mean reading till
the wee hours.
►BIG LITTLE LIES – Liane Moriarty
An engaging story filled with murder and mystery,
centering on the lives of three “school moms” and
their problematic circumstances. This story is told in
third-person narrative, and methodically shifts focus
between these three unstable women as the plot
slowly creeps up to the night of the murder. A classic
domestic novel about marriage, motherhood, and
modern upper-middle-class family life. A well written
novel, but it took a while to get into the book, before
it really got interesting.
►GRAY MOUNTAIN – A Novel – John Grisham
Grisham returns with a female protagonist for only
the second time in his illustrious career as he crafted
another legal thriller, this time not targeting the
highest echelons of government, but the deepest pits
of the dark and perilous world of coal mining.
Set against the backdrop of the Great Recession of
2008, Gray Mountain follows a 29-year-old
Manhattan associate attorney, Samantha Kofer. Her
career at a huge Wall Street law firm is on the fast
track, until the recession hits, and she gets
downsized, furloughed, and escorted out of the
building. She moves from Manhattan to Brady,
Virginia, population 2,200, in the heart of the
Appalachia, a part of the world she has only read
about. Her new job takes her into the murky and
dangerous world of coal mining, where laws are
broken, rules ignored and the land itself is under
attack from Big Coal.
I am a fan of John Grisham and have read all of his
books, but this was not up to the Grisham standards
of a captivating novel.
►THIEF OF GLORY, A NOVEL – Sigmund
Brouwer
Thief of Glory was a heart wrenching page turner, as
depicted through the life of ten year old Jeremiah
Prins in a Japanese prison camp in the Dutch Indies
during World War 2.
Not only did I learn about an aspect of the war that
was previously unknown to me, I was also inspired
by Jeremiah's determination to survive in the midst
of some of the most gruesome conditions.
Emotionally riveting, it is an unforgettable tale about
survival. A must read for anyone who loves a great
story.
►TRUTH BE TOLD (#3 Jane Ryland Series) ~ Hank
Phillippi Ryan
An intense, edgy, and complex suspense mystery
drama, of two cases, twenty years apart…from bank
fraud, real estate foreclosures, to murder with a hint
of romance, between detective and journalist, as they
work together, to piece together the puzzle, before
the next hit. If you love crime fiction, intriguing
mysteries involving cops, and the media, Truth Be
Told, is an engrossing fast-paced thriller, mixed with
a human interest twist; it keeps you guessing,
turning, and reading to the end, to learn the fate of
these well- developed characters. The issues explored
in Truth Be Told are timely and troubling. Ms. Ryan
handles them well, giving us a terrific mystery.
Another great read from Boston’s investigative
reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan. I recommend it for a
fast, easy read that will keep you flipping pages till
the very end. You won’t care the snow is falling or
the temps are below freezing.
►41 A PORTRAIT OF MY FATHER ~ George W.
Bush
A unique and intimate biography, the book covers
the entire scope of the elder President Bush’s life and
career, including his service in the Pacific during
World War II, his pioneering work in the Texas oil
business, and his political rise as a Congressman,
U.S. Representative to China and the United Nations,
CIA Director, Vice President, and President. In
addition, George W. Bush discusses his father’s
influence on him throughout his own life, from his
childhood in West Texas to his early campaign trips
with his father, and from his decision to go into
politics to his own two-term Presidency. Whether you
are a Bush family fan or not, this book has many
inspirational stories of relationships in close knit, big
extended families. An intimate, heartfelt tribute to a
Father from his Son.
'Twas the day before Christmas, and everywhere you
look,
Not a person was stressing. They were all reading a
book!
Well may be not! But do take some time out between
the gift-giving and cookie-swapping to cozy up by the
fire with one of your favorite holiday books. Perhaps
some eggnog too!
GIVE BOOKS! THEY ARE GIFTS
THEY’LL OPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN!
SLEDDING…
Rocketing down a hill as steep as a
wall with the wind in your face and
your heart in your mouth…is the
quintessential winter activity.
No matter what kind of high tech four-runner sled,
or a padded toboggan, or a plastic flying saucer, or a
rubber inner tube, or a large piece of cardboard you
prefer, all you need is a hill and something to slide
down on.
Did you know sledding goes way back…all the way
back to Roman soldiers who used their shields to
slide down hillsides in battle…perhaps the ancient
precursor of the flying saucer sleds that became
popular when there were stories of presumed alien
visitors. History does not record who was the first
adventurer to take a sled made for hauling wood for
a run down a local hill, but by the 1840’s sleds
weren’t just for work, they were for fun.
SLEDDING OR SLIDING…
There are those who wonder is it called sledding or
sliding. There is definitely a regional preference.
In places like Minnesota and many parts of New
Hampshire, many refer to this winter fun as
“sliding,” but in other places, like Pennsylvania, it’s
definitely “sledding.”
In terms of etymology, the word sled comes from the
middle English, sledde, which itself has the origins in
the Old Dutch word, slee, meaning “sliding.” Who
cares?
As the old saying goes, Listen children, take my
advice. Sit on the ground, and slide on the ice.
HELPFUL HINTS
●South-facing hillsides are soft in the daytime, icy at
night. Slopes facing north hold snow the longest but
they’re the hardest to pack down. A little fresh snow
over a hard-packed surface is probably the best.
●Daredevils are looking for a steep hill; kids maybe
not so much. Make sure there’s a run out at the
bottom of the hill so a sled can decelerate on its own.
●Public sledding hills are often bumpy from overuse.
SLEDDING ETIQUETTE
The rules are obvious but bear repeating…
●Keep an eye out for sledders coming toward you.
You never know if they’re paying attention.
●Stay off to the side as much as possible when
climbing a hill so you stay out of the line of travel.
●Don’t walk across the sledding trail. Footprints
create bumps for your fellow sledders.
●Avoid all obstacles when running downhill,
including other sledders, even if it means rolling off
your sled and sending it into the brush.
O LITTLE TOWN OF
BETHLEHEM…
It’s a long tradition in Bethlehem (the town so named
because it was incorporated on the last Christmas
Day of the 18th century). In the 1960’s the thenpostmaster wanted to do something special to note
the town’s connection to Christmas, so she drew the
image you see on the stamp (shown) and began
applying it to the cards that people brought in. Fifty
years and many rubber stamps later, there is no sign
that interest in abating. By December 31, when it all
stops, the post office will have processed about 55,000
cards from all over the world.
If you’re interested, you can take your cards to the
post office (stamp them yourself, if you prefer) or
mail them (Bethlehem Post Office, Bethlehem, NH
03574), ready to go (addressed with postage stamps)
in a box labelled “Christmas Re-mailing” (note the
date you want them sent).
THINK SPRING…we all would love more sunshine
in December. Did you know that the birth flower of
December us the narcissus, commonly known as the
daffodil. These flowers are role models for New
Englanders, as they are quite tolerant of cold,
especially with snow covering.
Daffodilusa.org/daffodil-info/daffodil-fags
WHILE VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS DANCED
THROUGH THEIR HEADS….
SUGAR PLUM TART
If the holidays are making you feel
"plum tuckered out," maybe a
delicious sugar plum tart will pick up your spirits!
Serves 8
• INGREDIENTS•
For the Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
¼ cup sugar
6 Tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2-3 Tablespoons cold water
For the Filling:
¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
¾ cup Sugar Plum Jam
¼ cup butter, melted
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 ½ pounds (around 6-8) small plums, pitted and cut
into 8 slices lengthwise
• DIRECTIONS •
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place rack in lower
third of the oven. Grease a 9-inch tart pan with
removable bottom.
2. For the crust place the flour, almonds, sugar,
butter, Pure Vanilla Extract and salt in the bowl of a
food processor. Cover and pulse several times until
the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water 1
Tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together
and forms a ball. Do not over mix.
3. Press dough evenly into the bottom and up the
sides of the tart pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until
golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
4. In a medium size bowl combine ¼ cup sugar and 2
Tablespoons flour.
5. Heat ¾ cup Sugar Plum Jam over low heat until it
melts. Measure ½ cup of the jam and add this as well
as the melted butter and the egg to the flour mixture.
Mix until uniform. Reserve the rest of the jam to
glaze the tart after baking.
6. Spread half of the jam and flour mixture over the
bottom of the tart. Place the plum slices in concentric
circles starting on the outer edge of the tart pan,
covering the entire bottom of the pan. Pour the
remaining jam and flour mixture over the plums.
Sprinkle remaining Tablespoon of sugar over the
tart.
7. Bake 45-50 minutes in a 350 degree F oven until
the jam bubbles and the fruit is soft.
8. Remove from oven and brush the remaining Sugar
Plum Jam over the fruit. Serve warm or at room
temperature with ice cream or whipped cream.
Had I but a penny in the world,
thou shouldst have it for
gingerbread.
~William Shakespeare (15641616)
No confection symbolizes the holidays quite like
gingerbread in its many forms, from edible houses to
candy-studded gingerbread men to spiced loaves of
cake-like bread. In Medieval England, the
term gingerbread simply meant ‘preserved ginger’
and wasn’t applied to the desserts we are familiar
with until the 15th century. The term is now broadly
used to describe any type of sweet treat that
combines ginger with honey, treacle or molasses.
Ginger root was first cultivated in ancient China,
where it was commonly used as a medical treatment.
From there it spread to Europe via the Silk Road.
During the Middle Ages it was favored as a spice for
its ability to disguise the taste of preserved meats.
Henry VIII is said to have used a ginger concoction
in hopes of building a resistance to the plague. Even
today we use ginger as an effective remedy for nausea
and other stomach ailments. In Sanskrit the root was
known as srigavera, which translates to ‘root shaped
like a horn’ – a fitting name for ginger’s unusual
appearance.
According to Rhonda Massingham Hart’s Making
Gingerbread Houses, the first known recipe for
gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC. Chinese
recipes were developed during the 10th century and
by the late Middle Ages, Europeans had their own
version of gingerbread. The hard cookies, sometimes
gilded with gold leaf and shaped like animals, kings
and queens, were a staple at Medieval fairs in
England, France, Holland and Germany. Queen
Elizabeth I is credited with the idea of decorating the
cookies in this fashion, after she had some made to
resemble the dignitaries visiting her court. Over time
some of these festivals came to be known as
Gingerbread Fairs, and the gingerbread cookies
served there were known as ‘fairings.’ The shapes of
the gingerbread changed with the season, including
flowers in the spring and birds in the fall.
Elaborately decorated gingerbread became
synonymous with all things fancy and elegant in
England. The gold leaf that was often used to
decorate gingerbread cookies led to the popular
expression ‘to take the gilt off of gingerbread.’ The
carved, white architectural details found on many
colonial American seaside homes is sometimes
referred to as ‘gingerbread work’.
Gingerbread houses originated in Germany during
the 16th century. The elaborate cookie-walled houses,
decorated with foil in addition to gold leaf, became
associated with Christmas tradition. Their popularity
rose when the Brothers Grimm wrote the story of
Hansel and Gretel, in which the main characters
stumble upon a house made entirely of treats deep in
the forest. It is unclear whether or not gingerbread
houses were a result of the popular fairy tale, or vice
versa.
Gingerbread arrived in the New World with English
colonists. The cookies were sometimes used to sway
Virginia voters to favor one candidate over another.
The first American cookbook, American Cookery by
Amelia Simmons, has recipes for three types of
gingerbread including the soft variety baked in
loaves:
Soft gingerbread to be baked in pans.
No. 2. Rub three pounds of sugar, two pounds of
butter, into four pounds of flour, add 20 eggs, 4 ounces
ginger, 4 spoons rosewater, bake as No. 1.
This softer version of gingerbread was more common
in America. George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball
Washington, served her recipe for gingerbread to the
Marquis de Lafayette when he visited her
Fredericksburg, Virginia home. Since then it was
known as Gingerbread Lafayette. The confection was
passed down through generations of Washingtons.
Run, run, fast as you can,
You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!~ The
Gingerbread Man, a Fairy Tale
Hello everybody! By Brian Cullum (Our British
Correspondent)
It's me, sorry I am a bit late, I forgot the date.
Our weather has been a bit cold and grey,
fortunately not much rain but it has been so dank
and miserable that it was a job to get the washing
dry. It was so gloomy Tuesday that we had to switch
the lights on indoors at 2:30 in the afternoon!
Last week-end I went 140 miles East to Sussex to
help celebrate my granddaughter Rosie's 18th
birthday, I bought her some silver charms for her
bracelet and a "snazzy" pair of wellington boots in
raspberry pink with white spots. She has her green
Hunter wellies which she wears at agricultural
college and the stables, so these boots are for "girlie
wear"! The craze started at the "pop festivals" like
Glastonbury where MUD is king (see recordings of
Dolly Parton's appearance at this year’s Glastonbury
where she put on some wellies and had a wallow with
the fans).
Rosie is a very busy girl, she is at Brinsbury
Agricultural College where she is studying vetenary
nursing, helps at a couple of vet clinics on an ad hoc
basis, does three nights shelf stacking at a diy store
and works all day Sunday at a stables.
Things in our newspapers lately. The local
agricultural college, Kingston Maurwood owns fields
adjacent near Hardy's cottage and they have applied
for permission to build 70 houses on what is their
own land but the Hardy fanatics have got their
knickers in a twist over this, despite the fact that the
cottage is 3/4 of mile or more from the development
site and on the other side of a passing road.
The death was announced last week of P.D James,
the crime authoress whose most famous character
was probably Inspector Dalgleish, which Mrs B may
have heard of seeing as she was a female writer.
You may recall that back in the summer I told you
about the chaos caused by the government ignoring
local and expert advice and making alterations and
installing 2 roundabouts on the A303 near
Stonehenge which created hold-ups, at busy times, of
over 2 hours to get past the henge!
So after wasting millions on surveys and public
enquiries, all of which they ignored, the "grey
people" have decided that it would be best if the road
went through tunnels, something they have been told
for the past 60 years ! In Russia the culprits would
have found themselves in a gulag, in the U.S they
would face jail but here they would get promotions
for doing everything wrong and the head honcho will
get a knighthood and have the road tunnel named
after him !
My friend (another Brian) is on vacation in
Borneo and then Vietnam at the moment, right
where the typhoon is swirling around, I hope he is all
right.
I have been in strict training for Christmas, so far I
have had 4 Christmas dinners! By the time the day
comes around I will have gone off the idea (especially
the Brussels Sprouts).
Editor’s Note: My good friend who was stationed in
England during WWII hated Brussels Sprouts. He
said that is all they fed him while he was there. He
would not go into or stay in a restaurant if they were
on the menu.
Are all your school-kids over there walking
around with smart phones costing hundreds of
dollars like they do over here? It's crazy you can buy
a standard mobile for as little as $12 that's all they
should need plus nobody tells you these smart phones
need charging every 24 hours!
Well that is about all my ranting for now, I wish
you and yours a healthy and happy Christmas and
look forward to speaking to you again in the new
year.
Brian
TO ALL OUR PHBBNA FRIENDS AND TO ALL
OUR READERS
FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
WE WISH YOU LIFE’S BLESSINGS
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON…..
AND MAY THE NEW YEAR BE
FILLED WITH LOVE, HOPE, AND PEACE.
~~THE EDITOR AND MRS. BLAYNEY~~
FOR ALL HAPPENINGS IN DETAIL
TUNE IN TO A “WINDOW TO
LAWRENCE” ON
LAWRENCE ACCESS CABLE
TELEVISION
COMCAST CHANNEL 8, VERIZON 40
FOR MORE SCHEDULING AND LIVE STREAMING ON
YOUR COMPUTER AT WWW.LAWREMCECTV.COM
PHBBNA SEARCH-A-CITY IN PENNSYLVANIA PUZZLE By Ray Benedix
When the puzzle is finished, the remaining 31 letters form a phrase.
NOTE: Apostrophes and words in parentheses in the list below are not included in the puzzle.
A
A
E
A
S
W
O
D
A
E
M
R
E
V
A
E
B
B
T
G
C
L
H
A
N
W
O
T
S
M
A
D
A
E
I
I
D
M
E
L
A
D
S
T
R
E
B
O
R
L
A
N G T
N A T
I R B
E B E
O B E
R P I
E M P
S N R
A A S
N M T
A O S
B M N
H O B
T A E
P B Y
E X A
V E R
O
I
M
A
N
A
D
E
T
V
S
B
A
L
L
N
S
N
M
A
V
T
M
V
S
L
V
I
V
U
I
E
D
P
W
M
M
E
O
S
T
E
I
A
E
L
Q
R
Y
R
R
O
U
B
R
N
O
M
L
R
R
D
U
L
W
G
I
I
T
S
E
E
W
O
L
D
F
T
I
R
N
E
C
A
N
N
S
R
N
N
E
R
A
L
P
O
Y
E
E
N
W
G
E
R
S
T
Y
O
L
E
P
X
C
W
V
V
E
Y
S
L L A
E K A
O N E
R D R
F S O
L R T
V A R
A U A
B L A
A D L
A L L
I E L
N L E
P P W
A M S
E E O
A T B
November Solution: “Thanksgiving Day; enjoy it.”
LAWRENCE COMMUNITY ACCESS TELEVISION
A
B
M
N
C
Y
B
E
E
C
H
C
R
E
E
K
R
ABBOTTSTOWN
ABINGTON
ACME
ADAMSBURG
ADAMSTOWN
ALEPPO
ALEXANDRIA
ALIQUIPPA
ALLENSVILLE
ALLENTOWN
AMBERSON
AMBLER
AMBRIDGE
ANITA
ARDMORE
BAKERS SUMMIT
BALA CYNWYD
BARTONS VILLE
BEAVER
BEAVER FALLS
BEAVER MEADOWS
BEAVER SPRINGS
BEAVERDALE
BEAVERTOWN
BEDFORD
BEECH CREEK
BENTON
BOSWELL
LEMONT
NORVELT
RICEVILLE
ROBERTSDALE
ROXBURY
TEMPLE
23 Pleasant Street, Lawrence, MA