http://www.phillyburbs.com/enhttp://www.phillyburbs.com/http://www.phillyburbs.com/fileadmin/template/images/logo144.gif14426TYPO3 - get.content.rightThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/jyYkjnWtjj8/cave-to-cruelty-or-work-to-change-it.htmlMon, 08 Feb 2010 00:01:56 PST]]>In eighth grade, Joey Kemmerling, now 15 and a 10th-grader at Council Rock South, told his friends and then his family that he's gay. He's been tormented in school ever since.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/february/08/cave-to-cruelty-or-work-to-change-it.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/MIOTB2ftcS0/a-job-of-historic-proportions.htmlSat, 06 Feb 2010 22:20:14 PST]]>I picked up the phone to call Joe Laufer and put it down again. Picked it up. Put it down.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/february/07/a-job-of-historic-proportions.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/0fGHWdawydU/music-football-collide.htmlThu, 04 Feb 2010 23:11:18 PST]]>Pennsbury High School music teacher Betty Hohwieler of Lower Makefield isn't much of a football fan, but that doesn't mean she's not a passionate fan of NFL Films and its state-of-the-art studio in Mount Laurel.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/february/05/music-football-collide.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/JrqlYPfuVpI/time-for-a-public-saging-1.htmlWed, 03 Feb 2010 23:53:12 PST]]>It's a little new-agey for a historic borough, but I propose a public saging of Morrisville. Couldn't hurt.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/february/04/time-for-a-public-saging-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/M4j_w09B_eQ/time-for-a-public-saging.htmlTue, 02 Feb 2010 23:13:18 PST]]>It's a little new-agey for a historic borough, but I propose a public saging of Morrisville. Couldn't hurt.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/february/03/time-for-a-public-saging.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/4YpIoNyIj7M/a-nice-moment-1.htmlMon, 01 Feb 2010 22:20:18 PST]]>http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/february/02/a-nice-moment-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/KecNs5d5Zq8/a-nice-moment.htmlSun, 31 Jan 2010 23:10:47 PST]]>Recently, I accepted an invitation from Callista Oberholtzer to lunch at Sunrise Senior Living at Floral Vale, one of two Sunrise residences in Lower Makefield.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/february/01/a-nice-moment.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/s74IzzEqnds/a-kiss-is-not-just-a-kiss.htmlSat, 30 Jan 2010 22:20:18 PST]]>A lot of guys Ernest Dubay's age have trouble remembering. Ernie's trouble is that he can't forget.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/31/a-kiss-is-not-just-a-kiss.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/8Hstcja7kWQ/go-girls-1.htmlWed, 27 Jan 2010 22:20:24 PST]]>Sometimes you know you're headed in the right direction because, all of a sudden, the path comes up to meet your feet, and that's how it is for Natalie Knochenhauer, 45, of Doylestown, Pa.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/28/go-girls-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/qzUT3X0IRX4/go-girls.htmlTue, 26 Jan 2010 23:02:13 PST]]>Sometimes you know you're headed in the right direction because, all a sudden, the path comes up to meet your feet, and that's how it is for Natalie Knochenhauer of Doylestown.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/27/go-girls.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/A2eeQ_3AosU/providing-shelter-to-those-who-need-it.htmlSun, 24 Jan 2010 23:10:57 PST]]>Some of the most crushing news out of Haiti is the staggering number of people left homeless - men, women and children with no personal shelter to call their own. It means there's no personal space where they can start to heal, to recuperate from injuries and to grieve those who could not be saved.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/25/providing-shelter-to-those-who-need-it.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/ZL7zZ2QDjbg/a-pony-tale-straight-from-horses-mouth.htmlSat, 23 Jan 2010 22:20:05 PST]]>Mike Isajewicz is a friend - a Marine, a former corrections officer, and now a guy who spends his days caring for horses and transporting them locally and across the country.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/24/a-pony-tale-straight-from-horses-mouth.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/5q958ZqlT8Q/right-teens-at-right-time.htmlThu, 21 Jan 2010 23:10:48 PST]]>This is a story about five teenage good Samaritans - four girls and a boy, students at Council Rock South, who did just the right thing on a Friday afternoon. How about that?http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/22/right-teens-at-right-time.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/P9wP3JqUdh8/this-workout-has-a-familiar-ring-to-it.htmlTue, 19 Jan 2010 23:12:08 PST]]>There's no mystery why a woman might work like crazy to spend time with Sandy Humenuk, 35, of Buckingham. He's a looker. Or as Carrie of "Sex and the City" would tell the girls, "Sandy Humenuk is cute, cutie, cute."http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/20/this-workout-has-a-familiar-ring-to-it.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/IPeRVk7msOk/readers-sound-off-about-hospital.htmlSun, 17 Jan 2010 23:21:01 PST]]>Here's what readers had to say about my lack of angst, given the potential for the construction of an Aria hospital in Lower Makefield, where I've lived nearly 30 years. What's the big deal, I wrote. Who chases away a community hospital?http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/18/readers-sound-off-about-hospital.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/LGEC6OwHFxk/losing-pounds-2.htmlSun, 17 Jan 2010 22:20:23 PST]]>You find out who your friends are when you start a diet. Some of my best friends are readers - the ones who diet, even the ones who won't.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/18/losing-pounds-2.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/4Vjlwz8MoxI/get-fired-up-for-ice-carving.htmlSat, 16 Jan 2010 22:20:05 PST]]>This year I promised myself I'd embrace winter. No more complaining.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/17/get-fired-up-for-ice-carving.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/6shrwVwEue4/to-eat-well-eat-close-to-the-earth.htmlThu, 14 Jan 2010 23:11:18 PST]]>There's nothing like a little awareness to gum up the works. It's especially true for me now that I'm revamping my diet.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/15/to-eat-well-eat-close-to-the-earth.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/4TY6iQSNeLI/hospital-not-such-a-bad-idea.htmlTue, 12 Jan 2010 23:12:03 PST]]>At the risk of raising the ire of my neighbors in Lower Makefield, I confess I can't get my undies in a bunch about the potential construction of an Aria hospital near Shady Brook Farm.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/13/hospital-not-such-a-bad-idea.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/PwGXKl_mNt4/losing-pounds.htmlSun, 10 Jan 2010 23:11:04 PST]]>You find out who your friends are when you start a diet. Some of my best friends are readers; the ones who diet, even the ones who won't.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/11/losing-pounds.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/_dsRQ5K4SDo/trouble-kicking-off-the-diet-1.htmlSat, 09 Jan 2010 22:20:05 PST]]>Last week my three sisters reminded me that after Thanksgiving dinner and too much red wine, I signed on for a diet contest with them that would commence this month. Literally signed on, I recall now. One sister is a lawyer and had the foresight to insist each of us initial the diet agreement, which she scribbled onto scratch paper.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/10/trouble-kicking-off-the-diet-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/yJOUGLMxBz8/taste-the-difference.htmlThu, 07 Jan 2010 23:10:59 PST]]>At just 27, Erica Zimmelman is accomplished, confident, well traveled and a pleasure to talk with.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/08/taste-the-difference.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/zaI9K1ydNWc/trouble-kicking-off-the-diet.htmlTue, 05 Jan 2010 23:11:52 PST]]>On Sunday, my three sisters reminded me that after Thanksgiving dinner and too much red wine, I had signed on for a diet contest with them that would commence this week.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/06/trouble-kicking-off-the-diet.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/zNFWVkZIZXI/gun-club-targets-protesters.htmlSun, 03 Jan 2010 23:11:10 PST]]>Strategic Realty plans to erect hundreds of luxury condos and single-family houses on Bensalem's waterfront. It's not likely the sales brochures will mention the Philadelphia Gun Club next door.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/04/gun-club-targets-protesters.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/djWzHMe3tco/booked-up-now-would-be-a-good-time.htmlSat, 02 Jan 2010 22:30:13 PST]]>There's no better way to spend winter than with your nose in a good book. In my mind, a long, snowy winter like the one predicted for 2010 means time for lots of good books.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/03/booked-up-now-would-be-a-good-time.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/ku-ErUQJmIY/drunk-with-hope.htmlThu, 31 Dec 2009 23:10:33 PST]]>With any luck, as you read this today, I'm still nursing a hangover from last night. It's tradition.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2010/january/01/drunk-with-hope.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/DPH4plwYQ4Y/lets-re-rout-our-resources.htmlTue, 29 Dec 2009 23:01:41 PST]]>Two days before Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmatuliab attempted to blow up a Northwest flight to Detroit but instead inadvertently set himself ablaze, Daughter and I were chatting in the kitchen about the nuisance of air travel, not the danger.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/30/lets-re-rout-our-resources.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/LuQ-iKUXUAw/readers-on-obama-peace.htmlSun, 27 Dec 2009 23:00:40 PST]]>Boy did I hit a nerve when I confessed my disappointment in President Obama and his decision to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan. It's not the change I'd hoped for, I said. Wars never are "won."http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/28/readers-on-obama-peace.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/EOYXbzwAWhQ/robust-replies-to-obama.htmlSat, 26 Dec 2009 22:20:09 PST]]>Boy, did I hit a nerve when I confessed my disappointment in President Obama and his decision to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan. It's not the change I'd hoped for, I said. Wars never are "won."http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/27/robust-replies-to-obama.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/HSe0m-3Szvw/bringing-out-the-best-in-people.htmlThu, 24 Dec 2009 23:00:17 PST]]>The holidays bring out the best in people. It's a good thing.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/25/bringing-out-the-best-in-people.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/fwZt4pGr3GE/perfect-time-to-mend-broken-heart.htmlThu, 24 Dec 2009 22:20:36 PST]]>The holidays bring out the best in people. It's a good thing.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/25/perfect-time-to-mend-broken-heart.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/EJPeoDwjXzc/a-time-for-family.htmlTue, 22 Dec 2009 23:00:16 PST]]>M. Scott Peck, noted therapist and author wrote once that at the root of people's neurosis and deep unhappiness is their willingness to accept what is. It's amazing how we'll twist our thinking to avoid facing the uncomfortable truths of our lives.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/23/a-time-for-family.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/EsaJhXOWTeo/seniors-back-in-school.htmlSun, 20 Dec 2009 23:00:24 PST]]>Pennsbury's Fallsington Elementary School has a pulse. I can feel it from where I'm sitting in the lobby outside the main office.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/21/seniors-back-in-school.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/474fgLe6AFg/women-helping-women-1.htmlSat, 19 Dec 2009 22:20:03 PST]]>Cathi Rendfrey uses the expression "displaced homemakers" when she's making public presentations and "stalking" lawmakers in Trenton. She doesn't like the label, but it's the one her audiences can grasp.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/20/women-helping-women-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/J78qWVvehYE/a-spirit-that-wouldnt-die.htmlThu, 17 Dec 2009 23:00:11 PST]]>Every once in a while, I get a letter or e-mail that is so well written, with a story so compelling that I don't want to mess it up by inserting myself into it. The e-mail below is one of those. I'm just going to let Sue Sampson, 53, of Newtown tell this story in her own words.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/18/a-spirit-that-wouldnt-die.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/Q_Q6IEidyxw/consuming-is-safer-than-relating-1.htmlThu, 17 Dec 2009 22:20:27 PST]]>I've been reading a lot of Deepak Chopra. It's easier than doing yoga. I can read lying on a couch and balancing a cup of tea. Try that posing as a downward dog.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/18/consuming-is-safer-than-relating-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/WEMbyVjzcWI/consuming-is-safer-than-relating.htmlTue, 15 Dec 2009 23:00:14 PST]]>I've been reading a lot of Deepak Chopra. It's easier than doing yoga. I can read lying on a couch and balancing a cup of tea. Try that posing as a downward dog.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/16/consuming-is-safer-than-relating.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/kg9_-QidiRU/changing-her-mind-about-the-president.htmlMon, 14 Dec 2009 22:20:12 PST]]>Barack Obama has disappointed me like no man ever has.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/15/changing-her-mind-about-the-president.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/48il5BgYpIo/dogs-cats-need-help-too.htmlSun, 13 Dec 2009 23:00:56 PST]]>"Old Mother Hubbard went to her cup board to get her poor dog a bone,http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/14/dogs-cats-need-help-too.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/HL0rXpEmDYQ/barrels-of-fun-for-artists.htmlSat, 12 Dec 2009 22:20:07 PST]]>Feeling creative?http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/13/barrels-of-fun-for-artists.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/6oiPKQSq7DU/i-was-wrong-about-obama.htmlThu, 10 Dec 2009 23:00:17 PST]]>Barack Obama has disappointed me like no man ever has.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/11/i-was-wrong-about-obama.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/tC78L6YnBWo/put-your-money-where-your-home-is.htmlTue, 08 Dec 2009 23:00:22 PST]]>Christmas shopping on a Main Street means a merchant wishing you "Merry Christmas!" like she really means it. This after she wraps your selection in a bit of tissue paper, tucking it into a bag she's decorated with ribbon.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/09/put-your-money-where-your-home-is.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/qugtE6VQssA/ready-aim-fire.htmlkfratti@phillyburbs.comMon, 07 Dec 2009 09:29:25 PST]]>Bow hunters I ran into while walking a dog on the Ellis tract in Lower Makefield had it right. This parkland between the Delaware River and canal will be included in a sharp shoot exercise to thin the herd come February. A Conneticut firm, White Buffalo, will do the job. The land is used by dog walkers, birders, bikers. The public had been told the extermination was set for Five Mile Woods, the golf course, the township-owned Patterson Farm. Now this. The guys I ran into were hunting illegally but their info was good. The guns are coming to this land. Here's hoping the township can sufficiently block access to keep people and pets safe. It'll be tough. This land includes dozens and dozens of acres with easy access from numerous points along the canal and from residential neighborhoods. Shooting, we're promised, will take place at night. Be sure you know where your teen is come February.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/07/ready-aim-fire.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/XxqS4Nw95iM/tradition-of-the-tree.htmlSun, 06 Dec 2009 23:10:47 PST]]>My favorite Christmas preparation is choosing a tree.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/07/tradition-of-the-tree.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/mT4jc6wDuwQ/its-weird-and-ugly-in-toy-land.htmlSat, 05 Dec 2009 22:20:19 PST]]>What's wrong with today's kids?http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/06/its-weird-and-ugly-in-toy-land.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/cu3SlI1Q2PQ/doxie-for-danny.htmlThu, 03 Dec 2009 23:10:56 PST]]>I don't want a dachshund puppy. Danny Piccari does. And if ever there was a guy deserving, it's him.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/04/doxie-for-danny.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/TdL7cSqkkGA/weirdness-in-toy-land.htmlTue, 01 Dec 2009 23:10:21 PST]]>What's wrong with today's kids?http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/02/weirdness-in-toy-land.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/-0saDKqDGfs/getting-out-to-help-others-2.htmlMon, 30 Nov 2009 23:33:29 PST]]>Cathy Hinde Hackman, 47, crossed paths with the brain-injured soldier in a corridor at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The hollowness of his expression moved her.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/december/01/getting-out-to-help-others-2.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/20SiwZg3Qzg/wise-beyond-their-years-1.htmlSun, 29 Nov 2009 23:26:51 PST]]>I was headed to meet a graphic artist in her 20s. I was expecting an artsy-fartsy kid with an attitude and paint-stained jeans. I should have saved myself the trouble of dredging up tired old stereotypes. I was all wrong.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/30/wise-beyond-their-years-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/E1rWSNY3_O8/wise-beyond-their-years.htmlSun, 29 Nov 2009 23:00:31 PST]]>I was headed to meet a graphic artist in her 20s. I was expecting an artsy-fartsy kid with an attitude and paint-stained jeans. I should have saved myself the trouble of dredging up tired old stereotypes. I was all wrong.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/30/wise-beyond-their-years.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/JuqUKRxVylg/quilting-trendy-and-traditional.htmlSat, 28 Nov 2009 22:20:10 PST]]>So much of what people do in a day has so little tangible, lasting result. It can be discouraging.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/29/quilting-trendy-and-traditional.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/RTtDwX2EV4s/the-language-of-love-food.htmlThu, 26 Nov 2009 23:00:21 PST]]>I have a clue my daughter is in love. Not just because she's started using collective pronouns in her phone conversations and e-mails home - "We are having friends over" or "That sounded good to us" - but rather because she's started cooking and calling home for recipes.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/27/the-language-of-love-food.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/iPWxHnAL5sg/getting-out-to-help-others-1.htmlWed, 25 Nov 2009 05:56:35 PST]]>Cathy Hinde Hackman, 47, crossed paths with the brain-injured soldier in a corridor at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The hollowness of his expression moved her.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/25/getting-out-to-help-others-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/UUUTkct_N8I/getting-out-to-help-others.htmlWed, 25 Nov 2009 05:18:00 PST]]>"He could walk and talk, but he was a shell. There was an empty look on his face," Cathy recalled. It was December. Cold. And his family was headed in to see him in a day or two for Christmas. "Still, he was lost. He looked so afraid."http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/25/getting-out-to-help-others.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/_Kw8Vovtj5k/if-the-shoe-fits.htmlSun, 22 Nov 2009 23:10:51 PST]]>Here's my best advice about communicating with grown men who hunt. Never, ever call one a nincompoop. They don't like it.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/23/if-the-shoe-fits.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/6QftYuMYUB8/shes-wise-beyond-her-years.htmlSat, 21 Nov 2009 22:20:05 PST]]>I was headed to meet a graphic artist in her 20s. I was expecting an artsy-fartsy kid with an attitude and paint-stained jeans. I should have saved myself the trouble of dredging up tired old stereotypes. I was all wrong.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/22/shes-wise-beyond-her-years.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/jsiMfKM2G1E/simpler-than-reality.htmlThu, 19 Nov 2009 23:10:32 PST]]>I was enjoying the traveling Norman Rockwell exhibit, recently opened at the Plaza at King of Prussia, when Bill Pezza popped into my mind. I'd left his latest book on my reading chair at home.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/20/simpler-than-reality.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/pyx6iVEn1UA/time-to-take-aim-at-poachers.htmlTue, 17 Nov 2009 23:04:35 PST]]>It used to be ticks and poison ivy were the only things Dog and I worried about on long nature walks in Lower Makefield. Now, we worry about bows and arrows. Maybe you do, too.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/18/time-to-take-aim-at-poachers.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/uPRLIY5fq3o/no-trick-dogs-can-heal.htmlMon, 16 Nov 2009 22:20:07 PST]]>Former ABC news producer Sharon Sakson is a dog lover. Not just a casual enthusiast, but a breeder of Brussels griffons and whippets, a trainer, an American Kennel Club dog show judge and one of the producers of the Westminster Dog Show.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/17/no-trick-dogs-can-heal.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/cj3DTGvyvuw/on-caskets-and-cats.htmlSun, 15 Nov 2009 23:10:53 PST]]>Readers had lots to say about Wal-Mart Inc. selling coffins online.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/16/on-caskets-and-cats.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/3jA49w9KoS8/its-a-day-of-arts-eats-and-alms.htmlSat, 14 Nov 2009 22:20:20 PST]]>How's this for genius: A way to entertain friends and family visiting for the weekend after Thanksgiving, where you can enjoy a meal you didn't cook, start your holiday shopping, express your creative side AND contribute to a good cause.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/15/its-a-day-of-arts-eats-and-alms.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/ss01GE0-Kz8/growing-appeal.htmlThu, 12 Nov 2009 23:10:57 PST]]>It's about the time of year I'm done with gardening. Not so for some master gardeners in Bristol Township, who have their sights set this month on a patch of virgin soil. Work will begin this weekend to prepare the land for spring, they say. The plan is to layer newspaper, compost, grass clippings, leaves, manure and peat moss to create a "lasagna style" bed for easy, inexpensive growing come May.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/13/growing-appeal.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/LRLoRAMqRLU/the-healing-power-of-dogs.htmlTue, 10 Nov 2009 23:10:26 PST]]>Former ABC news producer Sharon Sakson also is a dog lover. Not just a casual enthusiast, but a breeder of Brussels griffons and whippets, a trainer, an American Kennel Club dog show judge and one of the producers of the Westminster Dog Show.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/11/the-healing-power-of-dogs.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/jiafiko_1ec/the-healing-power-of-dogs-1.htmlTue, 10 Nov 2009 21:00:00 PST]]>Former ABC news producer Sharon Sakson also is a dog lover. Not just a casual enthusiast, but a breeder of Brussels griffons and whippets, a trainer, an American Kennel Club dog show judge and one of the producers of the Westminster Dog Show.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/11/the-healing-power-of-dogs-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/XddTgXBsE1s/group-that-helps-needs-help-itself.htmlMon, 09 Nov 2009 22:20:05 PST]]>In my explorations of Burlington County, I've found a favorite place. It's Mount Holly.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/10/group-that-helps-needs-help-itself.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/8u2gxILtLJk/save-money-die-better-1.htmlSun, 08 Nov 2009 23:11:21 PST]]>Soon, Wal-Mart Inc. could be known not just for its greeters, but for its wailers, too.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/09/save-money-die-better-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/-4gPiQ9Cro4/save-money-die-better.htmlSat, 07 Nov 2009 22:20:20 PST]]>Soon Wal-Mart Inc. could be known not just for its greeters, but for its wailers, too.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/08/save-money-die-better.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/G6Cl-XCTTkE/swim-club-tower-plan-a-belly-flop.htmlThu, 05 Nov 2009 23:10:30 PST]]>Zoning hearing board meetings are worse than a root canal. The painstaking legal process of deciding who gets to build what and where is excruciating, and performed without Novocaine.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/06/swim-club-tower-plan-a-belly-flop.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/LKRabVbhYJ8/laid-back-ok-with-voters.htmlTue, 03 Nov 2009 23:11:18 PST]]>"Wiley Herring for Sheriff!" reads the wobbly hand lettering on what appears to be a white bed sheet billowing in the breeze near Tullytown.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/04/laid-back-ok-with-voters.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/AehTtQpIojg/she-has-an-eye-out-for-veterans.htmlMon, 02 Nov 2009 00:10:52 PST]]>Kathy Kraeck was schooled in marketing and international business at New York University. Today, she's not managing a company, but rather a very big idea. A great idea that's taken wing in Lower Makefield - the creation of a public square and monument to honor veterans.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/02/she-has-an-eye-out-for-veterans.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/1_QEZB65FAg/checking-out-some-old-haunts.htmlSat, 31 Oct 2009 22:20:08 PDT]]>Shadows, unknown sources of light, whispered sounds, unexplained knocking and fleeting pockets of cold. These are the wisps of evidence gathered by men and women seeking answers to the question of whether ghosts are real.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/november/01/checking-out-some-old-haunts.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/ZprWv0riiQw/this-is-bull.htmlThu, 29 Oct 2009 23:10:45 PDT]]>The kid who dressed in a cow suit and ran out onto the football field at Harry S Truman High School Oct. 17 faces police charges. Boy, that gets my goat.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/30/this-is-bull.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/GPoDCvRx45g/alone-in-a-sea-of-fanatics.htmlTue, 27 Oct 2009 23:10:58 PDT]]>The last time I was interested in anything remotely tied to baseball was the day I first laid eyes on Mark McGwire.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/28/alone-in-a-sea-of-fanatics.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/ZRwL2C3IRjE/laying-a-good-foundation.htmlSun, 25 Oct 2009 23:50:49 PDT]]>Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy the best educational resources for your kids, and that can lead to happy.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/26/laying-a-good-foundation.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/6y5TB-JdNMA/a-costume-conundrum.htmlSat, 24 Oct 2009 22:30:06 PDT]]>The caller's voice on the other end of an editor's phone was agitated.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/25/a-costume-conundrum.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/v6R49IXLPJU/do-her-justice-but-remember-her-smile.htmlThu, 22 Oct 2009 23:20:27 PDT]]>The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.- Frederick Buechnerhttp://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/23/do-her-justice-but-remember-her-smile.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/8KJInKZpTck/a-horse-of-a-different-color-1.htmlTue, 20 Oct 2009 23:13:13 PDT]]>Robin Kevles Necowitz is the mother of two and a family therapist who specializes in parenting challenges. Her practice, Parent Assist, is based in Lower Makefield. I interviewed her once for a column and left her office so reassured by her point of view that now I routinely seek her professional counsel on family matters of my own.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/21/a-horse-of-a-different-color-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/OgKvVW6l21g/pressing-their-luck-1.htmlMon, 19 Oct 2009 22:20:19 PDT]]>Of all the weighty matters that bear down on the shoulders of men, none is so constantly weighty, I've recently learned, as the crisply ironed shirt.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/20/pressing-their-luck-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/193wXo_8h_Y/pressing-their-luck.htmlSun, 18 Oct 2009 23:11:16 PDT]]>Of all the weighty matters that bear down on the shoulders of men, none is so constantly weighty, I've recently learned, as the crisply ironed shirt.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/19/pressing-their-luck.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/dCPrtxCV4mU/a-horse-of-a-different-color.htmlSat, 17 Oct 2009 22:20:07 PDT]]>Robin Kevles Necowitz is the mother of two and a family therapist who specializes in parenting challenges. Her practice, Parent Assist, is based in Bucks County. I interviewed her once for a column and left her office so reassured by her point of view that now I routinely seek her professional counsel on family matters of my own.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/18/a-horse-of-a-different-color.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/s1CnuY5Bd1U/an-adjustment-above-the-neck.htmlThu, 15 Oct 2009 23:21:12 PDT]]>I can't vouch for Daniel F. Lavanga, a doctor of chiropractic for more than 20 years and the owner of Wizdom at Work, a personal and professional management training company. I'm not a patient, nor do I know him well enough to vouch. What I do know is that I really enjoyed his company when we met to talk about his latest project earlier this month.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/16/an-adjustment-above-the-neck.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/DAlQmT3KvQk/making-sense-of-a-dog-park.htmlThu, 15 Oct 2009 00:10:39 PDT]]>My esteemed colleague, fellow columnist and mostly all-round good guy Phil Gianficaro recently opined in this space that we dog lovers are screwy.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/15/making-sense-of-a-dog-park.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/qrPlAKa6RWY/a-fantasy-can-be-the-real-thing.htmlTue, 13 Oct 2009 23:30:14 PDT]]>There are a lot of ways to while away a weekend - craft festivals, winery tours, kids' soccer matches, theater, golf or getting around to painting the porch.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/14/a-fantasy-can-be-the-real-thing.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/WiDHHZFh7i8/joes-world-on-exhibit.htmlMon, 12 Oct 2009 22:20:13 PDT]]>Years ago I was the editor of a small weekly newspaper and hired freelance news photographers when the budget allowed. Over time I started to think I could tell one photographer's feelings for the subjects I assigned, even if he never shared his opinion. It was right there in the picture.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/13/joes-world-on-exhibit.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/1EuI8FboMt4/sometimes-a-fantasy-is-just-the-real-thing-1.htmlSat, 10 Oct 2009 23:28:00 PDT]]>There are a lot of ways to while away a weekend - craft festivals, winery tours, kids' soccer matches, theater, golf or getting around to painting the porch.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/11/sometimes-a-fantasy-is-just-the-real-thing-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/JUDAlDPatBM/visit-from-an-angel.htmlThu, 08 Oct 2009 23:21:28 PDT]]>St. Mark Zion AME Church in Newtown has a rich history dating to the 1800s, but what's happening at St. Mark in 2009 is richer still.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/09/visit-from-an-angel.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/kabcxJEnLkE/looking-behind-us.htmlTue, 06 Oct 2009 23:20:14 PDT]]>Every person has a story, but in our busy lives, most of us rarely slow down long enough to let the person tell it. Heck, some of us don't even slow down long enough to listen to family, let alone strangers.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/07/looking-behind-us.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/WdKh-VzFui8/a-place-to-meet-and-cheat-2.htmlTue, 06 Oct 2009 00:10:22 PDT]]>Sanctity of marriage? Where have YOU been? This is 2009. "Life is short. Have an affair."http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/06/a-place-to-meet-and-cheat-2.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/OXpqitsiuEo/bingos-on-a-mission-of-love.htmlSun, 04 Oct 2009 23:11:01 PDT]]>Benny is a regal Maine coon cat who commandeers the sunny window in the Bingo's Foundation storefront. He's a looker, and all the rescue volunteers adore him.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/05/bingos-on-a-mission-of-love.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/5wk5LWKjbJI/witches-have-a-ball-in-mount-holly.htmlSun, 04 Oct 2009 00:50:11 PDT]]>Are you a good witch or a bad witch?http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/04/witches-have-a-ball-in-mount-holly.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/ygfJipsZWL4/preservation-doesnt-mean-perfection.htmlThu, 01 Oct 2009 23:20:51 PDT]]>Some people insist historic buildings be preserved in the purest way, every element accurately restored to the period when the house or barn or commercial building enjoyed its heyday.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/october/02/preservation-doesnt-mean-perfection.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/yV0m9GbjJNI/food-from-the-ground-up.htmlTue, 29 Sep 2009 23:10:20 PDT]]>At Snipes Farm, you could say they walk all the talk about saving energy and living responsibly. They ride the talk, too.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/september/30/food-from-the-ground-up.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/wgt5MwhCXDw/she-finds-a-way-to-help-others.htmlSun, 27 Sep 2009 23:10:44 PDT]]>Gini Gramaglia, 40, isn't an oncologist. She's not a surgeon, nor an expert in delivering radiation or chemotherapy. And still research shows she contributes to helping cancer patients get well.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/september/28/she-finds-a-way-to-help-others.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/2lKQGo3KbbU/boom-boom.htmlThu, 24 Sep 2009 23:20:21 PDT]]>Dogs and dirty dogs. In recent e-mails to me, readers had both on their minds.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/september/25/boom-boom.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/mPg5PEkWG6A/the-women-behind-harvest-day-09.htmlTue, 22 Sep 2009 23:20:24 PDT]]>In the beginning, there were backyard grills. Well, not at the very beginning, but in the days when the Yardley-Makefield Jaycees ran Yardley Harvest Day, grills were used for preparing hot dogs in the parking lot behind a borough bank.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/september/23/the-women-behind-harvest-day-09.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/UarbJhkN-bQ/a-place-to-meet-and-cheat.htmlSun, 20 Sep 2009 23:10:41 PDT]]>Sanctity of marriage? Where have YOU been? This is 2009. "Life is short. Have an affair."http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/september/21/a-place-to-meet-and-cheat.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/crD8lYmAlqE/houses-of-straw-not-so-bad.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2009 23:20:17 PDT]]>Mike Belasco, raised in Lower Makefield, is an expert on building straw houses. Huffing and puffing? Bring it on, he'd tell the big bad wolf.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/september/18/houses-of-straw-not-so-bad.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/hPDIRSW7ivc/through-sun-and-rain.htmlTue, 15 Sep 2009 23:20:37 PDT]]>September is about getting back down to real life after all the fun and frivolity of summer.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/september/16/through-sun-and-rain.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/JVpKN3aiioc/doesnt-look-like-abuse.htmlSun, 13 Sep 2009 23:10:54 PDT]]>As I left the office one evening, I told an editor I was off to watch a man abuse a dog. She raised an eyebrow.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/september/14/doesnt-look-like-abuse.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KateFratti/~3/LCVyM3OSQ2E/a-somber-trek.htmlThu, 10 Sep 2009 23:20:46 PDT]]>This morning, Lower Makefield's Grace Maureen Parkinson-Godshalk, 71, will pull on a suitable outfit and sensible shoes to board an early New Jersey Transit train headed for Newark.http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/448/2009/september/11/a-somber-trek.html