It can be easy to get discouraged these days. Everywhere we look, there are signs of a struggling planet and, often, it’s difficult to see a clear path to an effectual response. 2022 may well eclipse recent years as the hottest on record. Rainfall has alternated between being absent or violent in Pennsylvania, one of
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Unbreakable by Marilyn Anthony Life-threatening health issues. Gun violence. Racism. All of them could have molded ceramic artist Stefani Threet into a very different person. But at every turn of fate’s wheel, she countered her challenges: with strong ties to family, friends and other potters, her love of nature and with her talent and positive
MoreMixing it Up by Marilyn Anthony East Mount Airy visual artist Paul Carpenter’s art teacher once described him as a weird mashup of an artist and a jock. Carpenter’s most popular T-shirt design, a Phanatic-inspired figure elaborately decorated with a richly imagined Philadelphia landscape, surely proves his point. Carpenter, 30, grew up in Springfield Township
MorePhoto by Jillian Guyette Spears Over Chips by Emily Kovach Big decisions are part of launching anycompany. When Brine Street Picklery was forming, its five co-founders had a particularly pressing dilemma on hand: spear or chip? “It’s the age-old pickle question,” founder PJ Hopkins laughs. “I was outvoted for spears four to one.” The seeds
MorePhoto by Margo Reed Lady and Mr. Marmalade by Emily Kovach Every two or three weeks, Jennifer and Steve Horton play hooky from their 9-to-5 jobs in marketing and economic development, respectively, and spend the whole day transforming local produce and sugar into hundreds of jars of jam and preserves in the Greensgrow Community Kitchen.
MoreFrom Russia, With Love by Emily Kovach For a kid growing up in Soviet Russia in the 1980s, treats were nearly impossible to come by. “We didn’t have soda or desserts,” says Olga Sorzano, owner of Baba’s Brew. “But my great-grandmother brewed kombucha and always had it in the house. This was really fun for
MoreFracking Lawsuit Rules in Families’ FavorCabot Oil & Gas will have to pay more than $4.2 million to two Dimock Township couples after six jurors in federal court deemed that fracking operations contaminated the groundwater of their central Pennsylvania homes. According to an NPR StateImpact report, the company has already acquired more than 130 drilling
MoreIllustration by Mike L. Perry A healthy home starts with getting rid of dirt, pollutants and mold by Anna Herman The typical shoe carries more bacteria than a toilet seat. If avoiding tracking unhealthy germs and pollutants into your home isn’t incentive enough to free your feet when you walk in the door, just think
MoreHow farmers are getting to know the neighborhoods they serve?
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Tea Party by Rebecca Goldschmidt For many of us, this is a time of year for healing, growth and the reintroduction of ritual to everyday life. Luckily, all of these needs can be accomplished by heating up a kettle of water. At the Random Tea Room, we believe that there are an abundance of herbs
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Soak it In A trip to the spa can be the pinnacle of relaxation, but you don’t always need to outsource your pampering. It’s easy to make your own bath scrubs and soaks, choosing the scents that appeal to your sense of inner peace. Ingredients are widely available—even at some chain drug stores or your
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