BETHEL AND SHELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA

My sister Rachel and I took a quick ride down I-81 and I-78 to Bethel, a crossroads town just over the Lebanon County line in Berks County. The area was settled in the 18th century. Apparently, the name Bethel came from a Moravian bethel, meaning "House of God," that was once located in the area.

We were headed for a large brick building on the square that houses an antiques and folk art store, as they were having a Christmas open house. We had been there earlier this summer with Susanne and my sister-in-law Wanda. Wouldn't you know, they sold the hutch I loved so much! I think they should have kept it until some wall in our house stretched out long enough to accommodate it. Now you know that house stretching takes a while. Well, they just couldn't wait, I guess. So no hutch for more redware!

There were interesting things to see, and Rachel bought some candles and a sprig of Christmas greenery. I promised to buy some more and make her a Christmas arrangement. We'll see if I still have the skill to do it. If not, I will sneak back to Bethel and buy one and pass it off as my own -- in the Christmas spirit, of course!

On the way home we stopped in Shellsville, Dauphin County, to visit a shop owned by a very outgoing and interesting woman named Dawn. She always greets you like a long lost friend. She has all sorts of "stuff" from people's attics and outbuildings and barns. A lot of it is just great, including some nice pieces of furniture, especially cabinets and cupboards. Next week is her Christmas open house, so we may go again to see if she has any of the little Japanese paper houses that we had as kids. I have a small collection already, and Dawn's prices are always good.

It was getting late, so we left there and headed for a nice lunch of eggplant parmigiana and spinach pie at the Crossroads Restaurant on Rt. 22. It was delicious. We had to move to a table, though. Someone must be going into all the restaurants we frequent and moving the benches in the booths closer to the tables.

These reproductions of 50s brush trees caught my eye,

but the shape is not really authentic.

Here was a pretty arrangement on the window sill.

Rachel liked this one especially.

At Crossroads, whoopie pies! I can't

resist photographing them! Someone help me!

Upon entering the house, I found this 
pretty scene outside the kitchen window.