Sights and Thoughts on a Walk

This writer set out on a walk to Fabricland Wednesday and passed by the magnificent Seventh Day Baptist Church. It's worth a trip with binoculars to see all the interesting details on the exterior of this church. Here's just one corner sculpture.

I didn't see how NJ Transit could raise train tracks, but here's the proof. The old tracks in front are about a foot lower than the new ones.

Central turns into Grove Street, where many houses have nice gardens. I spotted a plant that I once had in my garden and then began racking my brain for the name of it. Seniors will understand the challenge of dredging through one's memory for this or that bit of knowledge. "Peruvian" floated up from the depths, and later "impatiens." But could those narrow, serrated leaves occur on any relative of the double pink impatiens in my yard? Turns out it's an Indian cousin. Click here to see more about this plant. I was tempted to swipe a seed pod, recalling the profusion of small, round seeds that each fuzzy capsule contained.

Anyway, there was a lot to see on the way. I passed the CVS that replaced the Acme market on Route 22. The CVS used to be the one we had at Park & Seventh, but it closed and relocated out of Plainfield as soon as the North Plainfield site was available. I was so upset to lose it that it took me more than a year to set foot in the Family Dollar that replaced the CVS.

I was a bit apprehensive about trying to cross Route 22 on foot, but school was just letting out and a very kind and courtly gentleman was crossing the children. I joined the crowd and got one of his friendly greetings as well.

I admired the lovely plantings at Fabricland and wondered whether Deanna of Plainfield was still doing them. It was much nicer to see them up close than through a windshield. After I bought my little treasures from Fabricland, the same crossing guard saw me safely across the highway and wished me a pleasant evening. What a nice ambassador for the borough!

I would have collected more images, but my new camera flashed the "low battery" signal way back at the railroad bridge, so I had to keep the other sights just in my memory.

It was a long walk, but after sitting in a meeting so long on Tuesday, I needed the exercise.

And now I have the wherewithal for small projects that are very good for taking one's mind off the daily cares of urban living. Younger people have embraced crafts wholeheartedly in the past decade or so, discovering the joys of do-it-yourself, handmade items. Just check ReadyMade, Make or Etsy for proof. Click here to learn more about Handmade Nation. My projects are much simpler for the time being, but just as rewarding in their own way.

--Bernice Paglia