Visit Local; Reach Global

When I lived in Lancaster County area, much of the tourist activities were there, but not the greatest. There were a few places to find buggy rides, visit Amish farms, and the ubiquitous quilt trails, but we tended to remain away from them. On a funny side note, I've done most of the tourist things (Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls, quilt trails in Lancaster) while living in the other location.

One place which did not exist when I lived in Lancaster area was HOPE International. This company works with communities and individuals in developing countries to build their economic infrastructure through microloans and community banks.

Headquartered in Lancaster PA (actually northwest of the city), they offer a walk through display called Pathways out of Poverty.

Screenshot from Pathways out of Poverty website

Last March, while back in Lancaster for a book signing, my mom and I took the opportunity to visit the display. It's free-of-charge, but they do recommend you sign up before you arrive. The website has a form you can fill out and someone contacts you to finalize the days.

Having been to Lancaster a multitude of times, I thought it would be easy to find the building ... not so much. While HOPE has a large sign facing Route 30, you can't reach the building from 30, but have to take the next exit, turn around and go in that way. That being said - make certain you have directions.

Once inside HOPE's offices, they staff is helpful. The Pathways out of Poverty consists of an audio recording which has someone explaining the gallery for you. The first room is a community in Kenya, and the guide is the daughter who lives in the house. This proceeds around the world from Kenya to India to Belarus, to the US, to South America. In each location, you learn about a different part of the world and how poverty looks.

Personally, I thought I had a good handle on world poverty ... until I walked through the display. One thing that surprised me was the smell. Somehow, they had managed to incorporate the scents of places, not the olfactory overload, but the scent that comes from items from those locations.

If you're visiting Lancaster area, and want an indoor activity, but not with bonnets and buggies, this tour is something that might interest you.

E-book available

I realize that this has very little to do with Niagara Falls or Lancaster County, but I am a local author, and one thing I hope to do with this blog is introduce you to the authors and artists found in these two regions.

My second novel, Azure Lights, is available as an e-book right now. You can either click on the image or click here to purchase the book.

In the first book, Azure Maris, Azure is a mermaid from the kingdom of Deep Waters, in the Indian Ocean. Her father is the king, and she is a priestess. After being swept away from her home, Azure finds herself in enemy territory where she learns of an alliance between her kingdom's enemy and another kingdom in the Atlantic Ocean. Neither kingdom wants the knowledge to reach Deep Waters, but neither are they prepared to provoke war with Deep Waters with the slaying of the princess-priestess. To satisfy their troubles, the kings decide to ground Azure Maris in the Chesapeake Bay, and place a band around her tail to alert them should she attempt to escape. Added to the beacon on the band are elements which react to the water in the Atlantic Ocean making it very painful for Azure to swim in the waters. Both are excellent deterrents.

Alone and lost, Azure is taken in by the Frankel family. Hiram, the father, is a doctor, and he sees to Azure's wounds. Throughout the course of the book, Hiram and his wife, Helen learn just who Azure is, and why she came to their home.

In the second book, Azure Lights the book picks up with Azure's arrival at Hiram's parents' home on an island in the Pacific Ocean. Though Azure is closer to home, she is in the midst of enemy territory.

The books are geared towards young adults, but have captured adults as well.

Frozen (ish) Niagara

So Mom and I went up to Niagara Falls last Friday just to see frozen falls. Turns out the Falls themselves were not frozen, but the river portion was frozen ... ish.

Even the Viewers were pleased

One of the many merry viewers watching the American Falls last Friday (pictures not from today since we are, once again, without snow. Don't worry, we should have more snow soon ... it always happens.)

From Observation Deck looking upriver

As you can see by this photo (above) the water flowing over the American Falls was indeed, flowing. Below the spray had frozen into impressive shapes, as had the river, but the Falls were unfrozen. Now, bear in mind I did not go up there when we had the -20 degree wind chills (are you crazy?!)

Downriver with Rainbow Bridge

From the Observation Deck looking north (downriver) you can see that the ice disappears, but it was rather thick.

To put this into perspective, I'm standing over a hundred and fifty feet (50 meters for the remainder of the world) above the river. I'm guessing the ice to be around three feet maybe in thickness at that point.



Canadian Side

One last shot from the Observation deck, looking to the Canadian side of the river. I believe this is where the Maid of Mist docks for the Canadians.

All in all, it was a nice trip up to the Falls. I only got lost once on the trip (Dad usually drives, or we come in the back way). Honestly, I doubt if you can go wrong with a visit to Niagara Falls regardless of the season. If you come in the winter, just pack some thermal underwear, and you can venture forth into the cold, windswept mist.

It Snowed ... Again

I'm back from vacation, and working on gathering up items for reports. Unfortunately, because of the season and weather (yeah, we did get a little snow these past few days), posts will be limited until closer to spring. Both Western New York and the Lancaster County area run on a April to December tourism season, but there are places still open.

The post could be entitled: I survived the Blizzard of 2014! According to the local weather folks, this is the first blizzard we've had since 1993. After twenty years up in NY, I am finally experiencing and "authentic New York winter." We came away with around a foot plus of snow; it's hard to tell what with the wind blowing the snow into the neighbor's yard. The good news being we had very little shoveling to do.

Genesee County, where I live, rarely receives much in the way of snowfall, all things considered. To our south (the Southern Tier snow country) and to our north (Ontario Lake Shore) receives more snow, on average. The Blizzard of 2014 (sounds cool, doesn't it), instigated lake effect that swept over Erie County (Buffalo) and Genesee County. While we received a foot plus, the towns and villages to our south received maybe six inches. Ah, lake effect, you have to enjoy it.

On a side note, apparently the American Falls in Niagara have frozen. While it is known to happen, it doesn't happen all that often so we're planning to take a drive up tomorrow to see what we can see. We're expecting a warm spell next week (fifties!), so the falls might be unfrozen, but I'll take my camera with me anyway.

Christmas Traditions - English

For many of us, Christmas means a time for family and friends to celebrate at parties or dinners. Today, I'm going to focus on the British Isles for our traditional roots.

Many of the songs we sing for caroling or at our churches have their roots in English tradition. Joy to the World, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and Coventry Carol are all from the British Isles. In fact, Christmas caroling seems to have originated in the British Isles then transferred to the United States. Probably due to English being the national language of the United States, England's history is closely connected to our own. Oddly, when we place Christmas carolers in "traditional" style, it's usually during the Victorian Era.

Both in Lancaster County area and Western New York, Christmas carolers can be heard. Some of the carolers might be families or groups of friends who wander around, but my experience has church groups providing most of the caroling.

Even more than the French, English traditions permeate American traditions to the point where the traditions are strictly Christmas. The English have their own Christmas traditions which we don't follow, such as Boxing Day, but some have carried over.

In looking through American history, and wondering why some traditions remain, and others disappear, the conclusion I came to is a simple one: by America welcoming many different ethnicities, we tend to accumulate cross-cultural celebrations (Christmas tree, stockings, caroling) in favor of traditions tied to a particular culture such as Boxing Day.

Out of all the English traditions that we maintain, it's the sound of Christmas that comes from the British Isles: caroling and the songs sung.

Today is Christmas Eve, so I will be taking a vacation for the remainder of the week. In the new year, I'll focus a bit more on both locations as everyone begins to consider summer vacation and spring breaks. Until then: Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Christmas Traditions - French

Christmas in Western New York and Lancaster County are beautiful times of the year filled with honking horns, long lines, and general malcontent. Some days, I felt it was worse in Lancaster County area because of the tourists added to the mix. Nothing says simple like flying to Lancaster county to run the length of shopping centers on Route 30 to purchase that perfect gift made from local Amish families.

Yet, somehow, we find quiet in the hustle and bustle to remember why we celebrate Christmas. For many Catholic families, the day begins or ends with Christ's Mass (hence the term, Christmas). For Western New York, with its heavy Catholic under-layer, mass, nativity scenes, and other elements remain.

Our Nativity Scene

Today's traditionally heritage comes from France, which is actually more focused in Western New York than in Lancaster County. Part of the reason comes from the fact that Western New York was once a part of France.

The nativity (or crèche) is a part of many households and churches. The practice developed in the Middle Ages with the first live nativity attributed to Francis of Assisi in 1223. Once again, the practice comes from all over Europe with some countries developing lavish nativities. The term crèche, however, is French.

Other elements that come from France are Christmas carols - Un flambeau, Jeannette Isabelle, Les (Bring the Torch, Jeannette Isabelle) Anges dans nos campagnes (Angels We Have Heard on High), and Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night)

Many of these traditions are American in the fact that we all utilize them regardless of our heritage. It is more common for ethnic minorities to hold onto their Christmas celebrations as a way to maintain their culture. For cultures such as the French, English and German, since those are the common heritage for a region, we see less in the way of specific elements and more as an origin of certain traditions.

Tomorrow, we'll focus on the last of the three major ethnic heritage of the two locations: English, though, we'll include all of the British Isles into the discussion.

Christmas Traditions - German

Both Lancaster County and Western New York owe a great portion of their cultural history to those of German descent. In Lancaster County area, the German heritage is most readily observed in the Amish and Mennonite communities. In Western New York, the influence is less noticeable, but still present.

Throughout American culture, one item; one fundamental symbol of Christmas can trace its roots directly to the German-speaking immigrants who came to America: the Christmas tree.

Christmas Tree ... sort of

Some families debate the fake vs. real Christmas tree; my family utilizes both, when we find a real one that doesn't bother my mom, who happens to be allergic to certain types of firs. Take  note of the background of the photograph above (taken this afternoon): our eighteen inches of snow disappeared overnight due to mild temperatures and rain. Keep the families in flood-prone areas of Western New York in your prayers as many of them will have to deal with the flood waters only a few days before Christmas.

Other traditional Christmas elements from German culture: gingerbread houses and Silent Night. One thing we must bear in mind when talking about these traditions is the layout of Europe before the Twentieth Century. For one thing, Germany as the current country did not exist, but German-speaking areas did. These areas covered much of present-day Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and included some parts of France and Poland as well. Therefore, some traditions we hold came from regions, not a particular group. Santa Claus is one such personage. While his name, Klaus, is most directly related to German, the actual person, Saint Nicholas, was from Asia Minor.

Other elements such as stockings, Christmas wreaths and singing are all European traditions that seem to stem from ancient mid-winter rituals. Evergreens have long been a symbol of eternity and hope in Northern European climates since they remain green even into the winter time. Some of these traditions came into the Christian celebration of Christ's mass later in our history.

One tradition in Buffalo that is connected to Eastern Europe is Broadway Market's Christmas and Easter celebrations. While the Easter celebrations are larger, Broadway Market is opened during the Christmas season as well. We'll visit Broadway Market in the new year with for the Easter celebrations, but until then take a look at their website.

Christmas traditions primarily have a European bent to them, especially here in Western New York and Lancaster County area. The Germans bring us Christmas trees and gingerbread houses, and Silent Night (technically written by an Austrian, but written in German). Monday, we'll focus on another culture: French.