Forgotten: One Tradition, One War Hero, Now Remembered

This August marked the first time I celebrated Winu Gischuch, the Corn Moon, at a Bergen County Historical Society event.

According to the group, "the Dark Moon of August, Winu Gischuch, was associated with ripened corn, ready to roast. At this time, native farmers pulled cornstalks that produced no ears and sucked out the sweet sap or syrup. Fresh ears of corn in the milk were roasted."



Kevin Wright, author of 1609: A Country That Was Never Lost who was speaking at the event, says such gatherings simply highlight the natural movement of time.

I stepped back in time in the Campbell-Christie House.

I sat in their candlelight, cozy tavern.

You can't go to a corn festival and not partake, can you? A modest donation was asked for the refreshments. The corn, 50 cents.

Corn cakes, two for $1.

On an unseasonably cool rainy day, homemade peach plum crisp, $3.50, nourished both body and soul.


The back kitchen is always a must visit stop. Among items on the menu: corn chowder, potato and leek soup, a side dish of squash and apples and corn cakes with blueberries.


Another highlight was a preview of documentary Lafayette: The Lost Hero. It makes its debut to the nation September 13. A glimpse of the documentary:

Lafayette: The Lost Hero from The Documentary Group

A modest blue sign, on a very car-heavy road, Kinderkamack Road (at Soldier Hill Road), marks where Lafayette and his troops once traveled.

A lifelong Bergen County, New Jersey resident and someone who has traveled Soldier Hill Road thousands of times, I crossed the path those who fought for freedoms we often take for granted had. Thanks to the Bergen County Historical Society, I have a newfound appreciation.



Learn more about upcoming events.

I couldn't help think of the haunting Lydia Huntley Sigourney poem "Indian Names," brought to life by Natalie Merchant on Leave Your Sleep. "Our injustice and hard-hearted policy with regard to the original owners of the soil has ever seemed to me one of our greatest national sins," Lydia reflected. All that's largely left behind are their traditions, resurrected by groups like the Bergen County Historical Society, preserved artifacts, and their names - on lakes, streams, rivers, towns and monuments.

"Ye say they all have passed away,
That noble race and brave,

Their light canoes have vanished
From off the crested wave.

That 'mid the forest where they roamed
There rings no hunter's shout.

But their name is on your waters,
Ye may not wash it out."

Union Square Greenmarket: A Springtime Visit

Before stopping by Barnes & Noble in Union Square to see Natalie Merchant, how does a visit to Union Square Park sound? The Empire State building is peeking out in the background.

It's just the right day, Wednesday, when the greenmarket is going on. Visit it year-round, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8 AM - 6 PM. Vendors vary depending on the day. Around Christmas, it becomes a holiday market.

Redefine "fast food": apples.


You can have a vegan cookie...

and wash it down with some apple cider.


Stop and smell the flowers.




Sample some wine.


Pick up a baguette.


Build a sign that says "$1.00 SALE" and New Yorkers will come. Baked goods were available here, include some vegan muffins. Note the McDonald's sign in the background. I like to think the farmers market is mocking it.


After a long hibernation indoors, a relaxed feeling is in the air. Time is taken to slow down.


Pick a park bench, and people watch.


A game of Hacky Sack.


Socialize with those with two legs, and with four.

Or just enjoy a moment of solitude on a fine spring day.

The ASPCA sponsored this doggy drinking fountain. Remember ASPCA Day last year? I still remember the yummy vegetarian chili I had that night at Heartland Brewery.


Sometimes, you just need a push! Love the little girl throwing her arms up in the air on the slide.


Our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. A great book: Manhunt, by James Swanson, about the 12 day hunt for Lincoln's killer.


Time for the performance.

My cherished signed CD.

Dinner and a Show: Shake Shack and Natalie Merchant Edition

Before a concert, my sweetheart and I usually just go someplace casual. Our pick this time: Shake Shack, Upper West Side location.



Okay, it was a vegetarian good life day. A portobello burger with muenster and cheddar cheese and Shake Sauce, $6.75, a side of fries to share, $2.75, and an Arnold Palmer (half iced tea, half lemonade), $2.25. None of it healthy, but we eat this food very infrequently.

I admit it: I ate this! Their frozen custard flavor of the day, chocolate hazelnut, $3.50.

We took a seat by the window, people- and dog-watched, in view of the American Museum of Natural History.

A closer look.

Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th president.



Vintage subway lamps.


A stroll through Central Park.



It's hard to believe you are in a city of eight million.

The air was perfumed with the scents of spring.

The fountain on the Bethesda Terrace wasn't running yet.


Bow Bridge.

I couldn't help but think of Hedwig, Harry Potter's cherished owl.

The Boathouse Restaurant. The only dining we've done in Central Park is on picnic blankets.

I love the time of evening when the sun is setting.


Showtime! The performance was at the New York Society for Ethical Culture.

A magical evening of music from Leave Your Sleep. It is an absolute celebration of poetry, childhood, remembering the past and the power of the word. Certain books, films and albums always just stay with you. I think this will be one of those albums for me.


She discusses a song writing workshop in London, in which she asked the children for their observations to certain songs. She remarked, "Isn't that amazing? You've been to China, Romania, a prairie in the West in America and you haven't left your seat." That is a testament to the virtual travel (often time travel) you can experience through the arts.

Economic Stimulus: I Did it My Way.

"I am tired of 'the consumer as savior of our economy,'" bemoaned Alea in the comments section of a blog post in My Year Without Spending. Alea, I couldn't agree more.

In my home state of New Jersey, our new governor, Chris Christie, recently proposed repealing Bergen County's blue laws, which keep malls in Paramus closed and streets blissfully traffic free. More mall shopping, more tax revenue. Governor Christie does not live in Bergen County.

Is it too soon to start campaigning against him? I liked the response of the mayor of Paramus: Over my dead body.

I recall a television ad for a shopping mall where a woman was loading up her car with bags and her sad looking daughter sat there. As soon as the woman put a bag for her, a huge smile came. The ad just made me sad.

Why is our economy always projected in the media as being so dependent on shopping, especially at Wal-Mart and the like? I saw a story in the paper about consumer confidence being up and a woman hold up many shopping bags smiling. Is she our savior?

There are plenty of ways to support our economy without going on a shopping spree. Here are my favorites.

The cinema. I saw, I adored.


Local groups, like Bergen County Historical Society. For $20, I am now a proud card carrying member.


What would I do without my beloved library? They are are so under threat right now when citizens need them more than ever. I picked up a form to "be a friend" of my town library.

I love DVDs at home, not only for their value, but all the informative extras. This week's pick: the sexy Cherie. A new release, just $1, helps fund their DVD collection.

Concerts. I'll be blissfully in the audience in New York City's Concert Hall in about two weeks to see Natalie Merchant perform songs from her new album of poetry put to music, Leave Your Sleep. She's talked about how it has opened her eyes to the power and beauty of the word. All avid readers and writers can attest to that.

She'll also be at Barnes and Noble Union Square on Wednesday, April 14th. Learn more. For CD purchases, I head to an independent shop, Music Merchant, in Westwood.



Education. I think education is often so unappreciated in youth. Many just don't have the perspective or gratitude to enjoy unbridled days of learning.

Community school programs are a fun, inexpensive way to learn or hone a skill. I have a weekly infusion of French.

I picked up a French version of Harry Potter in Paris. Said it before, will say it again: Hermoine is a great role model for young girls.


Picnicking. Fill a basket or backpack with goodies from my local farm or Trader Joe's. How does Branch Brook Park in Newark sound to see the cherry blossoms? I was there last year...



Travel. My sweetheart and I have enjoyed a lot of little fun weekend getaways: a B&B in Vermont, exploring Washington, DC, country weekends in Watkins Glen and Woodstock (below, the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary). We aren't big consumers when we travel. We support local restaurants, artisans, historical sites, museums and such.

We travel instead of doing Christmas, Valentine's Day and anniversary gifts. For birthdays, something little: he got me a Whole Foods card so I could get some vegan goodies, I got him a case of his favorite beer and bottle of his favorite wine.

Community events. My church recently had their annual pancake breakfast, $5 a person. An hour afterward, I went into a pancake-induced coma!

Isn't the plate pretty?

Other favorites: local food festivals, independent restaurants, charitable organizations, and again, farms (Demarest Farms is opening this month).