Out & About with Linda
It’s Martin Luther King Day and it’s
Inauguration Day. And I’m thinking what better time to report on this month’s visit to the Delaware Valley Veterans Home. Witnessing the inaugural grandeur in the Capital Rotunda, one couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the striking command of those armed forces tasked with the job of protecting and defending our country and its citizens.
I visited this facility as a volunteer. Under the direction of Rabbi Cantor Howard Glantz of Elkins Park synagogue, Adath Je- shurun, a group of us conducted a Chanukah celebration for the Jewish Veterans residing there. I went without any expectations.
Located in Philadelphia off of Roosevelt Boulevard, the DVVH is a huge campus, tree covered and park-like. Entering the build- ing, one senses life and activity. This is not a building where our veterans are “waiting.” Bright, open and sweet smelling, it is a welcoming home for those who served our country. They have an onsite canteen/snack shop, library, barber shop, hair salon and chapel. With about 171 beds, all levels of care tailored for specific needs is available. They have both skilled nursing and memory care available with 254 dedicated clinical and professional staff at their service, many of whom are also veterans. There’s a full schedule of daily activities including art and music, exercise, field trips for sports and dining out. It’s a busy place.
We met in a room with kitchen facilities. Staff prepared potato pancakes aka latkes, applesauce, sour cream, and what is customary to serve on Chanukah, jelly donuts. Our group provided the entertainment. Some twelve to fourteen Jewish veterans joined us.
They had served all over the world, and came from the four corners of America. Some were more mobile than others, but all were mentally alert and involved. I had a conversation with Marvin, 97 and a Navy veteran. Filled with personality, he spent time in California and Syracuse before coming to Philadelphia. I enjoyed witnessing his joy in singing the Chanukah songs with us. And even his Hebrew language rendition of the different prayers.
Interestingly, according to the DVVH website, in 2019 the home enjoyed 24,929 volunteer hours by about 162 volunteers. Imagine how many more of both has joined the roster since then?! Volunteers are welcome with open arms. There are a variety of opportu- nities for volunteers to visit and make a difference. I know I felt welcomed and appreciated, and hope I made a difference. These men welcome the interaction. You won’t be disappointed if you join the ranks! It just takes a phone call and then a thank you for service done.
Do you like hot dogs? Do you LOVE hot dogs? Philadelphia has a lot of great “dogs.” I mean who hasn’t heard of the iconic “dogs” from Lenny’s Hotdogs now located in Feasterville? Well, there’s another “hot dog” beckoning our attention and it can be found in Bristol, well within our reading area.
Cheese Dawgs is housed in the Naked Brewing Bristol Taproom. More of that in a bit. Their “Dawgs” is what I want to talk about!
My sister and I checked out this hot dog hub on a recent Friday. Talk about yummy dogs. You’d be hard pressed to figure out some of the dog combos on the menu. Order your dogs, one-by-one or in a “flight.” Yup, by the “flight.” Like a wine-flight. Or a flight of your favorite liquors. A flight of three dogs from a selection list of about 35. Yum! Big Yum! Order a regular size dog or a footlong dog. Eat by yourself or share.
We ordered a “flight” of the regular-sized Specialty Dawgs. These are topped with whatever your heart might desire. We got an Official Northeast: mac’n (beer)cheese, Bush’s baked beans and sauerkraut. A second dog, Pastrami Salami Ding Dong was loaded with salami, pastrami, swiss cheese and sauerkraut. And finally, we got the Jersey; American cheese, bacon, slaw, and fried onion. Not a loser in the “flight.” LOL!! We sliced them up Oh, I mean we gobbled them up!!
They also have signature grilled cheese sandwiches. We ordered the Classic, split a half and took the rest home. We can recom- mend any of the grilled cheese sandwiches. And we had to taste the fries so we ordered them Loaded cheese, bacon and fries.
They were delish. Couldn’t finish the dish, but enjoyed what we could.
We noticed as we dived into our meal, the room was starting to fill up. People stopping by after work taking a seat at the bar, fami- lies sitting at tables, couples walking in off Mill Street. It started to bustle around 6pm this Friday.
I mentioned Cheese Dawgs is located at Naked Brewing Bristol Taproom. Yup, they’re brewing beer in this Bristol building and in another building in Huntingdon Valley. You can order from a list of beers they brew AND they also have a selection of alcoholic mixed drinks that can be enjoyed. I was driving, and I’m not necessarily a big beer drinker, but of course (!) I had to sample some-thing brewed here. I ordered a small 5 ounce glass… just 3 dollars. Can’t beat the price. I thought the five ounces would go down slow and not impair my driving, right? So, I ordered a Bohemian Pilsner. Perfect! Would have enjoyed more, but I was driving….
This is a GREAT place for casual, fun dining. The prices are right! You can bring your kids here and grandparents … and an informal date if you don’t mind getting your hands and face dirty, deliciously so. They also have a trivia night, live entertainment, a karaoke night and performances by the Philadelphia Folk Song Society. It’s really a fun, happening spot, right on Bristol’s Mill Street. Check it out. If you like “Dawgs” and maybe a beer with them, this is the place to go. ou won’t be disappointed. Just tell them you heard about them here, between our covers!
January also saw a visit to the BIG train show in Oaks. If you’ve followed our publications, you know that our late publisher, my husband, Allen, was a train collector of some magnitude. We had a tremendous layout in our Huntingdon Valley home and people from all over would come by to see the Herman layout. When our son was a student at Pine Road, there were times we would set up a layout there and Allen would talk to the students about the importance of the locomotive in American history. We were a train family, and Allen and Gabe were part of the fraternity.
Friends, Beth and Bruce, accompanied me at the Oaks show. They just moved and Bruce is setting up his trains after an almost 30 year hiatus. Talk about excitement. He hadn’t been to a train show like this, and was busy meeting vendors, looking for special lightbulbs for his trains, searching for diagrams of circuitry. I was looking at the trains and accessories, and remembering the layout of Herman & Son.
I took Bruce over to one of our favorite train suppliers, Nicholas Smith Trains. They’re the oldest train store in America and they have an incredible inventory. They have an operating layout or two in their Broomall location and more. On the first floor they have a full service toy store, dolls, cars, etc. I took by grandchildren and was able to satisfy their “wants” equally during a visit. A Bubbie has to do that, you know! LOL!!
The folks at Nicholas Smith were very accommodating and told Bruce they could help him with anything he was looking for. Of course, I confirmed it, and he left feeling assured any difficulties he would have with this layout could be addressed.
The Hall was packed with train people. Young, old, babies in carriages, people in wheelchairs and walkers. It made me happy to see the model train “culture” is alive and thriving. It’s an important part of American culture. I was also happy to see so many familiar industry names; Lionel, of course, Marklin, Bachmann, MTH, LGB. And there were others. I saw some Z scale trains that perked my interest in setting up my own layout. Very small and detailed, your hands would have to be very coordinated and capable of handling small pieces.
Size didn’t seem to matter to anyone there in the Hall. People were scurrying around looking and buying… the accessories, as always, were a big hit. Beth insisted Bruce purchase two unique arrangements for their soon-to-be-built layout. Handmade with the utmost detail, her grandchildren will get a kick out of the junkyard and greenhouse!! I remarked that a train layout with its accesso- ry buildings, parks, water towers, movie theaters and more, is like a dollhouse for men. What do you think?
And to see the children, wide-eyed as they looked at the operating layouts. It’s a wonderful sight. These are the “train” people of the future. And according to all the reports I got from vendors who have their pulse on the industry, there is a future a bright future along the tracks of model trains. Choo! Choo! So, mark your calendar for 2026. This BIG show usually meets around the first or second week of January and usually at Oaks. It’s worth a look-see.
Delaware Valley Veterans Home 2701 Southampton Road
Philadelphia, PA 19154
215-856-2700
Nicholas Smith Trains
2343 West Chester Pike Broomall
Cheese Dawgs at Naked Brewing Bristol Taproom
212 Mill Street, Bristol, PA 19007
267-554-7129
Joe’s Train Station
283. E. County Line Road Warminster, PA.
