The global pandemic of coronavirus rages on. We are waiting out this health crisis in our homes for the most part. Hoping not to catch COVID-19 and hoping not to spread it.
I’m only going out to take a walk or go grocery shopping for me and my mom. When we come back home from grocery shopping, we have to clean everything that we bought before putting anything away. Wash our hands repeatedly. The list goes on. These are such strange times.
One thing I’m trying to do while I’m at home is write more. Over the years, there have probably been hundreds of posts that I wasn’t able to write due to lack of time. Since I have a bit more time now, I’m hoping to go back and write some of those posts. I have pictures and notes ready and waiting. So I will take some old things and make them new. Plus, writing calms my nerves. Writing has always made me happy.
I thought I had written a post about when Wollaston Station reopened. I was looking for it to link to another post, but couldn’t find it. It seems that I had just taken pictures of the station, but never got around to writing it up. Or at least I can’t find it now. So this is that post.
It took close to two years for the station to be renovated. It’s a much nicer station and what a relief to not have to take the shuttle to North Quincy.
But for my life now, my last project ended in mid-February and I don’t think that I have taken the T since then. I certainly don’t know the next time that I will take it. And I wonder if I will feel safe. When will we be sure the spread is contained? June? July? I don’t know. I guess none of us really does.
Happy 24th BirthdayCoffee Break Cafe! On Instagram yesterday, I saw that today, Tuesday, March 3rd, Coffee Break Cafe will be giving out free small coffees, iced or hot, all day until closing.
What a generous way to celebrate their birthday! You can get free coffee at all four locations — Wollaston, Quincy Center, Milton and Hyde Park. The locations have different closing times, but they are all open until the early evening, so you still have a lot of time to stop by.
Since it’s also Super Tuesday, many of you here in Massachusetts are out voting and breaking up your usual routines. So while you’re out, treat yourself and grab a free coffee! ☕
If you’ve got a green thumb and you’re really into plants, you might be familiar with Monstera Mondays on Instagram. Plant parents with Monstera deliciosa plants celebrate the beauty of these plants by taking pictures and sharing them with the #monsteramonday hashtag.
A Monstera in its full glory is a joy to behold. Many of us would like one of these plants, but they are not easy to find. Your average store doesn’t stock them, so it takes some effort to find one to bring home.
If you live in the Boston or South Shore area near Quincy, you might be about to get lucky. This coming Saturday, August 3rd, I will be holding a free (in person) raffle for you to win your very own Monstera plant!
I contacted Fruit Center Marketplace, a specialty grocery store with locations in Milton and Hingham, that I wrote aboutfive years ago, and asked if they would be willing to donate a plant for a giveaway.
Since the Milton location is practically around the corner from the Wollaston section of Quincy, I’ve visited several times to buy items for myself and others.
Fruit Center Marketplace has an eclectic mix of gourmet foods and treats – ice cream, wine, craft beers, flowers, plants, gift baskets and more. During the summer, so many of us are visiting friends and family at home for gatherings, and would like to bring something special as a thank you for our hosts. You can definitely find something here!
Being much more than your typical grocery story, Fruit Center Marketplace is planning to start stocking Monstera plants on a regular basis in the near future! No further need to wander around aimlessly looking for them!
Since they are generous and have access to Monstera plants, they are donating a Monstera plant for the raffle. Yay!
If you want to participate in the plant swap, bring your potted plants, non-potted but rooted plants, and cuttings. Please label what you bring to help others identify the plants. Indoor plants and outdoor plants are all welcome!
At the last plant swap, people dropped off more plants than they took. So you may be able to take many plants home, because I cannot bring them all home with me!
Raffle
If you’d like a chance at winning a Monstera plant for free, stop by the plant swap table this Saturday, August 3rd to enter.
You don’t have to participate in the plant swap to enter.
It’s free to enter.
Only one entry per person.
Write your name, the city or town where you live, and phone number on a piece of paper and put it in the jar.
At around 1:45 pm, one name will be drawn at random and chosen as the winner. The name will be announced at that time.
In order to win, you either must be on the premises to bring the plant home or live in Quincy. If you leave before 1:45pm and live in Quincy, I will bring it to your home after contacting you by phone and making arrangements. Or you can come back for it before 2pm. I will not be able to bring the plant to anyone living outside of Quincy, so if you leave and your name is called, another name will be drawn.
None of my family or friends are eligible to enter. And obviously not me. Sorry! It wouldn’t be fair or look good if we won.
Have you heard about Saturdays in the Park? It’s a new series of events this year in Wollaston’s Safford Park on Beale Street. Every Saturday for the next several weeks, 12pm – 6pm, there will be activities in the park.
In case you’re not familiar with Wollaston, it’s a section of Quincy that has it’s own beach and will soon have a newly renovatedMBTAstation. It’s been closed for over a year and is supposedly on track to re-open in August. Fingers crossed!
It’s also where I’ve enjoyed living for many years. I’ve walked by Safford Park a million times, but have never actually used it. Saturdays in the Park was supposed to start last week, but was cancelled due to rainy weather.
So tomorrow, Saturday, July 6th will be the kick-off event! There will be music, games, a beer garden, food, free yoga and a plant swap!
Since I’ve been intentionally growing my plant family, the plant swap was my suggestion and I’ll be at a table from 12pm to 2pm to help you swap a plant or two.
Bring your potted plants, non-potted but rooted, and cuttings too. Please label what you bring to help others identify the plants. 🌿🌿🌿
Ironically the yoga class is at 12pm, as well. The same time as the plant swap, so I don’t think that I’ll be able to participate, but I will take some pictures.
I have some plants to swap as well aaaand I’m putting out into the universe that I would like a Monstera deliciosa aka Swiss cheese plant, or even a little cutting. It’s a beautiful plant that I first learned about on Instagram.
Hopefully, many of you will come by and say hello. It’s supposed to be a lovely day!
If you’re familiar with Quincy at all, you’ve probably been at this intersection in Wollaston. You’d be standing on Newport Avenue looking at Grandview Avenue on the left and Beale Street on the right.
I found the lower picture in the Quincy postcard collection, dated from 1903 – 1976. That’s quite a range of years, but based on the car on the right, I’m guessing it’s from the 1910s or 1920s. Maybe 1918?
As soon as I saw the old picture, I knew I had to take a new picture to compare it with. The upper picture I took this past week. Quite a difference! But you can definitely see that it’s the same place. Just about one hundred years apart. Pretty amazing.
It was shocking to see that the building on the right used to be a drug store. I think it’s a fabric store now.
Grandview used to be a dirt road and now so many trees have grown that it’s hard to see the house behind them. Also, it looks like it was a two-way street. Now it’s one-way. There were no traffic lights back then and way less cars.
What a difference a century makes! Wonder what it will look like in 2118?
