Hometown Glory
I recently got to visit my parents again in my hometown of Madison, New Jersey, and this quaint town where I grew up (population 16,000!) was bursting with early spring. I wanted to share it with you! Every time I’m able to visit, taking a walk around the neighborhood is one of my favorite things.
My parents’ yard was full of color with the blooming of the forsythia bushes…this was always a vivid memory from my childhood.
The above homestead with the white picket fence is from the 1700s! There are several other homes from the 1700s in town that are still well preserved and lived-in!
Did you know that George Washington and his troops passed through this area during the Revolutionary War and even spent an entire winter camped out at Jockey Hollow in the winter of 1779?
Continuing on my walk…at a nearby town park, I stopped to bask in the glow of this glorious tulip magnolia.
More forsythia! Can’t get enough of that yellow. And a stroll past my beloved elementary school - built in 1809 - and one of my favorite houses in town. I mean come on - a purple door with flowers to match? 😍
I also passed several of these unique type of magnolia bushes. I looked them up in my trusty Seek app and found out they’re a Star Magnolia.
In all my walks around the neighborhood, I’ve never passed this enormous weeping cherry tree before! This photo doesn’t do it justice! The house next to it was from the 1800s, so it could be that old as well. The fronds were waving in the breeze and raining down perfect pink cherry blossoms at my feet. I also passed a lot of these unique bushes with flowers that looked like tiny paper lanterns - Japanese Andromeda. There are so many plants in the Northeast that we never see in middle Tennessee!
Another new discovery in yet another town park I passed on my walk: I saw a colorful bench in the distance and immediately walked over to see what it was. The bench was painted with the phrase “Sprinkle Kindness Like Confetti,” and embedded in the concrete underneath it were rocks that spelled “Kindness Rocks.” I sat on the bench for awhile enjoying a spring morning and watching cars go by. When I told my mom about the bench after I returned from my walk, she said the story about the bench had been featured in the town newspaper. It was a teenage girl’s project that she worked on with her mom to spread kindness in the community and encourage people to get outside. She worked with citizens of the town and local artisans to gather and create these kindness rocks and to add the rock lettering to the concrete. In the story in the newspaper, the teenage girl, Bethany, said, “People used to go outside more, and I hope this gets them out into town, relaxing, and thinking creatively.”
I love hearing about a teenager who knows we ALL need nature and did something tangible about it.
Next, a glimpse inside my favorite local bookshop in Madison - The Nature of Reading. I’m not kidding when I say I want to buy everything in that shop. The owner puts a lot of love into this shop - you can tell! It features perfect children’s picture books, fiction and non-fiction selections, and gift items. Too bad I only took a carry-on with me on this trip!
Ok, so this tchnically isn’t in Madison - it’s in nearby Morristown - but my mom and I had a lovely visit to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum one afternoon. Admission is free, and you can just walk the grounds around the 1800s mansion and 127 acres of gardens and lush lawns.
We found this rock labyrinth in the woods that was scattered with rocks that people painted to honored lost loved ones. It was a very peaceful space.
We also saw Virginia Bluebells, lots of daffodils and wildflowers, and this STUNNING pink cherry tree that I can’t stop thinking about. It was something out of a dream. I made a Reel about it here.
Returning home is such an interesting thing. As I walk through town, I pass monuments to my childhood and youth. The streets and avenues are filled with memories…like the house where my best friend lived where I ran up the steps every time my mom dropped me off for a play date. The yard where Heather and I played “Bridge to Terabithia” and where Krissy and I harvested red berries to make pretend soup. The baseball fields where I played softball in 5th grade. The tree on my elementary school playground where my friends and I had our “detective club.” The road to the Community Pool where I spent every childhood summer. I walk past these places that are still there, just a little bit more worn-looking. So many years have gone by, but my 4-year-old, 8-year-old, 12-year-old self touched those grounds.
I’m grateful for the gift of returning - every now and then - to the place that formed me in so many ways. It reminds me of who I once was and who I’ve always been.
