Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Only in Bucks County: St. Marys Rehabilitation Hospital

As much as my blog started as a way to highlight the new scenery I experienced when I moved to Bucks County, it's evolved into more as I meet more people, continue exploring, and learn even more about the area.
I've highlighted small businesses unique to Bucks County; but today I want to share with you a much larger organization that's doing great things to improve the quality of life locally.
 
Over the past month I was invited to tour the new St. Mary Rehabilitation Hospital in Langhorne to photograph patients as they planted an inaugural therapy garden.
The garden will be cared for and harvested by patients.



The newly constructed garden beds are raised so that they're wheelchair and walker accessible. Patients can practice balance, standing endurance, and other mobility tasks while gardening.


Digging in the dirt and planting have long been therapeutic.


 
Gardening is also a great social interaction. Pictured here are hip and knee replacement
patients Elda and her new friend Sandi Fine. The best news is that they've both been
released to go home days after we met.
Way to go Sandi and Elda!
 


 
Fresh tomato and basil salad could be a choice on the menu as the gardens start to yield produce!
Other herbs and veggies planted were spearmint, chocolate mint,
 cucumbers, peppers, and eggplant. 
 
Nora, who is almost completely recovered from her surgery, volunteered to water the beds
over the long hot weekend. Nora told me that she's been snipping a few mint leaves
 to add into her ice water each morning.
 

 
 
 
In the month since the beds were constructed, filled with soil and planted, the tomato and cucumber plants have really taken over. The gardening upkeep and activities are not only a form of therapy, but they now providing fresh organic produce on a daily basis.
 
 St. Mary Rehab Hospital provides inpatient rehabilitation to people with acute neurologic, medical or orthopedic conditions. Their main number is 267-560-1100 and the address is:
1208 Newtown-Langhorne Rd, Langhorne, PA 19047
 
"To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves."
~Mohandas K. Gandhi
 
 
 
 

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Only in Bucks County: Waterlogue App Review

One thing you should know is that I'm ALWAYS reading, researching, and playing around online to learn more to help my clients and to stay on top of digital technology. I've had the Waterlogue app on my iPad for about a year, and I'm using it more and more lately.

At first it was just another cool watercolor app and it was fun to watch the program sketch my photos, wet the paintbrush, and get to work. I've since realized that the quality of the work and its high resolution for digital or printable images make this app the best of the best, creating a realistic semi-detailed watercolor. Since I use my own photos, I am able to create some terrific original art. 
 
                                                                                     Newtown
                                                                                    Newtown
 
                                                               Core Creek County Park
 
                                                                                      Yardley
                 
                                                                         Upper Makefield
                                                                            Core Creek Park
 
                                                                                  Newtown
 
I do want to mention that some images lend themselves to the Waterlogue process 
better than others... but really, that's half the fun! 
The Waterlogue app runs quickly and seamlessly; and has never once frozen or crashed. 
Whether you'll use it for fun or to create some serious artwork, I highly recommend it.
 
                                                                                       Newtown
 
  
                                                                                         Newtown
 
                                                                                            Newtown
                                                         
                                                                                 Core Creek Park

                                                                        Washington Crossing
            
                                                                                     Yardley

                                                                                    Newtown
 
 
 
"The art challenges the technology, and the technology inspires the art."
~John Lasseter, American Film Director
 
 
Waterlogue at work: