Let’s face it we all know that weird stuff happens in New Jersey. There’s a whole industry dedicated to it with the Weird NJ franchise. But looking back to 2025, there was an extra dose of weirdness especially in our and adjoining counties! Here’s the list, compliments of Patch.com.

1. The sinkholes – who could forget the traffic, the massive chasm that seemed to develop overnight right on Route 80…Exit 34…to Route 15 – enough said.

2. Black bear visits Dollar Store, Bites Woman – do I even need to elaborate here. The store in question is in Vernon, NJ, if you saw the video, it was wild. The bear seemed to be listening to the commands of the person who ushered the bear aisle by aisle through the door. Sadly, the bear was euthanized.

3. M&M Truck Spills Candy All Over Highway – here we go again, Route 80, where thousands of bags of M&Ms spilled onto the road after an accident with a parked tractor trailer on the shoulder.

4. Six Earthquakes Shake Up Morris County – NJ not really known for its noticeable earthquakes had six tremors in 24 hours with 5 out of the 6 originating in Randolph (Morris County).

5. Most Underpants World-Record Attempt – also took place in Morris County, this time the Morristown Green. A streamer and homeless advocate attempted to put on 300 pairs of underwear to benefit Market Street Mission. Not sure what happened but apparently he did not succeed.

6. A Horror Icon Stopped by an NJ Diner For Coffee – how much more Jersey can you get?! The first Friday the 13th movie was shot at the Blairstown Diner (Warren County). Not one who like scary movies Jason Voorhees doesn’t mean anything to me, but he visited the diner last year…because why not?!

7. Live Grenade Found in NJ Backyard – this time in Passaic County. The explosive was live and believed to be a WWII era grenade that a previous owner had…why buried in the backyard? Who knows…

Time will tell what weird stories come out of New Jersey this year. One can only imagine. You can’t make this stuff up!

According to Chinese astrology 2026 is the year of the horse, more specifically the fire horse. Each animal in the Chinese zodiac is paired with an element either wood, fire, earth, metal or water. This year, 2026, the horse is paired with fire an unusual combination that happens every 60 years!

So, what does this mean? According to Saffron & Sage, “Fire governs warmth, consciousness, circulation, and the capacity for joy. When paired with the Horse—an emblem of independence and action—the result is a year that rewards clarity, resilience, and intentional movement.” It’s a time for bold moves, exploration and dynamic change.

In these uncertain times, when a lot of what we do and rely on is out of our control, the fire horse is a reminder to “stay the course” but also look at situations with a critical eye and make very strategic and thoughtful decisions.

Wishing everyone a very healthful and hopeful year ahead and when things get tough remind yourself of the fire horse.

In 2025, I wrote a blog about 5 styles of walking, this past summer a new trend of walking emerged known as Japanese Walking. According to functional fitness expert (who knew?), Trond Nyland, “The beauty of Japanese Walking is how effortlessly it fits into everyday life, It’s simple, low-impact and easy to maintain, making it an ideal starting point for anyone new to fitness. It removes the usual barriers, making consistent movement that is accessible and achievable for almost anyone.”

So, what is Japanese Walking? We’ve all heard about how you need to walk 10,000 steps a day. Or is it 20,000 or only 5,000?! Japanese Walking takes the guess work and step counting out of the equation – thank you! The basic premise is to do three minutes of fast walking (defined as 70% of peak aerobic activity) and then switch to three minutes of slow walking (40% of peak aerobic activity) for a total of 30 minutes. As stated in Forbes ,“This simple fast-slow walking method boosts VO2 Max–the optimum rate at which your heart, lungs and muscles can effectively use oxygen during exercise–without logging thousands of steps.”

Doing this type of walking a few times a week can help improve cardiovascular health and muscle strength, lower blood pressure, increase energy levels and stamina. No step counting required, count me in!

As the agency’s “resident plant lady” I feel it is my duty to share that January 10th is known as Houseplant Appreciation Day! No, really? The day was established in 2012 by The Gardener’s Network, where home gardening is their main focus. It is to remind people of the benefits of houseplants. I truly believe that anyone can grow and maintain houseplants; I have several co-workers who’ve “taken the plunge”. Need some more inspiration? Below is a list of some of the benefits of houseplants courtesy of Swansons Nursery.

· Plants like the Peace Lily and Spider plant can remove toxins from the air

· They can increase humidity and even reduce dust up to 20% by releasing water vapor

· Proximity to plants helps to improve concentration and elevate your mood

· Studies have found that when people were exposed to indoor plants in their office space, their work performance improved

· There is even scientific evidence that being around plants can reduce blood pressure and heart rate as well

So, on this Houseplant Appreciation Day, take a moment to marvel at nature at its finest and that you played a significant part in it. Not a plant person, make this the day you go out and get started. One tip…better to underwater than overwater. Now…get growing!

As a native New Jersyian, I’ve heard about the unusual sounding names our great state offers. In my early years I grew up in Whippany and learned that the name came from the Whippanong Native Americans who lived there. Mention the name Succasunna to anyone outside of the state and they’re like “What? Who?!” Many of our town, city names in the state are derived from the language of the Lenape Native Americans. A few months back, in the NJ Herald there was an article detailing the various town names derived from the Lenapes and what they mean. Here’s the list.

· Pequannock – land cleared for farming

· Passaic – where the water goes over the falls (makes sense)

· Hackensack – hook shaped winding river

· Hoboken – tobacco pipe (Frank Sinatra was often pictured with a pipe)

· Ho-Ho-Kus – red cedar

· Mahwah – meeting place, smiling faces

· Moonachie – possibly named for Chief Monachie

· Paramus – turkey river

Just for fun in writing this blog I decided to search for unusual NJ town names. Ever heard of Wickatunk or Manunka Chunk? Me either? In fact, the latter sounds like a new ice cream flavor from Ben and Jerry’s! They exist though with many others. What unusual sounding NJ towns do you know about? Tell us in the comment section below.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) recently launched a new podcast, Community at the Core. As evictions have become more prevalent in our state and in the work that we at Family Promise of Sussex County do, the DCA’s first episode, Eviction Prevention in Action, had Dean Dafis, Director of the Office of Eviction Prevention as the guest speaker.

Here are some key points brought up in this podcast:

· New Jersey has seen a 24% increase in homelessness and for the second year in a row (2024 and now 2025), the state will surpass 100,000 evictions.

· If you count hard evictions (formal eviction notice) and soft evictions (person(s) asked to leave a shared residence), evictions are the largest driver of homelessness in the state.

· Evictions are affecting more middle income residents, many being single parent head of household.

· New Jersey has a higher percentage of rentals than many other states and it is one of the most densely populated and expensive which contributes to the rise in evictions.

Mr. Dafis also pointed out how evictions are invisible, only becoming visible when the households are unable to stabilize and become unsheltered. We at Family Promise of Sussex County work tirelessly in conjunction with the DCA and other community partners to help individuals navigate this oftentimes scary and intimidating process of evictions. To aid in this endeavor, the DCA recently developed an Eviction Guide (please see below). This guide is available in English and Spanish and is a very easy tool for individuals to use if ever faced with the possibility of an eviction. For those facing hard evictions, please know that you are not alone, there is help out there and while it can be difficult or even unpleasant, if possible do not self-evict (move out of your home) before the process plays out. https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/evictionguide.shtml

Caught your attention? Now that I did…wait before you say, “what?!”. Now, I’m all for self-care, self-reflection and such, my issue is with too many things, and I mean things, giving me some kind of pep talk.

The other day I grabbed one of my elderberry cough drops and noticed some tiny blue text on the wrapper. To my dismay and it stated, “Put a little strut in it.”, “It’s yours for the taking”, “Flex your ‘can do’ muscle” and last but not least, “Don’t waste a precious minute.” Really? My cough drop is now some kind of life coach or cheerleader. Speaking of too much positivity, many people who are weary of AI, me included, talk about how AI is the biggest people pleaser out there. Regardless of what kind of question, people have even purposely asked a silly question, AI’s first response is always great question!

There’s even a term for it…it’s called toxic positivity. An article in Verywellmind states, “Toxic positivity takes positive thinking to an overgeneralized extreme. This attitude doesn’t just stress the importance of optimism—it also minimizes and even denies any trace of human emotions that are not strictly happy or positive.”

So, what is one to do when even their cough drop is giving them advice and wanting them to look on the bright side? Be realistic about what your emotions are, don’t deny how you feel even at the time it may not be perceived as positive. It’s OK…after all, we are human.

This year Giving Tuesday is on December 2nd. It is always held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving with 2025 being its 10th year. The website Giving Tuesday states, “The idea behind Giving Tuesday was to set aside a single day to counter consumerism by giving back.” The day has grown to a global event even with Thanksgiving being uniquely American.

So, what does it mean to give back. Bret Bicox, President & CEO, Door County Community Foundation states, “The 5 T’s of charitable giving are: time, treasure, talent, ties and testimony. You give time when you share your energy and physical presence as you volunteer for an organization. Giving your treasure refers to the monetary and financial contributions you make. A gift of your talent is when you lend your uncommon skills to a charity, such as sharing your investment acumen, financial expertise, legal counsel or other specialized knowledge. You are giving your ties whenever you connect an organization to potential donors in your personal network of friends and colleagues. Giving your testimony refers to the advocacy work you do on behalf of a charity, as in sharing stories of its impact and effectiveness with others in the community.”

As we head into the busy holiday season, Giving Tuesday is a reminder to think of others and how we can make a difference. Asha Curran, CEO of Giving Tuesday says about the day, “When millions unite with a shared purpose, we don’t just give what we can—we create real, tangible change. Each donation, each act of generosity, is a building block for community solutions that actually make a difference.”

Many of us use Trinity Street in Newton as a cut thru to get to Water Street / Rt. 206 and the big box stores, me included. In fact, a few years back before I started working at Family Promise of Sussex County, I thought I was coasting down Trinity getting ready to turn into Stuart / Diller when I was clocked and then pulled over by Newton PD for speeding. I explained to the officer that I’ve never received a ticket (true statement) and to this day I still have that distinction.

But back to the tiny house…have you ever noticed it? It’s set back from Trinity Street all by itself. It’s a Victorian style home that looks like an oversized doll house. While I could not find any definitive facts about this tiny house, one story is that a father built the home as a doll house for his daughter. It has also been stated that there was a full size Victorian home on the property where now you see garages.

It is quite interesting to note that our tiny house of Newton happens to be on Trinity Street. In doing research for this blog, I learned that Philadelphia in the late 1600’s decided to build what was known as trinity houses. From an article posted on Real Estate and Home as a response to a rapid rise in development and a need for affordable housing, the locals, “moved into houses built in alleys between the main streets. The small house lots dictated a style of house that could fit on them. Enter the trinity. The trinity gets its name from its form — a three-story house containing three rooms, stacked one atop the other.”

Maybe we can learn from what some of our original settlers did. Find creative and cost effective solutions to the affordable housing crisis. With this new information when I’m driving through Trinity Street (obeying the speed limit of course) I will look at our tiny house in a whole new way.

While the peak of loneliness in The United States occurred during the pandemic, there is still a significant portion of the population experiencing it. The numbers, while fallen post- pandemic, are still higher than pre-pandemic statistics. So much so that in 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness a national epidemic and in an October 2024 Gallup poll 52 million U.S. adults experience daily loneliness! Younger adults aged 18-34 seem to have a higher incidence of this feeling of isolation, being disconnected from friends, family and even the world.

So how can we deal with this emotion when it arises? Here are some tips:

· Do activities that you enjoy, invite someone to participate with you

· Join a group or club

· Take care of yourself, practice self-care

· It’s OK choosing to be alone, be comfortable with it

· Try not to compare yourself to others, take a break from social media

Remember that we are all part of this social experiment called life and be grateful and kind to one another.