It’s Spring, and it’s Easter week.  But neither of those prepared me for the crazy things that were happening with my front porch this week.  The first incident involved my porch lights.  I have 3 sets of violet outdoor decorative lights that I decided to string on the upper railing on the porch.  I usually do the back deck – all year a different color – but don’t usually do a lot out front.  But since I had them anyway, along with an extra remote for the outlet, I decided to be festive.  I plugged the remote in and attached the lights, twisting florists wire around the railings to keep the lights in place.  This was great for about two weeks, and I was enjoying the soft glow of the purple lights in the evening and in the dark of late night.

Last Saturday I pushed the remote, and only the 3 feet of lights closest to the outlet were lit.  Hmmm.  I studied that for a bit, but it was already too dark to be messing around outside with light sets, so I just turned them on and off every 10 minutes to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.  It wasn’t.  No help for it.  The next day after church I decided I’d just take them down.  It couldn’t be a power surge or all the lights would be out, and there were, after all, three separate sets of light.  I unplugged the remote, put it away, and started unwinding the lights.  I only got about two twists and the end just dropped to the ground.  Half the light string wasn’t connected to the rest of the sets.  I looked closely at the wires, and the strand of three wires had been chewed through.  I had an extra string, so I followed the other half of the lights to the plug, took that apart, and restrung the new set.  There you go.  All lights working and operational!  So I’m thinking that whatever little bugger that was living under my front porch may have a strange glow, so if you see something unusual running around Ft. Allen, don’t be alarmed.  It was just the little guy under my porch that had been munching on lighted wires! 

But if that wasn’t enough, later that evening I looked outside to double check that the lights were ok (they were and still are), and noticed a mess of grass and twigs on my porch directly under the porch light.  I glanced up and noticed that some aggressive robin had decided the porch light was the perfect place to build a  nursery for her upcoming family.  Not on my watch!  I got the broom and knocked the nest down, swept the porch, and cleaned up the light.  A few hours later, there it was again!  So for about 24 hours that aggressive bird and I did battle:  She’d build, I’d destruct. I even sprayed Lysol – but apparently she thought that was a plus!  I finally wrapped the light in aluminum foil but a late afternoon storm blew that into the next county.  But we went three days with no new nest and only a few twigs on the porch so I was content that she’d relocated.  Better neighborhood… 

Alas, when I got home from work today I checked the porch.  It was back, bigger and better and bolder than ever.  Ugh.  This was war.  I put on duck boots, a rain coat, got the broom, dustpan, paper towels, and a trash bag.  I went out there in the pouring rain and knocked that crazy nest down; then I swept up all the twigs and grass and mud, tying the trash bag firmly shut.  I took the paper towels, got them wet, and wiped up the mess.  And it was a mess.  The siding, the light, the floor, even the front door and the planter in the corner.  I put everything away, cleaned up, and went to lock the front door again….  Grrrr.  That CRAZY bird already had several rows of nesting tucked onto the light.  I stomped out the door, cleaned it up again, and then took a clue from a neighbor up the street.

I took a Walmart bag and slipped it over the light, fastening it underneath.  Then I watched.  That robin came with a beak full of muddy twigs and plopped onto the porch railing.  It eyed the light and the bag and hopped around.  It flew at the light then back to the railing, then into the lilac tree beside the porch.  Now it’s not like there aren’t several pieces of prime real estate within hopping distance of the porch.  But I did start to feel bad for the bird, hopping and bouncing from rail to branch to tree and the chair and back.  I stood for over ten minutes, just watching.  Finally the robin dropped the mess out of it’s beak, shook her head a few times, and flew away.  I refuse to let this bird win and am determined to make sure her address is NOT my front porch light!  I’m not sure what will be next in the adventures of my Front Porch –  but I’ll keep you posted.  But if you see a robin flying around with her suitcase and diaper bag, with mud and twigs in her beak, …. cover your porch lights!

I have several subjects that I want to discuss but I’m running out of steam for the day.  But speaking of running…   Chrissy is on the middle-school track team this year, and I was amazed at the amount of practice they have.  She’s been really enjoying it, and I have enjoyed seeing her happy and engaged.  We went shopping last weekend and got her a shirt and two pair of running pants, which she was very excited about.

This past weekend I offered to have her stay all night with me Friday and I’d take her to practice at the high school early Saturday morning.  I was so surprised!  The school complex has changed so much.  When we drove around behind the school we drove behind the football field to the press box – which is no longer the little white box by the bleachers.  It’s a huge brick structure about three times the size.  There is also a field house – very classy! – with several parking lots and a back access road.  I parked and decided to walk my two miles around the fields and school buildings.  The view from the softball fields was amazing. 

The fruit trees were blooming in front of the school. The sun was shining and the temperature was comfy and it was quite fun.  One of these days I hope to be able to tour inside, but for now, the outside was a sight to behold!  We’ve come a long way, baby!  And I know Chrissy is enjoying track – her very first meet she came in 3rd in the 100 meter and 2nd in the 200 meter!  We are so proud of her – and no matter how she places in the meets I just wish for her to have fun and feel good about herself.  That, my friends, is the idea!

Kelly and the boys came up for the weekend – to stay until Tuesday.  And because the boys are home-schooled, classes and lessons had to be included in their days somewhere.  Kelly did some research and decided on taking the boys to the Westmoreland Museum of American Art.  Her friend Amy and her three children met us there. 

The first thing we did was go to the interactive room, when the students could make their own video, build bridges out of Lego-type interlocking pieces called K’nex.  The amazing thing there was that they all worked together, following directions from a book but also being individually creative where called for.

There was also a topography map of Pittsburgh, with movable sections that could be substituted for city-scapes rather than woodlands.  Before long the tree-laden hills were scattered with houses and bridges and buildings and even a parcel of farmland. It was a fun and amazing transformation.  Logan took a little break before continuing the projects!

While the kids were building and learning, I stepped a few rooms over and sat down in a library of sorts.  It was a comfortable, relaxing room, and as I was still fighting off a low-energy day from my cold, I settled on the couch and read for a while. 

When they were done building, we walked through the rest of the exhibits, reading about the artwork and choosing interesting bits of information from the paintings, statues, and photographs. We saw a painting of the Boston Harbor, and Kelly told me that since I’d seen that, I didn’t really have to take our planned trip to Boston this summer.  NOT!!  The docents were very helpful, interacting with the kids and having them look at the exhibits in a different light and sharing insights. 

We finished up by looking at a few hanging sculptures made from painted, melted clear plastic cups – a project that the kids could probably do on their own to reinforce their day of learning.  They had a good time, learned a little bit, spent time with friends, and got a little exposure to the arts. Not all learning is best confined to the classroom – and we learned that today!

Despite waking up with a bit of a cold (sleeping in past the usual Saturday time), I looked at Chrissy and Autmn relaxed and happy just chillin’ on my couches and decided this was the day.  I had taken a walk to look for the budding hyacinths and to my delight found several blooming crocus!  It was time for the eighth annual Crocus Tea! 

I called the girls to come upstairs and told them today was the day.  The only change would be that they didn’t have to get dressed up in ‘Grammy’s clothes and jewelry’ – they felt that they were too old to play dressup.  Autmn did, however, insist on getting a shower first and changing clothes.  I told them I was low on energy so they had to pick the menus and make the food and set the table. 

The normal fare of pizza and Vienna Sausages and grapes were scrapped and they chose Ramon Noodles (go figure) and Creamy Garlic Shells with diced potatoes, along with strawberries, cheese and crackers, M&M’s, and 2 kinds of cookies. They did the cooking and baked the pre-packaged cookies,and set the table with the good Rose china, the lace tablecloth, and stemware.  No tea for this bunch; it was Coke and Mt. Dew! 

The girls each said a blessing, and talked about how special the Crocus Tea was to them.  They agreed that they wanted to do it forever!  I warned them that someday they may have to do the tea and invite me, and further on in their lives they would be making their own group, possibly with their daughters or friends or even aunts or cousins.  This was a highlight for them.  They feel special and important and part of something that belongs only to them.  That in itself is very rare, and I hope they always know how important they both are to me and how special they each are.  I am so blessed to have them in my life, and to have celebrated eight years of this wonderful tradition.  May it continue — forever! 

Saturday February 16th was our designated Beef Day for 2019.  This has become an amazing and valued tradition over the years, starting back in the mid-80’s.  The day is chosen months in advance, and all the participants are contacted, menu set and assigned, and designations purchased.  The participants have changed over the years but the excitement, memories, and fun have only deepened.  Several years ago we left Grensburg at 7:30am in an ice storm, and were heartily relieved to arrive on Griffith Road in Smicksburg.  This year the skies and the roads were clear and dry, although the temperatures stayed at freezing or below.  That was good for the beef quarters.  This cow – which did not have a name or a number – weighed somewhere close to 700 pounds. (This is 1/4 of the cow!) It was a day-long chore to cut the quarters, trim the meat into steaks, ribs, roasts, and meat for ground beef. Nate and Dave are old hands at this now, and knew how to cut the quarters, what type of cuts came from which sections, and how to trim and designate the cuts into Rib, Chuck, T-Bone, Round, Porterhouse, Sirloin, and burger.  I know this is one of their favorite days of the year, and their acclaim is well deserved. 

With the B&B boys taking charge, most of the time Uncle Clifford and Aunt Joan just sat back and supervised, keeping us engaged in conversation and news of the family and neighborhood. Kath and I were the designated wrappers, and kept confusing our supplies, so I drew a line down the center of the table.  Kathy retaliated by drawing a sign that said “Keep out: No sisters allowed.”  Trying to soften the blow, I drew a heart that said, “Love you Kath!”  All in fun, and it was fun.  We still confused the supplies a little, though… 

This year Lynn and Sarah Pelc split their quarter with Sarah’s friend Jen, who proved to be a worthy contender in the cutting and trimming department.  She was no stranger to the process.  We were supposed to make a cheese run to Smicksburg Country Store, and totally missed out on our opportunity.  It was a huge cow and took all our time and attention!  We paused at noon to have the community lunch, which was lasagna, salad, Italian Bread, and home-baked pies (thank you, Sarah! – The Derby Pie was amazing!). Everything was delicious.

It was hard to get into the swing of the second half of the day, because we all needed a nap (zzzzz) – but we jumped back in and had our portions cut, wrapped, ground meat through the grinder twice, bagged and marked by about 5pm.  After cleaning the tables, knives, saws, grinder, and trimmers, we lugged a lot off beef out to our cars! (Thanks for your help, Nate and Dave!). It was 8pm until I personally had all the beef stacked and sorted in the freezer and all the leftover supplies put away.  I sent the leftover lasagna home with Kath and Nate in return for a piece of Sarah’s Derby Pie and a bottle of Light Italian Dressing.  Great trade off!  

As the day wound down, though, discussions led us to look into the future.  AJ and UC’s grandson Jason has taken over the farm and the cattle, but he has recently started a new construction and renovation business.  If no one keeps the farming active, this may have been our last year for Beef Day.  We are praying for a resolution that will make sense, but regardless of the future, we had Beef Day 2019, and it was everything we hoped it could be.  Thanks to our great team of beef-ers, and a wonderful blessing of friendship, family, and food!

Autmn and I woke up this morning to the news that Punxsutawney Phil had predicted an early spring.  We looked at each other and shook our heads.  That was the first time in a long time he hadn’t see his shadow!    These little guys are the ones my Aunt Joan gave me years ago.  They don’t have shadows.

We putsied about our day; she made French Toast for our breakfast and I finished up laundry.  There was nothing exciting on TV except rerun Hallmark movies and Sponge Bob, so I dug in my DVD collection for something to watch.    Of course, it had to be GROUNDHOG DAY!  I haven’t watched that in several years, and although Autmn knew the premise of the movie she had never seen it.  She was mildly interested at first, but then got really into it, and we both laughed frequently.  We liked the part where Phil ordered lunch from the cop; and the guy in the middle wanted pancakes! At the end, we talked about the character arc, although she didn’t realize that was what we were discussing.  We agreed that it took Phil way too long to figure out what he acknowledged at the end:  Whatever happens tomorrow, or for the rest of my life, I’m happy now.  That, we decided, is basically the secret of contentment.  

So we chatted about the movie, and Autmn said she wouldn’t even know if she was reliving a day until she got to school and realized she was in the same class as the last time.  THEN we discovered how cool it would be if we really COULD have a Groundhog Day experience.  We could eat anything we wanted.  We could get up in the morning, fly to Paris, spend the day, and wake up in the morning in our own bed.  We could drive anywhere, and we’d never use up the gas.  Never run out of food.  Go to a different place or do something different every day – and wake up in the morning in our own bed.  And Autmn warned me that we couldn’t sleep in; we’d have to get up early!  So 6am it is! 

She wanted to go to Florida and stick her feet in the water and lounge on the beach in her bathing suit; then go to Disney World as many times as she wanted.  I picked going to Switzerland  and just about anywhere new and interesting.  So if you happen to wake up some morning, and you can’t find either Autmn or me, don’t be alarmed.  We’re just living our Groundhog Day dream, jetting around and living the fun life!  We’ll send you a post card.  Tomorrow….

On January 21, 2003, a tiny precious little girl came into the world – the ‘baby doll’ of her daddy’s heart,her mom’s firstborn (how YOUNG they were!!!), and my first delightful grandchild!  We had no idea what the journey would be like, and was certainly not even beginning to think of her turning 16. 

But today we all got together and celebrated the first 16 years of her life.  What a delightful, beautiful young lady she is!  It was a tricky progress to put this party together;  the weather forecasters were predicting snow and ice – anything from 1 inch to 12 inches – and we weren’t sure to even try to have it. 

But in the end, all systems were go, and the party planners – headed by the event director Jen! – pooled their talents to transform the church welcome center into a Sweet Sixteen wonderland. Pastels of pink and yellow and blue, as well as some black, hung from the doorways, on the tables, wrapped the banisters, and made for a super photo opp backdrop inside the balloon arch.  I loved the balloon arch!

Autmn had chosen a playlist and the music played all afternoon.  There was a lovely cake, pizza, chips, drinks, and a pinata filled with candy.  And of course presents.  Everyone took a swipe at the pinata, hanging from the basketball hoop in the activity center.  A few of the kids whacked a hole in it, but it wasn’t until Zach took the pole, stretched his arms, and smacked the entire thing that it flew off the rope.  Candy and confetti went flying, to everyone’s delight.  It was amazing to see! 

After lots of picture taking and cutting the cake, Autmn opened her gifts.  Her mom bought her a car, which little sister Josie promptly claimed as her own.  That was entirely ok, as they were Matchbox cars, anyway:  a blue one and a yellow one.  Maybe there will be a driver’s license and a real car in her future, but not yet.  I for one am not ready for that yet!  Everyone worked together to put the room back to rights and pack up all the food and decorations.  By then it was pouring rain, but no snow, thankfully. 

Autmn had a great time at her party, as did the rest of us, and I felt blessed to look at this young lady and think about what has brought her to this point.  Sixteen!  Happy birthday my sweet granddaughter.  And remember, for the last 4 years, you have been promising me that you’d take me shopping when you got your license and your own car.  I’ll hold you to it!  Love you!  

Last November I was privileged to attend my first-ever Beach Boys concert at Kovolchick Center at IUP.  It was amazing, and I walked on air for days afterwards.  They are my all-time favorite group!  So many great songs and many more great memories!  Ahhhhh the 60’s! 

But this summer I was checking my work emails and saw the ‘coming soon’ ads for the Palace Theatre in Greensburg – The Beach Boys Christmas concert, right in my own front yard!  Couldn’t get much better than that!  So I emailed my friend Kelli at the Theatre and she ‘hooked me up’ with the box office manager to get the best seat available!  Front row, balcony! 

The Beach Boys were hype all by themselves but to add the Christmas music in was wildly exciting for me!  The very first LP (record) I purchased when I got my first job was the Beach Boys Christmas!  I still have it, along with the newer-purchased CD by the same name.  So my long-awaited concert was last Tuesday night, and it certainly didn’t disappoint!  The set was so fun, with trees of different sizes as a backdrop.  They changed colors to suit the mood!  The first half of the concert was the traditional sun and surf songs with a Christmas song from Mike Love’s new CD thrown in. 

After the intermission they played an entire set of their Christmas hits, plus a few new ones.  And even though I LOVE the Christmas ones, when they played ‘Wouldn’t it be Nice’ I was totally engaged!  I LOVE that song. I recorded it on my phone but somehow can’t get it to transfer to my website.  You’ll just have to close your eyes and imagine it.  Sing along, now:   Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older, then we wouldn’t have to wait so long.  And wouldn’t it be nice to live together, in the kind of world where we belong….    Oh, ya!  The concert was the first holiday event of the season for me, and what a terrific way to start out.  And when we had ‘audience participation’ with our flashlight app on our cell phones, it was like a bunch of stars shining in the balcony. 

Going to concerts has never been a thing for me, but the Beach Boys pull me out of my well-constructed box.  So I’m thinking if these guys come back our way again, I just might be tempted to go again.  Can’t get much better than that!

Last Wednesday night I attended a fundraiser at the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center to support the local arts program in the form of the theater company that performs there.  My dear friend Bear (Barry Shirey) is on the board of directors and I promised to attend. 

The light Hors d’Oeuvres served were delicious!  Several kinds of chicken, BBQ meatballs, shrimp, cheese sticks, fruit and veggie trays, meat and cracker trays, and mini-donuts and cookies.  They had originally expected 75 to attend but there were far more than that!  I connected up with Bear’s friend Connie, his niece Brandi and her new husband and we enjoyed catching up and chatting about the holidays and the general navigation of life! 

The entertainment began at 8pm and I was totally impressed.  The talent was all local and the voices were flawless!  There were whimsical pieces and carols and jolly holiday songs.  My favorite were two girls who did the ‘Sisters’ song from White Christmas.  When the show was over, Bear and I posed for our traditional together photo in the lobby.  It was a great evening full of fun and song, and the fundraiser as a whole was a great success!  I wouldn’t be surprised to see more like it in the future. 

And I encourage you to check out the 2019 seasons schedule either through the Garden Center website or the Palace Theatre website. The schedule will be posted soon. The first production will be ‘Run for your Wife’ February 7-9, 2019.  The shows are very much worth attending!

This has been a very busy season!  It’s been forever since I’ve posted anything.  Lots has been happening but I have been neglecting my posts – mostly because I’m not really good with documenting with photos!  I am going to start with Chrissy’s performance in the Christmas concert for Harrold Middle School last Thursday. 

All the kids did I great job!  Some of my favorites were Old St. Nick (Beach Boys), Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Springsteen), and the guitar club performance.  Chrissy was in the 7th grade chorus and the Honors Chorus.  Her very good friend (and unofficial cousin) Lexi was in both of those choruses with her and they hung together all evening. 

It always amazes me that the kids dress in such varied styles.  There was everything from sparkly glittery dresses  and dress shirts/ties, Christmas sweaters, and ripped jeans with headbands.  Guess which one Chrissy fell into?  Yep.  Ripped jeans with headbands. Even though she’s hard to see, she is in the second row down to the right of the girl in the purple dress (who is Lexi!) The choir director did a great job and the stage was beautifully arrayed for the Holiday.  It was totally fun to be pulled into the spirit of the season through the sweet voices of the middle schoolers!  Can’t wait until the next event!