The Mean Streets of Kittanning

Share the story of a time you felt unsafe.

For a while, I worked part time at our local Tourist Bureau.  I loved the job because it was close to where I lived, part time hours, low stress work, and helped me promote my area that I love so well.  Our office is right in town, on the "main drag", and the building has large windows that make up both of our outward facing walls (it is a corner office).

One day, we got a phone call instructing us to lock our doors and take caution because there was an armed robber in town.  At first we did not take it too seriously.  Then we heard sirens, saw speeding police cars, and watched as the next block up was cordoned off.  There had been a robbery at the drug store on the next block up.  Shots had been fired.  This was all the information we had for a couple of hours.

We were incredibly frightened at the idea of an armed robber running the streets.  Because our office was small and unassuming (it used to be a bank office), we felt like we could be a target for the suspect to want to hide.  And with both of our outside walls being large windows, there was no way to hide.  I was petrified a bullet was going to come zinging through those windows at any moment.

Not the actual shooter.  Courtesy of The Library of Congress.

Eventually we learned that a woman had tried to rob the drug store in an attempt to procure drugs.  An employee and a customer were able to wrestle the gun off of her, but not before she fired a shot into some shelves.  Something like this would be a blip on the radar in a large city, but to a small town like ours, it was really frightening.  I used to walk to that drug store from the office to get drinks or miscellaneous items we needed at the office.  Good thing I did not go for a walk that day.

I do not think I have ever felt so vulnerable in my life as I did for those few hours when all we knew was someone within eyesight of our office had a gun and was shooting.

Explorations: Cake Concepts

One of the things I miss most about living and working in the city was having access to all kinds of neat specialty shops.  Whether the stores sold clothing, food items, or tchotchkes, there were always interesting things to see.  Which is why I am so excited that Kittanning is getting some new shops.

One of the new shops that I have been wanting to check out is a new cake bakery, called Cake Concepts.  Since going gluten free, however, I have not had much reason to buy cake or cupcakes.  But this week, my niece is visiting.  When I asked her if she likes cupcakes, her response was, "Uh YEAH, duh" so I knew I finally had a reason to visit.

Yesterday we walked into the store, and I swear it was like visiting the childhood dream of the perfect tea party.  Everything was pink, and elegant, and beautiful.  I absolutely love the way the store looks.  I could have spent hours in there, even though I cannot eat anything there.  That is how lovely it is.  After taking in the cuteness of the shop, I spied the cupcakes.  Oh, they all looked so delicious!  The specialty cupcakes were Key Lime and Chunky Monkey.  Um, yummmy!  There were also plain iced cupcakes, and filled cupcakes.  DARN YOU GLUTEN INTOLERANCE.  I bought half a dozen for my niece and for Hubby.

I was talking to one of the owners, and explaining my gluten intolerance.  She said they are currently working on recipes for gluten free and sugar free cupcakes to add to their offerings.  She said they are taking their time to find really delicious recipes, which I totally respect.  No one wants a subpar product just because it is the only GF thing available.  So, I look forward to the day that they release GF cupcakes for sale.  

When we got back into the car, my niece wanted to eat a cupcake immediately.  It was all I could do to get her to wait for me to drive the few blocks home, because she said they just looked that good.  And once we got home, she sampled them and assured me they really WERE that good.  I snuck a swipe of the icing, and it was delicious.

The atmosphere is wonderful, the owners are friendly and helpful, the product is delicious, and the price is really reasonable.  So, what are you waiting for?  Go get a cupcake from Cake Concepts, and you can thank me later!

Note: This post was not sponsored in any way, nor was I approached to do a review of this business.  I simply wanted to share this great shop with my readers and encourage people to support local small town businesses! 

Mayfly Magic Time

Every once in awhile, you have that time when something special goes on in your town.  It may be a festival, or a parade, or a block party.  And while we do have all those things in Kittanning, the most special time of all, each summer, is when the annual mayfly invasion occurs.  These gross little things invade our town each year, courtesy of the mighty Allegheny River.

I snuck into town just now to document the beginning of the mayfly invasion.  Due to the short lifespan of the insect, the infestation usually only lasts a couple of days.  They should be gone by the weekend.  One helpful townie saw me taking pictures, and told me that the mayflies crawl up out of the river, once they have consumed all the poisons and toxins from the water.  So, there is that. This is just the beginning. I guarantee by nightfall, this window will be one moving, swarming mass of mayflies. We usually have to close the bridge in town because the surface gets to slippery from mayfly guts to safely allow vehicle to cross it. Nasty.

So, all you other Pittsburgh suburbs can keep your fancy carnivals and church festivals, your parades and your band bashes.  Kittanning has mayflies.  It's ok to be jealous.

 

35 Day Project: Richard G. Snyder YMCA Triathlon Volunteer

Hopefully by now, most of you have read about how I am celebrating my upcoming 35th birthday with 35 days of kindness, and that many of my friends are also performing acts of kindness during that time to help me celebrate.  Well, the kickoff for the 35 Day Project was today.  I decided to kick this project off with style (and a little early) by spending both mornings this weekend volunteering.  

I live very close to the Richard G. Snyder YMCA campus, and this beautiful new facility is such an asset to our community.  I am also a board member for the United Way of Armstrong County, and the YMCA is one of our recipient agencies, so I was excited to be able to support them on a personal level.  The YMCA held its very first triathlon this weekend, and I was pretty excited to be helping out.  The event was being broken into two days.  Saturday, March 16th, was the adult triathlon.  It consisted of a 5k run, 300 yard swim,  and 10k bike ride.  I woke up Saturday morning and it was cold and wet, and I was wondering how these athletes did it.  I had no idea what was in store.  When I got to the event, I helped with the registration process.  Once all participants were registered, and the run portion had begun, I then moved out to help make sure all runners crossed the finish mat, to ensure their times were correctly recorded, and direct them to the pool area. Once they finished swimming, I helped direct them to the start line for the bike ride.  Then I got to stand at the finish line and watch all the participants finish.  What. A. Rush.  I was totally in awe of every single participant.  The weather was certainly not pleasant, as rain/snow/ice fell intermittently, and parts of the bike train were muddy and mushy.  But they pushed on.  I have so much respect for the tenacity of these participants.  After everyone was finished, times were tallied, and awards granted.  All in all, it was a great morning.

Today, the second half of the event was held, a kids' triathlon for children 14 and under.  Their event consisted of a 1 mile run, 100 yard swim, and 5k bike ride.  These kids were hard core!  Our youngest participant was a 6 year old girl!  I helped for registration again this morning, then I moved out to the running and bike trail to help as safety patrol.  There are spots where the trail intersects with a street, so I was positioned at one of those points to stop any car traffic and allow the kids to safely continue along the trail.  This meant that I got to see each participant twice during their run and twice during their bike ride.  I was so tickled to see these kids pushing themselves, and they seemed like they were having a total blast in the process.  To see the looks of accomplishment on their faces made standing in the cold totally worthwhile.  One of the perks of being stationed on the trail was the fact that I got to cheer for each and every participant as they competed.  And the thing that impressed me was, as I cheered, nearly every single child thanked me for the encouragement.  (This whole kindness thing is totally working.)  I even got a hug from one girl after it was all over.

What a great resource the YMCA is to our community, offering a wonderful facility and fantastic events such as this to help support a healthy lifestyle.  It was such an honor to help out with the triathlon, and I can think of no better way to have kicked off the 35 Day Project.

To see more photos from the triathlon, view my flickr set here (sorry they are grainy, all I had was my iphone and it was so cold out!)

Thankful for... having my heart humbled

Today, I had an experience that has humbled my heart beyond belief, and reminded me of the bountiful blessings in my life.

I decided to strike out today to visit my old coworkers, and then go buy food to take to a tailgate at a baseball game this weekend, where I will be hanging out with my social media friends.  After visiting with my old coworkers, I headed out of town.  As I passed a local intersection, I noticed 3 young people, 2 boys and a girl, with a sign, and 3 large leashed dogs.  This intersection is at a shopping plaza, and often people will panhandle there.  I was struck immediately by how young these kids were, late teens to early twenties, and the fact that they had dogs with them.  I knew that there was no way I could just drive past.

I turned my car around at the next parking lot, and headed back to find them.  They were hurrying toward a car that, while probably as dependable as they could afford, was not in the best condition.  I pulled into the parking space next to them, and asked them what their sign said.

The one boy quietly responded that they were just passing through, and down on their luck, needing a little help.  He quickly followed up with the statement "but we are leaving now, because some woman just yelled at us and threatened to call the police".  My heart was breaking.  I told them that I did not have any cash, but would it be ok if I took them to a store in the shopping plaza to buy them some food, and food for the dogs.  They seemed so amazed that I was willing to do this.  One boy stayed at the car, with the dogs, while the other boy and the girl came with me.

As we walked to and around the store, I got a little bit of their story.  They were homeless.  They travel from place to place, trying to find work to make enough money to take care of themselves, and the dogs.  The dogs all had tags on, and they told me that they made sure to keep up with their shots, that the dogs were microchipped, and when things were really tough, the dogs always ate first, even if the kids did not.  I was amazed.  They had just returned from New Orleans, where they had been working on houses damaged by Hurricane Katrina.  They said the devastation down there is still quite bad.

In the store, I asked them what they wanted, and they basically told me they were happy with anything.  I wanted something that would provide them with some nutrients and calories, so we opted for bananas, wheat bread, and peanut butter.  I asked if there was anything else they wanted, but they were so happy with just that.  I also got a 15 pound bag of dog food for the dogs.  They were so grateful and appreciative of this small token; I wished I could do more.  $23 dollars was what I spent.  Such a small amount, but to them it seemed to make all the difference in the world.

We walked back to the car, they loaded the groceries into the car and dog food into the trunk which contained only a gas can, sleeping bags, and a couple of backpacks.  I wished them well, and safe travels, they thanked me, and waved goodbye with huge smiles on their faces.  The whole thing lasted less than 30 minutes.

Living in a small town, homelessness is not visible to me.  I know it exists, but I do not see it first hand very often.  Before people become homeless, they have lives just like you and me.  They have families, and friends, and pets.  People forget that.  I imagine that when faced with homelessness, people try to hold on to what little they can.  I bet plenty of homeless people have pets that become homeless with them, yet we really never hear or see that.  These kids were doing the best they could to keep their little family (that is what the 6 of them were, you know, a family) afloat.

It saddens me that they had encountered someone who was cruel to them, just before I stopped to talk to them.  They told me it happens all the time, and that breaks my heart.  People have the misconception that the homeless are lazy or crazy, or that panhandlers are just trying to make an easy buck.  These kids were thrilled with the fact that I offered to buy them food, and that I treated them with respect.  They struck me as hard working, and kind.  I hope I showed them some kindness in return, because there, but for the grace of God, go I.

I live a comfortable life.  What seems so common to me would be a luxury to these kids.  Me, with my iPhone, my full cupboards, my soft bed. You can bet, when I came home, I gave my dogs lots of extra snuggles.  Please note that I do not write about this situation for praise or accolades.  I just want people to think a little about how they view those who are homeless or in need.

So many things had to fall into place perfectly for me to encounter these kids today, I know it was God, speaking to me, and humbling my heart.

Munzee Mania

I have written numerous times about how much Hubby and I love to geocache.  A few weeks ago, we found our first cache of the year, and we were off and running.  Last weekend, we found our 100th geocache.  Now, I know a lot of cachers break a hundred within their first month, but we have been real casual cachers, so this was kind of a big deal for us.

However, I have recently become addicted to something new.  This thing is called the munzee.

While out looking for a geocache, I stumbled upon a QR code hidden near the cache location.  Being the nosey person I am, I pulled out my smart phone, used my code scanner, and decided to see what the code was for.  It directed my phone to download an application called Munzee.  Basically, these codes are hidden in different locations, and, like geocaches, you use the GPS coordinated to find the location of the codes.  Once you locate the code, you scan it with the application on your smartphone, and it registers that you have "captured" the code.  In short, it is paperless geocaching.  I was instantly hooked.  In the three weeks since then, I have captured 44 munzees.

Each munzee is worth points, and by collecting points, you go up in levels.  But there is another way to earn points, by deploying your own munzees.  Tonight, Hubby and I deployed our first munzees ever.  I noticed that some areas near me have virtually no munzees, so these are the areas we hit tonight.  I plan on deploying more soon.  It is so easy, you go to the munzee website, and you can create the codes there.  Then you print them, weatherize them, and off you go to deploy them.

I am someone who much prefers urban geocaches to the ones in the woods, so munzees really appeal to me.  While they too can be hidden in the woods, I have found most to be more out in the open.  It is a quick way to make a find without fighting ticks.  Perfect for this girl!

So, if any of you are geocachers, I hope you will check out munzees as well.  And feel free to add Hubby and I as friends on both the geocaching and munzee websites, our user name in both places is "Coase".

Happy Hunting!

Thankful for... living in town

Hubby and I both grew up in fairly rural areas.  Well, let me clarify, we both grew up in rural counties in our respective states of residence, and within those counties, we both grew up on rural county roads, as compared to "in town".  So, when we decided to buy a house smack in the middle of the town that is our county seat, we both knew it would be a bit of an adjustment.

I had less of an adjustment, since I had moved out at 24 for graduate school.  I lived "in town" the entire time I was in graduate school, then when I moved to Pittsburgh, I lived in (several of) the South Hills suburbs, which were in and of themselves little towns.  So, for me, it was more an adjustment to living in a house, as opposed to an apartment.  I had been used to hearing other residents moving around my building, so the first few times I was in our house alone, it was a little scary!

For Hubby, the adjustment was much bigger.  He, too, had moved out for college and grad school, but when he was finished, he moved back in with his parents.  When he moved into our house, it was his first real, permanent, move.  Dealing with street parking, lots of sirens from the 3 local fire houses, and neighbors 2 feet away from our house, not to mention all the changes our particular street has undergone in the nearly 3 years we have lived here (nearly 3 years?  already?!).  Luckily, we happened to buy a house on a fabulous street.  We live on a one way street that is a mix of long term residents and young families.  Once we got over a few bumps adjusting to neighbors, I can say that this is probably one of the nicest, quietest streets in town.  Last fall, a large housing development was added for seniors at the end of our block.  We all had concerns, but honestly, we rarely ever see any of the neighbors from that development, and the pretty houses and landscaping have really perked up the street.

All in all, people keep to themselves on our street, but everyone is really kind.  We are all so busy that we just do not see each other much.  But today, I was reminded why living in town has become a blessing to us.

Our neighbors to each side had fencing along the side boundaries of our yard, so our first full summer here, Hubby and my dad fenced in the back and put fencing up to the house, so our back yard is completely fenced in.  This is great for the doggies.  However, it is a pain for cutting grass, because we have to drag the mower out through the gate to cut the side and front yards.  On top of that, last summer, I talked Hubby into buying a manual mower to help be a little greener (and to help us get some extra exercise).  It is quite cumbersome to drag it through that gate.

With the early warm spring weather, our yard had become a jungle, and today, I decided to give Hubby a surprise but tackling the first mow of the year.  His current work shift gets him home after dark, and I knew if we waited until next weekend to mow, it would be a complete mess.  As I was dragging the manual mower up from the basement, and trying to get into the groove, our next door neighbor was mowing along his side of the fence line.  He stopped his mower, and remarked that he saw I was manually mowing, and since he knew it would take me a long time, he was going to mow my front and side yards for me.  I was beyond grateful!  He cut my mow time in half, simply because I would not have to maneuver the gate and fence.

In this small act of kindness, which took him a fraction of the time it would have taken me, my neighbor reminded me how truly thankful I am to live in this town, on this street, with these neighbors.

It Made My Day: Antique Shopping

This IMMD actually happened a few weeks ago, but because it involved one of Hubby's Valentine's gifts from me, I could not post it then, so I decided to post it today!

Since Hubby and I tend to make Valentine's more about showing love and less about spending money, I try to think of something special that is not terribly expensive.  So, I decided to try to find a dachshund figurine for Hubby.  Since doxies are not easily found, I decided to try looking in antique shops.  I headed down to an antique shop in Leechburg we had visted in December.

I am not much of an antique person, but we found this little gem of a shop one day, and I just loved the atmosphere.  However, when I arrived to shop this time, the store was not yet open.  I noticed another antique store a few doors down, and went in.  The shop owner was so friendly, she knew she did not have any doxies, so she promptly made a few calls to other shop owners in the area until we found a store that had one (I would go later that morning to pick it up).  By the time I left, my original destination was now open, so I decided to stop in.

The only doxie he had was a soap dish holder, and while it was totally adorable, it was about $70, way out of my budget.  I told him it was a bit pricier than I was looking for this particular gift, and thanked him for his time.  As I looked around the store more, he pulled a tiny piece of glassware out and put it on the counter.  "Does this look like a dachshund to you?", he asked.  I replied that it did, given the length of the snout and the length of the body.  "Well, then, you can have it.  I have been waiting for the right person to give it to that would appreciate it."  Wait, what?  Have it?

He told me it was a piece of blown glass from Bimini.  He said there was a slight chip in the tail that greatly reduced its value, so we was just giving it to me.  I felt like I won the lottery.  It was so light and delicate, I was so scared I would break it before I got it home.  But I was careful as could be, and Hubby was so excited about it.

Here he is, next to my rings for scale.

I was so amazed and thankful for the kindness shown to me by these two shop owners.  It was clear that, while business owners, they were most interested in having happy, satisfied customers, and contributing to their communities.  Which is exactly why I will return to these shops.

Thank you to the antique community in Leechburg.  You totally made my day.

That time that I almost witnessed a crime

Today, I went to work, like I always do, and spent the first minutes firing up the computer, checking email, and going through the beginning parts of my morning routine.  Suddenly, we heard all these sirens, and before I knew it, the main street in my town was full of police cars, ambulances, and uniformed officers running, yes, running, into a local storefront.  Something bad was going down.

Over the next three hours we watched cop cars circle the blocks, and lights flashing.  Eventually some of the emergency vehicles left, and details trickled in.  A drug store in town had been robbed at gunpoint.  Apparently, the female suspect was apprehended; she had been attempting to steal opiates.  This happened on the next block up from my office, in plain sight.  Scary stuff, and everyone was a little shook up.

Incredibly, this was not the first time I almost witnessed a crime.  Well before Hubby and I were married, before we were even dating, I lived in a suburb of Pittsburgh, part of the South Hills area.  It was a nice, clean area, little crime, and very few problems.  I lived near a large, lovely 24 hour market, so I would just pop in whenever I took the notion.  One Friday night, my timing was inexplicably bad.

I headed to the market, walked through the doors, and took little notice of what was going on around me.  I gathered some produce and frozen foods, and it was only when I went to the register that I learned I had walked into the store in the middle of a robbery.  The suspects robbed the cigarette counter, and made off with several thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes.  I had breezed in during the event, none the wiser.  By the time I was at the register, the robbers were long gone, and police were taking statements.  Since I had not seen anything, I was free to go.

(In trying to find the news story of that incident to no avail, I see that since I moved away from that area, about 4 more robberies have happened a block from where I lived.  Guess it is not so quiet after all.)

Clearly, I have someone looking out for me.

It Made my Day: Happy Feet

This morning, I woke up full of joy.  I have met a small goal that I set for myself several weeks ahead of schedule.  I am getting into the holiday spirit.  I have gotten to spend time with some great friends over the past few weeks, not to mention my family.  I have a job that I absolutely love, and work with incredibly caring people.  I have a husband who is more amazing that words can even allow, two adorable dogs, a cat that lovingly drives me bonkers, and as if all this were not enough, today is Friday!  Hubby is not a morning person, yet this morning, when he woke up, we had a tickle fest and it allowed me to see him start his day with a giant smile.  Today, I am full of joy, and I wanted everyone to know it.

As I dressed for work, I realized my outfit was very plain.  Grey dress, black tights, black cardigan.  Cute, and comfortable, but plain.  I needed people to see my joy.  I found the perfect solution.

 

Now everyone can see my joy, thanks to my happy feet. It totally made my day!

Fall Foliage

Each year, the local Tourist Bureau sponsors fall foliage tours.  This year, the weather did not cooperate for a couple of the tours, but there was one really fun day of touring through the county, with the final destination being the Renshaw Family Farm Pumpkin Fest.

The morning was a little gray and drizzly, but we still got to see some gorgeous fall colors, and lovely sites on some scenic county roads.

I personally loved seeing a lot of the rural areas and animals along the way.

The final stop was Pumpkin Fest.  I just love the Renshaw Farm.

They always decorate it so nicely, and the scenery is beautiful.  For Pumpkin Fest, they have crafts and decorations for sale, and tons of activities kids.  New this year was an animal park.  It was probably my favorite part of the entire day.

By the end of the day, my boots were covered in mud, my hair was windblown, and I was exhausted.  I would say, that indicates it was a good day indeed.

Act Your Age? No Thanks!

Photo Credit

Act your age.  Probably something we have all been told at some point in our lives.  And at times, that command is completely appropriate.  It drives me nuts how so many people, mostly women, refuse to act like adults.  I see countless acts of bitter, immature women all the time.  Women act this way mostly toward other women, out of jealousy and a sense of competition.  I often want to tell these women to act their age.

But there are times when it is good to not act your age.

Today, I had an opportunity to spend some time with some "senior citizens".  It struck me how much people with the label of "senior citizen" decide to act, well, like old folks.  You know what I mean, they wear old people clothes, and engage in exclusively old folks activities.  I just don't get it.  Then I realized, I don't get it because none of the older role models I have in my family act this way.

I will start with my parents.  I often forget that because my parents are of retirement age, they are technically considered "seniors".  This label is a load of poppycock when it comes to Mom and Dad.  Not only do they both look incredibly young, they act it.  My mom always has her hair and nails looking nice, usually way nicer than mine, and she wears stylish clothes.  Same with my dad, even though his hair has been grey since he was in his 30s, he has never dressed like an old man.  And they do not act old either.  They are constantly busy with their grandkids, active in their church, and my dad even works 2 part time jobs.

The same can be said for my aunts and uncles.  None of them act old.  Even my grandmother, until the time she passed away in her 90s, never acted old.  She traveled, stayed busy, and lived in her home, no retirement center for her.  Heck, this is a woman who got a speeding ticket in her 80s!  Sure, she had broken a hip, but the first time she did it polka dancing with her great grandson.

I love that despite the fact that these people are my elders, they refuse to be elderly.  I hope that when I am old enough to retire, I am still as youthful and active as they all have been.

Thanks for the reminder that it's ok to not act my age once in a while!

Will the real Tiffany please stand up?

I have always been pretty fortunate to have a unique name.  Not crazy out there unique, like Apple or Pilot, but still, in the midwest, Tiffany was not a common name as I was growing up.  And my maiden name is very unique.  Pretty much anyone with that name is someone to whom I am related.  And in my hometown, it was a name everyone knew, because two of my cousins were professional baseball players.  So, no one ever questioned that I was, well, me.

When I got married, I thought my married name was pretty unique.  I had never heard it before I met Hubby.  So, when someone told us that they saw in the newspaper where someone with my name had bought property in another town nearby, for a split second I thought I had been a victim of identity theft.  My heart dropped.  We tried to find the listing, but never did, so I let it go.  Later, I received a piece of mail from a local politician.  He has his aids find stories about local families in his constituency, and sends them the news clippings.  So, I opened the mail, and there was a picture of a girl whose mother was listed, and the mother's name was my name.  Clearly, this was a mistake, right?

I did a little searching, and found out that a woman with my same name lives in a town near me, and this mail was clearly intended for her.  So, I contacted her, got her address, and sent it to her.  Since then, we have come in contact with several people that know her, and when I tell them my name, the always mention her.  It is kind of a running joke.  Turns out Hubby's last name is fairly common in our county.

So, no one actually stole my identity.  But others are not nearly so lucky.  The FTC estimates that 9 million people suffer identity theft each year.  There are a lot of things we can do to help safeguard our personal information.  One such thing we can do in terms of identity theft protection is to use some sort of service, like Identity Hawk, to determine where your information is vulnerable, and to put safeguards in place.

I am amazed that in such a small area, someone has my same exact name.  I am sure this happens a lot in bigger cities, or with names like Joe Smith, or Mary Jones.  And in 20 years, when today's babies are all grown up, there will be lots of Jacob Johnson and Isabella Williams mix ups I am sure.

What Would You Have Done: Overheard

I live in town.  This means our yard is the size of a postage stamp, and our neighbors are all in close proximity.  On all four sides.  Even our neighbor's neighbors are close enough for us to hear and see.  Normally, this is never an issue.  Most people in our little section of town are family people, so it is pretty quiet.  But the other day, I stumbled into an uncomfortable situation.

I had taken my dogs outside to play and do their business.  It was a lovely evening, so I sat outside with them.  That was when I overheard something uncomfortable.  One of the couples in the neighborhood were having a disagreement of sorts regarding some home improvements.  Now, let me specify here, they were not fighting.  There was no hitting, not even any yelling.  There were no curse words being used.  Just a loud conversational speaking tone serving up plenty of snark and sarcasm.  But it was clearly being done loud enough for anyone to hear.  Things like "Oh no, please, drag it on longer.  There is nothing I would rather do than wait another month for this painting to be finished.".  Stuff like that.  Then the female came to her car to get something, and she clearly saw that I was out in my yard.  I just sat there looking kind of stupid.

I felt so darn uncomfortable.  Should I have gone in and allowed them the privacy to have their conversation? Should I have stayed out to watch my dogs?  Is it my fault for not ignoring it or making the dogs come inside? Was it their fault for having a private disagreement is a somewhat public arena?  This sort of thing always makes me so uncomfortable.  Write me a comment and tell me what you have done.

Explorations: Clarks' Landing

One of the hardest things about not being a native to my town is not knowing all the awesome things that used to be here before I moved here.  Which is why I am so excited that Clarks' Landing has opened in Kittanning.  Everyone talks about this great restaurant the used to be in town, called Clarks.  Family restaurant, great prices, good food, whats not to love?  Well, it shut down last year, before I ever got to try it.  So, when I learned that it would be reopening at a new location, with a slightly new name, I was super excited to try it out.

Today, I got the chance.


The first thing we noticed as we walked up was the adorable outdoor seating.  I love the bright colored umbrellas, and the nice view of our town.

We walk inside, and we are greeted by a bright, friendly interior.  Everything is shiny and new!  I liked the look of the place, very warm and inviting.

Similarly, the staff were all friendly and helpful.

When we got the menu, I was flabbergasted.

There were so many different things to choose from.  The menu is so extensive, there is no way someone, even the pickiest of eaters, could not find something to suit their palate.  Everything sounded so delicious.  Hubby settled on a burger, and I ordered my favorite, a buffalo chicken salad.  A restaurant's whole reputation, in my opinion, can be won or lost on their buffalo chicken salad.  When the salad came, I took a deep breath, and prepared to make my determination.

Verdict?  Absolutely the best buffalo chicken salad I have had in months, possibly ever.  I have tried them from so many different places in town, and I am telling you, this one was hands down the best in town.  I ate every bite of it.

Hubby also opted for a piece of pie, which looked delicious, but I was too stuffed to even taste it.  He was very happy with it though.

We got a copy of their carry out menu (many more buffalo chicken salads in my future I predict), and I can guarantee we will be back.

Clarks' Landing reopened in the midst of a site that is being redeveloped as Kit-Han-Ne Village.  The plans look gorgeous, and I really hope some more businesses move in, I think it will be great for our town.

How to Save a Life

This week, I had an opportunity, as part of my new job, to be trained in CPR, and learn how to use an automated external dibifillator, or AED.  I hope to goodness I never have to use these skills, but I am thankful I have them.

I have been trained in CPR before, once as part of a CPR/First Aid class in college, and once as part of previous employment training.  I have not held certification in over 10 years (wow, I am old.).  One of the things I loved about the training I had this week was how "home town" it was.  The training was held in a local fire station, and pretty much everyone in the class knew everyone else, except me, I only knew my coworkers.  They talked about things going on in their towns, babies being born, the upcoming fair, it was all so personal.

And because it was so personal, I think everyone took the class really seriously.  Because if we had to use these skills, it most likely would not be on a stranger.  It would be on a friend, a neighbor, or a loved one.  When we got to infant CPR, the instructor talked so frankly about how scary it is to use these skills on a baby, and how upset we would probably get if ever we were in that situation.

Because many of the people in the class were part of the medical and emergency community, I feel like I learned things about CPR that I never knew, like why it is so important to make sure the compressions are deep enough, and why you wait for the chest to completely recoil.  I feel so prepared to use these skills, I just pray I never need to.

It makes me so thankful for the emergency services here in my town, and everywhere.

Flocked!

I am beyond blessed to have a wonderful group of friends that I have met through my husband.  Some of the wives of his friends, some are the friends of those friends, and we form this little cohesive group that is unlike anything I have ever experienced.  We have nicknamed ourselves the Real Housewives of Armstrong County.  We try to get together once a month for a girl's night, and try to help celebrate the wonderful things going on in each other's lives.

Erin got to become an official member last weekend, since she was now a wife and not a fiance.  And while the wedding was a celebration of this, we decided that we needed to help officially congratulate them, and specifically Erin for become a full fledged member of the "Real Housewives".  What better way than to flock them?

Flocking is something that people do with flamingo lawn ornaments.  A local youth group is raising money by having people pay to have a neighbor or a friend flocked.  I decided to put a little spin on this, and instead of decorating just the lawn, we decorated their whole house with tropical flamingo decorations.

What couple would not like the luxury of their honeymoon being extended for another day or two?  That is what we did, by decorating their house, and showing them some love.  We even put a couple of home cooked meals in the freezer so they would not need to cook for a couple of days.

One of the great things about living in a small town is that I have had a chance to create such close, meaningful relationships, not only with my friends, but with their families as well.  Erin's sister knew about our little plan, and helped keep the secret until the newlyweds got home today.

It was so fun for us girls to help extended the celebration for a day or two by surprising Erin and Jason.  We truly love them from the bottom of our hearts!

Mayflies

Living near the river has lots of advantages.  Pretty much guaranteed gorgeous scenery all year round.  Easy accessibility to those aquatically inclined.  A fantastic riverside park.

It also has some downfalls.  One of these is the annual mayfly infestation.

One night earlier this week, as Hubby was driving home, he called me to inform me that the mayflies had hatched, and were everywhere.  He suggested I grab my camera and he would pick me up to go take pictures for the blog.  I love that he encourages this dorky behavior.

So, I run out to his car, which had a few mayflies clinging to it.  When seen one by one, while not what I would call cute, they are not that bad.

And then, we reached the bridge.  The mayflies were swarming around lights and on telephone and electric wires.  My pictures are not great, because there was no way I was rolling down the window or getting out of the car.

The ground was so thick with them, we could hear their bodies crunching under the tires.  It was disgusting.

And this was the beginning of the infestation. Here is a video from last year, during the thick of things. I bet you itch when you watch it.



GROSS.

Gaelic Storm

As I have mentioned in the past, we live near Riverfront Park in Kittanning, a park that is used for a variety of events.  Last night, I think, was our most fun night at the park so far.

Each summer, a series of free concerts occurs in the park, sponsored by Arts on the Allegheny.  Last night, the summer concert series kicked off by the highly anticipated Gaelic Storm concert.  We got there just in time for the opening act.  And shortly after that, the rain started.

It pretty much rained the entire night.  And the amazing thing was, barely anyone left due to the rain.  People had come prepared with umbrellas, and when the rain started, a sea of colorful umbrellas opened up.  This is a testament to how much Kittanning loves Gaelic Storm.

Not only is there music, but there are wonderful concessions by local vendors.  It truly was a festival like atmosphere, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, despite the rain.

Finally, the main event.  Gaelic Storm.  Now, this was the first time we saw them.  Hubby loves Irish music, and seemed a little familiar with them.  This band put on one HECK of a great show, despite the soggy conditions.  It was amazing.

After 2 hours in the rain, Hubby and I were freezing, so we left a little early, but not before buying a cd off of the band.  And even with the rain, we had a total blast.