laurel mountain post, july 2014

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST, September 2013 - 1

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Ruthie Richardson’sEndless SummerYoga DogA Bird in the HandCycle of Life & LoveDoggie DiversityDogs, Cats and Critters, Oh My!Marine Mom

Every Story Begins At Home. July 2014 - 3

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Puppy Love

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and they called it

"Puppy Love" is a popular song written by Paul Anka in 1960 for AnnetteFunicello, whom he was dating at the time. Anka's version reached #2 onthe Billboard Hot 100 and #33 on the UK Singles Chart. Mr. Anka turns 73onJuly 30. (wikipedia)

Mike is the first dog I can remember, but the photo belowis a bit blurry and faded. We have always had dogs on thefamily farm, and I cannot imagine my life without them.There have been working dogs (shepherds, collies, Siberianhusky, Australian cattle), hunters (Brittany spaniel, beagle),big dogs (great Dane, Irish setter), guard dogs (rottweiler),and a cavalcade of lovable mutts. Most all of them wereburied in a “family plot” at the back of the farm over theyears – our very own “Pet Cemetery.”

Our dogs were beloved members of the family, eventhough my mother never allowed pets in the house. Theylived in the barn with theother animals, but spenttheir days with us as weworked and played. Thedogs were my protectors,my nannies, my playmatesand my first friends. Earlyon in life, I was blessed toknow the special love andloyalty only a dog can give.

Today I love to readbooks and stories aboutdogs, and have really en-joyed putting together this issue full of precious pups. Asalways, there are lots more tales out there, but I only hadroom for a few this month. If you know of a special localdog or charming story, please let me know!

My sister, Michelle, our dog, Mike,and me in 1973.

Steelers Training CampJuly 25 – August 14

• There will be 15 practices open to the public during theSteelers' 2014 training camp• The Steelers will open their 2014 training camp at Saint VincentCollege on Friday, July 25, with the first day’s schedule includingthe annual conditioning run and then a team meeting. Campusthen will open to fans on Saturday, July 26, and the first of the15 practices to be open to the public is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.• The “Friday Night Lights” practice is scheduled to begin at 7p.m. on Aug. 1 at Latrobe Stadium. The practice will be precededby an autograph session.• The Buffalo Bills will be on campus for back-to-back joint prac-tice sessions with the Steelers in the middle of what will be theteam’s final week at Saint Vin-cent College. The Tuesday, Aug. 13practice is scheduled to start at 3 p.m., with the Wednesday, Aug.14 session set to start at 5:30 p.m. That Aug. 14 session also will bethe final one open to the public this summer.• www.steelers.com/schedule-and-events/TrainingCamp.html

4 - July 2014 LAUREL MOUNTAIN POSTPOSTPOSTPOSTPOST

Table of Contents 2014

Endless Summer ... Wouldn’tIt Be Nice? by Ruthie Richardson

The Cycle of Life & Love: A Dog’s Storyby Rachel Hannah Jones

Dogs, Cats, and Critters ... Oh My!by Brian Mishler

Doggie Diversity by Megan Fuller

Summer Balance: How NOT to LetSummer Wreck Your Weight Loss

by Mark Rullo, MS, CSCS, MES

Penn State Extension Develops NewWater Quality App

Black Seed by Granny Earth

Take Fido for a Walk by Michael Vernon

A Bird in the Hand by Joe Walko

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2020

2225

“Mark Twain” by Rev. Marjorie Rivera

Eye of the Needle Book Review by Gretchen Fuller

Yoga Dog by Jennifer Goebel

Rolling Rock Hunt Pony Club

July-August Community Calendar

End Notes: Marine Mom by Denise Raible Martin

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July

18

21

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412-884-7788 • pittsburghmedium.com

Psychic Medium Rev. Marjorie RiveraPittsburgh’s Premiere Psychic & Party Reader

My mission is to prove the continuity of lifepast the transition we call death.


MEMORY LANEby Ruthie Richardson

Endless Summer ... Wouldn’t It Be Nice?I’ve heard it said many times thatmusic is the soundtrack of our lives.And I know from personal experiencethat hearing a certain song cantransport me back in time to an exactmoment from my past. I can stillremember slugging the jukebox atMurray’s Restaurant, ‘down street’ inDerry and pushing those well wornbuttons so my girlfriends and I couldcha cha to “Sherry,” by the FourSeasons. When I hear Garnet Mimms’soulful voice singing “Cry Baby” to meon my favorite oldies station, I closemy eyes and, once again, I am runningup the five flights of stairs to Harry’sDanceland – The Rink. I rememberidentifying with those old songs as ifthey had been written specifically forme and me alone. And I remembersinging along with those sad, poeticlyrics as they perfectly described myexact teenage heartaches. I wouldmarvel that the famous Little Anthonyknew exactly how much, “Like needlesand pins, it hurt, hurt so bad ...”

As this year’s brutal winter finallycame to an end, I was once again re-minded of the songs that have alwaysbeen a part of the soundtrack of mysummers. For me, the music of the1960’s was like a lovely gift – a warm,musical summer breeze that filteredout of my radio. Way back in the ‘60’s,there was one group, one quintes-sential band, that could magicallycondense all of my youthful, summer-time emotions into a three-minutesonata. I hung on every word and sangalong as they serenaded me about life,love, and that ever-beckoning ‘Warmthof The Sun.’ I’m referring, of course,to The Beach Boys.

Brian, Carl, Mike, Dennis, and Al.Those handsome, talented boys sangto us about their dreams of summer,the same dreams that were shared bykids all across the country. Although

they were California born and bred,their songs rang true for kids from theland-locked Dakotas to the Gulf ofMexico. Their brilliant lyrics enchan-ted most every teenager from coast tocoast. We were all singing along, fromthe beaches of the Atlantic all the wayto the shores of their beloved Pacific.

They were not only singing to us, theywere singing about us and our lives,in a way that let us know that theyunderstood. Through their music werealized that we were not alone. Thosesimple yet profound verses confirmedthat others were experiencing theaching insecurity of a first love. Theyassured us that we were not the firstperson to be emotionally crushed bythe heartache of rejection. They alsotold us that out there, somewhere,other couples were experiencing thejoy – the unequaled elation – that

came from a first kiss; while otherswere drowning in deep despair as theyremembered a kiss that had onlymeant good-bye. They sang of love –true, infinite, forever love in “God OnlyKnows” what I’d be without you. EvenPaul McCartney has said this was hisfavorite song of all time.

The Beach Boys music started outas the Southern California surfersound, but to imagine that their songscould be constrained to one smallgeographic area of the country was tomisinterpret the weight of the lyricsthat spoke to and FOR an entire gener-ation of teenagers.

Those innocent lyrics encouragedus to dance, to have fun, and to not beafraid to fall in love. There were otherlessons to be learned through theirmusic, too. They taught us aboutschool spirit and loyalty when theysang “Be true to your school.” And theytold us to trust our intuition aboutpeople, and judge them by their“Good Vibrations.” They urged us toexpand our little worlds, to meet newpeople, to get out and “Round, round,get around, I get around.” Like all ofus, they wondered about the futureand how theirs would turn out; andthey put it into words with “When IGrow Up (To Be a Man).”

I loved the fact that the BeachBoys felt the same way as I did aboutfast cars. For as long as I can remem-ber, I have had a love affair with theautomobile. Well, at least SOME auto-mobiles. My favorite car has alwaysbeen the long, sleek Jaguar XKE – andfrom the early ‘60’s, it has been mydream car. The British invasion broughtus more than a musical revolution, italso introduced an entire generationto all those beloved 1960’s Britishsports cars: the Austin Healys and

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Long ago ... Atlantic surf with my own Beach Boyand hubby, Doug!


the Sunbeam Tigers, the MGs andthe Triumphs – not to mention thefamous Aston Martin DB5 madefamous by Bond, James Bond. Theywere all so appealing to me, and sowas the American standard bearer,the Corvette. As much as the aesthe-tics of the automobile call to me,nothing can beat the sound of a bigblock, American-made muscle carjust rumbling at the gate, waiting tosend white smoke pouring from it’stires as the ‘Christmas tree’ lightsflash down from red to green on thatquarter mile.

The Beach Boys immortalizedmy love affair in the first few bars oftheir song, “She’s real fine, my 409."My brother had one. It was a ‘63’burgundy convertible four-speed,‘dual quad, positraction 409,’ and Ican attest to the fact that she was,indeed, so fine … and sooo fast.Their songs encouraged weekendtrips to our local drag strip, KeystoneRaceway Park, when they sang, “I getpushed out of shape and she’s hardto steer, but I get rubber in all fourgears. She’s my Little Deuce Coupe.”

And in case that didn’t scare offthe challengers, the engine specs theysang about just might! ‘She had aflathead mill, she’s ported and re-lieved, and she’s stroked and bored,she’ll do a hundred and forty in the

top end floored.’ So beware! You hadbeen warned, so you might as well“Turn it off, turn it off, buddy gonna’shut you down.” Sometimes thoseboys even sang about losing the car:not their cars, you know, just the‘girlfriends’ car. Guess they thoughtthey would have more “Fun, fun,fun, now that daddy took her T-Birdaway.” That same girl must haveloved the racing part as much as Idid since she told her boyfriend,Brian, to go for it and “Don’t worry,baby, everything will turn outalright!’ Wonder if she yelled “Let’shear it!” right before he popped theclutch? I always did! I loved all thecars, all the car songs, and I lovedthose boys, too. They encouraged myunnatural affection for the internalcombustion engine, one that was sur-rounded by a whole lot of chrome, andfinished off with a ragtop.

I had a poster of my dream XKEon my bedroom wall. I also hungphotos of Troy Donohue and JamesDarren (aka Moondoggie, from themovie Gidget) along with pictures ofSandra Dee and Connie Stevens. Iwanted to BE Sandra Dee. In myyoung and sheltered world, I was sureshe had the perfect life. Of course Ionly knew her by the made-up charac-ters she played. The mirror on mydresser was adorned with plastic leiswon at Idlewild school picnics alongwith ticket stub mementos. Scattered

across that dresser were bits and piecesof my favorite things: an old stuffedanimal, a bottle of Ambush, my charmbracelet, a love letter. Mom had al-lowed me to paint my bedroom wallsmy favorite shade of lavender. My pinkprincess phone sat on my nightstand,and my diary was safely locked in thedrawer below. This important littlecorner of the world was my safe place.My respite. My room. Such a universalfeeling for a teenager: slamming thedoor to your room, hiding out in yourroom, being alone with all of thoseyouthful, confusing thoughts andsorting them out – in your room. BrianWilson coalesced all of these feelingsinto a song. He wrote a song about hisbedroom. Imagine that. But it was asong that rang so true, was so belovedby teenagers that it was on the chartsfor 11 weeks. When I hear that song,those melancholy lyrics still get to me,all these years later. They transport meback to my little house in West Derry,and up the stairs to MY room. Brianwas so right when he sang, “There’s aworld, where I can go and tell mysecrets to …”

They sang about their girlfriends,too. Sometimes she remained name-less, and I could insert myself into thescenario. For instance, I could havebeen your surfer girl, Brian, and wecould have ‘rode surf together, whileour love would grow. In your Woody,you could take me everywhere you go.’And as for all that Surfing USA stuff,I could have gone on that safari withyou, Mike, and had a ‘bushy, bushyblonde hairdo.’ Lord knows I have thehair that would frizz right up! Thenthere were the girls with names, like‘Wendy, I wouldn’t hurt you like that,I thought we had our love down pat,guess I was wrong.’ I guess Wendy didn’tcare, that little heartbreaker! So theboys needed some help in healing thatold broken heart, or at least a littledistraction, and they knew just the girlto help with that! ‘Rhonda! Help meget her out of my heart. Help me,Rhonda, help, help me Rhonda.’ Youknow the rest, go ahead and sing it loud!

I remember the summers of myyouth being filled with warm sunnydays, and balmy summer nights.During high school we went to parties,

continued from page 5

Some of my precious mementos, lovingly saved from ‘my room’.


went to the HI Way Drive-In, cruisedEat ‘N Park, went dancing at the Rinkand the Rooster, and had the same funthe Beach Boys serenaded us about.Well, we didn’t do all the ocean andsurfing stuff, our only beach was NickGallo’s in Ligonier, and those waveswere pretty puny. But all the other funthat they sang about in their songs wewere having too, all across the country.They sang about our collective uni-form of summer: ‘T-shirts, cutoffs anda pair of thongs.” And we approved thelyrics that they, as well as we, werehaving ‘Fun all summer long.’ Theysang to us about playing miniaturegolf, like we did at Statler’s, and ridingHondas in the hills that could just aseasily been the Chestnut Ridge and theLaurel Mountains. They loved to“Dance dance dance, now the beat’sreally hot, dance dance dance, rightthere on the spot!” And so did we, fromthe Twist and Splashes at the LatrobeElks, and Nick Gallo’s, to the Hooten-annys at Skatell’s parking lot in Latrobe!

The photos and album covers ofthose handsome boys were striking asthey allowed us a glimpse into theircharmed lives. I read articles in teenmagazines about the inspirations fortheir song lyrics, and all about theirexciting and carefree adventures whilejetting around the world. I would playtheir music on my hi-fi and gaze at thealbum covers. There they were, alwaysat the beach, sitting in that old, yellowpickup with the thatched roof holdinga surfboard on the Surfin’ Safari al-bum, while I was stuck in snowy West-ern Pennsylvania doing homeworkand helping my mom with the ironing.They smiled devilishly at me, whilewearing those matching striped shirtsand singing their hits on Ed Sullivanand Bandstand. There was always acrush of screaming girls around,dancing with them and singing along.And there I was, stuck in crummy littleDerry where the big event of the daywas riding my bike to the Derry Pooland being back home in time to helpmom get supper ready and then do thedishes. I just knew their real livesplayed out exactly as the lyrics of theirsongs. They were big stars, went to thebeach every day, were surrounded bygorgeous girls, drove to parties every

night in shiny new cars, slept late, sangsongs, and were beloved and pamperedby everyone they met. I longed for thecarefree life they had: no worries, noproblems, just fun, fun, fun, all day,every day.

Funny how perception sometimesclashes with reality. I don’t put muchstock in the accuracy of ‘made for TV’biopics unless the person the movie isabout is the one who made it. But ifeven 1/10th of the movie, ‘The Beach-boys, An American Family” is true, Ihad it all wrong. I guess there are nocharmed lives, no perfectly happy andtrouble-free existences. Everyone,

everywhere has their ‘stuff.’ Maybe thelittle, nondescript life I had in little oldDerry was what others had beensearching for all along. It sure seemsthat way when I read the true story ofthe life of Sandra Dee. My family didn’thave lots of money, or fame, or tripsaround the world being greeted bythrongs of adoring, anonymous fans,but I did have the unquestioning loveand support of my parents. I had a roofover my head, my mom’s wonderful,plain old cooking every day, and mywarm, safe little bedroom. Just like the

continued on page 17

I wanted to be that famous Surfer Girl,and it could just as easily been “Help me, Ruthie, Help, Help, me Ruthie!”


The companionship of a dog can’t bemeasured in human terms and neither canhis love. From the moment we hold themin our arms as puppies, to their last breathson earth, a dog’s life is forever entangled inour own.

Some puppies begin life as a speciallydesigned product of a qualified breed. Othersbegin in a home or a shelter, while someare born into the wild with no celebrationbut that of its mother’s welcoming licks.

This story is for all ofthem, whether brought intothis world through humblebeginnings or planned births.Every dog has a past and afuture. If we are lucky, theymay share their adventuresand lives with us.

This is the cycle of life andlove.

As we explore the differ-ent aspects of a dog’s life, youwill see the sometimes glancedover parts, the forgotten partsand the parts we wish to forget.

To begin, let’s take a tripto a breeder that ensures heal-thy puppies. Bred puppies arequalified for certain attributesspecific to their breed. If youpurchase Hillock Golden Re-triever puppies from TammyTomlinson, a Ligonier resident, you can becertain that the pups will live up to thestandards that she breeds them by.

“It’s important that the golden retrie-vers are bred to do what they were born todo,” Tammy said.

This specific breed naturally retrievesand loves to play ball. But, what breeddoesn’t, right?

Tammy also trains her dogs and com-petes with them. These dogs are observedfrom the very beginning as to whether ornot they are star material.

“What I look for in the puppies is struc-ture, movement, overall posture, confir-mation and whether or not they have the‘it’ factor,” she said.

But puppy choosing can be a difficultthing. Not everyone is sure what breed,gender or size dog they want to have. Somechoose between a breeder and a shelterwhile others open their hearts and homesto strays wandering the streets. Breeders

like Tammy really enjoy when the newowners see their puppies for the first time.

“It’s really rewarding when the own-ers come to pick up their puppies,” she said.“Some cry and give you a hug. It makesthe long nights and lack of sleep worth it.”

However, not every dog is createdequal. Like humans, they each have anindividual task to complete. Some arecontent staying out of the public’s eye andtaking care of their family while others

compete for great titles. Some follow thecalling of service and dedicate their entirelives helping someone that needs an extrameasure of attention, love and protection.Each has a challenging job, and yet, theynever complain. They recognize the needto provide what they can to others. Oh, thelessons we can learn from our dogs!

Every puppy needs obedience trainingregardless of what their future holds. Basicclasses, among many, are available at theB&D Creekside Activity Center in Latrobe.

“We offer classes in agility, work withthe bigger equipment and problem solvingto name a few,” said Darlene Schmucker,trainer and originator.

But what makes this center moreunique than the others? The fact that B&Dhas a state-of-the-art football field turf andis big enough for multiple classes to par-ticipate at the same time is enough to makeany dog wag his tail.

The center was originally the idea ofDarlene’s late husband.

“The center was my husband’s dyingwish,” she said. “After he passed away, Imade that dream a reality.”

She also recently opened Dexter’s Deckrestaurant located in B&D.

“I was very unsure about doing this,”she said. “I had never worked in the rest-aurant industry, and I didn’t know any-thing about it.”

However, with the help of friends’ en-couragement and Craigslist merchandise,

she has made a successfulbusiness for herself. But sheisn’t stopping there. She has bigplans in store for B&D.

Both women also encour-age their dogs to compete. Infact, that is ultimately whyTammy breeds and Darlenetrains. Both have a passion forseeing the dogs that theyhandle competing for a shot atvictory.

But sometimes competi-tions aren’t for everyone. Somedogs choose to dedicate theirlives to service, by helpingpeople with special needs, join-ing the military or other publicsafety groups.

One such organizationthat dedicates its time to train-ing dogs for a broad range of

services is the Canine Partners for Lifelocated in Cochranville, Pa. This organi-zation was founded by Darlene Sullivan in1989 and has always been a dream of hers.

“Founding CPL was a dream of minefrom the time that I was in elementaryschool,” Darlene said. “I was fascinated byworking dogs and guide dogs back then,and knew that I wanted to help people. Idecided to start a service dog organizationbecause the need for such an organizationwas immense.”

The training process takes two yearsto complete before the dog can be partneredwith the person and differs depending onthe special need. Yellow and black Labradorretrievers, standard poodles, golden retrie-vers and mixes of those breeds are thosemost often used for training.

One of the most recent forms of train-ing that CPL is using is that of diabetesawareness.

The Cycle of Life and Love: A Dog’s Storyby Rachel Hannah Jones


Tammy Tomlinson of Ligonier with one of her Hillock Golden Retrievers.


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HOME STUDYby Brian Mishler

Dogs, Cats, and Critters ... Oh My!At no point in my life have I been withouta pet; my childhood was visited by a paradeof cats, hamsters, mice, a rat, birds, turtlesand much to the thrill of my mom, all theother nifty critters a boy can find in thewoods. All the while, our family had“Snooper”, an ever faithful curl-tailedbrown terrier, with the heart of a lion andthe body of a chicken, and his companion,“Clinker” a big ‘ol soft hearted coal blacklab / poodle mix; back when we called thata mutt, not a “designer dog”. In my teens,after Clinker passed we got “Penny” a whitebeagle mix with a big brown spot on her back,and a heart of gold. “Buzzer” a snow-whitecat with one blue and one green eye, was myconstant companion from ages 5 to 22.

Zeke, the black lab who accompaniedme through my 30’s would run the Latrobenature trail with me daily, happily chasingbirds, swimming in the Loyalhanna orchasing anything launched from my hand.15 years later, I miss him still.

Today, “Twister” and “Frazier” our 17and 6 year old cats respectively, begrud-gingly share their humans and home withour 5 year old Boston Terrier, “Gizmo”, aka“Spaz”. Spaz is a great dog; (just don’t tellher I told you so.) smart, always by ourside, and ready for an adventure. Small ofstature, big on loyalty to the point of beingco-dependent; she can’t let my girlfriend outof her sight for a minute.

As any pet owner will tell you, the littlebuggers will have accidents, and it seemsthey always manage to do it at the mostinconvenient times; in seconds, I can heara cat retching, wake up from a sound sleep,and launch out of bed! And that same catwill find the most expensive piece of clothin the house, be it a rug, tablecloth or palm-sized doily to throw up on, even if they’venever been in that location before. I swear,they can get it out of the closet, and unfoldit just to yak on it!

Pets are often a part of what makesup our “home”; they give it a part of ourlives and companionship that are sorelymissed when they’re no longer with us.Beyond the emotional comfort our petsbring us, researchers have discovered thatkids raised with pets tend to have fewerallergies. However, it wasn’t until becoming

a home inspector 20 years ago that I beganto realize the impact animals can have onour houses.

While training for my career, I learnedthat dogs urinating and cats spraying onthe outside air conditioner coil will deteri-orate the aluminum fins, and eventuallydestroy the coil. Seems aluminum isn’t sofond of uric acid. But as time progressed,and experience broadened, my work foundme in homes with reptiles, wild animals,such as raccoons, etc. in cages. The appealof keeping such animals has neverregistered with me, but caged animals canhave an unrecognized negative impact onour living conditions; even if the cage is keptimpeccably clean. First of all, the area sur-rounding the cage must be cleaned regular-ly; for some reason the animals don’t recog-nize the boundary of the bars, and will flingmaterial from the cage onto the adjoiningfurniture, flooring etc. Less noticeable is thefiner “stuff” that becomes airborne and getstransmitted through the house. More onthat later.

Some folks give their smaller animalsa place in the house to relieve themselves;i.e. cats in a litter pan, or small dogs goingon an absorbent mat or pad. Trust me, itdoesn’t stay there.

Then there are some rather unusualcircumstances; during one inspection Idiscovered that the owners had built anoutdoor dog pen that happened to surroundthe drinking water well. For those of youunfamiliar, a water well is supposed to havean 8" diameter capped casing that protrudesup from the ground about a foot. Seemsthe dogs couldn’t discern between it and afire hydrant. Suffice it to sayafter years of such abuse,the water quality testdidn’t turn out so great! Inanother instance a home-owner became unable toproperly care for her largedog, who took to using adining room table leg torelieve himself. Over a periodof time the hardwood flooringand its sub-floor was damagedto where it had to be ripped outand replaced.

What most folks fail to consider is howour animals (And us for that matter) aerosolizeor make airborne, our excretions; from sweatto urine to feces, the occupants of our homesare constantly shedding matter into the air.

Countless times I’ve been in homeswhere the cats litter pan is right next to thefurnace. Not only does this make for arather unpleasant HVAC inspection, unlessthe ductwork is perfectly sealed, (which itnever is) the dust, dander, hair and over-spray is being drawn into the air circulationsystem and blown throughout the house.Those absorbent mats get walked on eitherby people or the pets using them, and againpushed into the air or tracked elsewhere inthe house, to get pushed airborne later.Some folks allow their animals to go directlyonto the concrete floor in the basement. Thedownside here is that concrete is alsoabsorbent, and will trap the odors and asthe contaminant dries, it can becomeairborne as well. This can get bad enoughthat professionals have to come and sealthe concrete to trap the odors in the floor;it’s beyond cleaning.

Another consideration for pet ownersas well as parents is the additional moisturethat gets put in the air for every occupant.Sweat, (panting) open water bowls, bath-ing, fish / reptile tanks, etc. all put additionalmoisture in the air that will either escapethe house through cracks, crevices andventilation, or get trapped; potentiallycausing indoor air quality issues. Puttingyour pets’ food, water and litter boxes inrooms with exhaust fans is a good idea, andmake sure the fan vents to the exterior, notthe attic.

Never would I suggest getting rid ofyour pets; (eh, maybe the kids. J) they’repart of our home and family, in my opinion

their benefits far outweigh the costs.But be aware of what and how

your pets shed, and take appro-priate measures to containwhat it is they expel.

As far as the house isconcerned, don’t let your

animals “go” in the samelocation; letting the


. .


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by Megan FullerPOSTMODERN TENDANCIES

Doggie DiversityIf you have ever read any of my articlesin the past you’ll know that my familyis diverse, that includes our dogs too.We have a pack of three; Rosie, Taco,and Sparkle. My husband is the AlphaMale of the pack. Rosie is his righthand. She is a beautiful Chow Chow:fluffy, smart, and ferocious to strangersunless Big Daddy Alpha tells her theyare okay. Taco and Sparkle are Chihua-huas; their high pitched yips can pierceyour eardrums, and they’re so uglythey’re cute—kind of like Dobby fromHarry Potter.

It is believed that Chow Chows arean ancient breed from China. Accord-ing to theChowChowClub.co.uk,historians have found references toChows in China since the 11th centuryBC—often referring to the dogs’ blue

or black tongue. Legend has it thatwhen the gods were putting the starsin the sky, little bits of the blue/blackwere falling to the earth and the ChowChows were allowed to lick up thesepieces. That is why the Chows’ tonguesare blue. Originally, Chows worked ashunting and guard dogs as well asbeasts of burden pulling sleds andtending flocks or herds.

Rosie definitely has abilities to doall the aforementioned jobs. She lovesto run from the front door all throughthe house out the kitchen door, speed-ing across the backyard to the alleygate, her long fur flapping, as she tendsto her flock (the family). She informsthe mailman daily that he does nothave her permission to enter this terri-tory, and it absolutely makes her crazy

that he dares to continue to return.Rosie will always place herself be-tween any family member and a stran-ger even if Big Daddy Alpha tells herthe stranger is a friend. I love the factthat I can count on Rosie to scare thecrap out of unwanted visitors.

Taco and Sparkle are more likebabies than working dogs. My daugh-ters pick them up, cradle them, showerthem with kisses, and carry themaround—sure they are occasionallytortured by being dressed up in dollclothes, but hey, small price to pay forconstant love. The smaller one, Spar-kle, is the boss of her brother, eventhough Taco probably has 10 lbs onher. She always eats before him (afterRosie of course) and will bully him intomoving or whatever.


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* * * * *Megan Fuller is an applied cognitive anthropologist with postmodern tendencieswho grew up in the exciting Pittsburgh suburb of Pleasant Hills and had thedistinct pleasure of earning a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from IUP. In1993, Megan moved out West to get a Master’s Degree. She also picked up ahusband and hasn’t quite convinced him to move back to Western PA. Tomaintain her authentic Pittsburgh accent she regularly watches PittsburghDad and engages anyone wearing black and gold sports gear in conversation.

Chihuahuas are named after the state in Mexico wherethey were first encountered by Europeans, but archaeo-logical evidence shows them in Mexico dating back to atleast 100 AD. Often bones of the small dogs are found buriedwith high status individuals in Toltec or Aztec tombs.Additionally, artwork depicting Chihuahuas have beenfound at many different ruins throughout Mesoamerica.

Looking at the history of the breeds, it seems that bothChow Chows and Chihuahuas have been used as food. Ican’t really see that the Chihuahuas would make much of ameal—maybe a stew of some sort. Chows would certainlylast a bit longer, and we could make some nice boots out ofRosie’s fur (she just gave me a dirty look). In the HBO series,Rome, from back in 2005 and 2007, the character TitusPullo says that dogs taste like pork if you prepare them right.I’ll just take his word for it.

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by Mark Rullo MS, CSCS, MES

WHAT’S COOKING IN FITNESS

Summer BalanceHow NOT to Let Summer Wreck Your Weight Loss

I am not a celebrity (unless you count mydaughter declaring me “World’s GreatestDad”). As a result, you probably will not beseeing my quotes re-printed or posted onsocial media. I do, however, have a fewmottos which I share with our clients andwhich I feel are appropriate with thesummer season approaching. These twoquotes stress the importance of under-standing the bigger picture and importanceof planning.

The fist motto, “There is no finish lineon the road to a healthy lifestyle”, basicallysays it all. We all must accept that beinghealthy is not an event or period of timewith an end-point. Rather it is an on-goingprocess of making better decisions about avariety of behaviors that impact one’shealth. There are numerous behaviors thatcontribute to a healthy lifestyle which alsoplay a significant role in weight manage-ment. In addition to healthy eating patterns,they include aerobic activity, concern formuscle, recovery and recuperation – the fouringredients we stress at My Fitness Kitchen.

Although we may, from time to time,establish short term goals (e.g., lose 25 lbsbefore the 20th class reunion), equally im-portant is the plan for after the goal is met.After the reunion will you go back to theactivities and eating patterns that causedthe weight gain in the first place? Wherewill you be before your 21st or 30th reunion?

No one can be perfect each day. Some-times the hot wings are too good to resistand sometimes the couch is calling youmore loudly than the treadmill. The ob-jective of a healthy lifestyle and weightmanagement should be winning the ma-jority. With 7 days in a week, if you focuson exercise and good nutrition 4 of the 7days, you will win that week. If you canhave 3 good weeks in a month you will winthat month and if you can have 7 or moregood months in a year you can win thatyear in the battle of a healthy lifestyle andoverall weight management.

The second motto, “You can’t runuphill, full speed all year long,” emphasizesthat we need breaks in our routine. For theaverage person, general fitness can be per-formed year-round. However, when you

are on a program to reach a specific goaland the intensity, volume of exercise andcommitment will be near max, it is essentialthat rest be incorporated into the programdesign. This will help avoid overtrainingand, ultimately, diminished returns. Justremember that taking the break is easy. Thechallenge is getting back into the regularroutine after time off. Professional athleteshave scheduled off-seasons to recover. Theyalso have a great incentive (multi-millioncontracts) to return.

I use these quotes to give my clientssome perspective. Unless you have a specifictime frame in which you need to hit yourweight loss goal, there is no need to stressduring times when you may not have asmuch time to devote as you would like.With that said, it isn’t an excuse to ignorewhat you need to be doing minimally toeither continue with your weight loss goalsor manage your weight.

The two most important elements in-volved in weight loss/management arecaloric management and concern for mus-cle. They are the top two items in the hier-archy of fat loss science and, ironically, thetwo behaviors that are ignored the most.

I’d like to focus on the Concern forMuscle and its importance in your planning.

Concern for muscle is the combinationof resistance training, proper fueling andrecovery. At this time of year, it is not un-common for clients to come in and say theyare going to spend less time in the gym andmore time outside. While I think it is greatthat they are getting outside more andgetting as much aerobic activity as possible,it concerns me that they are neglecting thenumber one activity (resistance training)that combats both aging and a slowingmetabolism. This is especially frustratingbecause resistance training requires theleast amount of time (minimally 10-20minutes) and frequency (at least one timeper week) to be effective. I advise my clientsrather than going out to walk, jog, bike, etc.every day for 30, 60, 90 minutes, take a bitof time to get into the gym to resistancetrain. Do not be misled, we encourage asmuch aerobic activity as possible but onlyAFTER you have concern for muscle.

What I want you to take away fromthis article is that when it comes to exerciseand weight management, regardless oflimited availability or a specific time of year,the last form of exercise your should neglectis progressive resistance training; preferablyresistance exercises that are performed onyour feet where your biggest ASSet (musclemass) is in the exercise and not on the bench!

* * * * *

For more information, please feel free to consultwith any of the fitness professionals at My FitnessKitchen®. Additionally, as an on-going thankyou to Laurel Mountain Post and its readers,mention this article for a FREE, no obligation,personalized, metabolic nutritional formula andfitness program that will leverage the “Hier-archy of Fat Loss.” If you are serious about achiev-ing a body transformation goal, then you need aprogram; as any goal without a plan is reallyonly a wish!

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My Fitness Kitchen® is located in Latrobe 30plaza, Latrobe PA. My Fitness Kitchen® is aweight loss and body transformation center thatalso happens to have a fitness center connectedto it. From the moment you enter My FitnessKitchen® regardless of your age, fitness level orexperience, it’s all about “You.” The supportivestaff, welcoming atmosphere, and friendly mem-bers combine to create the most unique andcomfortable environment for your weight man-agement and fitness success. Whether it is Nu-trition, Fitness or both, you can be confident MyFitness Kitchen® is the solution to a healthierand thinner you.

About the Author:Mark Rullo, MS, CSCS, MES is an ExercisePhysiologist, Certified Strength & ConditioningSpecialist, Medical Exercise Specialist, Certified GolfFitness Instructor and owner of My Fitness Kit-chen® www.myfitnesskitchen.com 724-879-8523. Mark and his team at My Fitness Kitchen®specialize in weight loss and body transformationhelping thousands meet and exceed their goalsthrough evidence-based scientific programming.


Penn State Extension is offering an inno-vative new mobile device application — orapp — called “H2OSolutions,” to help pri-vate water system owners and professionalsevaluate wells, springs and cisterns. The objective of the app is to help usersdiagnose the causes of observed water-quality problems and guide water-testingdecisions. “We know that people are increasinglyusing smartphones and other mobile de-vices to access their information,” saidBryan Swistock, water resources extensionspecialist and a member of the team thathelped to develop the app. “This app willallow private water system owners to diag-nose problems while they are actually look-ing at their water supply.” The app includes four categories:• “Identify Problems with my Water.”This section describes the causes of com-mon water symptoms (stains, tastes, odors,etc.) and provides links to the water testparameters that may cause those symp-toms. Once a water test parameter is selec-ted, the county-based water test data canbe accessed (as described below);

Penn State Extension Develops New Water Quality App• “Water Test Results by County.”Users can select a Pennsylvania county andsee a summary of water quality for privatewater supplies tested from that countybetween 2007 and the present by the PennState Agricultural Analytical Laboratory.Once a county is selected, a page is displayedwith the drinking water standards and thepercentage of samples that failed thestandard for 25 inorganic and microbio-logical parameters. By selecting an indivi-dual test parameter, users can also viewdetailed statistics including the number ofsamples, median, minimum, and maxi-mum concentrations for that county;• “Find Local Penn State ExtensionContacts.” The app uses the location ofthe phone to provide a list (organized fromclosest to farthest) of Penn State Extensioneducators and water specialists who speci-alize in private water system management.Information for the Penn State water test-ing laboratory is also provided. By selectinga person on the contact list, information,including their phone number and emailaddress, is displayed;

• “About this App.” This icon providesinformation about Penn State Extensionand the funding sources used to develop theapplication.

“We anticipate that the app will be mostuseful to home inspectors, real estate agents,and other home professionals who need todiagnose private water system problems inthe field,” said Swistock. “But any home-owner who has a private water supply canlearn about local groundwater problemsand diagnose issues with their water supplyusing this app.”

The Apple version of the app (for use oniPhones and iPads) is available in the AppStore for free download at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/h2o-solutions/id872578421?mt=8. An Android version of the appis currently under development and shouldbe available this summer. This project was funded by PennsylvaniaSea Grant, a partnership of Penn StateBehrend, the Commonwealth of Pennsyl-vania and the National Oceanic and At-mospheric Administration.

For other releases from Penn State's College ofAgricultural Sciences, visit the Web at http://agsci.psu.edu/news

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NATURAL HEALTHHealing with Mother Nature’s Weeds by Granny Earth, ND

Black Seed (Nigella Sativa)

[email protected]

Phone: 724-542-9713Granny’s monthly Natural Health

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dogs out is the best course, but you need tobe aware of where it is you get yourdrinking water from. It’s very unlikely thatan animal can contaminate your well, buta pack of dogs going on the well head overtime can. If they must go inside, remember,there is no such thing as a urine proof floor;-it’s not water - grout, concrete, other ma-terials and sealant will give way and allowabsorption of the liquid and / or the odor.Put plastic down between the floor and theirpad or litter box. If something gets underthe plastic, move the whole assembly away,replace the plastic, clean the area thor-oughly, and give it time to “breath”.

If you have a home inspection comingup, please pick up the yard as well as thehouse; we walk through the yard lookingat the exterior of the house, and it’s difficultto avoid the landmines your pup leavesbehind. Also, take your pup with you or findhim / her a place to be for a few hours, I’m


Health conditions that may benefit fromuse of this herb include: Analgesic (Pain-Killing), Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Inflam-matory, Anti-Ulcer, Anti-Cholinergic, Anti-Fungal, Antioxidant, Antiviral. Theseactions are only a few beneficial propertiesintrinsic to Black Seed. Nigella Sativa Black Seed Is GoodFor Almost Everything that Ails You

The numerous powerful healing attributesof Nigella Sativa (black seed) have beenwell-known throughout history. It’s knownby different names around the world inclu-ding black cumin, black seed and onionseed. It’s only recently that Western medi-cine has begun paying attention to thishumble spice and a number of clinical trialsare being conducted to verify its efficacy attreating diseases such as cancer, diabetes,asthma, arthritis, hypertension, insomniaand epilepsy.

The seeds of Nigella Sativa are oftenpressed and made into oil for medicinal use.It’s widely used in Islamic medicine and

one of the most famous quotes regardingthe herb comes from the prophet Muham-mad who stated:

“The seeds have the ability to cureeverything, except death.”

Black seeds are anti-fungal, anti-bacterial as well as being anti-inflamma-tory, making them one of nature’s best wea-pons for fighting a wide range of commonhealth conditions. They’re used through outAsia and the Middle East to treat digestivecomplaints, headaches, bronchitis, gumdisease and intestinal worms.

These Black Seeds have even beenused for help with improving memory.

a dog lover, but sometimes they don’t re-alize they don’t need to protect your homefrom me. And please let the inspector knowif a cat or other creature reside in your home;we’ll be extra careful that they don’t get out.(and probably give ‘em a pet or two.)

* * * * *

Brian Mishler is the owner of HomeStudy Inc., anda 20 year veteran home inspector. He began per-forming home inspection after 15 years in theconstruction industry convinced him that his bodywasn’t made for hard labor. Brian is the formerpresident of the Pittsburgh Regional Organizationof the American Society of Home Inspectors (PRO-ASHI), and currently sits on the board of RebuildingTogether Pittsburgh, a non-profit that rehabilitateshomes for disadvantaged seniors and veterans,assisting them with pre-renovation inspection andselection. Brian also teaches a variety of real estaterelated classes, and has mentored other seeking tobecome home inspectors.

He currently resides in Latrobe, with his betterhalf Carol, their Boston terrier Gizmo, three cats,and three transient college students. When sparetime is to be had, Brian can be found on a motor-cycle, in a kayak, or hiking in the area. He canbe reached at [email protected].

Newly-Renovated Homeon the Lake in Derry Boro

MLS#: 987116. Welcome to this 3BR, 2BA brick ranch:totally updated, new roof, windows, kitchen, appliances,bath/laundry room in basement, interior doors, and out-side doors, freshly painted, new lighting fixtures, newgutters/downspouts, front porch railings, sidewalk, backdeck railings, new ceramic floors, original hardwood re-finished, all w/plenty of storage; workshop area in base-ment. Pull-down steps in hallway to attic which could bebonus room. $134,900.Listing Agent, Elaine Cermak-Harris (412-554-4147)

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Clinical trials have found them to berich in antioxidants, provide protection andsupport to the liver and kidneys, provide relieffrom pain and can even help to heal the bodyafter it’s been exposed to chemical weapons.

Many studies have been performedregarding use of black seed as an alternativetreatment for cancer. It performed well onboth laboratory rats and human cancercells as well. Be on the watch for more newsabout this remarkable, natural cure! This humble, but immensely powerfulseed, heals the chemical weapon poisonedbody, stimulates regeneration of dying betacells within the diabetic’s pancreas. And yet,few even know it exists: greenmedinfo.com



* * * * *Ruthie grew up in an idyllic and magical place– a 1950's childhood, and she loves to sharethese memories with you. Stay in touch: emailher at: [email protected], and look forher on Facebook.

Every Wednesday through August 27, 5 – 8 pmone that the world famous Brian Wilsonhad written about.

Some of that genius is no longer withus. It seems the Heavenly choir is addingnew members faster every day. So when Ilook back on those years and the innocenceof those songs from the perspective of myadvanced age, they become even moreprecious. Brian and Mike, Dennis, Carl andAl, you may not have had it all figured out,but the songs you gave to us certainly did.I like to think of each and every one as alove song, paying tribute to that magicalera. Remember when you wrote your sig-nature song, your love letter to all the girlsacross the country, and told us you wishedwe all could be California girls? Well, yougot your wish. We all became Californiagirls, in our hearts, just to be close to you.

So thank you for the enduring sound-track that accompanied so many of mysummers. Thank you for giving voice to myteenage joy, as well as my teenage angst. Yougave me the words I sometimes couldn’tfind. When I listen to your music today,that old warmth of your sun still shines inmy heart, and makes me smile. My lovefor your music, like the warmth of the sun,will never die …

INFORMATION FOR LIFEby Michael Vernon

Vernon Realty Services305 West Main Street

Ligonier, Pa. 15658(724) 238-0443 - Office

(724) 331-6858 - Cell Phonewww.vernon-realty.com

[email protected]

Even though a large number of Ameri-cans consider themselves to be dog lov-ers, your furry friend may cause someundue anguish with a pro-spective buyer. Most dogshave a bark that is worse thantheir bite, but even so the merepresence of a barking animalcould be enough to shatter thepsyche of a customer.

The easiest way to remedy the situa-tion is to take Fido for a walk. Buying ahome is an emotional experience andyou need to make sure the prospective

Take Fido for a Walk!buyer is in a peaceful state of mind. Byyou leaving the home they will feel morecomfortable with the whole process.

Give the client some emo-tional space in your home. Byvacating the property theywill feel more comfortablewhen discussing any short-comings or reservations they

may have about your castle. I am al-ways available to discuss matters suchas this and please do not hesitate to con-tact me in my office if you wish to dis-cuss any issues in greater detail.

What’s for dinner? On Wednesdays, families will have a wide choice of options from 8 select restaurantswho will be set up under the trees at the Lincoln Highway SupperMarket, 3435 Route 30 E,

near Kingston Dam, midway between Ligonier and Latrobe. www.LincolnHighwaySupperMarket.org


OFF TRAILby Joe Walko

A Bird in the Hand

“In the end, we conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand.We will understand only what we experience.” – Baba Dioum, Senegalese Ecologist

The smiles are genuine, the spine tinglesare electric, the wide-eyed wonder reflectsa kinship at the base layer of life, at the soullevel. This connection is real too. It is feltwhen you hold a tiny, almost weightless,feathered creature in your hand. I see itwhen the sky blue eyes of my youngest sonmeet the jet black eyes of a diminutivechickadee, and the shared fire in their eyes,the spark of life itself, is the tether betweenthem. Life is the same, between boy andbird – it is magic.

There is something personal aboutbeing up close with these amazing crea-tures, creatures that we usually only seeflying away, creatures that we rarely paymuch attention. But feel the delicacy oftheir minuteness, the softness of theirfeathers, contrasted with the strength in thegrip of their toes as they wrap around yourfingers. Feel the will to live in the peck oftheir beak, and feel their heart beating athousand miles an hour. Feel your ownheart beating in wonder, too, and rightthere, you know it’s the same heart. A birdin the hand is magic, pure magic.

Bob Mulvihill is making this magichappen this morning. Bob works as anOrnithologist at the National Aviary inPittsburgh, and is heading up the Pittsburgh

Neighborhood Nestwatch initiative. Neigh-borhood Nestwatch is a study that focuseson eight common backyard birds (Ameri-can Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mock-ingbird, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Black-capped/Carolina Chickadee, NorthernCardinal and Song Sparrow) found through-out the eastern U.S. and in a variety of land-scapes from urban to rural. These and otherbirds are caught and uniquely color-bandedby researchers during an annual morning-long visit to the home of every NeighborhoodNestwatch participant. Participants and theirfamilies are encouraged to be present for thebanding activities and are welcome to invitetheir friends and neighbors, too. They will evenbe given the chance to hold and release birdsafter banding, which is an extraordinaryexperience for children and adults alike. Myboys and friends and neighbors all know thisnow, too, firsthand.

Bob arrives at dawn, and three mistnets are quickly set up around my yard.The nets are nearly invisible to the birds,who don’t notice until they hit the nets andfall harmlessly into the billow created bythe loose nets. Bob gathers the birds fromthe nets, and takes them back to our temp-orary banding station set up in my drive-way. Here they are assigned a unique num-

bered metal band and a color band or two,are weighed and measured, aged (by study-ing the molt patterns of primary and secon-dary wing feathers) and sexed (amidst thechuckles of pre-pubescent boys about thelength of “cloacal protuberances”), and anyother pertinent information recorded on thebanding sheet. This is the science part, andBob patiently answers questions about whywe band birds (to study their movement,especially during migration, populationtrends, and to do comparisons of popula-tions amongst different habitats), and howhe uses statistics to parse the large volumesof data collected in this program, bringingthose dry statistics classes to life. Sciencecomes to life for all of us, too.

The audience is as diverse as the birdsthis morning. Grandparents and grandkidsstare wide-eyed as cardinals, with theirthick, heavy, seed cracking beaks, take nastybites out of Bob’s finger, squawking rau-cously all the while. Carolina chickadeesseem to be swallowed up in such largehuman hands, even the kids. They displaytheir tininess and trusting once caught, notresisting like the cardinals, and quicklybecome the crowd favorite, especially withthe youngsters. A momma song sparrow,about to lay eggs, is caught, and everyonegathers around to see a “pregnant” bird,who is processed quickly and efficiently byBob to minimize her distress and get herback to her nest ASAP. A gray catbird issilent for the first time all day when caughtin the nets, while a tufted titmouse spreadshis wings and poses for pictures in hand.

Everyone gets to take a turn releasinga bird, the kids a couple of turns. It is athrill to hold the tiny creatures, and we makebets as to which direction the bird will fly(hoping no more will fly into the garage,like the male Carolina wren did! He waslater flushed from the garage.) And ofcourse everyone tries to capture the perfectaction shot of a bird just released from ahand. The one thing that is a constant inevery picture, though, is a big smile,whether young or old.

Bob has been making this magichappen for over thirty years, starting whenhe was part of the bird banding operationat Powdermill Nature Reserve, the environ-mental research center of Carnegie Mu-

Trevor Walko and a Carolina chickadee. (Photo by Linda Syzmanski)


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seum of Natural History located at the footof Laurel Mountain in Rector, PA. Powder-mill has been banding birds for over 50years, surpassing over 500,000 banded in2001. But most important, Powdermill(and Bob) have been letting the public inon the fascinating world of birds, up closeand personal, for almost as long.

And that is the genius of the Neigh-borhood Nestwatch program and Powder-mill – it makes birds personal. These are“your” birds, they live in your yard, in yourneighborhood, you see them every day butjust have not been properly introduced.After Bob leaves your yard, you’ve met yourbirds intimately, and have become friendswith your feathered neighbors. Some evenhave unique colored bands on their legsnow, so you know them indi-vidually, andcan track their movements, see them atyour feeders and nestboxes.

As I write this a male house wren, witha red band on his left leg and an orangeband on his right, brings beakful afterbeakful of insects to his hungry brood. R-O (red-orange) is now a part of the family,and has his own personality, which Iappreciate after watching how hard heworks for his children, how tirelessly hesings, defending his mate (she bearing ayellow-pink band combo) against a would-be interloper (another male house wren,this one bearing a green-blue band combo).I look forward to his morning song and hiscock-eyed, wary view into my windowbefore entering his nestbox. It’s that con-nection again, eye to eye, and now, friendto friend. I look forward to watching hisfamily fledge, seeing his offspring grow, andI will mourn their departure for migrationin the fall, and will eagerly await the arrivalof R-O again in the spring, a reunion offriends. I am hooked.

It is through this connection, this per-sonal connection, that this conservationeffort will be successful. This is true of everyconservation effort – it needs to be madepersonal to succeed. And this is the glory ofBob’s work – it is tough to get more per-sonal than this! Bob has worked tirelesslyto spread the gospel of conservation, topromote the beauty of birds and all livingthings, one bird in the hand at a time. Heshares the liturgy of interconnectedness andmutual salvation through respect and recog-nition of that mutual spark in our eyes. After30 years, his enthusiasm hasn’t dulled. Iwonder what is more fulfilling, holdingthese tiny, ornate creatures in his handevery day, or seeing the smiles and sparksof life and connections made in the humanparticipants as they are let in on this littlesecret that Bob has known all his life?

Neighborhood Nestwatch Programwww.aviary.org/neighborhoodnestwatch

Powdermill Nature Reservewww.carnegiemnh.org/powdermill

Off Trail is a monthly column devoted to exploring our diverse and beautiful natural heritage,especially the the hidden gems and special places off the beaten path, like the birds in your ownbackyard!

Joe Walko is a full time widowed parent to two beautiful but challenging boys, now unem-ployed by choice after a 25-year career in corporate finance. He is a writer and blogger searchingfor his voice, a seeker of his truth, a nature and adventure junkie discovering whole new worldsand beauty in the glorious struggle, in the ordinary, in his own backyard, and mostly, in hisheart. Contact him at [email protected].

Claire Brunson, Trevor Walko, Shawn Syzmanski,Bob Mulvihil (holding a Carolina chickadee).

Aidan Doyle holding a catbird.


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“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”– Mark Twain

That’s What They SayThought-Provoking Insights on Common Quotations by Rev. Majorie Rivera

Recommended Reading: “The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings on Authenticity, Connection, and Courage” by BreneBrown PhD LMSW. Or watch her on TED talks.

When I first heard this one, I thought “Wow, that can’t beright.” My initial response was the most important days ofour lives are when we have a child, or get married. When Ifirst heard this quote, it came from John Mackey. Mr. Mackeyis the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Whole Foods. Whole Foodsis a premium natural and organic supermarket. We have twolocations in the Pittsburgh area, and when I have walked ineither location, my thoughts normally go to “I should workhere.” Mackey has been quoted as saying “a customer knowswhen a company is authentic. When we feel that somebodygenuinely cares about us, we trust them,” he says. “And if wetrust them, we want to trade with them.”

I feel the same way about people, when someone is au-thentic, I know it. If I feel I can trust them, I want to trade

everything with them! My time, my energy, my love. Whenpeople find out what they were put on this earth to do, mymusings have perceived a correlation between that and livingauthentically. So, which comes first? The chicken or the egg?The authenticity or the purpose?

I don’t think it really matters. I propose the thought heretoday that if you are setting the intention to live authentically,you will eventually find your purpose. Also, that if you starta quest to unearth your purpose, you will align to your au-thenticity. They go hand in hand. Dovetailed as it were.

We have physical birthdays and Spiritual birthdays. Themost important day for me was May 29th 2003, the day Ibecame ordained, and made a vow to lift vibrations, toeducate and to ponder. Ponder with me …

Tweet tweet = https://twitter.com/PGHmediumLike me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PGHmedium

Pin with me: http://www.pinterest.com/aPGHmedium/Sign up for my newsletter at www.PittsburghMedium.com

Ken Follett is an amazing story teller. I happened upon this story becauseI was looking for something to load to my iPad. I always enjoy readinga Follett book so I downloaded this one. It just so happened that thestory is placed early in the 1940’s in the UK at the time before the inva-sion of Normandy and I was reading it the week of the 70th anniversaryof D Day.

Mr. Follett presents a cast of well-developed characters. There isHenry Faber, the German spy, that has been uncatchable. He is hand-some and personable, but also cold and cunning. He is known as “DieNadel” (the Needle). There is Professor Percival Godliman, a scholar ofthe Middle Ages, having published a history that became a popular bestseller. He is recruited into Military Intelligence by his uncle ColonelTerry. Terry introduces him to Frederick Bloggs, formerly of ScotlandYard, who is now working with MI5. They are on the hunt for Die Nadel.

At the same time these detectives with MI5 are picking up leads tothe wherea-bouts of Faber, a young couple from “the backbone of En-gland type families” marries. The husband, David Rose, is about tobecome a pilot in the RAF, but he is in an automobile accident and loseshis legs. He becomes very depressed about not being able to serve hiscountry, so his father gives him and his new wife, Lucy, an island knownas Storm Island. They are the only inhabitants of the island except for ashepherd named Old Tom. David immerses himself in raising sheepthere. They have a son named Jo; Lucy spends her days doing themundane chores around the house and caring for little Jo.

It is hard to imagine what the one storyline has to do with the other,but Ken Follett brings them together masterfully. There is pathos, sex,bloodshed, bravery, and heroism.

It is an interesting read that will keep you saying, “just one morepage.” Besides, you might learn something about the invasion ofNormandy.

— Book Review by Gretchen Fuller

(Eye of the Needle, by Ken Follett, 1978, Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.)

Eye of the Needle


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Bailey is a special dog with a special job. He helps teach Chair Yogawith his owner, Jennifer Goebel the owner of JG Yoga & WellnessCenter in Latrobe. He accompanies her at a lot of Senior Centers,Assisted Livings and Nursing Homes in the Westmoreland Countyduring the day. The residents and seniors light up to see him, andthey always ask where he is if he is not available. This smart little

dog attracts a crowd and always greetseveryone; but when it’s time for exercise,he knows his place next to Jennifer andrests until class is over. As soon as he hearsthe Yoga Term, “Namaste” he perks upand knows that class is over, saying goodbye to everyone. Bailey says Namaste inhis own way, then is ready to go to hisnext stop.

While he is not at one of these centersmaking people feel good, he is one of theYoga Mascots at the Center. This smart,fun-loving spirit has his own “Dog” Yoga

Mat. Again, he greets all the Yogis and then knows when it is timefor class to go to his mat and relax. When class is over he says“Namaste” with his tail wagging and a warm glow in his eyes. Hethen approaches all the students with a lot of love and happiness,walks them out until the next class starts, and then it’s back to hisjob. The students look for him now, and he knows most of them bytheir names.

Bailey is a smart and amazing little dog who just makes peoplefeel good in general. He knows he has a job and does it well. If youwould like to take a class with Bailey’s supervision (or just meethim) stop by the Wellness Center Monday-Sunday.

– Jennifer Goebel

Yoga DogMeet Bailey the Cavalier

King Charles Spaniel

JG Yoga& Wellness Center314 Loyalhanna School Rd.Suite 700Latrobe, PA 15650(855) JDG-YOGAjgyogaandwellness.com

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Memorial DayHunter/Jumper Schooling Show

Rolling Rock Hunt Pony Club

Memorial DayHunter/Jumper Schooling Show

Walk/Trot: Champion – Madison Brackney; Reserve - Tory FloydSusie Todd Short Stirrup: Champion - Ashley Amsler; Reserve - Amelia JohnstonLong Stirrup: Champion – Amanda Wilson; Reserve - Anna ViazankoStitler Vipond Hunter Classic: Champion – Larry Richard; Reserve - Autumn KanouffTB Hunter: Champion – David Adcock; Reserve - Gracie HendersonDr Richard Raizman Jumper Classic: Champion Anna Viazanko; Reserve - Allie Sacksen

Rolling Rock Hunt Pony Club is one of the original 13 clubs thatjoined as a founding member when the United States Pony Clubs,Inc., inked their founding charter in the spring of 1954.

“The United States Pony Clubs, Inc., develops character, leader-ship, confidence and a sense of community in youth through aprogram that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding andmounted sports.” (USPC Mission Statement)

Over 50 years later, RRHPC continues this mission along withcertain key values such as horsemanship, organized teamwork,respect, service and education through mounted horseback ridinglessons, riding camps, team rallies and unmounted education ses-

sions held at the RRHPC grounds.Rolling Rock Hunt Pony ClubYouth learn about all aspects of

horsemanship including equine health care, nutrition, stable man-agement and the handling and riding of a mount safely and cor-rectly with confidence. Club rallies foster a supportive yet competi-tive environment that stresses cooperation, communication, re-sponsibility, leadership and mentoring. Respect for horses, othersand land is developed through service, teamwork and land conser-vation education.

We provide an opportunity for members, parents and others tosupport our program through volunteerism. Education is individu-


This advertisement sponsored by The Medicine Shoppe.

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Largest Farmers Market in Western PAEvery Saturday (rain or shine) 8 am - noon

May 17 - October 4th, 2014Located at the intersection of West Main Street and Route 30 in Ligonier

Visit us at www.ligoniercountrymarket.comFresh Picked Produce, Meats, Eggs, Perennials & Annuals,

Hot Cooked Foods, and Handmade Crafts

Network With Us in Latrobe!The Laurel Leaders group invites all local business leaders to attend a weeklymeeting of BNI (Business Networking International) held each Wednesday

at the SpringHill Suites in Latrobe, from 11:30 am until 1:00 pm.Visitors are welcome (no reservations), free of charge, and encouraged

to come learn more about a variety of weekly local business topics.

www.bni-westernpa.com

ally paced to help achieve personal goals and expandknowledge taught by experienced professionals and allalso through member-to-member teaching. Lessonstaught in Pony Club spill over from the barn into amember’s whole life. That’s what makes Pony Club andRRHPC so special.

Event Notes:• Susie Todd was the founder of the Rolling Rock HuntPony Club.• Stitler Vipond was a steeplechase rider and donor toRRHPC for cross country improvements and mainte-nance on the old steeplechase course.• Thoroughbred event is open only to registered thor-oughbreds and celebrates the successful transition fromracing to new careers• Dr. Ricahrd Raizman was a Rolling Rock Hunt mem-ber who was instrumental in continuing the traditionof polo matches in the valley.

The Pony Club Pledge:“As a member of the United States Pony Club, I standfor the best in sportsmanship as well as in horseman-ship. I shall compete for the enjoyment of the gamewell played and take winning or losing in stride, re-membering that without good manners and good tem-per, sport loses its cause for being. I shall endeavor tomaintain the best tradition of the ancient and nobleskill of horsemanship, always treating my horse withconsideration due a partner.”

Upcoming:• Northeast Ohio Mini Trial Association, August 10

St. Clair Fairgrounds, Rolling RockHunter Trail Rd, Laughlintown, PA

(Pre-registration required July 9 – July 30)Eventing Competition/Schooling DressageIntroduction to Training Levelsminitrialseries.orgSpectators are welcome!

For more information about the Rolling Rock HuntPony Club, please visit rollingrockhuntponyclub.comor contact:• Lynne Donnelly - DC, 724-757-5122

[email protected]• Tammy Colt - Joint DC, 724-875-8950

[email protected]• Jessica Shawley - Treasurer, 724-689-5600

[email protected]


“We are starting to train Diabetes Alert Dogs who, using scenttraining, will alert their partner when their Type 1 Diabetes sugarlevel hits 70,” she said.

As our dogs get older, their jobs begin to dwindle, as does theirhealth. Some retire and some keep going until they just can’tanymore. Regardless, our older dogs that we still perceive as puppies,need an extra measure of our love, especially as their spirits beginto flicker.

One of the hardest things in life is letting go. No one ever wantsto. As puppies we see them staying around forever, and the thoughtsof death push themselves to the back of our minds. As they getolder, the thought becomes ever more present.The pain of natural death is very real, but the pain of being the oneto choose to end their suffering is even more so. For Sherri Keys, ofLatrobe, the latter was her only option. Two of her dogs werediagnosed with cancer and while the option to put them down wasextremely difficult, she knew that she couldn’t watch them suffer.

“It was worse the first time,” Sherri said. “I really, reallystruggled with the decision because I felt like I was playing God.”

Her dogs, Scout and Boo, named after characters in her favoritebook “To Kill a Mockingbird,” will forever live on in her family’smemories. The wounds are still very tender, but she finds that everyday helps to ease the pain, little by little.

“My advice to others struggling with the death of a pet is tothink about the life and love that you gave your animal,” she said,“For me, it was Jesus, period. I know that they are lying in Jesus’lap, and that He can take better care of them than me.”

We are on this beautiful journey with our pets, and we havethe honor of spending what time we do have with them. Sometimesthey join us on the path of life and other times, they walk down adifferent path without us. The most important thing is to neverforget the memories, love and true friendship that we shared withour beloved animals, and that they shared with us.

continued from page 9 This advertisement sponsored by The Toy Box of Ligonier and Twisted Vine Ecelectic Market.

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Rachel Jones is a senior journalism student at IUP.She enjoys writing, art of all kinds, yoga, icedcoffee and thrifting. Rachel loves people and ani-mals and always tries to share the love of Jesus toboth as much as she can. When she isn’t writing,she’s dreaming of the Outer Banks in North Caro-lina where she hopes to live someday.

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JULY-AUGUST COMMUNITY CALENDAR“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.

For me they are the role model for being alive.” – Gilda Radner

through 7/13/20142014 National Road Festival Juried ArtExhibitionFrank L Melega Art Museum 71 Market Street,Brownsville, PA 15417 724.785.9331melegaartmuseum.org

Artists from Allegheny, Fayette, Greene,Washington, and Westmoreland Counties.

through 10/4/2014Ligonier Country MarketLigonier Corner of W. Main St. & Springer Rd.724.858.7894www.ligoniercountrymarket.comEvery Saturday from through October 4.

through 9/20/2014Springs Farmers’ MarketSprings Folk Festival Grounds 1711 SpringsRd., Springs, PA 15562 240.310.2086

Produce, Baked Goods, Antiques, FleaMarket, Collectibles, Artwork & More!

thrugh 10/4/2014Springs MuseumSprings Folk Festival Grounds 1711 SpringsRd., Springs, PA 15562 814.634.1489

Depicting life of the settlers of the CasselmanValley. Large two-story museum with antiqueequipment annex.

through 8/31/2014Sunday Evening Summer Band ConcertsLigonier 120 E. Main Street, Ligonier, PA

through 11/15/2014Somerset County Farmer’s Market 800 Georgian Place Drive, Somerset, PA 15501814.279.5620www.somersetcountyfarmersmarket.com

Somerset County Farmers’ Market is aproducer-only tailgate market at GeorgianPlace in Somerset PA. The market opens theend of May and is on Saturdays and Wednes-days throughout the summer until the end ofOctober.

through 9/28/2014Farmers’ MarketKeystone State Park 1150 Keystone Park Road,Derry, PA 15627

Every Sunday in the beach parking lot,10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Venders are welcomeand the cost to set up is $10 per table.

through 10/21/2014Latrobe Farmers’ MarketLatrobe Community Revitalization Program816 Ligonier Street, Suite 307, Latrobe, PA724.805.0112 www.latroberevitalization.org

The Latrobe Community RevitalizationProgram (LCRP) is a community-driven,comprehensive effort to encourage and streng-then economic development, prevent down-town deterioration and promote a sense ofcommunity within the historic preservation ofour downtown business district while advo-cating a return to community self-reliance,local empowerment and rebuilding based onour unique assets for the benefit of the greaterLatrobe area.

through 8/27/2014Lincoln Highway SupperMarketLatrobe Community Revitalization Program3435 Route 30 East, Latrobe, PA 15650

This summer, there’s a terrific supperalternative to “drive-thru fast food.” TheLincoln Highway SupperMarket. It offers greatfood from a variety of select regionalrestaurants; something to satisfy everyone.

through 7/30/2014Weeknight WalkaboutLaurel Hill State Park 1454 Laurel Hill ParkRoad, Somerset, PA 15501

Each session will be a 3 to 5 mile hike. From6 to 8 pm, recurring every 2 weeks onWednesday.

through 9/11/2014Thank Goodness It’s SummerThe Palace Theatre 21 W. Otterman Street,Greensburg, PA 15601

Every Thursday. Local entertainment, freeadmission, food available, rain or shine

through 8/29/2014SummerSoundsSt. Clair Park 135 North Maple Avenue,Greensburg, PA 15601

Every Friday. Great FREE concertsfeaturing national acts.

7/2/2014 to 7/27/2014Pop-Up Exhibition:Steel City LUG & Jeff BrunnerWestmoreland Museum of American Art 4764State Route 30, Greensburg, PA 15601724.837.1500 wmuseumaa.org

Westmoreland @rt 30, the temporarylocation for the Westmoreland Museum ofAmerican Art, showcases pieces of the WMAApermanent collection of American worksconcentrating on the beauty and history ofSouthwestern PA. Pop-up exhibitions byregional artists change monthly; featuringclasses, salons and events. Visit the AmericanMarketplace for unique gifts by Americanartists and craftspeople. Open Wednesday-Friday 12pm-7pm, Saturday and Sunday10am-5pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday,Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.Free admission.

7/3/2014 to 7/6/2014Westmoreland Arts & Heritage FestivalTwin Lakes ParkEnjoy art, music, food and family fun.

7/4/20144th of July CelebrationLegion Keener Park Latrobe, PA 15650Enjoy the parade starting at 10:30am withfloats, antique cars and more! Fireworks byKeystone Fireworks Co. at 10pm!

7/4/2014 to 10/29/2014Bikes, Bites, & BeatsMorguen Toole Company 130 Center Street,Meyersdale, PA 15552 814.634.9900morguentoole.comEvery Wednesday from 5 to 9 pm.

7/10/2014 to 7/12/2014Whiskey Rebellion FestivalWashington, PA Main Street, Washington, PA412.281.1442 whiskeyrebellionfestival.com

4th annual event sponsored by the DavidBradford House Association. The WhiskeyRebellion includes street theater, reenact-ments and demonstrations, music, food, parade

& fireworks. Bluegrass musical performancesinclude The Felice Brothers, Barbara Blue, andthe Weedrags. History comes to life when youjoin the Rebellion! Located in HistoricalDowntown, Main Street, Washington, PA.

7/11/2014 to 7/12/2014Arts on the RiverwalkRiverplex 11 S. Mill St., New Castle, PA

Begun in 2009, Arts on the Riverwalk(formerly the New Castle Arts Fest) has joinedwith the New Castle Fireworks Festival. Arts onthe Riverwalk will feature an Artists Market,Regional Arts Compe-tition, live performances,art displays.

7 / 1 2 / 2 0 1 4Free Concert: Neon Swing X-PerienceCompass Inn Museum 1382 Route 30 East,Laughlintown, PA 15655 724.238.6818compassinn.com

Join us for a night of swing! “Neon Swing X-Perience,” will return to the Museum for aperformance. Get ready “to jump, jive, and rock.”

7/12/2014ORTC Gear & Cheer MusicBradys Run Park Lodge Beaver Falls, PA 15010724.770.2060 ohiorivertrail.orgFestival activities include a 5K run/walk,mountain bike race, kayak race, road cycling,kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, canoeing,hiking, rock climbing wall, auctions, raffles,arts & crafts, live music, food, drink, wine andcraft beer tasting!

7 / 1 2 / 2 0 1 4Art BrewSweetwater Center for the Arts 200 Broad St.,Sewickley, PA 15143 412.741.4405sweetwaterartcenter.org

Sewickley will be overrun by food trucks,craft beer and art during Sweetwater’s ArtBrew. Several of Pittsburgh’s local craftbreweries will be on location. And joining thesoon-to-be-announced breweries are localfavorites Franktuary, Nakama and Steer andWheel. These food trucks will be pairing theirunique dishes with different brews for anevening of mouth-watering perfection. Livemusic and zany art activi-ties will provide thenight with additional enjoyment.

7/12/2014 to 7/12/2014ORTC Gear & Cheer MusicBradys Run Park Lodge Beaver Falls, PA 15010724.770.2060. ohiorivertrail.org

Festival activities include a 5K run/walk,mountain bike race, kayak race, road cycling,kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, canoeing,hiking, rock climbing wall, auctions, raffles,arts & crafts, live music, food, drink, wine andcraft beer tasting!

7 / 1 3 / 2 0 1 4Hoodlebug SummerfestDowntown Homer City; noon

Annual Festival - Ethnic Food - Craft &Game Booths and Entertainment. 5K run/walkat 6 pm. Fast and flat 5K on streets of HomerCity with part of the last mile on the HoodlebugTrail. Part of the Homer City Business Associ-ation Festival. Race contact: Cory Fulmer,724-541-0013. www.indianaroadrunners.comCost: $15.00 up to June 27, $17.00 after


LOYALHANNA REALTY

JEAN M. CASEOwner/Broker, GRI, ABR

201 S. Market Street Ligonier, PA 15658(Across from Fort Ligonier)

BUYER & SELLER AGENCY

724-238-3663FAX: 724-238-0317

SALES & APPRAISALSwww.loyalhanna.com

Jean Case: 724-600-5182Tracy Case-Pelesky: 724-510-4010

Lisa Davis: 412-596-1028Lorraine DiCecco: 724-953-2356

Associate BrokerKathy Johnston: 724-995-1013

Susan Ransel McBroom: 724-309-3395Colleen Pritts: 724-493-7734Amy Stoner: 724-217-6610

WONDERFUL COUNTRY SETTING $335,000#993333. Four-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath, 2-story in Derry Twp.Well-constructed home w/wraparound porch, 2 master suites,& grand entrance. Gorgeous views, beautiful landscaping! TRACEYLOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

HISTORIC COLONIAL $235,000#993199. Three-bedroom, 2-bath home on 4.72 acres inLigonier Twp. Refinished wood floors, updated baths, fireplace,built-in bookcases, open staircase, patio, enclosed porch, newroof, & newer garage. Location, charm, & privacy! COLLEENLOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

WONDERFUL RANCH $89,000#983008. Solid 3-bedroom home w/garage on beautiful largecorner lot in New Alexandria. Large finished basement. TRACEYLOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

216-ACRE FARM $950,000#1001676. Renovated 3-bedroom, 3-bath farmhouse w/gor-geous hardwood & beamed ceilings. Pond, barn, cottage, &greenhouse. COLLEENLOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

LIGONIER BORO $79,000

#1007962.Great starter homein excellent condition. Mostof the home has been remod-eled. Central air & stone pa-tio. JEAN

LOYALHANNA REALTY724-238-3663

LIGONIER BORO $145,000#1005943. Three-bedroom, 1-1/2 bath home w/spacious livingroom, galley kitchen, dining room, large full basement, & hugegarage. Front room at street level for home office. JEAN/LORRAINELOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

VICTORIAN-ERA HOME $279,000#1012525. Classic woodwork throughout, 3 bedrooms plus nurs-ery, 2-1/2 baths, galley kitchen, dining room, pocket doors, lovelyclosed-in sun porch, & garage in Ligonier Boro. JEAN/LORRAINELOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

HISTORIC COLONIAL $679,000#1010453. On 28.9 acres w/barn & outbuildings. Newly reno-vated 3+bedroom home, tastefully decorated, picturesqueviews, pool. Ligonier Twp. Has been on Home Tours. Agentowned. TRACEYLOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

GRACIOUS/HISTORIC COLONIAL $549,000#1010514. On almost 4 acres w/fabulous views & English gar-dens. Williamsburg interior w/2 staircases & 2-story screened-insleeping porches. Walk to town & schools, yet country living inLigonier Twp. TRACEY/JEANLOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

SELF-STORAGE BUSINESS $700,000#1011295. Five various-size storage units, land, & office bldg. ondifferent-sized lots. All metal buildings. Office bldg. has electric,public water, heat, septic. Ligonier Twp. LORRAINE/JEANLOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

LOTS OF POTENTIAL $20,000#1012567. Three-bedroom cottage by creek w/extra treed lot.Needs TLC, has woodburning stove. Ligonier Twp. LORRAINELOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

WELL-MAINTAINED $69,900#987117. Darling 2-bedroom Cape Cod w/attached garage inLigonier Twp. Fenced-in yard, eat-in kitchen, new roof in 2011.LORRAINELOYALHANNA REALTY 724-238-3663

NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

Drastic Price Reduction

NEW LISTING

MOTIVATED SELLER


7 / 1 3 / 2 0 1 4Antiques & Collectibles MarketHistoric Hanna’s Town 809 Forbes Trail Road,Greensburg, PA 15601 724.532.1935www.westmorelandhistory.org. Over 100dealers. Morning show, 7:30 am - 1pm

7/15/2014 to 7/18/2014Compass Inn Kids Summer CampCompass Inn Museum 1382 Route 30 East,Laughlintown, PA 15655 724.238.6818compassinn.com

A fun and educational history camp. Kidslearn about life in early 19th-century Penn-sylvania. Activities include games, cooking,arts and crafts. Fee includes snacks, hat, andcamp supplies. Children should bring a baglunch and water each day.

7 / 1 7 / 2 0 1 4The Carnegie Comes to Mt. Pleasant GlassMuseum6pm. $10.00. Space is limited. Reservationsrequired: 724 547 5929

Rachel Delphia, The Alan G. and Jane A.Lehman Curator of Decorative Arts andDesign, will speak on the Carnegie Museum'scollection of midwestern glass including a pairof cut and engraved water decanters byBakewell, Page & Bakewell of Pittsburghprobably for President James Monroe (c. 1818),and the recent major gift of Western Pennsyl-vania glass from noted Americana dealer PeterTillou in honor of Senator John Heinz.

7/18/2014 to 7/20/2014East Brady Area RiverfestGraham Field Verner St, East Brady, PA16028 724.526.5174

Friday starts with firemen’s parade, foodand craft vendors, rides and games for kids,auction of new donated items, karaoke, dicerun for motorcycles sponsored by ClarionCounty Chapter A.B.A.T.E., 3 point basket-ballshoot benefits Muscular Dystrophy, fireworks.corn hole tournament, pageant review ofpageants that were held earlier, InterfaithChurch Service, singing by area church choir,and more.

7/18/2014 - 7/19/2014Summer in Ligonier Arts & Crafts9 am - 5 pm, Downtown Ligonier

Enjoy arts, crafts, merchant sidewalk sales,Sno cones, kids' activities, face painting, aballoon artist, and more! Ligonier.com

7/18/2014Loyalhanna Review Publication PartySAMA Museum in Ligonier. 7-9 pm

The wine-and-cheese reception will featurereadings from several of the writers publishedin the 2014 Loyalhanna Review and displays ofsome of the artists’ work. Guests will have achance to talk with the authors and artistswhose work is featured in the magazine.

7/17/2014 - 7/20/2014103rd Anniversary Our Lady of MountCarmel Festival & Crabtree FireworksSt. Bartholomew Parish - Crabtree, PAwww.stbartholomewcrabtree.org;(724) 834-0709 Fireworks on Sat, July 19 at10:30 pm.

7 / 1 9 / 2 0 1 427th Ligonier Valley Writers’ Conference10:00 am - 5:00 pm; lvwonline.orgWestmoreland County Community College,145Pavilion Lane Youngwood, PADeadline for early registration is June 10.

Four renowned faculty members will workwith both emerging and experienced writers.As always, workshops will be offered in poetry,fiction, and nonfiction. For only the second time,there will also be a workshop on songwriting.

7/19/2014 to 7/20/2014Living History Weekend: Civil War Comesto Compass Inn MuseumCompass Inn Museum 1382 Route 30 East,Laughlintown, PA. 724.238.4983compassinn.com`Learn about the American Civil War.

7/19/2014 to 7/19/2014I Made It! Market at the WaterfrontThe Waterfront Town Center W. Bridge St andW. Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA412.254.4464 imadeitmarket.com

Shop I Made It! Market’s 30+ local artisansoffering all handmade wares, and stock up onbaked goods, fresh produce, cheeses, sauces andmore from the Farm to Table Pittsburghvendors.

7/20/20144th Annual Classic Car CruiseBushy Run Battlefield 1253 Bushy Run Rd.,Jeannette, PA . 724.527.5488bushyrunbattlefield.com

Love sleek classic and custom auto-mobiles?Have a classic or custom vehicle to show off tothe public? Now’s your chance! Bushy RunBattlefield is once again opening its parking lotto classic and custom cars, trucks, or modifiedvehicles. Enjoy classic cars, live music, foodand drink, 50/50 raffle, and more!

7/20/2014PPG Festival of ColorPittsburgh Zoo 7340 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA15206 www.pittsburghzoo.org

Enjoy the Zoo in wild colors! Create a sandart or spin art masterpiece, watch animalpainting demonstrations, create chalk artalongside our extremely talented chalk artist,and get your face painted. Stop by the PPGAquarium to meet our mascots and don’t forgetto bring a white t-shirt to tie dye with all ofyour favorite colors.

7/24/2014 to 8/2/2014Fayette County FairFayette County Fairgrounds Dunbar, PA

7/25/2014 to 7/26/2014Coleman Station Bluegrass FestivalColeman Station 1144 Coleman Station Rd.,Friedens, PA

7/25/2014Children’s Summer Arts FestivalHoyt Institute of Fine Arts 124 E. Leasure Ave.,New Castle, PA 16101 724.652.2282

Free annual celebration of the arts andyouth on the nearly 5 acres of Hoyt Center forthe Arts.

7/26/2014Ebensburg HomecomingLake Rowena 814.472.8414ebensburgmainstreet.com

7/26/2014Mammoth Park Field DayMt. Pleasant Township - Route 981 and 982from Latrobe and Greensburg

A fun, free event for children ages 8-16 tolearn more about the outdoors! Activitiesinclude trap shooting, archery, boating safetyand more! This event is held at MammothPark, rain or shine, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.Youth Field Day is sponsored by WestmorelandCounty Law Enforcement Officers and the PAGame Commission.

7/26/201454th PA Infantry Living History Event atBushy Run Battlefield10 am - 4 pm; www54thpvi.com

Join the 54th PVI to explore the world ofreenacting and the Civil War. Learn about

soldiering, weapons, tactics and so much more.All ages are welcome. Cost: Free. Admission feerequired for the Visitor Center at Bushy Run.

7 / 3 1 / 2 0 1 4Stoystown LionsAntique Tractor Festival 359 North Club Rd., Stoystown, PA 15563814.341.9593 www.stoystownlions.org

8/2/2014 - 8/3/2014St. John the Evangelist Parish Festival306 St. John Dr in Latrobe. 724-537-8909

This year's Parish Festival will includebingo, kids activities and games, a Chineseauction, ethnic foods, a bake sale, flea market,musical entertainment and family fun foreveryone.

8/3/2014 to 8/9/2014Mountain Area FairFarmington, PA PO Box 186, Farmington, PA15437 724.329.5513 mtareafair.com

Off Route 40 in Farmington, PA. Fair is openat 6 pm nightly.

8/8/2014The Stroll in Ligonier724-238-4200. www.ligonier.com

Participants will have the opportunity tovisit Ligonier's quaint shops and restaurantsand take advantage of merchants' sales whilestrolling the town.

Activities include music, dancing and classiccars from 5 to 9 p.m. on the Diamond. A DJwill be spinning '50's music in front of TownHall from 5 to 7 p.m. Announcement of the piecontest winner at 6:30 p.m. - Swing City playson the bandstand from 7 to 9 p.m., and a dancecontest at 8 p.m.

8/10/2014August Fun Fest at Cedar Creek ParkCedar Creek Park, Rostraver TownshipWestmoreland County Parks and Recreation(724) 830-3950. www.co.westmoreland.pa.us

Along with great music and great shows,August Fun Fest has carnival rides, pony rides,kiddie train ride and a petting zoo. Ride all daylong for $4.00. Also included is musicalentertainment with The Vogues!

8/15/2014 to 8/23/2014Westmoreland FairGreensburg, PA 123 Blue Ribbon Lane,724.423.5005 westmorelandfair.com

The Westmoreland Fair is celebrating its60th Diamond Anniversary.

8/16/2014 to 8/17/2014Laurel Highlands Garlic FestivalFaranda Farm 1171 Penn Ave, Hollsopple, PA

8/16/2014I Made It! Market at the WaterfrontThe Waterfront Town Center W. Bridge St andW. Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA412.254.4464. imadeitmarket.com

Shop I Made It! Market’s 30+ local artisansoffering all handmade wares, and stock up onbaked goods, fresh produce, cheeses, sauces andmore from the Farm to Table Pittsburghvendors.

8/22/2014 to 8/24/2014Great AmericanBanana Split CelebrationLatrobe Community Revitalization Program816 Ligonier Street, Suite 307, Latrobe, PA724.805.0112. latroberevitalization.org

There will be a series of events through-outthe weekend including a yellow tie gala,baking contest, car hop, family walk, street fairand sock hop. Keep an eye here for furtherinformation as we get closer to August, andmake plans to join us!


Madeline Nagy is a 5-year-old girl who has endured many challengesincluding physical impairments, surgeries, and many nights spent in hos-pital beds instead of her own. She has been diagnosed with Turner Syn-drome and Trisomy 7. Because of her disclocated hips and knees, Madiuses a wheelchair to get around. Please consider making a donation forMadi’s family to assist in getting a wheelchair-accessible van. This willmake Madi’s trips to the hospitals and doctors a little less painful. It wouldbe amazing for Madi to be able to go to the hospital in comfort. Please giveas little or as much as you can – every little bit helps, and the family of thisprecious little girl would be very grateful.

Go to www.gofundme.com/madelinesvanto make a donation and follow Madi’s amazing journey!

This advertisement sponsored by Wraps By PJ.

Second Chapter Books

139 East Main StreetLigonier, PA 15658

724-238-7933fb.com/secondchapterbooks

New and Used Books • Children’s GiftsJewelry • Greeting Cards • Neat Stuff

Greater Latrobe-Laurel ValleyCommunity Chamber of Commerce

Ribbon Cutting CelebrationTuesday, July 15 at 4:30pm

Join us for light refreshments!

8/23/2014Antiques on the DiamondLigonier.(724) 238-4200. www.ligonier.com

This event will feature dealers from sixstates set up around the Diamond as well asEast and West Main Streets. Among the itemsavailable for purchase will be country, periodfurniture, quilts, wicker, pottery, glassware,china, toys, etc.

Heritage United Methodist Church will servelunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the churchsocial room. A choice of chicken salad or pulledpork sandwiches will be available, along withpasta and homemade cakes and pies.

8/23/2014Craft & Vendor ShowGreat American Banana Split CelebrationLigonier St, Latrobe. 10 am (724) [email protected]

The craft and vendor show at the GreatAmerican Banana Split Celebration will beheld August 23rd. Cost is $25 per 12-by-12-footspace for the outdoor show. Only one vendorper company will be accepted and isdetermined by the first paid applicationreceived. Crafts not juried/open to all.

8/23/2014Huntington’s Disease FundraiserLegion-Keener Park (412) 555-8976Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Noon - 6:00pm

Open to the public: Chinese auction, food,games, venders, and a band. All money goes toresearch for huntington's disease society.

Huntington's disease is caused by aninherited defect in a single gene. It is anautosomal dominant disorder, which meansthat a person needs only one copy of thedefective gene to develop the disorder.With theexception of genes on the sex chromosomes, aperson inherits two copies of every gene — onecopy from each parent. A parent with adefective Huntington gene could pass along thedefective copy of the gene or the healthy copy.Each child in the family, has a 50 percentchance of inheriting the gene that causes thegenetic disorder.

8/24/2014 to 9/28/2014Pittsburgh Renaissance FestivalWest Newton, PA 112 Renaissance Lane, WestNewton, PA 15089 724.872.1670pittsburghrenfest.com

The Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival andArtisan’s Marketplace returns us to the age ofwonder, adventure and song, where plea-surereigns and merrymaking is the rule. Trumpetssound and the armored knights battle onhorseback in the Tournament of Champions.Stroll our wooded paths for handmade crafts.

8/29/2014 to 9/1/201421st Annual Pennsylvania Arts & CraftsColonial FestivalGreensburg, PA 123 Blue Ribbon Lane,724.863.4577. familyfestivals.com

Shop over 220 booths! Enjoy fantastic food!Two string bands! Bagpipers! Flute Choir!

Military encampment! Over 500 costumedparticipants! Rated 19th Best Craft Show inAmerica! Great family fun!

8/31/2014 - 9/1/2014Labor Day CelebrationNorthmoreland Park, Allegheny TownshipWestmoreland County Parks and Recreation

This is a two-day extravaganza includingcarnival amusement rides, Greenfield Farmpony rides and petting zoo, and RainbowExpress train rides! Ride all day for $3. Alsofeatures an Arts and Crafts festival, giant fleamarket and the Tom Thumb Circus. Otherattractions will be Tom Breiding (Folk Music,Monday), Earl Schriver's Birds of Prey, Labor Dayspeakers program, delicious food & refreshmentsas well as live music both days!

* * * * *

Please submit events forconsideration to:

[email protected]

Laurel Mountain PostEvents Calendar

189 Fairview LaneDerry, PA 15627


END NOTESby Denise Raible Martin

Marine MomTwo and a half years ago, my whole lifechanged. I became a Marine Mom. I re-member the shock upon learning my son,Dillon, was joining the military. He’d kepttelling us he was going to, had talked andtalked about it, and I vaguely wondered ifhe expected us to talk him out ofit. But truthfully, I knew he hadthe tenacity, guts and tempera-ment to become a Marine. And atthe wild rate he was running, Ifigured he’d be safer in the militarythan he would be racing up anddown town with an undesirablegroup of hoodlums. But when theday finally came and the paperswere signed, my maternal brainwent into full-on, protective, “heli-copter mom” mode. If my son wasgoing through the free world’stoughest boot camp, I was sure ashell going through it with him.

I made it my mission duringhis 13-week training on Parris Is-land in South Carolina to give him all thelove and support a mom could throw acrossthe Atlantic waters to the famous island thatwas transforming my son from a youngman into a Marine. I did what any sane,loving, proud Marine Mom would do: Iwoke up every morning with the singulargoal of writing a heartfelt, funny, news-worthy letter to my son and raced thatsucker out to the mailbox before the mail-lady arrived at 2 pm. I wrote 62 letters toDillon, knowing he’d read them during hisgrueling stay and feel connected to hisfamily, if only for a few minutes. I imaginedhim jumping up for mail call in the SquadBay, holding my perfectly addressed (soit wouldn’t get lost!) and inconspicuous(another letter from your mama, boy?!)daily letter in his dirty, bruised hands, anddiving with anticipation onto his rack toread it. I didn’t learn until later he’d actuallyread my letters in the Head (toilet) becausethat’s the only spare time he had to sit down.

When a letter would arrive from Dil-lon, the mail lady would smile indulgentlyat me as I danced around the mailbox wa-ving a little military envelope with my son’sscribbly handwriting, then I’d hoot with joyas I raced up the front steps to tear it open

and pour over every single word a dozentimes through teary eyes. I kept all hisletters in my nightstand and would hugthem to my chest each night, praying hewas safe and praying for more letters.

Dillon made it through boot camp, andunless you’ve been there, I can’t explain thepanic, the pride, and the swell of your hearton Marine graduation day. Sitting amongstthe family and friends of other graduatingMarines, you feel an instant connection toyour fellow countrymen. We were all in thistogether. Our sons and daughters werestanding on the Peatross Parade Deck,having marched through three months ofblood, sweat, tears, vomit and hell to gettheir Marine emblem; the eagle, globe andanchor. Those new recruits were beatendown, built back up, tested, transformedand now worthy of the title, United StatesMarine. My son had stories from boot-camp that made me cry, made me sick andmade me sob. But the most touching thinghe told me was that receiving a letter fromme every day got him through the worst ofit. That’s all this Marine Mom needed tohear – we made it through … together. Iwill never know the true hell he endured,but there is a look in his eye that wasn’tthere before boot camp; pride, honor,resolve – a willingness to stand up with hisfellow Marines and march into battle if he’scalled. He understands he may have to givehis life for our country. My family has taken

on the burden and the pride of knowingour son will fight to the death for America’scontinued freedom.

The Fourth of July reminds me thatevery single man and woman in everybranch of the military, every deployment,

every homecoming, and everymilitary death has a greater mean-ing to me now. I put my handacross my heart when I hear the“Star Spangled Banner.” I stop togaze at a waving American flag –its red and white stripes and bluebox of stars representing my Mar-ine. I stop to shake the hand andlook into the eyes of a Veteran. Myheart pounds like a battle drumwhen I hear “God Bless the USA”by Lee Greenwood, and I cry asonly a Marine Mom could when Ilisten to “If You’re Reading This”by Tim McGraw. It’s not that I’mmore patriotic than anyone else …I just feel it differently now. I am

proud of our military, I’m proud of my son,and I’m proud to be an American. Stop fora moment this July 4th and feel the sacrificeour military men and women make. Youdon’t know what they’ve been through, orwhere they may have to go. Dillon has abrand new son, and my first grandchild,Carson Michael. Now he’s got one moreAmerican to live for.

Semper Fi, – Marine Mom

A current Ligonier resident and originally from North Hills of Pittsburgh, Denise has always had a passion for writing.Her career has included national sales, marketing, branding and freelance writing (most recently in the beverage industry),but her true passion remains storytelling. Being the mother of 21-year-old twin boys, she definitely has plenty of drama,stories and humor to write about! Denise is currently working on her first fictional romance/erotic novel (a trilogy!) andplans to e-Publish by year’s end.

Family Day at Parris Island, the day before graduation: Dillon Dominytus,Denise, and Dillon’s twin brother, Dalton Dominytus.

E-3 Lance Corporal Dillon Dominytus, USMC

Greensburg – MLS 1014349 This great 3 bed room home with 2 1/2 baths will be great for any family. Lots of new updates done thru out this home. Ask for Vernon Adams.

Phone: (724) 238-0443www.vernon-realty.com

305 W. Main Street | Ligonier, PA 15658

Ve r n o nRealty Services

305 W. Main Street 305 W. Main Street | Ligonier, PA 15658

Michael J. Vernon, Broker / [email protected] • Cell: (724) 331-6858

Any Property.Any place.

Donegal – MLS 334001 This Commercial property with 8 buildings and a 2 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath home is priced at $499,000 and with 25% down payment and only $1,787 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Hempfield Twp – MLS # 988531 This Commercial property with two units is priced at $69,000 and with 25% down payment and only $247 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Ligonier Boro – MLS 994370 This 3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath home is priced at $187,750 and with ZERO down payment and only $869 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Ligonier Boro – MLS 975560 This 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath and 2 Half Baths home is priced at $249,900 and with ZERO down payment and only $1,195 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Latrobe – MLS 1010084 This 2 bed room home is fully updated and has a great back yard. Priced at $99,800 and with ZERO down payment and only $480 a month. Plus taxes and insurances.

Ligonier Twp – MLS 1004208 This Commercial business is priced at 107,000 and with Jillian Michaels new circuit training program and Jenny Craig's nutritional weight loss program now with Curves it is a perfect time for someone who wants to help others and enjoy being physically fit and owning their own business.

Hempfield Twp – MLS 985432 This 5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath home is priced at $159,900 and with ZERO down payment and only $768 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Bolivar – MLS 964032 - This Commercial property is priced at $55,000 and with 25% down payment and only $197 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Greensburg – MLS 963695 This 3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath and 1 Half Bath home is priced at $129,900 and with ZERO down payment and only $620 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Ligonier Twp – MLS 1004197 This 5 Bedroom, 2 ½ Full Bath home is priced at $525,000 and with ZERO down payment and only $2,387 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Fallowfield TWP – MLS 1003981This 3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath home is priced at $119,900 and with ZERO down payment and only $572 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

PriceReducedPriceReduced Price

ReducedPriceReduced

month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Soldin 31 DaysSoldin 31 Days

Cell: (724) 331-6858

SoldSold

Terms based on 4% fixed interest rate with no points, no broker fees and no application fee with an apr of 4.278% for 30 years.

Latrobe – MLS 978722 You can enjoy the private oases in the fully landscaped rear yard with a built in the ground swimming pool with a water slide. This home has it own dog run and with many updates this home is in move in condition.

Phone: (724) 238-0443www.vernon-realty.com

305 W. Main Street | Ligonier, PA 15658

Ve r n o nRealty Services

305 W. Main Street 305 W. Main Street | Ligonier, PA 15658

Michael J. Vernon, Broker / [email protected] • Cell: (724) 331-6858

Any Property.Any place.

Irwin – MLS 1002287 This great 3 Bed Room home is located in the heart of Irwin and newly updated and won’t last long priced at $59,900 and with as little as 3 ½% down payment and only $288 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.

Derry – MLS 1014593 This extra-large 3 bed room brick home has many updates. With the extra fenced lot will be great for pets or family picnics. Priced at$179,000 and with ZERO down payment and only $858 a month. Plus taxes and insurances.

Ligonier Twp – MLS 970976This stunning all brick home boasts oversized room's on a great double lot. Located on a private street, in Ligonier East just 6 miles from the diamond. Great home for sitting around the outdoor fire pit or hanging out on the back porch. This home has been priced to sell.

Ligonier Twp – MLS 971851

Sold in 16 day so call today for meto list and sell your home.

Ligonier Boro – MLS xxxxxxxxxxThis new construction condo is in the heart of town and with an elevator you need have steps to climb. Priced at $265,000 and with ZERO down payent and only $1,263 a month. Plus taxes, condo fee and insurance.

Ligonier Twp – MLS 992043 The only thing missing from this gorgeous Wendover abode is a new family! This home is totally move-in ready, with solid surfaces in both the kitchen and bathrooms, window treatments, a plethora of included appliances and plenty of room for living and growing. Come take a peek-you may not want to leave!

Ligonier Boro – MLS # 981422 This home has three bedrooms and a master bedroom and bath on the main floor. This home will not last long at $109,900.

Ligonier Twp – MLS 1009105 The 4 bed room with a great view is priced at $69,000.0 and with ZERO down payment and only $331 a month. Plus Taxes and Insurance.

Ligonier Twp – MLS 967087

Sold in 1 day so call today for meto list and sell your home.

Ligonier Twp – MLS 1014849 This great 5 bedroom home has a mother In-Law suite in the basement. The stands proudly in the center of 10 lush acres. Come and enjoy the country living at its finest. Priced at $325,000 and with ZERO down payment and only $1,550 a month Plus taxes and insurances.

Ligonier Twp – MLS 1009025 - This great new home with a fenced back yard and a stone fire place is priced at $265,000.

to list and sell your home.

Soldin 1 DaySoldin 1 Day

not last long at $109,900.


as 3 ½% down payment and only $288 a month. Plus taxes and Insurances.


will be great for pets or family picnics. Priced at$179,000 and with ZERO down payment and only $858 a month. Plus taxes and insurances.

won’t last long priced at $59,900 and with as little as 3 ½% down payment and only $288 a month.


will be great for pets or family picnics. Priced at$179,000 and with ZERO down payment and only

ground swimming pool with a water slide. This home has it own dog run and with many updates this home is in move in condition.


from the diamond. Great home for sitting around the outdoor fire pit or hanging out on the back porch. This home has been priced to sell.


elevator you need have steps to climb. Priced at $265,000 and with ZERO down payent and only $1,263 a month. Plus taxes, condo

The stands proudly in the center of 10 lush acres. Come and enjoy the country living at its finest. Priced at $325,000 and with ZERO down payment and only Come and enjoy the country living at its finest. Priced at $325,000 and with ZERO down payment and only Come and enjoy the country living at its finest. Priced

$1,550 a month Plus taxes and insurances.at $325,000 and with ZERO down payment and only $1,550 a month Plus taxes and insurances.at $325,000 and with ZERO down payment and only


Terms based on 4% fixed interest rate with no points, no broker fees and no application fee with an apr of 4.278% for 30 years.

laurel mountain post, july 2014

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