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Every Story Begins At Home. Winter/Holiday 2012 - 1

Normally, a subject like this wouldcome at the end of our publication, aswe wind up our holiday coverage andlook forward to a near year. But as Iput together this issue, I couldn’t helpbut notice a repeated theme of remem-brance. More than usual, this time ofyear we can’t seem to help ourselves,repeatedly visiting with the ghosts ofChristmas Past.

Usually, we focus on those happytimes that made us feel like we’rewrapped in one of Perry Como’s styl-ish, comfy sweaters. For me, there’sa montage of scenes from childhood:• Advent calendarsmy mother used tomake for us and stilldoes for children inthe family.• My father puttingout hay, corn andoats next to the barndoor so the reindeercould have a snack.• Picking out aChristmas Tree be-hind old Uncle DanYates’s service sta-tion near Coopers-town (where the newCommercial Bankdrive-thru and Mc-Donalds stand today).

• Going to myGrammy’s house inCooperstown for ourChristmas Eve snack and cookies af-ter church, and then again on Christ-mas Day for the family “White Meal,”which consisted of turkey, stuffing,white pepper gravy, mashed potatoes

Devoted to the Man Who Invented CasualSomewhere along the way, I developed a crush on Perry Como It’s not because he wasa western Pennsylvania boy (born in Canonsburg, PA in 1912), but that surelystrengthens my bond. Perhaps his preference for relaxed attire (golf clothes) madehim seem more friendly to me as a child – in that Mr. Rogers and Arnold Palmer sortof way. Bing Crosby called him “the man who invented casual,” but that didn’t stophim from being named one of the Ten Best Dressed Men of the United States by thefashion industry in 1946, 1966 and 1983. Celebrity aside, he also had that working-class charm about him, as a trained barber in the local shop. I suppose all of this justproves the equation: Perry Como was a western Pennsylvania girls’ dreamboat.

By the time I was born in 1969, he was just a nice, older man who sang Christmassongs on television: and next to Santa Claus, he was the coolest guy ever. That was myfirst introduction to his era of entertainment. To me, this entire group of old-fashionedcrooners existed to celebrate the holidays: Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Percy Faithand Ray Conniff orchestras, Danny Kaye, Nat King Cole, and so many others. Myshelves are full of their holiday CDs and my personalized Pandora Christmas stationis called “Perry Como Radio.” It’s not the holidays without them, and when I hearPerry Como tell me to have myself a merry little Christmas . . . (first I squeal like adelighted little girl, but then-) all my troubles soon turn into bubbles.

Shouldold acquaintance

be forgot, and neverbrought to mind ?

and homemade noodles among otherclassic comfort foods.• Counting the houses with Christmaslights in all the local neighborhoods.• My father usually missing Christ-mas dinner, because he got called outto plow roads when it snowed. We feltguilty wishing for a white Christmas,and his arrival after work alwaysmade me appreciate and miss himmore. I still think of him every time itsnows.• Long-lost relatives or friends show-ing up to visit for a while, and oftenwishing they had never left.

• A week off from school!• Trips to King’s Nursery to see theirChristmas Land full of decoratedtrees and other sparkly holidaythings.

• Making Christmas cookies with mymother, and eating way too much rawdough.• My favorite holiday specials, theanimated classics from Rankin Bass(with Rudolph, Frosty, BergermeisterMeisterberger, and Heat Miser), andespecially when Fonzie played Scroogein an American Christmas Carol.

I can get lost thinking back on all ofthat nostalgia. Life was wonderfuland simple for me as a child, and Ioften wish I could return to thosetimes, those people and places. In the

first part of my adult-hood, I spent mostChristmases frettingover what I wantedand what I had lost –so much so, that Inever really enjoyedwhat I had as fully asI could. It took a verylong time to find onlysweet comfort inthose holiday memo-ries rather than somuch grief. Slowly Ibegan to take thebest of what I used toknow, and apply it tomy current world.

I made peace withthe marching toy sol-diers of time, and forthe sake of auld lang

syne, now joyfully give toast to all thoseunopened packages of life waiting un-der my Christmas trees.

– Cathi Gerhard, Editor

2 - Winter/Holiday 2012 LAUREL MOUNTAIN POSTPOSTPOSTPOSTPOST

LMP Columnist Cindy Parkerphotographed by Larry Parker

Laurel Mountain PostMediterranean Tour 2012

Athens, Mykonos, Ephesus, Istanbul,Pisa, Rome, Venice

Be sure to take the Laurel Mountain Post along on YOUR next trip – and send us the photos!

United Way of Westmoreland County announces JessicaProsdocimo from Murrysville, PA, as the winner of the Shop‘n Save Step Up Prize and grocery shopping spree benefitingthe Westmoreland County Food Bank. Jessica works as aCustomer Service Representative for the Municipal Authorityof Westmoreland County. Her strategy is to gather staples,such as peanut butter, cereal, canned tuna or salmon, fruitjuices, salad dressings, pasta, and soups for families in need.

Thanks to the generosity of Ray Charley and his family,not only does Jessica win a $250 gift certificate for Shop ‘nSave merchandise, but also the Westmoreland County FoodBank will receive hundreds of dollars of merchandise fromthe winner’s run through the store, which starts at 8:00 a.m.on Monday, November 12, 2012.

The United Way of Westmoreland County (UWWC)offers this incentive to those who participate in the annualcampaign to highlight the need for food by thousands of

families in our area. With over 15,000 individuals utilizingthe resources of pantries throughout the County annually,hunger is a real issue in Westmoreland County. Manyworking families need food due to the loss of a job, challengesfrom major medical issues, or rising costs of basic needs suchas housing, heat, transportation and/or medicine.

The United Way of Westmoreland County is a nonprofitorganization that invests its resources in efforts that solvecritical community problems with measurable results.Covering Westmoreland, Fayette and portions of ArmstrongCounties, the UWWC serves over 100,000 people throughpartnerships in three targeted areas: Helping children attainSuccess in Learning and Life; Supporting the Basic Needsand Financial Stability for the community; and, EnsuringHealth Access and Independence for our neighbors.

For more information please contact the UWWC at 724-834-7170 or visit us on the web at unitedway4u.org.

Jessica Prosdocimo Will Race at the Pittsburgh Street Shop ‘n Savefor the Westmoreland County Food Bank on November 12, 2012


It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

MEMORY LANEby Ruthie Richardson

It’s hard to read those words and nothave the song dance merrily throughyour mind. I think music truly is “thesoundtrack of our lives.” I can easily betransported to another time and place,just by hearing the first few notes of along forgotten melody. When AndyWilliams serenaded us with this tune,he was brilliant in conveying the joy andanticipation that comes with theseason. So was Perry Como when hecrooned these unforgettable lyrics,“There’s No Place Like Home For TheHolidays.”

Back in the ‘olden days’ when I wasgrowing up in my little house in WestDerry, that Perry Como hit was usuallythe first holiday song we heardemanating from our old Silvertone wirerecorder/radio as it sat grandly in ourliving room. For me, it was a magicalsong - the prelude that would welcomethat most wonderful time of the year.Even now, Mr. Como can musicallytransport me back to those days. I canstill remember unexpectedly hearingthat song serenading us right beforeThanksgiving. Instantly my thoughtswould be filled with visions of a banquetof my mom’s lovingly prepared turkeyfeast, followed by a procession ofsugarplums dancing in my head.

Why is it that I recall those days asbeing so gentle and sweet, and why doesit seem to stand in such contrast tosome of the things I see today? Has theaging process made me a little grumpyand cantankerous? Or is it really a verydifferent world than the one I grew upin? Maybe a little of my annoyance wascaused by seeing a Christmas com-mercial on television, telling us to BUY-BUY -BUY ….in mid-October.

Every fall I bleakly anticipate somenew controversies about Thanksgivingand Christmas. Will I hear how crueland vicious our ancestors were to theIndians? Will the lessons we were

taught about the Pilgrims and Indianslearning from each other, workingtogether and sharing their bounty bereplaced by stories of hatred andtreachery and greed? I know it wasn’tall sunshine and roses, but why can’t

the protestors hold off on the trashingof a wonderful and uplifting story untilmid January? We will already bedepressed by then, and a little moreangst added to the mix of freezing rain,sleet and black ice probably wouldn’tmake much difference. And as forChristmas, will baby Jesus and hismanger be evicted from anotherlocation on His birthday? Are the

colors red and green offensive andshould they be banned in elementaryschool for the month of December? DoI have to beware of smiling at a strangerand wishing them a Merry Christmaslest they take it the ‘wrong way’ and getoffended? I fear the ‘most wonderfultime of the year’ is fast becoming themost disparaged and controversialtime. When did it all become so sadlyconvoluted? I remember it all sodifferently …

While October was always aspooky, fun-filled and visually stunningmonth in my little hamlet, the truemagic began in late November. Afterthe Halloween paraphernalia andmasks (or as my mom always calledthem, false faces) were packed away, weimmediately turned our attention tothe grand celebrations that would closeout the year. Thanksgiving was first upon that delightful list. My mom’s menuand expert way around the kitchen wasalways the star of the fete, but we werealso taught the meaning behind thefeast, not only at home and at church,but at school as well. Thanksgiving wasreferred to in almost every class.Spelling words were geared towardPilgrims and Indians, as well as roastturkey and pumpkin pie. Reading classconsisted of stories of that first feast inour young country, and how it came tobe. We learned about the struggles ofthose hearty souls, and the tales ofsharing, and helping one another, oflearning to harvest those succulent wildturkeys and the delicious surprise of anew vegetable–maize. In music classwe sang our little hearts out to “TurkeyIn The Straw” and “Over The River AndThrough The Woods”, as well as songsof Thanksgiving we had learned inchurch and Sunday school, like thesoaring “Come, Ye Thankful People

The jolly, old fat manand a tentative Ruth Elaine.

continued on page 4


Come.” Our classrooms were decoratedfestively with the masterpieces welearned to create in art class. We madetracings of our hands that we cleverlytransformed into turkeys, adding asmile and a beak to the thumb andcolored feathers to the fingers. Wemade Indian headdresses and Pilgrimhats from construction paper. Therewere also mimeographed pictures wehad colored of the Pilgrims andIndians, gathered around bountifultables of food, their heads bowed inprayer. Because, after all, this wasThanksgiving, or the day to give thanks,and that meant thanks to the Lordabove for all of our blessings. It allseemed so simple back then, and ourteachers used the holiday to teach uswonderful lessons.

As the Thanksgiving weekendwound down, mom would create thelast of her innumerable left over turkeydishes and my brother and I wouldpolish off the pies. Come that Sundayafternoon, Daddy would head for thegarage, stepladder in tow. His maingoal was getting all his huntingparaphernalia out for the first day ofdeer season. But mom would make sureshe supervised as he also dragged downher brown cardboard boxes ofChristmas decorations from the littlestorage area in the garage rafters.While mom helped us carefully unpackthose glittery treasures, the oldSilvertone would be playing in thebackground, reminding us that ourhouse was ‘Beginning to Look a Lot LikeChristmas’, and that ‘Santa Clause WasComing To Town!” Those beloved andwell-worn songs conjure the moststriking and vivid memories for me. Ican close my eyes and be back there inan instant, replaying it all in my mind,like a rerun of a favorite old movie. Ican make a sentimental journey back,back to where I remember life being sosweet and simple, and at Christmas-time, agonizingly exciting.

Most everyone went to church inthose days. At least most everyone Iknew. The churches, especially at Chris-mastime, were always bustling and mychurch, The EUB (Ecumenical UnitedBrethern) in West Derry was noexception. The Sunday after Thanks-giving offered our first preview of the

music to come as we opened our hym-nals and sang the first Christmas Carolsof the season. I was in the junior choir,and at choir practice on Sundayevening we were given the music for theanthem we would perform at theChristmas Pageant. The Pageant wasusually held the Sunday afternoonbefore Christmas, and we knew thesanctuary would be filled to capacitywith our families, neighbors andfriends, awaiting our performances. InSunday school, our teachers handedout our speeches. Each kid was given alittle something to say at the Pageant -an essay or poem about Christ’s birth.Some of the speeches, especially thosefor the little kids, were just a few wordslong. The older kids got short stories,poems, or scriptures to learn and recite.We all knew we would be front andcenter in the spotlight for our starringperformance.

The stage was set at the alter, whichwas always decorated by pointsettas, aChristmas tree, and a beautiful mangerscene. Sometimes we recreated a livingnativity scene, and everyone would viefor a chance to be one of those char-acters. The day of the program, ourSunday school teachers would sit in thefirst pew, ready to prompt us if we gota little stage fright and lost our place.Included in the program were thesoaring young voices of my junior choir,singing in glorious harmony the storiesof the star in the East, the wise men,and the gifts of the Magi. I can stillrecall, after each of our little additionsto the performance, the choir membersrushing back to the choir room, wherewe would all be helped into our littlewhite choir robes. Our junior choirwould then quietly assemble at the alterwhere we would delight our audiencewith the traditional old favorites thattold of the birth of our Savior.

We were all dressed in our finestfor that pageant, and our new, orsometimes ‘gently worn’ finery wouldcompliment our shiny, smiling faces.One year in particular, I vividly recallthe beautiful new dress my GrandmaStewart bought for me at Reed’sDepartment store in Latrobe, to wearespecially for my Christmas pageant. Ithad a red velveteen bodice and a whitechiffon full skirt with embroidered

poinsettias across the fabric. I re-member the rustling sound my crin-oline slips made as I twirled around inthis most glorious creation and howglamorous I felt as I walked to thespotlight to recite my speech. And Irecall my brand new black patentleather shoes tap-tap-tapping as Iwalked. I can still see all the ornery boysfrom my Sunday school class, sohandsome in their little sports coatsand neckties with their hair neatlycombed, showing no trace of their usual

mischief. I guess the solemn andmajestic story we were telling helpedus to be on our best behavior. Thechurch was usually filled to capacitywith all the doting parents andgrandparents, some with their Browniebox cameras in hand. Afterwards wewould gather in the church basementto bask in the accolades from ouradoring fans, and, more importantly,to munch on cookies, candy canes andpunch.

In Sunday school, as well as atWest Derry School, we would exchangenames in anticipation of the yearlyChristmas party, which was held theday before Christmas break. We wouldeach write our names on a piece of

The Dress!A frock fit to walk any red carpet.


continued on page 6

paper, fold it up, and put it in a jar. Oneby one we would choose a name fromthat jar and we were responsible forgetting that person a little Christmasgift. I can’t remember for sure, but Ithink the price limit was 50 cents. Eventhat small amount was a lot of moneyin those days. Each mom would send asnack along for us to share on the dayof the party at school; some sent candybut my mom always made freshcookies, and she allowed me to choosewhich of her delicious recipes I wantedto share with my classmates.

At some point, each year at Christ-mastime, some little unrelated incidentor song or story comes up and I will bereminded, once again, of a long-agoWest Derry school Christmas party.How funny that after all these yearsits memory can still bring a sense ofmelancholy to my usual exuberantholiday joy.

It was 1956 and I was in the thirdgrade. My mom took me to the Derry 5& 10 to purchase my name-exchangegift, a task I took very seriously. I wasdetermined to find the most spectac-ular 50-cent gift ever. I had a girl’sname, long forgotten now, but I decidedshe would probably like the same kindof things that I would like. Afterscouring the endless treasures offeredat my most favorite store, I chose aheart-shaped necklace and a matchingexpandable bracelet. And to make thisselection even more stunning, I chosethe one with MY birthstone, amethyst,encrusted in what I knew must be puregold. My mom knew how much I lovedthis jewelry set, so she had her work cutout for her in helping me to wrap it infestive paper, attach a nametag, andconvincing me to give it away. Sheassured me I would be receiving a gift,too, and it would be something that Iwould like just as much. At school thatday, I reluctantly placed my gift on ourteacher, Mrs. Smail’s desk, with all theothers. The party was in full swing andwe were all enjoying the vast array ofChristmas treats our moms hadprovided when Mrs. Smail announcedthe first name to receive their Christ-mas gift. As she read each name, thatperson would come forward and collectthe gift that a classmate had chosenespecially for them. I watched as that

lucky girl whose name I had chosenunwrapped my spectacular selection,exclaimed over its beauty and thankedme profusely as she fastened the neck-lace around her neck and gently lacedher hand through the bracelet. I watchedher with a mix of pride and envy, andimpatiently awaited the call of my ownname. I just hoped the gift I would re-ceive could ease the lingering envy I feltas I watched MY jewelry adorn some-one else. The stack of gifts becamesmaller and smaller and as the lastname was called, I listened in shockedsilence to the happy chatter and holidaylaughter of my friends, as they com-pared their newly acquired treasures, Irealized there were no more gailywrapped gifts on the teacher’s desk ….I had waited in vain and my name wasnot going to be called. I walked up toMrs. Smail’s desk and whispered inwhat I’m sure was a tearful and anxiousvoice, “You didn’t call my name.” Shelooked at me in surprise, and turned tothe class and asked, “Did anyone forgetto bring a gift?” The nonchalant answercame from the back of the room. “Yes,my mom forgot … sorry ...”

I can still hear those words hangingin the air like they were spokenyesterday, confirming my worst fears,and hurting like a slap in my face. Iwould not be receiving a gift. Mrs. Smailput her arm around me and said howsorry she was, and that she was sureSanta would bring me some lovely gifts.Fifty cents. That was the meager priceof my loss, yet this story can still bringstinging tears to my eyes. Some child-hood hurts, no matter how insignificantthey may seem when viewed as anadult, can never be undone. I told thissad tale to my husband, Doug, once. Asthe hot tears sprang to his eyes, he toldme in no uncertain terms I was neverto tell him that story again. He knewthat all the pots of gold, the diamondtennis bracelets or emerald necklacesin the world would never make up forthat long ago hurt and disappointment.I guess we all have stuff that we carrywith us – the not quite forgotten painfulmemories that linger side by side withour joys and happiness. I thank thegood Lord that most of my memoriesare joyful. And I’m glad that Mrs. Smailwas right about Santa. He, along with

his ‘helpers’ did indeed give mewonderful Christmases, for every yearof my childhood and beyond.

The endless HAPPY holiday mem-ories of my youth were always on fulldisplay in the Christmas pageantry atthat little school in West Derry. Oneunhappy incident could never dull thestunning spectacle of the holidayextravaganza that I, along with all of theother students, had helped to create. Tomy young eyes, that display was everybit as impressive as the Hollywooddesigned set of the Perry Como Christ-mas show we always watched on tele-vision. I remember us creating whatseemed like elaborate decorations forour classrooms. Our meticulouslycolored pictures of Santa and Rudolphwere hung side by side with those of theBaby Jesus in the manger and the ThreeWise Men. The green holly leaves withbright red berry cutouts were taped onthe big windows of our classroom rightnext to the angels, and the star of Beth-lehem shown down on Frosty theSnowman. Strings of our carefullywoven chains of red and green con-struction paper were hung like garlandsaround the classroom, and our at-tempts at origami were rewarded by asnowstorm of our intricately cut flakes,hanging from the ceiling. If there hadbeen any Jewish students in our school,there is no doubt in my mind that theMenorah would have been proudlydisplayed right next to the stockings, asthey hung by the chimney with care. Itwas a delightful mish-mash of thesecular and the sacred, with nary acomplaint to be found.

Music class was always repre-sentative of the changing seasons, andat Christmastime, the selection wasvast. “Here Comes Suzie Snowflake”would be followed by “Joy to the World,the Lord has Come,” and “Up On TheRooftop, Reindeer Pause” led into“Silent Night.” After all, Christmas wasthe birthday of Christ; it was the reasonfor all the celebrating. Every Derry HighSchool alumnus knows about theHallelujah Chorus at the Senior HighSchool Choral Concert when all Derrygraduates still make their way to thestage at the end of the program to sing


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along. They weren’t singing Hallelujahfor sparkle season, they were singing tothe ‘King of Kings, the Lord of Lordswho shall reign forever and ever. ‘ Notmuch wiggle room for the secular inthose lyrics.

The Christmas trees in the hallwaysat school were beautifully decoratedand each had a manger scene lovinglyplaced beneath it. It was the same allover town. The angels, the wise men,Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesusshared the stage with Santa andRudolph and Frosty. We know therewill always be sadness and strife andhurt feelings in the world. That is thenature of life. But the gentle yet infinite

meaning of Christmas has never con-tributed to those things. The Christmasstory is one of joy and hope, the storyof the greatest gift of all. Its simplemessage proclaims peace and love andgood will.

I think we can all learn a lessonfrom Charlie Brown and the Peanutsgang. They were very straightforwardand unflinching in their production, “ACharlie Brown Christmas.” Every yearits popularity grows and grows.Towards the end of the story, CharlieBrown looks at his sad little tree, hearsthe mocking laughter of his friends andwonders in despair about the truemeaning of Christmas. His friend,

Linus, says he can tell him what itmeans. And, in silence, Linus walks tothe center of the stage, stands under asingle spotlight, and reminds us all justexactly what makes this the mostwonderful time of the year:

And there were in the same countryshepherds abiding in the field, keepingwatch over their flock by night. And,lo, the angel of the Lord came uponthem, and the glory of the Lord shoneround about them: and they were soreafraid. And the angel said unto them,Fear not: for, behold, I bring youtidings of great joy, which shall be toall people. For unto you is born thisday in the city of David a Savior, whichis Christ the Lord. And this shall be asign unto you; Ye shall find the babewrapped in swaddling clothes, lyingin a manger. And suddenly there waswith the angel a multitude of theheavenly host praising God, andsaying, Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace and goodwilltowards men.

On a final little PS, just from me to you:Happy Birthday, Jesus! And in theglorious mish-mash that I remember sofondly from all those years ago, Iremind you of the words of the jolly oldfat man himself, “Merry Christmas toall, and to all a good-night!”

* * * * *Ruthie loves to share memories with you.Email her at: [email protected],

look for her on Facebook, or join our LMPonline community to read her new blog!

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According to the Center for Biological Diversity, lead is an extremelytoxic element that is entering the food chain through widespread use oflead hunting ammunition and fishing tackle, poisoning wildlife and eventhreatening human health. (Credit: KevinChang, courtesy Flickr)

What’s the big deal about lead in hunting ammunitionand fishing tackle? If an animal is going to die anyway,

it’s not going to get lead poisoning, right?

The issue of lead in hunting ammunition and fishing tackleisn’t so much about lead contaminating the spoils of huntersand fishermen but about lead accumulating in our ecosystemsand poisoning other animals that ingest it. “Lead is anextremely toxic element that we’ve sensibly removed fromwater pipes, gasoline, paint and other sources dangerous topeople,” reports the non-profit Center for Biological Diversity(CBD). “Yet toxic lead is still entering the food chain throughwidespread use of lead hunting ammunition and fishingtackle, poisoning wildlife and even threatening humanhealth.”

The group reports that at least 75 wild bird species in theUnited States—including bald eagles, golden eagles, ravensand endangered California condors—are routinely poisonedby spent lead ammunition. Meanwhile, every year thousandsof cranes, ducks, swans, loons, geese and other waterfowlingest spent lead shot or lead fishing sinkers lost in lakes andrivers “often with deadly consequences.”

“Animals that scavenge on carcasses shot and contaminatedwith lead bullet fragments, or wading birds that ingest spentlead-shot pellets or lost fishing weights mistaking them forfood or grit, can die a painful death from lead poisoning, whileothers suffer for years from its debilitating effects,” reportsCBD. Across the U.S. some 3,000 tons of lead are shot intothe environment by hunters every year. Another 80,000 tonsare released at shooting ranges, and 4,000 tons in fishinglures and sinkers are lost in ponds and streams. CBDestimates that as many as 20 million birds and mammals inthe U.S. die every year as a result.

Of course, lead ammunition also poses health risks to people,especially those consuming hunted meat. “Lead bulletsexplode and fragment into minute particles in shot game andcan spread throughout meat that humans eat,” says CBD.“Studies using radiographs show that numerous,imperceptible, dust-sized particles of lead can infect meatup to a foot and a half away from the bullet wound, causing agreater health risk to humans who consume lead-shot gamethan previously thought.”

CBD launched its Get the Lead Out campaign in March 2012to raise awareness about the issue and help build support fora federally mandated transition to non-toxic bullets, shot andfishing gear. The coalition includes groups from 38 differentstates representing conservationists, birders, hunters,scientists, veterinarians, Native Americans and publicemployees. In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) denied the coalition’s request to take toxic leadout of hunting ammunition. In response, CBD and six othergroups filed suit against EPA in June for refusing to addressthe problem.

Opponents of CBD (such as the National Rifle Association/NRA) are on the offensive, supporting the Sportsmen’sHeritage Act of 2012 (HR 4089), a bill that aims to open upmore federal land to hunting, limit the President’s ability toinvoke the Antiquities Act to designate new protected lands,and prevent the EPA from regulating ammunition containinglead, among other provisions. The bill recently passed a floorvote in the House of Representatives, but political analystsdoubt it will make it through the Senate.

CONTACTS: CBD’s “Get the Lead Out,” www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/get_the_lead_out/; Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012 on Govtrack,www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr4089.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss andis a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine(www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: [email protected]: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue:www.emagazine.com/trial.


To the typical college student the words‘Thanksgiving’ and ‘Christmas’ immediatelyprecede the word ‘break’. For us theseholidays are spent working on finalassignments, prepping for exams, takingextra classes, or spending exorbitantamounts of money on textbooks for thespring. Since I’ve started college, I haven’thad a single Thanksgiving break without aterm paper or a Winter break withoutclasses. The consequence of this was spend-ing much less time with my family, catchingup and making memories. This isn’t whatthe holiday season should be about.

For many, the holidays are spentjuggling work, kids, families, cooking,travel, presents, wrapping, and spending–until they yearn for the stability of their dailyroutine. What this amounts to is kin to acelebrity squeezing in appearances withrelatives, rather than spending meaningfultime with any of them. Even as a child I feltthe stress of having to balance visits to allof my relatives. First there was the nine-hour ride from North Carolina to Pennsy-lvania. Then my time in PA was spent a dayhere, a few hours there, but not staying atone home a significant amount of time.When relatives would ask after each other,I didn’t feel I could always answer thatquestion: “Well I guess she is doing well. Imean I saw her and said ‘hello’ before I hadto leave.” Once again, this isn’t what theholiday season should be about.

Reflecting upon my own memories ofThanksgiving and Christmas, immedi-atelyI think of how I celebrated as a child. Fromthe Macy’s parade I would do around thecul-de-sac every year to ‘Year Without aSanta Claus’ and singing my heart out to‘We Need a Little Christmas’ my childhoodholidays were filled with excitement. Ofcourse, as a child presents were alwayswonderful, but memories of those gifts

aren’t what I remember now. I recall watch-ing the same Christmas movies with mymother and brother every year (always with‘Holiday Inn’ at Thanksgiving to kick off theseason), constructing my Thanksgiving dayfloats out of wagons, bikes, and stuffedanimals, and the sing-alongs on the way to andfrom relative’s houses.

All of these activities were things I didwith my family and friends. We spent timetogether doing things that were special tothat time of year. We built traditionstogether. And overall there was thatparticular feeling of warmth – that feelingof Love. That’s what the holidays are reallyabout, isn’t it? Love. We come together forholidays because we love each other. We feela need to be close to one another, catch up,reminisce, and make memories. Althoughthe season comes with its share ofheadaches and stress, which can be over-whelming, what is most important is thetime you spend with family. Life sometimesgets in the way and sometimes we forget topay attention to what is most important.While we may not always have a lot of timeto spend with those we love, make the mostof the moments you have together and trynot to get bogged down with the negativeaspects of the season. You may resent theholiday traffic but when you arrive at yourdestination, and your grandmother reachesout and hugs you, the voices of yourbrothers and sisters in the other room callout, you remember why all the stress andthe fuss was worth it. You are where youbelong. Surrounded by the people you love.Next time you are feeling the holiday blues,remember this quote from one of myfavorite Christmas movie:

“If you look for it, I’ve got a sneakingsuspicion . . . love actually is all around.”

– Elizabeth Srsic

Love Actually... Is All Around


Celebrate the season at Overly’s Country Christmas, an impressive holiday lightdisplay complete with a walk-through Christmas Village that is filled with an arrayof old-fashioned traditions and treats. Sing carols ‘round the bonfire, revel in themodel train display, have your picture taken with Santa (in the days beforeChristmas) and shop for gifts in the C. Edgar & Sons General Store as you experiencethe beauty of this illuminated winter wonderland!

Overly’s Country Christmas is a nationally recognized holiday light displaythat has been featured on “Good Morning America” and other ABC, NBC and CBSaffiliated television programs. In 1983, Good Housekeeping Magazine namedOverly’s Country Christmas one of America’s Best Outdoor Light Displays.

If interested in volunteering, we are looking for Moms, Dads, Grandparents,parents with a young child, high school and college students needing to completecommunity service hours, retired professionals, those between jobs looking forexperience, members of a service group or church group, etc. You can help createholiday memories and traditions for our Westmoreland County/WesternPennsylvania holiday event! Volunteer today by calling 724-423-1400 or email [email protected] If you are unable to volunteer, we sure hope you canstop by ... it really is something to see!

Volunteers Needed forOverly’s Country Christmas

Gifts ThatGive BackThe annual IKEA Soft Toys forEducation campaign is starting!Running from November 4through December 29, one Euro($1.30) will be donated to UNICEFand Save the Children for everyIKEA soft toy sold, to help childrenaround the world gain access to aquality education. Adorable toyslike Mr. Broccoli and Clown Dog(below), which range in price from49 cents to $19.99, will delight andalso be a great gift that gives back.Since the start of the Soft Toys forEducation program in 2003, IKEAhas raised more than $61 million,helping over eight million childrenin close to 40 countries.

Star of Wonder, Star of Night,

Star of royal beauty bright. Westwardleading, still proceeding, guide us to thyperfect light... In the Bible, the star is arepresentation of the star that guided thethree wise men to the manger in Bethlehemwhere baby Jesus lay. However, astron-omers have concluded that no new starappeared at the time of His birth, nor wasthis a shooting star as the three kingsfollowed their star for weeks. In fact, studiessuggest that Jesus was born in the springof 6 B.C. rather than 1 A.D. This star ofBethlehem may have actually been thegroup of three planets-Mars, Jupiter, andSaturn-also known as Pisces. The star is asymbol of high hopes and ideals (forChristians, it represents the ideals held byJesus in the bible). That star sitting atopyour tree is more than a decoration- it’s aguide and it serves to remind us of what theChristmas season is really all about.

– Kaytlen Powers


Cathi Gerhard - Editor • Gregory Susa - PublisherJason Ament - Managing Editor & Advertising Sales Director

Megan Fuller - Editorial Consultant

Carol Gerhard - Copy Editor • Scott Sinemus - The Ligonier ChefElizabeth Srsic - Art & Education • Ruthie Richardson - Memory Lane

Mark Rullo - What’s Cooking in Fitness • Granny Earth - Healing With WeedsBrian Mishler - Home Study • Cindy Parker - Three Pennies

Bruce & Ellen Henderson - Features & Photography • Kaytlen Powers - InternJoe Jerich - Features & Photography • Eric Pensenstadler - Video

Bloggers: Elizabeth Srsic, Joanna McQuade, Ruthie Richardson,Hayley Chemski, Cathi Gerhard , Megan Fuller

Distribution Team: Doug Richardson, Heather Haines, Bob Raho, Robin Shields,Beverly Struble, Jack Wilson, Jason Ament, Cathi Gerhard, Gregory Susa

The Laurel Mountain Post is an independent, quarterly publicationproduced at Fairview Farm in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

POSTLAUREL MOUNTAIN

Office Mailing Address:Laurel Mountain Post | PO Box 332 | Ligonier, PA 15658

Editorial Office:Located at Fairview Farm | 189 Fairview Lane | Derry, PA 15627

Advertising Office:Located at Equine Chic | 100 E. Main Street | Ligonier, PA 15658

724-537-6845 • www.Laurel Mountain Post.com

SubscriberInformation

Print subscriptions will once again beavailable for $20/year, and will arrivevia 1st Class US Mail. We’ve had someissues with slow bulk mail deliveries inthe past, so we plan to stuff envelopesand lick stamps from now on! You willreceive a copy of each quarterly printedition along with subscriber-only cou-pons from local businesses in apprecia-tion of your support! Please send a checkwith your name and mailing address to:

Laurel Mountain Post SubscriptionsPO Box 332 • Ligonier, PA 15658

(include email address for online access code)

Together We Are StrongerOver 37,000 children and their families throughout Southwestern Pennsylvaniaare in need of assistance from the Greater Pittsburgh and WestmorelandCommunity Food Bank. You can help feed a family in need by participating in theFall FoodShare food drive held every year at your local Giant Eagle.• Statewide, 19.6% of children under 17 years old, almost 1 in 5, live in poverty(US Census American Community Survey)• Half of all Food Stamp recipients nationwide are children.• Children in food-insecure house-holds are 2x as likely to suffer poor health,and 2x as likely to need special education (Feeding America).• More than 54,000 households in southwestern Pennsylvania live on incomesbelow $10,000 per year.

We all need help from time to time. Whether you’ve lost your job and can’tmake ends meet or you simply need assistance reaching the top shelf, we all turnto our friends, family and neighbors in times of need. With 50 million people—or1 in 6—struggling with hunger in our country, people in our communities need alittle help putting food on the table.

Our nation was built on a sense of community—that together, we are strongerthan we are as individuals. That is the spirit in which Feeding America and localfood banks advocate for programs that help struggling families put food on thetable. With our economy fighting to emerge from the greatest recession since theGreat Depression, people in communities across our nation need help getting backon their feet.

Its simple – get involved today – and get your family and friends involved.To find opportunities in your area, please contact your local food bank. In ourarea: WestmorelandFoodBank.org, 724-468-8660.

√ Cereal (high fiber, low sugar)√ Tuna, Canned Salmon

(packed in water)√ Fruit, Vegetable Juice (100%)√ Canned Beans

(kidney, black, navy)√ Canned Vegetables√ Peanut Butter (15 or 18 oz)√ Canned Fruit in juice√ Paper Products√ Laundry Detergent√ Diapers (baby & adult)√ Cash Donations ($2/$5)

at the registers

Non-perishable items only!Please no GLASS.

Donated food and funds willbenefit your local food bank.


724-238-9273 • 412-951-5579 • FullyInsured (PA046680)

EDITORS’ CHOICE COMMUNITY AWARDS

Best New Fashion AccessoryMagnabilities

Interchangeable magnetic disks fornecklaces, bracelets and earrings, thereare over a thousand different designsto choose from – or use your own phototo order a custom disk. This creativejewelry idea began as a small, at-homebusiness by three financially-strappedfriends in Sumner, Washington:

“Blood, sweat, and enough tears tofill the world’s oceans later, Magna-bilities has arrived. A sincere thanksgoes out to all that have made thisdream come true. Keep an eye on us,there are many more ideas to come.”

Promote small business to smallbusiness success and stop in at Chicora’s( 313 Depot Street in Latrobe) to try outsome combinations – we love them,especially at only $5 per disk!

Best Outdoor/Farm Fashionfor WomenKerrits PerformanceEquestrian Apparel

These are the best-made, most com-fortable and incredibly stylish “barnclothes” I have ever worn or even seen!Whether it’s hats, jackets, tops, coatsor breeches, you’ll find everything youneed from sizes small to 2X. Sadly,there is no Tall sizing, but inseams doincrease proportionately from 30 to 33inches. Warm in the winter, andmoisture-wicking cool in the summer,

Local Favorites Chosen by the Staff of the Laurel Mountain Post

continued on page 12

they have become my go-to pieces fordaily wear in both town and country.

A small company in Bingham, WA,they have strong environmental andethical commitments:

“We do not make disposable eque-strian apparel, never have, never will.From the beginning, we’ve had astandard. We won’t make anythingthat we might be embarrassed to wearnext year. And the clothes that we domake? Well, they are meant to beridden in hard and worn well for a goodlong time. We wake up every morningrealizing we have the opportunity tomake a difference.” (www.Kerrits.com)

Shop this apparel line year-round atEquine Chic in Ligonier, on the Dia-mond at 100 E Main St, 724-238-7003,www.equinechic.com. They are havinga seasonal trunk show/in-store eventon November 15!

Best Local HoneyCrimson Creek Apiaries

We love their honey – and their sloganeven more: Keeping Wild Girls in aBox! After discovering their products

this summer at the Ligonier CountryMarket, we are hooked! Here’s theiradorable story:

“The curve in the bottom of thehollow on Dick Station in SewickleyTwp.was once a bustling hub for thetownsfolk. A grist mill used water fromLittle Crimson Creek to grind grain anda train station greeted travelers as theycame and went. A dirt road carriedhorse and buggy riders past and a littleCrimson Schoolhouse stood atop theknoll overlooking it all. The Schoo-lhouse still stands obscured by sometrees, but is still fondly remembered asSchoolhouse #3 at Millville/DickStation built in 1837 and now ownedby Norman and Linda Lachimia. Thisis where our story begins.....

Norman and I purchased the one-room schoolhouse in 2009 and beganrestoring the 175 year old building. Fortwenty-five years we admired theforsaken structure adjoining ourproperty. With its stone foundation, thewooden schoolhouse was a dream,

calling a pair of Carpenters by trade.The Crimson schoolhouse’s slate roof,slender cream windows,and it’s belltower perched so alluringly atop thestructure has seen the change of times.We are restoring the schoolhouse to heroriginal beauty,but not without a largeobstacle along the way, as weapproached the south side of theschoolhouse we encountered buzzing


and a few friendly fly-by’s all pointingto the Honeybees taking up residencein the walls.

Knowing the plight of the Honey-bee and being avid gardeners, we wan-ted to place the bees in a hive box buthad no idea where to begin. Finding afriendly local beekeeper that was kindenough to come out and place thehoneybees in a brood box, we were ableto create the hive we now fondly referto as our “School girls,” for the Queenand all the worker bees are all females!!

And this was the start of CrimsonCreek Apiaries.”

They carry beekeeping products,honey and beeswax candles. Theirwebsite will soon be available foronline ordering at www.crimsoncreekapiaries.com. In the meantime,call Swarmin Normin at 724-289-7879or send an email to [email protected]. To taste theirhoney, visit Palace Restaurant inHerminie, McNally’s in Rilton, CountryCustard in Sutersville, or Gary’sChuckwagon in West Newton.

– Cathi Gerhard & Greg Susa

Best Scented CandleGold Canyon

Changing the fragrance in our house (inArizona) is the only way to distinguishthe seasons, so I stock up on GoldCanyon Candles, we have “pumpkinpie” burning right now with “autumnwalk” on deck and “cozy christmas” inthe wings. In western PA, contactBryan & Kelly Johnson-Hill at B&K’sGold Canyon Candles n More: 320

Sherwood Circle in Youngwood, (724)433-5315; [email protected]; http://johnsonhill.mygc.com.Other GC candle consultants can befound at goldcanyon.com

Best Tea for a ColdTadin TeaChamomile with Anise

With the cold and flu season coming onwe like to keep a supply and think itreally does help with stuffy noses andcoughs. Tadin Teas can be purchasedonline at tadincorp.com, walgreens.comand amazon.com.

Best Lip BalmEOS

This lip balm comes in an egg, and mydaughters love it for its fight against drylips. Just a note: keep it on a high shelfor a zipped bag because the dogs seemto love it as well! We get ours at our localTarget, but it is also available at http://evolutionofsmooth.com

– Megan Fuller

Best CupcakeKimmy’s Cupcake Co.

I know most trendy things take about adecade to reach our area. Cupcake crazebeing one of them. Kimmy’s CupcakeCo. is better than most. We’ve had theGeorgetown Cupcakes and I still can’tunderstand why people are so en-amored. Kim has attention to detail fordecorating that is worthy of a realityshow. And the cupcake itself is moistand delicious. Kimmy says:

“I don’t know the meaning of boxcake! Everything I produce is home-made with the freshest ingredients.”

She’s on Facebook and definitelyworth liking, her creativity is always apleasure to see. You can also contacther at 412-260-3716 or via email:[email protected]

Best Braised Pork ShankThe Kitchen on Main

Truly one of the most consistent andtasty shanks I’ve had the pleasure of inages! It’s not on many menus, whichmakes little sense really, it’s easilycooked, holds magnificently for service,

I CANSEE

FABULOUS!C-FAB

ServicesIWCA Safety Certified • Fully Insured

Window CleaningGutter CleaningPressure Washing

Office724.694.0368

Chad - Owner724.875.0629


makes a myriad of phenomenal“planned-overs” and is ridiculouslyaffordable. Located at 136 E. MainStreet in Ligonier. 724-238-4149.

www.thekitchenonmain.com

Best Soup BaseMinor’s at Penzey’s

Penzey’s has a line of bases that aretruly home made in flavor. Minor’s iswhat most restaurants use. It doesmake a good base when used alone. Iprefer using just a bit to enhancehomemade stock. I use it instead ofadding salt to my stock. Both need tobe refrigerated.

– The Ligonier Chef

Best Home Enthusiast ShopVite E Vino

Vite E Vino First avenue in Derrywhere the old State Store was. If youare looking for an unusual gift, theyhave a large array of wine and beermaking supplies, and lots of lovelylittle gift items, too, like goat milksoaps and lotions, candles, oldfashioned toys and lovely framedphotographs.

124 East First Ave in Derry.www.viteevino.com724-309-9601

Best Watering HoleChef Dato’s

And everyone knows that Chef Dato’sTable in West Derry has wonderfulfood and desserts, but they also havea lovely bar with seasonal beers, bothimports and local; a terrific wine list,that includes their own, house-infused white and red sangria; and

your favorite cocktails, with specialtydrinks designed to compliment everyholiday. I recently helped the bar-tender perfect November’s featuremartini: pumpkin pie! All this and astaff like Cheers, where everybodyknows your name. Stop by for a littlebreak from all the hustle and bustle,maybe we will see you there!

– Ruthie & Doug Richardson

* * * * *The above recommendations are honest kudos from thestaff of the Laurel Mountain Post. With so muchnegative press in the world, we think it is important toput our compliments in writing!

The Laurel Mountain Post maintains high standardsof editorial credibility with our endorsements. We donot trade product endorsements for paid adver-tisements or free samples. In many cases, our ad salesand articles result from us contacting businesses wereally like – and telling them so! These are simply ouropinions, however, and we can hold no responsibilityfor your personal experiences with these products orservices.

Oh Christmas Tree, oh ChristmasTree, how richly God has decked thee!Today, an evergreen decked out withcolorful ornaments and twinklinglights says “Christmas” to manypeople. But decorated trees had mean-ing long before Christmas came about!Druids, who worshipped nature someseveral thousands years ago, woulddecorate oak trees during wintersolstice; the gilded apples were a signof gratitude to the god Odin for be-stowing fruits, and the candles hon-ored the sun god Balder.

Originally, trees were adorned withfruits, gilded nuts, gingerbread, paperroses, baby Jesus with angel wings,etc. Eventually, glass balls in all dif-ferent colors replaced the fruits, andstrings of popcorn and cranberries,paper chains and paper stars, becamethe garland of American Christmastrees. On early Christmas trees,fairies(the good spirits) took the placeof angels! Ornaments vary dependingon the country; In Poland there arealways angels and peacocks, theSwedes hang brightly colored woodenand straw ornaments, In Denmarkthey sometimes have strings of tinyDanish flags adorning the Christmastree. In Japan they often have trees litwith paper lanterns, and Czecho-slovakians ornament are made out ofpainted eggshells. One of the mostinteresting symbolic ornaments canbe found on a Ukrainian Christmastree: a spider web for good luck.

Start a new tradition! The firstactual record of the Christmas tree aswe have come to known it is in aGerman book dating back to 1604. Agood way to keep this fact alive wouldbe in the form of a particular ornamentknown as the “Christmas Pickle,” ordie Weihnachtsgurke. Though thereis a question as to whether or not this isa true German custom, it is a symbolnonetheless. Whoever finds the Christ-mas pickle gets a special treat or extrapresent. In a less materialistic sense,the pickle represents good fortune.

– Kaytlen Powers


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Preventing and alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power

of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

Preventing and alleviating human suffering in

Your local Red Cross in Westmoreland County is here to help. For more information, visit WestRed.org or call 724-834-6510.


Call for Local and Creative Magazine SubmissionsThe Laurel Mountain Post is looking for creative writing and article proposals. All local writers areinvited to submit original (never before published) works for consideration. Prose and poetry shouldnot exceed 2500 words; longer stories will be serialized if selected for publication. Suggestions for articlesshould include the who-what-where, and especially WHY it would interest our readers. No sales copywill be accepted – we are looking for legitimate, local feature topics.

Submissions will be read by a multidisciplinary team of editors, so please be patient regardingour decision once you receive a cofirmation receipt. It takes a while for our editorial board membersto read through your manuscripts and make their recommendations. We are truly looking forward tohearing new ideas and reading your work!

Complete writing and submission guidelines are available on our website: www.LaurelMountainPost.com

A Visual History of theBedford Springs Hotel

The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images ofAmerica series is The Bedford Springs Hotel from local authorAlison Reed Ross. The book boasts more than 200 vintage imagesand memories of days gone by.

The Bedford Springs Hotel, located in a valley in the heart ofthe Allegheny Mountains, has a rich and fascinating history spanningover 200 years. Established in the 1790s by Dr. John Anderson,who gained his knowledge of the therapeutic mineral springs fromlocal Native Americans, the spa resort drew visitors to the almostmagical curative waters in search of renewed health and vitality.

Bedford Springs grew to be a popular and fashionable summerresort destination throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries,hosting industrialists and socialites and even serving as the summerWhite House. After housing a US Navy training school and Japanesediplomat detainees during World War II , the Bedford Springs Hotelattracted resort goers until the late 1980s, when it closed its doors.The expansive property sat silently, but elegantly, for two decades beforeits 2007 rebirth as the luxurious Omni Bedford Springs Resort.

Highlights of The Bedford Springs Hotel:

• Developing the spa• Taking the waters• Enjoying the social scene• Golfing the links• Meeting the demands of modern times

Author Alison Reed Ross, an architectural historian living and workingin central Pennsylvania, studied historic preservation at the Universityof Pennsylvania. She selected most of these photographs from theextensive collection of the Bedford Springs Historical Society, whichwas established by William L. Defibaugh, P.E.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, orthrough Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888)-313-2665.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history inthe United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningfulthrough the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

National Geographic has just confirmed what manyin Western Pennsylvania already knew – it is one ofthe most beautiful places in the world to visit in thefall.The travel editors of National Geographic have listedthe Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) as one of the topten in their “Best Fall Trips 2012”—a timely honorbecause the ground-breaking for the last section of thetrail was held last Friday in Pittsburgh.

Once work is finished, this piece of the trail willcomplete the GAP. The GAP meets the existing C&OTowpath in Cumberland, MD and together, the GAPand C&O Towpath trails link Pittsburgh to Washington,D.C. It is estimated this vital piece of the trail will becompleted by April 15, 2013.

The GAP itself is a 141-mile rail trail from Pittsburghto Cumberland, and traverses through miles ofbeautiful scenery including four HeritagePA sites -including Altoona and the Allegheny Ridge HeritageArea, plus the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor,National Road Heritage Corridor, and Rivers of SteelNational Heritage Area.

As the National Geographic article stated, visitors canspend a day, weekend or week enjoying the trail andstopping at the interesting, small towns along the way.Donna Holdorf, executive director for the NationalRoad Heritage Corridor, agreed.

“There is nothing more amazing than the fall colors ofthe Laurel Highlands and Pittsburgh’s Countryside.Pedaling the GAP at this time of year will immerseriders in Mother Nature’s gift to our senses,” she said.

“But visitors shouldn’t limit themselves to the trail:make a stop in anyone of the trail towns and villagesalong the way and explore the PA Heritage Area’shistoric and cultural sites, and enjoy our local eateries,”said Holdorf.

The HeritagePA regions identify industrial, culturaland natural resources of a particular locality and workwith other entities to bring visitors and business to thatarea to learn about and enjoy these resources.

Congratulations to theGreat Allegheny Passage!


by Mark Rullo (MS, CSCS, MES) and Julie MartsonWHAT’S COOKING IN FITNESS

Pie, Push-Ups, and Party Pounds:How to Celebrate the Holidays without the Weight Gain

If you’ve been on the quest to lose ormaintain your weight, you know thatwith all of the holidays at the end of theyear, it can feel like an uphill battle.Now that Halloween is over – thoughthe candy may still linger – you’ve gotThanksgiving, Christmas-Hanukkah-Kwanzaa (Christmahanakwanzikaanyone?), and New Year’s to lookforward to! Let’s be honest though, ifyou’re trying to lose weight, theseholidays can feel more like walkingthrough a minefield rather than acelebration.

Here’s some food for thought (punintended): Stop trying to be perfect!The holidays are a time for celebration,and we humans enjoy food as acenterpiece of our celebrations. Thereis nothing wrong with that, so insteadof agonizing over every Christmascookie that passes your lips, just focuson maintaining your weight where it is.

That’s right, I said maintain. Takea break from the year-round Battle ofthe Bulge(s) and allow yourself to enjoya little holiday cheer. There are onlynine weeks between Halloween andNew Year’s. All of the holiday hustleand bustle can leave us with less timeto invest in monitoring what and howmuch we eat, so these next few weeksare a great time to switch your focus toweight maintenance.

So how can we still enjoy theholiday celebrations without tippingthe scale in the wrong direction? Hereare some ideas that just might keep youfrom ditching the dress pants for elasticwaistbands:

• Know the “caloric cost”of food.

One pound of fat is equivalent to 3500calories, so if you’re taking in extra

calories every day (even smallamounts) you will see weight gain. Asugar cookie could be in theneighborhood of 192 calories, and aslice of pumpkin pie can easily be over300! Know those costs before youindulge.

• Go ahead, have a candy cane!Research shows that peppermintsatisfies the sugar cravings oftenexperienced following a meal. Addedbonus: the menthol in peppermintsoothes your digestive track. The littlecanes are only 11 calories while the 6-inch canes are 55 calories.

• Find some healthy recipesthat won’t sacrifice taste.

For example, there are some prettyincredible stuffing recipes online thatare lower in calories and higher in fiberthan boxed stuffing. I understand somerelatives won’t go near it if you say “it’shealthy,” so make sure they try it beforetelling them it’s better for them! Also

from another perspective, who says youhave to tell them in the first place?

• Eat ahead of time. Before you go to the holiday officeparty, eat a small meal to keep you fromnibbling on too many of the unhealthytreats. A handful of baby carrots or anactual meal – one with a good balanceof protein, fibrous carbohydrates, andhealthy fats – could keep you frommunching on everything on the buffettable.

• Use a smaller plate. If you hold a plate in your hand that’s

the size of a Humvee’s hubcap, you’regoing to fill it up with way too muchfood. Let’s face it: Once it’s on yourplate, you want to eat it (especially ifit’s something yummy, like Grandma’sChristmas cookies). We are visualcreatures! A smaller plate will appearfull of food without completely


compromising all the progress you’vebeen making on your weight loss goals.

• Don’t bother buyingHalloween candy - even onceit’s on sale.

You’re going to get plenty of it at workor from your kids, so there’s really noreason to buy it when everyone else istrying to get rid of theirs. Taking thegiveaway candy means you might saveyourself some calories and some cash!

• Limit yourself to 1 drink. Does Aunt Elsie make good eggnog?

Does Cousin Ed’s homemade winebring you some holiday cheer? Great,feel free to have a glass and be social,but stick to just one. Alcohol is full ofempty calories. If you would indulgein more than one, then space each drinkwith at least one or two glasses of water.

• Fill up on veggies. Vegetable platters are my favorite partof the holidays (or it might be mymom’s cinnamon rolls on Christmasmorning…but I do like veggies too!). The veggie tray is a great place to getfiber, nutrients, and a crispy crunchwithout getting slammed withhundreds of calories. And just so we’reclear, ranch dressing is not a vegetableor a food group. Sorry to disappoint!

• Split desserts with a friend/date/spouse/child/parent.

Grandma’s pumpkin pie is awesome,but it could take you at least half anhour of jogging to burn off one slice!Share it with a loved one and spend alittle less time working it off later.

• Have a “Holiday Dance Party.”Or make it a ski trip, bike ride (if you’renot in a snowy place), hike, or otherform of group activity. The point is findways to get active!

• Only visit the dessert tableonce…

and don’t forget about the tip above tochoose small plates!

• Host your own “HealthyHoliday Party.”

Encourage your friends and family tobring healthier dishes. Make a contest

out of it by ranking the dishes based onboth taste and nutrition facts!

• Run a Turkey Troton Thanksgiving.

You can torch a few hundred caloriesby running a charity race – then youcan get your very own slice of Grand-ma’s pie! Thanksgiving is typically aday of eating and napping so this is oneoption for some activity on a typicalnon-active day.

• Brush your teeth or chew gum.It could keep you from eating rightwhen you get to the party or keep youfrom eating once you’ve finished yourmeal. Plus your friends and family willappreciate the fresh breath!

• Make your own food to take.You know what you’re putting in it, soyou have an idea of how much it is goingto cost you calorie-wise.

So even if the holidays turn into a timeof weight maintenance rather thanweight loss, you’re doing well! Here atMy Fitness Kitchen®, we have acontest called “Holiday Hold ‘Em.” Thegoal is to maintain your current bodyfat percentage through New Year’s.Each participant is entered into a pool,and as long as the body fat percentagedoes not change between the twocheck-in dates they are eligible to winthe entire pool! The Holiday Hold ‘Emis open to anyone interested, whetheror not they are a member of My FitnessKitchen®.

No matter how few or how manyof these tips you decide to try out for

yourself this holiday season, I wouldlike to give you one more. If you eattoo much, forgive yourself andmove on, and make sure yournext choice is one that moves youcloser to your goals. Stressing overyour mistakes will only make it worse.Allow yourself the chance to learn fromyour mistakes and start to make newhabits.

Think ahead - by holding thatholiday weight gain at bay, you’ll besetting yourself up for success in theNew Year. Stay tuned for more ofWhat’s Cooking in Fitness by theweight loss experts at My FitnessKitchen.

About My Fitness Kitchen®Located in Latrobe 30 plaza, My FitnessKitchen® is truly Where Fitness & NutritionCome Together. From the moment you enterMy Fitness Kitchen® regardless of your age,fitness level or experience, it’s all about “You”.The supportive staff, welcoming atmosphere,and friendly members combine to create themost unique and comfortable environment foryour fitness and weight management success.Whether it is Fitness, Nutrition or both, you canbe confident My Fitness Kitchen® is thesolution to a healthier you.

About the author:Julie MarstonJulie Marston is an ACSM Certified PersonalTrainer and group fitness instructor at MyFitness Kitchen with a passion for overallwellness and health with a degree in exercisescience and health. Her specialty is weight loss,and she has worked with clients of all ages.

Pumpkin pie is a staple of any Thanksgiving meal.But did you know that the only pies the Pilgrims knew were

meat pies? They might not have had the flour and eggs to makepie crust at all. It’s not even certain that the Pilgrims ate any

pumpkin at their first Thanksgiving with the Wampanoag tribein 1621! If so, they were roasted on coals and served stewed.Pumpkin pies became a Thanksgiving dinner staple later in

17th century America, possibly as early as the secondcelebration of Thanksgiving in 1623, but most likely in 1670.


Celebrate America Recycles Day byrecycling your “worn but not worn out”shoes on Thursday, November 15, from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Westmoreland CountyCourthouse. Join Westmoreland Clean-ways and Westmoreland County in keepingthousands of pairs of good, usable shoes outof the landfill and getting them to people inneed across the globe.

Westmoreland Cleanways is kickingoff an exciting new collaboration withShoeBox Recycling for this year’s AmericanRecycles Day on November 15. Visitors toGreensburg and employees of all downtownbusinesses are encouraged to bring gentlyused, paired, mens, womens and kids shoesto the Westmoreland County Courthousewith the hope that the message, ‘worn is notworn out’ will resonate throughout thecounty. Drop them off at WestmorelandCleanways’display at the Courthouse from11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on November 15, and feelgood about giving them a second useful life.Collection boxes will be set up at bothentrances to the Westmoreland CountyCourthouse on November 15, one attheMain Street entrance and one at thePennsylvania Avenue entrance.

Commissioners Charles Anderson,Tyler Courtney, and Ted Kopas enthus-iastically endorsed the America RecyclesDay “Worn But Not Worn Out” shoe col-lection at the Courthouse, and paved theway to make it happen.

“We are thrilled that, with the supportof our Commissioners, we can take advan-tage of America Recycles Day to launch atransformative program like ShoeBoxRecycling that encourages our community

“Worn But Not Worn Out” Shoe CollectionWestmoreland County Courthouse, November 15: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

members to easily choose the path ofsustainability and find new and convenientways to green our county,” said West-moreland Cleanways Executive DirectorEllen Keefe. “Everyone has extra shoes intheir closet, and now we have an oppor-tunity to make a great choice to put thoseshoes to reuse.”

Gently worn shoes turned in at thecollection will be packed up and shipped towhere they are needed most . . . countriessuch as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guatemala,Kenya and Haiti. Westmoreland Countywill benefit by keeping thousands of poundsof shoes out of our county landfills, re-serving space for the real trash.West-moreland Cleanways will benefit becauserebates earned from ShoeBox Recycling willbe used to sustain its free environmentaleducational programs.

All “worn but not worn out,” stillwearable shoes will be accepted (no holesin the soles, or shoes in need of repair). Ifthey’re disgusting to you, they’ll bedisgusting to someone else. Go throughyour closets to find pairs of men’s,women’s and kids’ shoes, in all shapes,sizes, and colors: athletic shoes, cleats,work boots, dress shoes, sandals, flats andheels. The only shoes we can’t use aresingles, ski boots, heavy winter boots,roller- or ice skates.

“Shoe recycling needs to become asfamiliar to us all and as easy to perform asbottle, can, and paper recycling,” said LisaPomerantz, Queen of Sole at ShoeBoxRecycling (pictured at left). “It’s great towork with Westmoreland Cleanways, trueleaders in sustainability, who see the visionwe have of shifting the way people thinkabout their shoes.”

Westmoreland Cleanways notes too,that the “Worn But Not Worn Out” shoecollection is an on-going program. Whilethe official kick-off will be at the Courthouseon November 15, permanent drop-offlocations are also located in Founders Hallon the campus of Westmoreland CountyCommunity College in Youngwood;Chambers Hall on the campus of theUniversity of Pittsburgh-Greensburg; andWestmoreland Cleanways’ office at 226Donohoe Road in Greensburg.

For complete details of the “Worn ButNot Worn Out” shoe recycling program,visit www.westmoreland cleanways.org, orcall 724-836-4129.

ABOUT WESTMORELAND CLEANWAYSWestmoreland Cleanways is a non-profit501(c)(3) organization whose mission is toprotect, restore, and maintain the environ-mental qualities of Westmoreland County for allwho live, work, and visit herein. WestmorelandCleanways addresses the proper disposal of solidwaste through recycling, special collections, thecleanup of illegal dumpsites and littered areas,and public education. For additional infor-mation about Westmoreland Cleanways, call724-836-4129.

ABOUT SHOEBOX RECYCLINGShoeBox Recycling is proud to be a for-profitrecycler of shoes. ShoeBox Recycling wasfounded in 2011 with a mission to recycle asmany pairs of shoes as possible. With over 300million pairs of shoes hitting landfills each year,ShoeBox Recycling is looking to change the waypeople think about their shoes and the need forreuse around the globe. ShoeBox Recycling isheadquartered in Fairless Hills, PA. For moreinformation, call 888-482-5754, send email to:[email protected], or find them onFacebook.

Mission: We take all types ofwearable pairs of mens, women’s andkids shoes. The only shoes we do not takeare ski boots, heavy winter boots, rollerskates/blades and ice skates. We takeshoes in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Company Overview: We are ShoeBoxRecycling and our mission is to recycle asmany pairs of shoes as possible so thatyour old shoes can be given a new life.

Recycle your shoes,find your SoleMate™

Description: As a for-profit recycler,we know that we can only do good ifwe do well. Every shoe we collect willbe distributed for reuse at various localmarket places around the world. Whenyou place a note in your shoes and tellthe next owner what is special aboutthem, you can trace the path they takeand ultimately find your ‘Sole Mate’.

Who knows what experience awaitsyou. Let’s all recycle our shoes andmake the world smaller, greener andfriendlier.


Fender Skirts: A Blast from the Pastby Nancy A. Clark

An anonymous writer “of a certain age”recently lamented the disappearance oftreasures near and dear to his heart –objects like spinner hubcaps, Con-tinental kits, running boards andfender skirts.

His lamentation also included theobsolescence of particular componentsof the King’s English, claiming the trailto social extinction is littered withlyrical literary jewels like brassiere,percolator, Simonize®and groovy.Going, going, gone are phrases like ablast from the past, in the family way,double-dare-ya and don’t you know?

The author then invited his readersto harvest recollections of physical andliterary treasures from human relics ofa certain age – “if you know any relics,”he adds. Know any? Honey, I IS ONE,and I have a list of literary jewels I’dlike to rescue from obscurity, startingwith linoleum and aluminum - twotongue ticklers that melt in my mouthlike marshmallows in the microwave.

Sales Associates (store clerks in myday) respond with vacant eye andfurrowed brow when I ask to see theirlinoleum (or is it aluminum?) floorsamples. Today the product of choiceis vinyl. Durable? Yes. Lyrical? No. Ialso transpose “restaurant” and“restroom,” but that’s another story.)

Girdle. Say it: G-i-r-r-r-d-l-e. Now,say SPANX. No music, there!

Big box stores don’t carry spigots,don’t you know? They only stockfaucets.

I’d like to resurrect car model nameslike Pinto and Sunbird and Chief.Where’s the lyricism in X4R, ZM1 andQT2?

And whatever happened to thedash board? Today’s vehicles presentwith cock-pit-like command centersthat do everything but cook dinner andfold laundry! Ms. GPS can recalculate

‘til the cows come home; but anunfolded map, best studied in theshade of an apple tree along a countryroad, reviews where I’ve been andpreviews where I’m going.

Many once-common words havenew meanings, and some modernjargon get relics like me into trouble.I’ve learned it’s not kool to say “hijack”in an airport or “postal” at the stampcounter. “Awesome” will do for groovy,and “rad” will pass for super-duper, butI would love a lot less “like” filling theair space. It like drives me like nuts tolike engage in conversation where likeevery other word is like connected liketo every other like word. OMG!

There are phrases I’d like to revive,too, notably the positive reference toone happy camper. Those three wordsbypass a lot of psycho-babble and godirectly to the core of confident in mybeing, right with God, and sociallystable. For this reason, alone, I’d votethat KISS (keep it simple, stupid)classes be made mandatory in all hallsof education.

The-Land-of-the-Lost-but-Not-Forgotten has become the repositoryfor the neighborhood apothecary wheremysterious medicinal powders werecompounded in a marble pestle andmortar and then given to the customerin a paper envelope…and where inven-tory consisted of only medical equip-

ment, first-aid products and personalhygiene supplies. One couldn’t buy carpolish, cornflakes, dish soap orinflatable lawn ornaments in the localdrugstore anymore than one couldpurchase a can of Spam at the tire store.

I’d like to resurrect the malt shop,where a soda jerk scooped real icecream from a freezer chest and blendedit with whole milk from the refrigeratorwhile I watched. I’m not a total skeptic,but one wonders what ingredientsconstitute a shake these days.

With due reverence, I surrender theaforementioned physical and literaryartifacts to history. May they rest inpeace.

A few ancient objects have survivedevolution and now travel under anassumed name. When I offered to buyour twelve-year-old Angela a book bagfor school, she gave me “The Look” thatquestions a grandmother’s mentalacuity. Today, the thingamabob intowhich a student dumps all his earthlypossessions has a new identity. “It’scalled a back pack, Granma,” sheinformed me, rolling her pre-relic eyesin deference to my obvious antiquity.

As for other products that oncefilled showcases and storefrontwindows, they have either disappearedin the galaxy’s Black Hole or are“available only online.” We computerilliterate dinosaurs have a better chanceof retrieving our favorite Ice Age relicsby fishing in that Black Hole.

Well, enough of this reverie. Pleaseexcuse my dust as I don my brassiere,rev up our groovy DOB (dependable oldBuick) and hit the local One-Stop Shopfor a can of Simonize®car wax. Gottakeep my fender skirts polished, don’tyou know?

Nancy Clark and husband, Tom, rejoice in 50years of marriage, three children and three

grandchildren. She dabbles in freelance andmemoir writing when she isn’t baking,

knitting, reading or building a jigsaw puzzle.


Don’t Let Stress Mess with Your Holidaysby Hayley Chemski, MSN, CRNA and Certified Fitness Trainer

The holidays are a season of joy, a timeto reconnect with loved ones, and anopportunity to reflect on shiny newthings and old memories. Yet, in ourattempt to perfect holiday traditionsand revel in holiday magic, we can loseourselves in a whirlwind of last minutegift wrapping, frantic grocery shopping,and baking disasters that end in plumesof powdered sugar. Perhaps ourinability to prepare for relaxingmoments with those we love, or ourinability to release stress, maycontribute to holiday mess.

Any situation that inducesworry or anxiety is essentially‘stressful.’ Clenched jaws, racingheart rates, flushed faces, pins andneedles in our hands, and tensionheadaches are a few physical signsthat we have relented our control,and succumbed to stress. As weallow a ‘loss of control’ to persist,we lose ourselves in anger,frustration, and worry. So as wemove into the holiday season, let’sinvestigate a few de-stressingsuggestions to promote healthymemories this year.

As a Nurse Anesthetist andFitness Trainer, I find that thosewho fail to plan are planning to fail.In other words, when my patientsand/or clients do not engage inpreventative, planned care and donot develop an exercise andworkout plan, respectively, theyare essentially planning to fail. Thesame concept applies to much ofour manageable stress loads,especially during the holidays.Decreasing stress by eliminating self-imposed standards, by planning mealsand activities, and by utilizing severalde-stressing techniques are excellentways to prepare for tinsel, twinklelights, and houses filled with relatives.

Holiday traditions impart a senseof comfort to many; traditions offersolace and warm fuzzies. We pressureourselves to make our houses sparkling

clean, to make certain meals ‘just right’and jingles perfect to pitch. In doing so,we lose the importance of holidaytradition and focus more on somewhatuncontrollable outcomes. A dish maybe ruined by a broken stove burner anda party ruined by a unruly guest. Yet, ifwe focus on the effort and sentiment ofupholding family traditions, we may be

able to lessen the stress of perfectionand mastery. I suggest that we make amanageable list of the traditions wefind imperative to a memorableholiday, and release the standard ofsending a Christmas card to everyacquaintance since birth.

Planning ahead by utilizing asmart-phone app or pen and paper listscan prepare you now for the demandsof a hectic holiday schedule. Work

parties, exuberant family get-togethers, grocery lists for tiny itemsthat compile annual meals, tiredchildren crying, begrudging looksfrom estranged family members . . .and a partridge in a pear tree. Are youable to predict the likely culprits ofyour mess of stress? Will an argumentlikely erupt if you bring up monies

owed between family members orlifelong relationship issues atChristmas Eve dinner? Don’t! Willyour brain explode if you can’tmanage to iron your family’schurch clothing in one day? Planahead! Can you write lists now foreach day of your holiday to-dosand make a schedule that is rea-sonable in order to have mo-ments to cherish later?

Finally, when all else fails andyour boiling point has been met,try one of the following:

1. Take a long, deep breath.Focusing on your breath will helpyou to engage your parasym-pathetic nervous system (thebodily system associated withrelaxation). As you feel yourshoulders rise into your ears andyour fists clench, relax yourmuscles and take a nice, longbreath.

2. Close your eyes and visualize apleasant place. Self imagery hasbeen illustrated in clinical trailsto bring about relaxation. Ulti-mately, positive thoughts war-

rant positive results. Soothe youranxiety or frustration by chanting oneword in a quiet mind. A mantra ofYoga students, chanting can drop yourblood pressure, your heart rate, andslow your mind.

3. Reason through an issue by focusingon the importance of self-control. Doesyour mother-in-law raise your bloodpressure? Sure...but you are not in


* * * * * * * * * *Hayley owns and operates Building Bodeez Fitness Center in Derry, PA, with herhusband, Shawn Horwat. She is also a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist atSt. Margaret’s Hospital in Fox Chapel, PA. An avid group exercise instructor andfitness trainer, she assists clients to manage stress regularly. Visit BuildingBodeez at www.buildingbodeez.net for a FREE 7-day trial this holiday season orcontact Hayley directly at [email protected]. “HAPPY HOLIDAYS!”

control of her, just of yourself. Can asick child throw a wrench in holidayresponsibilities? Sure, but it’s moretime to cuddle around a lit Christmastree. Does a burnt turkey ruin atraditional dinner? Sure, but offers anopportunity for a dinner out withoutdirty dishes. Will a cancelled flightkeep you from seeing relatives? Sure,stay an extra day if you can or com-municate a change in plans and moveforward with a positive outlook. Don’ttry to control the uncontrollable.Release what you cannot control thisholiday, and find yourself less stressed.

Moreover, when speaking of self-control, remember to prioritize holidaypurchases. In the tide of pressure topresent our entire circle of friends andfamily with gifts, we lose sight of ourbank statement until the dark days ofJanuary! Offer homemade gifts, opt tospend time together versus gifting, sende-cards, or set a budget before shoppingsprees to keep the unwanted worry of

an astounding credit card statement offof your radar.

4. Break from your to-do list and sit fora moment while listening to music.Studies have shown a link betweenmusic and a peaceful spirit. Besides,traditional holiday music may offerdepth to a party’s athosphere whilerelaxing your mind.

5. Exercise. The holidays are a timeridden with guilty pleasures. Enjoy!Yet, don’t lose sight of your healthyhabits. Exercise illicits an endorphinrelease and manages stress by clearingyour spirit and body of toxins. Utilizethe body’s responses thru exercise tocombat stressful times. As mentioned,

plan your workouts and plan healthysnacks to keep yourself grounded andyour sugar stable.

6. Volunteer. Helping others is reg-ularly suggested as a means to combat“the blues.” When helping others, youhave less time to focus on your owntroubles and more time to becomeaware of life’s treasures and your owngood fortune.

The holidays are our time to relish inour lives, our families and friends, andthe joy of simple pleasures. You can makeit the most wonderful time of year by usingsome of the above tips and techniques.Enjoy a holiday full of memories andabsent of messy stressors.

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NNNNNooooovvvvv. 2. 2. 2. 2. 23-D3-D3-D3-D3-Dec. 9: Christmas Candlelight Tec. 9: Christmas Candlelight Tec. 9: Christmas Candlelight Tec. 9: Christmas Candlelight Tec. 9: Christmas Candlelight Toursoursoursoursours

DDDDDec. 1-9: Fec. 1-9: Fec. 1-9: Fec. 1-9: Fec. 1-9: Festivestivestivestivestival Lightsal Lightsal Lightsal Lightsal Lights, Ligonier T, Ligonier T, Ligonier T, Ligonier T, Ligonier Tooooown Hwn Hwn Hwn Hwn Hallallallallall

Compass Inn MCompass Inn MCompass Inn MCompass Inn MCompass Inn Museumuseumuseumuseumuseum

1382 Route 30, Laughlintown, 3 miles east of Ligonier724-238-4983 • www.compassinn.com

Events sponsored by Ligonier Valley Historical Society

LIGONIER VALLEY RAIL ROAD MUSEUM

At the restored Darlington Station

Sharing the 75-year history of railroading in Ligonier Valley

Wednesday thru Saturday 11 a.m. to

3 p.m.

3032 Idlewild Hill, Ligonier, PA www.lvrra.org

724-238-7819 ─ [email protected]


DOWN ON THE FARMby Cathi Gerhard & Gregory Susa

This Old FarmhouseSince moving back to the FairviewFarm in November 2010, my husbandand I have become fairly obsessed withhomesteading. I have a hard time usingsuch vernacular since I grew up here,and my father began this very columnto describe the daily lives of familyfarming. This way of life seems naturalto me. During the 20 years I lived awayfrom home and “in town,” I realizedhow much I was missing, and havesince become desperate to retain or re-learn that knowledge from my family:farming/gardening, canning/preser-ving, carpentry/construction/repair,cooking/baking, sewing and otherneedle crafts, etc.

Homesteading has become quitepopular lately, for many reasons – theleast of which is the poor economy. Itseems that my middle-aged generationeither forgot most of what they exper-ienced as children, or never had theopportunity to see how things weredone “in the olden days.” Whether weare returning to our roots or interestedin learning important skills from thepast, I’m thrilled that resources for re-discovery are becoming so readilyavailable.

Much of what my husband and Iput together for this column now isgeared toward people just like us, andthe generation bringing up the rear. Inthe last few issues, there have been

many articles about gardening andpreserving food. Now that winter isdrawing near, our attention is turningback inside – to our farmhouse, builtcirca 1887.

My father and grandfather did a lotof restoration, beginning in 1963. PapGeorge built my Nanny an entirely newkitchen out of plywood; the bathroomwas re-done a few times – first to actu-ally put one in between two bedrooms,then it was outfitted in 1950s pink andblack tile. We lived with that bathroomuntil sometime in the late 1970s whenmy parents did some upgrades. In1980, new double-paned windowsreplaced the old crank-out models.

Around 1983, my father covered ourbedroom walls made of horsehairplaster with a bulletin board productso that our teenage selves could hangas many posters as we wanted and notworry about holes (he was such athoughtful dad). At the same time, mymother and her father remodeled ourliving room with pine board panelingstained a natural color, with custombuilt-in display and storage cabinets.Shortly after, the crumbling front porchand roof was totally replaced.

The early 1990s saw another roundof updates. My parents converted our3-car garage into a retirement apart-ment for themselves, my sister andbrother-in-law moved into the “big

house” and the post-depression era redinsulbrick was replaced with blue andwhite vinyl siding. My sister and herhusband remodeled the den andbrought part of the house up to codeelectrically – the rest is still knob andtube wiring!

I wish I could find pictures of ourhouse through time – to see how it hastransformed over the years, but mostlyas a guide for trying to restore it moreclosely to its period appearance withmodern amenities. There have beenseveral design styles at play inside,including mid-century modern, a 1970scolonial revival, and early 1980scountry lodge. Right now we are stucksomewhere among them all.

My husband leans toward a hip,modern, industrial style, but we havecome to a blended agreement betweenrustic country and New-York City loft.However, this Pottery Barn style oftenwrestles with a WalMart budget. Wehad designed our dream home with thiscombination in mind a few years back,before circumstance led us back to thefamily home instead of taking on thenew construction challenge. Derryarchitect Kevin Quinlisk did a fabulousjob of blending our German bank barnmeets trendy loft design for a home setto be built on my lot in Fairview Farm’sback 40. But things change, and wemoved on, literally. (Thanks, Kevin –I’m sorry we never got to build it; maybesomeday!).

A few weeks before we moved intothe homestead, I had the upstairscarpeted – that’s when I found thefloorboard in my very own childhoodbedroom with the carving of 1887 andinitials NMK, presumably a member ofthe Kiser family who settled thisacreage in the 19th century. Normally Iprefer to keep hardwood floorsexposed, but carpet makes a bedroommore cozy – especially since the


Best friends, but never quite college sweet-hearts, Greg and Cathi finally married 20

years later. Together they own and operateFairview Farm in Derry Township, now anestate winery in the making, “managed” bytwo peculiar black cats, two devoted dogs,

and a ridiculously bossy new kitten.

www.facebook.com/laurelmountainpost and Pinterest

Laurel Mountain Post-style stories,links and photos EVERY DAY

fireplaces (in every room) no longerhave working chimneys and the wallsare without insulation! Fortunately, Iremembered to make a pencil rubbingof the board before we covered it over!

We also painted the walls tobrighten things up, since there was notime to replace the bulletin boards andadd insulation. This spring, Greg,ripped out several layers of old flooringin the living room (which we are nowusing as a dining room) to reveal redoak and chestnut boards in greatcondition. He resurfaced and stainedthem. A new area rug has just arrived,and Greg will finish the baseboard trimas a winter project.

We also tackled the front hall overthe past few months. Not many newerhomes actually have this type ofentrance anymore – the kind where thestairs are in a room all by themselves.Thanks to some inspiration fromPinterest, we added a board and battenwainscoting over the existing horsehairplaster walls. Structurally, the walls arein great shape – they just needed a face-lift. Now to sand those stair treads . . .

I’ve learned that changing thingsin your family home can be difficult. Istill open the wrong kitchen drawerlooking for silverware where mymother used to keep it. I hesitate totear apart anything my father builtbecause it feels like I am insulting hismemory. Painting over walls that my

mother and sister once painted isanother tough one – I am criticizingtheir decorating tastes right in front ofthem. There are so many ways to hurtfeelings in a multigenerational home-stead as it passes down through time!

But now it’s my turn, and everyonerecognizes that despite the rawemotions. Greg and I are trying torebuild a home together in midlife, onthe foundations of those who lived herebefore us. That means new furniture,carpet, paint, housewares, and appli-ances combined with cherished heir-looms from all sides, including mychildren’s extended families.

We delight in picking out theperfect mirror for the front hall, takemonths choosing what photographs tohang up, and get endless quotes on allthe projects on our list. Each monththere is a budget struggle over what wecan afford to do now, and what willhave to wait. Waiting at our age is adifferent kind of hard – we are sup-posed to be settled by now, and buildingon the past, instead of starting over. It’sa condition experienced by so many

people these days, for so many econo-mic and personal reasons. That’s why Ithink homesteading has become soappealing. It’s a quick path to a moregenuine sense of “home” in a turbulenttime; a way to take control of oursituations, finding security and joyalong the way. This psyche has led usto focus more on the present, and lesson the mindless race toward the future.

So my goal for the winter monthsis to focus on sewing and needlework,making some of the things on our listlike pillow covers, shams and curtains– instead of buying them when thebudget allows. I hope to create our ownfamily heirlooms rather than amass acollection of goods from a catalog (I’msure Amazon.com and the UPS manwill miss me, though).

* * * * *


— EINSTEIN adopted 12-09-10

SURE,AT FIRST I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK

BY THE WHOLE PEEING STANDING UP THING. BUT I TAUGHT HIM TO THROW A STICK

AND NOW HANGING OUT WITH HIMIS THE BEST PART OF MY DAY.


HOMESTUDYby Brian Mishler

Did You Know?

Brian Mishler is an 18-year veteran of homeinspection and is a past president of PRO-ASHI,

the local chapter of the American Society ofHome Inspectors. You can get more information

about home inspection at www.pro-ashi.com

A frequent phrase heard at home in-spections is “I never knew…” Take it froma home inspector; here are a few greatthings to know during the holidays. 25% ofall home décor fires occur in December.Make sure the only thing roasting in yourhome is the turkey:• All extension cords are not createdequally; indoor cords should not be usedoutdoors. Use the shortest cord possible;the extra cord laying there not only poses atrip hazard, but creates extra electricaldemand and heat. Extension cords like anyother wire or cable should be in goodcondition, not run under any carpeting orfurniture. They should not be routedthrough walls, floors, doors, windows oranywhere else they might be pinched, orotherwise damaged. If you have a cat likemine, put the cords where he won’t / can’tchew them!• Check the condition of the holiday lightsand wires. If they’re nicked or otherwisedamaged throw them away. The cost of thelights may seem high, but is far lower thanyour insurance deductible, and potentialdamage. Don’t plug all your lights into oneoutlet; this can overload that circuit; andfollow the manufacturer’s requirements asto how many sets can be connected. If youneed more outlets, hire an electrician; manypeople assume this to be an easy task, andthen do it incorrectly.

• Even though your light display is the bestin the neighborhood, turn it off before yougo to bed. And be careful putting yourdisplay up; over 5,000 falls off ladders occureach year from folks hanging lights anddecorations.• Have your fireplaces or wood burnercleaned and inspected by a certifiedchimney sweep before the holidays; they’rebusiest between Thanksgiving and Christ-mas. Ask the technician about properburning practices, and what not to burn;wrapping paper is one of them.• Regarding that roasting turkey, 30% ofhome fires start in the kitchen. Don’t leavecooking food unattended. Keep pot and panhandles out of reach of small children, andkeep flammable materials away from cookingappliances. Learn how to properly put outsmall kitchen fires here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecvG7sb4H4M

• When in doubt, check the manuals andtags that come with your décor or appli-ances. While it’s not fascinating reading, theinformation can help you ensure the joy andexcitement of the holidays.

* * * * *

Feed the BirdsIn any given winter, your Pennsylvania backyardsees about 35 species of birds. The varied spe-cies your yard attracts depends on the types ofhabitat you provide. The optimum yard will havean abundance of trees and shrubs (as nestingsites and cover from predators), sources of foodand water, and a heated bird bath.

*The Top Ten Pennsylvania Birds:

1. Dark-eyed junco2. Mourning dove3. Tufted titmouse4. Northern cardinal5. Blue jay6. White-breasted nuthatch7. Downy woodpecker8. House finch9. American goldfinch10. Black-capped chickadee

*Project Feeder Watch, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

When shopping for bird seed, you’ll find over20 different types. Smll black-oil sunflower seedis the best all-around choice. Although it costs abit more, it is preferred by smaller species suchas nuthatches, chickadees and titmice. The highoil content in the sunflower seed is nutrititous,and the shells are easy to crack. Larger stripedsunflower seeds are popular with Blue jays andcardinals, but difficult for small birds to eat.Other popular choices include millet, peanutsand thistle seeds (a favorite of finches). Grainssuch as wheat, oats, rice and rye are NOT ac-ceptable food for birds, and many less expen-sive varieties of bird seed use them as filler. Thebirds will pick through the grains, and only eatthe seeds – leaving behind a rotting mess in yourfeeder.

For more information about local birds and other wild-life, contact the Penn State Extension Office ofWestmoreland County, 214 Donohoe Rd in Greensburg;724- 837-1402; or email: [email protected]


THE LIGONIER CHEFby Scott Sinemus

Don’t Be U-bisque-quitous!

Scott Sinemus is a Chef with a degree in CulinaryArts from the Pennsylvania Institute for Culinary

Arts in Pittsburgh. He’s continued his education withclasses from the Culinary Institute of America at

Greystone and The Greenbrier; and has travelledinternationally in search of authentic cuisine.

Squash of nearly any variety has neverreally been on my favorites list. Ofcourse I will have the obligatory pieceof pumpkin pie at some point duringthe holidays. Indeed most pumpkinbaked goods do get my attention – evenbefore I saw on the Discovery Channela few years ago the results of a studysuggesting that Pumpkin Pie is anaphrodisiac! Check it out:

http://science.discovery.com/top-ten/2009/aphrodisiacs/

aphrodisiacs-09.html

Butternut squash is anothersquash that I could take or leaveuntil I used it to make a soup, inthis case “bisque.” A bisque is arich, creamy soup made withshellfish — specifically, bisque istraditionally made with the puréedmeat and shells of crustaceans,including lobster, crab, shrimp orcrayfish. Bisque can be thickenedwith rice, which is the traditionalmethod. Modern bisques are oftenthickened with roux. Although aclassic bisque is made only withshellfish, some thick soups madewith vegetables, poultry or meat aresometimes referred to as bisques.

I’ve had the good fortune offinding some amazing lobsters, andcan’t bear to toss the shells out whenthey make the most amazing stockfor soup and chowder! It is a royal messand tragic for the blade of yourCuisinart (I keep a blade specifically forgrinding the shells). The lobster basefrom Minors is pretty good; but doesn’tcompare to making it yourself. So Iproceeded to make a batch of stock. Thedecision of what to make with the stockis seldom easy. Miraculously I had alittle meat left over; not enough for anentrée but a nice amount for bisque

garnish. A friend gave us a really lovelybutternut squash a few days prior. Ithought the sweetness of the squashand the sweet lobster meat would begreat together; and they are!

Using chicken stock or vegetablestock are acceptable substitutions; infact that’s what I normally use nowunless the menu warrants somethingindulgent.

Something worth noting is, because ofthe velvety nature of butternut squash,when pureed there is no flour necessaryin this recipe (and so is gluten free forthose who have a gluten free lifestyle).

Its somewhat neutral base allowsa plethora of additions as well. Lignon-berries, cranberries, roasted pecans,crab, crème fraiche, fresh herbs,pheasant etc. Poke around the pantryand fridge and have yourself a ball!

Butternut Squash Bisque

· 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter· 1/2 cup diced onion· 3/4 cup diced carrots· 4 cups peeled and cubed

butternut squash· 3 cups stock of your choice· At least 1.5 cups of Dry Sack Sherry

· 1-1.5 cups pre cooked lobster meat· salt and ground black pepper

to taste· ground nutmeg to taste· 1/2 cup heavy cream~ optional· More Sherry if desired· Petite home made croutons are

a superlative addition

Directions

Heat half of the butter in a large potover medium heat. Cook the onionin the butter until browned. Deglazewith sherry and remove to bowl.Add remaining butter and cookcarrots and squash until they beginsto caramelize. Deglaze with moresherry, return onions and cover withstock, season with salt, pepper, andnutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat,and simmer until vegetables aretender.

In a blender or food processor,puree the soup mixture untilsmooth. Return to the pot, and stir

in the heavy cream and lobster meat.Heat through, but do not boil. Serve hotwith garniture of your choosing.

* * * * *


For the Birds:Marvel Meal

1 cup peanut butter1 cup vegetable shortening

4 cups cornmeal1 cup flour

1 handful of sunflower seeds(optional)

Mix and press into blocks or other shapes.Hang in trees or smear on logs.

Church DinnerHam Rolls

Blend together to make a spread:

1 cup softened butter3 Tablespoons mustard

3 Tablespoons poppy seeds1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon Worchestershire sauce

3 packages Martin’s mini potato rolls(24 count bags)

1 pound cooked deli ham, sliced½ pound deli swiss cheese. Sliced

Slice rolls open and slather topand bottom insides with spread above.

Layer ½ slice ham, foldedand ¼ slice swiss cheese

between roll halves.Re-assemble as sandwiches,

and warm in oven at 350 degreeson baking sheet until cheese melts

and rolls start to crisp.

Holiday Favorites from Fairview Farm

Christmas SnowCosmopolitan

4 parts white cranberry juice (1 cup)2 parts vodka (1/2 cup)

1 part Cointreau (1/4 cup)twist/splash of lime

Garnish with skewer of freshcranberries and a lime wedge.

Serve with ice – shaken, not stirred!Nanny’s

Brandy Slush

2 teabags1 cup boiling water

1 cup sugar3 1/2 cups cold water

1 - 6 oz can frozen orange juice1/2 - 6 oz can frozen lemonaid

1/2 cup apricot brandy7Up, Sprite, or Ginger Ale

Steep teabag in boiling water 2-3 minutes.Remove bag and stir in sugar.Add remaining ingredients.

Mix well until sugar is dissolved.Freeze overnight.

Remove 10 minutes before serving.Spoon chunks into glass; add additionalapricot brandy if desired; top with pop.

Sausage Pinwheels

2 cups baking mix1/2 cup water

3/4 to 1 lb plain sausage

Combine first two ingredientsand roll dough into a longractangle. Spread sausage

evenly across dough.Roll along long edge intoa tube. Chill until firm.

Slice into disks and bakeon cookie sheet at 4500

for 8-10 minutes or untillightly browned.

Makes a great appetizeror holiday breakfast treat!

Nanny’s Dill Dip

2/3 cup mayonnaise(not miracle whip)2/3 cup sour cream1 tsp seasoned salt1 tsp parsley flakes

2 TBL minced onion (dried)1 tsp dill weed

Dash or more of garlic salt

Mix together until creamy.Serve with your favorite raw vegetables,

crackers or other dipping items!

InstantCappucino Mix

1 cup powdered creamer1 cup chocolate milk mix

2/3 cup instant coffee1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp nutmeg

Grind together and add 2 TBLto one cup boilng water.

Store in a jar; give as a gift.

PowderedSugar Icing

1 TBL melted oleo1/8 tsp salt

powdered sugar1/2 tsp vanilla1 1/2 TBL milk

Mix together and addpowdered sugar to desiredconsistency. Use on yourChristmas sugar cookies!


by Megan FullerPOSTMODERN TENDANCIES

Land of Hard Work and PositivismIn the last issue of the LMP we letreaders know about the LaurelMountain Post Kiva.org lending pageand team. We lent $25 to Christinain Mariakani, Kenya to enhance hercharcoal business. So far she hasalready paid back $2.08. Thank you tothe folks who have joined our team andwe invite others to do so!

This issue we are jumping acrossthe globe from Kenya to Guatemala.Guatemala is one of the most wonderfulplaces that I have ever had the pleasureto visit and I am going to work diligentlyto ensure that I get to take myfamily there. I flew into Guate-mala City on the day afterChristmas 1991 and stayed witha friend for about one month.My friend had been an exchangestudent at IUP and I met herwhen I lived at La Casa Españolfor a summer (it was $100 forthe whole summer!). She wasso nice to invite me down to staywith her family. We went toamazing places: up sides ofvolcanos and to black sandbeaches, to Mayan ruins andcolonial towns, we even stayedin a convent with the nuns. Thepeople were the hardest work-ing people I’d ever seen. Overthe countryside tiny little menand women (I was a giant andI’m 5’4") would carry enormousbundles of agricultural productson their backs twice as big as the carrier.Small children would sell gum orbracelets in the street and even scourthe landfills to see if there was any-thing usable.

Funny Story:

My friend, her boyfriend, her sister andI were on a bus coming home from the

beach. The buses are old school busesfrom the United States. Not a singlecentimeter of space goes unused onthese buses. Even the aisles are shrunkdown to about 5 inches across so youcan’t even stand with your legs side byside. My friends all got on the front ofthe bus but there was no room for meso I went to the back of the bus and wasthe last person on the bus right insidethe emergency exit. On one side of mewas a mom, a dad, and four kids. Onthe other side of me was a mom, a dad,five kids and two ducks. We were

packed in so tight I could not turnaround. So as we were driving up theside of a volcano the emergency doorflies open–right behind me! I couldn’tturn around to close it and I was surethat I was a going to be thrown out andleft behind. Unfortunately, I don’tspeak Spanish but I did know the wordfor door so I’m yelling at the dads oneither side of me “la puerta, la puerta!!!”

and gesturing with my head (there wasNO WAY that I was going to let go ofthe handles I was holding!). Finally,one of the dads looked and managedto get the door shut. Whew!

Back to Business:

Though my time there was wonderful,the poverty of the rural areas waspervasive. For this reason makingKiva.org loans to entrepreneurs inGuatemala has been one of mypriorities. Because it has been more

than 20 years since my visit toGuatemala I asked my friend(the same wonderful friend fromcollege via the magic of Face-book) to update me on the stateof the economy:

“The Guatemalan economyhas always been hard. Guate-malans have been raised to haveand not have. To be content withwhat we have, no matter how little,and be good hosts.”

Small farmers in Guatemalahave a lot of trouble makingmoney because most of theircrops are used for feeding theirfamilies, and have only a smallpercentage to sell at the market.For this reason it is very risky forthem to borrow finances for theircrops. Many small farmers havegreat difficulty paying off debt.

In Guatemala there is extremepoverty, and in the countryside it iseven worse. The weather has been verydifficult this year; many farmers couldnot produce even enough to cover theneed to feed their families. The govern-ment has had to seek ways to help,bringing them corn from elsewhere(although realistically this aid is notenough and has not reached all theplaces that need it).

Josefa and me in front of the convent wherewe stayed in Guatemala, December 1991.


Guatemala is a land of hard workand positivism, every morning youwake up with the desire to live andmove on. The city has plenty of poverty,wages do not change and prices rise.There is need for jobs and few oppor-tunities. The Guatemalans have learnedto appreciate things that are pricelesssuch as sharing with family, playingwith your kids, and walking the dog.

Banks might lend to farmers andartisans, however interest rates areabout 25% annually, making it difficultfor many to afford. Guatemala has arich farmland but we are still far behindin terms of maximizing the land. Whatis produced by our farmers is the resultof the strength of their hands. Using ahoe, machete and handmade instru-ments, the fields are worked. In mostfields there is no machinery. In Guate-mala, from the early hours of themorning, you can see whole familiesworking the fields.

Small businesses that sell handi-crafts are generally family businessesin which all family members are work-ing and contributing to the business.They work a lot, earn very little, but arecontent to get a living for their families.Guatemala is rich in handicrafts andpure art, practiced manually with littlespecialized machinery. Guatemalaproduces: Pottery, Porcelain, Carre-tería (Weaving), Basketry, Hammocks,Synthetic clay objects – usually jewelry,

Iron Craft, Puppets, Wood-work andInlay, Massage, Mosaic, Silverware,Tagua Objects, Upholstery, Stainedglass, Blown glass, etc.

One of the great difficulties facingGuatemala is the lack ofindustrialization andmachinery: due to thepoverty the populationuses manual labor tocarry out their work. Tome this description isvery moving. My friendpaints a clear picture ofskilled, hardworking,life-loving people whomay never have an op-portunity to get aheadby expanding their farmsor their businesses be-cause they are afraid toborrow from a bank.Microlending throughKiva.org provides themwith possibilities not justto expand their ownbusiness, but to do so asa group. Many of theloans distributed thereare to borrowing groups, who areresponsible for paying back the loantogether, rather than just an individualentrepreneur. Group borrowing spreadsthe risk, and maybe makes it more likelyfor the Guatemalan farmer or artisan totake that risk to get beyond subsistence.

We at the LMP again invite you tojoin with us on Kiva.org and make aloan to one of the many Guatemalanentrepreneurs or one of the other smallproducers looking to take their business

to the next level. Thecurrent exchange ratebetween U.S. dollarsand Guatemalan Quetz-ales is 1:7.98. For moreinformation about thecountry of Guatemala:visitguatemala.com.

* * * * *

Megan Fuller is an appliedcognitive anthropologistwith postmodern tendenciescurrently working in en-vironmental compliance fora mineral extraction com-pany in historic Florence,Arizona (Troy Polamaluhas an off season homethere!). She grew up in theexciting Pittsburgh suburbof Pleasant Hills and hadthe distinct pleasure ofearning a Bachelor of Arts

inAnthropology from IUP. In 1993, Meganmoved out West to get a Master’s Degree. Shealso picked up a husband and hasn’t quiteconvinced him to move back to Western PA.To maintain her authentic Pittsburghaccent she regularly watches PittsburghDad and engages anyone wearing black andgold sports gear in conversation.

Bringing Your Characters to LifeLacy Marschalk, an instructor at St. FrancisCollege, will teach the workshop “BringingYour Characters to Life” at a Ligonier ValleyWriters program on Sunday, November 11,from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at St Michael’s ofthe Valley Church in Rector. The workshopis free to LVW members and $10 to non-members.

In most fiction and nonfiction,characterization is the most importantcomponent. More than plot, setting, ortheme, characters make us care about theworld on the page and compel us to keepreading. Poorly constructed characters canhave the opposite effect. They can makereaders stop reading or even keep themfrom picking up a book in the first place.This workshop will discuss essentialingredients for creating characters whomatter: characters with whom readers wantto laugh, cry, love, and live. We will discuss

how to create convincing heroes and villainsand how to find the right balance whendescribing characters and relaying backstory.

Lacy will create some of her famoushandouts and give a short talk on how tomake your readers care by bringing yourcharacters to life. Then we’ll do severalexercises and break into small groups tomake sure everyone gets to participate andgets feedback on their work. Please bringat least two character sketches from acurrent story or novel in progress and ashort scene in which a major character isintroduced. Your excerpts need not be fullydeveloped.

Lacy Marschalk is a fiction writer, aPhD candidate in English, a literature andwriting teacher, a music and movie junkie,and a travel addict. Her blog is called“Diving into the Wreck.” She divides hertime between Alabama and Pennsylvania.

Although some advice and exerciseswill be more helpful to fiction writers, thisworkshop is open to writers in all genres.The registration deadline is November 6;space is limited. St. Michael’s Church is at2535 Route 381 in Rector. You can downloada registration form from LVWonline.org.Please return it with your check (payable toLigonier Valley Writers) to Judith Gallagher,128 Ober Rd., Stahlstown, PA 15687 byNovember 6, 2012.

For more information, please [email protected] or call Judith at(724) 593-7294.

To join LVW and receive discounts onthis and other events, download a mem-bership application at LVWonline.org. If youjoin now, your membership will run through2013. Dues are $30 per year. Ligonier ValleyWriters serves writers and readers through-out western Pennsylvania.

My goddaughter, ElizabethSrsic (at age 1), modeling some

fine Guatemalan handicraftsfrom my trip.


ASK GRANNY EARTHHealing with Weeds

All About Cob HousesI have been obsessed with cob-maniafor several years now. When I tellpeople about my vision of building myown “cob” house, most often they get apuzzled look on their face. I ask them,“Do you know what cob is?” Theyusually respond, “Corn cobs? You wantto build a house using corn cobs?” ThenI go on to explain to them what cob is,and how I have a vision ofbuilding with cob. And so thepurpose of this article is toeducate and draw attention tothe importance of building inunison with Mother Nature andgiving back to her more thanwhat we take.

The word “cob” is an oldEnglish word meaning “a lumpor a rounded mass of earth,”(also called “clom” in Wales).Cob walling, a traditionalEnglish technique of mono-lithic (massive, solid, uniform)earthen wall construction usesa mixture of moistened earthand straw. The mud and strawmixture could be laid as wallswith or without the use ofwooden forms. The earliestdocumented earthen structures in thiscountry are two cob walled residencesin Penfield (Near Rochester), NewYork: the Lawrence Johnston House(1832) and the William Gorse House(1836). These structures are stillstanding today.

If you have ever worked with clayas an art medium, you know first-handthe satisfaction and tranquility thattakes place as you create your piece ofart from a lump of earth. I have beentold that clay contains every mineralelement that the human body pos-sesses. This is because it has under-gone millenniums of transformationwith the natural elements and decayinglife matter. These elements are all

merged into the malleable clay as a stilllife form. I think of it as actually beingalive, just waiting for my hands totransmute my energy with it into afinished product, be it a pot or a house.

When you begin working with clay,and put your own energy into it, magichappens. If you can still your mind andtotally immerse yourself in your

project, time seems to fly. Your deepestinner being is expressed in, andbecomes part of your clay project. Inthis sense, working with can be a veryhealing adventure.

Healing and creative- that’s what Ithink of when I visualize building withcob. First you have to select yourbuilding site, arrange for septic andwater provisions and excavate (as littleas possible) so that you have gooddrainage away from the house. Nextscrape off the topsoil from the proposedhouse area and dig down to below thefrost line, or solid bed rock for yourfooter. Pile the soil somewhere handyfor making cob mixes later. Fill thefooter ditch with reinforced poured

concrete up to ground level and embedthe first layer of stonework into the topof the wet concrete. Next, you’ll needto provide for your plumbing andelectricity supply lines, put down thecob floor, and decide on what type ofroof you’ll want.

Now you’re ready to start sculptingwith cob, which will eventually turn to

“stone.” You can design yourhouse before you start, or youcan create as you go, makingany shape you want.

Start with a blend of clay,earth and sand. The proportionsused will depend on the type ofsoil used. A good cob mix onlyneeds about 20-30% of clay.Water is added according topliability, making the mix nottoo firm, nor too runny. Thenyou add a lot of chopped upstraw, preferably wheat, whichis more fibrous than oat. Thebest way to mix the ingredientsis to use one wheelbarrow fullon a tarpaulin and stomp it withyour bare feet after water hasbeen added to the sand and clay.Continue with the stomping

after adding the straw. The mix is readyas soon as the straw is coated withearth, and the clumps (cob) have aplastic consistency. Start cobbing bycarrying hands full or coffee cans fullof the mix to the site. Sculpting andbeing creative is an important part ofthe con-struction. So have fun!

There are a lot of details and “tricksof the trade” to learn when cobbing. Irecommend the book, The Cob BuildersHandbook, by Becky Bee. It givespictures and detailed instructions,which are very helpful. Ms. Bee hasbuilt her own cob houses, and warns:“Caution: Cob is addicting.” She en-courages women to build their own cobhouses, as a way to be less dependent

Thatched cob cottage in Cornwall, England.


Seventy-some years young, and following my life-longpassion, which is natural healing and teaching othersabout weed medicine, I believe that we each must dowhat we can to get back to Nature. In making your ownweed medicine, you’re going to be going out lookingand identifying certain weeds that grow around you-you’ll be outdoors, in the sunshine and fresh air- gettingback to Nature. Maybe you’ll start growing your ownweeds- turning your backyard into a weed garden!

Granny Earth has a bachelor’s in Psychology from Cali-fornia University of Pennsylvania (which she earnedat age 59), and both a masters and doctorate fromClayton College of Natural Health. Visit her websitewww.grannyearth.com, call 724-542-9713, or [email protected].

on the patriarchal system for theirshelter. She feels that cobbing is a wayfor women to re-experience a sense ofcommunity, and be empowered tomake more life choices for themselves.

This isn’t to say that we still don’tneed men and a few machines to do thereally hard work. It’s just that buildinga house with cob is inexpensive, crea-tive, and very possible for an individual,or a group of women to do.

Making homes with natural mater-ials gathered gently from the earth im-proves the likelihood of the survival oflife itself. It is gentle on the planet andreduces the use of wood, steel and toxicbuilding materials. Cob houses are easy,affordable, comfortable and long lasting.They can last for centuries. ‘Earth’ isrecyclable – Nature’s abundant, cheapest,healthiest building material.

Check out this website:www.naturalbuildingnetwork.org/

New York, NY - The Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC), the longest-running citizen science wildlife survey in the world, will undergo severalsignificant changes beginning this year as Audubon builds on the program’ssuccess to entice birdwatchers to lend their eyes and ears year round. Fees toparticipate in the count will be dropped to encourage greater participation,and the annual published report, American Birds, will go digital in 2013, savingmore trees for the birds. Christmas Bird Count information will be availableonline in Spanish for the first time. And in 2013, Audubon will begin to extendconservation-focused observation efforts throughout the seasons.

“We’re dropping fees, adding languages, going digital, and taking citizen scienceyear-round,” said Audubon President and CEO David Yarnold. “The AudubonChristmas Bird Count harnesses volunteer power to gather knowledge thatshapes conservation policy at enormous scales in this country. I couldn’t beprouder of the 60,000-plus volunteers who contribute each year: This is thelargest, longest-running animal census on the planet, and we’re all proud tobe a part of the CBC. And with the elimination of fees, we’re looking forwardto even more people having a role in this adventure.”

From Dec. 14, 2012, to Jan. 5, 2013, tens of thousands of volunteers will add anew layer to data that has shaped conservation and Congressional decisions.

“This is not just about counting birds,” says Gary Langham, Audubon’s chiefscientist. “Data from the Audubon Christmas Bird Count are at the heart ofhundreds peer-reviewed scientific studies and inform decisions by the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of the Interior, and the EPA. Becausebirds are early indicators of environmental threats to habitats we share, this isa vital survey of North America and, increasingly, the Western Hemisphere.”CBC revealed the dramatic impact climate change is already having on birds,and a disturbing decline in common birds, including the Northern Bobwhitequail. The many decades of data not only helps identify birds in need ofconservation action, it also reveals success stories. CBC helped document thecomeback of the Bald Eagle and significant increases in waterfowl populations,both the result of conservation efforts.

Last year’s count shattered records. A total of 2,248 counts and 63,223 peopletallied over 60 million birds. Counts took place in all 50 states, all Canadianprovinces, plus 99 count circles in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the PacificIslands. In Colombia, the Christmas Bird Count is a crucially importantmonitoring system of biodiversity in the country.

The journal Nature issued an editorial citing CBC as a “model” for CitizenScience. The count began in 1900 when Dr. Frank Chapman, founder of Bird-Lore (which evolved into Audubon magazine) suggested an alternative to theholiday “side hunt,” in which teams competed to see who could shoot themost small game, including birds. Chapman proposed that people count birdsinstead, described by actor John Cleese in The Big Year (watch it here onYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMHlzAuYnfs).

To find a count near you http://birds.audubon.org/get-involved-christmas-bird-count

continued from page 30

Audubon to ExpandChristmas Bird Count

American Robin by Johnathan Oleyar,courtesy National Audubon Society


Broken and Blessed

THREE PENNIESby Cindy Blonk Parker

She did not look like a Pharisee. Sheappeared harmless: long brown hairthat she often wore pulled back fromher face, she dressed in the latestdesigners and worked out on hertreadmill daily. She had three children,all girls whom she would bring tochurch on Sunday mornings. She satproudly in the front pew with herchildren beside her, confident that shefollowed God’s laws to the letter: shehad no other gods in her life; she hadnot murdered or committed adultery.She did not steal, lie, or covet herneighbor’s possessions (too much). Iknow what Pharisees are like you see,because she was me.

And then one day everythingchanged. I found myself a divorced,single parent of three daughters, tryingdesperately to juggle their care, work,activities and church. Broken: that’s agood word for what I was and how I felt.

A little while later, God sent awonderful, divorced man into my life,at a time when I certainly wasn’tinterested and eventually he proposed.I was in my final year at PittsburghTheological Seminary and I was takinga course on the Gospel of Mark and Icame face to face with the passagewhere Jesus is questioned by thePharisees about divorce. And re-marriage. I was especially concernedwith the part about remarriage becauseJesus has some not so nice things to sayabout remarriage and committingadultery.

In case you are wondering, I did getremarried, with God’s blessing, Ibelieve, but not without a lot ofquestions about Jesus’ words. And so Icontinued to read, study, cry over,reread, question and pray about thispassage of scripture.

On Sunday, October 7th, churchesall over the world celebrated WorldCommunion together. As a pastor and

a preacher I follow the lectionary, whichis a three year cycle of scripture thatfollows the church liturgical year. (Itkeeps you from preaching on the sametexts.) Any guesses which passage ofscripture was part of the lectionary forthat day? If you guessed this passagein Mark’s gospel about divorce and theblessing the children, you would becorrect!

I have to admit I was tempted toskip over the part about divorce, per-haps preaching instead about how weare all God’s children. Or maybe I couldjust ignore this passage. And so Iprayed: “Please God let me speak aboutone of the other lectionary readings.Give me the psalm, God, it’s a reallygood one! Or Hebrews, Lord, I canpreach on that!”

But the answer I received is this:“What is the church, if not a place wherewe can really talk about these toughissues, support one another, pray foreach other and share God’s love witheach other, especially to those reelingfrom the pain of divorce?”

And so, God sent a divorced,remarried woman preacher to speakabout a passage of scripture that hascaused hurt and guilt and blame overthe years and through God’s lovetransform it into a passage aboutHOPE.

Being a former Pharisee myself, Inoticed that Jesus doesn’t simply beginto teach the disciples about divorce ashe does about other subjects in Mark’sgospel. In this passage, Jesus wasapproached by some Pharisees who askedhim this question about the legality ofdivorce specifically to test him.

I wondered, “Are the Phariseesreally concerned with Jesus’ answer?”Yes—but only because they are tryingto trap him into saying something thatwent against their laws. They alreadyknow the answer to their question.

Pharisees are crafty, they knowJesus proclaims God’s mercy and graceand that conflicts with the law that theyso carefully follow. They want Jesus tosay something that will step outside ofthe law’s boundaries. Pharisees are likethat, and that’s why Jesus has a hardtime with them.

Pharisees are so concerned, sofocused on following the laws to theletter that they forget about the people.The Pharisees end up answering theirown question, (they knew the answerall along!) So Jesus reminds them thatGod did permit divorce because of thehardness of the people’s hearts. Butthen he tells them about God’s inten-tion for us, which is marriage, notdivorce.

Jesus reframes the Pharisee’squestion. He turns their question aboutdivorce into a question about marriage.He is letting us know that divorce issomething that God permits, but it isnot what God intended for us. Godwants the best for his children- notpain, not heartache, not loneliness, notgrief-which are all the products ofdivorce. The proof comes to us throughJesus Christ-a savior who came for abroken people.

And that’s often what we find whenwe encounter Jesus–our questions areanswered in ways we never thoughtpossible- grace and mercy are freelygiven and lives are changed.

In this passage, as in so many ofthe gospel stories where Jesus isteaching, the disciples just don’t get it!Which I love, because they remind meof how clueless we can sometimes bewith Jesus’ words.

I imagine Jesus becoming fru-strated with the disciples: after all,these are the ones who should knowhim the best. They are the ones whohave eaten with him, walked with him,talked with him, spent countless hours


Cindy Parker came to the United Church of Christ byway of the Presbyterian Church. A life-long Presby-terian, she jokes that she was “predestined to becomeUCC!” Currently called as the Pastor and Teacher ofChrist Church UCC in Latrobe, PA and St. John’s UCCin Darlingtoon; she, her husband Larry and threedaughters enjoy traveling all over the world! Cindy alsoserves as a Spiritual Director for the Three Rivers Walkto Emmaus retreats and was part of the team thatbrought the Kairos Outside Ministry to Pennsylvania.Kairos (which means special time in Greek) is a prisonministry for women whose lives have been impactedby incarceration. Cindy completed her undergraduatestudies at Penn State and her MDiv. from PittsburghTheological Seminary along with a year- long internshipat Family Hospice and Palliative Care. She enjoys travel-ing, reading, baking, and photographing her daughters.

with him, and yet, THEY STILL DON’TGET IT! And sometimes, neither do we.

And so Jesus tells them this: “who-ever divorces his wife and marriesanother commits adultery againsther, and if she divorces her husbandand marries another, she commitsadultery.”

WHAT?? These are the last wordswe expect to hear out of Jesus’ mouth.Sounds extremely harsh, doesn’t it?The first time I read this passage, Iremember thinking, “That’snot the Jesus I know!”

One of my seminaryprofessors always told hisstudents to read throughthe passage and focus onwhat sticks out, what getsunder the skin, what grabshold and won’t let go! Forme, it’s this part of thepassage. These words aremeant to grab us, to get ourattention, to have us whipour heads around and say,run that by me again!

So, how do we reconcilethese harsh words with theLord of love and grace? Forthat, we have to look back at the biggerpicture of Jesus and his ministry. Justas it is important not to take a passageof out context, it is equally importantto look at it within the entire frame-work: in this case, Mark’s gospel.

Who did Jesus spend time withwhile he lived here on Earth? Was hedining in the great banquet halls withpowerful kings? Was he leading largearmies to victory? No, he was the onewho cared for the outcasts and healedthe sick, invited the poor to feasts andthose on the fringes of society hemade whole. He is the one who takeseverything we know and turns itupside down.

What sounds harsh to our earstakes on another tone entirely when weunderstand that Jesus’ intent is theprotection and honor of the womanwho was cast aside after a divorcedecree. When a woman received a“certificate of divorce” she lost whatlittle rights she had and could easilyfind herself begging for food or sellingher body for money to survive. And sowe have Jesus condemning those who

divorce and remarry in order to protectus, his children.

We are the ones that take thesepassages of Scripture, who take Jesus’own words and twist them into wordsthat hurt. Scripture has been used overthe years to satisfy people’s ownagendas: helping to keep slavery aliveand well in this country, condemningpeople who are not like us. All by usingJesus’ words against them.

This passage has been used foryears by proponents who view marriagesanctioned only between a man and awoman. Imagine the hurt that inflictson those for whom that is not an op-tion. When we use a passage of scrip-ture to serve our own agendas, are wereally any better than the Pharisees?

We sit in our church pewsand wonder:

• If our divorced sons and daughterswill be beside us in heaven?• If our gay friends are damned forall eternity?• If our Jewish in-laws won’t besaved because they don’t believe Christis the Messiah?• If our children’s friends who areMuslims or Buddists or Hindus haveno hope of resurrection?

We are a broken people. Whether weare broken by divorce, broken by guilt,broken by addiction, broken by adult-ery, broken by taking God’s name invain, or broken like the Pharisees,

who believe that they are not brokenat all.

If all of that is just too much for usto wrap our heads around, the writerof Mark’s gospel reminds us at the endof this passage to, “let the little childrencome to me; do not stop them; for it isto such as these that the kingdom ofGod belongs.”

Are we really so naïve that webelieve by Jesus’ words, only childrengo to heaven? It reminds me of

another Pharisee, Nico-demus, who asks Jesus howto enter his mother’s wombagain in order to be bornagain. Sometimes Jesus’words are not meant to betaken literally.

So why does thewriter of Mark’s gospelplace the blessing of thechildren here? Because hedidn’t have anywhere elseto put it? I don’t think so. Ithink the writer of Mark’sgospel is intentional in hisplacement of the text. Hereminds here, using Jesus’own words, that we are all

God’s children, and that the kingdomof God belongs to each and every oneof us.

We are a broken people; that istrue, but we are a blessed people too.Blessed because a savior has come toGod’s beloved children.

And so, that is the story about adivorced and remarried woman whocame to understand how a passage ofScripture that has been used forcenturies to hurt, has been trans-formed through Christ’s grace into awoman containing HOPE.

* * * * *


Extreme weather does not prove the existence of globalwarming, but climate change is likely to exaggerate it—bymessing with ocean currents, providing extra heat to formingtornadoes, bolstering heat waves, lengthening droughts andcausing more precipitation and flooding.

“A changing climate leads to changes in the frequency,intensity, spatial extent, duration and timing of extremeweather and climate events, and can result in unprecedentedextreme weather and climate events,” reports theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an

independent group of leading climate scientists convened bythe United Nations to provide the world with a clear scientificview on the current state of knowledge in climate change andits potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.

While most scientists don’t dispute the link between globalwarming and extreme weather, the once skeptical public isnow starting to come around—especially following 2011,when floods, droughts, heat waves and tornadoes took a heavytoll on the U.S. According to a poll conducted by researchersat Yale University’s Project on Climate ChangeCommunication, four out of five Americans reported

What is the scientific consensus on all the extreme weather we’ve beenhaving—from monster tornadoes to massive floods and wildfires?

Is there a clear connection to climate change?And if so what are we doing to be prepared? — Jason Devine, Summit, PA

personally experiencing one or more types of extremeweather or a natural disaster in 2011, while more than a thirdwere personally harmed either a great deal or a moderateamount by one or more of these events. And a large majorityof Americans believe that global warming made several highprofile extreme weather events worse, including record highsummer temperatures nationwide, droughts in Texas andOklahoma, catastrophic Mississippi River flooding,Hurricane Irene and an unusually warm winter.

The IPCC wants world leaders to err on the side of caution inpreparing their citizens for extreme weather events that willlikely become more frequent; earlier this year they releaseda report entitled “Managing the Risks of Extreme Events andDisasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation” to helppolicymakers do just that. The report is considered a mustread in coastal, arid and other especially vulnerable areas.

As for the U.S. government, the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA) tracks weather andstorms, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) deals with the impacts of extreme weather and otherdisasters. But critics would like to see Congress and the WhiteHouse do more to increase Americans’ preparedness. “TheU.S. [in 2011] experienced a record fourteen weather-relateddisasters each in excess of a billion dollars—and many moredisasters of lesser magnitudes,” reports the non-profitClimate Science Watch (CSW). “Yet the U.S. has no nationalclimate change preparedness strategy; and Federal effortsto address the rising risks have been undermined throughbudget cuts and other means.” CSW and others are callingfor the creation of a new cabinet-level agency called theNational Climate Service to oversee both climate changemitigation as well as preparedness for increasingly extremeweather events.

CONTACTS: IPCC report, www.ipcc-wg2.gov/SREX/images/uploads/SREX-SPMbrochure_FINAL.pdf; YaleProject, http://environment.yale.edu/climate/files/Extreme-Weather-Climate-Preparedness.pdf; FEMA,www.fema.gov; NOAA, www.noaa.gov; Climate ScienceWatch, www.climatesciencewatch.org.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer andDoug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - TheEnvironmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Sendquestions to: [email protected]. Subscribe:www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue:www.emagazine.com/trial.

In a poll conducted by Yale University, four out of five Americans reportedpersonally experiencing one or more types of extreme weather in 2011,while more than a third said they were personally harmed by one or moreof these events. A large majority of Americans believe that global warmingmade several high profile extreme weather events worse. (Credit:iStockPhoto/Thinkstock)


Santa’s Arrival: November 23 (6:30 pm)Town Wide Open House: December 2 (noon to 5pm)Gingerbread House Contest: December 1-9 (vote for your favorite!)Ice Fest: January 26-27

A Crafty Treasure Chest for Kids!

www.kiwicrate.com

During my days as a preschool teacher, itwas often hard to come up with enoughcraft projects to keep kids busy through-out the week – even with a fully-stockedcraft cupboard stuffed with supplies at mydisposal. As a mother, it was downrightexhausting sometimes.

But now there’s a great new product for3-7 year-olds called “Kiwi Crate.” TheLMP recently received some samples ofthis product, and we asked an expert forhelp. Emmersyn White, a first grader atLatrobe Elementary School, agreed to do

some Kiwi Crate crafts with us. Our twosample boxes were “Gifts Made By Me”(shown in photos) and “Crafty Christmas.”

We started with the Gifts box, and werehappily surprised that it came with EV-ERYTHING needed to complete the crafts– down to the Q-tips! The materials werehigh quality, with very easy to understandpicture and word step-by-step directions.Each phase of the projects takes about 15minutes to complete – a great timeline foryoung attention spans. Clean-up was easy,and Emmersyn was excited to get startedon the next one, Crafty Christmas. Herfavorite project in that box was the treeornament, but we haven’t worked on thegingerbread house yet!

What was her favorite thing about theKiwi Crate boxes? “Doing it together!”

Check it out – each box is $19.95; sub-scriptions are $19.95 per month, and only$7.95 for each additional child. There aretons of boxes to choose from. We werepretty darn impressed!

– Cathi Gerhard


2026 Route 30 East • Ligonier, PA 15658Office: 724-238-9645 • Fax: 724-995-8123

Cell: 724-331-4475Email: [email protected]

Constance Donovan Matson D.V.M.

“Dr. Mastson, you’re the best!”– Basel Wasel

Men’s Shop

104 East Main StreetLigonier, Pennsylvania 15658

Telephone: (724) 238-9235

Where Country Has Old-Fashioned Flair!Johnston Benchworks FurnitureHandmade Primitives, Lamps, Country PrintsBerries/Twigs/Garland, Wood Signs, Flags/StarsDenims/Purses and a whole lot more!

Tues-Thurs 11-4, Fri-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-4231 East Main St • Ligonier, PA • 724-238-3376

Call for Holiday Hours

NEW Vera Bradley • Byers’ Choice CarolersBaby Gifts • Caspari Paper ProductsCards •Fashion Jewelry • Scarves • Linens

Spend $10 or more to sign up for a $25 gift certificate (Drawn Monthly)

210 West Main Street in LigonierMon - Sat 9:30-5 and Sun 12:30-5

724-238-9832

The Finishing Touch

Distinctive Children’s Clothing & Giftsand Something for Mom as Well!

134 West Main StreetLigonier, PA 15658

724-238-4608

New HolidayMerchandise!

DovecoteA unique collection of new and old.

20 Brilliant Ave in Aspinwall412-781-1777

136 East Main St in Ligonier724-238-3181

FREE UPS SHIPPING with catalog orderswww.ligonieroutfitters.com

Ligonier OutfittersFly Fishing Center

Dog Beds & Pet AccessoriesBarbour Waxed Jackets

Men’s and Women’s ApparelHome & Gift Ideas

Joanne Grace Hartman, MTA massage relaxes muscles, easing and

soothing your aches and pains.It rejuvenates – restoring balance

to our body and being, making us betterfor all the things life throws our way.

220B West Main StreetLigonier, PA 15658

Phone: 724-858-6271

Shorts • Knit Polos • Sport JacketsSlacks . . . And More

“When How You Look Matters”


CONNECTIONSCAFE & TEAROOM

109 South Market Street in Ligonier724-238-9611 • Open 7 Days

Edible Kneads Breakfast Bagels (Mon & Tues)Healthy Salads • Homemade Soups • Desserts

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches • Loose Tea • Locally Roasted CoffeeDinner with Friends (Thursday) Mexican Night (Friday)

Steelers, Penguins, Holiday Gifts from Around the World

Second Chapter Books

139 East Main StreetLigonier, PA 15658

724-238-7933fb.com/secondchapterbooks

New & Used Books • Childrens Gifts • Jewelry Greeting Cards • Neat Stuff • Great Holiday Gifts


724-995-8022

Period Reproduction Furniture • CandlesFolk Art • Lighting • Textiles • Antiques • GiftwareHandmade in the USA Folk Art Santas by Arnett

The Strawberry CrowOn the DiamondANTIQUES


(724) 238-2226

Mary Jo CulbertsonProprietor

(724) 238-0497

Multi-Dealer Shop


724.995.8116 • 877.848.6371Monday - Saturday 10 - 5www.naughtytoffee.com

Melt in your mouth mischief!

Extended Holiday Hours!

Monday - Saturday, 11-6 • Sundays 12-4

Women’s Sportswear and Accessories • Gifts and Wool Shop DustersNAOT and OTBT Shoes & Sandals

“Quest for the Best”Best Lunch in Ligonier

On the Diamond at 121 W. Main St. 724-238-3160

Polish PotteryLocally-made pure maple syrupBoxed Bayberry TapersBoxed Lang Holiday Greeting CardsProducts from Sand Hill Berries2013 Lang CalendarsLoova Glycerin Soaps

The Paper HouseCards & Collectibles


SAMECONVENIENTLOCATION!

Behind Domino’s PizzaDowntown Latrobe

72727272724-534-534-534-534-537-93297-93297-93297-93297-9329Angela Caurso, Jr.

James Deglau

1111102 DEPO02 DEPO02 DEPO02 DEPO02 DEPOT STREET in LAT STREET in LAT STREET in LAT STREET in LAT STREET in LATRTRTRTRTROBE, POBE, POBE, POBE, POBE, PAAAAA

latrobe

Laurel Mountain Post SubscribersTake $5 OFF purchase of $25 or more

(Must present coupon at time of purchase)

Latrobe Animal ClinicLatrobe Animal ClinicLatrobe Animal ClinicLatrobe Animal ClinicLatrobe Animal Clinic

5767B Route 981Latrobe, PA 15650

724-539-8531

Ben Helman, DVMBen Helman, DVMBen Helman, DVMBen Helman, DVMBen Helman, DVM

www.LatrobeAnimalClinic.comwww.LatrobeAnimalClinic.comwww.LatrobeAnimalClinic.comwww.LatrobeAnimalClinic.comwww.LatrobeAnimalClinic.com

Winry Hughes, Fairview Farm

Latrobe: Welcome to the Neighborhood!

Michael J. Brownfield, O.D.Matthew A Christianson, O.D.

3804 Route 30 in Latrobe 724-539-1900

www.eyeglassshoppe.net

Friendly Service and Quality Products!

906 Ligonier StreetLatrobe, PA 15650

www.RoseStyleShoppe.com

724-537-6218

Celebrating 80 Years of Style in Downtown Latrobe!

Valid November 2012 through January 2013

“I heard a bird singIn the dark of December

A magical thingAnd sweet to remember.”

Oliver Herford


Through December 28Craft FridayJohnstown Children’s Museum Rt. 56 & 7th Ave. Johnstown814.539.1889

A different craft every week at the Johnstown Children’s Museum!Presented at about 2:30; suitable for kids aged 4 and up. www.jaha.org

Wednesdays - Saturdays through Christmas, 10 am - 3 pmColonel James M. Schoonmaker and Civil War VetsMonessen Heritage Museum, 505 Donner Ave, 724-684-8460www.monessenhistoricalsociety.org

Colonel James M. Schoonmaker was the youngest colonel in the UnionArmy during the Civil War and received the Medal of Honor for gallantryat the Third Battle of Winchester in 1864. In later years he becameheavily involved in the coke oven business in Westmoreland and FayetteCounties. He was a founder of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroadand served as a director, Vice President and later Chairman of the Board.He was involved in veterans’ affairs and was the long-time president ofthe Pennsylvania Association of the Blind. As the head of the East SideLand Company of Pittsburgh, he founded the town of Monessen. TheGreater Monessen Historical Society salutes the Colonel with an exhibitshowcasing over sixty family and official photographs of theSchoonmaker Family. Other Mon Valley Civil War veterans are also ondisplay, such as the Ringgold Cavalry members. There are Civil Warmemorabilia and items to see.

November 3&4, 10&11, 17&18 (3-7 pm)November 24 (5-8 pm), November 25, Dec 1-2, 8-9 (3-7 pm)Harvest & Christmas Candlelight ToursCompass Inn Museum, 1382 Route 30 E in Laughlintown. 724-238-4983www.compassinn.com

Experience the beauty of Compass Inn decorated for the holidays withall natural accents. Cheery wood fires in three fireplaces and the glow ofnearly 100 candles enhance the informative and entertaining tour. An1862 addition is opened that displays many interesting items thatcannot be seen any other time of year. In there, you can relax by acrackling fire with a cup of hot mulled cider and a cookie, and enjoy thegracious hospitality of a 19th century inn.

November 7Holiday Marketplace PreviewWestmoreland Museum of Amercan Art, 221 N Main St in Greensburgwww.wmuseumaa.org, 724-837-1500

Great shopping is what you’ll find as The Westmoreland’s shop, AnAmerican Marketplace, is transformed for the holidays. Featuring one-of-a-kind items created by contemporary American artists, craftsmenand designers, the Marketplace is the perfect stop for unique holidayshopping. 20% off purchases this evening only, complimentaryrefreshments and free gift-wrapping are provided throughout theevening. All purchases support the Westmoreland Museum of AmericanArt and its programs. 5pm-9pm

November 7Ted Neeley and the Little Big BandThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. $45, $38, $28; Senior and student discounts

HOLIDAY/WINTER COMMUNITY CALENDAR“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” –William Blake

Ted Neeley (Jesus Christ Superstar) and his Little Big Band take a lookback at Ted’s career as a pioneer of rock operas and showcase musicfrom his new CD. Show starts at 8 PM. Presented by Vestry.

November 8-10Ye Olde Christmas ShoppeSt. Emma Monastery, 1001 Harvey St in Greensburg724-834-3060, www.stemma.org. Admission $5

Our annual Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe runs Thursday, November 8(Early Bird Evening 5-8 pm), Friday November 9 (11-7) and Saturday,November 10 (10-4). Great selection of wonderful gifts, great low prices,tasty baked goods and yes, we will wish you a Merry Christmas!

This year’s menu includes fish sandwiches, pierogies, beefsandwiches, homemade chili and pizza to eat in or take out. Donationsaccepted of items that you have to re-gift or like-new items. Forquestions or additional information, please call!

November 9, December 14Art on TapWestmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N Main St in Greensburgwww.wmuseumaa.org, 724-837-1500

Join us for a casual happy hour at The Westmoreland the secondFriday of every month! Relax and enjoy music, scavenger hunts, andfun with friends! What a great way to end your work week! Admissionis $7 and includes 2 drink tickets (beer or wine). 5 PM - 7 PM

November 9-113rd Annual West Virginia Arts & CraftsSpectacularMylan Park Expo Center in Morgantown, WV, 500 Mylan Park Lanewww.familyfestivals.com, 724-863-4577, Fri & Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4

Featuring artists & craftsmen from throughout the region, you canbrowse and shop over 185 exhibits of high-quality arts & crafts includingjewelry, dried & silk floral arrangements, decorative painting, softsculpture, photography, clothing, fabric decor for your home,personalized ornaments, scented candles, lotions & soaps, pet collars &treats, holiday decorations, and much, much more!!! Sample deliciouspre-packaged foods such as dip & drink mixes, candies, fudge, kettlekorn, roasted almonds & nuts, dessert mixes and more!!!

You can do all of your holiday shopping and home decorating at theMylan Park Expo Center!!! Bring your camera and take your child’sphotograph with Santa!!! Have your face painted and create balloonanimals with clowns Glitter Dot & Dapper!!! Acres of free parking!!!Festival held rain, snow, sleet or shine!!!

Admission: Adults $5.50, Senior Citizen (65+) $5.50, Child (6-12)$1.00, Under 6 FREE

November 10 & 17Afternoon Tea at Historic Hanna’s Town362 Sandhill Rd in Greensburg, 724-532-1935www.westmorelandhistory.org

Escape the inevitable hustle and bustle that comes with preparing forthe holiday season by indulging with a friend or two in the ambiance ofearly Americana at Historic Hanna’s Town. The Westmoreland CountyHistorical Society will serve Afternoon Tea during two seating at 11:30and 2:00 p.m. Full tea will be served, which includes tea, savories,scones, sweets and pastries, for $18 per guest. Seating is limited and


George Washington wrote that his life was never in moredanger than during this incident. Young Col. Washingtonled a group of Virginia militia out from the post atLoyalhanna (later named Fort Ligonier) and encounteredtroops led by fellow Virginian Lt. Col. George Mercer. Inthe twilight conditions, both forces confused the other forthe enemy. For additional information visitwww.fortligonier.org.

November 14, 1864Irwin incorporated

November 14Elko Concerts presents Chris IsaakThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. Tickets $59 and $45.

November 15Latshaw Productions presents KC & the Sunshine BandThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. 7:30 pm.

November 15Phoenix Jazz ProjectWestmoreland Jazz Society at Westmoreland Museum of American Art7:30 pm. $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers, $3 for students under 21

Most of the basis for the quintet’s music lies in traditional jazz. But thegroup prides itself in creating and performing great music regardless ofgenre. From the traditional styles of originals “Halfway Out and “Billyor Bud to the modernized arrangements of classics “If I Only Had aBrain and “Softly As A Morning Sunrise, the Phoenix Jazz Projectprovides a wide variety of entertaining music. They have wowedaudiences from Pittsburgh to Prague. Performers include pianist TomGlovier, vocalist Jessie Glovier, drummer Dr. David Glover, saxophonistEric DeFade and bassist Bob Insko. www.phoenixjazzproject.com

November 16Deer Camp: The MusicalThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. Tickets $30, $25, $20

You’ll laugh your antlers off as four Mighty Hunters head off to theirshack in search of the elusive 14-point big buck, but between the beerand the bull, who has time to hunt? Starring Tony Papenfuss and JohnVoldstad, best known as “My Brother Darryl and my other BrotherDarryl,” on the “Newhart” television show. Show starts at 8 PM

November 16 - January 1, 2013Overly’s Country ChristmasWestmoreland Agricultural Fairgrounds, 123 Blue Ribbon Lane inGreensburg. 724-423-1400, www.overlys.com

Celebrate the season at Overly’s Country Christmas®, an impressive holidaylight display complete with a walk-through Christmas Village that’s filledwith an array of old-fashioned traditions and treats. Sing carols ‘round thebonfire, revel in the model train display, have your picture taken with Santaand shop for gifts in the C. Edgar & Sons General Store as you experience thebeauty of this illuminated winter wonderland!

November 16, 1895Arnold incorporated

November 1615th Annual Greater Pittsburgh Arts & CraftsHoliday SpectacularMonroeville Convention Center, 209 Mall Blvd. 724-863-4577www.familyfestivals.com Adults $6.00 Senior Citizen (65+) $5.50Child (6-12) $1.00 Under 6 FREE. Friday 10-9, Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5

advance booking is a must. Please call 724-532-1935 x215 to reserve yourplace at tea.

The English Afternoon Tea dates to the 1840s, but tea drinking inBritain began in the mid-1650s. At that time, tea was expensive, and itwas primarily the aristocracy who could afford the delicate pots, cups,and tea-brewing equipment, as well as the leisure time needed to enjoythe exotic beverage. Tea drinking was widespread by the early 1700s,and became even more popular when Queen Anne (1665-1714) made itknown that she preferred tea to ale with her breakfast. The Duchess ofBedford, Anna Maria Stanhope, is credited with beginning the socialcustom of late afternoon tea time by inviting friends to enjoy tea with anassortment of butter sandwiches, cakes and sweets.

A special Open House will be held at the Hanna’s Town Shop duringthe teas from 11:00a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Many regularly stocked items willbe on sale and special stocking stuffers and holiday gifts will beavailable.

November 10, 1902Youngwood incorporated

November 10 and December 8Planetarium ShowsSt. Vincent College, Dupre Science Pavilion, 724-805-2631, 11 am

“Fall Sky Show and Dynamic Earth.”All of the shows will also feature“The Sky Over Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” at 12:30 p.m.

Each show lasts about one hour and begins with a tour of the season’snight sky conducted by one of the faculty members in astronomy fromthe College’s Department of Physics, Dr. John Smetanka or Dr. DanielVanden Berk. Selected deep sky objects – star clusters, nebula andgalaxies – will be viewed along with simulated trips to planets andmoons in the solar system. The shows will end with a 25-minutetheatrically-produced full-dome immersive video.

A second, 30-minute show appropriate for children age 3 to 10, TheSky Over Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, will be presented at 12:30 p.m. oneach date. The show will explore the sky with Mr. Rogers and theanimated characters from the land of make believe.

Because of limited seating, advance reservations are requested and maybe made by contacting the Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences,Mathematics, and Computing at 724 805-2631. Private shows for groups of15 to 35 people may also be scheduled at other times by contacting the BoyerSchool. Scout groups who wish to fulfill requirements for merit badges areespecially encouraged to make appointments.

November 11, 1895Arona Incorporated

November 11, 1911Export incorporated

November 112nd Annual Hungarian Grape FestivalMill Creek, 1 Springer Rd in Ligonier, 4 pm

Homemade food and dessert, live entertainment by The Relics and TheTamburitzan Alumni Dance group, wine tasting by Walnut Hill Winery,cash bar, door prizes, raffle baskets donated by local businesses, 50/50tickest, and traditional game will be provided for only $15 (preordered)or $17 at the door, $5 for children 5-15 years old, and FREE for childrenunder 5 years old. The event is sponzored by and will benefit the BethlenCommunities Hungarian Cultural Center. Please call Timea 724-238-2032 ext. 27 (Bethlen Communities) or Judy at 724-238-7942 (TheValley Center for Active Adults).

Novembe 12,1758George Washington nearly killed byfriendly fire incident in futureWestmoreland County


November 18: The Great GatsbyDecember 14: It’s A Wonderful Life

January 11: Dr. ZhivagoFebruary 8: The Princess Bride

If you’re missing the State Theatre Classic Film Series, you’remissing out! Come see some of the greatest films ever madeon the big screen at the State. Our series makes a great girls/guys night out, the best date night and a great place to go withfriends and family!

One Friday a Month at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PMAdults $5, Seniors/Students $3

2012 - 2013 90th Anniversary SeasonJoin us in celebrating all season long with a GREATlineup of shows, classic films, concerts and events!

State Theatre Center for the Arts27 East Main Street

Uniontown, PA 15401724-439-1360

www.statetheatre.info

This outstanding festival features over 260 indoor booths of arts & craftsin two huge exhibit halls! Whether you are looking for new decor itemsfor the holidays or you are ready to start (or finish!) your Christmasshopping, you are sure to find something to suit your style and budget!

Exhibitors from more than a dozen states will be on hand to displaythe finest in decorating and gift giving for the upcoming holiday season.Browse through a huge selection of holiday decorations & trees,appliqued & embellished clothing, decorative painting, photography,prints, personalized Christmas ornaments, handcrafted jewelry, pettreats & collars, soft sculpture, dolls, children’s toys, fabric decor,scented candles, lotions & soaps, and much, much more!!!

Sample and purchase delicious pre-packaged foods including gourmetdips & drink mixes, jellies & jams, maple syrup products, homebakedgoods, kettle korn, cinnamon roasted almonds & nuts, candies, fudgeand much, much more! Bring your camera and have your child’sphotograph taken with Santa Claus. Clowns Glitter Dot & Dapper will bepainting faces and creating balloon animals. Acres of free parking & shuttle!

November 17House TourSaint Emma Monastery, 1001 Harvey Ave in Greensburg724-834-3060, www.stemma.org, $20 per person

Enjoy the beauty of this 1931 colonial revival style home decorated forChristmas by the Benedictine Nuns & volunteers, view our collectionof creches from around the world in St. Benedict Room and enjoysome tasty hors d’oeuvres. 11am-2pm or 3pm-6pm

November 17That Guy with the BirdsUnity Township Building, Latrobe Unity Parks & Rec 724-537-433111 am. Registration Required.

The Exotic Parrot Program is a unique, educational and entertainingexperience for the whole family! Learn interesting bird facts and meetJohn (a one man rescue operation for abused and neglected parrots) andhis feathered friends for an up-close, hands-on experience. Join in theMusic and Magic as you watch the parrots do incredible feats! Check outbudwing.com to see a WQED video clip. Ages 13 and up.

November 18St. Rose Fall Craft ShowSt. Rose Catholic Church Hall, Hillview Ave in Latrobe, 724-532-1142

November 20, 1922Boiler Firemen StrikeA strike by boiler firemen on this date in 1922 leaves thecounty courthouse and jail with no light or heat.

November 24, 1950Record-breaking snow fallOn this date in 1950, a record-breaking snow fall beginswhich ends with 31 inches falling over the Thanksgivingweekend.

November 24 and December 22Sub Sale - Latrobe United Methodist Church440 Main St at Ridge Ave in Latrobe, 724-537-8141

Cost is $6. Proceeds will benefit the 2012 Mission Trip to Zimbabwe.Call the office to pre-order or just stop by and pick one up. Pickup timesare 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the church.

November 24-24, December 1-423rd Annual Festival of LightsSamuel Warden Mansion, 200 S Church St in Mt. Pleasant724-423-3275, http://mountpleasantfol15666.tripod.com/1:30 PM - 9 PM. $5 per person; children under age 12 admitted free

Come and enjoy the Annual Festival of Lights, held at the BraddockTrail Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, WardenMansion. Tour the historic 125-year old Samuel Warden Mansion,view the beautifully decorated Christmas trees and choose yourfavorite tree, enjoy refreshments, and become eligible to win a dailydoor prize. Just be sure to visit our craft and raffle room.

Nov. 24th from 10am to NoonChristmas ShoppeAmerican Legion in Latrobe. This vendor fair has the usual home partyvendors along with some exciting new ones as well as some with faiththemed jewelry, gifts and decor. Door prizes, donated by some of thevendors, will be given out throughout the morning. This is a fundraiser forthe Latrobe Alliance Church Youth Group.

November 25Santa’s Enchanted WorkshopThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. Tickets $9, $8

In a trek to the North Pole, Stanley and his baby sister wind up in adilapidated gas station run by a mysterious old man named Nick.Could this be Santa’s Enchanted Workshop? A joyous holidaymusical which features a singing robot, a dancing rag doll and one ofthe silliest villains you’ll ever see. Shows at 2 PM and 5 PM

November 26, 1892New Kensington incorporated

November 29Somerset Chamber Holiday Shopping BazaarSomerset Country Club, 416 Plank Rd. 814-445-6431www.somersetcountychamber.com, FREE

Shop at local businesses and non-profit organizations in oneconvenient location. Find the perfect gift for special customers, staff,friends and family. Shop from an array of local products and servicesor donate to a local non-profit in their name. Complimentary lightrefreshments will be available. 3-6 p.m.

ClassicFilms


November 29Tribute to the Platter Holiday Doo Wop ShowThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. $48, $38, $28, Shows at 2 PM and 8 PMLatshaw Productions presents:Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, The Marvelettes, and Marshak’s Tribute toThe Platter. Three legendary doo wop groups combine for a holidayChristmas Show with their biggest hits and sentimental holidayfavorites, doo wop style.

November 30Latshaw Productions presents Clint BlackThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. 8 PM, $85, $75, $65, $55, $45

Prolific singer-songwriter Clint Black has long been heralded as one ofCountry music’s brightest stars. His many talents have taken him evenfurther, as Black has transcended genres to become one of the mostsuccessful artists in all the music industry. To date, Black has written,recorded and released more than 100 songs, a benchmark in any artist’scareer. An astounding one-third of these songs eligible for major singlerelease also achieved hit song status at Country radio, while more than20 million of his albums have been sold worldwide. While it’s well-known that Black is an accomplished singer and guitarist, people may besurprised to learn that he is also proficient on drums and harmonica.

November 30Forever Plaid - Plaid TidingsCresson Lake Playhouse, 279 Shapiro Rd in Loretto, 814-472-4333www.cressonlake.com, Adults - $17 (includes processing fee)Student under 18 - $12.00 with Student I.D.

It is a brand-new show that offers the best of FOREVER PLAID tied-up in anifty package with a big Christmas bow on top! Filled with Christmasstandards that have all been “Plaid-erized,” our boys are back to do theirChristmas Special. At first they aren’t sure why they’ve returned, but a phonecall from the heavenly Rosemary Clooney lets them know that they’re neededto put a little harmony into a discordant world.

Sprinkled among the Christmas offerings are audience favorites liketheir riotous three minute and eleven second version of “The Ed SullivanShow” - this time featuring the Rockettes, the Chipmunks and TheVienna Boys Choir, and a Plaid Caribbean Christmas which puts the“Day-O” in Excelsis! This is one holiday treat that is truly “heaven-sent!”

FOREVER PALID-PLAID TIDINGS is under the direction of Mr. JimPollino of Ebensburg.

December 1Christmas Open House at Christian W. Klay Winery412 Fayette Springs Rd in Chalk Hill, 724-439-3424www.cwklaywinery.com

Enjoy an old-fashioned Christmas homecoming. This event will featurepopular carols, light holiday fare, Santa Claus and activities for kids of allages! Becoming an area Christmas tradition, the winery’s open houseprovides a spirited beginning to the December countdown to Christmas.Complimentary Admission. Noon - 3 pm.

December 1 - 9Festival of LightsLigonier Town Hall Community Room, 120 E Main St724-238-6818, www.ligonierhistoricalsociety.org

December 1Holly Jolly Christmas in LatrobeLatrobe Art Center & Cafe, 819 Ligonier St, 724-537-7011www.latrobeartcenter.org

Latrobe Art Center Artists set up tables with jewelry, stained glass,clothing, paintings, woodwork, and pottery while the Neighborhood Cafeprovides breakfast and lunch specials. Santa Claus is reads a story to the

children and then is available for picture taking! Come one, come all, it’sa great day to find that perfect someone a unique Christmas gift.

December 1Scottdale Historical Society’s Christmas TourLouck’s Homestead, 527 N Chestnut St. 3-6 pm. [email protected]. $15 or 2 for $25

Start out the Christmas season in Scottdale. The Scottdale HistoricalSociety is hosting our annual Christmas house tour from 3:00 pm - 6:00pm. The tour starts at the society’s “Loucks Homestead” at 527 N.Chestnut St..The circa 1830 home was later turned into a Victorian gem.The Peter Loucks house is inspired to an 1880’s interior design. Lightrefreshments are served and a special theme is presented annually. Theadditional homes on the tour range in style, and showcase how ourresidents celebrate the holiday season.

December 1Unwrapping the Faith Behind Our ChristmasDecorations with the Benedictine NunsSaint Emma’s Monastery, 1001 Harvey Ave in Greensburgwww.stemma.org, 724-834-3060, 10 am - 3 pm

Enjoy our beautiful Christmas decorations while touring theRobertshaw Country House, Fatima Chapel, lounge, and St. BenedictConference Room with talks by the Nuns explaining the faithmeaning behind our popular traditional decorations. Delicious home-cooked buffet-style meal served on Christmas-patterned tablewareand real linens. Cost: $35/adults, $20 children under 18

December 5, 7, 11Christmas LuncheonsSaint Emma’s Monastery, 1001 Harvey Ave in Greensburgwww.stemma.org, 724-834-3060, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, $30 per person

Celebrate Jesus as the reason for the season by bringing your family,friends, co-workers, or church group to enjoy a delicious home-cookedmeal (served buffet-style), including fruit cup, main course, two sidedishes, tossed salad, bread/rolls and butter, home-baked cookies, icecream and coffee/tea. Christmas-patterned tableware, real linens andminiature nativities adorn our tables. Enjoy the numerous crèches fromaround the world. Tours of the Robertshaw Country House B&B areavailable before or after dinner.

December 7Derry Christmas Celebration

Join DARCee at Mossback Park in downtown Derry from 5:30pm-7:30pm on Friday, December 7th as we welcome the holiday season.Our Christmas Celebration will include a parade featuring the DAHSMarching Band and Santa, music, food and drink concessions, a ride inSanta’s sleigh (donations accepted) for the children, and the lighting ofthe community Christmas tree.

December 7, 1949Greensburg Coliseum destroyed by firefrom an article by James V. Steeley in the Winter 2012issue of the Westmoreland History magazine:

On a cold winter night in the early morning hoursof December 7, 1949, the old Greensburg Coliseum wasdestroyed by fire. The hard-to-control firre destroyed partof the old wooden dance floor, bringing an end to the oldcentral Westmoreland County landmark and signaling theend of an era.

Until its destruction by fire . . . the Colesium inGreensburg was unrivaled as a venue for big events thatincluded automobile and farm equipment shows,commercial exhibits, home and garden shows, grandbanquets and conventions, sporting exhibitions, and a farm


produce market. But, from the late 1920s through the endof World War II, the old Greensburg landmark wasarguably the place in Westmoreland County where thenation’s best dance bands of the Big Band Era played topacked houses.

. . . in the end, the burned-out Coliseum wasrazed, and the lot was eventually bought by developers ofthe present-day Pershing Sqare high rise apartments forsenior citizens.”

December 8-9The Nutcracker BalletThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. $33, $25, $23, $17, $10

Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra teams up with Laurel Ballet for thisenchanting production of Nutcracker in three performances.December 8 - 2 PM & 7 PM and December 9 - 2 PM

December 10, 1785Newtown, now Greensburg, was selectedas the permanent county seat forWestmoreland County.from John Boucher’s History of Westmoreland County, Vol. 1,Chap. 13:

“Shortly after their appointment the commissionviewed the territory. and met at Hannastown to deliberate.On November 1st and 2nd they came to no agreement, andin December met again at Newtown (or Greensburg) andthe three of them living south of the Forbes road decided onNewtown as the county seat. They were Benjamin Davis,Michael Rugh and Hugh Martin. John Shields and JohnPomeroy, living north of the Forbes road favoredHannastown, and, dissenting from the decision, refused toact further with the trustees or commissioners. But by theterms of the act three of them had the necessary power, andon December 10, 1785, they entered into an agreement withChristopher Truby and William Jack, to which LudwigOtterman afterwards subscribed, to sell to them, in trust forthe county two acres of land on which to erect publicbuildings. This day, December 10, 1785, is the Day uponwhich Greensburg was legally selected as the county seat ofWestmoreland county.”

December 11Clay Aiken Joyful Noise 2012 TourThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. $49 and $39, 7:30 pm

Since coming to national attention on the second season of AmericanIdol in 2003, Clay Aiken has evolved into a versatile and beloved popularentertainer. He has released five well-received albums, selling over 6million units as of 2011.

Throughout his career, Aiken has continuously been a supportiveactivist on behalf of children. As he has often explained, “My musiccareer has allowed me to do the same thing I was doing before—workwith kids. It has just given me a bigger stage, so I can enact change on agrander scale.” Clay has been an ambassador for UNICEF since 2004;the same year he started the National Inclusion Project with co-founderDiane Bubel. NIP supports the integration of children with disabilitiesinto the same environments as their non-disabled peers.

He has toured nine times, written a New York Times bestsellingmemoir, sold more than six million albums, produced and hostedtelevision programs, starred on Broadway, and devoted considerableenergy and resources to improving the lives of children all over theworld.

December 11Holiday TourSt. Vincent Basilica and Gristmill, 362 Sand Hill Rd in Latrobe724-532-1935, www.westmorelandhistory.org

Take a special holiday tour of St. Vincent Basilica and Grist Mill. Coffeeand cookies at the Grist Mill. Charge for this off-site holiday event is $5for members and $7 for others. Advance reservations, please.

December 14-16AnnieThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. Adults $22 and $18, students $18 and $15

The lovable orphan with the heart of gold is brought to life in this award-winning musical that is the perfect way to get you into the Christmasspirit! Friday & Saturday: 7:30 PM, Sunday: 2 PM

December 15Melissa Manchester, JOYState Theatre Center for the Arts , 27 East Main Street in Uniontown724-439-1360, www.statetheatre.info, $36, $32, $28. 8 PM

With hits like “Midnight Blue”, “Through the Eyes of Love”, “Don’t CryOut Loud” and the Grammy Winning, “You Should Hear How She TalksAbout You”, Melissa Manchester topped the charts and showcased herincredible talent! This Christmas the State Theatre presents her holidayshow featuring traditional favorites from the album, Joy, including “I’llBe Home for Christmas” and “White Christmas”, along with “When YouWish Upon a Star” and “Christmas Time Is Here”, taken from the classicanimated special A Charlie Brown Christmas.

December 19Latshaw Pops Orchestra Christmas SpectacularThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. $35, $30 and $25. 2 pm and 8 pm

The Christmas tradition continues with the Latshaw Pops Orchestra,singers and dancers in a holiday variety show! Celebrate the Christmasseason with heartwarming Christmas songs and carols, beautifulcostumes and a special visit from Santa, too!


December 20The Benny Benack BandWestmoreland Jazz Society at Westmoreland Museum of American Art7:30 pm. $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers, $3 for students under 21

The Benny Benack Band prides itself in achieving a level of versatilitythat defies conventional labels. From Big Band Swing to Dixieland Jazz,and from Motown to the hits of today, The Benny Benack Band giveseach its own unique contemporary feel.

Benny Benack left his mark on the music world as a performer,bandlSeader and teacher. Now his son Benny Jr., and a new generationin Benny Benack III, carry on the tradition. In fact, many of the bandmembers grew up together from the time they were kids, and when theyget together to jam, the youthful exuberance is infectious. They trulyhave a great time playing together and take personal pride and pleasurein seeing to it that their audiences join in the fun. www.bannybenack.com

December 20Eric BarchiesiWestmoreland Jazz Society at Westmoreland Museum of American Art7:30 pm. $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers, $3 for students under 21

Eric Barchiesi, a native of Crabtree, PA, began his musical journey withhis first piano lesson on his 7th birthday. After graduating from GreaterLatrobe Senior High School, he pursued his love of music at IndianaUniversity, Bloomington, Indiana, earning a Bachelor of MusicEducation in 1986. At IU, Eric studied piano with Edward Auer and jazzin an ensemble directed by jazz trumpeter, Dominic Spera. Following hisgraduation from IU, Eric attended the University Of Pittsburgh School ofLaw, earning a Juris Doctor degree. Since 1989, Eric has been a full-timepracticing lawyer in Pittsburgh.

Musically, Eric has maintained a diverse and active presence in thePittsburgh/Greensburg music scene for decades. After winning severalLion’s Club Talent Shows as a young teen, Eric began his big bandexperience at age 15 with the Frankie Carroll Orchestra. During hissummer college breaks, Eric played piano in the tavern at the former Mt.View Inn. Beginning in ’90s, Eric was the house pianist at ChestnutRidge Inn. Along with being a solo artist, Eric has also musically directedand played keyboard for productions with local theater groups andschools. For many years, he served as liturgical music director/organistfor several area churches. Eric continues to play as a sideman with anumber of local big bands and jazz combos. Currently, Eric performs as

a soloist, with the Eric Barchiesi Combo, the Tommy Phillips“Tophatters and as the keyboardist for the Powerplay band, an eight-piece local event band. From Bach to Basie, Sondheim to Springsteen,Eric is at home and relaxed “at the piano.

Eric resides in Penn Township with his wife, Dawn, and their sons,Dominic and Dante.

December 22Home for the HolidaysWestmoreland Symphony OrchestraThe Palace Theatre, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org. $10-$39.

Guest conductor Matthew Kraemer leads our annual holiday concert,highlighting choral and instrumental favorites and featuring the All-StarChoir of Westmoreland County. Marc Tourre, Director.

December 23, 1908The Westmoreland County HistoricalSociety was founded.The Westmoreland County Historical Society is the oldestand fastest growing historical society in WestmorelandCounty. Founded in 1908, the Society is an educationalorganization dedicated to acquiring and managingresources related to the history of Westmoreland County,and to use these resources to encourage a diverse audienceto make connections to the past, develop an understandingof the present, and provide direction for the future.

December 29Christmas Open House (Visit and Vespers)Saint Emma Monastery, 1001 Harvey St in Greensburg724-834-3060, www.stemma.org

1pm: Enjoy Nativity Displays and Refreshments3:30pm: Christmas Caroling4pm: Sung Vespers with Benedictine Nuns

December 31New Year’s Eve PartyRamada Inn in Ligonier, 216 W Loyalhanna St, 724-238-9545

Don’t miss a great New Year’s Eve party!Cocktail Reception (7PM-7:30PM) - open bar & hors d’oeuvresNew Year’s Eve Dinner (7:30PM);Open Bar (8:30PM-midnight)DJ Entertainment & Dancing; New Year’s Eve Celebration; Hats & NoiseMakers; Champagne Toast at Midnight. Call to make your reservation today!Party Package: $162 per couple (taxes included)Lodging starting at $99 per night with free hot breakfast included.

December 31New Year’s Eve at Ligonier Tavern139 W Main St in Ligonier, 724-238-7788, www.ligoniertavern.com

COME CELEBRATE NEW YEAR’S WITH US! ... Stuffed loin of Porkwith roasted tomatoes and spinach with mushroom demi-glace. Servedwith creamy goat cheese polenta. Surf and Turf Grilled filet mignon withsauce béarnaise and Lobster tail served with rosti potatoes, broccoli rabeand carrots. Crab stuffed Shrimp With wild rice pilaf, broccoli rabe andcarrots. Gratin of Scallop and Shrimp Newberg. FOR RESERVATIONSCALL 724-238-7788 DINNER SERVED 4-10PM

January 6, 1777Pennsylvania’s 8th Regiment leaves to joinWashington in New Jersey

January 6, 1787Hugh Henry BrackenridgeLetter to the Gazette


Hugh Henry Brackenridge, who was then a member of thelegislature from this county, and a resident of Pittsburgh, onDecember x6, 1786, wrote the following letter, which waspublished in the Gazette of January 6, 1787: “A bill is published superceding the powers of the Trusteesfor building a Court House and jail in Greensburg. The objectis to prevent any further expenditure of public money inpublic buildings at that place, inasmuch as the Court Houseand jail already erected are sufficient, at least for a number ofyears. This appeared to us, the Representatives fromWestmoreland, to be sufficient for the present. It must remainwith future time to determine whether the seat of justice shallbe removed or a new county erected on the Kiskiminetas. Thelast, I believe, will be deemed most eligible.”

January 7, 1787Court held in Greensburg for the firsttime.

January 10,1887Latrobe Electric Light Companyincorporated. One of its founders wasA.W. Mellon.

January 18-20, 201318th Annual Fire & Ice Festival in Somersetwww.somersetincpa.com, 814-443-1748January 19, 2013Ligonier Ice FestivalLigonier Valley Chamber of Commece, 120 E Main Stwww.visitligonier.com, 724-238-4200

January 22, 1895Westmoreland Hospital Associationfounded.

January 25-26Jimmy Buffett WeekendLigonier Country Inn, 1376 Route 30 in Laughlintown. 724-238-3651www.ligoniercountryinn.com

It’s time to get rid of the winter time blues and celebrate with someJimmy Buffet music. Live entertainment both nights. Room packagesavailable. Call Ligonier Country Inn for pricing and availability - 724-238-3651; $10 cover charge on Saturday.

January 26, 2013Get the Led Out: The American Led ZeppelinWestmoreland Cultural Trust, Palace Theater, 21 W Otterman St inGreensburg, www.palacetheatre.org, 724-836-8000$30, $26, $22, 8 pm.

Get The Led Out is a group of professional musicians who are passionateabout their love of the music of Led Zeppelin. It’s been their mission tobring the studio recordings of “the mighty Zep” to life on the big concertstage. This is not an impersonator act but rather a group of musicianswho were fans first, striving to do justice to one of the greatest bands inrock history!

January 30, 1897Building of the present Courthouse(Westmoreland’s fifth) authorized by theCourt.

January 31, 1908Present Courthouse dedicated.

February 2, 1787Arthur St. Clair elected President ofContinental Congress.

February 2Beethoven’s PastoralePalace Theater, 21 W Otterman St in Greensburg, 724-836-8000www.palacetheatre.org, Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra

February 5, 1874Scottdale incorporated.

February 7, 1821William Jack died.He was sheriff in 1772 when Hanna’s Town was attacked. Hewas also one of three donors of the Courthouse property.

February 9, 1799Greensburg incorporated.

February 10, 1787Rebuttal letter to to Mr. Brackenridge inthe Gazette

On February 10, 1787, the following letter appeared, writtenby one who signed himself “A Friend of Westmoreland”: “We find by Mr. Brackenridge’s late publication that theseat of justice in this county yet remains an object of envy inour Legislature. as ‘a bill is published superceding the powersof the Trustees for building a Court House and jail inGreensburg: I wonder, when we shall see an end of thecavilings on this subject and the succession of ridiculous lawsoccasioned thereby. By the first law we find a number ofTrustees appointed for erecting a Court House and prison. etc.By the second law we find their proceedings rejected, thoughperfectly legal, and the former repealed, and another set ofTrustees appointed, with more extensive and conclusivepower. A third law approves and confirms their proceedings,and a fourth law supercedes their powers in the midst of theduty assigned them: and to carry the farce a little farther. Ithink the fifth law ought to amount to the total annihilation ofthe county.”

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS:

Family-friendly, cultural, and nonprofit events take precedencewhen print space is a consideration.

Please send complete event information,including a descriptive paragraphand artwork for consideration to:

Calendar Editor, Laurel Mountain PostPO Box 332

Ligonier, PA 15658

[email protected]


HolidayGET YOUR PACKAGES THERE SAFELY AND ON TIME

Trees for TroopsIn conjunction with the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, FedEx donates transportationand logistics services to help deliver Christmas trees to activated service membersand their families. Since the program began in 2005, Trees for Troops has deliveredmore than 100,000 trees to troops stationed at more than 60 bases around theworld.Here’s how you can help spread holiday cheer to military families:

Make a DonationMake a tax-deductible contribution to the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation

Buy a TreeFind a Trees for Troops Weekend location or a tree farm near you. You can purchasea tree to donate to Trees for Troops.Buy an Ornament or T-shirt• Purchase a commemorative pewter ornament, with proceeds benefiting the Treesfor Troops.• The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation partners with Greater than Goods to sell t-shirts and sweat shirts. For every Trees for Troops item you purchase, $5 will bedonated to CSF for the Trees for Troops program.

Learn more at www.treesfortroops.org

FAMILY FEATURES

HAPPY SHIPPING

The holidays are usually pretty hectic, and the lastthing you need is to stress over shipping yourholiday gifts. With millions of packages movingacross the country every day, knowing how to

pack and when to ship your gifts can save you time andmoney, taking the hassle out of holiday shipping.

These tips from FedEx will help you ensure the safe andtimely delivery of your holiday packages.

Smart Packing Tipsn Use new, sturdy boxes with the flaps intact, and do not

reuse boxes. Select a box that is large enough to accom -modate the proper thickness of cushioning material.

n Wrap items individually with cushioning material andcenter them in cartons away from other items and awayfrom the sides, corners, top and bottom of the box.

n Choose cushioning of appropriate density and thickness,and use enough to fill all void spaces in your shippingcontainer. Position at least two inches of bubble wrap,peanuts or other packing materials on all sides, and usea heavy duty tape designed for packaging.

n Double-box fragile items with 3 inches of cushioning in andaround the smaller box.

n For odd- or irregular-shapeditems, be sure to wrap and tape all sharp edges or protrusions.

n Position the shipping labelsquarely on the most visible sideof the container away from anyfolds or seams. Provide completesender and recipient addresses,including zip codes and telephonenumbers. Make sure the label isproperly and securely attached.FedEx also recommends placingan extra label, business card orletterhead with the shipper’saddress and phone number insidethe package before sealing it.

n Apply at least three strips of packing tape (no duct or masking tape) to the topand bottom sides of the container using the H taping method.

Don’t be afraid to ask for packing and shipping help. There are more than1,800 FedEx Office Print & Ship Center locations around the world that providea variety of packing and shipping supplies and services.

Smart Shipping Tipsn Send your gifts ahead. If you are traveling this holiday season, take the hassle

out of carrying wrapped packages with you by sending your gifts ahead ofyour arrival.

n Ship early in the season. This will allow you to avoid the lines and provideyou with a greater selection of shipping service options. Take advantage ofFedEx Ground, FedEx Home Delivery, and FedEx Express Saver and 2Dayservices to save money on your shipments.

Holiday ShippingDeadlinesFor delivery in time forChristmas, the last day toship with FedEx Ground isMonday, December 17, andthe last day to ship withFedEx Express is Saturday,December 22.

For more tips, or to createand print a shipping label,visit www.fedex.com.

If you’re sending cookies or other sweetholiday gifts, make sure you pack themproperly so that they don’t arrive ascrumbs.Ingredients:

1 sturdy container for the baked goods

1 box of wax paper 1 roll of tape1 sturdy corrugated cardboard

boxBubble wrap, Styrofoam

peanuts, plastic grocery bags or other packing materials

Directions: Place the baked goods in a sturdy con -tainer lined with plastic wrap or waxpaper. Layer wax paper between the baked goods, using crumpled paper to fill in any void spaces.

Secure the lid of the container to the body with tape, to keep it fromaccidentally popping off.

Place the container in a sturdy corrugatedcardboard box, and use packing materialsto cushion the container tightly in place.

Shake the box — if you can feel or hearany movement, add more cushioning.

Baker’s Notes:n Don’t forget to include a card or sheet

of paper with the shipper and/orrecipient’s contact info on it. In case the shipping document gets lost, thisinformation will help get the package to its destination.

n When thinking about gift ideas, small or sturdier items like sugar cookies,biscotti and popcorn are some of thesweet treats that will ship the best.

n Be sure to send your cookies early inthe week so that they are still freshwhen they arrive, as shipping may takeup to 3 to 5 business days.

n For more tips and affordable shipping ideas, please visitwww.fedex.com/us/holiday.

Recipe for a Safe and Crumble-Free Sweet Treat


SHOP OURGENERAL STORE

POSTLAUREL MOUNTAIN Looking for products or services

mentioned in one of our articles?

Visit our website and click on the General Store tab.We’ve assembled links to every topic available online.

Some shops (like Amazon.com) support ourmagazine with a percentage of all sales – money we

use to help fund our nonprofit matching grantprogram and pay for college internships.

www.LaurelMountainPost.com

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It can be challenging to eat right during the holidays, especially when the entireseason seems filled with hearty meals, rich dishes and sweet treats. While it’sokay to moderately splurge before kick-starting the New Year with a healthy diet,it’s important to build momentum prior to January 1 by making smart dietarydecisions over the holidays to ensure a healthy immune system during the winter

months and increased energy for burning off those extra calories.

Drink to Your HealthA simple way to enjoy a healthy holiday season and New Year is to start each day witha nutrient-rich beverage packed with essential ingredients that produce increased energylevels, decreased cravings for seasonal junk foods, and greater overall wellness.

Whether it’s a nourishing morning pick-me-up or a mid-day energy and immunityboost, these nutritious and delicious recipes from NutriBullet will help ensure a healthyholiday season and put you on the right track to wellness in the New Year. TheNutriBullet emulsifies healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and grains into their most easily digestible state. Learn more at www.nutribullet.com.

Nutrient Know-HowHow many times have you read a list of nutrients on a food label, but not reallyknown how each works to benefit your body? Following are some nutrient quicktips so you’re better informed during your next trip to the market.

Calcium — Essential for healthy teeth and bones; also important for muscle, nerveand some gland functions.

Iron — Necessary for healthy blood and normal cell functioning.

Magnesium — Needed for healthy bones; also involved in more than 300 enzymes.

Potassium — Helps maintain healthy blood pressure.

Vitamin A — Helps keep eyes and skin healthy; also helps protect againstinfections.

Vitamin C — Helps heal cuts and wounds; helps keep teeth and gums healthy, andhelps iron absorption.

Folate (folic acid) — Helps the body form red blood cells.

Fiber — Helps reduce blood cholesterol and may lower risk of heart disease.

n 1 small apple

n 1 large banana

n 1 medium grapefruit

n 1 large orange

n 1 medium potato

n 2 large or 3 medium plums

n 12 baby carrots

n 1 small wedge watermelon

n 8 large strawberries

n 2 large stalks celery

n 1 medium pear

Cranbanana BlastFilled with heart-healthy nutrientsand anti-viral properties,cranberries blend well withbananas and dates for a tart-sweettreat.

1 cup spinach1 ripe banana (peeled)

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

2 dates

Add water or almond milk to themax line of the large cup, andblast.

Flu FighterVitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-bacterial ginger help keep theimmune system at its peak duringthe winter months.

1/2 cup spinach1/2 cup Swiss chard1/4 cup parsley

1 kiwi (peeled)1/2 lime (peeled)

1 banana (peeled)1/2 bell pepper (seeds and

stem removed)1 inch fresh ginger root

(peeled)

Add water to the max line of thelarge cup, and blast.

Sniffle SnatcherA tasty combination of vitamin C-rich ingredients, cayenne toreduce congestion, and rosemaryto reduce inflammation and soothea sore throat.

1 cup kale1 carrot1 pear (cored and

seeds removed)1/2 cup cubed pineapple

Dash of cayenne pepperDash of fresh rosemary

Add water to the max line of thelarge cup, and blast.

Sweet Potato Pick-Me-UpComplex carbs from the sweetpotato will provide sustainedenergy, and cinnamon keeps bloodsugar balanced.

1/2 cooked sweet potato (skin on)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractPinch cinnamonPinch nutmeg

1 cup ice cubes

Add almond or coconut milk tothe max line of the large cup, andblast.

Sweet Apple Pumpkin PieAn antioxidant-rich, protein-packed healthy dessert option soyou can enjoy the flavors of theseason guilt-free.

1/4 cup organic silken tofu or organic Greek-style yogurt

1/2 cup canned pumpkin or cooked fresh pumpkin

1/2 apple (cut, cored, and seeds removed)

1 tablespoon raw almond butter

Pinch of cinnamonPinch of ground cloves

1–2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1 cup almond milk

Add ingredients to large cup, andblast.

How Much Is a Cup?To help you gauge how much produce you’re eating, here’s a quicklook at what equals a cup:


FAMILY FEATURES

Sniffle Snatcher, Sweet Apple Pumpkin Pie,Flu Fighter, Cranbanana Blast,and Sweet Potato Pick-Me-Up

Happy Holidaysfrom our family to yours!

Welcome to the brand new SpringHill Suites PittsburghLatrobe hotel, offering a refreshing stay unlike any

other. Our Pittsburgh-Latrobe area hotel is situated lessthan one mile from the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.Allow us to shuttle your family and friends in town forthe holidays to their comfortable accommodations and

take one more thing off of your to-do list. At theSpringHill Suites by Marriott Latrobe we offer a hot

complimentary breakfast and the 19th Hole Lounge isopen from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. With a 24 hour

market in the lobby you will never have to worry aboutyour guests, we will take care of everything! You can

expect bright, comfortable suites with a separate livingarea including mini-fridge and microwave. Our stylish

design offers a revitalizing stay with amenities such asfree Wi-Fi and flat screen TVs. The welcoming lobby

and lounge area is perfect for family and friendscatching up and spending time together and the

children will be sure to love the outdoor fire pit on thepatio. The hotel will be beautifully decorated for the

holiday season so everyone will feel right at home.We understand how busy the holidays are, let us

make your guests feel comfortable and everyone canrelax and enjoy this magical time of the year.

Among Latrobe hotels, SpringHill Suiteswill far exceed your expectations!”

SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTTPittsburgh Latrobe

115 Arnold Palmer DriveLatrobe , PA 15650

Phone: 724-537-7800Phone: 724-537-7800Phone: 724-537-7800Phone: 724-537-7800Phone: 724-537-7800

Space Light Inspiration® SpringHillSuitesLatrLatrLatrLatrLatrobePobePobePobePobePAAAAA.com

Please call the Sales Office for group rates 724-879-0059.Call today to make reservations! 1-800-971-3981.

Call us today to book our Family Friendly New YCall us today to book our Family Friendly New YCall us today to book our Family Friendly New YCall us today to book our Family Friendly New YCall us today to book our Family Friendly New Years Eve Package! Fun for kids of all ages!ears Eve Package! Fun for kids of all ages!ears Eve Package! Fun for kids of all ages!ears Eve Package! Fun for kids of all ages!ears Eve Package! Fun for kids of all ages!

For more than 100 years, Christmas Seals® have helped support

the American Lung Association’s fight for healthy lungs and healthy air.

Celebrate another year by making Christmas Seals part of your holiday tradition.

Go to ChristmasSeals.org to learn more.

ChristmasSeals.org

IN 1946 OUR CHRISTMAS SEAL ADDED CLEAR SKIES

TO AMERICA’S CHRISTMAS WISHES.

laurel mountin post :: winter/holiday 2012

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