While enjoying my Matcha Latte at Caleese on Friday afternoon, I scrolled through Instagram and saw a post that really caught my eye.
Summer in Greensburg means that dining out may involve enjoying your meal outside while enjoying a nice view of the city. There are plenty of restaurants (and even coffee shops) in our beautiful city that encourage this type of fine dining. From the pictures that I saw and the page I was on (@devourgreensburg), it looks like Parkwood and Stone Merchant Brewing give you nice views. Pennsylvania Avenue also has places where you can dine (and enjoy coffee) outside, like 3Natives and DV8. Cutie’s also made the list and from experience, I love watching the world go by as I enjoy one of their signature drinks.
This week, my coffee travels will take me to Cutie’s and White Rabbit. I may swap the visits depending on Monday’s weather forecast.
Our Dinner Series for 2026 is going well so far and, hard to believe, we’re already at the halfway point for the year.
Kevin and I met at the Olive Garden on Thursday night. It’s a week earlier than expected, but he’s going to the beach next week. That free night opens the door for me to celebrate Western Maryland Toastmasters’ year as they achieved Smedley Distinguished honors. As I waited for Kevin, I journaled and read some of my book I’m currently interested in. Perfect timing to finish just as he walked up and we went inside.
Eating at Olive Garden during my birthday month brings back memories, like when my Somerset County family took me during COVID. We had to keep masks handy, order off a paper menu, and use hand sanitizer. I was in my Gilmore Girls era and was going into the final season of the show around that time. The next year was a little better as Sara treated me to lunch for my 40th. It was a week of celebration of this new milestone. My actual birthday was spent at the Jean Bonnet Tavern in Bedford with my Somerset County family. I had a fun time with the family who adopted me as Sara blessed me with a gift bag full of stuff. My fashion journey was just starting to grow.
Last night, I got a nice compliment from Kevin about how he talked about me during his last days leading up to retirement. He used me as an example and I’m glad to learn of the legacy that I’ve left since graduating in 2000. I do regret not sharing some of the Table Topics questions that I had in mind for him. His response to the Star Trek ones would have been cool to hear, as well as the American vs. foreign cars question.
Olive Garden makes for a great dining experience, and it definitely leaves you feeling full. I contemplated saving half my dinner for work and ordering something for dessert. We met here in the 90 degree heat a few years ago for my birthday and I kind of regret overeating the night before my vacation. That summer started shaky but the rest of the year turned out great. Kevin and I both enjoyed our entrees. I had the shrimp alfredo and he had the chicken parmesan.
Our next time getting together is July 23 at Edo Hibachi behind the mall. That’s always a great dining experience, from watching them make your food to squirting the saki into your mouth. September and October look to be set with Primanti’s and Eat’n Park as the choices. I’m thinking about trying out the new Mexican restaurant in August where Ground Round used to be.
This morning I sat at my computer attending summer TLI. Unlike previous ones I’ve attended, this one was online, likely due to the merger with District 219. I’ll have a more detailed blog about the event in Sunday’s blog.
I did miss making the drive to Youngwood and the room we have for our event. We’ve been here every year since the DTM gauntlet in the summer of 2021. Some of the TLIs we had during COVID were pretty memorable too. The one that stands out is December 2020, when we did the panel discussion on the Spirit of Toastmasters.
I’m preparing for a busy 2026-27 Toastmasters year as I serve as Vice President Education both at Laurel Highlands and Greensburg. At this morning’s presentations and club officer session, I learned from our speakers and facilitator. The training ran from 9am to 1pm.
Thursday night, as I said earlier, I will be attending Western Maryland’s meeting online. The club achieved Smedley Distinguished honors during 2025-26 and I’ll be celebrating them and their achievements. Heading into this new year, they have a lot to proud of. I can’t wait to see what happens with Mineral County Toastmasters and Sandusky Bay Toastmasters, two clubs I hope to check out online in the future.
Stylish 🍒 