Including today, there are six days left in the month of August. So far, I have seven blog posts. I planned to do thirteen for the month (and the same for September). That gives me six days to meet my quota.
Hmmmm. This makes for an interesting “6,7”. Not to worry as I keep chugging along to a milestone that will be here before I know it.
Tuesday night was my night off and I spent it in Connellsville at my Laurel Highands Toastmasters meeting. It wasn’t just any meeting as it was our club contest. Our best speakers competed for a spot at the area contest to be held at the end of September. We had a small crowd for the contest but we pulled it off! The speeches brought a lot of humor to the table. Not to give away what they were about, but they had me laughing. One of our contestants was a seasoned veteran at the contests. The others were new to the game. We all gave our feedback for the speakers and table topics contestants as the contestants advanced. Laurel Highlands is part of Area 62, and that contest will be held on September 26 at the Morgantown Public Library. Other clubs represented will include Country Roads, Elegant Speakers and Listeners, and Western Maryland. Our next meetings are September 8 and 22, and October 13.
We will be In person and Virtual (aka Hybrid) on September 8th (our next meeting). The 22nd may be 100% virtual, more on that to come. I will not be in attendance on October 13th, as that is my vacation week.
The next morning part of my day off took me into Irwin, as I would spend some time downtown. Last week was a perfect week as I closed all of my rings, including the exercise ring. This is always damn near impossible for me. After a couple of days off to recoup, I was back at the gym. I wanted to start a little earlier but it is what it is. I was at the North Huntingdon location today, as the black card gives me the opportunity to go to other locations. Did some strength and wrapped it up with a little bit of cardio. The abdominal crunch has become one of my favorites and I worked on my back, as well. I closed the Exercise ring with 15 minutes on the Elliptical and 10 on the Stair Stepper. I want to do more, but my schedule doesn’t always allow for that. With the passing of Country Music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton yesterday, there were certainly many tributes on the morning shows. The woman was a trailblazer and it didn’t matter what your religion, race, or class was. She transcended all genres, politics, boundaries, etc., through her heart, music, and unconditional love for each and every one of us.
Let’s all start each day trying to be a little more like Dolly. A little nicer. A little kinder. A little gentler.
After my trip to the gym, I had coffee at White Tree Cafe & Coffeehouse. I was there around this time last year on a morning that felt like Fall. This morning was a little warmer but without the humidity. I looked at the specials and almost got the Cinnamon Roll Latte but instead got a 20 oz. House Blend with a Blueberry Muffin. I took my order outside and watched the world go by in downtown Irwin. Overall, the service was great and a lot of famous authors’ books can be found here. There is a lot next to Rosendahl’s and plenty of street parking to be had, if you can find a spot. I parked next to Iceburgh’s as it was equidistant to my next destination.
Heads up if you go to Irwin during the day as the meters only take quarters.
My third and final stop was the Completely Booked independent bookstore. I had been there before when it was at the Blue Spruce Shops in Murrysville. Therefore it was my first time at Irwin. The staff showed me where everything was and couldn’t be more kinder. It was nice to have a few chairs around to sit down and read. Authors whose books I read included Pittsburgh-based historian David McCullough as well as romance author Laurie Gilmore. “If It Makes You Happy” was on the shelf as well, and that was one of my favorite reads from last Fall. I’ll be looking forward to Julie Olivia’s newest book in a few weeks. There was also a book on making different types of coffee drinks that caught my eye.
Coming up on the blog:
I’m having dinner at Plaza Azteca and will share my review.
Cutie’s Coffee is rolling their new Fall menu on Saturday and I’ll my first fall drink. It’s not going to be Pumpkin Spice (saving that for the first official day of Fall).
I’m setting new milestones with Duolingo and the blog!
Happy HGA Day!
Stylish 🍒 