Who Moved My Cheese at Greensburg Toastmasters?!?

Wednesday night at our 100% virtual Greensburg Toastmasters meeting, we had two speakers (myself included). My speech was titled “Who Moved My Cheese?” as you can see from the image. Not only did I speak on the book and the experience of reading it for one of my classes at Slippery Rock, but I also discussed change in my own life from the last few years. Some of the events included:

  • Adapting to online attendance at Toastmasters meetings and events during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. 
  • Being in a Toastmasters slump after achieving my first Distinguished Toastmaster award in 2019. 
  • Having to engage in a new routine and change my habits after getting bad news at the doctor’s office in the Spring of 2021. 
  • Leaving a job that I was at for over ten years (I worked at WIS for 13 years). This was a change that was necessary. In the beginning, it was stressful as my “cheese” was moved and I had to venture through a new “maze”. As 2022 rolled on, I started to see the benefits and had more success. 

Overall, the speech went very well, with a few minor suggestions for improvement. I do need to change my habits when it comes to preparing my speeches. I don’t really practice until a week before and even then, I still get bogged down with life. I think I’m going to give this speech again at Laurel Highlands on August 12. If there’s room on the schedule, I may also speak on it at the Johnstown Toastmasters meeting, when I visit them in October during my week off. I’m also considering a re-read of “Who Moved My Cheese” this Fall. 


For Table Topics, we answered questions from another book, “How to Make Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. In the business meeting, we discussed the use of a laptop which will be paid for with funds from the club treasury, and set a date for our officers’ meeting. It will be after our first meeting in August. 

Moving from Toastmasters to other news, I recently learned that the Shop’n Save in Penn Hills will be closing after 34 years. This location served the community of Penn Hills,as well as Plum. The owners will now focus on their other store, located along PA 286 in the Holiday Park Shopping Center in Plum. 

Obscure as this sounds, these two stores were some of the last inventories I’d perform working for WIS. It was just after the merger with RGIS and right before I got hired by Giant Eagle. I ushered in the short-lived era working in the traditional division for that district. I tried to make it work, but like everything else in my life in 2021, the handwriting was on the wall. 

Finally, getting into my reading for the week  as my focus is on the former First Family. I’m getting to the halfway point on both reads now and making good on my promise to finish “A Promised Land”. Reading a few chapters a week, I’d like to have both that and “Becoming” done by the end of August. I may push my timetable to finish the former President’s book to the early part of September. By next week I should at 50% or better on both, so I want to fit in the photo books as well. Those are “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” and “Michelle Obama: A Photographic Journey”, both of which (as well as “Becoming”) I got in 2018. The former president’s photo book was a Christmas present from my parents. 

Re-reading “Becoming” has proved successful. Feeling more motivated now, I will also get “A Promised Land” done. I’m looking forward to starting Tina Knowles’ “Matriarch” this Fall.

Prioritizing Faith at Cutie’s Bible Study!

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The forecast didn’t favor an outdoor Bible study. It poured Monday morning and rain was forecast between 4 & 5 o’clock. That didn’t stop Cutie’s from holding their outdoor event. For the first time in six weeks, people gathered in the parking lot for a long awaited study. The subject: Faith.

Our speaker Monday night was Cutie’s barista Victoria, and in the lesson she talked about the importance of prioritizing faith. There were four main points in the lesson. The first one is that faith is the only way to please God. Second, faith makes the Word of God come alive. Head knowledge without a heart belief leads to a powerless walk with God. Third, faith transforms how you live. True faith changes the way that you pray. Fourth, without faith you miss the heart of the Gospel. We closed the study by reading a few verses from Matthew 8. Due to the rain, there was no worship before the sermon. Just a safety precaution.

The next Bible Study (weather permitting) will be July 28. If the weather trends inclement, it will most likely be livestreamed.

In other news, Pittsburgh-based WORD and WPIT have recently ended their long time music formats. This was a cost-cutting move by owner Salem Communications to avoid going bankrupt. The new format is Christian talk-based , thus complementing WPGP-AM 1250 (formerly WTAE-AM).

I came across WORD-FM when I attended Slippery Rock University and involved in the Campus Crusade for Christ chapter there. I made a lot of friends there and they listened to 101.5 (especially during the weekend when the station played music). The genre found a bigger presecnce in the Pittsburgh market when K-Love got a station (replacing FROGGY 98 in the Summer of 2009).

While there are people who are disappointed by this as it was a unique format, I look at this as a cost-cutting move to save money. I felt more sadness losing the original B-94 in the mid-2000’s (it came back in October 2007 before becoming 93.7 The Fan); the same can be said when 90.5 WDUQ dropped their jazz format in 2011 upon the sale of the radio station to Essential Public Media. If you’re in the area, jazz can now be heard on a subchannel of WDUQ as well as WZUM-AM 1550 (the latter’s studios are located in South Park and the station is licenses to Braddock).

It’s Summer, but Back to School and Fall are Coming!

Summertime weather is forecast this week, but scenes like this aren’t far away

Last night at work, I began to notice signs of change. It’s still summer, but I’m seeing back-to-school displays up front. In the back of the store and going into the backroom, I discovered boxes Halloween candy and Fall treats. These will go in the seasonal aisle as summer progresses. I have yet to see anything Pumpkin Spice.

It’s July 13 so for the kids, keep enjoying your summer vacation. We are getting to the midpoint. For my niece who will be starting the seventh grade next month, that’s where she is now. She had band camp this week at Wendover (with a concert yesterday morning), and next week is theater camp and volleyball camp. A road trip is scheduled for the first week of August. 

It’s summer, but Fall isn’t far behind and Cutie’s is getting ready for the season. The Fall menu comes out on August 31 during the heart of Labor Day weekend, and that morning they’ll have a market in their parking lot to help launch the new menu.  Cutie’s is also helping out the community this summer with a wishlist that people can look at to shop for teachers as they prepare to set up their classrooms for the upcoming school year. I looked at the list and might lend a hand as well. I’ll ask one of the baristas on my next visit.

The vibes it brings reminds me of shopping for kids at Christmas, but who had a parent that was faced with a difficult situation. We took a tag off of the tree and fulfilled that child’s wishes. I usually shopped at Kohl’s or Target but sometimes went online when I couldn’t find what I was looking for.

LOOKING AHEAD TO MY NEXT VACATION

My next vacation isn’t until October, but right now we are in the heart of the vacation season at work and at home, and this stretch will run through early August. Having a healthy balance of things to do with relaxing at home and spending some of those hot days in the pool made my summer vacation in 2025 better than it was in 2024. There were things I could have done to make some of my days better but they were minor improvements. One suggestion would have been me going to Slippery Rock first and then, going down to Cranberry for the Toastmasters meeting. Afterwards, getting lunch before going home. 

In my fall vacation plans I have the family reunion at Laurel Hill, Homecoming at Slippery Rock University, and a Pittsburgh trip to visit one of the museums. The one I’m interested in visiting is the Andy Warhol museum. I’m also going to make an in-person visit to the Johnstown Toastmasters meeting. Maybe if there’s room on the agenda, I’ll speak as well. 

I’ve made many Homecoming trips over the years before ending the tradition in 2018. The reason that this year’s Homecoming is special is because it’s 20 years since I graduated from the Rock and finished my academic career. I will surely make this one count.

SPEAKING ON CHANGE AT GREENSBURG TOASTMASTERS

Wednesday night, my Greensburg Toastmasters meeting is virtual. I will be one of the speakers and, thus, extending my magnificent speaking streak. This should be 11 out of 12 months that I gave at least one speech a month. It’s not much but it’s something to be proud of. The title of my speech is “Who Moved My Cheese”. I’ll highlight the book with the same name, and I’ll also be talking about change in my life as I focus on 2021. This was a major transition year for me. We will return to the Courthouse on August 6. 

FALL OUTFIT TEASE FOR A PUMPKIN SEASON HAUL IN AUGUST

Recently, I ordered some clothes online at Old Navy as I begin to put together a Fall wardrobe. The cheetah sweater is returning for its third year. I was trying to beat the clock and get 50% off to which I had success. I scored a new cardigan, a new jacket, and some flares. Therefore, I’ll be bringing the flare when Pumpkin Spice season comes in September. I’ll do a try-on this weekend (my mini-haul is set to arrive Thursday). I’ll set aside my gift cards for a Fall Haul later in August or the early part of September, as caramel apples and hayrides begin to invade my thoughts.

BIBLE STUDY AT CUTIES (WEATHER PERMITTING)

Finally, I’m praying for good weather Monday evening so we can have Bible Study outside. We haven’t been so lucky the previous two times so here’s hoping the third time is the charm. Should we livestream again, I’ll be at Cutie’s Thursday and then switch over to weekend visits. The next visit may not be so far away.

Fourth of July at the Farm 2025!

Friday was the Fourth of July which it meant it was time for the annual picnic at the Gaffron farm in Guffey. The farm opened at 4 with the food being served at 5. We arrived a little bit after the doors opened with our cooler full of pop and beer and a cookie bar. Everyone brought something good. I supplied the Coors Light. It’s always nice to catch up with all of the Gaffron cousins and that’s exactly what we did. For me, I talked about work and our new contract that we’ll have for the next four years. That, and all the work drama which never seems to go away. It’s just something I have to learn to ignore, as I put up with enough of it in my 13 years working at WIS.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for the festivities at the farm. No rain and no humidity made for perfect viewing when it came time to light the fireworks. The boys all did a great job setting them off. We have a video of the fireworks 🎇 from my cousin Emily’s husband, and Matt also got some nice video of the light show as well. It’s not required, but bringing a chair to the farm always helps. If not there’s always the big picnic table.

I also discussed my magnificent speaking streak and talked up Toastmasters, including the recent success of some of the clubs in our district. Speaking in front of my clubs has greatly improved my confidence and elevated my mood as I struggled last summer at the beginning before things stabilized in August. That set the stage for a great Fall season where I posted lots of content.

I talked about the rereads of my Obama books and hope to finish by August. I’m thinking early September for Barack’s “A Promised Land” as it’s a longer read. I started one by Glennon Doyle and I know that her audience is female so please don’t judge. I discovered her podcast on a collab that she and her wife did with the former First Lady and her brother. I do like to break status quo though , me of the cheetah print, cropped everything, and designer purses. I’ll be reading her latest book through the Fall and ordering Untamed as Summer winds down. This is one of the reads I picked up during my vacation when I shopped that Friday. This book, along with Matriarch by Tina Knowles. I heard Glennon and her squad as well as Tina (mother of Beyonce) on the IMO podcast.

I’m a lot better off now than I was three years ago when I was still picking up the pieces from a bad breakup in 2021. It’s not so much that I missed WIS, as I was in a better place with more opportunities for advancement. Not to mention I was close to home and not traveling every day, not knowing when I would be home. To make matters worse, I was missing my support system that included people I used to work with, and those who always got me. To tell you the truth, my cousins also get me and I don’t give them enough credit for that. Loving yourself is the most important thing as my cousin taught me at the picnic back in 2022. Also, it’s best to be you no matter what the talking heads think, even if your favorite authors aren’t part of your status quo.

When you’re at the farm for the 4th of July, you know you’re going to have a great time. I didn’t get to talk to everyone but I still enjoyed myself and I ate well. The Scotch Eggs were very good as well as the Haluski. I also put down a few pieces of pie. Again, the fireworks were well done as always. I’m so blessed that I was able to get the night off and enjoy the festivities instead of watching the time. Coincidentally, that’s why this last vacation went well too. I was having fun and not whining about how many days have gone by, and it was a good balance of having stuff to do and just relaxing at home by the pool.

It’s been a pleasure to write about my life on this platform and this blog post sets a milestone. I always enjoy a celebration and I figured that this post talked about that. While I won’t treat myself to cake today, I’m about to have a drink at Cutie’s.

Happy 800 blog posts to me!

New Beginnings at Laurel Highlands Toastmasters!

Tonight marked a year of new beginnings at Laurel Highlands Toastmasters. We had a great program that was sure to please and, it was an important night as the club held officer inductions for its new officers. Some of us were in person for the meeting, while others were virtual. Those who were inducted at the meeting will get their pins at the next meeting on July 22. I will be in person for that one. I was virtual since I had an appointment before the meeting. No worries though as it was very productive. The agenda had two speakers, table topics, and an important evaluation session as we reviewed the speeches and our General Evaluator did the same for the meeting.

Cosmas, our Vice President Education, gave an ice breaker and talked about having to grow up at an early age. Ryan, our presiding officer, spoke about his plans to lead the Laurel Highlands Club to Smedley Distinguished. Since I served as his evaluator, I’ll highlight a few of those points I picked up from his speech. 

He gave praise to our club for having a successful year and finishing Presidents’ Distinguished, but also how to improve from there. He explained how we can get those 25 members to finish Smedley Distinguished. This is something all clubs are trying to achieve, and finding the best way to achieve that goal. At Laurel Highlands, we may hint at going online. Ryan also talked about setting up a WhatsApp for the club (I got the link for it today).

Our Table Topics session also centered around new beginnings, and four of us answered the questions that were given to us. Mine was to “Think of something that was so challenging, yet when you went ahead it turns out to be amazing.” Answering this question, I thought about a time back in high school when my teacher and mentor had a great opportunity for his introverted sophomore student. It was to join the swim team as a manager. That week I took the time to sit on it and I nearly squandered the chance to try something new, but in the eleventh hour I came through. It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my young life so far.

As the person responsible for giving the Word of the Day and trying to keep the word close to the theme of the meeting, the word I chose was Genesis. It wasn’t used very much last night but that’s ok. We concluded our meeting a few minutes before 7pm and then had officer inductions afterwards. 

It’s important that meetings run on time, and this one wrapped up right at 7:30. Also, guests should be welcomed and allowed to express why they come visiting and if they will be willing to return in the future. We had two guests in attendance including the president of the newly chartered Country Roads Toastmasters. Terre participated in Table Topics. Prince also attended the meeting, our youngest guest in attendance at 12 years old. 

Our next meeting is July 22. I will speak at the first meeting in August on the 12th. 

New Summer Reading

Upon coming home from my shopping trip last Friday during my vacation, I moved some books around on my shelf to make room for the new ones that I just bought at Barnes and Noble. Some of those books sit in a tub under my bed waiting to go to storage or somewhere else. Maybe a church or Goodwill.

While cleaning up my bookshelf, I came upon a small book written by Good Morning America host Robin Roberts that I must have bought on one of my Target runs. Called Brighter By The Day, I’m only a few chapters into the book and so far I’ve read some interesting things. The book came out in 2022; therefore, it’s just after the COVID-19 pandemic. Robin talked about life during the lockdown in those first chapters. The book is broken up into three parts and right now, I am currently reading about The Joy Mindset. Later on in the month, I’ll have a blog post highlighting some of the things I learned. 

One of Robin’s books that I really enjoyed was “Everybody’s Got Something” where she shared her breast cancer journey. “Top of the Morning” was about the battle between Good Morning America and Today and how GMA ended the NBC morning show’s dominant run at #1. As of the time that this book came out, Good Morning America is still the top morning show. I read both books in the mid 2010’s as I was still interested in that topic. I still had dreams of going back for a post-bac degree, even though by that point I’d accepted my time at Slippery Rock. 

A few times a year, I get a magazine from my alma mater in the mail. In it are some interesting articles about alumni, current and retired professors, and events and goings-on around campus. There was a great article about a former professor who attended the church I went to when I attended the university in the mid 2000s. Dr. Thomas Gaither was a Biology professor at Slippery Rock University for nearly 40 years. During the early 1960’s, he was very involved in the civil rights movement and had been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and Mike Wallace. He passed away just before Christmas in 2024.

On the back of the magazine was a promo for Homecoming which will occur in mid-October. Coincidentally, that’s my week off from Giant Eagle and I am looking forward to going (barring any conflicts). This year marks 20 for me since graduating from Slippery Rock, just it also marks 25 since I began my college adventures at the Hiram G. Andrews Center. 

It’s been a fun-filled Fourth of July weekend for my family and we all love to celebrate. We had a great time on Friday at the Gaffron farm (and I’ll go into more detail in Thursday’s blog since that will be the milestone blog post). We capitalized on the warm weather on Sunday with a picnic on our back porch. We’ve had our pool for ten years and I’ve been getting in more in 2025 than in years past. On Thursday, my relatives had a nice pre-4th celebration at their “tropical oasis”. Not far from there is the house where my mom and aunt and all my uncles grew up. Lots of memories have been shared there and you always felt welcome. 

Now that the Fourth of July holiday has come to an end, it’s easy to start thinking about Labor Day and Pumpkin Spice season. There’s still plenty of summer left so enjoy the pool and all of the summer festivities. I’m hoping to make it out to the Greensburg Night Market later this month and enjoy some refreshers from Cutie’s.

First Meeting of the Year at Greensburg Toastmasters!

Greensburg Toastmasters meeting via Zoom— 7/1/2020

Last night, we held our first Toastmasters meeting of the 2025-26 year, and our first with our new officer roles. For me, it’s year 15 coming up (June 1, 2011 is my anniversary). I’ll post the meeting recap on Facebook as well as my blog. The thumbnail that I’m using up top is from our meeting five years ago online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In my upcoming July 16 speech, I’m considering speaking on this experience in the project that I’ll be doing. 

We had a small turnout tonight due to the Fourth of July. The Four DTM’s of the Greensburg Club. One speaker and three table topics questions. The meeting wrapped up at 7:10. Our new Vice President Education spoke on volunteering and tied that into Toastmasters. I was busy taking down notes as I was the speech evaluator. Our Table Topics master asked us what our favorite vegetable was, and I answered with butternut squash.

In our business meeting, we entertained the idea of investing in a laptop that we’ll use for meetings only. I suggested a Google Chromebook which is what I own. We talked about how we’ll do executive meetings, and that’s likely trending toward online via Zoom. I’ll post a pic from the meeting on social media even if it’s just a picture of the banner. 

Our next meeting on July 16 will be 100% virtual.

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and I’m excited to see everyone, including the midwestern Gaffrons. I have a 15 pack of Coors Light ready to go. The last couple of years we’ve gone to the farm, I’ve had to leave early to go to work at 10, thus missing the fireworks. This time, I’m able to stay as I got my request approved. Tomorrow’s forecast is looking great and will be the last dry day before the humidity ramps up for the weekend and into next week. The air you can wear is making a comeback, and with it the threat of pop-up showers and thunderstorms. 

Keys to a great night are for me to enjoy myself, enjoy the company and visit with everybody, and enjoy the sights and sounds. I’d love to get some nice pictures around the farm too. After so many years of not going to the farm, it’s been a regular thing for us over the last decade, save for 2020 and 2023. 

Our Bible Study was going to be held outside at Cutie’s on Monday but due to the forecast trending wet, plans changed that afternoon. Our leader focused on Psalm 139 and talked about how we choose the flesh over the Spirit, and how we are constantly battling between good and evil. Those seasons of hardship that we deal with can either make us or break us. Choose the former over the latter (my words). We discussed the Parable of the Last Son, and wrapped it up with a summary of the reading in Psalm 139. Next Bible Study will hopefully be at Cutie’s and is scheduled for July 14. 

Today I made a Cutie’s visit. I have done so Monday for Bible Study but the rain changed those plans. Thus, my schedule was set for this week. I ordered the Fluffernutter Latte and could really taste the marshmallow and peanut butter. It’s the beginning of a nice couple of days off (Fourth of July included) and I want to enjoy them. While there, I began a new chapter in our former President’s memoir “A Promised Land”. I’m hoping the third time’s the charm. The plan is to have this book and the reread of the former first lady’s book (Becoming) done by the time school starts in August.

My next Cutie’s visit will either be this Sunday or next Thursday and my drink of choice will be the cherry cheesecake matcha.

Making Headlines!

Making headlines today, my vacation has come to an end. Sometimes your time off has to end for the next one to begin, and that will be in October. By then I’ll be trading the pool and the fruity drinks for autumn leaves and pumpkin spice lattes. I needed a vacation from my vacation, and now I have the Fourth of July to look forward to, and that weather forecast for Friday is looking good. Dry and seasonal. Perfect for the fireworks at the Gaffron farm.

Also making headlines, my dinner plans with Mr. Clougherty are up in the air for the foreseeable future. That’s because Kings may be on the way out in Hempfield. The property has been subdivided and is under contract for redevelopment. Valvoline Instant Oil Change has acquired half of the property. Kevin and I can meet for the next few months before swimming season takes over in November. But, we may have to reshuffle our meeting spots though he and I are very flexible when it comes to moving things around. I planned to meet at Hempfield Kings for our September dinner but who knows how much longer they’ll be around? If they have a closing date, I want to have one last meal, even if it’s just me.

Making headlines in Toastmasters? This amazing celebration for the Western Maryland Toastmasters club which achieved Presidents’ Distinguished.

On Thursday night, the Western Maryland Toastmasters club held its end of the year celebration at the Comfort Inn and Suites in LaVale. The club chartered last May in and its first year made history by achieving Presidents’ Distinguished with nine goals. At the event, there were Outstanding Toastmaster and Leadership Award winners as well as Most Improved Toastmaster and Toastmaster of the Year. Chick Fil-A in LaVale catered the event as well as a cake that I’m sure was tasty and from what I read, looked amazing.

New club officers were inducted. The incoming president of Western Maryland Toastmasters and new Area 23 Director shared her story and vision for the year ahead. Toastmasters changes lives and has done a lot for Autumn, whom I’ve had the opportunity to meet at the Spring Conference, at the recent Summer TLI, and at a Western Maryland meeting back in April (I attended virtually). I know that stepping up to the plate and sharing my story through speaking at Greensburg and Laurel Highlands has helped me as well.

Recently, two new clubs chartered in District 13, and one of them got there very quickly. Calgon Carbon (chartered 5/6/25) and Country Roads Toastmasters (chartered 6/22) are the new kids on the block.

Country Roads Toastmasters held their demo meeting on June 6 at Panera Bread in Morgantown and were already on their way. Just a few weeks later they got their charter. People attended in person and online, and the virtual attendees were from all over the country and the globe. They join NED APA all stars and Thermo Fisher as new clubs in the 2024-25 Toastmasters Year. Calgon Carbon will be in Area 2 next year with other corporate clubs, and Country Roads in Area 3. Welcome to Division Awesome, our new clubs!

Will the Mounties Club and the prospective Kittanning Club make headway? What other new clubs are in the works in 2025-26? We shall see.

Part Trois: The Final Days of my Stylish Summer Vacation 2025!

I’m in the twilight of my Stylish Summer Vacation 2025. Sunday night, it’s back to Giant Eagle. I will get a couple of days off including the Fourth of July which I wanted. After a couple of years leaving early from the picnic at the Gaffron farm, I can stay and enjoy the fireworks. I will be paying for that time off in July when everyone else takes their vacations, figuratively speaking. It was the same thing last year and I also had a chip on my shoulder then. 

Yesterday, I engaged in some retail therapy at South Hills Village. While I could have gone to Grove City and shopped, that wasn’t in the plans. Maybe if Cranberry High Noon moved to virtual because of the intense heat then it could have been a thing. I did outlet shopping last summer at Tanger, when I bought my Michael Kors purse set. Suggestions aside, my trip worked out. When you think about it, how rare is it to have a great mall shopping trip in 2025 when most of the local malls are gone or dead? Ross Park Mall and South Hills Village are definitely standing the test of time. Can you say the same about Westmoreland Mall and the Mall at Robinson? Only time will tell. 

My first stop at the mall was the pop culture store Box Lunch. Here I found a lot of cool merch, including some Harry Potter and Peanuts. I also found themed merchandise of the Hogwarts and Snoopy variety while I was at Miniso, which just opened a store at Westmoreland Mall. I nibbled on some pretzel bites from the Auntie Anne’s kiosk (that would tide me over until I found a place to eat dinner). I got some deals at Bath and Body Works and then browsed at Old Navy (I still have gift cards to use and I’ll shop there online before the weekend and vacation is over).

I made a Target run for some stationery. I remember how much fun it was counting this store in my closing WIS years. I also needed some new notepads for Toastmasters meetings and events. These should cover me through the 2025-26 Toastmasters season. I also bought a new journal that I’ll roll out Labor Day weekend, just in time for the new Cutie’s Fall menu (debuts August 31). I’ll still use the “eyeshadow” journal for the month of July and the grid for the month of August. I’ll call my new journal the “bronzer” journal. I took my purchases to the car and then shopped at Barnes and Noble where I had some books in mind. These books I’ll hope to start later this Summer or at the beginning of Fall. Needless to say, I’m not at a loss for books. For dinner, I was thinking about Condado Tacos, but I settled for Eat’n Park. Both were equidistant to where I was parked. The artwork from what I saw was very cool. Either way, I had a good meal (Country Fried Steak). I returned home around 8.  

This morning, I went to Cutie’s and had breakfast (a sausage and egg bagel with an iced coffee). Weather permitting, there will be outdoor Bible Study on Monday. I’m trending towards refreshers and matchas in July, and one of those drinks I’m thinking of is the cherry cheesecake matcha. Today, I’ll finish “The Third Gilmore Girl”. I was really happy with the book, learning about Kelly’s life and her acting experience, including her time on Broadway. Of course Dirty Dancing and Gilmore Girls will be how I know her best. From one matriarch to another as I just bought Tina Knowles’ memoir yesterday at Barnes and Noble. That’s one of the books I’ll be starting as Summer winds down, once I’m done with the Obama reads.

Saturday afternoon, we celebrated my birthday. We dodged the raindrops by staying dry on our porch. It’s been that kind of summer so far as the heating of the day gives way to showers and thunderstorms. Our spread consisted of pulled pork, a vegetable tray, and plenty of chips (with ranch dip). We also had corn on the cob, of which I had two ears, as well as potatoes and some charcuterie. For dessert, we had an ice cream cake which is what I requested. 

I was able to get in the pool after missing a day yesterday due to my retail therapy experience. We played music trivia and tried to watch the Minecraft movie but failed. I got a big Mario cup (the vacationers got it while down at Universal) and an Old Navy gift card. Stylish shopping spree coming soon!

Friday is the Fourth of July and that means that it’s time for the holiday picnic at the Gaffron farm. I’m excited to spend time with family, catch up with them, and eat good. I was able to get the night off so I can stay to watch the fireworks as well. So far so good on the weather as July 4 is trending dry with summer-like readings in the mid 80s. Let’s hope that the forecast holds up its end of the bargain. Now that vacation is coming to an end, it’s time to look forward to the holiday weekend. As I stated earlier, I will pay for it as July marches on. 

My next week off comes around Columbus Day weekend. The warm summer days will give way to changing leaves and pumpkin spice lattes. What can I look forward to in October? 

I plan to visit some Toastmasters clubs including Johnstown on. I’ll spend a day in Pittsburgh and visit one of the museums. I’m also planning to drive up to Slippery Rock University for Homecoming. There’s also the Fall family picnic at Laurel Hill State Park. I’m going to enjoy the Fall menu at Cutie’s and look ahead to what they have planned for Christmas, take in all the color as the leaves begin to change, and celebrate my niece becoming a teenager. Fingers crossed I won’t have a conflict for the Fall Symposium, depending on what date it is going to go. Look for an upcoming blog post on recent Toastmasters events and upcoming Fall news. It’ll be the first time we’ve had speech contests in the Fall since 2017 when the conferences ended. 


Stylish Summer Vacation 2025 Report Card, Part Deux

I’m past the halfway point on my Stylish Summer Vacation 2025 with just a few days left to enjoy my time off. The past weekend was great. How did midweek go? It’s been a little more laid back, with some great dining experiences along the way. 

Tuesday night, we celebrated the success of the Laurel Highlands Toastmasters club during this past year. The club made history by achieving Presidents’ Distinguished, making history in their young existence. We met at Bud Murphy’s from 6-8 on Tuesday, ordering appetizers for our group with a few of us getting an entree as well. I had a grilled reuben and it was really good. Bud’s is a very packed place and does great business. It’s recommended you try their pizza. We celebrated our success, and we made plans for the 2025-2026 Toastmasters year which begins July 1. We’re looking to make history again and finish Smedley Distinguished (achieving all 10 goals, having 25 members) 

Wednesday, my family and I indulged in lunch at the Olive Garden and while it could have been an uncomfortable experience with the heat, it was a good lunch nonetheless. For the six of us, we got a lot of food for what we paid, including my sangria and our appetizers. It was a humid day and the summertime thunderstorms made their return. The contrast in the temperature and the weather between the end of May and the end of June has been outstanding. We were cool and damp towards the end of May, but we’re coming out of June warm and humid. It almost wrecked my Spring but I made a nice turnaround in June even with the severe weather. The wildfire smoke hasn’t been as bad either.

These last few days have been about swimming and also eating out. Thus, trying to beat the heat. I’ve swam for five straight days, and we’ve reached the 90s five straight days. Two streaks that will be snapped today as we hit 86 or 87, and I’ll be engaging in some retail therapy and may not have time for a swim. I enjoyed my monthly dinner with Kevin which doubled as my birthday meal. I kept with last year’s tradition with dinner at Hibachi. It’s so cool watching them make your food and getting entertainment up front. I’m quite used to it by now. I might be trending towards downtown next month and the Pourhouse since the Night Market will be a week later. 

I’ve been enjoying my Obama reading as the third time will be the charm with “A Promised Land”. I plan to read the whole thing this Summer. “Becoming” is just as good the second time around. I plan to finish “The Third Gilmore Girl” tomorrow. 

Yesterday, my cousin sent me a link for an article in the Tribune-Review about small-town coffee shops. A few in Greensburg were mentioned (DV8 and Steep Mountain). I’m biased, but Greensburg is the city of cute little cafes. I was going to do a coffee tour last summer, inspired by some of those Instagram influencers I follow, but couldn’t quite get an effective ground game going. The other cafes mentioned were 1833 Coffee and Tea in Freeport, and Empress Coffee in Avonmore. I think I’ll be making a trip to 1833 as well as Latte Lane in Cheswick are in the plans this summer. It’ll be nice to try something different once in a while. Here’s the link to the article if anyone’s interested. 

https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/perking-up-how-the-arrival-of-a-coffee-shop-can-get-a-small-town-buzzing/

There are opportunities in opening up a cafe in a small town like Freeport, Avonmore, and even Ligonier, but the threat of Starbucks and Dunkin’ is always there.

Going ahead in Toastmasters for 2025-2026, my schedule is set for when I want to give a speech through September. As it looks right now, I might be set to complete my Presentation Mastery path by this Fall. Once I complete this path, the plan is to start on two more paths. I’ll do one at Greensburg, and the other I’ll do at Laurel Highlands. This is something I picked up from the Vice President Education at Laurel Highlands and Western Maryland, Gary Imes.

But I need to start thinking about the Leadership portion as well as there are requirements for me to get my second Distinguished Toastmaster award. I was one of the last in 2019 to get my DTM the traditional way, through the manuals. About six months before COVID we celebrated my achievement at Greensburg. With my participation in Toastmasters much improved over the last couple of years, I would like set the goal to achieve my second DTM and I know I have the support I need to reach it.