I don’t know about any of you reading this, but I thought that little touch of snow was a welcome sight Wednesday morning. As I left work, I was faced with the task of cleaning off my car and scraping some of the ice that had frozen to my windshield. I’ve also had to scrape off the frost and bundle up with morning lows in the 20s and 30s. Warmer weather is coming next week but we know the 40s will eventually win out as November rolls on.

Without further ado, here is my recap for the month of October.

We celebrated Annabelle’s birthday and had our Gaffron family reunion the first weekend of the month. The cooler weather sure made it feel like fall after we began with summer-like weather. Held at Mammoth Park, Annabelle’s birthday party had a Harry Potter theme from the table setting down to the cupcakes and party favors. The amount of pizza ordered was enough to feed all the adults and children. I discovered the giant slide that Mammoth Park is famous for and slid down it a few times, pretending I was doing the luge in the Winter Olympics. When we got home, we got to watch Annabelle open her birthday presents. I got her art supplies from Michaels but I think the coolest gift was all the Harry Potter funko pops that she got from her aunt.

The next day we had our Gaffron family reunion at Laurel Hill State Park. We had the indoor pavilion reserved and it came in handy with the cool weather that was forecast. The pavilion had a fireplace and plenty of firewood to keep us warm, but we did a considerable amount of time outside. We ate plenty of good food, I supplied the coffee which I got from Dunkin’ Donuts, and there was even a charcuterie board. I spent a lot of time talking to my cousins and watching the younger Gaffron cousins chase each other around. Jonathan took group pictures during the afternoon (you see one of them up top). One is reminiscent of the old cousin photos that we took on Mother’s Day. The only ones missing were Jason and Nik , both of them doing their own thing. We remembered my mom’s cousin Greg who passed away the day before.

When the reunion wrapped up, I stopped in Ligonier and spent some time in the diamond writing a blog post covering the weekend’s events. I witnessed engagement photos being taken in the gazebo as I got ready to come home. On the way there and home, I saw plenty of color as the leaves began changing along PA 711 and US 30. It’s November 3 now, and most of the color is starting to fade or is already past peak. Remember, some of us saw snow to start November, be it a dusting or several inches.

I bought cheetah print tops from Old Navy and throughout October, I confidently wore them and got compliments from family and friends. At home, I overthink and worry about what will be said but that shouldn’t really be an issue. I wore my t-shirt to dinner with Mr. Clougherty, my sweater at the reunion, and my cardigan to the Fall Symposium. Maybe one day I’ll wear them all at home with joy and without feeling ashamed.

The Fall Symposium was a success. I was lucky to attend the event because of my schedule and was grateful for a free night on Friday so I could get up the next day and attend. Our speakers all did a fantastic job helping us take good information back to our clubs. We awarded our Toastmasters and District Leaders who came to play in the most recent Toastmaster year. Before we ended the event, all the Distinguished Toastmasters in the District got together to welcome those new to the DTM club.

The second half of October was marred by sickness and not really going anywhere. I spent whatever days off I had indoors fighting a cough and cold. I got better just in time to have dinner with Mr. Clougherty. It was our final meeting in the 2023 Dinner series and we met at Kings in Hempfield. Only a few cars in the parking lot at dinnertime made me think that they don’t have much time left. Kevin enjoyed his K-Boy because it might have been his last one.

Maybe that quiet second half of October is what I need to get me ready for the busy holiday rush ahead. I’m looking forward to posting that 500th blog at the end of the month and feeling accomplished.

Ten more blog posts to go!

I‘m feeling much better than I did last week as my cold and cough have gone away. Despite feeling better I stayed inside due to the inclement weather all weekend. That gave me an opportunity to watch football. Not much else I could do even I wanted to. I don’t need to shop for anything and if I do, it’s online because there’s more of a selection and I don’t have to worry about feeling judged. But it feels nice to get out of the house.

Here’s my look ahead to November and when it’s time to defrost Christmas Mariah

I’m interested in updating my winter wardrobe very soon. I still stand loyal to my Columbia jackets (which I’ve had several years now) and love my patterns. Cheetah and leopard print are my trademark, with houndstooth being a close second. If you can find a pink cherry pattern, please send it my way. I have my eye on a houndstooth coat, as well as some leather gloves, a wool scarf, and maybe a matching hat to complement that coat. I’m looking at Old Navy and online at fashionnova.com for inspiration.

November is a month to celebrate for me. Four years ago, I began this blog while on a work road trip to Erie. I posted my first blog from my phone in my bedroom. Two years ago, I ended my long run at WIS International and got hired on at Giant Eagle. I’m grateful for a short trip home every day, working full time, and having personal days and great benefits. Later this month I’ll post my 500th blog and that too will be a cause for celebration.

As of now, Thanksgiving plans are up in the air because of Benny’s recent health issues. It’s looking like he will be in the hospital for at least a month but I am not certain. We may be home once again or we may be in Somerset County. I’ll post when I know what’s going on.

Pumpkin season is wrapping up and soon it will be Egg Nog, Gingerbread, and Peppermint Season. I bought some holiday things yesterday at Target, including some Egg Nog and these really cute Elf sugar cookies that you can make in the oven. Once Thanksgiving ends, I will be enjoying these more along with other tasty Christmas treats. I’ll begin listening to Christmas music within the next week. I have been bringing it gradually, especially on the cooler days. Yesterday, I played my Backstreet Boys Christmas CD in the car on the way to and from Target. It’s almost “defrost Christmas Mariah Carey” time, kids!

Plus, I’m welcoming the snow flurries tomorrow morning. There’s just something about the first snow that makes me smile. It’s not a welcome sight in April or even May but in November, yes. A little bit of snow is just right. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

Finally, I’m wrapping up the Halloween Baking Championship tonight. For the last three years, I’ve enjoyed this competition that is shown on Food Network. The bakers that take part in this eight week show are very talented and all are in it to win the grand prize. The creations that they come up with are very good and the judging for this competition is very tough. As this series wraps up, I’ll be looking forward to the Holiday Baking Championship next week. In my mom’s opinion, the latter is the better show but I think both shine in their own way.

Someday, I will check out the Spring Baking Championship.

Last weekend was an absolute disaster. I was going through the misery of being sick, having come down with a cold and feeling congested. This began on Friday and ran through the early part of the week before I got better around Wednesday. By Thursday, I was feeling good enough to have dinner with Mr. Clougherty. It was our last time having dinner together for the year as he would begin swimming season soon enough. He was going to be too busy for us to have dinner and we agreed to meet again in April. It was a series wrap for our eleventh season eating together and as always, it was a great time. A good night at work followed which provided a nice road into the upcoming weekend. I didn’t expect a long weekend so I wasn’t looking a gift horse in the mouth with the holidays coming soon.

In the last year, I’ve begun to feel more content and don’t spend as much on unnecessary things. I’ve gotten into the habit of saving my money every month, which is what I need to be doing at my age. Elsewhere, my money goes to groceries, rent, bills, and anything car related. I don’t buy books like I used to and have settled in with the Harry Potter series. I’m still involved in Toastmasters and my home club is having a successful year. I have updated my wardrobe in the last couple of years and have had hiccups along the way mentally. Despite questioning my fashion journey at the end of spring once again, I came out victorious.

I gave five bags of clothes to Goodwill last month and that helped me clear space, clear my mind, and improve my mental health. I have CDs that I will be going through and will likely give most of those to a church or to the Salvation Army. I’ll be digging out my Christmas music soon but I realize I can listen to the same thing on Amazon too.

As I was saying, my spending habits have improved, as well as my priorities and my contentment.

It’s not the end of an era this weekend, but the rain falling this weekend is a metaphor to remind me of seasons in my life coming to an end. Four years ago on Halloween, I was getting ready to move back home from my grandma’s old house. It was a rainy, windy night and I was sick. It was a good night to stay indoors but I was working that night. Two years later marked the last day our office was together before we broke into two separate divisions. We worked our last inventory as office 3609 at a Rite Aid in Lawrenceville, not far from Children’s Hospital. It was an emotional, bittersweet day. The next day, the change officially took place. I worked there for three more weeks before getting hired by Giant Eagle.

November 22 will mark my two year anniversary with “the Eagle”.

It’s great getting back to what I love doing after being sick most of the week. I fought a cold all week and still went to work without calling off. That’s what I call dedication. I still attended my Toastmasters meeting Tuesday night and had dinner last night with Mr. Clougherty.

Tonight, we’ll begin with a look back not at this week but about 20+ years ago. It’s the Fall of 2001 and I’m living at the Hiram G. Andrews Center and attending class at the local community college. In my first semester of college, I was enrolled in a life skills program that centered around learning to drive. This class was like your high school driver’s ed course but without the fun of using the simulator to practice driving. I was given the Driver manual to study in my spare time. Eventually, we scheduled my written test at the local DMV in Johnstown, near Richland Township. I passed, but barely, and now officially had my learner’s permit.

In the Fall of 2001, my name came up to start training behind the wheel. For the first month, I practiced driving around the school. Eventually, I got out of my comfort zone and learned to drive in the residential areas in and around Westmont. The training wheels came off when I learned expressway driving on PA 56 going towards the mall. There were a lot of learning curves that came with my training behind the wheel. I experienced adverse driving conditions a few days before Thanksgiving when it snowed while I was practicing driving on Scalp Ave. My biggest tests came at the end when I learned night driving on PA 56 towards Seward and going towards PA 954 near Indiana. The next morning I did my final test and passed with flying colors, even with so much distraction hindering me along the way.

For all the work that I put into Driver’s Education at HGA, I didn’t put any of it to practice afterwards. From the duration of my time in Johnstown through my stay at Slippery Rock University, I didn’t drive at all. It would have really come in handy with a limited public transportation system in Slippery Rock. There’s lots of things I’d still redo about my experience there and that would have been one of them. I finally got it right in the summer of 2006 when I practiced with a state trooper. One day was all that I needed and I was set. I drove to work for the first time in October of that same year (15 minutes down the bypass to Kings).

I did very well for myself and finally mastered driving on the Parkway a few years later and even drove a company van for WIS for several years before I stepped down from the company in late 2021. I’m not driving as much now since I work five minutes from home at Giant Eagle but I still like traveling every so often.

Last night, I wrapped up the Dinner Series for 2023 with Mr. Clougherty. We had our last meal of the year at Kings in Hempfield. Maybe it was a slow night, but seven cars in the parking lot during the dinner rush is pretty sad. I was told they are more busy at breakfast and lunch but what I saw last night was not a good sign. This once proud restaurant chain offered me my first job out of college. Kings is now down to four locations and on life support as it is. Please don’t tell me this is the next Kings on the chopping block. Kevin ordered a K-Boy and I ordered the Country Fried Steak.

Kevin enjoyed his burger because it might be his last K-Boy and I enjoyed our time together as always.

This blog was inspired by a recent post from my cousin Katie who wrote about the 18 Fall Treats that you can enjoy besides Pumpkin Spice. She even included a fall activity to go along with it. Today, I am here to talk about the many other things that you can do besides wasting your time on social media outlets. Don’t get me wrong, I find many good qualities about social media but lately, the good has outweighed the bed. I’m getting pages suggested for me that I don’t like and I get sucked in anyways. Plus, all the ads posted on Facebook and Instagram are very annoying. If you’re a social media influencer, all the power to you. It’s just not something that piques my interest.

Facebook and YouTube and I go all the way back to the mid-2000’s. In fact, Facebook is one of my last links to my time at Slippery Rock University. I’m newer to Instagram. I believe all of them have become too big for their own good. I used Facebook to keep up with friends and YouTube for the nostalgia. Nowadays, with my fashion journey (that’s what we’re calling it), I crave so much attention and get discouraged and disappointed when no one likes my stuff or comments on it. YouTube and Facebook are the biggest time wasters, but Instagram isn’t far behind.

Anyway, I’m getting away from what I really want to talk about in this blog. There are many hobbies that can replace the time I spend on social media. I won’t be doing away entirely with Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube but I want to cut back on how much time I spend (or waste) on them. So get ready as I unveil my ten hobbies that can replace the brain cells I lose from getting involved in Facebook drama.

1- Read the latest Harry Potter book which I just got last week. I started Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban a few days ago and my goal is to have it done by Thanksgiving. That’s when I want to begin Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I’m not far behind my 11 year old niece right now.

2- Do a set of lessons on Duolingo. I’m over 550 days strong on this app and have been learning multiple languages.

3- Cook up new recipe ideas from my Betty Crocker cookbook that I got this summer. I’m sure that I can whip up Chicken or Eggplant Parmesan with a little help from Betty.

4- Come up with a new home decor project that I can find in one of my new books that I got in September or October.

5- Let’s go outside for this next one. It’s a perfect weekend to get out and view the leaves as they are at their peak in our region. Keystone and Linn Run provide perfect spots for taking pictures of the yellows, reds, and oranges.

6-Put together a perfect winter ensemble. I’m in the market for a houndstooth coast to keep me warm for the upcoming winter months. I’ll be purchasing it soon.

7- Buy a coloring book or learn a new craft. For me, I would like to take up drawing. Also, I saved some pictures from our Family Reunion on my phone and I’d love to print them out and frame them.

8- Work on my upcoming speech for my next Toastmasters meeting. One of the electives in my path to write a compelling blog. We’re almost done.

9- Get a Christmas playlist ready to go. It’s almost time to defrost holiday Mariah Carey and torture yourself with “All I Want for Christmas is You”. You know you love it.

Finally

10- Read your Bible and pray. I may be away from the church but I’m not away from my faith. This has been on my heart and this list wouldn’t be complete without it. Christmas is coming and what better time to grow your faith than by reading The Christmas Story.

Over the summer, I started reading Harry Potter. I was inspired by my ten (now 11) year old niece as well as my many cousins who have read the books. Next book in the series for me will be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which I will begin tonight. My goal is to start Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by Thanksgiving. The books get longer from here on out.

In addition to Harry Potter, I’m also reading Part of My World by Jodi Benson. She is the lady who voiced Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. In the book, she talks about her faith, chasing her dreams, and of course her voice acting and stage experience. Jodi has also voiced Barbie in Toy Story 2 and 3. Reading this book has encouraged me to have a Disney Princess movie night down the road.

In the past, I’ve read various genres, most of which were inspirational or sports-related. Some of my favorite authors include Tony Dungy and Jeff Pearlman. Quiet Strength was one of Tony’s books that really caught my interest. In it he talks about his life, and his NFL experience as a player and coach. Some of those things mentioned in the book include finding a Godly wife, faith in God’s will for His occupation, overcoming bitterness from being fired from a head coaching job, and the crushing suicide of his 18 year old son just before Christmas in 2005.

Jeff Pearlman has written mostly biographies of famous athletes but one of my favorite reads from him was Showtime. This book highlighted the Lakers dynasty of the 1980s with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Pat Riley leading the way. I also enjoyed Gunslinger, which highlights the life and career of Brett Favre.

As for the Harry Potter series, this isn’t my first rodeo. I read the first three books in the Fall of 2018 when I began to seriously question whether of not WIS was still in my best interests. I stopped after reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and was getting ready to start Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. However, other things came up and I never got back to reading the series. Fast forward to 2023 and with inspiration from family and friends and colleagues, I get back into reading the books once again.

I owe my love of books (as well as Jeopardy! and ginger snaps) to my late grandmother as well as many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. She instilled a love for reading in all of us and always taught us to think for ourselves.

Time to close off the blog.

Even though it’s fall, it’s never too early to start thinking about the highlights of 2023. I’m in the process of gathering up those newsworthy events that shaped the year for me. There’s a lot that can go into the list so it will be hard to whittle all of it down into one list.

Benny‘s hospital stay; getting my laptop; Canadian wildfires; Dylan Mulvaney; becoming club president; seeing Greensburg become a Club of Champions. We’ll see what comes out on top.

December 23 will be the day that I post my yearly Top Ten.

This weekend’s Fall Symposium is in the books. Was it a good one? I would say so. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure I was going to attend until the week before. I didn’t want to ask off having a busy weekend just before that. But the Giant Eagle scheduling gods were smiling down on me and gave me Friday night off so I could attend. Did we make it three in a row next week so I could attend SRU Homecoming? No, and that’s OK too.

This was only my second Fall Symposium I attended. I did briefly sit in for the awards portion of the 2020 Fall Symposium before heading off to a wedding in Pittsburgh.

I braved the rainy weather getting there and coming back home. However it made for a nice drive on PA 819. In a way, the rain was a metaphor just as it was two years ago and four years ago on Halloween. When I arrived and got signed in, I met up with a few Toastmasters. One I knew well and another whom I didn’t so we introduced ourselves and got to know each other. We also talked about our bags. For most of the day, I kept the electronics in check and preferred social interaction more.

I’m not trying to do away with my phone, but I am trying to spend less time on the social media platforms. That, and not relying on everyone’s approval in my fashion journey. If I like it, that’s all that matters. Anyway, back to the Symposium.

Our presenters did an amazing job. Russell Drake, Distinguished Toastmaster and past International Director, kicked off the morning talking about leadership. To lead or not to lead. That is the question. Fursey Guatico (Mr. G) presented online to us and had us doing physical exercises to show us to do our gestures better when speaking or giving feedback. Our newest Distinguished Toastmaster James Teague shared his experience being part of Jest Speaking. Everything all had something to say and we kept our Toastmaster busy yesterday morning. A big thank you to Russell, Fursey, and Jim for giving us their time and energy yesterday.

Fursey did mention metaphors and other types of grammar yesterday. I talked about the rain being a metaphor of its own yesterday. It was the same a few years as WIS made changes and I would soon make my exit there, and again on Halloween 2019. A rainy and windy day and night marked one of my final nights living in my grandma’s house (she passed away in June of that same year).

Lunch was excellent and WCCC’s culinary staff always does a bangup job. The chicken and pasta were the chef’s kiss. The potatoes and green beans with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese were a great compliment. While I’m on a pumpkin spice kick and could have easily gone for the pumpkin pie, I chose the cherry pie instead (because you know, I love cherries).

The moment we were all waiting for was the awards ceremony. We heard the winners, both clubs and individuals. Priority Speakers, Erie Insurance, Indiana, and Bakery Square all came away in 2022-23 as great clubs in their divisions. I’m off Thursday night which may give me the opportunity to visit Indiana Toastmasters Friday morning. Greensburg made Select Distinguished so it’s up to me to keep the streak going and get us to President’s Distinguished.

We have three new Distinguished Toastmasters in our home club, plus our longtime Toastmaster Mike Dalton won the Commitment to Excellence award yesterday.

Greensburg is a Club of Champions, and it was worth a Saturday morning to attend this great event.

Winter TLI will be held December 2. By then I’ll have published my 500th blog post.

Brace yourself, end of an era blogs are coming. Well, not quite. This was around the time two years ago when my time at WIS was coming to an end so you’ll be reading a few posts on that once again.

However five years ago, another era ended for me while another would begin the following year.

Homecoming weekend at Slippery Rock was always a fun time on campus with lots of events leading up to Saturday. We had the parade on Main Street, the alumni would always come together, there would be tailgating and food in the big tent, and the annual Homecoming football game would take place. For me the tradition went on long after I graduated from Slippery Rock in 2005.

My memory escapes me now, but some of the themes that I remember from Homecoming week included Hollywood and the ’80s. During my time on campus, VH1 had shows looking back at the past decade (I Love the 80’s and other various related ones). So the ’80’s theme in 2004 really stood out to me. I even got to meet Dennis Haskins (Saved By The Bell’s Mr. Belding) in person during that week.

While a few of my trips up to campus after graduation were memorable, others were pretty forgettable. I had an ulterior motive in mind during those post-college years and that was to recreate my past and go back. I wasn’t happy for a long time after graduation because my life wasn’t where I wanted it to be. My entire time in school I always looked at it as being my own little safe space, both at HGA and SRU. Plus, working a menial job (early on) after college made me question why I went to school in the first place. My attitude has done a complete 180 in the last five years though and I appreciate those years now having worked at Park Diner and Kings.

I enjoy working and making money more now than I did 15-20 years ago.

The Slippery Rock Homecoming Tradition for me came to an end in 2018 (five years ago today). While an old tradition would end, a new one would soon begin. The Fall conference ended in 2017 in Toastmasters and would be replaced by the Fall Symposium next year. I had an opportunity to attend the first one in Erie but it was homecoming weekend and I wanted to keep up with the old tradition. While I didn’t want to admit it, I soon came to realize that this had run its course for me. While I didn’t enjoy myself, I learned that it’s best to find out on your own when something loses its interest.

I attended my first Fall Symposium in October of 2019 and enjoyed myself. I look forward to all I will be learning tomorrow and meeting all my Toastmaster friends.

Fall Cleaning

I used the last hours of my Giant Eagle vacation to put away my summer wardrobe and get rid of any clothes that I was giving to Goodwill. All in all I ended up giving five bags of clothes to Goodwill. I kept a few pairs of shorts and some summery shirts around for a few weeks as I know we’d have one last warm spell before things turned cold again. The timing couldn’t be more perfect as the remaining summer clothes go in my storage tub this Friday. Within the next month, I’ll be digging out the Christmas attire.

I used to leave my clothes sitting in the basket and keep my dirty laundry on the floor. I would leave my bed unmade for hours after I woke up. I’ve since moved away from those bad habits and my mood has changed because of it. I put clothes in my drawer now. There’s more room now since I got rid of stuff and put summer clothes in storage for the winter. I also make my bed as soon as I get up, before taking my pills. My space isn’t perfect but it’s better than it’s been in the past.

Letting Go of the Past

Two weeks ago, I asked some of my co-workers for advice on what to do about my old WIS shirts. Seeing as they weren’t being used anymore and giving them to charity being pointless, I was in a bit of a pickle. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to give them back to the office or let them sit. I wanted a little extra space in my storage for other clothes. My friends suggested getting rid of them, and that’s what I ended up doing on the last Saturday of the month. Almost two years to the day since the merger, I said goodbye once again.

Sometimes, that’s the best way to move on is to just let go of the past. WIS served its purpose and now I’m happy being close to home working at Giant Eagle. I’ll be celebrating two years there on the day before Thanksgiving.

It’s Time To Drop the Self-Doubt

As I let go of the past (and it was hard for me to do what I did because I paid money for those shirts), I also figured that it’s time to let go of the self-doubt plaguing me in my fashion journey. Two years ago, I was going through my own issues. I was at the end of my time with WIS, trying to figure out my journey and getting acquainted with Giant Eagle.

While this weekend was successful, I still feel a sense of deja vu. I was wearing my new leopard print sweater and I love my outfits but, I want to stop looking over my shoulder. I still have this sense of fear that someone will say something, leaving me discouraged. Maybe I need that to happen (be it from family or a random person) and I can finally stand my ground. That way I can prove that I’m not changing for anyone.

It’s time for me to be confident in myself, my fashion journey, and my abilities. I have the support system and the love. I just need to believe in myself.

Part I: Annabelle’s Hogwarts Birthday

On Saturday, Annabelle turned 11 years old (at approximately 4:56 AM). She wanted a party with a Harry Potter theme as she was really into the book series. Right now, she’s reading the third book, The Prisoner of Azkaban. Recently, I got back into the series myself and I’m not far behind her in the second book, The Chamber of Secrets. Reading Harry Potter definitely runs in the family as most of my cousins have read the books, some through the entire series. Gram got to the fourth or fifth book before she passed away in 2006. My family from Centre County got the fifth book when it came out in June of 2003, standing in line at the Barnes and Noble in State College to purchase it. I might be dating myself here, so don’t quote me on that.

Back to the birthday party. The weather was nothing like it was early in the week when it felt like Summer. In fact, it was very Fall-like and, it was a perfect opportunity for me to wear my Wizard Weather sweatshirt that I got a few years ago. I planned on layering up when I saw the forecast just in case the winds made it colder. Annabelle had fun with her cousins, classmates, and her friends from karate. There were lots of Harry Potter treats and the pavilion was decorated with everything Hogwarts. We ordered pizza and had enough to feed all of our guests. The cupcakes Katie ordered from Sam’s Club were just perfect and represented all the houses of Hogwarts. They even got the colors right too. We also got to experience the Giant Slide just across the road from our pavilion. I went down it twice and felt like I was doing the luge at the Winter Olympics. I don’t think I placed in the top three but I still had fun.

Annabelle was blessed with many gifts, which she agreed to open when she got to our house. It felt like Christmas but without the decorations and the Christmas tree. Annabelle loved all her gifts, including mine. I got her art supplies from Michaels as well as a Michaels gift card. She also got Harry Potter Funko Pops, some of them in protective cases. Those were a gift to her from her Aunt Pam. That was probably the coolest gift ever, and there were plenty, including Bluey. I might be looking for a sketch pad and some art supplies myself as I find yet another new hobby.

So wraps Day 1 of our big weekend. We’re headed to Laurel Hill today for the Gaffron Fall Family Reunion. It will be chilly, but the cooler fall air will help change those colors and make for a nice drive down PA 31 and through the park en route to our pavilion.

Part II: Gaffron Fall Family Reunion 2023

We continue this awesome weekend at Laurel Hill State Park for the annual Fall Gaffron Family Reunion. For the third year in a row, we held it at the indoor pavilion. That came in handy with the cooler weather and clouds, even though there was some sun during parts of the afternoon.

We had an amazing spread and we ate good. There was nothing left of the fried chicken, and I enjoyed the macaroni and cheese and chili along with some chips. I also provided coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts and Katie made apple cider. We even had a charcuterie board. The last few years we have held the reunion it has gone over well. Last year’s turnout was smaller due to other family members vacationing in Key West but still a great time was had by all.

The kids had fun playing with Benny’s wheelchair and pushing each other around. Henry was especially fond of it and how it worked. Future hospital employee right there. He even pushed me around the room. I got a few random pictures and then got called up to the deck for family pictures. This was a tradition that we used to do as kids where all the cousins from youngest to oldest would get in the picture. We had everyone except Jason and Nik. Even the second generation cousins got in on one of the pictures. We had a big family picture taken that I can’t wait to see. I also can’t wait to see the cousin picture, one of the first since the mid-1990s. If I can I will post them to this blog. Any pictures I find from today I’ll definitely look at and post a select few.

After I left Laurel Hill, I took the scenic route and picked up PA 711 going towards Ligonier. I drove through Stahlstown and passed a sign for the Foggy Mountain Lodge, which was two miles up PA 130. Feeling a little bit tired, I stopped in Ligonier and sat in the Diamond for a few minutes. I worked on this blog and saw a couple getting some engagement pictures taken at the gazebo and around the Diamond, as well as near the library. No better place for a photo opportunity than this little Stars Hollow.

As I close out the weekend and this blog, we are starting to make plans for Thanksgiving and it looks like we will be returning to Somerset County once again. Once I know the location and the logistics, I will let you know more.

The next big adventure after this awesome weekend? The 2023 Fall Symposium.