First Blog of 2024 and A Look Ahead to January!

We are just a few days into the new year and so far, so good. I’ve been treading lightly and have been careful not to break anything. I’ve done good on some of my plans in this first week of 2024. I ate sauerkraut and pork on New Year’s Day for good luck and rang in 2024 at work with taco dip and non-alcoholic champagne. I think the new calendar in the picture above will be what I use as the thumbnail for the first blog of the month. Don’t get too excited as content will be light through February.

The transition from Christmas into the New Year’s is always hard. You don’t want to take down the tree and all the decorations but you have to sometimes in order to move on to the next season. Some of our neighbors down the street still have their lights up so all the power to them. We started taking the tree and ornaments down before New Year’s and slowly began the process before finishing Tuesday.

New Year’s Day was a good day for me. I enjoyed my day off and chilled at home. I put up my calendar that you see under the title of today’s blog. I was inspired to buy a LANG calendar after getting my mom one every year for Christmas. She’s had many over the years including Wysocki (which I gave her this year). My second family gave me a book of Harry Styles pull-out posters for Christmas. I put up a few after I woke up Monday afternoon. Hopefully, all of that makes the transition from Christmas to New Year’s and the dead of winter a little easier.

I’ve stayed true to my word so far about hitting the gym after New Year’s Eve. Working with my schedule, I took advantage of having Tuesday morning off to work out at the Planet Fitness behind the mall. I haven’t been there since last Spring so I needed to get acquainted again. I went again last night and I’ll go again today, with a little shopping trip at the mall to boot (since I didn’t go on New Year’s Day). As I get more acclimated, look for fitness reviews from me on this blog. That’ll include what I eat and what I buy as well. When I order some activewear later this month, that’ll be considered one of my fitness posts. If I go to Fruits’n Roots, that too will fall under that category.

I’ll have a food review up sometime this month, even though I’ve already gone out for coffee Tuesday and breakfast this morning. After working out on Tuesday, I got a cup of coffee at that new cafe on Otterman Street (Cutie’s Coffee). I was impressed with the service and learned this is a really happening place. I’ll be back again and one day I hope to try the flights (I learned what these were from following a little cafe in Wheeling, WV). For breakfast, I ate at Waffles INCaffeinated (my second time there) ordering the MegaBerry waffle. It was so hard to choose because everything looked so good. Last time I was there, I ordered my mom and me a Pittsburgh Today Live coffee mug. Hers was for her birthday and she was so happy because it’s one of her favorite shows. Next week I’m thinking about downtown Greensburg and Sun Dawg for breakfast. I’m looking forward to a future breakfast date with my fashionable sister at Waffles INCaffeinated (I’m hinting at early Spring when the weather warms up a bit).

After two and a half years away from church (save for several weeks when I went to Cornerstone around the Easter holiday), I’m going to go regularly again. When I work Saturday nights, I’ll attend online but when I’m off it’ll be in person. Tomorrow night, I’ll be attending Allegheny Center Alliance Church online (the senior pastor used to lead worship at Cornerstone). Next Saturday night, I’m off so that opens the door for me to attend with my second momma on Sunday. She attends Living Word Congregational Church in Jeannette. I plan on visiting a few right now (Cornerstone included) and not settling on one at the moment. I look forward to getting back in the Word and talking to God again. I’m also thankful for an amazing Christian woman like Paula who accepts me for how different I am (she’s in awe of my fashion sense too) and loves unconditionally.

Finally, as I move through January, I’m looking into designing a vision board. I’ll check out Dollar Tree and Michaels for supplies. Half-Price Books in Monroeville may be on my radar as well. An instagram blogger and influencer inspired that last one. As I said earlier, I’m going to be planning a big activewear, haul closer to February. I plan on shopping online at Amazon as well as Old Navy and Going Going Gone for some good deals and steals on good gym attire and even something comfy to wear around the house. If I get stares and complaints, which I hope to, I’ll remind them that, “It’s Just Fashion!”.

I’m also into book four of Harry Potter and plan to use up a lot of January to knock out the book. The plan is to finish Goblet of Fire by the Super Bowl and start book five in the middle of February.

Stay safe tomorrow as the snow moves through and stay warm this Winter. Spring is only two and a half months away. Also, stay awesome!

Feelin’ 22 with the Last Blog of ‘23!!!

Today is my final blog post on this platform… for 2023. Don’t worry, I’m still here and will be back with more content in 2024. I will meet my goal of doubling my content for December with 22 posts. Not easy to do but I still got it done. Thursday, I officially went ahead of my total from 2021, when I ended the year with 300 blog posts. But enough of me throwing numbers at all of you and let me take you back.

The year began with me getting a new laptop so I was able to work more on these blogs. Thank you Cousin Katie and family for this awesome gift because I know how much my blog means to you. Soon after, Benny went back to Children’s and would stay there well into Spring, which meant many visits to Children’s. My fashion journey once again hit a roadblock with all the negative press surrounding Dylan Mulvaney and Bud Light but I emerged victorious in the end. It ended with a nice Christmas and having lunch with my second family. I also began making plans for the beginning of the new year and what kind of content you can expect to see on this blog.

While the number one New Year’s resolution for me would be to exercise more, I think I’d like the Wizard to give me confidence. In this nonconforming journey, I have struggled off and on with confidence. Not so much going out in public, but being at home. I need to stop worrying about what others may think and just enjoy myself. I think that I started to turn a corner on Christmas day and even Katie, my real sister, sees how much I like those things (like cheetah prints). I’ve learned that I only need my own approval and if I like it, that’s all that matters. Another New Year’s resolution I have is to look into therapy, which I almost did do this summer but a few things held me back.

The goal is to reach out to a few therapists in January. I already have plans to go to the gym the first week of the new year (going on days when I’m off) and treat myself to breakfast (Waffles INCaffeinated on Friday) and a little retail therapy. I’ll be getting back into church in January and I hope to go with my second Momma some time in the near future. Later on, I plan on ordering active wear so I have something comfy to work out in or at home. Also, I’ll be enjoying the fourth book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The plan is to go light on content for January and February and into the early part of Spring before picking it up in May. I’ll focus on work, reading, getting an exercise routine down, as well as contest season. I’ll be breaking my content into groups as I post more about fashion, fitness, and food. I’m excited to eat at some new places and review them. Look for stories and reels on those restaurants I eat at.

But first, I’ll be hanging one of my new Harry Styles posters and putting up my calendar Monday morning.

The Fashionista, The Fitness Enthusiast, and the Foodie

We’re already up to the last weekend of 2023. I remember when turned the calendar over from 2022. For this world, it’s mostly been chaotic with wars, wildfires and wokeness offending everyone. For me, it’s had a touch of chaos and two scoops of fun. I celebrated my milestone 500th blog post at the end of November and now I’m ready to move this blog forward into 2024. I’ll be making some changes on my home page and on my content.

Most of the content that I posted this year was lifestyle-based and I will continue to do so next year but there will be a little less of that and more that center around other things I like. I also don’t want to put too much out there that some people want to keep to themselves. Some of the new topics I plan on including in 2024 I will discuss next.

The Fashionista:

I have friends who call me a fashion blogger. While it’s true that I have a great sense of style, I never looked at it like that. In 2024, expect me to become more confident here. I’m waiting for the opportunity when someone calls me out so that I can tell them, “It’s just fashion”. “That shirt is too short.” I’ll respond back with “It’s just fashion.” I want people to give me weird looks and they are the ones who come away with the stench of defeat. Everyone has something to say and they’re just jealous because they can’t slay as hard as me. As long as I’m comfortable, that’s all that matters. Clothes are just clothes.

I have so many people on my side in my fashion journey, especially my second momma who is amazing. As long as I like what I wear and feel comfortable, then that’s all that matters. Also, I shouldn’t have to worry about anyone’s approval but my own. As I told myself and I should have told Rae and Sara on Monday, “I just need to learn to be confident in myself”. I have lots of good pictures to share which I already am good at doing. It’s time to put a story to that and highlight my shopping adventures.

I have plans for later in January to buy some active wear as I get ready to highlight the next thing that you’ll see more of in 2024. I’ll hit up Old Navy and Going, Going, Gone (I made plans to do this last year but got sidetracked).

The Fitness Enthusiast:

What’s the #1 New Year’s Resolution on most people’s lists? That’s to eat healthy and lose weight. People join gyms after the first of the year and stick to their plan for a little but before falling off in February or March. I was beginning to get back into that routine myself before I fell off in the Spring and didn’t recover. Now that I have a handle on my schedule, I can plan better. In 2024, I plan to commit more time to Planet Purple. I also plan on eating better (example, granola and yogurt for breakfast with frozen fruit). As I alluded to in the last segment, I’ll be in the market for some new active wear come late January. I also would like to keep a journal of what I do and what I eat to hold myself accountable. I will refer back to this post often.

The Foodie:

What’s one thing that most people enjoy about my blog? It’s that they read about my eating out experiences which may inspire them to try that place. In 2021, I started to incorporate food reviews into my blogs and my friends enjoyed them, especially if it was restaurants around Ligonier. In 2024, I plan to bring the reviews back into my blogs once a month in January, February, and March before picking it up in the Spring and Summer months. I also plan to embrace my style.

I work in a grocery store and I’m always finding new items. I’d like to try some of those once in a while and give my review of them (these Vlasic pickles with Frank’s Red Hot come to mind. I also want to take up cooking in 2024 and would love to share how I put together my meal on this platform, as well as the recipe itself.

Look for January and February to be light on content as I focus on other projects. I need a break anyways and I want to come up with new ideas when the warmer months get here. After the middle of March things should return to average with a couple of heavier months in the summer and around the holidays.

I hope you’re all enjoying your holiday!

Christmas 2023: A Good Day

Christmas 2023 has come and gone. While it was a warm one with no snow, it did not disappoint as I finally celebrated with my adopted family. But before I get into that, I celebrated with my blood relatives and we opened presents in the living room. Everyone loved the gifts I got them. Dad’s flashlight will help him out when he’s driving the bus, Annabelle will definitely use her controller when playing Switch, even Katie and Matt enjoyed their haul from Old Navy. I got gift cards including one from Old Navy and plan to put that toward some amazing fashionwear, or activewear.

We ate breakfast and then I was off to brunch with my other family. I got to her place around 11:30. Rob greeted me and I also got to meet Grandma J. This was my first visit to Paula’s since 2010. She sent me an invite for Christmas and wanted to make sure I was able to attend. We agreed on Noon on Christmas Day. She was very happy to see me as was her daughter. We had a great feast with turkey and all the trimmings. We also shared plenty of laughs, something I’m not used to doing at home that often.

My parents go out of their way to decorate for Christmas and so does the Queen of Christmas herself. It was very festive and I was loving every minute of it. Rae came over just as we were eating and was happy to see me sitting at the table as well. I started to get a little more comfortable today than I’ve been in the past. Maybe it’s because I’m at home a lot and feel short shrifted sometimes. It doesn’t matter how old I am, I still want attention and acceptance in my fashion journey and not feel like it’s a mistake. This is why I’m always happy when I get together with my adopted family even though it seems few and far between. They get me and accept me. My cousins are the same too.

This day was a couple of years in the making. I wanted to get together a few years ago but we were still dealing with COVID. In addition, I was going through a big transition as I was changing jobs. I even bought gifts for everyone. Luckily, I ran into Rob, Sara, and Rae at IceFest a month later on a sunny, cold day and did gift exchange with the first two. They gave me my gift as well. That would be our last time together in person until Friendsgiving (Rob and Sara) and Christmas (Rae).

We opened gifts and watched Netflix and talked. Thor was the star of the show and was loved by everyone today. Uncle was hilarious and the banter and humor between him and his sister made the day so worthwhile. I got a book of Harry Styles posters from my fashionable sister and brother-in-law and I can’t wait to post a few on my ceiling. Harry’s fashion journey is amazing. Mine can be too. I just need to be more confident in myself.

We got a few family pics before we all left on other adventures. Momma and Thorence Hemsworth Mason were so blessed to have our presence on this fine Christmas Day. I promised her it wouldn’t be another 13 years before I came to her house. We have some plans to go to church when I get a free Saturday night/Sunday morning off. One thing I want to do going into 2024 is get back into church after a few years off. Fashionable sister and I will make a date for Waffles INCaffeinated closer to Spring. Maybe before that, we can talk about planning a shopping day.

2020 was cold and chaotic. Not the way we wanted our last Christmas at Grandma’s old house to go.

2021 was flu-ridden and disappointing. That’s all I need to say.

2022 was cold but better than the last two years. We got a Christmas miracle on Christmas Eve when Benny came home from the hospital after a weeklong stay there.

2023 could have went back to the last couple of years but turned out better than expected. Don’t know if going to Momma’s will be a Christmas tradition for me but I know I won’t be a stranger going forward.

Here’s our family pics from yesterday.

Merry Christmas from Stylish 🍒

Merry Christmas and Happy Festivus or however you spend your holiday. The top ten list is complete but, let’s recap the best events from 10 to 1. Like last year, I’ll use one sentence to describe them.

#10-I got a laptop for Christmas from my cousin and her little family so I could continue blogging.

#9-I was nominated for President of Greensburg Toastmasters in the upcoming Toastmasters year (7/1/2023 to 6/30/2024).

#8-I answered a full time bid at Giant Eagle and got it so I’m guaranteed 40 hours every week.

#7-Giant Eagle held a night turn appreciation dinner in August.

#6-I attended club officer training as well as Cranberry High Noon‘s 10th birthday celebration.

#5-Mr. Clougherty and I went to a Pirates game and ate dinner at Primanti’s.

#4-We continued our tradition of eating out once a month.

#3-I made frequent visits to Children’s Hospital to visit my cousin Benny who was recovering from a painful skin condition.

#2-I revisited the Harry Potter series and celebrated Annabelle’s 11th birthday.

#1-We held our annual Gaffron Family Fall picnic at Laurel Hill State Park.

A bonus to this top ten list would be that milestone that I achieved a few weeks ago, and that was reaching 500 blog posts. I’m proud to have stuck by this platform the last four years. I got too big too quick and was humbled by COVID. I fought health scares, job changes, and depression as well as the lack of a working laptop.

Another would be that I attended an amazing Friendsgiving event at my sister’s apartment. I brought a charcuterie board that I put together from a kit I bought from Giant Eagle. The event was amazing and I was happy to be around Sara and her friends. Sara and Rob get me and I have no trouble talking to them. When I have doubts about what people might say if they see how I dress, Sara always reminds me that, “It’s just fashion.”

We had our Christmas Eve celebration this evening at our house. Mom put together an amazing spread with turkey balls, meatballs, charcuterie, and plenty of Christmas cookies to go around. We got our Christmas miracle and that was Benny coming home from Children’s Hospital. He’ll have to go back to Children’s Hospital for outpatient therapy twice a week but we have him home now and his Mom can get back into a routine. I was worried that it would be a quiet Christmas or it would revert back to the last couple of Christmases (2020 and2021). However, it’s looking like a great holiday.

I saw my cousin Nik for the first time since 2019. He didn’t stay long but we got to catch up. Elizabeth and her friend stopped for a visit not long after Nik left. We talked a lot and we ate well. There will be plenty of leftovers to go around this week for sure.

I even touched base with Maura and Ashley wished them a Merry Christmas and we talked about my fashion journey (that’s what we’re calling it now). I also planned for tomorrow with Paula and Sara. I’ll be going over to Paula’s house to celebrate Christmas. I’m even excited that she’s putting me to work. I never get that at home. I can’t wait to catch up with my adopted Momma and play with my brodog.

I’m almost to my goal for this month. Have a wonderful holiday and I’ll see you this week with a recap of Christmas and a look ahead to January. I have big plans in place as we kick off 2024.

Top Ten of 2023: #1— The Gaffron Family Fall Picnic

It’s October 2002. A new family tradition has begun at Laurel Hill State Park. It’s our annual Gaffron family reunion and the weather couldn’t be better or the color more beautiful in the Laurel Highlands. We had a great turnout and hoped we could continue holding this event. We did and we’d hold it in the summer or in September. The location would change from Laurel Hill to Keystone. I didn’t attend for a few years and then the tradition would be reborn in 2021. We returned to Laurel Hill and that’s where this story takes place.

It’s Columbus Day weekend 2021 and it’s my first Gaffron Family Fall Picnic following the COVID 19 pandemic. We moved it to an indoor pavilion and this one had a fireplace and a couch as well as a big table for everyone to put their food on. For me, I was struggling as I just walked away from the church and I was glad to have the support of my cousins in my fashion journey. We had a great turnout that day and we celebrated my uncle’s 70th birthday, even singing Happy Birthday to him.

For me it was a great day and the start of a great weekend. My cousins loved seeing all my bags and I had their support. I even got some apps to look at that day.

2022’s Fall Family picnic fell on the same weekend as Annabelle’s 10th birthday party. While it was chilly and overcast at Twin Lakes, it was sunny and seasonal for the picnic at Laurel Hill. The Gaffron Family Fall picnic was one of the best events of the year for me and it did not disappoint. Katie and I were talking about my blog and I told her I wasn’t as active due to lack of technology and I was in the market for a laptop. I can’t say too much more but it was a great day. I brought cookies from Giant Eagle. Coming home, I took the scenic route through Stahlstown and Ligonier.

What was special about this year’s Family Fall Picnic was the pictures that my cousin took of all of us. Way back when, at our Mother’s Day picnics, we always had a cousin picture done. One year I had chicken pox so I was replaced with Oscar the Grouch. It had been a long time since our last Gaffron cousin picture, and this one came out perfect.

I embraced my style just as I did last year, rocking the cheetah sweater. One of these days I won’t have to look over my shoulder and speculate on what some people might think of my fashion sense. At least I’ll try not to but I’ll do it anyway. But, as Sara always tells me, “It’s just fashion.”

My cousin Katie sent us a link so we could look at all of the pictures and they were perfect. I was glad Jonathan did this for us so I have something to remember my uncle by. Uncle Bob passed away on December 9, which was Uncle Lenny’s birthday. It was quite sudden and I was in shock when Mom told me the news.

After the reunion ended, I took another scenic trip to Ligonier and this time, stopped for a few minutes to sit in the diamond and watch the world go by. I wrote my blog post and I witnessed a couple getting pictures taken. After a while, I made my way home.

Our next family reunion will be October 13, 2024, at Laurel Hill State Park. We will be using the same pavilion as well.

Top Ten of 2023–#2 Harry Potter and the Hogwarts Birthday Party!!!

Reading books runs in my family. My grandmother and uncles have read the classics like The Grapes of Wrath and To Kill A Mockingbird. Gram has also read the Harry Potter series up to Order of the Phoenix as have her grandchildren and great grandchildren (whom I’m sure have all read the entire series.

Recently, my niece has been reading the Harry Potter books and is almost finished with Goblet of Fire. I’m at the beginning and I pick up on the fourth book once we turn the calendar towards 2024. However, this is not my first rodeo when it comes to the iconic book series.

In the Fall of 2018, I was working at WIS doing a series of special projects for Target that were pretty mindless and my partner and I were feeling bored. To pass the time, I downloaded the Harry Potter books on my Kindle app and read them starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The best part was I didn’t have to pay extra through my Kindle Unlimited membership. I actually did read the first three books in the series and was ready to start Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that December but quit before I began. Perhaps I was focused on my new job at Giant Eagle. Like that job, my love of Harry Potter would be short-lived. But, like working at Giant Eagle, it would make a comeback.

Inspired by a few of my team leaders and my store leader, as well as my niece Annabelle, I began reading Harry Potter once again this summer. To be fair to myself, I went back to square one and re-read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as well as the other two before starting the fourth book. It didn’t take me long to read the first book and start the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. By Thanksgiving, I finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Soon after, I started the book I’m on now. I’ve been too busy to consistently read it and maybe history would repeat itself. However, I will definitely be picking it up once the holidays end and we turn the calendar to January. If I get an Amazon gift card for Christmas, I will be using it on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I think that Gramma Gaffron would be proud of me for reading the series. When I finish Harry Potter, I’d like to try my hand at Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings.

This past October, we had Annabelle’s birthday party at Mammoth Park. As expected, the party had a Harry Potter theme. From the decorations to the cupcakes and even the glasses for all the kids to wear, it looked like a mini-Hogwarts. It reminded me of the Harry Potter event that Masterspieces held three years earlier. I bought my Wizard Weather sweatshirt that I wore to Annabelle’s party at that event. All of her classmates and friends from karate were three as well as her cousins and my cousins. They (the Gaffron cousins and their little ones) were camping at Laurel Hill State Park that weekend so they had the luxury of being close. Mommy, Gigi, and Pappy put together a nice spread for the party and her and Matt were spot on with how many pizzas were ordered.

Instead of opening all of the gifts at the party, we took everything back to the house and Annabelle opened them there. One of the best gifts that she got were the Harry Potter funko pops passed down to her from her aunt. She also got protective cases for them. Annabelle got other nice gifts, including a camera and some money. I gave her art supplies for her birthday from Michaels as well as a gift card. I think she cleaned up nicely.

The way it’s going, I think her birthday next year will have a Taylor Swift theme. She’s become a bandwagon fan of the Kansas City Chiefs thanks to the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift romance, and saw the Taylor Swift concert movie this Fall. She even wore an Eras t-shirt to our family reunion.

First half of a great weekend is in the books and the next day would be our family reunion.

Some Christmas Spirit and The Christmas Waltz

I’m finally feeling the Christmas Spirit a week from Christmas. My shopping is done and I started wrapping my gifts yesterday morning. I have a few presents left to wrap and I’ll do that Thursday. I’ve been playing Christmas music nonstop since the middle of November but I’m ready for a break next week once Christmas draws to a close.

Last year was a better Christmas than expected, and not just because of the Christmas miracle we experienced. Benny and Aunt Sue were home from Children’s Hospital on Christmas Eve and we got to spend time with him in his hotel room while his mom shopped for Christmas presents at Target. I wasn’t needy of approval for my non binary fashion journey like I was the year prior and I wasn’t hungry for social media attention either. Aunt Sue introduced me to The Christmas Chronicles as well. Hoping for another Christmas miracle as well. I think I’ll be in a good place this holiday.

I made plans to get out to Ligonier before and after the holidays began. I took advantage of great weather on a Sunday in mid-November and walked around town. I even had some Christmas music to keep me company going to and from there. A month later, I promised myself I’d come out and see it all lit up and stayed true to my word. I got plenty of the pictures of the Diamond all lit up and even got to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by going to Ligonier? Here’s a few pictures from my experiences.

I like to get my fill of Christmas movies and specials to make it a good holiday. Last year, I was told by a coworker about the Christmas Story sequel and so I watched it on the day after Thanksgiving. I really enjoyed it and waited for the opportunity to see it again, which is what I did yesterday. It was just as good as the first time I saw it last year. I started my movie tour with Elf and The Muppet Christmas Carol (a favorite of my late Gramma). I finally got to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas last week. I always enjoy the soundtrack to that show and anything Vince Guaraldi performs.

Last night before work, I put on The Polar Express. That got my Christmas spirit up and running. I still have a few movies and specials left on my list including my personal favorite, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. I also need to watch Home Alone and Christmas Vacation before Christmas Day.

While wrapping gifts on Tuesday, I played one of my favorite Christmas albums (A Jolly Christmas by Frank Sinatra) and listened to one of my Gram’s favorite Christmas songs (The Christmas Waltz). That song always played when she would decorate the tree on Christmas Eve when my Mom and her siblings were young. The love of that song has been passed down by my mom onto me. While it can get tiring listening to Christmas music at work, I have my phone with me and play songs from Amazon Music. I’ve played Charlie Brown Christmas a few times, as well as Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Also on my playlist was Mannheim Steamroller. One of the Christmas albums I started listening to this year was by the Carpenters and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve heard their songs on WISH 99.7 during the holidays and so I played the whole record and it’s definitely worth the listen.

The countdown to Christmas just got real as we are less than a week away from Christmas Day. We’re getting our spread together for Christmas Eve and we’re still hoping for a Christmas Miracle. The Top Ten of 2023 just got real too as I am down to the two best events of the year. I’ve got plans for early 2024 but we can talk about that next week after the holidays ended. Check back all weekend for content and the number one event of 2023.

The Tastemasters Meeting and a Christmas Shopping Wrapup

Today, I took advantage of another day off at work (I’m back tomorrow for five days leading up to Christmas Eve) to finish up Christmas shopping. Not only was it my third day off in a row, but also that of driving to Pittsburgh. I haven’t done this since I worked at WIS. Saturday, I ventured out to Robinson and shopped at Market District. Sunday, I went to Children’s Hospital and visited Aunt Sue and Benny. Today, I went to Cranberry High Noon Toastmasters’ holiday-themed meeting. I made a few stops to make the trip worthwhile.

I had to wrap up Christmas shopping so I stopped at Market District and picked up gift cards. Having some more time to kill, I stopped at Michaels to check the Christmas home decor. I could have chosen ULTA and I was ready to label these last three days a bust. I thought to myself that coming out to Pittsburgh wasn’t as appealing as I once was since I was no longer traveling for work anymore. When I attended today’s Cranberry High Noon Toastmasters meeting, all that negative thinking went right out the window.

I was told about the food-themed Toastmasters meeting (Tastemasters) a few weeks ago at Winter TLI. Luckily, the universe worked in my favor and I was able to get Sunday night off since I had personal days left to use up before the end of 2023. Like all other CHN meetings I’ve attended, this one was just as much fun. The members all brought food. I was a guest but I regret not bringing something myself. I was also just literally at Market District en route to the meeting, so I could have picked up some holiday Oreos.

I spoke during the Table Topics or, Taste Topics portion of the meeting. I talked about all the Christmas cookies my mom made, as well as our turkey balls. The best food I ate was the Samosas and mint chutney. I also had some peanut brittle and brownies. I also got to meet a few guests and some newer members. I plan to visit Cranberry High Noon again in the summer, during one of the weeks that I am on vacation.

Coming back, the weather went downhill. I had some rain and snow on the way to Wexford but now on the way home I was dealing with snow squalls and reduced visibility. I saw this while driving through Cranberry on US 19 and along I-279 going towards the city. There were snow squalls but also peaks of sunshine. Just wait five minutes and the weather will change, that’s Pittsburgh for you. I got home around quarter to three and took a nap. I woke up to a fresh blanket of snow.

Yesterday’s visit to Children’s was worthwhile and my aunt was appreciative that I took the time on a Sunday to come out and see her and Benny. It was nice to see the hospital look all decorated for Christmas and the pictures I took were well-liked. As a matter of fact, our holiday may have just gotten better, but nothing is set in stone quite yet. I will know more by the end of the week.

I have some purchases in mind once the winter months get here. I’ll get into that next week as Christmas comes to an end. I also have a new theme lined up for my blog going into 2024 and I will post that when I have it ready.

It’s too late to place today’s Cranberry High Noon meeting in the top ten, but today’s Tastemasters meeting will unofficially be put in as the #6 event of 2023, along with TLI and Fall Symposium as well as CHN’s 10th birthday party.

A Children’s Hospital Visit and Christmas Shopping

The number three event of 2023 went up Saturday morning and it was difficult to post about it. It’s hard to think of what my aunt and Ben have gone through this year with all the time they’ve been in the hospital since 2022. Two weeks last August and a week just before Christmas can’t compare to what this year has been like. I’ve made one visit on my own and have gone with Mom a few times but Sunday will be my second visit flying solo. We may have another Christmas miracle, albeit a small one but I won’t disclose it until I know it’s happening for sure. More tomorrow on this blog when I make my visit.

I did some shopping for Christmas and I went out to the Market District in Robinson (the mecca of all Market District and possibly all Giant Eagle stores). I needed some things for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I picked up a cheese ball and some chicken crackers, as well as some candied dill pickles (all favorites of my Grandma’s at Christmas), and some novelties from Sarris (Canonsburg proud). I love taking trips out to Pittsburgh when I can, but it doesn’t have the same effect as it did when I worked for WIS. Last year I shopped at South Hills Village. So far the winner this year hands down for day trips is Ligonier.

Today, I drove out to Children’s Hospital and spent the better part of my Sunday with Aunt Sue and Benny. When I stepped out of the room, I was able to snap some festive photos in the lobby and by the playroom (where Benny got in the video during the telethon Thursday night). We ate lunch in the cafeteria and then came back to the room. The TV had a nice selection of Christmas movies and we chose the Muppet Christmas Carol (one of Gram’s favorites). A team of elves helped to decorate the hospital room and it looked Santa-worthy when I saw it today. If you have to stay at Children’s Hospital during the holidays, why not make it look festive? The pictures speak more and please, enjoy them.

I tried my first hot chocolate bomb today and it did not disappoint. I also got a picture of the tree in the healing garden. It was too chilly and rainy to be out there too long and enjoy the view of Bloomfield.

Today is Dad’s birthday and we had a feast this evening to celebrate. Mom made meatloaf and had leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving that she froze to reuse for another special occasion. We also had biscuits and corn. Since it was a special occasion, we used the gravy boat. For dessert, we had Texas sheet cake with ice cream. The Christmas baking is just about done and the cookies are ready to be eaten. Christmas is a week away and we have plenty of food for Christmas Eve night including our signature turkey balls, plus meatballs, wedding soup, and charcuterie. We made the turkey balls during the day on Friday and I’m looking forward to chowing down on them and everything else.

This weekend I will unveil my top two events (plus one) of 2023. I was at Children’s Hospital and that was my #3 event. Where does the Billy Porter exhibit at Phipps fit into that? It may be #3 in its own right along with the multiple trips I’ve made here to visit Aunt Sue and Ben. That day was a very Pittsburgh day in its own right. I’ve got some big plans all ready for 2024 and we will talk about those in a few weeks as we wrap up this year.

Enjoy the pictures today from Benny’s room and the lobby.