What could be better than yesterday’s stellar Gaffron Family Reunion? How about Ligonier Days? I was there last year during CoVID when Fort Ligonier Days was cancelled but the storefronts remained open. This year, a much different story. My little Stars Hollow was packed.

I made my arrival around 11:30. I boarded the shuttle (first school bus ride I’ve been on in almost 20 years; last time I was on a bus I was still a student at Slippery Rock University). I cancelled my restaurant review blog this week because there was too many food trucks in town to try out. I passed up a chance to get Pickled Chef and had Chinese instead. Not the best choice but I made up for it later.

I made my way up Main Street which was crawling with people. Soon after I made it into town and made my rounds. I sat in the Diamond and got ready to hear one of the main acts. Not getting much out of the Chinese I had earlier, I got the Grilled Chicken on a stick. I put some barbecue sauce on it and voila! I got a lot more mileage out of this meal than I did the sesame chicken.

After eating my Grilled Chicken on a stick and hearing some of what East Coast Turnaround had to offer (great band and great music by the way), I walked over to Second Chapter Books (actually I shopped outside where the authors were selling their books). One of them was a local author from Latrobe. The other was one whose books I’d read before.

Chris Rodell has written multiple books and he actually visited one of our Toastmasters meetings a few years ago. I don’t think he recalled as it’s been a while but we got to talk. He’s doing his hometown proud writing about some of the town’s favorite sons (Fred Rogers and Arnold Palmer). Now I love Ligonier but, Latrobe is a close second.

Next up was Jim O’Brien. I needed no introduction to him as I’d read plenty of his books over the years, dating back to the days when Waldenbooks was in the mall. The first book of his I read was We Had ‘Em All the Way which was about legendary Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince. I learned about his many phrases in that book. His first book was Doing It Right which covered the 1970’s Steelers teams that won four Super Bowls.

I bought my books and had the authors autograph them and then I was on my way. I ran into Vanessa and her fiancée Rachel outside the Diamond. It was my second time meeting Vanessa in person and first time meeting Rachel. She was all over my outfit (she loved my blazer and my Coach). She’s been all about my gender nonconformity and doesn’t want me to quit. She suggested I get a Shacket. She wore hers and told me how stylish they are. I told her that Wight Elephant sells them but from reading her stories, I see she’s a big fan of Nordstrom and Target (I love Target too).

I asked her opinion about blouses and dresses and she’s all for me wearing them. Like I said, she loves my gender nonconformity and as long as the way I dress makes me happy then that’s all that matters. My problem is I want to please everyone and we all know damn well that’s not going to happen. I sent her pictures of the shackets I found on Nordstrom Rack as well as some blouses and dresses I found on Amazon. Also, that pink cherry dress that I’ve loved since I saw my coworker wearing it when we were working in Ashtabula two years ago. I think I’m going to ask her opinion on secondhand stores too. I definitely want to meet up again with these two in Pittsburgh in the future. Maybe a strip district trip or somewhere in the city.

Vanessa even suggested getting something from the Sand Hill Berries truck and I did just that. That sundae with the Sand Hill raspberries was delicious and I enjoyed it while listening to the second act at the gazebo, the Flood City Brass. The band played some of the greatest hits. I ended my day in Ligonier with a Musket Mocha from Abigail’s Coffeehouse.

What a perfect weekend. Fort Ligonier Days was so worth it. Yesterday I had an amazing time at the Gaffron Family Reunion. Today, I got to meet my Instagram blogger friend Vanessa in person. She is such an inspiration and very encouraging. With her and Rachel and joyfullyyoursamanda, as well as many others, I think I found my true friends.

As for this gender nonconformity, it’s staying and I’m slaying 🔥 🔥 🔥. I’m going to continue being my unique self.

Bye everyone. ❤️ you.

I had said earlier on Saturday that this would be one of the best family reunions we’ve had in a long time and boy, was I right? I drove separate since my parents and Katie and Matt had their own stuff to take care of pre-reunion. It gave me the opportunity to stop and get a Pumpkin Chai from GetGo in New Stanton. I also got to take the scenic route into Laurel Hill, driving through Mount Pleasant and Donegal and up the mountain. I was blessed with seeing the changing colors and greeted by the cooler temperatures in the Laurel Highlands. I passed Kooser en route to Laurel Hill. After about ten minutes of driving, I found the lakeside pavilion. I arrived at 1:30 and made my rounds talking to family before we heard the bell and got our food.

The spread consisted of great picnic food including pasta salad, Mac’n Cheese, pulled pork, chili, and Chick Fil A nuggets. We sat around, laughed, and told stories of family members who have since passed away. There’s always laughs we when we get together. It was great to see some of our family like Uncle Skip and his kids who made it down from State College; Andrea (my mom’s cousin) and Rick whom we haven’t seen in forever; Jason and Shannon, whom I never got the chance to talk to because I was busy elsewhere. Aunt Lorie was there with her bean dip and I made the promise to visit the Coach outlet and find what she wanted.

All of us gathered inside and sang Happy Birthday to Uncle Bob. I think he was pleasantly surprised. We had cake and many pies to choose from. We took home the Dutch Apple pie Elizabeth brought up from Winchester and I took home my pumpkin roll left intact because Annie brought one of her own.

The best part of the food was the charcuterie and boy we went to town on that. I ate my share of cheeses from the #boujeeboard.

I was greeted by my youngest cousin Olivia and she complimented me on my fashion sense including my nails 💅 and my lavender scrunchie (boy I’ve really rocked those things lately). My family has really gotten behind me with my gender nonconformity. I even showed off my new Coach purses to my cousins and they were impressed. That pink one got a lot of attention at work this week as did my pink scrunchie. I might have even gave Olivia a little bit of inspiration. Next up is the pink cherry dress 👗 (just kidding or am I serious 😉 ) or a pink flowy blouse (maybe; I’ll look like Xo from Jane the Virgin).

But social media is not real life. What is keeping me from looking ahead and why do I look back? I’m used to feeling alone (I left a birthday party in tears in 2012 because of the Obama bashing); I’m used to rejection and hearing no all the time; and in the past when someone made fun of me or shamed me for carrying a crossbody I just gave it up. In the past it was no more, but now it’s not anymore.

I’m enjoying this year of going against the status quo but it’s not always easy for me. I’m thankful for those who have had my back and encouraged me to do me and be me. It also helps that I’m stronger now than I was in the past. I’d have never been able to pull this off a few years ago because others would have made me feel so discouraged that I would just close up shop.

Back to the reunion. The kids all got together and ran around. Annabelle was so happy to see Patrick and Pappy took them on a walk during our reunion. Lucas was decked out in his Cleveland Browns jersey and had his football with him. Andrew threw him the ball from atop the deck. Henry was just having fun being a three year old. We stuck around until it got dark and then we had to go home. I’m glad we were able to all get together regardless of the weather after so much time apart due to COVID.

Neither rain nor snow nor sleet kept us from having a great Gaffron Family Reunion. After the grief I got last month for my gender nonconformity, I’ve never loved my family more.

We’ll kick off this week’s edition of Toastmasters News and Notes with a shoutout to my favorite club in District 13.

Cranberry High Noon congratulates the following members for completing their pathway levels. These accomplishments will go toward another successful year for the Cranberry High Noon Toastmasters club. Right now the club is at 29 members strong with four goals met. That number will grow. Here’s the people who have achieved success in CHN.

Willie Mae Starr-White: Leadership develpment Level 2
Jyoti Khare: Presentation Mastery Level 3
Maha Maharajan: Presentation Mastery Level 5

Congratulations members on your achievements! Will Cranberry High Noon win club of the year honors at the Fall Symposium? We’ll just to wait until October 16 to find out.

That leads me into my next topic, the upcoming 2021 Fall Symposium. The agenda has finally been set and it looks like a great event has been planned. It will take place October 16 online and will run from 9:30am to 3:00pm. Registration is now open and is $15 for Toastmasters and $25 for non-Toastmasters.

There will be an awards and recognition ceremony during the event. The District will celebrate the 2020-2021 achievements and accomplishments of our Toastmasters family and friends. This was big for me as I won the Spirit of Toastmasters award along with Tina Kramer and Nate Stephens. That translated into having a panel discussion at the Winter Club Officer Training last December.

Featured speakers will include Jackie L. Gartner-Schmidt, Ph.D., and Karen Issacs, DTM. Dr. Gartner-Schmidt is co-director of both the University of Pittsburgh Voice Center and the Upper Airway Exercise Breathing Center. Ms. Isaacs serves as the Region 6 Advisor.

Isaacs is a Business Consultant with over 30 years ofexperience at a major health insurance company. Karen holds a B.S. in BusinessAdministration from Duquesne University and a Certificate of Paralegal Studies from College of Mount St. Joseph College (Cincinnati, Ohio). As a Professor of Otolaryngology, and Director of Speech-Language Pathology-Voice Division at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Jackie’s clinical and research focus specializes on care of the professional speaking voice, as well as clinical effectiveness of voice therapy and respiratory retraining.

Karen joined Toastmasters in 2004 to improve her communication skills and found copious opportunities to utilize and develop her leadership skills. Jackie is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences and has also presented a TEDx Talk on voice and perception.

It’s a joy to have both ladies presenting at the upcoming Fall Symposium.

This red carpet event is not to be missed. I’ve been really wanting to attend a club meeting but it’s been hard to with my work schedule. Regardless of whether or not make this event, I plan to attend a regular meeting on November 23. Deadline to sign up is this Sunday, October 10.

I had the opportunity to meet the faces behind this new Toastmasters chapter in Fayette County at the DTM Gala held at Westmoreland County Community College. They’re a budding club and I hope they have continued growth in this Toastmaster year. To date, Laurel Highlands Toastmasters is at 25 members, up from their base of 21 members. They have two goals met so far and six of the officers were trained at the summer club officer training. Here are the faces responsible for getting the club chartered.

That was a great night at WCCC when we celebrated the DTM’s and danced so hard that we set off the fire alarms 🚨. That’s my Toastmasters News and Notes. Enjoy the Fall Symposium next week and remember that contest season is just a month away. I’ll cover that in next week’s Toastmasters blog.

I must say, it was a fun three day weekend and I’m sure more will be on the way as things slow down at work with the holidays coming up. Enough to keep me busy without wearing me down.

Saturday I ventured out to Ligonier and ate lunch at Forks before finishing the trip at the Diamond and having a latte at where else, Abigail’s Coffeehouse? I’ll be back there this Sunday during Ligonier Days. I was even witness to a wedding party getting some pictures in front of the gazebo. I went to church afterwards and had a great time. This weekend, I’ve been watching the Halloween Baking Championships on my Discovery+ app. I’ll continue into the Holiday Baking Championships later on this Fall.

I would also like to add cooking and baking to the blog. I have some great ideas for the holidays and comfort food for those chilly late Fall and Winter days.

Today we celebrated Annabelle’s 9th birthday. The pavilion we were at was overrun by little kids until they retreated down to the playground. We had pizza from a local restaurant. It went very quick. The cake was a marble cake and it tasted really good. Annabelle received a lot of nice presents. You expect it when you’re turning nine. While today had more kids than adults, Saturday’s big events will be a reversal. It’s a big week for my family and I’m looking forward to everything this week and this month.

It’s a well balanced week at work with two Targets, Dollar Stores, and a Rite Aid. I don’t talk about my job or personal matters on the blog so I’ll spare you the boring details and the drama. It’s a Toastmasters week though and I hope we can get some more speakers for a quality meeting. Annabelle’s real birthday is this Thursday at 4:56AM so I’ll wish her a happy birthday on the way to work. I hope to find time to get my pumpkin flavored drinks this week. Dunkin’, GetGo, and White Rabbit are on my Pumpkin Radar.

This coming weekend is going to be a big one and I can’t hardly wait. I’m looking forward to catching up with family at our reunion Saturday at Laurel Hill. I’ll be showing off my Coach to my family. Everyone is behind me in this journey of gender nonconformity and dressing non traditionally. We will be celebrating my uncle’s birthday as well. This is a month of birthdays in my family and this year it’s milestone birthdays.

Sunday I’m coming out to my little Stars Hollow for the Stars Hollow Autumn Festival. I hope for good weather and I hope to see some color change in the leaves this weekend. I plan on spending most of the day in town and I will be visiting Carol and Dave’s for lunch. I’m also trying to decide what blazer I want to wear Sunday. I think I’ll need a white shirt to go with my blazer and jeans.

This weekend was great. Next weekend will be even better.

Forks wasn’t my original stop for lunch today. I had plans to go to the Kitchen on Main but that will wait until they’re fully staffed. I got out and was greeted by the smells of the place. It’s a nice Saturday and the Harley riders were out in full force today.

They have a nice bar area with a lot of great choices for liquor (Jameson and Fireball as well as Wild Turkey). They also have the formerly local Rolling Rock as well as Coors. Judging by the signs, they also have Samuel Adams. One of these days I’m going to buy myself a six pack of Pumpkin Beer or their holiday pack. I was here for lunch and didn’t drink (playing it safe) but I’ll give their selection of liquor a 9.5/10.

After a few minutes waiting to be served (I understand the being short staffed plus you had a bunch of Harley riders here today), my server took care of. She was patient as it took me a few minutes to decide on what I wanted. I got the bacon cheeseburger (well done). Though someone did hand me a Reuben because they thought I ordered that (I’d have happily accepted it) but they got it right. I was well taken care of and at least the motorcycle riders kept this place hopping. Service gets a 9/10

Menu has a great list of appetizers, more than some places I’ve been to. They all looked pretty good to me. Great choices on the favorites but I decided on the Bacon 🥓 Cheeseburger. You have some choices for a great meal and great experience. Menu gets a 9/10

Food was superb. I’d have taken that Reuben but my bacon cheeseburger was perfect too. The right amount of bacon and cheese melted on the patty. Great fries too by the way. I’m a steak fries enthusiast but these were just as great. I thought about Chicken Parmesan but learned my lesson after Jaffre’s. It took me two days to finish that Fettucine Alfredo. Food gets a 9.5/10.

Forks kind of reminds of that restaurant I ate at in Lexington that was by our Red Roof. We stayed in Kentucky for a week to count their Rite Aids that were being acquired by Walgreens. That place had great chocolate pie. It also takes me back a couple of years to when we ate at the Clay Street Grille during our overnight trip in Ashtabula. Yes that trip. I was disappointed that I couldn’t have brunch at the Kitchen on Main but Forks eased some of the pain. I give Forks an A.

Quickly I’ll do my post about Pumpkin Spice stop #2 but judging by the picture I’m sure you know where I went 😉. Abigail’s is a favorite of mine when I visit Little Stars Hollow. I’ve never had a bad experience there and the staff is really nice. They’ve jumped into the Pumpkin Spice game as well (who hasn’t) and they had some great choices to pick from.

I didn’t get the Pumpkin Spice this time but tried my hand at a Bourbon Caramel Apple Latte. I was not disappointed at all. I took my drink and enjoyed myself in the Ligonier Diamond. I got to witness wedding party pictures taken, so that means someone got married. Reminds me of when Kati took my picture in front of the gazebo in the rain with my pink handbag and Gilmore Girls tote. I think I’ll get another pic done like that next week with my Coach purse. I’ll be wearing a blazer next week instead of a Stars Hollow sweatshirt. Nothing personal but I want to look more stylish.

Abigail’s gets an A+ for an excellent drink, excellent service and an excellent staff. Best little coffee shop in the best little Stars Hollow I know.

My weekend began early as I had a extra day off on Friday. I planned on going up to Somerset as I had some matters to attend to. Aunt Sue even treated me to lunch at Stairs Restaurant in Somerset. We even went to an antique shop in the dead Georgian Mall. I finally got to see the new kitten and he has really grown. But my aunt’s house doesn’t seem the same without a dog.

After my brief visit to Somerset, I ventured to Latrobe to visit the new coffee shop in town located on Ligonier Street. My review is on the previous blog. It’s a really nice place and I suggest you go sometime. I sat on the porch and enjoyed my pumpkin spice latte and my muffin. One of the employees complimented me on my boots 👢. It was the first time I wore them for an extended period of time but I think I finally broke them in.

It’s off to Ligonier tomorrow for a Stylish and Hungry segment. I’ll be going to Forks Inn. I originally wanted to eat at the Kitchen on Main but that’s not a thing right now as they’re temporarily closed due to short staffing.

Sunday is the big day as we will be celebrating Annabelle’s 9th birthday at Mammoth Park. Lots of little kids will be in attendance. We were there back in October 2013 for her first birthday and it was a very warm and mostly sunny day. Sunday’s forecast will call for a few showers but it will be mild.

I’m switching Coach purses for the month of October. I bought two at Tanger Outlets on Labor Day weekend (another tote and a satchel). I think I’ll give the pastel pink its turn this month and wear the pastel blue on the weekends and at Slippery Rock homecoming on October 16 if I go. I’ll be bringing them to next week’s family reunion to model them for my cousins

Here’s the picture of Sara, her flower girl, bridesmaids, and Maid/Mom of Honor/Best Mom. Also an extraordinary pic of the bride and groom.

Have a great weekend. ❤️ you.

The location of 512 is in a repurposed 1870’s Victorian house located just off Ligonier Street in Latrobe near the Amtrak train station. 512 is the street number. I posted a link from the June 2021 Tribune Review article about the grand opening. The owner is Michael Ciotti, a 2002 graduate of Greater Latrobe High School.

https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/new-latrobe-shop-pairs-ice-cream-coffee-in-repurposed-victorian-house/

I ordered a Pumpkin Spice Latte (16 oz.) and Pumpkin Muffin.

My drink came out hot (which is how coffee should taste). I ordered it with skim milk. The owner made my drink and was very courteous. I asked about the old fashioned cash register which is from 1924. It was probably used in one of the old five and ten chains.

The pumpkin muffin was great. It had great flavor and tasted just right. It was not too hard or stale. On the pumpkin bread mix I have from Target is a recipe for pumpkin streusel that I’ll have to try sometime.

Pastries are from Prantl’s and ice cream is from Kerber’s. Michael also picked up equipment from the former Valley Dairy in downtown Latrobe.

I had my choice of that plus a pumpkin bar which also looked tempting, as well as chocolate chip muffins. There’s a candy counter as well with various types of candy bars to choose from. You can also get ice cream (like Abigail’s).

You can sit outside on the porch or inside in the lounge. I give this place points for the Mister Rogers book as well as a picture of the man himself. There’s also an autographed picture of Mr. McFeely. David Newell was in Latrobe during the banana split festival and here he is with owner Michael Ciotti.

I thanked the owner for a great experience and got style points on my outfit and heels.

Good afternoon! Here is your weekly dose of District 13 Toastmasters News and Notes.

It’s the last time I’ll say this. Pay your dues. Renew your membership and reinvest in your growth by writing a check for your Toastmasters dues. Help your club remain healthy the next six months. Today is the big day.

It’s the other public service announcement that keeps on giving. Save the date! The District 13 Fall Symposium (held virtually) will be on October 16 from 9:30am to 3pm. Registration will be coming soon. Details will hopefully be coming soon too so I can share them on a future blog post.

Saturday’s Earlybirds Toastmasters meeting saw Walter J Smith and guest Jyoti Khare from Cranberry High Noon complete their level 3s in the Pathways educational program. Walter’s speech was about his “big move” to NH and Jyoti led us in Table Topics today.

Congrats to Walter J and his wife! They will be missed at the meeting but thank you for Zoom and the virtual platform so we can keep in touch with them

It was awesome meeting. If you were a guest, you were treated to three great speeches. The club inducted Levi as their second new member this year. Congrats and welcome Levi!

In addition to Walter J’s speech on his big move to New Hampshire, October and Donni gave great speeches today as well. Donni showed off her craft talents in her speech. Well done Donni!

Also completing her level 3 was Woman 2 Woman member Leora Flax.

Just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month, Leora Flax completed her Level 3 with a presentation about Juana Ines de la Cruz, a 17th-century writer, philosopher and composer who was condemned for her criticism of misogyny.
Leora gives some great informal speeches about less well-known women trailblazers who made a world of difference. Here’s to more exceptional speeches such as these in Level 4! Congratulations Leora on leveling up in your path.

Who doesn’t love a speech about cats?
At W2W, Linghan Zheng have a Researching and Presenting Project titled “Let’s talk about Cats.”
Linghan got the attention of her fellow Woman 2 Woman members while delightfully delivering a charming speech. How sweet was that speech? I know many of my coworkers have cats and my “family” loves their pets, The Mighty Thor and Harley. Here’s The Mighty Thor in his happy place.

Way to go, Linghan, on your speech.

I’m really hoping that I can attend this event on November 9. This red carpet event is not to be missed. RSVP early, because space is limited. I’ve been really wanting to attend a club meeting but it’s been hard to with my work schedule. Regardless of whether or not make this event, I plan to attend a regular meeting on November 23. I might want to get on it so if I go I can do my red carpet strut. Here’s today’s Toastmasters throwback.

The return of our soldiers, sailors, and airmen really aided in the growth of post-War Toastmasters clubs. Toastmasters Magazine during this time became a monthly publication and remains that way to this day.

Speech contests continued to go strong in post-WWII America, as evidenced by the Washington Toastmasters sponsoring a high school level contest. How motivated are you to win that speech contest and earn a full scholarship to the college of your choice?

In 1946, membership included brothers, and even fathers and sons. Seems like a rarity back then but with the way Toastmasters has evolved, anything is possible now. Maybe we’ll be able to bring our pets soon.

September is coming to an end and the first full week of Fall is here. It was nice to usher in the first full day of Autumn with cool temperatures and clouds. It was also nice to have a beautiful weekend we could enjoy, aside from the poor performance the Steelers gave us on Sunday against Cincinnati. Not getting any easier against Green Bay this coming weekend.

Anyway, enough about football and the wonderful weather. I’m here to give you all a look ahead into the best month Fall has to offer, the month of October. From what I posted last night in the stories so far, there’s a lot planned so far but that’s not all. I think next month will be fun filled to say the least.

We’re into the season… pumpkin spice season that is. I’m going to visit some local cafes and coffee shops to pick the best Pumpkin Spice Latte and fall treats. I’ll be at Market Street Pastries in Blairsville this week to kick off this contest. I aspire to have a blog up in a few weeks. I also have plans to go to Coffee Bean Cafe and Abigail’s Coffeehouse.

October is a month of birthdays in my family, including Annabelle who is turning nine on the 7th. But it’s not just any birthday month. This is a year of milestone birthdays in my family. We’ll celebrate Annabelle’s birthday at Mammoth Park this Sunday. Not this weekend but the one after is our Gaffron Family Reunion at Laurel Hill. This will be one of our biggest reunions in years. Since it’s our first big family event since before COVID, I’ll be really excited to see everyone. I’m looking forward to talking about how the blog has grown. Also, I’d love to wax a little fashion sense and talk about this year of gender nonconformity and dressing non traditionally. Plus, I want to show off my first love, Coach.

Stylish and Hungry segments take me to my little Stars Hollow. I have plans this weekend to try out the Kitchen on Main and have some brunch. The week after I will be looking forward to a meal at Carol and Dave’s Roadhouse. I might even have to throw in a fall treat at Abigail’s Coffeehouse.

Columbus Day weekend means it’s Fort Ligonier Days. I’ll be enjoying myself post-reunion and taking in all the sights at the Stars Hollow Autumn Festival. I plan on wearing one of my Gilmore Girls sweatshirts or, if Sara wants to meet up, my blazer. Even in the pandemic last year, it was still fun to shop around and stop in at all the little shops in town.

The week after that is not set in stone yet, but if October 16 brings good weather like it did this weekend, I’ll be heading to Slippery Rock University for Homecoming. Wait I thought you were done with that. You can take me out of Slippery Rock, but you can’t take Slippery Rock out of me. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, I’ll be attending the District 13 Fall Symposium and learning from our presenters and keynote speaker.

What other exciting plans do I have in mind for October? Maybe a fun shopping trip with my bestie. Where would we go? Possibly Target and ULTA or Kohl’s and Sephora for makeup or Sandy Johns in Ebensburg where we would have a lot of fun looking at flowers or clothes. How about a Fall Festival at Greendance on Halloween 🎃 weekend? I’ve been there a few times to watch my uncle perform with his band. The raspberry flavored wine is out of this world and the atmosphere is great. Raspberry ice cream is served there too.

As always don’t miss my Toastmasters News and Notes every week. I cover some of the big news in District 13 and congratulate those who earn achievements for their clubs. Also check back for my weekend lifestyle updates which I upload Sunday evenings.

Don’t miss my fashion blog posts. I’m still planning on talking about some awesome nail designs for Fall. Maybe I’ll rock some cute colors for Ligonier Days and reunion weekend. I’ll have to model my lip gloss for you all one day. This year of gender nonconformity has been one for the books. I even bought scrunchies tonight at Target. I also purchased a pumpkin bread kit. I’ll have to polish my baking skills sometime soon and do a food blog for you all.

Bye everyone. ❤️ you.

It’s the first weekend of fall and this weather has been absolutely perfect. Things are also somewhat better after last Saturday. Aunt Sue and my parents fighting for me… that’s a win. I know Paula and my Mom take on the mama bear role when their kids are being messed with. But Aunt Sue stepped up big time this week when she found out. #IStandWithJames

In this year of gender nonconformity (rocking my Coach purse; wearing makeup) and dressing non traditionally (wearing my leopard print cardigan or a dress), I’m going to have to expect some discrimination. Not everyone is open minded. This goes for any social media or in a conservative setting or anywhere else.

Aside from that, let’s talk about the weekend. Saturday, I ate lunch at Burgatory in Murrysville and gave a great review of my experience there. From there it was off to Westmoreland Mall because I had some more shopping at Bath and Body Works to accomplish. I bought some fall and holiday scented pocketbacs as well as some fall scented candles. But first, I stopped in at RSVP and met Faerie Grace who was doing her book signing. She released a children’s book called Wacky Jacky.

Back in March 2020, she left her beloved coffee mug at our Area content and worried that she lost it forever. Well, being the wonderful friend that I am, I held onto it for the last 18 months. We were never able to cross paths until recently when she returned to our in person Toastmasters meetings. I thought one of these days I’m going to return this mug to her. It was yesterday at RSVP. I said hi and Faerie asked if I had her mug. It was in my purse. She was so grateful that I held onto it for her. We chatted about Toastmasters, I talked to Suzanne and Alicia for a few minutes and then I was on my way.

I stayed home from church last night due to the fact that I had to get up early. Plus I was physically drained from last week alone. Thank God for a three day weekend coming up that ends with Annabelle’s 9️⃣ birthday party. You’ll read more in my blog that previews great upcoming events in October. Coming up, family birthday parties, Target, and Ligonier Days. Some surprises later in the month as well. Stay tuned.

I did get to see Annabelle’s new glasses she got from the eye doctor 👨‍⚕️. She looks smarter with them on. My family had a bonfire last night. I missed it because of my early morning today. Hopefully we do one again next week.

Not much to take away from today as I watched an unspectacular Steelers loss to Cincinnati. This team is in big trouble. I congratulated a Woman 2 Woman Toastmasters member for completing another level on her path. Great content coming to the September 30 edition of Toastmasters News and Notes.

I also got the opportunity to view some of Rob and Sara’s wedding pictures on her Instagram. What a great day it was to celebrate two wonderful friends (I mean, family members) There’s some gems in there.

Check back tomorrow for my look ahead to October. A lot of exciting events are coming up. A few trips to Ligonier are on the horizon. Plus, a lot of color will be popping up in my travels as leaves 🍁 begin to change. I hope you’ll tune in.

I’ll close off the blog with some pics of my little Stars Hollow.