Juniata County's Grasshopper War

September 15, 2023

I am a little late to the game since it began in 2018, but I have begun watching the television series, Yellowstone. If you aren’t familiar with it, I will give you a brief overview. The series follows the Dutton family, the patriarch being John Dutton played by Kevin Costner, as they strive to protect the family ranch in Montana called Yellowstone. It is constantly under attack by those seeking this picturesque and valuable land for development. It also involves the bordering Indian reservation of Broken Rock. Believe me when I say there is plenty of drama! Some of which is a bit farfetched, and a lot of it very vigilante in style. There is a lot of violence, and I must admit I may have hidden under a pillow or even left the room to make a bed when there were uncomfortable scenes. That said, I keep going back for more. I think there are several reasons for this, the first being that I enjoy watching Kevin Costner in his role. He plays a very complex character, and I appreciate that. He has many layers and I think we can all relate. The lines he draws between right and wrong are often blurred, but it does come from a place of love and devotion to his family and his land. Learn More

Kids Say the Darndest Things

June 29, 2023

There was a television show that ran from 1952-1970, hosted by Art Linkletter entitled Kids Say the Darndest Things. The premise was this. Art would ask the children on the show a question, often concerning a deep life topic, and they would reply in a way only an innocent child could, with simplistic honesty, which resulted most times in humor. As a mother to four children, two of them twins, and nana to seven grandchildren, all ages five and under, I can attest to the fact that children most certainly have an interesting and humorous view on life. I thought it might be entertaining to share a few of my personal experiences. My two-year-old grandson, Ollie, was having a full-on meltdown for some unknown reason when his compassionate three-year-old sister, Sloan, patted his shoulder and asked, “Ollie Boy, do you need $40?” Why she thought money would soothe his woes, or why the amount was $40, not $50 or $100, heaven only knows. Learn More

Clicking the Heels of My Ruby Slippers

June 29, 2023

Clicking the Heels of My Ruby Slippers Everyone should take a trip out of the area once and a while to truly appreciate what we have right here. Why is it our tendency to think what we have is subpar? Allow me to explain. Last weekend I took a trip to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Hickory Run State Park. Don’t get me wrong, it was a wonderful experience and if you have never visited this area of the Poconos, I would highly recommend it, but as I looked at the mountains and walked the trails, I was thinking of home. As I have mentioned before, I am a sucker for waterfalls, no matter the width or height. They each have their own allure and beauty and this area did not disappoint. On day one I visited the tallest waterfall in the state of Pennsylvania, which is Raymondskill Falls. An interesting fact about this three-tiered falls, its total length is just a few feet shorter than Niagara Falls! Next stop, which was only a few miles away, was the second tallest, Dingmans Falls, as well as the fifth in the state, Silverthread Falls. One short hike yielded two very different, but both incredible waterfalls. Dingmans was the larger of the two, and quite stunning, but Silverthread, although much narrower, was unique in its perfection. It looked as though someone had carefully chiseled it out of the rock in a perfectly straight line. Learn More