By: Chrysa Smith "WE ARE ...."????? Now, if you live in Pennsylvania or are one of the millions of alumni, you know the answer to this. We are, of course, Penn State. It's the chant you'll hear from the moment you take a campus tour through the athletic stadiums. My, even the retailers have taken note. While heading into State College (aka: Happy Valley), I noticed a sign that read 'We Are....Beer.' Hmm, [...]
By: Chrysa Smith The farm-to-table movement has changed the face of restaurant dining. And thank God. There's nothing quite like the tastes of fresh produce and meat just plucked, just butchered, just served quickly. It's funny, but having been raised in the city, way before this healthier dining phenomenon, I never realized just how delicious a farm fresh egg could be. Or fish just caught early in the morning. But those who [...]
By: Chrysa Smith If a picture paints a thousand words, then----you know the rest. So I will just say 'enjoy' these shots taken today at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey. The installation is a wonderland for adults, minus the death-defying amusements. Rather, it is the unexpected representations of human form, in all forms, set in very expected settings. Well, you'll see. not homeless; just a sculpture taking a mid-afternoon snooze [...]
By: Chrysa Smith It had to be over 20 years ago. My father-in-law loaded up his RV and took us up from Laurel, Montana through Red Lodge, Montana---one of the cutest towns I've been in. I can't quite remember where the final destination was, but I do remember a young girl bouncing around singing her own version of 'Little Bunny, Foo Foo.' Fast forward through years of growth, fun, a trial or [...]
By: Mary Fran Bontempo Okay, I'll admit, the title of this post is a little sneaky. Because I'm really talking about the things I have to do before your summer vacation--the one you would take at my house. I'm happy and blessed to be able to spend summers at the shore, where I gladly play host to family and friends whenever possible. When people get to enjoy a break at the shore, [...]
By: Mary Fran Bontempo I know I'm dating myself, but do you remember crooners? Truth be told, I don't either, at least not directly. Crooners were of the Frank Sinatra generation, and of course, Sinatra was the king of crooners. Thanks to my parents, mostly my dad, I was pretty well schooled in Sinatra, but I never swooned over Sinatra. The closest I ever came to swooning over a singer was my massive [...]
Okay, this is a bit of a rerun, but it still (and always will) applies. If you are on an electronic device this July 4th, read this column, then TURN IT OFF and have some non-electronic Fourth of July fun! --Mary Fran It’s all about freedom, isn’t it? The 4th of July, Independence Day, is our nation’s birthday. The day when we celebrate the blessings of living in a country where we can [...]
