Has there ever been a point in your life when you wanted time to stand still? Sure, everyone has.
But I’m not talking about a period in your life when you could look back on it now and wish, for example, my parents were still alive. I’m talking about being somewhere and getting so comfortable, that you just don’t want to move.
It seems that’s been happening to me a lot lately.
Just the other day, I was covering the Pittston Farmer’s Market and I stopped at Radle Farms to interview co-owner, Julie Radle. I had a nice conversation with her and I got to the point where I didn’t want to move. I got comfortable and was just enjoying the environment.
The Farmer’s Market was booming when I got there before noon. Tents were set up all over the lower lot of the Tomato Festival and people were buzzing around from tent to tent.
The farmers like Golomb, Dymond and Brace’s were selling fresh vegetables, flowers, fruit, baked goods and even beverages.
I chatted with Laura Valasakos, an energetic woman in her thirties who is a home brewer of non-alcoholic beverages. She told me she’s a native of Dallas, Back Mountain, now living in Allentown. She’s been brewing her product since 2013 but just started bottling it for sales in the last three years.
Since she works full time, she does this part-time, and she said she’d love to branch out to do it full time but for now, she will appear at the Pittston Farmer’s Market twice a month.
It’s a great way to get out, buy local and meet some lovely people, like Debbie Tighe and her daughter, Tracy.
You can read further about the Farmer’s Market in today’s edition.
If I could make time stand still, I’d stop time right now for the next six months. I’m trying to soak in as much as summer as possible without it getting away from me, but the minute I wake up for the day, I blink my eyes and it’s night time.
Days are getting shorter and for me, that’s a bummer.
I have a cousin that lives in Alaska, where sunrise is 5:26 a.m. and sunset is 10:58 p.m. Now that’s a long day. Can you image sun setting at 11 p.m.?
In one month from now, the Tomato Festival will be a thing of the past for another year and school will be a week or so away from starting the 2021-2022 school year.
I know time is flying this summer and I received another reminder from Sarah Donahue, the Tomato Festival’s parade coordinator, sending out an application notice for those that intend to be in the Tomato Festival parade this year.
According to Sarah, the parade will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21. Here is the website for the application to be entered in the parade: www.pittstontomatofestival.com/parade. There you will find details on the parade guidelines.
Speaking of Saturday, Aug. 21, Tomato Festival festivities, our own Bill Kelly, of Buoys, Dakota, and Jerry Kelly fame, will be the special guest and featured artist for the evening.
Bill will be bringing along his new musical partner, Jennifer Kane, and the duo performs as Kane & Kelly. Bill and Jennifer have scored a number 1 song, “The Storm,” on the Christian Country music charts. So, as you can see, our Wyoming Area alum can do it all in the music world.
They have another hit on the rise on the charts entitled “It’s Gonna Be Alright.’”
Bill’s roots are in rock ‘n roll and the two won’t disappoint the audience. According to Bill, he and Jennifer will be singing many of those familiar hits we are all accustomed to hearing from the aforementioned band hits, so yes, my guess is their set will close out with none other than “Timothy.”
Jennifer is from the south and has never been here before, so I think Bill will probably prep her on Greater Pittston culture, heyna or no?
So get set, Greater Pittston, and get to the festival early to grab a seat for Kane & Kelly. Their harmonies are amazing.
You know, it’s great to feel somewhat “normal” again by getting out, doing things, opening businesses fully, mingling amongst each other, but out there lurks the Delta variant of COVID and I’m not going to lie, that still has me worried a bit.
It looks like we may be back to wearing face masks this winter at this rate. I don’t mind wearing the mask because, well, I’m still alive and if you’re reading this so are you. So masks do work. Keep that in mind.
The vaccine naysayers need to get a grip on reality and understand that the vaccine does work. I heard a statistic the other that that 159 million Americans have received the vaccine and only 5,500 of those people ended up with COVID bad enough to the point of being hospitalized.
I’m not a mathematician but that’s way less than ½ of 1% of those that received the vaccine that had to be hospitalized from COVID.
If you did not receive the vaccine, I think it’s time to not only save yourself, but also save the people around you like family and friends.
Just as COVID affected the elderly in the beginning, the Delta variant is affecting children the most.
I’ve said it many times; you have to believe in the science, not political rhetoric. Get vaccinated.
Quote of the week
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
Thoughts of the week
“When you stop dreaming, you stop life.” – Tony Callaio
Bumper stick
“You are your home.” – Erin Hanson
