Let me tell you, it’s been good to turn the corner and head into spring and this past Friday was an absolute delight as they found out at the City of Pittston’s Second Friday Art Walk; the first one of the year.
After being laid up all day writing and editing and preparing photos for this week’s edition of the Sunday Dispatch, I was glad to get out in the evening.
I got to Main Street about 6 p.m., and the street was buzzing and flooded with people.
This year, Mary Kroptavich, Pittston’s Main Street manager told me they stretched the limits of vendors all the way down to Broad Street because of the record number of vendors and artists that signed up for the first art walk.
Plenty of shops and restaurants on Main Street were open like Grace & Park and Callahan’s Restaurant to name two.
If the idea is to get people downtown, then mission accomplished and like I mentioned, the weather was in total 100% cooperation mode with the sun out and the humidity was nice and low.
There were vendors and artists on Main that I’ve never really seen before and that’s a good thing getting in new faced to the downtown.
Merchant doors were wide open and even some have garage doors bringing the outside in. That’s a great concept and I bet as time goes on and storefronts get reconfigured, you’ll see more of that.
Granted, we don’t have 12 months out of the year that would warrant a garage door, but between an early spring and late autumn, it’s a nice touch to the downtown.
It’s always great to see Richie Kossuth and the boys playing at a Pittston event. When I think of Pittston parties, I think of Richie playing in some way, shape or form.
At 7 p.m., a balloon release was held in honor of the late first lady of balloons, TJ Belt. TJ was a fixture when it came to city events. She would set up her table and children would flock to her to walk away with some kind of balloon animal or object.
She loved her craft and more importantly, she loved seeing all those smiling faces after she handed over one of her creations.
I wrote about TJ last week and it was a true privilege to honor her in such a manor. It’s always tough to write about someone that passed away and try to capture their true essence, but her family, who I got to meet for the first time, was really appreciative and that made me feel very good about what I put into that article.
The sad fact is, we are all passing through, some sooner and some later, but nobody gets to stay on this planet forever. I think we all would like to be remembered in some special way and as I was writing about TJ, I was hoping I did her honor.
During his speech, Mayor Lombardo wanted the Belt family to know the city will be doing someone in the future to remember TJ and it will be in the form or a piece of art that will live at the Tomato Festival lot high on a light standard. As Mayor Mike said, “She’ll be looking over us.”
TJ passed away in March from cancer that we were all sure she was going to beat, but we don’t have the final say.
She did her work on earth and it was good and right and joyful and that did not go unnoticed. As the saying goes, “Only the good die young.”
Life can’t get much better than making balloon animals.
It was so good to get out and walk amongst friends and plenty of them.
For those of us who have been around long enough like petrified wood, tend to have a long list of friends and seeing people out is good for the soul.
For example, you walk along, stop to talk to someone then move on for about 20 or 30 more feet and stop to talk to someone else, it’s great. If you can make one whole block in 30 minutes, then you are doing well.
The other thing that struck me, and I knew it would feel like this again one day, but it felt like there was never a pandemic. You know, that virus thing that had everyone upside down?
I kept saying that once we got past the pandemic, we would eventually forget how it really was for 18 months to two-years.
But you know what? We did get through it and now if feels, as I walked up and down Main Street, like it did before the pandemic. Hallelujah.
Not to say the coronavirus isn’t around, we know it still is. I have a friend currently in rehab after her bad bout of it. There will be more medical scares in the future I’m sure, so maybe when the next one every comes down the pike, we will be better prepared for it and we will handle it better.
Enjoy the upcoming long summer days – I know I will.
Thought of the Week
“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You re the continuation of each of these people.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Quote of the Week
“We are what our thought s have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.” – Sami Vivekananda
Bumper Sticker
“We think too much and feel too little.” – Charlie Chaplin
