Today is September 11, 2025. That means 24 years have passed since that awful day that we said we would never forget. It has been 24 years since the horrors of that day caused so many of our citizens to set aside their differences to do what was right and to unite under one flag. There was no room for partisan politics.
We were Americans.
I hope to someday see our country that united and committed to a singular cause and in circumstances less tragic. A few years ago I wrote a story about the Flight 93 Memorial. I encourage you to read it and to think about my words. Click here.
It’s called The First Presbyterian Church Of The Covenant and it’s located on a peaceful tree-lined street in Erie, Pennsylvania. This impressive Gothic Revival church with a soaring bell tower is impressive both inside and out.
It was dedicated in 1930 which surprised me a little because it seems much older. The doors are impressive as is all the stained glass. Theres an enormous pipe organ and columns that give the sanctuary weight and substance. The tile floors are incredible and the ceiling is gorgeous.
I read somewhere that the stained glass came from three different studios including Tiffany in New York City.
We slipped into the back before Sunday services and eavesdropped on a sound check as an incredibly talented tenor prepared for his part. We spoke with someone who said they have begun planning their centennial celebration and it was gratifying to know they have an active congregation that is looking toward the future while honoring their past.
Years ago, I wrote a story about a place called DeLuca’s in Pittsburgh’s famous Strip District. It’s where I waited in line for a counter seat and where I discovered a new breakfast favorite – blueberry chocolate chip pancakes. You can read that story here.
We took a stroll through the Strip before I left Pittsburgh this last time and I was reminded of those pancakes when we came upon this sight.
That’s DeLuca’s, a tiny spot with a giant rooster on the roof. That mural on the next door building is new since I was there before. The line of people outside the door is not new. There’s always a line and it’s usually pretty long.
Around here, mindfulness is the word as I try to slow things down, soften the edges of my own life, and remove myself from places where I do not belong.
Around here, I’m holding onto my post vacation haze as best as I can and am working to follow through on my promises to eat better and enjoy more quiet time doing what pleases me. Reading a book in bed has never been a bad idea.
It feels like fall right now and I’m loving every minute of it even though the forecast is for upper eighties next week. I’ll live in this moment and take my meals on the back porch. This weekend I made a hearty soup and began planning for more new-to-me soup recipes. Any dish that starts with onion, celery and carrots in a big pot is fine by me.
Around here, I am suffering the consequences of reinjuring a knee that had been healing. This time, though, I’m taking it more seriously since the doctor has been more plain and scary with his language. I turned down a hike this weekend because a trip to the grocery store Friday night had left it too inflamed and angry to be out in the woods.
Although, natural ground is quite pleasing as opposed to the harsh concrete and pavement that covers so much of our “civilized” world. What does that impulse to build and pave over everything that is natural say about our choices as humans?
Around here, I’m making a conscious effort to leave the tv off and the smartphone out of reach. I watch very little tv but tend to turn it on for noise. I have been listening to more podcasts and music lately and have been reading more books. I have been better able to focus on what’s in front of me which is no small accomplishment in a world of constant distraction.
Around here, I’m enjoying more porch meals which are always accompanied by a show. An orchestra comprised of all the best things found in nature make an amazing sound track for even the simplest meal. I wish more people understood the beauty in being quiet in nature. The buzz of a hummingbird’s wings as it hovers over a flower, the constant thrum of locusts, chirps of crickets, the occasional tree frog, and coo of the Mourning Dove are just a few of my favorite sounds. Even the rustle of breeze through changing leaves sounds remarkable when you allow yourself to enjoy such small pleasures.
Around here, it’s the start of another week. More busy days, more dr appointments, more meals to cook, and more meetings are the sort of toil sure to keep the week moving forward. I hope to squeeze in plenty of porch meals, reading time and other things that bring joy to my days.
Around here, I recognize that this won’t just happen. I have to make it all happen so that around here is a place I really want to be.
If you have ever been to Erie, Pa odds are good you’ve been past Sara’s Restaurant. Only, it’s not just a restaurant. It’s a nostalgic, roadside attraction and tradition for visitors to Presque Isle State Park since 1980.
It started out as an ice cream stand but now has a menu of hot dogs, cheeseburgers, onion rings and the like and it is always busy. Luckily, there’s a big parking lot, lots of outdoor seating, plenty of fun things to look at and staff that hustles to keep things moving.
Their motto is “Food tastes better with a smile” and we saw lots of smiles as families pose for pictures with things like Simpsons characters and a giant Humpty Dumpty perched atop a lifeguard chair. We wandered around outside so I could drool over advertising pieces before giggling at signs inside.
We did just get shakes because there’s not much food on the menu that’s vegetarian friendly other than fries and onion rings and maybe not them depending on how they’re fried. But I am not their target market and there was still ice cream.
There are sundaes, floats and cones to choose from but I opted for a shake. That’s the one thing I forgot to take a picture of but it was just the right consistency, a mild chocolate, and the perfect size.
I can see why folks have made a trek to Sara’s an annual tradition! Want to learn more? Visit their website so you can plan your visit. Hop over the Make the Journey Fun Facebook page today to see more pictures from my visit over Labor Day weekend!
