Western Pennsylvania
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The “Ghost” of Simon Girty
My Grandma Gaffron often joked that the ghost of Simon Girty hung around the Gaffron family property in North Huntingdon, Westmoreland County. “Simon Girty took my glasses,” she said when she couldn’t find…
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Great Expectations
Last night, we and several family members walked for two and a half hours on the Old Allegheny Victorian Christmas House Tour. Jonathan believes that he and I have gone on the tour…
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Credit Where Credit is Due
I want to clarify that my father-in-law, Dr. Dennis Woytek, took photo #4 and photo #5 in my prior blog entry of December 6. My husband, Jonathan Woytek, took the rest of the…
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Christmas Past in My Parnassus
Ten years ago this month, I drove into Parnassus (and New Kensington) for the very first time. On that bright, warm December Saturday I followed Jonathan’s directions from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I drove…
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Parnassus is Not Gone: A Non-Review of “American Elegy” by Jeffrey Simpson
When I found Jeffrey Simpson’s 1996 New York Times article about Parnassus two weeks ago, I was so excited that I posted a link to it on a Facebook page for local historical…
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Parnassus Mentioned in the New York Times / Chicago Tribune News
I want to share this article by Jeffrey Simpson dated August 31, 1996 titled, “When You Inherit the Family Farm, You Own the Memories, Too.” The byline identifies it as a New York Times story; however,…
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Overview: 2013 WPF In Your Write Mind Workshop at Seton Hill University
I attended the In Your Write Mind Workshop sponsored by Writing Popular Fiction Alumni at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, held June 27-30, 2013. This is my perspective as an outsider both to Seton…
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Not-So-Silent Spring
There are many different ways to spend the weekend of Father’s Day. Jonathan and I spent today at a birthday picnic for my sister Liz at my parents’ house. Other families attend Fly-In…
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Dravo Cemetery on the Yough River Trail
Several miles into our bicycle ride last weekend, my back started to hurt. I told Jonathan that I was going to stop for break. He said, “Dravo Cemetery’s ahead. Only two more…
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Spring Comes to the Ruins
Last autumn, I posted a photo of this mill along Dunbar Creek in Fayette County. Here is the same mill as it appeared two weekends ago. During our previous visit, I stood…