Aw Else Boutique, LLC

If you've read my earlier entries and my "about" information, you'll already know that I have not been a frequent patron of Greensburg's local retailers.  There are many, many GBG stores on my list of places to investigate, so this might be premature to say this, but: Aw Else Boutique (or AEB) is the cutest retailer in Greensburg I've visited.

Before I go any further, I have to mention that I once again do NOT have Greensburg Directions to Aw Else's location at 1020-4 Towne Square Drive, Greensburg - but it's not my fault this time!  The establishments on Towne Square are new.  The only thing that used to be there was a hillside! 

Next, I think it's important to address the adorable story of how the boutique got its name.  Partners Danielle Testa and Mark White live in Greensburg - she with her four-year-old daughter, Ella and he with his three girls Ashley, Amanda, and Ally.  They came up with a clever way to name the boutique after all four girls.  Specifically, Aw Else comes from the girls' initials: Ashley, Ally and Amanda White = “Aw” and “Else” Ella Louise Shaffer.

Picture of the girls I totally lifted from the AEB website

Personally, I think it's also aptly named because you walk into one area of the store and go, "AW! Look at this whimsical bracelet."  Then you stroll over to another corner and say, "Aw d@mn this is a hot pair of shoes!"  Plus, there you can find everything "else" you need to transform an ordinary ensemble into something uniquely you!

Aw Else Boutique is Danielle's and Mark's response to losing their j.o.b.s in 2009.  Danielle was interested in opening a boutique for women's accessories because she loves fashion and how having just the right accent piece can allow a woman turn a nice outfit into a fabulous outfit.  Ladies, you know it's true.  Those times when you have the perfect pairing of clothing and accessories - whether it's a handbag with a pop of color, a scarf tied just so, or an attention-grabbing cocktail ring - it's total fashion Zen, right?  (NOTE: I'm somewhat fashionably challenged, so this has happened to me on far too few occasions.  But I still know the feeling!)  The store just celebrated a year in business in August.

Now to the types of items you'll find at AEB!

I have sort of a hate-love relationship with the three-word descriptors of stores or products.  On one hand, it's kind of tired.  On the other, it can be a simple way to capture the essence of something.  I have many more words I could use, but I'm boiling my Aw Else labels down to Functional, Fun, and Flair.

The functional comes in the form of items that you need like umbrellas, shoes, gloves, luggage and other bags.  But many of the products are extra functional because Danielle places a special focus on offering styles of an interchangeable nature.  Aw Else carries the Transformers® of women's accessories, if you will.  It started with Danielle's past as a frequent, corporate traveler who found herself struggling to find luggage solutions that kept travel as light and convenient as possible.  The result is several interchangeable lines of accessories you'll find at Aw Else, including shoes and jewelry, which are geared toward minimizing the number of items you need and allowing you to swap out accessories and change your look as simply as possible.

You can change the "snaps" on these (hot!) Lindsay Phillips pumps
to modify the style to best suit your outfit!

Of course, the fun comes naturally because it's enjoyable to try out different accessories and to "play" with your fashions.  Aw Else carries all those "fun" types of accessories your outfit doesn't officially "need," but take getting dressed from something you just do to something creative that you really look forward to.  Beyond the boutique’s products, AEB makes shopping extra fun, too, with their AEB Bucks program.  Patrons who accumulate 250 AEB Bucks receive a $25 gift card to use in the store.  And although each dollar you spend at AEB earns you one AEB buck, bucks can be earned through other means, as well, such as customer referrals and instructions found in Aw Else's email newsletter.

Finally, Aw Else accessories have flair - and not in the Office Space sense.  You can find accessories in any old women's store, but you'll find something more interesting, more out of the ordinary at Aw Else Boutique.  At Aw Else, they're not mere accessories, they're adornments. If she lived around here, Fancy Nancy™ would shop at Aw Else (despite the fact that I didn't notice any feather boas...), as their assortment includes choices for every woman to add her own, truly personal touch to her wardrobe.  Aw Else's options are perfect for the woman who doesn't mind standing out from the crowd a bit.  And face it:  Shouldn't we all want to stand out, at least occasionally?

So that takes care of my three f-words, but let me add one more: aFFordable.  You'll find a variety of price ranges among the different lines of product at Aw Else, but none of them are super pricey by any means.  Not only will you find something to fit your style, but you can find goodies that will also fit your budget.

I love going to Aw Else to buy gifts because I know I'm likely to find a present the receiver hasn't seen before.  But I also have a personal Aw Else wish list that's longer than my arm (ahem, did you see those shoes?).  To anyone who intends to buy me a Christmas gift this year, you now know where to go to get me something I'll love at a reasonable price!

I almost forgot that I took this picture of my first-grader, Emily, with the sharp, new tote bag I got for her at Aw Else for carrying her books and papers to school:

No boring backpack for this kid!

I got a great deal on it, as the parent company that sells the line is phasing it out (stop in NOW if you want to get in on the clearance sale!).  The other good news is that it reminded me of something else about important about Aw Else: They are truly interactive with their clientele - through their blog, Facebook, and Pinterest - and value feedback.  Hop over to their latest blog post to see how they're engaging customers to help them select a new line of bags to add to their lines.

Nature's Way Market

Proud as I am of our little city, I've never thought of Greensburg as being a particularly cutting-edge type place.  But, consider this: although Trader Joe's traces its roots to 1967 in Pasadena, California, Whole Foods wasn't even born until 1980 in Austin, Texas.  Yet Nature's Way Market has been around  since 1977.  In little old Greensburg, PA. 

That's right.  We were Crunchy, When Crunchy Wasn't Cool.  (Does anyone get that reference?)  Clearly, owner Kitty Tuscano was way ahead of her time.

Nature's Way Market is located at 796 Highland Avenue, next to Schaller's Bakery.  For the life of me, I cannot think of what used to be near the location of this market.  So I'm sad to report that I have NO Greensburg Directions to Nature's Way.  [Hangs head in shame.]  If you can think of a reference point that used to be near there, PLEASE let me know. 

WHAT on earth used to be around here???

I've been in Nature's Way on many occasions over the years, stopping in now and again to pick up bulk spices (hello, cheaper!), a natural skin care product, or a new food to try.  But lately I'm attempting to step it up with the weight loss and wellness journey that I have been on for the past two years.  I'm working on moving my family toward eating more of a whole foods, plant-based diet.  (Yeah, they're totally not on board with this.  But I try.)  So I am becoming more of a 'regular' Nature's Way shopper.

I never cease to be amazed at what they manage to hold in that little store.  I'll go in their with a list of esoteric ingredients for a recipe I want to try and attempt to find them on my own.  After about 20 minutes of searching, I'll finally admit to myself that I'm hopelessly lost and ask for help.  Not only do all the employees know exactly where everything is in the market, but they always have what I need, no matter how foreign it intially sounds to me.  It's hard for me to imagine how they can seemingly have "everything" in such a modest space. 

Whether you're looking for meat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, organic or other healthy food options, Nature's Way Market is sure to have what you need.  On top of their edible offerings, the market carries a host of supplements, natural and organic personal care products, environmentally-friendly cleaning products, and just about everything else you can imagine to support a healthier lifestyle for you and your family. 

Furthermore, their website includes several helpful features, including the product showcase that allows you to search for specific items or brands in over 30 categories.  On the left navigation bar, you'll also find references, news, and other useful tools.

Nature's Way often hosts events and invites their partners into the store.  Several times a month, you can visit during "Pam's Cooking" sessions and enjoy a yummy treat while you shop.  On one of my recent visits, Edible Kneads and Palmer's Farm were also both on site. 

Malinda of Edible Kneads was offering samples of her "savory" treats - freshly baked bagels with flavored cream cheeses and hummus.  I picked up two for myself, and I have to say that a toasted "everything" bagel topped with hummus makes an excellent lunch.  (I asked Malinda what was the everything in the everything bagel and she replied, "Everything important."  No argument here.)  Edible Kneads is a bake shop in Ligonier and their items can also be found at a few other local establishments like DV8 Espresso Bar & Gallery in Greensburg and Connections Cafe in Ligonier.

Neil Palmer of Palmer's Farm was offering some beautiful produce items.  (I bought a tomato as big as my face and a couple of other veggies.)  Palmer's Farm is one of many vendors that Nature's Way has partnered with to bring local, sustainable products to Greensburg.  Palmer's is a fourth generation, local farm committed to promoting biodiversity through natural fertilization and intensive crop rotation.  Their organic farming techniques allow them to keep their crops healthy while minimizing - or even eliminating - the use of chemicals.

I think the best thing about Nature's Way is that they are clearly committed to the beliefs they espouse on their website.  They are not merely jumping on the latest trends in healthy living and environmental science to make a buck.  Nature's Way Market is not only committed to providing high-quality products and superior customer service, they also financially support the organizations that work toward the initiatives they believe in.  Nature's Way supports non-GMO* efforts and local conservation groups.  For the past seven years, they have been a 1% For the Planet member, donating over $150,000 toward local conservation efforts.

Finally, I always enjoy my trips to Nature's Way because it's so positive and friendly - and I typically run into someone I know there and it turns into a social outing as well as a shopping trip.  The next time I go there, maybe I'll see you!

*GMO = genetically modified organism = frankenfood.  If you don't know about GMOs, you don't know what you're eating.  Eek!  Seriously, look into it before your next trip to purchase groceries.

The Chocolate Shoppe

Oh. Sweet. Goodness – Literally and figuratively!

Although I had sampled goodies from The Chocolate Shoppe at several events, including a bridal shower I attended recently, I hadn’t been into the store until last week.  I stopped in during one of the store’s frequent events, this one called “Indulge: An Evening of Sumptuous Sweets & Social Shopping.”  The store was quite full of shoppers, but given that there was chocolate and wine, I was somewhat surprised the crowd wasn’t spilling into the street.  But maybe that’s just me.

Speaking of the street, I need to provide directions, but I have to admit that I’m struggling with my Greensburg Directions on this one.  Sigh. 

The Chocolate Shoppe is located at 118 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, which is situated roughly between the YMCA Annex (where the Armory used to be; most people I know still just call it the Armory) and the Rialto.   According to owner Melissa O’Brien, the site was a Mary Kay retailer (everything was pink) most recently before it became her Chocolate Shoppe, but that it also used to be Image Craft and an art store.  In trying to figure out what used to be at and around The Chocolate Shoppe, I did also learn that Pennsylvania Avenue used to be named Junction Street – so named when the railroad was built and crossed the street not far from where the store is now.  Before the railroad came through, the road was known as Back Street.  If anyone knows what used to be where The Chocolate Shoppe (or any of the addresses on that block ) now sits, I’d love to hear it!

The Jelly Belly Shelf

(Silly iPhone camera - the walls are NOT a hideous

yellow. The store has a very aesthetically pleasing brown

and muted green theme.)

On to the goodies!  The Chocolate Shoppe is filled with unbelievable treats.  As you would expect, most of them involve chocolate, but the store also carries some other gourmet sweets, including Jelly Belly® jelly beans and the best gummy bears I ever had.  Which I know because I bought them for my girls, but Emily didn’t care for the out-of-the-ordinary flavors of these bears.  Mommy wins. 

My Goodie Bag (and Twinkie)

Just about anything you can cover in chocolate is offered at the store, from the typical (strawberries, apples, nuts) to the less expected (bacon, hot peppers).   One of the store’s specialties is chocolate-covered cheesecake.  I forced myself to pass on the cheesecake and bacon, but I did pick up a chocolate-covered Twinkie® on a stick, because I had it on good authority that it was The. Best. Thing. Ever.  (It did not disappoint.)  I brought it home and cut it into four pieces for the family to share.  I was actually glad that each of us enjoyed our Twinkie segment so that I didn’t have to polish it off myself as I’d done with the gummy bears.  (I’m thinking I would have had to add at least an extra two miles to my next run if I had.) 

One of the MANY shelves of chocolaty goodness

While I was at the Indulgence event, I mentioned to Melissa that chocolate-covered pretzels are my favorite food (not candy, food) in the world.  They have the salty, the sweet, the yin-yang – YUM!  She suggested that I try their Sea Salt Dark Chocolate.  And now I have a new favorite.  She said they also make it in a milk chocolate variety, but 1) they were out of it that day, 2) I do love me some dark chocolate, and 3) dark chocolate has antioxidants.  It’s practically like taking vitamins!  (Don’t burst my bubble on this one.)  I’ve already been back to the store once to pick up a couple more squares of the stuff.  And right at this moment, I’m thinking about where I need to go later today and how The Chocolate Shoppe just might be on my way from Point A to Point B....

I mentioned that I indulged in some of Melissa’s chocolate creations at a bridal shower recently .  Bridal showers and weddings are just a couple of the events that The Chocolate Shoppe caters to.  The Shoppe also specializes in corporate events, holiday parties and fund raising activities.  And if you’re looking for a new and different place to hold your child’s next birthday party, The Chocolate Shoppe has reasonable packages that include, among other things, the kiddoes getting to make their very own chocolate-covered creation! 

Finally, I love the success story of The Chocolate Shoppe.  You can read all about it on her website, but basically Melissa turned her talent for making chocolaty treats for friends and family into a successful business venture. 

Whether you have been there before or not, you should stop by soon and treat yourself to something yummy.  After all, doesn’t a little chocolate make everything better?  (Just don’t bogart the Sea Salt Dark Chocolate….)

The Westmoreland: The Place for American Art

My husband earned a master's degree in U.S. History from the University of South Florida.  Naturally, he attended USF with history students from all over the country and most of them were tremendously jealous that Bob grew up just a day-trip away from Gettysburg, PA – which is a mecca for U.S. history buffs.  They couldn’t believe that he’d not only been there, but had on several occasions visited the site of the turning point of the American Civil War.

What does this have to do with The Westmoreland, Western Pennsylvania's only museum of American Art?  As Western Pennsylvanians, we often take for granted the rich history of our town and larger area.  Arthur St. Clair, buried in St. Clair Park, was the last president of the United States before the Constitution.  George Washington himself led troops right through our area.  As one of the original thirteen states, Pennsylvania played a significant role in our country’s founding and early history.  And The Westmoreland museum brings that early history and American values to life, visually, through its permanent collection of artworks. 

When I started this blog, The Westmoreland was one of my primary targets for places I’d never been but knew I should have visited by now.  It's something unique and remarkable - and it's right here - yet I'd never entered.  So finally, last Friday, Bob and I made our first visit to The Westmoreland during their monthly event, Art on Tap, which is a casual happy hour with music, food, drinks, and more.

Art on Tap

The Westmoreland's own, fun artwork for promoting these events

(which I lifted from their website)

First of all, this event is a bargain of an evening out.  Admission is just $7 (the museum's recommended admission donation during regular hours is $5 for adults) and includes tickets for two drinks, plus the aforementioned entertainment.*  Also, the atmosphere is festive and friendly – and you’re likely to bump into a Greensburger you know.  We saw several friends there and got to meet a few new people, as well!

More importantly, once you’ve enjoyed your snack and beverage, you are free to take in the exhibits.  The museum’s permanent collection is comprised of paintings, sculptures and other works from early American artists.  Among my favorite items to take in were the beautiful pieces of furniture.  For me, seeing those decor items really drives home how different life was then as compared to now.  As the museum’s website describes, the artwork really enhances the concepts behind our American ideals, including freedom, opportunity and diversity.  It’s the early American experience brought to life.  I hate to be cliché, but it really is like a little trip back through time.

In addition to the permanent collection, we entered the other exhibit on the second floor, which contains a variety of modern and contemporary art from local American artists, in the wing opposite the permanent collection.  The juxtaposition of the two collections is quite startling but in a fun way.  There are additional galleries on the first floor that we didn’t take the time to explore during this visit.

Other Highlights

We also didn’t visit this area, but The Westmoreland also has a first-floor area called KidSpace, a place to explore art in a hands-on way.  Classes and camps for kids are also offered at the museum throughout the year. These, as well as other museum events and activities can be found on The Westmoreland’s calendar of events page.  Guided tours are also available by appointment.

Art from The Westmoreland's "Imagine Nation" program for kids.

Finally, The Westmoreland also includes An American Marketplace, its shop (full of cool stuff for kids and adults!) and coffee bar which is open during normal museum hours.

Location and History

The Westmoreland is situated between North Main Street and North Maple Avenue, across Park Street from the Greensburg Salem school district’s administration building and middle school.  Although the location served as city hall at one time long ago, I'm sad to say that there aren’t any Greensburg directions to the museum, as it and the buildings around it have been pretty permanent fixtures for our town.  (Maybe one of your more, um, seasoned friends might say that it’s located across from the “old” Greensburg High School, but that's about it.) 

However, the site was originally the home of the parents of Mary Todd Marchand Woods, the person responsible for the museum’s establishment.  Mrs. Woods was the widow of Cyrus Woods, an ambassador to Japan and, in 1949, she set up the foundation that would create and fund the museum.  When she died in 1953, she left a two million dollar trust fund to the museum’s establishment and bequeathed her private collection to the foundation.  Construction began in 1957, and museum was officially opened in June of 1959.  Ten years later, The Westmoreland’s west wing was added.

Plan a Visit!

Whether you’ve never been there or haven’t been there in a while, I would recommend a visit to The Westmoreland for taking in and appreciating the history and culture of our home town area. 

Impress a date! 

Culture your kids! 

Get in touch with our history!

Go soon!

*Admission for August's Art on Tap will be free and there will be a cash bar.  The event is Friday, August 10th, from 5:00 to 7:00, and Bill Stankay of Fallen Media will perform.

Summer Sounds, Greensburg's Concert in the Park

Friday evening, the whole family took our blankets and cooler to the Summer Sounds concert at the Robertshaw Amphitheater at St. Clair Park.  I'm going to share what fun we had there, but first I have a tangent about my Greensburg Directions.

I started mentioning the things that used to be at current sites to poke a little fun at us Greensburgers' bad habit of giving people - even out-of-towners - directions based upon land marks that aren't there any more.  (My dad was once given directions that included making a turn "where the barn that burned down 10 years ago was.")  But digging into these details keeps piquing my curiosity.  So even though Greensburg's original school house has been gone far too long for anyone to tell you to "take Arch Avenue past where the school house used to be," here are some interesting facts about St. Clair Park - facts that further demonstrate what a cool town we live in.

• The park is named for Arthur St. Clair, one of the first presidents of our country.  "What?!" you say.  See image above.  Also, learn how he was quite the important figure in early American history in this Post-Gazette article, published earlier this year.
• It was originally St. Clair Cemetery.  St. Clair's remains remain (as well as a few others), but the rest of the cemetery was moved ages ago.
• The site was home to Greensburg's first school, originally erected as a one-room, log building in the 1780s.   In 1833, it was replaced by a brick edifice where it held classes until 1857 when the new railroad made the location too noisy.
• In 1911, Mrs. Lloyd B. Huff, prominent wife of a banker, had her gardener cut the grass at the site to give kids a central play area.  This started the chain of events that eventually lead to the creation of the Greensburg Recreation Board in 1949. 
• It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The playground holds a special place in my heart because we would walk there from our house on Center Avenue (and my grandparents' on Arch) when I was a small child.  I love, love, love that St. Clair Park has been a place for play and entertainment for over 100 years.

And, of course, St. Clair Park is now home to Robertshaw Amphitheater (completed in 2000, although the city originally planned to build it way back in the 1950s), the venue for the city's summer concert series.  Which is what I set out to describe.  Anyone still with me?

Well, this part is easy.  Whether your Friday plans include hanging out with friends, fun for the whole family, or a date night, the concert in the park fits the bill. Yes, it's really that one-size-fits-all. 

Despite arriving very close to the 7:00 start, we were able to find a parking place a short walk up the hill from the entrance on Maple Avenue.  It was also no problem to find the four of us a good spot to sit on the lawn.  And the atmosphere is awesome!  Friendly and fun - like everyone there knows everyone there.  (We did also run into several people we actually know.) 

After opening act Zachary Hudson, Civil Twilight, a band from South Africa, took the stage.  Civil Twilight is described on the Summer Sounds® website as "Coldplay meets U2 meets Moody Blues."  I don't want to dwell too much on the band, since the point of this post is about how cool it is that the City of Greensburg has been offering these concerts for FREE on Fridays through the last ten summers, so I'll suffice it to say that Summer Sounds organizers are bringing in interesting and talented bands for these events.  So if you were thinking free concert = lousy act, think again.

Although the concerts are free, Summer Sounds has volunteers at a table collecting donations to help keep the series going.  Another way the concerts in the park make for a cheap, fun evening is that you're able to bring your own picnic basket or cooler.  If you want to travel light, you can grab refreshments at the concession stand.  The volunteers at the stand seemed quite busy throughout the evening, despite the fact that most people brought their own food and beverage - including alcoholic beverages even though, strictly speaking, they're not permitted in the park.

We left before the concert was over to get our girls into bed on time (more or less!), so I wasn't there to see 1) how much of a challenge the departing crowd was in terms of walking out and driving home or 2) the state of the park at the end of the event.  I'd like to hear from someone about how much clean up is required, as it really appeared that people were being good stewards of the park's environment and cleaning up after themselves.

Anyway, if you (like me!) haven't taken the chance over the last 10 summers to visit St. Clair park a summer Friday at 7:00 for a free concert, you should.  Even if you live outside Greensburg itself, it's worth the short trip in to experience one of these events.

I think we visited every dog at the park that night!

Sources of information:

• Learn about the history of Summer Sounds® here and here.
• www.inwestmoreland.com
• www.summersounds.com
• Van Atta, Robert B. (1999).  A Bicentennial History of the City of Greensburg.  Chas. M. Henry Printing Company, Greensburg.

Stage Right's "Books Come Alive" (and the Greensburg Hempfield Library, Sort Of)

This afternoon, I took the girls to see  Stage Right perform Olivia from its "Books Come Alive" series, which was presented by the Greensburg Hempfiled Area Library. 

Stage Right students, ages 11 to 16, performed the play, based on the Olivia books by Ian Falconer.  We saw the performance in the cafeteria at Hutchinson Elementary school, which is where the Southwest Greensburg/Welty Street School used to be on - you guessed it - Welty Street in Southwest Greensburg.  Before the school - a junior high - was built in 1929, the spot used to be Electric Park, which was the site of the 1897 Westmoreland County Fair among other events.

If you're interested, you can still catch Olivia at one of four upcoming performances at other venues around the county.  Plus there are dozens of other shows throughout the summer.  The other books Stage Right will be performing are Catalina Magdalena (by Tedd Arnold), Captain Awesome to the Rescue (byt Stan Kirby), McKenna, Ready to Fly - The American Girl (by Mary Casanova) and Jake Starts School (by Michael Wright). 

Find all the dates and times for the free, Books Come Alive series on Stage Right's website.

"She's smarter than you think!" (Lyric in the song about Olivia.)

As for today's performance, the kids in the show were adorable and very talented.  The show itself was short, sweet and engaging.  My girls especially liked the parts when Olivia chased her brother Ian off the stage area around the cafeteria and when Olivia came out with a loaded water gun - and we all got a little squirt in the process.  Near the end of the show, the actors invited the audience to dance with them, but my kids (and most of the others) were being too shy to join in.  But the director and performers knew how to work a room full of kids.  I'm in the process of determining which dates/venues we'll attend their other Books Come Alive performances.

They were into it!

Giggles when Olivia was chasing Ian

Because this performance was presented by the Greensburg-Hempfield Area Library, representatives from the library were also there with materials from their children's summer reading program.  The library offers programs for kids nearly every day of the week - the schedule can be found on their website. 

The programs are free and they must be as super-fun as the descriptions suggest, as most events for the next few weeks already have waiting lists.  However, I was told by the library staff today that they'll often add a session when enough people are interested in a particular program - so if you're really interested, don't be too discouraged by the waiting list. 

The library is located at 237 South Pennsylvania Avenue, which used to be Greensburg's federal building/post office. 

I was hoping to add a library activity to our calendar to report back on, but there don't appear to be programs that span my girls' ages of almost-3 and 6.  I would have to take them to different activities at different times, so I need time to consider my options.  We will likely attend the upcoming Scholastic book fair (July 9-12 & 16-19 from 10AM to 4PM each day).  All items are buy one, get one free (you know the drill: freebie has to be equal or lesser value), and my kids are always looking for more books to pull off the shelf and leaving lying all over the house. 

As you might expect, the library also offers "Adult Programs."  (Do you think that sounds weird?  Yeah, me neither.)  On top of the typical library services (e.g., research databases, periodicals, books), they host book discussions and - like most libraries these days - you can check out books for e-readers.  I've been meaning to get set up at the library for my Nook® , so I'll also plan to do this and share if the ease/difficulty of doing so is worth reporting.

This accidentally became a duel post because I figured I needed to give credit to both Stage Right and the Greensburg Hempfield Library for effectively entertaining my kiddoes - and doing it for free.  I'm looking forward to taking advantage of additional Stage Right performances and other library activities throughout the summer.  I hope you also take the opportunity to participate in these free, fun activities. 

(Did I mention they're free?  There's no excuse not to attend one or two!)

Proximity to Other Locations & Events

Yesterday, we went to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.  Even if you have never been there, you probably don't need me to tell you what to expect at a zoo.  (Hint: Animals.  Beyond the ones you will see in your backyard.  Even if you live in the woods.) 

No Greensburg Directions: As far as I can tell, nothing used to be where the zoo is.  (And it the zoo didn't used to be anywhere else.)

Furthermore, the zoo is beyond my venue for this blog.  But I'm posting because, although I'm investigating fun things do without leaving 15601, another of Greensburg's myriad benefits is its proximity to the attractions in Pittsburgh and other areas.  The ability to easily visit cultural, amusement and sporting venues in Pittsburgh without the challenges of living in a big city is among the reasons Greensburg is a great place to live and raise a family.

I do intend to focus primarily on things happening within the boundaries of 15601.  However, I will also be posting about nouns (people, places & things, silly!) in other areas of Westmoreland County.  There are tons of things to do in Westmoreland County that are just minutes away from our central location and that is part of Greensburg's appeal as a place to live.  Which is what this is all about.