Belated PA Live! Blog of the Week: Trailscapes

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Tami Quigley's Trailscapes (http://trailscapes-tami.blogspot.com/).

Since June 2011, Tami Quigley's blog Trailscapes has featured nature photography and more from Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond. Tami's images showcase the beauty of the region, and the more beautiful aspects of the intersection of people with nature. Her blog features photos from the whole year 'round, and let you appreciate both what waits outside your door and the promise of beauty in seasons yet to come. Check out Trailscapes and see all she has to offer!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

About the header image: December 25, 2013

One great Christmas tradition that I've continued from my childhood is driving around Northeastern Pennsylvania looking at the lights and decorations on houses. For the last two decades I have mostly been the one doing the driving. In recent years I've noticed a gradual diminution in both the number of houses that are decorated and the elaborateness of the decorations. Both of these are reflections of the downturn in the economy and the changing population of NEPA - or, in many cases, the reduced population, as many of the undecorated houses are in fact empty, abandoned houses. (To get a sense of this, drive around in the post-twilight hours in the winter, when it's dark enough to have lights on in a house but too early for all the residents to be in bed, and see how many houses show no lights of any kind, not even the ghostly blue flicker of televisions.)

Still, if you look hard enough you will find some houses that decorate elaborately for Christmas. We've featured some houses in Scranton on these pages before. Anyone going through the Nay Aug Christmas Lights display in Scranton this year (highly recommended, and much better than when I went through a few years ago) will see these houses outshining the public display. Many residents of Scranton and the surrounding areas are familiar with the holiday alley just off Moosic Street, an entire alley decked out in Christmas displays. The house above is not part of that alley, but I was guided to it by a friend who had us drive through the alley, make a right, and then a left. Fortunately I keep a camera and a tripod in the car at all times for just such a situation.

There's still time to cruise through NEPA and see the Christmas lights. If you get a chance, go out and see them before they get taken down and placed in storage for another eleven months! And merry Christmas to you all from NEPA Blogs!

About the header image: December 18, 2013

One sure sign that the holidays are upon us is the sudden outbreak of holiday school concerts. The Northwest School District presented their Holiday Choral Concert on Thursday, December 12, postponed by snow from its original date of Tuesday, December 10. This concert featured the combined efforts of the Northwest High School Chorus, the Seventh Grade Chorus, and the Concert Choir, and even featured a number of members of the chorus playing instruments, as seen above.


If you have an image you'd like to see featured as the NEPA Blogs header, send it to us here at nepablogs@gmail.com . Thanks!

PA Live! Blog of the Week: MyBeerBuzz

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is MyBeerBuzz (http://mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com/).

MyBeerBuzz is a blog that is all about beer! Since April 2008 MyBeerBuzz has been posting about the craft beer scene in Northeastern PA. With an average of about 750 posts a month, this is a blog that's going to keep you well-informed about the enormous variety of craft beers available in NEPA and beyond! MyBeerBuzz has a strong local media presence, and is regularly featured on WILK radio.

If you're interested in beer but tired of the same old commercial brews, MyBeerBuzz is the place to go. From sample reports to locations where you can get these beers yourself, MyBeerBuzz is your guide to the amazing world of craft beers!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

About the header image: December 11, 2013

The header image for this week is a shot of the anchor stores of downtown Wilkes-Barre, Boscov's and Barnes & Noble, decked out for Christmas. I still can't get used to seeing the downtown without the canopies. Unlike a lot of people, I liked and appreciated them. I thought they gave a unifying look to the downtown that spoke beyond the place as a dying rust-belt town trying to keep its head above water. They also served a very  useful purpose in keeping the rain and snow off pedestrians. But the canopies are gone now, and that's a fact of life. This is downtown Wilkes-Barre's new look.


If you have a photo you'd like to see featured as the NEPA Blogs header, send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com.

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Saving by Design

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Kara Zoeller's Saving by Design (http://savingbydesign.com/).

Saving by Design is an amazing blog. Kara Zoeller has set out to create a world-class site that provides information on discounts, deals, and savings locally and nationally. Since June 2011 Saving by Design has been helping the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania save money and find great deals at both local stores and national chains. Deals change week by week and month by month, so while it's good to keep up by constantly following Kara's blog, it's also good to know that there will always be something new and current waiting for you at Saving by Design! Whether you're looking for the latest deals at Target, Walmart, or the local grocery store, Kara has you covered!

Some blogs provide you with information. Some provide opinions. Some provide entertainment. Saving by Design provides savings! And who wouldn't mind saving some money these days? Be sure to check Saving by Design out to see all that it can do for you!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

About the header image: December 4, 2013

Three-O-Nina, the giant cow outside of Krugel's on route 309 in Wilkes-Barre, appears ready to start grazing on the hay in the manger of the Nativity scene set up in front of her. Don't eat the baby Jesus, Three-O-Nina!

This image is from December 2005. Will a similar scene be set up this year? That remains to be seen!

Do you have a photo you'd like to see featured as the NEPA Blogs header? send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com.

PA Live! Blog of the Week: The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon

(NOTE: Due to a scheduling conflict, this episode did not air on November 26 as planned. It is now scheduled to be shown Tuesday, December 3.)

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Trish Hartman's  The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon
(http://dishranawaywiththespoon.com/.)

Many folks in Northeastern Pennsylvania will recognize Trish Hartman from her time with television station WNEP. She left the airwaves of Northeastern Pennsylvania some time ago because, as some will recall, she got married and moved out of the area. The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon started out in February 2012 as a blog about her preparations for her upcoming marriage - not just the ceremony itself, but all about making the transition to married life, and the program of diet and exercise (running!) that Trish had put herself on to get into fighting shape for her wedding.

And then, all of a sudden, the big day came...and went. And Trish was left with a blog about preparing for a wedding that had already happened. What to do?

What Trish did was make The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon into her personal blog, detailing aspects of her daily life and things she would like to share. Diet and exercise are still there, as are book clubs, recipes, Trish's ongoing involvement in the world of journalism, adventures in sewing, and all the other bits and pieces of her private life that she chooses to put on public display. Life goes on, and so far, Trish has had no shortage of material for her blog! Follow her continuing adventures on The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

About the header image: November 27, 2013

Sunset after one of the first snowfalls of December 2005 Kunkletown, Monroe County Photo by Harold Jenkins, anothermonkey.blogspot.com.

If you have a photo you'd like us to use as the NEPA Blogs header, send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com.

PA Live! Blog of the Week: The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon

NOTE: Due to a scheduling conflict, the Blog of the Week segment did not run this week on PA Live! Fingers crossed that Trish's blog runs next Tuesday!

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Trish Hartman's  The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon
(http://dishranawaywiththespoon.com/.)

Many folks in Northeastern Pennsylvania will recognize Trish Hartman from her time with television station WNEP. She left the airwaves of Northeastern Pennsylvania some time ago because, as some will recall, she got married and moved out of the area. The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon started out in February 2012 as a blog about her preparations for her upcoming marriage - not just the ceremony itself, but all about making the transition to married life, and the program of diet and exercise (running!) that Trish had put herself on to get into fighting shape for her wedding.

And then, all of a sudden, the big day came...and went. And Trish was left with a blog about preparing for a wedding that had already happened. What to do?

What Trish did was make The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon into her personal blog, detailing aspects of her daily life and things she would like to share. Diet and exercise are still there, as are book clubs, recipes, Trish's ongoing involvement in the world of journalism, adventures in sewing, and all the other bits and pieces of her private life that she chooses to put on public display. Life goes on, and so far, Trish has had no shortage of material for her blog! Follow her continuing adventures on The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

About the header image: November 20, 2013

Angel of the Broken Step. Photo by Harold Jenkins, anothermonkey.blogspot.com.


Have a photo you'd like to see as the NEPA Blogs header? Send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com.

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Wren Cottage Live!

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

You can watch this episode on the PA Live! homepage at http://www.pahomepage.com/story/d/story/blog-of-the-week-wren-cottage-live-november-19th-2/41215/vureu3dB1E6aqg-iMuaG8A.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is  Melissa Whalen Haertsch's Wren Cottage Live! (http://wrencottagelive.blogspot.com/).

Over the years that I've been blogging and co-administering NEPA Blogs, I've gotten to know a lot of people through their blogs, and have eventually met many of them in person at blogging events (or, occasionally, completely at random in shopping center parking lots.) Wren Cottage Live! is unusual in that I have known Melissa Whalen Haertsch for many years. In college she was one of the best writers I knew, and the fact that the shelves of bookstores are not filled with her works is one of the many major failures of the publishing industry in recent years. We lost touch over the years, occasionally meeting at friends' weddings, or funerals, or at college reunions. So I was glad to come across her blog some time ago, because it gave me the opportunity to once again read her writing - and to see where life has taken her.

The Melissa I knew was equally at home in the country and in the city, having spent time living in each. In her current incarnation she writes from her home base in Dimock, PA, an idyllic region of rolling farmland which has been the epicenter of the natural gas industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and all the controversy that surrounds it. Since July 2009 she has blogged at Wren Cottage Live! about the experience of making a home in such a place, with all its joys and sorrows, hard work and great pleasure. Dealing with troublesome geese, making bread in a hand-made oven, taking her dog for his final walk on the farm - all this from someone of tremendous literary prowess, with skills to make pens go limp in the hands of lesser writers.

Very few of us have had lives that compare closely to the full scope of the life of Melissa Whalen Haertsch. But her facility with words allows us to get a glimpse of a life that is not our own, that is totally foreign to the lives many of us lead - all through her blog, Wren Cottage Live!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Agent Palmer

Secret identities are hard to maintain on the Internet. We leave so many footprints and fingerprints online, it usually doesn't take much effort to find out the real name behind the nom de blog. Still, here's one where the blogger is trying to maintain a secret identity - successfully, so far.

Agent Palmer
http://agentpalmer.com/

"Of All Things Geek I Am..."

A fun and informative blog letting you indulge your inner geek as Agent Palmer indulges his. Films, animation, comedy, comic books, technology - Agent Palmer covers it all, and then some.

From the "About" page:

I don’t shy away from the term “geek.” I never have. I take it as a compliment. The same goes for “nerd” “dork” “dweeb” and “freak”. I wear them all as badges of honor. 

 This blog is an amalgamation of all the things that make me a geek and my opinions of them.

.I play Magic the Gathering as well as other CCGs and, if time and circumstances would allow, I’d play D & D. I enjoy reading books and comics. All classic geek things to do. But I don’t just fit into one mold. I enjoy playing my guitar and bass. I enjoy sports (both fantasy and real). I play video games, although my favorites are classics that I grew up with: Duke Nukem, Warcraft II, Civilization; and The Tales series, Zelda, Dragon Quest and Skies of Arcadia.

Technology is a hobby as much as an interest. I enjoy coding websites. But most of all I enjoy knowledge, the search, research and understanding of topics both big and small, topical and historic.

Pssst...here's some secret insider information on Agent Palmer, passed on from him during an exchange of messages some time ago:

I took my name from my hero Agent Harry Palmer, Michael Caine's character in a series of spy films starting with the IPCRESS File. And I am currently in the middle of a Rotospective to Ralph Bakshi thusly named because of the rotoscoping technique he used. I'm doing in depth reviews/commentary on all of his films.

Secret information ends.

Agent Palmer has an online presence that goes beyond this blog. Check out his About page for a list of links, or find out more by contacting him through his Contact page. Or just visit Agent Palmer and see what you can learn!

About the header image: November 13, 2013

In the earliest years of the 19th century Jesse Fell developed a practical way of using a raised grate to burn anthracite coal to generate heat, opening up the development and exploitation of anthracite coal resources throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania - and paving the way for the Industrial Revolution. The Fell House and Tavern stood in Wilkes-Barre until relatively recently, when it was torn down to make way for a lovely parking lot. The historical nature of this parking lot is commemorated in signs such as the one above. Photo is courtesy of Don Williams, the Susquehanna River Sentinel (www.srs444.blogspot.com).


Have a photo you'd like to see as the NEPA Blogs header? Send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com.

PA Live! Blog of the Week: The Forwardian Arts Society

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Paul Smeltz's The Forwardian Arts Society (http://forwardianartssociety.blogspot.com/).

On the outskirts of Northeastern Pennsylvania, bordering New York and the Lehigh Valley, is the arts mecca of Stroudsburg. You can't throw a rock in Stroudsburg without hitting an artist or musician, though such behavior is frowned upon. Since June 2006 Paul Smeltz has taken it upon himself to report on the artistic goings-on in and around Stroudsburg. With words and pictures, Paul tirelessly posts about arts news and events in the Stroudsburg area on his blog, The Forwardian Arts Society.

Northeastern Pennsylvania is seen by some as a thing of the past, a place where things used to happen, good only for nostalgia and dreams of better days. But there is so much in Northeastern Pennsylvania that is vibrant and dynamic. The biggest problem is that people simply don't know about it! Blogs like The Forwardian Arts Society keep us aware that this area is full of good and exciting things, just waiting for us to notice them!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

About the header image: November 6, 2013

On the morning of Sunday, November 3, we turned our clocks back to Standard Time, allowing an extra hour of sleep. Like a chump, I decided to wake up at 5:00 AM to be ready to greet the sunrise from the Nanticoke-West Nanticoke bridge in hopes of seeing the partial solar eclipse as it rose. Unfortunately, the clouds had other plans, and the sun was completely obscured - until I walked away. Then the sun came out, and I was able to grab the photo above - well after the eclipse was over.

I know Northeastern Pennsylvania is full of great photographers, and maybe people who don't consider themselves great but have a camera and aren't afraid to use it. We need your photos! Send them to us at nepablogs@gmail.com and we'll use them as the NEPA Blogs header of the week!

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Iron Reels Review

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! site: http://www.pahomepage.com/story/blog-of-the-week-november-5th-2013/d/story/mrS7O9c3hUi-l8vAQPx9DQ

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is the Iron Reels Review by Kevin Vogrin and Kyle Rebar (http://ironreelsreview.wordpress.com/.)

There are plenty of movie review sites around, in NEPA and elsewhere. The Iron Reels Review isn't like any of the other ones. Since its founding in April 2013, its focus has been on experimental films, especially those made in the Scranton area. But the reviews aren't limited to films made in any specific genre or region.

By their nature, many of these films are not ones that you will encounter in everyday life. For the most part they are well outside of the mainstream. With the Iron Reels Review Kevin and Kyle bring information about those films to those of us who live outside of the world of experimental art.

Filmmaking is a labor of love, an enormous amount of effort that may be going into something only a few will see. Kevin Vogrin and Kyle Rebar's Iron Reels Review makes sure that at least a few of those films come to the attention of a few people who might otherwise have never heard of them. Check it out!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

About the header image: October 30, 2013

I created this header image months ago. The plan was to post it this week, just before the Twelfth Annual Sideshow Gathering began right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. For the twelfth consecutive year, many of the world's most talented and creative sideshow performers would be converging on Wilkes-Barre, to the sideshow convention that was a labor of love of the late, great Franco Kossa.

Only...it's not happening.

Franco died about two and a half years ago, five months before the fabulous Tenth Annual Sideshow Gathering. Still, the show must go on, and the people who knew and loved Franco carried on in his name. It wasn't easy without him, and it got harder as the months led up to the Eleventh Annual Sideshow Gathering last year. But all the stops were pulled out, the legendary Todd Robbins (the man in red to the left of center) was signed on to host, and many veterans of the Gathering lines up to rub elbows with some first timers.

Then Superstorm Sandy hit.

It didn't hit Wilkes-Barre. The Gathering itself was fine. But it hit New Jersey, New York, Coney Island...so many people who were planning to come to the Gathering had their home bases, and in many cases their homes, devastated by the storm. Those who managed to make it through brought tales of unbelievable destruction and chaos.

Those who were there made the most of it. The great fun and camaraderie that are the hallmarks of the Gathering (tempered by the knowledge that someone, maybe many someones, is or are stealing your act) permeated the 2012 edition as well. At the midpoint of the second day, Todd called everyone to the stage to try to break a record that had been set at the Gathering two years before: the largest mass Human Blockhead, in which dozens of people would simultaneously shove things - traditionally nails, but also spoon handles, crochet needles, switchblades, ice picks, screwdrivers, and other objects - up their noses and into their sinuses. The record was easily broken, as seen in the photo above. There is so much amazing talent in the picture above, and I have the honor of being on a first-name basis with almost everyone there - and in daily contact with many of them.

The Sideshow Gathering is on hiatus this year.But it is not done for, not if the people who loved it so much have anything to say about it. Plans are already in the works for next year's Gathering, bigger and bolder than ever before. When it does happen, I know I'll be there!

If you have a picture you'd like to see used as the NEPA Blogs header, send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com!

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Times House News

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Times House News (http://jimthorpeblog.com/.)

Anyone who has ever been to Jim Thorpe will tell you it's a beautiful and charming place, and well worth a visit any time of the year. Since June 2010 Diane Prokop, proprietor of the Times House in Jim Thorpe, has been blogging about it in Times House News, a blog dedicated to news and events in and around Jim Thorpe. From shopping to concerts to special seasonal activities, Times House News will keep you informed of reasons to come to Jim Thorpe - just in case you needed them!

Jim Thorpe is such an amazing little place that Times House News is actually the second blog we're featuring as Blog of the Week that's dedicated to keeping you informed about it. We also spotlighted Jim Thorpe PA a few months ago. So if you're thinking of taking a trip to Jim Thorpe, consult both of these blogs to find out everything there is to see and do there!

If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

About the header image: October 23, 2013

At sunset, we tend to focus (if we watch at all) on the play of colors in the west as the sun slips below the horizon. How often do we think to turn to the opposite horizon to see what's going on there? But when conditions are right - as they have been lately - an amazing sight can be seen rising in the east at sunset, or setting in the west at sunrise. A pink glow appears across the sky opposite the sun, and below it there will be a dark band, growing at sunset or shrinking at sunrise. The pink glow is the reflected light of every sunset (or sunrise) taking place just below the horizon behind you. And the dark band? That's the shadow of the Earth, cast on - and through - Earth's own atmosphere! This isn't really a rare phenomenon, but how often do we actually get a chance to look for it? This picture was one of many taken by me on the Nanticoke-West Nanticoke Bridge just after sunset on October 20, 2013. The Susquehanna mirrors the sky perfectly, and the John S. Fine Bridge carries Route 29 traffic safely over the river.

Do you have an image you'd like to see used as the NEPA Blogs header? Send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com !

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Yesterday's Photos

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Yesterday's Photos by Janis Dahlman (http://blogs.thepoconos.com/yesterdays-photos/.)

Long-established newspapers have extensive archives that document local history. But how do everyday people get access to the contents of those archives? Since February 2013 Janis Dahlman has addressed this problem by bringing the best of the archives out into the open! Yesterday's Photos delves into the archives of the Pocono Record and presents striking photos, hilarious political cartoons, and awkward, dated ads - all artifacts of a time that now seems so long ago.

While these photos and articles come from The Pocono Record, the history they document is not just relevant to the Poconos. Like Brian Fulton's "Pages from the Past" (featuring photos and articles from the Scranton Times archives), Yesterday's Photos presents a historical record that is relevant to everyone in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and beyond. Plus, it's a lot of fun!  


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

About the header image: October 16, 2013

Two in a row! This image, like last week's image, is provided by Cheri Sundra (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheri_sundra). I mentioned looking for header images to use for the Autumn to a friend and she suggested using one of a bonfire. I haven't been able to locate a bonfire photo from any NEPA bloggers yet, but this image comes close! Bursting with the colors of Autumn, Cheri actually took this picture on August 15, 2013.

As usual, the full version of this picture really needs to be seen:

You can also see the original on Cheri's Flckr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheri_sundra/9680108794/.


Do you have any images that capture the beauty of Autumn in NEPA? Send them to us at nepablogs@gmail.com and we'll use them as the NEPA Blogs header image!

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Leslee Clapp

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch the video on the PA Live! website: http://www.pahomepage.com/story/blog-of-the-week-leslee-clapp-online-october-15th-2013/d/story/jhNWUvVfRU205GZbA8LAgA

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Leslee Clapp's self-titled blog.

I first met poet and writer Leslee Clapp at an open mic hosted by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective several years ago, which followed immediately a Bloggers' Roundtable at The Vintage (then known as the Vintage Theater) in Scranton. We chatted about writing and blogs, and she mentioned that she had a blog. I asked her what it was about, and she told me: "Radical hospitality."

I didn't know what that meant then, and two years later I still don't. What I do know, aside from the fact that Leslee is a wonderful poet and writer, is that he blog is all about lessons learned on her journey through life. As a daughter, wife, mother, sister, friend, a world traveler, a writer, Leslee draws upon the experiences of her life and shares the lessons she has learned from them in her blog, Leslee Clapp.

Reading through Leslee's blog you are almost certainly going to learn some lessons of your own, and come to see your own experiences in a new light. Perhaps the blog Leslee Clapp will inspire you to start a blog of your own, and share the lessons you have learned with everyone else!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

The Bloggers of NEPA BlogCon 2013

This year would be different from last year, I decided. Last year, at the inaugural NEPA BlogCon, I decided to take a back seat, to try to blend in as anonymously as I could. It wasn't my show, it wasn't a NEPA Blogs event. Michelle Hryvnak Davies, co-administrator of NEPA Blogs, was part of the Fearsome Foursome, the quartet of women who planned and executed the NEPA BlogCon, but she did it separately from and independent of NEPA Blogs. I didn't want to show up and give anyone the impression that I had done anything to make this event happen, so I lurked in the shadows and hid in corners, taking in the presentations and observing the other bloggers - until one of the presenters pointed me out during her presentation. After that I tried to muster the social skills to interact with the other bloggers, maybe pass out a few blog cards and collect a few. By the afterparty I had gotten into the swing of things, and was doing my best to work the room without being too obnoxious.

This year I took a stack of NEPA Blogs cards, and a stack of Another Monkey cards, and even a stack of Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective cards. I made sure "NEPA Blogs" was emblazoned on my name tag. I tried to socialize more, and hand out the cards wherever possible. But afterwards I was kicking myself for the things I hadn't done. I hadn't made sure that the NEPA Blogs cards were included in the swag bags - several other bloggers didn't miss that opportunity. I managed to miss the afterparty announcement, so I missed out on the chance to socialize there. And I went home with too many NEPA Blogs cards in my pocket, and too few other bloggers' cards.

But I did collect a few. I also grabbed a few names of blogs and bloggers here and there. I mostly hung out with people I already knew, but I did make an effort to meet some new bloggers. I'll start off with their blogs here, and add more as I collect them. If anyone wants to speed things along, please send your information to us here at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Let's start with one by a member of the Fearsome Foursome, Leslie Stewart - until recently also known as Darling Stewie. But in the past few weeks she has put aside the Darling Stewie moniker, and started up a new blog:

Leslie I.R.L.
A blog about living the geeky life with purpose
http://leslieirl.com/


I met Linda in my networking group, facilitated by the redoubtable Conor O'Brien - proprietor of The Vintage, gracious host and zookeeper for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective, and member of the improv group Unorganized Business, in which capacity he and others from his group were present at the BlogCon. Linda is someone who took a nontraditional path to college graduation, and blogs about here nontraditional approach to life:

http://lindathelategraduate.com/
Linda the Late Graduate
Instagram: @lynnpoe


While I'm talking about Conor, I may as well list his blog too:

Conor A. O'Brien
http://conoraobrien.tumblr.com/


Jackie Siperko and Judy Zavislak were also in my networking group. Both of their blogs are pretty self-explanatory:

Jackie Siperko
Virtual Assistant and Web Services
www.jackiesiperko.com

Judy Zavislak
Independent Team Beachbody Coach
http://judyzavislak.com/blog/


Heidi Marie was in the group, too. I recognized her earlier, after I spotted a sign for her business, Oldfangled Studio, which operates out of The Vintage, which is owned and operated by Conor, which hosts the Northeastern Pennsylvania Business Collective...my world is starting to wrap itself up in knots, in a good way:

Heidi Marie
Oldfangled Studio
Vintage - Cats - Art
http://www.oldfangledstudio.com/blog
http://www.oldfangledstudio.com/


April I met at lunch. Her blog is PG-13 or a bit more, and is probably NSFW, depending on how your workplace feels about erotic images. The focus here is on reviews of erotic and young adult literature:

Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews
http://literalhottiesnaughtybookreviews.blogspot.com/


I don't think I spoke to Elizabeth, the blogger behind Radiant Abandon, but I did see her a few times throughout the day and she did, in fact, appear to be radiant:

Radiant Abandon
http://radiantabandon.com/blog/


Adrienne, on the other hand, I recognized from the NEPA Blogs Facebook group - and when I saw the name of her blog, I realized we had spoken extensively at last year's afterparty:

Skinny Jeans and Sippy Cups
http://sjscblog.com/


That's just a few of the bloggers I met there, and not even all the ones whose blogs I hadn't heard of before - I still have a few more on a list elsewhere. But I know I missed dozens of people who aren't listed on NEPA Blogs yet. We'll keep looking for you - but if you read this first, contact us at nepablogs@gmail.com and let us know! You can also join the NEPA Bloggers Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/25858304615/.


Updates, October 12, 2013

Two that I forgot to add:

Writings from Omeed Firouzi
(Winner, Best Political Blog of 2013, NEPA BlogCon)
http://omeedfirouzi.blogspot.com/

Atheistbebil
atheism blog by Erik Dickerson
http://atheistbebil.blogspot.com/

About the header image: October 9, 2013

As I have mentioned before, creating a header for NEPA Blogs generally involves cropping a photo into something with just the right dimensions, and then slapping the appropriate text in the open spaces. Cropping requires some editorial judgement. What is this photo about? What can be removed without detracting from that? What can be removed to emphasize the subject of the photo?

Sometimes the answer to those last two questions is "Nothing." The photo has an organic unity that cannot be altered without fundamentally altering the whole thing. Best to keep your grubby paws off it.

This photo by Cheri Sundra is a jaw-dropper. Most people in Northeastern Pennsylvania know about the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, more commonly known as the Berwick Nuclear Power Plant. Fewer know about the natural and manicured areas around the power plant maintained by PPL for the enjoyment of the people of the area. Cheri recently paid the place a visit and got some wonderful photos, including the one above. This picture is so wonderful that I couldn't find any way to crop it without diminishing the beauty of the whole. So I included the whole thing. (My jaw hit the ground for a second time when Cheri volunteered to let us use this photo for the NEPA Blogs header!) Unfortunately, the size constraints of the header mean that the photo itself must be greatly reduced in size. Here it is, in all its glory:

More of Cheri Sundra's photography can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheri_sundra/.

If you have a photo you'd like to see used as the NEPA Blogs header, just drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com.

PA Live! Blog of the Week: The Slavic Kitchen

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Deborah Keller's The Slavic Kitchen (http://theslavickitchen.com/blog/).

The people of Northeastern Pennsylvania love food, and food of all sorts. Thai, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Greek - a vast array of ethnic food choices are available in the area, many within walking distance of each other. In The Slavic Kitchen Deborah Keller has chosen to focus on foods with Slavic roots, just like so many of the immigrants who came to work the coal mines of the Wyoming Valley over a century ago.

Based in Plymouth, The Slavic Kitchen reflects both Deborah Keller's passion for food and her love of the Wyoming Valley. Since April 2013 she has been sharing recipes, food stories, and tales of life in Northeastern Pennsylvania. If you come from Slavic roots, are interested in the Slavic heritage of the Wyoming Valley, or are just interested in the Slavic foods so popular in this region, be sure to check out Deborah Keller's The Slavic Kitchen!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Coriosity

Here's another blog from the list of bloggers in attendance at last year's NEPA BlogCon. Remember, the second annual NEPA BlogCon is TOMORROW, Saturday, October 5!

Coriosity
http://blog.coriosity.com/

Coriosity is a "Life" blog, and as such it's hard to characterize beyond that - as hard as it is to characterize someone else's life. On this blog Cori Preston shares things she likes - books, movies, events - as well as tidbits of her personal life, such as the design of her bridal shower invitations. Cori has been sharing things on her blog since March 2012. Check it out!

FunFitFashionable

Here's another blog from the list of bloggers in attendance at last year's NEPA BlogCon. Many of the bloggers on that list are already listed on NEPA Blogs, and a few have walked away from blogging - for the time being, at least. I'm trying to add some of the active blogs to the NEPA Blogs list before the second annual NEPA BlogCon this Saturday, October 5!

FunFitFashionable
http://www.funfitfash.com/

As the name suggests, this blog is all about fitness and fashion - and having fun! In the words of Alyssa, who writes the blog,

FunFitFashionable began in August 2011 as a way to share my training and healthy eating habits and recipes, fashion trends and outfits, and beauty tips and creations along with my occasional random “life” tips.  Mainly I like to focus my blog on living a balanced lifestyle!

I enjoy exercising almost daily and finding new ways to save money through doing at-home beauty treatments and other methods of taking care of yourself.  I love finding new ways to better my health and then share it with everyone!

FunFitFashionable is still going strong, a year after the NEPA BlogCon. Check it out and encourage Alyssa to keep on blogging!

About the header image: October 2, 2013

Brick roads were once the standard in Nanticoke and many other places in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I remember as a little boy of two or three watching the brick road in front of my grandparents' house get paved over. I was sad to see something I had known all of my life go away, but on some level I knew the bricks would always be there, just under an inch or two of asphalt. (You can see this on display in Wilkes-Barre, where patches of asphalt regularly fall away to reveal the bricks underneath.)

But there are still a few streets here and there that are paved with bricks. Not major or heavily-traveled streets, but they're there. South Walnut street in Nanticoke is one of those streets, at least south of Washington. It becomes a little brick road between to cemeteries, ending abruptly at the top of the hill to be replaced by a dirt road. If you were to follow this road to its end, you would reach a field, and a gully beyond; climb the hill on the other side of the gully, and you would be at Luzerne County Community College, the site of this Saturday's NEPA BlogCon! Granted, there are easier ways to get there...

Do you have an image you'd like to see used as the NEPA Blogs header for a week? Send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com.

PA Live! Blog of the Week is once again Mandy Boyle!

Due to a scheduling conflict (last Tuesday's episode was entirely dedicated to the Bloomsburg Fair), last week's Blog of the Week segment did not run on WBRE's PA Live! However, the segment - which features Mandy Boyle's blog - did air today! We will be posting a link to the video as soon as we have one.

Reminder: Fall 2013 Blogfest is TOMORROW!

As originally posted by co-administrator Gort:

Northeastern Pennsylvania Bloggers will be hosting the 8th semi-annual Blogfest at The Red Mill

• 340 S Main St
• Pittston, PA 18640-2367
• Friday September 27th at 6PM

This is an informal gathering of bloggers, candidates for office, elected officials and anyone interested in politics or blogging. There is no charge for admission.

Since it's inception 3 years ago Blogfest has been described as the best political event of the season. No speeches are allowed and the rule is agree to disagree but don't be disagreeable. Many local and statewide candidates will be attending.

RSVP on Facebook

About the header image: September 25, 2013

The Bloomsburg Fair is in full swing this week. While enjoying the tractor pulls and Deep Fried Everything, take a glance at the little shows dotted here and there around the fairgrounds. What is it this year? The World's Smallest Horse? The World's Biggest Rat (ALIVE!)? Actually, I have inside information that there is a Giant Rat to be seen there, along with a Headless Woman, a Spidora (a spider with the head of a woman!), a Serpentina (a snake, also with the head of a woman!) and the debut of an all-new terrifying attraction - a genuine member of the walking dead, a Zombie!

Attractions like these (Single-O's, in carny lingo) - along with jugglers, acrobats, a hypnotist, and a big cat show, as well as the test-your-strength machine, the guess-your-weight-and-age guy, and all sorts of games, some of them even winnable - help to maintain an organic connection between the Bloomsburg Fair of today and the carnival sideshows of days gone by. In 2005, the Bloomsburg Fair was graced by the World of Wonders Sideshow, one of only a handful of genuine traveling sideshows making their way across the U.S.  The legendary Ward Hall himself, a demigod in the world of sideshow, served as the outside talker for the show, and was accompanied by Pete "Poobah" Terhurne, who performed with the World of Wonders for many years until his death in July 2012.

The World of Wonders is not playing Bloomsburg this year, but there's still plenty of fun stuff to see and do - some of it just hidden in out-of-the-way places. Enjoy it all!


If you have any photos you'd like to see used as the NEPA Blogs header, please send them to us at nepablogs@gmail.com.

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Mandy Boyle

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! site: http://www.pahomepage.com/story/blog-of-the-week-october-1st-2013/d/story/1-4SiSxV7ECkuy0rdVsrDA


Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is the self-titled Mandy Boyle, formerly known as Mandy Boyle: Freelance Writer (http://mandyboyle.com/.)  

Mandy Boyle is a lot of things. A writer. A blogger. A bride-to-be. One-fourth of the Fearsome Foursome, the quartet of ladies who will be putting on the second annual NEPA BlogCon on October 5 at Luzerne County Community College. (Hurry! Ticket sales end this week!) Since January 2009 she has been sharing all the myriad aspects of her life through her blog.

Mandy Boyle is a "Life" blog - and what a life it is! From her experience at a bridal expo to her love of Autumn to the deep and powerful connection she has with Northeastern Pennsylvania, Mandy Boyle puts so many pieces of her life out there for all to see (including the moment she got engaged - captured on video before a live audience!) To share so much of herself with the big wide world requires a certain amount of fearlessness. So Mandy Boyle is that, too: fearless.

Life blogs aren't for everyone. Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone wants to share it. When you have the right person who is willing and able to share a tale that is well worth telling, and does it well, it's very much worth your time to take a look and see what she has to say. Mandy Boyle is definitely worth a read!

If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Blogosphere Happenings: Vintage Fall Ball

The Vintage Theater has a  fundraiser going on this evening that they wanted us to share with you.  In the past, The Vintage Theater has been extremely supportive of the local arts and literary scene.  It has hosted such events as Tweet-ups, Pecha Kucha Night and the Scranton Story Slam.  If you are looking for something to do this evening, I'd recommend heading downtown and checking out the Fall Ball!  

 

 

RSVP on Facebook

 

 

Original Email Message:

 

Hi there!

Hope you're having a September that's filled with everything apple, cinnamon, and pumpkin. Fall certainly has The Vintage feeling in the spirit of things and in honor of just that, we'll be hosting a Fall Ball event on Saturday, September 21 at 7:00 p.m. in our venue at 326 Spruce Street in Downtown Scranton. We'd love if you can join us, stop in, enjoy some delicious local eats and wares, and hopefully, help us spread the word about our organization and event.  (P.S. - we still have vendor spots available!) 

The Vintage is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas and we're always looking for support from our community to keep our arts, literary, and performance venue alive and well. We're encouraging all of NEPA to attend the Fall Ball as well as make a recurring donation to keep us going strong. 

Any help you can give us in promoting the Fall Ball is very much appreciated and we hope to see you there! Please let me know if you have any questions at all - I'd be happy to provide photos, quotes, or other details to spread the word about this event :)

Thank you again for all of your support!

Mandy Boyle

Chairperson, The Vintage Advisory Board

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

______________________________________________________________________

Celebrate the Start of Autumn at The Vintage's Fall Ball

We love a good party. We love the fall. We love seeing new and old friends. Let's do all of that on one night.

The Vintage Theater, an all-ages arts space and performance venue within downtown Scranton, is approaching its fifth year of operation and could not be more ecstatic and proud of its hard-work towards its mission of accessible and affordable arts of all mediums, styles and genres. The Fall Ball is our way of saying thank you to the community and welcoming the season - we hope you'll join us!

The event will be held on Saturday, September 21st, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5-$10 (give more if you can) at the door. The Vintage's Fall Ball will showcase food from local farms, mulled wine (for 21+ patrons only), spiced cider, delicious fall-inspired chocolates, artisan wares, live music and much, much more. 

An array of local vendors and artisans will be on-site, including Bella Faccias Chocolate Creations, offering gourmet chocolates and OM in The Attic, featuring hand crafted, one-of-a-kind, vegan, wooden jewelry, infused with love, made using fallen branches from Northeast PA. Additionally, The Vintage will be partnering with several local farmers who will be offering fresh produce, as well as samples of food, wine, and desserts. 

Artists Diana Perciballi, Heidi Van Lueven, and Brent Pennington will also have work on display and available for purchase.

If you're looking for the ideal way to welcome the season while support arts, culture, and local businesses in Downtown Scranton, The Vintage's Fall Ball is the must-attend event of the season.  

For more information, visit ScrantonsVintageTheater.com or join the official event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1406913696195263/?ref=22

What: The Fall Ball

Who: Hosted by The Vintage

When: September 21st 2013; Doors open at 7:00 pm

Where:The Vintage Theater, 326 Spruce Street, Scranton, PA 18503

Tickets: $5.00 – $10.00 (give more if you can) - At Door

Contact: Conor O'Brien, info@scrantonsvintagetheater.com or 570-507-9671

Like Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scrantonvintage

Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/vintagetheater

Donate: https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=8397

Our Website: http://www.scrantonsvintagetheater.com

Miss Shuganah

Another long-overdue link to one of the folks from last year's NEPA Blog Con. I might have met her, especially if she was hanging out with Para-Dice Jackson. I have a terrible memory for names, but I'm pretty sure I wound up with one of her blog cards. (BLOG CARDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, YO.)

Anyway. This is one of those blogs that makes you think it needs a parental advisory sticker, except that none of the crass or outrageous or offensive stuff that Miss Shuganah Posts is any worse than the crass or offensive or outrageous stuff anyone else posts. Plus it's funny, and there's stuff about dogs and recipes and whatnot.

Miss Shuganah: cesspool of batshit
http://miss-shuganah.com/

Check it out. And come to the NEPA BlogCon on October 5 and see what kind of interesting bloggers you might meet there!

About the header image: September 18, 2013

On Saturday, October 5, Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke will play host to the second annual NEPA BlogCon, the product of the passion, drive, and hard work of four tech-savvy bloggers who call themselves the Fearsome Foursome: Karla Porter, Leslie Stewart, Mandy Boyle, and NEPA Blogs co-administrator Michelle Hryvnak Davies. While this event, Northeastern Pennsylvania's first and (so far) only blogging convention, is a fully independent operation, NEPA Blogs will be well-represented there - both Michelle and I will be there, and many of the people listed on the NEPA Blogs sidebar will also be in attendance.

The NEPA BlogCon is a great opportunity to meet other folks from the local and regional blogosphere (last year's event drew bloggers from New York to Maryland and points beyond) while learning more about every aspect of blogging. Expand your blogroll while learning all about different aspects of blogging. And the event isn't just open to established bloggers - more than a few of the attendees at last year's NEPA BlogCon were just getting into the world of blogging, and some didn't even have blogs yet!

If you're thinking of going, don't delay - tickets are limited, and ticket sales end Friday, September 27. If you go, be sure to take a stack of blog cards to pass out to your fellow attendees, and a camera to capture the memories.

Header image is by Brent Pennington, Photographer, and is part of a set found on Flickr here.


If you have an image you'd like to see featured as the NEPA Blogs header, send it to nepablogs@gmail.com.