Anthracite Curling Club

Decades ago the Beatles movie "Help!" was regularly shown on TV, including on the local version of the afternoon movie show Dialing For Dollars. This was where I saw the sport of curling for the first time ever, and thought it was some sort of joke that had been made up for the movie. Scrubbing the ice with tiny brooms as a vaguely duck-shaped stone slowly slid across the ice - that surely couldn't be a real thing...could it? It had to be a joke, like the coin-operated car, right?

Subsequent viewings of the Winter Olympics proved that, yes, curling was indeed a real thing, though it seemed as strange and silly in real life as it had in the Beatles' romp. What was the point? What was it all about? And how the heck did someone come up with something like this?

Well, decades later, I still don't know the answers to these questions, but I do know some folks who might.

Anthracite Curling Club
http://anthracitecurling.com/

NEPA is always full of surprises, and the Anthracite Curling Club is another one. Who knew that this region had its own curling club? Well, I did. For years. But I didn't realize that they had a blog! Yes, their official website is actually presented in blog form, the most effective way of communicating news and information to members and the general populace. If you've got any level of interest in curling and don't want to wait for the next Olympics (or for "Help!" to start appearing on TV again) to see it in action, check out their blog - and maybe even consider joining in the fun at their open house at the Toyota SpotsPlex (formerly the Ice Rink at Coal Street Park) in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, March 8, 2014! Grab your tiny brooms and start scrubbing!

Wyoming Valley Wordsmiths

Another NEPA writing group blog, this one coming to us through the email and prompted by a spot on PA Live!

One of the members of our group told me to watch the feature on TV about writing groups in the area. It brought your blog to my attention. We've started up a blog for our writing critique group. We'd love it if you would list this on your page. There's more information about the Wyoming Valley Wordsmiths on the blog. 

Wyoming Valley Wordsmiths
http://wyomingvalleywordsmiths.blogspot.com/

From their introductory post:


Wyoming Valley Wordsmiths is a critique group of writers from the Wilkes-Barre area of northeast Pennsylvania. Our interests are diverse as are our writing styles. We welcome all genres but concentrate on fiction. 

We come from many backgrounds and include professional journalists, published authors, educators, and students. All of us are interested in making our writing better. We've seen a tremendous amount of success in the few years we've been organized. We've completed manuscripts and published articles, stories, and books. 

We welcome new members. Our meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month at the Barnes and Noble Wilkes-Kings in downtown Wilkes-Barre. Our meetings begin at 7:00 p.m.

Feel free to contact us through this email address for questions and to be added to our mailing list: susandenney@gmail.com

Check out their blog - and if their meeting times fit your schedule, stop by and see what they're about!

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the 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://pahomepage.com/palive-details?nxd_id=307622

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective (http://nepwc.blogspot.com/.)

Northeastern Pennsylvania is full of talented artists, writers, poets, and playwrights, creative people who practice their skills individually or in groups. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective is a writing group based in Scranton's Vintage Theater. It's one of many writing groups in the area, and with a history stretching back forty years possibly one of the oldest. It's also one of the only writing groups to have a blog, or a dedicated website of any sort. (Full disclosure: I created and maintain the blog, and have been a member of the group for the past year.) On the Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective blog you'll find news and announcements about the group and its upcoming events, writing prompts, writing tips, basic information for people thinking of joining, and lots of links to writing blogs and other blogs of interest to writers.

Many groups could benefit from having a website of some sort for keeping in touch with members, advertising events, and attracting new members. But too often people are discouraged from creating a website because they feel they will need to take on the expense of buying a domain and hiring someone to design, build, and maintain the site. With a blog you can go from idea to execution in just a few minutes with no technical knowledge, and you can continue to update and revise your site without having to hire anyone else to do it for you. The site and space are free if you use a service like Blogger or Wordpress. At no expense anyone can set up a blog for their group and let the world know what they're all about. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective blog is an example of this sort of do-it-yourself group website. How many other groups are just waiting to make their presence known on the internet? Free publicity is just a blog away!


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!

Unity Church Wilkes-Barre

This is another site that is not exactly a blog, though it does contain some bloglike features and may at some point incorporate a blog:

Unity Church Wilkes-Barre
http://unitynepa.com/

From the "Welcome" part of their front page:

We are a spiritual haven in the greater Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area and beyond. We welcome all individuals who are seeking a spiritual path and a spiritual home. Our doors are open to all who seek to find their oneness with God and with all life.

Unity is considered more a way of life than a religion. It seeks to apply the principles taught by Jesus in a practical way to enhance our way of living in the world today. May you find the joy of unconditional love, the blessing of inner peace, and the inspiration to become all that God created you to be...at Unity of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania!

Our Mission Statement:

Unity  is a spiritual community built on Love. We offer positive, practical, spiritual ideas to assist people to heal and prosper their lives.

We'll be adding this site to our sidebar list of NEPA Companies & Organizations.

NEPA Freethought Society

Here's another site that isn't exactly a blog.

NEPA Freethought Society
http://www.nepafreethought.org/

From their front page:

The NEPA Freethought Society is community of non-believers (atheist, agnostic, freethinker, humanist, secularist, skeptic, bright) in Northeastern PA. Our members come from Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, East Stroudsburg, Hazleton, and the surrounding area.

This site isn't exactly a blog per se, though it does include a news stream and intends to link to members' blogs. It also lists the group's podcasts, including "Discussion on Morals," "Discussion on Religious Faith," "Race & Religion," and the most recent debate, "Does the Christian God Exist" (not yet posted to the podcast page as of this writing.)

More information on the NEPA Freethought Society can be found through their FAQ page and their "Learn More" link.

Twigs Restaurant, Cafe & Radio

Twigs Restaurant & Cafe is located in the heart of historic downtown Tunkhannock. Despite the devastation that occurred during the recent flooding, Twigs is open for business. I recently found their website by listening to the Gem 104 radio station. Twigs has a blog that they use to discuss to menu items, recipes, wine pairings and promotions. Here's another interesting thing - they also have an Internet Radio station. I found this announced in passing from their Twitter account @TwigsCafe.

More about the restaurant:

Our Mission at Twigs Restaurant and Café is "to offer outstanding food expertly served in a comfortable atmosphere." Our chefs use only the freshest market ingredients and incorporate the finest foods from around the globe.

Twigs also offers catering on your premises complete with a private chef who will meet your every expectation. Twigs has other options for on site parties. Call us for all your catering needs and any help needed to pull off the perfect event.

Twigs Restaurant & Café
Open Daily 11am to 9pm (10pm Friday & Saturday)
1 East Tioga Street, Historic Route 6
Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania 18657
570-836-0433

I have only heard good reviews of this restaurant's food. I'd highly recommend checking it out if your travels ever take you where Rte 29 & 6 intersect.

Lastly, here's the directory to Twig's web presence:

Main Website: http://www.twigscafe.com
Twigs Cafe Blog: http://twigscafe.blogspot.com
Twigs Cafe Internet Radio Station: http://www.twigscaferadio.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/TwigsCafe

~Michelle

Blogs to Beat Cancer

In my last blog about the "Nothington Post" we received the below comment:

I was able to catch you guys on TV with George Roberts Computer Wise Show talking about Blogging and I picked up a few good tips! Thanks for the inspiration.

I'm helping a very dear friend who has suffered over five operations and is battling Ovarian Cancer. With the help of a few of her co-workers and the Boy Scouts Troop #80 we have put together a Fund Raising Benefit & Tricky Tray for Lisa Payne at the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire House off Rt.715 in Reeders, Pa. November 5th 2011 1:00pm to 5:30pm if anyone out there would care to attend. Everyone is invited and please bring a friend!

We’ve been working hard to raise-up some really great items to give away at this Fund Raising Benefit & Tricky Tray like a pair of Giant VS Eagles tickets, tons of gift cards from local business owners, dinner for two, gift baskets, DJ Chris Fox and a whole lot more!

If anyone reading this is in the position to donate monetarily please visit Lisa Payne’s Blog at;
http://lpovariancancerfund.blogspot.com/ because is she is certainly a one of a kind and I feel blessed to have her as a friend. Everyone that knows her in fact knows that this is a very special person and there just doesn’t seem to be enough like her in the world.

Other Contacts are Lori Dewitt 570-629-7818
and Kim Lollis 570-236-3115.

God bless you for your help!

Gary Keesler
PoconoPhotoShoot.com

As promised, I will be adding the Lisa Payne Ovarian Cancer Fund blog to our side bar, and hope that you will consider attending the event if you are in the neighborhood in November when the event will be occurring. Additionally, I will add PoconoPhotoShoot.com underneath the NEPA Companies & Organizations section of the blog roll.

Keep those submissions a-comin'. Send us yours via nepablogs@gmail.com.

Yuengling Brewery Blog

5 Signs you may be from NEPA:


#5 - You use heyna at the end of every other sentence.

#4 - You've gone around trick or treating to bars when you were younger.

#3 - You can actually pronounce Knoebels the correct way (Hint - Ka-Nobles).

#2 - You've done the dollar dance at a wedding.

#1 - Your food pyramid consists of: Middleswarth, Tastykake, Turkey Hill and Yuengling.


HEY...*cue segue*...Speaking of Yuengling...Did you know that they have a blog?

http://yuenglingbrewery.blogspot.com

The Official Yuengling Brewery Blog covers all of the events and happenings at America's Oldest Brewery. If you didn't know much about the Yuengling company or the beer they produce, this blog seems to be a great resource.

From the side bar:

Yuengling Brewery
Located in Pottsville, PA, United States

Welcome to the official Yuengling Brewery blog. Yuengling is America’s Oldest Brewery. Located in Pottsville, PA since 1829, we have grown to become one of the largest domestic brewers, still family-owned and operated today. The brewery is currently under 5th generation ownership of Dick Yuengling, Jr. and produces seven beer brands including Traditional Lager, Light Lager, Black & Tan, Dark Brewed Porter, Lord Chesterfield Ale, Premium and Light. Our products are distributed in 13 states up and down the East Coast. For more information, please visit our website at www.yuengling.com.

Give the blog a visit and have a cold one on us!

~M

Bulk Business Blog Bonanza

NEPA Blogs is now up to 189 followers on Twitter. Some of these followers do not have blogs at all and others have already been linked to from here. On Sunday, I did some extensive research (*ahem* blog stalking) on the rest of the followers and came up with an extensive list of blogs that are not in our directory. I now present to you the business blogger portion of the list:

1. Miles of RV Smiles: http://milesofrvsmiles.com/

From the About Page: Fretz RV first opened as a small country hardware store in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. Since opening its doors in 1946, Fretz RV has built a reputation for quality products accompanied by an outstanding dedication towards complete customer satisfaction. Fretz RV has grown into a proud and caring family business, who to this day remains as loyal to its customers as the day they opened for business. Fretz RV provides the customer with reliable service and high quality products from manufacturers that share the same desire for customer care and satisfaction as Fretz RV does. They stand behind all the products they sell and always consider the value of the product or service the customer is receiving. If you are looking for an RV in PA, NJ, NY, or DE, please consider Fretz RV. We ship RVs ANYWHERE in the WORLD!

2. Yellow Cat Creative Solutions: http://yellowcatcs.com/blog

From the About Page: A Little Bit About Yellow Cat Creative Solutions.

“Out of limitations comes creativity.” – Debbie Allen

Yellow Cat Creative Solutions aims to provide creative solutions services to large corporate entities, while catering to the needs of America’s backbone – the small business. We were founded on two foundations – we are good at what we do, and we enjoy doing it.

3. Brook Valley Farm PA: http://brookvalleyfarmpa.blogspot.com/

Located in Carbondale PA, Brookvalley Farm is a family-owned and operated horse drawn vehicle service. They also offer pony rides for all occassions. Laura & Steve (owners) maintain this blog. As they put it "You can come to us of we'll come to you."

Are you a local business that started blogging recently? Shoot us an email at nepablogs@gmail.com And if you are already on twitter, make sure you follow us to get updates about our blog!



~M

SPCA of Luzerne County

SPCA of Luzerne County
http://spcaluzerne.blogspot.com/

The day to day updates about the SPCA of Luzerne County, located in Wilkes Barre PA.


What more is there to say? It's a blog for the SPCA of Luzerne County! Go and take a look for updates, upcoming events, and photos from past events!

Carl Abraham and his fascinating News Media Tribute Site

I want to preface this blog post by saying ahead of time how shocked I am that this website has never made it to our blogroll sooner (As an aside, his webpage is not a blog, but I strongly feel that it still deserves a spot on our blogroll).

(From LinkedIn) Carl Abraham is the Assistant News Director at WNEP-TV for those of you that don't know. A few years ago, through doing a Google search for WNEP, I came across his webpage - which can be found at http://www.carlabraham.com.

The webpage is broken out into the following sections:

Carl's Scranton PA Homepage - There are a bunch of photos showing the downtown landscape and how it has transformed with the various constructions projects that have happened over there years.

WDAU-TV Tribute Web Site - A pictorial page of WDAU-TV (*ahem* now referred to as WYOU-TV)'s cast and crew. If you look hard enough, you can find David DeCosmo author of the "No News Is..." blog which is linked on our blogroll.

WNEP-TV Tribute Web Site - The WNEP Tribute Web Site section has the same feel as the WDAU website section, except (you guessed it) with WNEP cast members. I spy with my little eye....blogger Jennifer Wade and A. Pal in some of the photos posted, although, I'm sure there are many more faces you will will recognize.

Scranton St. Pat's Parade - Aerial photos of the city during the parade and various marchers along the parade route with some brief commentary about the parade.

**There are also links to a Genealogy Page and a NY Mets Fan Page

I think the page is worth a look if you haven't already as it is a historic look on NEPA's media presence and landscape and how it has evolved over the years. I sincerely hope that Carl keeps updating the "virtual museum" (as I like to call it) with pictures so we will always have a way to remember the past.

Have a great weekend everyone!
~M

Jim Thorpe, PA

After watching WBRE's news at 6pm tonight, I learned all about a Town-Wide Sidewalk Sale occurring in Jim Thorpe this weekend. I wanted to learn more about the event and the details so I could announce it on the NEPA Blogs Twitter page (as I do from time-to-time).

Jackpot!

I came across the Jim Thorpe, PA Wordpress Blog. You can find out all about the history, tourist attractions and upcoming events in Jim Thorpe. I'm not sure if you have ever been to Jim Thorpe or driven past it, but it is quite the charming little town. The blog is linked from the main JimThorpe.org website where you can find even more information about Jim Thorpe. I hope that you take the opportunity to check out the blog and website. I will link them both from the sidebar!

By the way, if you are interested in attending the Sidewalk Sale in Jim Thorpe this weekend, you can read all about the details of the event here.

(Or if you are too lazy...see below)

Jim Thorpe, PA hosts its fifth annual Merchants and Neighbors Sidewalk Sale. If you are looking for a great bargain, finding some fun stuff or hidden treasure, than come to Jim Thorpe’s Historic Downtown District Saturday July 9th and 10th, 2011. Noon to 5 PM, rain or shine – come and make a day of it.

The NEPA Real Estate Photo Blog

We received a new blog submission via email from Gillian Peterson. I would like to say that she seen the ComputerWise TV show with Harold and I and was inspired to send us an email to list her blog, but I don't know if that is true...I will find out though!

The NEPA Real Estate Photo Blog is the professional blog/profile for Gillian Peterson. She takes all the pictures, and posts all of the information and ideas to the blog. A one (wo)man show you may call it.

From the About Page: Hello! My name is Gillian Peterson. I am a 28-year-old licensed Realtor (RS308732) in the resort area of the Pocono Mountains. This includes areas such as historic Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono, as well as Tobyhanna, East Stroudsburg, Tannersville, Bangor, Windgap, Marshalls Creek, etc. Basically all of Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, Northampton, and Lehigh counties. I will not only blog about events in the Poconos, but also in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Nazereth, Northampton, and beyond!

Thanks for the submission, Gillian! I am adding her blog to the sidebar as I type this entry out. For the rest of you, please feel free to send your blog to nepablogs@gmail.com if you would like them to appear on our website.

Jam in the Park

The Wilkes-Barre River Common is hosting a series of mini-concerts at the River Common Ampitheater. The "Jam in the Park" series happens twice a month on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm throughout the summer season. Admission is free and all are invited. Pass it along. It looks like it will be a diverse selection of music artists.

I noticed that RiverCommon.org is not linked from our sidebar. I will take the opportunity to link it now.

The River Common hosts a wide variety of entertainment and activities that are normally free to the public throughout the year.

Laugh to Live

Laugh to Live, LLC. is the website for a very interesting organization in which laughter is used as a means of healing...and it is based right here in Northeastern PA!

Ok, ok...you got me. This isn't really considered a blog at all. For that, I will be placing this website under the "NEPA Organizations and Companies" section of the blog roll. Jeannine is just so awesome and hilarious, that she deserves some attention in our blogging community. Last year, she performed (at the last minute I might add, after one of the other comedians bailed) at the comedy show that my Leadership Wilkes-Barre project group put on

About the Owner of Laughter to Live - Jeannine Luby has spent much of her life making people laugh. First entertaining family and friends and then performing stand-up and improvisational comedy over the past 13 years. She became a Certified Laughter Leader by the World Laughter Tour* in 2006 to further promote the benefits of laughter to audiences of all ages and interests through laughter exercises.

You can check out Jeannine entertaining an audience at Gotham Comedy Club in NYC here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a0ZlFs4eK0