As a child I spent many glorious hours lingering amongst the shelves at our local library. My mom would leave me in the children’s library while she went to the adult section upstairs or to run errands when I got old enough to leave alone. When she came back I would have a dilemma. I always had more books in my pile than I was allowed to check out on my card, and I agonized over the editing process.

I remember being refreshed in the cool air conditioined room during story time in the summer. I would treat the paper folder in which I would chart my summer reading as a serious assignment trying to fill every line. Most of my summer reading was done on our front porch swing, and I was so proud of the star with my name on it placed in the library window when I had reached the goal.

Nowadays, I treasure taking my own kids to the Meadville Public Library. Things are a bit different for their summer reading program. They get actual little prizes that are displayed on shelves in a glass case. They agonize over their selection of the little novelties, which are likely to get lost or broken within the hour. This year, one son is already done with his 12 books needed to reach the top prize level. He would read through his selections within a couple hours as he is an eager new reader. The older one has selected a longer book, and I’m proud he will take the time to finish that even though he won’t complete the number of books required as soon.

The local library is a great place for free entertainment, especially on the rainy days that have seemed to dominate this summer. In addition to the books, movies, toys, games and puppets that can be borrowed, it is not too late to sign up for the summer reading program called Be Creative @ Your Library. There are two levels for independent readers as well as young children to be read to. In addition to the small prizes, there is a drawing for larger prize packages.

Regular story hours continue Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 and 10:45  a.m. and Wednesdays 1:45 p.m. Puppet shows occur the last week of each month. Special arts and crafts times also take place Tuesdays at 2 p.m. July 14, 21 and 28. Special summer events include a children’s pet show July 11, a Rachel Summer Concert July 27, and an end of summer party Aug. 7, all at 10 a.m.

Young adults have their own summer fun at the library with a whole host of activities including crafts, drawings, games and prizes. The complete list is available at the library. For more information call 336-1773 or log onto www.meadvillelibrary.org.

“No more pencils,  no more books ….. no more alarm clock.” That’s what I wrote on Facebook when school let out in Crawford County June 3.  Since then I have been trying to adapt to having my two sons home all day and a new summer routine.

I do relish not having to wake up at 6:30 to get the boys on the bus, but sometimes having carefree days leads to a few problems. When day two of summer vacation rolled around and I’d already heard the dreaded “I’m bored,” summer indeed took on its illusion of being endless. Only not in a good way.

Sure I tried saying I’d gladly find something for them to do - like cleaning their rooms or the toilets, but they had other things in mind. Things that cost money.

And that’s where another problem comes in. When I see nearly three months of general freedom ahead I too can’t wait for the fun that will ensue. Amusement parks, pools, picnics, putt-putt, ball games, camping, beaches. Even though I sometimes grumble that there isn’t enough to do in the Meadville area compared to, say, Pittsburgh, the truth is there are often more things to do than there is time.

Only this summer we also have a bigger limit on our funds. Like so many, we faced a job cut, overtime hours cut, and will have to deal with a week of unpaid furlough time this summer. We’ve always pinched our pennies so I could stay home and raise our children, but this year will be tighter than ever. That certainly eats into summer plans.

Take Conneaut Lake Park, for instance. When I had my regular column in the paper before previously mentioned job cuts, I wrote often about our love for the old, local park. My son has had a love affair with amusement parks and mourned the loss of the park when it closed a couple years ago. My younger son felt he’d missed out on a big adventure since he’d never been tall enough to ride the famed Blue Streak roller coaster.

They were ecstatic when the announcement came that the park rides would operate again this summer. They begged to go. I was all set to support the park and go, until I checked out prices. From what I read on the web site, it would have cost us about $45 with parking for just the two kids to get ride passes. Too tall for kiddie land, there were only nine rides listed they could ride.

Now we could have afforded it, but it would have meant giving up something else such as something on our planned trip to the beach. It was about choices. Could a better value be had elsewhere?

I think yes. Kennywood tickets in Pittsburgh, for a much bigger park, could be found at Giant Eagle for a discounted $23, only $3 more. Waldameer tickets were also close in price and bought more rides and the water park.

My parents live near Altoona and DelGrosso park there advertised tickets for $15.95 each, including the water park. Lakemont Park in Altoona has $3 Wednesdays. Ride and Slide combo passes for the park and water slides on other days is a mere $9.95.

I am torn. I was pleased to read CLP had a successful opening weekend. I hope it has a sucessful summer. I know that the only way it will is if people like me go and support it, and I very much want to. Only I know I can get a bigger bang for the buck elsewher, unless th epark offers discounted days or coupons.

I’ll probably suck it up and spend the cash sometime this summer. I would feel too guilty if I didn’t. I just hope the new park operators haven’t priced themselves right out of business before the park even gets back off the ground.

The arrival of Memorial Day Monday brings an odd juxtaposition of meanings. First there is the true meaning behind the day, a time to remember those who served this country giving their lives as well as loved ones.

Rightly or wrongly, over time, the three day weekend also began to signify the beginning of summer. These days, one cannot ignore the summer kickoff, so why not take time to do both, remember and have fun.

Meadville will hold its official remembrance Monday with various events. At 8 a.m. there will be a High Mark Blue Cross 5-K Human Race and Citizens Fitness Walk in Diamond Park. A parade will follow at 10 a.m. with VFW Past State Commander Robert Eiler serving as grand marshal. The parade will travel up Chestnut Street ending at Diamond Park.

The official observance program will be at Diamond Park at 11 a.m. Eiler will be the guest speaker. The ceremony will the ringing of the bells, placing of flowers, traditional  readings and music.

Conneaut Lake Park rides again

The past and the future come together at Conneaut Lake Park this weekend where once again Memorial Day will mean the kickoff of the summer amusement season.

After two years not in operation, the rides will run once again this summer. The trustees of the park, which is in public trust, announced in April that a ride operator in Ohio will lease the rides as well as bring in some more. Though the famed Blue Streak roller coaster will need more work than time allowed for this season, kiddie land and nine other park rides will operate.

The development follows last summer’s reopening of the Hotel Conneaut and the Beach Club by a separate group.

Weekend events at the park also include DoWopp activities. A car cruise will take place Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. “Backwoods Bluegrass” will perform on the lawn Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. “Johnny Angel and the Halos” and “Sounds of Elvis”  will be in concert at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $15.  “Sofa King Kool Band” will play at the Beach Club Sunday at 9 p.m.

Weekend hours for the park are 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 1 to 6 p.m. Monday.  Parking is $5. Adult ride passes are $19.95 with passes for children under 46 inches being $15.40 including tax. More park information is available at www.conneautlakepark.com.

As is apt to happen in a small town, I got in a long conversation with a complete stranger in the middle of Walgreens this week. It started when her robust laughter over one of those comical greeting cards with a recording woke me out of my card-searching stupor.

In the course of the conversation I learned she was from Buffalo, as my parents are, and lived in Pittsburgh for a time, which is where I grew up. She moved to Meadville in the fall when her husband began work at Allegheny College .

We laughed over several cards and talked about buying mother’s day cards. It’s hard to find the perfect one. Especially for me this year. What kind of card does one get her mother the year she buries her son? The year I am the only child of her’s left?

So it was good to have a diversion during my difficult task. This mom didn’t seem too sure of her new life in small Meadville. “What’s there to do with kids?” she asked me. She seemed surprised that we still lived here when my husband works in Erie and I am mainly at home. Wasn’t I wishing we lived in Erie?

Good question. Sometimes I do. It was more a matter of timing of when we bought our house and when I became pregnant that left us living here despite not working here. Over the last ten years, it’s become home. I tried to tell this woman, whose name I never did get, that the town will grow on her.

But I was perplexed over her question about what to do with a 3-year-old. I tried to think back four years to when my son was 3. What did we do? We did visit family in Pittsburgh a lot, but I do remember enjoying life here. Yet I was stumped for many activities other than the library and walking around campus. She was used to cities full of museums, large bookstores with activities, and Gymboree classes.

As I later pondered our conversation I marveled at how I struggled to remember a mere four years ago. How it is my boys got to the ages of 7 and 9 in what surely must be less than seven and nine years. That’s what it feels like anyway.

She came to mind again when I spoke with my own mother. I was complaining that much of the mother’s day weekend will be spent running my son around early in the morning both days. I’m not the best morning person and would rather have a lazy weekend.

“Enjoy it. It goes by so fast. It’s only for a few short years,” she told me. It was one of many times I’ve heard that, and I’ve heard it more since my brother died.

She’s right. In the end I got my mom four cards - one a prayer for her, one sentimental and sweet, one from my boys, and one a funny one to make her smile. I think I overcompensated. Her words were more of a gift to me.

Now I wish that’s what I’d said to the woman in Walgreens about what to do with her son. I’d say don’t worry so much about what activities you do. Just enjoy them. He’ll mainly remember the time with you. The thing my son misses most now that he is in school is snuggling with me on the couch in the mornings. (Remember, I’m not much of a morning person.)

My hope for mother’s this weekend is that cherished memories will be a salve to the wounds of those who have broken hearts, like my own mother. And for the ones just starting out, or in the midst of school days, like myself, that they will slow down and smell the roses. Especially the ones painted out of watercolors or cut out of paper.

Soon enough the construction paper flower in the pop bottle vase that you got when your son was in first grade will be a faded memory packed away in a cedar chest.

While I intend to post weekly, I confess I was distracted last week and failed. I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m not the only one. The beautiful weather was enough to wipe one’s mind clean of an entire to-do list.

I did manage to do a lot, just not what I’d planned. First it was hard enough to merely keep my mind on where I was going with the beautiful distraction of so many trees blossoming around town. Chestnut Street was gorgeous, a lane of white. My own backyard was a site to behold with our two flowering pear trees in full bloom.

The sight of it was enough to motivate me to do more in my yard, which is saying a lot because I am rarely motivated for yard work. My thumb has no green in it, and gardening is more apt to leave me with poison ivy than a pretty flower bed. A few hours later, though, I managed to pull weeds, spread mulch, fix a brick border, and then sit and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

While sitting outside I felt a combination of youthful and old. College students were in the full spring spirit lounging on nearby rooftops and gathering for Springfest parties near our neighborhood. It’s fun to be near the college, and it keeps us young. It’s also a reminder that we’re not in college anymore, far from it. Aside from some family unfriendly lyrics being blasted at one point, the parties seemed to stay quiet at night, at least near us. For that, I thank the students for giving us parents a break and letting us get some sleep.

The highlight of the weekend was being able to spend some time with my parents in from out of town, and being treated by them to lunch and dessert. We got to have the double feature of Eddie’s and Hank’s that I wrote about last time. By the way, Hank’s has a website, www.hanksfrozencustard.com, if you need to find out the flavor of the day. Now I just need to schedule some exercise to make up for that meal.

I topped off the weekend with some playground time with my two boys. Then break time and the tease of summer were over. It was back to reality. One son was sick on and off all week so far. I realized I neglected this blog, and I had to put back on a jacket when it got cooler again. Can you hear me sigh?

Snow for the weekend

Don’t panic, the sun may have gone back behind some clouds this week, but I’m talking about “Snow White.” French Creek Community Theatre and the Academy Theatre present “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” this weekend.

The production will have an added treat for youngsters. With the economy the way it is, parents may have a hard time getting their own little princes and princesses to Walt Disney World to meet the famous characters, but for $4 they can meet some right here at home.

A character meet and greet will take place May 2 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. at the Academy Theatre on Chestnut Street in Meadville. Participants can come and meet the characters, get autographs, take photos, and enjoy a cupcake with the cast from “Snow White,” Wizard of Oz,” “Annie,” “Cinderella,” and “Peter Pan.” The cost includes an autograph book and cupcakes. Attendees should bring their own camera. For information call (814) 827-9065 or e-mail fcctheater@hotmail.com. Proceeds benefit the FCCT scholarship fund.

Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.  Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for kids 14 and under. Call (814) 337-8000 or www.meadvilleacademytheatre.com for tickets.

Each spring, a few things usually happen that make me realize the season has truly begun. We play our first rounds of miniature golf of the year with our sons. My husband goes to the home opener of the Pittsburgh Pirates. And my taste buds start tingling for hot dogs and frozen custard.

Not just any hot dogs, but Eddie’s Footlongs. Not just any ice cream, but Hank’s frozen custard. Both local establishments, and I do mean establishments, opened in recent weeks, but I have yet to go. Each is famous locally, and even beyond the immediate area. In fact, Hank’s tracks how many state license plates have graced its parking lot, and most years every state is represented at some point during the ice cream season.

Each place is a treat in and of itself, but I find it mandatory to do the double whammy of enjoying a hot dog then following up with dessert at Hank’s at least once a year. Never mind that doing that means I don’t dare step on the scale for a few days.

Funny enough, I have enjoyed the double feature this year, but the Altoona version. While visiting my parents in Hollidaysburg I asked if we could go to their town’s custard place, The Meadows after a round of putt-putt with the kids.

First we needed lunch, so we drove to Altoona for a hot dog place that began in 1918, Texas Hotdogs. My dad promoted it as the place Barak Obama visited while campaigning. There was quite a line, though they line up indoors, unlike at Eddie’s. We really didn’t know how to order, kind of like when I’m at a Starbucks. We made the mistake of ordering hot dogs, which came plain, instead of Texas dogs, with the special sauce. They weren’t footlongs., like Eddie’s, but they were tasty, and my son got a kick out being where Obama once was.

Then it was on to dessert. The Meadows opened in 1950 in Duncansville and now is considered a tourist attraction. Like Hank’s, it is still run by family and uses the same recipe. Unlike Hank’s, The Meadows has franchises in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Also like Hank’s, The Meadows serves chocolate and vanilla each day with a rotating flavor of the day. They offer a greater variety of flavors of the day than Hank’s. I tried yummy Pretzels and cream. They also have cakes, frozen yogurt, sundaes, shakes and other treats. There is a 1950s vibe with indoor seating and a juke box.

My visits, though, made me more eager for the real thing, the Meadville version. Hotdogs and custard are better eaten outdoors, at places that are one of a kind. The weekend weather was forecast to be beautiful. Sounds like a great time to welcome spring with a dog and a cone.

Judging by the crowd at Wal-mart today, I wasn’t the only one running around trying to get ready for Easter weekend. In my case, I’m leaving tomorrow for a much anticipated visit to my parents’ in Hollidaysburg. It will be a relief to see my father at his home considering the last time I saw him he was in intensive care after life-saving emergency surgery.

I have to say that with that event, and still grieving the death of my brother in July, it’s been the most stressful nine months of my life. Yes, I am ready for Easter - for the joy it brings, the renewal of spirit, the promise of new life, and the miracle and promise of an empty tomb.

I’ll return in time to worship at our home church here is Meadville, and I hope you will join a local service at one of our many churches as well. Then it’s on to enjoy a wonderful meal - not cooked by me. Why bother when there are so many nice, local restaurants? We are partial to Chovy’s and Venango Valley Inn. Some year I want to try the Riverside Inn.

Local churches also offer several worship opportunities this week for Holy Week, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and even some Saturday Easter vigils. The community Good Friday service will be presented by the Meadville Ministerium Friday at noon at Stone Methodist Church in Meadville.

Wherever you spend the holiday, I hope it is meaningful and memorable and rejuvenating. Look for more posts about local activities later next week.

What to do with the kids seems to be a common theme for my weekends lately. Winter has been long, and even if the snow returns the thrill of sledding has passed. The weather teased with beautiful temperatures Thursday, but now it’s a soggy mess. I’m running out of ways to lure my two boys away from the video games. Luckily, we’ve had a few wonderful diversions.

“Willy Wonka” at the Academy Theatre

First was a viewing of Meadville Academy Theatre’s “Willy Wonka” last weekend. I fell in love with musical theater at an early age, and I relish being able to share live theater with my own kids. Unfortunately, lack of proximity to larger city productions and high ticket prices make theater a rare treat. Though lacking professional quality, local theater is still a wonderful way to introduce kids to theater. Seeing kids perform even inspired my own to give theater a try in two productions.

My kids thoroughly enjoyed “Willy Wonka” and came home humming the tunes. The sets and costumes were especially delectible. Aside from some sound dificulties, the cast was energetic and capable. I was thrilled my kids were watching something live and not on an electronic screen and with a good message to boot.

The musical tells the story of impoverished Charlie who wins a tour of Wonka’s candy factory. It is greed versus humility and honesty as Charlie, with his pure soul, inherits Wonka’s candy factory after the other children prove to be spoiled and selfish.  There’s even a kid who plays his video games during the whole tour, which prompted me to  give my son a gentle elbow poke and a warning not to become like him.

There are two more performances Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are family friendly and the lowest of the season at $8 for adults and $6 for children under 14. Tickets are available two hours before show time until the performance or at www.meadvilleacademytheatre.com.

Robobots at Meadville Area Senior High School Saturday

Our plans for this Saturday are actually free. Local high school teams will compete in the National Tooling and Machining Association’s Robobots competition Saturday at Meadville Area Senior High School.  Students engineer remote controlled robots that battle each other in a cage. This year there are 28 teams representing 14 schools.

I took my sons last year to this not knowing what to expect at all. Inside the packed gym was an atmosphere I can only describe as a cross between what I imagine WWF wrestling and a monster truck show would be like but in miniature. My then 8-year-old was enthralled and didn’t want to leave. A highlight was being able to go down to the “pits” and see the teams up close. Another was when a robot was used to destroy a computer hard drive.

Admission is free and doors open at 8 a.m. Morning rounds begin at 10 a.m. and later rounds at 1 p.m. For more information visit www.metalsinmotion.org.

3-D available at The Movies at Meadville

Another weekend suggestion is checking out the new digital 3-D capabilities at The Movies at Meadville. Seeing “Monster’s Vs. Aliens” in 3-D was a treat for a day off of school Friday. The movie was good family fun, and it is entertaining in itself to see people dodge the 3-D effects coming at them. Just beware that ticket prices are increased from regular prices. Still, it’s great to have a wonderful theater with hig-tech abilities close by. Visit www.themoviesat.com for times and prices.

Welcome to Crawford County’s own corner of the “Blogosphere.” Here readers will find out information and tidbits about various goings-on in our region. Activities highlighted will run the gamut for all ages, but as a mom of two elementary-aged boys I’ll focus especially on family activities and our own experiences with a little of my own perspective thrown in the mix.

Readers of the print “Erie Times-News” may recognize me from my weekly column for the former Crawford County Neighbor’s edition. Previously I also wrote for the Sunday edition Crawford County page. I have 14-years journalism experience ranging from a national journalism organization to three years as a full-time news reporter in Crawford County and eight years as a part-time free-lancer. Currently my full-time, and most important job, is mom to two sons ages 7 and 9. Along with my husband, Rick, a member of the Erie-Times News sports department, we have made our home in Meadville for 12 years.

Currently this blog is a volunteer endeavor for me, but with reader support I hope it will only grow and evolve into more. If you have any items of interest for this blog please feel free to e-mail me at crawfordnews@windstream.net.