Pennsylvania Shout Outs

I’m doing a blog roll of all those people who visit me from the state of PA. Why? Well, because I feel like it and they took the opportunity to contact me personally to find out where we all live within relationship to each other. But first, let me give everyone a little background information about this state.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (the full name) entered the Union on Dec 12, 1787 as the 2nd state. Both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were drawn up and signed here in Philadelphia. The name was coined by Charles II of England and combines the surname of Admiral William Penn (father of William Penn *that’s redundant* - English Quaker and founder of the colony of Pennsylvania, 1644-1718) and the Latin word sylva, meaning “wood.”

Capitol: Harrisburg
Motto: Virtue, liberty, and independence
Nickname: Keystone state
State Tree: Hemlock
State Flower: Mountain laurel
State Bird: Ruffed grouse

Okay, now that we all have our “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” answers memorized for this state, let’s get to these PA bloggers.

1. Jeni from “Down River Drivel”

I believe she was my first PA contact. Secret contact. I didn’t even know she was reading my blog BEFORE I found hers. Those naughty lurkers! She posts about her life and love for her grandchildren who have autism. I immediately knew how this felt. For six years, I watched after my two nephews and a niece who have autism. Take the time to visit her blog, and find out more about this condition. The number of children afflicted by this is growing daily, and we could use everyone’s support.

2. Ruth and Glen from “Coast2Coast Travelers”

Are there any of us who didn’t play with Matchbox trucks when we were little? And we always hogged the big tractor trailer ones as we smashed them into the smaller cars, listening to the screams of the tiny Playskool people who watched in horror while perched on top of Barbie’s playhouse. Oh, I was the only one who did this? Well, um, that’s embarrassing.

Anyway, Ruth and Glen drive the real thing: Pennsylvania truckers who travel everywhere within the 48 states and several Canadian provinces. They share their tales about the places they go - from dropping off statues at senator’s houses to constipated bears to a daffy woman driver who thought it was a good idea to pass other cars on a single lane ramp while talking on a cell phone (and I wish I could see her face when the police show up at her house for ripping off that bumper!)
Hm . . . I wonder if Ruth and Glen will let me drive their rigs one day?

VAROOM! SCHREEECH!

2. Chris from “Eight Days to Amish”

My brand-newest, still sparkly in the wrapper, Pa blogger. A freelance writer from . . . OH MY GOD, I USED TO LIVE IN THE SAME CITY. Ahem, yes. I once lived in the same town. This explains why, every time I see his picture, I scratch my head wondering why his face looks so familiar. I could have bumped into him at the Shop-n-Save in the Plaza, at Westmoreland Mall, or at the post office and would have never known that we would meet in Blogland several years later.

Eerie . . . and speaking of which, you know that if you are visiting my blog then you will find a little strangeness here (I know I’m being modest). I do have a little strange fact concerning all three of these bloggers.

One of them lives in Northeast Pa.
One of them lives in Central Pa.
One of them lives in Southwestern Pa.

You could literally draw a diagonal line across the state and connect all three places from top to bottom.

Yeah, these strange things only happen to me.