Friday, September 30, 2016

Letter from the Editor - Fall 2016

Hi All,

We have a jammed packed issue for you this quarter.  Art, poems, stories, interviews and reviews... It's a great issue, if I say so myself.

Just a few housekeeping items before everyone goes to peruse the issue...


  1. Our music writer is taking a hiatus from writing for a little bit - if anyone is interested in writing the music column, email me at holidaycafe.nicole@gmail.com.  When he comes back, he will actually be writing a new and different column for us.... 
  2. Don't forget that we have our Ads section - if you want to add your local business email it to me at holidaycafe.nicole@gmail.com.
  3. We are always looking for submissions.... send them today to make it into the next issue.
Alright, that is all for now.  Go Enjoy the issue.

Until the winter issue, 

Nicole 

What Alice Forgot (Fall 2016 Issue)


Note – If you have not read this story, this review contains some spoilers. All opinions are my own and may differ from your views of the story.

Long time no chat! I stepped away from my book review post last quarter to interview the guys at the Drinking Partners Podcast (if you haven’t checked them out – I still highly recommend it!). But I’m back with another book to discuss with you. This time around we’ll discuss What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.

This book/author was recommended to me by coworkers, so I had to give it a shot as it came with great reviews. The premise of the book center around Alice – but in two story lines. So we meet Alice and she’s a 29 year old wife and soon to be mother. Crazy in love with her husband, thrilled to be a mother – everything is great. Except it’s not.

Alice has just woken up on the floor of a gym, where she’s passed out and hit her head. In reality, Alice is 39 years old, has three children, is in the process of a divorce and oh yeah, is not a very nice person anymore. But she doesn’t remember any of this having suffered from amnesia when she hit her head. People in the present are baffled by this softer, nicer version of Alice. Alice is baffled by why they would think she’s anything but kind. Then slowly, she starts to recover her memory and remember the reality, but with the realization of wondering if she truly wants to go back to the newer version of ‘Alice’

For me this was a thought provoking book. How many of us are the same as we were 10 years ago? Have we changed for the better? Do we have the same friends? Same job? All thoughts that ran through my head as I read this book. I found it enjoyable but at the same time a little sad. I can’t imagine the frustration of thinking life is one way, when it really is not. But on the flip side, it could present an opportunity to create a new path and create a better version of yourself.

Gwen O’Brien works full time in higher ed, works full time as a wife, works full time as a mom, works full time as a dog mom and occasionally finds time to write or edit. She resides in McDonald and enjoys reading, yoga and donuts (not necessarily together) when she’s not working.

Bliss (Fall 2016 Issue)

Golden High Flow Acrylic and pastel on Primed gesso illustration board








Mary Dunn - is a retired Project Manager who is now a full-time artist/instructor and owner of DaVine Creations an in home painting party venue.  She lives in West Mifflin with her husband and dog.

Musings for Moms (Fall 2016 Issue)

Bullying...

I don't think I can stress enough how much bullying disgusts me.  The mear thought of children picking on other children (or teens/tweens/etc.) is just disgusting...
I know I have written about it in the past, but I feel like this subject could always use a refresher.

The fact that bullying seems to be everywhere you turn these days, doesn't help matters... What better example of bullying than all these advertisements for the elections coming up...

I digress...

Why do children bully?  Good question, don't you think?  While I don't have an actual answer for that as I suspect it is more of a case by case basis, I would suspect it has something to do with either jealousy or the bulliers low self-esteem.  That's just a guess on my part.

What I can say, is that if your child is being bullied you need to stop the bullying on the spot - same thing goes if you find out your child is the bully... don't just turn a blind eye...

Signs your child is being bullied

  • unexplainable injuries
  • books/clothes/personal effects damaged/destroyed
  • changes in routine - eating habits change/skipping meals or binge eating
  • sudden nightmares or restless sleep
  • decline in grades/not wanting to go to school
  • loss of friends
  • decrease in self-esteem
Signs your child is the bully
  • verbal or physical altercations
  • friends are bullies
  • become more aggressive
  • regular visits to principal's office/etc.
  • unexplained money/new belongings
  • don't accept responsibility for their actions
I love that there is a new cell phone app out that will find people you can sit with at lunchtime, but in reality - shouldn't we sometimes just take a chance with the kid that is sitting all alone... he/she might become a really great friend.





The Story of Guns 'n Roses (Fall 2016 Issue)

It was October 1996. Axl Rose just faxed a letter to Kurt Loder of MTV informing him that guitarist Slash had just quit Guns N’ Roses.  Slash said his reason was a total inability to work with Rose on a creative or personal level anymore.  A year later, bassist Duff McKagan left the band also stating his reason as total inability by Rose to do anything music related.  And that was it - Guns N’ Roses was done.  Axl Rose still owned the name and would perform occasionally under the name and would release a new album many years later using the name Guns N’ Roses, but it lacked the GNR sound. For all intent and purposes Guns N’ Roses were gone, never to return.  A very dark ending, but it wasn’t always that way…

Guns N’ Roses was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985.  They struggled as most bands do by playing gigs where they could find them.  That was until they were signed by Geffen records in 1987 and recorded their first album titled Appetite for Destruction.  The following year in the summer of 1988 the band’s first single Sweet Child O’Mine shot up the charts and hit number one on the Billboard top 100.  It was followed up by the singles Welcome to the Jungle and Paradise City, both of which reached as high as number 7 on the Billboard top 100.  To date Appetite for Destruction has sold 30 million copies. 

Because of endless touring in support of Appetite for Destruction, the band did not have time to record another full length album. So instead they put out an EP called Lies.  It featured 4 new songs and 4 songs performed live.  The only single on this EP was called Patience but it ended up being a much larger hit than expected, peaking at 4 on the Billboard top 100.  Lies has sold 5 million copies.

After some much needed rest the band returned to the studio in 1990 and had their most successful period of writing and recording songs.  The band was in the zone and in perfect harmony with each other.  They recorded a lot of real quality songs, the only problem was there were too many for one album.  The band came up with the idea of releasing the album in two parts.  Geffen records agreed and in September 1991 Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II were released and debuted on the charts at number 1 & 2.  These albums would go on to have 9 singles between the two of them and sell a combined 23 million albums.  The band went on a massive 3 yearlong world tour in support of the Use Your Illusion albums playing stadiums all over the world.  

While the enormous tour was great for financial gains, it was near the end of this tour where the band started to drift apart and wedges started to get driven.  The band was so exhausted after the tour that they decided to just put out an album of themselves covering some of their favorite songs by punk rock bands.  The album was called The Spaghetti Incident.  The album did not do well, selling only 1 million copies.  Shortly after this we end up where this article began, at the end. Or so we thought.

After 20 years of the former members of GNR going in and out of different bands and different projects, the impossible happened. In January 2016 it was announced that Rose, Slash and McKagan had reconciled their long standing differences and that there would be a reunion tour of stadiums in the USA.  I personally was very excited to hear this, but tried to temper my expectations because of their volatile history.  But low and behold on July 12th, I saw my favorite band of my middle school years live, something I never thought would happen.  Not only did I see them, I was blown away.  They played for over 3 hours.  The setlist covered their entire career, everything from all their hits to some really cool deep cuts.  This just goes to show you that no matter how improbable something is, nothing is impossible.

Sean O'Brien is the Music Writer for the Holiday Café. He enjoys going to concerts, playing the drums and rocking out to Grunge music.  He resides in McDonald, PA with his wife and daughter.

Time Machine (Fall 2016 Issue)

If I had a time machine
I would go back in time
When you were in your prime

To actually live history
The things that I would do
Swing my feet to swing music
Lets eat some Italian and German cuisine

Instead of asking what it was like?
Uh ha! this is what it was like!
Those infamous train tracks
Just doing a days work

To socialize and to see how you lived
In disbelief on how your generation and my generation are nothing alike


Natalie Belin holds an Associate's degree in Specialized Technology Le Cordon Bleu Pastry Arts. Natalie is a part-time percussionist and loves the arts and adventure!

All Shades of Autumn (Fall 2016 Issue)

Abstract Digital Art



Lara Biyuts - A middle-aged translator and agent seeking author of 14 self-published books of fiction, I make my book covers as digital artist.

Klavon's - Ice Cream Excellence (Fall 2016 Issue)

Over the summer, I had an amazing ice cream experience, right here in this fantastic city of ours...
Klavon's (located in the Strip) is all sorts of fabulous.. starting with the ice cream and homemade whipped cream to the fun vintage decor.  If you are in the Strip - you HAVE to try this place out!  

1)   Klavon’s has a long history, what is one thing from the years that stands out as a significant moment for the shop?

Perhaps the biggest moment at the shop was when James Klavon, the original owner, got trapped in the shop during the St. Patrick's Day flood of 1936.  We commemorated the 80th anniversary of the flood by giving away shamrock shakes on St. Patrick's Day 2016.  What we did not anticipate was how in tune Pittsburgh is with it's history.  More than 2,500 people came to our shop that day.  From all over the City we heard stories of people who survived and the tragedy the flood caused throughout the river valley.  Luckily for James, he crawled out of the window and a passing rowboat rescued him!  This story shows the deep appreciation for history our customers have and what the shop means to the city.

2)  With the store being close for two decades … How did the idea form to re-open the shop solely as an ice cream parlor?

The ice cream bar, as it exists today was installed after World War II.  At the time, it was fashionable to eat ice cream and take medicine.  The shop continued this way until it closed in 1979 during the collapse of industry in Pittsburgh.  Ray Klavon, son of James Klavon said the happiest memories of his childhood were from the shop.  When he was a teenager he worked at Isaly's Dairy as a soda jerk.  When he retired from being an art teacher at Grandview Elementary School on Mount Washington, he reopened the shop.  It was like opening a time capsule.  There were still glasses on the tables.  Nothing had been touched and, thankfully, Ray did not renovate.  However, he put in a lot of effort into getting the business up and running and he focused just on the ice cream part.

3)  What made you want to start making your own ice cream for the shop?  

 What made you want to start making your own ice cream for the shop?At the time my wife had just delivered our third child.  She was concerned that when the kids were old enough and at school she would be bored at home.  Now we have five children and being bored is no longer a concern!  At the time, however she wanted to buy a kid based business.  We looked at a lot of businesses and they were all losing money.  There was a theme, however, the landlords were getting rich.  So I told Desi if she wanted to buy a kid friendly business, the building would have to come with it.  A couple months later Klavon's came up for sale.  We had taken the kids there before and we really liked it.  In June 2013 we closed on the building and reopened the shop on National Ice Cream Day (third Sunday in July) that year.

4)    What can we expect moving forward from Klavon’s ?

To take the business to the next level, we started making our own ice cream after Maya, the shop manager, and I took the Penn State Ice Cream Course in 2015.  Since then, our business has grown tremendously and at times it is very difficult to keep up with demand!  We are still trying to figure out how to serve people efficiently in the tiny space we and make certain we have enough staff to provide excellent customer service.  These two things alone are difficult to keep consistent!  Our customers can count on us to constantly be improving and innovating.  We will bring new ice cream flavors and ideas to our shop.  We will also have a number of mini-locations throughout Pittsburgh, our newest one opening up in Sewickley in the Spring of 2017.

5) What is your favorite item on the menu?

A fan favorite and my wife's and my personal favorite is Blue Monster which is blue ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough and cookies and cream.  My daughter likes vanilla with sprinkles and the boys love chocolate.

Nicole Leckenby is the driving force behind the Holiday Café blog spot.  She also works full-time and runs after two very energetic boys at home.

Here and Gone (Fall 2016 Issue)

a green notebook resides
on the nightstand
with wedding photos and
antacids and glucose tabs
whose only reason is
to catch gossamer things
before they’re gone
before the early birds
and worms and I come
fully alive
and on one page is scribbled:
1/3 tsp. baking soda
2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
mix until fizzing stops
then add 8 oz. water

it is a untitled formula
to some
gossamer thing
I can’t now recall

it is an important thing
here and gone

I’ve lived long enough
to have secrets to spare
but something keeps
those secrets secret
even from me
only hints at things
caught in a green notebook

Wanda Morrow Clevenger -  is a Carlinville, IL native.  Over 377 pieces of her work appear or are forthcoming in 135 print and electronic publications.  This Same Small Town in Each of Us  (Edgar & Lenore’s Publishing House; 2011) paypal link: http://edgarallanpoet.com/This_Same_Small_Town.html
A magazine-type blog updated at her erratic discretion is here: http://wlc- wlcblog.blogspot.com/

Friday, July 1, 2016

Letter from the Editor

Hi All,

Where is this summer going?  I cannot believe we are already heading into the Fourth of July weekend!

This issue has some great artwork and an interview with the comedy duo Drinking Partners.

We are also taking submissions for the Fall issue... email them to holidaycafe.nicole@gmail.com


Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather and their summers so far. See you again in the Fall!


Nicole

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Bluejay



Bluejay, by Rhianna Browell. Watercolor.
Rhianna just finished her freshman year at Canon-Mac High School, but she’s been creating art for years, accumulating Gold and Silver Keys (Scholastic Art Awards) since seventh grade. This watercolor is part of her portfolio from her first high school art class. Art is just one of her interests, which range from Kenpo Jiu Jitsu, soccer, and archery, to bible studies and writing fantasy fiction.

Summer Reading List

This issue Gwen and I have switched places in that she found a really great interview and I told her to go for it, that left me to do the book review... I just couldn't find a good book to read and feel good about reviewing.  I was hoping the Drew Berrymore book Wildflower would have been just more...
It wasn't.  I also wasn't too keen on Loving Amy, a Mother's story (Amy Winehouse).  It wasn't all I was hoping for either.

Then I thought perhaps I would go in a different direction - give a summer reading list, good books to take on vacation or just for reading around the house.  I searched far and wide, compared lists from books stores and all that Google could offer me.  The first four of these books were on multiple lists, the fifth book is my personal pick... Because if you have been a reader of our little site for a while you would know that many issues ago, I got the privilege to interview Marie.  She is a very down-to-earth person and if I remember correctly, either she or her husband has family in the Pittsburgh area.

I will list the book title, author and a brief description for you... and please note that all books can be purchased via Amazon.com and are not listed in any particular order.

  1.  The Vacationers: A Novel  by Emma Straub - This book is about a Manhattan family's two week stay in Mallorca.  The parents (Jim and Franny) are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary and their daughter Sylvia has graduated from high school.  During the two week vacation secrets come out (some old some new) and new humiliations are the result.
  2. Where'd you Go, Bernadette:  A Novel by Maria Semple  -  This book is about a woman named Bernadette Fox, a fearless and strongly opinionated woman would is a revolutionary in the field of architecture.  She goes missing and her daughter is on a mission to find her mother.
  3. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler - This book is a coming of age book about a young girl named Tess.  It starts off with Tess renting a room in Williamsburg in the summer of 2006 and followers her into womanhood.
  4. Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff - This is a book about Jonathan who is juggling a half-crazed boss, a girlfriend with unrealistic expectations and a blah apartment.  His brother asks him to dog sit for him and that is when Jonathan starts to contemplate the meaning of his life.
  5. Desire After Dark: A Gansett Island Novel by Marie Force - This is book 15 in the Gansett series and takes a look at the budding romance between Slim (Tobias Jackson) and Erin and the trials and tribulations she is going through after losing her twin brother and how Slim helps her with her loss and doing the things she hasn't been able to do since her twins death (like flying in a plane).  


That is just a very small list of some of the great books out there for summer reading.  A little lighter reading than usual, vacation worthy, if you will.  

Whatever you decide to read this summer, enjoy!

Nicole Leckenby is the driving force behind the Holiday Café blog spot.  She also works full-time and runs after two very energetic boys at home. 

Aspens in Autum


Aspens in Autumn, by Felicia Browell. Fused glass on birch base.
By profession, Felicia is a professional writer, but writes fiction and works with glass to help keep her sanity. Her two daughters keep her creativity jumping, and she enjoys exploring fused glass, mosaic, and stained glass methods to create her art.

Musings for Moms: Beating the Heat

I, for one, am not going to complain one little bit about the hot weather in Pittsburgh as of late... It's
summer and all too soon I will be bundling up the kiddos and waiting in the freezing cold for that school bus that seems to take its sweet old time on the really cold days.

I want to get a pop-up bus shelter for those days... is there such a thing?  perhaps I need to patent this idea and go on Shark Tank...

I digress...

The real point of this post is about hot to keep cool in the hot weather.  Fun activities to do inside when it is too Hot and Humid to keep the little ones outside for too long.  In no particular order... these are the ones that sound fun to me and I have put on my summer bucket list.


  1. Making homemade ice cream (then either making cookies/buying cookies and making ice cream sandwiches).
  2. Depending on the age of your children (for the complexity) do a scavenger hunt.
  3. Have a backyard luau with fruit punch and a kiddie pool
  4. Water balloon or squirt gun fights are always a good way to cool off 
  5. Use colored masking tape to create a road for matchbox cars or a board game on the living room floor or outisde.
  6. Use sidewalk chalk in the driveway and create a bean bag toss or just draw... 
  7. Indoor camping (if too hot outside) pop the tent in the gameroom.  Use a wickless battery opperated candle for the faux campfire.
Whatever you decide to plan to keep the kiddos entertained over the summer, make sure they are well sunscreened and hydrated.  Have fun.


Nicole Leckenby is the driving force behind the Holiday Café blog spot.  She also works full-time and runs after two very energetic boys at home.

And the Beat Goes On


My name is Natalie Belin. I'm 31 years old and have been a drummer most of my life. I started taking
lessons on the snare in the 5th grade, followed by the drum kit in my early 20’s. Now I have a passion to play different types of percussion. I really enjoy experimenting with different sounds & rhythms associated with each instrument.

Most aspects of my life can be very unpredictable at times. I plan to make things happen the way I envision, but it often derails causing me to take a different direction. When I am forced to an alternate route it's frustrating at first…but often all works out! In my mind it’s another piece of the puzzle to why I am here on earth. During these times of craziness, drumming has always found a way into my life.

My stepdad, Stephen Dunn, has been a music fan since he was a little kid. His instrument of choice has been the bass guitar since the mid / late 70’s. He was one of the first people in my life who took the time to educate me in music. When I was younger he would always try to introduce me to music he was listening to at the time. Often it was blues, and sometimes it was rock. I remember around the time I started learning how to play my drum kit Steve started playing in a band called The Blue. At times the band members would encourage me by saying they could tell “I have heart”, or they would take the time to show me different things to play. They would always encourage me to “keep practicing”. I remember on a few occasions the band would allow me to jam with them on stage. I was so nervous, but excited at the same time! When it comes to music, my personal opinion about my stepdad is that he really doesn’t have an off-switch. It’s always "music, music, music". I recently asked “why he didn’t become a famous bass player?” his response was “it’s not always about becoming famous. Sometimes you have to just do it for the music”. Another good piece of advice Steve told me was “you are never too old to play an instrument”.

My husband, Christopher Belin, is a musician. Chris has been playing the drums since he was 2 years old and is the sole proprietor of Chris Belin’s <Traveling> Drum School, in addition to being a professional freelance drummer. The fact that both of us play some form of percussion definitely helps our relationship more than anything. Sometimes I have to laugh because I know I surprise him with the things I notice. For example, we were at a concert and I said “is that guy playing the cowbell on the offbeat?” Chris stopped and listened for a second, and he responded by saying “yea, he is” keep in mind Chris had been impressed, but he had a shocked look on his face.

The first show Chris and I played together was this past spring. The show was a Nancy Guthrie Conference held at the First Reformed Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. There were approximately 400 women present for this conference. Chris was playing hand drums (Congas and Cajon). I played conga, tambourine and a shaker. Ever since that show it has been very busy for us.

 Chris and I now play in a band called Steeltown Religion, which is a country / classic rock band. Chris will play a full kit while I play a variety of shakers, tambourines, and a slap stick. They just released a new album titled "Florida Rain" on iTunes & disc. I'm very excited to play these songs live because it will give me an opportunity to hopefully bring some new percussion into the mix. The band also breaks down into smaller units, playing acoustic sets, where I play a bigger variety of percussion.

Steve, Chris and I are also in a band called The Ben Flint Band. They are currently a cover band that plays a variety of really good music. For this particular group, I will play tambourine or a variety of shakers on a few songs. I hope to play some hand drums for Ben Flint in the near future....just to stir the pot a little!

Also, I had the opportunity to play with The New Mingle, an instrumental duo with Chris and his close musical comrade Matt Calvetti, this past September for an event in Pittsburgh called Run around the Square. Their music is jam based and often improvisational.

Each band that I have had the opportunity to play in is different in dynamic which has helped me grow as an artist. Each member of the bands that I play in I consider a coach because they give me great advice which leads me to make good decisions in playing the types of percussion that I do.

There is one particular artist that I hope to work with in the near future. Her name is Christiane D. Her music is so fresh and diverse. Every musician she has in that band brings something to the table. The things that Christiane has done for the arts and what she has accomplished are incredible. With Christiane’s music being so diverse I know I would be able to bring in some fun and funky percussion. My fingers are crossed.

“Music expresses that which words cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent”. – Victor Hugo

 Victor, I totally understand what you mean by that quote. People may see me as just a percussionist; however, I help the band stay in time. I also add fullness. My goal is to inspire other woman to play percussion. When people are at a venue that I am playing I want to give the crowd a night to remember! I want my percussion sound to be fresh and shocking, but not overdone.

Natalie Belin holds an Associate's degree in Specialized Technology Le Cordon Bleu Pastry Arts.  Natalie is a part-time percussionist and loves the arts and adventure!

Temple of the Dog - 25th Anniversary

At a small club called the Off Ramp in Seattle, Washington, on the night of November 30th, 1990, a small crowd of approximately one hundred people watched as a group performing under the name Temple of the Dog took the stage.  They played for an hour and they played all the songs that would
be released the following year on their one and only album.  The songs were incomplete and still being written, arranged and finalized.  This would be the first and last full concert that the group would perform.  You can actually still find old grainy video of this show on YouTube.  But this is not where their story begins…

Mother Love Bone was a band on the rise.  They were the first of the Seattle Grunge bands to be signed to a major label (Mercury).  Their singer and band leader, Andrew Wood, was described by many as Seattle’s version of David Lee Roth.  He had an energetic stage presence and the rock star persona.  Like with so many musicians, outside appearances can be deceiving.  Wood was a heroin addict and on March 19th, 1990, he died of a heroin overdose.  Tragically, his death came just one week before Mother Love Bone’s major label debut album was released.  Wood’s band mates took his death hard, but none took his death harder than his roommate and best friend Chris Cornell.
Chris Cornell’s band Soundgarden was starting a tour just a few days after Wood’s funeral.  Cornell dealt with his best friend’s death the only way he could - through his songwriting.  Cornell wrote and dedicated several songs to Wood.  Cornell knew these songs were both lyrically and compositionally not going to work as Soundgarden songs.  Several months later he decided to reach out to two members of Mother Love Bone whom he had become friends with through living with Andrew Wood, guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament, to see if they would like to collaborate on this project with him.  They both emphatically said yes.

After mourning Andrew Wood’s death, the longtime friends Gossard and Ament decided to move on and start fresh with a new band rather than trying to do the impossible task of replacing Wood.  Along with new guitarist Mike McCready who was a childhood friend of Gossard’s and new drummer Dave Krusen, they formed a new band called Mookie Blaylock.  The band had an album’s worth of songs written, but they were still looking for the right singer/lyricist. Until they found him they were on hold.  So the timing was perfect to work with Cornell on the project he named Temple of the Dog, a title he got from a lyric from the Mother Love Bone song Man of Golden Words.

The recording of the Temple of the Dog album took place at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, Washington.  The day before they were to begin recording the album, Mookie Blaylock held a tryout for their open vocalist position.  Gossard and Ament were blown away with a young surfer named Eddie Vedder, who had come up from San Diego to tryout. They ended up hiring him to join the band.  In the coming months Mookie Blaylock would change their name permanently to Pearl Jam.  The next day Temple of the Dog recorded what would become the biggest hit off the album, Hunger Strike.  Cornell was wanting to sing the second verse of the song in a deeper octave but was having trouble with his vocal range.  Vedder stepped in and sang the verse and Cornell said it was exactly how he wanted it to sound.  At that point Cornell decided to make the entire song a duet with him and Vedder.  Over the next fifteen days the rest of the album was recorded and finished.  The final lineup ended up being Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder on vocals, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready on guitars, Jeff Ament on bass and Matt Cameron on drums.

The album was released on April 16th, 1991 through A&M records.  The album did not chart in the top 100 on its release and only sold 70,000 copies its first year.  In the summer of 1992 both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden had become mainstream successes behind their albums Ten and Badmotorfinger respectively.  A&M records realized that they were sitting on an album that was essentially a Pearl Jam and Soundgarden  companion album and decided to capitalize on the surging popularity of the bands.  A&M reissued the album and accompanied it with a music video for Hunger Strike.  The album would go on to sell one million copies and reach platinum status.

Despite the album’s popularity and longevity, the show at the Off Ramp in front of one hundred people remains the only complete live performance by Temple of the Dog.  Occasionally Chris Cornell will stop in at a Pearl Jam concert and they will perform two or three Temple of the Dog songs, but that is it.  Recently Rolling Stone asked the different members of the band if there were any plans for a 25th anniversary show and they all said not at this time, but they were all open to someday doing a reunion show….here’s to hoping.

In closing and on a personal note, I consider the Temple of the Dog album to be my favorite album of all time.  This past April marked the 25th anniversary of the album’s release.  I remember buying the cassette tape when I was fourteen years old for the standard $10.98 price at Peaches music.  I listened to it so much the track list on the side of the tape was smudged off.  It is one of the few albums that I listen to as much today as I did back then.  It has also been one of the few albums that I have upgraded every step of the evolution of music.  I bought the CD when I got a cd player and then upgraded yet again to digital and I have no doubt that when I am 80 years old I will have a copy of it on whatever the format for listening to music is then.  It is a timeless album where every track beginning to end is an absolute orgasm for your ears and your soul.

Sean O'Brien is the Music Writer for the Holiday Café. He enjoys going to concerts, playing the drums and rocking out to Grunge music.  He resides in McDonald, PA with his wife and daughter.

Interview with Drinking Partners Podcast


I recently attended a fundraiser in my town that was an evening of food and comedy. One of the comedians in particular, Ed Bailey, brought the house down and was even brought back up for an encore. One thing he mentioned in his act was that he was one half of a podcast called Drinking Partners, with fellow comedian Day Bracey. After the show, I looked up the podcast and decided to give it a listen on my commute. The premise of the show is that Ed and Day go to various Pittsburgh establishments, sample microbrews and chat with interesting people from around the city. I spent the next 30 minutes laughing quite a bit but also learning interesting information as they were interviewing Braddock Mayor John Fetterman. Looking back through their archives, they have an impressive list of guests from City of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto to local legend Rick Sebak to former Steeler turned full time artist, Baron Batch. Ed and Day were gracious enough to give us some time. Here's more on Drinking Partners:

1 - For our readers that haven't heard of you - tell us a little about your background and how you got started in comedy.  We both started doing standup in the fall of 2013 which is actually how we met.  Day is from Braddock and had already begun his life as a comedian at that time by posting short videos on YouTube.  Ed is from Cleveland and began doing stand up basically off of a dare from his girlfriend.  Since then we have both been able to carve out respectable comedy resumès including opening for a slew of national headliners such as Hannibal Burress, performing at the Innaugural Pittsburgh Comedy Festival and Burning Bridges Comedy Festival.

2 - What made you think 'we should start a podcast?' Having starting stand up at about the same time we both gravitated to each other.  One reason obviously was because we were at the same stage in our development, but we were also two of the few young black comedians hitting the open mics.  What we ended up noticing is that the other comedians would naturally gravitate to our back and forth banter at open mics/shows/get togethers.  People would suggest that we do a podcast and when Nick Miller from Epicast Network approached Ed about doing a podcast it all kind of just fell in line.

3 - Do either of you have a background in radio or is this a 'figure it out as you go' thing? No radio experience prior to Drinking Partners other than Day doing his video blogs.

4 - Do you guys plan the podcast in advance or is it more about just letting conversation flow over the beer? We really focus on letting the conversation flow naturally.  We obviously like to give background on the guest and highlight any accomplishments but the focus of our interviews is for the listener to get a better understanding of the person and what drives them, interests them, etc. Our concept is literally friends having conversation over drinks and we want to give the listeners a side of our guests that they don't get with other interviews.

5 - If you could interview just one more person for Drinking Partners - who would it be and why? 
Day - "Sade. Because I just want to be in the same room as Sade. Preferably a sauna."
Ed - "Martin Lawrence, nobody made me want to do comedy more than Martin."

6 - How can local people attend one of your recordings of Drinking Partners?
 epicastnetwork.com/partnerspod
Instagram, Facebook & Twitter - Partnerspod
iTunes, Stitcher & Libsyn - Drinking Partners

We promote all live podcasts and live comedy shows on the website as well as IG, FB & Twitter.  Our live comedy shows are monthly in downtown Pittsburgh at the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre.

Thanks again to Day Bracey and Ed Bailey for taking the time to answer our questions! I highly recommend Drinking Partners for an entertaining podcast. And common sense – save this for after the kiddos are out of the car – it’s comedy for grown ups :)

Gwen O’Brien works full time in higher ed, works full time as a wife, works full time as a mom, works full time as a dog mom and occasionally finds time to write or edit. She resides in McDonald and enjoys reading, yoga and donuts (not necessarily together) when she’s not working.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Organ Donation Awareness

Just a quick Public Service Announcement...

There are several businesses in the North Hills (of Pittsburgh) that are making people aware of the extreme need for organ donation and more specifically O+ lungs that are needed for Morgan Yoney who has cystic fibrosis.

It's a big decision becoming a donor, to helping someone else after you pass.  I think though, it is one that needs to be made and discussed with your family members so they are well aware of your wishes.

Approximately 124,000 people are awaiting transplants... You might be able to help a few of those people...

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Spring 2016 - The Rock and Roll Cowboy Writes Again

I always enjoy sharing when one of our writers gets published. Congratulations to Dale Deadmond for his second book being published.  
      

Writer Dale Deadmond just released his second book of poetry and short stories entitled “The Rock And Roll Cowboy Writes Again” .  His topics range from faith, political to the state of human nature.

Currently residing in California this former musician uses his love for the written words to express his thoughts in verse.  Along with his poetry books Dale also has published one novel. His latest poetry book along can be found on Amazon

Dale is donating all proceeds from the sales of his books through the end of April to nomore.org, an organization dedicated to ending domestic abuse and sexual assault. 

Dale's book can be found here.

Spring 2016 - Letter from the Editor

Hi Café Readers,

Hope all is well and everyone is getting excited about spring... as they say, it is in the air!  Thank goodness, I am more than ready.

So just a few things, I have added a new ads section - local businesses offering various services (and I do mean various) check it out.  If you want to have your business listed, send the information to me at holidaycafe.nicole@gmail.com.

Also, we are always on the lookout for new talent... either written or visually inspired (pictures/paintings) feel free to submit those or any ideas/comments on the site to holidaycafe.nicole@gmail.com as well.

Hope you all enjoy the issue.... see you in the Summer!!

Nicole

Spring 2016 - Book Review

See Me


Note – If you have not read this story, this review contains some spoilers. All opinions are my own and may differ from your views of the story.

Howdy folks! Time for the Spring 2016 Holiday Café book review. Hopefully this finds everyone off to a lovely start in 2016. Spring is that time for new beginnings and ironically our book this month discusses just that. We’re reviewing “See Me” by Nicholas Sparks. This is an author I have read in the past, but really hadn’t read much from lately (I tend to go in waves of reading some authors). I picked up the audio version at the library for listening to on my commute and was enjoying it so much – I bought the book for my Kindle. Here’s a little more on See Me.

See Me has a couple of plot lines woven into one story. It follows the stories of Colin – a man with a sketchy background who is trying to get a fresh start in life. After some big scrapes with the law, he’s essentially on his last chance. But it has inspired him to really turn his life around. He has a new goal of becoming a teacher and with a laser focus, is quietly working toward his goal and starting this new life.

Maria – a lawyer that is vaguely unhappy with her life. She feels like she shouldn’t be unhappy, but has her own troubles. She’s not sure she wants to be a lawyer where she’s at any longer, but with limited options she feels stuck. Additionally, a past case has come back to haunt her, causing her additional stress and uncertainty in her life.

Colin and Maria come together after a series of coincidences (and a little help from a pushy well-meaning sister). As they try to decide whether the new lives they’re striving for include each other, both of their pasts are causing issues in the present. They work together to try and figure out what they want, work through their past issues and figure out what the future might hold.

As I said in the beginning, it’s been awhile since I’ve read a Nicholas Sparks novel. But I was pleasantly surprised with this one as it had a mystery layer underneath. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next and as a result, this was a quick read. Was some of it farfetched? Yes. But this was a pleasant read and would make for some good beach reading in the summer months that lie ahead.

Gwen O’Brien works full time in higher ed, works full time as a wife, works full time as a mom, works full time as a dog mom and occasionally finds time to write or edit. She resides in McDonald and enjoys reading, yoga and donuts (not necessarily together) when she’s not working.

Spring 2016 - Musings For Moms



Musings For Moms:  Women

So I am going to get up on my soapbox for a few minutes, because there are some things recently in the news that I have to discuss, that have been bothering me.

Let me start off with the Erin Andrews lawsuit.  I applaud Erin, I have never met her, but I think she is a class act.  She is not one of these women who purposely put nude pictures/videos of herself out on the internet.  No, she was stalked and filmed without her knowledge and/or permission. 

She didn't back down against the man that put the photos/video up on the net nor did she back down against the hotel.  She fought and she won.

The hotel lawyers are part of what is wrong with society today.  I was watching part of the trial, and one of the lawyers for the hotel chain basically said well look at all these jobs you have gotten since your nude image has appeared on the internet. 

Do I even need to say how many things are wrong with that statement?!  First of all, she didn't willingly pose, nor did she have any idea this was going to appear.  Second, to insinuate that she couldn't have gotten these jobs any other way or that this was the only reason she was now 'popular' and it wasn't because she was smart, talented, etc. really ticks me off. 

I mean how would this lawyer like it if his man-parts were all over the net and someone said well that's the only reason you are now getting clients... although he is a man and he would probably be excited by that prospect.

My next issue is the court case with Ke$ha... I think the judge is wrong here.
She came out and went after someone who was verbally, physically and sexually abusing her.  She shouldn't be forced to still work within the same company as the producer even if she no longer has to work with the producer that was causing this abuse.

Don't people realize how hard it is for people to come out and speak against their abusers and then for someone to force her to continue to work within that environment, just makes me shake my head and think that this is part of what is wrong with our society. 

Again, how would this judge like it if say someone he worked with was doing all of these things to him, and he couldn't be removed from the situation due to a contract?  I don't think people look at the big picture sometime or put themselves into other's shoes. 

Funny, March 8 is deemed International Women's Day, as far as I am concerned, there needs to be more than one day, and there needs to be an overhaul of the way women are perceived and looked upon, but I guess when women freely post nude photos of themselves and think it is cute, then when someone is actually violated and nudes of them are posted the lines are blurred because why wouldn't she want them up, if others do it.

Ladies, in the great words of Tim Gunn, Be sexy without being vulgar. 

So let's not give men any more reasons to blame us for their mistakes.  I am now getting off my soapbox and take a deep breath now that I got all of that out.  Thanks for listening!

*** Side note, I wrote this prior to Erin winning her case.  I think she should have gotten more, heck how much did Hulk Hogan get for his leaked sex tape? 

Spring 2016 - Coffee


Coffee

Tic Toc Tic Toc
The alarm goes off
The struggle is real!
My nose starts to perk.
Is that the nectar of the Gods I smell?
Hustling and bustling 

Black and strong
Sweet and frothy
One shot or two
Iced or hot

Blend it, froth it, blend it, froth it! 

Is that for here or to go?

Natalie Belin holds an Associate's degree in Specialized Technology Le Cordon Bleu Pastry Arts.  Natalie is a part-time percussionist and loves the arts and adventure!

Spring 2016 - Jagoff Interview

When I first created a Twitter account, I was looking for local writers and such to follow.  One such person was John, I mean, you cannot pass up a Twitter page that is called YaJagoff right?!

His blog is pretty funny as is his book, which I have since read in its entirety.  I may have also sent him a picture to put up on his blog, but that is another story for another day.  I suggest you go check out his blog site, after you finished perusing the spring issue of the Holiday Café of course.

 1.  How did the YaJagoff site come into existence?
 
Well, I'm an impatient driver. Or even more so, I hate ignorant drivers and ignorant people. One day I was driving one local road and there was a Port Authority Bus picking up passengers. Although there was room, the bus did not pull into the curb to pick up its customers. So the customers had to walk out into the street to get on. In the meantime, the traffic behind the bus was building up at each bus stop because the bus would not pull over. I said to myself, I wish there was a place where I could post a picture of this bus that won't pull into the curb it keeps holding up traffic. That was kind of the start of it. But that was not my first blog post
 
Also, in the beginning, I made sure that The blog did not include any kind of bullying or ex spouse shaming, or blatant swearing. I wanted to make sure that it was tasteful and silly versus mean-spirited despite calling out people who being jerks or Jagoffs. 

2. Can you explain your definition of jagoff, for those not familiar with the term.

Sure, if you Google it, you get the standard definition that means jerk or somebody mean. Living in Pittsburgh all my life, I define it this way: 
 
The word Jagoff can be used in a few different ways:
  1. Expressing appreciation to someone, with a smile on your face and a hug, you say, “Ya Jagoff!”
  2. Expressing being startled, half chuckling you say, “You scared the HECK outta me, Ya Jagoff!”
  3. And then there’s the version, that’s posted on our blog every day… venting about someone that has been a jerk, with a scowl on your face, “Learn to use a turn signal, Ya Jagoff!”
 
 
3. What is the funniest story you have come across since you began the blog site?

Boy, that is a tough one. I know it sounds cliché, but that is like picking who is your favorite child. I think the ones that amaze me the most, are the ones where people completely lack common sense. I have photos submitted to me all of the time where people are so bad it parking or angled their car 90° from the self-serve gas pump or burglars who rob a bank with no disguise whatsoever knowing full well that a camera is going to take their picture. I mean, in Pittsburgh it's not really that hard to disguise yourself. Simply put on a Steelers jersey and you mix in with 90% of the population on any given day. 

4. You have a book out, Above the Fries, which can be found on your website and on Amazon.com.  Any future books in the works? (I saw all those 5-star ratings, I will be perusing this book soon)

The book was interesting. There is a national humor website called HumorOutcasts.com. Donna Cavanaugh, the woman who runs that website, aggregates one of my blog post each week for that site. In the summer of 2014, she suggested I write a book and include some of my favorite blog posts. I had no idea how to publish a book. He held my hand every step of the way all my kicking and screaming and whining she put up with. In the book was released just in time for Christmas of 2014. It went to number 14 on the humorous a list on Amazon.com within a week. So that was kind of cool.

She always asks me if I have another book in my brain somewhere, and I'm not quite sure.

5. Speaking of the future, what does 2016 hold for YaJagoff and the podcasts?  

The podcast is new. We plan on posting a 30 minute podcast each week talking about current Pittsburgh topics events, food, local notable people and maybe even some fashion. Although, clearly from my "dad wardrobe" I know zero about fashion trends. Thankfully we will have guests on to talk about this stuff and who actually are trendy and fashionable. 

I will also continue the Yakkin' With YaJagoff video interviews that post every Wednesday. Those are fun to do and they break up the monotony of the Jagoff blog posts. We are always looking for interesting  Pittsburgh people to interview. We've done national personalities like Billy Gardell, Steve Byrne and Garth Brooks as well as local notables like Gus the snow cone guy from the North Side, Mayor Peduto and "TC" everyone's favorite beer vendor that dances and sings. 
 
Nicole Leckenby is the sole driving force behind the Holiday Café blog spot.  She also works full-time and runs after two very energetic boys at home. 

Spring 2016 - Artwork

Earths Beat
Photograph taken by Staci Case


..... nature is something that is ever changing, and her detail is often over looked, with my photography, I feel I capture what others miss.

Staci has been teaching herself photography since she was a teenager. Over the years the fundamentals of the art have become instrumental in developing a passion to capture the essence of the world in pictures.  More of her work can be found at www.facebook.com/writingoflight

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** At home Painting Parties
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** At home drum lessons
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