BY ALICIA ANDERSON JULY 31, 2022 6:00 AM The dress we ordered for my mom to wear to my daughter’s wedding in May 2020 still hangs in the spare bedroom at my house. It is a dusty blue that brought out the lovely blue of her eyes. The only other […]
Storytelling
BY LEARNING TO LIVE STORYTELLERSFEBRUARY 28, 2021 07:00 AM The stage is empty. Typically, people would be gathering this month to hear a group of local individuals share stories from their lives at “The State of the Story: Learning to Live” event. For the past five years, the month of […]
Storytellers Reflect on Sharing Tales of Love, Loss and Transformation
BY RABBI DAVID E. OSTRICHJANUARY 24, 2021 07:00 AM There is a line in Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Ernest” that presents one of the most frustrating aspects of reality. The governess, Miss Prism, is talking about a three-volume novel she once wrote. Her student, Cecily, is delighted. “How […]
Making Sense of Bad Things Happening to Good People
BY MARY CURRANSEPTEMBER 27, 2020 09:00 AM Let’s face it, no one looks forward to planning a funeral or memorial service. Three years ago after the death of my husband, I was faced with just that task. Even when death is expected, as his was following a steep decline after […]
Mourning in a Virtual World
By Jackie Naginey Hook, March 29, 2020 One day last week, my husband and I were out on our morning walk through the neighborhood. The air was crisp and the sky a vivid, cloudless blue. Each time we came upon a neighbor, we made sure to maintain the appropriate social […]
Learning to Live with Pandemic Losses by Moving
By Beth McLaughlin, February 23, 2020 Stories need to be told. Stories need to be heard. That’s exactly what happened Monday night, February 17th, when six local storytellers took to the stage in The Attic of The State Theatre. The stories were heartfelt and compelling. There was laughter. There were […]
The Story Behind ‘My Life: Re-Launched’
BY TAMMY JANE WEIGAND FALLS April 28, 2019 My 7th birthday, February 12, 1970, was the worst night of my life. I don’t remember the party or the cake or what must have started out as a happy occasion. I remember the hushed voices, the distraught looks on my family’s […]
Centre County Out of the Darkness Walk on April 28 ...
BY ELLEN SLINGERLAND March 24, 2019 Every Friday at 5:00 for Happy Hour, I’d go to my Mom Harriet’s (Harriet Number One) home in Toftrees, passing by her beloved magnolia tree as I came and went. We had the best time at Happy Hour. She’d have chardonnay, I’d have Miller […]
The Two Harriets: How a Magnolia Plant Helped a Daughter ...
BY EVELYN WALD February 26, 2019 08:33 AM Our grandson just had his first birthday. Although not very interested in opening presents, when his mom pulled a book out of a gift bag and handed it to him, he immediately sat down and opened the book. He knows about books […]
State of the Story Gives Community Members a Chance to ...
BY HOPE BRUBAKER September 17, 2018 02:06 PM Recently, as I re-watched the royal wedding of Harry and Meghan, memories flooded my mind. The expressions of love exchanged between Harry and Meghan and the excitement of the day brought back feelings I experienced on my wedding day, almost 52 years […]