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Evolution of My Healing Salve Recipe

The recipe for my healing salve started as an experimental product for my greyhound friends…almost 3 years ago! I was asked to try to make a salve to soothe the greyhound paws…their feet were very sensitive to walking on gravel, ice and salted sidewalks. They also were prone to developing corns on their paws.

There were quite a few salves on the market, from the simplest DIY recipe from the American Kennel Club to very expensive salves with Hemp oil in them and everything in between. I’d like to think we would have choices to find the one that works for our dogs and is affordable.

In general, ingredients in these salves include Oils (like olive oil, coconut oil and almond oil), Shea Butter, and Waxes (like beeswax, carnauba wax and paraffin wax). In addition, Vitamin E oil helps healing and serves as a preservative for the mixture. Essential oils like Lavender or Rosemary can also help with healing. I’m not sure the dogs care about the smell one way or the other but it can’t hurt.

My first recipe was similar to the American Kennel Club one. You can read more about it at https://marykisner.com/make-your-own-dog-balm-and-protection-wax/.

About the same time, I was experimenting with Calendula-infused oil as a base for some salves, so naturally the dog paw salve started with that. If you’d like to learn more about making calendula-infused oil for topical salves, check out https://marykisner.com/making-calendula-infused-oil-for-topical-salves/ and about making calendula salve at https://marykisner.com/calendula-salve-for-summer-itches/.

Testing the Dog Paw Balm and Protection Wax

Samples of the first batch of Dog Paw Salve were sent out to some folks in the greyhound community to give it a try. We had positive feedback that the salve seemed to help the paws that were cracked and made corns softer and easier to remove. It even helped a few sore noses!

Enriching the Salve

To enrich the ingredients in the salve, I explored adding some essential oils that could help in healing the skin. While Tea Tree Essential Oil is often suggested for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, I had just been researching using Manuka Honey as a topical salve. That led me to learn more about Manuka Essential Oil. This essential oil has been shown to be more effective than Tea Tree Essential Oil and is easier on the skin.

You can read more about Manuka Essential Oil at https://marykisner.com/manuka-essential-oil-fact-sheet/.

For the last year or two the recipe for my Calendula Healing Salve (also called the Dog Paw Balm and Protection Wax) has started with Calendula-infused oil and included Manuka and Lavender Essential Oils. The salve continues to help the paws of the greyhounds. Here is the recipe:

Necessary Changes Over Time

Of course, the side effect of folks rubbing the salve on their dog’s paws has been requests for the salve for their hands! I’ve also had requests to replace the calendula base with something else (a few folks are allergic to calendula and can’t use the products based on them) and some additional essential oils for a better scent.

Making the Lavender Healing Salve

First, I made a big batch of the salve based on Calendula-infused oil to replenish my stash. Then I started over to make a batch of Lavender-infused oil. The rest of the ingredients will be the same as the recipe above. At the end, I added the essential oils of Rose Geranium and Vanilla to enhance the scent. This made a more pleasant salve for the rest of us! Here’s the new recipe:

Step 1: Make Lavender-infused Oil

I had a jar of dried lavender buds…some came from my garden last summer. I poured olive oil and almond oil into the jar until the buds were covered. I set the jar in a pot of hot water on the stove. I brought the water up to not quite boiling and let it simmer for about 6 hours. I did have to add water to the pot several times, but all I had to do was stir it every now and then.

Step 2: The oil/lavender mixture had to be strained several times through cheesecloth. I was left with over 1 cup of lovely lavender-infused oil. I stored the jar in the refrigerator until I was ready to make this new salve.

Step 3: To make the salve, collect the ingredients, a two-cup glass measuring cup and your scales. Measure everything into the measuring cup.

Step 4: Set the measuring cup into a saucepan with water on the stove. Bring the water just to boiling and let it simmer. The waxes, shea butter, and oil will gradually melt to a liquid.

Step 5: When all ingredients are melted, remove measuring cup from the pan. Add the liquid Vitamin E and Essential oils, stirring after each addition.

Step 6: Fill the containers by either pouring or using a disposable pipette. Let cool until firm.

Step 7: When cool and firm, label each container. I make a point to make a card with ingredients and instructions so folks know what is in the product.

You can see my Dog Paw Balm and Protection Wax has evolved into my Calendula Healing Salve for dogs and people; while the Lavender Healing Salve is safe for dogs and people who have allergies to Calendula…it also smells pretty good! Try it yourself!

Making a Bead Bracelet

Making bead bracelets seems to be the neat thing to do these days…for young children, teens and even adults! The last time I thought about making anything with beads was when I taught kindergarten years ago, or when my kids were very little. Now, apparently, everyone seems to be making them to share messages with others. I think much of this started with the whole fan base of Taylor Swift. It shows how much impact her followers can influence marketing trends! Why not write a message to a friend!

In any case, when my granddaughter went to a Penn State Lady Lions basketball game a few weeks ago, she was able to make several bead bracelets with tiny basketballs on them. She was thrilled!

My only experience with beaded bracelets as an adult was ordering several bracelets with tiny beads from Etsy. One was made of Citrine stones (my birth stone/color). Then I ordered another set of seven bracelets from Sedona, Arizona. I had hoped to wear them all together as a set…but alas…they were too small and I couldn’t stand them that tight (no pictures for the set).

Needless to say, the set of bracelets stayed in their package for a long time. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking I could take them apart and restring them somehow. When I finally took the plunge to go shopping for the right elastic and additional beads to fill in to make them longer…I got sucked into the whole industry of beading!

If you’ve ever wandered through JoAnn’s Fabric Store or Michaels Craft Store you know what I mean! Yikes! I didn’t quite know what I needed so the displays were very effective in getting me to part with my money!

Before I started cutting my precious bracelets apart, I thought I’d better try to make a bracelet first. Of course, that meant ordering a board to hold the beads while I figure out the design.

I needed elastic string (like stretchy fishing line) and I had to learn how to tie a knot that would stay tied…haha…then I found a “jewelry glue” to put on the know to hold it. I’m sure I’m not doing it right, but hopefully I’ll get better at it.

Here are some of my first attempts at making bracelets…I fell in love with the tiny turtle beads in the bracelet on the left:

Then I experimented with real stones…they sure felt more substantial than plastic beads. Already I’m discovering what I like to work with…and of course real stones are more expensive than plastic!

Of course, I wanted to see the bracelets as I made more, so I draped them over my water bottle on my desk.

I think Bert took pity on me and later that day he brought me a stand he had just made to display the bracelets! Very clever and appreciated!

Even the ends were cute!

Restringing my special bracelets was a challenge. I had decided to make a bracelet with all 7 colors on one bracelet. First, I cut the string on each bracelet and put the beads in individual little containers…with labels so I’d remember what they were.

Then I tried to figure out how many beads of each color would make the right length bracelet. I ended up with 5 of each color and a single bead of white opal between the colors. It took three tries to get it the way I wanted. I still can’t make in invisible knot, but with the glue it just looks like another bead. Oh well!

Now, let the fun begin! I must have a bracelet to wear to the next Penn State Lady Lions basketball game…

So, when I’m not cranking out greyhound coats or making skin care stuff or soap, know that I’m sequestered at my desk focused on getting this elastic string through tiny holes in beads! Try it yourself!!

Donating My Necktie Stash

I thought it would be so easy…just drag that bin of necktie material out of the corner, check that I hadn’t stuffed any other kind of materials or tools in the bin, have Bert put the bin in the car and drop it off at Scraps & Skeins! Haha!!

After I had explored Scraps & Skeins Shop here in State College (see https://marykisner.com/exploring-the-scraps-and-skeins-shop/) and had conversations with folks who work there, I determined that was the perfect place to donate my stash of neckties. I thought I could just load up the bin and be done with it! I didn’t realize how emotionally attached I was to that stash!

I couldn’t figure out why I was so attached to these ties…did I have other projects in mind? Was each scrap of material so beautiful that I couldn’t let go? Did each necktie have a memory attached?

What got me started with neckties?

Over 10 years ago, I was volunteering for a local Home Health and Hospice organization. I offered my services to make memory bears from a loved one’s clothing after they passed. I must have made over 100 bears during that time. You can read about the memory bears here: https://marykisner.com/making-a-memory-bear/

One family asked if I could make something out of a collection of neckties…and my quest to find an appropriate item began.

Some neckties can be very colorful and unique. However, there isn’t a lot of fabric in a tie. It is often not washable or colorfast. While some items are made with whole ties sewn together side to side, like a skirt or throw, they end up quite heavy. I did not get enough ties in that first batch to make anything large.

The inner lining of neckties tends to retain odors from the wearer or cleaning solutions. This is often a layer of wool felt or polyester fabric. I found it was just easier to take them apart and remove the inner lining that retained odors. This gave me tie-shaped fabric pieces about twice the width of the tie, tapering to much smaller at the other end.

Ties are cut on the bias (diagonally across the fabric) which makes them too stretchy to work with and is made in three pieces, so two seams are about in the middle of tie. Adding an iron-on interfacing was essential to use the fabric in other projects. To make something, I was limited to small pieces or strips of varying weights and colors.

I knew I could not make a bear out of bits and pieces of fabric. A little research on Pinterest for memory items showed many folks had made pillows out of neckties, along with other small items composed of strips, squares, or freehand shapes. The photo below shows a pillow made from 8 neckties. The back of the pillow was a piece of polyester satin. This made a nice memory pillow for the widow.

I even made small covered button magnets as an extra gift for the family. You can read about covered button magnets here: https://marykisner.com/more-than-just-a-refrigerator-magnet/.

Where did I get neckties to recycle?

I have obtained neckties from friends and acquaintances who have cleaned out attics and closets. Sometimes garage sales have a few for sale. Thrift shops, like St. Vincent DePaul’s and Goodwill usually have a collection. I have paid as little as $1 to as much as $4 per tie. That can be very expensive if I’m not careful! Sometimes specific name brands are worth much more.

The most interesting ties I worked with came from a retired school Principal…he had novelty ties with cartoon characters appropriate for kids. He probably had enough ties to wear a different one each day.

Once I figured out the process to convert a necktie into small but useful pieces of fabric, I was challenged to find other ways to use neckties. First, of course, I cranked out a bunch of pillows just for fun! This pile below I mailed to a niece in California who works as an Activities Director at a gated community. She used them as prizes and gifts in her activities. Obviously, I was focused on make squares from the neckties at the beginning!

I made cosmetic bags for friends showcasing an interesting tie:

I tried to make wine bags:

I even made a Christmas stocking for the front door last year!

I made crazy quilt pictures…interesting, but I gave them away.

Even though I had made numerous items for fun…all of these projects were missing the deep memories of the pillows I made for a loved one’s family.

Reflecting on why I had this huge stash of necktie pieces was important in the process of letting go. I also realized I will never forget how to work with neckties. If a family loses a loved one, and has a pile of neckties they remember their loved one wearing, I know exactly what to do. I also realized I didn’t need to have this stash of neckties in my cluttered space.

All of this reflection helped me let go of this stash! Maybe someone else can use the pile and do some wonderful things! Perfect!

So, I had Bert load up the bin in the car and off I will go to Scraps & Skeins. What a relief to let go. Now…what to sort next! If I do this a little at a time it might not be so tough! Enjoy!

Exploring the Scraps & Skeins Shop

One of the downsizing challenges for quilters and crafters alike is what to do with our piles of assorted materials. Like many of you, I have materials for quilting like cotton fabric and batting. As a crafter, I also have assorted materials like zippers, bias binding, ribbon, elastic and thread. My giant tub of neckties (cut apart and sorted by color) has become part of a night stand until needed for a craft project! Of course, lately my interests seem to have morphed into beading bracelets! Oh my!

My biggest concern has been what to do with all my stuff if I’m faced with the challenge of downsizing. Might not happen this year, but eventually I’ll need to make some decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of. I just can’t see all this stuff going in the garbage to live forever in a landfill!

In my ongoing quest to find local organizations that accept donations of household goods I’ve already explored the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store and the CentrePeace Showroom. They are set up to accept clothing, small appliances and furniture and then offer these items for sale to the public. Each organization has a charity who benefits from these sales. You can read about them here:

https://marykisner.com/exploring-the-st-vincent-de-paul-thrift-store/

https://marykisner.com/exploring-the-centrepeace-showroom/

About Scraps & Skeins

Last week I took the time to explore the Scraps & Skeins shop in State College.

Their printed literature says Scraps & Skeins is a creative reuse store…meaning they accept donated items such as fabric, yarn, quilting supplies, knitting needles, books, patterns and even refurbished sewing machines! These items are organized and repackaged for resale to the public. This store provides employment opportunities for adults with mental health challenges. This is a win/win as far as I can see!

Scraps & Skeins was officially opened in 2015 under the umbrella of Strawberry Fields with the mission to create employment opportunities for adults with developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and mental health issues. All proceeds support Strawberry Fields Inc., a United Way affiliate.

Since 2015, Scraps & Skeins has grown from a single showroom and store room into the six-room shop and workspace located behind the Strawberry Fields’ administrative office. It now employs a store manager and multiple employees.

Exploring Scraps & Skeins for Donation Ideas

The colorful displays of fabric are enticing! It feels like a fabric store! I wanted to see what items they displayed compared with my pile of stuff so when the time comes to downsize, I’m donating the right things to them.

I found beautiful displays of fabric:

Even my sewing machines could be donated here!

Patterns are accepted too!

This would be a great place to donate my quilting and crafting books.

I have a whole bin of vintage fabric and I was pleased to see they displayed vintage items…looks like the stuff I have. I’m glad I can donate it here!

They had a whole room filled with notions…like thread, sewing needles and knitting needles. The room was crowded so I just peeked in…I don’t like to get between folks and their search for the perfect spool of thread!

I asked about donations of beading materials. They said they have found the resale value was too small to bother. After looking around, my bin of necktie material would probably not be accepted either. Good to know!

The Benefits of Donating and/or Shopping at Scraps & Skeins

Now I have a better idea of what I could donate to Scraps & Skeins. I also see the opportunity to go shopping for some lovely fabrics, books and yarn…when the need arises!

It feels good to support this store…I’m able to keep my sewing and crafting stuff out of landfills and by shopping here I’m supporting local adults who are learning valuable employment skills. You can do your part by donating and/or shopping at Scraps & Skeins in State College!

Finding Scraps & Skeins in State College

Their store is a little difficult to find the first time, but when you find it…you’ve found a treasure! Their address is 2766 West College Ave., State College, PA 16801. To get there I find it easiest to turn off West College Avenue onto Bristol Avenue and then turn right onto Enterprise. The first right takes you behind and between the buildings and when they are open, they put out a sign that really helps!

They even put out a bin for small donations in case you just want to drop off a small bag of stuff!

The store is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 am to 2 pm, and every 3rd Saturday of the month from 10-2. Donations can also be dropped off Wednesdays from 10-2, although the shop will not be open then.

You can reach Scraps & Skeins at 814-234-1435; or email at scrapsskeins@gmail.com.

You can read more about them at https://scrapsskeins.shopsettings.com.

Helpfully, they also post regularly on Facebook to remind you of their hours and new stuff they have! Check them out!

Revisiting Hot or Cold Wraps and Pocket Warmers

Thanks to the winter storm moving through our area today, I’m reminded about two projects that I worked on two years ago…the hot or cold wraps and pocket warmers. These items, made with cotton and flannel scraps from other projects, would be perfect for these cold days. Unfortunately, I have managed to give away all the ones I made…so I guess I’ll need to make some more!

The hot or cold wrap just fit around my neck and could be rolled up to fit in the microwave or placed in the freezer…I think I gifted them two at a time so one could be left in the freezer until needed. It is filled with about 3 cups of flax seeds. With just 20-30 seconds in the microwave, I had a warm wrap for my neck, shoulder or knee. I’ve heard they are even comforting for pets after their walks outside in the snow! The cold wraps in the freezer are handy for kids with bumps and bruises!

You can read about how to make this neck wrap at

https://marykisner.com/hot-or-cold-neck-wrap/

The pocket warmer was made from smaller scraps of leftover fabric and about 1/4 cup of flax seeds. I’m thinking I’ll make these first. Just 15-20 seconds in the microwave and they’ll warm up my coat pockets before I head outside!

You can see instructions to make these pocket warmers at https://marykisner.com/pocket-hand-warmers/

Check out the instructions for these projects at the links above! Enjoy!

NOTE:

You can buy flax seeds at the grocery store, or the local health food store in bulk.

Flax seeds in bulk

Any color cotton fabric and cotton flannel will make a cozy wrap!

Anticipating the 2024 Garden

Over the last week or two we have received at least 6 seed catalogs. So many beautiful pictures! These three catalogs I saved because the covers were so striking. They are from Maine, Wisconsin and Iowa.

They were fun to look through, but we plan to stay with Burpee, which is located in Pennsylvania.

The garden spaces in our yard will remain the same as previous years.

I have my raised planters on the patio that work best for lettuce and radishes. I may throw in some spinach seeds left from last year. We tried a sweet potato in a pot last year…the deer loved the vine and leaves. We did actually harvest a few sweet potatoes. I think if we decide to put something in the big pot, it might just be a chocolate mint.

2023

We have two fenced beds just off the patio. Last year we planted potatoes and beets. The potatoes did well…the beets did not. This year I think we’ll dedicate the space to flowers and a small yellow tomato plant.

By the end of the summer, the potatoes looked “done” and the beets did nothing after the deer grazed the tops down!

2023

Up on the hill we have 4 rows available for planting…with a row of lavender at one end and a bed at the other end dedicated to the Echinacea.

2023

So, our seed hunting is pretty simple this year: green and yellow beans, carrots, tomatoes, radishes, lettuce and flowers. Bert will start the tomatoes and flowers in early March under grow lights in the shop. We really try not to plant tomato plants outside at least until the middle of May.

Our garden certainly is not a massive truck farm…just big enough to keep us busy enjoying the outdoors. I suspect a few years from now the whole garden will be planted in flowers!

The pictures in the catalogs really tease us…every picture promises our garden produce will be especially beautiful this year!

Here are the seeds we’ve chosen…don’t they look perfect! We’ll see this summer!

Super Sauce tomato

Baby Romaine

Marigold

Zinnias

I’ll start writing about the garden progress in April or May! Enjoy!

Making Your Own Raised Pretzels

Looking for a fun activity to do with a group of people…kids, teens or adults? Making raised pretzels is pretty simple and you end up with a snack to share! Here’s one of my favorite recipes to make that is sure to get everyone involved!

This is a simple yeast bread recipe…great for new bakers to start with. It is a small batch recipe and can be mixed up by hand. My directions are pretty detailed because this recipe will be used by a few young people in the family that are new to baking yeast bread.

Most of the ingredients are pretty standard to have around, except maybe the Pretzel salt. I recently ordered some from Amazon just to have on hand.

Collect the rest of the ingredients as shown below:

Making the Raised Pretzel Dough

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees F. Spray baking sheets with oil (or use parchment paper or a silicon mat).

Step 2: In a medium bowl, measure out 2 Tablespoons of yeast (or 2 packages). Add 1/2 cup of very warm water and stir. Let it stand until dissolved and foamy (about 10 minutes).

Step 3: Add the milk, sugar, salt and gradually add 3 cups of flour, mixing after every 1/2 cup.

When the dough is too stiff to mix with a spoon, it will still be pretty sticky. Scrape it away from the sides and dump the whole pile out onto the floured surface. You will use about another cup of flour to knead the dough.

Step 4: Knead the dough. Make sure the pile of dough is sitting on about 1/2 cup of flour. The flour will be incorporated into the dough as you work with it. You can add more flour under the dough as needed to keep it from sticking to the table.

Carefully lift and pull the outer edges toward the center of the pile using the flat of your floured hand. Don’t poke into the dough…it will be too sticky.

Continue to pull and press the edges of the dough into the middle of the pile, pressing down with the heel of your hand. You will be working your way around the edge. Soon the dough will look smoother, although it will still feel sticky if you poke your finger into the dough. Knead the dough like this for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes of kneading, tuck all the edges into the center and turn the ball of dough smooth side up. Let it rest on the table a few minutes.

Step 5: Shape the dough. For this batch, I just made pretzel sticks. You could call them bread sticks. After cutting off chunks of dough, I gently stretched each piece, rolling them to make a long stick that fit on my baking sheet. After I made about a dozen sticks, I made a small round loaf of what was left of the dough.

Step 6: Finish the pretzels, by brushing them with milk and sprinkling salt on them. I did the same with the small loaf of bread.

Step 7: Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

I’m sure anyone could do a better job of making pretzel shapes than me, but I think the “pretzel bread” could be interesting toast!

I hope these instructions are useful for Emily, Anna and others as a simple yeast bread recipe. Enjoy!!

Simple Christmas Joy

Christmas celebrations this year were spread out over several weeks with luncheons with my Fire Company Auxiliary friends and a group of my High School friends. Decorations in the neighborhoods were either understated or “over the top.” Ours were pretty simple outside:

Even our inside decorations were understated:

When I’m asked if I decorate for the holidays, I usually mention that during the month of December I’m often sewing greyhound coats and other assorted Christmas gifts. I have the Hallmark Channel on while I sew. That means every two hours I have a chance to watch folks decorate a tree, sing Christmas carols and eat Christmas cookies. By the time Christmas rolls around, I’m decorated OUT!

Ted’s family didn’t travel east this year because he had a 3-week opportunity to fly to the Atacama Desert in Chile to help set up a telescope at the Simons Observatory. It’s at 17,000 feet, so everyone had to wear “oxygen concentrators” mandated by Chile’s equivalent of OSHA. Quite the adventure!

This year we drove to Kathy’s home on Christmas Eve day and enjoyed 24 hours with her family.

Anna was almost awake to notice her new bike!

My notebook of Favorite Recipes was a hit!

Kathy managed to capture “selfies” of us!

Of course, photobombed by Ben!

Perfect gifts for Grandma! New scissors and a gift card to JoAnn’s!

My usual request for a photo desk calendar came through!

An adorable tiny arrangement with wood flowers from Anna!

And of course, my Christmas card from Bert…plays the song from “A Charlie Brown Christmas!”…with cash inside…so it could be my favorite card!

I hope you had a wonderful time with family and friends!

Rest up for 2024! It’s predicted to be a wild ride!

Inventory of Skin Care Products I’ve Made

I’ve managed to give away most of the stuff I’ve made so it was time to see what I should make next. Here’s how I check my inventory…very low tech!

I basically have three bins on my shelf, one for lotion bars and sunscreen salve; one for assorted other stuff, like lip balm, cuticle butter, bruise balm and healing salve; and one bin for soap. When laid out, here’s what I have at the moment:

Bin #1…Lotion Bars and Sunscreen lotion

Looks like I have 9 lotion bars and three tins of sunscreen lotion. The sunscreen lotion will need to be pitched and attempted again…it was too firm to apply.

Bin #2…has assorted stuff:

Eye cream (5 tubes)

Lip Balm (7 tubes, Peppermint; 4 tubes, Orange/Vanilla; 1 tube, Maple/Coffee; none, tinted Lip Balm)

Cuticle Butter (8 small, 1 large)

Nail Serum in a roller ball (none)

Bug Bite Serum in a roller ball (none)

Bruise Balm Salve (19 small, 3 large)

Calendula Healing Salve (none)

Bin #3…Soap

Aloe Vera Healing Soap (6 bars)

This is my favorite soap and a complicated soap to make so I’m pretty stingy with it.

Assorted individual soaps to share. These seem to be individual large and small soaps that I use for gifts when needed.

What to make next?

Now that I see what I have, after Christmas I’ll want to make some tinted lip balm, cuticle butter, nail serum and bug bite serum.

After I did my inventory, I had a request for some of my Calendula Healing Salve so I thought I’d make a big batch today. Bert took the time this week to make me a wooden holder to hold the small oval shaped containers I use. It sure made the process easier so the tubes didn’t fall down as I filled them. After Christmas I’ll post the details how to make the Healing Salve…great stuff!!

I sure hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday weekend with lots of hugs from family and friends! If you are traveling, I hope your travels are smooth and safe!

Merry Christmas!

Taking My Granddaughter to a Lady Lions Basketball Game

My dear granddaughter, Anna, is in 5th grade and plays basketball with a team from her school. A month or so ago, I attended one of her games and was impressed with all the girls who were learning the rules of the game. I suggested we try to get tickets to one of the Penn State Lady Lions basketball games.

Yesterday, was the day! Kathy’s family, plus her mother-in-law, came for the day and we drove u p to the Bryce Jordan Center on campus. I had a few things to learn, since I had not attended any events there for many years. Clear totebags, only credit cards for food and drinks, and airport-level scanning as we entered the building. Those of us with metal knees got “wanded” of course! Times have changed!

Getting to our seats was interesting (in section 105L). I wanted Anna to be close to the action so I managed to get tickets right behind the team seats. So happened…not very crowded anyway! Of course, that sent us down a flight of steps to floor level. Not too bad…until it was time to hike back up!

As we sat down…I realized I had left my phone at home! Luckily, Kathy took lots of pictures so I have some documentation that we were actually at the game! Kathy is the master of “selfies” so that was the first picture I wanted!

Anna had a chance to smile with the stand-up Nittany Lion!

Online there was information about a Kids Zone area at one end of the court with activities for kids before the game. Kathy and Steve took Anna down to check it out. She had time to make two big posters and two beaded bracelets…one she hoped to give to one of the players who was on crutches from an earlier injury. I wasn’t sure about the purpose of the posters until later in the game.

The arena was not crowded but the teams played hard.

Our seats put us right in the action when the refs had to check out an instant replay:

At half-time Anna was invited to try to win a prize by making three baskets in 30 seconds. She was brave enough to say, “Yes, I’ll try!” She took off her Penn State sweatshirt and she had her school t-shirt underneath…NORWIN in bright yellow! Great advertising!

She was able to make 1 basket in 30 seconds and won a t-shirt and a $20 gift certificate! We were so proud of her!

Roving cameras were occasionally focused on folks in the audience…that was the purpose of the giant posters Anna made before the game! Kind of hard to capture a picture of us holding the posters:

The final score was 119 to 43!

I’m so glad Anna could experience such an exciting game. She certainly got to see many of the “drills” the team goes through. She commented how fast the game was. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll be able to attend one of her high school or college games!