The Flyin Lion

09/25/2026

Kids are ridiculous.
Smalls opened his eyes this morning and as if he had been thinking about it all night he asked “mom, do you know what thumb twiddling is?”
Startled by this opening topic for the day I demonstrated and he said “ wow, how do you do that so fast? You must practice.”
I don’t actually…wonder what tomorrows topic will be

09/24/2026

Specials…they are a bit different this week. Mary and I were talking about the price of gas and the overall strain on purses lately, which got me thinking about poor people food.
When Mary was little, she told me you could get a bushel of Scallops per person, if you picked and shucked them yourself. So her parents would take all the kids…She said she would sit over her bucket with her knife and wait for the shells to open and stick the knife in quick and lord helped you if you dropped the knife in as all the little gaps would close and you weren’t eating for a while.
At my house it was liver & onions…often… Dad is a meat and potatoes guy and that’s what we could afford back then. I haven’t had that since mom left us and I miss it, so I am going to try to make it without drowning in memories.
I thought about making turnips too (as mom always talked about the turnip truck) but I don’t think they would hold well…I may experiment in the future as I think they are delicious.
I know there were farmers back in the day that would eat fresh chicken if one had an unfortunate run in with a car…so that’s on there…
The thing about these dishes, and food like this is women found delicious ways to cook food they could afford. I think of Halushki and …Ruebens, who decided that combo would taste good?...had to be all that was left in the cupboard is all I can figure. So that’s what we are doing this week, offering good homemade food that while not overly fancy should be affordable and delicious.
In other news I cleaned and rearranged my house in anticipation of the wedding I need to attend next week and the company coming in. When Smalls got home from school he commented that He felt weird and would need to get used to his new habitat…
On Saturday Talls got up and decided playing the piano at 7 am was a good idea…I finally called to him to put on his headphones. It got quiet for about five minutes and then he switched to playing the saxophone (which he can’t actually play yet, having only had access to the clarinet until this week when I finally gave in and allowed him to have it…poorly played saxophone before 8 am is not something I recommend.
I do recommend coming in for dinner.
Reminder we will be closed the first through the fifth as I have something I have to that weekend.


1498 W. Pitt St
Jennerstown Pa 15547
Open Thursday -Monday 4-9
(814)703-8177

09/18/2026

09/18/2026

Post pictures they say…

09/17/2026

Someone commented on my earlier post that I am getting entirely too expensive…I try very hard (to my own detriment) to price things reasonably and pay my folks a decent wage, which is probably why my bank account continues to hover in the same spot. When a steak (other places) can start at 35 dollars and a crab cake can run 40…I thought I was priced reasonably. I mean I got the kids pizza last night and one water and it was 25…I really can’t help what things cost…The only thing I can do is offer smaller portions or lesser quality…I added two pork dishes to our regular menu just so I could offer some more reasonable option…so I am a bit offended…What do you folks think? Am I being unreasonable? Should I just do chicken and shrimp more often and leave the really good stuff on the truck? It’s all a struggle and I am doing my best…I mean I waited ten years to buy myself a fridge on credit so I am not living large over here….sigh…

1498 W. Pitt St
Jennerstown Pa 15547
Open Thursday -Monday 4-9
(814)703-8177

09/17/2026

So, my dad fell in love with a cat. A cat that he somehow managed with the help of the Red-head to install at his house…Then the cat got a cold, and she called and said someone had to give it his evening medicine…and she can’t run over there twice a day. I was thinking it’s Dad’s cat and he’s a grown man (and he lives there) maybe he should be taught how to dose it…But when I went to do it Dad said the cat doesn’t like it and the cat likes him so he doesn’t want to do it…sigh…He’s named the cat Slew-foot…I have never seen a cat that looked like he had on catcher mitts before…with those paws you would think he could open the fridge and dose himself.
The kids so far are settling in nicely at school. I did get a call about Smalls yesterday not wanting to write in his journal and getting upset over a missing book. I asked him about it and he was pretty indignant that someone took his book “that I was reading” and all that was left was his bookmark.
I am excited because after 9 years I have finally talked Mary into replacing the stupidest refrigerator I have ever delt with. We live in a trailer, it’s a nice trailer, and it’s paid for, but space is limited and the fridge is side by side with the stupid freezer that’s only about 6 inches wide. Then somewhere along the way the Littles began climbing in it and standing on the bottom drawers (rendering them useless) to help themselves to things too high to reach. Nothing fits in the fridge side and our kids (and Mary) like to eat. The new fridge is being delivered Next Sunday and is likely to be a whole debacle as we nee to remove the useless cupboard above to fit it…but I am excited nonetheless to have a bigger space to lose stuff in the back of.
I must go make that lasagna I promise and about six other things so this will have to do for today.
Try to stay dry in this weather
Come to dinner.
1498 W. Pitt St
Jennerstown Pa 15547
Open Thursday -Monday 4-9
(814)703-8177

09/14/2026

I will probably spend all day Thursday asking myself whose brilliant idea these specials were but it’s Monday and it seems like a good idea at the moment. Since I actually have a plan and we are doing Mary’s Semi Famous Crab Stuffed Portabellas for the first time in a long time I thought I would let you know so you can plan accordingly.
Can I ask you a favor? If you read this, can you hit the like button…lately I keep running into folks who say they follow my posts, I suspect there are a lot of you guys out there who read but don’t engage ( which is fine) but it would be neat to see how many I am talking to on the regular.
Now for story time…you will have to excuse the swearing …but it’s what I have for you today (and I think it’s funny).
Last week we had our big yearly picnic and while it is fun it is a long day for the kids.
The kids were mostly good but I kept a casual eye on my two as I chatted not really expecting good choices to last the day. Smalls had gotten upset with his brother earlier in the day and resorted to swearing at him but since the start of the picnic they both had been fairly well behaved…for kids in a group…The thing is Smalls is a great kid and all sunshine…until he’s not…
They both had joined in volleyball. Smalls was thrilled to be his team’s lucky charm. There seemed to be small masses of kids forming groups and disbursing about the yard all day like flocks of birds. They were racing around, playing games …engaging in one activity after another.
At one point they were all interested in the same thing and were in fairly close quarters and engaging in some rougher play…I watched and every time Smalls drifted that way I would call him to me on some excuse, distract him, and he would wander off but eventually he would start drifting that way again. So finally, I decided a small stroll was in order.
I called him to me saying “hey budd, come with me I wanna see if there are any frogs at the pond”. He comes willingly enough but then half way there he says “Hey Mom, how come every time I am about to have fun over there you call me over?” …So, he’s noticed…
With an internal sigh I begin to make excuses and then I decide to just tell the truth… “well buddy, I can’t parent all the kids but you’re my kid and I know you…you see how it’s getting a little rough there?” He says “yeah” and shrugs like what’s the deal? And I say “well if you get in that, and you get you hit, you are gonna loudly call some kid a m%&5erF*^%$er in front of everybody and embarrass yourself.” He looks shocked for a second (as while I swear that’s not one that I normally use) He ponders a second and says “yeah your right, I would…lets see if there are tadpoles”
I sure miss the days his go-to swearing was “ awe gingersnaps!”….sigh… Not sure if this was a parenting win but I think it’s neat that he’s getting old enough to see stuff and know himself well enough to see he can make other choices…I mean not using foul language would also Be a nice choice…
Don’t swear at people…
Read the room and know when to make yourself scarce…
Maybe hide out here and have dinner.
Love you guys.

1498 W. Pitt St
Jennerstown Pa 15547
Open Thursday -Monday 4-9
(814)703-8177

09/14/2026

📣Calling all teachers! 📣 It's a new school year, a new chance to take your students on an amazing field trip to Fort Ligonier-- for FREE! Thanks to several education grants, including the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Fort Ligonier can offer free field trip experiences, including covering transportation costs, this fall for students grades K-12!

Walk where history happened, and see why Fort Ligonier is a part of the "Road to Revolution" as America continues to celebrate its 250th year.

See our new exhibit, "To Rise and Fight Again: The Road to Revolution Begins at Fort Ligonier," as it follows the Revolutionary War experiences of several historical figures who were also at Fort Ligonier.

Meet our resident sheep, 🐑🐑Jacky and Patsy, and learn how livestock played an important role on the Forbes Campaign to take Fort Duquesne from the French in 1758.

Want to learn more about FREE field trip experiences at Fort Ligonier? Contact [email protected] to save your tour date and make your next field trip HISTORIC!

09/13/2026

Note: we are out of prime rib.
So, you folks like a story. Do you remember Al, that older gent who adopted us a while back and won us over with his quiet ways?
Well, we invited Al to the family and friends picnic again this year…I mean he can’t come here for dinner (as we are closed) and he’s gonna drive right by…This year he came. I looked up to see his lanky form, in his favorite flannel. He said “I parked at the barn in case anyone has trouble walking” (I laugh, as we only have a few seniors and he’s one of them), but he walks 4 four miles a day with his little dog.
We start bugging him “Did you hear yet?” he says he hasn’t (and I know this is mostly due to an inability to navigate emails).
You see one of the things Al does is competitive bench shooting and while he will tell you he’s not bad at, (not one to brag) I will tell you he’s pretty good at it. We were all waiting to see if he made the national team after his last shoot, about which he would only shrug and say he could have done better… acting like it didn’t matter to him.
Well, he came in the other day with a certain gleam in his eye…He MADE THE TEAM…guys I just love my friend and am so proud of him I told him I am telling EVERYBODY.
The world shoot next year is in France…Guys… Al is going to FRANCE!! The mind boggles and I hope he’s got some help navigating the details…in the meantime when you come in the porch entrance and you see Al in his favorite seat tell him you’re happy for him.
Remember to chase your dreams at any age
Spread the love
Come to dinner and tell old Deadeye you heard the news.
1498 W. Pitt St
Jennerstown Pa 15547
Open Thursday -Monday 4-9
(814)703-8177