Welcome to Pittsburgh

Well, you guys know I'm happy.  Last week, the Church made it's official announcement of the location where it intends to build the Pittsburgh Temple.  Not only is that location in my Stake, it's basically down the street from my house.  We can literally walk there.

What adds to my joy is that the people of Cranberry Township, our neighbors and friends, have been very welcoming towards us, and I'm so grateful for that as well.  I credit the good people of this town for creating a place where people of all faiths are welcome.  I noticed it right away when we moved here four years ago, and I pray regularly thanking God for that amazing blessing.  

In anticipation of the great blessing of a temple, I thought I'd pay homage to just a few things about Pittsburgh that are truly unique, that my readers from elsewhere might want to know if you ever come here to worship in the future temple!

Pittsburghers use a lot of jargon that is very specific to this area.  (See the map above!)  The first time you hear someone drop a "Yinz" in conversation, you're gonna jump out of your seat, I assure you.  It's mostly used by people who grew up here in place of y'all or you guys.  My children's pediatric nurse says it and I find it very endearing. But when non-natives use it, you can tell.  It doesn't quite work. But that doesn't stop people from trying! And after four years of living here even I find myself thinking and sometimes using the word yinz!  

There's really a ton of unique words I could share with you, but I don't want to get too in the weeds.  But I will share this one: dahntahn, because it gives me an excuse to share this beautiful picture of Downtown Pittsburgh. (My husband works in the pointy building on the left.)

If you ever get a chance to visit, please go "dahtahn" to explore the many amazing museums, universities, the Strip District, ride the Incline, play in the water steps, check out the Mr. Rogers memorabilia at the Children's Museum or catch a game. (Our Stake President is a former Pittsburgh Stealer with two Super Bowl rings!) I really love going downtown during Christmas time because they have lots of amazing events and decorations all over. The ambiance is really neat.

The ambiance might be "neat", but the weather is usually some version of messy--or as they say in Pittsburgh..."Be careful out there, it's slippy." It's slippy because it's icy or wet and because no matter where you're going in Pittsburgh, it's uphill. Spring and Fall in Pittsburgh are beautiful however. The trees are amazingly beautiful.

Here's another local reference.  Nebby means anyone who's sticking their nose where it ought not to be.

I'll share a few more things before I go:

No matter where you live in the state, you don't generally refer to Pennsylvania as Pennsylvania.  In conversation, you always say "PA" instead, spelling out the initials "P-A".  That's basically the easiest way to fit in in PA....know to say P-A and not the whole word!

But what I like most about PA (beside that fact that all six of my children were born here) is how many important events happened in this great state.

Joseph Smith came here to Harmony, PA (marked on the map above with a circle) to translate over 60% of the Book of Mormon.  The Declaration of Independence was adopted here.  The Battle of Gettysburg was fought here. The Priesthood was restored here.

This is a good place.  This is a place and a people that God loves.  I know that His hand has been on this good land for a long, long time, and I look forward to watching Him work once again in this area.