new band...

Good look on my brother Primo for putting me on to this awesome soul band from Alabama called St. Paul and the Broken Bones.  Bands with people you don't expect to hear certain voices based on the way they appear are always a pleasant surprise and offer a whole new allure to the band itself.  Enjoy...

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Light skies darkened by dense shadows of a thousand broken hearts.  Sometimes love doesn't last, there's no happy ending.  A weathered heart and an ageless mind teach us life lessons worth living.  While time gives us perspective into an otherwise unforgiving and uncaring world.  Broken hearts torn by shattered promises.  We're left picking up the pieces.  Time is best spent loving, you have seen better hours.  Nurture me with careful eyes and a cautious heart.  My head and heart work against one another.  One is right the other is wrong, quarrels never ironed out, leaving wrinkles in the timeline of our life.  My blood flows with the scent of you.  Arms wrapped around the emptiness, keeping me warm amidst the frigid emotions of a crippled love.  We will love again one day, learn from the past, but make the same mistakes...

i love my town...

Being in Lancaster again has given me wonderful opportunities to take amazing pictures. Here are just some of my favorite pics I have taken since my time back...

it's that time of the year…go irish

hopeless wonderer...

even i though this was them at first! hahaha…Great video!

to the greatest woman i've ever known...

Family, Love and Faith

The house is very quiet, it's a different kind of feeling nowadays.  A walk up the stairs is met with an empty chair in the corner.

A woman born into a broken home, sent her loved ones off to wars and survived The Great Depression, and all the while coming out on top of it all.  A mother of 8, and a widow for the last 40 years, and still; coming out on top.  There are almost 100 people that have been touched by this woman's legacy and that's just family. Almost 30 grandkids and almost 50 great grandkids, what a family.  She lives through us all, generations now and forever will carry her with us through every single trial and tribulation and draw strength from her.  Although she looks down on us now, she is flowing through our veins, always in our hearts and forever on our minds.  This is the greatest woman I've ever know, and the greatest friendship I will ever have.

To be able to see a loved one take their last breath is a powerfully sad and happy experience.  To know that people die with no one next to them or without being able to say goodbye, is something I would not like to imagine.  Appreciate the life you have, even if you think its pretty crappy.  Appreciate the people in it, family or not.  Don't ever go to bed mad at your loved one, and don't argue over dumb stuff.  Tell them you love them, tell them you appreciate them and cherish every moment you are able to share.  One day you won't have the opportunity.

We try to prove that and we try to prove this, but faith is all about believing in something that can't be proven.  There doesn't have to be a science behind it, its about what you feel in your heart and what your soul desires to seek.  Gram was the epitome of a faith bearing woman, and I may never meet another woman  that shared such a great relationship with her creator.  As years passed when she was unable to attend mass, you could find her in that chair, Rosary and prayer books in hand; every morning.  Father would visit once a month to pray with her and they grew very close to each other.  They were a blessing to each other.  She waited for him to come and give her a holy death, and send her home to her husband and dance with the angels.  She held on until he retuned home after being gone for a couple days, as soon as he arrived and within a minute of prayer...she took her last breath.

I really miss her, I miss her hugs, kisses and silly faces.  I miss State St.  I miss her crazy looks and her green sweat suit.  I miss losing to her in Rummikub.  I miss watching game shows and crappy Hallmark movies with her.  I miss having her call my mom because I didn't want to spend the night at her house.  I miss walking the streets and taking the bus to the mall and picking up coins off the ground as we passed them.  I miss her cooking, I miss her smile.  I miss talking loud so she could hear, I miss her head nods when she couldn't hear what I said, but didn't want me to know.  I miss looking over and seeing her sleeping in her chair.  I miss her face.  I miss her love and I miss her guidance.  I really just miss...her…

I LOVE YOU GRAM…

ride...

there is a house...

This is by far one of my favorite songs of all time...The Animals

honor your past and respect the present...

These are jackets my Grandfather and Father wore during their time serving this country.  The top one belonged to my Grandpa who served in World War II under General George S. Patton.  The one below was my father's, which he wore while he served in the ever so controversial Vietnam War.  Which many believed that we lost.  No matter the outcomes in ANY war, there are many men and women who are out there each day fighting for a cause THEY FEEL is worth fighting.  So next time you want to talk bad about the war, how bout you talk bad about it with a gun in your hand.

a young man's love for the blue and gold...

The Golden Dome, Rockne, Holtz, The Grotto, Leahy, 4 Horsemen, Gipper, Parseghian, Rudy and Touchdown Jesus.  The Blue and Gold.  Ever since I can remember, I've been a fan of Notre Dame.  You see, I've been born into this love affair, never really had a choice.  Some people may call it obsessive, I call it passionate.  You call it weird, I call it normal.  This place, this University; is special.  Even though I never attended (not that bright of a kid) I've been blessed to experience Notre Dame, not from a TV, but in person.  My Uncle, a priest at Holy Cross.  My sister and two cousins who all attended the University, all these reasons i'm drawn to the Blue and Gold.  I can still remember my first trip to ND, they played Navy that weekend; it rained game day.  This was the day I met Lou Holtz, and I got to hold Bobby Taylor's helmet for a brief moment as he signed my football.  I was so star-struck, I didn't even realize the cap to my maker was off and I was writing all over my brand new ND polo I bought from the bookstore just hours earlier.  But I didn't care, I was in heaven.   We were able to get into the stadium and walk around.  The head grounds-keeper let me onto the field and we walked around the freshly cut green grass, I can still smell it.  He told his workers that someday I was gonna play for the Irish, well that was the joke of the century.  I've been to over 10 games in my lifetime, and countless other trips to visit my big sis.  This place truly is amazing in many ways.

As we all know, Notre Dame is ranked #1 in the country and about to play #2 Alabama in the BCS National Championship.  It's been 24 years since ND has won a national championship, I was 4.  This year has been fun to watch and even better to follow, and for those of you who know me well, I couldn't be happier.  They say we are underdogs, that there's NO WAY we can beat Alabama!  Well last time I checked we are 12-0 and they have one loss.  The game still has to be played so don't declare the winner just yet.  You either hate the or love them, but college football is exciting when Notre Dame is relevant.

GO IRISH!

old school thirst...

The guy laying low in the cut, always gets his leading lady....

if you dont...

I think we all have been down this road one time or another in our lifetimes.  Love is never easy, and we can never make a heart want something it doesn't.  It's a cruel game played by two and sometimes never won by any....

new find: alt-j...

Not a fan of all of this bands music but I did stumble across this song via Mumford and Sons, who did a cover to this bands song.  I like both, and may be biased towards the Mumford version, but I figured you all don't need M&S's overload (hahaha).  So here ya go...

lover of the light...

At first I didn't really understand the concept of this video which is directed by Idris Elba who is also featured in it, but then a good friend broke it down to me and made it all the more powerful.  Well done Idris and Mumford and Sons, looking forward to the next single and video.

happy mother's and father's day

Sorry for the delay folks! I say this as if you all are waiting patiently for my next entry.  I've been meaning to get on this thing for awhile now, just haven't found the time.  I digress.  With that said, there's no better time to do post about the people who are responsible for my being.  My parents, John and Teresa Yost.  A rock and roll loving, flower power hippie with hair down her back, and a buzzed cut, mellowed out gun tottin' son-of-a-gun about to go to the war.  They met, got married, got busy, and had 4 wonderful kids, with me being the last and most likely probably the best!  Love you girls, but I'm just saying.

Mom taught me how to cook, and treat people with kindness.  She taught me how to forgive, and how to never get too stressed out, because you know what, it could always be worse.  I learned how to love unconditionally and to pay it forward.  My Mom is the greatest woman I know, and I learned many things from her and I share a lot of the same attributes she has.  She has helped me out in many tough spots in my life, talking to her when I'm down will get me out of any hole.  Her wisdom and love for her family drives me to be a better man, to one day being able to pass that down through mine.  I Love You Mom.

Dad taught me how to work with my hands, and to be tough.  He taught me the values of working hard, and providing for your family, because there is nothing more important then them.  He TRIED to teach me how to hunt, but that didn't work out.  He did however teach me how to play golf and shoot a gun.  I learned how to smoke a cigar and drink whiskey on the rocks, my two personal favorites. You see my Dad was a cop for many years, so we didn't see each other much and we didn't have many conversations about life and girls.  We didn't have to though and I never blamed him for it.  Sometimes a boy learns from his father by observing his actions.  I've learned so much from him, even though he regrets not being around more when I was a kid.  I've learned to be a man and when the day comes that I need to provide for my family, I know i'll be alright, because of you Pop.  I Love You Dad.

Anybody that knows me, knows I have a great family, and they are the most important thing in my life. Hands down.  I am who I am, because of them. My parents are my rocks, equally as big and strong.  I continue to grow and learn from them, and I look forward to many more years spent as their baby boy.

new mumford and sons...

New Mumford and Sons song performed at this years SXSW...

philly love...

ronnie fieg collection...

fotos...me gusta

local natives...

My boy Primo put me down on these cats...def a dope group of guys...