Wait and it shall come" seems to be the title of the story of Diana Pishner Walker. 

 

Diana is a resident of Fairmont but was born and raised in Clarksburg.  She is the daughter of the late Anna Allessio and Louis Pishner.  She is married and a mother and works in Fairmont.

 

She comes from a very talented family being a sister to the musician, Stephen Pishner and the dancer Anna Pishner Harsh. Most of us who have been associated with the Italian Festival know of the many talents of Anna and Stephen.  We kind of watched them grow into the performers they are now.

 

Perhaps some of us heard about Diana and the pleasure she provided her parents especially with her children, but we were not aware that she too possessed a talent. For a long time she was the hidden gem in the family. But now her brilliance has come to life and what a wonderful talent she has.

 

Diana has developed into an award winning author, writing childrens' books. One of her first books was "I don't want to sit in the front row anymore".  This book shares many tearful and lighthearted experiences as she endures personal losses.

 

She has written other books, including "Spaghetti and Meatballs, Growing Up Italian" and her latest is "Hopping to America - a Rabbit's Tale of Immigration".

 

Diana got together with Jason Young, the owner of the Vintage Theatre Company and the book was made into a play.  Young and his team worked hard and fast and they presented the play this weekend at the Uptown Event Center during the Festival.  Several area children were the actors for this endeavor.  This kind of reminded me of the old days when we presented a play at the Rose Garden (the former RobinsonGrand) during the Festival.

 

I congratulate Diana on her successes and I encourage you to purchase her books  They will make wonderful Christmas gifts. You can follow Diana on Facebook and attend her next big event at the Frank and Jane Gabor Life Science Center on the campus of Fairmont State University.

 

As I read about Diana I can only think of how proud her parents must be of her.  I miss Anna and Louie all the time but especially during the Festival.  They were such an integral part of it.  They have left their mark on the festival with the talents of their three children, Diana, Anna and Stephen, who give so much to preserve our Italian heritage.

 

I have so much to share with you about this year's Festival and about my personal journey but will give this to you in future columns.

 

Fall is here and a reminder that it will soon be mushroom time.  Remember to save a few of your peppers in the garden to use in the crock with your mushrooms.  Especially the red ones, they add such color to this dish.

 

Take care and a big thank you to the WVIHF Board of Directors for a wonderful 38th annual Festival.  Until next week "Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine."