We went back to Richland County for a family reunion this weekend: a low-key, potluck picnic-at-the-pond kind of thing on Sunday afternoon. The reunion itself was fine (though the kids and I couldn’t stay very long because of commitments back … Continue reading
Out in the farmlands of Richland County, there’s a cemetery labeled with a simple wrought-iron sign: “Revolutionary War Cemetery.” As the name suggests, a few well-weathered gravestones go all the way back to the 1700s, when this part of the … Continue reading
We’re thankful for a bit of a thaw this weekend in northeast Ohio. We know better than to get too excited about such a temporary reprieve, but it is awfully nice to get some sun and snowmelt. A week ago, … Continue reading
It’s been said that, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” And as much as I’m inclined to grumble about rain, slush, and cold (or high heat and humidity for that matter), I generally ascribe to this … Continue reading
We brought back the magic of 1977 to celebrate my 40th Birthday this past weekend. There was lots of great food, great disco music, great fashions, and great stories shared by all. But naturally, the best part of the whole evening was my friends and … Continue reading
President’s Day is not typically a great holiday. I mean, the day seems to be nice enough for school-children and government employees (who get the day off), as well as for people who sell cars or furniture (who seem to … Continue reading
Scrape, skritch, scratch, rake. Scrape, skritch, scratch, rake. I drag my bamboo rake along the lawn. I gather the leaves into piles. I gather the piles onto a tarp. I pull the tarp to the front of our property. I … Continue reading
We had a lovely afternoon with our international friends: warming ourselves by the open fire… carving pumpkins… eating kettle corn pumpkin bread, s’mores, and cider… and rebuilding the tower of Babel with Jenga blocks. It really was a lot of fun. For … Continue reading
The engine idles in the darkness: a hot hum that harmonizes with the chill chirp of a thousand crickets. It’s the end of a trip. The end of a summer. We are weary and wasted from fast food and sugary … Continue reading
I used to tell people that I lived in the “boring middle-part of America.” Factory towns separated by farm country: Ohio didn’t seem to offer much in the way of breathtaking natural spectacles like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. … Continue reading
