A Good Day, A Sib Day

At the Beached Whale

Kirk headed back to OH on Wednesday. So, at his request, the three remaining sibs visited one of his favorite FMB haunts: The Beached Whale. And, also in his honor, we ordered extra crispy wings. It was a sacrifice, I can tell you, but we suffered through it some how. ;)

Tonight's sunset

 Mary Ann wings her way north on Saturday. John and I head home on Sunday. Hard to believe the week is already over. It would be good hanging another seven days with the parents. Ah, well, at least we had this time together.

Miss my Girl

Saw a golden on the beach and got homesick for that unconditional love waiting for me more than 1,100 miles away. This pup's name was "Blue" - kind of appropriate. 

FL

Today we celebrated my mom's 80th birthday. The "we" being my dad, my three siblings, me, and more than 40 of my parents' friends here in Fort Myers Beach. The four of us kids flew down from Ohio on Saturday morning to spend a week at the beach with our folks - all of us under one roof - something we haven't done since we all were very young. If my brother Andy was with us, it would be perfect. Yet, even with that loss, we are a truly blessed family.

My mom has been a tremendous positive influence on all of us and I can say without a doubt that I am the person I am today thanks to her love and guidance. She is a beautiful woman inside and out. Thank you, God, for the gift of a great mom and this week together.

Dad & Mom

(Bill & Mickey)

A Done Deal

BB, you must be psychic -- in response to your well-timed inquiry from this morning: "SOOOOO......Did you break down and go for the camper yet?"
The answer: YES!!!  In fact, just yesterday I put a deposit on a 6x10 Silver Shadow teardrop camper that will be built just for me by Little Guy Worldwide in Sugarcreek, OH. By mid-September, Sedona and I will be camping in style; the open road our oyster.

Shamed

So, a friend has given me a gentle reminder that regularly posting to the blog is still a good thing -- for me mentally and, apparently, for those of you who care about me and are wondering: whazzup?!

Here's the dish: Work has been all consuming since my quick jaunt to George and Martha's place in mid-May. I'm not complaining about being so busy especially as I strongly believe in the mission of JobsOhio and have deep affection for the people with whom I work. However, I'm not sure that the long hours and accompanying stress are exactly compatible with long-term good health -- not that there's anything amiss with me other than not getting enough sleep. It just makes me wonder if last year's challenge and the life losses I've experienced aren't together suggesting it's neither "living to work" nor working to live," but simply "living to live." don't know if that makes any sense, but those thoughts perhaps played into what I did a week ago Saturday ...

My gal pal Susie from the Div. of Wildlife and I got an early morning start and, with Sedona in tow, headed for Sugarcreek, which is about 30 miles south of Massillon in northeast Ohio. The object of our quest? To visit the manufacturing facility of the Little Guy Teardrop Trailer. I've been mulling over getting one of these things for about two years, but had never seen one up close let along been inside one. The short of it is, I'm thinking it's not if I buy one, but when I buy one of these Amish-made gems!

Collage Pic o' the Day

This teardrop trailer is called a Silver Shadow 6x10. From the ground
to the top of the trailer it is 63"  Just perfect for me and Dona! :)

Photo Snippets

200-plus year old garden pavers

I don't want too much time to pass before I post something about the trip to Mount Vernon/Alexandria, VA, so here are some snippets. Again, the overcast skies were not ideal, but the sincerity and warmth of the people I was with acted like umbrellas that kept the damp from ruining a weekend of fun and exploration.

There was much to be in awe of at Mount Vernon, from the views of the Potomac from the big front porch and elaborate (yet practical) gardens to the amazing library and giant cooking hearth inside the house. But oddly enough, my favorite thing was walking up and touching trees that were planted under Washington's direction and continue to thrive on the grounds today (see photos below). I also thought it was cool to walk along pavers in the vegetable garden that were laid during Washington's time. According to Dean Horton, our tour guide the Director of Horticulture at Mount Vernon, most of the trees on the estate were no more than 15 feet tall when Washington died. Today, there are trees that tower at least 140 feet!

I could get used to that view!

After the gardens and the house tours, we had free time to roam the grounds. So, a group of us marched down to see the Washingtons' burial tombs and some of the less structured areas of the estate.

I find it amazing that the house and estate are owned and maintained by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. I guess I'd always assumed it was all owned and managed by the feds. Glad to know I was wrong. Thank you, Ann Pamela Cunningham, founder of the association in 1853.

On the Road Again

We've left Alexandria are headed back to Ohio. While the weather was not as pleasant as I would have liked the company more than made up for the gray skies. As Karen Kasich said at the start of the trip, "This isn't just a fundraiser, it's a friendraiser." That proved prophetic as I feel I will end this trip with several new friends, some of whom I know I will stay in touch with. 

As for details of the trip and accompanying photos, those will come once I have more than my iPhone upon which to write!:)

Quick Post

Really, really tired so just a quick note: got into Alexandria at 5:15, but it took another half hour to get to the hotel. Staying at the Westin - tres nice. Below are some selected pix from the drive - hence not super crisp images.The first is of the mountains through Virginia. The second is of the Potomac River and the third shows the Washington Monument surrounded by scaffolding. More to come. 

I am b-e-a-t.

Going to See George

Our coach bus left the Ohio Historical Society at 8:45 this morning bound for Alexandria, VA and a weekend spent touring George Washington's Mount Vernon. This is a fundraiser for the Governor's Residence and Heritage Garden. There are about 35 of us on the bus, including Ohio's First Lady Karen Kasich and her twin daughters. 

We will stop in Morgantown, WV for lunch at the ubiquitous Crackle Barrel and arrive in Alexandria around 5pm. Should be a fun and interesting weekend - I love Colonial America history.

Sent from my iPad

Fabulous Bookends

At the French Field House

Started the day early at OSU's French Field House to serve as a judge for the annual State Science Fair. What a great experience. More than a thousand students from grades 7-12 (and a scattering of 6th graders) presented their projects to judges of all stripes -- I say that because judges ranged in expertise from nephrologists to communications directors! :) And, interestingly enough, grade school sweethearts. Bumped into one of those, someone I hadn't seen in at least 30 years. Life is full of surprises. Every one of the students and their respective projects I had the honor of judging deserved to win. One of my favorites was "Tootsie pop versus blow pop." I forget the student's hypothesis, but one of her findings was that men tended to lick the Tootsie Pops and Blow Pops faster and with shorter 'licks' than the women, whose fewer and longer licks got them to the center of both suckers faster. I have considered several clever quips to insert here, but I think it's better just to leave it alone.

Serving @ Jericho's Light Club.
My sis, Mary Ann along with
Jason and Cindy, all newcomers to JLC

The second half of my Saturday was spent in preparation for serving down at Jericho's Light Club. Sloppy Joe's were the meal du jour, which I made from scratch and were pretty darn good. A nice bonus was my sister Mary Ann being in town for a visit and joining me to serve that evening. It was an awesome night with my sis and having some truly excellent fellowship.