Writings, Wanderings

Living in northeast Ohio, I am blessed to be not far from the Mill Creek Metropark System. This large park--composed of multiple units--is home to Fellows Riverside Garden. Here, in its main building the Davis Center, a gallery holds rotating art displays. The current display is called " As Did Monet, Artists Paint the Landscape! " A few dozen paintings all created in the outdoor fresh air show off the landscape of the park and other regional green spaces.   I love the connection to the older technique of creating art out in nature. I enjoyed looking at the pieces created by local artists. The paintings very much focus on the trees, bushes, and flowers of the landscapes. Animals and man-made structures make fewer appearances. Only one painting in the entire room focused solely on a building (a stairwell actually). While most of the art focuses on spring or summer, several include the colors of fall and even winter makes an appearance. The works cover a variet...

The Chase was my first book of the new year, and it was a great way to start the reading list. The characters may not be the most-fully developed ones you've encountered, but they have their own personalities. They are fun, and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen to them next. The action also kept pulling me along! I found the crimes creative (and could push aside that other voice that muttered about the plausibility of the schemes working out). I would definitely pick up the next book in the Fox and Hare series. The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson was another favorite of the month. (I think I needed something fun.) When I was reading this book, I said to my mom that I was enjoying it but that I couldn't see how it could have a realistically satisfying ending. I'm not going to go into detail to avoid spoilers, but the ending left me with a positive feeling towards the book. I also adored the puppy. I recommend this book for a light read, would ...

I am blessed to have the Mill Creek Metropark system not too far north of where I live. One of the closest units is the Metropark Farm in Canfield. I have pretty much just used the facility for the bike trail that runs between some of its farm land but Saturday late afternoon and early evening I attend Sunset on the Farm there. This is definitely a family-friendly event, one that I would recommend for families with kids between four and ten especially. Many of the activities are free. The corn maze had cute scarecrows at both entrances (which doubled as the exits) and was simple enough that you weren't going to be trapped inside for longer than fifteen minutes. The hay ride had the longest lines, and the ride itself really was probably less than a half mile loop that actually went on the bike trail for part of it. Getting to see the farm animals was fun; the babies were especially adorable. They had a few games for the kids and some live folk music. I also thought it was awesome ...