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...

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate is one of my favorite reads for the year so far. Based on a true scandal out of Tennessee over half a century ago, the story is heartbreaking. The mystery of who Mae and Judy really were kept me guessing until closer to the end. I did find the romance angle a little cliche but if I ignore that part, this is a 5-star book (4 1/2 when considering the romance). Another audiobook by Janet Evanovich made my list this month: Plum Lovin'. This was a great choice for a road trip since while there were multiple storylines, none of it was complicated. I didn't really like how the narrator approached some of the voices, but the three CD's made my twelve hours on the road pass much quicker. I enjoyed seeing Stephanie hold her own in a different setting than the usual bounty hunting. I also read a co-written book by Evanovich and Lee Goldberg The Job, the third book in the Fox and O'Hare series. I'm really liking this series following ...

Looking to buy a book for a child for Christmas? Check out what I've read in the last month to get my opinion on some choices! Dinosaur vs Santa is my top pick for reading with little ones for this season. This book followed an adorable if slightly mischievous dinosaur kid as he prepared for Christmas. I had a lot of fun reading this story out loud with its dinosaur sound effects as he made presents, decorated the tree, and more. The illustrations are simple but engaging. Enrichment idea: discuss Dinosaur vs Halloween (or another holiday). What activities would he need to successfully conquer for this holiday? Draw some of your own pictures. Wombat Walkabout was another fun read although it did have me nervous about the fate of the wombats until nearly the end! What I loved about this book was its integration of words used in Australia. There was a glossary at the front of the book, but I actually missed it until I had read the story. However, the story and ...

Originally posted on the now-defunct TravBuddy site December 30, 2008.           Growing up, Pittsburgh was the closest big city, and we would take advantage of the theater and museums from time to time.  Once in awhile, we drove past the Cathedral of Learning, the visual centerpoint of the University of Pittsburgh .  When I learned that the stone skyscraper housed unique classrooms designed in a variety of international styles, I decided I had to visit.  On Tuesday morning my dad and I set off.  We swung through a drive-through for lunch, drove alongside the Ohio River , passed the airport, and  headed through the Fort Pitt tunnel.  Coming across the bridge, I had a quick glimpse of a stadium and science museum before turning to follow 376 until our exit at Forbes St .  The Cathedral waited directly in front of us as we curved off the exit although it was still quite a few blocks away.  We found parking in a lot ac...

Yesterday the National Park Service celebrated 102 years of service in protecting our natural lands and historical and cultural heritage. Although the NPS has over 400 units to manage, only 60 are currently designated as national parks. To honor this occasion, I thought it would be interesting to create a list of the parks I have visited. (I used this site for quickest viewing of all 60). So here we go! 1. Badlands 2. Cuyahoga Valley 3. Gateway Arch 4. Grand Canyon 5. Grand Teton 6. Great Smoky Mountains (although this was more just a drive-through) 7. Kings Canyon 8. Mammoth Cave 9. Sequioa 10. Shenandoah 11. Yellowstone 12. Yosemite I think Shenandoah was the first one I visited in conjunction with a trip to DC when I was early elementary age. If not, then I believe it is Mammoth, also early elementary. (Since Cuyahoga is in Ohio, there is chance my parents took me there first but I don't remember it while I have vague memories of the other two trips.) Newest on...