John picked eating at Chile Verde Restaurant for his birthday. Tom and I are usually in the south over John’s birthday, so it was nice to be able to celebrate with him. We had never eaten at Chile Verde, which was an added bonus. We met at Chile Verde on a Wednesday evening, the …
Simeon and Anna in the Temple
Have you ever wondered how Simeon and Anna recognized Jesus? The story appears in Luke 2:22-38. Mary and Joseph have taken Jesus to the Temple in accordance with Jewish law. They are not there for Jesus. Instead, they are there to offer two pigeons for the purification of Mary after childbirth. Leviticus 12 explains the …
2025 Weaving
I did a lot of weaving in 2025 but I didn’t take a lot of pictures of what I made. As per usual, I wove towels on my little loom when I was demonstrating at the National Parks. My big loom, however, sat empty all year. All year it was sad and lonely and calling …
Snowcation: What Did You Do?
What did you do on your winter snowcation? I haven’t actually heard anyone use this word, but you clearly know what it means. A snowcation is where you are forced to stay indoors because of snow. And we certainly had that last week. A lot of snow! My snowcation started on Saturday because Tom was …
Millstone Southern Smoked BBQ
During our weekend in Hocking Hills, the Hartleys enjoyed at meal at Millstone Southern Smoked BBQ in Logan. We had been out hiking in the morning, washed the dirty dog, explored downtown Logan and worked up an appetite. Whenever we drive along 33, we see Millstone Southern Smoked BBQ along the road and think it …
Weekend in Hocking Hills
For Christmas this year, John and Jackie and Tom and I rented a cabin for a weekend in Hocking Hills. Instead of more stuff, we decided we really just wanted to spend some relaxed time together. Hocking Hills has plenty of places to rent and lots of stuff to do, even in the winter. Jackie …
Center of Science and Industry, Columbus
Have you ever been to the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio? If you grew up within an hour of Columbus, it was practically a requirement that you visit. Field trips, overnights with scouts, and family trips all led to COSI. Tom and I both went when we were in school. But we …
Historic Circleville Ohio
Historic Circleville is one of those places Tom and I have driven by several times without stopping. Last summer, when we were working in Kentucky, we passed by Circleville twice a month. Fortunately, visiting Wittich’s Candy Shop gave us an excuse to stop and explore. Historic Circleville is a small city of 14,000 residents about …
Wittichs Candy Shop in Circleville
Tom and I recently made a trip to Circleville to visit Wittichs Candy Shop. I read about Wittichs Candy Shop in “Ohio Ice Cream: A Scoop of History.” It is a very interesting little book that lists lots of ice cream destinations in Ohio. Wittichs Candy Shop is not an ice cream shop, but they …
Cookies Out the Wazoo
Have you ever used the phrase “out the wazoo”? I don’t use it often, but it is a very apt description of my cookie baking during December. Out the wazoo is slang from the 1960’s and means “in great quantity or great abundance.” Did I bake cookies out the wazoo during December? Yes, I did. …