Last Saturday, the Hartleys hosted a wedding shower for Jared and Alexandria, my nephew and his fiancé. Jared and Alexandria are getting married in November. It is a small wedding and no one seemed inclined to have a wedding shower for them, so my sister asked if we would be willing to host one. We …
From August 2022
Driveway No Longer Needs Mowing
When Tom and I bought our house, the asphalt driveway was in rough shape. Tom thought it should be sealed, so we called a couple of companies. They took one look at it and refused to seal it, saying it needed to be replaced, not sealed. Last summer we were gone for three months and …
Two Months Volunteering at Slate Run Farm
Tom and I have now been volunteering for two months at the Slate Run Farm. We volunteer one day a week, from 10 am until 4 pm. I really like the six hour days. Working on the farm is hard, physical labor and I am tired at the end of that time. The farm is …
65th Wedding Anniversary Celebration
Two weeks ago today, on August 10, my parents celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Anniversaries are generally private in our family, with couples doing something by themselves. When Mom and Dad had their 50th wedding anniversary, the entire extended family spent a long weekend at Lakeside, Ohio to celebrate. Mom and Dad aren’t up to …
Dogsitting at John and Jackie’s
Tom and I spent the last week dogsitting at John and Jackie’s house. One of the fun things about having a leisurely summer has been getting to say yes to things that we normally can’t do. When we are volunteering in the National Parks, we are gone so much. Being around more means more time …
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen in Mansfield, Ohio
Mom and Dad recently took us to one of their new favorite restaurants, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen in Mansfield. Tom and I had eaten there once before when we met our friend Deborah in Mansfield. But that was before I started writing my blog, so I decided Cheddar’s was good enough to mention here. Unlike the …
Huli Huli Tiki Lounge in Powell, Ohio
Huli Huli Tiki Lounge in Powell is a little taste of Hawaii in the middle of Ohio. I had noticed the Tiki Bar part when we would drive through Powell on our way to John and Jackie’s. On a recent visit, I asked if they had eaten there yet. They said they had, but would …
Ohio State Fair: Fair Food and Interesting Displays
Last week Tom and I spent the day at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus. Both of us have attended the Ohio State Fair off and on during our whole lives. Tom went every year when he was a kid living in Columbus. I went when I was in grade school because I was in …
Two Years in Our Little House
Two years ago on this date, August 12, 2020, Tom and I closed and got the keys to our little house on Treeline Drive. We are still loving the little house and learning to live with or fix its quirks. We don’t have any regrets about buying it. Our favorite thing about the house is …
Fixing and Improving the Deck
One of the reasons Tom and I took the summer off was so we would have time for fixing and improving the house. If we volunteer in the winter and the summer, we are gone for eight months. I told Tom to think of our house as a mission project this year. We would spend …