One of the new places we ate with John and Jackie while we were in Columbus was the Beer Barrel Pizza and Grill in Dublin. We met them there for lunch on a Saturday and the place was packed, with the Ohio State Football game playing on all the screens. Beer Barrel Pizza and Grill …
Mohican State Park in Ohio
Like last year, we met our friends Chris Ferlinc and Bill Cashell at Mohican State Park for a day of fun and games. At least that was the plan. It was also the day before I went to the doctor and found out I had bronchitis. So I wasn’t feeling very well. But I really …
Wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas with Family
Tom and I are back in Georgia, but we are still basking in the glow of a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas with family. I think sometimes that our trips back to Ohio are times to recharge before we head back out on our adventures. Connecting with people we love helps us know who we are …
At This Table, Everyone Is Welcome
Tom and I enjoyed listening to Christmas music as we drove up and down I-71 to see friends and family during December. A new song that I heard, one that really stuck in my mind, was “At This Table” written by Idina Menzel. It is on her new Christmas album. I always think it is …
Barn Restaurant in Smithville, Ohio
One of our favorite places to meet people has long been The Barn Restaurant in Smithville, Ohio. We have been there many times – it was halfway between Mom and Dad and us when we lived in Akron. But I realized when we went there in November that I have not written a blog post …
Straight No Chaser Concert at the Palace Theater
For my birthday, John and Jackie gave me six tickets to the “Straight No Chaser” Concert on December 5. Two were for Tom and I, two were for John and Jackie, and two were for me to invite someone. What a wonderful, thoughtful gift! I started by inviting Mom and Dad but they didn’t want …
2019 Five Favorite Places for Karen and Tom
Today, on the last day of the year, I like to share our 2019 five favorite places. I do this every year as a way to review where we have been and hit the highlights. You can read the previous lists for 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015. This year’s list of five favorite places starts …
1000 Books Read in the Last Decade
I have read over 1000 books in the last decade. I’m not saying this to brag. I enjoy reading and I read a lot, although not as much as some people. In fact, I thought I would have more time to read when I retired. 1000 books is an average of two books a week. …
Darkness Has Not Overcome the Light
This is a dark time of year. It is dark at 5 p.m., and – even though we are supposedly climbing out of the darkness – the long, dark, cold nights really get to me. I don’t find them cozy. I feel the cold down deep in my bones and it seems like nothing will …
Mrs Turbos Cookies in Powell Ohio
John and Jackie love to find restaurants, bakeries and stores to show us when we visit Ohio. In November they took us to a place that is bound to become a favorite: Mrs Turbos Cookies. Mrs Turbos Cookies was started in Columbus in 2012 in Gahanna. It is a 50’s style, retro bakery that uses …