Monthly Archives: July 2018

That’s Not On The Whole 30

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I really enjoy the food available to me on the Whole 30. It’s basically clean eating meant to change your relationship with food. It’s about eating lots of fresh produce, fish and healthy fats that are tasty and filling. With that said, I’m on day twenty-something of my second round since May and am suddenly dying for pancakes.

I had this order of french toast while on a weekend trip last month and I’m trying hard to hold on to one memory while I stave off this craving.

This plate of french toast that sounded so good, this french toast that I looked forward to ordering – didn’t taste very good.

My tastes have changed enough that I was happier with the bowl of fruit and eggs than with the buttery, syrupy goodness of that food I once loved.

Progress. I’m calling this progress.

So as I sit here craving pancakes and syrup, I’ll hold on to this memory a little longer. It’s not worth it because it won’t taste as good as I think it should.

Close To Home: Adena Mansion and Gardens

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b1.JPGOn Sunday I met a friend at Adena Mansion and Gardens, a site operated by Ohio History Connection. I’ve been several times but she had not and I will use any excuse to support having this historic site so close to home.

Adena was the home of Thomas Worthington, the sixth governor of Ohio. Completed in 1807, the stone mansion has impressive 22″ thick standstone outer and support walls. It has been restored to look much like it might have when the Worthingtons lived there. They even have some original Worthington furnishings, paintings, books and artifacts.

The home is impressive for many reasons but partly because it was designed by famed architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe and is just one of three Latrobe houses still standing today.

The estate originally spanned about 2,000 acres but today there remains just 300 acres for the home, buildings, walking trails and a reasonably new visitors center.

b30For just $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12 (and no charge for 5 and under) you can take a guided tour of the home and then explore the grounds, gardens, trails and museum on your own. Friends will understand that the terraced garden filled with flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees is my favorite part of any visit.

I love how alive their garden is – not just with plants but with birds, butterflies, bees and insects. We even saw bunnies that afternoon.

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They know a good bit about the Worthington family and about Thomas Worthington’s work. They also know about some of the terrible things that were done to this amazing house after the last Worthington lived there in the late nineteenth century and before the property was willed to the state in the mid nineteenth century. Years of restorations have revealed to historians clues about how the house was lived in and even about details like the original wallpaper patterns.

b5Our tour guide Sunday was superb. Her name is Catherine with a ‘C’ (as she introduced herself more than once) and she was both knowledgeable and passionate about the stories she told. I appreciate guides who sound as excited about the tour they’re giving on day 100 as they did on day one.

I tend to believe that people who think they don’t like history simply have never been taught history from a perspective they can appreciate. If all I knew of history were the dates and names, I wouldn’t care much for it either. However, learning the stories of the humans behind all those facts is fascinating, if you ask me.

Thomas and Eleanor Swearingen Worthington had ten children. Tour the home and you’ll learn about how they lived, where they dined and about the servants employed to care for them. You’ll learn about troubling times and about how Ohio very nearly was split down the middle, following the Scioto River as a border, and made into two states.

We have Thomas Worthington to thank for Ohio becoming just one, sort of heart shaped state, rather than two that resemble Indiana and Illinois.

He served as governor and as U.S. Senator but he also had private business interests in numerous areas including land surveying, shipping, farming and milling. He supported the construction of river canals and he supported the concepts of libraries and public schools.

Tour the home and you’ll learn about the perils of travel to Washington D.C. in the early nineteenth century and about the children who called this place home.

b24Adena sits high atop a hill overlooking Chillicothe. If you’re familiar with the Great Seal of Ohio, this imagery was inspired by the view from here. The view is now partly obscured by trees and is less picturesque thanks to industrial clutter down below. Nonetheless, the hills remain and it is moving to stand there and know this was the view that inspired our Great Seal.

There is a shelter house with some picnic tables – you might consider packing a lunch so you can make a day of it. Note, there are no concessions available on site most days. On Sunday, there was an old timey baseball game played by the Ohio Village Muffins so you could buy cold drinks and snacks for this special occasion. Otherwise, you need to take your own.

Interested in visiting? You can find rates, hours, special events and other important information here.

There are other things to do in the area. I would highly recommend seeing the outdoor drama Tecumseh. I worked in the box office when I was in college and marveled at the talent and quality of this show.

I found that a lot of locals had never even seen the show while I sold tickets to people literally from all over the world because it was one of the best outdoor dramas in the nation. If you do see the show, go early for a backstage tour. It’s interesting for all ages but especially helpful for kids to see that it’s really just play acting and nothing to find frightening.

Chillicothe also has a historic downtown with a few good restaurants and some nice shops and antique stores. The National Park Service operates Hopewell Culture National Historic Park  not far from Adena. I haven’t visited since I was a kid but it’s on my list for this summer.

Photography of any kind inside the house is strictly prohibited but I had fun taking pictures of the gardens and areas surrounding the home!

 

 

Lessons From The Garden

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I’ve been thinking a great deal about my flower garden lately. This is the first summer in many years that I’ve been home to really appreciate my yard and to realize that it’s sort of a mess.

Over the years I have added a flower or two here and there, creating flower beds that have a kind of cottagey, messy feel. This used to suit my tastes but it feels like change is needed.

I would like to rearrange some things into masses and to create greater order. Not only will it look better but masses of flowers are easier to keep weeded. There’s research to be done so I can understand how best to accomplish this goal and, plainly put, I just need a plan.

Meanwhile, I’m mainly observing and trying to get my head in the right spot to cause so much upheaval in my yard. I’m not ready yet.

b12There’s a lot to be learned from nature and from your flowers and many of these lessons can be applied to your own life. For example, some things are most striking just before they bloom.

I absolutely love the colors and shapes of the buds on this Hosta. When the buds open, the flower is delicate and yet sturdy and strong.

 

 

 

Some flowers are beautiful, not for their perfections but for the damage caused by conditions such as bugs and heat. They are survivors.

Others are beautiful for the way they reach to the heavens. None do so with such enthusiasm as my Rose of Sharon which are loaded down with blooms and growing so fast they’re officially taller than the house.

Some things are most beautiful only in the right light while others may share their secrets and become transparent in that same light.

And sometimes you stumble into something in the garden that isn’t quite what it seems. This dragonfly is made of old utensils. Cute, right?

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I like the way that flowers work together, side by side, and without worry that they’re a different color or shape or from different places.

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I like the way that they create beauty where there is none. Such as in this vintage peanut can turned flower pot. The phrase “bloom where you’re planted” comes to mind.

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I appreciate resilience and strength in the face of adversity. Between the torrential rains, extreme heat, deer and insects, my flowers have shown their will to live this year.

I also appreciate these qualities in people.

Life is hard and sometimes it feels like the people around us work to make it harder. People don’t like someone for the color of their skin or push political views on others who are literally harmed by these views and actions. People are judged for their personal choices or made to feel inadequate because they don’t have enough money or the right house or because they love the wrong person. They don’t dress correctly or they simply don’t fit the mold of what society says is right.

Many people aren’t nice anymore. They seem to have forgotten the Golden Rule. Just as bad – they teach their own children to bully and name call. Never in my life has it been ok to call another person names and now I know people who think it’s cute when they’re tween calls someone a libtard.

And for what?  Why do people try so hard to make life more challenging for others and, sometimes, for themselves? I can’t answer that question and lack the energy to try today. Instead, I’m going to focus on the things I do know to be true and the things I can control.

b5I’m going to take note of some things my flowers have taught me – try to get along, find beauty where you can and bloom where you’re planted. Also, understand that sometimes a weed will appear but if you’re lucky – it’s not a weed – it’s just something you didn’t plan for like this pretty daylily that I don’t recall planting.

 

And when in doubt, just keep trucking. Because, unlike flowers which must bloom where they’re planted, human beings have choices to make and can move along if they’re not happy where they are in life.

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I sat down to write a short post about flowers and not to publish a diatribe on what’s wrong with society. So here are a few more pretty pictures to brighten your day. I hope you make it a good one.

 

 

Kim’s Classic Diner

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Earlier this week I wrote about a little road trip to Loveland Castle. We veered off the suggested highways and followed Rt. 22 nearly all the way to Loveland from Washington Court House.

We found this treasure along the way.

It took no effort to convince me to turn and go back for a couple of snapshots. My only regret is that it’s closed and now for sale. I would absolutely go off the Whole 30 and start again tomorrow for a shot at lunch in this 1946 Silk City Diner manufactured by the Patterson Vehicle Company.

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My parents spent the next several miles fantasizing about buying and running this Sabina landmark as a family business. My mother believes her baked beans would be a hit.

I’m a nasty old realist and cynic who felt the need to remind them how hard the restaurant business is. But I also couldn’t help but dream how amazing it would be to serve up sundaes and grilled cheese in such a place!

Roadside America: Loveland Castle

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One of my favorite pastimes is to motor down a road I’ve never been on to a place I’ve never seen. Today I loaded up my parents and we headed west to Loveland, Ohio where we toured the famed Loveland Castle.

It may be that we’re easily entertained but we are people who simply like to drive and see. Interstate travel is mind numbing and I like to avoid it unless I just need to make time. Today we took the road less traveled and had a fun time seeing all the great old houses, interesting churches, Quilt Barns and other sights along the way.

The purpose of today’s journey was to see Loveland Castle and it was a fun distraction on this Independence Day.

This place is a real oddity.

Loveland Castle, or Chateau Laroche, is located just outside Loveland on a bluff overlooking the Little Miami River. Chateau Laroche aptly translates to “Rock Castle.”

It’s a relatively small castle but what makes it unique is that it was designed and hand built by one man who worked on it for over fifty years. It’s creator was Harry Andrews, a New York native who came to the area after World War I.

291Long story short, he contracted spinal meningitis during the war and was declared dead. However, he wasn’t dead and he lived to the ripe old age of 91 (the story of his resurrection is fascinating and is covered in a short film they play on site). Sadly, his fiancee married someone else before learning that he was still alive.

Heart broken, he had no desire to return to his hometown and instead traveled through Europe where he studied castles.

He then came to Loveland where he purchased land along the river. His hope was to give his Sunday School class of young men a place to camp, fish, swim and boat. At first the boys slept in tents. However, when the tents began to decay he asked the boys to fetch him some stones so he could build them a stone tent.

And the rest is history.

He went on to build his castle. Like I said, it isn’t large but it certainly is interesting. There are some fun things on display and they’ve done a nice job preserving Harry’s living space – just as it was when he lived there.

 

Harry worked on his castle until the day he died. As of January 1981, not long before Harry died, it was documented that he had carried about 56,000 pails full of stones from the river and nearby gorge. By hand. And many of those were when he was elderly. Although, they have a couple of nice videos looping and he was a very spry 90 year old with muscular arms at the time one film was made.

You’ll also see throughout the castle stones that were brought to Harry from other states and even other countries. His castle was a tourist attraction long before it was done, attracting thousands of visitors every year.

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Today the Castle is run by the Knights of the Golden Trail, a knighthood born from that original group of Sunday School boys and a Boy Scout group that he led as well. These Knights guard the castle and consider it an honor to do so.

 

 

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We visited on one of the hottest days of the year and it was sweltering inside. I would recommend going on a cooler day. Maybe a nice Autumn day when the sky is blue and trees golden and the air not so hot it hurts your skin.

Admission is just $5 cash and they prefer small bills.

This place is not handicap accessible. The stairs are steep and narrow although there are sturdy handrails to help you out. The grounds feel a bit rundown but I still thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Then again, I’m guessing a castle isn’t supposed to have perfectly manicured gardens and admission is just $5 so I shouldn’t complain.

One other recommendation – don’t even think about taking a large vehicle down their lane. No big trucks and certainly no campers or buses. I was driving an Elantra and was a smidge freaked out at every one of the twists in the road. And this coming from a gal who grew up driving in Vinton County where I know how to straighten the curves and fly up the hills.

Depending on your interests, this may not be something you want to make a special trip to do. Head into Cincinnati and check out a museum or the William Howard Taft National Historic Site (this is a story for another day but I really loved visiting here). Do some shopping or maybe hit Jungle Jim’s for some fun international fare and craft drinks. That area has some nice bike paths and state parks and there were lots of kayaks and boats on the river today.

If the purpose of your trip is the journey itself and whatever you might see along the way, you are a kindred spirit and I can assure you this is just the ticket for a fun day out.

If you go, I would be interested to know how your photos turn out. Mine were terrible. Granted, I left my camera at home in favor of my phone but my phone pictures are usually decent. They claim this place is haunted and that people often report weird things in their pictures or problems with their cameras. I don’t know about that but I’m hard pressed to give you a decent picture to view here. So –  sorry about that.

Want to learn more about Loveland Castle? Check out their website.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

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In an age when the summer blockbusters are Jurassic Park and super hero movies, I found my super hero in an unlikely place.

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is a new documentary about Mr. Fred Rogers and it is the perfect antidote to the political and social climate of America today.

Mr. Rogers was a constant in my childhood but it’s possible that I appreciate him more as an adult than I ever did back then. An ordained minister, Mr. Rogers built a career around the idea that television should be used as a tool for educating and constructively entertaining children.

This film is beautifully done. It offers insight into the program and the motivation behind it as well as his deep understanding of children. One of my favorite scenes is from the day he met Koko the Gorilla. I have long believed that animals are a far better judge of character than most humans and Koko loved Mr. Rogers. It was touching to see their interaction.

Another poignant moment came when Daniel Tiger tells his friend Lady Aberlin “Sometimes I wonder if I am a mistake.”

Lady Aberlin responds by telling Daniel that she likes him the way he is. This conversation occurs in song where Daniel sings a verse and then Lady Aberlin sings one. Then the two sing a duet where Daniel continues to express his doubts and Lady Aberlin continues to offer reassurance. It’s a beautiful expression of friendship and the importance of having someone to reassure us while we quietly doubt ourselves.

The documentary also covers criticism he received including from homophobes who condemned his tolerance of gays.

Remember his famous line?

“I like you as you are.”

That got him some criticism too.

Naysayers claimed that he created a generation of monsters because he taught them they don’t have to do anything to be liked or cared for. At his very core, Mr. Rogers believed that everyone should be loved and respected for simply being themselves. If you ask me, this remains a message that all people need to hear at every age.

One thing they didn’t really explain, but just touched on briefly, is his childhood. It seems he had an unhappy childhood and that it was the insecurities and the questions and the worries from his youth that made Mr. Rogers the man he became.

My only real complaint about the film is that it didn’t last longer. I’m not a film critic and will not attempt to review this one but would encourage you to see it for yourself.

A word to the wise – spending 90 minutes in the kind, quiet, gentle world of Mr. Rogers will make you even more dissatisfied with the current state of our world when you leave.

I can’t help but wonder how he would react to our world today and how different things would be if this generation of children had been brought up with him. The television show was not just a tv show or a job for Fred Rogers. It was a way of life, it was his ministry, it was his reason for being here.

Go see it. And I would be remiss if I didn’t ask – won’t you be my neighbor?