A person stocking shelves in the grocery store recently asked me how I was doing. When I said I was doing well she remarked how nice it is to talk to someone having a good day.
My response to that was you can either have a good day or a bad one and a bad day isn’t fun at all. A nearby shopper chimed in that there is always something to be grateful for and a reason to smile.
It’s sometimes difficult to remember these lessons and life often throws us circumstances that make it hard to practice what I preach.
At least we can try.
The weatherman is calling for rain today and I’m using that as an excuse to stay in and rest. Later today I’ll bake cookies and have a Christmas movie marathon with my parents. We will eat too many cookies and watch movies we’ve seen thirty times but it’s exactly the kind of day I need.
Whatever you do, wherever you are, I hope you’ll try to have a good one. Remember, it’s a good day to have a good day.
Like an idiot, I dared to put up a Christmas tree last week. If you’re a cat owner, you will understand my mistake.
Scout doesn’t really try to climb the tree so much as he eats it. Although when he does go for a climb I’m pretty sure it is moments away from landing on the floor. Consequently, there a lot of conversations in my house that start with phrases like “WHAT did I just say” and “you better leave that alone….”
Any attempts to keep him away go ignored in the face of his determination. Everyone has a recommendation – orange peels, whole oranges and tin foil are the most popular. He just thumbs that cute little heart shaped nose in my direction and resumes his activities.
I bought a spray deterrent and doused the tree, skirt and floor around it all. That held him at bay for less than two days.
Gallipolis, Ohio knows how to celebrate Christmas. Volunteers unite each fall to decorate the city park in their historic downtown, creating a picture perfect place to celebrate the holidays.
This year, it is bigger and better than ever. I picked up my parents last night and we ventured down to see for ourselves just how much it has grown.
You can park and walk through or just drive around the square. Santa visits with the kiddies at his house some nights and local churches are there on peak days with hot chocolate and live nativities. We missed these things, purposefully going on an off peak night when it would be less crowded.
It was still busy and festive and I thoroughly enjoyed my stroll through. If I lived in town I would be there every night absorbing the joyful music and warmth of the lights.
Gallipolis in Lights is open dusk to dawn through January 2. Catch it while you can!
Also, stop by the Make the Journey Fun Facebook page to see a video of my favorite spot at this event!
Yesterday blogger Jim Grey shared some terrific photos of alley views. I mentioned to him that I like alleys for a couple of reasons.
Sure, they tend to be dingy and contain dumpsters and junk. Plus, it’s best not to go venturing down one where you might encounter danger. But just step a few feet inside an alley and look around you.
First of all, you can watch people go by and they rarely even know you’re there. As a lifelong people watcher this is a pretty neat vantage point because you just catch a glimpse as they go by and you have to be quick with your assessment. It also illustrates how little most people observe about the world around them. They don’t look up or down and certainly not to the side or back. Most human beings are are full steam ahead to whatever is before them.
What a pity that is. Personally, I find the most interesting things simply by looking around.
More importantly, alleys often frame the world in a way you wouldn’t have thought to do on your own. This is the Lawrence County Courthouse in Ironton, Ohio.
There’s a lot of visual clutter here but I still like the way the dome is framed. If you want to be philosophical about it, this image also illustrates the grime and the utilitarian stuff that lurks in the shadows of our halls of justice and politics.
Plus, you occasionally find something truly beautiful and unexpected like Umbrella Alley in Lancaster. I think the umbrellas are gone now but I was glad to see them a few years ago.
Rapid City, South Dakota turned some of their downtown alleys into a canvas for street art like this scene.
The humble alley can be grungy and gross but there’s great potential for creativity and found treasures as well. You just have to pay attention and train your brain to seek the unexpected.
Be sure to check out Jim’s blog. He has been influential in my own blogging journey and writes one of my favorite blogs.
After stepping into Van Gogh’s world and paintings at Immersive Van Gogh, I drove across town to the Columbus Museum of Art. Here I was able to take a step back and enjoy the real paintings.
They currently have a special exhibition called “Through Vincent’s Eyes: Van Gogh and His Sources.” There are several paintings and drawings by Van Gogh himself along side a carefully curated collection of artwork that inspired him.
It’s easy to spot the Van Gogh pieces as they are all presented on an electric blue wall. While it makes them stand out, I found the blue wall distracting. Nonetheless, it was pretty incredible to stand in the presence of the work of this remarkable artist.
I most appreciated the commentary that accompanies each work of art. Curators used Van Gogh’s own words to describe each work and what he took away from it.
I was partial to several including French Modernist Armand Guillaumin who often exhibited with the Impressionists. Van Gogh frequently used books and flowers in his work as well.
Then there was Danish-French Impressionist Camille Pissarro who often looked for inspiration around the fields and gardens near his Normandy home.
I also liked Dutch Realist Anton Mauve whose oil on canvas “Carting the Log” reminded me of my family who have been loggers and sawmill workers for generations.
Narcisse Virgilio Diaz de la Pena, a French painter of the Barbizon school was one of my favorites because the light and color are extraordinary.
This event requires an additional ticket on top of your museum admission but is worth every penny. Take your time and enjoy!
Want to read about the Immersive Van Gogh experience? Click here!
A few years ago, my department at work agreed to skip exchanging Christmas gifts. Instead, we choose a place to volunteer together and then have lunch somewhere fun.
We have helped out at Meals on Wheels and one year we went to Ronald McDonald House in Columbus to bake cookies for their residents. That was pre-pandemic, of course. This year, our bank purchased supplies to pack snack bags for that organization. We gathered Friday to pack those bags and deliver them along with more than a dozen blankets some of our coworkers had made and donated.
Since we were already near German Village, we had lunch at a fantastic little neighborhood joint called the Old Mohawk. Everything looked so festive and pretty I couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures while in the neighborhood.
I was especially taken with these baubles suspended from trees in front of a private residence. I would like to see this scene lit up at night.
And this place is simply gorgeous.
Ya’ll know how I like my doors. Check out the blue and red combination!
I periodically pop into the bookstore in German Village but feel like I should explore the neighborhood a little better. That will be a good excuse to return to the Old Mohawk. If you’re looking for a lunch spot, it didn’t disappoint.
