Monthly Archives: October 2024

October’s Party

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The party’s over and October is nearly through. As we march bravely into November, it’s still a very moderate temperature here. Today will be near eighty degrees when it really ought to be much cooler here in Ohio and Halloween will feel more like Labor Day.

The colors are still pretty in places and there’s no shortage of leaves falling to the ground so that’s nice to see.

I play this game every year where I try holding out as long as possible before turning on the heat. The goal is always November 1 and I can honestly say there hasn’t been a single day I felt tempted to give in and embrace the heat. It has gotten down into the thirties at night a few times but my house stayed pretty comfortable.

Anyway, we say farewell to October today with lovely poem and this oldie but goodie photo of Scout in his bat wings. I would give you an updated photo of him in his Halloween costume but he wasn’t having it this year.

October’s Party by George Cooper

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came—
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly “hands around.”

Even If You Can’t Have A Good Day . . .

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Someone made a Walgreens employee cry last night. I learned this after the employee thanked me for being nice. And then her lip started to tremble as she began to tell the story of why she was so emotional about my being nice.

The world is a rough place on a good day. There’s no need to go around making it harder for others.

And honestly, lots of people have been doing their best to ruin my day by forcing their politics on me and by being cruel and judgmental toward others not like them. There’s no need for that either. Having an opinion doesn’t entitle you to beat others over the head with it. It doesn’t entitle you to be cruel to a store employee who has done nothing to you other than dare to breathe the same air as you.

Service employees deserve your respect and they don’t deserve to be made to cry on the job. This particular employee is young and probably needs to toughen up. All the more reason for grown adult customers to show a little compassion and empathy as they try to remember their own first job and what it’s like to be just starting out in the world.

Half of what’s wrong with this country is the overall lack of empathy. An awful lot of our political leaders and wannabe leaders have no empathy, no character and no decency about them.

Don’t be like them.

Show some character. Be kind to others. When the world feels dark, be the light you need and help others around you.

Even if you can’t have a good day, don’t go ruining someone else’s.

Please be clear that I believe most of my readers here to be good and decent folk. I’ve heard from so many of you over the years and I’m confident that you should not be on the receiving end of my rant. But this is actually a condensed version of what’s been on my mind and what I feel needs to be said. At this point, I could almost write a book on all the darkness I have witnessed lately.

Every person reading this has likely been on the receiving end of someone else’s judgement and meanness. I hope rather than feel chastised, you can commiserate!

Friends, be happy, be well and look after your mental health. You deserve it.

Happiness Is …..

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Happiness is a walk on a beautiful fall evening in a place that feels like your own. This is Lake Alma State Park last night. The leaves are really starting to change and come down and there was campfire smoke in the air.

What more could I want after a long day?

Sunday Relaxation

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Sunday. It’s a beautiful word in my world because I fiercely protect my time on this day.

I typically do a few chores to prepare for the week and then spend the remainder of the day doing whatever feels right. Sometimes that’s cleaning a closet or weeding a junk drawer.

Yesterday I passed my time doing a puzzle, writing a little and reading some. It was a glorious, quiet day with some podcasts and absolutely nothing that annoyed me.

It was exactly what I needed.

Adventuring is fun. Work is rewarding. Yet we sometimes need a break from it all. Take that break as much as you can, as often as you can. You won’t regret it.

Memories From Along The Way

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This church is located just a few miles from home. I pass it often, typically on my way to the Dollar General on a quest to acquire some random thing I forgot to buy.

I hate those store runs but always enjoy passing by this country church.

There’s an elementary school and playground behind the church. That school is new, built after the schools I attended grades K-8 were torn down.

Now bigger kids from the surrounding townships attend the middle school in town while the younger country kids still have the benefit of being closer to home.

While the schools are different, this church hasn’t really changed in my lifetime.

I remember having an end of year picnic under those trees in second or third grade. The shade and comfort provided here on that warm May day has always been a happy memory. I normally had chips in a baggie but that day I had Doritos in the little tiny bag from the store and drank a lukewarm can of pop wrapped in foil that never really kept it cold.

Isn’t it funny the things we remember?

There’s a little free library in front of the church as well as a Blessing Box where you can leave non perishable food items to help folks in need.

I need to weed out some old books and think I’ll leave them there. Owning a book of your own is special but it’s not a priority when food insecurity is the only thing you can think about. That’s a common struggle for many in my community meaning that even a $3 Goodwill book is not a smart investment.

I like the idea of passing along something extra to anyone who wishes to read. This has been on my mind lately because I’ve been reading a book that discusses Nazi censorship and book burning. It also talks about the impact of placing books in the hands of American soldiers in World War II and what that did for morale.

I’m glad this little country church with its backyard full of trees has a place for our neighbors to receive these gifts of food and books. Hopefully these things will brighten their day and lesson their load.

The Bookery

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The first stop on our fifteen store book tour of the Cincinnati area was The Bookery. First of all, can you think of a better name for a bookstore?

The Bookery. I like it.

Situated in Cincinnati’s quaint Columbia Tuscolum neighborhood, their closest neighbors are an art gallery, a florist and a church. It’s a quiet, lovely little area with free street parking.

It’s owned by a couple who simply love books and who say on their website they are trying to help others take back their time from technology and screens in favor of reading books.

This store was so much fun to browse because the fiction collection is really extensive and the nonfiction area, while smaller, is high quality.

Not to mention the near magical children’s section with murals and furniture invites the wee ones to sit and enjoy their finds while parents shop. I also discovered a sweet little chapter book series for youngsters that has been good for my tired brain. Don’t judge but children’s books make great palette cleansers.

The woman who checked us out was pleasant and well informed about the books we were buying. She really seemed to know her stuff and was excited for our business. I want to go back soon.

Simply put, The Bookery is the kind of place that offers a little something for everyone and where you’re sure to find something you didn’t know you couldn’t live without.

It’s a warm and inviting space that makes you want to linger and enjoy the treasures. It also has made the short list of bookstores that we both wish to revisit when we’re in town.

Want to learn more? Visit The Bookery online!