Monthly Archives: October 2024

Home From Adventure

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Columbus Day week has long been my favorite week for vacation. Ever since I left the tourism business in a community known for its fall foliage, I have spent this week on staycations, day trips and occasional longer journeys. This time, I struggled to make a plan. The first option was a return to Michigan and then I considered Harper’s Ferry, Charlottesville and a few other spots without ever committing to anything.

This is where we point out that there are far too many places to see and far too little time and money to spend seeing them. 

Then I remembered an Ansel Adams exhibition at the Cincinnati Museum of Art that I badly wanted to see. This became the anchor for a few days in Cincinnati. Adam and I did less sightseeing than I would normally choose but we stayed busy browsing bookstores. We also walked around Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum and spent an evening at Blink, a multimedia event that creates spectacular nighttime artwork throughout the city.

Along the way, we explored Mainstrasse Village in Covington and I took Adam to the famed Jungle Jim’s grocery store for his inaugural exploration of the international foods department. 

We walked many miles and came home with a back seat full of books, a treasure trove of memories and lots of laughter to make coming home a little sweeter. Scout was glad to have me home and I’m happy to have some fresh stories to share. 

Come back tomorrow and we’ll start talking about this adventure. Meanwhile, remember to follow Make the Journey Fun on Facebook.

Kindness Rock

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It was tucked into an unexpected corner of an unexpected place and it made me smile. It’s a kindness rock and the point of its existence is to spark joy.

It got the job done.

I left it there for someone else to find and I do hope someone else will stumble onto it one day soon.

Slowing Down

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As the world begins to slow down and winter approaches, it’s time to think about slowing down your own life and embrace this next season of rest and quiet.

When was the last time you walked amongst the trees and squirrels? When was the last time you slept in? When was the last time you had the camper out or set up a tent for the kids in the back yard?

The burn ban has been lifted here in southern Ohio. Maybe it’s time to have a bonfire. Hot chocolate and smores for everyone!

Read a book, take time to play catch with your grandkids, watch rain drops stream down the window, kick up your feet for a beloved old movie or use the chocolate chip bag recipe to make some cookies.

Action packed doesn’t equal happy. Sometimes the happiest moments can be found in the slow, quiet ones.

October is typically my busiest month of the year. November is a delightfully quiet, slower and darker time to rest and revitalize the mind, body, and spirit. I am beginning to yearn for early bedtimes and cozy nights at home.

As much as I love all the running around I’m doing right now, I eagerly await what’s to come with the shorter days of November!

The Thing That Sparks Joy

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Fall vacation is finally here and I couldn’t be more pleased. Exhaustion had set in so I’m relieved for some R&R at home and for some adventure days out in the world.

It’s a fine line to walk. I’m tired on most average days but life is more than sleep and work. The thing that brings me the most joy is something that many would consider an afterthought or altogether unnecessary. 

Going out to explore the forests, the back roads, cities, museums, bookstores and all the other fascinating places that make this world amazing is the thing that brings me the most joy. 

It’s the thing that infuses me with enough energy and enthusiasm to face another day. 

The above picture is from Pittsburgh. There’s a walking trail that my friend introduced me to partly because she wanted me to see this place. It’s private property and is the site of a fabulous collection of vintage signs and assorted fun stuff. It looks like the guy who owns it ran out of garage space and his wife told him to move it somewhere out of her way. .

It’s a fun surprise and a feast for the eyes. It’s the kind of thing that sparks excitement in my heart and spirit. 

I hope there’s something in your life that brings you such joy. If so, go embrace it! Even if no one else understands.

A Sobering Vet Trip

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Scout went to the vet yesterday. He’s a homebody and doesn’t at all enjoy leaving the safe cocoon of his domain. He also hates car rides and going to the vet. To be clear, he enjoys how everyone gushes over him and rolling around on the cool stainless steel table is fun.

The needles, the ear medicine and the nail clippers are all things that those sweet people who scratch under his chin can stick where the sun don’t shine.

We arrived a little early and I had an errand to run. As I drove past the vet’s office, I glanced over in time to see something that broke my heart. An SUV with the back open. A metal cart. What appeared to be a large dog wrapped in a blanket. 

Someone had lost their beloved pet and friend. 

When I went back, the SUV was gone and it was business as usual. They were running behind and the mood in the office was subtly different then normal. More quiet. 

A vet tech took Scout from me. I don’t like this at all but they were far behind and he was there for things that a tech could easily do. There was no need to keep him under duress while we waited for a room just to make me more comfortable.

When I checked out, I asked the ladies at the front desk if they were having a good day. They were silent until one finally said sure and inquired about my day. 

It’s Veterinary Technician’s Week and the exchange reminded me of how difficult their jobs must be. I can’t imagine going to work every day not knowing if this is the day you’ll be read the riot act by a house panther who doesn’t want his ears cleaned or if this is the day you’ll help a family say goodbye to their furry baby.

If it bothers me to see from afar, it has to be gut wrenching to see up close every day. 

Scout’s back home safe and a little needy. He was also so happy to come home that he forgave easily. By the time we pulled in the driveway he had stopped singing the mournful cry of his people and quietly waited to be carried inside. 

He’s seventeen pounds now and a very solid, sleek house panther. He’s fortunately still young and healthy. Every time we go to the vet I am grateful when I get to bring him back home with a clean bill of health. 

People who say they’re just animals have never known the unconditional love and the incredible personality of a beloved pet. They are our best friends and like our children. 

There’s nothing like seeing someone else lose theirs to help put that into perspective.

When A Leaf Falls

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When a leaf falls from a tree, it is committing an act of defiance. It no longer holds fast to its limb but lets go and trusts that what will be will be. 

After what feels like weeks of battling bronchitis and lingering symptoms, I finally made it out for a hike yesterday. We encountered just a handful of other humans on the trail and I was grateful for the peaceful experience. 

Clean air, bird song, and dirt beneath my feet were exactly what I needed. Wind through the trees helped many leaves embrace their independence and float gently toward the ground. They will soon go back to the earth and enrich the soil to help other plants and trees grow. 

Time in nature makes everything better. It can heal the body, mind and spirit. It can lower your blood pressure. It can give you hope that tomorrow will be better. 

It can make you stronger and happier. 

Wherever you are in this world, I hope you will find your way outdoors for a while every day. Go for a hike. Step outside your front door. Find a walking partner to make it more fun. Do what you must. Just go outside.