I took off a couple of days so I could have a long weekend to do as I please. Christmas break was the last time I had a chunk of free time where I wasn’t thinking about something at work.
As I often tell you here, we have seasons in our lives and this busy one is the season I just left. My big first quarter project is now complete and it’s time to move on to other things. But first, my tired mind needed a break.
So I spent this weekend on a day trip with my fella as well as another day trip solo. I had a day at home and, for today, I have a combination of errands and creative pursuits planned.
Yesterday I told you about a cool art exhibit we saw but there are more stories to come. As I emerge from my winter season, I’m trying to put my house and mind in order and figure out what’s next. As part of that, I plan to return to a more consistent writing schedule and hopefully find some consistency in other things that need my attention.
The birds are chirping and the sun shines bright in southern Ohio this morning. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope you make it a great day.
We were overdue for a good old fashioned adventure day so we headed to Cincinnati for some art and bookstore fun on Saturday. The purpose of the trip was to visit the Taft Museum of Art for an exhibition called “Mystery and Benevolence: Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk Art.” It runs through May 11, 2025 so if this sounds interesting, remember the clock is ticking.
Whether your interest in these items is as artifacts because you are close to the organizations or simply as artwork, this is an intriguing exhibition. You’ll find prints, sculptures, textiles, ceremonial objects and more. These items all help weave together the principles behind these mysterious organizations.
Truthfully, I know just enough about these organizations to be dangerous but I really enjoyed learning more and seeking meaning in each item they have chosen to display. While it was organized by the American Folk Art Museum in New York, the exhibition features some items that are locally connected.
Being me, I was drawn to the things that are or resemble advertising pieces like beautiful prints and this sign that once hung outside Friendly Lodge No. 85 in Millerstown, Pa. It is believed the lodge commissioned this sign soon after its founding in 1843.
This Odd Fellows marquetry table is awe inspiring in person.
I was especially taken with this larger than life painting that holds striking symbolism.
This exhibition is located in a museum that was a private residence built around 1820. Charles and Anna Taft were the last people to live here. In 1927, they bequeathed their home and a collection of 530 works of art to the people of Cincinnati. The Taft Museum of Art opened in 1932. Some rooms remain set up as though this is still a home while others are now basic gallery space. I’ll take you on a tour of the rest of the museum soon.
Meanwhile, if you wish to visit and view this special exhibition, the cost is $15 per person for access to the entire museum. It’s a lovely place and not so large that it feels overwhelming. Find them online to plan your trip!
Yesterday I found myself standing in a store window watching a gentleman walk down the sidewalk. He first caught my eye because he was carrying a tennis ball.
And then he suddenly gave that ball a good bounce on the sidewalk.
He caught the ball, took a few more steps and bounced it again before walking some more steps and repeating the pattern.
I currently have some questions for this man. Does he always carry a tennis ball? Was he out on a walk and this is some kind of coordination exercise? Did he just find the ball somewhere? Did he plan to gift it to a dog? Is he going to play tennis? If so, where is his racket?
But, at the time, I was completely mesmerized by the sight of this older person walking down the sidewalk, idly bouncing a ball like a ten year old boy. He had a skip in his step and I got the impression bouncing the ball made him feel like a kid again.
We would all have a skip in our step if we stopped taking everything so seriously and tried embracing the things that make us feel young.
I watched the man step-step-step-bounce all the way out of sight and I admired him for doing his own thing amidst a crowd of people so intent on just moving forward. They had no skip and I felt no joy watching them.
It’s Sunday, friends. Why don’t we all try doing something that puts the skip back in our step?
If you are observant while you’re out roaming the rural backroads of this country, you might catch a glimpse of a community from long ago. An old post office or school, a cluster of houses in a quiet setting, and an old store are good clues that the spot-in-the-road you’re speeding past was once something more.
In my community, there’s an intersection where you’ll find an old general store and a church but not much more. I remember going to Bible School at that church when I was little. I also remember the warmth and comfort of the old store years ago. Back then it was called Fout’s Store and it was owned by an elderly couple named Shag and Helen Fout.
The floor and fixtures, the lighting, the old pot belly stove and much of the stock harkened to another time. I’ll never forget the warmth and smells of that old place and going there at Christmas to buy bulk candy. Oh, what a treat that was! It always smelled like history to me. There’s something about old buildings and hardwood floors that their scents stay with you. In my memory, Fout’s store smells of kerosene, woodsmoke, pipe tobacco and wood polish.
Can’t you smell this picture?
It’s a pleasant aroma and one that’s almost impossible to describe. This old store was one of the first historic buildings I can remember stepping foot inside. Maybe that’s why I have such a soft spot for the place.
The store closed and has sat empty on Locust Grove Ridge for all these many years, a woeful reminder that people don’t live forever and that time marches on – even when you wish it would stand still.
But all that has changed. A friend of mine had a vision for this place and, with her partner, has transformed this amazing old building into something special for modern folk to appreciate.
They call it Stella’s Mercantile and it’s a place for residents and for tourists to find locally made items, snacks, local beef, homemade cinnamon rolls, cold drinks, things you might have forgotten to pack, and stuff you didn’t know you needed at all. They give local artists and artisans a place to sell their creations and those of us who are from here a place to feel proud to visit.
They just opened a couple of weeks ago and I finally made it in to shop last week.
My cousin Garrett sells his turkey calls there. The gentleman who makes turned wood animals, trees and mushrooms that I adore so much sells his handiwork there too. I bought an acorn for my collection as well as a small oil painting from someone I haven’t met yet.
An old portrait of Shag and Helen hangs by the door. Some vintage pieces decorate the space, houseplants await new homes, and an old display case of glass and wood is filled with cinnamon rolls and big slices of cake.
When I closed my eyes, I could almost feel the presence of Shag and Helen and the generations of others who shopped and worked here. Being there felt like a true gift. The original potbelly stove is long gone but they have replaced it with another one. It’s more ornate than the original and was made in Cincinnati, a testament to the craftsmanship and design of years gone by. They even fire it up on the cold days.
For some who visit, it’s a neat old building filled with nostalgia. For people like me, it’s a profoundly emotional place to visit. The manager says that people have cried when they saw it for the first time. I didn’t cry but I did smile at the idea that people I know have salvaged a valuable bit of my community’s past. I am so proud of the courage and elbow grease it took to breathe new life into this important place.
Find Stella’s Mercantile at 26560 Locust Grove Road, McArthur, Ohio. The Doughmaker food truck operates here as well so you can shop and then stay for a bite to eat. Be sure to peruse the selection of cold drinks in the old Coca Cola cooler too!
If you have small kids along, let them take a ride on this vintage merry-go-round. It came from an old five and dime store in Wapakoneta, Ohio that belonged to the father of one of the owners.
Take note that Le Petit Chevalier Vinyards and Farm Winery are just around the bend. You can even spend the night at the winery! And yes, the church still holds services and welcomes visitors. In other words, you could have a lovely weekend exploring the winery as an Airbnb guest and walk to Stella’s for dinner, snacks and a little shopping. Then attend Sunday services on a country church before heading home.
What a wonderful step back in time that would feel like!
There’s always a moment in spring when I look around and wonder when everything became so pretty. I had that moment last night when I stepped outside after the rain to take care of a few chores.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been voluntarily sequestered and missing the changes, trying desperately to shake off spring allergies and move on with life. Maybe it really did happen overnight.
Regardless, I suddenly noticed everything was a thousand shades of green, that the trees have filled out, and that the pink and purple creeping phlox are creeping steadily across the hill behind my house.
This clematis has exploded into bloom and is a striking sight, an unexpected outcome considering that this plant was a sad little impulse buy from a clearance rack a few years ago.
This is one of the reasons I appreciate spring. There’s always something new to explore and some little living thing is given a chance to contribute to the beauty and intrigue of this world.
If your spring allergies can stand it, I hope you get outside and enjoy all the beautiful changes in the world this weekend.
Downtown Tipp City, Ohio has a host of local shops and restaurants that look intriguing from the street.We recently visited and had time for just one so we, of course, chose the bookstore. Browse Awhile Books is packed from floor to ceiling on two floors that stretch over 4,000 square feet.
Friends, they have about 150,000 used books in a wide range of genres including books that are rare and out-of-print. History, classics, science, nature, mysteries, science fiction, cookbooks, romance, biography – you name it, they have more than you could probably browse in a day.
We gave it the old college try.
We each left with a few intriguing selections and a desire to return on another day. That’s when you know you had a good time, when you leave wanting more.
Lots of online sources claim this bookshop is haunted by at least fifteen ghosts. The building is more than 150 years old and has served many purposes including bakery, hardware store and grocer. So, if you go and encounter something otherworldly, I’ll expect you to report back!
Want to visit or learn more? Visit their website or stop by the shop at 118 East Main Street in Tipp City.
