Tag Archives: Ohio

Christmas At Stella’s

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As you’re planning your shopping this season, consider supporting small businesses that provide a special experience while you shop for things you won’t find anywhere else.

I stopped by Stella’s Mercantile after my hike Saturday and was delighted to see they are decorated for Christmas. Life sized nutcrackers flank the front door that’s always painted a festive red.

Step through those red doors and warm greetings abound in a space that feels like something out of a Hallmark movie. This building operated as Fout’s Store for generations until I was a kid and I have fond memories of the old wood floors and fixtures. They’ve done a great job of holding onto the historic charm of the space while shifting their focus to local artists, candy makers and others who make things.

Here you’ll find paintings, plants, quilts, jewelry, and so much more. There’s fudge and candy, bread and cinnamon rolls. Don’t forget the cinnamon rolls.

There are so many goodies to enjoy and gifts to take home for yourself and for folks on your list.

One of my favorite memories from this place when I was a kid was going there for bulk Christmas candy. They currently have bulk candy in jars on the counter so you can take home a few pieces or a whole bag!

Check out the vintage tinsel tree that belonged to the grandparents of one of the owners.

I like a place that gives me an experience rather than just a thing. You feel something when you walk into a place like Stella’s. You feel the history, the community and charm that have made it what it is today and I think that’s way better than a big box store where no one thinks to greet you and no one cares that you get that special thing that makes you smile.

I bought myself a Christmas gift Saturday and the owner remembered that I had missed out on getting something similar earlier this year. That’s pretty impressive, if you ask me.

They’ll have Santa on Saturday, December 13. What a fun environment it would be to meet Santa!

I have written about Stella’s before. I hope you’ll take a minute to read that story. Also, I wrote about the old Fout’s Store at Christmas. I hope you’ll read that one too.

It’s a special place. Go visit. Support their efforts to give local people a venue to sell their things and to breathe new life into a historic space. I think you’ll like it!

However, if you’re not in Vinton County, Ohio this Christmas, be sure to support local businesses near you!

This Is Ohio

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I live in southern Ohio. That means it can literally snow on Monday and look like a winter wonderland only for all that pretty white stuff to disappear before lunch on Tuesday.

This literally happened this week.

On Wednesday, I was warm in a jacket as temperatures soared near sixty. By 9 pm I was shivering and reaching for warmth.

Living in Ohio also means that there is road construction everywhere and it seems to have no end. Concrete barriers and rows of orange barrels are lined up like toy soldiers for as far as the eye can see and for moths and years at a time.

I’m convinced there is no warehouse large enough to store all of the state’s orange barrels and cones so we just keep them out on the road.

But we are polite and we’ll wave to the construction workers as they flag us through a single lane. After all, they’ve had to work outside through this week’s moody weather.

This is Ohio. Look out for those orange barrels and enjoy the swing in weather. If you don’t like it today just sit tight. It will be different soon!

Moody Dexter

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Last year I told you about an amazing landmark at Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in Cincinnati. It’s called The Dexter and you can read about it here.

I was back recently and snapped some beautiful photos of gorgeous fall foliage but especially liked this photo of The Dexter in black and white. It seems appropriate to share today as southern Ohio’s weather has turned moody and bleak.

It’s hard to believe that the weekend blew by so fast and that Monday is already here again. Embrace the day. Seize it and make it your own – even if it is moody and cold. It’s the only day you have so make it count!

My First Trip To Waffle House

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Waffle House has been an American institution since 1955. That’s when two friends decided to create a restaurant that focused on good food and friendly service available at any time of the day or night. That one restaurant down in Georgia has since grown into 1,900 locations in 25 US States. Somehow, despite the Waffle House being open 24-hours a day, seven days a week for literally my entire lifetime, I had never found the time to step foot inside one. 

That was remedied yesterday. 

We stopped by the Waffle House in Sharonville, Ohio and were delighted by the friendly banter among coworkers and customers. Our waitress was a sweet older lady who took good care of us and our breakfast came to the table almost before we had a chance to order it. We both got scrambled eggs and pecan waffles. 

For some reason, I didn’t think to ask how big the waffles are. 

Rookie mistake. 

Most restaurants bring you a small waffle that’s maybe the size of a compact disc. The double stack of waffles required a dinner platter and had plenty of pecans cooked right into the batter with a sprinkling of more pecans on top.

The eggs were buttery and light. Best of all, they didn’t taste like meat grease –  a  problem I find at many breakfast establishments that don’t think twice about contaminating eggs by cooking them on the griddle with sizzling bacon and sausage. 

It was delicious, fast and reasonably priced. Not to mention, every last bite was served with a side of hospitality and good humor. 

It is commonly known that Waffle House stays open even when times are tough such as during natural disasters. It has been reported that FEMA partially gauges how badly an area is hit by hurricane or tornado using the Waffle House Index. Essentially, if the local Waffle House is closed, the town is in dire straits and needs help ASAP. Code Green means it’s business as usual with a full menu served while Code Yellow indicates a limited menu and that the electricity may be off. Code Red means the place is closed and it’s time to call in the National Guard. 

People laugh at this but I think it’s brilliant. Also, if I had to weather a storm, there’s perhaps no place better to do it.

Want to know more about the Waffle House menu or their history? Find it all at their website. Want to taste those waffles for yourself? Stop on by and see for yourself what the fuss is about! 

Interesting And Full

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This was a good weekend.

We made it a long weekend and went to Cincinnati for art, for a walk in a cemetery that feels like art, for book shopping, and for a stage show by Sean of the South.

I’m headed home today with a trunkload of books and some much needed food for thought after a couple of days of exploration. Going places that are different, meeting new people, reading thoughts different than your own – these things are good for us. These things keep life interesting and full.

That stage show was exactly what I needed and meeting Sean afterward proved that one of my favorite writers is as down-to-earth as I had hoped.

This was a good weekend. I hope you enjoyed yours too.

Saying Yes

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I’ve been spending time with old phone photos lately, trying to delete duplicates and bad photos to clear up some space. It is a fun walk through memories but it also has been a good reminder of the times in my adventures that I have said yes and benefited from it. 

One of those reminders was a collection of pictures from a petting zoo/farm in Ohio’s Amish Country back in 2022. I was out driving country roads, looking for some slice of authentic Amish life, when I ran into traffic backed up from construction. Traffic had slowed to a creep when I noticed a sign for this business and, without knowing a single thing about the place, bailed from my meandering and turned into their driveway. 

I forked over some cash through my car window and joined a small horde of people who were there to look around an Amish farm and pet some exotic animals. I have no idea where folks think zebras, buffalo and giraffes fit in with the homemade bread and bonnets but that’s ok.

It was a fun time anyway and I truly enjoyed hopping on a horse drawn wagon full of strangers for a tour of the property and animals. 

Honestly, I can’t tell you much about that day. It was a beautiful October day. The basement of the home had shelves lined with canned vegetables that reminded me of my grandma’s kitchen. I spoke with a young Amish woman who was baking cookies and who was wistful about being stuck inside on a pretty day. Children hand fed some of the friendlier animals and one especially friendly buffalo attempted to steal my bag. 

It’s not something I would have seen in a brochure and said “that’s for me!” Yet, I had a nice time and only found my way there because I said yes. At the time, I really thought I was just saying no to sitting in traffic but, turns out I was learning a valuable lesson about the power of saying yes to opportunity. 

And this is just one example of all the wonderful experiences I’ve had just because I gave something a chance. It’s easier to do that on vacation but it’s important to do it sometimes in your daily life too.

After all, what do you have to lose?