monday's mulling: then and now

Back in 2007 a woman approached the City of Dayton about an abandoned lot next to a railroad track. It was enclosed by a tall chain link fence but people still managed to get in to dump their trash. The area was an eyesore. Her plan for this space was to turn this space into a community garden and an art park. After a year of dealing with city government, she got the go ahead to pursue her dream for the price of $1.00 per year. It started off with a big clean up effort and then community garden plots filled some space. She added a couple hoop houses to grow food to help those in the area who didn't have much access to fresh vegetables. Art work began to pop up in the space. She built a stage for concerts and offered classes about anything gardening. Over the years more than 3000 people volunteered to help Garden Station become a vibrant community asset. 

What a welcoming entrance walk

Garden plots, murals, trees, and trains

Bees have a hive at Garden Station

Tile mosaics and polytunnels

The garden next to the city

            “The future belongs to the few of us still willing to get our hands dirty.”                ~ Joseph Tommasi

Well, you probably know where this is going...

In 2016 a developer approached the city with an offer to buy this plot of land. Money talks. Garden Station ceased to be in 2017.

The other day I dropped a letter off at the downtown post office and afterward took a walk around the area where Garden Station existed. It took a while, but the new development is finished and has signs up to come and live in Dayton's newest apartments. I walked past the building comples, gave a heavy sigh, and noticed some murals behind them. It became an exploring moment. The original murals are no longer there but people still remember.

Thank you, Garden Station.

ponderings and giggles...

 

the sunflower tower, part 2

One week ago this beacon of sunflowers stood tall, living its brightest life.

One week later, after a big rain storm and a few days of high winds, it has toppled, face still toward the sun, starting to fade, but still living its brightest life. 

 

the friday feed: coffee

Without its power

We would all walk like zombies,

Thirsting for caffeine.

☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ 

It's not you, it's me. You're just... not brewing anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading to the store to replace you with someone younger and faster. 

20 years I've measured out my life with coffee spoons, and with this pot, I've filled a few thousand of them. The next chapter will have a new pot, but the same coffee. Thank you for your service. You have fueled my life. I loved you a "latte."

arcoíris

Tuesday around dinner time, the wind picked up, dark storm clouds blew in, a few raindrops falling, and the sun was still shining. The sky was dramatic with its dark, intense colors illuminated by the sun. It was a perfect combination for a rainbow. 

My intuition was spot on. A rainbow arched over the neighborhood. Looking at it from the left it was a single rainbow but as I looked toward the right, there was another colorful arc - a double rainbow!

I don't know how or why this happened but as I looked at the sky, the Spanish word for rainbow popped into my head. Arcoíris. Such a pretty word and so descriptive of its subject.

It's a compound word meaning "rainbow" and combines arco ("arch," from Latin arcus) and iris ("rainbow" or "Iris," from Greek mythology). The name literally translates to "arch of Iris" or "rainbow arch," referring to the Greek goddess Iris, the messenger of the gods who traveled along rainbows.

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

One of the many things I love about traveling is that we walk a lot. One day in London we logged 12 miles. We were out and about all day long, we took breaks, and at the end of the day we had tired feet. Yes, we take public transportation or Uber, but when we get to where we're going, we walk. There are so many things to discover while walking, whether it's intentional or not. I enjoy strolls through neighborhoods, through parks, along rivers, through the skyscraper jungles, absorbing the calm and quiet, the life on the river, and the sounds of the city. You become part of where you are and where you are becomes part of you.

The other day the health app on my phone informs me that my walking distance has decreased. My walking around here is usually 3-5 miles a day, not the 7-12 that we put in on our holiday. One day after clearing out a couple gardens and then taking the dead foliage to the yard waste drop off, I stopped by Delco Park to get some steps in to avoid the health app scolding. The park is 69 acres with soccer and baseball fields, a fishing pond, picnic shelters, playgrounds, and walking paths. We spent a lot of time at Delco Park watching both our boys play soccer. Lots of good memories hanging out with the parents and not-as-fun memories sitting on the sidelines in inclement weather. Walking here takes me down memory lane and it's relaxing. I like to take time to notice what's happening around me.

Now that autumn has arrived, the flowers are fading away and the skeleton is all that exists now from the Queen Anne's Lace.

"Old Man" and his Chevy truck

I wanted to go straight on the path but that gaggle of geese was intimidating. They get mean and hissy when they think you're invading their space.

The ducks love sunning on the rocks

In 2002 an International Stone Sculpting Exposition was held at Delco Park. This piece is called Rock Waves and it mimics the ripple effects in the pond. More rock sculptures can be found in other locations around the city.

The fishing pier is a popular place to sit and relax. When I got to the park, a couple people were sitting on the pier listening to music. Toward the end of my walk, those two had left and a couple guys took their place, finding their enjoyment with fishing and smoking weed. Relaxation comes in all forms.

Now it's time to buckle down for the next event, my son's wedding on November 1. Family will begin arriving a week from today. I just took my dress in to be hemmed, ordered a Halloween-themed bow tie for Todd, and the list for food to fix is taking shape. I finally got back to a regular sleeping routine after the five hour time difference in Europe but now I find myself waking up with wedding thoughts. Breathe deep...take walks.

monday's mulling: halloween fun

During the month of October,  every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens its gates for Boo at the Zoo. Shortly after our return from our holiday, our daughter-in-law called to tell us that she and Andrew were taking our sweet grandchildren to Boo at the Zoo and would we like to come along. Yes, yes, yes! They dressed in their Monsters, Inc. costumes and we went along as grandparents enjoying this special moment with the little ones. We strolled along the Zoo's decorated paths, our little grandson trick-or-treated at more than a dozen candy stations (they gave out some really good candy!), and we danced at the Monster Mash Dance Party. My little grandson sure knows how to boogie and has some really good moves at his young age! Add that 3-year old enthusiasm to the mix and he was king of the dance floor. We passed a wedding ceremony just as the couple was pronounced husband and wife and the happy couple received loud cheers from their guests as well as from the Boo at the Zoo patrons. What a fun start to happily ever after!

I so remember Trick-or-Treating days as my children grew up. Their excitement was contagious. They eventually outgrew Halloween and now I hand out candy to the children of all ages who come around for their treats. Now that I'm a grandma, my 3-year old grandson's excitement just spills over and makes me feel so young at heart. He is dressed as Mike Wazowski, one of the characters from Disney's Monsters, Inc. We watched Monsters, Inc. so Didi would know who this Mike Wazowski is all about. He's a good guy, er monster. My little granddaughter is Boo, who is not afraid of monsters (except she's a little unsure of Grandpa right now) and she and Mike Wazowski become friends. She and Grandpa will be friends before long, too.

My daughter-in-law asked me to bring some pumpkins to their house. She has a decorating idea for their front porch and knowing that there are a lot of pumpkins at the farm, it just made sense that I could find some good pumpkins for her. While she was running some errands, we asked Owen if he wanted to help Grandpa get the pumpkins out of the car. What a good little helper!

"This is really heavy, Didi!"