wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

The highlight of this past week was taking a yoga class at the Dayton Arcade. A gem of downtown Dayton since 1904, the Arcade began as a bustling public market and has since been beautifully transformed into a residential, commercial, and innovation hub. About 70 people gathered for the late afternoon class, making for a memorable experience in such a stunning historic setting.

 

Last Friday, Todd and I headed downtown for a concert at the Levitt Pavilion. After a brutally hot week, the heat dome that had settled over Ohio finally lifted, leaving a perfect summer evening to sit outside and enjoy a concert honoring our nation's veterans. It was a wonderful way to kick off the Independence Day weekend.

My Fourth of July began with a work shift at the farm. The morning was a busy one, with customers stopping by for last minute picnic supplies. Corn on the cob was the favorite, with tomatoes close behind. After my shift, I hurried home for a quick shower and then spent an hour or so chopping vegetables for my "Summer in a Bowl" salad to take to a friend's gathering. Her parties are always a joy because so many of the guests are soccer parents from the days when our sons played together.

A college friend, who could easily have been a preacher, shared this thoughtful message on the Fourth of July. He has always had a gift for bringing people together and reminding us of what matters most.

And finally, no Fourth of July would be complete without the annual hot dog eating contest at Coney Island. God bless America...and Joey Chestnut!

monday's mulling: semiquincentennial

I’m a proud word nerd. Give me a perfectly ordinary word and I’ll happily dig down to its roots like a an archaeologist with her pick. So when semiquincentennial appeared, my brain practically started doing cartwheels.

Semiquincentennial. A 250th anniversary.

At first glance, it looks less like a word and more like someone lost a fight with a bag of Scrabble tiles. But take a deep breath and break it down bit by bit into its Latin roots:

• Semi = half
• Quin = five
• Centennial = 100 years

Put them together and you get half of five hundred years.

Half of 500 is 250. (Even we word nerds can do a little math).

So while semiquincentennial may sound like a condition the grammar police should investigate, it’s really just a fancy way of saying 250th anniversary.

Thinking about the semiquincentennial reminded me of my friend, Patricia Saxton, a wonderfully talented artist who lives in Sedona. We met in college back in the late 1970s, and I’ve been admiring and following her creativity ever since.

In 2011, Pat launched 52 Weeks of Peace, “a visual exploration of a familiar symbol, imagined, designed and illustrated with an intention to inspire hope, joy and the practice of mindful peace in our daily lives.” You can explore the series here: 52 Weeks of Peace

At the time when Pat introduced 52 Weeks of Peace, I was teaching 8th grade Language Arts. Every Friday, I would end class by sharing her most recent peace symbol. The students really embraced the idea. They looked forward to seeing each week’s design, and some even created peace symbols of their own. It turned out to be a pretty wonderful way to start the weekend.

Pat completed all 52 peace signs years ago and has since moved on to other artistic adventures. Still, every now and then, a new peace sign appears on her social media.

To celebrate the semiquincentennial, Pat recently reached back into the spirit of her 52 Weeks of Peace series and created her 87th peace sign.

It doesn’t have an official title, but I’ve been toying with a couple of ideas: “A Peace of Pie” or “Have a Piece of Peace.”

What would you call it?

merci, la france

The people of France have given the United States more than one remarkable work of art and I am lucky to have seen both of these beautiful creations.

The most famous is the Statue of Liberty. Officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World, the colossal copper monument was a gift from the people of France to the United States. First proposed in 1865, it was designed by French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, with engineering by Gustave Eiffel, to celebrate the Franco-American alliance and the abolition of slavery.

Originally unveiled in Paris on July 4, 1884, the statue was then carefully dismantled, packed into 214 crates, and shipped across the Atlantic. It was officially dedicated in New York Harbor on October 28, 1886. Today, the Statue of Liberty stands as a national treasure, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, and an enduring symbol of freedom, opportunity, and hope.

 

Less widely known is America Windows by Marc Chagall. Chagall, a Russian-born artist of Jewish heritage who became a French citizen in 1937, created this extraordinary set of six stained-glass panels for the Art Institute of Chicago. He presented the work as a gift in 1977 to commemorate the U.S. Bicentennial.

The windows are a dazzling blend of color and symbolism, weaving together images from American history, the Chicago skyline, and the arts, including music, painting, literature, architecture, theater, and dance. Together, they reflect both Chagall's artistic vision and the cultural ties between France and the United States.

4th of july/america 250

4th of July views from around town:

This house puts these flags up starting on Flag Day (June14) and they fly until after Labor Day (first Monday in September).

Our neighbors decorate for every holiday. Each month the decorations depict another holiday.

Uncle Sam says, "Hi and Happy 4th of July!"

A young neighbor decorates the street with her version of fireworks.

The flag flies at the military memorial at David Cemetery, where my parents are buried.

Downtown Dayton: Holbrooke Plaza honors Richard Holbrooke, an Assistant Secretary of State and Ambassador to the United Nations, but achieved his greatest fame when he negotiated the Dayton Peace Accords which ended the war in Bosnia.

Downtown Dayton: the Old Courthouse.

The Dayton National Cemetery, the final resting place for over 50,000 veterans from every major US conflict dating back to the Revolutionary War. Joshua Dunbar was born enslaved in Kentucky and later in life, with the assistance of Quakers, fled Kentucky to Canada through the Underground Railroad network. He returned to the US in 1863 after the creation of the United States Colored Troops. He is the father of Dayton poet Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Woodland Cemetery is Dayton's most historic cemetery and like the Dayton National Cemetery is the final resting place for Revolutionary War soldiers and veterans from every major US conflict forward from that time.

the friday feed: sloppy joes

Sloppy Joes are classic American comfort food. This hearty sandwich features browned ground beef simmered in a “sloppy” sauce made with ketchup, tomato sauce, mustard, onions, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings that create a sweet, tangy, and savory flavor.

Last Sunday, Todd brought home the monthly Feed the Homeless casserole dish from church, and this month's recipe was for Sloppy Joes.

As I looked over the recipe while making the shopping list, one ingredient jumped right out at me: 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of ground beef. I gave a little gasp. Ground beef is running around $6.99 per pound these days. But when I put it into perspective, the recipe makes about 20 sandwiches, which works out to just over $1 per sandwich to feed a hungry person.

Tomorrow, July 4, Todd will deliver the Sloppy Joes to the church volunteers. It seems fitting that this All-American favorite will be served on Independence Day. While many of us will celebrate with backyard cookouts and family gatherings, these simple sandwiches will provide a comforting meal for those less fortunate. In their own humble way, Sloppy Joes represent the spirit of America: simple, satisfying, and meant to be shared.

rockin' it

Twenty-four years ago today, my dad passed away. So why am I posting pictures of rocks?

Every time we moved to a new city, somewhere in the middle of packing boxes my dad would look at my mom and say, “Dear, half the weight on this moving van is your books and rocks.”

He wasn't entirely wrong.

My grandparents are really the ones who started this family love affair with rocks. Every winter, they escaped the cold Illinois weather and headed to the American Southwest and Mexico. Along the way, they collected rocks and brought them home. Grandpa would take them out to his shed, put them in a tumbler, and polish them until they shined. Then he would hand them out to his grandchildren.

I loved those rocks.

When we sold Mom's house, all of my siblings mentioned the rock collection. Everyone wanted some of the rocks, and as the oldest sibling, it became my job to figure out how to divide them up fairly.

My solution? Mom had a collection of wonderful old jars, so I lined them up and, much like I used to divide jelly beans among my kids at Easter, I dealt out the rocks. A little bit for everyone.

Today, one of the shelves in my living room holds part of that collection and all the memories that come with it.

The top shelf is dedicated to Todd's dad. The flag was presented by the American Legion to Todd's sister in recognition of his service in the Navy.

The middle shelf is dedicated to my dad. It includes a few mementos from his career at Sears, along with some Hummels that remind me of the years he was stationed in Germany.

As I look at those shelves, I see more than rocks and keepsakes. I see family stories  and reminders of the lives they lived. And every time I walk by, I think of my dad's comment about the moving van and smile.

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

It's July, and we're officially in the second half of the year. Where does the time go?

I've been having fun in the kitchen lately. I've baked three ricotta cakes: one with strawberries and plums, one with peaches and blueberries, and one with strawberries, peaches, and blueberries. Two were gifted to friends, and I kept one to share with my son and daughter-in-law.

What else have I been making? Zucchini blueberry muffins, a fresh zucchini-corn-tomato medley, and green beans, onions, and potatoes cooked with bacon to accompany steaks on the grill. As you can tell, it's peak summer vegetable season, and I'm embracing it wholeheartedly.

At the moment, a heat dome has settled over the area. It's been oppressively hot and  our afternoon walks have shifted to the early morning hours. The neighborhood dog walkers are keeping their outings short, strolling only a few houses at a time and letting their pups walk in the grass to avoid burning their paws. The street near my yoga studio was recently blacktopped, and the difference in temperature between the sidewalk and the road is very noticeable. Whew!

As shown on this map from the New York Times, the state of Ohio is covered in red.

Working at the farm continues to be a joy. For the past few weeks, the question we've heard most often has been, "When are you getting corn?" As of Monday, the answer is: now! We finally have sweet corn, and there are lots of happy customers.

I didn't take many photos this week, but I did spend some time doing a little photo shoot with my coneflowers.