drastic symphonies

Def Leppard - a popular 1980s British heavy metal band and quiet me happens to really like their music. The group is still together, still touring, and still putting out new music.

The other day I was edging and painting walls and wanted to have some music to break the monotony. I opened up Spotify and Def Leppard's "Drastic Symphonies" was listed. This album came out last year and is a remix containing the vocals from Def Leppard's original recordings accompanied by the Royal Symphony Orchestra. Who would have thought that rock and classical royalty would unite to create some stunningly beautiful arrangements. I particularly like the arrangements with Love Bites, Hysteria, Animal, and Bringin’ on the Heartbreak. I liked those songs so much that I replayed them probably six times each. The combination of heavy metal and a symphonic orchestra worked brilliantly!

the friday feed: watermelon

Things I associate with summertime eating - fresh tomatoes, fresh corn, and sweet, juicy watermelon.

I love watermelon. Some of my favorite memories are of my parents bringing out a watermelon on a summer evening and us eating it outside with the juice dripping down our faces and arms. We’d be running around bare-footed. If we got really messy, Dad would drag the hose over, squirt off us off, and then we’d run around some more to dry off  before we could go in. Sweet memories for sure. We would have seed-spitting contests and remind one another that if you swallowed a seed, either a watermelon would grown in your stomach or you would pee the bed. My parents sprinkled a little salt on the watermelon and that’s how I thought it was eaten, but nowadays I don’t use salt. The good ones are so sweet, they don’t need it.

downtown stroll

"To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter...to be thrilled by stars at night; to be elated by a bird's nest or a wildflower in the spring - these are the rewards of a simple life." ~ John Burroughs

Skyline view from the 2nd Street Market. Dayton has 20 tall buildings.

New construction happening on an old building

The beginning whoosh from the Deeds Point fountain

A wall of purple at RiverScape

The River Run mural, blends images of what’s happening on and near the river, such as bicycling and jogging. The images showcase that the Great Miami is healthy with an abundance of beautiful nature and wildlife. The mural references the Wright Brothers, with subtle designs of bicycle wheels and The Wright Flyer.

Creativity

A budding little street artist finds his or her canvas

 

wednesdays words and wonderings and wanderings

Since the beginning of March we have had construction workers at our house. It's a big project - turning an indoor pool which was filled in into living space. I love my contractors. They're German Baptists who announce their 8:00 a.m. arrival with song, clean the worksite at the end of each day, and take pride in getting the job done right the first time. Part of the project is a new kitchen 😁  The guys tore out the former kitchen soon after the project began and set up a makeshift kitchen in our dining room. I have everything necessary to have home-cooked meals: counter space, stove, microwave, fridge, and a laundry sink to wash dishes. My food pantry, dishes, and cookware are in a bedroom, my appliances are in a bathroom closet. We were just informed that the kitchen installation will begin on July 2...can't wait! Even though we use paper plates, I have missed having a dishwasher and garbage disposal. 

Working at the farmers market is a very appreciated outlet to get away from the construction disruption. Fresh air, talking to nice people, surrounded by gorgeous veggies and of course buying them to help figure out what's for dinner. Last week Taylor brought in a couple boxes of HUGE colorful peppers. One would easily need a pound of meat to make a stuffed pepper!

Couldn't resist. I bought one. Don't know what I'm going to do with it right now but I will figure something out. If you're wondering what that that orange spot is on the unfinished floor, "X" marks the spot where my new range is going and the first meal will include a some sort of veggie dish

bloom where you never thought you could

Beauty...Strength...Resilience growing between the asphalt and curb in downtown Dayton.

"I like it when a flower or little tuft of grass grows through a crack in the concrete. It's so heroic." ~ George Carlin

after the rain...

Last Monday a few quick storms passed through the area. I was at the farm in the morning and my boss's daughter called to say that it was pouring with some hail at her house eight miles away. It was sunny where we were. That afternoon I was home, planting some herbs, when all at once the wind picked up and rain came down. It quickly turned into buckets of rain with strong winds. A few trees came down around the neighborhood, people who were out on walks found refuge on porches, the water flowed into the storm sewers. As quickly as the storm came, it was over, and the sun came out between the clouds. The light was just right for a rainbow to form.

One woman who had been caught in the storm and had waited it out on a porch came chugging up the hill. We had a quick chat about the unexpected downpour. She asked me if I was checking for damage. 

"Nope, a rainbow. Look behind you." 

"Oh! I was getting up the hill as fast as I could and didn't notice it. Thank you, you made my day!" We chatted for a few more minutes, she then continued her walk and I went back to planting herbs.

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” ~ Maya Angelou

the fountains are back!

The fountains at RiverScape MetroPark are back for the summer. 

The five fountains shoot water about 200 feet high and 400 feet across the confluence of the Great Miami and Mad Rivers. These five fountains have been part of the Dayton skyline since 2001 when RiverScape MetroPark opened.

RiverScape is on the site of the old Sears Automotive Center. My Dad used to manage that Sears store back in the 1970s. VanCleve Park was next to the Auto Center and it was a trash-strewn area with criminal activity. Five Rivers MetroParks took control of this area and made it into an urban retreat with beautiful gardens, providing glimpses into Dayton's origins, with homage to poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and to the spirit of invention that was once so prevalent in the city. People have dubbed RiverScape as Dayton's Front Porch, with its incredible view of the Great Miami River and as a place that connects its surrounding neighborhoods.

The fountains start with a whoosh at five minutes before the hour and continue for five minutes after the hour. They are beautiful at any time of the day but sunset is particularly lovely. People also rent kayaks and paddle in the vicinity of the fountains as the water arcs across the rivers. I want to try that one of these days.

the friday feed: the strawberry moon

Aside from the summer solstice, June's full moon will be a delectable Strawberry Moon. This month the full moon will fall on June 21 - just a day after the summer solstice on June 20. So... will the moon look like a strawberry in the sky? The answer is no, unfortunately.

Each full moon gets its name based on the time of the year, and comes from ancient cultures tracking the months and seasons. The Strawberry Moon got its name from the wild strawberries that ripen during the month of June.

April 8 brought us the total solar eclipse, a month later came the auroras. Now there’s another celestial treat for skywatchers: the first "major lunar standstill” or lunastice since 2006. During this event, the moon rises and sets at its most extreme northerly and southerly positions on the horizon, reaching its highest and lowest points in the 18.6-year lunar cycle.

The sun, the sky, and now the moon are certainly showing their star power in 2024!

freeman alley

Hidden gem in New York City: Freeman Alley, where graffiti isn’t just paint on walls, but a vibrant expression of freedom. This urban art gallery is tucked into a narrow passageway off Rivington Street east of the Bowery. It ’s a destination for graffiti both for those who make it and for those who want to look at it. Even as the street art scene becomes increasingly corporate and commercial, Freeman Alley stays a treasure trove of unsanctioned artwork. While some works can last for months, many are here today and gone tomorrow. 

I enjoy public art. It adds character, personality, beauty or visual interest to a place. Part of that can be communicating ideas about a place’s values, past, hopes for the future, or its community. Plus, it's free, no fees involved, so anyone who wants to enjoy it can.

wednesday's words and wonderings and wanderings

Lots of words and wonderings and wanderings

Today is June 19, Juneteenth, a federal holiday. It is celebrated annually to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States.

The holiday's name is a portmanteau of the words "June" and "nineteenth", as it was on June 19, 1865, when the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation  in Texas at the end of the Civil War occurred. Although this date commemorates enslaved people learning of their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation, this only applied to former Confederate states. There remained legally enslaved people in states that never seceded from the Union. These people did not gain their freedom until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution on December 6, 1865.

Meanwhile in New York City...

Beginning in 1858, Central Park was created to address New York City's rapidly growing recreational needs. During the first half of the 19th century it was home to Seneca Village—a community of predominantly African-Americans, many of whom owned property.

The village existed between 1825 and 1857. In 1855 there were approximately 225 residents, a population that consisted of roughly two-thirds African-Americans, one-third Irish immigrants, and a small number of Germans. There were over 50 homes in Seneca Village, plus three churches and a school. For African-American property owners, Seneca Village provided residential stability and an investment in the future. Another incentive to owning property at the time was that it gave African-Americans the right to vote.

When the City decided to build Central Park, it used eminent domain to acquire the land. Residents were "compensated" for their property and had to leave by 1857. After they dispersed, all traces of the settlement were lost to history. Since the 1990s, scholars and archeologists have been working to bring the history of Seneca Village to light.

Seneca Village has made me think about eminent domain, redlining, gentrification. People, so many times minorities, are displaced because of these policies. Homes once stood at this children's playground where today people sit on the benches to enjoy a beautiful day. People did the same thing almost 200 years ago, but because of their skin color they had to pack up and go to find a new home, just like the emancipated slaves.

2s-day!

2-day my first grandchild is 2!

He is a busy, inquisitive, talkative, perpetual motion little guy and loves 2 bring an armload of books 2 Didi (me 😁) 2 read 2 him. He reminds me so much of my son who was a busy, inquisitive, talkative, perpetual motion little guy. (The acorn sure didn't fall far from the tree!)

I love this little guy 2 the moon and stars!

monday's mulling: weekend festivities

What. A. Weekend!

A couple weddings brought all my kids into town for three days of celebrating and the first time both the little grandsons were together. All the beds were full, the driveway looked like a parking lot, the fridge was packed with food, the living room floor covered with toys, and my heart burst with joy. 

We started off with a birthday for a soon-to-be two year old. Pizza, fruit, a chocolate cupcake with sprinkles, and balloons...that's all this little guy needed for a non-stop smile.

Saturday started out with donuts on the patio to celebrate the weekend and having both of our little grandsons together for the first time. The kids went to visit friends, Todd and I went to a neighbor's graduation party. We met this young man when he was a sweet, inquisitive three year-old, and now he's 6'3", a graduate of Virginia Tech with an oceanic engineering degree, soon starting a job with the Department of the Navy in Washington DC. Saturday evening took us to a wedding. Our daughter has a close knit group of friends that started when they were in 6th grade and the friendships have continued to this day. From unsure, goofy 6th graders to successful, confident 30-somethings, makes one feel that this generation will do some good for this world.

And then Sunday, Father's Day. This was our son-in-law's first Father's Day, our son's third, and Todd's 39th. All three of these men became fathers with the birth of their sons. My daughter put together the Father's Day breakfast and was up early fixing an egg and potato casserole and homemade chicken sausage. And then a few hours later, the time came to pack up cars and return to their homes in Cleveland and Chicago. A house full of 10 people returned to two. The silence was loud and the love warmed our hearts.

father's day

“Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, storytellers and singers of song.” —Unknown

To all the fathers and father figures who serve such an important role in my life, especially my dad. It's hard to believe that it's been 22 years since you left this earth and even harder to believe that next year I will be the same age as you when you died. You taught by example the value of caring about and being there for your family despite the differences in opinions and personalities we all have. Your spirit of wanderlust and love of good food lives on in your children and grandchildren. I miss you always and I can still feel your guiding hand on my shoulder.

A very special Father's Day wish to my son-in-law who's celebrating his first Father's Day!

the friday feed: half-runner beans

If you grew up in Appalachia or almost anywhere in the South, you know there are plenty of people who can’t wait for the bean crop to start coming in. Dayton has a large Appalachian population and out at the farm people are checking in to see if we have half-runner beans. Yesterday we got two bushels and by the end of the day had sold a bushel. 

I love to ask the customers how they like to prepare their half-runners. It’s always with some kind of pork: pork belly, salt pork or a meaty ham hock, sometimes just bacon grease. The secret is to bring the beans to a boil and then cook them covered, low and slow, adding water to make sure you have an inch or two in the pot. As the water cooks down, it makes a rich broth. And the beans are cooked to death, the Southern way.

When buying the beans, many people buy three pounds. That’s a “mess of beans.” One time I asked a sweet lady why it was called a mess of beans and she said, “Oh honey, it’s just a big batch of something good.” . 

flower power

Monday was unseasonably cool - cloudy, breezy, and in the 60s all day long. Out at the farm it was even cooler. I wore a thermal shirt, a turtleneck, and a sweatshirt with the intention of taking off layers as the day went along but I never did. Business was pretty slow so when everything that needed to be done was finished, I took photos of all the pretty petunias in the hanging baskets. So much color and variety plus a delightful scent to brighten a chilly day!