dayton's precious natural resource

If you fly into the Dayton airport, you might notice an informational signboard about water as you walk toward baggage claim from Concourse B. 

Dayton benefits from a plentiful groundwater supply known as the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer (GMVBA). Formed thousands of years ago by glaciers, the GMVBA is made up of loose, coarse sediments such as sand and gravel. This natural type filtration results in very clean water. Replenished by water that seeps down from the overlying rivers, this aquifer serves as the sole source of drinking water for the entire Dayton region. The City of Dayton provides drinking water to 400,000 people from this underground treasure.

The aquifer is stores approximately 1.5 trillion gallons of water. Rivers, streams, and lakes quickly recharge the aquifer, making the groundwater truly a renewable resource.

Around town you will notice “No Dumping” signs on sewers and storm drains. These signs educate the public that storm drains lead directly to waterways (rivers, lakes, oceans) without treatment, making it crucial to stop pollutants like oil, paint, or pet waste from entering them. The city officials realize what a precious resource we have and want to keep Dayton’s natural resources as clean and safe as possible for years to come. I just hope the data centers stay away from our area. They use up an incredible amount of water to cool the servers. (Google reported using more than 6 billion gallons in 2023).

 

the friday feed: gougères

Gougères. What an elegant way to say cheese puffs. 

A few weeks ago, I took these to a gathering and the hostess had asked that we bring an hors d'oeuvre to share. My refrigerator was still full of post-Christmas foods, with an especially large quantity of cheese. The kids had brought some cheeses for a charcuterie tray and we had received some gifts of assorted cheeses from friends. When it was time for everyone to return to their homes, no one took cheese. Everyone was cheesed out.

When my friend requested the appetizer, my immediate thought was a cheese tray, and instead of crackers I would get a little fancy-schmancy and make gougères.

Gougères are a baked savory pastry made with a French choux dough mixed with cheese. They have a reputation as being difficult, but they're really not. They're more fun than anything. To make them you combine liquids (water, milk), butter and salt in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Add flour and stir madly into a smooth paste. After allowing the paste to cool a bit, you work in eggs, one at a time. Then add grated cheese, pipe onto a baking sheet and bake. This dough is the same as a cream puff dough; the cheese makes it a savory bite.

On the chance gougères are left over, they can be frozen and then reheated for a special snack.

peaceful

Just another pretty winter sunset. The sun gives the patches of ice on the street a glow and the air grows colder as daylight disappears.

 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion on January 28, 1986. Among they crew members killed was Judith Resnik of Akron, Ohio. She joins a long line of space pioneers from the Buckeye State. Ohio has a remarkable legacy as the Birthplace of Aviation with over 25 NASA astronauts. The well-known, iconic Ohio natives include John Glenn (first American to orbit the Earth and later the oldest person in space), Neil Armstrong (first man to walk on the Moon), and Judith Resnik (second American woman in space and first Jewish woman in space). 

Do you remember where you were when the Challenger exploded? I do. I was at home with my 16-month old son, watching in awe of the space shuttle talking off, the powerful rocket boosters launching it into space. And then, just a little over a minute into its ascent, the Challenger exploded. The awe turned into horror and disbelief. 

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On our drive to Cleveland, it was the same ole, same ole drive, a little snow on the ground as we headed north. It was a beautiful, sunny, cold day with no indication of the snow that was to come. An IIK Transport truck caught my eye with its Russian writing on it. I wondered if IIK Transport was a Russian company doing business in the US so to pass the time on the drive, I did a little research. Just so you know, IIK Transport is an American trucking company headquartered in Bridgeview, Illinois, and utilizes a diverse, immigrant-heavy workforce, just as many other trucking companies do. The presence of Russian text on their trucks likely reflects that their drivers, owners, or operators are from Eastern Europe or Russia, and serve a multi-lingual driver base. The things you learn while passing time on a 3-hour drive.

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Snow storm Fern was the looming topic for this past week. It came, it dumped, and now we are moving on with 20" of snow blanketing the area. Grocery store shelves have been restocked from the panic buying, the city snow plowers putting in heroic hours and effort to get the roads cleared for people to be out and about safely, the sun shines deceptively bright, not indicative of the below zero temperatures. The schools are still closed and I know parents are anxiously awaiting those doors to open again.

While in Cleveland, I did manage to get my Frozen Feet Challenge walks in. Dress warm enough and you stay warm. While trudging along, this mailbox made me do a double-take and gave me a little chuckle. What a contrast. A beach scene surrounded by snow. Only in Ohio. I took my gloves off, fumbled around in my pocket to get my phone out, dropped the phone and my fingers got colder. Anything for a photo to tell a story.

word illogic

Gotta love the English language...

 

monday's mulling: snowmageddon

48 years ago, January 24 - 26, 1978, I was a junior in college, living and loving the university life, and The Great Blizzard of 1978 pummeled Ohio, dropping 30+ inches, that shut down everything down. This winter storm, also known as the Cleveland Superbomb, is often cited as one of the most severe blizzards in the history of the US.

The same thing happened this past weekend. A huge winter storm pummeled central and southern Ohio with two feet of snow. We weren't at home when this happened; we were called for babysitting duty in Cleveland. Friday we were on the road to see the grandbabies, early Saturday the snow started to come down and it snowed until Sunday morning. Cleveland, surprisingly, got half the snow that southern Ohio did. Our plan was to head back home on Monday but a Level 3 snow emergency has kept us off the roads for another day.  

The snow and dangerous road conditions kept everyone at home but once the snow lightened up, people were out shoveling or using snowblowers to clear driveways and sidewalks, pulling their kids in sleds, walking up and down the street to check out this big snow dump. The city sent the snowplows out to take care of the streets and the driver assigned to this particular neighborhood was on a mission to get done as quickly as possible. He and his big truck traveled at warp speed, taking out a few mailboxes while barreling up and down the streets. 

My little grandson was over-the-moon excited to see so much snow on the ground. What was a major inconvenience for so many, the twelve inches of snow was magical for a 3 1/2 year old little boy. While Grandpa and Dada were shoveling, Owen and Didi bundled up and played "let's find the ball in the snow." We also made snow angels. Such joy from a winter storm.

postage stamps

Postage stamps...I enjoy seeing what the new releases are and then buying a couple sheets for mailing cards and letters to add a special touch to the personal communication to family and friends. 

At the most recent visit to the post office, the line was moving slowly, and that gave me a chance to look at the poster of the newest stamps. The Good Night Moon stamps immediately caught my eye. I read that book to my children and now to my grandchildren. It brought back memories of bedtimes with us sitting on a couch or a bed or snuggled under a blanket reading this quiet, relaxing book.

"In the great green room, there is a telephone and a red balloon, and a picture of

The cow jumping over the moon

And there were three little bears sitting on chairs

And two little kittens and a pair of mittens

And a little toyhouse and a toy mouse

And a comb and a brush and bowl full of mush

And a quitet old lady who was whispering 'hush...'"

Valentines Day is coming up and the stamps with hearts are perfect to send Valentine cards. Doves delivering a letter and the Keith Haring Love Stamps add an extra touch of love to the sentiment inside the envelope. I don't know if the recipients will notice the stamp but it's fun to match the card to the occasion with the postage stamp.

 

the polar vortex winter storm

Today is THE day of the BIG snowstorm. The snow will start tonight and will fall all day Sunday. The weather forecasters have been talking about this all week long and I'm still not sure how much snow we're supposed to get. Todd was supposed have been in Nashville today but that trip was cancelled. At the beginning of the week Nashville was predicted to have 12 inches of snow which would have shut the city down. Now the predictions is 1-3 inches and it will still be shut down. Southern cities typically don't get snow and when they do, it's a disaster. They're not equipped with the snow removal and salt trucks that the Northern cities have at the ready whenever there's a mention of winter weather.

Back in Ohio, the prediction is that we're going to get a lot of snow but how much changes hourly. I just hope the power stays on. The snowfall will be accompanied by bitterly cold temperatures. 

the friday feed: dry january

For Dry January my friend and I took a little field trip to a fun wine shop to check out the selection of non-alcoholic wines. Back in the day she had been a wine rep for this store. We talked to the owner, told him what we were doing, and he recommended either of the wines on the ends of the display. 

Just to have fun during Dry January, I've made a few mocktails to replace the ritual of having a glass of wine with dinner. Even though they're just a way to make this alcohol-free challenge more enjoyable, I'm not a big juice drinker, especially with dinner, and that's what the mocktails are - basically a fruit juice blend with a splash of club soda.  For me, water or flavored sparkling water is preferable to these these fruit-based drinks. I bought a couple bottles of the non-alcoholic wines and they taste like white grape juice - tasty - and definitely more expensive. 

Am I counting the days until February 1? Nope. This has been something new and fun to do with a friend. 

st. vincent, the patron saint of wine

There's a "holiday" or a reason to celebrate something for every day of the year. Today, among many others, is National Blonde Brownie Day (yum!), Come in from the Cold Day (very appropriate), and National Grandpa Day (Happy NGD, Todd!) It's also one sacred to the wine industry - St. Vincent's Day - and one for me to start the countdown to the end of Dry January!

Saint Vincent, the official patron saint of winemakers, is celebrated every year on January 22nd. This date is timely for winegrowers because it symbolizes a mid-point in the vine’s growing cycle - the period situated in between pruning and when the vines begin to bud break and flower. Saint Vincent’s Day is a time for winemakers to reflect on the past year while preparing for the next year. According to legend, celebrating Saint Vincent’s Day brings good luck to the upcoming grape crop and harvest.

Many different legends abound about how Saint Vincent became “the patron saint of winemaking".

One includes the French pronunciation of his name, “Vin-sang” which translates into “wine blood.” And yes, wine blood (also known as vine blood) occurs during pruning. 

Another legend involves Saint Vincent and his donkey. While wandering through a vineyard, Saint Vincent’s donkey nibbled on nearby vines as Saint Vincent chatted with the workers. During that year’s harvest, the workers noticed that the vines “pruned” by the donkey produced a better crop than the “unpruned” vines. Thus, Saint Vincent and his donkey discovered the art of pruning grape vines.

During the week of January 22nd, winemaking regions in Europe celebrate Saint Vincent and the end of pruning with various ceremonies and festivals (all involving wine, of course!) This could be a fun trip to plan!

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Happy Birthday to my January girl, born a little tiny baby who shines a big bright light to all who know and love her. Here we are a few years ago, sitting on The Ledge at the Willis Tower (FKA the Sears Tower), hearts pounding, on a 1.5 inch thick piece of super strong glass, suspended exactly 1,353 feet (103 stories) above the Chicago sidewalks. She gets her adventurous spirit (and fear of heights) from me and her uncanny sense of direction from her dad. She's the second child/first daughter in the line up of the Gang of 4.

For the past few years Up and Running, an athletic apparel store, holds an event, The Frozen Feet Challenge. This year's event began on January 12 and the challenge is to walk, hike, or run OUTSIDE everyday for six weeks. To be accountable, the participants log their miles on the registration sight. It's an incentive to help people stick to their New Year's exercise resolution and it gets people outside to fill those lungs with cold, fresh air. The hardest part of this challenge is walking out the door from a toasty warm house. Bundle up appropriately and the rest falls into place. Miles to date: 32.8.

Many of my walks are around the neighborhood and the same old, same old sights get monotonous. One day I walked to the post office, a six mile round trip. My favorite close hiking spot is Hills and Dales MetroPark, so weekly photos will most likely pop up from there. I have some future blog post ideas that will take my walks to downtown Dayton to get some photos...looking forward to those sojourns.

My little Chicago grandson will be two in February. Last year I hand made a zine (a little book) based on the theme for his birthday party. I want to do the same for his second birthday so a couple days ago I asked my daughter if she had decided on the theme for AJ's birthday party. "I'm 99% sure it's going to be Eric Carle." AJ just loves Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. So I got busy brainstorming ideas for this 8-page little zine, went through my boxes of craft "stuff" and found some supplies that could work for this card from Didi. I was so excited to get this project going! Wouldn't you know, the very next day, my daughter sent the official invitation...with a Sesame Street theme! Darn...I love my Eric Carle idea. So now, since he will celebrate his 2nd birthday, AJ will get two cards from Didi. This is the title page mock up for the first zine with the Very Hungry Caterpillar in the shape of a 2.

And in case you're not familiar with Eric Carle's art, introducing to you a couple of his most well-loved characters, the Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear.

graupel

It's not snow. It's not hail. And it's not sleet. 

It's graupel: small pellets of ice created when super-cooled water droplets coat a snowflake. The pellets are cloudy white, not clear like sleet, and often mistaken for hail. It's also known as soft hail, hominy snow, or snow pellets, and has about the same texture as Dippin' Dots ice cream. 

A couple days ago I was out on a walk and all at once white dots were all over the street. It crunched as I walked. On Sunday graupel lined the paver bricks.

It is just really cool stuff. 

 

monday's mulling: sterling newsome

Last week on a sunny, breezy, winter day, Todd and I took a drive to the Dayton National Cemetery located on the grounds of the Veterans' Administration. I wanted to go for a couple reasons: to see the wreaths on the grave markers and to see where a soldier named Sterling Newsome was recently buried. 

More than 70 years after he died in an air crash while serving in the U.S. Air Force, Airman 1st Class Sterling E. Newsome Jr. was laid to rest by his family at the Dayton National Cemetery. His grave is located in a new burial section with no grass around the markers and it was muddy - slippery muddy - where we wanted to pay our respect to this soldier. This is a story of years of dedication to bring these fallen soldiers home.

Sterling Newsome, at the time 30 years old, was among 52 service members who lost their lives on November 22, 1952, when the C-124 Globemaster military transport aircraft they were traveling aboard crashed into a mountain in Mount Gannett, Alaska, during severe weather conditions.

Due to its remote location, the crash site would not be discovered until six decades later, when an Alaska National Guard crew conducting routine training in 2012 spotted aircraft wreckage, frozen in ice, on Colony Glacier.

Recovery operations confirmed it was debris from the Air Force C-124 that crashed six decades earlier with 42 airmen, eight soldiers, one Marine and one sailor on board. Since that time, annual recovery missions, named Operation Colony Glacier, have been conducted by the U.S. military with the goal to locate and return the remains of all who perished. The actions of these men to return these lost soldiers home is beyond heroic.

In 2021, a shirt belonging to Newsome was recovered and presented to his family in Dayton. More recently, additional remains were identified, transported to Dayton, and presented to his extended family. Last November a memorial service celebrating Newsome's life, his service, and his return home was held and now, 74 years, later this veteran was buried with full military honors.

On January 7, 2026, the military announced that the remains of all 52 service members who lost their lives at Colony Glacier have been identified. 

here's a little secret...

Paraphrased from Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland. 

Celebrate your eccentricity, creativity, and the idea that being different is a strength rather than a flaw. 

power of the mind

I don't know if I'm in love with this quote but it sure offers some food for thought.

The mind is powerful. It can rehearse disaster or it can rehearse success. 

You can overthink the worst because your brain is wired for survival. But what if that same energy went toward imagining things working out? Toward picturing ease instead of struggle. Toward assuming good intent, good timing, good outcomes. If we’re honest, the worst-case scenario isn’t more likely than the best. It’s just louder.

Practicing this line of thinking can be hard. Catching yourself mid-spiral and asking, "What’s the best version of this story? What if it goes right?"

There are no guarantees. Maybe overthinking doesn’t have to be the enemy. Maybe it just needs a new direction.

the friday feed: tea

Back in October on our return trip from our 18-day European adventure, the first leg of our flight was on Virgin Atlantic, taking us from London Heathrow to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. Virgin Atlantic is a British airline and for our last snack on the 9.5 hour flight, the flight attendants served each passenger a cup of tea and handed us a red box containing scones with clotted cream and jam. Tea in the clouds...what a perfect way to finish a trip from the UK. 

Back to Dayton, Ohio. A couple miles down the road from me is a charming little tearoom, Central Perc, owned and run by an English couple. There is nothing like a pot of tea and one of their scones with jam and clotted cream to make a day special. On April 15 of this year, Central Perc will celebrate its 30th year of business. Starbucks is right across the street but Central Perc is always just as busy as this national chain. This little place is my cup of tea!

 

just three months ago

There are times when winter feels like it plods along but so far it's moving along rather quickly. At least for me it is. It's already mid-January!

I was looking through photos of our October trip to Europe, having a wonderful time reminiscing about all the places we visited, the sights, the food, talking with people, the different modes of transportation. Travel sure opens your eyes to a new way of seeing and understanding. 

Oops...got a little off track. Right after our return home, I went back to work at the farm. Two more weeks until we closed for the season. The fall colors popped against the October blue sky and the transition toward the quiet, gray winter was slowly happening. A few monarchs hung back to gather pollen as they migrated south, the sunflower tower still stood tall in its realm, while others hid among the leaves. Memories of what was three months ago and visions of what will be in three or so months. It's the endless faith in tomorrow.

 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Six bones from the Christmas standing rib roast had been sitting in the refrigerator and it would be a crime for them to go to waste. They became the inspiration for beef bone broth. Celery, carrots, parsley, a nub of ginger, onions, a head of garlic, turmeric, peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, the rib bones and oxtails simmered for 12 hours in the orange Le Creuset pot that belonged to my mom. After straining the broth, it went into the refrigerator to chill so the fat would rise and solidify. 

Bone Broth is a nutrient-dense and collagen-rich liquid made from simmering marrow-rich animal bones in water for an extended period of time. Once cooled, it turns into a jelly-like consistency from the collagen extracted from the low, slow cooking. It has more flavor than regular broth due to the longer cooking time, too.

After all was said and done, this yielded seven cups of bone broth. The containers are now in the freezer waiting to be used for beef and noodles or perhaps a beef and barley soup. 

We went out for a bite to eat and ended up sitting at the bar to eat our meals. The wait for a table was 30 minutes but a couple bar seats opened up and we took them. Todd asked, "Since you're doing Dry January, do you mind sitting at the bar?" "No, not at all..." until the bartender served him this filled-to-the-brim glass of wine! Boy was it tempting. I stuck to my resolution.

We had an appointment with our attorney to see if our will and trust needed any updating. No updates needed but it was good to check in with a face-to-face visit. He was my son's high school soccer coach and we laughed at the passage of time from the time Andrew was in high school to now being a father of two. During the soccer years, our attorney and his wife became first time parents and now they are doing college visits with their son. 

After the attorney's visit, we stopped at Bunny's Hasty Tasty for lunch, or breakfast if we wanted. Bunny's has been in that same spot since 1952 and it's a good ole diner. Breakfast is your typical eggs, bacon/sausage, pancakes, omelets, endless cups of coffee - no turkey bacon, no foo-foo coffee drinks, no yogurt parfaits, no avocado toast on the menu. Lunch is a hamburger of some sort and fries. It's basic good food served by waitresses who have been there a long time.

On a sunny day, we took a drive to the Dayton National Cemetery. The cemetery is keeping the wreaths on the grave markers until January 24 and I wanted to see them. Military cemeteries are so peaceful, and so beautiful in their precise placement of the gravestones. Such reverence to the men and women who are here at their final resting place.

On our way home from the cemetery, Todd took a different way home and went through parts of the city that I hadn't seen in ages. This is the Germantown hill and it's one of the highest points in the city. It gives a good view of downtown Dayton from a new perspective.

Yesterday morning, another beautiful sunrise. It was a lovely surprise to look up and see the waning crescent moon in the colorful sky. And that pink, orange, purple, yellow sky...just wow!

My yoga studio is close to Historic Woodland Cemetery, the final resting place of some of Dayton's most distinguished residents. After a slow, stretching class, I walked a couple blocks down the street to Woodland and hiked around the cemetery in the 45° weather. It was windy and the flags at the Wright Brothers' family plot flapped noisily in the the breeze. It was a peaceful walk. The only other people in the cemetery at that time were the workers buzzing around in their compact utility vehicles. Life always goes on - even in a cemetery.

Woodland Cemetery has the highest point in the city, Lookout Point, offering a bird's-eye view of Downtown Dayton. During the warm weather months, the leaf-covered trees partially block the city vista. Woodland is 185 years old. How this view has changed over the many years!

keep on dancing

This quote captures the spirit of resilience. It's about turning your missteps into movement, not letting them stop you. Instead of hiding the stumble, you own it, adapt to it, to make your story more meaningful.

In life we all stumble. We face setbacks, make mistakes, and experience rejection. We are not meant to stop when we stumble - we are meant to keep moving and let that stumble become part of our rhythm. It's about embracing imperfection, trusting the process, and believing that every detour has a destination. 

In real life, we often think that we have failed when things don't go according to plan. Sometimes those imperfections are the ones that lead us to our most authentic self. Life doesn't require perfection. It requires movement and courage and the ability to make art out of chaos.