Two Old Friends at Old Man's Cave

This summer I had the pleasure of reuniting with two very old friends of mine, Becky and Ariana, along with their children (three each). They dropped by my dwelling on a sunny morning, and together we drove into the Hocking Hills region of southeastern Ohio. It was great to see those gals again, and to catch up with them after so many years. We hiked through this gorgeous public area, and marveled at its natural beauty. I'm going to be coming back to this beautiful place in Ohio again and again. 

sandstone cliffs

swimming hole

Mis Padres

My parents came to visit us last month, and I'm just now getting around to posting pictures!! My mom took more pics than I did, but I was able to get a few good ones in during that week. 

Dusty's Dad took us out on Uncle Bob's pontoon for a day
of fishing on Indian Lake. 

It was fun to watch the fellers catch fish.

This is where Dusty grew up. He's a lake rat at heart.

We visited the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
and learned many things from the park ranger on duty.

We drove all the way to the city of Marietta on the Ohio River,
where we could see West Virginia on the other side.

My first genealogy blog...

For a glimpse into the family history of Dusty's Ohio folks, come on over and Meet Some Families of Logan County. Stay as long as you like, we're happy to have guests. Maybe you can join us in a game of Cornhole.

Considering Real Estate

I've been in a reflective and somewhat melancholic mood lately. It's part of who I am, as the artist-scientist-type, to get a little off topic - sometimes completely off - to let routines go unheeded, while taking the time to probe and wonder and think about the world as I know it. I need the time to unwrap all that I've taken in, to explore again and again the things I've learned, to gain a deeper and more satisfying understanding. To take a hiatus from the everyday is a necessity. Too much routine and I become stifled.

So... lately the search for Real Estate means I am considering a lot of things. Location? Space? Curb appeal? Resale value? Practicality? There are hundreds of variables, and, in this buyers market, thousands of choices. I wonder about the material world and which possessions we actually need.

Am I severely limiting our choices by refusing consideration of all cookie-cutter suburban homes in neighborhoods riddled with cul-de-sacs? They are the most common type of home for sale, but I vehemently dislike them for too many reasons to list here.

Do we really need the 2,000 sq. foot brick home built in the 1860s with high ceilings and charming architectural details? Is it so big that we would end up buying things just to fill empty rooms? Would we resent the lack of yard if/when we have children?

Am I being unreasonable to shy away from the 1,000 sq. foot rehabbed fish-shack by the stinky paper mill? It has a huge backyard, and despite the horribly ugly exterior, the house is clean and well-maintained. The price is completely doable, but would I enjoy living there? Am I a snob to place appearance above any other priorities?

We'll figure it out, as we always do. But before that happens, there is much to consider.

A 235 Year Old Document

Using the free and fun Wordle tool (found: here), I plugged in the words from our nation's Declaration of Independence to create this interesting word cloud and to learn that the most frequently used word in the Declaration was "LAWS" followed by "PEOPLE," "STATES," "AMONG," "RIGHT," "TIME, and "GOVERNMENT."

It is fascinating to see the the Declaration in this way. Even though the introduction includes famous and feel-good statements like "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, ...with certain unalienable Rights, ...Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness," the document boiled down to it's most basic parts reveals an obsession with order and rules, and almost certainly, a government among the people.

Soiled Adult Diapers

On my day off I'm relaxing on the couch and watching an episode of Hoarders, an episode about a woman who used diapers and filled her small bathroom with them for two years instead of having the toilet repaired. Naturally, I'm wondering some things as we continue searching for real estate. Would we be able to tell if a bathroom was once filled to the brim with soiled adult diapers? If feces and urine ate through the bathroom floor, would we know it? Would it make a difference in our buying decision if we knew that the previous occupant tied herself to a medical toilet in her kitchen where she slept each night?

New Years Goals; 2011: UPDATE

Well, it's half-way through the year and time to update my New Years Goals that I posted in January. I've modified them only slightly, and marked off the ones which are complete. 

1. Post these goals on my blog (1/6/2011)
2. Give an update half-way through the year (6/25/2011)
3. Give a final report at the end of the year
4. Get a job!!! (May 20)
5. Enroll in a regular fitness class or join a gym
6. Go on 12 planned dates with Dusty (3/12)
7. Travel to a unique park or national forest or historical site or museum each month (6/12)
1. National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton
2. Hopewell Culture National Historic Park, Chillicothe
3. Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapokeneta 
4. Indian Lake State Park
5. A.W. Marion State Park
6. Ohio Riverfront Park, Marietta
8. Walk 500 miles outside of regular daily activities (57/500)
9. Buy a used banjo (opted for a guitar instead - May, 2011)
10. Learn to identify 20 new species (10/20) 
• House Sparrow, Dogwood Tree, Mourning/Turtle Dove, Purple Archangel, Goldfinch, Titmouse, Gerbera Daisy, Grackle, Buckeye, American Lotus
11. Write in my journal once per week (10/52)
12. See five musical performances live (3/5)
1. Drums Downtown VIII, Columbus (February 18)
2. Shoefly, Circleville (May 7) 
3. Remington Ryde, McConnelsville (June 16)
13. Buy a used bicycle (March 11) 
14. Fly my sister Melanie to Ohio (maybe in October?)
15. Plan a road trip to Maryland/Washington D.C. (maybe in October?) 
16. Go camping
17. Fly a kite
18. Write ten more blog posts than I wrote last year (23/65)
19. Read two books of poetry (0/2)
20. Join a book club (February 16)
21. Read 12 books (6/12)
• see these books and my reviews on my 2011 shelf:
  
22. Learn 12 new songs (2/12)
23. Join a garden club
24. Grow ten species of plants (5/10) 
• Primrose, Gerbera Daisy, Chocolate Mint, Ginger Mint, Aloe
25. Try a new recipe each month (4/12)
1. Vegetarian Red Lentil Kufta (red lentils, bulger wheat, onion, olive oil)
2. Boston Baked Beans (navy beans, bacon, onion, maple syrup, ketchup, brown sugar, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce)
3. Tzatziki sauce (Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, olive oil, lemon juice)
4. Sweet Easter Bread (flavored with a little bit of lemon and orange zest and decorated with a red-dyed egg)
26. Invite others over for dinner three times (0/3)
27. Practice with Rosetta Stone once per week (15/52)
28. Attend the Feast of the Flowering Moon Festival in Chillicothe (May 27 - 29)
29. Attend the Southern Ohio Storytelling Festival (September 9 - 10)
30. Attend the Circleville Pumpkin Show (October 19 - 22)
31. Learn about this year's issues and vote on November 8th (registered to vote 3/2011)
32. Interview three of Dusty's great-aunts/great-uncles (0/3)
33. Transfer 2008-2009 digital photos from computer's hard drive onto labeled discs