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Friday, January 29, 2016

wish I would of read the book first…..

This may be a blog post that starts today and is added to later…in fact it will be.  Today I share about a book I just read to encourage you to read it, share your thoughts with me and if able join me to hear from the author!

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kermin- long ago I heard about this book and then the net flix show….I meant to get the book but didn't.  Non book club books are rare and this year I've added work reading…so the "want to read" stack is high.  I need to write it down. Right now it appears when I scan a real book shelf and go…oh yeah i need to read that…example: Girl on a Train.  Although book club does have the recommended list and many of my "to reads" are there.

Because I do love to hear from an author of a book I've enjoyed I just finished Orange is the New Black  just in time- Piper Kerman will be at Denison on Tuesday, Feb 2nd at 7 pm!  http://denison.edu/events/event/47589   This book is more than just a good read- it unveils a world needing reform and attention, awareness and support.  It ties to good work in our communities and others to employee and support returning citizens. And I know there will be more….I'll have more to share when I hear from Piper and attend the presentation on Tuesday. Join me if you like, spread the word and bring a friend.  I'll have more to say after I discuss the book at the Denison book club I'm glad to have joined.

I am so glad I read the book. I valued the experience and miss Lichfield and Piper….Tuesday will be a good day in my life on Newark-Granville Road!

Sunday, January 24, 2016

January Travel and Coaching

I'm back in the saddle…or back on the plane…..work for Denison is taking me great places to see amazing people!  Last week was a trip to Florida and this week I'm going to Boston!  After Work with Denison….Everywhere is Wednesday night and I'll be in Bean town.

With it being Leithauser Christmas, I had not traveled much these past few weeks.  I have to say I was happy to get back in the swing with my travel south last week.  I was happy to be in a warmer (not by much) climate and and have green surroundings. Ruling the day was the interaction with good people.  Pictured below, was my documenting a special opportunity. I'll be in DC soon and I asked for advice from former Senator Richard Lugar- Denisonian! He gave me some perspectives and input as I plan to engage with parents and parents of alumni in the area.  The quick work part of the trip had many inspiring moments, and some good old laughs and fun. I work with  pretty special team.

Another highlight of the trip was adding a night to stay with my brother Matthew, and his family. More Denisonian time…Matt is DU Class of 1991!  I admit to have been pretty tired and a low key evening complete with a delicious family dinner around the kitchen table and record party in my niece's room was just what I needed.

Life on Newark-Granville Road is focused on Denison work and appreciated the adventures from this past week and is looking forward to the week ahead and into February…..Thanks to all those that help with the kids and Joe (and Griffey) that make the travel possible for me!


 

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Cocktails by the Fire at The Works- join us, don't miss it, take a friend, spread the groovy word…..

http://www.attheworks.org/events/fundraising/cocktails-by-the-fire.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/susan.leithauser/posts/10208544420191022?notif_t=like

Life on Newark-Granville Road loves this event…it is the perfect opportunity to get out of the cold, blah winter and into the hot art, history and fun at The Works!  This year promises to better than ever- amazing host committee, incredible sponsors, The Works staff and volunteers are creative and dedicated and I'm hearing about the great food vendors, the band, etc…you have to see it, experience it for yourself! The theme is 60s fun- visit the links for details and make your plans now….you will be glad you did and you are supporting a wonderful place that makes a difference in so many ways….it has in my life on Newark-Granville Road.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Beautiful inspiration…..

What a treat to take a look at this burst of positive, happy, creative, inspirational energy in word and vision.  Take a look….I love to virtually connect other on-line efforts and this is the real deal- wow!  Personally I loved page 21- I want to ride in 265….211- India Calling- yes it is..but this is Seizencote House in England- Cotswolds!

And then…page 73- ahhhh the beautiful Inn and Project Soar…the store to support the project- social entrepreneurship is so beautiful….

http://issuu.com/amybutlerltd/docs/blossom3/1  Take a look, soak it in, savor it…return over and over like I have in the past 24 hours….Also bound beauty awaits- order here!!

http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Butlers-Blossom-Create-Express/dp/1452149518/ref=sr_1_2?s=magazines&ie=UTF8&qid=1452910751&sr=8-2&keywords=amy+butler

Thank you Amy, Dave and your team- you've been inspiring me for years….I look around my bright happy house- lots of yellow, brights, patterns, memories, delights- when making a shift and considering your wallpaper…me with Joe's blessing and love and all we are, have been, will go….is here in my life on Newark-Granville Road.  Please dear readers, follow Amy's advice and share her blossom with someone you love. I love you for reading and sharing with me!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

in the kitchen….help me write a personality test….

So you are baking cookies in the kitchen, with your family, four out of five helping. The first batch of chocolate chip cookies (several times you hear the kids say- we're making cookies, from scratch, repeating, from scratch and emphasizing the scratch word) is Ok- when you taste the first one you think- hmm maybe a bit too much flour, bit dry but not bad.  Mean while every step you have a volunteer or two to help: crack eggs, measure out ingredients, add to the mixer, etc…Happily (pretty much) everyone is engaged and had played a role and a few have even been able to lick the spoon after the first batch's sheet is in the oven!  YAY!

So the cookies are for the fundraiser tomorrow (hmmm maybe they were due tonight- oh well) and you want to have extras- for the house, work…you're excited to be baking- something you didn't get to this holiday season. So you get out the next set of spoons and bowls and mix up the next batch- delegating the dry ingredient mixing to two of the four family helpers.  The debate starts on TV and your four helpers leave you to go downstairs.   You finish up the batter, noticing it is a bit less stiff but think- good, will be more moist.  You go upstairs to get the phone charger so you have something to do during the six minute baking.  You return to find over cooked, flat, spread into one another, cookies.  Oh well…you get the next go-round of cookie sheets in the oven and similar situation…hmmmmm I wonder how much flour was in the dry mix?  Now is the personality test do you….

a. pitch the rest of the batter and join the family for the debate.
b. pitch the rest of the batter and mix a third batter- solo to finish the job.
c. add flour and finish out this batter and hope for the best?

If you are me- you chose c…..I like closure, but was tired and wanted to be done.  The 3 dozen for the fundraiser are complete.  The extras for the kids are crisp and OK- filled a Tupperware container and a baggie (for the broken ones)… and well work- no one wants the extra calories anyway!  I've committed to baking a bit more and to dust off my skills.  At least I can make a good rice krispie treat these days…..life on Newark-Granville Road in the kitchen tonight!  And if you are interested in buying homemade goodies tomorrow- Box Out Lyme Disease!!  6 pm JV game, 7:30 Varsity- Granville Girls Basketball- Home- GHS!  Lots of fun ways to contribute to research and support for this scary disease that affects way to many we know!  Thanks!

Monday, January 11, 2016

Warm Welcomes for body and spirit!

The snow covered yards on Newark-Granville Road no doubt help create the heading for this blog.  A quick recap of two special visits for me this weekend- why do I put these down here on a blog?  To share- you too can be welcomed the way I was welcomed this weekend, you too can have the benefit of exercise and faith, let me know and maybe we can go together!!

First- Saturday morning's Zumba class!  Thanks to a friend for inviting me to join this - drop- in class for $5!  I needed/ wanted to exercise and this class worked- the invite was great too.  I received a great work out and loved the energy, direction and welcome from Melissa- here is the scoop!
MOVE with Melissa -Zumba, Bodyshred & More  it really was like nothing I've done before- no mirrors- woo hoo! Leave stress at the door, and have fun- just what I did- and felts muscles work and the heart pumping- woo hoo- thanks Melissa and Juliet!

Next, Sunday morning provided another wonderful visit to another "church" experience. Clare and Charlotte's confirmation class experiences other worship- within and outside of the Christian faith.  I've done some blogging about this and feel compelled to share yesterday's visit to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Newark- 383 Washington Street- just south of East Main.  I've always wanted to go, always and am so glad I was there yesterday- what a treat. The welcome, the music, the message, the faith and love all around.  Not just in word, but in action- the hugs, hand holding and Amens…..ahhhhh. There were some extra special connections that renew and ponder details of my faith but I know simply to say - Thank you.  Best of the all our young ladies benefited and enjoyed the visit too!  Rev. Dr. Noble did a wonderful debrief with the confirmands- introducing us to his father and sharing the service of the church in the community- inspiring. He talked about recognizing, honoring and thanking even if it is in the future- the adults in their lives.  I have to say I'm so grateful for the youth- they've led me and given me the opportunity to be with them on their journey and it means so very much.  I hope to go back to this church from time to time.  I will do my best to support their activities and efforts in our community. If you want to know more, here is their website: http://shilohnewark.com 

It was a very very good weekend.   Dinner Friday night with Joe's colleagues was incredible- welcome and hospitality, thoughtful planning and beautifully (and deliciously) executed- so fortunate.  Saturday night Town and Country- festive hospitality with a return to the beautiful Inn and time with dear friends of this incredible community- always a special time.  We added the usual basketball games- two wins for Sally's 5th grade team- woo hoo, family dinner and week planning-next Monday:  https://www.facebook.com/OneDayOneTon_ - and a great launch to the Girl Scout cookie Sales…..you can see why I pray and exercise and am appreciate the opportunity to do so in my life on Newark-Granville Road.  I hope you'll join me as I return to these places.


Friday, January 8, 2016

Erin's life of Living and Love

What a lovely service at Blessed Sacrament in Newark yesterday- an Order of Mass of Christian Burial. I've always related to the point - funerals are for the living.  A take away from yesterday is that Erin lives on in so many people and things.  She was all around yesterday- the sun was beautiful and so appreciated. People connected and gathered, celebrated and supported- so Erin.  Thanks to facebook and conversations her incredible experiences and love is being shared and so she continues to inspire and lead.  Funerals give us the opportunity to show case that we do live on- Erin certainly does and will.

Rev. Jonathan Wilson spoke so beautifully during the homily, his connection to the scripture on love was spot on and so appropriate for Erin.  1 Corinthians 13: 4-13   Love- Erin loved living, loved her community, her family and friends and it showed.  

I blog about Erin not because we were especially close but because her life touched and inspired me in many ways. She is gone too soon. The services and interaction about her life needed more processing time for me.  My life on Newark-Granville Road is all the better having met, known, volunteered, traveled, shared so many friends and acquaintances and been in this community with Erin.  Thanks be to God.

Sunday, January 3, 2016

What is on the horizon in 2016…..

Here it is the new year's post….sharing motivation and thoughts to inspire 2016!

Diana Nyad- what an inspiration!! thank you to  my dear friend and supporter, sister in law, Ann for this Ted Talk must watch- https://www.ted.com/talks/diana_nyad_never_ever_give_up?language=en  So many golden nuggets of advice for all of us no matter what we're doing!! If we're raising a family, raising money, volunteering, just getting by, getting in shape- the team that surrounds us, the need to keep focused on the horizon, finding the song and singing it over and over to pace ourselves, find our place and way to mediate is another way to say this, Diana Nyad has something for all of us.

Connected is the message from Sheryl Sandberg with Lean-In and the lesson she shares about support friendships, intentional circles- a dear friend I see regularly reminded me of how lucky we are to have one another and of this message:   https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156323492520177&set=a.404308695176.365039.717545176&type=3&theater   It connects well to Diana's talk.  It also plays well with the inspiring visits I've had in 2015- they need to carry over to 2016!

I love a parade, and a theme….so the opportunity to sit and watch the Rose Bowl Parade was a treat this year.  It took me a bit to get into "vacation' relax mode this year….with work, travel, kids schedules, holiday to-dos , house to-dos (we did well but still so much to do) I wasn't in that- ahhhhh place until well after the 25th…but I got there. I'm there as I type….ready to curl up and finish the book club book instead of cross anything off the to-do list- it will wait- book club discussion only happens once.  Anyway- the theme of the parade this year was "find your adventure" and that fits me, I embrace that.  When I travel it is an adventure, when I took the new job- it was an adventure, even when Sally and I set out this afternoon for 9th day of Christmas delivery- it was an adventure.  Sally joined me in the front seat and saw roads in different ways.  She wondered if she had ever been on certain roads, she asked which road is the curviest in Granville, we found new houses under construction and a new road to a friends house when we missed a turn…we had a quick adventure and time together.  Adventures are everywhere and they're fun, learning opportunities.

2016 will bring beautiful- althought sometimes hard and challenging-adventures to my life on Newark-Granville Road and I'm lucky to be able to share them with you, dear friends and family that support me, work and volunteer teams that help move me toward the horizon.

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Happy New Year….Reflections on this 2nd day of the year, 9th day of Christmas.

Welcome 2016 and thank you 2015!  I must pause to reflect on wonderful, fabulous 2015.  I have not chronicled the blog posts or created the 2016 photo book or even done the Shutterfly year in review….but I carry with me the stand-out moments easily into 2016.  The gifts and lessons still processing in my head and I need this step of putting them into words.  Okay so the Christmas card post does do a bit of this:

I still have some musings to transfer here.

The theme of 2015 to me was- make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.  Making a move is hard- any move- office swaps, job change, room clean-up/painting (the breaks project with Sally's room) and of course moves often have more than one change or move…the new job often takes people from one city, home to another- it isn't one person moving it is a family.  The person moving isn't the only one affected- the ones left behind, new coming….it doesn't feel like a ripple it feels like a swirl, whirlpool.  I've used the analogy "snow globe shake up" and ah-ha that is even water involved!! I love water- being near it, in it, hearing it. The dishwasher running as I type is comforting to me.  The analogy in my head about life is this year is the stream- sometimes peaceful, some times turbulent, some times deep, some times shallow, some times filled with eddies. It seems so appropriate that the highlight of our 2015 wrap up was a hike to the Honey Run Falls. The journey and walk there is beautiful- through meadows, pine tree stands, up and down various terrains.  We were there with the Westerville Leithausers and the kids happy to be out- charging ahead, shrieks of delight echoing back to us, but the take home (and I actually recorded it and have it on my phone) was the water fall, and walk along the stream to the river…seeing the water flow, travel, traverse, dance, skip, meander……ahhhhhh. After the hike we returned to Scott and Ann's lake house for family dinner, football, friend time, relaxation and the welcome to 2016.  Ups and downs with ten people together, kids of all ages most teenagers….but ahhhh so good to be away and together, welcomed and hosted, sharing in hospitality. I loved looking up often to see the lake- a pool of water, a collection and reflection of travels and traditions, reading and waiting for more…..welcome 2016.  2015 had so many great reconnections with dear friends in so many ways and so many places. The ability to move away from a job I loved and maintain friendships important too.  Our 25th Reunion - such a special time and gift of those that traveled to be with us in this real life on Newark-Granville Road!! The figure eights works with the water theme!!

These past few days have been awesome- seeing old friends and making new memories- cheers and thank you for another eve of the eve- wow.  The kids included made it all the sweeter- as we drove to Apple Valley we compared notes on our evenings- rolling home, late night antics and reflection- good times.  Ann sharing with me beautiful Ted talk that will be part of my 2016 planning and inspiration…future blog topic I'll start after I wrap this up and post soon. The Rose Bowl- lovely theme and opportunity to visit sunny California. Notre Dame vs OSU- fun pairing for us. Ann and dear friends we see at the lake a great deal- Notre Dame grads that share their love of the Irish so very well. Last night we came home so we could easily greet today- we had family movie night and watched "Rudy".  Food plays a roll in it all too- our NYE dinner was "Mongolian bbq"- again the journey- not just Ann and I in the kitchen- Cate and Clare helped with chopping prep.  We took the customized omelet- Joe's gift to us so often there- and made it work for stir fry dinner- and it did work!  Cheers at breakfast is the way I like to go- bellinis and breakfast go hand and hand at the lake.  Ann and Scott created a beautiful new space that allows you to take in lake activity in cozy bright comfort.  I had the delight to watch the kids go to the lake- not a full polar bear plunge- but enough to delight and inspire…..yeah Will for leading the way. What a gift to be lake side to wrap up 2015 and welcome 2016.

And yes it is the 9th day of Christmas- our beautiful tree is delighting me- great way to be welcomed home.  The house is a disaster with project work lingering- the paint is beautiful and has Sally's buy-in and engagement- she painted!! So much to do including gifts to deliver and more cards to send. It is so important to reflect, regroup and get ready…2016 is here…Life on Newark-Granville Road is wading in..the weekend making it possible this year.