Beautiful Gift..

Thank you for the lovely gift from a dear friend!

I love monograms, I love personal, I love quotes and messages...so this gift and product is amazing to me. I had so much fun (and challenge) designing what I wanted.

This takes me back to the Just Ducky Days when you could customize your children's darling clothes- material, accessorizing with ribbons, buttons, etc.. and fun custom monograms or... simple words.

The grown up version of this is Franca Lingua, my gift!!  A bit into my process to create a custom sweater...

So first- color...I love them all- black, classic, blue, classic, tans..red..this red didn't feel like my red so that helped take that out...

Then style- this one was simple as I know my preferences...love the idea of a cardiagan but they really don't work great...

What to put on....they have so many great ideas, styles...the hearts with your kids initials..oh....a friend has one of these that is perfect for her...she lets us all know she reads Banned Books! YAY!

So I do what I do- I made a list, I asked for input, I took the input and it helped me go different directions too..I talked and listened to myself..and then voila there it was.  Here were ideas:

Yay, Yay, Yay

Go Big Red  Yay Denison Yay Big Red

#longr   could go over the heart

read my blog please- lifeonnewarkgranville road

too big probably - hence the 

Discussing Books at Cherry Valley  

What are your reading?

! ! !

Thank you!

Be Generous

Scotch and Soda Please

Scotchy Scotch Scotch

I'll have my usual

Yay Scotch

Derby Love

Yay Derby

I love Granville (in REd and White)

I paused asked for help, and re-read the way it was presented to me. This friend said, I read the blog, thought about you, but I didn't want to just make it for you, so I gave you this gift card, I want you to love it.  I DO!...More ideas:

In my past life it would be:

Show me the Agenda

Put in on the Spreadsheet

Current Work approach:

Don't forget the families Parents  Ps

P'23 '24 '27

Or...

Screen Porch Girl

Life on Newark-Granville Road- grateful for such a personal, fun gift!  Thanks for reading!!

PS- I wore it today- many compliments, but many don't get it and so I get to explain and share my perspective..life is figure-eights we come and go from one another and places.. If you read the blog you know, 16 posts talk about figure-eight perspectives/happenings and many even in the title!!

Voila- the final product!!

December 2025...

This blog is about behind the scenes moments, posting for prosperity and sharing information...It feels correct to put a bit out there about December in our lives on Newark-Granville Road! We blinked and here it is December 22nd!

First- I invite you to Christmas Eve Service at FPC-Calendar — First Presbyterian Church  We'll have three services- all special!  I was quite impressed and touched by Sunday, December 21st service- “Messiah” by George Frideric Handel with strings and soloists that delighted. Need something to listen for holiday spirit- tune in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=UWcFxNFlG-0&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.granpres.org%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ

Second a fun little poem quote:

“D-December never means
E-end, it's the time to
C-celebrate and rejoice
E-express love and joy
M-mesmerize the moments
B- believe in blithe spirit
E- enhance the end and
R- rhyme with the beginnings.”
― Deepa Gera

And December for us:

• Earlier post about Granville's Candlelight Walking Tour- it was really a special day and evening...we toasted Ann Leithauser's birthday at Knobel Cut's Whiskey event, enjoyed beautiful music at church and with Common Thread and old friends and enjoyed the return of a beloved gathering....we could not do it all, but we made it a full day!
• And then I took off for travel for work...which was really special. I'm fortunate to engage with amazing Denisonians- families supporting the college in important ways! First stop on the trip was the Bay Area and it never disappoints- the people, the scenery, the book stores..I valued the time to read-....   

Then direct flight to BWI for Stoner family time! I met dear Winney and hugged on Remie, caught up with Louisa, Greg and Sarah and slept so well in their guest room.  Then we celebrated Mom's 85th birthday.

• Jeanne Stoner- happy 85! You inspire, impress, delight us...thank you for your independence and style, hospitality and community! Mom and Michael hosted their own party with help and it was all our favorites: olive balls, crab balls, country ham..Clare joined in, Louisa's Becket, Dunkin and Kirsten...Mike found the perfect cake and we really enjoyed the time with beautiful snow arriving after so family from Htown could join the toast!! Grateful to all who celebrated Mom that day and her birthday week!
• I pause here to post on the shootings at Brown, the Reiner's deaths and the other sadness that can stop you in your tracks. When we hear about the gray, the meek, the dark in December this is it.  And my heart hurts...I'm grateful the sun comes up, the snow reflects and sparkles, family time comforts as does music.  While in MD I went to two amazing performances and it soothed in ways like no other. Best was sharing it with family.

Then I took the train to Connecticut and NYC. Plans shifted and I ended up connecting with Denisonians and updating them on the 

What We Can Be: The Denison Campaign | Denison University  Joe and I share about how life on Newark-Granville Road connects us with visiting Denisonians. It was fun to reverse the visits with alums from our era- thank you for dinner and family time Len and Koonce, the tour and cheese shop featured here: https://denison.edu/magazine/2015-issue-3/140108 Kevin, and our special morning tea/coffee in your beautiful home. How fun to connect two special Denison women!!

In NYC we were hosted in a suite for the Rangers v Cannucks game- again some shifting due to a Hughes brother trade, but a very special evening with wonderful Denisonians of all ages: alums, families and a student!! 

Love the trains, ubers, and flights- new was taking a train to EWR! I read The Wedding People by Alison Espach while traveling and thoroughly enjoyed it and found a number of good messages!

• Meanwhile Sally finished her semester strong and moved out of Theta, she will have her internship in Indy. She made it home to decompress and take care of lucy for us! Joe traveled to Atlanta and DC for work!
• We arrived home to jump into holiday to-dos. We are shopping, wrapping, shipping, decorating, baking, list making. Yes, the leaning tree and no plan stressed me out..but a spreadsheet helped and we're on our way.  Doing our best to not sweat the small stuff, be in the moment, find joy and peace and love in the true meaning of the season, the light is there for all of us and we're grateful! Holiday get-togethers mean so much and we're lucky to have the colleagues and friends that really are family.
• That said, two openings coming soon to the Family Philanthropy Team at Dension- tune in January!!

THANK YOU for reading, wishing you a happy December and holiday peace and comfort!

Check out the social media posts for more pics, but here are few for the record:

Happy New Year- 2025-26 Holiday Card!

 We are in progress, if you recieved our card and came here for "more details"...thank you! This site is for some of the "rest of the story" and/or behind the scenes thoughts about our lives on Newark-Granville Road!   Joe is adding structure to this post- yay- kids are weighing in- yay...we'll get there!

Scroll back, take in some other posts..until we're ready to post..soon, soon and again thank you and Happy New year and all the best as December and 2025 wrap! 

Designed by 
Brenda Yingling!

December in Granville- Take a Candlelight Walk FRIDAY and Saturday.....

 Join us on Friday Evening...Joe has Council Person duties and we think this will be really lovely...we'll go grab a bevie at the Inn after!!  Please help spread the word, it would be great to have a large group participating in this sound sculpture/community event, from the web/AI:

Granville, Ohio's Illumination Night was a holiday event held on Friday, December 5th, 2025, that kicked off the season with a candlelight procession down Broadway. The procession began at the United Church of Granville Annex and ended at the Robbins Hunter Museum, featuring hot chocolate, cookies, and the 'Unsilent Night' sound installation. This event was followed by the Granville Candlelight Walking Tour on Saturday, December 6th. 

Granville Illumination Night (December 5, 2025)

• What it was: A holiday lighting event and candlelight procession.
• Key activities:
  • Candlelight Procession: Started at the United Church of Granville Annex and proceeded down Broadway to the Robbins Hunter Museum.
  • Music: Featured Phil Kline's 'Unsilent Night,' which is played from a phone or speaker as you walk.
  • Refreshments: Hot chocolate and cookies were served.
• Sponsors: Roof Ohio was the "Merry & Bright" sponsor, and Crabby's Christmas Lights installed the display, according to Robbins Hunter Museum's Facebook and Instagram. 

 Then Saturday- SO MUCH TO DO- which way do we go...plus we'll add a visit to the Distillery with WhiskeyFest: https://noblecutdistillery.com/2025winterwhiskeyfest/

Excited for all the offerings on Saturday: https://business.granvilleoh.com/events/details/christmas-candlelight-walking-tour-18356   It is the 40th Anniversary...wow, wow, wow!!

I hope the snow remains that joined us yesterday in our lives on Newark-Granville Road...it makes it all the more special- as does seeing friends at this time of year and Friday's event will make a great opportunity to meet-up and catch-up a bit!! THANKS for reading!