Wrappig up 2014 by cleanning up, looking back and smiling.

Good bye Babsie.  The blue Volvo station wagon I adored has left the station, make that garage. We tried to donate her last year but it didn't happen. I'm very pleased to say it happened today- just now.  I knew this would be the blog post opening so I had to wait until it really happened! Hip Hip Hooray for Joe and those that crossed this of the list- including his mother in law's strong suggestion at Tgiving.

 

It is the year end of clean-up- we've made progress on the stuff, crap, s!&* from the basement.  The pitch pile by the mail box to be picked up by Big O on Friday is a little embracing. We were hoping the pickers that drive by would of taken some by now- scrap metal galore out there.   If you know any, send them our way please.  The garage now has the to be reviewed pile and at least ya'll and the neighbors can't see that.  We've cleared off the kitchen table and can eat there but were a bit snug with items that need temporary new homes- the things safely kept in plastic tubs and now the piles of files I reviewed from a discarded file cabinet.

The smiles are plentiful today.  Babsie was a great car. We found her in Hagerstown- a special edition Volov wagon that was the shape we loved and had really comfy seats. 6 cylinders-she was fun to drive back and forth to MD and on family trips.  We named her as she originally came from Texas and two women I admire living there have the name Barbara with last name B and the nick name was Babsie.  I also smile as the car goes as stated above.   In that file cabinet I found my first resume printed at Leader Printing in 1990- my senior year at Denison.   How fun years later we get our Christmas Cards printed there.  I showed Sally ultrasound photos forgotten as they were nestled in my "Sally pregnancy file"- I had forgotten my maternal maturity- over 35- took me to Riverside for more frequent ultrasounds than the other two kids.  Swim team ribbons, itinerary from Scotland trip, letter I wrote to Joe before we were married. Some of the memories dusted off aren't the most happy and putting some in the trash feels good, feels right.  I'm amazed at what the mind retains albeit buried. How fascinating what triggers retrieve unattended to thoughts and I'm grateful for all of them.

It is a good way to wrap up 2014.  Today on Newark-Granville Road we make progress that includes the past and prepares us for the future.  We're connecting with our family in special ways. Welcome 2015 and the memories we'll make, save and share.   Thank you for being part of my 2014 and happy New Year to you.

should of had that yard sale…...

For quite some time- years I'm sure- I've wanted to have a yard sale. The inception of the idea- the basement.  Well today after removing almost everything in the basement due to flooding from the water main break on Newark-Granville Road, I wish I would of delivered on the idea.

I had every intention of posting a quick summary of our fabulous Christmas trip to Maryland.  The time with our darling 6 year niece and goddaughter in Baltimore was really amazing.  Gathering the full Stoner group in Hagerstown made for wonderful catch-up and memory making! It was the fastest week ever. We blinked and were heading home this early am to get Clare to bball practice. It felt like we were justing sitting at Tom's Ice Cream Bowl to kick-off the holiday trip.

We kept seeing the posts on Facebook about the water being off, pressure being affected, etc, etc…It wasn't until we pulled into our drive and saw all the gravel showcasing how much water must have passed our house.  Joe said- hmmmm - we might have a flooded basement- and he was right!   I'm happy to say we have support from the village and ServPro was on the job.  Tonight I type with the start of a mammoth trash pile by the mailbox, drying times to be stored or pitched in the queue in the back yard and the dining room and kitchen filled with to-dos.  The basement has fans and we'll get things in a good place to move forward. IT could be soooo much worse- snow and rain would made a much harder clean-up process.

Life on Newark-Granville Road will wrap the year up clean and more organized- this is a good week to take on the task- Joe is home! We won't be setting up that yard sale but we will make some trips to Goodwill. We are also in a great place arriving home today rested and happy. I'm not sure what day of the week is- little turned around but I'll get in sync!   I hope this finds you well and ready to wrap up the year and celebrate the full 12 days of Christmas.

the rest of the story from our holiday greeting card!

So I use to write the Christmas letter- even before I had other players in my life's stories. This reminds me that I have beautiful Creative Memory Scrapbooks from my single days post-college.  Now I have a blog and keep the cards we mail in December-ish short.  Years ago we figured out it was praticical to combine our two big mailings- our derby invite and our end/begining of year card together.  This year we did that with a strong theme.

So the picture you see is a picture of the kids- Clare 14, Peter, 12 and Sally 9 (but 10 in early Janauary!) holding a beautiful painting done by David Ghiloni- wonderful Newark, Ohio artist.  Dave donated the painting to Rotary for the live auction.  My wonderful hustband bought it for me.  So Christmas came early in my life on Newark-Granville Road.  The painting is featured on the back of our card as an invitation- an invitation to join us as you are able on the 1st Saturday in May.  This party is a fun gathering wiht a great theme.  I started this party in Omaha, NE with Ellen Shideler Wheeler, continued it in the Detroit area, the year I moved to Kentucky I went to the Derby but had a Triple Crown party.  Joe Leithauser attended that said party- and from then on the Run for the Roses Party was in Ohio.  It ebbs and flows with attendance and children's activities- last year soda was the big addition.  Read past Derby party updatees or stay tuned for more in April about this year's Derby fun.  Just know- once invited, always invited and we'd love to see you.

So the kids and our lives on Newark-Granville Road this past year.  A wonderful year, wonderful kids. Not perfect- the day we took this photo- I embraced a day we were dressing up.  We still dress for church. My mother is in my head and I like to have one place, one day a week where we make an effort.  God deserves it.  I don't judge others that don't- there are days I'm envious of my friends in more casual wear. I do dress more than once a week-but some traditions are hard to let go of and this is one for me.  The kids aren't pushing back terribly and it gave me a time to capture a picture.  Peter is funny- puts on coat and tie for school pics but most days he is in sweats! The daylight played with the photo's quality- but I'm not complaining- the sun shining is always welcome.

The tree was cut down at Messeralls on a rainy day- it was the only day that worked with basketball games and practices, social dates and work.  We walked and walked and walked to find one- they were all too tall. Finally Joe the hero said- pick one and I'll cut it to work and he did.  Walking and hiking is a great way to spend time on Newark-Granville Road.  Clare, Peter and Joe hiked part of the Appalachian Trail for spring break this year- spent a night out south of Rt. 70 and finished up in Harpers Ferry, WVA.  It snowed, it was cold.  It was something Joe has always wanted to do! Sally and I remained with my parents and looked forward to the 2nd part of our spring break trip in Washington, DC.

Our other trips have been to the mountains of WVA.  We're happy Clare is so happy at Camp Alleghany and enjoy the drop-off and pick-up times in the Green Mountains.  We so value the old and new friends we get to connect with while she gets her all girls, old fashioned summer fun- sleeping in a platform tent, swimming and canoeing in a river, eating home-made southern food in the screened in dining hall and singing around the camp fire. Sally will join her this year and learn the BLUE team songs- ra-ra-ghany!  The pattern has become to pick up Clare and progress to the family vacation at OBX.  We love the cousin time, reading time, family cocktail time and dinners while we're all under one roof.  We missed Matthew's family this year but used the smaller group to try a new house- we loved it!  The sand, cool salt water and relaxation was great therapy for my recovering broken ankle!!  I did it on the tennis courts and healed well after surgery.  This pushed us over to the golfing side of MCC and have found another beautiful retreat!

Kids activities are plentiful- Clare and Sally love spring time lacrosse while Peter loves the baseball field.  In the fall Peter and Clare ran cross country and Sally returned to the soccer field with a great coach and group of girls.  Clare also played field hockey club- no problems with our focused teenager- love the endorphins! Over the summer Sally and Peter swim in the summer league at MCC- Clare did an academic camp, babysitting and CA prep. All three are playing basketball now- Clare on the 8th grade school team- requiring her to dress up on game days. Just watching the synchronized warm-ups makes me smile.  We're so grateful for the coaches, volunteers and players that make all these sports happen- our kids sporting skills are not fantastic but they learn a great deal and stay physically active which is good.  All are doing well in school and we love and are grateful for our teachers.  Joe's love of math is a big part of what is happening here in the evenings with homework. Clare is the reader right now and coaching Peter.  Sally takes care of all of us and makes sure we all have our plan.  Peter makes us laugh is the best fan, supporter, coach to his sisters.  We love our church- First Pres in Granville- giving us great opportunities to care about one other and others and grow our faith. We're very proud of our kids and enjoy making who goes where when how happen.

Joe is at Cardinal Heath in IT- I still say he is an internal consultant. he loves his projects and team that executes. He runs as often as he can at lunch time enjoying 5Ks with the kids.  He is not coaching basketball this year- 1st time in a long time.  I'm at The Works (attheworks.org) and grateful such a place exists and I get to help make it go and grow.  In 2016 we'll celebrate the 20th anniversary. It was a great year for me at work with HATSOFF! volunteers breaking all records and making an incredible event happen.  Speaking of Reunions- Joe and I are involved with our Denison 25th Reunion!! We so hope to see our college friends back in Granville for this special event!

Living in Granville on Newark-Granville Road is amazing for so many reasons- the kids will tell you for walks, bike rides and quick trips to Whit's (now closed for the winter break) but we'll say it is because of the values of this community. We care so well for one another here in many ways- in academic arenas like Math Counts and at The Works, artistic and sporting avenues.  We have a lot of fun too.  It is a great home base as we travel to meet old and new friends from around the world.

I could keep typing to tell you about my family and Joe's, other trips we've taken- Joe and I got way twice this year as a couple- loved the time celebrating Betsy and Bill's wedding and dear friends successful campaign. But most of it is on the blog if you go back. We want to stay in touch,share the joy and let you know we are here for you and hope to see and talk to you soon.  Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Holidays to you.  Thanks for reading- this was a long one!

O Christmas Card, O Christmas Card, how lovely are your pictures….

Lucky me- the past two days I've been the one to get the mail. I love love love to get the mail in December. This may be my favorite part of December- Christmas Cards!  Ya'll don't disappoint.  Your families are gorgeous. Your choice of greetings sweet and some of your are creative and innovative!  Today's giant envelope was delightful!!  Thank you to all those that have mailed us Christmas cards.  And a thank you to the electronic versions we've received too- I get it!

So where is our Christmas card you ask?  Well you all know this will be where you get your "back story"- the what was happening when we took the photo and all the other things we want to share that don't fit on 4x6 card.  You all know that one year we sent a Valentines Card and last year the card mailed after Christmas- was it a New Year's Card- nope just the Leithausers embracing their love of the 12 days of Christmas and celebrating well into the new year.  You've read every year about how we wrap it up after or on epiphany- Sally's birthday, my Ga-ga's birthday- just like my family did.

I'm happy to report Leader Printing came through once again.  We shared an idea and they made it happen.  And while I type elves are working on our cards.  We'll do our best to get them out on the 2014 schedule- by December's end!  Don't hold your breath- nothing overly creative or beautiful but it represents us well and invites you to our annual Derby Party on the first Saturday in May.

I've shared a photo with the way we're displaying our wonderful holiday greetings.  Shirley Hale made this for us years ago.  We also have a fun Santa basket filled with last year's cards.  The first addresses put on our cards our simply the ones in the basket.  Then we move on to those we go through life with on committees and carpools, coworkers and long standing pen-pals. Family sometimes makes it- oops last year I had to hand delivery my parents card.  I remember my Mom putting cards on the back of our front door- it was festive, but the tape didn't stick with weather shifts and they were always falling.  I love the creative displays folks do- one friend with the laundry line string in the kitchen- love it!  How do you display your- what do you do with yours.  Long ago I kept a photo album of the family photos. I will pick that up again and dig out some old ones to compare the kids growing up.  That was a sweet card a local family did- then and now of school age kids- one in college- love it!

Life on Newark-Granville Road loves mail and is grateful for the wishes you send our way- paper, prayer, cyber and voice.  We value your old and new friends so very much and wish you all much love, happiness, peace and joy in this special season.

constant motion, other opportunties, what do you do to get in the Spirit?

Objects in motion tend to stay in motion….I feel like I prove this Newton Law of Motion pretty well in December!  There are so many wonderful things to take in this month, so many ways to be in the "spirit" and an endless to-do, or could do list!  I crossed a few things off the list today but feel like the water on the beach- it filling right back with other- like to dos.

Follow-up to my post about the Denison concerts- I hope readers will pay attention to happenings on campus and take part! We did not make it to the bluegrass ensemble performance which was too bad- hope to make it in February.  We did enjoy Lessons and Carols- if that doesn't put you in the Christmas spirit I don't know what will.  What fun to sing beloved carols and I lucked out with wonderful harmonies behind me!! We also took in the Women's basketball game on Saturday afternoon- know these games only ask for donations and are wonderful ways to support these young intelligent athletes!  Division III sports are fun and they all really enjoy having "townies" in the stands.  Our kids love the games and opportunity to be on Denison's beautiful campus.

We baked cookies the other day- life on Newark-Granville Road stays in motion. The butter and supplies on the counter for a full week- it was time.  I'm not the most patient baker with kids and this weekend was no different. Sally was a trooper and we produced a batch.  I've declared them raspberry chocolate chip wreathes instead of thumbprints but they are tasty.  This recipe was passed down to me by Beth Jenkins- my Granville adopted Grandmother I met at Denison.  It makes me think of those frozen raspberry yogurt with chocolate covering Popsicles I had when I was young. The flavors go very well together.  Years ago Joe asked if these could be "our Christmas" cookies.  I said yes so it is a to-do I add to the "should do, would like to, if I have time to" list.  We had a chunk of time on Saturday and we snagged it.  My mother's sand tarts are the very best Christmas cookies and it isn't Christmas until I have some of hers. One year she mailed them to me as she knew I needed them.

I hope your lives are finding the Christmas spirit.  It can be hard at this time of year.  I feel for those missing loved ones and I hold you in thought and prayer.  Believe it or not my life does allow me to slow down, even rest to think, pray and reflect on why we need these occasions and opportunities to get into the spirit.  Church on Sunday at FPC and in Swasey was a special way to reflect, pray, think and feel the spirit for me. The Spirit is all around us all year long and I'm grateful for the reminder and opportunity to celebrate on Newark-Granville Road.

event to-dos this weekend!

I realize I've strayed from one of original intents of my blog…to share events and happenings around town and why I think you should partake.  I'm a why girl- want me to do some thing- give me the reason why.  I learn about a process, opinion- I want to know why you think, do, feel that.  Know Meyers-Briggs- my type connects to the why well.  I also like to share the why I am up to what I'm doing so you know more about me and may want to share what it is I'm up to in my life on Newark-Granville Road.  So here are some events and why I will be attending…..

I want to make sure friends know Denison has many events open to the public and we should all be paying attention to the community calendar:  http://denison.edu/events-calendar   Friday night- tomorrow night is the Denison Student Bluegrass Concert- 7 pm Swasey- if you like bluegrass this is not to be missed- go early for a good seat.    Sunday night- Lesson and Carols- a very special Christmas Service that is so well shared by the Denison community.  7 pm Swasey.   So more "why" go- support the students and staff making all this happen. They've worked hard and the results are wonderful. They are FREE!  You'll be touched in ways not possible by TV- this is live music and readings at a very high quality.  I guarantee you'll be glad you went.  Lots of other great concerts and happenings. I'm sorry I missed the musical Rent last weekend.

Life on Newark-Granvillle  is feeling the Christmas spirit through quality times together- these events provide these opportunities.  The 11 am First Presbyterian Church service has the Youth Choir singing as part of the service- know you are invited to this service as well.  Share with me your special events and what takes you to a joyous or reflective place during this important season.

Signs of the times…..

What are the first things you pull out to decorate for Christmas?  Each of us have our items that help put us in the spirit here on Newark-Granville Road?  Of course it isn't just one thing, but the arrival of special memory items in layers.  Joe puts the fresh pine roping we get from the boy scouts around the outside doorways- a great sign Christmas Season is here. Bonus points he found the jingle bell wreath for the front door!  Tonight I found the red sled from his parents and skates to add to the front door scene. For me it is hanging the painted wood cheery wreath on the mailbox post  that delights me and the sure fire way to get me really in the mood- Martha's wreath! Martha is my white sequoia.

The Christmas Tree was gleaned from Messeralls on Saturday- in the rain.  There is a story but I'll wait to share.  Since we were unable to find time to partner with the Westerville Leithausers-a long standing tradition- a new tradition has been declared- share the Christmas Tree procurement story with one another when we gather for our family Christmas time together.  Instaead I will share the reason we go to Messeralls- one year Clare and I were ill so Joe and young Peter ventured out to meet the cousins to find a tree.  Sally was an infant and after two or three depending on who is telling the story-tree farms they couldn't find "the perfect tree"-for me the perfect tree is fat/wide and the kids know it. Joe was ready to give up but Peter said- no we can't, we must not go home without a tree.  One last stop on the way east found Joe, four year old Peter and a sleeping baby at Messeralls.  They left Sally sleeping in the car with the a heads-up to the family - grandmother types running the farm that she was asleep-and ventured to find a tree.  The tree they cut down and brought home was indeed the perfect tree.  We've had grand adventures ever since and love returning to the beautiful acreage and delightful family that runs the tree farm.  Anyway- this year's tree is now up, it has lights and we'll decorate on Thursday night!  It sure looks nice this way too and is pretty from the road as the tree is in the front window wishes all those that pass by on Newark-Granville Road a Merry Christmas.

Joe brought the boxes of holiday decor up weeks ago and they have been in wait. For some reason tonight was the night.  Sally and I jumped in and distributed the like items to various spots around the 1st floor.  The nutcrackers stand guard on the mantle, the Santas are on the blanket chest. The tree collection returns to the dining room that is the tree room- more evergreens in there at this time of year.  Angels and the porcelain gifted ornaments take me further into a happy holiday place.

Life on Newark-Granville Road is filled with signs of Christmas past, making Christmas present cheery and bright and creating memories we'll all carry into the Christmas future.  We're not done- the barrel of ornaments await for later in the week and there is much cleaning and clearing to do.  It is a bit crowded and cluttered right now…but what else is new in our lives on Newark-Granville Road!

Thank you for sharing your holiday signs- the tree at the entrance to Bryn Du is beautiful.  The lights at the neighbors across the street make a stunning view from our front windows looking out onto Newark-Granville Road.  The lit and decorated evergreens in town and the giant pine that was not cut down years ago with its large ball ornaments on the start of West Broadway.  Thank you to all those that have given these items that signal the joy Christmas provides for our lives on Newark-Granville Road.

Welcome December….

I was all set to post on this blog on December 1st- Monday was December 1st and now here it is Thursday, December 4th! It has been a week filled with December traditions- tea with friends, book club dinner with book exchange and prep for the week's end!

Tomorrow will be a lovely day and I hope to see you, but it is a busy weekend and I know you all are busy busy too with December to-dos and gatherings!!  Volunteer luncheon at The Works, a new punch recipe to accompany the holiday meal!  Pearly Vine party with friends in the beautiful Abbott home-Middleton House.  Pearl Vine: http://www.pearlyvine.com  wonderful items made by Heidi Halliday Ackley '91 Denisonian!  Gifts, clothing, accessories you will adore if you like color, style and shopping you can't find any where else!  Please join us from 6-9 Friday night!

Plans have been made to find a tree, exchange gifts, gather with family and celebrate the season! The Granville Walking Tour will give us many opportunities to do just this as we prepare for Christmas and the joy it sets for the rest of the year.  Life on Newark-Granville Road engages the sights and sounds of Christmas and hopes to share it with you!