Ribbon Cutting, Celebrating and Supporting Granville Business Today

   Small town living- supporting friends and their beautiful store in Granville, Ohio!  It has been great to watch the Koester's entrepreneurial spirit drive success.  The store began as part of the Real Deals family over on Westgate Drive, always a place to find a way to update/freshen-up the house or a great gift for a friend or yourself- think jewelry!  Today the independent three floor boutique has so much to offer-check it out here:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/CedarandThread/about/?ref=page_internal   and shop from home or phone here:  https://cedarandthread.com Watching the clothing product lines evolve has been a treat!  Today I found the perfect outfit- tunic and necklaces- for Cocktails by the Fire on 2-2-19 at The Works!  I was planning on making my way to the fun happening for the next three days celebrating the new name and chapter for the Koester's business.  It was nice to be asked to attend the ribbon cutting to celebrate a Granville Chamber of Commerce Member!  I'm excited to serve Granville and Denison- pictures above is me in red- repping our color and proud to be photographed with Licking Country and Granville Chamber staff, as well as Granville's Village Manager.  Congrats Michele and Craig, you have build a wonderful business for our community and your family.  Your staff and offerings are wonderful- thanks for doing business in Granville. Life on Newark-Granville Road loves to shop local and you make it easy!

Oh and the Granville shopping continued post event....I stopped at Eat Up: https://www.facebook.com/EatUpOhio/  and had the best lettuce wraps and Thai Chicken soup- AMAZING and since I was in walking without boot mode (YES!) I did some more shopping at Kusmaul Gallery and Green Velvet!  Granville really has fantastic businesses, it is going to be fun to serve with GACC.

Ending my day with Mary Oliver's Poetry

Nothing Is Too Small Not To Be Wondered About  Felicity by Mary Oliver

https://thevalueofsparrows.com/2017/05/20/poetry-nothing-is-too-small-not-to-be-wondered-about-by-mary-oliver/

Thank you Mary Oliver for your poetry and finding the wonder. Thank you all those that led me to Mary Oliver. Karen Chakoian, John Weigand, Bonny Fowler.  My go-to-poetry book of course had The Summer Day- probably her poem I've heard the most, and for sure the ending line.  I am grateful for social media posts sharing so many beloved collections, reflections and feelings on this day.  The poem above felt right to share today.  Although listening to Wild Geese, Wild Geese recited by Mary Oliver here is pretty wonderful:  https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/09/24/mary-oliver-reads-wild-geese/

Rest in Peace Mary Oliver. Thank you Mary Oliver, you observations into words of art, comfort, delight, examine and share, your legacy is beautiful.  Today in my life on Newark-Granville Road I' grateful to have the sunset and your poetry.

Grateful to the blogs: The Value of the Sparrows and Brain Pickings for these links and poems.

Emailed me lately- did I respond?

Technical difficulties.  I hope those I send emails to will follow the same advice I share with students about networking- if you don't receive a response, try again!

Real life technology fun in life on Newark-Granville Road.  When I was sending emails from the email system of my mac it was being sent from Sally's gmail account.  I thought this was fixed some time ago, some how some way this issue returned.  It looks like December emails were the ones with the issue.  This aligns with my being home recovering from surgery- hmmmm.

So if you sent me an email and I did not reply- please call me or try again.  I'm not going to put my email or phone number out here but I know you are creative people, if you want to find me you will!
Frustrating, disappointing- the issue and my response. It all ties to the frustrations that accompany issues related to my surgery.  This go around has been better,  but still has hard days connected to my immobility.

This year I'm trying to be better, more mindful.  We all have a word to help us, this morning Sally was a great partner.  As I ranted and shared my situation, she said- yes I get it and please remember- X- my word.  It calmed me down.    Communication is key to me in life on Newark-Granville Road.  It always has been.  Communication is the key to all success- marriage, family, work, government shut downs.  I'll stop here- contemplating, thinking about root causes and how I and we can better in 2019, via email, in person, phone and text.    Thanks for communicating with me!

2019- cast off!

Casting off into 2019..with no cast- woo hoo! The first full week of the new year isn't easy, but is exciting.  Getting back into the school routine, Joe back to travel and time out of the house on work- important and for me- the next stage of ankle recovery: boot and no driving!

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cast   Cast definition is interesting and fitting.  We send out, we launch, dispose, arrange, set....all active verbs in our lives on Newark-Granville Road as we welcome 2019!

Back to my ankle- I'm in that phase where I have to ask and accept help. I have to coordinate my own schedule based on the assistance of others. I give up some independence. That was easier the 1st phase with a cast, with required rest and elevation and even easier over the holidays.  I have to pause and say thank you for the great care- meals, visits, even morning mimosas and catch-up time!! I could go on and on- it all meant so much.  I'm still needy.... if you're interested in being one of my drivers for the next five weeks- please let me know.  The primary need will be rides to and from Physical Therapy in New Albany.  Reality is it is only 12 visits and I'll be scheduling them soon.  My immediate reaction is to uber/lyft, but the reality is accepting help is lovely.  Yesterday a dear friend took me to and from my appointment and it was soooo good to catch-up.  She offered and I accepted and I'm glad I did.

I'm also casting energy into our community and it launches today! I've joined the Granville Chamber of Commerce!  My orientation and first meeting is this morning....stay tuned!http://www.granvilleoh.com

I hope 2019 is off to a wonderful start for you.  Thank you for sharing this journey and time in my life on Newark-Granville Road!

2018 is a wrap, view from the 7th Day of Christmas

On the 7th Day of Christmas in our Life on Newark-Granville Road we:
-left the traditional Leithauser New Year's gathering at Apple Valley at 8 am (Clare had basketball practice at 10 a.m.  Shout out to the great service at McDonalds in Mt. Vernon- Miss Liz could not have been nicer.  Thanks for working, I needed that latte.
- are ready for good luck food: herring is in the fridge Joe has already indulged- lot of luck for him this year,  brats and sauerkraut for lunch and black-eyed pea dip for cocktail/OSU-Rose Bowl watching!!
-still confused by what day of the week it is- mid week holidays are fascinating- feels like the longest weekend ever- love it!
-reflecting on the awesome family Christmas time.  Both were filled with ahhh moments: Stoner Christmas in Baltimore and Leithauser at Apple Valley with thoughtful gifts, memory making meals and hang-out time.  Sarah and Greg get bonus points for the multiple day coordinating, incredible fires and a lot of mess that comes with gift exchange of 14!  The Stoner Christmas meals of creamed chip beef and then turkey with oysters, sauerkraut and angle pie made me very happy. Leithausers kept on the theme approach to NYE and went Italian this year.  Love the dance party that happened to end the year and kick off 2019- our kids have rhythm, we could tell from our post in the lower level.
-grateful for Mom and Dad hosting us before and after Christmas in Hagerstown.  Always a great place to recuperate- next stage ankle surgery- the cast- red and white: candy cane for the season.  Sitting has been hard, different beautiful venues appreciated.  Ranch style house helpful, but the highlight was Jeanne Stoner's hospitality and care. Nothing beats starting and ending the day at the white table and cocktail hour in Hagerstown. Oh and a FHCC crab cake and hot fudge Sunday is quite the treat.  Merry Christmas indeed!  So good to see family and friends for a small gathering.

We arrived home to get the kids back to their sports, pick up our sweet new Lucy who had her own surgery and keep moving forward with important projects like our New Years Cards- see earlier post and enjoy things like Gypsy at Weathervane!!  So good to be home in Granville, together as a family to reflect on 2018 and plan for 2019. We're very aware of how blessed, fortunate, lucky we are in our life on Newark-Granville Road. Thanks for reading and sharing.  Signing out on this 7th Day of Christmas on the first day of 2019 ready to be filled with wonder.

Pictures with some "why" captions!

Car ride home with Sally and Louie-cool loan gift giraffe from Louisa!

best gift ever- say parents

 

good job Pap- surprise gift!

FHCC dinner-  the smiles tell the story.

informal pic before the perfect family pic!!

ice skating is a Christmas tradiation, thanks Louisa for outside option!

Leithauser Christmas- Gville Swap Story

Uncle Greg gets a photo too!