July 4th

July 4th weekend, 2009. Will prove to be one of the most fun, most memorable, weekends for me! It also marked a very important turning point in my life as a single woman now 2 years after my ex-husband left.Event #1 - July 3rd at the celebration in Mason, Ohio. Got to hear Huey Lewis and the News, spend time getting reacquainted with old friends from Princeton Pike pre-Lee days, meet and make some new friends, hang out with my cousins Tom and Melissa and their girls, meet up with some friends from MN and Real Life Church (unexpected and pleasant surprise!), see some great fireworks, and just start to realize something a bit special about a new friend...

The bad part: I lost Noah in the crowd for about 15 minutes. I was a bit panicked at first, but shook myself and got the police right away. They already had him by the time I went to them. Ugh. He's just too independent for his own good...

This is my second time seeing/hearing Huey. He's just the same each time...even after 20+ years...

Event #3 - The City of Hamilton parade on July 4th and a visit to the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial. Not too bad. Several bands, Shriner's in their little cars, horses, Veterans, some creative floats...all it was missing, really, was an Uncle Sam on stilts... :)
Here is a cute shot of Noah walking to the parade with Grandma and Grandpa.

No parade is complete without bagpipers... men in any other skirts would not be nearly as sexy!

This is a Native American Drumming group. We saw them last year at River Days. It was cool.

2 of the bands in the parade: the rivals - Hamilton "Big Blue" and the Fairfield Indians

"When Fairfield's red, white, warriors fall in line, we're gonna win, win, win, another time..."

I just love the Shriner's...

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial has stood along the banks of the river for as long as I can remember and I've never bothered to go in until now. Had uniforms, weapons, and other paraphernalia. It's a nice little museum. And right next to it is one of the original pioneer houses from "Ft. Hamilton". My boys could not believe that kids back then actually entertained themselves without TV or toys that needed batteries. :)

The last events of the weekend was a Sunday morning picnic at our church. That was a lot of fun and quite an adventure for reasons I'll not share here...but those in the know will remember with a little chuckle! ;) (especially Tom Pate who reveled in the "I told you so's!") Sunday evening was a community gathering at Princeton Pike with music, inflatables, a car show, food, and fireworks. I have to say, they did a very nice job in spite of the crowd and the long wait to get parked.

All in all, it was a fun filled weekend. I don't remember packing quite so much into one weekend in a loooooooonnnnng time. But it was one of the reasons this summer has been so wonderful and will hold a lot of great memories for me and the boys.

Oh yeah...that and the fact that we kicked some British butt about 230 years ago and sent the king packing... :)

A special "thank you" to Steve W. for allowing me the use of his pictures from Mason. He has a better camera and is a much better photographer than I! :)

Splashdown 2009

This is our church's version of VBS for the summer - an "all day" camp. This was Ethan's first year and he loved it. Noah enjoyed his time with mommy all by himself...

They spent the week in different classes and activities, putting together a program for Sunday morning - a cute little musical play about Jonah. They whipped this together in a week - sets and everything! Our Children's pastor and everyone who helps out is amazing. Ethan is under and slightly to the right of the 'h' - middle row. I wish I had a fancy, schmancy camera with telephoto lens. 'Course I wouldn't know how to use it... :(

Ethan and Noah with cousins Abby and Elizabeth

Lori's Vacation Series: Downtown Cincy

I know it's not the biggest, brightest, most happening city in the US, but visiting reminds me of how I felt each time I'd come home from Lee College. My Lee years was the first time I'd ever lived outside of this area, and I learned to identify myself as a Cincinnatian. It fostered a pride for my hometown that never would have developed if I had never left. So, Cincinnati, hail to thee!

Statue of Cincinnatus. The Roman farmer turned soldier turned farmer again that our fair city was named after.

The famous "Purple People Bridge" connecting Cincy with Newport/Covington. It's two great states for the price of one! :)

We may not be the Mississippi, but we like our paddle boats.

The waterfront area was developed after I left for college, so it's still kind of new to me. This is the serpentine wall. This and the bridge is part of the "riverwalk" along the Ohio on the Cincy side. Very nice day trip. Especially if there is some special event or festival going on.

One of my favorite views in the world: coming around the bend into Covington (heading north on 75) and seeing the Cincy skyline. It always makes me feel like "I'm home" even though I know I still have at least 30 more minutes to drive! :)

Timing

I've been contemplating timing issues of late. Particularly my timing vs. Gods. And how much control I actually have over that vs. how much control I'd like to think I have over that. :)

Timing has been a big theme in my life for the last 2 years. The timing of Rob's confession and the divorce and it's implications such as the timing of my career change, the timing of having kids the timing of homeschooling, the timing of trying to sell a house during a recession. The timing of a move closer to family, of the financial fallout from "unyoking" oneself legally, the timing of all of these major life changes in relation to the stage of life I found myself and my kids.

It's clear to me that all of that was unwanted timing. Not chosen by me. I had NO control. So I had to learn to trust that God, knowing what was coming and caring for me more deeply than anyone, knew that it was the best timing. He had a reason for not having it all happen sooner, or waiting until later. I don't know what that reason was and may never know. But I do trust His love for me.

Now I find myself contemplating timing yet again for more changes that are possibly on the horizon. Yet, I catch myself actually thinking I am in control because these changes are not crisis changes. Isn't that just like us? When there is crisis, we cling to our savior. When it's not a crisis, we think we can take care of it all by ourselves. I see this in my kids. When we are in a hurry or when one of them is hurt, simple tasks such as putting on their shoes become overwhelming and they need help. When the added stress isn't there, and I offer help, they are adamant about doing it on their own. They could struggle with the task the same either way...it's the circumstances surrounding the task that changes their perception.

Perhaps this is why CS Lewis refers to pain and sorrow and suffering as "God's megaphone". We don't listen unless we are under stress or seemingly out of control. He has to use a voice amplifier to get our attention when under another circumstance all He might need is a whisper.

Even those of us who have tasted surrender forget it's sweetness in the absence of need. I wish I was not of the ilk that has to learn the hard way. But the older I get, the more I cringe at that brutally honest assessment of myself. I am stubborn. If given the chance, I will take the reigns. I cannot simply sit back and enjoy the ride and let Him steer. Why, why, why???? Maybe I should start every morning asking myself "Lori, why do you want to drive today if God is already willing to do it for you?" Of course I am NOT advocating a "non participatory" Christianity...please don't think I'm going there. I'm just trying to acknowledge that I am in much less control than I think I am and should WANT to be in less control than I struggle to be. Surrender does not mean lying back and just letting life happen while shrugging your shoulders. It means choosing to participate WITH GOD in HIS plan, not my own.

With regard to timing, maybe there is no such thing as "the right thing at the wrong time" for a Child of God whose steps are ordered. When I try to understand the timing issue through my own understanding, or the counsel of people alone, I get confusion, turmoil, distrust, doubt, etc. If I can just trust that there is a reason for the timing that is bigger than me, and consider that along with trusted counsel (which I believe is wise), then there is peace. Instead of being like the disciples in the boat who only experienced peace once Christ stopped the storm, I can be like Christ and sleep in the boat while the storm rages.

I have a feeling that if I could ever grasp this and actually live by it, I could be so much more effective as a Christian and human.

Lori's Vacation Series: Ohio State House

The People's House

I've always enjoyed state trivia such as symbols. Here is the list for Ohio:

Bird: The Cardinal

Flower: Red Carnation
Insect: Lady Bird Beetle

Mammal: White Tailed Deer

Fossil: Trilobite

Mineral/Gem Stone: Flint
Motto: "With God All Things Are Possible"

Reptile: Black Racer Snake

Tree: Buckeye
Wildflower: White Trillium

Song: "Beautiful Ohio"

Some Famous Ohioans:

Neil Armstrong
Erma Bombeck

Steven Spielberg

Harriet Beecher Stowe

R.L. Stine

James Thurber

Presidents Grant, Harrison, Hayes, Harding, McKinley, Taft

Halle Berry

Drew Carey

Bob Hope

Sarah Jessica Parker

Roy Rogers

Kathleen Battle

Tracy Chapman

The Clooney family

Michael Feinstein

Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders)

Dean Martin

The O'Jays

Roger Troutman

Billy Strayhorn

The Devil Wears Prada

Relient K

Dwight Yoakam

Tecumseh
Thomas Edison

Jack Nicklaus

Joe Nuxhall

Jesse Owens

Judith Resnick

Pete Rose

George Steinbrenner

B.F Goodwrench

John D. Rockefeller

Gloria Steinem

Jack Hannah

Charles Manson (more infamous than famous)

Of course there are many more...

Lori's Vacation Series: Ohio Nature

For those of you on Facebook, you may have seen these before. I'm behind on my blog...seems to take a little more time and effort to get things posted here than Facebook. But don't worry. I'm not quitting the blog. I like the "journal" nature of it better than Facebook.

Probably the thing I enjoyed most on my vacation was discovering that Ohio is not a boring, Midwestern state when it comes to scenery. We have some very pretty, downright gorgeous areas! And being farther south than MN, I enjoyed discovering a bit more variety in the flora and fauna...simple things I missed in MN like lightning bugs, or more variety of deciduous trees, or more flowering plants (no magnolias or honeysuckle in MN...oh how I missed those!)

Hocking Hills
Crystal Falls at Hocking Hills

Hocking Hills

Hocking Hills - this area was like walking back in time to me. I could just imagine prehistoric Ohio...

Great Seal Park - ant mound. This was the biggest I had ever seen. I would estimate about a 5 foot diameter at the base, and about 3 foot high. You can't see them, but it was just covered in ants. The mean ones. You would not want to accidental step in this!

I found a lot of milkweed here, too. Unfortunately, no monarchs. That is one thing I miss about MN. We get more there because it is in the direct migratory path. They come straight up from Mexico all the way into Canada and back. Ohio is a little East of that path, so fewer come this way. I miss raising them. I might have to just start ordering a batch from the U of M every summer to get my "fix"!

The Great Seal Park - theses are supposedly the "mountains" (hills) used on the Great Seal of Ohio. I'll include a picture of that with my next post.

View as I drove into the Great Seal Park

Great Seal Park

View on a trail at Ft. Ancient. For those of you not from Ohio: this is an ancient Native Mound site. We have a few of these "land sculptures" around Ohio. Many theories of what they may have been used for - burials, boundaries, art, sacred ritual, all of the above. My favorite was always the Serpent Mound...but I didn't go there on this trip. A little farther away than I wanted to travel.

Another view in Ft. Ancient.

Whetstone Park of the Roses - Columbus

I took several pics of blooms, but I don't want to bore you with them. This one, however, was probably my favorite.

The thing I will remember most about this place was the smell. I could have just stayed there all night.

Park of the roses

Lori's Vacation Series: COSI

This was part of the trip I was really looking forward to. Since moving from MN, I have really missed the Science Museum and working there! COSI was everything people told me it would be and more. I was very impressed. Best part? Since I am technically still a SMM employee, I got into COSI for FREE!!!! Just flashed my badge...yep. It's all about connections, people! :)

Their special exhibit right now is big machines. I kept thinking "oh, my boys would love this!" Truth is, mommy kinds likes big machines, too!

No science themed museum would be complete without a dino somewhere...

If I am correct, this is the Scioto river running through Columbus. We are on the back side of COSI.

Columbus really is a lovely town...I really enjoyed my time there. And I really liked their alternative station: CD 101

You could ride on the high wire bike...pretty cool!

All of these x rays were some weird injury. Some made me laugh...I knew I shouldn't...

This enormous wire skeleton was really cool. It spanned 3 floors. No way I could get it all in the picture.

Outside in "Science Park". This is one of those "anti-gravity" rides that spin and pin you against the wall. Not for me, thank you. Unless you want to see what I ate for breakfast today. ;)

This was a really cool exhibit all about the ocean and the forces associated with it. The interactive displays were fun and really creative.

A mini sub in the ocean exhibit.

A giant lever in Science Park - yes that is a real car those kids are lifting.

Another view of the spin ride. Ugh. Makes me a little queasy just to watch it.

I WILL be back to COSI and to Columbus!