Taxi Rides and Navy Pier

My co-workers and I arrived in Chicago for the American Library Association conference. We flew in then caught a Go Green van. Our driver, George, a native Chicagoan, entertained us with stories and history about his beloved city. Did you know that Cool Whip, skyscrapers, and the juke box originated in the Windy City and that the nickname doesn’t refer to the wild breeze, but to politicians from the past? All facts, according to George.

Registered for the conference, we enjoyed a delicious lunch, then headed out to explore the city. We learned early that Chicagoans like to honk. The beeps and tweets sounded like a concert. Every taxi we rode in, three in all, honked at least every ten feet. And speaking of taxis, we can say that we experienced a crazy heart-in-your-throat ride, like you see in movies.  Our first driver, a sweet young man named Jose, chatted with us and drove with perfect safety. Driver two made our hearts stutter. He swerved, honked, slammed his breaks, and pretty much made us wonder if we should ever get in a taxi again. Thank goodness, our last driver made a smooth path to our hotel.

If you get to Chicago, go to Navy Pier, walk around, enjoy the people and the beautiful view of Lake Michigan. We hopped on a boat and enjoyed the tour of the shoreline. The boat sailed past the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, the highlight for me, as we listened to the history of this exciting city.

Off to Printer’s Row today and then to ALA.

Born and Raised in a Small Town

As John Cougar Melloncamp sang, I was raised in a small town. People valued Main Street, with Woody’s grocery, Odell’s drugstore, the library, bank, you get the idea. We even had a men’s clothing store and a fabric shop. Mom knew if I walked downtown after school for a scout meeting, my friends and I were safe.

My work in progress is set in the fictional small town of Turtle Creek, Ohio.  The town’s growing in size and acquiring a taste for arts and crafts, college kids and coffee.  I’ve enjoyed researching and visiting small towns as I pieced Turtle Creek together.

One of the villages I considered is on my route to and from work. The street corners host huge planters of pink petunias accented by purple and green. The sidewalks have a terra cotta brick trim. The drug store window invites the shopper in with an eclectic array of gift items. They even have a donut shop, florist and antique store, that make you want to stop and visit. Yet, the sites I enjoy most are not stores or eateries, but murals. This little town boasts a painting that invites the passerby for donuts or pizza. The other rings out the history of the town. If you’re familiar with Williamsburg, Ohio, you know what I’m talking about. A small town treasure.

Do you have a favorite small town? If so, where?

Book Review-The Face of the Earth: A Novel

The Face of the Earth

By Deborah Raney

Mitch’s wife, Jill, calls to say she’ll be home for dinner. Except, she never arrives. It’s as if she’s disappeared into thin air. His neighbor Shelley wants to help find her best friend, but she’s not sure how close she should get to Mitch. Life needs to move forward, but how, when someone you love is missing?

I lost some sleep over this page turner, filled with questions, suspicions and the perfect thread of tension. This story opens the door to speculation and understanding of what it must be like to wait on the missing person to come home. Do they put life on hold for months or years at a time? Or do they move forward as they hold on to hope? Faith is tested and prayers are flung at God as Mitch, Shelley and their teenage children search for Jill.

Deborah penned a beautiful story of characters with real flaws, broken dreams and faith that carries them through.

Do you like characters with 'real' flaws? If so, who's your favorite?

Going to Summerfair

What do the buttery smell of popcorn, fiddles, harmonicas, a women’s barbershop quartet, and row after row of vendor’s booths filled with colorful art have in common? They are all a part of the annual Summerfair in southwest Ohio.

Early Saturday morning, my daughter and I trekked through one of the largest art and craft shows in the country. We enjoyed meeting the artisans and seeing the work of their hands. I appreciated that many of the artist’s found a way to capture God’s creation on canvas or some other creative form. Photographers, painters, jewelry makers, fiber artists found a way to bring the beauty of the world into focus.

Every vendor invited to participate went through a juried system. Of the one hundred plus artists, I’m posting my top ten favorites, so you can have a taste of Summerfair, too.

Top Ten (You’ll want to see them all):

http://rickloudermilk.com/rickloudermilk.com/home.html

http://www.barbarakgallery.com/index.html

http://www.lacontessa.com/

http://jaehaart.com/index.html

http://www.modallas.com/

http://www.madebyonegirl.com/index.html

http://robertcoomer.com/

http://www.warmdesertwind.com/

http://lisaloudermilk.com/lisaloudermilk.com/prints.html

http://slappyscreations.com/index.html

Is there an art and craft show near you, which you enjoy?

Needle in Hand

I’ve had some kind of needle in my hand since I was five years old. I started with an embroidery needle and floss. I’m sure my early stitches mimicked scratches on a hieroglyphic wall. As my eye-hand coordination improved, I took time to perfect my skills. With practice and interest, I moved on to a quilting needle, sewing machine, crochet hook, latch hook, and a failed attempt at knitting needles.

A few years ago, one of the professor’s in the art department at the local college offered a class on felting wool. I thought I’d give it a shot. This class did not involve a needle, just the gentle motion of my hands in warm water and wet wool. I gave my best attempt to move the materials around in the water at a slow, easy pace. That lasted about ten minutes. My patience wore thin and so did the wool. I finished the project and then walked away. Not long ago, this same teacher offered a workshop on needle felting. Note the word needle. I loved it. Since then, I’ve created a few items myself and plan to make more. I guess I just needed a needle in my hand in order to create.

To integrate this new hobby into my life I:

• ·         Set aside a box to keep the supplies in
• ·         Found venues to purchase supplies
• ·         Looked at needle felting books
• ·         Sketched out ideas
• ·         Let my imagination roam
• ·         Put the needle in hand and felted away

I enjoy learning new crafts, but I’m limited on time. Finding a way to incorporate my new hobby into my life adds an avenue for creativity and relaxation.

Do you have a creative outlet? What do you do to relax? If you do needle felting do you have any tips to share?

Hope - Four Week Mini Bible Study

Hope - Four Week Mini Bible Study by Heather Bixler

Click to go to Amazon

Heather’s life was secure, and she trusted that everything would be okay, until doctors diagnosed her husband with the rare disease, achalasia. As she clung to her faith, her husband reassured her of God’s continued care and prompted her to seek out the hope she knew she could find in God.

In order to refocus her hope, she journeyed through the scripture and discovered that she needed to stop praying for God to give her what she wanted, “and instead pray for what He wanted.”

As a result, Heather created a four-week study on hope. In each study, she offers scripture and thoughts, plus life applications and discussion questions.

Heather’s honest approach, spiritual insight, and conversational writing style welcomes readers to the joy of hope in Jesus. I recommend this Bible study to anyone who seeks spiritual renewal or a better understanding of the peace you find in God’s hope.

What I've Been Reading - Heart Stone by Sherry Kyle

The Heart Stone by Sherry Kyle

Jessica MacAllister is content to run her business and raise her son all by herself. That is, until life’s turned upside down by the return of her son’s substance addicted father. Concerned about her beloved Uncle George, she heads to Santa Cruz, California to help him move and to avoid the man she dreads seeing.

Widow, Evelyn Sweeney, wonders what happened to her first love. Should she try to find him? Or stay put and live out her life without knowing.

Nick, a firefighter, enjoys his single life, but hopes to meet someone special someday. Sooner would be better than later. But before he can focus on himself, he needs to help a troubled friend.

Like a fine weave, Sherry Kyle threads the stories of her characters together as they search for peace and love. Jessica, George, Evelyn, and Nick share more than one mysterious bond as they are drawn together. 

Through faith and hope, the characters struggle to seek God’s guidance and follow his path.

The author tells a beautiful story of hope and redemption. She creates a lovely setting and believable

characters who will steal your heart. This would be a great beach read as well as a good book for a book club. Anyone who enjoys women’s fiction, with a touch of romance, will enjoy the twists, turns, and tale of true love.