Sidney, Ohio

Sidney, Ohio

Views of the 1883 Shelby County Courthouse built

in the Second French Empire Style.

This building with grounds occupies an entire square block.

Around the square are other notable old buildings.

Another view of the square around the county courthouse.

Sidney became the county seat for Shelby County way back in 1819.

The most famous place to eat in downtown Sidney, Ohio.

The Spot
The original Spot began in 1907 as a chuck wagon run by a man named Spot Miller.
George W. Bush has eaten at The Spot.

And what is the best thing on the menu?
Why that would be a gigantic tenderloin sandwich.


The People's Federal Savings and Loan Building
This beautiful bank building was designed by Louis Sullivan and built back in 1917.
It has stained glass windows and gargoyles like a medieval cathedral might have.


Here is a sideview of the Federal Savings and Loan Building.
Double click on both pics to see the detailed workmanship of this old building.



The Monumental Building is a Civil War Memorial
to all the Shelby County Union Soldiers Who Fought in the Civil War.
This building has seen many uses including being an opera house where Buffalo Bill performed.
It has recently been restored and is now a municipal court.

Here is a sideview of the Monumental Building.
This facade is entirely different.
It looks very German to me.

Notice the ornate tile roof and the figure at the top of the building.
The figure at the top stands for Sergeant Baker, a Shelby County farmer who became one of the Ohio Squirrel Shooters sent to defend Cincinnati from the advancing Southern Forces.
A Squirrel Shooter was a farmer turned Civil War soldier whose previous gun experience was "shooting squirrels but never the same squirrel twice".

Now that's a strange bit of Ohio history for you on this Monday morning.

Abe Lincoln and Patty Lincoln

July 12, 1955

July 12, 2009

Celebrating 54 Years of Marriage

Abe and Patty Lincoln

Brookville, Ohio

These Flowers Are For You Two.

Abe's Blogs: Brookville Daily Photo and My Birds Blog

Patty's Blog: OLD LADY LINCOLN

I discovered their blogs over a year ago and have really enjoyed reading them every single day.

Today is their 54'th wedding anniversary.

I think Abe and Patty eloped!

They went over the state line to Indiana to get married.

So congratulations on an elopement that led to a long and happy marriage and five wonderful

children: Angela, Chris, Melinda, Rebecca and Melissa!

A Saturday In July Is........

A Saturday in July is hard to beat. It is as good as Christmas Day......maybe even better......no shopping, baking or cooking. You have time to stop a moment and enjoy smelling the roses. Everyone everywhere do have a great Saturday!

Skywatch Friday = Blue Skies For Honda

Skywatch Friday

July 3, 2009

The Big Honda Plant Located in Marysville, Ohio

Take #270 north around Columbus and exit on to state route #33 and it will lead you to the Honda Parkway which will then take you to the Marysville, Ohio Honda Plant. Unlike GM, Ford and Chrysler there are no grey financial clouds over Honda. Blues skies for Honda.

Why can't we make an American car that runs as well as a Honda? A car that can go for miles and miles without an electrical problem or transmission problem? Somebody tell me why the American car industry today has not been able to create great cars like Honda does. Is it the white collar executives in the penthouse corner offices? Is it the blue collar assembly line workers in the plants? I just don't understand how we lost our competitive edge. Is it the car designers and engineers? Is it both poor design and poor quality? If so, what can we do about it? Or is it too late to fix it?

When my college roommate visited us in May her husband who graduated from Michigan State and worked for GM in Dayton told us that he could see the writing on the wall way back in 1980 so he left GM then and there. I think it took a lot of us a lot longer to see the writing on the wall.

Sorry I got political today with my Skywatch Post but when I took these photos last Friday I couldn't help thinking that the Delco Moraine Plant in Dayton that made parts for GM cars and trucks and where my two older brothers each worked in the plant for over 40 years used to have in the '50s and '60s parking lots this big filled with hundreds and hundreds of cars. By years end the Delco Moraine Plant will be totally closed.

Moving on to a non-political note. Cruise back up to the top photo and double click on it to notice the shape of the Ohio flag that is to the right of the American flag. It is the only state flag in the nation whose shape is not a rectangle. It has a pennant shape.

OK, now go visit some other Skywatch Friday memes by clicking here: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Summer Bucket List Update

Summer Bucket List Update

I Can Now Scratch These Things Off My Summer Bucket List:

Going To The Folklife Festival In D.C.

Watching Fireworks on TV, In Zanesville and Dickie's Front Yard

Eating Mussels With Lots of Lemon Garlic Sauce

Having A Great Crabcake Sandwich

Eating Corn On The Cob

Watching The Sprinklers Run With Jack Aidan

Doing Nothing But Watching The Grass Grow While Sitting In My Swing

Picking First Ripe Tomato From Our Mini Garden

Have You Noticed That My Bucket List Has A Lot To Do With Food?

Our Grandchild Is A Rock and Roll Boy

Our Grandson Is A Rock and Roll Boy

Our grandson just returned last Thursday from a great week up on Cape Cod----Barnstable, Massachusetts to be exact. He was with his Mom Jennifer and his Dad Terry and they were visiting Terry's parents as well as the Karras cousins. A good time was had by the whole Cape Cod clan. Especially when the three little cousins got together in Grandpa Karras's house to put on a music concert.

The Music Trio

Mia: "I'm a little bit country. I sing back up for my brother, Big Jack."

Our Grandson Jack: "I'm a little bit rock and roll. Think Nirvana and guitar smashing."

Cousin Jack: "I'm a big boy. I'm three years old and I weigh 54 pounds. I could be a

a football linebacker for the New England Patriots but I really want to

be the new Brad Paisley. Let me tell you I've been trying to sing like him

ever since I was a baby and I uttered my first word which was Brad. The

Karras family has given me my own guitar, cowboy boots, cowboy hat

and sound system. I'm ready to perform."

Mia: "I'm not sure if I want to be a back up country singer or a high school principal

like my Dad. And I don't have cowboy boots so I wear my red snow boots."

Our Grandson Jack: "Well, I like listening to Johnny Cash. In fact one of my first

words was Cash, short for Johnny Cash."

Mia: " Double click on the blog site below and then go to the second video Aunt Jenn

has posted. Hope you enjoy our country concert. Someone said that if we keep

practicing we might get good enough to perform someday at the Country Concert

in the Hills near Fort Loromie, Ohio. I think this coming Sunday Brad Paisley

will be in Fort Loromie performing."

Cousin Jack: "Brad Paisley! Mom, call the airport. I want to go to Fort Laromie and

see Brad Paisley."

http://jennandterry.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday To Debbie Gariety Wirrig

I Want To Wish Debbie Gariety Wirrig A Happy, Happy Birthday!

She was born in 1962---July 7'th to be exact. 1962---that was the year I graduated from high school in May and my sister Mary Ellen got married in August. But between my graduation and Mary Ellen's wedding in August baby Debbie made her appearance in the world. Debbie was not even a year old when she started making trips to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio to visit her Aunt Annie. In the above photo Debbie is in the family swing on the farm with a soybean field in the background.


Here is Debbie in an early family photo. Front row from left to right: Debbie, Esther and Carl. Back row from left to right: Kenny, Greg and Tom. This was the era of polyester suits and wide ties.


This photo was taken at the family farmhouse. Debbie is holding my older daughter Jennifer who was almost three years old.



This photo was taken in August of 1980 at the Shelby County Fair. Debbie is standing by her Dad, Carl Gariety. Debbie here was a sweet 16 and had been chosen that June for the Little Miss Chick Court for Poultry Days in Versailles, Ohio.

Here is Debbie on her wedding day in June of 1989 at St. Remys Church. I love that wedding gown with row after row of ruffles that Debbie wore to become Mrs. Jeff Wirrig. I also like all the heart shaped silk floral bouquets that Debbie made herself for her wedding. This was the era of big curly hair ala Linda Evens and the TV show Dynasty.

Debbie loves to travel and in this photo she is in Denver, Colorado with her daughter Marissa to visit her godfather Harold Gariety who resided in Denver.

Debbie is my point person for news about all the Garietys and Dapores around Russia and Versailles, Ohio. So I need to shower her with lots of posted photos of herself on her birthday. Happy Birthday, Debbie. Enjoy your special day with your husband Jeff and your children Marissa and Brandon. And thank you for being my Ohio news source.