Julie's Rose, Reflections While Growing Up On The Farm

Julie's Rose, Reflections While Growing up on The Farm

My sister, Mary Ellen, sent me this book and I read it in two days. The setting is very near Russia, Ohio, where I grew up. The book brought back lots of old memories.

Honey Bees and Bee Hives

Honey Bees and Bee Hives

I talked yesterday to my sister in law,Esther Gariety, who told me that a lady that has bee hives and honey bees said that you can tell when in the next 30 days or so a big snow or cold event is coming because the bees begin to close up their bee hives to keep the cold and snow out and the honey bees safe on the inside of the bee hives. Interesting concept. So get ready folks for some bad weather.

June Book Club Read

June Book Club Read

Eleanore Brown wrote this novel about three sisters meeting up again under the parents' roof now that they are in their 30's and about their learning to live with each other without killing each other! Their mother's breast cancer complicates the already tense situation. The oldest sister is a control freak, the middle sister is facing the fact that she stole from her employer to buy designer clothes and the baby sister is the loveable hippie who has to learn not to run away but face her problems in the home town.

The setting for this weird story of the weird sisters is just east of Columbus, Ohio where the father is a Shakespearen professor at a small private college. What can I say----Ohio never looked so disfunctional as in this novel. LOL!

Learn more about this book by clicking on the left on my other blog: Piedmont Readers.

Tonight George Mason's Balloon Has Popped!

Tonight George Mason's Balloon Has Popped!

The Ohio State Buckeyes Are Whipping Them Real Good!

A New Rooster In The House

A New Rooster In The House

Look at this. I get to crow about a new rooster in my house. Thank you Hailie! Hailie gave me this plate to add to my rooster collection in my kitchen. I admit that I do have quite a few roosters around my house and they are all here to remind me that I once worked five summers at the now defunt Poultry Producers Association in Versailles, Ohio. It was commonly called "the egg auction". A girl has to find some type of work to afford to pay her way thru college. I owe my egg auction career to a nice man by the name of John Henry who hired me each summer.

Ohio State Plays Tonight

Sports News Flash: Ohio State Plays Tonight

Ohio State plays Friday night. Kentucky won last night. Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Big Orange of New York lost last night. Don't you just love March Madness. Gives even the political pundits on all the political TV stations something to talk about besides Obama and health care reform.

Like someone stated we need to move America to the center. What better way than thru everyone rallying around colleges and basketball playoff games.

Give me a T.

Give me an E.

Give me an A.

Give me a M.

What we got?

TEAM!

Thought for the Day: Move America to the Center Court.

Washington Nationals Pitcher in Russia, Ohio!

News Flash: Washington Nationals Pitcher, Craig Stammen, who graduated from Versailles High School in Versailles, Ohio gave a pitching class to the students of Russia Local School. For more good info on this event go to the address below to read story and see pics.

It is on the famous Fish Report: http://fishreportonline.com/

The publisher of the Fish Report is Craig Feissinger, a Russia, Ohio resident who started the report in 2004. Locals use it for news happenings as well as former Russia, Ohio residents who now live out of state and want to keep us with the happenings in dear old Roo-shee. I know Craig because he is married to the daughter of the Russia family that used to rent my father's brick ranch farmhouse on Miller Rd. south of Russia.

Final Thought: my late brother Harold Gariety who pitched for Russia Local High School's baseball team and for the army's Black Knights baseball team in Sendai, Japan in the fifties would have been thrilled to witness this event.

Anne Guerin's Birthday Party At Fairfax Country Club

This past Sunday Jack and I were delighted to attend our dear friend Anne's 60'th birthday party at the Fairfax Country Club in Fairfax. Jack and I have known Anne since meeting her while we were living in Germany in the early 70's. Anne's mother was a Berliner who left Berlin when Hitler came to power in the 1930's. Anne's mother returned to Germany after the war to be an interpreter at The Nuremberg Trials being held at the Dachau Concentration Camp.

In 1979 Jack and I were lucky to reconnect with Anne when we discovered that the home we wanted to purchase in Burke Centre was just up the path from Anne's home. In fact Jack and I with our realtor signed the contract at Anne's kitchen table. Through the years we met both of Anne's parents when they visited Anne. Anne's mother was German but Anne's father was French and a French Catholic Orthodox priest. Anne's native tongue is both French and German. She was born in Paris, France but later grew up in French Morocco and of course, her mother was German.

In the photo above Anne is standing behind her oldest son, Patrick Byrnnes who works for the Homeland Security Department. Patrick is holding in his arms Anne's first grandchild who was born this past September. Isn't she adorable!

And here is Natalie Byrnnes, Patrick wife, who grew up in Richmond, Virginia but now lives in Northern Virginia. Natalie says Richmond is the "old south" while Northern Virginia is a northern metropolitan community with a very diverse population.

It is always a joy to be invited to attend the Sunday buffet at the Fairfax Country Club. The freshly made omlettes are a big draw but there must be at least 100 other food selections on the buffet menu.

The young man in the blue shirt is Anne's second son, Michael Byrnnes. Shhhhhhhh! Don't tell anyone but things look very serious between Michael and the pretty girl sitting next to him. These two have been commuting back and forth from Richmond, VA to Albany, NY to date each other.

We have loved seeing Anne's Oakton neighbors at her parties. In this photo are Fred and Isamu who live near Anne. Fred also owns a vacation home in Rehobath Beach so he enjoyed talking to my girlfriend Joyce Blakeslee who retired to Rehobath Beach from Fairfax---what restaurants at the beach are your favorites? Now look below at the man seated in the middle of this group. Some of you Ohio folks may recognize him because he graduated from Anna High School in Shelby County, The same county that I am from in Ohio. And he was stationed for many years at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn, Ohio. Come back here tomorrow and I will tell you all about the boy from Anna, Ohio.

The man in the middle----the boy from Anna, Ohio.

Twelfth Day of Christmas Photo Ken Gariety Family

Twelfth Day of Christmas Photo

The Ken Gariety Family

****************

This is a family that has an Ohio State Themed Room in their home.

I wonder which student will go to Ohio State like their Mother Ann.

I bet a lot of college applications are being filled out for Ohio State

since they won the Rose Bowl on New Years Day.

One more thing---this is the A Team Gariety family.

All names begin with A.

There is Austin 15, Allison 13, Audrey 11 and Alana 8.

*************************

Twelfth Day of Christmas Stocking Stuffer

is

a Chenin Blanc white wine from South Africa called Spier

which comes from the vineyards of the Cape of Good Hope.

I like that name Jeanine.

Cape of Good Hope.

Appropriate for the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Thank you.

**********

But tomorrow is the Feast of the Epiphany,

The 13'th or bakers dozen or extra day of Christmas

and tomorrow I have a big box to open.

What A Thrill

What A Thrill!

Ohio State Wins Rose Bowl Game

Go Buckeyes!

The Quote of the Game

Coach Tressell: Ohio State has the God damm best band in the land!

(I think this means I will need to keep the Ohio State fight song at the top of my

Playlist for a few more days. LOL!)

Eighth Day of Christmas = New Years Day = Adorable Goff Baby

Eighth Day of Christmas = New Years Day = Adorable Goff Baby
***********************
This adorable baby is Noah Goff.
In this Christmas photo our friends new grandson is pictured with
his big brother Caleb Goff.
If you go to September 2008 posts on my blog you will find
photos of Noah's parents on their wedding day.
*****************
Eighth Day of Christmas Stocking Stuffer
A Spanish Wine
A 2008 Luzon Wine from Jumilla, Spain which
is a vineyard located southeast of Madrid

What will you do today?
Jack and I plan to watch The Rose Bowl Parade
and
Ohio State Play in The Rose Bowl Football Game
Go Buckeyes!

In Memoriam Sesame Street Star From Dayton, Ohio

In Memoriam

Sesame Street Star From Dayton, Ohio Dies of Breast Cancer

Alain Reed who played Olivia on Sesame Street

Died December 17, 2009

of Breast Cancer

In Springfield, Ohio She Was Known As Tiny.

She Graduated in 1964 From South High School.

Please Click Here For More Info:

http://www.daytondailyness.com/entertainment/springfield-born "Sesame-street-star-dies-after-bout with breast-cancer//

Another News Flash: Basketball Game

Another News Flash: Basketball Game

For all my relatives and Friends from the Dayton, Ohio area just want to say that the Dayton Fliers came to town (Fairfax, VA) and beat the George Mason University basketball team by just one point last night. Final score: 56-55. The banner hanging in the Patriot Center shows that the Patriots did make it to the Final Four in Indianapolis in 2006.

News Flash: Fall Mums For Abe and Patty

These fall mums are for Abe and Patty Lincoln of Brookeville, Ohio in Darke County.

Old Abe Lincoln turned 75 today.

Happy Birthday!

Old Lady Lincoln will turn ?? this week. (Never ask a lady her age.)

Happy Birthday!

This week Abe and Patty will celebrate their 54'th wedding anniversary!

Happy Anniversary!

Collected Menu - Versailles, Ohio 2005

If you live in southwestern Ohio, make a promise to go to Versailles, Ohio near Russia, Ohio to enjoy a meal at the Versailles Inn. This Inn is located on Main Street in Versailles and it used to be the corner drugstore. I used to walk by this building every summer day when I was working at the Egg Auction down the street by the railroad tracks. What a surprise to learn that in later years the building was bought and turned into an inn complete with dining room.

When Nancy Reagon was first lady she used to go to the Inn in Clifton, Virginia with George Will. After I went to the Versailles Inn I realized that this place could run rings around the Inn in Clifton. The managers had made a trip to the Alsace region of France to find authentic French furniture to furnish this inn. It is a beautiful place in southwestern Ohio. Go there if you get a chance.

Skywatch Friday = Sandusky, Ohio, May 2007

Skywatch Friday = Sandusky, Ohio

May 2007

Jackson Street Pier

Across Lake Erie Lies Canada, Thus The Canadian Flag.

American Slaves Wanted To See That Flag.
Read Signs Below

Hope you enjoyed learning about the role Sandusky, Ohio played in both the Underground Railroad and the Civil War. The skies were a beautiful shade of blue the day we toured Sandusky in 2007. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a great fall weekend. Now please go visit some other Skywatch Friday memes by clicking here: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Sidney, Ohio Part III

Roman Aqueduct in Trier, Germany

1972

My father, Leo was the second youngest child of a family of twelve children. He left home when he was just fourteen years old to earn his own living. When my father was about twenty years old he was one of the workers to work in Sidney, Ohio on building the replacement bridge for the Big Four Bridge.

The original Big Four Bridge was completed in Sidney in 1853. It was called the Big Four Bridge because the railroad tracks connected Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis. Later it was also called the Bee Line Bridge. In 1913 the Greater Miami River overflowed its banks and did extensive damage to the Big Four Bridge so the Big Four Bridge was rebuilt in a new location to prevent further flood damage to the bridge.

I didn't get a chance to photograph this bridge so I'm going to refer you to a site where you can see a photo of the bridge and get more info. It is quite an impressive double track railroad bridge that is still in use by the New York Central Railroad. Someone on this site said it reminded them of a Roman aqueduct. And I agree. It reminds me of the Roman aqueduct in Trier, Germany. If I can find my old photo of Trier, I'll scan it in and add it to this blogpost.

One more comment. My father started courting my mother while he was still working on this bridge in Sidney, Ohio. He would send my mother post cards from Sidney and tell her when to expect him to show up on her door. And in the meantime what was my mother doing? She was working as a live-in nanny for her brother John whose wife had died and left him with two small sons, Adrian and Bob. This rebuilding of the Big Four Bridge was completed around 1923 or 1924 and my mother and father's courtship was completed in 1926 when they were married on August 3'rd.

Double click here for the Big Four Bridge website: http://www.historicbridges.org/ohio/bigfour/index.htm

Sidney, Ohio Part II

This is the city: Sidney, Ohio.

And this is the best restaurant in the city: The Spot.
Look at that sign above the entrance. It stands for the founder of the restaurant: Spot Miller.

The sign also looks like a big black vinyl 33 and 1/3 record.

Let's go inside.

Take a look at this.

This place screams 1955 and teeny boppers and sock hops.

I almost expected Fonzi to swagger in after parking his motorcycle on the square.

And look at the pics on the wall.

This place is so famous locally that it has many different awards and art work created

to immortalize it.

I tried to take some pics of the art work but there obviously was way too much light, glare and shine all around.

Even the red vinyl chairs were giving off sparks in my viewfinder.

It was our first visit to The Spot so Jack went up to order some burgers while I found us a big old

vinyl booth. That's when I learned from the couple sitting across from us that the day's special was tenderloin sandwiches.

Tenderloin sandwiches!

They don't make those in old Virginia.

They don't know how to make those in old Virginia.

They have never ever heard of tenderloin sandwiches in old Virginia!

So I ran quick, caught Jack and had him switch our order from hamburgers to tenderloins.

Now look below.

Doesn't that just warm your heart and make your mouth drool.

Paula Dean would have a food fit if she saw this.

A tenderloin sandwich.

First, check out the size of that sucker.

That is a normal size hamburger bun cut in half that is failing to cover this big daddy.
Second, look at the nice red check wrapper that covers the red plastic food basket.

Ain't she pretty. Just makes you dream of 1955 and your youth.

Enough looking and drooling.

Grab that piggy and dive into it.

Now it ain't easy.

Those suckers are huge.

Each of the tenderloin halves was as big as Jack's hand!

Try sticking that in your mouth with your teeny tiny bun holding it all together.
But it sure is worth it. Soooooooooooooooo good!

Now that's hog heaven.

I did a quick people check around the room and noticed that most of the other customers

were having the tenderloin sandwichs too.

I don't know if they have the tenderloin sandwiches just on Friday or what
but all you folks living in southwest Ohio need to put The Spot on your To Visit List.

Oh, and you can finish your meal with a piece of pie. I had peach. Jack had cherry.

Sidney, Ohio Part I

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.

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/