Remembering - Radio

Cincinnati - do you know what you have?

I mean, I knew that they won awards...
I knew that my long drive to and fro work was a little bit easier because of the laughter...

But I really didn't know how great the Radio DJs were at B105 until they were gone.

It took a few weeks to figure out why I was more irritable in the evenings after work.
I no longer get laughter that allows me to let go of work before transitioning into home.
In fact, I usually get so aggravated that I have to switch to Amazon music or Satellite...
Unfortunately that leaves me without the weather and traffic...

Wonder if I can get B105 to relocate up to SE Michigan???
Probably not - but MBB did figure out how to get them on our Echo... Oh Alexis!!!

Namaste.

#CraftyTuesday - For a Special, not so little, Boy

This was a Christmas Present for OB in 2016.
Some of the fabric came from curtains that I made for MaBell when we first bought the house in Kentucky.

I have to admit that I was recently visiting OB and saw that he was using the blanket.
That makes my heart sing.

Namaste.

Turning Lemons Into Lemonade

I am not an extreme person when it comes to weather.
I don't like it really hot and I don't like it really cold.

But what can you do when you have to move to Michigan (or the artic as MBB calls it)?

You find a way to turn lemons into lemonade.

Meet the snow penguins that my two oldest grandsons helped me make during one of the snow storms last December:

I have also enjoyed seeing how close the wildlife come up to our house.  These prints are right outside the backdoor.

Alright - I've had my lemonade... Bring on spring.

Namaste.

2018 Detroit Auto Show

(I will apologize in advance - the one thing that drives me batty with Blogger is how hard it is to work with pictures - for that reason, I usually limit myself to just a few for a post - but that doesn't work with this one... so the pictures are doing what they want.)

I was able to get to the Detroit Auto Show a week or so ago.
I may even go again tomorrow... We are still debating.

Of course, I am a little biased and tend to gravitate toward the Toyota family.
But it is also good to see some of the competitors' vehicles too.


It is normal for me to check out headlights...
Not sure exactly why... but I like to see the different styles that people come up with:
(Don't ask me what cars these are - I have no idea... I snapped the pictures and kept going)

Another thing that I found myself pulled to this year was paint (I remember the blue one is the Lexus pictured below... I don't remember on the rest)...

 

And then, there are the cars.  Yes, I like Toyota/Lexus.  Can you blame me?
(I fully admit that some/most of you will disagree with me - and that's okay!)

And since, I have to be fair and admit that Toyota/Lexus is not always the end all to be all, I am showing my favorite (non-Toyota) at the show:  The Acura NSX.

Don't get me wrong - a 2-seater will never fit my lifestyle, but I like how it looks.

Namaste.

#FridayFinds - Chubby's

If you just want an American style menu with a little bit of everything - Chubby's might be a good choice for you. 
It wasn't "GREAT" to where we have made an effort to go back, but it was good enough that we have considered a repeat a time or two...

MBB had a grill cheese with bacon.
I think it had five different cheeses and was good, but I think I felt my arteries clogging as I sampled a bite.

I had a mac-n-cheese with some type of spicy sausage. 
The bites of just the sausage was too spicy... Just the pasta was too bland...
But if I could mix the two flavors on a fork - it was pretty good.

If you are on a diet, you might want to take note of their slogan - "Come Hungry. Leave Chubby".

Namaste.

Really Louisville?

We were visiting Louisville recently and stumbling upon a great thing...
I'm going to give it a little plug and hope that someone else learns about it.

ZeroBus

-Zero Emissions (Electric Bus)

-Zero Cost (Yes, it's free!  Just hop on!)

Problem #1: The website's map is not the greatest.
(https://www.ridetarc.org/zerobus-and-hops/schedules-maps)
When you try to blow up the map to see where the stops are - it gets blurry and you can't read it.
I believe there is an app also - but a local told me that the app keeps crashing, so I didn't try.


There are two circular routes in downtown Louisville: 
 - Market/Main route (blue Z markers)
 - Fourth Street route (green Z markers)


Problem #2: I have no idea of the hours (and neither did the locals that I asked).   
The website mentions that it doesn't run on Sundays and Holidays, but not sure when on the rest of the days.  I do know that it runs during the week in the early evening (4:30pm to be exact) because I saw a bus on the Market/Main route.  But I don't know how long after that. 


From what I have gathered - this is a great resource!! 
I mean amazing - free transportation in a town that with a ton of restaurants and shops that should get huge benefits from this!  It's perfect for visitors who don't want to deal with downtown traffic...


So, if you are in Louisville - check out the ZeroBus!

Problem #3 (and the biggest, IMO): LOUISVILLE ISN'T GETTING THE WORD OUT!
There is a stop pretty close to the hotel that we were staying and there was NO MENTION of it at the hotel.  There should put literature in all of the hotels that are along the route.


Louisville really needs to step up their game...
It's a free service that someone in Louisville is paying for - so you would think that they would want people to use it to get a benefit for the city...


Namaste.

Remembering - Cleaners

It may sound weird - but I miss a dry cleaners.

I never realized how good of a job they did or how affordable they were, until I didn't have them anymore! 
OK... Truth check.  Once I moved from Ohio to Kentucky, I did realize how great they were and luckily, could still get back to them.  Now that we are four hours away, I can no longer get to them anymore.

If you are in the Cincinnati area, specifically on the east side...
Check out Cleaner Concepts on Beechmont Ave.  They can do one day turn around if you drop first thing in the morning before work, but they are closed on Sundays.

Namaste.

#CraftyTuesday - For a Special, not so little, Girl

This was a Christmas Present for MaBell in 2016.
There was one fabric from each of my three grandsons' quilts in her quilt.

Namaste.

#FridayFinds - Damascene Grill

Another restaurant that we found in our new home is called: Damascene Grill

It is Mediterranean food and is yummy!
I have to say I am a huge fan of their hummus...

There is a picnic chicken that is good, but my fav is another chicken dish (I know where it is on the menu, but can't remember the name to share with everyone - it is in the variety plate pictured).

Though, I would recommend passing on their cheese bread app and the kabobs.

Namaste.

Remembering - Tortillas

My reminiscence of things that I enjoyed in the past takes me to the Kroger Marketplace in Anderson (Cincinnati area).

Honestly, their restaurant/bakery/food bars/produce section is amazing. 
I could spend almost all of my grocery trip there, be happy and still break my budget.

The one thing, though, that sticks out in my memory as a huge "WOW", and the reason for this post.
There was a tortilla station right in the middle of the deli where they made them fresh.

If you were lucky (and I was a few times), you could get fresh ones coming straight out of the oven.  I'd "grab and go" with some whole wheat ones... I lived about 2 minutes away by car - so if I could catch a check-out with no wait, I could get them home while they were still warm. 
Stick some butter and cinnamon on them, roll them up...
They were yummy!

Namaste.

#CraftyTuesday - Oldie

I posted a pic of our new quilt last week, then realized that I never posted one of my original quilt...
This was made back in 2006 and was definitely a "learning" project.  :)

NOTE:  This was before I started backing my quilts with fleece.  Trying to get three layers flat on a big quilt usually brought me to tears - no more!

Namaste.

MLK Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr

(1/15/1929 - 4/4/1968)

Baptist Minister, Husband, Father
Civil Rights Activist
1964 Nobel Peace Prize Winner
1977 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Jimmy Carter
1986 Martin Luther King Jr. Day established as a national holiday by President Ronald Reagan
2004 Congressional Gold Medal recipient


Some Quotes from MLK Jr:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

“We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” 

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”  

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today."



I can only pray that the peaceful spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. continues in all of us.
That we can look beyond the color of our skin and focus on the color/content of our character.

Namaste.

On The Tube...

I am not a big TV / Movie watcher...
I haven't lived in a house with cable / satellite since I moved out of my mom's place (way back when)...

We do have Netflix...
And my husband loves TV...
And every now and then, I get pulled into a show that he finds...

This is one of those times.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5651844/

(Picture isn't mine - I grabbed it from the link in the caption because

I don't remember how to make the links work to show everything)

Unfortunately, the show only has two seasons and we are almost through both of them.
I can only hope that they continue to film it...
And then I can continue to be happy that it is on Netflix with NO commercials.


Namaste.

Blog Thoughts

It's Saturday...
>It's 17 degrees (F) outside and about 1/2" of snow on the ground...
>The laundry is in the dryer...
>The dishwasher has been emptied...
>We got two boxes unpacked in the garage earlier today...
>The grocery shopping is done (mainly because I was craving something - see next point)...
>There is Baked Potato Soup in the crockpot...
Yep, typical Saturday...

I'm just sitting here, with a cup of yummy coffee in my new Nana mug (did you see my note about 17 degrees???), trying to figure out what I should do with this blog.
I enjoy knowing that it is here, even if I haven't posted in awhile.
I'm not sure why - some kind of security blanket, I guess.
I don't want to bore everyone with "just quilts" or "just restaurants" or "just" anything...
But I do like to document the quilts and restaurants (I do refer back to them almost like my own personal on-line filing cabinet (If you click on a label, it will show you only the posts with that label)...
I am trying to switch it up.
And keep myself centered in today, and not yesterday...


So - if anyone (I stumbled upon the fact that 30 people are "following" this blog) has a topic that they think would be good to either spotlight weekly or even once, feel free to throw it out there.


Namaste.

Finds - te'kela

As we are exploring our new home, we have found a few places (ok, restaurants) that we like and are "repeats".

I thought I'd highlight them here on Thursdays... OK - I changed my mind - I am now going to do these on Fridays as #FridayFinds.  The first one will, of course be unique and stay on Thursday.

If anyone has any suggestions, we are open to trying them.
Our only requirements - no seafood places and can't "specialize" in mushrooms (since I am allergic).


First up is my preferred Mexican restaurant...
te'kela (in Sylvania, OH)

They have great appetizers...
I don't think we have had one that we don't like - though we tend to gravitate toward the waffle fries.

I am a huge fan of their Califresco Burrito (I may have spelled that wrong)!

And I must say that I am a fan of their "Natural Margarita" (their lingo) or "Skinny Margarita" (my lingo).
If you are lucky, their happy hour prices are great (figured that out by accident) and sometimes there is music in the bar that can be heard at a reasonable level throughout the restaurant.

Namaste.

Remembering - Community

There is a saying: "Sometimes, you don't know what you until it is gone."
I have to say - that has been the case with places that I lived in the past.

I think I am going to take Wednesdays to remember something that was great from years gone by.

From my time at X, I miss the community. 

I could sit in my room with the door open and people would just pop in or out. 
You could walk down the hall and find a euchre game or people who wanted to ditch the books and join a new game.
There was the peanuts card game and many fingers that almost got broke. 
Friday story nights in the Village Senior Year - bring your favorite kid book and share.  I took Suzy to visit one Friday (yes, I still have Suzy).

I could sit out on the lawn to read, study or just chill and who knows who would plop down next to me.  I remember, a few years after graduation, I was at a concert in downtown Cincinnati - laying in the grass and all of a sudden - someone just plopped.  Yep - a friend from X who I hadn't seen in ages. It was great.
He's in California now, so I don't think he'll plop anytime soon if I hang out on the grass again.

I seem to be remembering those times even more so with having reconnected with a few people on Facebook.  It brings a smile to my face and sometimes, a tear to my eye.

Someone at X wrote about puzzles.  I think I put it in the yearbook Senior Year.
I've been thinking about that a lot recently. 
Some people join your puzzle for good, some come - stick around for awhile and then head out (leave some pieces and take others).

Life - full of experiences and many, many memories.
Thank you to the community at X from 1993-1996.

Namaste.

#CraftyTuesday - Our Quilt

I did a lot of sewing as I went into and throughout the sabbatical from the blog.
I do want to get all of them posted, but don't want to overload the blog all at once..

So, I am now going to do a Crafty Tuesday post each week.

First up:  Our Quilt

The quilt we had on our bed was one that I made before I met MBB.
It was time to make one that was "ours".

I now remember why I prefer to make baby quilts and avoid king size at all cost!

Namaste.

Anyone Looking for a Country Living Get-Away?

Our Kentucky house is still on the market.  You can click on the following link to see all of the details (and take the 3D tour to see the flow of the rooms).
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/126-Victory-Ln_California_KY_41007_M49030-48578

Honestly, we have had lots of interest in the house (even at the higher starting price)... But everyone walks away because they don't particularly care for the view from the house.

Whoever can ignore the view for a few years until it changes will get a hell of a deal as the going value of the house will skyrocket at that time. 
I am so happy that I can talk about it and be neutral...  Great strides in 2018!

The house will get a new septic system as soon as weather permits (whether the house still belongs to us or is bought - we have already signed and paid for this system)...

Please feel free to share and call the realtor if you are interested.


Namaste.

Clean Slate

I pretty much went on sabbatical from this blog in 2017.
I posted about goals, or lack there of, and then... Nada.

I did find a draft today that I wrote in September, but never posted.
I went ahead and published it... Well - it had a good point.
There are a few things that I didn't get posted in 2017 (ie. quilts), so I will be playing catch-up to get those out there.


Now, I am working with:  A Clean Slate

I have a new home.
I am investigating a new spiritual home.
I am working with new doctors.
I am trusting in the relocation process to finish our move.

I am staying in the now.
I am hopeful.
I am trying to stay either neutral or positive (Rome wasn't built in a day!).
I have a lot of work to do.

I am just working on the clean slate and making the most of the hand that I have been dealt.
So, no goals/resolutions.
If someone pushes me to have one - I am drinking green tea instead of coffee at work.


It is okay if I am on this journey alone...
It is okay if there is anyone else out there with the same experience...
I am just taking one step at a time to make this clean slate the best that it can be.
If something doesn't work, I am just going to bless it goodbye and start again.


Namaste.