first pit stop

You never know what interesting historical tidbit you might find I'm the unassuming rest area.  We stopped at the first rest area in Illinois to pickup a state map (I misplaced the atlas before we left)

As I was getting into the car, I noticed a piece of machinery on display.  

Never pass up an opportunity to learn a little.

Back on the road (with a quick stop at the next exit to get a burger at McDonald's) making tracks for the windmill farm viewing area.

and we're off....

The kids are "adults" now.  So tomorrow Dennis and I are off on an adventure.  We have a map of about a hundred places of interest.  The "kids" are taking care of the homestead.  Here's hoping for a quiet week.

We're still here...

The stay-at-home order for Ohio appears to be coming to an end.  The Governor announced the beginning of the re-opening plans for Ohio.  Looks like wearing a mask while out at a retail/service business is going to be mandatory.  Used to be "no shirt, no shoes, no service".  Now it's going to be "no mask, no service"

Schoolwork is going slowly.  Scott was caught up and then the dreaded IWA English assignment came due.  He missed the due date last night.  Today is working on AP World History assignments for this week.    Nate is still buried under a pile of work (he missed the English due date also).  I'm sitting at the table trying to keep him focused but it's just not working.  Not sure what I'm going to try next.  All of his devices have been taken away from him for about 2 weeks now and that has not motivated him.

Dennis is going to continue to work from home for the foreseeable future.  Callibrity has announced that they will remain a work-from-home company until further notice.  At least the weather is getting warmer so he can work on the back porch more.

I don't mind being home.  It's pretty much life as usual for me.  What I miss most is being able to have small gatherings with my friends.  Bars?  nope.  I don't drink and I don't enjoy crowds so I'm not missing them.  Restaurants?  maybe.  It is nice to not have to cook/clean once in a while.  But I'd rather cook and have a few friends over any time.

It will be nice to know the doctor's and dentist's offices will be open again.  I haven't needed either during the quarantine.  I did slice my finger 10 days ago and it bled a lot.  But today it is looking good; just a small scab remains.  I did take off a few layers of skin but the diameter of the wound is small.

And today marks 29 years of being married.  It's a nice sunny day (wedding day was grey, misty and chilly).  No going out.  Tonight's dinner menu is leftover smorgasbord.

I escaped....

My Facebook post from tonight just after 10pm.

I've been good about staying home since school closed after classes on Friday the 13th. I did do some errands the few days after that but for the last week, I have been mostly in the house with a few forays into the yard when it wasn't raining.

When the Ohio legislature passed a bill saying that the Ohio primary will be concluded by absentee ballot only (instead of the governor's proposal to do in-person voting on June 2nd), I printed the forms for the three adults in our household.  We filled them out and put them in an envelope.  Instead of putting it in our mailbox for pickup delivery, I opted to take my car out for a run  (it hasn't been run for over a week). 

Things I learned or observed on my drive.

1. A 6 speed manual transmission makes a good zoom-zoom car.  All you have to do is shift a little late.
2. Old town Harrison looks about the same as always on a Wednesday night after 9 pm.  Know the old joke about rolling up the sidewalks?  That's pretty much how it always is and it was tonight.
3. A short run on the expressway (about four miles from the last exit in Indiana to the first exit in Ohio) is fun after you have been cooped up for a while.  And it was good for the car to blow out the dirt.
4. The price of gas has really dropped.  I have a full tank from about 10 days ago when I filled up at a dollar ninety something.  Tonight the Speedway was $1.67 and the BP and UDF were $1.64.    By the time I need fuel again, the price will probably be higher (oh well)
5. The stars are still there.  With days of rainy and cloudy weather, it's been near impossible to stargaze. After I parked the car in the barn, I stopped to appreciate the numerous stars (and Venus) that are visible.  One of the advantages of living in the boondocks.
6. The area really is quieter.  While standing in the driveway looking at stars, I could hear the trucks on the expressway about 2.5 miles away.   In the 22+ years we have lived here, I've heard the expressway traffic several times but our everyday life is usually too noisy to hear it on a regular basis.  The Cheviot house I grew up in was a little over 1.5 miles (as the crow flies) from the expressway and I don't ever remember hearing expressway traffic there.

Tomorrow is a new day and it will be back to programming and a bit of house cleaning.  Tomorrow is dust the dining room day for the kids.  They will be happy to know it's the last of the dusting for a while (I promised Meredith no dusting jobs for 3 weeks)  Although with the warm weather forecast for the next few days, I may open my bedroom windows and dust there.  Parts of the room have some serious dust accumulation.  The dust bunnies have not organized yet ;-)

And so it begins (COVID 19 official Stay at Home)

It's a bit after midnight on Tuesday 24 March 2020 and the official "Stay at Home" order in Ohio is now in effect.  For most of the last 12 days, Governor DeWine has been encouraging Ohioans to work from/stay at home as much as possible.  First the schools were closed and people were encourage to not congregate in large groups (like crowded restaurants/bars).  With St. Patrick's Day approaching and pictures of crowded bars/restaurants being sent to the governor, he order the closing of dine-in restaurants and bars.  Any place could remain open as long as it was only offering carry-out, drive thru and/or delivery service.  Day by day, the Governor and the director of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has warned of the need to "flatten the curve" by physically distancing ourselves.  Each day the Governor holds a 2pm (ish) press conference and most days one of the reporters would ask about an official "shelter in place" order (San Francisco issued one on March 16th) and each day he would reply with the hope that Ohioans would take the necessary precautions and stay at home as much as possible.

Slowly but surely, the Governor  and the ODH Director have closed down businesses to help encourage Ohioans to stay home.  Apparently not enough was being done because Sunday saw the official "Stay at Home" order signed by the ODH Director  to be effective from 11:59pm 23 March 2020 until 11:59pm 6 April 2020.

What change has this been to my routine?  Not much!  I have been at home since school closed on Friday 13 March except for working the election supply truck on Saturday morning the 14th (when we thought the election was still on) and Tuesday evening the 17th (to pick up the unopened supplies) and a couple runs to the grocery store.  I go outside, grateful that our property is approximately 1.25 acres and get fresh air when the weather permits (we've had a bit of rain - welcome to Ohio in early spring!)

The biggest adjustment?  Getting used to all five of us being here all the time.  For the most part, we are spread about the house.  The boys spend time gaming in the basement office, Meredith hangs in her room (just as she has since 5th grade) and Dennis has migrated his workstation from the basement office to the enclosed back porch  (those giant windows were a worthwhile investment!)

Household chores are being accomplished slowly but surely.  To keep the children involved, I limit my request to one job a day.  The job typically requires 15-20 minutes of their day (excepting laundry which is cumulatively 15-20 minutes spread out over an hour or so).  The kitchen cabinet doors have been washed for the first time since we moved in 22+ years ago (oh the horror!), the basement bar was dusted and reorganized today.  Laundry, vacuuming and other odds and ends were on the list last week.  This week sees lots of dusting (hello allergies) plus laundry.  Who know what next week will bring!  There is a shared google document so the kids can claim (and suggest) their daily tasks.  Two "free bee" days are allowed per week.

This is the official spring break week for high school and college classes.  Next week will see the true battles begin as I supervise the boys completing their classwork.  Meredith did well the last two weeks completing her midterm assignments so she is on her own to finish the semester (they already know they will not be returning to campus)  High school is still up in the air as to whether or not they will return to the building before the end of the year or just finish it out remotely.  The national AP board sent email notices today that all exams will be held remotely and will cover the 75% of the material that should have been covered in class by early March.  They are holding online classes and prep for the exams.

Stay tuned for ongoing news ...

[Get Grateful - Day 7 of 7]: Gratitude Writing Challenge - Putting it Into Practice

Thanksgiving dinner is over, the dishwasher is running.  I published the day four post that I apparently saved as a draft instead of posting.  So now onto day 7 (the final day of this 7 day challenge)

Writing Prompt #7: Flood Yourself

Set a timer for 2-3 minutes, and flood yourself with gratitude. Write down what comes to mind and keep going until the timer is up, or for as long as you'd like…

Here’s one of my favorite passages to get some inspiration... :)

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times, during those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things. But a life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

~ Author Unknown ~

Let yourself flow…


I am thankful for taking this seven day challenge.  It has made me realize that even though I feel down at times, my life is pretty good overall

I am thankful that I was asked to work a side gig as the local Catholic grade school cafeteria cashier  [Catholic guilt is an amazing thing ;) ].  The daily smiles of the kids is a great pick me up.  And it has helped me get into a daily habit and getting up and being organized.

I am thankful that my "real" job is flexible and allows me to work at my side gig.

I am thankful that my dad made me learn how to solve problems.  He made my crazy when I was a kid and wouldn't just tell me how to do things - he made me understand why  something worked the way it did.  He's been gone for over a year but I still use his lessons almost daily.

I am thankful that my mom is still here for advice.

I am thankful that my children still have three grandparents nearby.

I am thankful for the daily trips to/from school with my sons.  It's a few minutes of undivided attention and I get to hear the daily funny stories and bad jokes.

I am thankful my daughter has adjusted to commuter college life and her first job.

I am thankful that a warm house with reliable electric and internet service.

I am thankful for a refrigerator and pantry with food.

I am thankful for a sweet and qualified periodontist who did an excellent job putting in my implant post yesterday.  My recovery is going well and I was able to enjoy dinner today.

I am thankful for a loving husband who will watch movies with me.

I am thankful for healthy children. 

I am thankful for every morning that I wake up.

[Get Grateful - Day 4 of 7]: Gratitude Writing Challenge - What Might you be Missing?

Writing Prompt #4: Celebrate the small things that happen without you having to ask them to... 

• What happens in your life without you having to think about it? The sun rises and sets, your eyes blink, you heart beats, you can hear the sound of your alarm, you can go for a walk.
• What did your husband, brother, child, etc. do today without you having to ask? They made lunch or dinner, they picked up the kids, they paid the bills, they called.
• What were you thanked for today or recently? Someone appreciated you, it’s time to appreciate yourself!
• What did not exist 10, 20, 50 years ago that is a regular part of your daily life now? Healthy easily accessible food, the TV, the iPhone, being able to fly almost anywhere in the world, apps that help us learn and grow.
• What is comfortable about this moment? Your clothes, you chair, your bed.

Bonus Best Practice: A little appreciation goes a long way so take a moment to thank someone or something that you listed above. Tell your partner that you appreciate them taking the trash out. Send a note or text to your house cleaner and tell them how happy it makes you that he/she does such a thorough job. Send an email to a company whose services you appreciate. The sharing of appreciation only breeds more appreciation so put your gratitude out there!


💁 Life happens without me thinking about it.  The sun rises and sets, the world spins, I breathe, my heart beats, I wake up in a warm house with food to eat, water for showering, clothes to wear.  I have a reliable car to drive my children to school.  I have the health to drive them and get around.

💁 My children got themselves ready for school (after the mom alarm clock ;) ).  

💁 I was thanked for returning the lunch money envelopes to classrooms.  I was thanked for a ride home from school.

💁 The biggest change in my lifetime is cell phones and internet.  I can contact anyone and search for answers anywhere I go.

💁  The most comfortable thing about this moment is I am sitting in my warm house with well fitting, comfortable clothes sitting in my recliner typing on my laptop while watching a tv show.