Ohio by Stephen Markley

Ohio by Stephen Markley

I grew up in Ohio, you know, round on the ends, hi in the middle.  Although I moved away a long time ago, lots of family and friends still live there.  On a recent visit back for my high school reunion, I realized that Ohio will never leave me.  It's who I am and where I will always be from.  It is my heart.

When I heard about this novel, Ohio, I wasn't sure I wanted to read it.  It's about the opiod crisis that is gripping our nation and especially small rural towns.  I didn't want to believe that was true.  I wanted my memories of a safe, serene place with fresh air and a Dairy Queen to remain intact.  During my trip back I learned those precious things were no longer reality.  Doors are locked now to keep out those looking for money to fuel a drug habit.

Ohio tells the story of several teenagers growing up in a small, rural Ohio town and the trajectories of their lives as they moved to adulthood.  Some went off to college at Bowling Green, where I got my degree and Wittenberg, where my brother and sister both got degrees.  The author also threw in Cedar Point amid some civil war Ohio history.  Alcohol and drug use started early in this tiny enclave and impacted how each one of their story lines evolved.

This book is long and dark and highlights the Iraq war and diverse political views on top of the already heavy weight of alcohol and drug use.  Often I thought the story dragged on but I was kept interested in how each of these kids turned out.  For all of them their lives weren't pretty, loaded with past baggage they couldn't seem to shake.  I connected with the characters maybe because they were Ohioans and I'd driven the same roads and been to a lot of the same places in my life.  But they broke my heart because they are navigating a world I know nothing about.

If you have the time, Ohio is worth the investment.

Crooked River by Shelley Pearsall

Crooked River by Shelley Pearsall

My sister who lives in Cleveland told me about Shelley Pearsall after she met her at an elementary school presentation where Shelley talked to the kids about her books.  She showed the kids all of her rejection letters as she tried to get her work published.  Shelley writes about Ohio, a state which I am nuts about. As a writer too, I'm always happy to know I am not alone in my struggle to be published. What better reason than those to read a book.

Crooked River is a young adult novel set in 1812 in a settlement in Ohio.  The story is told through the eyes of thirteen year old, Rebecca and Indian John who is shackled in the loft of the family's cabin.  Her angry and demanding father, Major Carver has charge of the Indian accused of murdering a trapper, while awaiting trial. Her mother died in childbirth.  She and her sister, Laura keep the household running and care for their little sister, Mercy.  Rebecca is described as the one in the family with the soft heart and without a common language, she befriends Indian John by bringing him small gifts of a feather or acorn along with a bowl of food.

This is a beautifully written story.  It is a story of injustice but also one of love and the strength of the human spirit.  In each chapter the reader first hears Rebecca's point of view.  And then Indian John tells his side of story through gorgeous poetry. The prose and the poetry compliment each other perfectly. 

The author has done extensive research which she details at the end of the story.  Her dedication to the historical side of this story is what brought it to life.  I became a pioneer in Ohio in 1812, alongside Rebecca, gathering eggs, washing clothes, sweeping the dirt floors.  Shelley Pearsall has a gift as a writer. 

As a reviewer, I never like to reveal too much of the storyline.  As a reader, I like the element of surprise.  I like to tell a reader about the writing style and if the story is interesting and engaging.  Crooked River is full of history and set in a time of change and struggle. And the story is full of emotion that will tug at your heartstrings.  You won't want to put it down. 

The Year of the Family

I always like to do a little recap at year end.  It helps me to keep focused on the good things in life.  I call this year, The Year of the Family because Richard and I spent alot of quality time with people we love. 

In May we gathered in Philadelphia for a funeral and a wonderful tribute to my sister-in-law, Kathy's mother.  We had a heart warming celebration of life with her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.  The women wore gardenias and we all ate angel food cake with blue icing. 

In June, Richard and I celebrated his 70th birthday in Tampa watching our beloved Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles.  I secretly had his name put up on the scoreboard, which he missed and didn't believe me until the picture arrived in the mail a week later.  On the way we stopped to see my nephew, Tommy, his wife Lucy and 2 week old baby, Blakely.  We turned out to be the first from our side of the family to see the new baby.  I think that made my sister just a tiny bit jealous. 

Our niece, Laurel from Vermont, played on the 8th grade girls championship basketball team and came to Orlando to play in a tournament.  Richard and I wore our green and gold and waved our hand-made signs.  We had a blast cheering them on!

July meant a girl's trip to Yellowstone with my granddaughters.  We listened to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, went spelunking in a cave, whitewater rafting and zip lining in Montana.  The Grand Tetons are glorious and the sight of herds of bison strolling the plains is unforgettable.

Next stop Hawaii for a birthday celebration for Kathy.  The family learned to hula dance, took a sunset boat ride at Waikiki and simply enjoyed the beautiful beach and perfect weather.

I barely had time to unpack and I was off to Boston for a wedding.  Georgia, my friend since fourth grade and who I hadn't seen in too many years, was the mother of the groom.  During the summer while growing up, I spent them with her family at their cottage on a lake.  To see this wonderful, welcoming family again filled my heart with joy.  The wedding was beautiful and that it brought us back together made it even more special.  Thank you, Adam and Crystal.

After all that I need a month to recuperate!

There are so many more friends and family that touched our lives this year.  Even though I didn't list your name here, you live in my heart.  I pray that we will continue to love and support each other in the years to come.  Looking back, each occasion gave me a special memory.  Each memory, a gift.  Now it is the end of a very special year.  I'm looking forward to the gifts the new year will bring.

Tippecanoe to Tipp City by Susan Furlong

Tippecanoe to Tipp City by Susan Furlong

Tipp City is a small town north of Dayton, Ohio.  My sister, Susan, is an 'away girl' who wasn't raised there but came after marrying a man who called the town home.  I was still in high school when she became an away girl. That means she's called Tipp home for a very long time that anywhere else is probably 'away' to her now.  I'd say she's just a Tipp 'girl' now.

Tippecanoe To Tipp City is a charming look back into how we have arrived here in the present day. It's often difficult to imagine a time when a canal had to be dug to get goods from point to point. And to think that passengers on the barges often shared their space on deck with the donkeys pulling them through the canal. We are spoiled by today's modern cruise ships. The dress of the day was button hook shoes and knickers for the boys. We've traded that formality for flip flops and jeans. The town council paid over $500 for uniforms for the volunteer fire department. Today we think nothing of spending that amount for one cell phone or an i pad.

This book is filled with delightful stories and photos of people shopping, going to school, having parties and picnic, doing all the normal things in life. I'm quite nostalgic for a simpler life in a small town. Life had it's headaches then too, however. The mail was a constant source of confusion with a town of the same name also in Ohio. To solve it, the town changed its name. A simple yet controversial solution to a problem that would no longer exist today with the use of zip codes. And besides who gets mail anymore? The email has become our mainstay for communication.

Tippecanoe to Tipp City is a walk through time, in a time and place worth remembering. The photographs are amazing and the stories they tell fascinating. Susan has done a great job documenting the history of this small Ohio town. Even though my connection to the town is only through my sister's family, the story of it's life is captivating.

Birthday Blessings

Yesterday I celebrated my birthday.  As the years progress what becomes important in one's life changes.  As a child, I anxiously waited for my birthday to arrive.  Being that it came in summer before school started, I never got to take candy or cookies to school to share with my class.  Like a Christmas list for Santa, I made sure my mother knew what new outfits I wanted for my Barbie doll.  And if Ken got some new clothes that would be even more thrilling.   The new school clothes I got for me weren't nearly as interesting as dressing up Barbie in the latest fashions.

My mother would let us choose what we wanted for dinner on our birthday.  I would always choose shrimp or fish.  Being such a seafood fan at a young age, I was destined to end up in Florida where it is a staple of our diet.  My sisters and brother however, only picked at the fish and loaded up on cake and ice cream.  All of them have made their lives in Ohio where beef and chicken are plentiful.

Here's how I know things have changed.  My husband, Richard loves to give and wrap gifts for all occasions.  Here's the list of gifts he wrapped up for me to open on my birthday.   

3 red kitchen towels
A bicycle bell  (When he went to put the new bell on my bike, he dropped the old bell and it began to work again.  The new bell has to be returned to Wal Mart.)
A bag of candy corn ( I love candy corn and yes the Halloween stuff is already in the stores.)
2 black kitchen towels  (The more gifts to open the merrier!)
3 scratch off lottery tickets ( I won $5)
A bathroom scale

A psychiatrist would have a field day analyzing that list.  I can tell you what it means without making an appointment.  I need to do more housework, exercise and lose ten pounds.  But I'm not going on a diet until I finish what's left of my birthday cake and the bag of candy corn. 

I couldn't decide what I wanted for my birthday dinner.  The older you are, the tougher choices are to make.  I only knew I wasn't going to cook or use my new dish towels to clean anything.  Richard decided for me.

"I ordered a pizza.  It'll be ready for you to pick up in 20 minutes."

I got in the car and drove to the gas station.  After I filled up the tank with gas, I went inside to get my pizza.  Lo and behold, I spotted a penny on the floor.  I picked it up and put it in my pocket. And then I began to count all the wonderful things about having another birthday. 

I'm still counting! It's going to be a great year!