Back Roads

My best friend from high school and I took a backroads vacation this past week.  We had only one main stop in Cincinatti first but after that we were at the mercy of the road.  Our days were spent across the state on highway 50, then 60! 

What we discovered when we least expected it was amazing.  The first night we stumbled into a ma and pa motel, cleaner than most, which cost $80!  The next morning we found ourselves in a restaurant and on the advice of two locals, got biscuits and sausage gravy.  Both our bills together came to $7.00!!

Unbeknownst to me, we drove into McArthur, OH, which is in the poorest county of the state with only a12,000 population...in the county!  McArthur was where my dad had his charcoal plant. Speaking with several folks in the courthouse there we got more history, finally finding the spot where his plant had been. 

 After spending two nights in Marietta, on the Ohio River, I was disappointed to not find tomato plantations that I had taken my grandmother to when I was sixteen in a suburb called Devola. Three Devol cousins had begun them. It was named after her family name, Devol. 

Crushed hopes didn't last long when someone told us not to miss the #2 Dam and locks there. A local fella, Clyde, was overlooking the dam.  He was a wealth of information on the fish that are caught there, boat traffic and the depth of the Muskingum River, which meets up in Marietta with the Ohio River. 

We didn't know what the rest of our trip would present us but in McConnellsville we were ready for a pit stop, coffee and a visit to the antique store next door.  The proprietor of the antique store, Jamie, couldn't have been nicer but the fun suprise was her two pups snuggled into their beds underneath the counter. We  both found a few things there but it was most fun just connecting with Jamie. If you're ever in McConnelsville, give Jamie a big "hi" from Vicki and me! I told her she would probably make a mention in my blog!!

It seemed to Vicki and me that when we were open to anything that came along we were not disappointed.  Even the weather: it rained one day but, when we were inside not outside.  When we tried to find a parking spot in Cinci, we pulled right into a parky tower, got to the street level, just across the street from where we were going. This was amazing because a ballgame crowd was downtown at the same time! It felt like Someone was guiding us all the way. 

If we had originally said we were going to McArthur, Marietta, McConnellsville, Philo, Duncan Falls, Blue Rock/Cutler Lake folks would look at us as if we had grown two heads; these places hardly even warrant a dot on a map...if you even know how to read a paper map!!

This certainly was not a high profile trip but being open to all the backroads really brought us warm memories, good pictures and a very economical time! Some of it really was going down memory lane but I also know I will never get that way again!  You might say these backroads really gave us a trip of a lifetime!!

What treasures of the heart might you have found on the backroads of your travels? Have you ever felt led by a guiding force bigger than you?  It's there for each of us, if only we open our eyes and hearts to it! 

Clyde 94 yrs. old!

A RUT

 Ever been in a rut? No not a snow rut but always doing things the same way, time after time?  Like always doing home chores the same day, the same routine: laundry on Mondays, groceries, cleaning, etc!! Some of the routine is no big deal but I know friends who will not divert when asked to do something else because they are entrenched in doing a specific task that day!! 

Well, I am facing this same thing right now.  Traveling a distance on the same roads brings a comfort level, knowing the traffic, gas stations, etc. leaves little to the imagination. Yes, there are some drawbacks, including construction, high volume and slowdowns. 

I am planning an entirely differen route, which brings anxiety about mileage, rest stops, and other things.  There's a comfort curve that I don't have yet because it's been over forty years of being on this new route. 

What do you do when changes come your way?    Get ridgid and avoid spontaneity? Or look at the opportunity as exciting and enriching? Many situations can be adjusted and completed at a later time. For me, it's worth trying something new and different. There's always a way, or more, to get out of a rut!

Flower Seeds

May is here; weather is warming and the "flower bug" is hitting!  It may be a tad too early to plant but this time gives me space to figure out what flowers, soil and conditions I am dealing with.

Then there is the weather, night temps and my travel plans.  Lots of variables to consider.  A local consideration is Mother's day.  This is a
huge day for the greenhouses and sometimes my choices disappear long before I can plant, so lots of thinking ahead!

Of all things,  a thought came to mind about how each personality is so different, some needing to be tended to with different approaches.  Just like seeds: radishes are fast sprouters, carrots not! Some like shade, some do well in high sun, dry soil. Some of us are morning people, some are night owls, talkative vs. quiet, introverts vs. extroverts.  Likes vs. dislikes would need a chapter all their own! 

You would think each of us would have the patience to deal with the differences in the other but how many of us are irritated at the smallest discords!

So, the next time we plant our garden, put in our seeds, know there will be many considerations in how fast our flowers will come up.  However, the larger picture might bring us to consider our bigger garden we tend every day in life with our spouse, family, friends and all those around us!  

Our flower seeds in life need love, kindness, consideration, gentleness, patience and a whole lot more.  What a beautiful garden of life these qualities will bring!