ReedieJR

To anyone who follows my blog (is there anyone, really?), my apologies for not posting regularly these past few months. To put it mildly, my world has been turned on its head and back again in the past year and a half. I'm hoping to get back to it sometime this month. Read Full Story

Over the holiday weekend, we took a road trip with friends to see the Reds take on the Cards in St. Louis. We made a weekend of it, and since Neil and I had never been there, we had to go up in the arch. We have a National Parks Passport and quickly discovered that the proper name isn't the St. Louis Arch, but rather the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (if you're talking about the whole park) or the Gateway Arch. I was surprised to learn that it opened in 1967--I had thought... Read Full Story

I have been fielding a lot of questions about my book lately...so thought I would do a quick post to update anyone who might be interested. My contract was signed in October 2008. I was given a deadline of July 2009 to write the entire book. Around September 2009, I got a request to provide maps for each chapter, as well as some more photos. By the time I started working on all of that, my husband was diagnosed with lymphoma...so obviously my priorities changed! That took me to the... Read Full Story

Yesterday morning, Cincinnati was covered with a thick blanket of gorgeous fog. I immediately thought of this Carl Sandburg poem : THE fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. Back in May, we traveled to Asheville, NC to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. While there, I insisted we visit Carl Sandburg's house, Connemara . We were both glad we made the stop. Inside, things were delightfully left just the way... Read Full Story

Back in September 2009 (wow, it's almost been a year!!!) my husband, Neil (26) had a cold and thought he would go to the doctor for an antibiotic, but kept putting it off.  He ended up at the urgent care clinic after I insisted he go, and while he was at it, we discussed--why not have them check out the lump he had on his neck? It was almost a quick in-and-out visit. The doctor had her hand on the doorknob when Neil gathered the courage to ask her about the lump he'd been a little... Read Full Story

We recently made our second visit to Bardstown, KY, this time with four friends in tow. If you've never been there, it's a great little town known for bourbon, Civil War history and Stephen Foster. It's one of those places, like Gettysburg, that offers up both incredibly significant history and borderline cheese. After a long day of sightseeing ( Perryville Battlefield , Maker's Mark, Bernheim Forest ) we decided to eat dinner at the Old Talbott Tavern . Not only is it known for its... Read Full Story

I haven't posted nearly as often as I should this summer...but it's for good reason. After a very important scan, my husband again tested negative for cancer activity. We've been busy living life with parties, weddings and outdoor trips. Here's a photo of him at his 27th birthday celebration...this was probably the most special birthday of all. Read Full Story

My husband and I just returned from a fantastic trip to Asheville, NC. We spent an entire day driving the Blue Ridge Parkway up to Craggy Gardens and beyond. We came across Devil's Courthouse late in the day. Something that always strikes me when we visit large parks is the names given to natural features.I wasn't surprised to see the name of this peak because I would bet during a storm it looks an awful lot like judgment day. In fact, being in the mountains struck a bit of healthy fear... Read Full Story

Here I am in Cincy Chic , talking about road trips, my new book and why I love Cincinnati. Enjoy! Read Full Story

It has become my family's Easter tradition to walk back to where my great-grandparents' farm used to be. It is located on East Fork State Park property in a somewhat unknown spot. We only occasionally see other people back there. As a child, my mom would go to the farm every Sunday and she and her siblings and cousins would often spend the warm months exploring every inch of this land. There are a few traces of the old pig farm left. A few fenceposts, a manmade pond deep in the woods, and... Read Full Story