Old friends

This past week I had one of those experiences when you get together with an old friend you haven't seen in a long time and it is like no time has passed. Sweet. Last Thursday morning I answered the phone thinking it was a call for John as the caller id showed a California number. After a little hesitation the voice on the other end said "bertie do you know who this is?" Well I didn't but it had been over a decade since we talked. It was one of my favorite shoe vendors of all times. Brad Finn. We used to call him the Cary Grant of the shoe industry because he is just the most charming man. Ray and I worked with him when we were working for Mercantile (which for me was 1992-1999). We had a lot of fun back thenand made a lot of money for our respective companies. So when he called Brad was in Louisville and driving through Cincinnati on his way to DSW in Columbus and had time for coffee or lunch. I asked if he wanted to come to our house for lunch (which as luck would have it was extra clean since we had a homestudy update interview the previous day) and that I would call Ray to see if he was available. Ray was off Thursday so it worked out perfect. Plus this way Brad got to meet John. Brad is now a grandfather to 2 adorable children (boy and girl) from Ethiopia. It was really special to catch up after so long. I took a longer than usual lunch but was able to make up for it by going in Saturday. Update: Today (9/2/10) John and I received a thank you note from Brad. So sweet. Also rumors today are that CCAA is matching right now!

Just 3 days left

From our agency's website: August 17, 2010 CCAA updated their website to show the most recent referrals went for families with LIDs of May 15,2006. Since FTIA's next LID group isn't until May 16, 2006. This makes the current wait time approximately 51 months from time of LID to time of referral. FTIA's next group of LID: 5/16/2006 & 5/18/2006.

Friday the 13 in Mt Adams

Tonight while we walked up to Mt Adams Deli to order a pizza we heard and then saw this bag piper walking up and down St Gregory. Neil Bortz has hired a piper to play Friday nights in the summer and it is quite enjoyable. Tonight is also the last movie night at Seasongood, movie is Wait Until Dark. John and I are skipping as it is too dang humid.

Here is the sign for Bowtie Cafe a coffee shop, etc which is opening next week. One of the owners is a Bengal linebacker whose name is Dhani Jones. Dhani also lives in the neighborhood, has some travel show and is Ambassador for Project Smile.

A picture of the Mt Adams Deli. While John's pizza was being made we went up to the Wine Bar.

And then after we went back to pickup his pizza... there was Dhani Jones (back shorts, grey shirt). I'm pretty excited for this shop and hope the coffee is good!

Sounds to Words Class

Last night we went to another IAC class at Children's Hospital. This one was Sounds to Words: Making the Connection. Helping Your Preschooler Develop Pre-Literacy Skills. Both John and I thought it was a really great class. This one was taught by Sister Sue who was hired by the IAC last November to be their School Intervention Coordinator. The IAC was able to fund hiring Sister Sue with money raised at the Passport to Forever fundraiser last year. It is pretty cool the IAC choose to add this position and as far as anyone can tell Cincinnati's IAC is the only one in the country that has this kind of position. She does not like to call herself a school advocate because that title generally relates to issues involving a lawsuit. The only way Sister Sue seemed a little not nun-like was in her confidence in her ability to get schools to make changes so children get what they need to learn. John and I felt we both learned a lot. She covered current research on reading development. What skills children need to develop in order to read and which skills have proven to increase probability of enjoying reading. She also covered tools, many free and online, that help preschooler develop pre-reading skills. Plus we actually got to know who she is in case we need to hire her in the future. Also interesting were the other families we met in the class last night. It was a really small group just 3 other people. One couple from Dayton have a 5 year old son adopted from Jamaica whose name is Javon and sounds like a really cool kid. The other one was a father, lives in Lebanon, mother was at home with their sick 2 1/2 year old daughter adopted from Taiwan named Annaleise (or something like that). They were not surprised when I told them I had never met anyone with children from either of these countries. Javon's parents said they adopted him because of mission trips they took to Jamaica and it is an understatement to say it was not easy. A little heartbreaking too. Annaleis's dad said Taiwan is currently shut down but he said they expect it will open up again in the next year. They had almost exact opposite concerns for their children, gave interesting perspective and clearly adore their children. Javon's parents, who are also parents to bio kids in the 20's and 30's, said their adoption was the best decision they ever made. Sister Sue asked them to give us advice. Javon's dad said the highs you will experience will be incredible and so will the lows.

Rain barrels are installed in our garden

We bought this 55 gallon rain barrel, recycled pickle barrel at Park & Vine last week for $100. Botanics Joe installed it over the weekend. So here's how our new water collection system works: The runoff from the roof travels down our newly installed downspout to this 100 gallon water tank under the steps. On a side note that "great stuff" I used to plug the holes in the stone wall to prevent carpenter bees from residing there looks terrible. I really have to do something about that before fall.

The overflow from the 100 gallon tank then runs through this tube attached to the fence and down to the pickle barrel. We think we will paint leaves on the barrel. Maybe next spring.

And we will put a soaker hose off the pickle barrel to empty into the hosta bed.

Cooking for Baby

Last month I bought this cookbook based on some really terrific reviews. Some of the reviews that were particularly appealing to me : "lots of ideas", "simplicity of recipes" (yeah! ... I am not a cook nor do I particularly enjoy cooking) and it also provides quantity recipes with freezing instructions. This book covers from birth - 7.

Right now the rumors are out there that we might hear about referrals this week. We are cautiously optimistic but keep thinking it will be next month. Oh it would be lovely to be caught off guard and need to step up our preparations.

So with all this in mind I bought the following items online this morning before church.

These labels stay on plastic but the writing (soy based) comes off in the dishwasher. Sounds a little too good to be true but it also was not terribly expensive.

Which is not true about the other thing I looked into this morning, business class flights to China. They are around $3600 each but oh do they look like they are worth it. I don't know if we could get them on the flight home but I'm still going to pursue this for the flight over.

John's Birthday 2010

Today I bought playhouse tickets for John's birthday. Although I don't think he reads my blog I'll publish after his birthday. Anyhow, here are the shows I purchased tickets for:

In early September we are going to see High.

PIP synopsis:

Movie and stage actress Kathleen Turner stars in this extraordinary world premiere that opens on Broadway after its run in Cincinnati. Ms. Turner plays the tough-talking and formerly hard-drinking Sister Jamison Connelly. Working in a church-sponsored rehab center, she reluctantly agrees to sponsor a defiant 19-year-old drug user and soon becomes convinced he is keeping a secret that is vital to his recovery. As she struggles to unlock the mystery, she begins to question her own beliefs. This powerful and gripping adult drama explores truth, forgiveness, redemption and the real courage it takes to change."

Ironically, my Cincinnati cousin texted me this evening to see if John and I wanted to see this play with her, her boyfriend and her mom. We may try to go to dinner before the play or somewhere afterwards with them.

At the end of September we have tickets to The Understudy.

This play was written by a local author, Theresa Rebeck and here the synopsis:

bitingly witty and entertaining look behind the scene of the acting world. The understudy gets no respect. The stressed-out stage manager wants him fired. The part he wants is being played by a second-tier action movie star (paid only $2.3 million per picture!) trying to be a "real actor." Their madcap rehearsal exposes all that's brilliant and ridiculous about what really goes on backstage.

Towards the end of October we have tickets to see You Can't Take It With You:

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this American comedy is pure fun. Combine the delightfully eccentric Sycamore family and their daughter Alice with her fiance Tony and his rich, straight-laced parents. Add in a dinner party on the wrong night, and the result is a wildly funny clash of family values in which fireworks erupt - literally! A light-hearted romp about love, family and what's really important in life.

So I believe we will see all of these plays before we travel to China. Right now I think we will get our referral in September, John thinks October, and I bet we travel in November while he's thinking December.

The 4th play we have tickets for (that I won at movie night) are for The Piano Teacher on Friday February 18, 2011. We can always trade these or give them away if think it is too soon for a babysitter. Anyhow here is the description:

The sweet, cookie-loving Mrs. K is the perfect picture of a caring grandmotherly piano teacher. When she decides to look up some of her old students, Mrs K unleashes a dark secret she can't quite understand. Featuring award-winning actress Dale Hodges in a tour-de-force role as the unwitting Mrs K, this cunning play artfully blends past and present to explore the mystery and unpredictability of memory and the human heart.

"An effective chiller, Julia Cho (playwright)has constructed her play with a keen sense of suspense."

The last play we have tickets for is The Pavilion.

Synopsis: Twenty years ago, Peter and Kari were the perfect couple - high school sweethearts and very much in love. When Kari got pregnant, a panicked Peter fled town. Now, at their high school reunion, Peter wants to win her back. He's still in love with her, but ... is she still in love with him? As the night progresses, Peter and Kari spin a tale of what-might-have-been with what-could-be. By turns poetic and comic, romantic and philosophical, The Pavilion has been hailed by critics as "an Our Town for our time."

I bought the seats early so we could get seats with ample leg room for him.

I also bought him some travel accessories (ones he told me he wanted) as well as a Reds video he wanted and a Red 2010 stat book.