An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but will never break.
- Ancient Chinese Proverb
None of these pictures do it justice but this stunning painting is hanging in our 3rd floor stairwell as of tonight. We are just "trying in on" until the end of the year ... but hopefully we will make this it's permanent home.
Below is a picture of the shelter built in 2008 in memory of Matt Maupin. Also a picture of Matt Maupin who died at age 21.
For most Cincinnatians he is the face of the soldiers killed in the Iraq war. He was captured after his convoy was hit by rocket propelled grenades in 2004. His parents kept his missing status in the press and a huge yellow ribbon campaign in his name developed all over town. His body was recovered in 2008. This shelter was built by the local community and his high school friends that same year.
Saturday morning we went to Spring Grove, John to run the course for a race coming up soon and myself just to walk. Spring Grove is easily the prettiest cemetery I have ever seen. When I first moved to Cincinnati I thought it was so strange that people went to a cemetery for their wedding, graduation, etc pictures.
But Spring Grove is different ...as well as historical.
The landscape architect who designed it, Adolph Strauch (1822 - 1883) is buried here. It was somewhat of a fluke that he even came to Cincinnati but this city certainly benefited that he did . Strauch designed Mt Storm, parts of Eden Park and Spring Grove. His naturalistic style and rolling views were considered cutting edge at the time. I don't think he fared well with Park Board politics and left his position acrimoniously. But still he is buried here.
There are many other famous people buried here including:
as well as many Civil War Generals and lots of baseball players.
Another famous person buried at Spring Grove is Nicholas Longworth (1783-1863). The thing that surprised me Longworth's headstone is that it isn't old and is relatively modest. This Nicholas Longworth (there were many with the same name in this family) was one of the wealthiest Americans in the 1860's as well as Cincinnati's first millionaire. When he died he left an estate worth $10M.
He was many things in his lifetime, including lawyer, land owner and viticulturist. In 1830 he bought the Taft house on Pike Street and I believe this is where he lived while he cultivated his land today known as Mt Adams, one of his vineyards.
Not a great picture but it was a sweet scene of a family feeding a swan.
The Taft Museum from Lytle Park. Starting May 9th (I was corrected in my comment attached)the Taft is free on Sunday's. This may be a plan for us after church this summer.
Lytle Park look towards the new tallest building in Cincinnati, the Great American Building at Queen City Square. The "tiara" is supposed to be placed on this building next month. Supposedly the architect, Gyo Obata, got his tiara design inspiration from a photo of Diana, Princess of Wales. Total cost for this building is around $322M and over 1/2 of this 41 story building will be occupied by Great American Insurance Company. According to US Senator (and former OH Governor) George Voinivich (June 2008, Cincinnati Enquirer) this building will stimulate economic growth in our city and also guarantee people will want to move and stay here too. Well I hope so but to me that seems like a strange way to state this buildings importance and impact. Also kind odd timing considering what happened economically in the fall of 2008.
So back to my walk downtown and little bit of Cincinnati history. This blue door is the entrance to the Literary Club and is right across the street from Lytle Park on Fourth Street. It is believed to be the oldest literary club in the country in continuous existence.
The ship outside the Western-Southern building.
The University Club clock with the Reds stadium in the background. My appointment was at noon so I had some time to wander around downtown.
There were some tourist hiring the carriages. I am glad we have kept some of our skywalks but there has been a trend to get rid of them. Some people think they are unattractive. But if we hopefully get people to come downtown again I think we will like ways to move pedestrians around traffic again.
Here is a headline I saw on the street yesterday. It is also what I believe will be one of the things that will bring people, particularly younger, to Cincinnati and get them to stay. Oh, this has been divisive topic in our town but I will go on record (on my rarely read blog) as being all for it.
Mix of old and new architecture.
Irises on Baum Street on my way home.
And the goldfish bath plug I bought for Audrey from the Contemporary Art Center gift shop. I hope it doesn't creep her out but if it does we will use it in our bathroom.
I'm also thinking about buying it for the conservatory gift shop as we have some $ open with this manufacturer and resembles a koi which can certainly pass for Japanese themed product.
Last night we went to Teak for dinner. Since we have had our windows open for the last couple of weeks and yesterday was a very warm day, in the 80's so we decided to take advantage of other people's a/c. We did our usual which was split an appetizer and an entree which last night was chicken satay and yellow chicken curry.
The red, white and blue burgee, 2nd visible one from was the one John and I exchanged with the Venice Yacht Club several years ago. We were not the least bit surprised when the Venice manager said he had never heard of MAYC. No comment either about the picture of a ship over a hill on the burgee either.
The Daffodils in the perennial section and courtyard are in full bloom.
I can believe I did not notice the brunnera coming in on the slope until this morning.
Scilla is starting to perenialize.
Snowdrops.
I wonder if this is the Solomon Seal.
Tulips should bloom in a week or so.
