Summer Vacation to Cincinnati

It has been a long time since we have vacationed in Cincinnati. I was born and raised there living in the same house until I went away to college. My mom still lives in that house. We stayed there. It was great to stay for so many days and get the chance to hang out with family.

We arrived very late Friday night pushing ourselves to get there for the Great Ohio River swim. My son and niece were going to swim the 1/2 mile across the river and back. It would have been their first open water experience. Unfortunately, the swim was cancelled do to high bacteria levels and large amounts of debris in the river. It stormed the few days before and churned up the water. This is as close to the water as they got!

The swim was scheduled to be held in conjunction with the Paddlefest. Wow! There were lots of kayaks on the river. It looked like fun and I filed it away as on option to do in the future.

We all walked across a pedestrian bridge to Newport. It was windy and you could really see the trees aka debris in the river. Pumpkin saw the buoy he would have swam around. His eyes bulged a bit and he commented that it looked farther than he thought.

My sister, Gina, had a 4th of July party on Sunday, 6/29. There were lots of people, kids and food. The party was fun. I enjoyed the chance to meet the people she routinely talks about on the phone. And, I got to hang out with my family.

We convinced my mom to let us pull the paint out. We painted the bathroom she uses on the first floor. It was the least we could do. It did not take too much time to put the two coats on. It is a small bathroom and required some dancing around each other as we painted.

The boys and my brother, Rick, went golfing one afternoon on an executive course. It was raining pretty good as they drove to the course. Miraculously, the skies cleared and they had a wonderful time. Their uncle knows how to make them happy. The first thing I heard when I saw them was that 10 year old Peanut got to drive the golf cart. I wish I had a picture to show. Gotta love it! While they were golfing, my sister-in-law, Joyce, and I got lost in IKEA. There is a new one in West Chester. I had not been in one for a very long time. It was amazing. I bought some lamps, fabric, candlesticks and some yummy cookies. It was so much fun to look at everything and to spend the time with Joyce.

Inspired by the Paddlefest, we rented kayaks and did six miles on the Little Miami River. The weather was perfect. The skies were blue with puffy white clouds. It was warm enough that you did not mind the splashes of the cool river water. We each got our own kayaks. I loved it! I am all for buying our own, adding the rack to the car, and exploring via kayaking. Towards the end, the boys hopped in the water and played around. I did not even think of bringing a change of clothes. They were a bit cold riding home in the car. We all slept great that night!

I only had my cell phone with me. The battery was about out. Unfortunately, I did not get any better pictures:(

We hung out at the Evendale Rec Center one day. I thought I covered my white skin with sunscreen. I obviously missed some spots and am now sporting a not-so-fancy tan line. It looks like it may even peel. We reached a milestone as the boys entertained themselves in the pool. It was nice to just hang out and talk to my sister and niece.

I got to shop at Jungle Jim's. This amazing complex started as just a fruit stand in 1974. It is a highlight for me to go wander the aisles. I always tell my family they can be happy we don't live close as they would be subjected to trying lots of different foods. We bought a few things for the 4th of July family picnic.

Our nephews celebrated their birthdays. The party was supposed to be a swim party. But, the weather did not cooperate. It became a big play date at my sister's house. They played bingo, wordsearch and competed for putting, hitting and throwing the farthest. The boys all seemed to enjoy themselves. I loved helping my sister and getting to know the kids her boys play with.


The weather was not the best on the 4th. Instead of hanging out at the pool, we opted for the movies. We went to see WALL E. It got so much good hype and I had very high expectations. It is a wonderful movie, but was bit slow in parts. There is so much deep meaning. We could watch it again and again to get more out of it. The creativity is wonderful and it does try to entertain all ages. We had quite a group at the movies. That was fun! I don't ever remember going to the movies with that many family members.

To end the visit, we celebrated the 4th with a BarBQ at my sister, Rita's. I made the Chopped Layered Salad from the cookbook Simply Salads by Jennifer Chandler. My mom's trifle bowl was just big enough. The recipe makes lots. I can't wait to make it again here at home. It would be great to make and eat off of all week long!


We brought Buddy with us. He is a wonderful traveler. Growing up, we had a little poodle mutt named Cinder. She lived for 17 years. My parents never got another dog. I just could not believe how much companionship Buddy brought my mother. She has lived alone in the house since my dad passed away twelve years ago. She talked to the dog constantly. I was worried because he is a big dog and she is a petite older lady. It was as if Buddy knew. He was great with her. I told her she should get a dog, but she is afraid of tripping over a small dog and feels she can't exercise a big dog. I did five minutes of research on the computer and found out there are companion dogs for the elderly. I need to explore that more. I just think a dog may bring more happiness into her life.

We had a wonderful visit. The only regret I have is not calling some old friends. Each time I head that way, I have good intentions. But, then I don't follow through. I did think about lots of them. Please forgive me-again-for not calling. One day I just may surprise you when you pick up the phone!

Here's to a great trip to Cincinnati!