MAPLE SIDEBAR

ARE YOU A POT MAN DOING OR A POT MAN BEING?

2011-06-13T06:53:00.000-04:00

In May I am a pot man doing. By the end of the week I will be a pot man being. How about you?

GOING TO THE COUNTRY

2011-04-22T09:20:00.000-04:00

In past years we have gone to Hooterville for the Easter weekend.

We pass the time shooting guns. I nailed Santa Claus right between the eyes. The Easter Bunny didn't fair too well either.

Then we drink wine and watch the turkeys watch the turkeys.

Dehlia tries hard to remind us that we are surrounded by the beauty of nature.

In the quiet of the morning it is mystical. This year we are hearing the call of the Steve Miller Band and Greg Allman in Toledo. Think spring and be thankful.

PHILOSOPHY-Embrace and Plan for Imperfection

2011-04-21T15:11:00.000-04:00


"People are into how it looks, because they think it is going to feel the way it looks."-Carrie Fisher They think they want perfection and if and when their surroundings are perfect then they will be happy. The thing about nature is that it isn't perfect- it is gloriously imperfect!

This is a pedestrian walk way at The National Mall, a national park in downtown Washington, D.C. I took this picture 20 years ago because I was impressed that the health of this tree was more important than paving. Below is a picture of our front sidewalk in Cleveland Heights, a Tree City. Many trees in Cleveland Heights have had their roots cut in the desire to maintain flat sidewalks. Of course the section of the tree canopy that was fed by that root would die as a result. We've been homeowners in this suburb since 1975. We had had an elderly neighbor who didn't even drive, forced to build a 2 car garage and a paved driveway. It has been a housing violation to have a gravel driveway or a divided driveway in which a central strip of lawn runs the length of the driveway.

Our tree lawn has clover and many other "weeds." Despite being a lazy gardener, I have tried over the years to maintain some semblance of suburban "perfection," but I do not like to use weed killers. I keep it watered and cut. I do not collect the grass clippings. I allow them to decompose and feed the lawn.

Just as a pear shaped woman should wear a colorful scarf around her neck to call attention to her face and away from her hips, I hope that my landscape will be appreciated for the gardens and not judged by the condition of the grass.

Recycled road paving bricks comprise much of our hardscape. Their irregularities make it next to impossible to have tight joints between the bricks. This is part of the charm of my deliberately imperfect landscape. Many years I have thrown white alyssum seeds all over the patio with a resulting frothy white softness. I pull weeds only as they offend me. Our front brick sidewalk is a primary source of nicotiana sylvestris seedlings. Once I have plucked those seedlings out, I will spray the bricks with full strength household vinegar allowing the sunshine and the acid to fry the weeds.

Once brown, the weeds burn off. A weed burning flame thrower is a tool guaranteed to get the men in your life interested in helping.

We had a 14 foot square patch of lawn in the back yard for the dogs. I do not miss the annual spring clean up. I decided to replace the lawn with 3 tons of pea gravel (which I moved all by myself!) By embracing wabi-sabi, the aesthetic of beauty that is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete, I find time to relax and enjoy my yard.

A new client told me about the $300 per month she was paying to keep her lawn perfect. This reliance on perfect grass was detrimental to her 3 year old son's health and she was still not pleased with her curb appeal. I recommended putting the aesthetic emphasis on creating a landscape that had good bones. I used the analogy that a homely woman with perfect skin is still homely, whereas Audrey Hepburn, would be beautiful despite any complexion flaws. The best landscape should be like a little black dress, always pleasing because of its' effective design, but changeable by the addition of a colorful scarf. The effort could be put into a courtyard with a bench that would beckon year round with spring and summer flowering plants, fluorescent fall foliage and architectural evergreens.
Tomorrow, April 22nd, is Earth Day- a day intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. What if, instead of demanding perfection in our landscapes, via chemicals and concrete, we accepted imperfection?

Our properties don't have to be exactly right. They just have to feel right. Nature has always been here to remind us to mind our priorities. Happiness comes from being gentle, forgiving and generous to oneself and experiencing our world the same way. No happiness will be gained by having complete control over nature.

The mantis in the first picture is praying that we figure this out.

Do you need help figuring out how to feel happy in your garden?

I can help- contact me at lesliescottdsign@sbcglobal.net
or call me at 216-381-1827.

PHILOSOPHY-The problems of the site create the greatest opportunities for interest

2011-04-15T20:47:00.000-04:00

After spending over an hour this afternoon going through 30,000+ digital pics on my mac looking for the before picture of this landscape, I decided to appeal to your imagination: small, pie-shaped property, detached garage, dominant driveway, numerous vehicles and a basketball hoop. Where to begin the design process? .....figure out how to lose the driveway, retain the access, keep the patio from feeling closed in and allow for basketball to be played.


The American dream is to have multiple cars and 5 acres. The greater American dream is to not have to look at the cars when relaxing on the patio!


These are just a few examples from my projects and they are focused on the problem of losing the driveway. With over 2,700 projects in my career, many of them on smaller suburban properties, losing the driveway has often been the starting point in the design process. It has rarely been, "Where are we going to put the petunias?" Landscape design is not just about plants- it is about creating outdoor living spaces that include plants. In my experience, the most difficult properties- dark, small, irregularly shaped- have ended up the best, because I really had to think hard and come up with my most original ideas. My objectivity and expertise in problem solving and space planning can spare you frustration and expense. I want your landscape to feel as comfortable as your family room.

PHILOSOPHY-Take away the plants --what are the bones of the garden?

2011-04-13T11:49:00.001-04:00

In northern Ohio, we have almost half a year of living inside, looking outside. Far too many people wait for May flowers to love their view. A landscape with good bones looks good 365 days a year.

Take away the plants --

what are the bones of the garden?

and

consider year round views from all angles

If your view this past winter could have been better,

please contact me at lesliescottdsign@sbcglobal.net

or call me at 216-381-1827.

ADDICTED TO POTs

2011-04-08T23:06:00.002-04:00


Why is this woman smiling?

................................because yesterday was pot day!


This is the day each spring when I pull the plastic bags off of the good ceramic containers and arrange all the flowerpots for the season. The story of my addiction is a logical sequence of events, but, it is a cautionary tale, as container gardening is a slippery slope.

I was younger then. We had a Gordon Setter who looked fabulous on furniture, but not so great in the gardens.

Then we had puppies and kept one! I had gone to the dogs.

I wanted the all-summer long high of COLOR that annuals provide. But dogs and bedding annuals play Rock, Scissors, Paper: the dogs are the rocks and the annuals are the scissors. I began with whatever small pots I had, but I quickly realized that larger containers were necessary-so my pot collection grew along with my addiction to COLOR.

I would spend the entire month of May visiting every garden center and greenhouse in northern Ohio fulfilling my lust for color. Soon I became obsessed with sampling every exotic new plant. My forays expanded far and wide-east on Route 2 to the Pennsylvania border; south to Columbus to Baker's Acres. I stopped bringing my husband with me, because he took up space in the car that could be filled with plants! A plant junkie lives a solitary existence.

My garden became ungaptchka! a Yiddish word that describes the overly ornate, busy, ridiculously over-decorated, and garnished to the point of distaste

Many years passed. I aged considerably. I took to drinking wine to quell the boredom while watering all of these pots for the second time on hot summer days. I gave up golf because I couldn't be away from the pots. Bill cooked all of the meals because I was always watering POTS! There were rarely any new annuals to satisfy my thirst for visual stimulation.

The pendulum swung, my budget and my energies had bottomed out. I had to fill the pots, but how? Out of desperation, I looked around at what I already had in the garden. Like Scarlet O'Hara and the draperies, I turned my little chin to the west.....and saw hostas. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, I divided them with a fury, filling most of the pots with ribbons of green, leaving only a few spots for my coveted COLOR.

Miraculously, by having the courage to change, I found serenity.

But I have an addictive personality and having discovered that the hostas were surviving our zone 5 winters, I began to experiment with other perennials. My curiosity was rewarded. Delphiniums came back year after year by not having wet feet in cold clay beds. Sedums dripped over the edges of my moss baskets. Burgundy foliage heucheras, silvery grey cerastiums, strippy yellow hakonechloas, fern leaf filipendula vulgaris and even ferns were all thriving. All I had to do was buy a few flats of low maintenance annual color like impatiens and coleus.

It didn't take long for me to want to experiment with the the continuous high of evergreens.

Discovering that a big dwarf Alberta spruce would survive in a container, I scored a load of starter evergreens from the Lowe's Home Improvement Store. At only $6@ the tiny dwarf Alberta spruces were comparable in price to fancy annuals.

They have survived a brutally cold northern Ohio winter. With the money I've saved, I have installed drip irrigation.

Arborvitae have been planted, in pots, to create privacy for the courtyard potting bench/bar that our son, Greg, built for us. Clematis and hops vines are filling the trellises.

Bill and I spend the golden hours of early evening together.

Fellow pot queen and gardener Linda Klein, nationally regarded for her exquisite gardens in Shaker Heights, is happy that my landscape is no longer "ungapatchka."

Perhaps, bugs will be the only problem this year.

If you know anyone with a garden problem, please give them my number 216-381-1827. If you know anyone who likes to laugh- please send them this blog.

IT'S SO INVOLVED BEING ME

2011-04-05T23:15:00.001-04:00


M.I.A.= missing in action / March is already over! Where did it go? What did I do? First observation is: that procrastinating on prepping for taking the taxes to the accountant is absolutely the best motivation to get everything else done ! Second-anybody who leaves their house to work 40 hours a week away from home should stop reading now. I don't know how you do it- YOU ARE AMAZING!

I live and die by the LIST. Hoisted on one's petard if you will. I imagine when I die, I will have my final list stuck to my chest with a Sharpie marker! You laugh, but I have a list of questions for St. Peter, percolating as I write this.

Bill snorts with laughter over my lists-

I wonder how he manages without them!

My background is time management/production control, so is it any wonder I begin every list with "get up-drink coffee"? You have no idea how satisfying it is to cross "get up" off a list!

Back to what happened to March:
The days are long, but the weeks/years are short!

This winter of relentless cold and horrible head colds allowed me to laugh when Toyota sent me a reminder that I needed my 5,000 mile check up and I was still at 2,000 miles.

But it also permitted me to procrastinate on doing the taxes, thereby:

scanning a lifetime of photos into my mac - giving myself inspiration for infinite blog posts and/or ways to embarrass our son, Greg.

Facebook enabled me to reconnect with old friends, after seeing them in all my old pics! When I was tall, skinny and covered with mosquito bites from scratching in my sleep on sheets covered with Lake Michigan sand, my older brothers called me Scabby. My mother, with questionable parental wisdom, told them to call me Abby. Mary Ann, my best friend from elementary school, brought back floods of memories simply by calling me Ab in our recent phone conversation.


Fifth grade-Grand Haven, Michigan: that's me, in the back row, to the right of my friend, Mary Ann Wester (Neary). Mary Ann is now residing in Clearwater, and burning up the golf courses up and down the west coast of Florida.


I found a little dirt on Bill.


The yard is cleaned up thanks to my secret weapons: Keith Biehl, who is a pruning pro; and Phil Hewitt, an industrious JCU senior and soccer player, who is impervious to cold. Bill's old HP computer finally turned to stone, so I switched him to the Vista ZT pc that we bought 4 years ago, but never used, because Vista sucks. Another talented JCU computer science major, Andy Whillans, transitioned the PC change and helped me with all the HTML gibberish on my blog. After watching a skunk waddle under our garage door one morning, I took the Google crash course on SKUNKS. Dressed in all of Bill's clothes that I loathe, I proceeded to skunk-proof the garage with ammonia, moth balls, leaving Rush Limbaugh and lights on 24/7 until the end of April. I resolved the Third Federal home equity line issue, getting it reinstated, but only after a reappraisal and paying down our principal by $10,000. Bill and I finally cleaned out all of our kitchen cabinets-YUCK and YEAH!!! I took Bill to Primo Vino for the cannelini beans and spinach then I made them for guests, who asked for the recipe!!!!

We enjoyed a sunny St. Patrick's Day at Marios, accompanied by Keith, the pruning pro. Keith totally loved the bar maids at Marios, causing our son to comment that Keith really is a player masquerading as a gardener.


We had several very sad funerals and one very happy birthday-Greg turned 30 on March 22nd! You gotta love the first photo of our 12 lb 8.5 oz bouncing baby boy. Notice the pediatric ward "football jersey"

Finally chose the granite table top for our front porch from Marble and Granite Concepts , 1521 E 47th , Cleveland, 216-361-2410.
Carmello has the most charming accent and Jimmy is super cute and helpful.

I read blogs and discovered that Chico's sells TALL sizes online.
I took the Knees and Hips courses at Green Tara Yoga.
I reconnected with my old friend, Jody Schrock, now a Hatha Yoga instructor, by taking her class at the Cleveland Heights Recreation Center.
I finally had the electrical work and ice melt cables installed by Mike Pustai- 216-906-9440
There were weekly visits to Brush High School Cosmetology, to get my hair done; Costco to buy bananas and tabbouleh; and Whole Foods for hyacinths and gerbera daisies.
Plus, once a week chiropractic adjustments by Dr. Jessica Shelley, who specializes in gentle,effective, non-force chiropractic care. Cuyahoga Chiropractic- 14100 Cedar Road, University Heights, phone 216-297-9779.

And, as the sun rediscovered Cleveland, I enjoyed many a late afternoon glass of wine while watching the sun pixelate off of the disco ball on my dining room table, while I read Mary Randolph Carter's book "A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of a Misspent Life."

credits:

anne taintor, inc- for "it's so involved being me"

Darby Conley- Get Fuzzy for "I am the list"

HOW WOODIE GOT HIS NAME-AN XXX RATED POST FOR A LONG WINTER'S DAY

2011-02-25T12:57:00.004-05:00

Woodie and I were sitting around today wishing it was warmer outside.


Since I don't feel like working on taxes, I thought I'd share his story with you. Woodie's primary job is to keep anyone from sitting on my grandmother's antique desk chair. It had been repaired 3 times when I met Woodie at the Prizm art store and realized he would look better on that chair than any of our guests. (Murphy's Law #275: the largest man will sit on the smallest, most valuable chair.)


Our friends, Dave and Ellen, joined us for an evening of Caipirinhas and conversation. Many cocktails later Dave decided the pestle was better suited as a pistol for the newest member of our family.

He was so innocent and helpful in the beginning. Not only did he protect the chair, his silhouette in the front window was a deterrent to criminals.

Eight years ago, I was regularly awake at 3 in the morning. Some people count sheep to go back to sleep- I thought up seasonally appropriate hard-ons for Woodie.

Yes, Woodie speaks softly and carries a large stick. A precious gift from my husband, Bill found this beaver gnawed bough while fishing in the Cheat River in West Virginia. Woodie's left hand rests on the green scrapbook which contains all his exploits. Humping Humphrey, the little dog on his leg, was a gift from our friend Pat, who knows how much I love battery operated toys!

At this point, you may be wondering if we are providing a proper environment for Woodie. While the cleaning ladies have refused to dust him, we make sure he is in a temperature controlled room. Last year while listing several boxes of books for sale on Amazon, I discovered Woodie's sordid past.


Money is no problem. We will spend anything to right the wrongs. It is a new year and we hope to finally rehabilitate Woodie. Can you recommend a good glue? We saved all of his fingers.

RAILINGS- CAN'T LIVE WITH THEM - CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THEM

2011-02-21T11:59:00.001-05:00

Thirty years ago we rebuilt the steps and replaced the broken step tread where the railing was attached (lower right corner of photo) which satisfied the city's point of sale violation.

Fifteen years ago this tree root seemed to be our only problem. Our plan was to remove the tree, landscape to allow for growth and get on with other projects on the Maple Road to-do list. Then the arborist took a cell phone call while he was grinding the stump. The grinder hit the railing knocking the corner off the concrete porch and breaking the step tread again.

Twelve years ago the floor refinisher spilled dark stain all over the concrete porch floor. Though highly recommended by Angie's List, we sadly discovered he had no insurance. Thus, we decided to put our money into covering the porch floor with Naturestone. We have been thrilled with this choice.

We managed to live without a railing for many years, but I do wear high heels occasionally and our friends aren't getting any younger. Three years ago, I hired American Ironworks (216-641-5050) to create a durable railing from my design. Owners, Tom Rose and Bryan Harko worked with me suggesting materials, coatings and installation methods.

The offset posts will guarantee that we never break another step tread because of stress on the railing.

Good design solves problems.
1/3 homeowner input + 1/3 design + 1/3 contractor = 100% successful project.
Too many home owners are afraid that professional design advice and custom-built projects are beyond their budget. In fact experienced design guidance empowers people to make informed decisions and custom work is often surprisingly affordable.

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten." -Ben Franklin

THIS BITCH WAS A LUSH!

2011-02-19T18:06:00.000-05:00

Life was simpler back in the late 70's. We had not yet filled our home or bodies with lots of stuff that required maintenance. Without the distractions of cable TV and technology our friends got together nightly, partying and playing bridge! Our first house was located close to all the bars in Cleveland Heights. As a result, our first child, Holly, an English Springer spaniel was surrounded by Stroh's beer bottles almost every day.

Constantly surrounded by adults, Holly was a precocious pup. I spent hours training her to do tricks, including the classic "roll over."

Any bottle of beer left on the floor immediately became Holly's.

Having positioned the bottle of beer between her two front paws she would roll over on her back and chug it.

Bill's older brother Bobby (in the blue leisure suit) was a career army sargeant. Bobby taught Holly a trick worthy of David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks. He would bark at her, "What does that girl do for her money?"
Our sweet little Holly would immediately drop to the floor, roll onto her back and throw all four legs straight up in the air!

Our friends with children would remark how much different life would be once we had a real baby. Yes, life changed for us and for Holly!

Holly was perfectly trained in less than a year and thirty years later we are still working on Greg.

Discussions regarding who is the real bitch in the first photo should include Liz Anson-Talbot. How cute was Liz back then?!!!!!

FAITH? SUPERSTITION? POSITIVE ENERGY!!!!!!!!!

2011-02-13T18:34:00.001-05:00

Bill and I met in 1974. It is 2011 and we are still together. Maple Road has been our home since 1981. We officially implemented Feng Shui in the early 90's. Furniture was arranged with an eye towards logic, comfort and flow. Color choices were influenced by the bagua to optimize all areas of our lives. Objects were placed to enhance desired effects and "cure" areas needing improvement.

The fountain in the rear right "RELATIONSHIP" corner of our garden.

FENG SHUI BAGUA

Being clear about what we want.........

the couple in the rear right corner of our dining room,

which is in the rear right corner of our house;

which is our relationship corner!

after all these years....

DO WE LOOK ALIKE?

Happy Valentine's Day!

There are eight million stories in the Naked City; this has been one of them.

2011-02-08T16:26:00.000-05:00

Riveting video-thank you Channel 5

Bill and Greg killing time before the big implosion October 1982.

The Cuyahoga Building and the 16 story Williamson Building

the morning after the implosion

200 Public Square aka the BP Building

Photo by Lisa Chamberlain http://www.flickr.com/photos/polis/47814441/ Category:Cleveland, Ohio )

THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT

2011-02-03T15:07:00.001-05:00

Life was simpler before I met this rabbit in 1975. My income was as small as my accumulation of possessions. This bunny was the beginning of my downfall. He was the first tchotchke I ever bought AND I paid full retail!

Liz Anson was living with Bill and me in our first home on Whitethorn in Cleveland Heights. Liz and I went to the Higbee's at the new Randall Park Mall. (Hard to believe that 35 years later this shopping center is a ghost town where I wouldn't feel safe getting out of the car and Higbee's is now Dillards.) I agonized over spending the $10. It's been down hill ever since.

"White Rabbit" by the Jefferson Airplane came out in 1967 but still reminds me of the music we were listening to in the 1970's. Two weeks ago Bill and I went to a benefit at the Western Reserve Historical Society. It was titled Somewhere in Time: 70's Fever. The honorary chair was Hank LoConti, owner of the Agora. I focused on 70's/Agora and not on Fever and was surprised to find the theme was disco. We were with good friends and had a great time regardless. As soon as I got home I googled the music of the 1970's. I was relieved to discover that I had not fried my brain. I feel sure the party was planned by thirty year olds.

I still adore my white rabbit, but the Year of the Rabbit is going to find me selling, not buying, more stuff!

What were you listening to in the 1970'?

GOOD CHI AND THE GROUNDHOG

2011-02-02T16:25:00.001-05:00

I've been sharing our good chi with a groundhog.

Our feng shui water feature is placed directly due east of the front door to attract auspicious chi, abundance and good fortune.The fountain bubbles away 365 days a year allowing positive chi to freely enter our home. Late one night, this fall, I heard the sloshing and clanging of the groundhog pushing the papyrus aside and bathing in the beneficial yang energy of our little pond.

Later that week I was standing on the front porch and watched him waddle down the neighbor's front walk and meander into our front beds.

Upon googling groundhogs, I learned their holes are HUGE!

I am a lazy gardener. I do not mulch and I do not like to pull weeds. My beds are covered with plentiful perennials surrounding the trees and shrubs. By July, I don't see soil any more. Prior to seeing our neighborhood groundhog I was confident wading through the hostas. Now I have visions of holes that would swallow my size 10 feet.

Bill assures me that he has seen Mr. Groundhog emerge from a hole next to the neighbor's front porch. I think any self respecting marmot would want to live the high life in lushly planted raised beds with a private swimming pool.

Can I find harmony with nature while worrying about my ankles?

Will the groundhog at least bring us an early spring?
stay tuned.......

JAMES BROWN IS A MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY

2011-01-28T14:59:00.000-05:00

Sandra Bullock and I have something in common. James Brown became a treasured member of our family years ago. It was before 2000, because that was the year we renovated the kitchen. HGTV's show "If These Walls Could Talk" had us considering a time capsule in an empty spot behind a cabinet. The night before the granite counter top installation, potential mementos were seriously debated. The image of James being removed from the wall during a kitchen redo 50 years in the future had us all wondering if the Eveready batteries would still power "The Godfather of Soul's" dancing and singing rendition of "I Feel Good." Ultimately, I could not part with James, although I have since purchased 2 more for posterity.

First time I changed his batteries, I discovered James Brown's white butt!

When my friends with larger homes are carrying on about trying to keep toilet paper in all 8 bathrooms, I empathize. While I only have 2 baths to maintain, I have scores of toys. Bill has come home to find me, exhausted on the recliner from an afternoon with the Phillips head screwdriver and the Costco packages of replacement batteries.

Those of you who have been so wonderful to follow my new baby blog might have been perplexed by a posting of this blog without captions earlier this week. Unlike James, I haven't felt so good since late last week. The head cold from Hell was holding my sense of humor hostage. In the wee hours of the morning, wanting to learn how to insert a video in my blog, I attempted a post, blew my nose, then deleted the post seconds later. Cyberspace was faster than my sneeze--my apologies.

I've broken onto the other side and feeling much better now and hope you feel good too. Here's to a great weekend and hoping this post works!

LAUGHING AT LAKE EFFECT SNOW

2011-01-18T17:19:00.000-05:00

A client had relocated here from Texas. She suggested we Clevelanders needed a drinking game
-every time the TV said "Lake effect snow...."
we would do a shot!

I survive winter by imagining the flowers in my garden.....

and I try to laugh a lot.

She has moved back to warmer climates.

I send out for 2 buck Chuck.

NOT DIGGING FOR THE NEWSPAPER ANYMORE!

2011-01-17T16:55:00.006-05:00

Buster, the cat, and I get up at the crack of dawn everyday. I drink coffee and read blogs and Buster lays on my chest. I happily leave retrieving the newspaper to Bill.

The internet is upsetting our division of labor.

Bill likes to remark that I have it easy.

But, just as Ginger did it backwards in heels.......

I do this reclining backwards with a cat on me.

He, who must not be disturbed.

WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY! MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

2011-01-16T13:33:00.009-05:00

I purchased this 336 page cookbook, FAIRMOUNT FARE at a rummage sale. It is a fascinating collection of recipes hand written with drawings by each of the contributors. The women were all members of Fairmount Presbyterian Church and some of their daughters are the older women I have met in their Guild. The Recipes From the Deep South is amazingly politically incorrect by today's standards and is remarkable because of its' guilessness.

The table of contents shows post war recipes, so I assume it was created in the mid-1940s.

There were dozens of recipes with Knox gelatin and meat and vegetables. I included the pork cubed recipe because it sounds particularly unappetizing.

Grandpa's Love Letter

2011-01-14T09:26:00.005-05:00

Floyd Leslie Thompson is my grandfather. I was named for him. I'm glad I was a girl, as Floyd is a rather flat name. Grandpa signed all his paintings F. Leslie Thompson so it is safe to assume he didn't think Floyd was the sexiest name either.

Grandpa wrote Grandma a love letter in 1911 before they were married. He was a young man working in Cleveland and though they were both from Chicago, Grandma was in New Mexico.

I had it framed by The Wood Trader in a two-sided frame so that the entire card can be enjoyed.

I'm 57 years old and I still snicker like 5 year old whenever I see the name Fannie! Grandma was actually quite the proper WASP.

I keep a jar of Noxzema just so I can open it and smell her.

I love the comment that Cleveland "is quite boisterous in public. Things are allowed here that would not be tolerated in Chicago."

Chicago must have worked pretty hard to change its' reputation by the 1920s!

Imagine a time before men were glued to the Sports Channels.............

"Talk about lonesome and getting fits. Why you ought to see me Sunday nights. I just go wild and tear my hair for want of your company."

Well Dearies, this is the only love letter I possess. If the house is burning I'd grab it right after yelling to Bill to turn off the TV.

Duh, it is snowing

2011-01-13T21:55:00.004-05:00

Cleveland Winters - A Haiku by Adam Ross

Duh, it is snowing

It does this every season

Do not act surprised

I've lived in Cleveland, Ohio on Maple Road for 30 years.
I know that the sun will come out eventually.
I know that spring will come.

I have created a cocoon.
This blog will be the story of the creation of that cocoon-
and the life that develops in it.