Call For Artists!

Second Sunday Stroll...Waynesville, Ohio Press Release



Second Sunday Stroll Committee Announces
Call for artists Waynesville, Ohio Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - Starting Sunday, May 10th, and running through September 13th,
Waynesville Merchants Association will again host a monthly art event known as Second Sunday Stroll. Local visual and performing artists including painters, sculptors, woodcarvers, photographers, musicians, dancers, singers and magicians are invited to participate. Individuals will be set up along the length of the Main Street historical district and on one block of High Street. All visual arts must be original and made by the artists themselves.
The artists must send samples of their art by regular mail or
electronically to the Stroll Committee for approval. Visual artists will be
permitted to sell their work as well as demonstrate their talents. Sign
up for one Stroll or plan to attend all the monthly Sunday events. The
Stroll Committee will have the final approval of all artists and art.

Artists will be required to pay a promotional fee of $15 per month
which will be used for advertising to promote the art event. There will be
a discounted Summer Pass available for $50 if paid by May 10th. This
pass will register the artist for the whole summer at a savings of $25.

Performing artists may include soloists or small groups who sing,
dance, play musical instruments, or present mini dramas. All performing
artists will be working for tips and CD sales will be permitted as well.
Again, artists must send samples of their work by regular mail or
electronically to the Stroll Committee for approval. Performing artists
are not required to pay any promotional fees.

2009 is our third year to host this event and we are welcoming
supporting guilds and galleries to the event again this year. Any artist
guild, cooperative or gallery who would like to offer support to this art
event would be greatly appreciated. For details about how your guild or
gallery can become recognized for any of the dates in 2009, please
contact info@secondsundaystroll.com or visit our website for more details.

The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars
to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural
enrichment for all Ohioans. Other sponsors include the Canada Goose Gallery
featuring the works of P. Buckley Moss, the Waynesville Area Chamber of
Commerce and several other Waynesville merchants.

The dates for the Second Sunday Stroll are May 10th, June 14th, July
12th, August 9th and September 13th from noon to 5pm. For more
information or to submit your artwork and register for any or all events, please
email info@secondsundaystroll.com or send US Mail to Carol Vacca, P.O. Box 743, Waynesville, Oh 45068 or call Carol at 513-897-3885

www.secondsundaystroll.com

The Little Things in Life Count

I have posed this question to several people, and often pondered upon it: Why do we go through such big bad things, such as death, illness, money problems, etc. and the good things are usually so small in comparison, such as seeing a flower bloom, enjoying a quiet afternoon reading on the porch, watching the waves break on the shore? It seems that the good things should be as big as the bad things and we should win the lottery, or get a great paying job, etc. If it seems that I sometime argue with God about this, I do.

But yesterday, I had an epiphany. My family and I have had to deal with the illness of my father and I am an only child so there is no siblings to help share the load with my mother, just me. The store is only two years old, the winter has not be conducive to shopping in a place where you walk outside from store to store, and the economy is having its problems. We have a house near the campus where my children have gone to college that we bought so that they could live there after their freshman years on campus (I wanted them to have a campus experience)and our youngest has been so involved in his college life that he has not lived in the house. Our last renters ended up in jail and left the place a mess and owing a great deal of back rent. We have not been able to rent it or sell it yet, but the mortgage and utilities still have to be paid.

Now, you may wonder why I am telling you this personal information. It is because these are big things that have been stressing myself and my family. As far as stress goes, I have felt very much at my limit lately. The nearly last straw was getting a notice to serve jury duty (my husband had been called up last month the same day our dog died) and this was not the first time. Right now, with my father, I really can't plan my days because I never know if he is going to need to need to be hospitalized (twice in the last three months) or if I am going to need to go to the doctor's with my parents at the last moment, so jury duty seems like the last thing I need.

But yesterday gave me a reprieve from the stress. Kerry and I made two good sales that totaled $100. My dad agreed to go to cardiac rehab for reconditioning and has been eating and taking liquids more which had been a real issue. Kerry and I are potentially going to receive help for our store's marketing from an unexpected source. Just little bits of good news but they really made me happier than I have been in some time. That's when I realized that it is a gift that God gives us--to be so happy about little things and that those little things can sometimes balance out the big bad things, or at the very least make them bearable.

There are really so many more little good things out there than big bad ones and while they may not make the bad things go away, they are God's way of helping us cope and one of his gifts to us is the ability to make each of the little good things alone give us so much pleasure that it takes a really big bad thing to mar it. In other words, on the scale of life, the pleasure in one small good thing is portionally greater that the sorrow of one big bad thing. We can't all be rich in material goods but we can all be rich in the ability to enjoy the small bits of bliss that come our way.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Just a quick note, we celebrated Grandma's birthday last night. We had a lovely evening with everyone gathered together. It was so lovely to be to be able to have the boys and have the family together. Happy birthday Grandma!

Happy Mardi Gras Y'all!

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is here! According to Catholic tradition, Fat Tuesday is celebrated the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. While most of us today don't eat meat on Fridays throughout Lent, try to give up something and/or try to do something to benefit others on a daily basis, and fast on a handful of days, in the past and in very "orthodox" Catholic families the fasting aspect is much stricter.

Fat Tuesday originated as an opportunity to clear the larder out of tempting indulgent foods and have one last shebang before the solemnity of Lent. Obviously, Mardi Gras has definitely evolved and grown over the years, especially in the town synonimous with Mardi Gras--New Orleans.

We are a little more traditional in my family. Every year for Mardi Gras, Dad makes us a big weekend breakfast spread with the all-important pancakes for dinner. (He is quite the cook...part of the reason Mom married him!) It is simple but delicious and filling which is important because the first day of fasting is tomorrow.

If you would like to make your own breakfast Mardi Gras Dinner you can find all sorts of Brunch recipes here!

Happy 75th Grandad!

This weekend was my Granddad's (Mom's Dad) 75th birthday! We closed up shop yesterday and headed on out to my grandparents' home in the country to celebrate. My older brother was unfortunately unable to come because of work but my younger brother was able to get away from campus in the evening and joined us. Given that he has such an intense schedule and is involved in so many things we don't get to see as much of him as we would like and were thrilled to see him. We had brought his English Springer, Gabby, with us and she, in particular, was in alt that she was getting to see "her boy".

It was a lovely, laid back evening of t.v., pizza (the birthday boy's choice) and cake that Mom had made. Granddad has not been in the best of health the last few months. About four weeks ago, just before our beloved Aussie terrier mix Oreo passed away, he went into the hospital and ended up staying just shy of three weeks. He is doing better but he is still very weak and not doing as well as we would all like. It was wonderful that he was able to be up with us to celebrate this milestone. We are all praying that by this time next year he will be able to get out and about to make a day of his birthday and any prayers that you have to spare would be greatly appreciated.

Next week it is Grandma's turn. As she is a southern lady born and bred, hailing from Kentucky, I will not say what year she will be celebrating, it will suffice to say that she is the younger of the two!


Kerry