Dana Daily

This little box might not look like much, but it's the one thing in my apartment that is all mine . My kids can't stand the stuff so it's my one "treat" that I don't have to sneak behind their backs to enjoy and I never have to share, ever. In fact, Sarah informed me today that maybe when she's a big person she'll like apple juice too.

Reilly's on a sunny day (definitely NOT today) Sarah's Ready-K class took a field trip to Reilly's Summer Seat Farm just off 279 in Ohio Township today. I had no idea this farm existed, but what a cute place. pumpkins on a good day We didn't have the best weather, drizzle off and on, and it was chilly, but no one complained about being cold. A hayride took us to the pumpkin patch with a stop along the way to hear the story of Stuffy the Scarecrow. The pumpkin patch was an absolute muddy mess. I wish I could have felt confident enough walking through to pull my camera out and snap a few pictures, but suffice it to say it was hard enough just to keep Emily and I vertical. Fortunately one of the Ready-K teachers walked with Sarah through the patch. After all the kids picked a pumpkin, we took another hayride to the cornstalk maze. Neither one of my kids had been thrilled with the corn maze at Coolspring Farm a few weeks ago so I wasn't expecting either o...

Three years ago at 8:17am, I met my little lovebug for the very first time. It's hard to believe so much time has passed, but it's true she is no longer a baby. She's a preschooler on the go. I've never seen a child more determined to do things herself. She makes me giggle and want to pull my hair out, often at the same time. Happy Birthday, Emmy. I love you!

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway. (poem attributed to Mother Theresa)  

                                                  Applefest weekend is my favorite time to "go home". My little hometown transforms into a festival of food, crafts, and entertainment for three days in October. The weather this year could not have been more perfect (sunny and warm). Here are a few pictures from the weekend (some of these are taken from the Applefest Facebook page; you'll recognize the people in the pictures I took). What would an apple festival be without an appearance by the iconic John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed)? Even better, he's learned to juggle since his early days of planting apple trees over this area of the country. I was a bit confused though because in 1997 (or so), I visited the grave of Johnny Appleseed in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Oh well. It's magic! There are many wonderful eats in Franklin's two parks. Here are Sarah a...

Charlotte took up residence in a protected corner of my office building (outside, of course) on the window and for weeks she was somewhat of a celebrity. We watched her grow and do all sorts of wonderful spider-y things. Coworkers would arrive in the morning and check on Charlotte before turning on their computers. People from other departments would swing by and ask how she was doing. Then one day she was gone. We left a presumably healthy and happy Charlotte on Friday, but on Monday all that remained was her enormous web and a few bits of her last meal. After a few weeks of hoping Charlotte would return we have just now come to terms with her passing and my coworker and fellow writer, Leslie Mitchell, drafted the following obituary (she may have taken some creative liberties), but please join us in mourning Charlotte’s passing. Demise of Local Celebrity Saddens MSA Associates, More or Less Charlotte, in happier times Charlotte , a yellow garden spider that took up her cel...

this seriously made me laugh out loud.