A Very Blustery Day in Northcentral Ohio

September 14th was a little more than just a blustery day as remnants of Hurricane Ike came rolling through Ohio. Throughout the day, the winds increased in speed and intensity, hitting its peak between 4:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Winds of upward of 70 mph ripped through the Missouri Lick Valley, leaving leaf litter, broken branches and upturned lawn ornaments in its wake. Due to the force of those winds, power outages occurred across the state of Ohio from about 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. Our little corner of the universe lost power at about 6:10 p.m. and we didn't regain power until Tuesday evening at about 8:50 p.m. It's fortunate my husband is an electrician and we could get our hands on a generator!

About 2.6 million people lost power in Ohio with many not regaining electricity until a week later. Newspapers stated that when all is said and done the cost of this storm would reach upwards of $500 million. This total includes insurance claims and money spent in restoring power.

Here's a short video clip to let you experience the sights and sounds of that unforgettable day!

Kindergarten Blues and Senior High Yaa Hoos!

Yes, I know - a poet I am not.

But tell me, how many people out there have a child going into kindergarten - just beginning their school career and another ready to end his - a senior in high school. (Yeah, I know, there's still college, but we won't go there right now!)

Yup, just what I thought - we're the minority. (Actually, after attending a kindergarten function last week I'm rethinking that. There's more "older" folks than I thought who have "bridged" families!) And just for kicks, let's throw in a 22 year old who's diligently working to get his bachelor's degree.

It's just not fair having all these major events happening at once! Sending your baby off to school whom you would rather just keep safe and sound and protected from the big, bad world while on the other hand you've got another child ready to take on the world as he hits that major step into adulthood. How did they grow up so fast? Mix with that a good case of menopause (yeah - will be half way to fifty this year). It's just not fair, I tell you! (I know, I know - pass the cheese - I'm whining!).

Just to make life a little more interesting, lets add into the mix "mom" who decided last year that she is FINALLY going to go to college! Sigh. Better late than never, I suppose!

For what it's worth, it's a year for change, growth and bumpy rides as the Skolmutch family travels the road called "life".