Paul Laurence Dunbar, born to ex-slaves in 1872 in Dayton, Ohio was a contemporary of Orville Wright and a prolific poet who was the first African American poet to reach national recognition. Here is a wonderful video essay of Dunbar's poem, "The Old Apple Tree." The narrator has a lovely deep voice and takes the view on a walk through the woods and countryside while reciting the poem. This is an edited video--the kind you want to share with people.

My friend, Ann has mentioned to me several times, "Let's go to a karaoke bar," and then talks about the fun we had several years ago when we did hit one. My husband belted out a fine rendition of "Danny Boy" that night. Me? I'm partial to "Proud Mary." I seem to manage to stay on tune with that song, sort of. Once, years ago, my husband pretended it was my birthday and got the people in the karaoke bar that we happened upon, to sing to me. My birthday was months away. I gamely smiled while I watched the ball bounce across the words.

Now, my friend is in a real band, Magic City. I wonder if one day someone will be singing one of her band's songs? If this happens, I wonder what the background video scenes will be? Will there be some obscure unrelated scenes like people rolling around in ocean waves?

I do hope Ann's not too busy with her band that she doesn't have time to karaoke anymore. I found a couple bars that look promising. Jilly's Saloon in Reynoldsburg, for example, has a secret song contest and Largest Little Bar In T has over 20,000 song options. I wonder if it has "Proud Mary?" If so, I'm there.

To find a karaoke bar near you, Ohiokaraoke.com has an extensive listing. Click on the map of Ohio where you live for names, addresses and details. For a clever look at karaoke bars and the people who go there, check out the documentary Karaoke Dreams by Robert Davidian. A fun clip is on You Tube.

830 sites on our planet are listed as World Heritage Sites by the U.N.'s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Ohio Historical Society believes at least two Ohio sites, the Serpent Mound and various Hopewell structures including mounds near Chillicothe, belong on that list. To that end, they have petitioned for their inclusion.

And why not? Both are remarkable examples of pre-European earthworks. The Serpent Mound is the most famous effigy mound in North America, and the Hopewell mounds are preserved in the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. Also included in the Hopewell petition is Ft. Ancient and the Newark earthworks.

If the Hopewell petition goes through, it may include the first golf course named as a World Heritage site. The Octagon Earthworks in Newark are incorporated into the links of the Moundbuilders Country Club.

These sites would join such noteworthy treasures as the Great Barrier Reef, the Imperial Palace in Beijing, the Galapagos Islands, Thebes, Chartres Cathedral, Vatican City, and the Statue of Liberty. Sites on the list enjoy the protection of an international treaty, the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

There is something about Ohio after it's snowed and the sun has not appeared for a few days, particularly after road dirt has had some time to get splashed around. Today, I was explaining to non-native English speakers the term, "winter blues." Actually, since the snow has just come, it's still a bit of a novelty, but still, the flower section of a grocery store looks mighty good about now.

In some Ohioans' houses, the grocery store is trumped when it comes to plants. Sharon Holtzman has 2,000 African violets growing in her basement. Holtzman is a hybridizer who comes up with new African violet types by cross breeding. She sells plants, leaves and growing mixtures of soil and nutrients. I know this because in January I dabbled in the world of African violet growers for an article I wrote. There are many people across Ohio like Sharon who are wild about violets. They are stellar folks--truly delightful and most belong to a society. Columbus has an African violet society. So does about every major city in the state. Members share growing tips with each other, gear up for their society's show (most are in the late spring or early fall), head to national conventions and basically use African violets as a way to forge great friendships.

When I was a guest at the Columbus African Violet Society meeting at the Franklin Park Conservatory, members passed around birthday cards for people to sign, played leaf bingo, welcomed guests and created a sense of group belonging. Being part of a group helps people stay healthy, both mentally and physically. It was hard not to join up myself. I did leave with an African violet leaf to propagate and some growing tips. One tip to pass along. Although the grocery store varieties are pretty, unless the violet has a name, and not like Sally or Lucy or Elvira-but a species name, you can't enter it in a society show. Only officially named violets are contenders. Sharon's all have her town, Newtown, worked in. The one in the photo is Newtown Happenstance.

For a great African violet resource, check out African Violet Magazine. The website also has a link to the African violet societies around the world, including Ohio. Scroll down until you get to Ohio's socities.

With new Governor Ted Strickland in office, Ohians have begun to raise their voices for various causes. One cause has been in opposition to the death penalty in Ohio. According to the Youngstown Vindicator, protestors gathered outside the Ohio State Penitentiary to let our new governor know that many of Ohio's citizens do not approve of this particular measure of justice.

The protest was organized by Cleveland residents but included Youngstown area residents as well, and was staged on Martin Luther King Day weekend. At this point there are five men on death row in the state penitentiary who the protestors claim are innocent of the crime that put them there. Known as the Lucasville Five, the men were part of a prison uprising in Lucasville in 1993 in which prison guards were killed. The men on death row, say the protestors, were not part of the deaths of the guards.

I myself don't believe that the death penalty is an effective measure for curtailing crime. If it were, the number of crimes in which the death penalty is a possible outcome would drop, but this isn't so. Historically the death penalty hasn't worked to curtail crime. Even in the days of public executions, it didn't stop people from commiting crimes. Some sociological studies have found that it may even promote the idea of social justice being equated with death, creating a society more inclined to kill.

I do think the death penalty serves a purpose, mostly to make family and friends of victims feel that justice has been served. It doesn't aid the betterment of society itself, though, especially when so many people have died on death row who were later found to be innocent. A measure of justice shouldn't have so much collateral damage, as some would call it, as this one does. I do, however, sympathize with the victims of crime and their families and friends, who desire some form of justice in the face of their tragedies, and I won't pretend to have a better plan for justice. I do hope, however, that more measures can be taken to ensure that a form of punishment so severe as the death penalty will be carried out with more caution in the future. Perhaps protests such as the one carried out on Martin Luther King Day weekend will be a call for more consideration of how we, as a society, proceed with a process so fraught as the death penalty is in the new century.

I thought this would be a good time to recap all the Ohio bands we've posted clips for over the last six months, in case you missed any.

Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders
Devo
Bob Lind
The Outsiders
Ohio Players: Fire
The Ohio Express
The James Gang
Nine Inch Nails
Marilyn Manson
Ekoostik Hookah
Bow Wow
Tracey Chapman
Michael Stanley Band

This is just the tip of the iceberg, too. Among those we haven't gotten to yet are Sammy Kaye, Dean Martin, Ted Lewis, The McGuire Sisters, the Mills Brothers, The O'Jays, Screamin' Jay Hawkins...

A few years back I saw Robert Dafford painting the Portsmouth Floodwall Murals when he was almost done. I was astounded. First, I wondered what it would be like to see that long expanse of cement and know that I was responsible for putting something worthwhile there. If he ever had the jitters, his work doesn't show it. Each section is spectacular--dazzling even. A must see.

Now, I know there are other murals in Ohio, but if you only can see one, and I don't care if you live in Toledo, head to Portsmouth. This is a chance to brush up on Ohio history besides. Start on the east end and head west to go in chronological order of the history of the area from the time of the Mound Builders to one of the last panels that pays tribute to Portsmouth's motorcycle heritage. Ohio's first motorcycle club was founded here.

Portsmouth's history also includes Branch Rickey (credited to integrating baseball for signing up Jackie Robinson), Roy Rogers and the founding of Methodism. The details are all there-including a treacherous looking scene of a great flood that happened several years back.

Here is some insider information that you would miss unless some told you it was there. Dafford's wife and kids are in the mural, and so is Dafford. His wife and kids, if I remember correctly, are in the panel of a modern day scene called "The Gateway." I think it's his wife who is holding the bicycle and looking out from the mural. If you look, either in the pair of sunglasses, or the motorcycle hub in the motorcycle panel, you'll see the reflection of a man. That's Dafford; at least I think that's where he is. If you go to Portsmouth, you can get someone to give you a tour of the floodwall. Keep an eye out for the cat that's painted on a corner edge. You'd swear it's 3-D and real, but it's flat.

In case you're not going to make it to Portsmouth any time soon, here's a link to a You Tube tour of the floodwall by Cheryl Shuman, the Portsmouth native who has made it big in Hollywood as "the Optometrist to the Stars." She's been capturing the essence of Portsmouth and her relationship to it in videos. There are a couple of seconds of her getting to the murals, but once she's there her commentaries are interesting and the tour feels intimate.

Here is also a link to an article that was submitted to the Library of Congress by Governor Ted Strickland back when he was Representative of the 6th District.

I really liked this statue that is just sitting in a random garden in the Gordon Square Cultural Arts District, in the Detroit Shoreway area. I have got to tell you, I have no idea who made it, or what it's of, but I was on my way to Gypsy Beans & Baking (because I go there. A lot), and I saw and thought it was fabulous!

photo credit: katherine galo

While most people who head somewhere on Ohio's highways rush by the clusters of reed-like trees that dot the landscape, Rick Pratt is on the lookout for them. His livelihood depends on them. The patches look a bit like mushroom clouds in the distance. Once you know what you're looking for, you too, can know a willow patch when you see one.

Rick follows the growth of about 50 patches, mostly in the northern part of the state, to keep track of which ones have grown to what sizes. Larger ones get used for table legs. Thin ones may be made into picture frames or bent into baskets.

Along with his wife, Denise, Rick has been at this for years. While he does a lot of the grunt work, which means heading out at the crack of dawn on some days (like at 4:30ish, I know because I dragged myself out of bed for a ride-along)--and he makes most of the furniture and the accessories that are snapped up at high-end craft fairs across the United States, Denise is the main designer.

Their offerings through their company, "Around the Bend, " in Wooster, are quality fare that range from the classic to the contemporary. You can even have them make you a one-of-a-kind design. Some folks have ordered custom made corner cabinets and headboards, for example. Check out the Around the Bend website where you can see a sample of what they sell and order on-line.

Here is a link to an article about Rick and Denise that I wrote for Ohio Magazine.

Among the silos of cornbelt area south of Grand Lake St. Marys in west central Ohio rises a 5-story-high octagonal dome with gold ball and cross that gives witness to the religious fervor that burned in the breasts of the farmers as they toiled.

St. Charles Seminary was built as a seminary for priests of The Society of the Precious Blood, who also started the nearby Maria Stein Center for the nuns of the order.

The many stunning churches in this area were built by the German settlers who brought their Catholicism with them as they settled Mercer County in the 1830's. Once they settled in Mercer County, they began to long for religious guidance and education from the mother church.

By divine coincidence, Father Brunner, of the Society of the Precious Blood in Italy, was eager to leave the bosom of the church and strike out in missionary work. When the request of the settlers reached his ears, he was on his way.

The Society of the Precious Blood was a new organization at that time, founded in 1815 around the principal of charity, and for the purpose of devotion to the precious blood of Christ. Mercer County was the perfect soil for it to take root in and grow. And grow it did, at one time housing six convents, two seminaries, and many churches.

This magnificent structure was originally built in in 1878 on the site of the former Wattles Manual Labor School for Negro Boys. The name Carthagena is in fact from Carthage, in Africa.

Until it ceased being a seminary in 1969, this complex provided a place for priests, brothers and students to study, removed from the life around them. They sustained themselves by practicing carpentry, butchering, and farming. It is now a home for retired priests.

Make sure, should you visit, to view the chapel inside (through the front door and straight back). Ask first, however, at the office inside the front door to the left. It has a stunning mosaic behind the alter. If no service is taking place, take the time to approach it closely and enjoy the workmanship.

As a native Clevelander, I really like how immediately recognizable our landmarks are. Just like Chicagoans have the weird Picasso statue that could be anything and San Franciscans have the Golden Gate bridge, Clevelanders have the giant FREE Stamp that's just down the street from City Hall and up the street from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the middle of downtown.

The FREE stamp was originally commissioned in 1982 by Standard Oil of Ohio (now part of BP America), who hired the artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Oldenburg and van Bruggen have made lots of other similar giant commonplace objects, and so for the piece in the middle of Cleveland's city center, they chose a self-inking stamp, as if from a post office. Van Bruggen suggested the word "free" to represent liberty and independence, and to have a giant positive statement in the middle of the city. The stamp, which was originally sited in Public Square, now lays on its side in Willard Park, and after quite a few city departmental squabbles, was dedicated in 1991. It is now a giant really cool piece of pop art, and clearly recognizable to any Clevelander.

photo credit: katherine galo

Ohio is on the radar for puppy mills. It seems that the number of pet stores in Ohio is a possible indication that many dogs are forced bred in this state to produce the dogs that people want. Puppy mill dogs are a problem from what I've read and heard. Over bred dogs are unhealthy since their bodies don't recover between litters, plus dogs bred in a puppy mill may have more behavior issues and poorer health.

Since we're not exactly designer dog people, and we wanted a dog that was stellar in other ways, we took a tip from a woman I met who had a cute black Lab (I'm not sure if I'm a dog person at all,) and headed down to Vinton County to Camelot Puppy Sanctuary . We ended up picking out a terrier beagle mix. If you want your own Fido or Rover, go here. I was impressed by the unhurried approach when we were looking for our dog. Instead of thinking that we had to make a quick decision, we watched the dogs romp around the property's pond for an hour or so until our minds were made up.

At the sanctuary, there are always several dogs, mostly young ones, available. Check out the website to look at the dogs and then call ahead. The phone number is listed. We didn't plan on getting this particular dog type, but when we were among all the adoptable options, our dog picked us.

Camelot Puppy Sanctuary is a dog paradise of sorts. Run by two women who delight in saving abandoned dogs, the sanctuary is a wonderful option to consider when looking to expand your family. Reading the website descriptions is a lot of fun since each blurb captures a specific quality about each dog's personality.

The dog featured in the picture is Nickolas, a Laborador Retriever/terrier mix. Here is his description.

Here is an article about the puppy mill problem from an NBC channel wkyc.com.

This video is astounding in a way. Neil Armstrong, the Ohio astronaut who put Wapakoneta on the map, can be heard, clear as a bell, when he is walking on the moon. There is more here than just the famous line . There is also a description about what it is Armstrong is doing while he is walking around on the moon. John F. Kennedy's speech is interesting to hear in terms of what he thinks landing on the moon will mean.

It's not just the fact that a glass of wine costs $1.50 that gets me to Larry's Bar on a Monday night a few times a year-although, that's not a bad reason. I go to Larry's because of the poetry and because hearing people read their poetry makes me think of word choices. There's a mysterious quality that I enjoy. The question, "How do people see the world and how does this translate into words that have a certain sound and meaning-a sense of weight?" Or weightlessness if the poem is meant for whimsy and nothing more.

At Larry's Bar (voted one of the best "dive bars in Columbus, 2006) at 2040 High Street, in the fall, winter and spring, Poetry Forum at Larry's offers some of the best poetry anywhere. The poets who are the featured readers are contest winners and published in some prestigious publications. Some even have their own books, and not ones they Xeroxed off themselves, but ones a publishing company actually said yes to. These poets are the type that people like me sometimes envy if one is given over to envy. I'm not. But if one did envy published poets, you might envy them because they stuck with their craft and have publications to prove it. The Poetry Forum gives them a chance to actually get their poems out there and into the air where poems are meant to be. Poems shouldn't be trapped unread on a page in a book-forgotten or unclaimed in a book that no one bought.

The Ohio Arts Council even recognizes the importance of the Poetry Forum and has funded it since 1985. If you go, once the featured poet is finished, you can read your own poetry during open mike, or just listen like I do. Steve Abbott, the person who is the ringleader of sorts, is a hospitable emcee. You'll feel welcome. It's a great way to find out what is going on in people's minds. There are so many ways to look at the world and so many versions of a life worth having.

Here is the schedule through March 3. Don't hold me to this though since this may have shifted thanks to the OSU football game. The forum was postponed or canceled for that day, so that may have shifted things.

Jan 24 Helyn Dell
Jan 31 Mikel Romine
Feb 07 TBA
Feb 14 Jeanne Desy
Feb 21 Erica DeWeese
Feb 28 Jeff Jarosch
Mar 01 TBA

This is one of those posts that can go either way. It could be about The Arts Castle in Delaware, or it could be about Suanne M. Goings, the artist whose work I went to see. If it's about Suanne, I would say Suanne is one of those artists whose work exudes soul, and at the same time incorporates fun--even when there is great loss in the background story. Suanne's beloved daughter, Brandi died in a car crash four years ago, almost to this day. At first, with grief overwhelming her, Suanne couldn't so much as read a book. Art came to the rescue.

The wonderful thing about Suanne and her work is that it celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit through whimsical altars festooned with objects of significance, such as the alter where she included things that Brandi and she had given each other. The result evoked a feeling of peace through the use of shades of blue. Then there was the word search made out of wooden blocks--the kind with alphabet letters on some of the sides and pictures on the other. The wooden blocks spelled out words like "alchemy ." A handout was available so you could take the word search home. That's just like Suanne Goings. Her artistic expression is about using art to give inspiration to others. When she's not making her own art, she facilitates the artwork of others through the classes and workshops she teaches through organizations like Art for a Child's Safe America Foundation (ArtSafe), the Columbus Museum of Art, and other community programs. One of her specialties is mural projects where she helps enable other people's ideas to take shape based on interpersonal concepts she envisions. But then she lets go as others step in. Here is an artist statement of sorts.

Now, if I was to write about The Arts Castle, I would say that its purpose is to nurture the arts in Delaware County through exhibits, workshops and classes. The gift shop alone is worth a trip--also the building. Once an elegant private residence, it is a lovely tribute to the concept of transforming one family's home into a home for artists and their work.