Reptile Roundup Extreme Close Ups

The guys in our family, were very excited to spend a week at the Cincinnati Nature Center learning all about our reptilian and amphibian friends. 

They spent their time happily traipsing about the woods and streams looking for snakey creatures and then showed them off to their families during a Friday  presentation. 

This gave me a chance to take a couple of extreme reptile close ups of some of the fellows that they caught and then later released.

This was my favorite reptile of the camp.. a male box tortoise... I learned that the boy tortoises have red eyes, while the ladies are brown-eyed girls.

This snake was found in the ladies room which gave me the heebiest of jeebies, and also proved that you don't really have to hike far and wide to find a snake at the nature center. 

This snake is obviously a female because of it's natural ladies room habitat...no respectable lady snake would dare hang out in the mens room.

The kids found some amphibians too... including this very, very serious looking bullfrog.

I appreciate the intensity of his froggie gaze.

The creature that I had the toughest time capturing in extreme close up was my very own elusive 12 year old boy. 

Here is Jamie... from a safe and respectable distance, delivering his presentation with a pack of nature camp pals.  

Immediately afterwards, all wildlife was released to the same habitat where they were found, although my hope is that the lady snake found a new place to reside a bit farther from the bathroom that I will never ever again use. 

Gieseke Family Stomping Grounds Tour.

Our family is lucky enough to have fantastic family stomping grounds close and drivable for a weekend reunion...Greenville Illinois.

I didn't realize that Greenville is also a place where the buffalo roam right outside your Comfort Inn breakfast bar... and of course I made them go pose for a photo... because really how often do you have breakfast with a herd of buffalo?

 And even better, a set of cousins to roast wieners with and give you evening golf cart cruises around the field. 

Cousins! 

Emma and Rosie were both delighted to realize that they were both moms to guinea pigs... here they are posing with Pookie Boo...the Illinois pig. 

Cousins again!

Karl and David, were not as good at comparing guinea pig parenting stories, and stayed with kid stories instead.  

On Memorial Day, we visited the little cemetery in Trenton where many of the newest to the United States Gieseke's made their home after they arrived from Germany.

Whats a visit to the cemetery without a group picture?

Here we are with Grandpa August and Grandma Katharina... born in 1826 and 1836.

Afterwards, we stopped for a delicious lunch at wonderful restaurant happy to accommodate our big family. Henry was particularly happy about lunch and gave it a double fist pump cheer! Yay, pie!

The day was perfect, and we headed over to the Rod and Gun club to swim and row and fish. 

Karl and Uncle Tom had a more relaxed demeanor in their rowboat, but Lily was wisely ready for anything in her googles and lifejacket. 

Jamie loves to fish... and apparently he comes from fishing roots. He seemed right at home on the lake with a rod. 

Uncle Hugh taught Henry the hold the fish far in front for maximum size while being photographed trick.

Here is my adored father in law Jim, with his little sister and dear wife.

This was the best part of the visit... a chance to be together breathe the same air and enjoy each others company. 

A personal highlight was watching home movies of my father and law and his cousins and little sis jumping in the lake... and then watching very similar movies of Karl and his siblings and cousins jumping in the same lake 30 years later. 

And then of course watching our own soggy wombats jump into the very same lake.

What could be better then that?

And here are my very favorite Rod and Gun Club Lake Leapers... 

Jim, Karl and Tom.

It was a very most perfect Memorial Day Gieseke Family Reunion Original Stomping Grounds Reunion Tour. 

Adventures in Dental Surgery...Chicago style.

This is a pre-op photo that Mary and I took of ourselves outside of her oral surgeons early Thursday morning. Mary scheduled herself to have her wisdom teeth extracted and needed a nurse/driver and because I was worried about finding parking in this big busy city, we arrived 90 minutes early to park about 20 feet from her doctors door.
So plenty of time for selfies and Starbucks before her appointment. 

Mary's doctor was across the street from a tattoo/piercing parlor... so glad that it was closed on a Thursday morning or this mom might have gotten impulsive and ran across the street to get some ink and studs...or something- while Mary was under.

Later, when I told her this, she mentioned that both of her doctors were next door to tattoo/ piercing parlors.
Yep... same here.

Her surgery went smoothly there were no problems, Mary's wisdom teeth are now long gone and she will never again have to have those choppers extracted. 

Thats the happy news. 

The bummer news is that having four impacted wisdoms is tough, but if it has to be done, I can recommend a 23rd floor recovery room... plenty of ice, a Shake Shack around the corner for delicious milkshakes and  plenty of HGTV to watch in bed.

And since Mary's recovery required a lot of sleep, and the day was gorgeous... I went for a long walk to see the city and get my steps. And I can see why Mary is entirely in love with this place...the city is gorgeous, and has a wonderful and energetic hum to it, just like our Mary.

Happy Confirmation Day!

It has been a month of milestones met and new beginnings for this kid...and I love that she looks pleased as she marches to the front of the church to accept her confirmation and become an official member of our church.

Lily and her confirmation classmates have been meeting weekly with wonderful teachers for two years to prepare for this day...they were ready.

The five newest Presbyterians on the block and were both charged seriously and welcomed warmly by the leaders and members of Knox Church.

They were reminded that when they were very young, their parents made all decisions for them, such as their baptism, but as confirmands, they were old enough to make some very important decisions on their own.

They were old enough to help in the leadership of the church, and to help make thoughtful decisions for Knox. 

Here, Pastor Adam delivers the charge and reminds Lilly and her four friends of their new responsibilities.

(Adam also managed to sneak in a reminder about helping their parents out at  home, which was cool, kind of sneaky, and very much appreciated.)

And here is our girl after the service, looking all cute and churchy with her brand new bible. 

And no church celebration would be complete without brunch and a chocolate cake... and a Grandpa photobomb. 

Fourteen years ago Karl and I were very wise in asking Jessica Depp to be Lily's godmother. 

She and Lily are very similar in so many ways... she "gets" Lily and they have had many adventures together over the years. Here, Godmother and daughter strike a post brunch party pose to mark the special day. 

Thank you Jessica for being there for our girl and Happy Confirmation Day to both you and Lilly!

Happy Happy Birthday Dear Mary!

Twenty years ago today I received the most wonderful Mothers Day gift ever when this kid was born.
And since it's her birthday and she is way far away in a big and windy city, (and I'm not)
I am going to brag about her just a little bit.
I'm very proud of this young woman for many reasons... she is kind and smart and funny, and very, very organized.
I find myself trying to channel my girl whenever I'm faced with a something big and messy...my pantry or something far more complicated.
My Mary voice advice says stuff like...
"break it down, do one thing at a time, and work on it until it's finished." 
Which is a very good way to accomplish most things.
And even though she is a super sensible girl, she is also kind of nutty in the very best way.
My kid, who just yesterday was a teenager, has grown into a lovely young woman who is both extremely capable and extremely goofy.
Which is a pretty awesome combination of humanity.

Happy Birthday Dear Mary,
Wishing you all of life's blessings as you leave your teenage years behind you and launch into your 2nd decade.
Shine on chica- love you lots!

MYCincinnati Ambassador Ensemble Project.

"The Ambassador Ensemble is a collective of diaereses and equal voices. When we are together, we feel appreciated, listened to, supported, challenged, smart, intense and powerful. We are musicians - each with unique talents and ideas- we have come together to make the community better." 

Kalla, Kerrie, Keyonte, Rashel, Sebastian and Ziyad. 

The Ambassador Ensemble

Last Sunday I had the good fortune to attend the very first performance of The MYCincinnati Ambassador Ensemble as a part of the Constella Festival.
I knew that these young musicians are talented and I was looking forward to seeing them perform, but I was emotionally unprepared for what this group delivered.
I was awestruck... and after a few minutes of unsuccessfully fighting back the tears, my friend Libby and I gave up and wept for the remainder of the show.
We cried because we are both moms to teenagers who are, or have been 14 years old, which is the average age of these musicians. And we wept because we remember, all too clearly,  feeling the confusion and intensity of being 14... feeling both powerful and powerless and hopeful and defeated, all at once.

The six young musicians are glorious.
They are each insightful, talented, hard working and extremely courageous to do what they could as young musicians to stand up against inequality and work towards social justice.
Eddy Kwon is an extremely talented musician and teacher. He has served as a trusted mentor and friend to these six, making them feel safe and heard...asking questions, listening to their responses and supporting them in all the best ways.
I am proud of my city for wisely naming Eddy Kwon as an Art Ambassador and then helping to support him while he does his good works. He is a true gift to Cincinnati.
Michael Wilson, and his son Henry Wilson, were there too... doing what they do best, documenting the moments then putting it all together in a beautifully edited documentary that should go to Sundance.
Nine incredibly talented people, 6 of them young teenagers, all worked together for a year and created something beautiful. And everyone who has ever been 14 or who loves someone who is a young teenager, should go see this musical performance and documentary film.
The show is about an hour...you will wish that it was longer, and you will leave inspired, impressed and hopeful.
But please remember to take your hankies, I can garantee that you will be personally moved by the talent and grace of this group of young musicians.

The MYCincinnati Ambassador Ensemble will be together on stage for only four more free shows.
Do yourself a favor and attend one of these performances.

April 17th 8:00    UC African American Cultural Resource Center
(UC President Santa Ono will be joining them on cello for his first performance in many years!)

April 19th 1:00 Cincinnati Art Museum

April 24th 6:00 LISH Art Gallery Price Hill

April 26th 4:00 Clifton Cultural Arts Center
http://www.mycincinnatiorchestra.org/ambassador-ensemble

Love You, Love You, Love You... more.

I am extraordinary fortunate for many reasons and one of them is that I got to be a lucky niece to one of the kindest and most generous women ever. 

My Aunt Donna may have died a week ago, but her love, grace and ferocious optimism remain.

She is ever present and will always be in our hearts and minds, and most definitely remain a huge part of my brilliant cousins... her three remarkable daughters who are so much like their mom. 

It was important to Donna that everyone who loved her understood that she never ever, ever, gave up. More than anything she wanted more time to be with her family... to live longer and to love more. 

She did whatever she could to stay, and kept on getting braver and braver until she made the most courageous choice of all. 

She chose her to change her course and to live her final weeks on her own terms. 

And she did just that. She died as she lived, in her home, where she felt most peaceful, surrounded by her family and the blessings of those she loved the most. 

While she was home, she received pages of notes and emails from those who she touched during her life. The letters were of gratitude and appreciation to Donna for sharing herself in so many ways. 

Many many people reached out to thank her for giving so much of herself and for making a positive difference in their own lives. 

She received messages from those who loved her deeply as well as those who knew her less well, but were touched and moved for the better by something that she said or did. 

True to her humility, Donna was surprised by the number and intensity of these messages, she didn't realize that she had made such a difference in the lives of so many. 

But she did and will continue to do so because she was a teacher in the most honest definition of the word. She taught by example, the power of kindness and encouragement, and all those who followed her example will continue to do so in her honor. 

She believed that everyone had tremendous capability to do wonderful things and with a little bit of encouragement, and a few kind words, everyone was completely capable of great success. 

My Aunt Donna did everything just right and the celebration of her life was indeed, exactly right. 

A beautiful celebration of life and love. 

Donna's fingerprints were on every part of her service. She chose the Celebrant, a warm and lovely woman who listened and understood. And she asked that her favorite James Taylor song be played...You Can Close Your Eyes. She requested that instead of flowers, donations be made to a charity that benefits children...as she strongly believed in the hope and future of the very young. 

She also very kindly suggested that we please not wear black. 

We all listened, and the room was overflowing and more than full of happy spring colors. 

Easter colors of springtime hope and grace and renewal. 

Donna's colors.  

And it was more than fitting that the closing words of the service were her signature message of 

"Love You, Love You, Love You..." 

because for Donna, one "Love You" was good, but three were far better. 

 Donna in color at a family party with her adoring team of sisters.