Neighborhood Chili Cook-off

Have I mentioned how much I love our street? If I haven't mentioned it here, I think about it every week -- if not every day. The kids play outside with neighborhood friends nearly every good-weather day, and simply sitting on the front porch is sure to prompt a conversation or two among adults as well.

What's more, we frequently all make plans to hang out together. There's the block party, of course. A couple of happy hours. A progressive dinner was inaugurated earlier this year. And this past Saturday was our first chili cook-off.

A grand total of 11 pots of chili made by different households were consumed by some 60 or so neighbors. Plus cornbread and desserts. Plus Ohio State ended up playing a night game, so we projected the match-up versus Nebraska as well. While 80-degree weather may not be ideal for consuming a steaming bowl of hot chili, at least it didn't rain! And boy, were they all good.

Maybe we'll do it again next year, although I did hear at least one neighbor suggest having a different theme each fall. Mexican food, perhaps? Pasta? Either way, I'm sure my neighbors will come up with good food and be good company.

Fourth of July Fishing in Clintonville

Fishing isn't something you necessarily associate with the Fourth of July ... unless you live in the Clintonville neighborhood. Each year a casting pond at a nearby park hosts a fishing derby for kids ages 15 and younger. Hundreds of kids show up, according to a local newspaper.

This year Edith and Atticus were two of them. Believe it or not, but Edith has been asking to fish, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity -- free, with poles and bait provided. Paul took the kids for an hour-long holiday adventure.

Although they were disappointed not to catch anything, they did get some bites. It's easy to see how the fishing derby could become an annual tradition.

Block Party 2019

Our annual block party is always a highlight of the summer, and this year was no exception.

All last week, Saturday's forecast called for rain. But the day was not only completely dry, but also not too hot and not at all humid. The perfect weather for an event that lasted from 9 a.m. to midnight.

The kids decorated their bikes for the bike parade, did crafts, hit the pinata, danced to the live music we had later in the evening and went to bed way too late. Paul and I enjoyed chatting with neighbors, snacking all day long and generally hanging out. I think most of the street got a kick out of the visit from the firetruck and the games that Paul and a neighbor planned for the men of the street.

The day was practically perfect for us, and hopefully for the 50 or so neighbors that attended as well. Now to wait 12 months until the next one ...!

Our Block's First Progressive Dinner

I'm never shy to say that my street is the best. We have an awesome annual block party and a terrific monthly book club. I'm good friends with neighbors whom I would still love to hang out with even if our houses weren't in such close proximity.

To add to the neighborly fun, this past weekend I added what I hope will become an annual tradition -- a progressive dinner. This is when a group of friends moves from house to house for different courses. In our case, the first house hosted a happy hour with appetizers, the second house had entrees, and the third house offered an assortment of desserts.

Several households contributed food (Paul made an excellent seafood paella), others made strong mixed drinks and still others donated money to the cause. I'd been to one progressive dinner more than a decade ago, and I had a blast even as we drove from house to house. This one was even better since each house was only feet from the next.

In the summer, our neighborhood basically lives on front porches and front lawns, but the winter is long around here. It was great to come out of hibernation to talk to neighbors that we haven't seen since practically last fall.

Good food, even better conversation and calls for us to do it all again next year -- a wonderful evening all around.

Block Party 2018

I say time and again that when you buy a house, your neighbors are the most important things that you know absolutely nothing about before you sign on the dotted line ... and they make or break how much you enjoy what is probably the biggest purchase of your life.

Luckily we have great ones.

This year I was put in charge of our annual block party, held last Saturday. I had big shoes to fill. The neighbor I took over from organized it all for some 15 years, and yet another neighbor for some 15 years prior to that. But I was eager to take on the role, and only slightly intimidated. I've spearheaded the day's kid activities for the last several years, so overseeing the whole picture seemed basically administrative.

And that proved largely correct. Our block has about 30 homes, and a great number of them are eager to participate and help out. I basically made sure that all of the tasks were taken care of, and they were. As in years' past, neighbors brought down tables, chairs, tents and grills. Someone picked up and dropped off the barricades to block off the road. Another neighbor came up with new ideas, like scavenger hunts and a men's bake-off (which Paul won!). Yet another neighbor and his friend brought their guitars to breakfast and late at night, playing music until bedtime.

Rain broke up supper and delayed the get-together at a neighbor's home that evening, but I'm so happy with the way everything turned out. My only regret: I forgot to take photos. Make that two regrets: that the next block party is a whole year away.

Our First Crap Swap

Crap swap. I heard the term a month or two ago and was inspired -- a bunch of friends would gather at our house and bring the things we wanted to give away. Everyone would go home with another's junk, and the rest would go to a thrift store.

This past Saturday was the big day. I had been getting donated items from friends for several weeks, and even more stuff the day of. I organized everything all afternoon -- tables full of toys, kid clothes, kitchen stuff and so many odds and ends. Lanterns. A baby gate. A mirror. A mini-fridge. All free for the taking.

Around 50 people showed up, and I think everyone took home something -- at the very least, a full belly. We simultaneously held a cookout/potluck, and the food was so good! And the kids had a blast, not least of all because our neighbors got a new sandbox. I think I saw eight kids in it at some point during the evening.

The leftovers went to the curb that night, and I made postings on several Facebook sites alerting neighbors that everything was free for the taking. By the next afternoon, I think about half of the leftovers were gone.

By chance, VOA was making pick-ups in our neighborhood on Monday, so I loaded everything into bags that morning. They were headed to the thrift store before noon. Success!

Annual Block Party Review

The kids look forward to our street's annual block party just as much as we do. Biking and general mayhem in the street, crafts and games in the front yard and lots of food and drink -- what's not to like?

The daylong event was last Saturday, starting with a potluck breakfast at 9 a.m. and ending in the wee hours of the following day. For the third year in a row, we hosted an afternoon of kid activities in our front yard -- a table full of crafts and temporary tattoos, a pool and water table in one neighboring yard and a badminton court set up in another. There were water balloons and a pinata. There were hula hoops, chalk and cornhole with Beanie Babies. There were sundaes and cupcakes. And there was a wine table for the adults who needed it!

The day was hot, but everyone was in good spirits. The potluck supper was crowded. And as the sun went down and the kids went to bed, the crowd slowly, gradually dwindled. I like spending time with the neighbors I'm already friends with, and getting to know the ones I'd like to call new friends. Each year I'm sad when the block party is over, and this year is no different. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Firehouse Fun

The fire station down the street had an open house on Saturday. Edith was looking forward to it, but mostly because she remembered the free cookies from a past open house.

While Edith was looking for baked goods, we popped Atticus onto a truck and were rewarded with screams. But he loves trucks so much when they are in books or on the street!

Edith was much more interested after finding her chocolate chip cookie (and to give her credit, they were delicious).

She sprayed a working fire hose, and then she and I climbed into the safety house and crawled under a room of smoke.

We live only a few blocks from the fire station, and it's been great. The kids love peaking through the wide-open garage doors when we walk by and spying the trucks in the grocery store parking lot. And we rarely hear the sirens -- or at least no more than any other city sounds!

Politics as Unusual

I went to a Democratic rally in my neighborhood on Sunday. The primary reason was because several members of the West Wing cast were going to be speaking, and how could I resist? It was my favorite TV show back in the day -- and still among the top of my all-time favorite shows -- so of course I had to see Josh, CJ, Toby and several others. IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. And just in someone's backyard! I mean I HAD to! But I digress.

Bradley Whitford!

Allison Janney!

In a Clintonville backyard!

And Edith too!

My rally visit had an ulterior motive. I wanted to get a Hillary Clinton yard sign. If we are friends on Facebook, you probably know that my husband supports Gary Johnson and posted his own sign in our yard a few weeks ago. I'm OK with Johnson and support several of his ideals, but I'll be voting for Clinton. I was (and still am) totally fine with the Johnson sign in front of our house, but I began feeling uncomfortable that others would presume I was a Johnson supporter as well.

Honestly, if that Johnson sign wasn't there, I probably wouldn't have posted a Clinton one either. In fact, I think Paul supports Johnson more than I support Clinton. But the suffragette in me wants to make it clear that politics isn't exclusively the husband's domain. I don't want to be the quiet dormouse that sits by silently while others assume they know what's important to me.

Paul is understandably disappointed that his sign loses some of its potency with mine next to it. But I guess that's the point. Hooray democracy.

My First Garage Sale

I remember a few of my mom's garage sales when I was a kid. That's because they were always multi-family garage sales, which means while mom and her friends sold their goods, I got to play with my friends. Good times.

But this past Saturday was the first that I hosted. It started a few weeks ago when a neighbor sent an email to our part of the street asking if we'd like to join them in hosting a blockwide garage sale. Several of us took the bait.

I spent the week cleaning out closets and pricing stuff while watching the Olympics. Afraid of the rain and heat, I set up on our front porch. Yes, it was hot, but at least the rain held off until the afternoon.

We sold only about $40 worth of stuff, but the big coup was getting rid of our tube TVs. I then sold maybe another $20 or $25 of items online. Bag after bag of junk, AHEM stuff, motivates me to list it all on the Buy, Sell, Trade groups I'm active in on Facebook.

But I still have a ways to go. One thing is for sure though. It's not going back in our closets.

Yum: Pattycake Bakery's Chocolate XO Cookie

I've found a new dessert to obsess over, and it's within walking distance.

Pattycake Bakery is a vegan dessert shop here in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus. It's quite popular but also quite small, with just a few seats inside and a couple of tables outdoors.

Pattycake gets raves around town, but a number of things have kept me away since we moved here a few years ago. First, it's not open in the evening. Second, the small size. And third, the all-vegan label. I have absolutely nothing against veganism, and I'm sure many vegan foods are good. But if I had to choose between a vegan and a non-vegan dessert, I'm probably going with the one loaded with butter.

But last week I took a long walk with the kids and walked right by at the right time -- that is, when I wanted a snack. The day was beautiful and sunny, so outdoor seating was fine. I browsed the cookies, cupcakes and other desserts but knew what my choice would be as soon as I saw it: the Chocolate XO cookie, a rich chocolate cookie filled with gooey chocolate chips.

It was delicious. Probably the third best dessert in Columbus, after the chocolate cheesecake at Omega Artisan Baking and the chocolate truffle cookie at Northstar Cafe. (Um, yeah, I like my chocolate layered and in massive quantities.)

"This is GOOD!" said Edith, with whom I reluctantly shared it. And to prove I'm a fun mom, even Atticus got a couple of bites. But I really wanted to keep it all to myself. Delicious and dreamy, and only $2.50.

Fourth of July in Clintonville

This past weekend was our first Independence Day in Columbus in about eight years, and our first in Clintonville ever. Although we lived in Clintonville last July, we spent the weekend in northwest Ohio visiting family. So this was an inauguration of sorts.

It almost wasn't much of a weekend. Paul found out Thursday that he unexpectedly would have to work on Friday. Then on Friday we got some bad news -- our oven needs to be replaced. And then Friday evening my slight headache turned into vomiting and tossing and turning on the couch all night.

I still wasn't feeling great in the morning, so Paul and Edith went to a holiday parade in nearby Worthington while I stayed home with Atticus. But luckily by the afternoon I was feeling much, much better.

We had been waffling back and forth about whether to attend the neighborhood's fireworks. On the one hand, they are within walking distance. On the other, they don't start until an hour after Edith's bedtime. At the last minute we decided to go.

Atticus slept through the 20 minute display. Edith seemed to enjoy them but was distracted. (Paul said the parade definitely was better at keeping her attention.) I'm glad we went, if only so I don't remember the holiday as the weekend I got sick and bought a new oven. Blah.

Springtime in the Park of Roses

A major perk of our location in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus is our proximity to the city's well-known Park of Roses. We can walk to it.

It's obvious how the park got its name. In the spring the park fills with buds, making for a beautiful walk. The park is always pleasant, but in the springtime it's spectacular. Here's what it looked like earlier this year.

Our First Block Party

A house may be the largest purchase you ever make in your entire life. And yet you usually move into it rather blind. Sure, an inspector can point out cracked windows or a roof that needs replaced, but those things can be fixed. What your happiness often depends on is your neighbors.

But you don't know them until you sign on the dotted line. It's a crapshoot. We were lucky.

Our block is home to several kids around Edith's age, a convenient email group to keep us up-to-date on the latest news and several special events. One of those is our block party. Last Saturday was our first one.

We had met several of our neighbors before (and I regularly see those with toddlers), but this was a great chance to get to know them better. It started with a potluck breakfast, followed by a large break in the middle of the day and then a potluck supper. Our part of the street was blocked off and a couple of neighbors brought out large gas grills -- it was bring-your-own-meat as well as BYOB. And there were sides and desserts for everyone.

In years past, I was told, the block had bicycle parades for the kids, tie-dying, even a band. I hope I can help revive some of this as Edith grows up. What great memories for her and for me.

A Fire Station Tour!

When I was a kid, the worst week of the entire school year was fire prevention week. Each year, after all of the stop, drop and roll talk, I was absolutely convinced that my house was going to go up in flames. I was terrified. I remember being amazed when my mom told me that no house she had ever lived in had caught fire.

Hopefully Edith won't inherit my fear. We took the first step earlier this week by attending a tour of the local fire station organized by the moms' group I recently joined.

Monday morning a couple of dozen moms and their children (from about 3 weeks old to 3 or 4 years old) met at the station for a private "tour." Really, we were all in the garage while one firefighter put on all of the gear while another did the talking. But I think the kids were just interested in the truck and spraying the water.

The tour got cut short when the firefighters had to respond to an actual call. We were all shooed out of the garage and watched as the truck, lights flashing, pulled onto the street. Talk about going out with a bang.

One Month in Ohio

A month ago today we made the final drive from New York to Ohio. We were moving from our Brooklyn apartment to the spare room of Paul's mom, wondering what the remainder of the summer would bring.

What a difference a month makes.

Today is our first full day as owners of a house in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus. It was the first house we looked at on our first full day back in Ohio (after touring many, many, many other homes on previous visits to the state), and we closed on it in less than a month.

Although we couldn't ask for a more gracious host than Paul's mom (as well as my own parents, who hosted Edith and me for a week earlier this month), I've been anxious to again be in my own place. And unlike in our Brooklyn apartment, in Clintonville we'll have room to grow.

But that's a topic for another blog post, and I'm sure there will be several. Today, however, I'm thinking about how much has changed in 31 days. And in almost six years.

Paul and I have spent a fair amount of time re-exploring our fair city, and we like what we see. Many of our old Columbus haunts are still here, and I'm excited to visit the new stores and restaurants. There's an energy to the Short North and downtown that I don't remember. I like it.

And while Clintonville isn't Bay Ridge, it does have many of the same characteristics: an active community, an urban atmosphere, walkable streets with places to actually walk to! I've enjoyed Clintonville since I first visited the neighborhood as a college student. I can't believe I'm actually going to live there.

Many people have asked whether I'm happy to be back in Ohio. I don't have a straight answer, and I suspect that all but my closest family and friends aren't too interested in the long version. But here it goes anyway.

I'm obviously pleased to be nearer those same family and friends. I love Columbus, I love Ohio. I have always been proud to call myself an Ohio girl.

But I loved New York, I loved Brooklyn, I loved Bay Ridge. I've written countless posts about what made living in the city so great. It'll be impossible to recreate.

That doesn't mean that I won't find living in Columbus again exciting. It will be so, only in a different way. I have to admit, I'm more excited about being back in Ohio now than I thought I would be for a long, long time.

We Bought a House!

We dove back into Ohio living head first: We bought a house.

We officially moved back to Columbus on July 21. On July 22, we made an offer on the home. The next day, after a couple of counteroffers, it was accepted.

The 1923 house is in the Columbus neighborhood of Clintonville, a few miles north of both the Ohio State University campus and downtown. An inspection of the house Wednesday went fine. We'll be moving in by the end of the month.

Walkability was a major must-have in our hunt for a home, and our new neighborhood has it in spades.

Our house is a short walk to the neighborhood farmers market, an excellent library, the Park of Roses, a giant playground, the Olentangy River and the nearly 14-mile bike and walking trail that winds along it. Several pleasant restaurants and coffee shops are also within walking distance.

Another bonus: It's about a 15 minute drive to Paul's office. He's not going to know what to do with all of his spare time!

We've spent a lot of time in Clintonville, both before we moved to New York and in visits back home after we moved away. But I know it's nothing like living there. We're excited and anxious to explore the neighborhood as new residents!