17 Sep

Posted at 09:01h in Business, Columbus, columbus families, Community, Divorce, Emotions, healing, meaningful, parenthood, relationships, Story, writing

"Never Give Up" Meet Joe Woodley "I was involved in a long-distance relationship with a young lady from Columbus. We had known each other for quite some time and I had traveled to Columbus numerous occasions. In April of 1998, she called to inform me that she was pregnant. Having grown up with my father not being involved in my life, I wanted to do what I thought was the right thing, and be there for my child. Frankly, I was afraid and I knew that I was ill-prepared to be a father at the time, but that August I boarded a Greyhound bus which departed Grand Central...

10 Sep

Posted at 08:50h in Beauty, blogging, Columbus, columbus families, Community, Education, Emotions, Family, healing, health, Local, meaningful, Meet the Family, motherhood, Non Profit, Organization, parenthood, Story

 A story of Fighting Blindness "When I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at age 14, I was told by my retina specialist that I wouldn’t have trouble with vision until I was “much, much older.” Apparently, late 20’s was “older.” At 28 years old, I started noticing that I couldn’t see my 6-month-old daughter’s face very well. If I stared at her eyes, I couldn’t see her nose, let alone the rest of her body. I then started realizing that if I looked at my mom on the couch, I couldn’t see my dad sitting directly next to her. I was missing handshakes, curbs, and wet...

06 Sep

Posted at 19:29h in blogging, cancer, caregiving, Childhood, Columbus, columbus families, Community, death, Emotions, experience, Family, healing, Local, love, meaningful, Mental Health, motherhood, Organization, parenthood, reflection, Story, Things that Matter

A Story of Grief @jessfpetersen "I am a married mom of three kids - Sadie, Colin and Elise. My husband Brian and I have been married for 11 years, but have known each other since we were kids. I work in media relations for Lifeline of Ohio and consider it a privilege to work in the field of organ, eye and tissue donation. I am also the #1 Button Artist in the state of Ohio...

28 Aug

Posted at 20:02h in Activities, Adventure, art, Beauty, Business, caregiving, Childhood, Columbus, columbus families, Community, eco-friendly, Education, Emotions, experience, Family, Fun, Giving Back, Local, local business, meaningful, Non Profit, Organization, Outdoors, reflection, Responsibility, Story, Things that Matter, travel

"When I was 17 I remember sitting at my Grandfathers oak table tracing the knots in the wood a thousand times as if I were Pac-man trying to find my exit out.  As I flipped through Polaroid pictures laying on the table my Grandfather said to me in a stern voice---don’t mix those pictures up-they tell a story, from beginning to end. My knack for knowing strangers, people, community and their stories came long before I.  Like a family cornbread recipe it was handed down to me from my Grandfather to my Mother, and then I. I intend to also give it away someday. I...

21 Aug

Posted at 08:59h in Uncategorized

Mike, founder of School Solutions Network, knew in an ever-evolving world faced with strained resources, growing needs and wide-ranging threats, schools should not be alone in the pursuit of safety, technology and support.   [caption id="attachment_9306" align="aligncenter" width="640"] BLINK BOX Collection[/caption] This belief is what led Status Solutions to create the School Solutions Network. Status Solutions is the pioneering provider of situational awareness technologies for life safety, security, environmental monitoring and mass notification and was founded, specifically with schools in mind, after the events that took place at Columbine High School in 1999. Status Solutions’ involvement in schools rendered Mike all too familiar with the increasing threats impacting schools’...

19 Aug

Posted at 09:49h in Activities, Columbus, Community, Education, experience, healing, Local, Non Profit, Organization

Black Women And Girls’ Recognition Day is taking place August 21st at 6:00pm. The event is sponsored by The Women's Place at The Ohio State University. [caption id="attachment_9563" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Photo Credit: Jamia Shepherd[/caption] The event celebrates and empowers the lives of Black Women and Girls.  There will be spoken word performances, special guest appearances, and refreshments. And, of course, the special awarding of scholarships to young women in the Columbus community. The event will take place at The Columbus Metropolitan Library Driving Park Branch. The nonprofit organization, Education Foundation for Freedom is committed to empowering Black women and girls. They are dedicated to actively improving their lives through educational programs...

16 Aug

Posted at 19:56h in Business, Columbus, columbus food, Community, experience, Family, Flavor, food, food scene, Gourmet, Local, local business, Meet the Business, Story

Meet Mike Davis: Behind the Scenes of Cap City Diner, Dublin {3/3} Mike is the Diner Manager at Cap City Diner's newest location in Dublin. He started out as a Fine-Arts major in college waiting tables at the Ocean Club.  There, he fell in love with the company and got into business. "We're allowed to take great care of our people and our guests. There is no other place like it." You can tell the minute you meet Mike that he truly loves what he's doing.  His enthusiasm and knowledgable of not only the restaurant industry, but the history of Cameron Mitchell, as well as, each restaurant was--inspiring. Before landing...

09 Aug

Posted at 22:48h in Activities, blogging, Business, Childhood, Columbus, columbus families, Education, experience, Family, friendship, Fun, Local, local business, Local Family, Outdoors, Uncategorized

It's the beginning of August and you realize you've been vacationing through other people's Facebook posts, but not a single vacation was one you actually took. Oops. But, luckily, there are still a few days left for some summer fun. I'm not saying vacations are a must, I'm actually against the planned, yearly trips, but I do think summer is the time where you check off some things on your bucket list. Because our kids are so young and we wanted to keep the spending to a minimum, we decided to do a little staycation. What is a staycation you might ask? Well, my definition is--a little vacation...

22 Jul

Posted at 21:38h in Uncategorized

Meet Andrea: Behind the Scenes of Cap City Diner, Dublin {2/3} Andrea is the Beverage Operations Manager for all of Cameron Mitchell restaurants. Pretty cool, huh? But, besides making the tastiest drinks {seriously}, she's my soul sister. Why? Because she loves a good margarita, of course! While in nursing school, she always had a passion for math and science. But, she also grew up in the restaurant industry. So, how did the two collide? "At 13, I was hosting at a restaurant where I was paid under the table. My parents also own The Top in Bexley. I have always been around this type of environment." Being in charge of the...