City Mission Organizes Stand-In for 3,000 Homeless Children in Cleveland

I attended this Stand-In yesterday along with other Clevelanders who supported The City Mission in their endeavor to raise awareness of homeless children in Cleveland and challenge people to make a difference. 

Homelessness is something I've always been concerned about.  There were people from 133 churches that participated in the Stand-In event.  It was an uplifting, peaceful gathering of people of different races worshiping and praying together.  Around the area, were the following signs showing nine different homeless scenarios.

  

This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.--I John 3:16-18 (NIV)

You can help with a donation to Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless ("NEOCH") for much www.NEOCH.ORG.
needed supplies to meet the needs of unsheltered homeless in Cleveland at

Also, check out how you can help through The City Mission.

Share this:

How To Play Pickleball (Or How Not to Play)

Since some of you who read my previous post on "10 Things That Make Me Happy" commented you did not know what Pickleball was, I thought you might enjoy a short video of my husband playing.  I included captions that give basic tips on how to play.  I am hoping that my husband will take some video of my play too because I'd really like to see what that looks like.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the video.  Here are the rules:

1)  You only score when your side serves, must serve underhand, behind the base line, over the net and land in the blue area cross court.

2)  The no volley zone (also called the kitchen) is the 7 ft. deep space adjacent to the net on both sides.  Players cannot hit the ball on a fly while standing inside the kitchen, must wait for it to bounce in order to hit the ball while in the no volley zone.

3)  Servers switch sides with their partner after scoring points.

4)  At the very beginning of the game, after the initial server loses the serve, the other team gets to serve.  However, from then on, once the first server on a team fails to score, his partner gets to serve--like a second chance!  Once both partners fail to score, then they lose the serve and the other team gets to serve.

5)  On the serve and return of serve, players must let the ball bounce once on their side of the court before hitting it.

6)  Whichever team gets to 11 points first wins, but they have to win by 2 points.

7)  The receiving team must call a ball out of bounds if it misses the sideline or baseline.  If the ball hits the player or their paddle, it counts as in.

8)  If players cannot tell if the ball was out on their side or if one partner calls it out and other other partner calls it in, it's in.  In other words, if there is doubt, the call goes in favor of the team who hit the ball.

9)  Have fun!

Share this:

10 Things That Make Me Happy (Writer's Workshop)

These 10 things all make me happy:

Sunshine and temperatures in mid 70s to mid 80s

My Husband

Seeing animals (cats, dogs, squirrels, etc.)

A cat on my lap

When my Sunday School class goes well and kids seem to enjoy it

Playing pickleball . . . even happier when I win!

Some Pickleball Friends at Elmwood Park

Easy work day when things work as they should and I do not have to wait on anything

A really good book that I hate to put down

Watching a happy movie

Seeing people win on game shows

Stop by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop for more writing prompts and to visit other blogs.

Share this:

A Special Saturday Visitor

Who is laying on our chair?

After I finished watching a movie yesterday, I saw a big black cat lying on our chair on the porch and let Spunky Doodle see it too!  She watched it quietly from the window until it left.  I don't know ho long it was there, but was happy it chose our porch to rest on.  I thought about going outside to get a better shot, but didn't want to scare it off.  I hope it comes back again some time. 

Share this:

You Never Know What You'll Find at the Library

Created by Malcolm Cochran

It's been quite a while since I've been in the Cleveland Public library downtown and was really surprised to see this big bronze piggy bank.  I had to take a picture.  Then googled it to see why they had it.  Here is what I found:

Big Pig Bank, 1997 Bronze, electric clock 36" x 73" x 34" Malcolm Cochran created a bronze piggy bank located at the Cleveland Public Library, Louis Stokes Wing Auditorium. Originally, the piggy bank was placed in a window facing the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Cochran stated "he was inspired by the piggy bank as a symbol of fiscal responsibility."

Oscar the Grouch

 I also checked out the puppet exhibit that is there.  It was very impressive with all sorts of puppets and marionettes from Punch & Judy to really tall ones and from other countries.  They even Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street in the trash can talking to people.  That was really funny! 

There was also a video running on puppetry techniques and a puppet theater set up with hand puppets available for people to play with.  When I was there during my lunch hour, I enjoyed watching a father and daughter having some fun putting on a little puppet show.  One guy actually sat down on the benches in front to watch them and two security guards were entertained by them as well. 

Libraries are a great place to go and they are free!  When was the last time you visited a library.  We usually go once a week.

Share this:

Fake Neighborhood Delicatessen Meat Market in Parma

One day when out walking, my husband discovered a little neighborhood delicatessen store on West 54th Street in Parma, Ohio.  But wait, then he read the sign in the window.

Aw, a bit disappointing.  He says "only in Parma."  Anyone else have a fake store in your neighborhood?

Share this:

Look What We Found At The Park Today

As we were walking through Veterans Memorial Park today, we found a bunch of helium-filled balloons at the trash can and rescued them.  We stopped to sit on one of the benches and Gerard looked like a little kid holding the balloons with his feet not even able to reach the ground.  I love his big smile too! 

When I first saw the balloons, my first thought was to use them for my Sunday School class, but then noticed they were filled with helium so they wouldn't work for our volleyball review game.  Then I figured I would give them to some little kid we saw on our way home, but we didn't see any.  The youngest we passed was around 13 and on a bike.

So . . .  I decided to let them fly away.  It reminded me of our wedding day when we released balloons after the reception.

Off they go!  It was quite breezy so didn't take long for them to disappear into the clouds.

Share this:

75th D-Day Anniversary and June 6 Firmwide Jeans Day

Today, Thursday, June 6 commemorates the 75th anniversary of the D-day landings and the Battle of Normandy. 75 years ago, more than 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces came together as allies to liberate Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. This year’s anniversary is a great reminder of our resolve and determination and the sacrifice that so many have made for our freedom. That freedom is so easy to take for granted, but is so important to everything we do and certainly has come at a great cost. 

To honor and celebrate this anniversary, we all could wear jeans to work today and provided breakfast for us! Also, in recognition of our veterans, we were asked to consider making a contribution of up to $5 to help sponsor honor flights for veterans by supporting the Honor Flight Network. This national network is dedicated to transporting America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to honor their service and sacrifice for our country. Since its inception in 2005, the Honor Flight Network has transported more than 200,000 veterans to D.C and currently has a national waiting list topping 38,000.

The firm I work for will match the donations raised from our jeans day and will also make an additional donation to the Honor Flight Network. This contribution will help many veterans visit Washington, D.C. to see their memorials.

Thanks again to all of our veterans and to all the veterans we count among our family and friends for what you have done to protect and preserve the freedom of this nation.

Share this:

I Should Have Brought My Camera!

I only recently have started blogging here again and when we went to Snow Road Park to walk through the woods, I thought about bringing alone my camera.  Unfortunately, I didn't.  When we saw this owl sitting on a tree so close to the trail, I really wished I had brought my camera along.  All I had was my little tracfone so I did the best I could with what I had (sorry for the poor quality).  My husband's phone takes better pictures than mine, but he is out of data time or whatever.

We enjoyed our walk and saw some friendly little dogs along the way too who let us pet them.  Oh well, lesson learned.  From now on I will be carrying along my digital camera wherever I go!

Have you ever wished you had your camera with you?

I'm joining Saturday Critters

Share this: