Gotta be a Story

Happy Saturday morning. This past Monday we feasted on an early, 2” snowfall. By mid-week it was back to walking with Bermudas. But never fear, today is the day that Saint Nicholas (‘Sinterklaas’) arrives in the Netherlands (by boat from Spain no less). So, the season of cold and white and possibly more Northern Lights cannot be but closing in.

Now, coffee is done so best pour a mug

There are Stories – Last Saturday I took a 5½ mile hike through nearby Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. It was a glorious day. Trees were on full display, and the ducks were causing the only ripples on the various ponds. On the back side of the park are some hills, and as the old saying goes, “the greater the climb, the better the view.” I had several of those ‘better’ views.

In no hurry and with gorgeous weather I made a quick decision. I wasn’t going to be there to set a time record. Instead, it was a visit to be filled with exploration. And, in a cemetery, what better exploring than to ‘poke’ around to take a closer look at some of the grave headstones.

Here are a few which caught my interest. And, at the same time, have you put together their story or history of the ‘resident’.

Just to give you a headstart here is one, selected primarily because ‘Karl’ was in his prime during the “Civil War” (or since we’re on the Kentucky line it could have been the “War Between the States“). I did look up Karl’s details; Charles J. ‘Karl’ Bolea. Born in Germany and little else. I thought that his time period was of interest.

This large headstone carrying the name; ‘Neeb” is of black marble. I thought the shape was unusual and yes, I did figure out Mr. Neeb’s background and the meaning of the shape. Good luck on your own path to discovering.

These two 5’ high SpongeBob headstones caused a bit of a ruckus in the local news. They were first approved by someone without the authority to do so – whoops. From the roadway they’re now not visible. Good luck with your own search.

The story behind this marker must be a difficult one. It’s three crosses each with the engraved photo and name of three young men, different names (2 same surname), differing birth years but same death year. I found out a bit of detail, but not much.

This bust is one of three in the cemetery. Each of these three have glass eyes. The result is that from whatever direction you approach the eyes look at you and follow you as you move about. It’s a bit surreal.
Charles C. Breuer Sr. (1845-1908) born in Germany. His occupation? He was an Optometrist, now, does the ‘eye’ gain some meaning?

And last on these few unusual markers is this one with the headline: “Through Their Thoughtfulness Knowledge Grows”. It was placed by the University of Cincinnati, Body Donation Program, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.

Ok, one more. Enough of the death thing, this sculpture is about ‘life’. The sculpture is on Spring Grove’s grounds and celebrates a Rev. John Chapman (1774-1845). Yes, he of ‘Johnny Appleseed’ fame. A Swedenborg pastor, Chapman roamed these parts with bible and a sack of seeds to bring ‘life’ to the earth. You know the story.

It’s a Wonderful World – And it is definitely so in the city of Belém. The whole Global Warming scam just keeps giving us these wonderful “what the?” moments. Now in Belém, Brazil the world’s elite and rabid believers are gathering to ‘save’ the world. The airport is being enlarged to accommodate the fleets of jets. But it gets better. To accommodate the limos thousands of rain-forest trees have been cut down to accommodate an 8-mile long 4 lane highway. It’s serious work these folk have embarked on.

The corner (well not quite) – Looking out the front window, Marcia and I saw a full-sized Coyote cross the street. Something must have spooked it because it started loping off. Too bad or I would have put on the song “Coyote.” Canadian singer—songwriter Joni Mitchell’s mega hit from 1977 and thereby enhance the whole event.

Mid-Week, on an afternoon walk a couple of streets away, I came across this Volkswagen sitting in front of one of the houses. Personally, I think it’s a tad beyond salvageability. I do think Marcia caught the whole event on the scanner. Think that is close enough to count as a Corner of Chaos & Mayhem item?

Then yesterday our building required ‘after-the-storm’ work on our building’s soffits. This is what a 48’ extended ladder looks like. And yes, it took multiple trips up-and-down to affect the fix.

Let me leave you with a couple of pictures from last Sunday’s Jazz@First Chamber Jazz Series at the nearby little First Unitarian Church.

The alto saxophone soloist was Christopher Andrews. Instructor at the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and a slew of work with notable artists, he was exceptional. As mentioned last week we explored the evolution of the alto saxophone in jazz: Showcasing Jazz through several decades (mostly 1930s through the 1960s) with almost 15 pieces of music.

I couldn’t get enough.

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

This week, in Philadelphia, the last US Penny was struck. I believe the idea is to not yank them out of circulation but to let time take care of it. How many are in circulation?

1) “1 trillion”
2) “500 million”
3) “780 million”
4) “800 billion”
5) “300 billion”
6) “1.25 trillion”