Domestic Putterings

We Are Family

Some people collect model trains. Or baseball cards.

Ray Kowiako collected family. And I was blessed to be a part of that collection.

Ray passed away August 1, just a few weeks shy of his 82nd birthday. He had been slowly going downhill the past few months and the rest of the family knew things weren't good when he missed Ben's graduation party, then Rachel's wedding. One of Ray's favorite things in the world was a family gathering, and it would take a lot for him to not be at one, let alone two.

An Afternoon at the Great Big Home and Garden Expo

It's my fate. The day I go to the I-X Center for a home and garden show is guaranteed to have craptacular weather. One year, there had been a snow-thaw-freeze that made walking the parking lot a battle to stay upright. Other years, it was bitter cold that numbed noses by the time the entry was reached. This year, it was blowing snow and a wicked cold wind that I pushed against to get to the Great Big Home & Garden Expo.

No wonder John chose to stay home. But the weather didn't deter everyone, as crowds were steady.

I'm glad I didn't, as I got to see old friends, get new ideas and see beautiful garden set-ups that had me thinking summer.

What's New?

With the post-holiday clean-up done, winter doldrums set in as we face yet another gray day.

One of my favorite times of year when I was writing for Inside & Out was the annual Home and Garden Show at the I-X Center in Cleveland. Locals by the thousands would brave parking fees, snow and standing in long lines to see the beautiful themed gardens blooming like it was June, decorated homes like the log cabin shown here, and booths dedicated to everything home and garden. You could get tips for gardening, ideas for your patio, inspiration for your living room, and find someone to update your bathroom.

This year, there are two options for us. Expositions Inc., which ran the original Home and Garden Show, held its show in Euclid this year. And the I-X Center is holding a new show, run by Marketplace Events. Among the celebrity guests are "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" star Ty Pennington, supermodel Cheryl Tiegs,  and Cleveland favorites Christopher Lowell and Shari Hiller and Matt Fox.

Taste of Tremont: NOM NOM NOM

Another beautiful weekend here in Northeast Ohio. It was definitely too nice to stay at home. I decided it was a perfect time to go to Taste of Tremont, a street fair in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. Well, a street fair featuring an Iron Chef and some of the best restaurants around, including Fahrenheit, Lago, Parallax and South Side.

John couldn't come with me. He had to clean the turtle's tank before it turned into a fetid swamp and turned Soup into Toxic Avenger. With a promise to bring him back some treats, I took off for Tremont.