Sitwell's in Clifton

My writing perch this afternoon is Sitwell's Coffee House in Cincinnati's Bohemian Clifton neighborhood.

Sitwell's, located next door to the venerable Esquire Theater on Ludlow Avenue, is named for Edith Sitwell (1887-1964), a British poet and critic who once visited the U.S. (in 1948), but never made it to the Sitwell Coffee House. Probably because it didn't exist until many years later.

Above is my corner booth, with a cool "Convers-O-Call," an ancient intercom (methinks) device.

I ordered a brie snack with walnuts and craisins, and a yogurt fruit smoothie to fortify me for the afternoon's writing. Which I should be getting to. Any minute now. Seriously....

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True West Cafe

A series of unfortunate events--well, just one, actually--resulted today in my first opportunity to pay a short visit to the new True West coffee shop on Main Street in Hamilton.

The establishment, across the street from Hughes Drugs in the 300 block, is quite homey, housed as it is in a former home.

It is much roomier than I expected, with ample seating downstairs...

And upstairs...

The "Milky Way" coffee (chocolate and caramel) was good. The cinnamon roll looked good but could have been better. But they served it on real china, so kudos for class.

In any case, I liked it, and plan to return.

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14 Reasons I Love Taking My Grandkids on Vacations

1. They find interest and excitement in EVERYthing!













2. They don't hesitate to tell you what they like and what they don't like.


















3. They make walks way more fun.




















4. They are still learning about stuff I usually manage to overlook.

















5. They even make timeouts look adorable.














6. I get to introduce them to things....like S'mores.












7. They make me laugh.




















8. They make for amazing pictures.














9. They remind me how much fun it can be to throw stuff, climb stuff, jump over stuff, and stuff stuff.










10. They share with me (sometimes).



















11. They get me (and others) to do things we wouldn't otherwise do.



















12. They know how to suck the marrow out of each moment of every day.

















13. They make even rainy days charming.



















14. I love to see my kids loving their kids, and their kids loving them.

Potter's Ranch

The lovely Robin and I had a lovely time last night with a lovely group of people.


The leaders of The Ridge church in Brookville, Ohio, gathered at Potter's Ranch in Kentucky for a leadership retreat, and it was my blessing to deliver a keynote for their weekend in the opening session.


Most stayed awake the whole time, as I spoke on "4 Questions for Leaders" from 1 Kings 19! And we had such a wonderful time of communion and fellowship afterward.

It was refreshing and restorative for us. It might even have been a help to them!

Some Signs Are More Necessary Than Others

On Rt. 22 in Upland, Indiana.

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Can't Escape My Celebrity

In Marion, Indiana:

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The Mill, Marion, Indiana

I ventured out this evening into Marion, just a few miles west of my hotel in Gas City, and stopped for dinner at The Mill, on the eastern banks of the Mississinewa River.

Nearly the first sight to greet me as I climbed the stairs to the spacious second-floor loft of a restaurant was a "Miami of Ohio" banner. I asked my server about it, and she later (after inquiring) told me that the boss is an alumnus!

The Mill is, not oddly at all, an old mill, now operating as a deli on the first floor and restaurant/bar on the second floor. The fare, however, was nothing like bar food.

The crab cakes were quite good, if a tad too long in the deep fryer. The salad was also fresh and well presented.

For the main course, I had steak oskar and shrimp with vegetables and baked potato. These were all cooked just about perfectly.

I also tried one of the house's "dollar desserts," a creme brulee that, despite the foil wrapper, was a credible effort.

The server was attentive but not overly so. The soundtrack was seventies rock. And the scenery--even at night--of the river rushing past was very nice. A fulfilling (and filling) experience.

The Mill is located at 1001 N. Washington Ave. in Marion (765-664-4637).