Hither & Yon: February 2017

Glendale (OH) Water Tower (sort of)

On a recent foray to Glendale, a Cincinnati suburb, I took a picture of the circular stone "tower" at Arbor Place, directly across Sharon Road from Town Hall and in front of Christ Church Glendale (see here).

The plaque on the tower refers only to the landscaping in the surrounding park (a 1955 memorial to Ralph Frederic Rogan (1875-1955) and Bessie Ewing Rogan (1877-1953)). So I looked it up. Online. Because you can trust everything you read online.

Turns out, the stone tower is only the base of Glendale's original water tower, which failed in 1928 and was replaced with a new tower later that year. The base has never been removed. From the doors, I'm guessing it is used to store landscaping equipment.

Evensong at Christ Church Glendale with the Cincinnati Boychoir

I was accompanied last evening by the lovely Robin to an Evensong service at Christ Church Glendale. Evensong is a traditional Anglican service of evening prayers and songs.

We arrived plenty early for the 5 p.m. service and noticed that the beautiful sanctuary seemed a tad empty. So we kept walking through the expansive and elaborate church--but not before pausing to take a photo of the gorgeous “Good Shepherd” window in the rear of the church.

We followed the sounds of activity to the Holy Spirit Chapel (below), a fairly new addition to the facility, where preparations were being made for the service.

We grabbed a couple front row seats facing the boychoir section. The service began right on time with a voluntary of Bach's Fantasia in G Minor (ah, Bach). The liturgy was feelingly presented, with the psalm, Magnificat, and Nunc Dimittis presented by a half dozen female voices of the church's Chorus Angelorum.

The Cincinnati Boychoir, special musical guests for the evening, then presented five "anthems": "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" (Willie Johnson), "Cantique de Jean Racine" (Gabriel Fauré), "Ave Verum Corpus" (Mozart), "Cantata 196" (Bach), and the traditional spiritual, "City Called Heaven." Outstanding, every one, with three excellent soloists.

Unfortunately, though I am a boychoir alumnus, no one asked me to sing. Strange. Passing strange. Otherwise, however, the service was a lovely way to worship with my wife and enjoy the music of the Cincinnati Boychoir, which never disappoints.

Sabbath Walk, February 25, 2017

Sabbath Walk, February 19, 2017

All the time I've lived in the Cincinnati area, I continue to be amazed and chagrined that there are so many wonders and treasures I have yet to discover and enjoy! One of those is Glenwood Gardens, the 335-acre preserve of gardens, prairies, forests, and wetlands in Woodlawn.

After a stop in the Cotswold Visitor Center and (of course) gift shop (at top), the lovely Robin accompanied me on a sixty-degree Sunday afternoon walk along the Garden Path (literally; that's what it's called).

Even in February, the paved path, just over a mile long, was a beautiful stroll, affording us the opportunity to chat, enjoy the warm day and vivid blue sky, and even make out (a little).

The West Fork of the Mill Creek winds through the area (as a kid, I spent many hours playing in and around the East Fork of the Mill Creek).

We were both enchanted by the discovery of this beautiful park, and plan to return after the gardens bloom.

Glenwood Gardens is located at 10397 Springfield Pike, in Woodlawn, a suburb of Cincinnati.

Book Blvd., Liberty Center, Ohio

Last evening the lovely Robin and I paid a visit to Book Blvd., a new locally-owned bookstore in Liberty Township, Ohio. I am more than partial to local bookstores, and we had driven past this one before, once or twice, but it had been closed. This time we were happy to see that it was open.

Immediately upon entering, we were enchanted. New books and used books, lovingly shelved together. Greeted warmly as soon as we entered. Attentively but not intrusively helped by the proprietors. They even took a few of my book, The Bard and the Bible, for their "local authors" shelves.

And everything is well organized. We found a few treasures to purchase and adopt (and one to give as a gift). I can walk in and out of a big chain bookstore without buying anything, though the selection is much larger and flashier, but a store like this makes me want to stay and buy and come back.

Book Blvd. is located just off of the Cincinnati-Dayton Road exit from I-129, at 7045 Yankee Road, between Pooch Pizazz and Arthur Murray in the Liberty Commons Plaza. I recommend it!