Vacation in Ohio

Am currently on vacation in Ashtabula, Ohio. A small town in northeastern Ohio about 15 minutes from Lake Erie, Ashtabula seems stuck in a time warp. The people who choose to live here grew up here, as did their parents and grandparents, etc. They play in the school parks, go for long walks, sit on their front porches or stoops and wave to people walking by. It's the type of place where every one knows everyone else and your business is not really your own. I love it here because it's peaceful, quiet and gives you time to think. With Cleveland about 50 minutes away, you can experience the fast paced life if you want but most people would rather go visit the Pymatuning Spillway or go to the Little League baseball games. Family is more important than computers/texting/Facebook and life moves at a much slower pace. In San Antonio (where I'm from) people are constantly on the go, going from work, to the gym, to the Riverwalk, to the clubs, etc., but here, you have time to just sit and enjoy the breeze, the thwack of the bat hitting a baseball, the squeak of the swings, whoosh of the wind through the screen door, the "Yoo-hoo" from family coming over to visit. Relaxation is the key - though people do go about their daily lives with work and gym visits, etc., it's not fast-paced.

Yesterday, we went with my uncle for a drive through Amish country, enjoyed the scenery and had an impromptu cookout over a fire pit located in a park on the Green River. We'd driven out there because I used to go there as a kid in the summers for family picnics (my dad's family is from this area). Then we drove through several "townships" (county's back in Texas) looking at houses, trees and covered bridges which are abundant in this area. We stopped in Mesopotamia, OH at a store called "End of Commons General Store" for ice cream and penny candy. There were girls dressed in Amish clothing (I think they were but not sure!) and the store itself was a treasure trove of homemade jams, jellies, candy, ice cream, gelatin, and many other delights. At the deli counter, the selection of meats and cheeses was enough to make your mouth water and the piece of sharp Cheddar I bought was so creamy, it had to be homemade. Coming back home, my uncle let me drive his 1963 Malibu/Chevelle - man the power those classic cars have!

All in all my vacation so far has been completely stress free and relaxing. The things I've enjoyed most is sitting on the screened-in porch talking with my cousins and just chilling. I'm not looking forward to leaving for my fast-paced home again in a couple of days....except for the fact that I miss my husband and other girls.