Here's a local connection to Oprah Winfrey that's worth a blog. Not because it's Oprah, but because of the story. Sufiy Davis has been using the movie The Pursuit of Happyness to promote happiness. Actually, the real intention, I think, is to promote hope, possibility and drive in people who are homeless. Sufiy's been taking homeless men and women from Faith Mission operated by Lutheran Social Services in Columbus to the Drexel Theatre. And not just a couple of people, as many as she can afford to take. The Drexel has also helped offset the cost.

Sufiy let The Oprah Winfrey Show folks know what she was up to as a "Pay it Forward Challenge." Being that Oprah's show knows a photo op when they see one, Sufiy was hooked up as a guest. Her TV time on Oprah was on Friday, January 26. From what I heard, the crew went to the movies with Sufiy and the gang . Plus, interviews with residents and Sheila Gaston, the shelter manager were included in the broadcast. Here is the link to The Oprah Winfrey Show broadcast that highlights Sufiy's story with text and pictures.

I like this story for a couple of reasons. It's such a simple concept to take folks to the movies. One person had this idea, followed through with it, and it actually was recognized as being marvelous. There are folks all over Ohio who are making a difference. I can think of a couple of school classrooms for one. It's neat, though, that at least one Ohioan got a trip to see Oprah. To the rest of you out there, keep doing good. You know who you are.

Every day there is something new to write about. The list is long. Here is one item that's been on my list for awhile.

Art for a Child's Safe American Foundation (ArtSafe) located in Columbus is one of those organizations every state needs, particularly if one listens to the nightly local news. The organization's founder, artist Stephen Canneto, was moved more than ten years ago to do something to stem the violence he saw affecting our nation's youth. In his mind, the way to make the world safer is by helping those young people who could make it even more dangerous if they don't get intervention.

ArtSafe uses art, writing and drama to help young people find an alternative voice. Instead of being left to beat the same drum of violence, despair and disenfranchisement, the participants of ArtSafe are given the opportunity to experience life through a different lens-one where anger is put on hold.

Although ArtSafe programs taught by professional artists, writers and theatre folk also happen in other venues besides prisons, it's the prison art programs I've seen at work. I've observed the workshop sessions, celebrated the end of projects and have interviewed some of the youth offenders myself. What I can say is true is it is wonderful to see hope at work and to listen to young men and women say that they feel heard and valued. It's also true that ArtSafe is one of those organizations that ought to make Ohioans feel proud. For more information about ArtSafe, head to the website. What I've given is just a snippet. There are examples of participants' writing and art as well. The link Memorial to Our Lost Children provides insight into the heart of the organization.

My mother-in-law is wild about quilting and, luckily for us, she shares what she makes. When she emails me about a neat quilt store she's found, I know it's great. Here is her tip for anyone looking for a place that will give you some inspiration and goods if you're in the mood to buy. She also really likes the owner. Since Thymbles is located in Smithville at the edge of Amish country, this would be a fun jaunt for a day trip.

Thymble's website is still being added to but there are class offerings and special events. Last weekend, for example, there was a quilting retreat. If you're looking for what else there is to do in Smithville and the surrounding area, it's in Wayne County with plenty of places to poke around. Be sure to eat at The Barn Restaurant in Smithville. This was one of the restaurants that a lot of Ohio Magazine readers wrote in about as one of the best destination restaurants. It's no wonder. There's an electric train that goes around the lobby (you can hear it on the website). You can also feed ducks, smash a penny, play checkers and more. On the restaurant's website you can also hear bees and the tractor that kids can pretend to ride.

The quilt in the photo was made by Jane Hardy Miller and was used as the design for the quilt retreat. The pattern in called French Braid.

It's always interesting to find out what captures Ohioans' interests, particularly when they are Ohio transplants and originally hailed from elsewhere. When I gave Rachel Shaw, a writer's group friend of mine, the Ohio 5 questions, she described the scenery from the window of the 100 year-old farmhouse between Dublin and Plain City that she shares with her husband. "Every sunrise, every sunset was a new masterpiece that my suburban eyes were unused to. I have lots of pictures of the same scene – right between the barns – of a different more beautiful sky dotted with purple and blue and pink clouds."

The scene became her muse for her poetry . When it comes to fantasy fiction aimed for teens, she writes like a fiend. One book, The Necromancer's Scroll has been published under her pen name Sierra Torrin. Besides writing, (check out her blog) , Rachel gets around. If you're ever wondering what to do in Ohio here are her suggestions:

If it's August: "The Miami Valley Steam and Thresher Show at Pasttime Park, admission $10 (I think). The sounds of steam tractors clicking and grinding away like tiny old locomotives. . . You can find anything here. Antiques are as plentiful as old tools and crafts and Happy Meal toys. Popcorn, fried bologna, homemade ice cream in fresh waffle cones, and sausage fried up by the VFW boys are some of the smells that tempt you."

Place to Eat: "I drive my visitors to the Dutch Kitchen. Owned by the same proprieters as the Der Dutchman, it is a smaller establishment, and there is more to enjoy in a less hectic atmosphere. Here, one can enjoy the hospitality of the Amish, a large portion of the Plain City population, and enjoy the food and crafts.

Favorite Event and Place: Ohio Renaissance Fesitval and Ravenwood Castle, "a bed and breakfast just south of Hocking Hills on the edge of Vinton County. This wonderful place has been designed to look like a castle with small keeps surrounding it. Our honeymoon was spent in the King Arthur Suite, a splendid three-room apartment with a Jacuzzi bath, a sitting room upstairs, and a balcony.

And where she sees Ohio's wonder the most: "I've found pockets of beauty by the Scioto River and in its tributaries. I've discovered southeastern Ohio, the foothills of the Appalachians and the limestone caves."

The oldest, still active member of the Arizona Horse Cutting Association lives right in Athens County just minutes from Nelsonville and Burr Oak State Park. Walt Semingson has been a horseman since he was a young boy growing up on his parents' ranch in North Dakota near the Montana border. These days, in his mid 80s, he'll still climb up on a horse to show how to use it to separate a cow from a cattle herd, but it's his sons who actually run the Semingson family-owned Smoke Rise Ranch. This is a place where cowboys not only look like cowboys, they are cowboys, chaps and all.

Just a last spring, Walt treated me to his horseman's skill before his son Mark took me horseback riding. Horseback rides and lessons are part of Smoke Rise's fare. You can even stay longer to learn how to be a ranch hand yourself. If I didn't know my geography, I'd have sworn they had whisked me out west, and I've been out west.

Their pristine acres are surrounded by the Wayne National Forest and state forest property, not far from Burr Oak State Park, makes it a perfect place for a family getaway. You can camp at the ranch's campground or rent a cabin. During the weekend of March 30-April 1 at the "Pre-season Tune-up" you can learn how to herd cattle. There are other special event weekends , including rodeos, from the spring through the fall. You can also enjoy winter with a horseback ride.

We just spent a couple hours there, but I'm itching to go back for more of Walt's stories about when he trained neighbors' horses back in 1930-and how exactly his authentic working ranch ended up in Ohio in the first place.

While there are several changes that came about with the governor shift in Ohio, one thing hasn't. The Heritage Garden that was Hope Taft's brainchild still remains. Before the Tafts moved into the governor's residence, the garden was the traditional English version. Mrs. Taft envisioned a place that reflected the diversity of Ohio's native plant life found in its five physiographic regions from Lake Erie to the Appalachians to the what once once a whole lot of prairie in between.

Hope Taft took four years to get this garden in place and the Stricklands aren't changing it. I don't think they can. If it hasn't already happened, Ohio's government is protecting the garden by law so some other governor years down the road, or his wife, or her husband, can't say, "Gee, wouldn't an English garden be nice?" Or if they do say it, they're just going to have to enjoy the yellow lady slipper orchids, the white and red trilliums, the purple coneflowers, and whatever else is native to Ohio.

Because the Governor's Residence and Heritage Garden are part of our heritage, we get to see it. You don't need any proof that you are an Ohioan either. Someone from, say, Kentucky can go. What you do need to do is call ahead for a tour reservation. Tours are on Tuesdays. If you can't make it to the garden in person, the website has an interactive map where you can click on each area to see what it planted there.

Chair is Art. According to Renee Kropat, head of Gallery 202 in Westerville, almost anything can become art--maybe everything. Last year for Passages V, a conceptual art experience that culminated into an art show of women' expressions of some aspect of life, mailboxes were turned into art. The brilliance of the Passages series is in the collective expression. Each person for the last Passages, for example, was given the same prompt, the same type of mailbox, and told to convey the idea of how do we stay connected. No one mailbox turned out the same. Some mailboxes didn't even look like mailboxes anymore which was fine by Renee. Only a piece of the original mailbox had to be used. This year's Passage's theme has not been decided. When it is, I'm in.

"Chair is Art," another Kropat brainchild, is not just for women--or for adults. This show is open to anyone. I participated two years ago and got two friends of mine to also participate. All you do is pay a $10 entry fee if, you are an adult, or $5 if you're a kid, and bring your artistic expression of a chair to Gallery 202 by the due date, March 7, 2007. You can downnload the entry form from the Gallery 202 website. Either turn a chair into an art piece, or make a chair (for example, a school art class made paper mache chairs) or photograph a chair. This year you can even make a wall hanging, but somehow, a chair has to be represented. The Gallery 202 website also has the past Chair is Art chairs posted to give an overview of what is possible.

Besides the forays in to community art that includes murals in downtown Westerville, Gallery 202 also features local artist's work, has art supplies for sale and is a venue for at classes. Gallery 202 is a terrific resource and art world gem that pulls me to Westerville several times a year. It sure is fun to be an artist once in a while-even if I'm not all that good, Renee makes me feel like I'm an artistic genius-or something.

Here is the actual cartoon of James Thurber's story, Unicorn in the Garden. This was released by Columbia Pictures UPA in 1953. Humorist James Thurber, a Columbus native, who also gained fame as a writer and cartoonist for The New Yorker in the 1920s and 1930s, still influences Ohio's literary scene. His boyhood home, The Thurber House, is now a writing establishment that sponsors author series talks, workshops, a writer-in-residence program and a contest that is dear to my heart, The Thurber Treat Humor Writing contest. I was one of last year's winners.

Writing can be soul work. There is no where I've found in Ohio where this is truer than at Women Writing for (a) Change. This is an organization, a writing center of sorts, in Cincinnati. I met its founder, Mary Pierce Brosmer a few years ago upon the recommendation of a friend. Since then, I attended last year's spring writing retreat for women across the Ohio River in northern Kentucky. I'm signing up for this year's too. It's terrific to have time to develop my craft while nurturing my spirit and connecting to others.

Women Writing for (a )Change was initially started with the idea that, through writing and sharing their work, women might make systemic changes in their lives, and thus, the world. Over the past 15 plus years, it's grown beyond that. There are writing workshops for families and men as well. In the summer, there are writing camps for girls. The biggest focus remains women.

My only beef is that this terrific place is in Cincinnati. That's no one's fault. That's life. I'd love to sign up for a semester class or two. In the meantime, I'll keep telling people about it and look forward to that retreat weekend.

By the way, you don't have to see yourself as a writer to go to classes or on a retreat. The point is that you are interested in writing. A love of words is a bonus. If you don't have this love now, afterwards, you will. You will most certainly find yourself enjoying how you are in the company of women.

Women Writing for a Changes's motto says it best:

Bringing women to words and the words of women to the world.

Buying chocolate, flowers, or those little message heart candies are fine if there's no time to plan ahead for Valentine's Day, but consider some other options. If you use your senses to lead the way, you might come up with some interesting ways to celebrate love. Or a deep like. Or an "I kind of like you." Here are some starting places:

Sense of smell- With Ohio's botanical gardens' conservatories creating a haven against the freshly arrived winter's chill, head to one of them. Breathe in the fragrances of the jungles, orchid gardens and mountainous regions of the world. So, what if you can't go to a tropical island with your honey this year? At Krohn Conservatory, Franklin Park Conservatory, and Cleveland Botanical Garden you can pretend.

If eating is a way to your loved one's heart, head to a cooking school where you can spend time together--plus taste your efforts. Dorothy Lane Market Cooking School in Dayton has wonderful options. Many restaurants, like Handkes in Columbus also have classes. Here is a Shaw Guides website with links to several of them.

If the sense of sound is your fancy, head to a symphony concert. You can engage your sense of sight as well since many of Ohio's symphonies perform in the most beautiful buildings in the state. In February, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the Akron Symphony , The Youngstown Symphony and the Toledo Symphony have concerts.

For the soothing sense of touch, get a couple's massage. The Marengo Institute, a mind body spa that originated in California but now has Cleveland and Columbus locations, has a Couples Delight Package.

Another option for the sense of sight is an art museum. Here is the botanical garden and art museums page of Ohio Travelers.com to find one you may not have thought of before.

When my friend Charlene Fix, poet and author of Flowering Bruno, a book I have blogged about in the past, told me about a certain poet in her writing group, my interest was piqued. Jacquelin Smith communicates with animals. She's been doing it for years.

The communication is not the Dr. Doolittle variety, but a matter of honing into the things animals tell her through telepathy. Jacquelin's had tremendous success and gets referrals from people who also are tuned into animals. She has helped people locate missing animals, for example, and has helped people figure out what's up with the animals they live with. Often, it's not the animal at fault but the people. Some animal types and people types are not the best fit. A person who loves sitting on the couch doesn't need to a dog who needs a good run for exercise. A good deal of Jacquelin's work involves helping people deal with deciding when to put an animal to sleep and the feelings of grief this brings up.

For those interested in being more in tune with animals, Jacquelin's book, Animal Communication: Our Sacred Connection is part how-to and part anecdotal. Those who want to figure out just what's up with the dog who won't stop chewing, or the cat who won't use a liter box, or the household animals that just won't get along with each other, can contact Jacquelin for help. Besides information about work, her book and her workshops, Jacquelin's website has testimonials from people, some who I have talked with myself.

Paul Laurence Dunbar, born to ex-slaves in 1872 in Dayton, Ohio was a contemporary of Orville Wright and a prolific poet who was the first African American poet to reach national recognition. Here is a wonderful video essay of Dunbar's poem, "The Old Apple Tree." The narrator has a lovely deep voice and takes the view on a walk through the woods and countryside while reciting the poem. This is an edited video--the kind you want to share with people.

My friend, Ann has mentioned to me several times, "Let's go to a karaoke bar," and then talks about the fun we had several years ago when we did hit one. My husband belted out a fine rendition of "Danny Boy" that night. Me? I'm partial to "Proud Mary." I seem to manage to stay on tune with that song, sort of. Once, years ago, my husband pretended it was my birthday and got the people in the karaoke bar that we happened upon, to sing to me. My birthday was months away. I gamely smiled while I watched the ball bounce across the words.

Now, my friend is in a real band, Magic City. I wonder if one day someone will be singing one of her band's songs? If this happens, I wonder what the background video scenes will be? Will there be some obscure unrelated scenes like people rolling around in ocean waves?

I do hope Ann's not too busy with her band that she doesn't have time to karaoke anymore. I found a couple bars that look promising. Jilly's Saloon in Reynoldsburg, for example, has a secret song contest and Largest Little Bar In T has over 20,000 song options. I wonder if it has "Proud Mary?" If so, I'm there.

To find a karaoke bar near you, Ohiokaraoke.com has an extensive listing. Click on the map of Ohio where you live for names, addresses and details. For a clever look at karaoke bars and the people who go there, check out the documentary Karaoke Dreams by Robert Davidian. A fun clip is on You Tube.

There is something about Ohio after it's snowed and the sun has not appeared for a few days, particularly after road dirt has had some time to get splashed around. Today, I was explaining to non-native English speakers the term, "winter blues." Actually, since the snow has just come, it's still a bit of a novelty, but still, the flower section of a grocery store looks mighty good about now.

In some Ohioans' houses, the grocery store is trumped when it comes to plants. Sharon Holtzman has 2,000 African violets growing in her basement. Holtzman is a hybridizer who comes up with new African violet types by cross breeding. She sells plants, leaves and growing mixtures of soil and nutrients. I know this because in January I dabbled in the world of African violet growers for an article I wrote. There are many people across Ohio like Sharon who are wild about violets. They are stellar folks--truly delightful and most belong to a society. Columbus has an African violet society. So does about every major city in the state. Members share growing tips with each other, gear up for their society's show (most are in the late spring or early fall), head to national conventions and basically use African violets as a way to forge great friendships.

When I was a guest at the Columbus African Violet Society meeting at the Franklin Park Conservatory, members passed around birthday cards for people to sign, played leaf bingo, welcomed guests and created a sense of group belonging. Being part of a group helps people stay healthy, both mentally and physically. It was hard not to join up myself. I did leave with an African violet leaf to propagate and some growing tips. One tip to pass along. Although the grocery store varieties are pretty, unless the violet has a name, and not like Sally or Lucy or Elvira-but a species name, you can't enter it in a society show. Only officially named violets are contenders. Sharon's all have her town, Newtown, worked in. The one in the photo is Newtown Happenstance.

For a great African violet resource, check out African Violet Magazine. The website also has a link to the African violet societies around the world, including Ohio. Scroll down until you get to Ohio's socities.

A few years back I saw Robert Dafford painting the Portsmouth Floodwall Murals when he was almost done. I was astounded. First, I wondered what it would be like to see that long expanse of cement and know that I was responsible for putting something worthwhile there. If he ever had the jitters, his work doesn't show it. Each section is spectacular--dazzling even. A must see.

Now, I know there are other murals in Ohio, but if you only can see one, and I don't care if you live in Toledo, head to Portsmouth. This is a chance to brush up on Ohio history besides. Start on the east end and head west to go in chronological order of the history of the area from the time of the Mound Builders to one of the last panels that pays tribute to Portsmouth's motorcycle heritage. Ohio's first motorcycle club was founded here.

Portsmouth's history also includes Branch Rickey (credited to integrating baseball for signing up Jackie Robinson), Roy Rogers and the founding of Methodism. The details are all there-including a treacherous looking scene of a great flood that happened several years back.

Here is some insider information that you would miss unless some told you it was there. Dafford's wife and kids are in the mural, and so is Dafford. His wife and kids, if I remember correctly, are in the panel of a modern day scene called "The Gateway." I think it's his wife who is holding the bicycle and looking out from the mural. If you look, either in the pair of sunglasses, or the motorcycle hub in the motorcycle panel, you'll see the reflection of a man. That's Dafford; at least I think that's where he is. If you go to Portsmouth, you can get someone to give you a tour of the floodwall. Keep an eye out for the cat that's painted on a corner edge. You'd swear it's 3-D and real, but it's flat.

In case you're not going to make it to Portsmouth any time soon, here's a link to a You Tube tour of the floodwall by Cheryl Shuman, the Portsmouth native who has made it big in Hollywood as "the Optometrist to the Stars." She's been capturing the essence of Portsmouth and her relationship to it in videos. There are a couple of seconds of her getting to the murals, but once she's there her commentaries are interesting and the tour feels intimate.

Here is also a link to an article that was submitted to the Library of Congress by Governor Ted Strickland back when he was Representative of the 6th District.