West Chester Our Town e-edition test

WEST CHESTER

& LIBERTY TOWNSHIP

family | community | life january | february 2010

Winter market Our Town’s guide to …

meeting the neighbors • Where to Eat • the buzz what’s new • all-stars from lakota east and west • connectliberty.com Wholesome food year-round connectwestchester.com

editor contributing editors art director photographers

writers

Dave Hofmeister Liz DuFour Joe Powell Jamie Rockwell Amanda Davidson Malinda Hartong Deogracias Lerma Cara Owsley Leigh Taylor Tony Tribble Jenny Callison Michael D. Clark Sue Kiesewetter Jeannette McClellan

Our Town 312 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 tel | 513.768.6033 fax | 513.768.6086 Our Town Online is published six times per year: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/ October and November/December

BUSINESS TO CONSUMER Our Town is published by

9 editor’sNOTE

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eople don’t necessarily associate vegetables with winter, and certainly not with open-air markets. Here’s some more text about the farmer’s market article because that’s the cover story, so it would be kind of stupid not to mention it in this editor’s letter. In this condensed version of the magazine, there isn’t much else to talk about, so it’s necessary to go into graphic detail about that thing that Jamie is writing about right now. Sorry if you wasted your time reading the hilarious lack of substance that is this paragraph.

Will fitness and exercise be part of your New Year’s resolution? You can find recommendations for home exercise machines on page 22.

If you decide to buy, be sure you’re ready to commit, experts say, or you could end up with a $500 dust collector.

Or you can follow the simple advice of my grandfather, who liked to say that the best exercise was “pushing yourself away from the dinner table.”

Especially before that second serving of pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

Dave Hofmeister | 513.768.1234 dhofmeister@enquirer.com

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the buzz What’s making headlines in West Chester and Liberty Township.

3 questions …with Lakota Schools board member Ray Murray.

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what’s new New businesses are popping up in the area.

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west chester farmer’s market Open-air farmers markets aren’t just for summer anymore.

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YOURschools school notes All you need to know from the Lakota school district. arts all-stars These Lakota students have many diverse artistic talents.

YOURfreetime where to eat:

16 el rancho grande Mexican food? ¡Si!

YOURhome meet the sebrallas

18 A story from the Tri-

State to Thailand and back.

YOURhealth equipped 22 well How to find the best exercise equipment for you.

finalthoughts resolutions 24 danger: ahead Our Town columnist Monica Scalf is moving into 2010.

clickME! Arrows of this color indicate a link to another page!

YOURcommunity

thebuzz What’s going on in West Chester and Liberty Township COntributed BY Elaine Trumpey, Sheila McLaughlin and Caitlin Varley

new library, new features West Chester opened a new library in November, replacing its Cox Road location with a building three times the size near The Square at the Union Centre.

The building includes six study rooms, each seating two to 14 people. It also has a quiet reading room with soft seating and study carrels. The new community meeting room seats 180.

The children’s area features a story time room, 10 computer stations for kids, two AWE computers for preschoolers and a lounge area for parents with comfortable seating and parenting books.

Another computer room has 24 Internet-ready computers for adults. Most tables in the library have outlets for users to plug in their laptops.

The library is still operated by the Middletown Public Library System, but was built with tax increment financing (TIF) in West Chester.

police levy passed

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Despite hard economic times, Liberty Township was successful in winning approval of its police levy in the November election.

Residents of this fast-growing township in Butler County approved a levy that keeps round-the-clock police coverage in their community. Residents approved the five-year, 3-mill replacement levy that will generate about $2 million a year starting in 2010 for police services provided by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

PHOTO by leigh taylor

Librarian Carol Schweinberg works at the Information Desk at the new West Chester Library.

fox indicted Former state lawmaker and Butler County commissioner Michael A. Fox, who held office for more than 30 years, was indicted in October on federal charges of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and one count of filing a false income tax return.

Federal prosecutors said Fox took money from county contractors and nearly a half-million dollars in kickbacks.

He has entered not guilty pleas to all charges and has said he intends to fight them in court.

The indictments against Fox and a longtime friend, Robert C. Schuler, a Dublin attorney, are the product of a three-year investigation by the FBI, IRS and the U.S. Attorney’s office into corruption in Butler County government.

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threequestions with Lakota School Board member Ray Murray BY michael d. clark

You’ve won over voters in your first try at political office. Why did you choose to run for the Lakota Board of Education and why is public schooling important to you?

A decision to run for the board and serve my community is something that I consider both a civic duty as well as an opportunity to participate in the continual shaping of our school district as it continues to grow and strengthen. I have always been involved in a variety of programs and activities in education, both at the local and state level. Running for the board and serving as a board member seemed to me to be a natural way to continue that service. When serving the community, I am always inspired by the words of the late congresswoman Shirley Chisholm: Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.

In what ways do you anticipate your business background will be an asset as a school board member?

School districts the size of Lakota really need to be run like a large business. While ensuring that the

educational structure and planning are sound, there are also ways to enhance operations and customer service by looking at the ways that business works.

My experience in the hotel industry will hopefully help me to emphasize customer service for Lakota as well as looking at the operational side of Lakota, including the accounting and finance structure, human resources, technology as well as communications.

To parents and residents considering volunteering, what advice do you have to urge them to pitch in and what can they expect to gain from the experience?

As a volunteer, I think that the thing that parents or community members can expect is to have the opportunity to make a difference in young students’ lives. Because of caring people who helped me during my earliest school years, I have had the opportunity to now give back and do the same thing for our community’s children. If people are thinking of working in a school as a volunteer, I encourage them to do so – because with just a few minutes a day, they can impact a child’s life in ways that will give back to our society in ways that they can sometimes never imagine.

PHOTO by cara owsley

wantMORE? Read the full interview at ConnectWestChester.com or ConnectLiberty.com!

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what’snew in West Chester and Liberty Township compiled BY jenny callison photos BY tony tribble

bruno’s pizza 6752 Cincinnati Dayton Road, suite 103 513-777-8333 or www.brunoslibertytownship.com Jon and Karen McClellan became such fans of Bruno’s Pizza while they were students at Miami University that they decided to open a location of the Oxford pizzeria in Liberty Township. Under an agreement with the owner of the company, which began in West Lafayette, Ind., the McClellans started tossing their dough July 31 at the new Bruno’s.

The new owners are targeting the 15,000 Miami grads who live in Cincinnati’s northern suburbs, and betting that these Bruno’s aficionados will share their enthusiasm with nonMiami friends.

downing dental studio 8919 Brookside Ave., Suite 102 513-331-2122 or www.downingdentalstudio.com

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The new dental practice of Dr. George A. Downing Jr., is planned around the schedules of its patients. The practice, which opened in July, offers appointments in the evening and on Saturdays, so folks don’t have to miss time at work to address dental needs.

“Patients who have toothaches can be seen the same day at their convenience,” says Amber Downing, George Downing’s wife, who is the practice administrator.

Downing, a graduate of the University of Dayton and Indiana University School of Dentistry, practices general dentistry. >>

YOURcommunity blue chip gourmet 6752 Cincinnati Dayton Road, Suite 101 513-755-7642 or www.bluechipgourmet.com

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“Eats, sweets, and treats all day” is the way that Lovelandbased Blue Chip Gourmet describes its business model. Its newest franchise opened in July in Liberty Township, with co-owners Teresa and Wayne Kiphart planning future stores in southern Ohio.

Starting in 1983 as a fresh-daily cookie store, Blue Chip Gourmet has gradually evolved to satisfy its customers’ taste for morning pastries and breakfast sandwiches, specialty sandwiches and wraps, salads, soup and chili, smoothies, coffee beverages, and gelato, sorbetto and ice cream. Currently, the bakery café offers more than 25 flavors of cookies.

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Year-round

Farmer’s

market

By elaine trumpey photos by amanda davidson

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Linda Rosselot and her son Lane stand beside some of the produce they sell at the West Chester Farmer’s Market.

pen-air farmers markets aren’t just for summer anymore. Winter markets are popping up even in colder climates like Fort Collins, Colo., and Milwaukee, Wis. West Chester’s Farmers Market is no exception. Vendors and consumers alike brave sometimes cold, blustery weather for once-a-month markets at The Square @ Union Centre November through May (except February).

Vendors park their trucks or set up their booths along the street in front of the Dingle House Pub and the Learning Kitchen near the clock tower plaza. This is the second year for the winter market at the Square. Long-time customers may remember going to the market’s previous site at the former Feed Barn location on Cincinnati-Dayton Road.

Beekeeper Ray Alley brings Chris’ Honey products – jars of honey and beeswax candles – to sell at the market. The Lebanon resident watches die-hard regulars make a “beeline” to purchase

his products as soon as he opens up the back of his truck.

Consumers are motivated to come out in the cold by their passion for good, wholesome local products, according to Alley.

“People drive from wherever they live for a $6 jar of honey,” said Alley.

He credits their loyalty to the taste of the honey produced by his honeybees.

“My girls do a good job,” he said.

Linda Rosselot manages both the summer and winter West Chester markets. She and her husband, Jim, have a long history of raising chemical-free produce in a “no-spray zone” at their Gravel Knolls Farm on Cincinnati-Dayton Road. The farm, certified organic in 1989, is at the eastern end of the now highly developed Union Centre Boulevard.

Summer and winter markets are a trend that’s on the upswing in the food industry. A search at www. localharvest.org yields a list of 355 markets in Ohio alone.

There is a reason for the growing interest in items sold at farmers markets, according to Rosselot.

“People want local, clean, unsprayed

produce,” she said.

Sales of locally grown produce receive a boost as well when there is a lot of media attention to food recalls prompted by salmonella outbreaks, said Rosselot.

She plans to bring squash, pumpkin pies, and garlic to the first two winter markets. If the weather doesn’t turn too cold, she might also have some produce to sell. Some hardier greens like arugula can be harvested late in the growing season.

Naturally raised meats are a staple at farmers markets as well. The term “natural” means animals have been raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones.

Ruth Schaefer of Schaefer’s Meats brings a freezer truck of poultry, pork, beef and lamb down from Trenton. The farm’s best selling product year-round is chicken, but turkeys and hams are popular items at Thanksgiving and Christmas, she said. Regular customers in the West Chester/Liberty Township area pre-order for their holiday needs and Schaefer delivers their order to the market for convenient pickup.

Business is “non-stop” at the winter market because it’s compressed into just a few hours in the afternoon, she said.

Susan Schechter and her daughter, Jennie, sweeten up the streetside market’s offerings

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with scones and lemon curd, some of the menu items they also serve at their business, the Tea Parlor on Yankee Road in Liberty Township.

Customers can purchase a package of frozen scones and take them home to pop in the oven one at a time, or by the tray. The specialty flavor at the Tea Parlor booth during the early winter months? Pumpkin.

Matt Alley of Twin Creek Farm Seasonings Co. will be on hand to “endure those breezy 30-degree days this winter” to sell his company’s seasoning mixes for dips, spreads, cheese balls, and desserts – no MSG or preservatives added.

Jennifer De Marco and Jordan Aversman offer a variety of naturally fermented goods from their Fabulous Ferments booth. These include krauts, kimchi, beet kvass and kombucha.

Handcrafted items are also featured at both summer and winter farmers markets.

Debbie and Charles Fowler of Hamilton will sell soaps made without synthetic colors or fragrances at their Blackbird Pond booth.

West Chester resident Bill Miller plans to sell his Intarsia, or wood inlay, wall hangings at the winter market. He has participated in the West Chester markets since their Feed Barn days.

The list of vendors might change monthly throughout the course of the winter season, but consumers can expect to find a variety of locally grown or handmade products from Southwest Ohio at the West Chester market.

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schoolnotes By sue kiesewetter

three hopewell musical groups to play at state conference Hopewell Junior School musicians will be well represented at this year’s Ohio Music Education Association’s professional development conference.

It is the first time three groups from the same Lakota junior school have been selected to perform at the annual state conference. This year’s gathering will be Jan. 28-30 in Cincinnati.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our kids. We never dreamed all three groups would be selected,” said principal David Pike. “It’s a chance to show off our kids.”

Two Hopewell Junior bands and one choral group are among the 16 ensembles selected to perform at the conference. They beat more than 120 vocal and instrumental groups ranging from elementary to college level that had applied.

The school’s Eighth Grade Concert Band will play at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 29 in the Millenium Hotel’s grand ballroom. Julie Fuqua and Joe Tignor will direct.

The Hopewell Junior Vocal Chamber Ensemble performs at 12:15 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Hyatt Hotel’s ballroom. That group is under the direction of Jennifer Akers.

Hopewell’s Eighth Grade Jazz Band is set to perform at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 30 in the Millenium Hotel’s bronze ballroom. The group is also under the direction of Fuqua and Tignor.

east and west seniors compete for scholarships Lakota East and West high school seniors are well represented in the 55th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Three students from East and seven from West are among 230 Greater Cincinnati high school seniors and 16,000 nationally named semifinalists, and will go on to compete for scholarships. They represent less than 1 percent of high school seniors across the country.

Semifinalists from East are Kevin Li, Radhika Madhavan and Nathan Miller. Those from West are Eric Dobson, Ryan Fore, Jacob Hamilton, Cameron Hammel, Alexander Hart, Rachel

Sawicki and Daniel Shen.

Along with the semifinalists, 10 Lakota West and 14 East students were named commended students in the program. They are among 34,000 commended students nationally, placing among the top 5 percent of the 1.5 million students who took the 2008 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Students from Lakota West named commended students were: Kristen Bolte, Tyler Buchheim, Jennifer Carpenter, Melissa Freeland, Travis Hance, Alex Lambert, James Lin, Austin McCarthy, Kara McManus and Alex Mickle.

Those from Lakota East who earned the honor were: Emily Baumgardner, Chelsea Bell, Taylere Bernett, Tyler Castner, Kaitlyn Conner, Kevin Crowder, Daniel Garrett, Lucas Hall, Hannah Harris, Matt Helmer, Dana Sand, CarolAnna Van Milligen, Casey Wertepny and Heidi Yang.

wantMORE? Read more School Notes at ConnectWestChester.com or ConnectLiberty.com!

YOURschools

arts all stars

Sinclair Community College Courseview Campus

By Michael D. Clark and Sue Kiesewetter photography by TONY TRIBBLE

Lyndsey Vu, senior Lyndsey Vu is serious about art.

Besides taking as many art classes as her schedule at Lakota West High School will allow, she also takes lessons at Greg Storer’s studio. That’s along with participating in service projects as a member of the National Honor Society and the Mu Alpha Theta math honor society. After graduation next June, Lyndsey, 17, would like to pursue a career in art. She is interested in attending Ringling College of Art and Design or Savannah College of Art and Design, where she’d like to major in illustration or digital art – animation of visual effects for movies.

How did you get involved in art? When I was little, I saw my two older cousins draw the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I wanted to be able to draw just like them. After that, I just loved drawing.

What was the most exciting moment in art for you? Working at ArtWorks this past summer. I met really amazing artists and had a blast painting the Jim Tarbell mural in Cincinnati. It’s really fun to create art that everyone is able to see while at the same time making new friends. It was definitely an amazing experience.

Vu Lyndsey igh school

lakota west h

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How has art played a role in your life? I’m always thinking about art, it seems, whether I’m reading, driving, or just sitting in math class – my sketch book goes with me wherever I go. Art also helped me meet some of my closest friends and experience great opportunities, such as going to Washington, D.C., for the Congressional Art Competition. It’s really a big part of who I am, and I couldn’t see my life without it.

Check out January/February’s other four All-Stars at ConnectWestChester.com or ConnectLiberty.com!

YOURschools

Jeremy Martin, senior When it comes to pursuing his passion, there’s nothing sketchy about how Lakota East High School senior Jeremy Martin is drawing up his future. “I started drawing when I was kid and the first things I drew were cartoons,” said Jeremy, 18. He credits art teacher Karen Saunders “for inspiring me and making me realize how you can push things.” He plans to major in advertising design and is considering the Art Institute of Cincinnati, Wichita State University and the Columbus College of Art and Design.

How did you get involved in drawing and painting? Growing up I watched a lot of cartoons and Japanese animations, so I was always doodling my favorite characters. Until sophomore year I just drew as fun and because I love to, it was one of my hobbies. Then I saw some art galleries and my eyes opened. I really realized what you could do and how you could speak hundreds of words through one picture and not utter one word.

jeremy hmigahrtin school

lakota east

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What was the most exciting moment in drawing and painting for you? Being able to express yourself with no boundaries, and no one can say if it’s right or wrong. Being in a class with others whose perspective on the world and every day life is appreciated … brings a happiness and realization of how much you really have in this world and not to take it for granted.

How has you art work affected your life? With career choices and overall view on the world. I never noticed how much art is in this world. Every billboard was just a sketch and idea at one point, same with your shoes, chairs, televisions, clothes, cars, toothbrush, and so much more. Art just makes me want to leave an impression on the world once I’m long gone.

Check out January/February’s other four All-Stars at ConnectWestChester.com or ConnectLiberty.com!

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»

El Rancho Grande 4978 Union Centre Pavilion Drive West Chester, OH 45060 (513) 860-2601

I didn’t experience Mexican food until I was an adult, so I am continually amazed that my kids think of it as comfort food. As we tossed around restaurant ideas the other night, we had the usual disagreements about who wanted what and who wanted to go where until finally someone said, let’s just get Mexican, and everyone agreed.

El Rancho Grande, conveniently located on Union Center Boulevard by The Rave theater and lots of shopping, sports your typical Mexican restaurant décor – warm and inviting – and has employed some of the friendliest staff you’ll find in the area.

Our waiter kept the chips and salsa coming, and our four kids devoured three or four baskets of the warm chips and homemade salsa in the first 10 minutes we were there. The salsa is addictive – really fresh tasting and perfectly spiced with cilantro and just enough heat. The only thing our waiter filled faster than the chip baskets were the kids’ drinks – my son probably drank three large Cokes during the course of the meal.

Though he had just eaten his weight in chips, my son ordered the Chicken Nachos ($6.95) as his dinner. The plate was piled high with the same homemade chips, and they were covered

Photo by tony tribble

with shredded chicken and green peppers and onions in a quesotype cheese sauce that was really tasty. The sauce did make the chips a little soggy, but the flavor made up for it.

Two of my girls and I decided to split two types of fajitas. We ordered the Chicken Fajitas ($11.95) and the Lobster Fajitas ($12.95). Both orders came with grilled onions, tomatoes and bell peppers and were sizzling when they came to the table. The Chicken Fajitas were delicious – the meat was tender and really soaked up the flavors of the grilled vegetables. The Lobster Fajitas seemed to be made with imitation lobster which has a really sweet flavor that did work as well with the spicy veggies. I did not care for it, but my 9-year-old not only ate three lobster fajitas, but then picked out all the rest of the pieces of lobster and ate them, too. Both orders were served with a plate of rice, refried beans, pico de gallo and guacamole.

While there is nothing fancy about the food at El Rancho Grande, its standard Mexican fare is served in good-sized portions at reasonable prices – comfort food at its best. jill i. solimini

YOURhome

Meet the Sebrallas: Barry, Maria, Mary Catherine, Matthew, Peter, and Luke.

Meet the Sebrallas

by Jill I. Solimini photography by deogracias Lerma

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he Sebralla home sits on a family friendly cul-de-sac filled with children of all ages. Their wide front yards serves as the neighborhood football field, and at any given time 20 or more kids can be found tossing the ball in a pick-up game.

“Our neighbors are just wonderful – they are actually more like extended family,” says Maria Sebralla. “We have an incredible support system here. There are so many kids, and the big ones look out for the little ones.”

Her husband, Barry, a sales representative for Chase Doors, agrees. “It’s an old-fashioned neighborhood. You can ask anybody for a stick of butter or to pick something up for you if they’re going to the store.”

When Barry and Maria moved into their house in 1997, they knew living in a tight-knit community would be important to them. Barry, originally from Charlotte, N.C., and Maria, who is from Morgantown, W.Va., were

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introduced to each other by Barry’s sister and maintained a long distance relationship until they married in 1995.

When they moved into their West Chester home, they knew it would be the place they would raise their family.

“We both come from smaller families and knew that we wanted a big family,” says Maria.

When they realized adoption would be the way they grew their family, Barry and Maria tackled the long and difficult process head on.

After signing up with a local agency, they chose Holt International, a world leader in adoptions, as their international agency. Drawn to Asia because of its reputation for healthy children, Barry and Maria settled on Thailand as the country they would adopt from.

“The children are beautiful, and we love the food,” jokes Barry.

Mary Catherine, now 8 and a second grader at Royalmont Academy, came home in May 2003. The bond between parents and daughter was so quick

YOURhome

and so strong that they soon began paperwork for their second adoption.

They brought Luke, now 7 and in first grade, home in October 2004.

“At the end of the adoption proceedings in Thailand, one of the officials says, ‘We assume this completes your family,’” says Barry. “And so far, we have always said no.”

Peter, now 4 and affectionately known as Dennis the Menace, came home in January 2007, and 2-year-old Matthew just joined the family in June.

“Thailand has a three child limit – to adopt more you have to have special permission,” says Maria. “We were thrilled when they allowed us to adopt again.”

Neighbors, friends and family have supported them on their journies to bring home their children. Barry’s parents have stayed with the other children each time they traveled.

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Read more about the Sebrallas at ConnectWestChester.com or ConnectLiberty.com!

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YOURhealth

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E

very year, thousands of Americans make resolutions to lose weight or gain fitness. One of the first steps many of them take is to either join a gym or buy new fitness equipment for their homes.

If you find the right equipment, working out at home can save you money over time, rather than paying for a gym membership month after month. And, it’s convenient.

On the other hand, working out at a gym gives you access to a variety of different machines, and up-front costs are lower.

If you’re thinking about investing in equipment for your home, here are tips from local experts about which machines you should consider: Decide whether you want equipment for strength training or cardiovascular fitness, recommends Jim Janssen, sales manager at Exercise & Leisure in Pleasant Ridge.

“People think you can buy one piece that does it all and it doesn’t really work that way,” he said. “For cardiovascular, the main choices are treadmills, elliptical machines and exercise bikes. For strength training, it can be something as simple as a multi-purpose utility bench that can go in different positions and a set of dumbbells. For the next step up, you can get a home gym machine.”

Gordie Gronkowski, manager of The Fitness Store in West Chester, says the right equipment depends on the user.

He recommends considering medical circumstances, such as whether you have knee, ankle or hip issues, or whether you’ve had surgeries in the past.

He says it’s tough to go wrong with an elliptical machine for cardio work. “The ellipticals are popular because they have a relatively low impact on your body, particularly with nicer ellipticals like the Precor and

Several peolple use the elliptical machines at Ideal Fitness in Mason. photo by tony tribble

Well equipped: finding the best

fitness machines

for you

Life Fitness machines. They put so much technology and design into their products to really mimic that perfect stride for each user,” he said. “They can help strengthen your knees and ankles and can even be beneficial for those who have had back or hip problems.”

He added that quiet performance and multiple positions >>

wantMORE? Read the rest at ConnectWestChester.com or ConnectLiberty.com!

FINALTHOUGHTS

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DANGER: Resolutions ahead By monica scalf

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he New Year is an open invitation to renew. And I’m not just speaking of the library books that have been sitting by the door racking up fines for the last three weeks. I consider my perpetual library lateness to be one more opportunity for charitable giving. Over the years, I think I’ve paid enough late fees to finance a wing for the latest jewel in our town crown.

The New Year is a chance to see everything with new eyes. It’s time to wipe the slate clean, to forget about the disappointments of the last year, and to set our sights on achievements to come. I’m going to start with trying to cut back my visits to Servatii’s to just once a day. I need to be saving dough, not consuming it at an alarming rate. There should be a flashing red DANGER sign upon entering.

The good thing is that in 2009, I developed a few new habits that are worth keeping around. I recently ran 26.2 miles. (Ok, you can close that dropped jaw now.) I may be stretching the truth since it took me 7 weeks running 2 miles twice a week on the treadmill in our basement.

Even so, it’s a huge accomplishment figuring that on the first workout day back in June I barely completed one minute before having hallucinations accompanied by breathing patterns akin to childbirth. My husband sent one of the kids down to see if

I needed to be rescued. Too bad he didn’t send them with an oxygen tank. I could have used a few hits.

I may be paying more attention to exercise, however, there are still a whole host of things that I’m neglecting. Most of them have to do with the house. My husband and I have an unwritten rule that unless something is smoking, smelling, or soaking it can wait until tomorrow. Our kids handle things the same way. After our initial panic about the brokenness of said item, we’re content to let it sit unfixed for weeks.

However, I’ll probably be too busy sorting through the mishmash of unmatched gloves and boots for that first unexpected snow day. I might have to try letting the kids just wear their tennis shoes and make them wear baggies over their socks - a method my Mom utilized 30 years ago. It takes weeks for the ankles to thaw out, but think of all the money we’ll save on snow boots.

As for me, I’m going to start by settling up my delinquent account at the library. And then watch out Blockbuster, here I come. As soon as I find those missing DVDs. Monica Scalf is a freelance writer and mother of two in West Chester. If she’s not listing items on Craigslist, she can be found at mscalf@fuse.net. Check out her Web site at www.theordinarymatters.com.