Whether you are exploring historic downtown Marietta or enjoying dinner at a local restaurant, you may notice a uniquely painted rock at your feet. First and second graders at Veritas Classical Academy participated in this project for an art assignment.

Holly Hamrick, an instructor at Veritas Classical Academy, is constantly on the lookout for fun activities to do with her kids in the classroom. She came across the idea to paint rocks and spread them across the community from a group in Richmond, Virginia she follows on social media.

“I thought it would be an extra fun activity that would keep the kids connected over summer break, and knew it would be perfect for our community” she said.

Hamrick thinks that the community has had a positive reaction to MOV Rocks. Individuals from the community have been using the hashtag #MOVRocks to share their findings!

Adel Raber, a local parent, used the hashtag to follow their rocks’ journeys. “The very first rock we found and hid has been spotted in at least four places so far that we know of! Without Facebook, we wouldn’t be able to see who found the rock and where it went to next. It is all about the journey and social media allows us to follow it,” she said.

Raber found out about the rock-painting trend from a Today Show post on Facebook. She reached out to some of her artist friends and soon found out that the trend had already taken hold in the area. “I started following the MOV Rocks page, added a bunch of friends, and started painting rocks,” she said.

My kids love that they can create pretty much anything they want and its going to be found by a stranger and travel around the area!

The trend is for kids and adults alike. Raber recalls that her colleagues have started bringing rocks to work that they think would be “good ones” to paint. “My kids love that they can create pretty much anything they want and its going to be found by a stranger and travel around the area,” she said.

Rachelle Smith is another parent who has seen the enthusiasm for painting rocks take hold in her house. “After my son painted rocks for school, he came home in search of more good rocks for painting. Then, his sisters had to get in on it so they set up an outdoor art studio on the spot!” she said. Smith recalls that the project has been contagious in her house, and she imagines others in the community are experiencing the same thing.

Painting the rock is often just the beginning. Raber takes her kids back after they hide a rock a few days later to see if it is still there. With the impact that MOV Rocks has had on the Mid Ohio Valley, I was curious to see who all could take part in this project.

“Anyone can [participate],” Smith said. “And before they know it, their sisters and neighbors will be in on it too!”

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The Mid-Ohio Valley is full of hidden thrift stores that perhaps you may not have heard of. Thrifting can be a great way to save money or discover vintage looks you can’t find anywhere else. A lot of times you can find items that still have tags for a fraction of the price.

I was introduced to thrifting when I took a 4-H project called Savvy Shopping, where you tried to make cute outfits for the absolute lowest price possible. I instantly fell in love with thrifting and also how much extra money I had in my pocket!

I went on a thrifting adventure in the Mid-Ohio Valley to share with you some thrift stores! On my journey I found some thrift stores that have just recently opened, so hopefully you will find one that sparks your interest.

Change of A Dress

187 Front St Marietta, OH 45750

(740) 373-2450

The first store I went to was Change of A Dress. I have shopped at Change of A Dress before, so I knew I had to stop by. They have women’s clothes and a “Teen’s Closet” which features junior sized clothes. Change of A Dress isn’t technically a “thrift” store, the women’s portion of the store is consignment and the junior’s side is resale. They also have a variety of shoes, jewelry, and handbags. Lots of items still have tags if you take the time to look. This store also has a lot of name brand clothing and you can’t beat the price.

Stormy’s Consignment Boutique and Thrift Shop

26918 State Route 7

Marietta OH, 45750

The next place I went to was Stormy’s Consignment Boutique and Thrift Shop.

Stormy’s is a brand new consignment shop in the MOV. They have only been open for a few weeks, but have a lot to offer. They are selling women’s and junior’s clothes and have lots of trendy pieces. They have shoes and handbags as well. Plus, they have a beautiful vintage wedding dress in the window.

Simply Seconds Thrift Shop

206 Putnam St

Marietta, OH 45750

This was my first time shopping at Simply Seconds. Simply Seconds is unique in that they have men’s clothes. They have a good selection of dress shirts and jeans, so guys head on over! Simply Seconds also has women, boys, and girls clothes. They also have a few household decorations and handbags.

Newstart Thrift Mart

2504 Grand Central Ave, Vienna, WV 26105

Newstart Thrift Mart has a large variety of women’s clothes and shoes. They also have a nice selection of antiques, including plates, bowls, and kitchenware. You can also find books and children’s toys. If you like antiques, this thrift store is a definite stop on your list!

Too Small Shop

1100 Murdoch Ave, Parkersburg, WV 26101

With new items arriving daily, Too Small Shop is a must-stop if you are thrifting! Too Small Shop has a large selection of clothing, including women’s, juniors, and child clothes! They even have a special wall for trendy name brand clothes (Hollister, VS Pink, American Eagle, etc.)! They have a large selection of prom and formal dresses as well!

Hopefully this post inspired you to check out a local thrift store in Marietta or Parkersburg! Remember, you don’t have to be looking for anything specific. You may find something really unique like a new pair of Snakeskin cowboy boots!

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Exercising can be a tough hobby to start, but it is something that can be fun, rewarding, and healthy if you take the right approach! Summer is the perfect season to start (or continue) exercising because of all the options! A walk or ride on the bike trail in Marietta is an awesome way to get outdoors and exercise! Plus, you get to explore new places that you may usually just drive by. But what is the motivation to get outside? Perhaps it is fun new exercise gear!

All of the exercise gear featured here was provided by Zides Sports Shop in Marietta Ohio. Buying athletic wear can be overwhelming, but searching for the perfect pair of running or walking shoes are a great place to start! Try searching for fun colors to make the shoes something you want to grab for everyday! The best part about athletic wear is that it can be comfortable and cute at the same time! Also, shopping for layers so you can create multiple versatile looks. Most importantly, let your unique style shine through, even when picking out your exercise outfits!

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Smoothies have always been a popular breakfast option, but recently “smoothie bowls” have been sweeping the Internet. Smoothie bowls are supposedly thicker than a regular smoothie and are apparently the answer for those who don’t feel that smoothies are a filling breakfast option. Smoothie bowls make you sit down and focus on what you are doing, which may make you feel like you are satisfied more so than if you simply sipped a smoothie.  

I decided to try a smoothie bowl for myself! I did some browsing and came up with a recipe that I thought would suit me. I made a Peanut Butter Chocolate smoothie bowl! The ingredients are listed below. Simply dump everything into the blender and mix until combined. I found out that it is crucial that the bananas are frozen (mine were not). This is key to the consistency of the smoothie bowl. You can definitely substitute out healthier alternatives to some of the ingredients I used, like for example low fat milk or organic peanut butter. I used Instant Breakfast in hopes that it would keep me full longer, but if you are looking for something with a fewer calories you could opt for unsweetened cocoa powder or protein powder! You could also throw in a handful of greens if you are feeling extra healthy!

Ultimately, my smoothie was a little on the runny side so the toppings began to sink. I tried adding ice in hope that it would make up for the frozen banana, but it didn’t go as well as planned. I think if you use frozen bananas your smoothie bowl would have a much better consistency. Other than that, it was delicious!

Ingredients

½ cup milk

¼ cup yogurt

2 tbsp. peanut butter

1 packet Instant Breakfast (I used Milk Chocolate)

3 frozen bananas

Toppings

1 banana chopped

1 handful of peanuts

1 handful chocolate chips

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Just a Jar, located at 208 Front Street, started in 2009 when Bobby Rosenstock and his wife Sara Alway-Rosenstock moved to Marietta. Sara secured a job at Marietta College teaching graphic design and Bobby opened the shop. Bobby does the wood carving, illustrating and printing while Sara focuses on art directions and digital designs.

The couple moved from Philadelphia and the inspiration from the shop stemmed from an antique printing press from the 1960s that Bobby put in his garage.

“It started in my garage, then we moved to a loft space on second street and this past year we moved onto Front Street,” Bobby said.

The equipment dates back to the late 1800s. Bobby recalls that he has had long conversations about the history of printing and he enjoys making those connections. People even remember the smell of the ink.

“Some people grew up in a shop like this,” Bobby said.

Bobby slowly started getting client work that kept getting the store more attention.

“We started working with Stewart’s Opera House in Nelsonville as well as Marietta Adventure Company and Marietta Trails and Ales Festival,” Bobby said.

One of Just A Jar’s bigger jobs involved working with Marietta Brewing Company creating designs for all of their beers. Just A Jar also makes posters for the local Farmer’s Market and Merchant and Artist’s walks. They partner with other local stores including Silver Linings, the Cook Shop and Marietta Adventure Company.

“Some of our bigger client work focuses on band posters. We have worked with musicians like Willie Nelson, Sound Garden and Belle and Sebastian,” Bobby said.

The couple wasn’t searching for a new location on Front Street. They have limited hours, but agree that the new location makes them more visible to the town and community. Bobby and Sara share the studio with Leigh Cox, who works in the studio and helps them run the store.

“We are trying to host different events and workshops,” Bobby said.

In addition to the workshops, they have had various artists visit the store and a small gallery show for RTA fest. They have also featured a book artist from New Hampshire who runs workshops.

“We are trying to create an artistic space that is open to people,” Bobby said with regards to the atmosphere the store is trying to create.

One of the new events that Just A Jar hosts is monthly drawing parties. They put out a lot of art supplies and everyone is welcome, whether you are experienced or just coming to play. There is always music playing in the shop.

“We also host other artists that are in the area that don’t have a space to show their work,” Bobby said.

Bobby also notes that a lot of the art they make is low priced.

“We are trying to create work that is accessible to the public, something that people that maybe don’t have a history or aren’t used to looking at art can come here and buy things since it is affordable and accessible,” Bobby said.

To learn more check out Just A Jar’s website or Facebook page!

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Perl Totman has been carving things since he was six or seven years old and would carve his mom’s soap bars. Now, you can find him in Muskingum Park in downtown Marietta, Ohio.

Totman has been working on this tree for over a month. He says that he doesn’t keep track of the time because he is doing it for fun, but other people like to keep track.

The tree that Totman is carving was damaged by the emerald ash boar that struck the whole state. The tree has been killed from the outside but is still solid in the middle. What was left of the tree was good hard wood that is great for carving. There are lots of damaged trees in the area and Totman notes that there are at least a dozen in the park alone.

“I carved a tree in the round in 1981 and at that time I was a member of the Dayton Ohio Wood Carver’s Guild,” Totman said.

Totman joined the Guild in 1978 and noticed that he was starting to get more serious about carving. Some of the Guild members were carving damaged trees in their home towns.

The tree carving Totman is working on now is of a colonist or pioneer. When I talked to him, he was working on the powder horn. Totman is a history lover and paid great attention to detail and historical accuracy when making the carving.

“In the days of the pioneers, pants weren’t made with pockets, so they had to have a powder horn and a necessity bag to store ammunition,” Totman said.

Totman got a sketch from the library and adjusted it to the scale he would like as inspiration for the colonist. He notes that the job does require a lot of patience.

“You can’t get impatient because you’ll take too big a chip off and then you will have to make everything else deeper,” Totman said.

Totman has another major sculpture that can be found at the Shawnee State Park Marina just beyond Portsmouth. The stone sculpture commemorated the first Ohio canoe adventure in the historic waterways through the state. These waterways were the main trade routes for Indians. Totman himself loves to canoe and has canoed over 2,000 miles in his lifetime.

“The monument has about a 16-inch square map of the state of Ohio carved into it with an Indian in his canoe across the map, which is the logo of the Ohio Historic Canoe Route Association,” Totman said.

Totman is often stopped while he is working on the carving, since it is in such a public area.

“If the people that stop to talk are from out of town, I will give them a brief history of the area about the pioneers and the most prominent points of interest like Mound Cemetery and Lookout Park,” Totman said.

Totman notes that the people in the area have been very supportive of his work. The tree in Muskingum Park is Totman’s only carving project for the summer and you can find him there working on it almost everyday.

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The Boxcar restaurant is located in St. Mary’s, West Virginia. As you can tell by the window and the name of the restaurant, the Boxcar has a railroad theme. I ventured into St. Mary’s to check out The Boxcar. This was my first time in the area, and before lunch, I did a little exploring. St. Mary’s has a lot of little shops that I would encourage you to check out if you are in the area. I also checked out Smith Candies L.L.C. where you can see them making their own candy!

The Boxcar is decorated with all kinds of railroad décor. The small dining area creates a cozy homelike feel and the open kitchen is visible from the dining area. I was greeted by the friendly staff, who wore the “Support local business” slogan on the back of their t-shirts.

This kind of place is the type that makes you want to support small local businesses. If you are planning on making a trip to the boxcar, get there early! On the day I visited, there was no wait time, but a large crowd for lunch. Service was timely and the food was delectable! I ordered Fried Ravioli, which was incredible!

The person I had lunch with had the BBQ Pig Panini and he said it was delicious as well. When combined with the atmosphere and the friendly people, The Boxcar is somewhere you should definitely stop next time you are in St. Mary’s. I know I will be making a trip back soon!

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The Castle Historic House Museum stands tall on fourth street in historic downtown Marietta. In the past, The Castle was home to the most prominent people in the small town of Marietta. Melvin Clarke built the house in 1855. The inspiration for the castle was a gothic architecture style, which can easily be seen by taking a look at the exterior of the castle.

“The house is one of the few remaining Gothic Revival style architectural homes in the country,” Kyle Yoho, Education Director at The Castle, said.

It is believed that the “summer kitchen” inside The Castle was built as early as the 1830s by Nathaniel Clarke, who was a potter. Nathaniel Clarke made milk pans, jugs and jars. The Castle has an archaeologist on staff who is conducting studies on pottery that is still being found on the grounds. The Castle hosts an archaeology camp for kids and an archeology school for adults.

“This is the oldest site for archaeology on a pottery site in Ohio,” Yoho said.

The Castle just finished the second installment of their “Food History” series where they teamed up with The Cook’s Shop to put together a program focused around “tasting” history. Participants took old recipes from cookbooks, menus, or descriptions of picnics and were given the opportunity to try food as it was made ages ago. Local names and businesses can be found in historic cookbooks, and they can tell you a lot about that time frame in history. You can also see what ingredients they were using based on the resources that were available.

A lot of people forget that Marietta is the oldest town in the Northwest Territory. The Castle staff is working hard to restore an interest in the town history.

“Our goal is to make local history available to the public and show those who are interested or to garner new interest,” Yoho said.

On September 25^th, The Castle is leading a Cultural Caravan bus trip to Dayton, Ohio where guests will visit the National Air Force Museum to learn about aviation. The trip will include a guided tour and guests will get to visit the museum and have free time to explore. While on this trip, guests will have access to a behind the scenes tour of the new exhibit “Dayton and the Great War” with Dr. Paul Lockhart, whose research contributed to this exhibit commemorating Dayton’s contributions to World War I.

“We are even providing dinner on this trip at Carillon Park’s new historic tavern “Carillon Brewing Company” where not only will you be able to get a chance to enjoy a great historic meal, but also learn about Dayton’s brewing history and those that so choose can even sample some of the “brews” made on site,” Yoho said.

A brand new program, “Octoberfest” will take place at The Castle on October 15^th. The Castle is partnering with Jessica Wielitzka from Hidden Marietta Tours and local author Jann Adams whose new book “German Marietta” will be hitting the shelves later this month. The day will include speakers, food programs and workshops.

In 1994 The Castle became a museum. Today, guests can take a tour of the castle to find out how the prominent families of Marietta lived in the past. Tours take place Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and reservations are not needed unless you have a group of 10 or more. Also, tours begin whenever you arrive, so you do not need to arrive on the hour.

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Michael Bond, founder of Spoken AAC and the new app Spoken, was inspired to design something that could help his grandmother who had recently suffered from a stroke. Spoken is a predictive speech app designed to help stroke patients or anyone who needs help speaking, communicate their needs through technology without using their voice.

Bond, along with Sophia Kostoff and Matt Dennewitz pitched their idea at Start-Up Chile which is an incubator accelerator program funded by the Chile government. Thousands apply but only dozens get into the program. Bond and his team were fortunate enough to gain a spot and given a grant to start and run their company in Chile for six months.

Bond appreciated the chance to work in such an atmosphere that was created by all the teams taking place in Startup Chile.

“Everyone was kind of throwing things against the wall and seeing what stuck,” Bond said with regards to the ideas that were flowing.

There was also a competition aspect of the program. There was a demo day held at the end of the program and the Spoken app took home first place.

“It is great to get that kind of feedback and confirmation that you are on the right track,” Bond said.

Bond notes that he enjoys solving problems, and when looking for an app to help his grandmother with communication, he noticed that his problems lined up with his interests. It was a crossover between technology and design, both things that Bond finds interesting.

“I was more interested in why a sophisticated predictive speech app didn’t exist,” Bond said.

The app is different from it’s competitors because it truly does predict the next word the user will say based on data it has collected. Instead of looking at pictures and tapping them and having the device say them, this app allows the patient to speak in normal sentences. The app can also remember names and learn patterns from how the user speaks.

Common complaints of stroke patients include that it is tiring to type out multiple sentences when it is the only way to get the words out. Now, with Spoken, users can communicate feelings and memories effortlessly.

“It is interesting to see all the people we are serving along the way,” Bond said.

Spoken is a great tool for stroke patients, but it can benefit others as well. Bond predicts that it may be able to help people with ALS, autism, and deafness in the future. Also, people who have undergone throat surgery have shown an appreciation for the app.

The app is a great tool for anyone suffering speech impairment, but can it help with treating the problem? Bond notes that he isn’t a trained Speech therapist, and most people have one of three outlooks on this theory. The first is that of course it can help! The second is no, there’s no possible way. And the third is that they have no idea. Despite varying opinions, many people see these types of tools as giving people a crutch that they will need to give up eventually.

“My angle is more outside of that, the people using this app are getting therapy perhaps one hour a week, but the other hours of the week they don’t care if it is a crutch, they need something to help them communicate,” Bond said.

Spoken isn’t a form of therapy, but it is one useful tool in a patient’s tool box.

The app will be released in the fall, before the end of this year and will be available for android and apple users. The recommended format for the app is a tablet, but it will work on smartphones as well. The installation will be free, and if the user feels they are benefitting from the app they are eligible to upgrade to higher functions for a small fee.

“We want people to be able to use the app, even if they don’t have a cent to pay for it,” Bond said.

The next step for the Spoken team is to look at global outreach. Bond mentions that stroke treatment is rapidly increasing throughout the world, so instead of people dying from strokes, they are losing their ability to talk. This creates a demand for an accessible app that will work in multiple languages.

“The next step is figuring out how to make cheaper technology available to the world,” Bond said.

To learn more about the app, please visit http://www.spokenaac.com/

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Summer can be a time when kids push school work to the back of their mind and just want to have fun. Although, kids participating in the Barks & Books program at the SPOT clinic at the Humane Society of Parkersburg (HSOP) may have found a way to spruce up on their reading skills and have fun at the same time!

Barks & Books is a new program started by Adam Shaffer, an intern with HSOP. Shaffer is an education major and worked with the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation to secure the internship. Shaffer loves working with animals, so the HSOP was a perfect fit for him. The inspiration for the program came from a nationwide initiative to bring more attention the animals in shelters and get kids involved. In addition, pictures of the dogs and readers are posted to Facebook each day of the program. This is a great way to bring attention to the animals and let people know that they socialize with kids.

Adam Shaffer pictured with Missy who was participating in Barks & Books for the day.

“It was a good experience for me and I’ve learned a lot about the shelter,” Shaffer said.

One dog that participated in the program, Humphrey, benefited immensely. Humphrey wasn’t the most social before starting the program, but afterwards he was eager to socialize with kids. There are a lot of dogs that are shy but end up benefiting from the program.

“All dogs I’ve used for the program so far have been amazing,” Shaffer said.

The program was held this summer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. The program was entirely booked for the whole summer. “We originally stated that the program is for ages 6-12 but we ended up extending the age limit because we had a lot of teens interested in participating” Shaffer said.

Julia with Missy after they had finished a story.

Now, anyone is welcome to participate, teens included! Parents are welcome to accompany their child, but the HSOP asks that the child be able to read independently before signing up for the program. “The program is really a “win-win” for both the animals and the kids,” Shaffer said.

The HSOP provides books for the children to read or they are welcome to bring their own if they have a favorite. There are 30-minute time slots available where a child can read to a dog that is at the HSOP. In those 30 minutes the child is welcome to read as many books as they can.

“Some children have read three books and still have time to socialize with the animal,” Shaffer said.

The program began with small and large dogs participating, but some of the kids requested to read to cats. Sometimes a cat and dog would be used at the same time and the animals appeared to be calmer than they were if they were by themselves. Several kittens were also participated in the program!

Shaffer recalled that they had a child with autism that participated in the program that seemed a little reserved with dogs, but when they brought in a cat the child instantly had a connection. The cat was very social and the child’s mother was very happy how the session went.

“I even used a Rottweiler one day to break the stereotype,” Shaffer said.

Only one dog is in the room during each session, but the HSOP tries to rotate them so that multiple dogs get a turn each day. “I always like to end the session with a picture (child and animal) and I allow the child to give the animal a treat,” Shaffer said.

The children are getting a chance to practice up on their reading skills in the summer while still enjoying playing with the dogs. The dogs love it too, the attention and affection that they receive seems to make their day worthwhile. It also gives them some time away from their cage.

“Through interacting with the child in the program, or by posting the pictures to our Facebook page, I would love to see one of these animals get a forever home due to the program,” Shaffer said.

The program is over for the summer, but Shaffer is working with the HSOP staff to extend the program into the school year, maybe as an afterschool program.

“A problem we had was that a lot of parents worked during the daytime, so we are thinking about doing the program in the fall on evenings and weekends,” Shaffer said.

Julia, pictured above with Missy, doesn’t have a dog at home and enjoys coming to the HSOV to read in the summer. Julia loved reading to the dogs so much that she came back four times!

“This program makes me want to read in the summer!” Julia said.

To learn more about the program or the animals, contact the Humane Society of Parkersburg.

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