Hello!

My name is Marie.  I'm from a small Ohio town in southeastern Ohio.  I learned a lot growing up there.  I spent 10 years in Columbus, 4 for college and stayed after starting my professional career there.  I've settled in Cincinnati with my husband.  We recently adopted two quarantine kittens who act more like dogs than your stereotypical cat.  The blog name comes from an old Ohio slogan... Ohio - The Heart of It All.  A dated slogan the of state but my favorite one.  The claim is that Ohio resembles a heart, which I agree it does.  There's also a lot to do in Ohio.  We've got amusement parks, beaches, professional sports, college sports, parks and more.

This past year has been strange for everyone worldwide.   Never in a million years did most of us see a pandemic coming.  There was a lot of heartbreak, sadness and tragedy that came with it.  We were separated from loved ones.  I know for me it took a huge toll on what’s important in my life.  It was no surprise to me that what I value most in my life are my faith, family and close friends.  It really sank in as we approached Easter of 2020.  I would be spending it at my house with just my husband.  To some people that may be normal, and I do enjoy spending time with my husband so don’t take that the wrong way.  For me this couldn’t’ be any further from normal.  I was faced with the reality that there would be no peaceful Sonrise Service followed by brunch with a church family I’d known since I was young.  I come from a very close family where Easter & Thanksgiving get togethers consisted of lunch that began at 1pm.  Hosted by my grandmother and grandfather, they would extend the invitation to not only their children and grandchildren but also to their siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews and their kids.  Even if you weren’t related if my grandparents found out you didn’t have a place to spend the holiday there was always room at their table.  Going from a party of 35+ people to just my husband and I was a shock.  It turned out fine, just different.

All that to say, this blog may take several different twists and turns along the way but a common thing I hope to have is that quality time and connection with my faith, family and friends with always be a top priority and theme in my life. 

Thanks for visiting!