Small Town Living...

I grew up in a very affluent west side suburb of Cleveland that sits on Lake Erie.  Looking back as an adult I realize growing up where I did afforded me a lot of opportunities; like a great education, lots of activities, and safe neighborhoods.  But it was also very stressful...

It was an almost constant environment of "keeping up with the Jones"; worrying about wearing the right kind of clothes and driving the right kind of car when you turn sixteen (neither of which I had growing up). I have many good memories, but I also have some not so good memories.

About twelve years ago my husband and I were living in a quaint little urban neighborhood of Cleveland when we had the opportunity to move to a small town about fifty miles west of the city.  Our oldest daughter had just turned one, I was pregnant with our second, and neither one of us had lived in a rural environment before. We thought hard about it, took a leap of faith and have never looked back.

We live in Norwalk, a mid-west, north central Ohio town of about 16,000 people...

I consider this place our best kept secret.  Small town living and only a fifty minute drive to Cleveland. I work about thirty miles east and actually attend meetings in Cleveland several times a month.  Many people who live here attend theater, sporting and music events in the city on a regular basis.

Friends, family and colleagues ask me often "why do you live way out there?"  My answer is always the same...

We love it here because the people are genuine, supportive, and down to earth. I could tell you that it is cheaper to live outside the metropolitan area, that it's not as crowded and there a few traffic jams.  But it's much more than that...

When someone is sick or needs help, people here pull together and shed light on a person's darkness in their time of need.

Neighbors and business owners look out for your kids, support local endeavors, and drop what they are doing to help in a crisis.

Our kids ride their bikes to the library, (created by Andrew Carnegie) to Sherri's Coffee House, (where the owner welcomes the kids to hang out a bit after school), and down West Main to H & B Hops for ice cream...

This place is the best of both worlds for us; close enough to the city for an easy visit, but the slower pace and life style that we really love.  Our kids are not isolated either - with only a fifty minute drive they are in the city on a regular basis getting the same experiences I had growing up in the metropolitan area.  Norwalk is our home and I can't see us raising our girls anywhere else...

So the next time you are in the north central Ohio area stop by and visit this great small town we call home...

Photographic Friday

My sister lives across the street from Lake Erie - she gets to see these beautiful sunsets daily.  I only live about thirty minutes from her so whenever I have the time I like to visit and take pictures.  There is nothing more peaceful than watching a sunrise or sunset...

There is a small state park on the far east side of Cleveland called Nelson's Ledges. It consists of trails with large boulders, crevices, tunnels and waterfalls. My husband and daughters love to climb over and through every inch of this place.  I am claustrophobic so while they  wedge their way through secret rock passages I take pictures of things that have lots of texture - like fungus on logs.  I love how nature comes up with a perfect composition...

And adds just the right splashes of color against grainy backgrounds.  The woods offer so much inspiration...

and  colors that create a pallet that makes my heart happy. 

Just Be True to You...

Last weekend I spent a full day away from social media.  Admittedly not by choice; my phone broke and it took a day and a half to get it replaced.  I must be honest it was kind of nice. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others online but like everyone else sometimes I just can't help it.

I am not an introvert but I am not outrageously outgoing.  No one in my family is very competitive.  My daughters hate competition - they get very anxious and uncomfortable with it. They are interested in activities that they can participate in but not necessarily compete in.  Social media sometimes makes me feel like life is one big competition - even though I know it is not. Society has us constantly comparing ourselves; feeling like being ourselves, being true to who we are individually, is not good enough.

Now and then it is important to remind ourselves that no matter what we are doing with our lives, no matter what groups we belong to or hobbies we pursue, we are enough and that is all that matters. When I created this art piece the quote came to me as I was editing the picture of the blue jay. It reminds me of my daughters...

My daughters prefer to blend quietly into the background.  Sometimes I have to take my cues from them -  it is okay not being the best, or the loudest or the most noticed. Just being true to myself is enough.  

You don't have to stand out to be successful

Sometimes blending quietly into the background

Allows you to SOAR...

Photographic Friday...

One of my favorite things to do when I want to relieve stress is to go for a walk in the woods.  I realize this sounds cliche but I can feel all the anxiousness, all the doubt, and all the "what ifs" fade away...

I usually have my camera with me and I can immerse myself in the smells, sounds, and sights of the woods.  I take pictures that inspire me, make me feel good and sometimes even tell a story.  

I like to keep a small journal where I write Haiku poetry.  It is a small creative process that I can do everyday. If I don't have the journal with me I tell my phone to take a note and just store my poem for later.  I did this for the poem below while walking at Sheldon's Marsh, a small nature preserve on the shore of Lake Erie near my home.

There is a quiet

when listening to silence

that helps us see truth. 

Enjoy your weekend...

Reluctantly Unplugged...

I never considered myself a person that was dependent on being digitally connected. Last Friday I realized rather quickly that I  had been living a lie. My cell phone died, it turned off and never turned back on.  I received a new phone twenty-four hours later and all was fine but wow did I feel lost without access to my phone, my text messages, my calendar, my pictures, and my social media...

There I was, unplugged and disconnected and feeling almost panicked. I decided to keep myself busy by completing a project I had started the week before- an altered cigar box. I had picked up an old brass turtle drawer pull at a flea market several months ago (my late Aunt Judy was a watercolor artist and always put a small turtle in her paintings) and I knew I wanted to incorporate the turtle into my box.

The weather in north central Ohio has been pretty rainy this summer and last Saturday was sunny and beautiful.  I gathered a handful of supplies, picked three paint colors to work with and headed outside to create.  All I knew for certain was that I wanted to use the turtle on the top of the box.

I limited myself to using only what I had brought outside. This forced me to work with what I had and stretched my comfort zone. Not having my phone to distract me turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Admit it we have all randomly started scrolling on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and before we know it twenty minutes have passed. Since I did not have my phone to distract me I was able to focus and really enjoy the couple of hours I spent working on my box.

Being able to unplug for a while (even if it was not by choice) allowed me to be present and really enjoy what I was doing.  I would like to try to willingly unplug more often even though I know it is going to be a challenge.  We are all so attached to our devices that it is hard to think about what we would do without them. I am going to at least give it a try...

Welcome to Ally & Fe, a blog created to inspire, uplift, and hopefully make you feel like you are having a conversation with an old friend.  My name is Cassie and I  have dabbled in everything from painting to spinning wool. I love new art supplies and trying new techniques, creating something new from something old and telling the story that goes with it.  I am married to a man who has graciously supported my many artistic endeavors over the years and we have two tween daughters that keep us busy.  I work full time as a court appointed legal guardian to indigent frail elderly and mentally ill adults.  Having an artistic project always in progress  keeps me grounded and in a good mood.

I  enjoy mixing my mediums - I love nothing more than  being able to work on a sewing project while I am watching TV or editing my photos after a nature hike.  I then mix it up a bit by adding these elements to a painted, layered canvas. 

 I use inspirational words in all my work.  Words can spark gratitude, joy, hope, kindness and love. . .the inspiration is endless.
Words touch souls and promote action.  I had an acquaintance once tell me she looked forward to seeing my creations because the art with the words always brightened her day.  I want to move people when they look at my projects and stir something good inside of them. 

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you are inspired and feeling good after visiting.  Blessings ~Cassie