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Rainy Day Writers, Cambridge, OH (2026)

09/07/2026

Claire Cameron tells many interesting facts about Ben Franklin. You are sure to find some surprises along the way. This article appears in September's Crossroads magazine if you want to read the rest of the story.

09/05/2026

Fair time had Beverly Kerr thinking back years ago when their whole one-room school went to the Guernsey County Fair. Read about it here or on Your Radio Place or in Guernsey News.

Guernsey County Fair in 1952 by Beverly Kerr

Memories of an early visit to the Guernsey County Fair many years ago, spring to life as another fair season nears. All the students from our one room school were taken by bus from Indian Camp to the fairgrounds. At that time only grades 5-8 went to the Hopewell School. That made over 40 students on the bus.

Mom had given me a dollar to spend at the fair. “Spend it carefully,” she told me, “as it has to last you all day.” I placed it in my change purse with two secret quarters I had saved from my birthday.

When we got to the fairgrounds, we first explored the cattle barns because some of our classmates had projects there. Then it was on to the 4-H displays, where I had a project in the Hopewell Merry Maids booth. It was my first year in 4-H and I had made a tablecloth and napkins.

The smell of french fries soon became irresistible and my first purchase of the day at 15¢ was a cone filled with french fries. I put vinegar all over them. They were sooooo good.

Then we decided to go on some rides. It was Kids Day and all rides were 10¢. We started off with the merry-go-round, then on to the octopus, swings twice, and Ferris wheel twice. What fun! You could see the whole fairgrounds from the top of the Ferris wheel.

The smell of the hot roasted peanuts drifted up through the air, so my next purchase was a bag of hot roasted peanuts still in their shells. These were shared with the other students, and we had fun putting the shells in our mouth to get that salty flavor before cracking them open to eat the nuts inside.

Soon, we boarded the caterpillar ride. That was when the trouble began.

As that ride went on a winding path, a cover came over the cars making everything pitch black. A whole lot of screaming went on! When we got off the caterpillar, I discovered my change purse was missing.

“Wait!” I called to the operator, “let me check the seat to see if my change purse fell out there.” But there was no change purse. It wasn’t a big loss as I only had two quarters left. I had saved it to buy some cotton candy before we went home.

All of a sudden, I noticed that a little red-haired girl, the one who sometimes took my potato chips at school, had some extra money and was buying cotton candy. That made me suspicious as she was in the seat with me on the caterpillar, but I had no proof.

“Time to load up the bus to head back to school,” Mrs. Clark called as she walked around the grounds. There was even an announcement over the public speaker saying, “Students from Hopewell School need to report to their bus immediately.”

When we got on the bus, that little red-haired girl sat across the aisle from me and asked, “Would you like to share some of my cotton candy?”

Since I figured I had paid for it anyway, I took some of it. Guess that pink sugary treat helped ease the pain for me. I just had to ask her, “Where did you get the money for this cotton candy? I thought you said you had spent all you brought.”

“Oh, I found some money on the ground,” was her quick answer.

I still had a fun time at the fair but never forgot my change purse being taken. Still have a little difficulty trusting someone with red hair.

09/03/2026

Rick Booth, local historian, explores a little "Baseball History" in Cambridge in September's Crossroads magazine. If you're a baseball fan, you'll want to pick up a copy to read the rest of the story...

08/28/2026

John Anderson visits a family discussing how to care for their parents. It's a frequent problem in the world today. Read John's story and other Rainy Day Writers stories on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

Family Meetings by John Anderson

The Fulller family sat around the dining room table in a gathering that had been a long time coming. Sally sat between her parents. Her older brother and his wife sat with her younger brother on the table’s opposite side.

“I can’t believe we’re finally all here together,” said Sally’s mom, Alice with enthusiasm.

The others looked uncomfortable because they knew that the family reunion was to be an intervention.

Sally cleared her throat and began, “Mom and Dad, we’re all here because we’re worried about you.”

“About us?” her father complained. “There’s nothing wrong here.”

“Dad, over the past six months you’ve lost at least fifty pounds. Mom, you’re not cooking enough to provide needed calories.”

“Well, yeah, I’ve lost weight but, that’s a god thing, right?” Dad looked around at his children and gave his shrinking middle a pat. “It seems like everyone’s on a diet.”

“Joe,” pressed Alice, “a diet isn’t the whole reason you’ve lost weight.”

“No, I guess not. I guess I probably should see a dentist.”

“His teeth have been bothering him,” Alice sighed helplessly. “I can’t convince him to see our dentist.”

“Why not?” Sally asked her dad.

“I don’t know. I guess I don’t have time.”

“Not true,” interrupted Alice. “He’s afraid Dr. Brown will say he needs a lot of work.”

“Well, yeah!” exclaimed Dad as if it were obvious. “At my age, who wants to go through all that?”

The younger son offered to make a dental appointment and Sally switched topics.

“Mom and Dad, you could use some extra help around here.”

“Oh, no,” said Alice in the comforting tone she had always used to reason with her children. “We’re doing just fine.”

Sally glanced around the room noticing the dust and unmopped floors. That’s when she announced that she had arranged for a cleaning lady who would be coming to work once a week.

Forcefully Alice objected to the suggestion that her housekeeping wasn’t up to par.

“But, Mom, a lot of people hire housekeepers who show up much more often. This lady will free up your time to do other things around the house.” Her mother didn’t need to know that the housekeeper was employed by Visiting Angels, a company that sends out skilled nurses who also do light housekeeping.

“Well,” agreed Alice, “I guess the extra help might be welcome. I have been a little tired lately.”

Two weeks later:

Joe’s dental problems revealed an infection that had migrated to his sinuses and required surgery. Alice’s feeling of being “a little tired” was, in fact a case of anemia. Their health issues were a wake-up call that convinced the couple to make some changes in their lifestyle. Realistically, the changes wouldn’t happen overnight.

Sally and her brothers convinced their parents to accept help preparing meals, housekeeping, and running errands. Alice and Joe admitted that they had problems giving up control over aspects of their lives that used to be within their comfort zone, that they used to handle with ease.

When children cross the line and become the caretakers of their parents, the role reversal can be difficult for both parties to accept. The Fullers were stepping into a new life phase. The journey must be traveled carefully.

08/26/2026

Betsy Taylor explains how she often uses something for a purpose other than what is intended. Betsy has a creative mind! Read more Rainy Day Writers articles on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

Off-Label Hacks by Betsy Taylor

“Don’t do that!” cried my husband when he saw me pound a nail with a screwdriver handle. His point is that every tool has a purpose and there is a “correct” purpose for every tool. I rolled my eyes and trudged to the basement workbench for a hammer.

While I agree that using the right tool for a job is safer for the worker and saves your tools from abuse, I also know that sometimes tools can be used off-label. I like that term for something (usually medication) that is useful for a purpose other than what is intended.

A person doesn’t have to be a genius to innovate. You might simply have a problem in need of a handy solution. My sisters and I often fill “specialty” needs in off-label ways.

The last problem I solved involved my love of thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles that take up a lot of space. If you want to dump out all thousand pieces to sort, there simply isn’t enough room on a 36×36 inch card table. Don’t want to use a lot of real estate on your dinner table? I’m with you. Gotta save room for food.

For years, I stuck to 500-piece puzzles that fit on my 28×31 inch slab of laminated plywood. Lately, however, plywood has become too heavy for me to lug from one surface to another, so I looked for something sturdy, but lighter. While I was at it, I searched for a board with more area. Manufactured puzzle boards are too heavy for me and too skimpy even though they boast hidden drawers for sorting pieces by color.

After rejecting several options, I visited a home-improvement store where I found a 4×8 foot by 1-inch sheet of Styrofoam insulation. It’s strong, sturdy, lightweight, and adjustable to the perfect size with a bread knife. I split the piece with my sister who hung hers on a wall where she pins quilt blocks into a desired pattern.

As for sorting my puzzle pieces, I use a sectioned plastic vegetable tray to divide the colors.

I bet you’re also clever about the use of tools in your home. A narrow knitting needle or crochet hook that fits the hole in a locked door can pop that lock and rescue a child who has accidentally trapped himself.

A telescoping magnet fits into small spaces to pull out dropped safety pins, needles, or straight pins. Small clamps from the hardware store can secure swatches of fabric to a cutting surface, so that the cuts made are straight and true.

Soup cans act as weights on wrapping paper to insure smooth, not jagged, cuts. A yardstick can become the handle of a poster. Just remember that a beefy staple gun is needed to secure the poster to the stick.

The bristles of 2-inch-wide paint brush passed gently down fabric lampshades remove more dust in a safer manner than the brush tool of your vacuum cleaner. Fuzzy craft sticks (formerly called pipe cleaners) also become cleaning tools as they remove lint from the bobbin area of your sewing machine or slide into tight spaces between glass doors in your shower.

One of the biggest (literally) off-label jobs one of our tools performed was done by our garden tiller, Big Red. My husband needed to dig a trench to pour a concrete footer for an expansion of our original garage. Picks and shovels are inadequate when you have a work buddy like Big Red. Red broke up enough soil that we could shovel it out and save many hours of work. So much for a tiller intended to churn up hillocks for vegetables.

My advice: Don’t try to pound a nail with a screwdriver handle, but take advantage of tools that can be used to innovate in other, safer ways.

08/24/2026

Betsy Taylor tells about movies filmed in Ohio and features "Shawshank Redemption" as one that has received great acclaim. The whole story appears in August's Crossroads magazine.

08/21/2026

Martha Jamail explains how Mickey Mouse was created and has become such a popular character over the years. Read her story and other Rainy Day Writers stories on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse by Martha Jamail

M – I – C . . . See you real soon;

K – E – Y . . .Why? Because we like you.

M – O – U – S – E.

If you heard music as you read those words, you were fortunate to have experienced the Mickey Mouse Club when it aired on TV in the early 50s. The beloved character, Mickey Mouse, has brought joy to generations of children, and their parents as well. It’s incredible and amazing that Mickey’s creator, Walt Disney, was the child of very strict parents who didn’t allow him to play. As he grew older and showed a talent and interest in art, his parents also considered that a waste of time.

Finally, young Walt left home and caught a train, and on that train ride he befriended a little mouse in his train car. That little mouse became the inspiration for his cartoon mouse, Mickey, and the rest is history.

The affection for the character, Mickey Mouse, is reflected in the success of the early cartoons, the later TV shows, the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and eventually Disneyland, and Disney World. They are all tributes to the genius and ability of their creator, Walt Disney.

Mickey Mouse was the first stuffed animal our sons were attracted to, and now our grandchildren enjoy Mickey Mouse as well. The little mouse has universal appeal. Mickey has brought joy to so many children, and incredibly was developed by an artist who wasn’t allowed to play.

What a wonderful character Walt Disney created – Go, Mickey! Hope you continue to delight youngsters for many more years to come!

08/18/2026

Beverly Kerr wrote about Steve Marvin in August's Crossroads magazine. You'll be surprised at how much Steve does for our community.

08/09/2026

Betsy Taylor gives some interesting information about chia seeds. It may surprise you. Read more Rainy Day Writer stories on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

Ch Ch Ch Chia by Betsy Taylor

When it comes to looking for low calorie breads and other grain products, I have become a label reader. In one product I found chia seeds listed as an ingredient. What! Those little black seeds that you sprinkle over the surface of a clay figurine and watch them grow into Bob Ross’s huge cloud of green hair? In my bread?

Yes, as a matter of fact. Chia seeds have been food long before they were part of a campy art form. I learned that as I checked them out online and, in my go-to magazine, National Geographic.

The Healthline website champions chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) as a superfood. Ancient Aztecs pressed the seeds into medicinal oils and ground them into flour. Emperors received them by the ton as tribute. The seeds, a rich source of high-quality plant-based protein, boast the side effect of providing a large helping of fiber in every ounce. They contain more fiber per ounce than most cereals without the added ingredients. The seeds take on the flavor of whatever food they are added to. You can add them to juices and yogurts, thickening them into a pudding like tapioca.

The seeds plump as they absorb liquids and become a gel. This thickening feature allows chia seeds to be used as an excellent egg-replacer acting as a binder in egg-free foods. 1 tablespoon of seeds plus 3 tablespoons of water will act as a replacement for 1 egg.

As foods and additives, the seeds are becoming increasingly popular but the effect on human metabolism is inconclusive and requires more study. They may or may not have a positive effect on blood sugar and blood pressure. The Healthline website quotes The Cleveland Clinic as it cautions that the chemicals in the seeds may interact with blood-thinners like coumadin and warfarin. Also, ask your doctor about eating the seeds if you take blood pressure medications.

While we don’t normally think of chia seeds as food, we do remember Chia Pets as a fad during the 80s and 90s. By soaking a terra cotta figurine in water to provide a growth medium, we spread the tiny black seeds across the clay surface and wait for little green shoots to appear. Five-and-dime stores like Woolworth’s sold the figures, shaped like bears, pigs, lambs, ducks, and frogs, as novelty gifts and stocking stuffers. They were funny and fun.

But the history of Chia figures is far from frivolous. They originated in Southern Mexico (the Oaxaca region) as religious icons. While still slightly moist, the terra cotta base is scored with comb-like tines providing a surface for the Chia shoots to germinate. Those greens symbolize the continuation of life especially during the season leading up to Easter. The lamb figure represents the Lamb of God. Other figures symbolize elements of the Easter story, and those objects hold a place of reverence in homes and on altars in Catholic churches.

The evolution of the Chia Pet is just one example of the shift from one cultural segment to another. Like kindly Saint Nicholas, famous for his acts of generosity to the poor, who became chubby, red-clothed Santa Claus, Chia Pets have crossed the divide from the divine to the secular. Look around and you’ll see examples of that shift everywhere.

And if you want a low-maintenance pet, those covered with bright green chia leaves are still available.

08/06/2026

Rick Booth explores the history of the Guernsey County Fair in August's Crossroads magazine. If you enjoy the fair, don't miss reading this article! Some things might surprise you.

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