COLUMBUS GEMS

After having recently visited the newly renovated Grandview Theatre, I was thinking how I should pay homage to some of my favorite places in the greater Columbus area. I could only come up with a few, but here they are in no particular order:

THE GRANDVIEW THEATRE

After having been leased by David and Jennifer Nedrow back in 2008, they've come a long way with major renovations and redecorating. There's still work to do, but the theatre is fully functional and has been showing films during much of the work.

We were just there for the Manhatten Short Film Festival on a rainy Monday. Only about a dozen or so people braved the wet weather for this enjoyable selection. Being a Monday, and a wet one at that, that may be the norm for many theatres depending on the movie. Still, I wish attendance was at least double. I'd like Mr. Nedrow to be able to make a decent living as well as keep the theatre open for many years to come.

JENI'S ICE CREAM

Until I sampled Jeni's unusual flavors, I don't think I had tried anything much more exotic than your usual grocery store fare. The variety excites the taste buds and expands your horizons in ways I never thought possible. Some of the more unusual flavors I've tried (that I can recall) are: lavender, goat's cheese & cherries, carrot cake, stout (which tastes more like coffee), and the signature salty caramel.

My husband and I were recently in Italy and didn't have to be too strongly encouraged to sample the gelato. Having tried the unusual flavors offered by Jeni's, it didn't phase me to continue the adventure in Italy. However, I did also stick to a few tried and true flavors like chocolate mousse and Tiramisu. The most memorable flavor I tried was gorgonzola, which tasted just how I expected, but was delightful nonetheless. That's a sensory memory that will stay with me for awhile!

COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARIES

I understand Issue 4 in the upcoming November election is a plea to increase funding to the library system by paying just a little more ($5.24 per month per $100,000 of home value) in property tax every month. Since both my husband and I (though mostly me) use our local library and very much appreciate their vast collection, I have a vested interest in seeing the collection continue to grow. I would also hate to see more people lose their jobs if any branches have to close or hours are cut even further. I know how I'm voting on November 2nd.

COLUMBUS (Dublin) LANDMARKS: "The Dancing Hares," the Cornrows, and Chief Leatherlips

Where else can you have lunch while sitting under a trio of rabbits, beside an oversized concrete ear of corn or in front of/or behind the largest stone face you've seen since Mt. Rushmore? Only right here in Dublin. All three are free for public viewing at almost any time. I've picniced by two out of three, and attended concerts near Chief Leatherlips, as well as photographed all three on many an occasion.