CLEVELAND LIVING & LIFESTYLES NEWS

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Wake NationA wakeboarder kicks up some spray on a trip around the lake at Wake Nation, a new cable wakeboarding park in Fairfield, outside Cincinnati. The growing sport requires strong arms -- but no boat.

DETAILS

Wake Nation Cincinnati

Getting there: Wake Nation, at 201 Joe Nuxhall Way in Fairfield, is about a four-hour drive from Cleveland. Take I-71 south to I-275 west; then exit onto Ohio 4 north. Turn left on Symmes Road, right on River Road and left on Joe Nuxhall Way into Joyce Park, where Wake Nation is located.

Hours: 10 a.m. until dark, May through October.

Prices: A one-hour pass is $20; two hours cost $25 and a full-day pass is $35. Equipment rental is extra: $16 for a wakeboard (skis or kneeboard) plus a helmet and life vest. The park will send you a coupon for a free hour of riding when you sign up for its online mailing list; see wakenation.com for details.

Information: wakenation.com or 513-887-9253.

FAIRFIELD, Ohio — Hold on, Ohio. A new extreme water sport is making a splash just north of Cincinnati, where thrill-seekers are lining up to take a 20 mph tour around a man-made lake, gripping and grinning the whole way.

The sport is wakeboarding, a cross between water skiing and snowboarding, and traditionally practiced behind a boat.

The problem: Not everyone has access to a boat or lives near a body of water.

The solution: Cable wakeboarding, where an elaborate configuration of towers and connecting cables creates a system that pulls riders around a circular lake -- no boat required.

The parks are popular in Europe but relatively new to the United States. Wake Nation, which opened this spring, is one of just 10 parks in the United States and one of five outside Florida (others are in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas).

CEO Peter Kennedy, an Indianapolis native, got the idea after a business trip in 2007 to the Philippines, where local kids were enthralled with the sport. "I asked them, 'What's a cable park?' I took one spin on the cable and I was hooked."

Kennedy, living in Los Angeles at the time, first scouted Southern California for his venture, then Denver. The high cost of land and water brought him to Ohio, where he built his park on a flood plain adjacent to a municipal park.

David George is a veritable gullywasher of information, as grandpas are wont to be.

And the water metaphor is particularly apt, since 62-year-old David is the founder and owner of Bluewaterohio, a company that specializes in getting the most out of rainwater. Right now, that means installing barrels to capture rainwater and using it to water lawns and gardens.

It's that whole green thing, which in this case means ecologically and economically green.

The motto for Bluewaterohio is pretty simple: "Save Money -- Save Water -- Save the Planet."

Unless indicated, events are free or will have an offering.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY 17-18

Women of Faith

When: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m. July 17; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 18.
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Huron Road and Ontario Street, Cleveland.
Details: "A Grand New Day," a touring Women of Faith conference with music, comedy, drama and speakers. Fee: $89-$109. Call 1-888-493-2484 or go to www.womenoffaith.com.

Movie screening

When: 7 p.m. July 17; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 18.
Where: Unity Center of the Heights, 2653 S. Taylor Road, Cleveland Heights.
Details: Showing of "Leap!," a movie that explores the ancient spiritual idea that our world is an illusion and proceeds to take a journey that is life-changing. Followed by a question-answer session by the film's creators. Fee: $7 in advance; $10 at the door. "Leap Beyond Limits" workshop July 18 is $49 in advance (by Tuesday, July 14); $59 at the door. Call 216-321-7566 or go to www.unitycenteronline.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 18

Old Slavonic liturgy

When: 5 p.m.
Where: St. Emilian Byzantine Catholic Church, 1231 Substation Road, Brunswick.
Details: Divine Liturgy in Old Slavonic. Call 330-225-9857 or go to www.stemilian.com.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

Celebrating St. Mary

When: 7-9 p.m.
Where: Light of Hearts Villa, 283 Union St., Bedford.
Details: Sheila McGinn, a professor of biblical studies and early Christianity at John Carroll University, will speak on "Remembering the Women Co-workers of Paul" as part of FutureChurch's 13th annual celebration of St. Mary of Magdala. Call 216-228-0869 or go to www.futurechurch.org.

Send notices to Religion Calendar, Religion Editor, The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114; fax to 216-999-6269, or e-mail to religion@plaind.com. Include the time, date, place (complete address), cost, sponsor, reservation deadline (if applicable) and a phone number with area code. Submissions must be received at least 10 days before the publication date. Notices will be used as space permits.

In "Sudden Impact," tough cop Harry Callahan, played by Clint Eastwood, looks with disgust at a hot dog-chomping detective and says, "Nobody, I mean nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog."

Wonder what Dirty Harry would think about putting a dog in Daisy Dukes?

That's what one of the winners did in The Plain Dealer's "Dress the Dog" contest. About four dozen readers took artistic liberties with frankfurters and then sent us the photos.

Here are the eight wieners, er ... winners, judged on creativity, originality and photo quality (unfortunately, the photos of "Jimmy Dogmora" wearing stripes were a bit underexposed).

Among some of the ideas that failed to cut the mustard: "LeDog" James, tiny cocktail wieners frolicking in a playground and hot dog versions of Abe Lincoln, President Barack Obama,
and Laurel and Hardy.

Thanks to everyone who entered. Although we could give no prizes, at least you were able to eat your entries.

Paul Sartarelli is a pastor at The Chapel in Akron. A big part of his job is talking about God. But when someone close to him was dying, he couldn't quite do it.

"I found it easier to discuss the Indians or the cancer," he said. "But not something of eternal significance. I had a hard time forgiving myself for that."

Most of us have trouble forgiving ourselves for something. Parents beat themselves up for how they handled their children. Spouses wish they could hit the erase button in their marriages.

Addicts -- now sober -- regret the wasted years, the relationships trashed, the money wasted. Some of us have one day, one poor decision, that turned our lives upside down.

There have been times when I have gone over and over the same conversations in my head, wondering how I could be so sarcastic, why I yielded to that jerk inside me. I have asked God for forgiveness and apologized to the person I wronged. I've even confessed it to a few friends, and we prayed about it.

(Allison Carey/The Plain Dealer)

Fresh basil roll with shrimp and chicken served with Thai sauce and ground peanuts at Vieng's Asian Bistro in Westlake.

WE WANT YOUR REVIEW

Have you been to Vieng's Asian Bistro? E-mail us your review of the food, service and atmosphere. Include your full name and where you live. We'll publish a sampling on cleveland.com and in The Plain Dealer. E-mail food@plaind.com to sound off.

"Dessert CAN make you happy"

-- Fortune cookie fortune from my dinner at Vieng's Asian Bistro

I swear I'm not making it up. That was the actual word-for-word fortune that came in the cookie at the end of our meal. To prove it, my lucky numbers are 22, 29, 43, 38, 26 20 and the Chinese word for milk is ni n i.

And, to prove that sometimes you can even get the good fortune before you get the fortune cookie, there's Vieng's Chocolate Lava Cake with Homemade Coconut Ice Cream ($8), a divinely decadent pairing of rich warm chocolate cake and softly frozen creamy coconut milk. It did make me very happy. As did the House Dessert ($9), batter-coated and fried-to-a-crisp sweet bananas. They contrasted delectably with a scoop of the same smooth coconut ice cream and a flourish of chocolate sauce for a little extra joy. In other words, you can clearly do worse than start with dessert at Vieng's.

Another reason to begin at the end is that it buys you some time to peruse the rest of the 11-page menu. You may feel a bit like Marco Polo on his first bewildering trip east as you navigate your way through scores of Chinese, Mongolian, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese specialties. But stay the course. The benefit of this beneficence is that there is definitely something for everyone who has a yen for Asian cuisine; from familiar takeout-style Chinese to more complex Thai and Vietnamese dishes, with a side trip to Japan for well-styled sushi and sashimi.

Ted Crow/The Plain Dealer

It's nothing short of a miracle. After weeks of trolling dozens of antiques stores, and lusting after objects costing hundreds of dollars, I ended the experience buying only six soup bowls and one platter, for a total expenditure of just under $50.

That gale-force wind that just knocked you over? That's my husband's sigh of relief.

I could have bought:

• An incredible set of four Windsor-style chairs that I found at one of my favorite discoveries, Jameson Homestead Antiques in Avon's French Creek District, for, um, lots of money.

• A pair of stained-glass windows, removed from a probably fantastic turn-of-the-last-century home, that I spotted at Antiques in the Bank on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland (another great find).

Old stained-glass windows, I discovered, are very popular in Northeast Ohio antiques stores, which makes me a little sad that houses in this area have been stripped of their personality, or torn down.

The windows, including the ones I lusted for, range from $150 to $375 each.

I can't even talk without pangs of regret about the antique jewelry (real and costume, several dollars to several thousand dollars) I spotted at two Lakewood antiques stores and in case after case of jewelry at the Medina Antique Mall.

Really, what could be better in today's save-the-Earth society than antiquing -- the ultimate recycling of tables, chairs, lamps, knickknacks, toys, jewelry and, yes, architectural salvage of previous generations.

With that in mind, Plain Dealer Reporter Roxanne Washington and I set out to visit as many antiques stores and malls in Northeast Ohio's west, south and east side as we could.

The following is by no means a complete list. It does not cover every city or every store. Rather, it is a representation of the finds available to area residents planning a summer of hitting antiques stores.

If you want a list of every single big, small, tiny or gargantuan antiques store, go to sundaydriver.com or to the Web sites of the specific antiques districts themselves. Surprisingly, most stores can be found on the Internet.

Meanwhile, here's a good start for any shopping forays. Enjoy.

provenwinners.comThe "Plymouth Plantation" Proven Winners arrangement blends Laguna 'Sky blue' (lobelia), cranberry Sunsatia (nemesia), and white Babylon (verbena). The size of the flowers depends on the size of the container.

July Fourth is almost here, and, coincidentally, flowers are bursting out all over.

So why leave your red, white and blue (or purple) blooms idling when combined they can make a patriotic splash on your picnic table or that of a friend who has invited you over?

Whipping up a bouquet isn't every gardener's forte. Not to worry. The florists with the Proven Winners brand, which is sold at Home Depot and other garden centers, have some suggestions. The names of the flowers here are from the Proven Winners collection, and the actual flower is in parentheses.

One idea is a combination called "Plymouth Plantation." Take one Laguna 'Sky Blue' (lobelia), one Sunsatia (nemesia) in cranberry, and two white Babylon (verbena).

Plain Dealer fileRhododendrons, such as those pictured here above the groundcover sweet woodruff, are susceptible to tiny lace bugs -- as are azaleas and Japanese andromeda

My Japanese andromeda looks like it is dying. The leaves look awful with yellow speckling. What can be done to help them?

'Pieris japonica' (Japanese andromeda), as well as rhododendron and azaleas are sometimes beset with an infestation of lace bugs. These insects are very tiny. They feed on the underside of the leaves, sucking out the contents of cells. The feeding results in the speckled yellow spots on the upper surface of the leaves. You also may notice shiny black specks on the underside of the leaves. This is lace bug poo.

Many insecticides, including insecticidal soaps, will control this pest. Key to control is applying the insecticide to the underside of the leaves where the lace bugs live. Because there can be as many as three generations of lace bugs each growing season, you must keep your eye on the plant and treat when new damage is noticed.

Ohio Landscape AssociationThe setting around this pool in Westlake was designed by Schill Landscaping in Sheffield Village. The highlight, of course, is the striking black pot filled with an assortment of colorful annuals. Upright junipers accent the gated side of the pool, and container gardens are scattered. Virginia sweet spire softens the retaining wall on the right, and an evergreen hides a unit for the air conditioner.

But pools aren't that attractive by themselves. Without lush greenery and pretty flowers, an in-ground pool looks like what it is: a carved-out concrete hole. And an aboveground pool, if it isn't softened around its edges with plant life, sticks out like a sore thumb.

We asked pool landscapers and aboveground-pool merchants for some tips on making a pool aesthetically pleasing.

Waters, landscape architects and homeowners say pools have become more popular in recent years. That might seem odd given the economy, but some families are finding they'd rather spend their "play" money for a resort setting right outside their back door than take vacations every year.