Sue and I hadn't been lighthousing enough lately so here we are in Ohio once again. We are heading to the Longaberger Homestead Bill Event in Frazeysburg Ohio at 11AM today (I hope we only leave with one basket) and then we will head to his event at Colonial House Antiques in Berea Ohio at 4PM today. We hope to see some Wackos at one or both events..

Tomorrow it is on to Vivian's in Columbiana Ohio at 1PM, we hope to see some members of the newly formed Buckeye Club.

I will add some images tonight of the first 2 events.

We stopped off at the world hdq of Longaberger to get directions to where the signing was being held... some big basket!!!


Sue and I found a little present for Bill at breakfast... it was appropriate that the Breen's were there to watch Bill open it and discover a tie with some hot air balloons on it.. Shellie and Harold gave Bill a lighthouse tie a few years ago that was used later to raise money for lighthouse restoration..


Wow, they sure grow things big at Longabergers!!


Sue is helping Bill as he signs the rest of our Little Lights, which means we have everything HL makes-- and they all now are signed..


The winner of the Gold St Clair Light is Sue Thomas!!

Speaking of big.. The folks at the Colonial House Antiques did at great job of turning their garage into a flag..


There was a steady stream of collectors bringing and buying lighthouses for Bill to sign at the store in Berea, OH.


8yr old Alyssa gets a lady thumbnail of the St Clair Light, plus a story of the birth of the thumbnails at the San Diego Reunion..


For Mom & Mombo!


The Gold winner here was Linda McLean who happens to be a member of the Buckeye Beacons Harbour Light Club!!


The report wouldn't be complete without showing you where Sue and I found a place to eat dinner. It is a really nice Bistro near Alliance, OH. The food and service were fantastic!!
It just doesn't get any better than this!

Thanks for sharing, Paul! Longaberger HQ is very cool! They get an A for creativity!

More about the Longaberger HQ Building

I'd give Longaberger a "C" for creativity. But that HQ building certainly is appropriate.

Among the other companies with a building that looks like their products:

S.C. Johnson, Racine WI with Frank Lloyd Wrights design for their buidling that looks like a bottle.

Dole in Honolulu with a water tower shaped like a pineapple.

Lots of coffee pot-shaped buildings

California, a donut shop in a building shaped like a donut

1939 World\'s Fair building of RCA was shaped like a radio tube.

Others?

Worlds Largest six pack, LaCrosse, Wi.

Has since gone by the wayside after Old Style went bellyup a few years ago

I will add pics and captions of Sunday's Event tomorrow... We just got back to Indy and a certain part of my body is tired of me sitting on it... but as a teaser I will just say I had a Great find today!! No not an original Hatteras or Coquille at retail, but a Great find none the less...

I told Sue we would find a Church in Columbiana or one on the way to Sundays signing.. As we drove through Salem, OH, which right on the way to Columbiana, we saw people going in a church to Mass.. It was about 10:29AM and the sign said Mass was at 10:30AM, pretty good timing..



This welcome sign is a sign for sure.. when we got to the store after Mass, we were the first to arrive except for the manager.. my eyes were of course drawn to a table displaying some Harbour Lights for the event and smack dab in the middle of the table there it was a mint, fresh out of years being in a box, HL137 St. Simon at retail!

I now have to decide which one I am keeping and which I am selling as it is one of the nicest St Simon's I have ever seen..




Bill signed a lot of lighthouses at Vivian's store. There was a nice crowd and more than a few lighthouses were purchased..



Here's part of the crowd checking out their competition for the gold as the time for the drawing draws near..



The winner of the Gold lighthouse is Sharron Lockard of Lisbon, OH...

Baskets, barns, restaurants, signing events, beer, churches, more beer - it's all here!

It's a small world, Paul. Salem is where Becki works!

Paul,
Another great report.
What's this about a St. Clair thumbnail? Is there a way to get one?
Thanks,
Roger

Bill and Nancy have been giving them away at signings mostly to kids and women..

I am amazed that no one has commented about finding a mint St Simon, Southern Belle, on the table at retail...

I brought back a St Clair thumbnail from the signing at The Lighthouse Gallery in Nags Head Easter weekend.

Pretty co...ool!

Judy
OBLHS