Baby, if you’ve ever wondered
Wondered whatever became of me
I’m living on the air in Cincinnati, Cincinnati, WKRP

I’m Mrs. Mo. I live in Southwest Ohio with my husband, Mr. Mo, our Clydesdale-sized dog, Bobo, and Skitzy, the skittish pile of floof we call our cat.

So, how did I wind up here?

Two years ago I relocated to Southwest Ohio to move in with my now-husband. The twist is that he was not even here yet! He had been in Ohio prior to the pandemic. His work temporarily relocated him to the UK, but due to the ‘rona, temporarily turned into indefinitely. He finally arrived, we tied the knot, and we’re planting some roots in the area. At least for now.

What am I doing?

Mr. Mo and I just purchased a home and although it is not a fixer-upper, it is extremely dated. The former owner, whom I will call Mr. OG because he was, in fact, the original owner, took meticulous care of the home. The bones are good. Mr. OG moved into the home when it was built in 1984, invested in some beautiful solid wood furniture sets, decorated with the trends of the time and then just took excellent care of everything. Mr. OG’s family moved him to be closer to them and now we own the home and worked out a deal to keep the nice furniture. The only reason the furniture does not look brand new is because of its dated style. It is dusted, polished, and clean as a whistle. Not a nick or scratch to be found.

I am setting out to refinish some furniture and do some minor home improvement projects on my own (with the help of Mr. Mo, of course). But I don’t know shiplap from shinola. I have zero skill, only gumption! I am no Joanna Gaines, but I’ll probably be shopping from her collection at Target. I doubt there will be a bit of her signature shiplap to be found at the end of this.

I should be a little bit more intimidated than I am about the projects that lay ahead of me. I invested in a pair of trusty work denim overalls because Barbie taught me that if you have the outfit, you can do the job. I feel excited and invigorated right now. Once my shoulder starts to get sore from scraping some wallpaper and my Pinterest boards all start to bleed together, I think that bright shiny enthusiasm may dim a little. I am using this platform as an accountabil-a-buddy. Even if no one winds up reading my ramblings (except for my mom – Hi Ma!), having this space to share updates may reinvigorate me when I would rather be a flop tart on the couch than paint the wall behind it.

Beyond using this to keep myself motivated and on track, I want to use it to share life updates. I am originally from a little bit further East. All of my friends scattered to the four cardinal points. I’m smack-dab in the Midwest. Dare I call myself the central rose of this compass rose? Our phone calls are sporadic and we do not get to share all of the flavors of our lives. I am on and off social media and that medium just doesn’t do life justice anyway. But please follow me on Instagram (@midwest_dispatch).

I am now your Midwestern news correspondent delivering a bit of news and life musings to you. I’ll talk about my life happenings here. If you want to catch up, give me a ring and share yours with me.

What will you find in this space?

• Plenty of house projects. We have some cosmetic updates to make. If we decide to stay in Cincinnati and in this home for longer, we will have some more intensive renovations to tackle like finishing the basement and remodeling a bathroom or two.
• Wedding planning. Yes, I am married. Mr. Mo and I eloped! We would still like to plan a micro-wedding to celebrate with our immediate families. Join me as I figure out how to plan a Hindu ceremony and as I strip away years of indoctrination of US wedding culture to get to what it is that I truly want in a Western ceremony.
• Bumbling trips across the country and hopefully some fun trips across the world.
• Silly musings about Midwestern quirks and the fun that bubbles up when you’re blending two cultures in one household.
• Manicure updates. I need shellac too! I am sporting OPI Charged up Cherry at the moment.
• Hopefully filling this house with beautiful memories, lots of laughs, holiday cheer, and parties. Certainly filling it with food.