A Simple Six: Mother's Club of Huntington, WV-Harveytown Park Play Date

A Mother's Club playgroup at Harveytown Park

For five years now I have been a part of a diverse and encouraging group of women with children here in Huntington. When we moved here, I sought out people who would be able to connect me to the resources and information I needed. These ladies were able to do more than what I was looking for. Over the years they have been the foundation of support for each new babies I have birthed, for when one of our children fell extremely ill (Guillain-Barre syndrome, GBS), for the times when I wasn't sure what dentist to choose or what the advantages to preschool would be for us. The Mother's Club of Huntington has given us opportunities to explore our neighborhoods, create friendships for our children and for us as parents. The group has been a network to the community at large and provided respite on weary days. These girls have kept my calendar full, given me much to laugh about and ceaselessly cared for my family.

Sending three children out the door yesterday provided Oliver and I with plenty of chore time. With all that out of the way, today we bike to Harveytown Park to meet up with the Mother's Club. Again, we took the PATH as far as it would go and were very pleased to find a flat and partially side walked Harvey Road directly to the park at the end of the PATH. My memory recalled a couple of steep hills, very fast curves and treachery all around. I am thankful my memory is faulty at times like this.

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I haven't been very active in the club for quite a long time. When our son was going through GBS in January 2010, Oliver was only four weeks old. After he got better (he did achieve a full recovery) I was not in the right state of mind, body and soul to be as outreaching. It might sound a bit quirky, but all this transportation as exercises or vice-verse has appeared to pull me back together again. The blogging has given me accountability and additional purpose to my days. The plight of reducing our vehicular dependency may have started with a financial need, yet it seems to have worked a magic in many other areas of my life as well. I won't count chickens quite yet, but I was really looking forward to seeing everyone today and meeting all the new moms.

A view from our ride today:

Brent walked to work and left me his bike to make it easier for me today.

For sale on North Blvd. Very tempting...if it could seat six, or at least three.

End of PATH on North Blvd. Safety Town in the distance.

Turning onto Harvey Road. Sidewalks! Park straight ahead. I even saw the #4 bus about three times during my ride.

New parking lot with a wide walkway to the playground, we rolled right in.

Shady bike slumping for a sleeping Oliver.

Lunch break.

Leaving the park I opted for the sidewalk to document the safety for my husband.

It was fine till this moment, then I skipped onto the streets again.

Just to show that there was a sidewalk most of the way.

The sidewalk disappeared but there was a thin worn gravel path on the left here that looked to be they way most bikers and walkers wandered. If I didn't have the trailer behind me I could have used this strip.