Rita Pike

“Does the name Vincent Van Gogh ring a bell?”
“Don’t mention that man to me…he’s drunk, he’s mad, and he never pays his bills.”
When this episode of Doctor Who begins, we laugh at the absurdity that this restaurateur would reject one of the most famous paintings in the world because the man trying to hawk it was a bit of a drunk. Any of us would accept this piece, even if we’re not personally fond of the man’s work. We know its value, which is: practically priceless.
[Content Warning: this es...

Fifty-six-years ago today, a woman from Ohio became the first woman to fly solo around the world.
No, you are not doing the maths wrong. I am not talking about that other, much more famous, female American aviator. I am talking about Jerrie Mock, private pilot, housewife - and my grandmother.
When she left for her round-the-world adventure, she was dubbed The Flying Housewife by the media.
She was a 38-year-old mother of three who had wanted to fly around the world since she was a little girl...

American founding father, Benjamin Franklin, once told us that only two things in life are certain: death and tax-es. In the late 1960s, my grandmother, Geraldine ‘Jerrie’ Mock, discovered the second to be true. You see, in 1964, she was dubbed the ‘flying housewife’ by the media as she set out to claim the title of first woman to fly around the world. Twenty-nine days later – after surviving sand-storms, iced-over wings and engine troubles – she landed back in Ohio on April 17 and claimed that title...

In October 2019, I met Billy White of Zanesville, Ohio at the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame ceremony. He wasn’t being inducted into the Hall of Fame – though many folks are hoping he will someday. – but we heard the story of what he’s been doing to help fight racism in his small town.
What Billy White And Red Rose Tattoo Artists Are Doing
Image Courtesy of the Ohio State Highway Patrol – Billy White giving a brief speech at the ceremony on October 10, 2019
After everyone at the ceremony watc...

This year was supposed to be a special, dream-fulfilling year for me. I’m 38 years old–the same age my grandmother, Jerrie Mock was, the year she became the first woman to fly around the world.
I’ve followed in her footsteps in some ways, adventuring my way through multiple countries on singing tours, concert tours, hiking and biking and more. 2020 was supposed to be the year of an achievement of her dream. She wanted me to make it to more countries than she did. That means travel; and that m...

Right now, it’s hard to find much hope in the reality of life and a pandemic. In the middle of all the painful, global chaos you might not know about what good is happening.

If you don’t, you’ll be glad to find a little encouragement and positive news in the world today, thanks to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donors at Pandemic of Love.

The crowds huddled on the tarmac of the Port Columbus Airport in Ohio on a cool day in March 1964. There she stood, carrying a suitcase, a typewriter and a box of food bars to munch on during the long flights over open ocean.

Geraldine "Jerrie" Fredritz Mock had dreamed of flying around the world since the age of 7 when she first went up in an airplane at the county fair.

She pursued her passion at Ohio Statue University, where she was the only woman out of 100 students in the aviation-geared...

Major advertisers began a boycott in recent weeks in light of Facebook’s lack of fact-checking and allowance for false news and hate speech. The boycott uses the #StopHateForProfit hashtag to raise awareness about their decision to pull their advertising from the social media platform and to encourage others to follow suit.
More than 150 companies have publicly announced their advertising halts including Coca-Cola, Unilever, Starbucks and REI. Facebook faces major losses, to the point that so...

This past week, as protests and police brutality continue in the wake of the death of a George Floyd, more and more awareness of systemic racism – an equally deadly pandemic – is brought to light. More accountability is called for, including within the media industry.

The media industry is finding their customers, staff including former employees, will not take remain silent as they call for editors, CEOs, founders and other leaders to step down.

Make every day a spell-tacular celebration with the Harry Potter-inspired cookbook featuring delicious recipes for everything from magical snacks to full, Muggle-worthy meals.
What better way to celebrate than by whipping up a magically delicious meal in your kitchen? From sumptuous fall and winter feasts to delectable desserts and tea-time treats, this book has all of your holidays and special occasions covered, with an extra magical twist. Celebrate in true wizarding world style with recipe...

One of the major long-term results of Knisley’s accident is that she now deals with an invisible disability that affects her daily life including work and relationships. She had to relearn many day-to-day functions through a rehabilitation program and intense personal efforts.

“I continued to practice writing by hand and doing eye exercises [I had double vision], building core muscles and [correcting] my abnormal gait, and completing logic puzzles, and planning my life to improve my brain’s executive function. Nine months after my accident, I had an eye muscle surgery in April of 2016 to corr

Fifty-five years ago today, my grandmother, Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock, became the first woman to fly solo around the world.
A flight in a Ford 5-AT Tri-Motor at the age of 7 was all it took for Jerrie to know she wanted to fly around the world (that, and ride a camel and an elephant.) Her dreams were ambitious for any child, but for “just a girl” living in a small town in Ohio in the 1930s, none of her dreams seemed likely to come true.
Still, she attended classes in high school and college tha...

You’ve been planning your wedding for quite a while now – perhaps even a couple of years. This plot twist of a worldwide pandemic is not something you anticipated for your special day and now you’re stuck with a venue you can’t use, guests who can’t travel, and a cake that won’t be baked.

You’ve got to postpone, but where do you start?

Here are some helpful tips from wedding professionals and couples who’ve gone through it already.

If you normally treat Dad to a steak dinner at his favorite restaurant for Father’s Day, you’re likely facing a dilemma like so many others. Many lock-downs are still in place in much of the world due to coronavirus pandemic. Traditions and celebrations often involve social gatherings; but this year we just have to get a little creative with our methods

Here are some tips and ideas we’ve come across for this special day for dads and father figures in 2020.

On Monday, June 22, the voices of Black women in the medical field were amplified as non-Black doctors allowed their Black colleagues take over their Twitter accounts.
Black doctors took over #MedTwitter via the #SharetheMicNowMed hashtag movement to draw attention to their communities and how they navigate the medical profession. The online event was meant to highlight the work of Black physicians and create a more diverse conversation on social media about many topics, specifically health a...