May/June 2016

They offer terrific hiking and biking and nature watching. And as the weather improves, thousands of people turn to Cleveland Metroparks and its eight golf courses for added fun and relaxation.

The courses are convenient, beautifully maintained and a good option for multi-generational enjoyment. The most popular course is Big Met, with 68,995 rounds played in 2015. That was followed by Sleepy Hollow with 63,144 rounds played, Shawnee Hills with 60,735 rounds played and Manakiki with 58,540 rounds played. Others are Little Met, Mastick Woods, Seneca and Washington golf courses.

Lessons, special events, discounted fees, bonus rounds and convenient online tee time booking are all available for Cleveland Metroparks golf courses. Check out your options this summer; go to clevelandmetroparks.com/golf.

Celebrate? No dog does it better than local greeting card personality Dexter McGoogles.

The 6-year-old rescue dachshund lives in Fairview Park with his doggie wife, Chelsea, and their proud owners Roianne and Dan Sevic.

Dexter’s striking blue eyes caught the attention of American Greetings several years ago, landing him a spot on seven greeting cards. He took to modeling naturally, and so far hasn’t let his celebrity go to his head.

Dexter enjoys walks in the park, napping on the couch, eating and making people smile.

What are you celebrating today?

We tend to think of celebrations as big events. Weddings. Fiftieth anniversary parties. The birth of a grandchild.

Nick and Judi on our cover are celebrating one of those milestone events: college graduation. It’s a big deal at any age, but it’s especially impressive doing it later in life with all of the distractions and responsibilities that come with age.

While big celebrations are fun and splashy and certainly joyful, not all celebrations come with an engraved invitation or a party.

The older I get, the more I appreciate the smaller celebrations in life. I try to look for something to celebrate every day. Sure, I’m looking forward to my son’s wedding in September and a nephew’s high school graduation later this month. Yet, it’s the small stuff that keeps me going.

HERE’S WHAT I’M CELEBRATING RIGHT NOW:

• Finding four bird nests in my yard (one unflappable mourning dove, two implacable robins and a sweet wren).

• Improving my eyebrow game. After chemo 4 1/2 years ago, my eyebrows never grew back. It’s taken me a while (and a few hundred dollars in pricey pencils), but I’m finally figuring it out. Some days are better than others (think Groucho Marx). I celebrate the good ones.

• Raising chickens. My neighbor and I ordered 12 chicks that should be arriving by mail (really) around the time this magazine comes out. The coop is under construction. Let me know if you want eggs.

Something else I’ll be celebrating is bike riding season. I have an upright, coaster-style bike with a basket, a bell and a light. I use it to run errands around my small village. From time to time I’ll meet up with my 82-year-old dad, and we’ll ride on the Towpath Trail in Peninsula — definitely a celebration-worthy activity.