Peg Furnas, Director of Operations

I live in the Chagrin River Valley, on the eastern side of Cleveland. Having a cup of tea with my family and friends in the outbuilding of our 150-year-old Western Reserve farmhouse provides a shelter for uninterrupted one-on-one conversations.  An introvert, it’s my sweet space!  Our home, just for my husband and I now as our four adult daughters live near and far, sits on an acre of land, treed, and lined with perennial gardens which delight me in every season. (Yes, even in the winter!)

You will find me in the garden, on a walk, behind a book, at a concert, in front of a screen reserving an Airbnb for my next trip, or aside a piece of art.

I am a member of the Garden Club of America Cleveland, where I continue my education and enjoyment of all things green and flowering.

Within minutes, I can walk, bike, or ride to Cleveland Metroparks South Chagrin Reservation or Frohring Meadows in the Geauga Park District. Here my Golden Retriever wades in the river and walks beside me along sandstone cliffs.  Just a bit farther is Cuyahoga Valley National Park where we continue our trekking.

Favorites in the city of Cleveland: standing in front of owned art and special exhibits at Cleveland Museum of Art, attending concerts at Cleveland Institute of Music, listening to author talks and opera at the Maltz Performing Arts Center, enjoying a night of classical music at Severance Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra or listening to Apollo’s Fire in one of the neighborhood churches. In high school and college in the ’70s you will find me sitting at a concert from the bravest and the best bands of this era.  Best place to see a traveling show is outdoors at Jacobs Pavilion along the Cuyahoga River in the Flats or Blossom Music Center in the national park.

I have a growing list of international destinations I hope to visit adding to those I’ve already enjoyed; Johannesburg, South Africa; Auckland, New Zealand; Guatemala City, Guatemala; and Stockholm, Sweden, Toronto, Canada.

I am in a book club where I’ve explored genres beyond my preferred, memoirs and non-fiction.  It’s nice to be nudged beyond my usual picks. Preferring a handheld book versus an electronic device I’m fond of the experience of written word on paper.

Speaking of paper, I am about to launch a small business with my florist friend who’ve I’ve enjoyed learning the art of creating bouquets and boutonnieres from.  Stoney Path, haven’t we all traveled on one or two, will be an exploration of paper, flowers and essential oils.  Back to books, when in the city I treat myself to a stop at the downtown Cleveland Public Library Main Branch because of its grand architecture, special collections, and views of the Malls and the lake from the top floor.

Growing up in Cleveland’s western harbor town of Vermilion, as well as my familial roots in County Mayo, Ireland – which sits alongside the Atlantic – I feel most at home along the water’s edge or in a kayak launched from shore.  I often leave the beach with a pocket of sea glass and heart rocks, gently shaped by the surf. And a clear mind.