Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Fourth of July – Independence Day
Lucky are we – in so many ways – to be able to celebrate our Independence Day.
I remember one particular Fourth in my childhood. I’m not sure of my exact age, but I’m guessing I was five or six, because we moved away from that town when I was seven. The others are a blank, but probably similar; however this is the one Fourth that sticks in my memory.
Dad was big on celebrating the Fourth and apparently liked having a lot of people around. We always had plenty of ‘company’ and the yard was full of people [neighbors and family]. A ‘really big’ lard can of booyah was cooking outside. I don’t know what else we had to eat, but there were likely other foods in the kitchen. Though the booyah was by far the main item.
Dad filled a big wash tub with ice and Nehi soda. They bought ice cream in 5 gallon dry-ice containers. All in all, it was a kid’s delight, in those days. I’m sure we ran around playing, running and yelling as kids will do. We probably asked for ice cream and soda and found it hard to wait until after we ate. The adults visited while waiting for the booyah to be ready.
After we finished eating, we probably walked over to the town park for a baseball game if there was one. I remember doing that, but I can’t say for certain we did on that day. If a game was being played, I’m sure we attended because Dad really liked baseball. For a time, he was manager of the local baseball team. Several of his grown nephews were members of the team. I think they were called “The Leadbelt Cubs.” We have a picture of the team, which maybe I’ll post here later.
They usually had a carnival in the park on the Fourth too, though I’m not sure when they began doing that; or if there was one that particular year. When they had both, we alternated between watching the game and begging Dad for nickels so we could go on the rides [Ferris Wheel and Merry-Go-Round] and maybe buy pop corn or cotton candy.
Yes, there were fireworks for after dark, mostly sparklers and fire crackers. I never liked the noise the fire crackers made, which did not change when I became an adult. The noise made me jump and unexpected noises still do. Just ask the “balloon lady.” Some of the boys would toss them near your feet. Not smart – and I’m sure they were reprimanded if they were seen doing so.
In some stories I’ve read [set in days many years back in the ‘old’ country] fireworks were set off on other holidays, such as Christmas and New Year. That was apparently passed down in Dad’s family. His cousins I met told me that they remembered one Christmas Dad’s family spent with them and the boys brought along fireworks to set off. She seemed to like them about as well as I did. I enjoy the beautiful fireworks visual displays, but I’ve never been able to figure out why making of lot of loud noise is supposed to be fun.
Happy Fourth!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
My Mother - Her 110th Birthday
One hundred and ten years ago today, my mother, blue-eyed, red-haired Mary was born, seven months after her dad died of pneumonia. She, her mother, and older brother and sister lived with her maternal grandparents until she was nine years old, when her mother remarried. They became what today we call a ‘blended family.’ His, hers, and then two more children which were theirs. When they were a little older, she and her older sister took turns looking after their grandparents’ household due to the frail health of their grandmother. Their grandmother died in the 1918 influenza epidemic while Mother was living with them. Pa was there, and Mother went racing across the fields to get her mother when her grandmother seemed in distress. As she said, she was scared to death.
While Mother and her family lived with their grandparents, one of Grandma’s older sisters, who didn’t marry until she was about 40 years old, was still living at home. So they had a mother, grandparents and an aunt telling them what to do on a daily basis, plus other relatives when they were at hand. As Mother put it, “Everyone told them what to do,” and she made up her mind that when she had children, no one was going to boss them around except her, and their dad, of course.
As I said, from what I was told, Dad was full of mischief when he was growing up. And from what Mother told me about herself, she apparently was quite willful. She said Aunt Lee told her she was a misery to herself and everyone around her. And they said “Pa,” her grandfather, spoiled her. I suppose he did, because she said when she got in trouble, she knew that if she could get to Pa, no one could touch her. And apparently the temper that we were well aware of as children made itself known early on. She told me of a time when she made a pan of cornbread. I don’t know what went wrong, but she was not pleased with the results. She said she threw the pan upside down in the floor and then stomped on it. Mother’s younger half-sister told me that their Mother had a very quick temper too.
I only knew my mother as a parent. What I know of her as a child is what she told me. And what I know of Dad as a child is what Mother and his cousins told me.
Relating what I’ve been told is not meant as a put down of them. Just giving you a look at their lives as it was told to me. They were not perfect as we are not; just real people.
Their lives were not easy growing up. They worked hard; but it was the norm, except that Mother never had a chance to know her dad. And as adults, they both worked hard to raise their children. So, smile Mother and Happy Birthday. There are no tempers in Heaven - or reasons for one.
While Mother and her family lived with their grandparents, one of Grandma’s older sisters, who didn’t marry until she was about 40 years old, was still living at home. So they had a mother, grandparents and an aunt telling them what to do on a daily basis, plus other relatives when they were at hand. As Mother put it, “Everyone told them what to do,” and she made up her mind that when she had children, no one was going to boss them around except her, and their dad, of course.
As I said, from what I was told, Dad was full of mischief when he was growing up. And from what Mother told me about herself, she apparently was quite willful. She said Aunt Lee told her she was a misery to herself and everyone around her. And they said “Pa,” her grandfather, spoiled her. I suppose he did, because she said when she got in trouble, she knew that if she could get to Pa, no one could touch her. And apparently the temper that we were well aware of as children made itself known early on. She told me of a time when she made a pan of cornbread. I don’t know what went wrong, but she was not pleased with the results. She said she threw the pan upside down in the floor and then stomped on it. Mother’s younger half-sister told me that their Mother had a very quick temper too.
I only knew my mother as a parent. What I know of her as a child is what she told me. And what I know of Dad as a child is what Mother and his cousins told me.
Relating what I’ve been told is not meant as a put down of them. Just giving you a look at their lives as it was told to me. They were not perfect as we are not; just real people.
Their lives were not easy growing up. They worked hard; but it was the norm, except that Mother never had a chance to know her dad. And as adults, they both worked hard to raise their children. So, smile Mother and Happy Birthday. There are no tempers in Heaven - or reasons for one.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Remembering My Dad
Today is my Dad’s birthday. He was born 114 years ago. He was the second of twin sons born that day. His brother was accidentally killed when he was only 20 years old. My Dad lived to be 82. He never talked about his twin brother, and I always thought it was because it was too painful for him. What I learned about my uncle, I learned from my mother. In early years the two of them looked a lot alike in a picture we have; but where Uncle Alfred’s hair was straight, Dad’s hair was curly. In pictures of them as they grew older, to me they looked quite a bit different. Though if I could have seen them together, I would probably have seen resemblances between them. Resemblances and identical are not the same, but we all see things differently. For instance, when I was a young woman, I was in the small town where my sister lived. I went in a store where she had been shortly before. The clerk said to me, “You back already? You just left? My sister was a few years older than I, slightly taller, and at that time at least 20-25 pounds heavier than I was. Her hair was darker and styled differently. I admit that we resembled each other, but I’m not quite sure how the clerk could have seen the same person.
The twin brothers apparently were unlike in personality also. Dad was always talking, laughing, joking, picking and teasing [ometimes maybe too much so]. Uncle Alfred was quiet and serious, maybe even somber. In one or two of his pictures, he seems even a bit morose. One of his cousins that I met after I began researching family history told me how much Dad teased the girl cousins when the families visited when they were young. She said his twin was very quiet. Dad always told us that “Pa” was mostly Scots-Irish and “Ma” was German. However, as I found out, his mother was only half-German on her mother’s side; not sure about her dad nationality. So, they were, as I’ve heard it said, “mostly Scots-Irish.” It seems Dad got the ‘jolly Irish’ part and Uncle Alfred to the ‘dour Scots.’
In a school group picture we have when they are about 10/11 years old, they are not standing together. Dad is on the back left corner, and Uncle Alfred is on the back right corner, with their youngest brother in front of him.
Dad was full of mischief apparently, and my other grandmother was said to have referred to him as "that curly-black-headed little deveil" when he was about 12 or so and incurred her wrath for some reason when they all lived near by each other.
It has occurred to me that the two boys being so different in personality, they might not have got along as well as one might think twins would. What I’ve learned is that someone who likes to pick and tease can’t abide seeing someone going quietly about, minding their own business. They have to shake things up a bit and get something going. With his picking, teasing ways, Dad might have done his share to make Uncle Alfred’s life uncomfortable. And I strongly suspect, Uncle Alfred didn’t know how to handle his more rowdy twin.
None the less, my Dad was a good man and a very good father. I’m glad he was mine.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Those Were the Days My Friend -
I want to write something for my blog and I don’t feel compelled towards anything in particular. It has been a cloudy and sometimes rainy day. I started to go for a walk a short time ago, but when I looked out, I decided not to bother. I’ve been busy with small chores most of the day, and walked a bit in the villa from time to time.
At this point in my life, I find myself looking back at times, trying to remember what the world was like when I was young. Some things I remember, but a lot is gone. We probably should record our thoughts and activities on how our world is from time to time, and I occasionally did that, but not enough to help much. And in the earlier years, I never kept the writings I did.
I was thinking of the things we did to occupy ourselves when weather kept us inside, in those pre-television, pre-computers and computer games back in the dark ages. The game that came to mind first was a word spelling game called Hang-man. I believe my daughters played this game too when they were young. Our younger son grew up alone, but probably would have been more interested in his trucks and other such occupations.
For the uninitiated, one person chose a word, lined out a space for each letter. The other player, or players, guessed a letter. If you guessed an incorrect letter, a part of a stick person was added to the pre-drawn ‘stick’ scaffold. If you didn’t guess all the correct letters before all the stick parts were added, you lost the game and were “hanged.”
The name of the game is gruesome I suppose, but I don’t believe any of us thought of it in the context of anyone being hanged. I know I certainly didn’t. I won’t expound on that, except to say that I, personally, am against hanging anyone and do not see it as a viable means of punishment. However, the game was fun at the time; it also helped a bit with spelling words, and was played without evil intent.
At this point in my life, I find myself looking back at times, trying to remember what the world was like when I was young. Some things I remember, but a lot is gone. We probably should record our thoughts and activities on how our world is from time to time, and I occasionally did that, but not enough to help much. And in the earlier years, I never kept the writings I did.
I was thinking of the things we did to occupy ourselves when weather kept us inside, in those pre-television, pre-computers and computer games back in the dark ages. The game that came to mind first was a word spelling game called Hang-man. I believe my daughters played this game too when they were young. Our younger son grew up alone, but probably would have been more interested in his trucks and other such occupations.
For the uninitiated, one person chose a word, lined out a space for each letter. The other player, or players, guessed a letter. If you guessed an incorrect letter, a part of a stick person was added to the pre-drawn ‘stick’ scaffold. If you didn’t guess all the correct letters before all the stick parts were added, you lost the game and were “hanged.”
The name of the game is gruesome I suppose, but I don’t believe any of us thought of it in the context of anyone being hanged. I know I certainly didn’t. I won’t expound on that, except to say that I, personally, am against hanging anyone and do not see it as a viable means of punishment. However, the game was fun at the time; it also helped a bit with spelling words, and was played without evil intent.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Raising Prices by Downsizing
Several years back, businesses began the practice of reducing the size of their product instead of boosting the price a bit. I don’t know with what product it started, but I noticed it first in coffee and sugar. The pound size disappeared and became an odd number of ounces. I believe it may have begun gradually [I call it sneaky, meant to mislead, so maybe you won’t notice the price has actually been increased, with less product for the same price, nearly the same, or maybe even a little more].
There was nothing gradual about the recent downsized product I encountered. I use a doctor recommended eye drops product to try to stave off further vision damage due to dry macular degeneration. A few days ago I bought a new bottle. I took the bottle out of the package, set it down by the nearly empty bottle of my last purchase. Even my faulty vision flipped my eyes open wider when I saw the difference in the size of the two bottles.
The outside package was still the same size, or so nearly so, you couldn’t tell the difference. I looked at the info on the bottles and I found that the previously purchased product was 2/3 ounce; the recent purchase was 1/3 ounce. Half as much! The price of this product [includes several variations to choose from]is in the approximate $10. to $13. range. What I paid for that 1/3 ounce was about the same price I paid for the 2/3 ounce size earlier, or close enough not to make much difference. That is, or close to, a 100 per cent increase.
I also take a doctor recommended eye vitamin for the same purpose. A few weeks ago I bought a new bottle of these vitamins with a few still remaining in the old bottle. The recent purchase contained 60 capsules. I checked the other bottle. It had contained twice as many capsules, with cost approximately the same. Another approximately 100 per cent increase.
I find it very hard to believe the production costs have doubled. Fair profit? Bigger profit for investors while squeezing the consumer?
There was nothing gradual about the recent downsized product I encountered. I use a doctor recommended eye drops product to try to stave off further vision damage due to dry macular degeneration. A few days ago I bought a new bottle. I took the bottle out of the package, set it down by the nearly empty bottle of my last purchase. Even my faulty vision flipped my eyes open wider when I saw the difference in the size of the two bottles.
The outside package was still the same size, or so nearly so, you couldn’t tell the difference. I looked at the info on the bottles and I found that the previously purchased product was 2/3 ounce; the recent purchase was 1/3 ounce. Half as much! The price of this product [includes several variations to choose from]is in the approximate $10. to $13. range. What I paid for that 1/3 ounce was about the same price I paid for the 2/3 ounce size earlier, or close enough not to make much difference. That is, or close to, a 100 per cent increase.
I also take a doctor recommended eye vitamin for the same purpose. A few weeks ago I bought a new bottle of these vitamins with a few still remaining in the old bottle. The recent purchase contained 60 capsules. I checked the other bottle. It had contained twice as many capsules, with cost approximately the same. Another approximately 100 per cent increase.
I find it very hard to believe the production costs have doubled. Fair profit? Bigger profit for investors while squeezing the consumer?
Saturday, December 31, 2011
2011 – 2012 - Happy New Year
Out with the old, in with the new! Happy New Year to all I hope 2011 ends well for all of you and 2012 begins the same, and continues to be even more so.
2011 has been a trying year for our country and the world in general. Many weather tragedies occurred in the US as well as other countries, with the tornado in Joplin, Missouri at the top of the unwanted list for us, with the many deaths and destruction. Much suffering and unrest has occurred around the world. Yes, I am a loyal, patriotic American. Like it or not, and I don’t, in this present-day world we live in, we are affected by what happens in the rest of the world, and what we do affects many other countries.
We share the planet with many others. If you believe in creation, as many say you do, then God is responsible for everyone in this world, everywhere. If God is responsible for all creation, then why are some so mean and others not? Oh yes, ‘free will.’ We freely get ourselves into all kinds of trouble.
I am disturbed by the militant Christian who rants, raves, shouts and uses ugly word protesting what he/she feels is discrimination against Christians. In a simple example, I’ll go back a few years, when many put bumper stickers on their car that said, “If you love Jesus, honk!” Well that day, I decided to honk. The driver responded with very rude words and gestures. A Christian demonstration? Are we convincing anyone we’re a Christian with our words and actions? It's that "Walks like a duck, talks like a duck" thing. Oh, I know no one is perfect, but maybe we could be a little less imperfect?
Many have had personal tragedies in their families this past year, as mine has. The loss of jobs and homes has, and is being borne by many. Which way to turn? Wet to do? How to keep your family fed, housed and closed, not to mention healthy?
One of the seven deadly sins is greed. I believe that one of the reasons for our current financial situation is corporate/investor greed. Not satisfied with a good, healthy profit, but pushing for a bigger and bigger profit. There is nothing wrong with making money, making money is a good thing, depending on what you have to do to get it, and who you have to walk on. The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil, not money itself, but the love of it, when you are willing to do anything to get it.
Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever your life was in 2011, my hope for you is a better 2012. Please, have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Have you heard of “Do One Nice Thing?” One woman’s [Debbie Tenzer’s] attempt to make the world a better place by doing an act of kindness for someone, somewhere; simple or more complex. Is there a good deed you can do? Even a small deed will make a difference to someone. I’ll leave you with an old adage, “If you would change the world, first change yourself.”
2011 has been a trying year for our country and the world in general. Many weather tragedies occurred in the US as well as other countries, with the tornado in Joplin, Missouri at the top of the unwanted list for us, with the many deaths and destruction. Much suffering and unrest has occurred around the world. Yes, I am a loyal, patriotic American. Like it or not, and I don’t, in this present-day world we live in, we are affected by what happens in the rest of the world, and what we do affects many other countries.
We share the planet with many others. If you believe in creation, as many say you do, then God is responsible for everyone in this world, everywhere. If God is responsible for all creation, then why are some so mean and others not? Oh yes, ‘free will.’ We freely get ourselves into all kinds of trouble.
I am disturbed by the militant Christian who rants, raves, shouts and uses ugly word protesting what he/she feels is discrimination against Christians. In a simple example, I’ll go back a few years, when many put bumper stickers on their car that said, “If you love Jesus, honk!” Well that day, I decided to honk. The driver responded with very rude words and gestures. A Christian demonstration? Are we convincing anyone we’re a Christian with our words and actions? It's that "Walks like a duck, talks like a duck" thing. Oh, I know no one is perfect, but maybe we could be a little less imperfect?
Many have had personal tragedies in their families this past year, as mine has. The loss of jobs and homes has, and is being borne by many. Which way to turn? Wet to do? How to keep your family fed, housed and closed, not to mention healthy?
One of the seven deadly sins is greed. I believe that one of the reasons for our current financial situation is corporate/investor greed. Not satisfied with a good, healthy profit, but pushing for a bigger and bigger profit. There is nothing wrong with making money, making money is a good thing, depending on what you have to do to get it, and who you have to walk on. The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil, not money itself, but the love of it, when you are willing to do anything to get it.
Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever your life was in 2011, my hope for you is a better 2012. Please, have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Have you heard of “Do One Nice Thing?” One woman’s [Debbie Tenzer’s] attempt to make the world a better place by doing an act of kindness for someone, somewhere; simple or more complex. Is there a good deed you can do? Even a small deed will make a difference to someone. I’ll leave you with an old adage, “If you would change the world, first change yourself.”
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
What Happened to November
I know it took 30 days for the month to go by, and there were four weeks and two days in the month, and 24 hours in each day. But it seemed to go by so fast that it was like picking up a book, opening the cover and arriving at the back side of the book while bypassing all that was in between.
Needless to say, I don’t now participate in many of the same things I once did, due to age, health and the circumstances of my life. So, what did happen in those 30 days?
I admit to spending a good portion of my time with my Kindle. What a boon that is! My eyes were getting to the point where I had great difficulty in reading new books; either purchased or borrowed from the library, due to font size and the faintness of the ink used in printing. My Kindle has the advantage that I can enlarge the size where it can be comfortably read.
I spent part of each Wednesday afternoon with a group of women who have an interest in handcrafts, plus a few others who don’t ‘craft,’ but stop in to chat and look over what we have done. Most of us crochet, though there are a couple of knitters and one woman makes quilts. Such pretty and useful items emerge from this group. I only crochet, and as I have said before, it is fun to see what you can make out of a straight piece of string.
There were two or three trips to the grocers during the month, and one stop at the local yarn store. Shopping has never been one of my favorite activities, so I avoid it as much as possible. There was little else I needed, and I made a relatively small online purchase for those items. Of course, there are the odd bits and pieces of daily life, plus phone calls from family, conversations with neighbors, and so on.
I had to renew my car license this month, so had it inspected and winterized, and it’s good to go. Also had a medical checkup, which went well, except I have to follow through on one thing, which I have not yet done. Tomorrow, I promise myself I’ll call about that appointment.
Of course one must allot some hours to eating and sleeping and attending to various household tasks. I usually make daily checks to see who said what on fb, read and answer emails [at least some of them], check out genealogy correspondence, and do a little research. However, there has been a day or so in the past few months when I haven't even turned on my computer. Strange!!!
Last, but certainly not least was the Thanksgiving holiday. I had a great dinner as usual, with Russ and Jan and their family. I enjoyed being with them, also as usual, while missing the one who couldn’t be there.
Well, there you have it. Whatever I missed, you don’t need to know, and I don’t need to say; but in enumerating the events of the month, now I know what happened to it.
Tomorrow begins December. Our family has an important birthday on the next day. Towards the end of the month is the most important holiday of all, so...
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Needless to say, I don’t now participate in many of the same things I once did, due to age, health and the circumstances of my life. So, what did happen in those 30 days?
I admit to spending a good portion of my time with my Kindle. What a boon that is! My eyes were getting to the point where I had great difficulty in reading new books; either purchased or borrowed from the library, due to font size and the faintness of the ink used in printing. My Kindle has the advantage that I can enlarge the size where it can be comfortably read.
I spent part of each Wednesday afternoon with a group of women who have an interest in handcrafts, plus a few others who don’t ‘craft,’ but stop in to chat and look over what we have done. Most of us crochet, though there are a couple of knitters and one woman makes quilts. Such pretty and useful items emerge from this group. I only crochet, and as I have said before, it is fun to see what you can make out of a straight piece of string.
There were two or three trips to the grocers during the month, and one stop at the local yarn store. Shopping has never been one of my favorite activities, so I avoid it as much as possible. There was little else I needed, and I made a relatively small online purchase for those items. Of course, there are the odd bits and pieces of daily life, plus phone calls from family, conversations with neighbors, and so on.
I had to renew my car license this month, so had it inspected and winterized, and it’s good to go. Also had a medical checkup, which went well, except I have to follow through on one thing, which I have not yet done. Tomorrow, I promise myself I’ll call about that appointment.
Of course one must allot some hours to eating and sleeping and attending to various household tasks. I usually make daily checks to see who said what on fb, read and answer emails [at least some of them], check out genealogy correspondence, and do a little research. However, there has been a day or so in the past few months when I haven't even turned on my computer. Strange!!!
Last, but certainly not least was the Thanksgiving holiday. I had a great dinner as usual, with Russ and Jan and their family. I enjoyed being with them, also as usual, while missing the one who couldn’t be there.
Well, there you have it. Whatever I missed, you don’t need to know, and I don’t need to say; but in enumerating the events of the month, now I know what happened to it.
Tomorrow begins December. Our family has an important birthday on the next day. Towards the end of the month is the most important holiday of all, so...
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)