The Party Barn

Doesn't that sound like a happy place, "The Party Barn"? Oh, it is! And it is a very special place at our home.
It is where you can go as a little child and find such wonderful toys. There is a loft with an Ertol play table which is covered with animals, tractors, roads, houses, and barns. There are trains and Legos. There are even toys for little babies so they too can have a good time.
It is also where adults can go to watch college football or movies on TV. There are comfortable chairs and sofas. Or if you want to play cards or games with someone, volunteers are ready to join in.
You never have to worry about something to eat. There seems to be plenty of food and cold drinks at all times. Some of the best snacks are out in "The Party Barn".
Not far from the door is a pond for swimming, or fishing, or ice skating in the winter. There is also a campfire ring to make you feel cozy even on warm summer nights. It is great to make hot dogs and Smores there.
But the best thing about "The Party Barn" is that it brings loved ones together. There seems to be a lot of laughter going on inside and oh how I love those hugs and kisses that come with the territory.
So, if you are ever in my neighborhood and would love to stop in for some good old fashioned home cooking and fun, come right ahead. There is always room for one more.

Compliments

Have you ever given a complete stranger a compliment? I love to do this. Like the other day in church, the gentleman sitting behind me had a beautiful singing voice. At the end of the service, I turned around and complimented him on his ability. I could tell that he was very proud. We said a couple of words to each other and went on our seperate ways, probably never to speak to each other again. But he knew that someone appreciated his gift.
On another occasion I saw a woman that had clearly taken the time to get herself ready that morning and look outstanding. I went up to her and told her that she was beautiful. It took her back for a minute and then I could see that she was thankful for the compliment.
It is easy to compliment the people that you love, but not a stranger. People do things everyday to help make this world a better place, be it by something they do or something they create. Take the time to let them know that you appreciate what they have done. You will be surprised how good it will make you feel and probably them also.

Sunday

Don't you just love Sundays? Especially ones in the summer where you can sit out in the sun by the pond, or jump in the pond because it is way too hot out there. You don't have to heat your kitchen to cook meals because the grill is always ready to go and if your lucky that man of yours will do the cooking.
In the distance there is the sound of thunder because the atmosphere doesn't like all of the heat either. It is a far off storm, so it isn't interupting your quiet as of right now. Here the birds are still singing and there is a beautiful breeze blowing.
If you are lucky, some relatives or neighbors will drop in for some ice tea or lemonade. Or just enjoy that book that you haven't had the time to read.
It is good that one day a week is here for us to enjoy. It is good to be alive!

The Drive-In

As I was growing up, one of my favorite things to do with my family was to go to the drive-in. We had a great one near our home, "The Amanda", that was very affordable. We could each get in for fifty cents and could buy a jumbo tenderloin, the size of a dinner plate, for another fifty cents. The sandwich was so big that you could easily make it last for the length of both features.
The movies were always great ones with actors like John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Doris Day, John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Clint Eastwood, did I say John Wayne? (We sort of loved the John Wayne movies!) We would talk for days about the great time that we had and relive the film over and over, not to mention any new good looking actors that were introduced to us, such as Fabian, Patrick Wayne, or James Caan. I still have some of the play bills, showing the upcoming movies, that the owners would give you as you drove in.
The other night I went to the drive-in with part of my family. There are less than 800 left in the US. We are fortunate to have several in our area. It cost us four dollars for each adult, another one near us charges $12.50 per carload. This is still a great bargain for two movies. We have to supply our own sound system, as we didn't take care of the ones that were originally provided by the theaters.
Our popcorn also has gone up in price, and it was a little on the stale side. I miss the freshly popped popcorn and the smell of it that you could get from going to the drive-in.
We seem to always pick the nights when it rains, at least this is what my husband thinks. The other night, in fact, we ended up being in a thunderstorm warning. It only shook the truck a little. (We got all of our chairs and ourselves inside before the hard rain hit.)
It is more difficult to come across those memorable movies, they just don't make great Westerns anymore. In fact the majority of them I wish I hadn't bother watching. But when you are with your family, those memories are the ones that you want to keep. Such as the atmosphere that you attain in the preparation just to get there. Lawn chairs are a must and your coolers with your drinks. You don't need to count on the concession stand for snacks, you can bring what you want with you. These days I try to take fresh fruit and yogurt. (I have to keep that diet going.)
So, here we are on a Saturday night and I think we are once again off to the drive-in. I have the drinks cooling, the radio and the chairs are in the truck. I am not sure what is playing, but I know I will look forward to each minute of family time. Hopefully the rain will stay away! And as the saying goes, "See you are the movies!"

ME

No, I am not writing today about a state, but more about a state of mind. Have you ever had a conversation with someone and no matter what you are talking about the subject always ends up about them? How annoying is that? You can talk about the weather and they have to say how they were in the worst storm in history or that they were caught in the last rain shower and got soaking wet.
You can talk about politics and I am sure that they ran for something at one time and got robbed in the votes because someone had it out for them.
Try any subject that you think couldn't possibly pertain to them, and I bet somehow they did, tried it, or are an expert at it.
It is hard to carry on a conversation with these people because they know all the answers and do the majority of the talking. And as you can tell, I love to talk and it is very hard for me to keep quiet.
So if by chance you are ever talking to me and I am acting like the person I just describe, please say, "You know there is a lot of ME in YOU!"

The Fire Pit

We have a fire pit out by our pond that has changed through the years. At first it was just an old tire rim sitting on a patch of ground. That was fine until we ran into a rainy season and the legs of our lawn chairs sunk in the mud.
So a plan was hatched to pour a cement pad to support the tire rim and our chairs. We should have researched this a little before pouring the cement. The first fire we had cracked the cement, and we still needed to move our lawn chairs because we were to close to the fire. So the only thing sitting on the pad was the rim.
So on to plan B. Now keep in mind that we went several years with the not right/cracked cement pad. It also needs to be noted during this time that grandchildren were coming too close to the fire when they were walking around and we were afraid of them falling and getting hurt. So we decided to put down pavers in a circular fashion that would be large enough to support a slew of chairs. We placed a rock barrier around the rim to keep little ones safe. This worked like a charm the first year and then the mortar started coming apart from all the heat of the fire and this caused the rocks to start falling. And on top of all this, the grandchildren couldn't lay their hot dog roasting sticks on top of the jagged rocks.
So last night plan C became a reality. We went to Menard's and bought a type of landscaping brick that works well around the rim. There is enough space between the bricks and where the fire will be and there is no mortar that can crack. It is flat on top for plenty of roasting sticks. I am hoping that this will be the final plan for awhile. I like the way it looks, the colors match the pavers that we have down. But the best part of the plan is that we are officially ready for the first smores of summer.

Amusement Parks

Yesterday we spent the day at Cedar Point. I don't care which amusement park you might attend, the response is still the same, "What a great day!" You might be tired, you might be sunburnt (use that sunblock), and your feet might feel better if they fall off your legs, but the day itself was great! If you don't believe me, look at the pictures you took.
My grandchildren were wonderful. They couldn't get enough of the riding. Even my two year old granddaughter was still going strong at 10:00 P.M. and was riding those crazy cars tooting those noisy buzzers. She got off and ran around to get on again. When we finally pried her from the yellow Mustang for the last time, she waved goodbye to it until next time.
We rode boats, trains, planes, cars, and trucks. We had pictures taken with Snoopy and Charlie Brown. The adults got to walk onto and ride every single roller coaster that they desired. It was hot, but we kept our cools. We kept hydrated and made sure that they children had plenty to eat and time to sleep.
As we were leaving the park last night at almost 11:00, my two grandsons were busy talking about all the fun they had and thanking mom and dad for bringing them to the park. Before we got back to our motel, they were already talking about the trip back next year. Only 364 days to go!

Pride

I have to report today on how proud I am of my family. We are staying in Sandusky tonight so we can go to Cedar Point tomorrow. We went to eat at a resturant for supper and on our way back to the motel, a car was broken down in the one lane. Cars were zooming around it or backed up behind it and being very impatient. I was in an Explorer with my husband and one of my sons and his family. My son pulled up next to the car and asked if they needed some help. The driver reported that her battery light had come on and the car just died.
My son immediately pulled around her and into the nearest parking lot. As soon as our car stopped, my husband and son jumped from the vehicle, ran back to the broken down car, and started pushing it into the parking lot. My daughter-in-law jumped out of our car and grabbed the jumper cables.
When trying to jump their car didn't work, my son took his family and myself back to the hotel, got his twin brother and some tools, and went back to the broken down car to help my husband who had stayed there to try to figure out what was wrong.
They finally had to call a tow truck because they figured out that it was the fuel pump that had stopped working. At this point my family could have walked away and let this be the owner's problem. But they came back to the hotel and after letting my husband and his twin out, my son drove two more trips to take the family of eight to their hotel. He could only fit so many in his car at once because of the car seats that were in there.
I am proud that my family took the time to help a stranger and her family. I felt sorry for the cars that couldn't take the time to see if they could also help. Even just asking and then not doing anything about it is better than sitting there honking the horn.
Let's wake up people and help each other. Maybe someday you will be on the wrong end and be the one needing the help.

Old Wives' Tales

It has always made me wonder if when someone says the phrase "Old Wives' Tale" are they talking that the wife is old and if so, what age makes her old? Or is it the tale that is old, and in that case was it once a young tale?
Either way, have you ever just said, "Oh, that is just an old wives' tale.", and then gone a head and try out whatever it is that the tale was suppose to be? Well, I have and let me tell you that a lot of them work.
For instance, putting salt on your hands and rubbing them together like soap after you have peeled or cut up an onion. This takes away the smell (taught to me by my grandmother - yep, she was old!) Or there is always running a needle through your hair to help it go through the material easier (my mother - she is just older than me.) And the oldie but goldie, cut the bottom out of a pumpkin instead of the top when making your Jack-o-lanterns. Then all you have to do is sit the pumpkin on top of your candle and the lid never falls in on it. (Brought to you by Martha Stewart and she is old!)
But my best one is if you burn any of your fingers, squeeze them instantly on your earlobe with your thumb and the burn will transfer to your lobe and you won't get a blister. Do not wet your finger first, just stick it on your ear and squeeze. Hold it there for a few seconds. (And yes, it does work, but no old wife here - just my dad!)

My Mother's Hands

I was looking at my mother's hands as she was doing her sewing yesterday and it took me back to my grandmother's. I remember sitting with Grandma and watching her as she sewed, played cards, cooked, or held a baby and remembering the transparent skin and the veins that showed through them. I remember holding that same hand as we would cross a street and thinking that it was soft and rough at the same time. I asked Grandma about this one day and she told me that it was because she worked hard, but tried to keep them soft with lotion. She said that some parts were easier to soften than others.
Both my Grandma and Mom were never strangers to hard work and I suppose this is what caused them to have the tougher hands. But I know that neither of them would have changed the life that they had. My mom seems very content to be what she is today and let others do the cooking and heavy cleaning for a change. She, as well as Grandma, would rather hold a baby than go shopping or visit with a bunch of strangers at some kind of club.
I look at my hands and know that someday they will look the same. I have never had to work as hard as mom or grandma, for I have more modern conveniences than they would have ever thought. But like mom, I much prefer holding my grandchildren to almost anything else in the world.

Happy Little Bug

Driving at night on country roads can be a very dark experience, but it is even more so with approaching bad weather. I could see houses with their lights burning in the windows, but everywhere else it was pitch black. I was trying hard to make it home before the storm hit the area. Much to my surprise, as I turned onto my road, there to greet me in the side ditches were hundreds of lightening bugs. Now, on a regular evening in June, these unusual creatures can make me smile with their twinkling little tails, but tonight they were a beautiful beacon leading me home. I slowed down so I wouldn't hit any of them on my windshield and just enjoyed their company on my final mile of my journey. I appreciated the fact that the first ones of the year were there to greet me when I needed them most.
I am so thankful that in our ever so busy lives that there are still some things that bring wonder, like butterflies, rainbows, children, and my wonderful, lovely, fire flies.

The Mower

I am always amazed at the difference between men and women. Not just their physical difference, but their mental ones also. Turn a woman loose in a shopping mall and she can spend hours not spending a dime, but looking at everything from purses and shoes to clothes and perfume. While at the same mall there is a man sitting, waiting, and totally bored out of his mind.
Then on the other hand, take a man to a lumber yard or a hardware store and they are in seventh heaven. Just mention power tools and they start to salivate. There isn't one made that they don't need.
But if you want to make a man completely happy, put him on a mower. The bigger the better, and if you throw in zero turn, you will have a hard time getting him to get off of the thing.
So, here is my message to all the ladies. When your guy is really starting to bug you, or you are tired of cleaning around him as he sits on the sofa, look out the window and mention that the grass looks a little too long. Or better still, go to the local service station and bring him home a can of gas. He will be so happy that he won't even notice you leaving to go to that mall to buy that cute little purse that you saw last week.

The Car

I decided to take a weekend trip with my sister and her children. We didn't want to put the miles on our already over-miled cars, so we rented one. Fate seemed to be trying to step in and steer us away from doing the whole outing from the very beginning. We had to keep overcoming obstacle after obstacle, but we finalized the itinerary and looked forward to the trip. Little did we know that it was going to turn into one of the longest journeys of our lives.
We left at 11:30 and made it to Cleveland at 5:30! Why so long, you ask? Did they go shopping, or to a park, or maybe they stopped to have a nice relaxing meal? Oh,no! We had a rental car that at special times, like getting onto or while driving in a four lane interstate, would decide to go top speed of 40 miles per hour. Have you ever been traveling along and have a semi-truck practically run you over by coming up on the back of your vehicle and then quickly going around you way to close? Multiple that by hundreds and you have my driving experience. I called the rental place when we first got started and they told me to hit the reset button. That seemed to help until we hit Findlay, and then we also noticed a burning smell happening. My sister called back to the rental company and they informed us that it was the breaks sticking and they thought that it would clear up shortly. He informed us that, "It would work for us." Let me tell you that it didn't!
Now we are in Cleveland and am not looking forward to the return trip. I guess I always did want to live in a big city!

The Beauty Shop

Each Thursday morning I take my mom to a local beauty shop to get her hair fixed. Each week there is the same group of ladies there that I have come to know and love. Each one is unique in their own way and are very special. Today I started to think about this relationship that we have created. Two years ago I didn't know any of them, including my mother. I have loved my mom since birth, but never really knew her. It has been a pleasure to get to know more about her and now this group of rag tag ladies at "the shop". If I had not quit my job, or had such a hard time finding another job, I wouldn't know any of them. In two years we have lost loved ones and comforted each other, lost weight and rejoiced in the victories, shown pictures of loved ones and loved pets, show our talents in what we create and what we can accomplish. The majority of these ladies are a lot older than I, but I look forward to hearing what they have been through in the previous week or what is happening in the world around us and what we think about it all. I know that things will change some day, but I thank God for letting me have had the chance to know someone that I might not have ever looked twice at while walking down the street. Look for a new friend in any of the different opportunities that life might give to you.

Grandchildren

I took a few days off from blogging to spend time with my grandchildren. They always amaze me in what they can say and do. Sometimes their insight into life is equal to that of an adult and usually more profound.
The other day while walking out to the party barn, which seems way to far to a little person with smaller legs, my grandson asked me why we didn't "park" the party barn closer to the house? To him it seemed like it should be right outside the door instead of the 50 yards or so that it is. I tried to explain that it looked better there and that it served a greater purpose being closer to the pond. He still thought that it would have been nice to have it by the house, especially when you need to use the bathroom.
My other grandson, who got sick in the night on Saturday, had a very funny experience early Sunday morning. His mom had put a trash can beside the bed in case he had to vomit again. Around two o'clock in the morning, his mom heard him crying and ran to his bed thinking that he had gotten sick. When she got into his room, she found him stuck in the waste paper basket with his bottom down inside and his head, arms, and legs flaying around. He must have fallen out of bed and landed smack inside the trash can. He didn't even remember it the next morning.
I get to spend tonight with three more of the grandchildren. I so enjoy each and every minute that I get to be with my family. I am sure that I will have more stories to tell tomorrow. Have a great day!

The Storm

During the evening hours yesterday, my husband's fire fighter's monitor sounded an alert that there were approaching thunderstorms with a tornado watch until five o'clock in the morning. I am not a big fan of storms, especially nasty ones, so this was not thrilling news for me. My son's family is visiting for the weekend and I did not want to keep them up all night, but I wanted to be able to move them to safety if the need arose. So, I decided to stay awake until the crisis was over. At twelve thirty, the house was up, not for the storms, but because my three year old grandson got sick. After changing the bedding and getting everyone settled again, a huge storm came through. I was on the brink of getting the household back up when things seemed to calm down. I was just getting ready to head to bed, thinking the world was safe, when the monitor went off once more. I figured this was just an all clear signal, when to my amazement it stated that the alert was now until nine in the morning. My all night vigil seemed to be a never ending task. But thankfully, around four the radar started to clear and I felt like I could get some sleep. My deep slumber ended abrubtly when my other grandson, the one with the automatic clock set in his head, was up and ready to roll at seven. So I have just one question this morning, "Is it nap time yet?"

Organization

I decided that I have let some of my housekeeping get way too much out of control, so as I am doing my late spring cleaning, I am going to organize at the same time. My children would be the first to let you know that this is something that should have been done a long time ago. I am enjoying doing this because I am finding things that I forgot I had and I am throwing a lot away. This will please my husband. But the whole experience is totally freeing my inner spirit and making me feel like I am making huge accomplishments. I am also making huge messes and can't wait to get through it all. With saying this fact, I need to get back to my cleaning! Organization here I come!

Strawberries

Growing up we raised acres of strawberries. I still have a small patch of them now, but they only come on a few at a time. Today, while driving in Celina, I saw the Jutte farm truck selling four quart buckets of strawberries. I had to stop and the moment I came around the corner of the truck, memories of my past jumped right into my heart. There is nothing like the smell of fresh strawberries! I was immediately transported back in time to a simplier life when I was young and helped on the farm. It was back breaking work to set the runners, fight the frost, pull weeds, and hoe, but we did it as a family and would sing and talk to each other the whole time we were out there. The worst mornings were the ones when Dad would come wake us up, long before the sun rose, to help keep the frost from killing the crop. Back forty years ago a quart of picked strawberries cost fifty cents. Needless to say they were a little more than that today, but I still had to have some to take home. I am looking forward to having a big dish of them tonight.

Waitresses

I have worked at a number of different resturants, including a big name fast food resturant, so I know the challenges that are associated with this job. Last night we went to a local car hop for supper. There were four adults and three children in our party. We went up to sit at the picnic tables instead of eating in the car. The table we choose had a plexiglass top and it needed wiped off. As soon as our waitress came to the table to take the drink orders, my son asked her if she would please clean the table. She said that she would. Our drinks came, table still dirty. Our food came, still dirty. So once again my son asked for it be cleaned. She finally brought out a soaking wet dish towel that looked like it need cleaning itself, and threw it in the middle of the table and looked at us like it was our responsibility to do this job. So my son, proceeded to clean the table while she stood there and watched. (It also took us a long time to get refills on our drinks.) So my question is, do you tip someone that does this? But at least we had it better than the couple at the table behind us. They sat there for at least twenty minutes and never even got her to look their way. They got up and left.

Tip of the Day

My 84 year old mother decided to clean outside today. There is an old grill on her deck and she decided to see if there was anything around or in it that she could throw away. She opened it up and found some old wasp's nests. She proceeded to pick them up with her bare hand and throw them in the trash can. The first one went okay, but the second one was currently under construction. The foreman on the job decided to give her a kiss for disturbing the work site. Needless to say, my mom now has a fat lip. Moral to the story, "Leave wasp alone unless you are armed with bug spray."

Summer

I can't believe that it is June already. We have so much to do in the summer months that it seems like the days just melt one into the other.
Our big trip to Cedar Point is coming up. I can not wait to get there. My one grandson calls it Snoopy's House. I don't ride that many rides, but I sure do enjoy watching the kids ride all of them. A couple of my daughter-in-laws and myself have started our Cedar Point training. We keep walking more each day so we are ready to keep the pace once we get up there.
Another thing that I am looking forward to is our 4th of July campout. We make our back yard into a campground and each year we have different themes and different camp directors. This year is my husband's and my turn to be the directors. Our theme is M*A*S*H and we have been sending trivia questions through the mail to everyone all year. They have no idea of the challenges that will face them once they get to camp. This year is our first year for a junior camp. The grandchildren are getting old enough to want to participate, but not old enough to take some of the rough housing in the older camp, so they will have their own to do. I have had them doing nature books throughout the year and am looking forward to seeing those.
We also host many family reunions at our house because of the large yard, pond, and the party barn. I am looking forward to seeing all of the relatives again.
One thing that I am not looking forward to is my husband's and sons' fishing trip to Minnesota. I am glad that he gets to go, especially this year since my one son who goes along with him is going to be deployed in November and will be missing next year's fishing. I am sure that the guys will create enough memories for years to come. But I do get very lonesome for my husband while he is gone so I have a lot of yard and house work to keep me busy and my mind from thinking about the fact that he is away.
But all in all, summer is a great time to sit back and just enjoy life. Suppers on the deck, swimming in the pond, and eating fresh vegetables from the garden. Looking forward to those tomatoes already.