tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18724108262947804322024-03-13T11:02:18.573-04:00The Nostalgic HousewifeJaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-52022377728097078282010-04-09T18:43:00.002-04:002010-04-19T21:27:19.279-04:00Tackling a Classic...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqwK-So7JAG_kun-5Bmn2Wrk4fpRoH8fp1K8fHlPwT80ypL4A9_GospEPREO9pWFed-Hjrs0IaV9liEXEd7Q2RBnTBffzN5-3LAHxMFHL9jNrHB5F1IjLoDzr-PlH2kAJSXBLN7cgroQ/s1600/grapesofwrath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqwK-So7JAG_kun-5Bmn2Wrk4fpRoH8fp1K8fHlPwT80ypL4A9_GospEPREO9pWFed-Hjrs0IaV9liEXEd7Q2RBnTBffzN5-3LAHxMFHL9jNrHB5F1IjLoDzr-PlH2kAJSXBLN7cgroQ/s320/grapesofwrath.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>I often listen to National Public Radio while working at my desk in the afternoons. Last week there was a discussion about the "literature that stumps us". People were calling in to talk about the books they just couldn't seem to get through...very often the teacher-assigned tomes that so many high school students are made to dissect with their adolescent knowledge of the world. <br />
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The book that immediately came to my mind was John Steinbeck's classic, <i>The Grapes of Wrath, </i>the celebrated novel that defines the devastating era of the Great Depression. What a fascinating topic for a room full of 16-year-olds in the era of big hair and neon socks! I can still remember sitting at the desk in my bedroom, bent over this book with my chin resting on my hand. My eyes moved over the words, but when I'd reach the bottom of a page I would realize I couldn't remember ANY of what I had just read! Every assignment was a struggle, and I really couldn't tell you too much about the story because it just didn't leave an impression on me. What DID leave an impression was the boy in our class whose parents wouldn't let him read it!! He was dissecting a less controversial novel, and seemed to be enjoying his book much more than the rest of us were enjoying ours. I was very jealous...why couldn't MY parents be more concerned with what I was being exposed to!!<br />
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After thinking about this for awhile, I decided I did not want to be stumped by Steinbeck! This must be a great book, or it wouldn't be shoved into the hands of so many unsuspecting teens. On Wednesday, I walked into the public library with a mission. I quickly located the shelf filled with heavy Steinbeck volumes. Surprise, surprise...there were 4 copies of the <i>Grapes of Wrath</i> available, and by the way they kind of stuck to the shelf when I pulled one out I would guess they haven't been checked out in awhile. I cracked it open last night and began to read.....and read.....and read.....<br />
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I am pleased to report that while my teacher may have been misguided in thinking my younger self would appreciate these pages, she really did know a good story when she saw one. My adult self is thoroughly enjoying rediscovering an American classic.Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-7221511506418218382010-03-31T21:01:00.006-04:002010-04-19T21:27:07.169-04:00The Weed from HELL!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltEYQMlPTK8ef43eKR2otGFLhkM-18qFxvPQop0Zuo_hkburozqEz_UMMDQQKabfxOArXxOWgI0-rr9JsIMD4vaVB5zO1ww0UqJRb7HNEO6zunyJcNQD6i1-7Bplc4-BeWcJMk7z75HI/s1600/japanese+knotweed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltEYQMlPTK8ef43eKR2otGFLhkM-18qFxvPQop0Zuo_hkburozqEz_UMMDQQKabfxOArXxOWgI0-rr9JsIMD4vaVB5zO1ww0UqJRb7HNEO6zunyJcNQD6i1-7Bplc4-BeWcJMk7z75HI/s200/japanese+knotweed.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>This is a picture of Japanese Knotweed...a horribly invasive plant, once sold as an ornamental, that always seems to be planted exactly where one would like to plant something (anything!) else. A member of the rhubarb family, this thing grows from the ground up to about 8 to 10 feet tall in approximately 2 months....really.<br />
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Every spring we begin the "spruce-up-the-yard" season with the removal of the dead stalks from the previous growing season (we left them in place all winter to provide a barrier between us and the scary neighbors). Today I accomplished just that, snapping or cutting off the stalks at the base, breaking them into workable lengths and hauling them out to the curb for the village to pick up. Don't worry....these stalks are dead and will not sprout into new, noxious growth at the county compost site. I can already see the new, bright red shoots poking up through the soil. Over the next few weeks These buds will stretch 3 or 4 feet into the strangest, asparagus-looking shoots with very little in the way of leaves. Then, while I'm out running an errand, these stalks will burst into foliage and stretch the rest of their height, thoroughly hiding the sight of anything on the other side that you don't want to see...so it does have some value.<br />
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Getting rid of Knotweed.....is impossible. Or, nearly so. I have yet to succeed in eliminating it from the property line. We tried very hard to do so several years ago. After months of digging and squirting Round-Up into the stalks and on the roots, we discovered that efforts to remove the plant only stimulates it's super-powers and causes it to grow faster...and spread further into the yard. Feeling sorry for us, a well-meaning neighbor thought he would make things better by running his roto-tiller through the area. I came running out of the house with arms waving, yelling "STOP! You don't know what you're doing!!!" A week later, every one of those chopped-up little pieces sprouted into a new plant...creating a lush carpet of Knotweed. (Have I mentioned that desperate people in Great Britain have gone to jail for throwing this stuff in ditches in the dark of night?)<br />
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A year later, the scary neighbors moved in and we gave up on getting rid of this blight on the plant world. We let it grow up on the property line once again....and after the neighbor kid tried to steal our basketball, I fertilized it.Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-89718615839580595872009-04-22T19:10:00.004-04:002010-03-30T20:58:38.143-04:00William Baffin Rose and Maggie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAe-8959wmigBajSEK2UoIAKoYTOt4aG4J8UQ6XDbWprKpOS0DaTjjILpDKSKFsSQ50UXwsMu9Wac9nLLLW73C1g3yao_BpVcKYr_COEOkg2FaMbMV11hmuBXY-dVHqQ7npsai4mv6VI/s1600-h/PICT0381.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="288" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057510877420919858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAe-8959wmigBajSEK2UoIAKoYTOt4aG4J8UQ6XDbWprKpOS0DaTjjILpDKSKFsSQ50UXwsMu9Wac9nLLLW73C1g3yao_BpVcKYr_COEOkg2FaMbMV11hmuBXY-dVHqQ7npsai4mv6VI/s320/PICT0381.JPG" style="height: 265px; width: 375px;" width="399" /></a><br />
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<div style="color: #ffe599;">This was one of my very first posts. I've always liked it...so here it is again!</div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-90355782024716790052009-04-22T18:10:00.010-04:002010-03-30T20:59:31.624-04:00The Cistern!!<span style="color: #000066;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih60Fgv9V0fa0ikqc5mKT8h78FgJjNzBRBbNMGF3UXRacS8aj-Pl3CGXy0LRTSTHYHJikqNwOpb3LdVdKmbBWqxRvFGed462VtaMYFFOQSoLZYplGHlOqQ7MancJ-rDl0OWzjwFMg_iZI/s1600-h/100_3970.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327642045182529138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih60Fgv9V0fa0ikqc5mKT8h78FgJjNzBRBbNMGF3UXRacS8aj-Pl3CGXy0LRTSTHYHJikqNwOpb3LdVdKmbBWqxRvFGed462VtaMYFFOQSoLZYplGHlOqQ7MancJ-rDl0OWzjwFMg_iZI/s400/100_3970.JPG" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<div style="color: #ffe599;">In an earlier post, I spoke of the details in our home and how much I enjoy them. I am constantly amazed at how things were done by the first owners. No detail was too small, no short cuts were taken.<br />
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Well...we recently discovered a detail from the early history of our house that we didn't know existed! On the Saturday before Easter, my husband went outside to run new wiring out to the garage...and he uncovered a mystery space right along the foundation of the house in the back yard. He came across a couple of bricks as he was working with his shovel, and when he removed them he found a 6-inch hole...an entrance into an empty space that, when lit by a flashlight, we could see was enclosed by four poured concrete walls! More digging revealed that the dimensions of the concrete "room" was about 3 feet by 9 feet, though a wall prevented us from seeing what was beyond the 3 foot square chamber that we were looking into.<br />
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A mystery!! We immediately began looking much more closely at our basement walls, and discovered that we have an old cistern in the corner of the cellar, though we've always referred to it as "the coal room". At some point a door was cut into one of the walls and coal was stored there for many years. We still find bits of coal in all the crevices. It is a great storage space! Well, it just so happens that this cistern is on the opposite side of the wall from our concrete box!!<br />
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Last weekend, my husband rented a jack hammer and broke open the hole to reveal what was inside. What we have is a three-chamber filtration system for the cistern in the basement. Water was collected from the roof. The gutter pipe entered the first chamber where it would fill up, allowing dirt and debris to sink. From there the water would flow to the next chamber, where more dirt and debris would settle. Then, it would flow into the third chamber...again allowing dirt to fall away until it finally flowed though a pipe into the main cistern where it would be used by the family for cleaning. We also have a hand-pumped well by the back door, so it is unlikely that the family used the cistern for drinking water....I know I wouldn't!! It is a system that is similar to that used today in places where a cistern is necessary.<br />
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The open chamber is nearly filled in now. We will seal it off and a planting area will cover it after we install a new patio and seating area back there. And I don't think we'll be digging anymore holes anytime soon....after all, we don't know where the septic tank is!!<br />
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Take a look at the following photos: </div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-5174045656629755552009-04-22T18:07:00.006-04:002010-03-30T21:00:03.401-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYRXQSleDn3CBLiUo3Hgtn9Vo_tsrPc3tjnCI4-UYiabC-eUQpPhYOjR-p5OpAUbXuSc1hPq1XLEjqNuEWw515J8EaMMIZcUisK_f3Bm2H0NEa-8XeI142A7y1IQSWrhK7QgYDFzQB-0/s1600-h/100_3929.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327641204890174994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYRXQSleDn3CBLiUo3Hgtn9Vo_tsrPc3tjnCI4-UYiabC-eUQpPhYOjR-p5OpAUbXuSc1hPq1XLEjqNuEWw515J8EaMMIZcUisK_f3Bm2H0NEa-8XeI142A7y1IQSWrhK7QgYDFzQB-0/s320/100_3929.JPG" style="float: right; height: 240px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="color: #000066;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Here is the hole that was originally discovered. Just imagine how surprised we were when we stuck a flashlight in and found a poured concrete wall extended out away from the house!</span><br />
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<div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-85661781329332860642009-04-22T18:05:00.005-04:002010-03-30T21:00:53.481-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtZZSzKBlZMde9Xlfum1QduITW-O07abI5pV1VyyABDwB0fHMXg7AB-a4BGTChGt1MT54Y9XDi-YjRLDqQyGCm8_kM1UgK6_YKB4J1IERjosFpuFNXa6FBGsjWYlbBuYpYeMG-Hhbkgk/s1600-h/100_3967.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327640554372783490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtZZSzKBlZMde9Xlfum1QduITW-O07abI5pV1VyyABDwB0fHMXg7AB-a4BGTChGt1MT54Y9XDi-YjRLDqQyGCm8_kM1UgK6_YKB4J1IERjosFpuFNXa6FBGsjWYlbBuYpYeMG-Hhbkgk/s400/100_3967.JPG" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><span style="color: #000066;"> <span style="color: #ffe599;">This photo was taken looking through the hole in the first chamber to the second chamber. You can see the hole in the second chamber leading into the third one. Pretty neat!!</span><br />
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<div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-37440222678757032472009-01-28T20:15:00.003-05:002009-01-31T17:51:34.676-05:00It's All In The Details...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwPxBiHLWp9n2_2T_VESinNmpDvPQrFn-5zJknNg-WffwxZ1HxPL-jXfSJeSF7eXD1Jy4m6dAKb84sIYwSEvLUfhXMbLcdiRRWyp0N9GJSQptwiNWH7m4c9k1i4x2f1UtlbiRSWC7i_I/s1600-h/100_1476.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296518237490605522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwPxBiHLWp9n2_2T_VESinNmpDvPQrFn-5zJknNg-WffwxZ1HxPL-jXfSJeSF7eXD1Jy4m6dAKb84sIYwSEvLUfhXMbLcdiRRWyp0N9GJSQptwiNWH7m4c9k1i4x2f1UtlbiRSWC7i_I/s400/100_1476.JPG" border="0" /></a> I just love old houses!! Especially the one we are lucky enough to live in! Our home contains many beautiful features that I enjoy living with everyday, but my favorite detail put in by the original owner is the leaded glass window shown above.<br /><br />The first time we walked through this house that would one day be ours, the windows in the dining room were covered by curtains. On the day we moved in we were so surprised to find this beautiful feature...and even more surprised when the sun began to dip down in the western sky that evening. As the late-day sun shown through the window, little rainbows reflected onto the walls through the prismatic bevels of the glass diamonds. You can measure the seasons by their height and the time of day they appear.<br /><br />Details matter! Look around the site for other photos from the house.Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-69632488129115190372009-01-25T20:39:00.004-05:002009-01-31T17:51:55.997-05:00Bring Back the Victory Garden!!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295411208942320402" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 220px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqtVvC6KSBgPvCVCPSAqH2HSMl2NMdChyZ5Bdq6VbVUA78kgOxW0WrtPtYLw87bcZyQ-lIC0RFy9ouR24WxB0ZM56QDztHjQCxdJhQIMKNGpgnv-7sNbK2ZJkMK_ZCSDoE_Q93pFPaD0/s320/Evelyn+%26+Julius+LaRue%27s+WWII+victory+garden.jpg" border="0" />My grand-parents planted a Victory Garden in their back yard. During the World Wars the goverment encouraged citizens to grow and preserve their own food...a lesson in self-sufficiency that they passed on to my mother, who spent many days throughout the summer canning the bounty of our huge vegetable garden.<br /><br />With our economy in the state it is in, I think the Victory Garden should be revived!! Learn to grow your own foods... to create better quality products for your family. Take pride in your ability to be a little more self-sufficient! Gardening can not only help save on your grocery bill, but it can also be very relaxing and fun.<br /><br />Visit the following website for more information on creating your own Victory Garden.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.revivevictorygarden.org/">http://www.revivevictorygarden.org/</a><br /><br />I can't wait to buy seeds!!Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-29122546809997060152008-12-31T09:15:00.006-05:002009-01-31T17:53:25.738-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIckSZe2i8NqZWJGcN4xGGgUXuvqMdh-CiH52FJ7WX7vyGDHJVDy4m5r6MTR_AwTcCZVhHDrSls8s5cAfP7F06E4hS6ynD-IbUTvTa5F0aqLvkAiu9ajOBySsTBB2bDZM3ec_2wLw2VLU/s1600-h/New+Year+Clock.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285965741477448210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 185px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIckSZe2i8NqZWJGcN4xGGgUXuvqMdh-CiH52FJ7WX7vyGDHJVDy4m5r6MTR_AwTcCZVhHDrSls8s5cAfP7F06E4hS6ynD-IbUTvTa5F0aqLvkAiu9ajOBySsTBB2bDZM3ec_2wLw2VLU/s200/New+Year+Clock.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><br /><div></div><br /><p>Christmas has come and gone...another great holiday season is about to join the "remember when" conversations and thoughts that we pull out when feeling nostalgic toward the end of each year. </p><p>I think most people would say good riddance to 2008, a year filled with pink slips, financial strain and political in-fighting and loss of "the American Dream". However, I think 2008 has taught us some very important lessons that I hope we will hang onto in 2009 and beyond.</p><p>We learned that alternative fuels do not necessarily cost anything or take years to develop... A bicycle or our own two feet will work nicely to pick up a carton of milk at the local grocer's or a few books at the library. 2008 also taught us that turning over a little plot of soil in the yard and dropping in a few seeds can yield us not only cheaper food, but better tasting...not to mention the wide variety available from farmers who only had to drive a few miles, as opposed to that bland head of lettuce that was trucked in from California. </p><p>I think we've discovered over the past year that "things" are not what make us who we are. If we live within our means and take care of the people around us, that is a better indicator of our worth than if we live in a half-million dollar, 4000 square-foot home meant to impress, as opposed to a modest home in which we can provide our families with the things they really need. The "keeping-up-with-the-Joneses" culture is no longer in style, thank God!</p><p>Most importantly, we have truly come to see our country...often referred to as a melting pot of cultures...as the land of opportunity for all as we elected as our next president a man many of us saw first and foremost as the most qualified, but who also happened to be a black man. </p><br /><p>So, amid the setbacks we have moved forward...forward in thoughts and actions. I think we've accomplished a great deal in 2008. I am looking forward to 2009, to a new year of possibilities...but I will take with me the best of the past and try to avoid its mistakes.</p><p>Happy New Year!</p></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-77155364308332157722008-12-21T09:54:00.001-05:002008-12-21T09:54:51.067-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF8xGknELOtICuRw6b03juwC6qRnUD4HWjA9f4UaTtQ4sqvjuJW81H1pPn5AEbCvcnEi04dWXC-c7q13mc0rQljRoklacnxWPKNt1vza182BZBPvwGio35YQx_eghJhfGNrHSNN5HEas/s1600-h/snow+branches.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282256920995626482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF8xGknELOtICuRw6b03juwC6qRnUD4HWjA9f4UaTtQ4sqvjuJW81H1pPn5AEbCvcnEi04dWXC-c7q13mc0rQljRoklacnxWPKNt1vza182BZBPvwGio35YQx_eghJhfGNrHSNN5HEas/s400/snow+branches.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-48509693862004854542008-12-21T09:43:00.004-05:002009-01-31T17:54:03.275-05:00A White Christmas!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBcZ7rBfGDAsLSEyU13LPNv4CPi-_h4eCQzQC6SH4MAuNeJ7uUTs0NEpWRvt1fXKGJBOFiwE3tKyPDbaiRRjj23nhyphenhyphensEnEeHzPX9Qu__7y1vFR2DHM_sakA83_fSW2huzZyeTzbfr1X8/s1600-h/snowflake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282255515528519810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 182px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBcZ7rBfGDAsLSEyU13LPNv4CPi-_h4eCQzQC6SH4MAuNeJ7uUTs0NEpWRvt1fXKGJBOFiwE3tKyPDbaiRRjj23nhyphenhyphensEnEeHzPX9Qu__7y1vFR2DHM_sakA83_fSW2huzZyeTzbfr1X8/s200/snowflake.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwLE8NuAoeg97cbgqo_zQZo3CoTrXmzuzDWWLuTjM59zYOI0Glbw7LFBzof2YL0WlObLMyXXfbBbh679cLkbDrG24MGJAO3yLXZljJk4_OpNnEc78TGvKpTMFKlNJyJ0W92UcUJDeMJM/s1600-h/snow+branches.jpg"></a>Winter has arrived!! There is absolutely no doubt about that! Here in Central New York we received around 8 to 10 inches on Friday as a fast-moving storm moved through and wreaked havoc on the area all day. Of course, the husband believes that's the best time to go Christmas shopping...and he was right! The stores and restaurants were pretty empty! </div><div></div><div>This morning we have awoken to another round of the white stuff. Although it will be much worse north of us today, we already have 4 or 5 inches of new snow on the ground. To add to this, on the backside of the storm the winds will eventually turn into the northwest and send the lake effect snow off of Lake Ontario toward us. Significant accumulations are expected during the day tomorrow. </div><div></div><div>I wish I didn't have to drive in to work in the morning, but I am very excited to be able to safely predict a White Christmas!!<br /><br /></div><div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-19153766401704567402008-12-20T21:44:00.003-05:002009-01-31T17:54:19.085-05:00Four More Days!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZznMG6wHsOuHsMJji_0shg3j2s3iLqlo-ur1HpqSrQaec70jUHlKOMPEB4fC8NzlzxvM4obZZh0CMUYb1tKKD-B6ehoSV5fixD1VT79-Z-E7UArVYyd2G4CDTcG9LWdhXFL8noYTHY8w/s1600-h/christmas+garland.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282068902525361474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 310px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 151px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZznMG6wHsOuHsMJji_0shg3j2s3iLqlo-ur1HpqSrQaec70jUHlKOMPEB4fC8NzlzxvM4obZZh0CMUYb1tKKD-B6ehoSV5fixD1VT79-Z-E7UArVYyd2G4CDTcG9LWdhXFL8noYTHY8w/s320/christmas+garland.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Every year Christmas seems to get a bit more hectic; but I guess that makes the satisfaction of getting it all done on time that much greater.</div><div></div><br /><div>We got a late start this year with all of our holiday preparations and gift-buying, but with FOUR DAYS to go we are just about ready for the big day!! A few more packages to wrap...a few little things to pick up...pies and cookies and fudge to bake... But that is what makes it so much fun...the rush!! And the morning after, as we eat the left-over Christmas breakfast quiche, we'll wish we could wrap everything up and do it all over again.</div><div><br /></div><div>But for right now, we can savor the anticipation as we tie the last few ribbons and sprinkle a little more sugar on the last batch of sweets. Everyone smiles a little more and complains a little less, and even the house feels a little cozier. </div><div><br /></div><div>I love Christmas!!</div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-52770865642189364512008-12-20T21:22:00.001-05:002009-01-31T17:54:59.641-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVy5tTOGTrwVOZXd49o2qToJyHJOustXce4ghDl9pc1DgGr2HewTgVOfll63pYyZmjSrTaSGGAIxX89zlWfzbYcQbVosWucyfiHc3Ir7OnPjkTAGu0IzWW5Zcm6NEXRw4qMnasO-gEVAI/s1600-h/christmas+stockings+vintage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282064873509142066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 301px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVy5tTOGTrwVOZXd49o2qToJyHJOustXce4ghDl9pc1DgGr2HewTgVOfll63pYyZmjSrTaSGGAIxX89zlWfzbYcQbVosWucyfiHc3Ir7OnPjkTAGu0IzWW5Zcm6NEXRw4qMnasO-gEVAI/s400/christmas+stockings+vintage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-12493791016268844632008-12-18T19:50:00.004-05:002009-01-31T17:55:52.069-05:00TRACK SANTA ON CHRISTMAS EVE!!!<div align="center"><a href="http://www.noradsanta.org/">http://www.noradsanta.org/</a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Make sure you're in bed on time!! Track Santa on Christmas Eve as he makes his rounds throughout the world. Don't let him catch you awake!!</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#006600;">Click the Link Above!!</span></strong></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-83033151859431130162008-12-18T19:19:00.000-05:002008-12-18T19:20:32.630-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUExkhJl3tPCmQb5vCx9K2wggu8WGsScT_ut601dTKKcUmpipZ6MlScAmqSdDoiohyphenhyphen4wtOZuCyNsq7wtClaN7zKULsFkYUlt_gPTVfV7nBaNG18ujop3cC9nBnHxt6UOETEBG-FFEU12o/s1600-h/vintage+christmas+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281289462649726850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 382px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 231px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUExkhJl3tPCmQb5vCx9K2wggu8WGsScT_ut601dTKKcUmpipZ6MlScAmqSdDoiohyphenhyphen4wtOZuCyNsq7wtClaN7zKULsFkYUlt_gPTVfV7nBaNG18ujop3cC9nBnHxt6UOETEBG-FFEU12o/s400/vintage+christmas+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-64701960173441728152008-12-18T18:20:00.007-05:002009-01-31T17:57:01.642-05:00Great Grandma's Christmas Music<p><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwgRBu1xLB7-_VRdFFtQTedolKLfToprAwokKZtX44Dz20DajuJXRQ05aRTKMoc9VLCtvx9Z4UTva149PWPag' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p><span style="color:#330099;"><em>The holidays are such a nostalgic time. I've always wished I could have met my great grandmother. My mother had been very close to her, and she talked about her quite a bit when I was growing up. </em></span></p><p><span style="color:#330099;"><em>Great-Grandma was born in England but was sent to an orphanage in Canada when she was very young, along with the rest of the girls in her family. She was adopted by an older couple looking for a boy to help with the farmwork...but they fell in love with her dark curls and bright blue eyes and took her home with them instead. (If this story sounds familiar, I suspect it's because Lucy Maud Montgomery brought to life a similar one with "Anne of Green Gables"!)</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#330099;"><em>Many years later, a young man asked her parents for her hand in marriage and was told that she would not make a good housewife because she had learned to do farmwork and not the usual work of a woman. But, my great grandfather did not care. They married, and after he served in WWI, and their family had grown to include three children, they loaded their belongings onto a wagon and crossed the border into the United States, settling in the North Country...which is where I grew up.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#330099;"><em>I am proud to own several items that belonged to my Great-grandmother, including one of the trunks that she brought here with her. I also am the current care-taker of her collection of 78rpm records, which I like to think may have traveled underneath the rounded top of that trunk. It is an honor to me to own such a thing...and it is even more incredible to listen to the same sounds, scratches and all, that previous generations of my family listened to...and with the same technology, as I crank up the phonograph!</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#330099;"><em>The video clip above is of "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear", performed by the Victor Oratorio Chorus. It is most likely from about 1915. (Sorry for how dark it is...it looked much better before I uploaded it...)</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#cc0000;">Merry Christmas!</span></p>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-21685460481771837272008-10-22T20:13:00.000-04:002008-10-22T20:14:20.816-04:00I Don't Notice Anything...Do You?!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgbK_b4mxd7rDjYDKOK-4M_FIjzJF-7Cbq2ARjS87Y-jhYh-Q0PIpvff0k67JIRXPtY6J8TYyy9HhnJ2UVEHB7YHQFCYH6tqlAcSzIaW0GOsqedDGpn7455JfBVyR831oMXhl-mRGABw/s1600-h/100_3717.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260135861670188962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgbK_b4mxd7rDjYDKOK-4M_FIjzJF-7Cbq2ARjS87Y-jhYh-Q0PIpvff0k67JIRXPtY6J8TYyy9HhnJ2UVEHB7YHQFCYH6tqlAcSzIaW0GOsqedDGpn7455JfBVyR831oMXhl-mRGABw/s400/100_3717.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-20692384051988259222008-10-22T19:52:00.003-04:002008-10-22T20:12:28.999-04:00Eat Your Heart Out, Dr. Frankenstein!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsv3EN80Zmn1tfGZPHWqlHmbM1sA1EyQkGd8JPYRaHjaah2nXaDoOGpq2l2I9qnUdA3CgHpQHBnJ8yMehha2gxAMPmCSUWKspfqI0oqBQcB4mRA-vuhfu89U2FDDjMwgnitHHFo6BdwmE/s1600-h/100_3722.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260130672447698450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsv3EN80Zmn1tfGZPHWqlHmbM1sA1EyQkGd8JPYRaHjaah2nXaDoOGpq2l2I9qnUdA3CgHpQHBnJ8yMehha2gxAMPmCSUWKspfqI0oqBQcB4mRA-vuhfu89U2FDDjMwgnitHHFo6BdwmE/s320/100_3722.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong><em>I have created life!!</em></strong> Yes, it's true...and I'm not referring to the people I live with who are affected by a mental illness that incapacitates their ability to change the toilet paper roll (see my blog entry from September 13th below)!!</div><div></div><div><br />I have created a sourdough starter that is breathing bubbly texture into my loaves of sourdough bread. This substance that I'm keeping in two jars at the back of my fridge resembles something most of us would frantically dump in the garbage and quickly remove from the house. But in actuality, it is a living, breathing, fascinating little science experiment that I have affectionately named Hector. You can see him proofing in the photo above.</div><div></div><div><br />My decision to try my hand at sourdough bread was partly due to the downturn in our economy that has many of us looking to save our pennies. But it also had something to do with my drive to bake and store food away at this time of the year, a primitive behavior that I am certain is present in anyone of the female gender, whether they want to admit it or not.</div><div></div><div><br />Bread is about as basic to human society as anything else I can think of. It is a simple food, and you don't need a commercial yeast product to make it. Sourdough is made using the natural yeast/bacteria that exists in the air around us. I will not explain the process here, but highly recommend the following link if you are interesting in trying it for yourself.<br /></div><div></div><div><br /><a href="http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm">http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm</a></div><div></div><div><br />After reading instructions for sourdough starter on several different websites I chose to follow S. John Ross' well written steps as they made the most sense to me. A simple direction for a simple process. Nothing could be easier. Some folks try to complicate it, but people did this in covered wagons on the Oregon Trail. It's really NOT complicated.</div><div></div><div><br />I hope you will try it out, and wish you many delicious, inexpensive loaves! And now....I have to go feed Hector!</div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-12130857156361675592008-09-24T21:13:00.000-04:002008-09-24T21:14:12.539-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpDX0QBRPvLVqVMnmghIHNhfZ_8ph-as3pIg2aFZ8mRNJLXJIQ1rlq2pW5n6dBAqtXbeT1mUTSshbcDECb2viTYwklNc21f3NdSemmF2GnQO-xx505QNf8wLby8mDHA0FLz6VYiXfC3E/s1600-h/applesvintagelabel.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249761051849980306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpDX0QBRPvLVqVMnmghIHNhfZ_8ph-as3pIg2aFZ8mRNJLXJIQ1rlq2pW5n6dBAqtXbeT1mUTSshbcDECb2viTYwklNc21f3NdSemmF2GnQO-xx505QNf8wLby8mDHA0FLz6VYiXfC3E/s400/applesvintagelabel.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-86549444077375354522008-09-22T21:03:00.011-04:002008-09-23T18:33:25.840-04:00Mmmmm.....Apple Time!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9UwDhEpRKUsyhafPYg0G2j-vnWw9yyDszot3mr2_4GDLgDSZGJPJcW3RwDypVm9otR-Kk3OZmYzeWE4Rp2Hp-IrzrlKlhWzuKSVYv7H5cRdlmRdMePp1dstz0EsfZV4fXGvR-t9U57c/s1600-h/100_3635.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249017189394673394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9UwDhEpRKUsyhafPYg0G2j-vnWw9yyDszot3mr2_4GDLgDSZGJPJcW3RwDypVm9otR-Kk3OZmYzeWE4Rp2Hp-IrzrlKlhWzuKSVYv7H5cRdlmRdMePp1dstz0EsfZV4fXGvR-t9U57c/s400/100_3635.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Autumn officially arrived this morning at 11:44am, but for me it really began this past weekend with our annual trek to the apple orchard!! We headed to Behling's in Mexico, NY on Saturday morning, and picked 49 pounds of big, juicy Jonamac apples. Quite a few of the area's orchards were damaged a few months ago by hail and high winds...but not this one. The apples absolutely dripped from the branches, and we were early enough that the picking was easy...low to the ground!! A good thing for those of us who are a little challenged in the height department!<br /><br />For the past several years I've canned several jars of applesauce to put by for the winter. It is delicious and easy...and I really do like to can. I think there is some primitive area of my brain that, beginning with the first cool breezes of fall, drives me to bake and store food...not unlike the many squirrels that keep digging up my tulip bulbs and burying them in other, more convenient spots... though I'd like to think that I'm slightly more evolved.<br /><br />This year I added Apple Pie Filling to the shelves, canning 7 quarts on Saturday evening.One of the jars didn't seal, so on Sunday...along with making the applesauce...I baked this pie to taste-test the new recipe (note the pie bird!). It is really very good! It received two thumbs up from everyone.<br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fxU7fR8oKdEjP5qKtSCHj92rtZ5Y8mIiWnvK7V7jn5_8qyvUSXoT7KJIcK7jWF07hr8CTKQrs_Y5JpxM1sDZ7MHS4qZwbC-ha61XI-oVD7YoTikbBNozDxQBNGjnA7g-1mQjjDAXiUA/s1600-h/100_3634.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249017031810763618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fxU7fR8oKdEjP5qKtSCHj92rtZ5Y8mIiWnvK7V7jn5_8qyvUSXoT7KJIcK7jWF07hr8CTKQrs_Y5JpxM1sDZ7MHS4qZwbC-ha61XI-oVD7YoTikbBNozDxQBNGjnA7g-1mQjjDAXiUA/s200/100_3634.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><em>Here's the recipe:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">4 1/2 cups white sugar</span></em><span style="color:#3333ff;"><br /></span><div></div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">1 cup cornstarch</span></em><br /></span><div></div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</span></em><br /></span><div></div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg</span></em><br /></span><div></div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">2 teaspoons salt</span></em><br /></span><div></div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">10 cups water</span></em><br /></span><div></div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">3 tablespoons lemon juice</span></em><br /></span><div></div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">2 drops yellow food coloring</span></em><br /></span><div></div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">8 pounds apples</span></em><br /></span><div><em><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1. In a large pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add salt and water and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and food coloring.<br /><br />2. Sterilize canning jars, lids and rings by boiling them in a large pot of water.<br /><br />3. Peel, core, and slice apples. Pack the sliced apples into hot canning jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.<br /><br />4. Fill jars with hot syrup, and gently remove air bubbles with a knife.<br /><br />5. Put lids on and process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes.<br /></span><br /></em></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-46146028907517984342008-09-13T23:00:00.008-04:002008-09-17T21:35:33.991-04:00A Common Household Irritation.... :0<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXrydcL5foax_3uKTH388zs8i6Bue3fRkJTH6Zuu_Vj39TX4YDD8drMwzLP8_w_5q-o67NeoSDyjzCY8ltBI095QA6YnOLSHhrN6pak5QXb0XhpJICtVejgXYElo1RLyifkL9s20Lux4/s1600-h/100_3626.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245992459305857362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXrydcL5foax_3uKTH388zs8i6Bue3fRkJTH6Zuu_Vj39TX4YDD8drMwzLP8_w_5q-o67NeoSDyjzCY8ltBI095QA6YnOLSHhrN6pak5QXb0XhpJICtVejgXYElo1RLyifkL9s20Lux4/s200/100_3626.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>Here is a picture of what, I believe, is an incredibly irritating phenomenon that plagues untold numbers of households in the world today. </div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Ever since Zeth Wheeler introduced the world to perforated rolls of tissue paper in the late 19th century there has been an apparent breakdown of human hand-eye coordination upon entering the bathroom, powder room, loo, john, or whatever other name this area generally falls under. Their motor capabilities diminish to the point that they cannot replace the toilet tissue onto the holder, but can only manage to rest it on top of the old, empty tube.</div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>After a lengthy investigation into this problem, I have discovered that it seems to be an affliction that disables all but one member of the household...usually a woman...who then must resign themselves to a lifetime of removing spent cardboard tubes and replacing them with fresh ones.</div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>After interviewing each member of the household, I discovered that whatever it was that damaged the brain's ability to co-ordinate the removal and reinstallment of the toilet paper had also affected their recall of past events, as each and every one stated emphatically that, "Yes, I put new rolls on all the time! It's not me! It must be...(insert sibling's name, or 'Dad')."</div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>Further investigation reveals that the problem is not corrected by the unaffected person's refusal to replace the rolls. It would seem, in fact, that this will continue to be a problem for generations to come...or at least in this household!! </div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-13361249109780867492008-09-07T21:19:00.001-04:002008-09-07T21:21:10.256-04:00The Sunflowers are Still Shining!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0fYPobJQ-yooT3k440vYz0187tLYz6uWuehm6GfBrtBUM7hj8QgcLU4JZoTyD-5b9xNdopX9ff8Asau31BBzlytvidsCDs52-KiMX_dsahAiIow03VkxP9FuUzASjefY40A72ipWCVY/s1600-h/100_3618.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243454030754264498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0fYPobJQ-yooT3k440vYz0187tLYz6uWuehm6GfBrtBUM7hj8QgcLU4JZoTyD-5b9xNdopX9ff8Asau31BBzlytvidsCDs52-KiMX_dsahAiIow03VkxP9FuUzASjefY40A72ipWCVY/s400/100_3618.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-47574825062305868952008-09-07T21:08:00.003-04:002008-09-07T21:18:55.300-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIX0LcM9Gw2V7mWFEt8frd_a6yBkTkb8zHpYpJtRch2zfrQJZ7ylur-dWoXWayhagcE11o9T3vEdDj_wY9fyMUlwGoCVhx34hei1thidfKI_NHdcqooFBeJT9NI3F0dODFxUa2YmhVaE/s1600-h/100_3624.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243453673514872114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIX0LcM9Gw2V7mWFEt8frd_a6yBkTkb8zHpYpJtRch2zfrQJZ7ylur-dWoXWayhagcE11o9T3vEdDj_wY9fyMUlwGoCVhx34hei1thidfKI_NHdcqooFBeJT9NI3F0dODFxUa2YmhVaE/s200/100_3624.JPG" border="0" /></a> Hard to believe, but I started my fall clean-up in the yard today. We have one tree just outside the back door that always drops its leaves before any of the others, but some years that doesn't start until late September. This year I started sweeping up the orange and red leaves in the middle of August! Is this the sign of an unseasonably cool Autumn?Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-8187522451592292082008-08-30T11:36:00.002-04:002008-08-30T11:41:28.669-04:00An August Morning on Dale Hollow Lake<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtV7RXOD6LuBHmjnaWHSJcg9MKSi1-3qvVrv_5prJ1xnc0gSRq1b_1_sPjux_QfGO65CCAPVJl8cznhsrDBcOpw8HRn94pulGc1Uv9v4V-Gc149UrFuri5KdIPGWIQWSP3xAbyTNK_VJE/s1600-h/100_3553.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240335710448348578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtV7RXOD6LuBHmjnaWHSJcg9MKSi1-3qvVrv_5prJ1xnc0gSRq1b_1_sPjux_QfGO65CCAPVJl8cznhsrDBcOpw8HRn94pulGc1Uv9v4V-Gc149UrFuri5KdIPGWIQWSP3xAbyTNK_VJE/s400/100_3553.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We rented a houseboat on Dale Hollow Lake, on the border of Tennesee and Kentucky a couple of weeks ago. This was the view as we were heading out one morning for some water-skiing.<br /><div></div>Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1872410826294780432.post-57892295478995314662008-08-30T10:33:00.003-04:002008-08-30T11:36:54.449-04:00An Evening of Society Craps<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKmtVUUXzDxPR-uqqf9CP9VbGKg2bGZxTXCkuZrIyQVYv94lCQCCgPAfzYE2T3e4L5vqyIbCDWuqrziBN_rQ73rqQdhHBVgvaix9hQ4AlXhUSLOVDqomyzbgjSCNq0Q74cVVVgoI2JO8/s1600-h/100_3602.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240319193172341570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKmtVUUXzDxPR-uqqf9CP9VbGKg2bGZxTXCkuZrIyQVYv94lCQCCgPAfzYE2T3e4L5vqyIbCDWuqrziBN_rQ73rqQdhHBVgvaix9hQ4AlXhUSLOVDqomyzbgjSCNq0Q74cVVVgoI2JO8/s320/100_3602.JPG" border="0" /></a> Last evening, with two members of the family gone for the night, my youngest and I were looking for something to do in between listening for the strains of the Jonas Brothers that were drifting over to us from the fairgrounds!!<br /><br />"Let's play Society Craps!" I suggested. When I was a kid we loved to play this game with my mother, who would sit down at the dining room table with us and deal out the cards.<br /><br />Society Craps was once a fun way for women to gather together...and gamble!! They would usually use pennies or nickels, as this game was popular at a time when a penny would actually buy something. But I grew up using buttons. My mother always had jars and jars of buttons...something she inherited from her mother and grandmother, both of whom had tins and tins of buttons. Now, I am the proud owner of some of those tins so I brought one out and dumped a couple of handfuls onto the table. Using buttons does nothing to quell the competition of the game. It is amazing how prized certain buttons will become during play (usually the largest, or those with unusual designs), or how concerned kids can become when their stockpile of buttons begins to diminish!!<br /><br />Besides the buttons, a deck of cards, a pair of dice, and a dish of some sort (for the "kitty") is all you need. Each player chooses a suit and receives all the cards of that suit. Lay out the cards in numerical order in two rows as seen above, face up, but discarding the seven and the king:<br /><br />2, 3, 4, 5, 6<br />8, 9, 10, 11 (jack), 12 (queen)<br /><br />Each player receives a pile of buttons...40 or 50 each is a good starting point, but everyone should have the same amount. Place the "kitty" in the middle of the table and everyone "sweetens" the pot by throwing one button into it. Now each person takes turns rolling the dice. If they roll a number on one of their cards, they flip that card over. If they roll a 7 or a number they've already flipped, they throw a button in the pot. The first person to flip over all of their cards wins the "kitty"!!<br /><br />If played in earnest, you would eventually want to be the last one left...with all the buttons!! How rich you will be! But, as I have always played as a child or with them, the banker is usually very generous in handing out loans to those in need!<br /><br />We had a great time last night playing a simple, old game. So much better than watching TV. But having the Jonas Brothers providing the background music added a modern touch, for sure!Janiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594817393678693267noreply@blogger.com0