Embrace each moment.

Something to think about.....

Remember Sit-Upons?

I was a Brownie for a short period of time when I was a child growing up in Sioux Falls, SD in the late 1960's.  My uniform consisted of a plain brown dress, a felt beanie cap, and a sash with badges I had to earn by accomplishing tasks from my Handbook.  My uniform had been handed down to me after my older sister no longer needed it, but that was fine with me.  I was simply satisfied that I was now big enough to wear this symbol of maturity, and old enough to be part of the Brownie clan. It didn't bother me one little bit that my uniform had been previously worn by my elder sister.  All I wanted to do was shout, "Hey, world!  I'm old enough to become a Brownie, and by golly, a Brownie is who I intend to be, no matter what!"

My friend, Cheryl, and I were both members of this Brownie group.  We used to do everything together, being kindred spirits and all, so becoming Brownies together was a given.  Meetings were held at a neighbor's home near Cheryl's house.  Mrs. Perault was our fearless leader who kindly opened up her home so a number of us girls could gather and learn how to become competent members of society.  Through Mrs. Perault's willingness to lead, our group learned how to become better citizens.  We accomplished this honorable status by learning how to sew buttons on our shirts, help elderly neighbors cross a not-so busy street, and become survival guides in the wilderness should anyone get lost in the woods and need our assistance.

One of the items we needed to make for an up-coming survival session was a 'sit-upon.'   A sit-upon was used to sit yourself on when camping in the wilderness so that your clothing would stay clean and dry while sitting on the ground.  I could hardly believe that I was old enough to be able to go on a camping trip with my fellow brownie  members, let alone make a tool that could be used for my own survival.   I could not wait to begin working on this project to prove I was ready to conquer the world!  My mother took me shopping for the materials needed to put together this project.  We needed to purchase either a vinyl table cloth or vinyl sold by the yard, as the main material for our project.  We also needed newspaper for the padding inside, and yarn to seal the vinyl  closed.  I picked a blue floral pattern table cloth for my sit-upon, and I used green yarn to sew it together.  It was perfect!

The day finally arrived when our group had the privilege of piecing together our material to create our very own sit-upons.  We cut, folded and sewed together our squares until everyone had accomplished their task. At the end of the session, each of us had successfully created a survival tool to use when sitting on wet grass during our camp out to the wilderness.  I was proud of what I had accomplished and could not wait to use my sit-upon on our upcoming adventure!

I am not sure if our first camp out was a day camp or an overnight one, but I do remember the fun we spent outside exploring our world with fellow Brownies and learning how to survive in a wilderness setting.  When free time was over and it was time to gather together formally as a group, each of us proudly presented our hand-made creations.  Carefully, we placed our sit-upons in a circle and sat cross-legged on the ground so we could sing and listen to stories without the slightest fret of getting our clothing wet or dirty from the damp grass.  Just as planned,  there was not one wet bottom among us.  We had accomplished our goal and learned how to survive in the wilderness!   I was a Brownie on the rise and had the dry clothing to prove it!  Take that, damp grass!  I'm a survivor now!

"The Andy Griffith Show"

A television icon died a couple of days ago, on July 3, 2012. His name is Andy Griffith.

 My favorite television show of all time is, 'The Andy Griffith Show.'  This show is a classic example of small-town American life in the 1960's.  It's a TV show that never goes out of style in my book.  People today can still find the humor in this little treasure, no matter how old they happen to be.  I never tire of watching these old re-runs filmed in black and white.  They still make me smile and still warm my heart, leaving me with a moral message to consider at the end of each episode. 

 How many modern television programs today give underlying lessons on how to behave charitably and selflessly towards others, lifting the needs of others above our own?   How many teach that standing for what is right (even if it means getting into a bit of trouble yourself) is worth far more than compromise and/or avoiding persecution?   How about teachng the importance of following-through with a promise even if it meant missing out on something else you had wanted to do because good character meant your word was your bond and your word was more important than temporal pleasure?  Business deals and agreements could be made with handshakes alone because good character was something to be esteemed and treasured, never to be lost or compromised through carelessness or deceit.

The list of moral messages from this old black and white comedy goes on indefinitely.  To me these messages still have worth in our society today.  I pray the values from this classic piece of American culture will never go out of style or become extinct.  God help us if they do.

Ah, yes, 'The Andy Griffith Show' was a small, but enchanting part of my childhood growing up.  It was yet another influence of many from my past that had helped to strengthen and to shape my young character...a tiny piece of the whole of who I have become.   Thank you for your legacy, Andy Griffith.  May you find rest and peace in your new heavenly home. 

Celebrating the 4th.

Today is the day Americans celebrate our independence and freedom.  I have great memories of 4th of July celebrations as a kid.  For me the day started out  at our annual church picnic held at Tuthill Park, in Sioux Falls, SD.  Our church would rent the pavillion on the upper level of the park each year and everyone who attended our small church would gather at the park with loads of food to set out on tables for everyone to share.  We would put several picnic tables together and cover them with table cloths.  Everyone would then place their casseroles, salads and desserts in order down the line until the tables were full of delicious home-cooked food.  There would be fried chicken, baked beans, scalloped potatoes, 7-layer salad, potato salads,  jello salads, and tons of desserts; such as apple pie, chocolate cake and chocoate chip cookies...all made with love from the members of our congregation.  What a feast this was!  I can still see the abundance of this smorgasborg in my mind and it makes me hungry just thinking about it.

After endulging in this amazing feast we would then gather for games.  The adults enjoyed a game of softball which was a favorite of my dad and my sister, Thurza.  I was not much of a fan, but would play on a team regardless. 

There were also games for the kids.  I remember water balloon fights, gunny sack races, and relay races that ended in prizes for the winning teams.    Free time was spent walking the 'indian trails' along the banks of the Big Sioux River in Tuthill Park.  I loved walking these trails because it was shady and cool under the trees along the river and I enjoyed the feeling of being in the same wilderness setting where I envisioned native Americans once walking. 

The 4th of July was always hot and humid.  After the picnic was over my brother, sisters and I would beg our parents to be able to go to the lake for a swim.  My dad was not a fan of nature as we were, so we didn't always get our wish, but sometimes we would.  There was nothing like jumping into a  lake to cool off after a long hot day in the sun.

Evenings on the 4th of July always meant watching fireworks.  My favorite celebrations were spent at my cousin's house out in the country where my Uncle Mel would have a fine selection of fireworks that he would set off after dark.  Everyone loved sitting in lawn chairs and watching the colorful display as it lit up the evening sky.  The kids were given sparklers and smoke bombs to set off, and my brother would get into bottle rocket fights with his friends.  Greg was the dare-devil of the family, but has managed to survive thus far.  I was not a fan of the loud firecrackers, but the boys and men in the family seemed to like those best.  Even my dad would enjoy setting off a package or two of Black Cats.

Yes, Indepedence Day is full of tradition.  It's a time to gather with family and friends and enjoy the day outdoors.   This tradition still lives on in my memory as if it were only yesterday.

 Happy 4th of July everyone!

Summer Festival Anyone??

I am a kid at heart, always wanting to find a little fun in my day.  I seem to be the one in our family who wants to plan various activites to do on our days off and holidays so we don't end up bored with nothing to do.  Summer is my favorite time to wander out-and -about outside.  I love finding outdoor festivals to attend in various small towns near us.   My husband likes to go along for the ride and is my best friend and cohert on these experimental missions.  He enjoys small town life as much as I.  Together we have attended the Mantua Potato Festival, Chagrin Falls Blossom Festival, we've been to Medina's Art-in-the-Park, and we have even attended the Twinsburg Twins Festival, even though niether one of us are twins.  We just enjoy the excitement of seeing people gather on hot summer days, shop outdoor craft booths and eat lots of foods from various local food vendors.
 We especially love when there are musicians playing music at these affairs, and we often find a place in the grass under a tree to sit and have ourselves a listen.  One can do a lot of people-watching while perched under the shade of an oak tree listening to a polka band playing in the background.  There are usually toddlers in front of the stage dancing around happily while their parents cheer them on.  Elderly folks are seen watching these little children, and they smile when they remember how it was when their children were that small.  The twinkle in their eyes says it all as they watch and remember.

 Other children run about with ice cream cones dripping in their hands, while men scarf down various meats that have been cooked over outdoor grills with onions and peppers.  We like to follow our noses to the vendor who is making kettle corn over an open flame in a large brass cauldron. The line in front of this vendor is always long, but it is well worth the wait.  One handful of this freshly-made treat is never enough.  We like to buy extra so we have enough to enjoy this sweet/salty treat in the car on the drive home. 
I often like to find booths where hand-made jewelry is sold.  I've always been a sucker for unique pieces of art to wear, as long as it is reasonable priced, of course.  I steer clear of the very expensive jewelry because I know I can find pieces that I love at a reasonable price I can afford.  I suppose this thriftyness stems from my humble beginnings in South Dakota, but that's ok.  I buy what makes me smile and often leave the festival with a small treasure or two that reminds of me our day spent in small town USA. 

Yes, I am a kid at heart and I wouldn't want it any other way.  Bring on the festivals and let the summer festivites continue! 

You ain't never caught a rabbit......

I own a dachshund named Gracie Mae; rather, I am owned by a dachsund named Gracie Mae.  For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the breed, allow me to explain.  Dachsund dogs, 'doxies' for short, originated in Germany and were bred for the purpose of hunting badgers.  'Dachs' means badger, and 'Hund' means dog.  Thus....Badger Dog.  Don't let a dachshund's small size fool you.  Doxies are ferocious hunters who not only search for and chase down their prey, but were bred to actually kill their prey as well.  Give this dog a squeeker toy and that toy will be shaken and growled at until proven dead by said doxie.  You can be sure of this.  Many a night my family and I have been thoroughly entertained by giving our dog a squeeky toy.  Once 'deaded', our dog also likes to tear these toys apart by pulling the stuffing out of them piece by piece until the entire rug has been covered in white fluff.  (Believe me, the fun of watching Gracie dead her toy makes up for the time it takes to clean up the mess.) 

Gracie's days in summer are spent purusing the yard for moles, rabbits, mice and ground hogs....anything her nose will lead her to.  She is quite the hunter!  I usually know when she has found something interesting because I can hear her bark and whine frantically as she burrows under the shrubbery.  At first it seemed that she was only entertaining herself by enjoying the chase; but it didn't take long and I started noticing things.....dead things.... lying about the yard.  This little hunter has become an expert at killing moles!  She doesn't eat them, thank goodness, but she finds them, digs them out of their holes and kills them,  leaving them as trophies throughout the yard. 

Weenie, (our nickname for Gracie), is not limited to moles alone.  As one can see from the photo above, (yes, that is Gracie), Weenie has caught several rabbits as well.  The first rabbit was caught when Gracie was just a pup.  Mark, my hubby, did not believe me when I first told him about Gracie's catch.  My skeptical husband said that Weenie could never catch a rabbit because rabbits ran much too fast for her, and she was much too small.  But the remains of that poor, slow rabbit lying in our yard were proof enough that Gracie had won her first trophy.  Gracie's short little legs had proven her dad wrong, once and for all.   Mark laughed in disbelief when he saw that poor dead rabbit lying in the yard.  Gracie didn't care, though.  She just smiled the way dogs always do when they are proud of themselves for whatever task they feel they have accomplished.

  I am very impressed with this little wiener.   I swear Gracie walks a little taller each time she proves that size has nothing to do with ability.  Dachshund's legs may be only about 3 inches high, but in Gracie's mind size does not matter at all.  Gracie Mae is walking tall!  The late Elvis Presley will never be able to sing, 'You ain't nothing but a hound dog' to my ferocious doxie.  Look out, badgers!  Gracie is on the prowl! 

Drake Springs Swimming Pool

It's HOT outside today, (95 and humid.)  The heat isn't stopping me from sitting outside in my gazebo after work., though.  I have been indoors all day.  I know I have the entire winter to spend inside, so I have decided to grin and bear it and sit outside today regardless of my discomfort.  I have a cold drink and the fan is blowing (hot air) but I am trying to disregard the heat and relish this moment alone before the hubby comes home from work and I have to cook dinner.

I wish I had a nice swimming pool to jump into right now.  When I was a kid my hometown of Sioux Falls, SD,  had several public swimming pools that were available for anyone to use at a minimal cost.  My family qualified for 'free' swimming passes, due to our income level and the amount of people we had in our family, so every summer I would anxiously wait for those badges to arrive in the mail, and then my mom would sew them onto my swimming suit.  We were required to have them sewn on our suits because the park system did not want kids sharing their passes with others.  Occasionally, when my mom was too busy to sew the patches on, we would pin the badge onto our suits with a safety pin and then run to the pool for a swim.  We crossed our fingers in hopes that the person at the gate would let us through without the badge being sewn on, and were always glad when we were let in with only a warning.  What a triumph! 

We were required to 'shower' before jumping into the pool.  Showering to us meant getting a few drops of water on ourselves so we could prove that we had stood under the shower spigot.    After walking through the required locker room showers, we then walked out into the sunny pool area and ran (i.e. walked fast.....running was not allowed) to the edge of the pool ready to jump in.  To a child, there is nothing better in this world on a hot sunny day than to see a sparkling blue body of water filled with gleeful children splashing in the water!  I was in heaven!  Some days I would stick my toe in the water and gradually work my way up my legs until each section adjusted to the temperature change.  This was a risk because we knew there was a possibility that the mean boys would see our discomfort with the cold water and come over to splash us, just to see us scream!  How rude of them!  LOL.  Other days I would make bets with my friends and we would agree to count to three and then RUN (walk fast) to the edge of the pool, plug our noses, and leap into the crystal blue water!  What a rush that was!  Once the pool water enveloped around us, we would then jump up and down in the cold water until our bodies adjusted to the temperature.  Nothing worse than trying to swim when you feel like an ice cube in a glass of Kool-aid!  Once adjusted we would spend the rest of the day splashing, laughing and having a ball doing what kids do best.....playing.  We would have swimming contests, do somersaults in the water, have underwater tea parties and diving contests.  There would be cannon balls, splash bombs, and belly flops off the edge of the pool.  We would play motor boat with our hands while spinning in the water, singing, " Motor Boat, Motor Boat, go so slow.  Motor Boat, Motor Boat, go so fast.  Motor Boat, Motor Boat, step on the gas!  (This is when you spin your fastest and let your hand cup the water so it would glide across the surface, leaving a trail of water behind like a boat.)  Ah, such fun this was.

It was always sad when the required 10 minute breaks were called.  Everyone had to evacuate the pool at the top of each hour and lay out on the sidewalk for the break.  The breaks wouldn't start until everyone was out of the water.  It was during this time that adults were allowed to swim freely without a mass of children splashing all over the pool.  I longed for the day when I would be old enough to be able to swim during these breaks.

The pool closed at 5 for family swim, which was from 5 to 6.  No one was allowed to swim during this time unless you were with an adult.  Sometimes my dad would take us to family swim, and we would feel like we had the entire pool to ourselves.  Very few people were there.  What bliss to be able to jump on our dad and play in the water like we owned the place!  We felt like kings and queens of the swimming pool and never wanted to leave. 

Yes, those were grand days back in Sioux Falls hanging out at Drake Springs swimming pool.    Somehow the heat never bothered us at all. There was too much fun to be had.  Summer was too short to be spent inside worrying about how hot and humid it was.   Perhaps that is why I can endure the heat today as I sit outside waiting to cook dinner.  I realize that it won't be long and the snow will be blowing once again and I will be longing to be in my shorts and tank top, sweating from the heat out in my gazebo.   

Let's go!

I am thrilled to have successfully started my official Blog yesterday.  This will be a bit of a journey for me.  I will learn as I go, just as I do with other new adventures I find myself on.  I love to try new things often or life starts to get mundane.  Time to get started!   Looking forward to the ride.....