Here comes Memorial Day weekend, the first long holiday for the summer. Isn’t it great?
By now you have probably made lots of plans. The camp is open; the boat is in the lake; the garden is planted.
Outdoor grills have been out since March, along with the picnic tables and chairs
The deck is cleaned and you can sit back and enjoy a holiday weekend.
Memorial Day is still an old-fashioned
holiday where the ones who have died are remembered and the holiday is
celebrated much as it was a hundred years ago.
The festivities
begin with the parade in which all of the armed forces are represented
and politicians make speeches. All of the veterans’ graves are clearly
marked with American flags and cemeteries are all mowed and spruced up
for the occasion.
People who have moved away make the trip back
to their hometown to take part in the celebration or to decorate the
burial places of their loved ones. It is a time when folks who are
visiting the cemetery run into former neighbors and it’s just like “old
home week,” catching up with old friends.
Fortunately in
Canastota we have two veterans’ organizations, the Charles Miller Post
No. 140 American Legion and the VFW Post No. 600 that organize a parade
and prepare a ceremony at our veterans’ memorial in Clark Park.
There
are speakers and the placing of flags representing all the persons from
our community who sacrificed their lives to keep our country free.
Our community is fortunate in having these veterans’ groups that perform so many ceremonies at various occasions.
They are always so willing to assist when called upon to help in the community.
So,
this weekend your neighbors will have the pool filled to capacity, the
grill will be going full steam, the sound system will have music playing
the latest tunes and the young people will be enjoying themselves.
The seniors will be watching them enjoying their activities.
Mom
and Dad will be doing most of work, running back and forth to the
house, standing over the grill and being sure everyone is happy and
safe.
Mom or Grandma will be looking after the smaller children,
seeing to it that the little ones have their swim suits on and, once in
the water, keep watch of them.
But did you ever know a two- or
three-year-old who once in the water had to go to the bathroom so out
they would come and on the way see the hot dogs on the griddle and would
want one of those and wouldn’t go back in the pool again even though
that was all they wanted to do originally?
Have a great time and a safe Memorial Day.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Clothes don't grow on trees
They come in handy when you don’t have a closet or you a place to hang your garments.
We were discussing clothes trees the other day when we visited a shop with no place for customers’ coats.
One of the little children wanted to know what it was because she had never seen one.
They come in wood, brass, stainless steel, plastic as well as wicker. We have seen some modern ones in offices, restaurants and classrooms.
They can solve the problem of where to put your outer garment at work.
They provide a convenient place in the bathroom to hang your robe while bathing.
I came from a family of carpenters, so we has plenty of clothes trees.
We even had some small ones for the children to hang up their own coats.
Today, one of our nieces put a wicker one in her kids’ rooms for their night clothes.
In one of our bedrooms there isn’t a closet; there are two large clothes trees, one on each side of the bed.
There is a large closet down the hall where those who use that bedroom keep their garments.
A corner closet was always going to be built in that room, but it hasn’t happened yet.
In your children’s rooms are hooks low enough for the kids to hang their things? This is something so convenient for them.
When we were growing up, the kids had our own hooks and places for our footwear in inclement weather.
They are still there and when our small relatives come for visits they put the hooks into good use.
This is a wonderful arrangement because you don’t have coats, jackets and caps strung all over the house.
In stores, magazines and catalogs you see small stools decorated to attract children and they are quite expensive.
You can make your own wooden box as a step stool for the small children to place at the sink for them to wash up.
A few scraps of wood can be used to make the box for the children to stand on.
Sometimes a child will move a chair up to the sink, but the chair can slip and the child can fall and sometimes get hurt badly.There is a large closet down the hall where those who use that bedroom keep their garments.
A corner closet was always going to be built in that room, but it hasn’t happened yet.
In your children’s rooms are hooks low enough for the kids to hang their things? This is something so convenient for them.
When we were growing up, the kids had our own hooks and places for our footwear in inclement weather.
They are still there and when our small relatives come for visits they put the hooks into good use.
This is a wonderful arrangement because you don’t have coats, jackets and caps strung all over the house.
In stores, magazines and catalogs you see small stools decorated to attract children and they are quite expensive.
You can make your own wooden box as a step stool for the small children to place at the sink for them to wash up.
A few scraps of wood can be used to make the box for the children to stand on.
If you have a child who belongs to a Scout troop who has younger siblings, they could suggest to the leader they might construct such boxes to be used at home or maybe as a fundraiser
In many homes you might see low shelves holding trucks, cars, games, books, blocks, Legos and the like for the children to play with and then return to the shelves.
The person who thought of that construction was very smart and thoughtful to kids.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Moms amaze me yet
Aren’t moms wonderful? We wonder how moms do it all. Moms are miracle workers who sometimes do what seems impossible.
Remember when you asked for cookies for the party in school? You forgot to tell Mom about it until the night before!
Or, you needed the right costume and, here again, you didn’t mention it until the day before you needed it; you knew Mom would come through with whatever it was.
My mom didn’t believe in corporal punishment. My sister and I were never spanked, and we weren’t perfect.
The only time I can remember my mom coming close was when my sister and I were scrapping and my sister hit the beautiful enormous fern that stood by the window - my mother’s favorite plant. Over it went with a crash that could be heard by mother. When she came into the living room she had to restrain herself from giving my sister a good slap.
Can you imagine our surprise? Mom was just as shocked.
The only reprimand she was ever known to give us when necessary was, “If you don’t stop it, I will tell your father,” and we knew it was time to straighten up and behave.
Poppa, when told about one of our misdeeds, would only have to give us “the look” as my sister and I called it, and we knew.
Father was of German descent and he could make us shrink when he looked at us sternly, as did our grandfather who lived in the other side of our duplex home.
Do you still remember any of the things you made in school to give to your mom? Does she still have it or them? Sometimes what you made wasn’t all that bad and she would tell you how great it was. Sometimes, even if it wasn’t so great, they would still praise it and place it in a spot where everyone could see it. Sometimes dad would take a gift to the office and place it on his desk. Didn’t that make you proud?
We all know that sometimes we would get pretty upset with our parents when they wouldn’t allow us to do something that we really wanted to do. They had the last word and you had to abide by it. But looking back, usually they were right and had your best interest at heart. You just didn’t recognize it at the time.
Remember Mom on Sunday. Take her out to dinner, buy her flowers, perfume, candy or all three. Take her for a ride to some place she would like visit.
She probably has a few odd jobs that need to be done. Take the time to do do them.
Whatever you do, wish her a happy Mother’s Day.
Remember when you asked for cookies for the party in school? You forgot to tell Mom about it until the night before!
Or, you needed the right costume and, here again, you didn’t mention it until the day before you needed it; you knew Mom would come through with whatever it was.
My mom didn’t believe in corporal punishment. My sister and I were never spanked, and we weren’t perfect.
The only time I can remember my mom coming close was when my sister and I were scrapping and my sister hit the beautiful enormous fern that stood by the window - my mother’s favorite plant. Over it went with a crash that could be heard by mother. When she came into the living room she had to restrain herself from giving my sister a good slap.
Can you imagine our surprise? Mom was just as shocked.
The only reprimand she was ever known to give us when necessary was, “If you don’t stop it, I will tell your father,” and we knew it was time to straighten up and behave.
Poppa, when told about one of our misdeeds, would only have to give us “the look” as my sister and I called it, and we knew.
Father was of German descent and he could make us shrink when he looked at us sternly, as did our grandfather who lived in the other side of our duplex home.
Do you still remember any of the things you made in school to give to your mom? Does she still have it or them? Sometimes what you made wasn’t all that bad and she would tell you how great it was. Sometimes, even if it wasn’t so great, they would still praise it and place it in a spot where everyone could see it. Sometimes dad would take a gift to the office and place it on his desk. Didn’t that make you proud?
We all know that sometimes we would get pretty upset with our parents when they wouldn’t allow us to do something that we really wanted to do. They had the last word and you had to abide by it. But looking back, usually they were right and had your best interest at heart. You just didn’t recognize it at the time.
Remember Mom on Sunday. Take her out to dinner, buy her flowers, perfume, candy or all three. Take her for a ride to some place she would like visit.
She probably has a few odd jobs that need to be done. Take the time to do do them.
Whatever you do, wish her a happy Mother’s Day.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Unpredictable weather leaves gardeners with questions
My bouquet of pussy willows and butterfly
bush needed refreshing. The yellow flowers are artificial but the pussy
willows come from my own tree.
I didn’t think they’d be in bloom in late March. Wrong.
The tree is not visible from the windows, so I walked to the far reaches of our “ranch” to see how the willows were coming.
Would you believe they had all blossomed (or whatever they do) and gone to seed? No fresh willows for the bouquet this year.
The tulips I’ve had for years came up
like they do every year, but no blossoms. Why? I read in the newspaper
that other long-time tulip growers didn’t get blossoms this year,
either. It was our extraordinary climate. Seems when the bud was
supposed to form, the temperature wasn’t right. New tulips planted last
fall weren’t affected and those folks had an array of blossoms.
I made up my mind that I would not mow any lawn in the month of March in New York state, so our grass became almost knee-deep before April arrived. I was tempted to find a farmer with goats to help me out, but I held my ground.
My service guy, Matt, delivered my tuned-up mower in March, but I didn’t start it up until April 6. Do you know how it is to mow through grass that high? My neighbor came over a few days after that and good-naturedly chastised me for mowing so early ... he’s waiting until May. Good luck to him.
When I called my lawnmower guy to remind him my machine needed to be serviced I chatted along with him as I usually do before getting to the reason I called. His answer was “when I get home I will be right down to get it, you are talking to me in Daytona Beach, Florida.” And I thought it was Clockville. I guess I will never get used to these cellphones.
Do you realize we will be mowing for at least seven months? That seems like an awful lot of lawnmowing. It’s good exercise, I’m told.
I’ve been asked if I’m going to plant a garden. Yes; I’ll have my tomatoes, squash, peppers and cukes. But what will the growing season be like? I have been in conversation with other small gardeners with the same questions.
Will it be unpredictable like our winter? Suppose we have all the wet rain to make up for the missing snow? Or will it be really hot because our winter was so mild? Or, will we get cool or abnormal temperatures? It’s whatever we get, so we will just have to take a chance and either decide to not garden this year, or plant and hope for the best. Mother Nature is the only one who decides what we will get, not the meteorologists who are as perplexed as we are.
Now, about the bugs. I’ve heard because of the mild winter, they will be out in record numbers this year. Isn’t that great? Mosquitoes are annoying, but can also be dangerous to our health. It’s probably best to stock up on all the sprays and lotions and try not to destroy the bugs that are good for our plant and environment.
I think it’s going to be an interesting summer, don’t you think?
I didn’t think they’d be in bloom in late March. Wrong.
The tree is not visible from the windows, so I walked to the far reaches of our “ranch” to see how the willows were coming.
Would you believe they had all blossomed (or whatever they do) and gone to seed? No fresh willows for the bouquet this year.
I made up my mind that I would not mow any lawn in the month of March in New York state, so our grass became almost knee-deep before April arrived. I was tempted to find a farmer with goats to help me out, but I held my ground.
My service guy, Matt, delivered my tuned-up mower in March, but I didn’t start it up until April 6. Do you know how it is to mow through grass that high? My neighbor came over a few days after that and good-naturedly chastised me for mowing so early ... he’s waiting until May. Good luck to him.
When I called my lawnmower guy to remind him my machine needed to be serviced I chatted along with him as I usually do before getting to the reason I called. His answer was “when I get home I will be right down to get it, you are talking to me in Daytona Beach, Florida.” And I thought it was Clockville. I guess I will never get used to these cellphones.
Do you realize we will be mowing for at least seven months? That seems like an awful lot of lawnmowing. It’s good exercise, I’m told.
I’ve been asked if I’m going to plant a garden. Yes; I’ll have my tomatoes, squash, peppers and cukes. But what will the growing season be like? I have been in conversation with other small gardeners with the same questions.
Will it be unpredictable like our winter? Suppose we have all the wet rain to make up for the missing snow? Or will it be really hot because our winter was so mild? Or, will we get cool or abnormal temperatures? It’s whatever we get, so we will just have to take a chance and either decide to not garden this year, or plant and hope for the best. Mother Nature is the only one who decides what we will get, not the meteorologists who are as perplexed as we are.
Now, about the bugs. I’ve heard because of the mild winter, they will be out in record numbers this year. Isn’t that great? Mosquitoes are annoying, but can also be dangerous to our health. It’s probably best to stock up on all the sprays and lotions and try not to destroy the bugs that are good for our plant and environment.
I think it’s going to be an interesting summer, don’t you think?
Friday, April 27, 2012
Prices a shade higher
Do you still have window shades? With all
of the new window treatments and all the options available, few still
have old-fashioned shades
At our home we have thermo-insulated shades that, along with insulated draperies, keep a room warm in the winter cut down on the National Grid bill.
So, I don’t plan on any changes.
The other morning as I raised the shade, the whole thing came down, practically on my head. After a few choice words (there was no one there to hear me), I gathered it all up. It was a large shade on a large window. The plastic holding it up had broken off.
What was I going to do? I have other
shades stored that are no longer in use, not the right size, but perhaps
I could borrow the fixture.
To my dismay most of them have already been taken for the same use, or they are made of metal and never break, but aren’t removable.
Time to shop for a new shade.
I don’t remember the price of the last shade I purchased, but it wasn’t too high. My nephew said he’d chip in half, inasmuch as the window is beside his computer.
The price of shades I was looking at was still too high. With a bit more shopping at other places that sell shades, I came up with a $90 figure. Now the shade has been ordered.
Some of my relatives suggested I put the shade on a new roller.
The price of shades has taken quite a leap.
I used to buy them for $5 or $10 in Gleasons Drygoods Store, Schepp’s Furniture Store, Gelose 5 and Dime Store and now they have to be ordered in a catalog.
Perhaps I should check out some of our nearby variety stores, just in case they carry window shades, but would they cut them to size?
I won’t change my window treatment. The shades do a great job of keep out the icy cold in winter and the hot, blazing sun in summer.
I hope that’s the last shade I have to buy for a while.
At our home we have thermo-insulated shades that, along with insulated draperies, keep a room warm in the winter cut down on the National Grid bill.
So, I don’t plan on any changes.
The other morning as I raised the shade, the whole thing came down, practically on my head. After a few choice words (there was no one there to hear me), I gathered it all up. It was a large shade on a large window. The plastic holding it up had broken off.
To my dismay most of them have already been taken for the same use, or they are made of metal and never break, but aren’t removable.
Time to shop for a new shade.
I don’t remember the price of the last shade I purchased, but it wasn’t too high. My nephew said he’d chip in half, inasmuch as the window is beside his computer.
The price of shades I was looking at was still too high. With a bit more shopping at other places that sell shades, I came up with a $90 figure. Now the shade has been ordered.
Some of my relatives suggested I put the shade on a new roller.
I had already tried that with the shade that the broken one had replaced.
I thought I would be so smart and carefully taped it to the roller but that didn’t work.
The shade I taped to the used roller seemed to work fine, but the next morning the shade was on the floor
The tape was still attached to the roller, but didn’t stick to the shade.
Perhaps I used the wrong tape. They all say duct tape fixes everything.
Wrong.
I once tried shortening one and ruined a perfectly good shade by cutting off the spring or whatever makes the shade go up and down.
I have found over the years to not try to mess with window shades, they are just too temperamental.
Do you have such experiences or am I just the only dumb one?
If I can’t order a shade in the right size for the fixtures, forget it.
Repairing the present shade wasn’t an option.I thought I would be so smart and carefully taped it to the roller but that didn’t work.
The shade I taped to the used roller seemed to work fine, but the next morning the shade was on the floor
The tape was still attached to the roller, but didn’t stick to the shade.
Perhaps I used the wrong tape. They all say duct tape fixes everything.
Wrong.
I once tried shortening one and ruined a perfectly good shade by cutting off the spring or whatever makes the shade go up and down.
I have found over the years to not try to mess with window shades, they are just too temperamental.
Do you have such experiences or am I just the only dumb one?
If I can’t order a shade in the right size for the fixtures, forget it.
The price of shades has taken quite a leap.
I used to buy them for $5 or $10 in Gleasons Drygoods Store, Schepp’s Furniture Store, Gelose 5 and Dime Store and now they have to be ordered in a catalog.
Perhaps I should check out some of our nearby variety stores, just in case they carry window shades, but would they cut them to size?
I won’t change my window treatment. The shades do a great job of keep out the icy cold in winter and the hot, blazing sun in summer.
I hope that’s the last shade I have to buy for a while.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Space difficult to find
It’s almost time to be putting the air
conditioners in the windows again, just after I found a place to store
them during the winter months.
The shelf where we used to store them, in the opinion of the person who carries them there, isn’t strong enough for two units.
I think it is, but to please him I decided to go along and find another place to keep them. Folks know I am a pack rat. The new winter spot for the air conditioners were already full of other things. It was a challenge, but finally it has been cleared for them. They were sitting in a spare bedroom until now.
It wasn’t a simple task to make the spot available. Nothing could be thrown out, in my opinion.
When I started making room, I did
discover many things I had forgotten were there. For instance, a
typewriter — electric, not that old — but it doesn’t work any longer. I
saved it because it might come in handy for parts.
OK, it may hurt, but I’ll get rid of that.
There’s also a basket full of things I really need. A screwdriver, two screwdrivers in fact, one Phillips and one regular; a pair of pliers, a small hammer, a variety of miscellaneous nails, clothespins and assortment of sizes of duct tape and Scotch tape.
These are all the tools that I use on the second story of our home. When you live in a two-story home and you run into a fix-it job you can wear yourself out running up and down the stairs for the appropriate tools, so over a period of time I have accumulated extra tools and keep them in the upstairs for use. I have saved many a trip up and down stairs.
Also in the space is my dad’s Skil saw, along with my cordless electric drill. The drill was a Christmas gift and I love it. Have you ever tried to drive a nail into oak framing? I must admit many a cuss word escaped my lips before my electric drill.
Another item in the space was a box of construction paper, many colors, sizes, and patterns of various subjects that were used in my Sunday School classes and my Brownie troop during the days when I was active in these groups. Added to it were a variety of colored stars and pipe cleaners and all of the things that can be used by kids to make gifts for their parents and other relatives. I have now decided they will be passed on to someone who needs them.
Is there more that I haven’t mentioned? Don’t ask. There is now room for the air conditioners when they’re packed away in October or November.
The biggest problem is that it’s going to be hard to keep the space cleared off until then.
The shelf where we used to store them, in the opinion of the person who carries them there, isn’t strong enough for two units.
I think it is, but to please him I decided to go along and find another place to keep them. Folks know I am a pack rat. The new winter spot for the air conditioners were already full of other things. It was a challenge, but finally it has been cleared for them. They were sitting in a spare bedroom until now.
It wasn’t a simple task to make the spot available. Nothing could be thrown out, in my opinion.
OK, it may hurt, but I’ll get rid of that.
There’s also a basket full of things I really need. A screwdriver, two screwdrivers in fact, one Phillips and one regular; a pair of pliers, a small hammer, a variety of miscellaneous nails, clothespins and assortment of sizes of duct tape and Scotch tape.
These are all the tools that I use on the second story of our home. When you live in a two-story home and you run into a fix-it job you can wear yourself out running up and down the stairs for the appropriate tools, so over a period of time I have accumulated extra tools and keep them in the upstairs for use. I have saved many a trip up and down stairs.
Also in the space is my dad’s Skil saw, along with my cordless electric drill. The drill was a Christmas gift and I love it. Have you ever tried to drive a nail into oak framing? I must admit many a cuss word escaped my lips before my electric drill.
Another item in the space was a box of construction paper, many colors, sizes, and patterns of various subjects that were used in my Sunday School classes and my Brownie troop during the days when I was active in these groups. Added to it were a variety of colored stars and pipe cleaners and all of the things that can be used by kids to make gifts for their parents and other relatives. I have now decided they will be passed on to someone who needs them.
Is there more that I haven’t mentioned? Don’t ask. There is now room for the air conditioners when they’re packed away in October or November.
The biggest problem is that it’s going to be hard to keep the space cleared off until then.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Grandma's iron kettle filled with memories
Spring is here, or perhaps spring has been here more or less all winter.
Hasn’t it been wonderful?
But some experts are concerned. If the next winter is a replay of the last one, it could bring big changes in New York state. Without all the snow melting and coming down from the hills, will we have enough water for crops, industry and homes? What about winter sports?
Most of us don’t think about these things; thankfully we have scientists to worry about them for us. I hope it doesn’t become more than just an academic exercise in the coming years.
I have been thinking about the beautiful
weather and talking to friends and neighbors about planting, flowers,
trees, vegetables, shrubs and all things to make the place where we live
beautiful for the summer.
This all leads up to one of the “planters” I intend to put out on our porch. While cleaning and straightening around the cellar I ran across my grandmother’s three-legged iron kettle all covered up sitting on a table.
It brought back so many fond memories.
The heavy round kettle fit easily on the burner on the wood or coal stove in her kitchen. Whether our ancestors once used to cook in a fireplace, I don’t know, but it was old when it was handed down to her.
Its three legs allowed it to sit on top of the stove and simmer or, when she wanted to hurry something along, she would remove the iron lid from the wood stove’s burner and place it right over the fire. But then we had to watch it closely so it wouldn’t burn.
If it were something she had already cooked and wanted to keep warm, she would move it onto the stove’s reservoir to keep it warm because the reservoir always contained hot water.
Grandma cooked us some delicious meals in her kettle. She always said that certain foods were best cooked in a heavy kettle.
The breakfast cornmeal, cooked long and slow, provided a wonderful morning meal.
There usually was some left, which she put into a bread pan to cool into a loaf. At supper, you might be served a slice of it that had been fried in butter and served with maple syrup or jelly.
Other foods she cooked in the kettle included soup, beef stew with potatoes, carrots, onions, rutabaga and sometimes other veggies with a few spices and brown gravy in the mix.
She would serve this with homemade biscuits.
On a cold winter’s stormy night we would all thank her for such a good meal.
I had forgotten about the kettle; now it will be sitting on the porch with a mix of perhaps petunias or geraniums replacing grandma’s stew.
We’ve replaced her generation’s coal and wood burning stoves with crockpots and microwave ovens.
That iron kettle was really something. And sitting on the table on the porch this summer full of flowers, it will still be.
Hasn’t it been wonderful?
But some experts are concerned. If the next winter is a replay of the last one, it could bring big changes in New York state. Without all the snow melting and coming down from the hills, will we have enough water for crops, industry and homes? What about winter sports?
Most of us don’t think about these things; thankfully we have scientists to worry about them for us. I hope it doesn’t become more than just an academic exercise in the coming years.
This all leads up to one of the “planters” I intend to put out on our porch. While cleaning and straightening around the cellar I ran across my grandmother’s three-legged iron kettle all covered up sitting on a table.
It brought back so many fond memories.
The heavy round kettle fit easily on the burner on the wood or coal stove in her kitchen. Whether our ancestors once used to cook in a fireplace, I don’t know, but it was old when it was handed down to her.
Its three legs allowed it to sit on top of the stove and simmer or, when she wanted to hurry something along, she would remove the iron lid from the wood stove’s burner and place it right over the fire. But then we had to watch it closely so it wouldn’t burn.
If it were something she had already cooked and wanted to keep warm, she would move it onto the stove’s reservoir to keep it warm because the reservoir always contained hot water.
Grandma cooked us some delicious meals in her kettle. She always said that certain foods were best cooked in a heavy kettle.
The breakfast cornmeal, cooked long and slow, provided a wonderful morning meal.
There usually was some left, which she put into a bread pan to cool into a loaf. At supper, you might be served a slice of it that had been fried in butter and served with maple syrup or jelly.
Other foods she cooked in the kettle included soup, beef stew with potatoes, carrots, onions, rutabaga and sometimes other veggies with a few spices and brown gravy in the mix.
She would serve this with homemade biscuits.
On a cold winter’s stormy night we would all thank her for such a good meal.
I had forgotten about the kettle; now it will be sitting on the porch with a mix of perhaps petunias or geraniums replacing grandma’s stew.
We’ve replaced her generation’s coal and wood burning stoves with crockpots and microwave ovens.
That iron kettle was really something. And sitting on the table on the porch this summer full of flowers, it will still be.
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