Wednesday, September 16, 2009

I'm Almost There!

Ta ta for now!


If you see a Greyhound bus, I may be getting off it! On Wednesday I am arriving in Sulphur Springs, Texas, about 7:30 PM.
I hope Mary Ruth will be there to pick me up!


I will be around there for about two weeks and I am hoping to see all of you while I am there.


Ta Ta for about two weeks! See you when I step off that bus!



Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Carole Lombard's Home

The Carole Lombard home in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Carole Lombard and Clark Gable


















This is Carole Lombard's family home in Fort Wayne , Indiana at 704 Rockhill Street. She was born there October 6, 1908.


I have driven past this house many times throughout my life in Fort Wayne. It has been turned into a museum. The home will be on display in a Home and Garden tour being held in that area this weekend. In the past the home has been a bed and breakfast but is better know as the Carole Lombard home.


Many of you younger people will probably not even know who Carole Lombard is. Well, she was just one of the most famous movie stars of the mid 1900s. She died in a plane crash in 1942 at the age of 34. She was married to Clark Gable, another famous movie star of her era.


I would like to visit the home on the garden tour but I will be getting ready for my trip to Texas.


At least I have seen the home many times in past years. It is not an extra fancy nor elaborate home but just nice. It does have an exciting history!




Monday, September 14, 2009

Do You Really Like the Taste of What you are Drinking?




I don't drink beer but I do drink instant tea and instant coffee. Sometimes when I take a drink of them, either one, I wonder why am I drinking this?
I really think it is habit. I just think I have to have coffee at breakfast and iced tea in the summer. I must say I do kind of like the tea but coffee is a different matter. I do want something hot to drink but I sometimes think I would like something better tasting.
I almost believed Lana Kay, my daughter, when she told me that I could just go out an scoop up a few spoonfuls of dirt to make my coffee and it would taste as good as what I am using!
She buys expensive coffee and I buy cheap instant coffee. However I have tasted her coffee and I don't really like it either. But for probably 75 years I have had coffee every morning of my life and wouldn't know what to drink besides it!
I have tasted beer and champagne and I don't like them either. I don't know what attracts people to drink beer--it certainly can't be the taste! I think they become attracted to the feeling they get from drinking it, not the taste.
Coffee is a different matter. You don't get any feeling from drinking it except maybe a little caffeine high. So why do I keep drinking coffee? When I was a kid my mother used to put a lot of sugar and cream in the coffee and I think that is when I became addicted to it. But when I grew up I discontinued putting in the sugar and later even the cream. So now I drink it black. And I really don't like it very well!
I would switch to hot chocolate except for the calories. So I guess I will continue to drink my mud coffee until something better comes along.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

I Upstaged the Preacher!

Pastor Earl Fritz

Not that I wanted to but I really did!

We went to church one Sunday and I felt fine--not a hint of anything wrong with me.

We went through part of the service and suddenly, when we were supposed to kneel on the kneeling cushions, I remember having a feeling of extreme weakness. I thought nothing of it and kneeled. That is the last I remember. I just slid over against Ford's side and was out cold.

Luckily a man was sitting near us that was a medical person so he took over for Ford. I was only out for a couple of minutes and then came to. I felt foolish but OK. The sermon was completely stopped while I was waiting on the ambulance. I was lying on the floor with a sea of faces looking down at me. I think Ford was almost overcome also from fright, He had no idea I had any problem at all and really didn't know how I was. It could have been a heart attack or stroke or whatever.

The preacher really lost all attention while they were working on me. Everyone was interested in my plight!

They took me to the hospital in an ambulance and I was checked out thoroughly and the only thing they found was that my blood pressure was low. My doctor prescribed a medication to raise my blood pressure and I also had a brain scan. Everything came out normal. The doctor concluded that my low blood pressure had caused me to faint. I never did it again after that. (However, I now have high blood pressure--isn't that strange?)

A couple of little boys were talking in the hall afterwards and were telling another kid that he really missed out on the excitement, since he had not been at the service, that a woman had passed out during the service and really pepped up the service!

I was utterly embarrassed about the whole thing but very grateful that I had no serious problem. I spent the whole afternoon just lying around and hoping that I would not do a repeat!



Saturday, September 12, 2009

Tooth picks: Flat or Round?
























Which do you prefer, flat or round? I like the round ones best. They are sturdier and you can use both ends. The flat ones only give you one end to use.


The most memorable toothpicks to me are the ones that they stuck in each half of my pimento cheese sandwich at the Palace Drug Store in Paris, Texas, when I was in high school! They each had an olive stuck on the end. They were treasures at that time. Now, I still like olives but they never match up to the taste of those from the Drug Store!


Once we ate out with some friends at a new Smorgasbord we had learned about. We all really pigged out. As we were leaving and were near the checkout counter, I grabbed a few toothpicks in my hand and I passed them out to the others in our group. One of the ladies asked, "Are they flavored?" I said, " I don't really know but why does it matter?" She replied, " I am so stuffed that I couldn't stand the taste of cinnamon on a toothpick." We all got a laugh out of that.


Tooth picks are something that I buy only maybe once a year. But I do stick with the round ones. They may cost a little more but you get double the use since they are pointed on both ends.
I have many other uses for tooth picks, I used to make craft items and tooth picks were a must for craft projects! I don't do crafts anymore but I do find other uses for toothpicks in my daily doings.


Friday, September 11, 2009

More about Ford and Soda Pop


Once when we were on a flight to somewhere--I don't remember where now--the attendant brought around drinks for everyone. We were seated in a three seated space. Ford was in the middle seat and another passenger was on the aisle seat and I was by the window. Of course we were seat belted in. Just when the attendant put Ford's drink on his tray table something caused the glass to upset. The coke all spilled over into Ford's lap. He was seat belted in so he couldn't jump up. He just had to sit there and let the pop soak into his pants and lap. The attendant got him some towels and helped him wipe up what they could but he was soaked with pop. So he had to finish the trip with wet pants. Not very pleasant!


That time the joke--or the pop--was on him!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Ford the Teaser

Ford with his soda pop

For was always a big teaser. He had a ball doing things to irritate me, or anyone for that matter!

Back when soda pop came in bottles instead of cans he hatched the idea up of using the empty bottle to make an irritating whistle while we were riding in the car on a trip. He figured out how to hold the empty bottle just the right way to the open window so that it made a loud whistle. It drove me up the wall. The kids thought it was the funniest thing they had ever heard of. So he would hurry up and finish his drink and then his fun would start. He would do that as long as he could without me getting nasty about it.

He also did another thing which drove me crazy. If I would be napping on the couch or in a chair, he would rub my eye brows in the opposite direction they grew in and that really set me off. He did that many times even if I were not napping, just at any time.

Or maybe he would tickle my nose while I napped. Just anything to aggravate me. Of course the kids always though it was so funny. Everything he did then was funny to them.

Now, I would give my right arm to have him do some of those things to me. I am sure he will be a terror in Heaven! He may even get kicked out!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Old Blue Eyes


Chuck. Lisa's cat



Frank is the white cat









Old Blue eyes is Frank Sinatra's nick name. So when Carla Sue got her three cats a few years ago she picked names for them. One she named Jet, because he is solid jet black; one she named Ilford, I think it was a brand name for something she had seen; and because the last cat had blue eyes, she named him Frank--for Frank Sinatra.

I was thinking of Lisa's cat, Chuck--the cat who survived a nine day lockup
without food or water. I thought that was an unusual name for a cat. I have no idea why she picked that name for him.


I have some friends who's son has a cat named Fido, also an unusual name
for a cat, but not for a dog. I guess you can name your pet whatever you wish. I should have named my psychotic dog, Idiot, because that is what he was!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

It's the End!






















Of summer, that is. I hate this time of the year when everything is dying and you know summer is over. At least here in Indiana it is. We may have a few days of warm weather come along but the hot summer weather is finished.

The trees have not lost their leaves yet but they are starting to fall. My tomato plants are dead already. I want to pull them out before I leave here for my trip to Texas. I don't know why they died so early because we have not had a killing frost but they are dead for sure.


We do have the anticipation of the beautiful fall colors but that is only a precursor of the death of the growing season for the tree. It is almost like when a person dies; they are dressed beautifully and look so pretty in their coffin but it is just at the end when they are really dead. So it is with the trees; they look so beautiful with their multicolored leaves but they are really dead also.
I remember that my Dad always loved fall. He loved raking the leaves and burning them. He loved doing all of the fall chores; putting away the garden hose, the yard furniture and Etc. I hate it.
However, I am already looking forward to next spring--my favorite time of the year--when I can begin starting my garden and having a whole new summer come along. The death of fall is sad but the birth of spring is a new beginning!






Monday, September 7, 2009

Our 1951 Chevy

Our 1951 Chevrolet


This Chevy was the third car we had after Ford got out of the service in 1946. We first had an old 1929 Model A Ford, then we advanced to a 1946 Chevrolet. Then in 1951 we really stepped up and got a brand new 1951 Chevy Sport Coupe!


I have not kept track of all of the cars we have owned but we have always bought brand new ones as our main car since the 1951 Chevy. We really felt spiffy driving that car around!


Sadly, now my car is 15 years old. But it never gives me one bit of trouble. A few years ago I had to buy a new battery but I've never had any trouble with the car itself. As long as that car percolates I will never buy a new one again. I don't go that much to need a new car. Would you believe that my van--my present car--has about 35,000 miles on it? Everyone can't believe it when I tell them that. For a 15 year old car it is sort of unbelievable. It is in my garage all the time and Tony, my son-in-law, changes the oil for me about once a year, It never has the limit of miles reached but he changes it anyway.


I can still remember the swell feeling I had when I drove that 1951 Chevy around back in those olden days. And the best part is that we didn't pay a huge amount for it. Of course it seemed a lot then. I can't remember what a new car cost back then but it was probably less than a thousand dollars. Now a new car costs more than we paid for our first home over on Reed Street--in fact about three times that!
I am very happy with my old car. I might add that Lana Kay puts a lot of those miles on it when she is here every summer! It is just a car driven by a little old lady to go get groceries and do the inevitable chores I have all the time!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Young--No Money, Old--No Looks






















This situation is sort of the same as the retirement one.
In your working years you are too busy to go after your dreams and don't have enough money to do so then after you retire and have more money, you are not healthy enough to go after your dreams.

So it is with your looks. When you are young and have a nice figure and would like to dress in high style, you don't have the money to do it. Then later after you get older and have more money and more knowledge about how to dress nicely you don't have the figure for it any more!

Life is the PITS! Nothing seems to work out exactly right.
This is the general way things are. Some people are lucky enough to have money when they are young and some people are lucky enough to have a nice figure when they are old. NOT ME!
But I am sure God made it the way it is supposed to be! So I will continue to dress in my nicer clothes and not so nice figure since it has somehow left me! I wonder if eating has anything to do with it?

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Clock


The clock in the picture above is over 100 years old. It belonged to Ford's Mother and Dad back when he was just a kid. They bought it used and I have no idea how old it was then. Anyway, Ford was born in 1919 and the clock is older than that.

When Ford's Mother died we became the owners of the clock. It was not working at that time. We took it to a repairman and had it fixed. It ran for quite a few years but eventually the spring broke in it and it no longer ran. We never had it repaired again but bought a new mantle clock, or our kids bought one for us for a Christmas gift.

The clock has sat on a dresser in our back bedroom for about 25 years or so. I often think about taking it in for repairs again but have never actually done it. I have no idea of the value of the clock. It was made by the Sessions Clock Company at Forestville, Connecticut. It has sentimental value to me because it was Ford's clock after his Mother died. He loved that clock. It needs to be wound about once a week with two key holes. The original key is still with it. It strikes on the hour whatever the time and on the half hour with one strike.

Maybe one day my kids will decide to have it repaired. I would love to know how many ticks that clock has made!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Interstate Highways













An interstate complex




We traveled this interstate many time on our way west.



We have made many trips to Texas and to other places in our lifetime. Years ago we traveled on state highways and sometimes just county roads to get to where we were going.

For the past thirty five or so years we have traveled on the interstates. They are much safer, quicker and easier to travel on but somehow I miss all of the charm and fun of the old state and county highways.

We used to go right through the center of quaint little towns and villages until we would reach the city limits and then get on the state highway again. We were much slowed down by this city driving but it was fun. We saw interesting stores, busy little vegetable stands, good home cooking restaurants and just plain old grocery stores.


Later when we started going on the interstates we lost all of the fun of those places. Now all you see are fast food places and gas stations. Interstates started around in the seventies but had been in the planning stages for about half a century.


The world is going at such a fast pace it doesn't have time for the fun stuff--just get there as fast as you can and forget all of the fun!






Thursday, September 3, 2009

My MP3 Player



( top)Flash drives (bottom) MP3 player


Would you believe this little contraption will hold several hours of music? I used to carry a tape recorder and tapes to listen to when I rode the bus to Texas. It was much heavier and more inconvenient to carry than this little thing that is about 2x3 inches big. Now I put this little thing in my purse along with an extra battery or two and I can listen to music on the bus as long as I wish. I have two of them so I will never run out of listening materials.




I am amazed at all of the new unbelievable things technology has come up with in the past few years. The picture at the top is a picture of my two flash drives. I have one for my blogs and one for all of my pictures that I get on e mails. I have over five hundred posts on my blog and all of them are on one of the flash drives. On the other one is all of my pictures I get in e mails. The one for my blogs is a two gigabyte and the other for pictures is a four gigabyte. The very first computer I ever had was a one gigabyte. Isn't that mind boggling? I can't believe all that material will go into a little thing that is about two inches long and one inch wide. What will they come up, with next?


While I am not getting any richer with these things I am having a ball playing around with them! I am just sad that I probably don't have that many more years to play around with them! But I will do it as long as I am able , and as I have said before, I hope they have them in Heaven!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Pie Dough




Lemon Meringue Pie











Mama in her kitchen







My Mother was a good cook. She made such wonderful lemon meringue pies that they made your mouth water just to look at them.


When she made the pie dough she always made a little extra so she would have some dough left over for making it for us kids to eat. She would take the left over dough and cut it in to strips and place it on a baking pan. Then she would let it cook until just golden brown and then take it out. We kids thought it was heaven to eat that! I never think about doing that now but I don't know why. It was so good to eat those crunchy brown strips of pie dough.


In fact, I don't think very often about making a lemon meringue pie. In the first place, I could never match my mother's skill in making one and second, I guess I am too lazy. Lemon meringue pies are a lot of work! Once in a while I get a piece of lemon meringue pie when I eat out but it never meets the standards of my mother's pies.


I guess that is another thing that I hope they have in Heaven!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Candy Man




Hershey's Cocoa









Ford about the time he worked at the candy Factory.








Ford used to make the best fudge that melted in your mouth. He always used the recipe that used to be on the cocoa box. I looked some time ago and the recipe was not on the box. Maybe it is on some of them but it was not on the box I have. The brand I have now is what we always used, it was Hershey brand. I think maybe I have the recipe somewhere in my mixed up mess of recipes.


Anyway, Ford worked at a Candy factory back when he was just a teenager and he learned a lot of tips for making good candy. However, fudge is the only kind he ever made for us.



He seemed to just know the exact moment to take the fudge off the stove and start beating it. He would put drops of the fudge into a cup of cold water and roll it in his fingers to check the firmness and when it met his expectations he would take it off the burner and start beating it. He would beat it until the shine was dulled to a smooth and lighter color. Then he would pour it out onto a buttered plate and spread it out to the just right thickness. Ummmmm, good, good, good!



The kids were always begging him to make fudge, usually late at night when they would be hungry for a snack. It didn't take long for him to whip up a quick batch, and then the fun began.



Ford is now gone but I often think of his delicious fudge and wish so badly that he were here to make a batch right now! I hope they have fudge in Heaven!