put on a happy face {october 31, 2023}

In response to yesterday's sorta grumpy post...Put on a Happy Face

Put on a Happy Face

by Dick Van Dyke

Gray skies are gonna clear up,

Put on a happy face;

Brush off the clouds and cheer up,

Put on a happy face.

Take off the gloomy mask of tragedy,

It's not your style

You'll look so good that you'll be glad

Ya' decide to smile!

Pick out a pleasant outlook,

Stick out that noble chin;

Wipe off that "full of doubt" look,

Slap on a happy grin!

And spread sunshine all over the place,

Just put on a happy face!

And if you're feeling cross and bitterish

Don't sit and whine

Think of banana split and licorice

And you'll feel fine

I knew a girl so glooming

She'd never laugh or sing

She wouldn't listen to me

Now she's a mean old thing

So spread sunshine all over the place

Just put on a happy face

So, put on a happy face.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 

This photo was taken in Hoosier National Forest. T and I were looking for the Birdseye Trail which was a 4-mile hike. The GPS took us down a logging path, into the depths of the forest, and before we arrived at the trail we decided we didn't want to be this far away from civilization. When we got to the trail parking lot, it was closed because of the logging operation going on there.

🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃

Today is Halloween. We're halfway between September's autumn equinox and December's winter solstice and we're going to "fall back" on November 5. Bye bye, Daylight Saving Time.

monday's mulling: meh {october 30, 2023}

Today started out chilly, gray, and rainy. Just one of those days where motivation is low.  

I wrote a list of stuff to do and got some of it crossed off but not all. I'm renewing my passport and need to get my photo taken but can't do it today because I left my flat iron at the hotel in Louisville. I need a flat iron to tame the puffy hair. I bought one and tomorrow I'll go to AAA for my passport photo. Tomato plants need to be pulled but couldn't do it because of the rain. Tomorrow they'll be out of the ground and taken to  the yard waste drop off.  

Yes, it was a dreary, cloudy day and that put me in a funk until I looked out the door and saw this late afternoon view. That sun shining on the gray blanket of clouds made a background to illuminate the red leaves on the burning bushes and emphasize the gold leaves. It was a beautiful contrast and play of light. I went outside to see if a rainbow was in the sky but no. The clouds are parting, blue sky is peeking through, and according to the forecast, the sun'll come out tomorrow! (Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun).

.

birthday boy {october 29, 2023}

Happy Birthday to one who gave me the title of Mom.

39 years ago, T and I were having Sunday dinner at my parents' house and I just didn't feel well. I went downstairs to lay on my brother's waterbed while everyone enjoyed their meal. We went home, I got sick a couple times, and was nervous that I might have the flu this close to having my baby. We went to the hospital at 11:00 and at 3:46 a.m. I was holding my newborn son. 39 years ago, we didn't find out the baby's gender. It was such a special moment to hear the doctor say, "Congratulations, you have a son!"

39 years...wow. I can't believe that I'll be a mom to a 40-year old next year!

having a field day {october 28, 2023}

One month ago, on an absolutely perfect fall day in Chicago, we celebrated our daughter's marriage to her love of five years. With a backdrop of the Chicago skyline and my first son-in-law acting as officiant, S and S stated their vows in front of friends and family. 

The venue was the Field Museum of Natural History. As a young boy, my new son-in-law loved going to the Field Museum. As his parents said, "He could name every dinosaur there and tell you whatever you wanted to know about them." 

What a night of celebration: The Triple Ds, dining, dancing, and drinking, were in full force! As quickly as the evening began, the festivities came to an end, and a new era of love as Mr. and Mrs. commenced.

First dance

Smiling with Sue!

Boom-boom, acka-lacka-lacka, boom
Boom-boom, acka-lacka, boom-boom

Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur

the friday feed: world pasta day {october 27, 2023}

October 25th was World Pasta Day. The day celebrates one of the world’s favorite and most versatile foods.

I love pasta. One of my favorite pasta memories is being introduced to cacio e pepe when we were in Rome. Spaghetti with pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper. I think I ordered it three times while we were there. It’s tricky to make because you add the cheese to the warm pasta and stir it until it coats the pasta. It’s one of those recipes that needs practice. I had cheese clumps the first few times.

One of the most amazing things about pasta is that there are over 350 kinds!

I tried to load some photos but Blogger was having some technical difficulties, or maybe it's me having technical difficulties. 

Enjoy the Shel Silverstein poem.

🍝 🍝 🍝 🍝 🍝 🍝 🍝 🍝

Italian Food 

Oh, how I love Italian food.

I eat it all the time,

Not just 'cause how good it tastes

But 'cause how good it rhymes.

Minestrone, cannelloni,

Macaroni, rigatoni,

Spaghettini, scallopini,

Escarole, braciole,

Insalata, cremolata, manicotti,

Marinara, carbonara,

Shrimp francese, Bolognese,

Ravioli, mostaccioli,

Mozzarella, tagliatelle,

Fried zucchini, rollatini,

Fettuccine, green linguine,

Tortellini, Tetrazzini,

Oops—I think I split my jeani.

~ Shel Silverstein

ice, ice baby {october 26, 2023}

Dayton, OH is the home to many inventions, one of them being the ice cube tray.

Arthur Frei, working at Frigidaire, developed 23 patents on the ice cube tray. One of his most significant developments was the quick release lever on top of the tray that dislodged the cubes. Prior to that, the metal tray had to be soaked in hot water to free the ice.

I remember using ice cube trays like this. Depending on how high the water was in the tray, it could be a test of strength to pull that lever back. The crack of the ice and then the ka-chunk of dumping the cubes into the ice container is one of those unforgettable sounds of childhood.

This giant ice cube tray can be found at the corner of 1st Street and Patterson Blvd.

wordy wednesday: hinterwäldler {october 25, 2023}

A short story to get to the Wednesday word...

A couple weekends ago my house was full of family. It was Saturday, all of us were going to an evening wedding reception, and here it was, a little before lunch, and my girls requested a veggie tart. Sure, why not? I had a bunch of veggies and I just needed a few things: pie crusts, ricotta cheese, and feta cheese. Quick trip to the store.

As I walked through the store and past the wine shop, I noticed a German wine tasting and thought, “Why not?” The wines were from the Rheinhessen region where my dad was stationed in the Army and where I was born. Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest wine region. I chose a dry pinot blanc, found a seat, and enjoyed a quiet moment of sipping before heading back to my busy, full house.

My best friend’s mom was from Munich. She was a sweet little lady. A little while ago my friend told her where I was born, she said in her German accent, “That is where der Hinterwäldler live.”  

She called me a hillbilly! 

bees and flowers {october 24, 2023}

Two of my favorite things to photograph - bees and flowers, especially now that it's late in the season.

 

monday's mulling: to kill a mockingbird {october 23, 2023}

I went to a banned book play. 

To Kill a Mockingbird, the classic 1960 novel about racial injustice in a Southern town, has been banned and challenged in numerous communities. Challenges often cite language and racial depictions. 

This hit Broadway adaptation by Aaron Sorkin has been a lightning rod for controversy.

The use of the word “nigger” was used frequently in the stage play. TKAM takes place in rural Mississippi in 1934 and the play stayed true to the times. I remember reading the book in high school, seeing the word on the printed page, and thinking that it was an ugly word. It still is. Reading the book and hearing the actors in their roles are two different things. Listening to Bob and Mayella Ewell spew their hatred of Tom Robinson just because he’s “a nigger” was very unsettling. The audience could hear the Ewells' rage and see the hatred toward this man in their voices. Some audience members gasped at the language, the bigotry and the inhumanity.

Richard Thomas playing the role of Atticus Finch was outstanding. His closing argument to the jury to find Tom Robinson not guilty was so compelling, so full of emotion, that for a brief moment I hoped that the story would be rewritten and the jury would find Tom Robinson not guilty. The writers stayed true to the story, as I knew it would happen, and the hate and bigotry of the 1930s Deep South won. I cried.

This theater version of  To Kill a Mockingbird depicted the past as Harper Lee wrote and was peppered with contemporary commentary. Very relevant, very powerful, very thought-provoking.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"When I meet people from other cultures I know that they too want happiness and do not want suffering: this allows me to see them as brothers and sisters."

~ Charles Schulz

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On a happier note, I worked at the farm during the day we attended TKAM. In the tree by the farmstand, a mockingbird tweeted its beautiful song. 

ducks in a row {october 22, 2023}

This is the last full week of October and for me and many others it's the beginning of  one of the busier times of the year.

I’m starting to get my ducks in a row for the upcoming week and the upcoming holidays. I am a list maker, a calendar keeper, and a post-it note junkie. All kinds of ways to keep me on track. I add, I cross off, add, cross off, and so on and so on until Christmas Eve arrives and then I'm done.

There are days that are full and the list, calendar, and post-its keep me organized and sort of sane. Same for the days that aren’t so full. They’re reminders of things that are coming up, things that need to be done by “X” date, getting myself to yoga or the gym or just outside for a walk (my goal is not to gain weight over the holidays), and to get those Christmas stockings made for my new son-in-law and Little Grandson!

Time to get quackin'!

Where did the term "get your ducks in a row" come from? 

politeness {october 21, 2023}

In my previous home, a German Baptist cabinet maker made my kitchen cabinets. I loved that kitchen for so many reasons.

One day I needed a couple repairs and tweaks to some cabinets. Mr. Dutter arrived wearing what he wears everyday, his conservative German Baptist clothing: his button up shirt, suspenders with his work pants, and his hat. When he came into the house, he took off his hat and placed it on the bureau in the entry way and when he left the house, he put it back on. It's part of who he is, his rhythm of life. His quiet politeness made such a big statement.

the friday feed: double duty {october 20, 2023}

Coffee bar in the morning, wine counter in the evening.

Which line would you choose?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Dom's Kitchen and Market in Chicago is a shopping experience as well as a  neighborhood destination. Begin your day with coffee, tea, and breakfast in the AM and then enjoy wine, beer, and craft cocktails in the PM. This one is located on Wells Street in Lincoln Park. I love taking my shopping bags (there's a fee for plastic bags), walking to the store, then browsing and shopping, usually with a cup of tea. Would I shop here all the time if I lived in Chicago? No. I'd go there for a quick shop or for some specialty items. Dom's wine shop has a lot of good wines and they are inexpensive compared to Ohio prices. When we were there around Cinco de Mayo, Dom's set up a design your own guacamole bar: tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, roasted corn, roasted garlic, snap peas, and a few other ingredients that I don't remember. The avocados were freshly scooped, the cilantro freshly chopped, ingredients of your choice stirred in, and it was delicious! 

travis kelce {october 19, 2023}

The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles played each other in Super Bowl 2023. Travis Kelce (Chiefs) and Jason Kelce (Eagles) became the first set of brothers to face off in a Super Bowl. That was the first time I had ever heard their names (not a huge football fan) and the fact that brothers were opposing one another on one of the biggest stages in the sports world was a fun fact.

Now thanks to Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce has become a household name in record time.

He was a clue in the NYT Mini Crossword Puzzle.

PS...he just bought a $6 million mansion in Kansas City for the express purpose of better of privacy for him and Taylor.

wordy wednesday: sweet 16 {october 18, 2023}

Happy Sweet 16 (months) to Little Grandson! 

I wonder what cars will be like when he is ready to drive. 

Will gas engine cars be around? Will the self-driving cars be perfected? What about driver's ed classes...will they be necessary? Will texting while driving be an issue? What will cars be made of -  3D printed components? How will the car of the future change the automotive industry? There will be more connection to technology with computers, cameras, and infotainment centers. Will the car help him do his homework? What will be some benefits to society? Less pollution, more safety...

I hope he has experience of being handed the keys or the fob for the first time to do an errand on his own for his mom or dad. Such a feeling of freedom and growing up.

He will grow with the changes. And I will tell him back in the day stories.

memories {october 17, 2023}

A few more thoughts on "Jobs A to Z," from Monday's post, never too old.

This one caught my eye. It reminds me of Kehinde Wiley's Presidential Portrait of Barack Obama. 

Dayton, OH has a National Park ranger! The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park that commemorates three important historical figures—Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar—and their work in the Miami Valley. Here's "our guy" superimposed on the iconic view of Horseshoe Bend in Glen Canyon.

Look in the lower left and lower right corners and you will see the artist's signatures, Bill Franz and his 101-year old father-in-law, Wally Willaman. Wally has memory loss and frequently visits were difficult so Franz wanted to involve Wally in a creative project. As Franz said about his father-in-law, "Wally was hesitant at first but gradually became interested. We talked about whether the letter F should be for a Farmer or a Fire Eater or Florist. We discussed which colors were good together and which we didn't like. We bought donuts for the nursing home residents and staff and got their reactions to our rough drafts. We had fun."

monday's mulling: never too old {october 16, 2023}

T and I went to the Downtown Dayton Metro Library to see a photo exhibit, "Jobs from A to Z" by area  photographer Bill Franz who had his 101 year old father-in-law assist him.

In Franz’s words:

“I started this series because the memory loss of my father-in-law Wally Willaman was making our time together difficult. I hoped that we could avoid discussions of the past by having fun working on a project in the present. It worked. We had a ball.

I told Wally that when we finished our art would be in an exhibition, thinking that would keep him interested in the project. But I knew it was likely that we never would make it to the end. Wally is 101, and I knew the project would take at least six months.  

Well six months later we've made it all the way to "Z is for Zookeeper" and Wally's still going strong. And the work will be exhibited twice.  Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor has an active arts in healthcare program. They will display "Jobs from A to Z" from March 11 to May 31, 2024 in a gallery where thousands of people will walk by it each day.

But Ann Arbor is too far for Wally to travel, so Jayne Klose, the library's Community Engagement Manager, helped us out. She invited us to exhibit at Dayton Metro Library. Wally and I hope people have as much fun viewing this art as we did making it.”

                                                                                       A is for Accordionist

B is for Bronc Rider

E is for Engineer 

F is for Florist

                                                                                      C is for Carpenter

D is for Dancer

G is for Glassblower

H is for Handyman

                                                                          I is for Ice Cream Vendor

J is for Jeweler

L is for Lineman

M is for Mail Carrier

K is for Kettle Maker

N is for National Park Ranger

                                                                               O is for Orchestra Musician

P is for Propeller Maker

Q is for Quality Inspector

R is for Riveter

                                                                                     S is for Sculptor

T is for Tattoo Artist

W is for Welder 

X is for Xylophonist

                                                                                 U is for Upholstery Cutter

V is for Videographer

Y is for Yoga Instructor

Z is for Zookeeper

When asked what he wanted people to know about working with Franz, Willaman replied with, “Tell them that even when people are my age, you can still squeeze some work out of them.” 

All the photos are signed by Bill Franz and Wally Willaman.