BenSuMi

All I ever needed to know...

2012-01-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

All I Really Need To Know
I Learned In Kindergarten
by Robert Fulghum

- an excerpt from the book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten

All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do
and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not
at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the
sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life - learn some and think some
and draw and paint and sing and dance and play
and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic,
hold hands, and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody
really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even
the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die.
So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books
and the first word you learned - the biggest
word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any of those items and extrapolate it into
sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your
family life or your work or your government or
your world and it holds true and clear and firm.
Think what a better world it would be if
all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about
three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with
our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments
had a basic policy to always put thing back where
they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you
are - when you go out into the world, it is best
to hold hands and stick together.

© Robert Fulghum, 1990.
Found in Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, Villard Books: New York, 1990, page 6-7.

Chaos!

2011-12-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

Well folks, it has been brought to our attention that we've been slacking on the Internet upkeep! Surely most of you know the chaos that had ensued before Thanksgiving. Mike is doing well after being in the hospital for 5 days. He has good days and bad days. He is taking precautions that seem to be helping...
We had house guests right after he arrived home. They also spent 5 days here! We had a big family dinner celebrating November birthdays with pie & all the fixins on a Friday. The next day (one week after the hospital trip) we went to the Fabulous Food Show here at the IX center. We recommend going at least once if you're at all into cooking. We were in attendance at the 1st Guy Fieri show. Which was really fun! There were samples to snack, tips & treats to be shared... someone described it as trick or treating for adults! Sue met Chef Michael Simon and is now a big fan of the Cleveland native... and St Eds grad we might ad! A good time was had by all that weekend... and we've just been busy ever since! We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We hope everyone is having an enjoyable Christmas season of decorating, shopping, wrapping and baking! We hope that all of you take time to enjoy the season and remember what it is all about, amongst all of the chaos... take time for Peace, Joy and Goodwill...

Been a WHILE!

2011-08-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Wow has it really been since February! Well folks... we've been busy! This year has been filled with 80th and 50th birthdays since then... which involved house guests... estimates for things around the house... WHERE ARE MY NEW WINDOWS?! Yard work ... house work... found a very old friend on face book... not that we chat on that very much... think that was March! We've noticed certain things being home owners... Dad always said "there's always something to do" and of course Dad was right! Well it seems that in spring and summer you prepare for fall and winter... and vice verse... Dad forgot to mention that one! Well we did put aside any do it yourself major projects for this summer... we have a couple of windows on order, thats the major project this year! We've been doing the minor things like repainting some of the trim, shifting a gutter away from the drive way... who would point a gutter right at the drive anyway! Duh! Landscaping of course... Sue has her alarm set for every Saturday at 8 am to listen to Angelo Petitti and has learned a lot! We've started shopping more at the West Side Market... again Dad was right! Its amazing how many years it takes to realize that something your parents told you was correct... We've tried a few new Breweries this summer... Great Lakes and Willoughby... We drove past the Erie Brewing Co yesterday coming home from our "new" ball park for this year.. Jerry Uht in Erie, PA. Where we saw the Erie Seawolves play the Bowie Baysox... which brings us to sports... we've been able to see a lot of baseball, minor league of course, between the Crushers and Captains... etc... Thats all for now folks! Now Get out there and DO SOMETHING!

The smell of spring...

2011-02-24T15:27:00.000-08:00

Many people associate the coming of spring with buds appearing throughout the land... green things popping up in the yard... the absence of snow and the onset of rain... the red red robin going bob bob bobbin in the yard... birds singing... while we truly appreciate these as signs of spring. Lovely visual signs! One must not overlook the smell of spring! This hit us gently this morning at 4am... as our wonderful Ollie bumped into the window cover trying to see who/what was smelling up his back yard! Le Pew! Normally we've no clue what Ollie is spotted so early in the am... but this time there were 3 skunks playing and chattering in the yard... luckily the aroma was not that bad... none the less... folks the smell of spring is in the air! Le Pew...

By the way... who without looking it up can name Pepe Le Pew's girlfriend's name?!

The Rental

2011-02-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

Ok you waited long enough! The surprise rental was a Chevy HHR... like fire engine red! At first we did not like driving it... but it truly grew on us! Even Dad said it had a nice ride... yep DAD! This being the year to possibly replace the 1994... the HHR is in the running now... hmmm was it really an accident that we had that rental???

2011-01-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

Have you sent your guess on the rental car yet? Another hint... 2011 will be the last production year for this "car".

2011-01-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

Are you staying warm? Not long ago almost all 50 states had snow... did you know that? Do you know which state did not? If you said Hawaii... you would be wrong! At any rate the investment of insulation has been paying off... but one of our new years projects is to add more to out unfinished upstairs. Its not a glamorous project like finishing the garden room... but none the less it must be done! What kind of projects are you working on this year? Our list is dwindling down this year... we need to regroup and save for some of the bigger projects... and or sketch out more details... This year we will have to repaint the side doors... there will be landscaping work to do... and perhaps some other things we hope they're all minor... Sue would like to do a bit of purging and reorganizing... and then have a garage sale! She has decided that the winter months are a good time to purge cabinets and closets, price things and box them that they will be ready to sell when the weather improves! Woo hoo!

2011-01-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

For those that missed our Christmas lights in 2010... see the pictures on the right... one of the things Sue hates the most is taking down the decorations... however, thanks to her Dad we once again spent many a cold evening in the car looking at lights... and so the sketches for next years exterior/interior illumination have begun! If you have any thoughts/suggestions let her know! Just remember there are no exterior outlets on the house, yet! And luminaries don't seem to work with the street light right at the end of our drive! Enjoy!

2011-01-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

Well folks... its obviously been a while since we've been able to post anything!
Here's what we've been up to of late!
We've been... Dashing thru the snow in what is now a smushed up Chevrolet... Over the hills we go driving K&J... Ok you get the jist.
Truthfully... we had a very nice holiday season... getting together with most of our family and friends.
2011 started off like most new years full of thoughts like hmmm what are we going to do this year? Are we making a new years resolution... no not really...
Things were going smooth and then BOOM - quite literally!
On a very sunny warm for winter Sunday morning an the way to K & Js from Church... some young girl spun out and hit us... oh well... no one was hurt! That's the important thing! And it was not our fault!
Y'know how kids have all of their "first" things... well I'm pretty sure this was J's first car accident... so here are my favorite two comments of a 10 year old seeing a smushed car after the accident.
"That's all that's in there is styrofoam?" and "I can see thru your car!"
Yes now we can laugh at the situation... although we will not be seeing the car for a while... it's already been an week and 1/2... We had asked for a mid size rental explaining that we have people to drive around... we never would've imagined getting the "car" that we did... would you care to guess?? We'll tell you the color - Red and that it has a hatchback... go on guess... we'll be expecting your emails! Ta ta for now! Be safe out there... and if you see a bright blue Scion run... RUN!

Happy Christmas greetings!

2010-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Vesele Vianocne Hody!

May the peace and joy of the season be with you all!
Health and God's blessings also!
Merry Christmas!

Silent Night

2010-12-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

Ticha noc, sva ta noc! Vsetko spi, vsetko sni, sam len svaty bdie doverny par, strazi Dietatko, nebesky dar. Sladky Jezisko spi, sni, nebesky ticho spi, sni.

Do Hory, Do Lesa, Valasi

2010-12-17T16:13:00.000-08:00

Do hory do lesa, valasi Cti hori v tom nasom salasi;
radost velka sa zjavuje a tento svet potesuje
Kracajte, bratkovia, k jaslickam, aby ste zjavili vsetko nam.

(Out to the hills, to the forest run, What is burning there like the sun? A great joy is there appearing. None has ever been so cheering. Run, shepherds run to the manger. Then come and tell us what you have seen.)

Remembering with a smile...

2010-12-16T04:21:00.000-08:00

Many people are gone but not forgotten... this is very true of our relatives... as we prepare for the holidays to come... they are closer in our hearts it seems than the rest of the year... again remembering the good... make yourself smile... and if it helps. He always complimented the pirohy. She had a t-shirt that said "Out out damn Spot" with a dog on it. He liked to pass out lottery tickets with a twinkle in his eye. They started a lovely family tradition whether they knew it or not... one that has lasted for over 50 years... Share the funny ones!

Worth remembering

2010-12-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

A thought occurred today... someone had asked me recently what time is Christmas Eve... I did not know the answer... someone had asked me WHERE is Christmas Eve... I do not know the answer... these things used to be so automatic for an endless amount of years... now not so much... Sunday liturgy used to be so automatic as well during advent... there was one song that was automatic.... Come come Emanuel it began... I always loved that song and looked forward to it every advent... Truly this time of year brings a tear to ones eye for a number of things... the loss of loved ones at Christmas time... or any time for that matter... and now the loss of a "home" in St Wendelin. These are irreplaceable. But I leave you with this on one cold, cold... winters night...

“May you never forget what is worth remembering, nor ever remember what is best forgotten”

2010-11-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

HAPPY PIEROHY DAY EVERYONE!

Thread count micro fiber flannel fleece??

2010-11-19T18:14:00.000-08:00

We've recently purchased a new mattress... it's a little bigger than the last one sits a bit higher (which gives new meaning to the phrase climbing into bed) etc, etc... we discovered that our old mattress was, well, thinner... and thus the search for sheets began! We found a really nice set of affordable cotton sheets... nice reasonably priced...sheets! Recently as the weather gets colder and colder and having been under the practice of switching to flannel sheets we started shopping for those as well... Trying to get the right size fitted sheet has been interesting... it seems that most out there will fit the old bed not the new one! Then I went to Macys... and well of course they had the right size... you know for like $165.00 ish... thank you no I'll send Ollie in there first to warm up the sheets before getting in!

How many choices are there in buying sheets these days?? Are the pockets deep enough for the mattress'... Shouldn't this be a simpler matter?? Where did these standards come from?! Does anyone know??? This is one definition I found...

Defined: Thread count signifies the number of strands of yarn per inch for each direction of a woven fabric construction.

Since sliced bread!

2010-11-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

A neighbor once told me a story about my mom stating that the microwave was the "greatest thing since sliced bread"... I wonder in a persons life time how many things they've thought to be the greatest thing "since sliced bread"... well having stared some baking for the church we now belong to... I think one of the greatest things is my Kitchen Aid mixer! A neighbor and I were talking about this just before Halloween... as I have a mixer which is really and truly great when one is trying to make dough for 6 nut roll or a ton of holiday cookies to share! Recently rated by Good Housekeeping to be #1 as well... I informed one of my sisters this evening that everyone should have one... that's my first holiday tip for everyone!

When Was the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer Invented?

The invention of the Kitchenaid Mixer dates back to 1908 when an engineer for the Hobart Manufacturing Company, Herbert Johnson, observed a baker mixing dough using a metal spoon. He took that as inspiration and created a mechanical version, which became the first electric standing mixer. This stand mixer eventually became common equipment in plenty of large bakeries.

The first home mixer was eventually introduced in 1919 and was called the model H-5. Hobart called this the "Food Preparer" and was the first stand mixer for home use. The first home mixer wasn't cheap and convenient though – it cost around $189.50 and weighed more than 60 pounds. In 1936, however, Egmont Ahrens redesigned the mixer by trimming it down and lowered the price considerably and that's when the mixer started turning heads of customers.

Happy Birthday Ollie!

2010-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

There are many many decisions one has to make in life. Some involve buying clothes, cars, houses, insulation... some involve marriage, kids, family... one of the best decisions we've made was adopting Ollie! What they say on TV and radio is true pets really do add something to our lives. Ollie has truly added some wonder to ours... there seems to be something new with him all of the time... especially trying to figure out what he's tearing around the house chasing window to window about... There is a lot to be said for buying a purebred pet. There is a lot to be said of having a kitten or a puppy. We adopted Ollie when he was 5, a friend said that's just not enough time to have left with him... this is probably true. We waited a long time to get a pet. We made sure the pet was one that suited our lifestyle and that we could give the pet a proper home. Mike wanted to wait until a lot of projects in the house were done... we were going to wait until August that year... then he met Ollie... and didn't want someone else to adopt him. There are a lot of pets in shelters folks... go check it out if you're thinking about a pet...they're truly special. Ours turns 7 today!

Happy 7th Birthday Oliver August!

Happy Christmas in July - Belated!

2010-07-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks it's been a busy busy time... otherwise we'd have gotten our Happy Christmas in July wishes out to you on time! Hopefully you all experienced a cooler more festive weekend due to it being Christmas in July! We spent the week prepping! There was a baby shower to get to. A room was being finished! The house was being cleaned for a Christmas Eve in July nosh with relatives in town... the National Barbie convention was in town! There was an estate sale that one dropped in on quickly! Work has been busy for us both! Just lots to do! We did take time to enjoy the Christmas music on the radio as the usual station here played it til 7pm. We also did some shopping and returning... and we did have a Christmas tree out! It was acquired at the estate sale it's in working condition just missin a few bulbs... but the cost was $3!
Happy Christmas in July to us... got it home and realized it plays music too!
Many people scoff at Christmas in July... however it in the midst of a heat wave... with cheerful music and festivity in the air was a blessing! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Ugly door

2010-07-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

As many of you homeowners know there are things about your house that you just wish to change... even if you truly love your house. One of those things for me was changed over the weekend! Yay! With JR's help and guidance the front entry door was improved! Our door for those that have not seen it is great, we would not want to replace it. It has leaded glass and is a nice rugged door that fits the house. Its hardware is old and beautiful and if you replaced it today it would be expensive. However, the door had some weird stuff on it that made it look... well, ugly up close. So this weekend in between the insulation and the spare room project it was stripped, sanded, stained,rehung and is currently drying from the application of poly urethane. It looks MUCH better! YAY! Now it looks old rugged and something from a Harry Potter movie - not ugly at all!

The Styrofoam Cup

2010-07-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well folks we were the noisy neighbors this week... for a day! Our house like many others in the family became a "styrofoam cup" on Friday. Recently it was suggested to us that we have the foam insulation blown in... our AC was running a lot... there's still a tax credit... our walls have no insulation, etc. etc. While on vacation we had an estimate and after the sticker shock wore off we thought hard about it and well... we got it done. It's actually pretty impressive how insulation is shot into holes between mortar in a brick house and then filled in afterwards. Unless you know its there... you'd not notice it at all. Today I noticed that coming home after a warm afternoon of walking and sweating (and not buying anything but a bottle of water) at the St Johns Art Festival. Our house was cool 83 degrees inside but COOL. With no air on and just windows open all day long! How about that!

Our Staycation

2010-07-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Our staycation this year was interesting! We did not have specific plans for any grand adventure... before vacation we checked out some schedules, the passport, the forecast, our wallets and away we went! Well not really.
For most of our vacation the weather was perfect for us... beautiful blue skies nice breeze and sunshine! The plan was can you guess??? We're guessing most of you would be half right... baseball games, driving range, the Dayton Air Force museum, electricity, paint, estimates and a castle... not all of this happened of course!
Part of the staycation was finishing adding electrical outlets to the room under construction and one of us had hoped it would be painted and almost done by now... well instead of ONE outlet in there we now have THREE one of which is grounded! Yay! This was Thursday. As you might notice from the list above there was still a lot going on while on our vacation.
Lets start with baseball... there are a lot of baseball teams in Ohio and its bordering states... minor league baseball that is! We had planned to see several teams one of which would have gotten us to our "new stadium of the year". The Crushers played our first vacation day, picture perfect night for a game... it was blanket night... we went... they lost. Day #2 we were supposed to get in our "new stadium of the year" in Erie,PA at a Sea Wolves game... this did not happen... we did a family thing instead! Monday became chore day... there are things to do y'know and we were getting a styro foam cup estimate...
Tuesday we traveled from 8:30am til 9pm... we went to Dayton to get a stamp in the passport... and then some... the stamp FYI is not at the Air Force Museum at all... and there are 3 stamps at three locations! We got TWO! The Wright Cycle co and the Huffman Prairie Flying field. We stopped for a few hours between these two at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. By 4pm we were off again to another stamp in the passport 1 hour away in Chillicothe. The Hopewell Culture NHP was our destination and believe us the corn there was mare than knee high by the 4th of July!
This NHP is one of burial mounds... these particular mounds were constructed at the time of Jesus and were interesting! The other interesting thing was that this small NHP was next to across from and down the road from 3 different large correctional facilities and a VA hospital.
Wednesday was a evening of electricity. This ran into Thursday morning which also involved capping a waterline and removing a very old dishwasher from the basement!
We thank God for talented family members!
Thursday afternoon we hit the driving range with Dad! Our old driving range on Brookpark road is gone... no longer can we aim for the GIANT golf ball. So we found a new and not too far one at the Links golf course! Again one couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day!
That evening was back to baseball! The Crushers were playing another all too familiar team the Florence Freedom (from Northern KY)... and we lost again... Friday was a day of taxi service and in the evening... you may have guessed, baseball! A Captains game this time... and they got shutout!
Sat and Sun were days of cooking out with family! Of course one topic of conversation... there as always and ever since May 23... where have you been going to church!

Have a good one and remember get out there and DO something!

VACATION!

2010-07-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

The inter net defines vacation as the following:

va·ca·tion[ vay káysh'n ]
NOUN
va·ca·tions plural
1.
break from work: a period of time devoted to rest, travel, or recreation
2.
fixed holiday period: a scheduled period during which the activities of courts, schools, or other regular businesses are suspended
3.
act or instance of vacating: an act or an instance or vacating something
INTRANSITIVE VERB
va·ca·tioned past and past participle
va·ca·tion·ing present participle
va·ca·tions 3rd person present singular
1.
leisure take vacation: to take or spend a vacation

Personally we think this hits it on the head don't you? One might add - a time for mental health, though!!!

Composition

2010-07-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

When you were in school you may have had to write a composition on what you did on your summer vacation.... I honestly don't remember doing this... I do remember our vacations were what is now referred to as "staycations", going to a beach or two that were further out ie. East Harbor. Getting to go to Sea World or Geauga Lake depending what year it was since we rotated those. Usually there was a trip to the shrine.... etc... always with a packed lunch (usually bologna with mustard and lettuce, fruit, cookies or chips) and perhaps on the way home the once a year trip to MCDONALDS! While economical... these were truly enjoyable and hold lots of good memories!

From Wiki:
A staycation (also spelled stay-cation, stacation, or staykation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in the US during the financial crisis of 2007–2010 in which unemployment levels and gas prices were high.[1][2] Staycations also became a popular phenomenon in the UK in 2009 as a weak pound made overseas holidays significantly more expensive.[3] The term was added to the 2009 version of the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.[4]

Common activities of a staycation include use of the backyard pool, visits to local parks and museums, and attendance at local festivals. Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation.[5]

National Holiday

2010-07-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

07/05/10 We've heard over the weekend that the 5th is a National Holiday...
We always thought that the 4th of July was the "National Holiday" so we dug further...

national holiday

–noun
1.
a holiday that is observed throughout a nation.
2.
a holiday that is legally established by a national government rather than by a municipal or state government.

Origin:
1865–70, Americanism

Or if one looks up Federal Holiday on the net

** July 4, 2010 (the legal public holiday for Independence Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, July 5, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See section 3(a) of Executive order 11582, February 11, 1971.)

Hmmmm HAPPY 5th of JULY everyone!

Pepto Bismol

2010-06-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Pink really is not a bad color... it is complementary to many colors in one's wardrobe... however when scraping off wall paper in a room and finding very pink walls underneath... it calls to mind a line from the movie "Steel Magnolias"... it looks like its "been hosed down with pepto bismol". So if you're curious on where we're at with our current project... we're hosing down the pepto bismol.... not really the walls have to be cleaned and hen it's time to paint! Ironically its going to be pinks complimentary color green!

Fathers Day

2010-06-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

The history of Fathers Day.... according to wiki...

After listening to a church sermon at Spokane's Central Methodist Episcopal Church in 1909 about the newly recognized Mother's Day, Dodd felt strongly that fatherhood needed recognition, as well.[1] She wanted a celebration that honored fathers like her own father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran who was left to raise his family alone when his wife died giving birth to their sixth child when Sonora was 16 years old.[2]

The following year with the assistance of Reverend Dr. Conrad Bluhm, her pastor at Old Centenary Presbyterian Church (now Knox Presbyterian Church), Sonora took the idea to the Spokane YMCA. The Spokane YMCA, along with the Ministerial Alliance, endorsed Dodd’s idea and helped it spread by celebrating the first Father’s Day in 1910. Sonora suggested her father’s birthday, June 5th, be established as the day to honor all Fathers. However, the pastors wanted more time to prepare, so on June 19, 1910, young members of the YMCA went to church wearing roses: a red rose to honor a living father, and a white rose to honor a deceased one.[2] Dodd traveled through the city in a horse-drawn carriage, carrying gifts to shut-in fathers confined indoors by illness.[2]

A bill to accord national recognition of the holiday was introduced in Congress in 1913.[4] In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak in a Father's Day celebration and wanted to make it official, but Congress resisted, fearing that it would become commercialized.[2] US President Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the day be observed by the nation, but stopped short of issuing a national proclamation. Two earlier attempts to formally recognize the holiday had been defeated by Congress.[5] In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus "[singling] out just one of our two parents"[5] In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day.[2] Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.[2][5]

In 2010, the Father's Day Centennial Celebration [1] occurs in Spokane with a month of events commemorating the day.

The walls come unglued?

2010-06-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Where have we been??? You may have noticed the lack of participation on the blog and in email in general... well we're working! Not only at our jobs but on the next room... the wall paper surface has been stripped and we're ready to come unglued! This stuff was heavy duty vinyl... like contact paper... so if we disappear again... you'll know why! Just hope its not from getting stuck in the wall paper! Here are some fun facts on wall paper... or sanatis?

-Wallpaper actually began in ancient China, first because the Chinese invented paper, and secondly because they glued rice paper onto their walls as early as 200 B.C.
-Jean Bourdichon painted 50 rolls of paper with angels on a blue background for Louis XI of France in 1481. King Louis ordered the portable wallpaper because he found it necessary to move frequently from castle to castle. Other well-heeled Europeans commissioned artists to paint paper for their walls, but real wallpaper can hardly be said to have existed till the advent of the printing press.
-The oldest existing example of flocked wallpaper comes from Worcester and was created in approximately 1680.
-Frenchmen, Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf invented the first machine for printing wallpaper in 1785. Frenchmen, Nicholas Louis Robert invented a way to make an endless roll of wallpaper around the same time.
-In 1888, Ferdinand Sichel developed the first ready-to-use wallpaper paste.
-In 1890, flexographic printing is invented in England.
-Wallpaper pasting machines first appeared around the turn of the 20th century.
- After World War II, the entire industry was revolutionized with the appearance of plastic resins which offered stain resistance, washability, durability and strength.
-In 1974, the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers was established in the United States.

Growler at the Hooley!

2010-06-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

Recently we have attended a neighborhood festival "the Hooley" and on our anniversary went to dinner at the Rock Bottom Brewery... The Hooley was to celebrate the renewal so to speak of Kaams corner. There was a special beer created to celebrate called the Kaams Corner Lager... this is only available at certain pubs on tap or you could get a "growler" to go... The guys were unable to make it to the Hooley... so I carried a growler thru the streets of Cleve about a mile home... Then on our anniversary... the day before St. W. closed... having dinner at the brewery (which was below Windows on the River)... we found out that they were to close in 2 weeks... They had a variety of special Cleve beers on tap... though they were out of the "Terminal"... they did have "Dawg Pound Brown"... and another growler came home with us... I understand they were both good... this did bring about a question... WHAT is a GROWLER... here's the answer that I found!

Growler -wikipedia
A growler is a U.S. half gallon (1,890 ml/66.5 imp fl oz) glass jug used to transport draft beer in the United States. They are commonly sold at breweries and brewpubs as a means to sell take-out beer. Some breweries also offer a one-litre or one-quart version. Growlers are also used by homebrewers as an alternative to kegs or smaller bottles for carbonating and storing their beer.

Growlers are generally made of glass and have either a screw-on cap or a hinged porcelain gasket cap which can provide freshness for a week or more. A properly sealed growler will hold carbonation indefinitely and will store beer like any other sanitized bottle.

The term likely dates back to the late 19th century when fresh beer was carried from the local pub to one's home by means of a small-galvanized pail. It is claimed the sound that the CO2 made when it escaped from the lid as the beer sloshed around sounded like a growl.[3]

ABCs... the end

2010-05-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

Wisteria - for Playfulness, Xeranthemum - for patience, Yellow Rose - for joy, Zinnia - for welcome and consolation.... there you have it... the ABCs soon to be featured in the Garden Room!

ABCs...

2010-05-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

Queen Anne's Lace - for self-reliance and trust, Red Rose - for love, Sunflower - for warmth, Tulip - for passion, Ursinia - for strength, Verbena - for enchantment...

ABCs... continued

2010-05-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Jasmine - for good luck, Kalanchoe - for steadfastness, Larkspur - for laughter, Marigold - for affection, Nasturtium - for liberty, Orchid - for perfection, Peony - for healing...

Share the memories...

2010-05-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

My favorite dress... the only dress they could get me to wear actually... the day I disappeared at St Wendelins through the trap door! What do you remember???

Goodbye...

2010-05-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to say goodbye to something you love... whether it be a person, place or thing... We chose to say our goodbye yesterday... on our 11th Anniversary we said goodbye to our church. St Wendelin has been our home for more than 11 years... it has been home for 5 generations to our family... "it's just a building" they say which is true... the "people" make up the church they say... which is also true... I think Bishop Pilla had the only comforting thought at the 107th anniversary... St Wendelin will live on in our hearts and our happy memories... St Wendelin will live on through us... St Wendelin has been at the center of so many events in our lives... Baptisms, Communions, Confirmations, Weddings, Anniversaries, Funerals, Ice Cream Socials and Holidays... Our family should be so fortunate to have what appears to be millions of stories... St Wendelin will live on for a very long time... as long as those memories are shared..
I encourage you to share them. While saying goodbye is hard... very hard... I think we are fortunate to have been a part of something so great!
Do videnia or Zbohom St Wendelin!
Dobre noc!

Ben Ezra, John lennon... Mary Chapin Carpenter...

2010-05-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Grow Old With Me
Music and Lyrics by John lennon

Grow old along with me
The best is yet to be
When our time has come
We will be as one
God bless our love
God bless our love

Grow old along with me
Two branches of one tree
Face the setting sun
When the day is done
God bless our love
God bless our love

Spending our lives together
Man and wife together
World without end
World without end

Grow old along with me
Whatever fate decrees
We will see it through
For our love is true
God bless our love
God bless our love

... our song... Happy 11th Anniversary!

ABCs...continued

2010-05-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

Edelweiss - for courage, Forsythia - for anticipation, Gardenia - for artistry and grace, Heather - for beauty, Ivy - for friendship and fidelity...

Garden Quote

2010-05-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

"You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt..."

Kaams First Hooley

2010-05-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

hooley

hoo·ley [ hlee ] (plural hoo·leys)

noun
Definition:

Ireland boisterous party: a noisy merry party ( informal )

[Late 19th century. Origin ?]

There's a Hooley this Saturday to celebrate the rejuvenation/renovation of the corner!
There's even to be a special Kaams Corner Beer! Special taps to be made for said beer!
Fun for all... wagon rides, Irish song and dance! Its a Hooley!

Rogue garden...

2010-05-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

Maybe its the egg shells or coffee grounds... both of which are supposed to be good for a garden... as nourishment and bug repellent... I don't know... all of a sudden we've plants coming up that are not perennial and were yanked out/died last year! Potatoes and Strawberries... we've a rogue garden! Well the potatoes were again yanked out... and yes there were little potatoes forming already we just don't have the room! The strawberries have been kept... they apparently have snuggled up with the air conditioner for protection and have flowers and little green berries already! I have a feeling it's to be another bizarre garden season!
On the bright side the new weigela are in and flourishing! The weigela that were planted last year are full of beautiful flowers! The Disneyland rose is getting adjusted to its surroundings... the white liatra are poking their little heads out as well... and the grass continues to come in... not as fast as we'd like! Soon we'll propagate some forsythia... but we're still having some cold nights! Last night all the newbies were under the cover of a paper bag... looked like they were trick or treating!
Get out there and have some fun! Green acres is the place to be...farm living is the life to me...fresh air!

ABCs for today

2010-05-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Aloe - for wisdom, Baby's Breath - for happiness, Chrysanthemum - for Hope, Daisy - for Innocence...

Being Green

2010-05-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

As Kermit the Frog said..."It's not easy being green" Many of you have witnessed the "Kermit" hall and room upstairs... growing up I've fond memories of watching the Muppet Show on Saturday nights sitting on Dad's lap... Well the Kermit walls had to go... the arts/crafts room was finished last year... now it's the hall way's turn... the shag carpet can stay for a while but the green walls and woodwork had to goooooo! Kermit does live in the arts and crafts room... blending right in with the carpet... He goes well with the Desert Lily... mmmm maybe Lily Pad?

Garden thoughts

2010-05-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

"No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden"

Black gold

2010-05-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

Black gold... not texas tea... top soil! Hopefully you've all got your beds made and ready to roll! One of us is truly having fun with what is deemed "stress relief" in our yard... it may be that watching Green Acres is not a good thing... or maybe it is as long as you don't turn into MR. Kimble or cook like Mrs Douglas! Ahhh the farm! To have grass that's weed free and green as far as the eye can see! To have tomatoes and apparently strawberries red and plentiful.... To have green peppers and cucumbers that crunch! To have flowers and colors abound... freely blooming in succession...ahhh the farm! Wait we live in the city! There's a HOOLEY this weekend we might as well be in HOOTERVILLE!

107 Years

2010-05-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

We celebrated St. Wendelins 107th Anniversary on May 2. The church was packed with over 600+ people young and old... it was SRO! After we were the larges crowd that Windows on the River ever had! Bishop Pilla had mass... with wonderful things to say about St. Wendelin and its people... about coming from a church with very little... that sat between two breweries and now a great church with great people. Rich in their slovak heritage... soon to close... but like those that have passed on before us... this will live on in our hearts... as long as we remember and keep it alive. St Wendelin will stay alive!

Time and convenience

2010-04-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

Recently I came across an article in a magazine that was on the subject of time... it was about a working mom... and girls night out... and how she dreaded seeing emails on girls night out, she had too much to do and wished she could say try again in 15 years when the kids were grown and she had more time... Recently a homily at mass touched on a similar chord. Is God your friend... yes... well you wouldn't talk to your friend only once or twice a year would you? You chat often, get together, text and share all sorts of ups and downs in life... this is what you do with your friends right?! The article that I was reading went on to how her parents were able to have card and or dinner parties with their friends, belong to may groups and had a number of friends... where did that go?? They had the ability to separate work from family and friends and spend time with the latter... several days a week...
So I ask you what happened? It has become increasingly difficult to get together with friends... we are all so busy... the moder conveniences have actually in some cases slowed us down... the greatest convenience is texting in my opinion... we can quickly and quietly check on each other without say waking the baby...but the conversations and personal time... lost... time is fleeting... share it... with someone important

Telling Lies in America

2010-04-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well?? Have you seen it?? It's not that old... it's a Kevin Bacon movie...it has Calista Flockhart in it... Brad Renfro too???
After a not so long search... when we really thought about where to look for it we finally have a copy on DVD... Why? Well it has some history in it that's special...
It also kinda makes us one of the...what is it Seven? degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon... Yes we're nuts but... that's beside the point!
Did you know that Stas funeral home is in the movie... and Flockhart plays a girl that works at... you may have guessed... but maybe not... the West Side market... you see now the special history! If you have not seen it its not a bad movie... see if you can spot Stas funeral home... here's a hint a kid hangs out the upstairs window!
Go see THE/THIS movie!

Cucumbers/Pickles!

2010-04-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

GARLIC, DILL CUCUMBER PICKLES
Printed from COOKS.COM

□ 5 qt. water
□ 1 qt. vinegar
□ 5 c. sugar
□ 1 c. pickling salt
□ Sliced cucumbers
□ Dill heads
□ Garlic buds

This recipe makes a sweet pickle similar to bread and butter pickles.

Boil water, vinegar, sugar and salt; add sliced lengthwise cucumbers 1 quart at a time to boiling solution until cucumbers change color.

Pack in jar. Put 2 garlic and 1 dill head per quart. Cover with boiling solution, seal jars.

Note: Revised canning methods call for processing quart jars 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Consult your favorite canning reference for more details on proper canning techniques.

Narrow Angle Glaucoma

2010-04-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Upon his first visit to the eye doc... Mike had to wait to have his eyes dilated. He has very small canals/angles in his eyes... on a scale of 1 to 4 - 4 being the largest... he is a 1. He has glaucoma called narrow angle or angle closure... he must be checked yearly to gauge the rate of closure to these angles... it could be very slow... for this we hope. Or it could be instantaneous...this is apparently very painful... there are laser procedures that can be done if in the case the angles do start to close... again we're hoping this does not happen but it is possible... here are some more facts... yes this is a genetic disease... ever wonder about the fact that only he has brown eyes out of his sibs... this is a sign... those with brown eyes usually contract the genetic defect!

Angle-closure glaucoma, also called closed-angle glaucoma, occurs when the iris bulges forward to narrow or block the drainage angle formed by the cornea and the iris. As a result, aqueous fluid can no longer access the trabecular meshwork at the angle, so the eye pressure increases abruptly. Angle-closure glaucoma usually occurs suddenly (acute angle-closure glaucoma), but it can also occur gradually (chronic angle-closure glaucoma.)

Many people who develop closed-angle glaucoma have an abnormally narrow drainage angle to begin with. This narrow angle may never cause any problems, so it may go undetected for life.

Glaucoma is not just one disease, but a group of conditions resulting in optic nerve damage, which diminishes sight. Abnormally high pressure inside your eye (intraocular pressure) usually, but not always, causes this damage.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. Sometimes called the silent thief of sight, glaucoma can damage your vision so gradually you don't notice any loss of vision until the disease is at an advanced stage. The most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, has no noticeable signs or symptoms except gradual vision loss.

Early diagnosis and treatment can minimize or prevent optic nerve damage and limit glaucoma-related vision loss. It's important to get your eyes examined regularly, and make sure your eye doctor measures your intraocular pressure.
Symptoms

The most common types of glaucoma — primary open-angle glaucoma and acute angle-closure glaucoma — have completely different symptoms.

Primary open-angle glaucoma signs and symptoms include:

* Gradual loss of peripheral vision, usually in both eyes
* Tunnel vision in the advanced stages

Acute angle-closure glaucoma signs and symptoms include:

* Severe eye pain
* Nausea and vomiting (accompanying the severe eye pain)
* Sudden onset of visual disturbance, often in low light
* Blurred vision
* Halos around lights
* Reddening of the eye

Both open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma can be primary or secondary conditions. They're called primary when the cause is unknown and secondary when the condition can be traced to a known cause, such as eye injury, inflammation, tumor, or advanced cataract or diabetes. In secondary glaucoma, the signs and symptoms can include those of the primary condition as well as typical glaucoma symptoms.

1st bike!

2010-04-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well... I can tell you that there are now two orangish bikes in the neighborhood... one is electric and ridden by Elmira Gulch... This one is bright orange too... as if to say "I'll get you my pretty!"
The other with reflective tires made partially of kevlar is Sue's... the color is called Aztec old though... where they got that we dunno! It's fast and a very smooth ride... although after not riding for a few years there is a bit of soreness... and we've decided that test driving bikes... way different than test driving cars... but there is a joy in it... one just wants to keep riding and riding... She highly recommends it!

The Doctors...

2010-04-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

After Easter we had a lot to do! There were doctor appointments and friends making appointments with us... it was still busy busy busy... Mike went for his first eye exam... only to be scheduled for another the following Monday... and Sue met with friends to check out some of the local flavor... hitting the West Park Station and the new Mexican restaurant Si Senor!
Also we've been starting the yard work... raking, fertilizing, purchasing plants and Mike won the 1st mow of the season... only because Sue was at work at the time!
Happily last years shrubs are coming in nicely... two new weigela have been purchased for the back yard. We're waiting just a little longer to propagate the forsythia from Mom and Dads yard.... and plant the new shrubs... the white lilac has been relocated... the garden has been limed and rotated once to work in the egg shells and coffee grounds... so we're getting there...
We have the vegetables growing in our basement 3 tomatoes 2 green peppers and a cucumber that's good for pickling. (we might give it a go, who knows)
We went out looking at doors and rocks this past weekend and came home with 2 new additions to the plant family... a clematis and a new rose the Disneyland Rose for the gap in the rose bed (official rose of the Disneyland Resorts).
Currently Sue's working on killing the areas of crab grass... any tips would be appreciated!
The indoor projects have also begun... more painting to do ya know...
gotta run!

Holidays!

2010-04-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

There's just something about the holidays... if you're the host it takes a while to prepare... and then it takes you a while to recover... I think we've finally recovered from Easter!
We hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday and that you continue to enjoy the memories... This year may be St. Wendelins last Easter... it is still scheduled to close... but another letter from the Vatican came and it's still under recourse until June... so who knows!
This was the best year for Grandma Marge's kolachi dough recipe... and then the filling ooozed out... that was among our prep for Easter...
For Dad's 79th birthday Sue decided to try to make Nut Horns... apparently the other Grandma used to make them and he loved them... Unfortunately no recipe was passed down, so relying on the Internet she gave it a go...and well that's the first time something literally foamed in the oven!
On Holy Saturday we woke to a surprise in the yard... One of the Biggest Early Easter bunnies there ever was! Such a cute brown bunny, oddly enough we've not seen it since... could it have been the real Easter bunny?
Then there was the food prep for Easter... the nicest ham ever... there were many, many cameras at the blessing of the baskets... though not surprising...people came from near and far to get their baskets blessed... once again a lovely event...
We decided to attend the Easter Vigil Mass and although it started at 8:30pm and ended around 11 pm it was again amazing. Having only been to that mass once before when M converted... I was in awe... although the family was a little distracted by the falling candle on the altar (luckily not lit yet)and books falling from the choir loft...
This Mass allowed us to prepare the Easter meal at a relaxed pace... and enjoy the celebration as it should be enjoyed... with family... good food... and good fun...

2010-04-04T02:59:00.000-07:00

We wish you all a Happy and Blessed Easter!

Blessing of Easter Foods!

2010-04-03T02:46:00.000-07:00

"When our Slovak ancestors arrived in this country a century ago, they brought with them many beautiful and meaningful traditions. Among the most popular was the age old tradition of blessing Easter food. After a Lent of strict fast and abstinence, specially prepared foods to be eaten on aster morning would help the family celebrate the great feast of Jesus' Resurrection. The foods, prepared in advance, were placed in a basket, covered with a special hand crocheted cloth and taken to church to be blessed by the priest on Holy Saturday. The cloth often had an Easter emblem or the Easter words, 'Christ is Risen' crocheted on it.Each of these foods had a special significance."
Eggs - Brightly colored, symbol of new life.
Pascha - Bread, symbol of the crown of thorns.
Klobasa & Ham - symbol of JOY! sign of abundance.
Cheese/syrek - symbol of moderation.
Horseradish - to remind us of how bitter life would be without Jesus.
Salt - symbol of the fact that Jesus preserves us to eternal life.

St W. parish bulletin

Holy Saturday?

2010-04-02T02:27:00.000-07:00

Holy Saturday is defined as:

* A commemoration of the day that Jesus lay in his tomb.
* In the Roman Catholic Church, daytime Masses are never offered.
* There are no colors seen or used throughout the chapel or on vestments.
* Known as Black Saturday in the Philippines.

You will notice no color... Black Saturday.... all in preparation....
Certainly those who are having Easter are in preparation today... cooking and putting the finishing touches on for tomorrow... do they stop to reflect?
Last year, as I have every year that I've not travelled for Easter... I took the food to be blessed. A tradition that my family has done for years, but only a few times have I gone to my parish to do it... many times I'd met or picked up Mom or Dad at Ascension... I do enjoy the blessing of the food. It is a time to reflect and a wonderful tradition! Last year, at St. Wendelin I noticed many of the cloths in the baskets were embroidered, some in Slovak... some had simple pictures, all were white.
Having never payed attention to this detail before... I had my blue & white check table cloth wrapped around the food...(the table cloth has significance to me, it was used at my bridal shower and I was glad to have it blessed)... I asked one of my parents friends about her cloth... it was pretty... here it was a gift to her from her mother in law... it was from Slovakia... I was determined to find out more... if there was such a thing in my family... nope, this is where being younger than the others does not pay off... no grand parents left to ask... HOWEVER a bit later this friend of my parents, gave me her cloth... it seems no one in her family has an interest in such things and she wanted to pass it along to someone who did... I have known this person all my life and was touched and saddened at the same time... One this the last time (it appears) my basket will be blessed at St. Wendelin, I will be reflecting on a lot.... I encourage you to do the same, keep the traditions alive won't you?!

Good Friday?

2010-04-02T02:19:00.000-07:00

How many people grow up with "Good Friday"? How many really know what it is... does it mean anything to you... When I was little it meant no radio, no TV... no form of entertainment of any kind... when I was a teen.... NO DATES, NO MOVIES, NO FUN or entertainment of any kind... only if we were traveling could the radio be on in the car... one must get the traffic and weather reports this way... On "Good Friday" one cleaned their room and helped get ready for Easter... went to the evening service... etc. These to a young person were true sacrifices... What does it mean to you?
Here are the technicalities... from wiki

* On Good Friday, Christians recall the Passion and crucifixion of Jesus.
* In the Roman, Lutheran, and High Anglican rites, a cross or crucifix (not necessarily the one which stands on or near the altar on other days of the year) is ceremoniously unveiled.[10] (In pre-Vatican II services, other crucifixes were to be unveiled, without ceremony, after the Good Friday service.)
* In Roman Catholicism, the clergy traditionally begin the service prostrate in front of the altar. Mass is not celebrated on Good Friday and the communion distributed at the Celebration of the Lord's Passion is consecrated on Holy Thursday, hence the name Mass of the Pre-sanctified.
* Also in Roman Catholicism, images of saints are either kept or veiled until the Easter Vigil. Votive lights before these images are not lit. Crucifixes that are movable are hidden, while those that are not movable are veiled until the Easter Vigil.
o Only one cross or crucifix per church is unveiled throughout the entire Good Friday service, for the purpose of veneration by the congregation. Regardless of the size of the church or the congregation, it is not permissible to use two crucifixes for the said veneration. The faithful typically venerate the crucifix by kissing the feet of the corpus.
* Colors seen throughout the chapel or on vestments: Vary
o No color, red, or black are used in different traditions.
o Where colored hangings are removed for this day, liturgical color applies to vestments only.
* The priest wears red vestments, symbolic of the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Triduum - Holy Week

2010-04-01T02:13:00.000-07:00

What does that mean?

Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or Paschal Triduum is the period of three days from Holy Thursday (seen as beginning with the service of the preceding evening) to Easter Day. It begins with the Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper and ends with evening prayer on Sunday.[1]

Since the 1955 reform by Pope Pius XII, the Easter Triduum, including as it does Easter Sunday, has been more clearly distinguished as a separate liturgical period. Previously, all these celebrations were advanced by more than twelve hours. The Mass of the Lord's Supper and the Easter Vigil were celebrated in the morning of Thursday and Saturday respectively, and Holy Week and Lent were seen as ending only on the approach of Easter Sunday.

And now you know!
Wikipedia

What's new?

2010-03-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived and we continue to make our way though our home... making changes... making it more a reflection of us! The Man's bath is now complete... with new plumbing to the sink and a new faucet... also a new shower curtain to again reflect the outdoorsy fishing theme...
Too anxious for the colors to pop outside we added some of our own for the Easter celebration... aka our house has been EGGED!
S is also anxious to get out in the yard... rakin, fertilizin, seedin, plantin... she has recently found season 1 on DVD of Green Acres... and is determined to have her own green acres... or fraction of an acre as the case may be... when the time comes she'll know exactly how she wants the yard to look ... this year...now if only we could grow mangos she'd really be happy!
FYI the mango slicer is the greatest thing thus far this year... however it still does not compare to the Kitchen Aid mixer... it made the most beautiful kolachi dough ever seen!
Well that's it for now... what's new in you neck of the woods? (by the way that's not rhetorical - drop us a line and share!)

Idle hands are the devils...

2010-03-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

How many people heard from a parent or grandparent growing up that "idle hands are the devils workshop"? Usually this was followed up by a suggestion to do something... ie clean one's room!
Not that my hands were "idle", I happened to think of this recently during a class I was taking... I spent 2-1/2 hours one Sunday taking a knitting class at the near by Jo Ann Fabrics... while frustrating at first.. I now enjoy doing the simple knit, purl and casting on and off I learned in class... Jokingly a friend at work said "Scarves for everyone!" after hearing that I've started a project...
Coming from a family of women who sew, quilt, craft... etc. It was only a matter of time before I picked up something new of the like, I suppose. There's a good influence up the street that helped me start and finish the shower curtain in the "man's bath"... and has encouraged me to spend money and make new curtains for the bedroom! Hmmm maybe that's a bad influence... spend money... ahhh well I had a 50% off coupon it's all good!
Gotta Knit!

Slainte

2010-03-17T04:06:00.000-07:00

Happy St Paddy's Day to all of ye! Slainte to ye all! Careful out there all ye "Pub Crawlers"!

slàinte

slàin·te [ slnchə ] or slàin·te mhath [ slnchə v ]

interjection
Definition:

Scotland good health!: used as a drinking toast to wish somebody good health

[Early 19th century. < Gaelic slàinte (mhath) "(good) health"]

Ollie Day!

2010-03-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

It truly is amazing how, as you get older, time flies faster and faster! Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of our adoption of Ollie! It has been a wonderful experience and we recommend adopting a pet to anyone and everyone. "If you have the means, it is so choice" to quote Ferris Bueller... although not about a Ferrari... We admit we've been very lucky to have adopted such a well behaved cat... maybe it's due to adopting him at 5, I don't know... our vet said we did a very good thing perhaps that's why we've a very good cat?!

Jamis??

2010-02-26T01:33:00.000-08:00

Recently we've been on a search for a comfortable bike... aka "comfort bike" we've started browsing the local bike stores... looking for something that will last, be sporty, and most important comfortable enough that one can ride it daily and enjoy it... There are a number of bike stores in the area... the first we went into was of minimal help and sold Schwinn and Trek all the color choices were black white silver and or a combo of these...we did get catalogs to peruse here... the second store was visited twice... not much help here but a little more than the first... they sell Trek and Specialized... no catalogs... the third we stopped in at a whim... they were open so we stopped... This guy was truly a wealth of information about a bike we'd never heard about before as well as other fun and useful things on bikes... he truly was passionate about what he does... The bike JAMIS... our choices endless and colors... would anyone like to ride a pistachio bike... or perhaps an orange mango color???
We'll soon be back for a test drive!

Jamis Bicycles is an American distributor of bicycles, designed in the USA and built primarily in the China and Taiwan. Jamis was acquired in 1990 by its parent company G. Joannou Cycle Co., Inc. and is currently headed by Carine Joannou, CEO of G. Joannou Cycles since taking over the family business when her father died in 1981. Founded in 1937 by George Joannou, GJC is one of the oldest and largest bicycle companies under original family ownership in the United States.

Models

Model offerings include road bikes, fitness road bikes, comfort road bikes, touring / commuting road bikes and fixed gear road bikes. Hardtail mountain bikes, freeride / dirt jump bikes, full suspension cross country race bikes and full suspension park / jump bikes, as well as comfort street / commuting / hybrid bikes sport Commuting / touring bikes, cross training hybrid bikes cruiser bikes, and youth bikes.

Awards

* 1998 - Bicycling Magazine's Editor's Choice award for innovative products - Jamis Diablo
* 1998 - Bicycling Magazine's Bike of the Year Award - Jamis Dakota
* 2000 - Mountain Biking magazine's Bike of the Year under $800 - Jamis Dakar Sport
* 2001 - Mountain Biking magazine's Bike of the Year $800 – $1500 - Jamis Dakar Comp
* 2004 - Bicycling Magazine as The Best Buy for a Comfort Road Bike - Jamis Coda Sport
* 2005 - Bicycling Magazine’s Editor’s Choice awards for Best Value Full-Suspension Mountain Bike - Jamis Dakar XLT
* 2005 - Bicycling Magazine’s Editor’s Choice awards for Best Value Enthusiast Road Bike - Jamis Quest
* 2006 - Bicycling Magazine's Editor's Choice Award as the Best Full Suspension Mountain Bike under $1000 - Jamis Diablo 7×7
* 2008 - Bicycling Magazine's Editor's Choice Award for Best Enthusiast Road Bike - Jamis Xenith Pro
* 2009 - Bicycling Magazine's Editor's Choice Award for Best Recreational Road Bike - Jamis Ventura Elite

Spring Color

2010-02-25T13:03:00.000-08:00

One of Sue's favorite things in spring growing up was/is the Forsythia bush in her parents yard. She could look out her bedroom window and see its cheerful bright yellow flowers there year after year as a sign that spring was here and Easter was on its way! In an effort to improve the landscaping in our own back yard we've been looking into our own Forsythia... word on the street is they're easy to grow and it would be nice to look out in our own yard now and see such a bright and cheerful bush... hopefully to hide the yard behind ours too!
The fun thing when you're researching plants for the yard, especially flowering bushes. Is the commentary about the durability of well flowering bushes that is especially funny... like "this one can take a beating" for instance. This was said about one of our newer bushes in the front yard the Weigela. We have since found a Wine and Roses Weigela for the back yard as well... due to them being able to take a beating... we will see what they look like when the snow melts!
Obviously the Forsythia can take a beating too... the one in Sue's parents yard has survived 1 transplant and has been around for about 50 years! Sounds like a good source for propagation... We've heard stories of grandparents taking cuttings and just sticking them in the ground and voila... this appears to be true even on the web...
Thus this years experiment in gardening will be sticks in the dirt... should work out better than last years potato crop... yanked out due to blight!

Propagation of Forsythia:

Forsythia are grown from cuttings. Select cuttings from new growth. Cut a three to six inch branch, and place the end into moist soil. Keep the soil moist to aid rooting. Rooting should only take a few weeks.

Transplant rooted cuttings anytime. However, transplanting established plants is best done in winter while the plants are dormant.
www.gardenersnet.com

Dwarf Gardenia

2010-02-25T12:44:00.000-08:00

Having a small yard means becoming very familiar with the word "DWARF" when it comes to plants - shrubs in particular... While watching an episode of This Old House Sue came across a reference to a dwarf gardenia... the episode had a house with a similarly small yard and mentioned that lot of folks plant lilacs near a door so that when guests come in they come past a wonderful fragrance... and that this can also be achieved by planting a much smaller plant such as the Dwarf Gardenia if one does not have the space that the lilac would require.... here's some more info for you!

Dwarf Radicans Gardenia
Gardenia jasminoides 'Radicans'

Dwarf Size Brings Gardenia Smell to any Landscape

•Same fabulous gardenia fragrance
•Works as a low border or container plant
•Adaptable to clay, sand, and loamy soils

Dwarf Radicans Gardenia is a miniature version of a gardenia with all its fragrance and loveliness.

Use it as a ground cover, container plant, or in a low border.

Let the fragrance from its blooms fill your garden area.

You'll have plenty of extra flowers to bring indoors.

Once established, this hardy variety becomes easy to maintain and is even drought-tolerant.

Gardenia radicans thrive in full sun to partial shade and adapt to almost any soil.

Plant several for a fragrance that will greet your visitors or enhance your patio.

How many inches do you have?

2010-02-24T22:29:00.000-08:00

Well it appears that the groundhog was right.... we all have a plethora of snow... except Vancouver?! Recent conversations between family members have begun with "how many inches do you have?" Also some fun pics have been taken and texted to each other... even the relatives 8 houses away... One of these was entitled "catch my drift" due to the fact that the driveway was almost meticulously clear... aside from the 3 ft drift right outside the door that provided a protective wall around our rose bushes.
While we have not gotten the brunt of it here in the north... the south has gotten plenty... see how it pays to move south where they don't get as much snow?? I better watch it we're supposed to get more tomorrow night...
There is an end in sight...Ollie is back to his window perch looking for outdoor activity as we get up to birds chirping almost every day. The sun was out just last weekend - it hadn't been since Dec. 12th according to the news... soon it will be time to reseed the lawn, fertilize, plant new plants/shrubs... mow the lawn and we'll be complaining about bugs and heat! I've bought my new garden gloves already!

Restaurant Recommendation!

2010-02-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

We hope you've all enjoyed the festivities of late. Marti Gras, Valentines Day, Chinese New Year, The Olympics, Daytona 500 etc, etc, etc... We finally got to a movie on the 13th... and we saw... can you guess? The Lightening Thief? NO Valentines Day... a nice movie for the occasion definitely. Other couples were going to see the Wolf man movie... I was amazed. Then we headed out to a casual dinner at Fat Heads Brewery! Odd name for an early Valentines dinner, but all the same the food was great and so reasonably priced we'll be going back for sure. Mike would like to try the Gogglefogger Brew!
If you're in the nearby city of Fairview Park... there are a couple of other places you should stop at... if only to look. These were recently featured in our Sun paper... Gray House Pies and Beckers Bakery/Donuts... Sue woke up at 7am on Valentines Day to find Mike Donuts for breakfast and the chain stores in the area just don't cut it... We like to support our local small business owner anyway...as for the pies well he loves those too... this place has something called a "Pub Pie"... which is like a pot pie and better than fast food as they use all natural ingredients!

Enjoy!

Valentines Day - the goat and urn dating?!

2010-02-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.

The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine's Day — should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

Raceday!

2010-02-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

Boogity boogity boogity...is now one of the most annoying phrases in racing... but we've been looking forward to hearing those words!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY FOLKS! Now lets watch the Daytona 500! Here are some track facts for you... or you can check things out at www.nascar.com Enjoy!

Location 1801 West International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach, Florida 32114
Time zone GMT-5
Capacity 167,785
Owner International Speedway Corporation (Leased from Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities District)
Operator International Speedway Corporation
Broke ground 1957
Opened 1959
Construction cost $3 million
Architect Charles Moneypenny
Bill France Sr.
Former names Daytona

Daytona

2010-02-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

Daytona

The Daytona 500 is a 500 miles (804.7 km)-long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule. Matt Kenseth is the defending champion of the race.

The Daytona 500 is regarded by many as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse.[1] Championship points awarded are equal to that of any other Sprint Cup race. It is also the series' first race of the year; this phenomenon is virtually unique in sports, which tend to have championships or other major events at the end of the season rather than the start. Since 1995, U.S. television ratings for the Daytona 500 have been the highest for any auto race of the year, surpassing the traditional leader, the Indianapolis 500 which in turn greatly surpasses the Daytona 500 in in-track attendance and international viewing. The 2006 Daytona 500 attracted the sixth largest average live global TV audience of any sporting event that year with 20 million viewers.[2]

The event serves as the final event of Speedweeks and is sometimes referred to as "The Great American Race" or the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing." It is held the second or third Sunday in February, and since 1971, has been loosely associated with Presidents Day weekend.

The winner of the Daytona 500 is presented with the Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane, and the winning car is displayed, in race-winning condition, for one year at Daytona 500 Experience, a museum and gallery adjacent to Daytona International Speedway.

Wiki

Vancouver 2010 Opens 02/12/10

2010-02-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

History of the Olympic Games

The first modern Olympic Games were held in the summer of 1896. The organizers added skating to the Summer Games in 1908 (ice rinks could be kept cold even in the hottest weather) – but eventually decided that winter sports were perhaps best left to the winter. The first Olympic Winter Games were held in 1924, in Chamonix, France.

The first gold medal at the first Olympic Winter Games went to speed skater Charles Jewtraw of the United States, but Finnish speed skater A. Clas Thunberg was the overall star. He earned medals in all five speed skating events: three gold, one silver and one bronze. The Canadian ice hockey team won all five of their matches, outscoring their opponents 110 to 3.

In that first Olympic Winter Games, 16 nations participated, bringing 258 athletes (11 women, 247 men) to compete in 16 events.

During the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, many more athletes – approximately 2,500 – will compete in 15 sports and over 86 separate medal events.

Learn more about the Olympic Movement at the International Olympic Committee website.

www.vancouver2010.com

Upcoming

2010-02-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

February seems to be a month of NEW events! Giving us lots to look forward to especially in one weekend! The weekend of the 12, 13 & 14 has a lot to offer! The movie "Valentines Day" opens on the 12th it is jam packed with various stars and looks to be quite funny... Also on the 12th the Winter Olympics begin! On the 13th Ty Pennington will be at our Home show at the IX Center, an event that starts Feb 4th I believe... And on the 14th... well one of the best things ever! The Daytona 500! Oh and its Valentines Day as well as Chinese New Year! Wooo hooo! Enjoy!

Groundhog Day

2010-02-02T00:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the holiday:

Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.

How often is Phil's prediction correct? 100% of the time, of course!

How many "Phils" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 120 years!

Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.

On February 2, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob - in front of thousands of followers from all over the world - to predict the weather for the rest of winter.

According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

No! Phil's forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle. After Phil emerges from his burrow on February 2, he speaks to the Groundhog Club president in "Groundhogese"(a language only understood by the current president of the Inner Circle). His proclamation is then translated for the world.

The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..."

Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob was made on February 2, 1887.

So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.

courtesy of www.groundhogday.org

What's new with you???

2010-01-31T11:50:00.000-08:00

Recently... we've both caught devious colds that have been lasting a really long time... the infamous lingering cough... etc... so we've been a bit lax in catching up with our emails.. our blog and lots of things in general! Thus we wish to remind everyone that if you're trying to get in touch with us and email does not work... call!
Yes our line may be busy... try again!
We'd love to hear what's new with you!
Aside from the colds... and work... and the usual day to day occurrences... Mike's been doing some small indoor projects and Sue's been organizing... good cold weather tasks! We've been checking out the clearance sales on bedding at Target to no avail... a certain quilt set has eluded Sue for the Arts/Crafts room... you know it's one of those perfect sets that has everything and now it can only be found in the wrong sizes...ahhh well, she found a bedspread for $14.
We're also on the hunt for an appropriate bike for her educating ourselves on the way...and having fun with the prospect of riding after work in weather above 3 degrees!

Reflections

2010-01-08T15:42:00.000-08:00

One project that Sue worked on toward the end of 09 was the resurfacing of the mirror in the "man's" bathroom... the bathroom in the basement for those that have yet to see the house is a full bath.. our basement is finished in nice pine tongue and groove paneling throughout... and the bathroom is a rustic fishing motif... the paper dispenser is a fishing reel... well as the pics show a gold floral mirror did not work!
It was also irreplaceable due to being set in the wall and we could not find a replacement for the cabinet door itself... thus after a fabulous suggestion by a good friend... the mirror resurfacing project began! It was painted once or twice and then the"rocky river" pieces were added and voila! No more flowery gold mirror in the "man's" bath! You'll have to come and check it out!

So how was your holiday?

2010-01-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

We truly hope all of your holidays went well! We realize we're a little behind with our blogging but the last few weeks have been a whirlwind and we're sure you can relate! Our Holidays were very nice! Our 4 days of Christmas left us wanting to sleep instead of go to work on Dec. 28, but there are bills to pay! Especially the ones from the Cleveland Clinic that arrived Dec 26th. It was a short week anyway... it is truly amazing how fast the holidays go and into the New Year already! We did take time to reflect on 2009... a lot of folks say it was a bad year and their glad it's over...
We've chosen to label it a good year! Would you like to reflect with us on 2009??
'09 we could label it the year of medical miracles in our family... couldn't we...

One year ago this day... January 6th - Dad had and survived a heart attack... bypass surgery on Jan 7th - Kathi's 50th Birthday... the snow hit then... about 2 weeks later or so... Dad survived some blackouts... Then he became bionic with a pacemaker/defibrillator... after that literally shocking experience... Dad had the ablation... we learned about the miracles of modern medicine until March...Somewhere in there he garage door broke and then the new one arrived! Also Sue finally got new glasses... after approximately 13 years! Oliver August arrived with a big MEOW! April was a quiet month filled with projects, the "mans" bath was fixed up, the tool room/shop and canning room were painted top to bottom and revamped slightly...we continued working on the garage and other things about the house... then Mom decided to test out the Emergency room in May when Mary was in town... it was so crowded that day she was in a childs room and bed... but there were lots of relaxing fish on the walls... after a heart cath of her own she was good to go! May also brought our 10th YES 10th wedding anniversary... and Mike a gas grill! June brought more projects as well as landscaping fun... and Vacation! In July the trees came crashing down... luckily not literally and by professionals... in the same week we drove with Kathi and Joy... south to KY! We ate at Izzys... learned what a "Hot Brown" was there... rode a Duck, Sue got soaked by the OHIO river and we watched grown men eat Dogs... Then the world of medical miracles spread to others in the family... we're happy to say that they are recovering nicely... the Art/Crafts room got a new look in about August... In September we celebrated Mike's folks 50th anniversary at Carrie Cerinos! In October we helped tear down and build bro Mike's garage... the nephew turned legal... and had our first Halloween together in our house with Ollie... In the month of breast cancer awareness Sue had her first test... and call back... as the medical miracles continued in the family... we learned about the doctors way of saying you're ok without liability... "no reason for concern... at this time"... This took us into Nov. a month of many birthdays... and celebrations...and thankfulness for life and medical miracles! All projects came to a halt for the holidays and the cleaning and shopping began! December was lovely... Our most likely last Christmas at St Wendelins... went well Sue will not miss the scary stove that she cooks the pirohy in! Christmas Day we took the gifts up at the 9am mass... We were glad that we were asked to do that at what might be our last Christmas there at our beautiful St Wendelin... Our New Year Eve was quiet and simple... our New Years Day filled with family ... as it should be after the year of medical miracles!

The Lord Bless You and Keep You....

2010-01-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

The first reading at mass on New Years Day is probably my favorite... Every NEW year you get to hear "The Lord Bless You and Keep You"... and every year it takes me back to a song that my classmates and I had to sing to the rest of the school our senior year... I sing horribly, but it is a short and beautiful song sung by the senior class at their farewell mass... and the salutatorian incorporated it into our graduation some 18 almost 19 years ago... The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord lift his face to shine upon you, give you peace and be gracious onto you... this is what I hope and pray for you our family and friends this New Year!

12-25-09

2009-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Vesele Vianoce! Merry Christmas to you and yours! May your days be Merry and Bright, and good Health and Happiness to all!

The second and the first...

2009-12-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

Well we've done it! It is our second Christmas in the house... we are ready for the holidays and the house is prepped for winter... AHHHHHH.... Merry Christmas!

It is our first Christmas as a family of three. We weren't sure how Ollie would do so this seasons prep has gone a little slower than usual... The tree went up the weekend of Thanksgiving with no ornaments on it... to see if it would be climbed or knocked over... Well the unexpected happened... he likes to rub the tree and well... with visions of Lampoons Christmas Vacation flashing in our heads... biting the tree... this has since diminished... now he likes to sit under the tree as the tree skirt must be a blanket to him! His eyes even glow with excitement! He has been a joy through the season... he even inspected the ornaments and found ribbon to play with while presents were wrapped!

He's been a good boy... wonder what Santa will bring him!

Merry Christmas

Preparation

2009-12-24T06:28:00.000-08:00

During the Holiday season... any holiday season there is a lot of preparation involved.
One year Mom timed exactly how long it took a family of eight to eat Thanksgiving dinner... Considering all the hours of food preparation involved... it took 15 Minutes.

Before the holidays and any vacation I try to get everything done... yes everything! The cooking/baking, all of the laundry and dishes are washed and put away, the place is dusted, vacuumed, mopped... floors washed and the bathrooms are clean! Why you might ask...so that the holiday whichever it might be is enjoyed fully... no looking at piles of anything... one can sit back and say ahhhh! By noon I should be able to say ahhh!

However... if you have not been able to accomplish all that you wanted... I did not get to make Kolachi... stop at a certain time hide the things that will drive you nuts... deal with them next week... and breathe...

We can then focus our energy on what really matters... the Joy of the occasion... the time with family and friends... the true meaning of Christmas...

An Article

2009-12-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

How much would it cost??? Many of us are caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays... figuring out how much it would cost for this... how much do we have to spend on a minimum of 15 people... and trying to give to each equally... ahhhh!
Recently we came across an article in the Moneywise section of Real Simple magazine...
The 12 days of Christmas... how much would it cost today...
1). Partridge in a Pear tree... $219.99 2). Turtle doves $55. 3). French Hens $30. 4). Calling Birds $599.99 5). Golden Rings $349.95 6). Geese a Laying $240. 7). Swans a Swimming $5,600. 8). Maids a Milking $ 52.40 (minimum wage) 9). Ladies Dancing $4,759.19 10). Lords a Leaping 4,413.61 (notice the ladies made more) 11). Pipers Piping $2,284.80 and 12). Drummers Drumming $2,475.20 for a grand total of $21,080.10

Just thought we'd share... Happy Shopping!

Happy Birthday!

2009-12-09T02:13:00.000-08:00

Someone has a birthday today... who could it be.... what does a birthday mean to you and me??? Is it presents... is it getting older... is it a joy???
Well this is what Websters says it is...

birth·day [ búrth dày, búrthdee ] (plural birth·days)

noun
Definition:

1. day somebody is born: the day on which somebody is born

2. anniversary of day of birth: the day in each year that is the anniversary of the day somebody was born ( often used before a noun )

And here are some famous people that celebrate it on Dec 9th... many are poets, musicians, athletes, scientists, politicians, authors... even one fictional character celebrates today! Ironically these famous folks have similar traits/interests as Mike!

1608 - John Milton, London, poet/puritan (Paradise Lost)
1884 - Antonin Zapotocky, Czechoslovak president (Ceskoslovensky Spisouatel)
1898 - Emmett Kelly, Sedan KS, circus clown (Weary Willie)
1899 - Jean de Brunhoff, France, children's book author (Babar the Elephant)
1902 - Margaret Hamilton, Cleveland Ohio, actress (Wicked Witch-Wizard of Oz)
1906 - Freddy Martin, Cleve Oh, orch leader (started Merv Griffin)
1912 - Thomas P "Tip" O'Neill, (Rep-D-Mass 1977-86)/Speaker of the House
1916 - Kirk Douglas, American actor
1928 - Dick Van Patten, Queens NY, actor (Tom Bradford-8 is Enough)
1930 - Buck Henry, NYC, screenwriter/comedian (SNL, Get Smart)
1942 - Dick Butkus, Chicago, NFL hall of fame linebacker (Bears)/sportscaster
1952 - Michael Dorn, actor (Worf-Star Trek Next Generation)
1953 - John Malkovich, Christopher Ill, actor/director (Killing Fields)
1953 - World B Free, NBA guard (Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors)
1971 - Petr Nedved, Libercec CZE, NHL center (Team Czech, Pitts Penguins)
2340 - Worf, Klingon character on Star Trek Next Generation

Greatest thing since...

2009-12-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

The saying goes... "greatest thing since sliced bread"... where did it come from...

Or more precisely, some advertising maverick thought it up and attributed it to mom,. The phrase had its First Mention on February 16, 1940 in the Burlington Daily Times-New

As an adult sometimes you hear things about your parents you never knew... something they said, did, etc... maybe they got into mischief... we asked an aunt a couple of years ago about our mom... she couldn't come up with a thing... however, old neighbors can tell you funny stories too... of course getting mom to admit to doing whatever it may be... that's another story...

One of my favorites is hearing about my mom say that the microwave was the greatest thing since sliced bread when my parents first bought the giant microwave oven... by the way she still has the cookbook and I think my brother has the microwave...

This thought popped in my head today... as happy thoughts and memories often do while baking cookies... Today I had my version of the greatest thing since sliced bread in the kitchen... parchment paper!

Happy baking to all and to all a good night!

Taste - some things you might not know!

2009-12-02T11:24:00.000-08:00

When you were little parents might have told you "try it you might like it" This may apply more so as we are older... Here's some fact you might not know!

Everyone's tastes are different. In fact, your tastes will change as you get older. When you were a baby, you had taste buds, not only on your tongue, but on the sides and roof of your mouth. This means you were very sensitive to different foods. As you grew, the taste buds began to disappear from the sides and roof of your mouth, leaving taste buds mostly on your tongue. As you get older, your taste buds will become even less sensitive, so you will be more likely to eat foods that you thought were too strong as a child.

What if you could not taste anything? Things like medications, smoking, not getting enough of the right vitamins, injury to the head, brain tumors, chemical exposure, and the effects of radiation can cause taste disorders.

Sense-sational Facts
We have almost 10,000 taste buds inside our mouths; even on the roofs of our mouths.
Insects have the most highly developed sense of taste. They have taste organs on their feet, antennae, and mouthparts.
Fish can taste with their fins and tail as well as their mouth.
In general, girls have more tastebuds than boys.
Taste is the weakest of the five senses.

Pirohy

2009-11-30T11:23:00.000-08:00

In English, the word pierogi and its variants (perogi, perogy, pirohi, piroghi, pirogi, pirogen, pierogy, pirohy, pyrohy) are pronounced with a stress on the letter "o".

The origins of pierogi are difficult to trace. While dumplings as such are found throughout Eurasia, the specific name pierogi, with its Proto-Slavic root "pir" (festivity) and its various cognates in the West and East Slavic languages, shows the name's common Slavic origins, predating the modern nation states and their standardized languages, although in most of these languages the word means pie. The East Slavic Belarusians, Russians and Ukranians, the West Slavic Poles and Slovaks, and the Baltic Latvians and Lithuanians all consume this dish, although sometimes under a different name (e.g., kalduny in Belarus, and koldūnai[1] in Lithuania). In some East European languages, variants of this dish are known by names derived from the root of the word "to boil" (Russian: варить, varit', Ukrainian: варити, varyty). These include the Belarusian vareniki (варэнiкi), Latvian vareņiki, Russian vareniki (варе́ники), Ukrainian varenyky (варе́ники) (literally "boiled things", from the adjective form varenyy).

Slovakia

A traditional dish in Slovak cuisine is bryndzové pirohy, crescent-shaped dumplings filled with salty bryndza cheese, or more often with unripe curd cheese (sk:Tvaroh, Quark (cheese))

Pirohy Day

2009-11-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

Greetings to one and all! Happy day after Pirohy Day!
The pirohy are made thank goodness and with 16 people this year!
We had some changes this year... starting with the apricot and then prune then potato then kraut... we finished in record time starting at 10 finished cooking at 12:30...
maybe because auntie Bobbie was rolling some out! They're bigger and some are better... we're wondering when taste buds wear out... as at 36 I ate my first prune and accidentally kraut... and liked them!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

God Bless Us Everyone! A saying heard at Christmas time... but truly applies to Thanksgiving too... A time where we should be truly thankful for the things we have... good Family, Friends and plenty of food.. the warmth of the season is upon us!
Enjoy!

OLEO

2009-11-23T06:07:00.000-08:00

I recently came upon a recipe that surprised me... after years of hearing margarine referred to as"oleo" by my mom... I found it today in a recipe when looking at the 100 days of holidays cookie recipe for "Nut Rings"....Here are some other oddities of "oleo"

Oleo is a term for oils. It is commonly used to refer to a variety of things:

* Margarine
* Oleic acid
* Oleo (shock absorber), A type of shock absorbers on airplane landing gear
* Oleo (composition), a Sonny Rollins bebop piece
* Oleo (website), a popular Lyrics website
* Oleo (song) , a bebop composition by Sonny Rollins
* Óleo, a city in the São Paulo state in Brazil
* GNU Oleo, a spreadsheet program

The Sash!

2009-11-21T06:25:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

... Recently we've spent some time replacing things like lamps and shades etc... and we'd decided on keeping close to the period of our 1937 home. In reviewing content of magazines like This Old House and Victorian... to name a few we've stumbled upon a few interesting web sites... like www.hoah.biz we've started looking at sconces online for fun and came across "sashes" and other vintage hardware... we sggest that if you have these ornate things in your home... keep them or sell them don't just throw them away! They're pricey!

Home Improvement

2009-11-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite shows to watch growing up was Home Improvement! It was funny and apparently gave us ideas of what to do when we have our own home... and things to improve... or think we should improve! Just somethings to make our mark on our home!
We've recently been spotted by the neighborhood making our mark on someone else's home... as we've been helping tear down and build a garage up the street... it is finished now and fully functional! There would be a debate as to who has the bigger garage... I think ours is the smallest out of the family garages on the street now:(
See you all wondered what happened to us... no blogging for a while... sorry we've been busy! At the same time as the garage project we were continuing to improve our front yard... as suggested by the older and wiser brother... before we put grass seed down we leveled the uneven walk leading up to the house... well the roots under the walk were HUGE and there were a lot of them! Thus justifying that we'd have had a lot of damage had we left that beautiful maple there! Of course there are all the little things that get in the way of these projects being done in a timely manner... work, sleep, darkness, rain...laundry....

The Mail Box

2009-10-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

The mail box is here! The mail box is here! Yes, truly the little things are sometimes exciting like that! However did you guess which one? There are two left to choose from... perhaps it's silly but come on guess!

Crunch time...

2009-10-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

No that does not refer to leaves crunching on the ground! We've come to the conclusion that when owning a house October becomes crunch time! The month when you'd better get all of your prep for winter work done because the days are shorter and the cold is moving in if you live in the north! Right now we've just 2 major chores to get done...
finish getting the roots out of the front lawn to then seed it and get the cars in shape for the season ahead. Luckily we've had help with the lawn that it should be seeded this weekend! Then hopefully we'll get some dry days to finish up the cars!

There are some other fun things going on this weekend if you're so inclined...
The Lake Erie Monsters start their season on saturday at home! And the Covered Bridge fest is this weekend all over Ashtabula... both are highly recommended!

The Letter

2009-10-06T15:52:00.001-07:00

For those that have wondered about the fate of St. Wendelin... here's the latest.
Sue received a letter about a week or so ago from the Vatican. Yes, THE VATICAN.
As Auntie Bobbie would say "no joke". The matter is under recourse by the Vatican currently and a decision should be reached around December 9th. This is extremely rare. The Vatican has issued a number of churches in the area protocol #s in conjunction with these letters. One apparently had to write a letter to the Vatican to receive this response. They were not sent to everyone. There has been a formal petition filed on behalf of St. Wendelin, involving a Canon Lawyer. Thus all is not lost yet.

100 days of Holidays

2009-10-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

Recently I've found that Better Homes and Gardens is doing 100 days of holiday tips.
They have cooking and crafts and a whole word of things...Yesterday I found the cappuchino cookie recipe and a snowflake to quill! You can even crate an electronic snowflake that people all over can respond to. My snowflake is #8,450,245!
Check it out at www.bhg.com!

The Mailbox...

2009-09-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Since we are newer home owners and have a lot of projects going on and are constantly looking for new ideas and colors for painting the bedrooms etc...we check out the houses in the neighborhood while driving and we get a lot of literature! (One of the magazines that Sue subscribes to is Fresh Home it premiered a couple of months ago and is quite good...) If there was one thing she does not like about our house it's the mail slot. It truly is not big enough for the amount of periodicals that we receive and they stick out of the slot... and well there's plenty of rain and snow here to damage the mail... and she saw the "most wonderful" mailbox on her favorite house in the neighborhood... thus the search began! Lowes and Home Depot didn't have the right ones... nor did any other hardware store etc... some neighbors had mailboxes on posts next to the steps, she was willing to do that but someone else wouldn't... Women have a certain picture in their mind of what they want their house to be. Some eclectic, some modern, some classic... some don't care. The house that is the favorite in the neighborhood is just classy and well groomed. This is the dream... of course the people that are in that house are older and retired and have a built in sprinkler system... but the details are just right for their style of house... One of the things to make your house unique, according to the magazines - at least 3 of them, is the mail box... and not liking wet magazines... the search went online and poof there it was!
Let us know which you like better... we'll let you know the results!

The Donut - Facts

2009-09-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hostess® is celebrating all things “donut” with a look at the history and fun facts surrounding one of the most recognizable treats in the world and one of the iconic brand’s most popular snacks.

* Americans eat billions of donuts each year. Hostess produces over 2 billion donuts a year including all of the brand’s varieties.
* The origins of the beloved round cake with a hole in the middle are heavily debated, with some sources giving sweet credit to Dutch settlers who are thought to have brought donut-making techniques from Holland.
* Hostess uses over 10 million pounds of powdered sugar a year and 10 million pounds of chocolate a year while making Hostess Donuts.®
* Enough Hostess Donettes – mini donuts – are made each year to wrap around the earth three times.
* Louisville is the donut capital of the U.S. Louisvillians eat more donuts per capita than people in any other U.S. city.* Louisville’s favorite donut flavor is chocolate.

Rounding out the top five donut-loving cities are:
o Cincinnati, OH
o Roanoke, VA
o Knoxville, TN
o Indianapolis, IN
* The creation of the donut’s “hole” is thought to have been the solution to the dilemma that appeared to plague early donut makers – having an undercooked center when the cakes were removed from the fryer.
* Hostess Donuts were first launched in the 1930s at a time in our nation’s history when American’s were looking for inexpensive ways to treat themselves.
* America’s favorite donut flavor is glazed, followed by chocolate, powdered sugar and plain.*

* Based on donuts bought in grocery stores.

More projects... cold weather looms near!

2009-09-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Mike has been hard at work all year... this past week he's accomplished a lot!
Without telling the wife he's gone up on the roof a few days and fixed the chimney. He's repaired and restored a hangar on the side of the house and the pole in the yard that the laundry line gets attached to. Next will be the small rust areas on his car...
We've both been intermittently working with J on our front walk. We're trying to level out the areas that the tree lifted before getting the load of dirt and planting grass.
The first night Sue had a mosquito problem... now about 50 bites and 3 days later she's not so itchy! There are still a lot of good sized roots from the tree. But the walk remains unbroken... just needs some leveling out! We're trying to get in all the projects outdoors before the weather gets bad... there are an awful lot of berries on the bushes and we're wondering how rough the weather will get!

Happy 6th Birthday Ollie!

2009-09-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Sept 20th was Ollie's 6th birthday! He spent it in the basement hiding from all the outdoor power tool noises and the vacuum. We spent the evening celebrating Joy's 9th birthday! This weekend Birthdays for Sue and Sarah! September is and was a busy month!

This brought up a good yet short discussion about birthdays, however. The reaction to the birthday ranges from good, bad to indifferent. The discussion was do pets realize it is their birthday? As newer adoptive parents to Ollie... and with all of the birthdays in September it was something that came up for discussion. I have since found web sites celebrating their pet birthdays. We've come to the conclusion that to them it is just another day and they quite literally just go about their business.
However it is fun to celebrate with a new toy or in our boy's case his own soft bed.

Recipe of the week

2009-09-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

HOHO FRUIT KABOBS

Items Needed:

* 1 box (10 ounces) Hostess HoHos (10 HoHos)
* 2 medium ripe bananas
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 cups fresh medium strawberries
* 1 cup fresh pineapple cubes
* 1 package (10 ounces) frozen strawberry halves in syrup, thawed

Directions: Cut each HoHo in half. Cut bananas into slices about ²-inch thick. Very gently and quickly, toss bananas in lemon juice, stirring to coat evenly; drain well.
Alternately thread pieces of HoHos, bananas, strawberries and pineapple cubes onto 8-inch skewers. (Leave one end of skewer to use as a handle.)
Place thawed strawberries in blender or food processor; blend until it forms a smooth sauce. Serve strawberry sauce with kabobs.
A jar of chocolate topping makes a great optional dipping sauce or for drizzling over the kabobs.
Makes 10 kabobs.

Where did that name come from?

2009-09-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

There was a recent discussion on where snack cakes got their name... particularly the "Ding Dong" so here it is....

Hostess ® Ding Dongs ®

Ding Dongs - enrobed with chocolate coating, with rich and majestic crème filling, you can't help but feel like royalty when you bite into one. In fact, when they were first introduced, they were actually called King Dons in some parts of the country (and Big Wheels in some regions),

The name Ding Dong came from the chiming bells used in Hostess' first television commercials and you'll be singing a happy tune every time you polish off a package. Nibble them slowly, like a king or queen, and savor the creamy goodness of every morsel, or bite right into that creamy center and get a mouthful of chocolate goodness.

The run down...

2009-09-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

Over this past holiday weekend we had the pleasure of celebrating the Benya's 50th anniversary! While visiting with family, we were asked what projects we've been doing.
For those that may have been missing the regular blog updates... here's the run down...
New garage door! Plumbing! The downstairs bath is now in full working order... aside from the new "fishing" shower curtain and finding an appropriate mirror...it's good to go as the "man's bath". From there we moved on to the downstairs pantry which was scraped primed and repainted from ceiling to floor. Then on to the workshop. This was partially gutted, removing the shelving and old pegboard as well as the carpet and tile and drawers from the workbench. This was to improve airflow. Then there was the removal of two trees and two bushes... This we had someone else do. Then came the landscaping! We also were finishing prepping caulking and painting the garage. The fence line in back was trimmed and new perennials were added. The front evergreens were replaced with a hydrangea and a weigalea. Upon a discussion with the neighbor the pakisandra on the drive side is being killed off/ripped out for a neighbor friendly grassy knoll. More Painting! The upstairs art/craft room aka "Kermit room" no longer has green carpet, green woodwork and green walls... it is now Behr Desert Lily with white woodwork... green carpet...With the help of JR the "man door" has been renewed. We have also done the usual gardening. As well as the project of being parents to Ollie!

We still have things to accomplish before the snow! Chimney work is next... Leveling the front walk. Planting the front and side lawns. Painting the upstairs hall and putting the arts & crafts room back together. Working on the cars. And then stripping the wallpaper and painting the downstairs guest/computer room are all on the agenda...

Aug 27

2009-08-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

My belated birthday wish for all of you!

Another Year

I’m wishing you another year
Of laughter, joy and fun,
Surprises, love and happiness,
And when your birthday’s done,

I hope you feel deep in your heart,
As your birthdays come and go,
How very much you mean to me,
More than you can know.

By Joanna Fuchs