JACKS, Mother and Daughter and childhood games

Depending on how old you are, you might or might know what this is a picture of.

• It's Jack's. This picture is rather traditional in appearance. I remembering having multi-colored ones too. My Mother taught me to play Jacks. I love to play with her sitting on the front stoop in Marion where I grew up. I can see us there now. The stoop was small and off to the right side was a metal box for the milk man. It was a great game for mother and daughter to play because it really didn't take much time, you could stop and start if you got interrupted easily. Which Mom, usually did to run inside and start a load of laundry, or to hang another load on the clothes line out back. As I got better, we'd play with 2 sets. You really had to get good at bouncing the ball higher to scoop up that many Jacks. You also had to have a bigger hand. Somewhere along the line I remember a friend showing Mom and I a "special ball" she had that really bounced; allowing you more time to scoop up those Jacks. It was the inside of a golf ball. You'd crack open the golf ball, unwrap the rubber bands that were there and inside you had a "special ball".

A fun memory, Thanks Mom.

Did you play Jacks?

If you're new to my blog you might not have seen these Alphabetical Memories of My Mom:


A=Advice, Afghan, Apples
B=Bread, and Bernie
C=Camping, Creativity and Courage
D=Dancing and Delaware Dam
E=Energy and Etiquette
F=Friday
G=Gown (wedding gown), grape pop
H=Hammocks and Holidays
I=Ice Skating and Isaly's

No No, Not SNOW

Snow, that's what this is folks. Ugh. Remember it will soon be this time again. Moving pictures from memory sticks, CD's, and my old computer; trying so hard to get everything on the computer and into proper folders then do a massive back up and pitch the old stack of stuff. Always trying to get more organized. In so doing, I came across this picture. Sorry it's a bit blurred and dark. I took this looking at the window at my fabulous neighbor. You've gotten a glimpse of my bad neighbor with his dandelions...now you can see my wonderful good neighbor as he's snow blowing for me.

Thought you'd get a kick out of this, if it's still hot wherever you are. And sadly, it's a reminder to us all of the season ahead. Can you imagine being homeless, living outside without a roof over you head in these conditions? I can't either, and yet I know it happens. If you're not aware of my homeless project, please hop over Here and read about it. See if there's a way you can help. Thanks.

Do you dread winter and snow?

Do You See What I See?

"Do You See What I See?" Way in the sky little lamb? As I typed the title to this post that Christmas Carole came to mind. Though that's not what this post is about.

Do you? See what I see? This tree is huge, the circumference that is. Not very tall anymore; as it's been cut so many times. Damaged through storms and time, not much is left. This tree speaks to me. Partially I think because given it's size, the hundreds of years it's grown; think what all it could tell us. This tree truly does call out to me. It's located in Green Lawn Cemetery here in town. Green Lawn is the 2nd largest cemetery in the state. It's quite old, historic and interesting. It's not possible for me to go to this cemetery without stopping to visit, my tree. Even my friends call it, Sandy's tree. I feel quite spiritual when I'm there. This is the front of the tree, I see a body; do you? Like a person is facing you.  And below

Is the back of the tree.  Do you see the back of a body? I do.

The first time I photographed this tree was almost a bit spooky. I was driving by on my way out of the cemetery,(had photographed for people doing their genealogy). I spotted it and had to stop. After parking the car and walking over I felt a chill, an odd sensation. I walked in silence around the tree and wondered about it. I started to leave after photographing it, when I felt compelled to stay a bit longer. Almost like I was visiting. Once again I decided I really needed to leave, choose a different path to exist by and there in front of me a tombstone of Frank Schoenfeld. I looked at it several times, as well as his family members around him. I didn't know he had died. Frank Schoenfeld had been my favorite teacher. He was my 7th grade homeroom teacher, taught Ohio history. He was a fabulous teacher, which I think is why I loved history so much. Now to appreciate how odd it was for me to find the memorial you need to understand the size of Green Lawn. It is 360 acres, founded in 1848 and has hundreds of thousands of memorials.

Until they painted a couple of the roads it was not uncommon for people to get lost there. Even now with the roads painted, I never go without a map of the cemetery in hand; and I'm pretty familiar with it. People used to joke about leaving bread crumbs so they could find their way out.

The list of who's who buried in this cemetery is very impressive, from President G.W. Bush's grandfather, to Governor Rhodes, to Eddie Rickenbacher, to slaves in unmarked graves from years back. The tree surely has witness much.

Do you see what it speaks to me?  Do you see what I see?

Chemicals Needed, lots of them.

For YEARS everyone in the neighborhood has threatened to slip over during the darkness of night in super stealth mode and spray this yard. Not just spray, but SPRAY like there's no tomorrow. Regardless of how well we all weeded, or sprayed our yards (and many have it done professionally), we could not get rid of the dandelions. Can you see why? What a constant eye sore, on top of the additional work it caused the rest of us in the neighborhood....and let's talk allergies. ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

He would wait and wait to mow, then when the grass was about a foot tall, and his weeds and dandelions had blown all around the neighborhood; he'd give in and mow the tops off. He never sprayed, he never pulled a weed. The yard was either full of yellow dandelions, or the fuzzy seeds of the dandelions, or those purple weeds (can't remember what they're called.)

But, there's more. When he did decide it was time to mow, he mow at night and bagged it. Well generally only 2 strips could be done because the grass was so tall so it would take him forever to mow. Which meant everyone had to hear the mower for hours and hours during their quiet time. And because he hated to mow, he had the mower set to the lowest possible setting and the yard look scraped the next day or so. So pretty. Thankfully, we spend most of our time out back and not in the front.

Good news, after 20+ years, he put the house on the market and moved out. YIPPEE. However, the house has remained empty for almost 2 years. The only good part of this, he finally hired someone to cut it. Thus the above photograph. Big mower, he could do it quicker. At least we had less noise to deal with. Then after the house had been on the market for ages, someone convinced him he needed to do something about the yard. FINALLY, he sprayed it; but as you can imagine once was hardly enough. Now, we have our fingers crossed that if the house sells (he has it way over priced), we'll get more considerate neighbors that take care of it better than he did. Only time will tell. He's tried selling it himself with no luck; and just recently we've learned he's getting a Realtor. Fingers and toes are crossed.

Do you have bad neighbors like this?

The waiting is Painful!

Look at the patience! These pictures were taken 2 summers ago on my deck just about dinner time. My kitchen window looks out onto the deck, which I love. I'm able to look out as I prepare meals. I quickly got my camera. Initially took the a photo from inside; but wanting a better photo actually was able to step out onto the deck to get these photo's. Neither moved. They both were quite intent.


So, what do you think?
Want to see and read more about animals? Please visit my SIL's blog

Homemade Noddles!

This is my niece who helped me with making homemade noddles. Realized I never edited these pictures, there were in the wrong folder on my computer and are from Thanksgiving a few years back. We make homemade noddles...TONS of them, believe that year we made about 6 recipes worth. We are a huge bunch when we gather for the fest and everyone loves my homemade noddles. Then we had to make more so my little helper had some to take home. We made egg noddles for the meal and for her to take home, then we made tomato basil angel hair...bird nests for her to take home. She was a good worker, but tired at the end. It takes lots of time and energy...and all day project.
My daughter usually helps me, but wasn't getting home from Baltimore until late the night before Thanksgiving and so wasn't able to. She was teaching 5th and working on her Masters at the time, and they didn't get off early.