Old as Dirt

If you know what this is, if you remember this, if you used this....you are officially as old as old as me...........and as "old as dirt." Don't get me wrong now, I like old; or perhaps you prefer the nicer words like vintage or retro for you youngin's. LOL

I was sooooo surprised to see this. These mailboxes were used at University School. The University School is where my husband attended school until it closed it's doors. He was a sophomore at that time. Two weeks ago there was a reunion. They had almost everyone return, even those living far away. This was a very tight knit group of kids. Think there were maybe 30? I'd have to look at the list. We collected up for lunch at one of the class members houses, then we got to tour the school. The school began in 1937 and so there's lots of history. It was fun exploring the old building. The organizer had arranged to have someone meet us at the building, unlock it so we could explore on a Sat. It really was the perfect topper.

This group remembered fondly the school, the teachers, and even the food. They all remarked about how good the shepherds pie was. Most of the group never quite felt like they belonged when they went to various high schools around the city. They felt jipped. They wanted to graduate from this school. The school must have done lots of things right for the sentiment to be so favorable from it's former students.

The mailboxes are actually still in the office, though no longer used.

Do have fond memories of your school? Do you attend reunions? Do you stay in touch with former classmates? Did you think your cafeteria food was good?

Rise Above Plastic

This is my new water bottle. It's aluminum, and Swiss made. It wasn't cheap, $20.00 (Sigg). My daughter order one for hubby, me, and got herself one as well. I picked this because I like the saying. Everywhere you go you see people with water bottles, plastic ones. I don't like to keep buying water and so re-cycle them several times---refilling them. Apparently that's not a healthy thing to do. The plastic starts to break down and you drink chemicals. I like having a bottle always with me, drinking water is a good thing to do and many of us don't drink enough of it. I like having the bottle because you do tend to drink more, instead of having to look for a water source. I hate drinking out of a fountain...you never know who's spit in there, or put their mouth on it, or washed their hands in it etc. ICKY. I also prefer a bottle over a glass, glass breaks for one, dust gets in the glass for two, and you always have the opportunity to spill it on something. Generally something important.

So, this should be healthier for me, cheaper because I won't be buying the bottled water, and better for the environment as I won't have a mound of plastic bottles to put in the re-cycle bin. So even with the cost of $20.00, I feel like it's a good thing to do.

I'm also trying to rise above plastic with grocery shopping. I have lots of canvas bags, my problem is remembering to take them with me to the grocery. But, I will keep trying. I do reuse the plastic bags; and the ones I don't reuse I take back to have them recycled.

How bout you? Are reducing your plastic use, trying to reduce your carbon foot print?

Memory Monday

My quest to honor and remember fond things about my mother in alphabetical order continues. Today is the letter I.

Ice skating. I grew up in the little town of Marion, in the snow belt. Ice skating there was very popular. Outside on the farm ponds, city park ponds and so forth. We skated as a family usually on Sunday and when we'd get home cold and tired; Mom would make hot chocolate and pop corn. Ahhhhhhhh I can taste it now. Great fun. There was a nice old style hardware store where you could trade your skates in and get new-used ones. This was great for growing feet. I was super excited when Mom helped me clean up an old pair that were cheap, polished them nice and white...then we made purple pom pom's to decorate them. There were better than new.

Isaly's Sugar Cookies.......though most people who know of Isaly's (us mid-westerners) will immediately think of ice cream and chipped chopped ham, I think of sugar cookies. Grandma Isaly made them from a secret family recipe. They melted in your mouth much like a shortbread cookie. Mom tried to get her to give her the recipe...unsuccessfully. But, I remember her trying. Grandma was getting up in years and someone else in the family was beginning to make them; they weren't as good. Isaly's actually began in my small town of Marion; though I didn't know that at the time. I was searching for a picture to go with this post and found the history of this Swiss Immigrant Family. To this day when I have a sugar cookie I think of Mom trying to get Isaly's recipe and wishing someone out there had it. No sugar cookie since has been as good.

**The white Lilly is about 5.5 inches across, very large for a Lilly and much larger than it was last year. I transplanted these varieties and they seem to like their new location. They're tall, so hubby got me some nice plant supports for them. They're in the far corner of my back yard, visible from my kitchen window. So pretty.

H Memory Here