Bear Swamp Reflections

Merry Christmas, Darling

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:41:00 +0000

In 1970, I was a senior in high school full of romantic ideas, crazy about boys and one boy in particular. We had dated off and on for a year or so, but he was in college and understandably didn't want to settle down with a seventeen-year-old girl. That Christmas, as I was pining away for my true love, The Carpenters released a little number called "Merry Christmas, Darling" as a single. It fit my yearnings to a tee. I went to Kresge's and plunked down my hard-earned babysitting money for the record and put it on the console stereo. I don't think I removed it for two months...well past Christmas! Karen knew about my aching heart and sang about it in her clear, pure alto voice.

It wasn't until 1978 that The Carpenters came out with their "Christmas Portrait" album. By then I was happily married with a three-year-old and one on the way. There wasn't a lot of money to spare, but I had to have that album. So I saved a little here and a little there and bought it. I played that thing to death. I loved the way each song segued seamlessly into the next one. I sang along with Karen and knew every note and pause and breath. I loved that the very first thing you hear when it starts is Karen taking a breath. I loved that they included the little known first verses of several Christmas standards.

When the children (all three of them) were going to school, I would wake them every school day during the Christmas season by playing the album. It's one of Aimee's most loved memories of childhood...waking to "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear".

When the CD came out, I retired the worn-out album (which I still have) and replaced it with the new technology. I still have the same one. I still play it to death every year. This year, I've uploaded the songs to my MP3-capable cell phone. It's the one Christmas album that I never get tired of.

Oh, you're probably wondering if I ever got together with that college boy. I did. And we've been married 37 years. You do the math.

Let's play....Name That Blog!

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:17:00 +0000

Ruth, at synch-ro-ni-zing, was feeling a wee bit silly (and entertainingly clever) a couple of weeks ago while she was experiencing a sleepless night. Normally (not that she was being abnormal ), Ruth is a serious writer who challenges and inspires us with deep ponderings from her intricate thought processes. In fact, she has told me that somewhere in her past childhood she skipped Silly Ruth and went straight to Serious Ruth. She, in her moment of whimsy, challenged her followers to tell the true story behind the clever names of their blogs.

Therein lies the challenge for me. My blog name is neither clever, nor probably interesting to anyone other than myself, but I shall forge ahead!

I was initially inspired to write my blog by a fellow chicken lover from the message board at Backyard Chickens. I found this website when I googled "raising chickens". It's a very informative resource for novice chicken owners who can ask questions of veteran chicken owners. My screen name there was BearSwampChick.

When I decided to start my blog, the only name that came to mind was "Bear Swamp Reflections". I live on Bear Swamp Road and I saw my blog as a way to reflect on the happenings of my life and my children's and grandchildren's lives. In fact, at the beginning my title had a subtitle which read "....on herding chickens and grandkids". Later on I dropped the subtitle when my writing and photos started branching out. My purpose still is to create something that my family will be able to read someday when I am gone from this world. They will still be able to hear my voice; sometimes sentimental, sometimes funny, sometimes snarky. As my daughter Aimee says, "Better a smartass than a dumbass." The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, friends.

So, since my blog name story is rather boring, I thought I would give you a little tour of my past blog headers, starting with numero uno.

This photo was taken on one of our Hocking Hills hikes.

A pool of water formed in a bowl-shaped depression in a large rock, reflecting the trees overhead,

thus the "reflections" part of the blog name.

Ruth, I have to confess that I copied you on this one.

Right after I started following synch-ro-ni-zing, I admired Ruth's collage header so much that I wanted one for myself.

And I was tired of the dark reflections photo.

I also copied Ruth's format by changing from Rounders 3 to Minima Stretch.

I like the wide open page layout on Minima.

This is also when I learned how to "write" on my photos!

So, I got tired of the super-bright collage after a while and

chose this picture of a bent trillium that I took at

Cedar Bog Nature Preserve.

It provided me a sense of peace and quiet.

Then in June this year I changed to this photo of my flower garden

in all its early summer glory

with the view of the barn in the distance.

I also added back a subtitle.

The subtitle theme stuck around for the midsummer photo exchange.

I took this one after David got my clothesline put up (finally!).

My current header, which may be my favorite so far, came about after I did a post on the covered bridges in our county. I think I'll keep it for a couple more weeks, until the Christmas season finally catches up with me. I have the decorations out and ready to go. I'm just waiting for the right moment.

The header, as of December 1, 2009.

Thankful for all I have

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Before I went into the grocery store, I took a twenty out of my wallet and put it into my coat pocket. I just had a feeling. I had a list a mile long and started the task of picking out the right vegetables, the ten pounds of sweet potatoes that never seems to be enough for my carb-crazy family, the little extra snack items that you seem to need when you have a houseful of people for four days.

I saw her a couple of times looking over items, picking them up and putting them back, then choosing the least expensive items she could find. She didn't look sad or stressed, but it was plain to see that she was stretching every penny, trying to come up with a nice Thanksgiving for her family, or maybe just for herself.

As I finished up my shopping, I turned around to where I had just seen her. I palmed the folded bill and walked over to her as if greeting a friend. I said, "Ma'am, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving" and took her warm, weathered hand in both of mine. I could tell that she was trying to remember who I was as I pressed the money into her hand. As her startled eyes looked into mine, she said thank you and God bless. I smiled and walked away, wishing I had done more.

I wish all of my wonderful friends who visit me here a blessed Thanksgiving Day spent with the ones you love.

*photo taken from American Corners in Hungary website

It started last year

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:46:00 +0000

It seems I now have a collection of Made in Japan cream pitchers (it says so right on the bottom). Anyone who was here last November knows that I found the first one on our annual couples weekend to the Hocking Hills. This year I found two of the little beauties!

Last year's find is in the middle.

And I added a couple more at other times during the year. Both found at Goodwill.

I like the blue tones in these and the more vibrant colors.

But the main reason for our weekend wasn't about buying antique cream pitchers. It was about relaxing, communing with nature and connecting with family and friends.

The other couple participating in our annual getaways is Mark (David's first cousin) and his wife, Cindy. Cindy is one of my dearest friends. She has been there for me in times of deep joy and immense sorrow...feeling my happiness and despair as if they were her own. And it hasn't been one-sided. I've run to her side when both her parents died suddenly and when she thought their soon-to-be-adopted daughter was going to be returned to the birth parents. We've sobbed in each other's arms and laughed hysterically over things that only the two of us think are funny. We have a silly name for my role in her children's lives...Cant Susan (part cousin, part aunt). I'm the fun "cant", but also the one to have serious talks with them.

This annual event is so important to us that we aren't willing to give it up, no matter what. This year Mark was let go from his job and that's a tough position to be in when you're 55. Cindy bakes for a local flower shop and she took on extra baking to help pay for their part of the cabin we rented. Mark worked this summer installing roofs and doing home repairs. He's very good at it, because he has built two of their homes, doing most of the work himself.

This year we had to rent a different cabin than last year. I waited a little too long, not knowing if we would be able to go or not, and the cabin we had last year was already booked. (The secluded ones go fast.) But I think we like this new one even better. No stairs to climb and the kitchen was larger. I was a little bummed that there was a gas-log fireplace instead of the wood-burning one, but it worked out fine. It was very realistic and oh-so convenient. Turn a switch and it's on. Turn the switch again and it's off! Magic! Of course, I still love the crackle and smell of the wood-burning fireplace in my home and would never change it, but this one served its purpose well.

One of the reasons we liked this cabin so well was it's location. Right around the curve about half a mile was this gorgeous hiking trail leading to a rockhouse. It is a fantastic outcropping of sandstone and granite and really huge. I'm sure Native Americans (Shawnee, most likely) used it for shelter.

So, how about a little tour.

Watch that first step, it's a doozy!

Cindy giving a little perspective.

Mark and David know how to do it, too.

Inside the rockhouse.

Looking back to the approaching trail. It was hard to see beneath all the fallen leaves.

What do you see?

I love the colors in the rocks. The red indicates a lot of iron and I'm told that the green is copper. There are thousands of name and initial carvings, some dating to the early 1800's.

Looking out the other end to the forward trail. It's a long way down!

Lots of pigeons roost inside on the ledges and crevices. As you can imagine, there are also a lot of bats.

Getting ready to descend the steps to the lower trail.

A beautiful rock bridge that has been covered by a wooden one to preserve it. These trails are heavily used and it was in danger of collapsing.

Looking straight up from the bottom of the ravine. I was really dizzy and had to sit down after this shot. Large cliffs and dizziness are not a good combination!

Taken from the bridge. See those teeny-tiny people up there about halfway? Those are really full-sized adults!

See the elderly couple at the bottom left of the picture? His name is Tom Hanks and her name is Dottie West, which he delighted in telling us! They needed a little help getting back up the trail out of the ravine. He was in his 80's and she looked to be in her late 70's and had just had knee replacement surgery a couple of months ago! How they ever got down there, I haven't a clue! David and Mark helped them climb out and find the right trail back to the parking lot. Tom was a real talker and was such a cutie-pie! He told us they are just "friends". Isn't that sweet?

It's always hard to leave on Sunday and return to family responsiblilities, but we know reality is waiting for us at the end of the road. And if it weren't for reality, this wouldn't be nearly as sweet. Until next year....

To find out more about this beautiful area of Ohio, please click here.

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Son Shadows

I am not a small woman

feeling at times Amazon-ish

among other women.

My two sons made me feel,

when beside them,

petite and somehow more feminine.

The older one intelligent

and burning with the thirst for knowledge,

sensitive and quiet,

giving warm, enveloping embraces.

The younger one burning,

just burning,

feeling too deeply,

in your face making you be honest with yourself.

Nothing too scary, too fast

or too insurmountable,

except for life.

The older one's shadow

still giant-like

beside my lesser one.

The younger one's shadow

is a ghost

I chase in my dreams.

~~Susan~~

I want one of these

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:23:00 +0000

Let me restate that: I need one of these. My butt is growing ever bigger from lack of exercise due to sitting in front of my computer. And yes, I'm blaming you, and you, and you over there for writing such fascinating words for me to read and gorgeous pictures for me to sigh over.

I think this little number would do the trick, because watching TV while I'm doing the treadmill doesn't cut it. I still keep looking at the time and wondering how much longer I can possible stand to stay on that boring machine from hell. Oh, what? It's only been 15 minutes? Ugh!

The only problem would be the fact that my desktop wouldn't exactly work on this nice little stand (only $479 on sale!), so I would also have the expense of a new laptop. Hmmmmm, do you think Santa is feeling extra generous this year?

p.s. The Hallowe'en candy isn't helping...not one little bit.

my childhood passion

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:29:00 +0000

I'm fairly certain that Timmy Mouse by Miriam Clark Potter (illustrated by Tony Brice, published by Rand McNally) sparked my childhood passion for reading. We didn't have a lot of money when I was a child, and I only remember owning two books...this one and a Rand McNally publication of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. And these were probably given to me or one of my sisters as a gift. I remember having these when we lived on the family farm. When I was eight years old, we sold our farm to my brother (he is 20 years older than I) and moved into town.

The greatest discovery of my life was Briggs Public Library in Ironton, Ohio. I went with my friend whose dad took us. I was totally enthralled with the unbelievable notion that I could take as many books as I liked, without charge, and read to my heart's content. In two weeks, I could bring all of them back and start all over again! What a miracle that was to me! Another friend of mine who was a non-reader was a total enigma to me. Her aunt had bought her a whole set of Nancy Drew Mysteries and she never opened one of them! I asked to borrow them and she willingly let me take them home with me. It was supposed to be a permanent arrangement, but her mother found out and made me bring them back. I was devastated, but knowing I could borrow them whenever I pleased brought me consolation.

I went from Nancy Drew to the Hardy Boys and then to Trixie Belden Mysteries. Trixie was like the younger Nancy only more down home. She wasn't cool and sophisticated like Nancy, and I could more easily identify with her character. She lived on Crabapple Farm and her best friend was Honey Wheeler (loved her name) and they belonged to the Bob-White Club.

We moved back to the country when I was starting 7th grade and I no longer had ready access to shelves of books. The county bookmobile became one of my best friends. I would check out twenty books at a time, barely able to carry them to the car.

When I was in eighth grade, my tastes started getting a little more grown-up. Wow! I'll say! I managed to get a copy of Valley of the Dolls by Jacquelin Susann. I got in trouble for showing all the risque passages to my friends at school. My principal "suggested" that it would be inappropriate to bring that particular book to class again. She didn't say anything about Peyton Place though! I had pretty eclectic taste in my reading material. I still read young teen books. I loved Lois Duncan and Ann Head (remember Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones?), Rosamond du Jardin, Betty Cavanna...I could go on, but I'll spare you.

In high school, I was totally obsessed with Gothic Romance novels. Of course Emily Bronte set the standard with Wuthering Heights and Charlotte with Jane Eyre, but at that time in my life I was into more recent authors. I wanted to be that governess in books by Victoria Holt, Dorothy Eden, Phyllis Whitney, Barbara Michaels, Mary Stewart. Like most obsessed readers, once I found an author, I read everything by them until the supply was exhausted.

Also during high school, I read every best-seller I could get my hands on and I had a fixation on books about World War II, fiction and non-fiction alike. I would read until 2:00 a.m on a school night. I think I read every single book in our small school library. In certain classes (with boring, repetitive teachers), I would make a little fortress of my textbooks and read a paperback behind them. Believe it or not, I never got caught and still managed to graduate with honors.

When I was a young mother, I felt tied down, overwhelmed, exhausted and just looking for a little escape from my humdrum life....so I turned to Harlequin Romances. Yikes! I can't believe I'm admitting that, but, hey, don't knock them too much. They were short, easy to read, and they always, always had happy endings. Some of the authors were surprisingly good writers and a few (Barbara Delinsky, Janet Dailey, Nora Roberts, etc.) went on to become mainstream romance writers. Yeah, most of it is formulaic dreck, but they filled a niche in my life and then I got over them.

I still tend to find an author and read everything they've written. Two recent ones have been James Lee Burke who writes the "Dave Robicheaux" mysteries (I got interested in them when we lived in Louisiana where they're set) and Carl Hiassen whose books about southern Florida make me laugh out loud. I couldn't possibly list all the books I've ever read, but I would most likely recognize them if I saw them listed. I don't read as much as I should these days, mainly because I'm on this darned computer too much, but I'm trying to strike a happy medium with less computer time and more reading time. I want to regain my childhood/adult passion.

P.S. My current read is The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian.

P.P.S. This Timmy Mouse isn't my original one. I found this one at Alibris. It's a great source for out-of-print books at reasonable prices.

P.P.P.S. This is a duplicate post of the one on Lens.Us.Together.

Monday Movie MeMe--Howdy Pardner!

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:13:00 +0000

I couldn't resist posting The Bumbles' movie meme this week. It's all about cowboys! I must be part guy, because I love a good western. I don't know if it's the great western scenery, or the handsome cowboy scenery that lures me in....well, maybe it's both, but there's nothing like a good shoot-'em-up for me!

The hard part is just choosing a few, that is if you consider 13 a few! I suppose you can, considering all the great western movies that have been made in the last 106 years. Which brings me to the first movie on my list:

The Great Train Robbery (1903) was directed and photographed by Edwin Porter, a former Thomas A Edison cameraman. It was a silent film, of course. It is 10 minutes long and has only 14 scenes and was filmed in the rugged wilds of....New Jersey? Of course, they could hardly film it on location since it really was still the wild, wild west at that time! The story was said to be based on actual hold-ups perpetrated by the real Butch Cassidy and his Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, which leads me to.....

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Were Paul Newman's eyes ever bluer? Was Robert Redford ever sexier? Was any western "bromance" any closer...until Brokeback Mountain? I've watched this movie a hundred times and know almost every line. "Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill ya!"

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Yeah, Tombstone (both Kurt Russell's and Kevin Costner's versions) told more of the background story and they were prettier to look at, but "Gunfight" was an original (My Darling Clementine with Henry Fonda was the first). And you can't go wrong with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday...two over-the-top performances that are an impersonator's dream.

Lonely Are the Brave. Kirk Douglas plays a cowboy in the sixties who can't quite adjust to the modern world. He finds out that a friend is doing time in jail for helping illegal immigrants to cross the border, so he decides to get himself arrested to help his friend escape. When he gets inside, he finds out the friend would rather stay and do his time so that he can go home to his family, instead of spending his life on the run. Kirk breaks out with the help of his faithful horse, Whiskey, and is pursued by the sheriff, played by Walter Matthau. ( I know! Walter Matthau as a sheriff? But, it works.) The lovely Gena Rowlands plays his friend's wife. It has one of the saddest endings ever.

The Man from Snowy River. Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) lived his first 18 years in the mountains of Australia on his father's farm. The death of his father forces him to go to the low lands to earn enough money to get the farm back on its feet. Kirk Douglas plays two roles as twin brothers who haven't spoken for years, one of whom was Jim's father's best friend and the other of whom is the father of Jessica (Sigrid Thornton) the girl he wants to marry. A 20 year old feud re-erupts, catching Jim and Jessica in the middle of it as Jim is accused of letting a prize stallion loose. The scene when Jim rides the stallion down a steep cliff is just breathtaking.

Cat Ballou. The drunkest gunfighter in the West takes on evil Railroad magnate! Jane Fonda plays Cat and she hires Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin) to kill the S.O.B. railroad man who killed her father. It's really funny and Lee Marvin plays the best drunk ever....hmmmm, maybe he wasn't acting? There's also singing.....which leads me to.....

Paint Your Wagon. Now, tell me, do you think of singing when you think of a Clint Eastwood western? Clint and Lee Marvin (in another funny role) play prospectors who share the same wife (the beautiful Jean Seberg). Believe it or not, this film was written by Paddy Chayefsky, directed by Joshua Logan, and the music was written by Alan Jay Lerner .

The Outlaw Josey Wales has Eastwood as a wanted man. He was a peaceful farmer near the end of the Civil War until a gang of renegade Union soldiers burns his home and murders his family. He vows to destroy the ones who took his "life". He joins up with a band of guerilla fighters after the Confederacy surrenders and sets out on a mission of mayhem and destruction. No matter how much Josey tries to deny it, his persona of peaceful farmer and builder of life comes through and finally he is able to listen to his inner yearnings to be that person again.

Unforgiven has been hailed as one of the greatest westerns of all time, with good reason. This movie is chock-full of great characters and performances by Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris. Clint Eastwood tells a great story about good and evil and the not-quite-good and the not-quite-evil. The shootout with "Little Bill" Daggett is classic and pure Eastwood.

The Cowboys is my favorite John Wayne movie and you can't mention western movies without listing a few of his films. Mark Rydell, who wrote and directed "On Golden Pond", directed this movie. Wil Anderson (John Wayne) is a rancher who has to get his cattle to market to avoid financial disaster. All the cattle drivers who usually ride with him desert him for the promise of "thar's gold in them there hills". He is forced to resort to hiring young schoolboys. There is only one among them who has any experience, and he is only 15 and the oldest of the bunch. Needless to say, they run into their share of troubles and catastrophes along the way, but none more menacing than a gang of cattle rustlers led by the evil Long Hair (Bruce Dern in a perfectly cast role). These "cowboys" may have started out as greenhorns and little boys, but they ended up as true men of the west.

True Grit. Slap an eye-patch on John Wayne and give him a bottle and you've got "Rooster" Cogburn, a washed-up, drunken, don't-give-a-damn U.S. Marshal with a reputation for getting the job done. Mix him up with a teenage girl, Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), seeking vengeance for her father's death and you've got a match made in Cowboy Heaven. Throw in a little Glen Campbell (what?) and you've even got some cowboy singing. Now that's what I call a western!

Open Range.

"Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) and Charley Waite (Kevin Costner) freegraze their cattle across the vast prairies of the West, sharing a friendship forged by a steadfast code of honor and living a life unencumbered by civilization. When their wayward herd forces them near the small town of Harmonville, the cowboys encounter a corrupt sheriff and kingpin rancher who govern the territory through fear, tyranny and violence. Boss and Charley find themselves inextricably drawn towards an inevitable showdown, as they are forced to defend the freedom and values of a lifestyle that is all too quickly vanishing. Amidst the turmoil, life suddenly takes an unexpected turn for the loner Charley when he meets the beautiful and warm spirited Sue Barlow, a woman who embraces both his heart and his soul." (from IMDB.com)

This is one of David's favorite recent westerns, and he thinks it is a great vehicle for Kevin Costner's talents. And you can't miss with Robert Duvall playing the ultimate cowboy, and that leads me to......

Lonesome Dove is THE greatest portrayal of western cowboy life. Some of you will argue that it isn't a movie, and you would be right, it is a television mini-series. But to me it is a cowboy movie that just happens to be nearly six hours long (on DVD without commercials). The combination of Robert Duvall as Capt. Augustus McRae and Tommy Lee Jones as Capt. Woodrow Call is even better than Newman and Redford. They epitomize the former Texas Rangers turned cattle thieves that they portray. None of the actors who played them in the sequels can compare with their performances. Lonesome Dove has everything that you could want in a cowboy movie: cattle thieving, a cattle drive, lonely women, a prostitute with a heart of gold, beautiful breathtaking scenery, bad men with a heart of gold, bad men who are pure evil, witless bad men who bid the call of a woman who hankers after a bad man, hangings, boys who grow up in the time space of a cattle drive, death, snakes, and the neverending familial love between two men.

One of my favorite scenes is when Gus and Woodrow are getting ready to leave Lonesome Dove for the cattle drive to Montana. Gus insists on taking the wooden sign on which he has written something in Latin....

[referring to the Hat Creek Cattle Company sign]

Woodrow Call: ...and if that ain't bad enough you got all them Greek words on there, too.
Gus McCrae: I told you, Woodrow, a long time ago it ain't Greek, it's Latin.
Woodrow Call: Well what does it say in Latin?
[Gus blusters some gibberish]
Woodrow Call: For all you know it invites people to rob us.
Gus McCrae: Well the first man comes along that can read Latin is welcome to rob us, far as I'm concerned. I'd like a chance t' shoot at a educated man once in my life.

For those of you who have read Larry McMurtry's great book of the same name, you will know that in the book Gus and Woodrow run into a man who does read Latin and translates it for him.

Never let it be said that cowboys were politically correct:

Five random words

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Do you like memes? I love ones that make me think, but I suppose that is what memes are all about...

Violet Sky was doing one that I thought was interesting and she has some excellent responses to the words chosen for her. I wanted to play, too, so she came up with some thoughtful words for me to kick around.

Jars
I suppose you could say that jars are an important part of my life. I grew up beside my mother who filled jars every summer with wonderful things from her garden. If she didn't can the green beans, corn, pickles, beets, jellies and jams, we would be sorely lacking for food in the winter. She even canned meats, especially sausage, and even squirrel. I know some of you might think that eating squirrel meat would gross you out, but when you live on a very limited income as we did, you learned that many things that God provides make good eating when you're hungry. Squirrel meat is pretty tasty when you stew it, then dredge in flour, salt and pepper and fry it in an iron skillet. My sister Judy always complained when we had it for supper. She said she always got a piece of buckshot that escaped my dad's fingers when he was picking it out of the flesh.

I save jars. My mother-in-law cans a lot, so of course I save them for her, returning the ones that she has given me containing her hard work. I also save nice ones that I buy from the grocery store with jams, jellies and preserves. Sometimes they're just too pretty and useful to throw into the recycling container.

looking down from Mt. Washington at Point Park in Pittsburgh

River
Rivers have always been a part of my life. I grew up in southern Ohio near the Ohio River. We weren't right alongside it, but I would see it every time we went to town. If we wanted to go to Ashland, Kentucky or Huntington, West Virginia, we had to cross the bridges. I remember my mom (who was full of superstitions) would tell us to raise our feet off the floorboard of the car when we drove across. I'm not exactly sure what evil this peculiar gesture was supposed to ward off, but we always did it. I have a feeling it led to my unreasonable fear of bridges.

I've lived near other large rivers since I've been married. We lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, whose very high and curved bridge gave me apoplectic fits just thinking about driving over it. We lived there five years and I finally, in the last couple of months we were there, made myself drive over it to try and conquer my fear of it. I did it, but I can't say it made me any less fearful.

After that, we moved to the Pittsburgh area, where there are lots of bridges and tunnels. Anyone familiar with Pittsburgh probably knows that there are three rivers. The Allegheny River and the Monongahela River merge to form the Ohio River. Once our son got stuck in the city and called me to come and get him. Of course, I immediately started panicking, because the highways in Pittsburgh are like a big spaghetti bowl with scary bridges that lead to god-knows-where...sometimes baaaad places. Well, I took off, my heart pounding, and of course, I got lost...stuck on top of Mount Washington, with no clue as to how to get where I needed to be. I called David at work, sobbing so hard that he could barely understand what I was saying, and he had to first rescue our son and then rescue his hysterical wife. I did finally learn a little about driving in Pittsburgh with my friend Lynn, who had almost as much trouble with it as I did.

Here in central Ohio we have several rivers...the Olentangy, the Scioto (which flows into the Ohio River), Mad River, and the Big Darby Scenic River.

Map
I love maps. David tells me I'm a great navigator when we're traveling. I like to find out-of-the-way places on maps, because I'm not fond of interstate travel. I like the little towns and the big cities. Our kids are good navigators as well. When they were young, they would spend hours in the van on our road trips learning about the highways and byways in the atlas that was always kept handy in the car or van...we have one in each vehicle.

Every time we moved to a new place, the first two things we did were study the city or county maps, and then find the local library. Then drive around to familiarize ourselves and find landmarks to go by. They're also handy for games to play on the road; such as, naming state capitals, state flowers and trees, etc. I know, we're such nerds.

Lately, my maps and atlases have been feeling a little lonely. We have come into the 21st century with GPS navigation. David has one in his vehicle and my recent purchase of a new cell phone gave me one I can take anywhere. I love gadgets and this one fits right into my love of navigation. But I still look at the atlases occasionally. I wouldn't want my faithful companions to think I've deserted them!

Wallet
I'm really picky about purses and wallets. When I find one that works for me, I hang onto them forever, and it's starting to show. I've been scouting recently for a new wallet, but I just haven't been able to find the right one. This one is getting very worn around the edges. To me it's just broken in, but it is a little embarassing when I take it out to pay for a purchase. Anyone know where I can find one just like it?

Penguins
Who doesn't like penguins? When I take my grandkids to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, we always have to watch the Humboldt penguins. It's especially fun when it's feeding time. Watch this video (by someone else) of our zoo's penguins following the reflection from someone's camera.

This is a no-pressure meme. If you would like to play, let me know in a comment with your email and I will try to come up with interesting words for you.

Monday Movie MeMe--True Romance

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:07:00 +0000

There are a hundred and one movies that I could name as truly romantic, but none says it better for me than Chocolat.

What could be more romantic than a mysterious and sensuously beautiful woman (Juliette Binoche) who comes to a rigid puritanical village with her daughter to set up a chocolaterie. She sets about the task of winning over the sexually repressed men and oppressed women by serving them chocolate that makes them want to do things they haven't thought of doing in years. And did I say Johnny Depp plays a heartbreakingly gorgeous gypsy who wins our lady's heart?

The mayor is outraged when Vianne Rocher sets up her shop across the street from the church and at Lent, of all things! Slowly, the town comes to accept and love Vianne and her daughter Anouk, but the mayor is determined to run her out of town. He almost succeeds and almost destroys her, but with the courage she finds in her newfound love and the strong bonds she has made with some of the women, she overcomes even the mayor's determination and stops running away from her life.

The supporting cast is stellar and includes Lena Olin, Leslie Caron, Alfred Molina, and one of my favorite actresses, Dame Judi Dench. Lasse Hallstrom directs.

If you haven't seen this wonderful movie, do yourself a favor and watch it soon. Thanks, Bumbles, for the theme.

It's official....

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:04:00 +0000

....Gaige and Nathan are now Cub Scouts.

We missed the first two meetings, so the night they joined we got a lot of Scout stuff thrust upon us. Every year the Boy Scouts of America sells Trail's End popcorn. It is the only fund-raising event for Scouts, much like Girl Scouts sell cookies. When our boys were in Scouts umpteen years ago, and David was a Scout Leader and I was a Den Mother, the popcorn sales were pretty simple. There was one choice, the kind you put in a pan with oil and popped on the old range. It was really good popcorn...think Orville Redenbacher good. Now, of course, there is microwave popcorn and gift tins filled with popcorn goodies. One really nice feature in the sales, for people who don't care for popcorn but who still want to make a contribution and also help our men and women in the armed services, is the Military Donation program that sends gift tins to our troops.

The other thing that was an immediate rush-to-get-done item was the fall campout happening on Saturday! Four days hence! We decided that the boys would just go for the afternoon and evening, but not spend the night. They were fine with that plan. I think they were a little apprehensive about staying in a tent away from home. And that was really fine with Poppy, because he wasn't relishing spending the night in a tent either.

It had rained the night before and Saturday morning, too, so we weren't sure they were even going, even though there was a "no cancellation, if rain" policy in effect. Luckily, just about the time to leave for the camp, the sun came out and it turned out to be a lovely afternoon.

The guys need to work on their salutes/signs...I'm not sure which one they were going for here, but both of them need work. Gaige seems to have the Scout sign confused with the "peace" sign. Two fingers together, Gaige, and not quite so high in the sky. And, Nathan, the salute is at the right front of your cap brim. Nathan is a Tiger Cub and Gaige is a Wolf Cub.

Nathan and another Tiger Cub checking out a daddy long-legs.

Fishing was the highlight of the day. Poppy said they learned to cast fairly well for first-timers.

Nathan even caught a good-sized bluegill, but Poppy insisted on throwing it back. Nathan was not. too. ~~threw a~~ ~~screaming, crying fit~~ happy. about this turn of events, and that is the reason he is not in the picture.

Gaige got to help cut up peppers for the chili cooking in the Dutch oven.

Nathan cut up apples for a tinfoil dessert that was cooked on the fire.

Sung at the end of Scout meetings.....Taps

"Day is done.

Gone the sun

From the lake,

From the hills,

From the sky.

All is well,

Safely rest.

God is nigh."

All the news

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:18:00 +0000

It has been a banner week here in Central Ohio! Columbus has had its share of newsworthy events.

This lobster only weighs 13 pounds, and that is a man's size 11 foot.

Have you been hankering for a nice big lobster lately? Does watching those clawed dinner treats in the tank at your local restaurant or seafood market make your mouth start watering until you can almost taste the drawn butter dripping off a huge hunk of tender deliciousness? Well, come to Dublin, Ohio! This week at the Dublin Kroger a seventeen-pound lobster was discovered in the tank by a customer! Now an average lobster that you would purchase for your dinner is around 1 1/4-2 pounds. Just picture one that's at least eight times bigger! You can read more about this creature of the sea in The Columbus Dispatch.

The lobster was released back into the ocean to live out his obviously long life.

these are not the cubs born at the Columbus Zoo

On a much cuter and more precious level, at the Columbus Zoo this week, babies were born...triplet lion cubs! They are the first lion cubs to be born there in twenty-four years! I didn't know this, but lions have not been bred in captivity in North America for several decades because of inbreeding and other inappropriate parings, according to Harry Peachey, the Assistant Curator. The cubs' parents, Asali and Tomo, are one of 31 pairs in N.A. to be part of a new breeding program monitored by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan. Unfortunately, there are no pictures yet. Even the zookeepers have only seen the cubs through a video camera lens. They're giving the mother time to bond with her babies and it seems she is doing a fantastic job so far.

Who says the Midwest is boring!

Living History

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Of late, my blog has seemed to be a travelogue of sights to see in central Ohio and today is no different. On Saturday, David and I took Aimee's kids to Slate Run Living Historical Farm in Pickaway County, near the small quaint village of Canal Winchester. It was a gloriously beautiful day for three kids to run around a working farm and enjoy the sunshine. And it was quite pleasurable for us adults as well.

The farm house is a Gothic Revival built in 1856 and restored by the Columbus Metro Parks system for authenticity. All of the volunteers dress in period costume and do all the work on the farm. They raise the cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese for their meat, milk, eggs and wool. The vegetables and fruit that are grown there are preserved in the old-fashioned ways. They use no modern equipment. All the cooking is done on a wood-fired stove and all the farming is done with horse-drawn equipment.

Several times when David and I have visited on a Sunday, we've arrived when the volunteers are eating their Sunday dinner around the long wooden dining table. All the recipes they use are from the past. All of the vegetables and fruit grown are heirloom varieties and chicken breeds are all heritage breeds. It's a hard life, but a good one, and all the volunteers seem to really enjoy the time they spend working and communing with like-minded individuals. And, believe me, they answer lots of dumb questions from folks who didn't have the opportunity to grow up on a farm.

And now, take a tour with me and the grandkids of a real historic working farm.

The vegetable garden is, of course, close to the house to make it convenient for the farm wife to run out and pick a head of cabbage. Wow, look at the size of that one!

Pumping water at the well is fun for kids of all ages, though they encourage you not to waste the water, but to get a drink, wash your hands, or water some of the flowers and herbs growing near the back porch and summer kitchen.

These ladies were offering samples of herb butters, cookies, crackers and rosemary cake. They also had herbal teas to wash down the ~~dryish~~ delicious cookies and cake.

The summer kitchen was a lifesaver for women in the 19th century. It kept the main kitchen from heating up with all the baking and canning that had to be done on a daily basis. The herb garden was right outside the door.

Inside the summer kitchen, where Nate and Kait enjoyed learning to use the washboard.

This is the kitchen inside the main house.

Notice that there is no cookstove in the main kitchen. It has been moved to the summer kitchen, which had to be a mighty feat, since it probably weighs a couple thousand pounds.

The parlor, where there is some major competition going on with the patterns. This is a very hands-on room where the visitors can look through a stereoscope, play checkers, play the pianoforte, or read a book or two.

In every Victorian parlor, you will find a hair picture, the strange practice of making feathery figures out of a dearly departed loved one's hair. It's a little creepy, I must say.

I thought this was an ingenious use of an old, worn-out wagon wheel. It was outside the kitchen door. The perfect place for drying your dish towels and wash basins.

Some of summer's bounty lining the shelves of the cellar. On the opposite wall are wooden bins for storing potatoes and other root vegetables.

The smell of the smoked hams and bacon in the smokehouse was just amazing! I wanted to take a knife and hack off a hunk of that ham and eat it right there! Notice the blackened walls.

What's a farmhouse without a board swing hanging from a shade tree?

These ladies were doing watercolor paintings of the farmhouse while sitting in the shade of the grape arbor. The sweet lady in the middle kept asking me if she broke my camera.

Look at the size of the grapevine trunk! Those vines have been there a long time.

Inside the main barn were lots of tools hanging from the rafters.

And every barn must have a lucky horseshoe.

And no matter how cute a three-week-old calf may be, you have to remember.....

...they are raised to provide food for hungry farmers and their families and to sell for food.

The sheep were let in to eat some fresh hay for their supper.

The windmill pumps water for the animals. It's standing in front of the main barn.

This blacksmith shop is a lot fancier than the one my dad had at our farm. Daddy used to let me pump the bellows to make the fire hotter in the forge.

This may be one of the first examples of a stationary bicycle! I'm not sure what it is used for, but may be some kind of lathe or something else used in woodworking.

The doors to the equipment shed.

And inside is what we think is a thresher. It was made in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

Gaige grinding corn in a hand mill.

It seems like there is something missing from this sign....the animals, maybe?

Where old wagon wheels go to die.

This sign made me hungry for some pumpkin pie.

Shooing the reluctant chickens into the coop at the end of the ladies' day. I'm sure they weren't quite ready to be cooped up.

And three happy grandkids.

What's behind folder number 4?

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:59:00 +0000

Okay, so Violet Sky just tagged me to play the "Open Your 4th Folder Game". I knew this would be one of the four million pictures of the grandkids, and I was right!

It was June, 2003, and this is grandson number two, Nathan Connor, at 3 months being held up for viewing by his mommy, Aimee. (She will kill me if she sees this and sees her fingernails very much in need of polish.) Aimee and Daniel had just moved here from Louisiana a few weeks before and were living with us until they found jobs. Nathan's older brother Gaige was just 20 months old at the time, so they were quite a handful!

So now, it is my pleasure to tag four more ~~suckers~~ friends to:

Open the fourth folder in your picture storing place.
Go to the fourth picture in that folder.
Explain the photo.
Tag four people to do the same.

And the lucky four are:

Oooh, Violet Sky is gonna be so mad at me! I just can't do it to anyone else. But if you are so inclined, please feel free to participate. It's quick and easy and kinda fun.

Little Graveyard on the Prairie

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:21:00 +0000

While on my quest last week to photograph all the covered bridges in our county, I stumbled across the Bigelow Pioneer Cemetery. What a find! A small graveyard, the tombstones are surrounded by native prairie grasses and plants from pre-settlement times. It is the only remaining piece of what was one a vast tall-grass prairie known as The Darby Plains. Because of its scientific and historical significance, the cemetery was dedicated as a state nature preserve in September, 1978, and is now being managed to aid and perpetuate these native prairie species.

(As always, click on pictures to enlarge)

The tombstones engulfed by the grasses.

As in most cemeteries, some of the markers were very simple ones.

While a few were larger monuments.

Prairie life was tough and often not kind to children.

This girl was only twelve years old.

Phebe Ann was a mere five years when she left this earth.

And little Mahalia only one.

But some, like Henry King, lived to a ripe old age.

His wife, Catharine, even outlived him.

And a little bonus.

Of all the butterflies that were sipping from the prairie nectar, this little guy (about 1 1/2 inches across), caught my eye the most.

The Bridges of Union County

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:36:00 +0000

I live in Union County, Ohio, which is known in this area for its covered bridges. We have six wooden covered bridges and one steel truss bridge. I've been wanting to do a photo post about them for a while and when I joined a new photo challenge blog, guess what the first week's theme was....where I live! How convenient is that?!! So, without further ado, I present to you "The Bridges of Union County".

click on any picture to enlarge

First is Spain Creek Bridge which was designed and built by Reuben Partridge in the 1870s. It is the shortest span in U. C. at 64 feet in length. It was rehabilitated in 1988 when they built a bridge inside the covered bridge to support it.

The Pottersburg Bridge, sometimes called the Upper Darby Bridge was also designed by Mr. Partridge in 1868. The bridge was moved from another location in 2006 and renovated by the U. C. Engineer, Steve Stolte to preserve its 1930s appearance. Its windows with awnings are not original, having been added in 1949. Partridge was a prolific bridge builder, having built more than 100 in Union and surrounding counties. Most were covered wooden ones, but a few were constructed of iron. The bridge does not cross water, but a dry bed. There is a two-mile trail (which you can see in the photo directly above) to the town of North Lewisburg. We walk here often.

The North Lewisburg Road Bridge spans the Big Darby Creek and was constructed in 2006 by the Righter Company. The span is 130 feet long, is two lanes wide and offers beautiful vistas of the Big Darby Scenic River.

The Buck Run Road Bridge was constructed in 2006 also by the Righter Company and spans an impressive 160 feet. It is the longest wooden covered bridge in Ohio. We cross this bridge every time we go to Jaye's house.

Below is Bigelow Bridge, also known as Axe Handle Road Bridge, and named in honor of Eliphas Bigelow, a nearby resident. It was built by Reuben Partridge in 1873 and has a span of 114 feet. It has undergone extensive renovation.

Our last historic covered bridge is Culbertson Bridge, also known as Winget Road Bridge. The 100 foot bridge spans Treacle Creek and was built in 1868 by the very busy Mr. Partridge. This bridge is on a dead-end road and features a small "run-around" that is used by heavy trucks and farm machinery except when the creek is flooded. Notice the arched wooden supports inside.

The Streng Road Truss Bridge was built in 1914 and is presumed to have replaced a bridge that was destroyed in the devastating 1913 flood. Union County received special recognition for the renovation of this 200 foot Pratt Steel Truss bridge in 1993. The bridge is officially listed as an Ohio Historic Bridge. This is the only non-covered bridge with this recognition in Union County.

click to read the inscriptions

And last, but not least, we even have a replica covered wooden bridge at our Allen Township Community Center. This is the park where I often take the grandkids to play. It is a beautiful park and community center.

I hope that you enjoyed the tour and that you will visit the new photo challenge blog called Lens.Us.Together.

The Lake

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:26:00 +0000

One week ago today in the early morning hours, I was scurrying around doing the last minute things on the to-do list, getting ready for departure to points north. Some of you might say that I'm pretty far north as it is, but this was farther north, namely in the middle of Michigan where there are lakes abounding. This particular lake to which I was heading happens to have on its shore a lovely, straight-from-the-sixties era cottage. It turned out to be my dream-come-true cottage. So much like the one where I stayed as a child with one of my friends (only much bigger and better), with the full screened porch across the front where we played cards and board games under the yellow bug light until her mom would send us off to bed in the loft that we reached by climbing a ladder, giggling and talking until we drifted off to sleep with the sounds of crickets and frogs and the occasional owl singing a lullaby.

Oh, look! There he is, sitting on the dock keeping the gray boards free of Canada goose poop!

There were so many nooks and cozy little spots in which one could relax, unwind, drink a steaming cup of tea, read a book, nap or just look out onto the beautiful water and watch water-skiers fly by. This corner was my favorite spot. The air was chilly, so we wrapped up in soft afghans and sipped that hot tea.

Sometimes the sky looked like this, with a few patches of blue peeking through the overcast sky.

Mostly it was like this, with light rain falling sporadically.

(Click on the pic to see what the dot is.)

Many cottages (some fancy and modern, some rustic) dotted the shoreline, with boats and rafts tied to every dock. I even saw a couple of them for sale which got me excited, but, alas, when I looked at them online, they weren't remotely anything like my dream cottage. Too modern.

On Sunday, the last full day of our visit, the sun started peeking out a little more and we went for a ride in the cottage rowboat. The captain of our ship (who was also our lovely hostess) proudly rowed us around the entire lake perimeter. I felt like a lazy sluggard while she manned the oars. I'm not sure she trusted us unskilled rowers with them (and rightly so, in my case), preferring to maintain her leisurely and smooth rhythm to see us safely around the shore.

It was the perfect weekend and I only had to wait forty-three years between my childhood lake cottage experience and this one. I hope it won't be another forty-three years until the next one. I don't know if I can even wait three.

BFF

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:43:00 +0000

It was the summer of 1965 and I had just acquired a new stepfather and a move to the country at the same time. I was missing my friends in town very much. We had hung out together all the time. I didn't want to attend my stepfather's church. I didn't like being the new girl.

The first time I walked into the little country Baptist church, I felt as though everyone's eyes were on me and my mother...sizing us up. I don't remember who spoke to whom first, but Jeanne says that I linked my arm through hers and said, "We're going to be best friends."

I had just turned twelve a month before, and Jeanne's twelfth birthday would be the next month. From the first day we met we were soul mates. She lived across the street from the church and I lived about a mile away. I rode my bicycle to her house almost every day and we would explore the tiny village, go inside the church where we would tinker around on the piano and sing, sing, sing. There were picnics on the creek that included a few slices of bologna, colby cheese and saltine crackers. We thought it was wonderful. She spent the night with me often, and we drove my poor mother crazy with our giggling and incessant talking.

When school started in September, I was scared to go into the classroom, but Jeanne helped me get over my fear and introduced me to our classmates. We were best friends throughout junior high and high school. We saw each other through heartbreaks, crazy stunts, boring or obnoxious teachers, and the annual slumber parties. I think we had a little tiff once, but it didn't last long and we made up as best friends do.

Jeanne at age seventeen.

We both got married young and I commiserated with Jeanne when she was going through a divorce and a very serious health problem. We both experienced the loss of a parent. Our oldest sons are only a few months apart in age. Our second sons both were diagnosed with Type I diabetes. We even have the same overlapping front tooth. There have been times when we lost touch over the years from moves to other locations or just being busy raising young families. But I know that whenever I pick up the phone and call her number, it's as if we just saw each other yesterday.

When Jeanne turned 50, her husband Rob planned a surprise party for her at one of their favorite restaurants. He sent an invitation to us and followed up with a phone call urging me to attend, because he said it just wouldn't be the same without me there. Of course I planned to go, I wouldn't have let anything keep me away.

There were probably about 50 people waiting inside the restaurant for Jeanne and Rob and a few of their friends to arrive. I was sitting at the bar, but facing the front door. We hadn't seen each other in a few years, so I wanted to see her face as she came in. When she walked through the door and we yelled "Surprise!", her eyes went straight to mine and she yelled, "Susan! You're here!". Totally ignoring her other guests and running straight into my arms for a huge hug. It was worth driving three hours for that hug. I'm ashamed to say that I pretty much monopolized her for the next few hours.

This past weekend, when Jeanne came to my house for a visit, she told me that my gift to her of antique aperitif glasses at her 50th is the only one she remembers getting, and they have an honored place inside her china cabinet. I was touched.

We had a wonderful time catching up, reminiscing, eating and looking at old photos and yearbooks. On Friday, we never stopped talking and laughing from the time she arrived at noon, until ten o'clock that night when we both dropped into bed from exhaustion. Then we continued the conversation the next morning as if we never left off. We met up for lunch with another friend from high school who lives near me and reconnected with her and had a very nice visit.

I hated to see Jeanne leave, because who knows when we will get together again, but we promised each other that we will stay in regular contact. And I'm very sure that we will live up to our promise.

In the Summertime.....

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:12:00 +0000

....when the weather is hot, you can stretch right up and touch the sky.

Summer is the perfect time for grandkids.

Matthew enjoying a snack.

Giggling at Grammy.

Lauren showing Goldie some love.

More love from Lauren. Goldie seems to be done with it.

Nathan sporting a summer Mohawk. We were taking a short hike at the Big Darby Headwaters.

Gaige striking a tough pose.

This is Kaitlyn's only happy moment on the 30-minute hike. She screamed and shivered at every bug, leaf and sound. It didn't help matters any that her brothers kept talking about seeing coyotes. To give her credit, Nathan was a little freaked out by that kind of talk, too.

And a few flowers that we I saw along the way.

And a spider web glistening with the dew.

Mungo Jerry was a little freaky himself.

So, you like pine nuts, eh?

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:39:00 +0000

I've been doing some research for a roasted red pepper sauce recipe the last week or so. I have my own, but I'm just not that happy with it. There seems to be something missing and I can't quite put my finger on it. I've been in love with red pepper sauce since I had it five years ago at a seafood restaurant in Burlington, Vermont. It was served with seared scallops and linguine and it was so gosh-darned delicious that I had a hard time not sticking my whole face in the bowl and licking it clean. Thankfully, there was a nice crusty Italian bread served with the meal. It was the only thing that saved me from embarrassment and total humiliation in front of my husband, mother-in-law and a restaurant full of reserved-looking diners.

I will be making this same dish for a couple of friends in two weeks and I want it to be perfect, or as perfect as a self-learned cook can make it. Soooo, I found one that has garnered rave reviews on Pioneer Woman's blog, but in reading the comments I found this interesting tidbit of info from another blogger, ZoeSelina. Apparently, certain pine nuts originating from China can cause an adverse reaction. A day or so after consuming them, you develop a horribly bitter, metallic taste in your mouth that nothing, NOTHING will remove. Eating sweet foods seems to make it even worse. Sometimes it can take up to a week to dissipate and until that happens, you are miserable.

So, friends, if you have pine nuts in your pantry, RUN, do not walk, and read the package to see if the country of origin is China. One commenter said the same thing happened with nuts from Vietnam, so those would be suspect also.

By the way, I think David is getting tired of meals that include roasted red pepper sauce.

Spreading some sunshine

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:51:00 +0000

In My Daughter's Eyes

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:12:00 +0000

.....this post is dedicated to Ruth, whose daughter Lesley is getting married on August 1 at the farm. And to all mothers who are fortunate enough to have daughters....and sons.

(Please listen to the song first.)

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The first time I heard this song by Martina McBride I was driving the car and had to pull to the side of the road because I was crying so hard I couldn't see. My daughter and I were going through a very rough patch in our relationship at that time, and I could not imagine her ever feeling that I was her "hero".

I didn't want to die someday knowing that I wasn't that person to her and I knew in my heart that I had to be the one to change. I had to change my attitude toward her and the way she wanted to live her life. I had to understand that though she came from me, she is not me. I had to stop wanting her to be "perfect", because she doesn't have to be perfect to be the perfect daughter. I had to stop trying to live my life through her. I had to learn to accept that we live separate and distinct lives even though our lives are so intertwined.

When I finally learned all those lessons, I became a better mother, and my daughter shows me every day how much she loves me. I now see in my daughter's eyes that she loves me in spite of all my faults and imperfections and I am her hero, as she is mine.

I don't think that Ruth had to learn as many difficult Mother lessons as I did. She and Lesley seem to have always had an excellent relationship. I'm so happy for her; and even though I've never met Lesley, I wish her all the joy and happiness in the world for her marriage and for her life. I know without knowing....that if you were to look in Lesley's eyes, a hero who looks a lot like Ruth will be shining there.

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I want to be
In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me
Gives me strength when I am weak
I find reasons to believe
In my daughter's eyes

And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about

It's hanging on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes.

~James Slater~

I love you, Aimee Susanne.

The photo of Lesley was taken by Ruth.

Take a walk on the Bright Side

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:42:00 +0000

Two students from Purdue University, Cameron Brown of Sylvania, Ohio and his friend Brett Westcott of Chicago, believe in making people happy. Their way of doing that is to compliment individuals passing by the chemistry building on Purdue's West Lafayette, Indiana campus. It drew the attention of producers on ABC's Good Morning America who did a feature story on them. They also have a video on YouTube that has been viewed more than 40,000 times.

This summer Cameron and Brett are on a 10-city tour being sponsored by Kodak and being kicked off in New Orleans, a city that could use a few compliments and smiles. Kodak's Leslie Dance, vice-president of worldwide brand marketing and communications, said the summer partnership is a perfect fit. "We believe it's time to smile, and these guys are obviously out there to make people do that," she said.

Brett Westcott, who came up with the idea, said, "I am just ecstatic that this little idea I had, that this random act of kindness, has blown up into such a big thing. I'm having kids who are messaging me online asking me if they can start free compliments at their school."

You can follow their progress on their blog, BrightSideTour, as they continue their adventure through Birmingham, Ala.; Atlanta, Ga.; Charleston, S.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Md.; Philadelphia, Pa.; New York City; and the tour ends in Rochester, N.Y.

We could all take a lesson from Brett and Cameron, so if they're passing through your town, shout out something nice to them. Or you could leave them a nice compliment on their blog.

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:49:00 +0000

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Remember me to one who lives there,
She once was a true love of mine.

Simon and Garfunkel's song always reminds me of my very first car date. He was my first teenage crush...well, other than Mickey Dolenz, Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy. I actually got to go out with this one. It was a double date with his sister and her boyfriend. That being the only way my mom would let me go with him. It was the summer of '68, and it was hot, hot, hot. Sis' boyfriend had a convertible and didn't I feel like the coolest chick riding around with the top down in the backseat with an older boy. We went to see "The Graduate" at the historic Keith-Albee Theatre in Huntington, West Virginia. All of my companions had already seen the movie, but they wanted me to see it. I'm pretty sure they wanted to shock me as I definitely consider it an "adult" movie. I'm also sure that I had no understanding of the underlying themes set forth in the movie. Sis and my date sat on opposite sides of me and every time a risque scene was forthcoming, I would get jabbed in the ribs by both of them.

After the movie we went to a popular parking spot called Gobbler's Knob in Ritter Park. I was mighty uncomfortable watching Sis and beau making out in the front seat, while I tried carrying on a conversation with my date. Our relationship didn't last the summer, but I continued my crush on him throughout my high school years along with many others. Luckily I didn't marry him, because I'm pretty confident that I wouldn't be able to stand him now. Doesn't life work out just grand?

Daisy, one of my Buff Orpingtons, was trying to help me take photos. She suggested this spot, but there was too much green in the background. She's still learning.

Part two: Malabar Farm (okay, so tomorrow came early)

ohiosister53@hotmail.com (Susan) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Here's a trivia question for you: where did Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall get married? The answer: Malabar Farm.

Malabar Farm is a working historic farm situated in the Pleasant Valley region of Richland County, Ohio, which is located about halfway between Columbus and Cleveland. The terrain is rolling hills dotted with farms. Mansfield is the county seat.

Louis Bromfield was a Pulitzer prize-winning novelist who grew up adoring his maternal grandfather's farm near Mansfield. He mourned the loss of that farm by what he felt was old-fashioned farming methods and lack of money. Though he began studying agriculture at Cornell University, his mother persuaded him to transfer to Columbia University to study journalism. That only lasted a year when he joined the Army to fight in World War I. He returned to New York City and began work as a reporter. His first novel was published in 1924 to instant acclaim. His third novel, Early Autumn, won the Pulitzer. All thirty of his novels were best-sellers. He was friends with the likes of Thomas Mann, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso.

In the late 1930's, Bromfield came home to Ohio and started buying land near Mansfield to start his own farm after living abroad for many years. He acquired close to a thousand acres. Louis became widely known as the father of modern American sustainable agriculture. After spending a decade living in France, he implemented the methods he had learned there; such as, crop rotation, contour farming, no-till planting and grass-fed and finished cattle. Instead of fighting water drainage in his fields, he worked with it by installing areas with French drains and planting cottonwood trees which like having wet roots. Not only did the trees take care of some of the excess water, they also provided a home for birds which killed the insects which, in return, reduced the need for chemicals.

The farmers in the area thought Louis was crazy and continued the old method of moldboard plowing which causes deep furrows. This type of plowing is fine on flat fields, but the land in that part of Ohio is rolling hills and moldboard plowing causes a lot of runoff during heavy rains and so a lot of topsoil is washed away. To add insult to injury, most of the farmers at that time plowed up and down the hills, causing even more runoff. Louis felt that this was the reason for the relatively small crop yields. By using contour farming, or following the contours of the hillside, and using the no-till method, Louis remedied this problem.

It wasn't an easy task. The land he bought was worn out by generations of farmers who, as Bromfield put it, "had been miners of the soil rather than its stewards". In time, he proved to the neighboring farmers that it worked.

Louis had a burning desire to return to the days of a "more civilized and democratic world in which a 'natural aristocracy' and independent farmers had shaped a vital rural society". He named his farm Malabar after the Malabar coast of India where he had spent some time in the '30s. He wanted the farm to be self-sufficient, except for sugar, coffee and spices. He and his farm manager developed "the Plan" which was a cooperative farm based loosely on the collective farms of the Soviet Union. Whomever worked there would receive food and shelter free until the farm started to realize a profit, and then Louis would collect a percentage off the top. The rest of the profits would be divided among the workers. His manager wasn't convinced that this method would be successful and he was later proved right.

Part of that idyllic setting included building a manor house, which was dubbed Big House (there were several farmhouses on the property). The house was built in the Western Reserve style with 32 rooms. Louis wanted the rambling farmhouse to look as if it had been added onto over many years rather than being built all at once.

Now, this is where Bogey and Bacall come into the picture. Louis had a lot of high-society friends that he had made in New York from being a successful novelist and screenwriter, and through his wife, Mary, who was a person of high society in her own right. He invited all his show business friends and society friends to the farm for visits. The catch being while they were there they had to work for their supper. Yes, indeedy. Shoveling stalls, driving the tractors, harvesting crops, and no one was spared. Not even Bogey and Bacall. They chose to be married there for the privacy and its idyllic setting.

In due time, Louis realized that by trying to raise everything on the farm, he wasn't able to bring any one crop to perfection, so eventually he concentrated on raising the best cattle he could with rich grasses and legumes. The legumes (soybeans) were planted to release nitrogen into the soil, thereby reducing the need for fertilizers. Legumes are deep-rooted plants that pull nutrients up from the subsoil and then release it back into the topsoil when the crop is harvested leaving the roots intact. They harrowed organic matter into the soil rather than turning it under with a moldboard plow. This protected the soil from erosion. The soil became more friable, making the soil spongelike to retain rainfall. Several long-dried-up springs became viable again and even new ones developed. It was a nice little circle of life when the cattle grazed on these rich grasses and dropped manure, further enriching the soil and eliminating the need for grain.

After many years of being a fiction writer, Louis then turned to writing about his farming methods and life on his beloved Malabar Farm. Pleasant Valley, Malabar Farm and Out of the Earth are three of his well-known books. He died in 1956 from bone cancer which he hid from almost everyone. He was known as a sad and lonely man, having driven away his daughters because he wouldn't share control of the farm with them. In the end, he had to abandon a tenet of his philosophy to pay his hospital bill: he sold his watershed timber rights. His friend Doris Duke repurchased them after his death and donated them back to the farm.

Two years after his death, his daughters had to sell the farm. Friends of the Land, which Lewis helped found, bought it and maintained it until 1972. While under their care, a private educational center named Louis Bromfield Ecological Center was opened. In 1976, the State of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources took over the farm and made it an Ohio state park. It is the Ohio park system's only working farm. People from all over the world who are interested in profitable, environmentally conscious, sustainable, grass-based farming come to Malabar Farm, especially from Eastern Europe. Louis would have been proud.

The front of the Big House.

The terraced gardens on one end of the house. Louis was influenced by French gardens in planning the landscaping.

The rear view of the Big House.

An AYH hostel is in one house on the farm that was built from a Sears & Roebuck package. You can book a room there.

The tractors and other farm equipment are powered by soy biodiesel.

On the farm stands a 300-year oak. This is an oak tree that is said to take one hundred years to reach maturity, then it lives for a hundred years, and takes a hundred years to die. This particular tree was used in the filming of "The Shawshank Redemption". Most of the movie was filmed in nearby Mansfield State Prison. In the scene involving the tree, Morgan Freeman's character, "Red", sits under it looking at the money that "Andy" left buried there. The opening scene was filmed at one of the log cabins on the property.

E.B. White wrote this poem for The New Yorker in 1948. It was used as the introduction to Bromfield's book Malabar Farm. The poem is quite long, so forgive me, but I'm sure it took a lot longer for me to type than for you to read.

Malabar Farm is the farm for me,
It's got what it takes to a large degree;
Beauty, alfalfa, constant movement,
And a terrible rash of soil improvement.
Far from orthodox in its tillage,
Populous as many a village,
Stuff being planted and stuff being written,
Fields growing lush that were once unfitten,
Bromfield land, whether low or high land,
Has more going on that Coney Island.

Malabar Farm is the farm for me,
A place of unbridled activity.
A farm is always in some kind of tizzy
But Bromfield's farm is really busy.
Strangers arriving by every train,
Bromfield terracing against the rain,
Catamounts crying, mowers mowing,
Guest rooms full to overflowing.
Boxers in every room of the house,
Cows being milked to Brahms and Strauss.
Kids arriving by van and pung,
Bromfield up to his eyes in dung,
Sailors, trumpeters, mystics, actors,
All of them wanting to drive the tractors...
Play producers jousting the bards,
Boxers fighting with Saint Bernards...
Almost every Malabar day,
Sees birth and growth, sees death, decay;
Summer ending, leaves a-falling,
Lecture dates, long distance calling.

When Bromfield went to Pleasant Valley
The soil was as hard as a bowling alley;
He sprinkled lime and he seeded clover,
And when it came up he turned it over.
From far and wide folks came to view
The things that a writing man will do.
The more he'd fertilize the field
The more impressive were his yields,
And every time fields grew fitter
Bromfield would add another critter,
The critter would add manure despite 'im,
And so it went ad infinitum.
It proves that a novelist on his toes
Can make a valley bloom like a rose.

I think the world might well have a look
At Louis Bromfield's latest book;
A man doesn't have to be omniscient
To see that he's right--our soil's deficient.
We've robbed and despoiled this lovely earth
Of all that our children need from birth,
And it's true that the strength of the human race
Is drawn from the elements known as "trace,"
And though his husbandry's far from quiet
Bromfield had the guts to try it.
A book like his is a very great boon,
And what he's done, I'd like to doon.

All quotes were taken from a publication by The Ohio Historical Society.