Season's Change

Well here we are again. Summer flew by and fall has tiptoed in quietly this time around. The trees are just slowly as of today starting to turn the different brown, yellow, orange, red hews that bring the autumn season into full view.

Sadly fall and winter are not my favorite seasons. I know it is God's plan to let things happen and plants, trees and other living things must close the door to life and bring new life in but sometimes you stop and think it is just too soon.

This morning I opened the local newspaper to two wonderful pictures of butterflies. The migration of monarch butterflies has started its voyage to Mexico for the winter. One such nectar stop was the Highway Gardens at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. The aster flower, native to Missouri helps make the trip a little easier. Although the deforestation in Mexico has caused the monarch to decline, steps are being made to protect and restore these beautiful flying wonders.

 I was glad I stopped by the highway gardens this morning and saw a few stragglers who wanted to stick around a little while longer.The window of opportunity is small to view them so I was glad the day was nice enough to catch a few.

As I was taking the pictures my thoughts went to a school friend who passed away this past weekend. We went all through school K-12. Although after graduation we saw each other at a reunion and more recently connected on Facebook occasionally, it was sad for me to think that someone I played on the playground growing up was gone too soon.   When I read the news on Facebook my first memory that came to mind was that she was the first person I remember in school that had food allergies. I am sure there were others but today everyone seems to be allergic to everything.

Like seasons changing, butterflies migrating, friendships come and go. Take time today to say hi, e-mail or message a friend or family member.

Missouri State Fair 2014 Experience

Each year in August our town of 22,000+ people braces for an influx of people from all around the state and beyond. Traffic becomes interesting, planned errand running which usually takes a short time becomes a car trip that makes life interesting. For 11 days the main roads become a traffic jam most don't know how to navigate.

The fair is a time for people watching, riding rides, eating over the top food (a corn dog is always a must have). Fried green tomatoes, funnel cakes, pineapple cones, its definitely not a stick to your diet form of entertainment.

This year although the weather was cloudy (at least it didn't rain), humid, (I found damp spots on my body that I never thought about being damp before) it was 9+ hours of walking, eating, sitting, observing, and watching two 4 year old girls have the time of there lives. Hadleigh and her friend Kyra got to experience new foods they had never tried and rides they were big enough and daring enough to ride this year. They are definitely growing up. While they grow up the adults in attendance (my daughter Jennifer, David and myself) started to feel our ages pretty quickly.

I remember the first trips to the fair we made when our kids were both kids themselves. Now they bring there kids to experience the fair like they have done over the years. We all find ourselves shaking our heads at the differences between then and now.  Times have definitely changed.

After seven hours of eating and taking the little ones around, it was time for David and I to do something we hadn't done in years (usually David isn't home around fair time so it was a special touch to celebrate our 30th Anniversary). When we saw Sara Evans last at the fair she was an unknown to Nashville country music but a New Franklin, MO hometown favorite that we remembered at the Budweiser tent stage. She put on a great concert of all her first hits and now her most recent songs also.  It was a family reunion of sorts when she brought her two sisters who were her former backup singers to do a song. At her encore she preformed a Bruno Mars song with a twist "When I was Your Man" and Neon Trees "Everybody Talks". Joe Nichols opened for Sara and also put on a great performance. He is definitely back.

The fair is the swan-song to summer with days later the school year will be starting and fall will be just around the corner. Enjoy the rest of summer, I know I will be.

Everything to be Blue Over

Sneaking a berry

This past weekend my daughter and granddaughter and I took a little adventure. Our local paper had a great article about a local blueberry farm that had just opened up this week for people to come and pick blueberries. Anne's Acres in Lincoln, MO is a family-owned and run farm that looks to be a great addition to our locally grown produce.

I must admit as a kid I was not a real blueberry lover, but as I have gotten older I have definitely acquired the taste for them. Ditto my daughter and granddaughter also love them.  We got up early and ventured just a few miles south of home, grabbed our buckets and started picking. I had no real idea how many we would pick since it was our first time and we were not sure how long we would be at the farm I knew that we wanted to have enough to at least freeze some and make blueberry pancakes and muffins.

The process of cleaning and drying went pretty quickly and ten Ziplock bags later (roughly a little under 5 lbs worth) we are set. We probably would have had more but unfortunately they were so enticing to my granddaughter Hadleigh she put more in her mouth than in the communal buckets for home. We threatened to have her weighed when we finished.

It was a great first experience and I am sure we will keep it in mind for next year. One to factor in a little longer time to pick more berries, and a little less taste testing.

Architecture/Construction Everybody Has to Start Somewhere

I came across this picture the other day on Pinterest and basically it made me think of my situation for the past week. I am not sure this may or may not be some one's home. The saying "a person's home is his castle" has a universal meaning. If you have watched any Home and Garden program on just about anything to do with home repairs or home remodeling it is most definitely not an easy process. What sometimes is a weekend warrior project usually turns out to take twice as long. Budgets are usually out the window after the first hour you start the project because you usually find what may have started off as a small issue now becomes much more detailed than originally thought which in turn will cost more money.

On my go to Sunday Morning program a segment on architect recently was on Moshe Safdie who has been the architect to some of the most beautiful and noted structures around the world. The Kauffman Center for Performing Arts in Kansas City, MO and the United States Institute of Peace in Washington D.C. are just two such structures. What started on paper in his mind ended up as beautiful pieces of structural artwork for all the world to enjoy.

It has always fascinated me traveling around and see some interesting architecture that you really, wonder what an interesting concept for a building! Growing up my grandparents would take me to a restaurant called The Parasol Restaurant in Torrance, CA. It is no longer there but the pretty pink parasol was always a conversation piece of the community for many years. Although I never ate at the Hollywood Brown Derby, it was a part of early Hollywood for decades. Its derby shape was known around the country and world. Who doesn't remember the I Love Lucy episode with Lucy and William Holden--classic!

With all the famous and infamous structures around the country built and designed by some of the most renowned architects and building construction individuals my little situation seemed ever so easy to take care of--NOT.

With all the unseasonably strange weather we have had the past few years it finally caught up to the roof. Little did we realize what could have been a very easy and routine fix turned out to be more than what we or anyone bargained for. Unfortunately, sometimes you are left with shaking your head as to why people do things they way they do. Safeguards, planning ahead and working in a structured environment doesn't seem to be the work plan for everyone. 

I do not, never have and probably never will live in an expensive palace but you want to be dry, and be able to move around with ease in your home. Right now I am not yet at that point, but hopefully I will see the light at the end of the tunnel very soon.

I was being overly facetious in putting the above picture up but at this time, that is exactly what is appropriate for how I am feeling.

 

Birthday Wishes--Whatever Way You Do It Will Be Appreciated

I know I am not alone when I say sometimes the older you get birthdays are just different. Every day you wake and can say you have made it another day is a birthday. When you are young like my granddaughter's both are excitement abounds with celebrating with friends, games, cake and ice cream.  A young face holding up little fingers to indicate how old they will be put a smile on your face. Yes, we all did that same gesture at one time in our life, but now not enough fingers and toes can be found to do that same gesture for me.

I am always amazed at someone who has reach 100 years old all the wonderful, interesting and ever changing world they have experienced. Sometimes the faster paced and ever changing world becomes overwhelming I am sure.

Over the weekend I again got inspiration for my blog from CBS Sunday Morning.

Toledo, OH retired salesman Jim Gagnon really always enjoyed his job. He loved meeting people and learning about them. So much so over the years he has kept track of many of them on every birthday. Many hand written ledgers of people he met selling or some he only met once briefly but believed it was important enough to keep birthday information on them and each day takes time to make a phone call, ask them how they are, and then wish them a Happy Birthday. Some might think well what else does he have to do with his spare time? But, actually such a warm, kind and thoughtful message can make a person's day even better. It really takes such a little moment in even a busy schedule.

For those social media users, Facebook will alert you of your friends birthdays if you want. Sometimes on certain days I may have two or more friends that I always try and make sure I send them even a one sentence message on the big day. I'm sure they appreciate and how long can it take really?

I have a few childhood friends that for some strange reason the date just sticks out in my mind. One is around the time my traditional school year would get out for summer break so that is pretty easy to remember. The other childhood friend was really the only person I knew for a long time that had an August birthday. A few years ago both mentioned "WOW we can't believe you remember".

Some dates really stick in my mind because they have the same birthday as a relative. No limit seems to exist for some dates. 

Be it a card, a phone message (really please don't text), a lunch or dinner date, a small token of the day its always nice to be wished birthday greetings. You never know, you just might make the person's day even more special. I kinda wish I knew Jim Gagnon.

Memorializing the Times in Your Heart

Life is funny. When I was younger Memorial Day was usually the first weekend you could usually spend outside getting a tan started. If you went back to school with a slight glow, you knew your weekend was meaningful. Of course I also knew this date was set aside usually to remember those who had died for our country or it was also a time to honor just family members who were no longer with us.

We usually went to the cemetery to lay flowers at my great-grandpa Sheldon's grave. He had passed long before I was born but he lived with my mom and grandma during World War II while my grandpa was serving and he and my grandma were very close.

Lexington, MO Confederate Cemetery

On Facebook for several days many of my friends had forwarded a post on The Blue Street Journal about May 1, 1865 was the original Memorial Day in Charleston, SC. Former slaves reburied 257 Union soldiers to honor them for fighting for their freedom. It took 2 weeks to dig the graves. In another source, Boalsburg, PA considers itself the birthplace of Memorial Day.

Personally, I don't think one answer matters as too who or where was the first real Memorial Day observance. For me its remembering family who served or didn't but still hold a strong place in our hearts. They are no longer with us so we take this day either to place flowers on grave sites, eat a favor meal, drink a favorite drink or just recall memories of the great times spent with wonderful people who left our lives too soon.

Earth Day 2014

This past week my daughter told me that at our granddaughter's preschool they planted tree saplings for Earth Day. I was happy to hear that even at the young age of four the school was taking advantage of this activity. My granddaughter has participated for all of her four years at my house when it comes to recycling. She happily takes plastics, cereal boxes, glass, paper and puts them in the two bins I have in my laundry room. Not only does it teach her about recycling but also it gives her a knowledge already into doing household chores. Killing two birds with one stone is always a plus.

My daughter-in-law this past weekend shared a story of how she received a tree sapling when she was in school and without her parents knowledge decided to plant it herself in front of her bedroom window so she could watch it grow. This didn't have such a great ending as over the years the tree grew so large it cracked the house foundation.

Several years ago, I participated in the city wide hazardous waste roundup they have at our state fairgrounds. I remember sitting in my car in line to drop off items for longer than anticipated but was just glad that our city had finally took the plunge into being more environmentally aware. It has definitely taken a while to catch on here but now when I go to drop off at our local sites sometimes I have to wait for a parking space. That I like to see. After dropping off my old printer, hard drive, scanner and large bag of various batteries and a few paint items I was handed a booklet by a volunteer Emergency Management person entitled, "Recycle in Missouri" published by the Missouri Recycling Association.

 I was shocked to read that way back in 1990 SB 530 established a statewide goal of reducing waste by 40 percent.  Not until a few years ago was it even actually visible here in my city but I guess better late than never and it does seem like more and more people are actually participating. 

Also in this publication it stated that Missouri's waste and scrap is one of Missouri's top ten exports totally $451 million dollars in 2012. 

Since 2008, the Missouri State Fair has participated in recycling by having separate recycling drop barrels during the time of the fair. In 2012 alone, 6.6 tons of recycling was collected from 330 receptacles.

I am glad to hear and see that our city has stepped forward to help recycle, reuse and help our environment.