Evening red and morning grey
speed the traveler on his way.
Evening grey and morning red
bring down rain upon his head.
It rains as long as it takes rain to come.
Rain, rain go away…
Come again another day.
When the dew is on the grass,
rain will never come to pass.
When sea birds fly to land
there truly is a storm at hand.
Year of snow…fruit will grow.
The chill is on, near and far,
in all the months that have an “R”.
Ice in November to walk a duck,
the winter will be all rain and muck.
From twelve ‘till two tells what the day will do.
Rain before seven, quit by eleven.
Rainbow in morning, shepherds take warming;
rainbow at night, shepherds’ delight.
Rainbow at noon, more rain soon.
Rainbow in the east, sailors at peace.
The more rain, the more rest…
fair weather’s mot always best.
A sunshiny shower won’t last half an hour.
The sharper the blast, the sooner it’s past.
NEWS and weather…they travel together.
When a cow tries to scratch her ear it means a shower is very near.
No weather is ill, if the wind is still.
To talk of the weather is nothing but folly;
when it rains on the hill, it suns in the valley.
Yellow streaks in sunset sky, wind and day-long rain is nigh.
The south wind brings wet weather; the north wind, wet and cold together;
the west wind always brings us rain… The east wind blows it back again.
When the morning sun is red…ewe and lamb go wet to bed.
Onion skin is very thin mild winter is coming in.
Onion skin is thick and tough winter will be cold and rough.
Clear moon, frost soon.
The moon and the weather may change together,
but change of the moon does not change the weather.
Pale moon doth rain, red moon doth blow,
white moon doth neither rain nor snow.
When the stars begin to huddle the earth will soon begin to puddle.
Whether it’s cold or whether it’s hot…We shall have weather, whether or not!
One of Mother’s favorite stories was about a woman who dreaded turning 50. On the dark day, she decided to go shopping for something to help her look younger. She thought a new hat might do the trick. While trying on the hat, she looked in the mirror and thought this looks like a hat for someone who is 50. Then it hit her. She was 50. Mom had a hardy laugh.
My mother was the youngest of four daughters born to Charles and Olga Glinke. If the child was a boy, he would be called Charles after his father. Since she was a girl, she was named Charlyn instead. Because of this she chose to go by her middle name, Helen. She was born in Lakefield Township in Saginaw County on July 14, 1918. When Helen was 16, Olga died suddenly. She was determined to graduate from Merrill High School but because she lived in the country she had to provide her own transportation. She found a ride with some other students so her father paid $.50 a week for her transportation. She graduated in 1936 and found work. One of the jobs was at the local elevator sorting beans by hand as they passed on a conveyor belt. Another was working as a telephone operator connecting the calls into a large switchboard. When she was twenty-one, she met and married the love of her life, Arnold Albert Schultz. Together they cleared land, farmed, and raised four children. She was a member of the Merrill Wesleyan Church where she served for many years as Sunday School Teacher and as President of the Missionary Society. When she was seventy-five, her children helped her celebrate her first birthday without her husband as he had died two months earlier. A project especially dear to her heart was making flannel baby quilts for newborns. She called it wrapping the baby in love. She made numerous quilts of various sizes and designs and gave them as gifts to family and friends. I have a hand quilted one that is almost 50 years old. She died February 5, 2005 and is buried in the Lakefield Township Cemetery.
My parents put in a garden every year for decades. Mom canned hundreds of jars of fruits and vegetables annually for her family of six. When it was time to hoe in the garden, she would grab her straw hat and off she would go. It was kept in the entry for years next to an embroidered cross-stitch she had made. The cross-stitch reads: “Let me live in the house by the side of the road and be a friend to man.” I now possess both and grab the hat when I head to the garden. I am over 50. Something mother made every year was fourteen day sweet pickles. They were a Sunday staple. They are a lot of work but I now make them. Several years ago she gave the recipe to my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law taught me how to make my mother’s pickles. Mother used a crock but my mother-in-law used a plastic pail because it was much lighter to lift.
Mom’s 14 Day Sweet Chunk Pickles Wash cucumbers. Let stand in salt brine strong enough to float an egg. Weight cucumbers down with a plate and a jar filled with water. Cover loosely with a clean cloth. Let stand 1 week. Drain and cover with boiling water. Let stand 3 days. Drain. Cover with boiling hot alum water (3T. per gal. water). Let stand 24 hours. Drain. split small pickles and chunk large ones. Then cover with hot syrup: 1 qt. vinegar, 4 lb. sugar, and 1 pkg. stick cinnamon. Drain. Save syrup. Reheat. Pour over pickles. Do this for 3 days. Can on the fourth day.
Both my mother and my mother-in-law reused the syrup after the pickles were eaten. It can be mixed with mayonnaise to make salad dressing or used to pickle beets.
Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart doeth good lie a medicine…even if you are in a pickle.
When I was in ninth grade, our English teacher assigned term papers. He assured us we would need to know how to organize our thoughts on paper. We were instructed to select a topic, do research, and write about five pages. I have written several term papers since then but I still remember my topic. I chose dogs. So I was interested to find out about a game that is named after a dog.
Pickles was a ball snatching cocker spaniel owned by Joel Pritchard, a future Republican congressman. In the summer of 1965, Pickles inspired his owner and his friends William Bell and Barney McCallum from Washington state to invent pickleball. The friends wanted to play a game everyone could enjoy including their children. In 1976 Tennis magazine called a game that started in the back yard, “America’s newest racket sport.” In 1984 the first rule book was published and they are simple. It is played on a badminton size court. It begins with an underhand serve from behind the base line. The ball must sail over the 34-inch high net and bounce into the opponent’s service box. Once the opponent returns the serve, the ball must bounce back into the server’s court. Only after this “double bounce” are players allowed to volley, ramping up the speed and intensity but volleying is not permitted within seven feet of the net. Points can be earned only by the serving team and the game goes to 11 points but a team must win by two points.
Pickleball is a combination tennis-badminton-table-tennis game that is gaining in popularity. The two teams use oversize table-tennis paddles to volley a whiffle ball over a slightly undersized tennis net.
It requires a smaller court than tennis and a slower, lighter ball. This summer the county parks department in Arlington, Virginia, is creating the first public outdoor pickle ball courts by painting lines on two tennis courts. It is a fast-growing sport that has regional tournaments. The USA Pickleball Association claims membership that exceeds 2,800 and is five times what is was four years ago. This year the national tournament games will be held in Buckeye, Arizona, November 6-14.
It can be played by anyone--girls, boys, adults. It is popular in communities for people 55 and over. It is played in physical education classes at middle schools and high schools. Players say it is easy to learn, fun to play, and you get a workout.
Pickleball may sound like a game disposing of extra garden produce but it is a game named after a dog.
What do you know about the history of quilts? Country Homes, February 1986 has an article entitled, "A Legacy of Quilts," by Linda Joan Smith. In it she describes some types of quilts. " Colonial quilts were those made between the American Revolution and the westward migration. Some of them had cutouts from leftover bits of European chintz and used a method called Persian embroidery. Border strips were added to a large, central fabric panel. Linsey-woolsey quilts were made from large pieces of homespun sewn to a linen or wool backing and quilted in large motifs. White work bedcovers were called bridal quilts which used the tiniest of stitches."
"Pioneer quilts date from 1840 to 1870 during the westward journey. Fabric became a scarce commodity so the scrap bag was turned into a work of art. The patchwork patterns reflected the joys and sorrows of life during pioneer times. The scrap bag consisted of cast-off clothing and tired household linens. Rarely did they include new material. Applique quilts were popular in the more affluent East and South. Quilting itself remained a manual task although the sewing machine was in use during the 1860s. The quilting bee was a cherished social event that made pioneer life more bearable."
"The quilts of the late 1800s are called Victorian quilts. The quilts made when Victoria last reigned in England were not really quilts but thin parlor throws meant to thrill the eye---not warm the body. They were displayed on table tops, sofa arms, and piano backs but had neither quilting nor batting. They were made of silks, satin, and velvets and were rich in color and texture. Victorian quilters could be sentimental and fill their work with bits and pieces of their personal past: Father's vest pocket, lace from a wedding veil, etc. During the Philadelphia Centennial exhibition of 1876, Americans were exposed to the glories of Japanese culture and a love of oriental motifs was born."
"During the 1930s, following the Wall Street crash of October 1929, utilitarian quilts were once again popular. Pieced with tiny squares from the scrap bag and flour sacks these quilts belied the darkness of the era. They express a hope for the future that has been shared by quilters of all ages. Quilts stitched with patience and imagination."
Patchwork quilts are made of patches of cloth. My mother was a quilter. Several years ago a neighbor of mine sent scraps of material her way. She was delighted to make those fabric scraps into a quilt. She made a nine patch quilt for my wedding shower over forty years ago. When I look at my nine patch, I recognize material from dresses and skirts I had when I was young. At a recent family reunion, I recognized a patchwork quilt she made. How did I recognize it? By the pieces of fabric. Many of them were scraps she had left after making dresses for herself. Those quilts are part of Mother's legacy.
The Quilt is about one hundred pages long and is written by T. Davis Bunn. It is dedicated to the memory of grandmothers and mother. It is an inspiring story about a quilter who passes on the love of quilting to others.
How do you gauge the age of a quilt? Is it the fabric or the style? If you want to know more about quilting, Velia Lauerman owns Sewing Studio at 108 North Street, Hudson. She is a third generation quilter both her grandmother and mother passed down the love of quilting to her. Some of the services she offers are hand quilting, sewing, garment alterations and quilt appraisals. She can be reached at 517-448-2323 for more information.
The cole family is part of the mustard family which is part of the Cruciferous family. That gives you a picture of the diversity. This large family comes in various shapes, colors, and sizes. It includes among others: collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabagas, and turnips. Cabbage was grown by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Celts and grows well on the coasts of Europe. When the wild cabbage is cultivated it becomes the open-leafed kale. The incurved-leaf plants become heart cabbage and the many-flowered types become cauliflower. It is a hardy biennial that has many shaped heads--conical, round, flat, or pointed. It may have smooth or crinkled leaves like Savoy, and Chinese cabbage or be green or red. This family packs a power house of vitamins and minerals. Although the vitamin content of early and late cabbage varies, it still contains cancer fighting compounds. Variables include: the growing season, the variety planted and the maturity of the head. Immature heads with green leaves contain more vitamin C than mature heads. When it is stored for several weeks or months it will have larger quantities of C in the inner leaves and in the midribs of the outer leaves.
Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are hardy vegetables. With the exception of cauliflower, these can be grown in all parts of the United States almost year round. Some varieties can endure temperatures as low as 15 degrees for short periods. Early varieties require richer soil than late crops. All types need moisture but must be well-drained to avoid fungus disease. It likes full sun and soil that has not grown any member of its family for at least three years. Members of this family include: Brussels sprouts (developed near Brussels, Belgium), broccoli and cauliflower. Cauliflower is tender to frosts and sensitive to rough handling. Soil must be moist to assure well-shaped, firm heads. Cauliflower makes one head and is done while broccoli lives on and sends up shoots after the head has been cut. Brussels sprouts are mini cabbages that grow from the bottom up. Because of this manner of growth, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are the gift that keeps on giving. You may tire of them before they stop producing. All except cauliflower can endure brisk temperatures. Members of the cabbage family need to be watered if you don’t get rain.
Ancient Romans ground cabbage into a paste as a treatment for breast cancer. Sailors depended on fermented cabbage or sauerkraut to prevent scurvy. Various members of this family contain cancer fighting vitamins and minerals and are good sources of fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium and potassium. It has a pungent odor when cooked but that is when it releases the enzymes that provide the health benefits. Cabbage has many uses: sauerkraut, coleslaw, freezer slaw, fried cabbage, and boiled dinner.
We prefer Stonehead cabbage to other varieties because it has compact heads. Usually Stonehead cabbage does not split but this year Tom brought in two heads at once because they had split. He suggested Scalloped Cabbage for a change of pace. So here is the recipe. l med. head cabbage, chopped, 6 slices bacon, 2 T. shortening, 2 T. chopped peppers, 1 c. grated cheese, 1 ½ c. med. white sauce. Cook cabbage about 5 minutes and drain. Place in greased baking dish. Fry bacon and crumble. Sprinkle bacon and peppers over cabbage. Then sprinkle cheese over all. Cover with white sauce. Bake 10 min. at 375. Serves 8.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center opened its doors in 1909. Major Walter Reed was an Army physician who treated troops and American Indians on the frontier. He proved that yellow fever was spread by mosquito. He died in 1902 at the age of 51 of complication of appendicitis. His friend and colleague Colonel William C. Borden campaigned for a hospital to honor Walter Reed. The original red brick hospital had about 80 beds but the present hospital is almost double that at 150. The wounded receive rehabilitation there before being moved to outpatient care. Today it treats about 775,000 outpatients annually. On September 15, 20l1, the facility will close but the buildings are national historic landmarks to be cared for by The State Department and the District of Columbia. The facility will consolidate its operations with the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The new facility will be called the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
American service members received treatment from World War I to the present. It was visited by celebrities and cared for foreign leaders through medical diplomacy. President Calvin Coolidge’s teenage son died there as did President Eisenhower and Generals John J. Pershing and Douglas MacArthur. Over the decades, the medical center served families of service members, military retirees, and welcomed countless babies into the world.
Some pieces of history include some nurses from the Vietnam War marrying their patients at the rose garden. After visiting General Pershing, President Harry S. Truman attended the memorial chapel for his first church service after taking office. A photo from 1960, shows Senator Lyndon Johnson visiting the bedside of Vice President Richard Nixon. Photos from World War I showed troops learning skills like typing or knitting. World War II amputees were given the message “Your life isn’t over, don’t get down.”
An investigation by the Washington Post in 2007 uncovered shoddy living conditions in an outpatient ward. The report led to the firings of some military leaders. John Pierce, historian for the Walter Reed Society, said, “It was administrative issues and housing issues, and the housing issues were significant. I don’t think anyone would want to say they weren’t and it shouldn’t have happened, but it was not a quality of care situation.“ An independent study concluded the Defense Department neglected the problems because they knew Walter Reed was scheduled for closure.
Marine Sergeant Rob Jones, 25, is a double amputee from the war in Afghanistan. He is one of more than 440 troops from the recent wars receiving outpatient care at the rehabilitation center. He said, “I’ll probably just remember the people I was working with, the staff here, how much they helped me get back on my feet.”
I saw it in a resale shop and bought it as a reminder. It is a candle with a picture of a girl playing the flute and it reads, “Listen to Life’s Music”. May I replay some songs that I have heard?
I can hear life’s music when I recall a young man and a young lady on a date at the Midland County Fair. She wanted to go on a ride but when she was seated she realized that keeping her skirt in place would be a problem. She sat close to the end of the seat which took care of one side but what about the other? Her date smiled and gently rested his leg against the other side. He continues to solve problems for her.
I remember a summer day long ago when I was exhausted after canning all day. I finally got those seven jars of fruit loaded in the granite kettle for the hot water bath when I realized I had not taken into account how heavy water was and almost dropped my day’s work. That’s when I heard it---the playful laughter of a toddler.
I replay another verse a decade later when I was invited to explore a country creek with a boy who was a member of the Beecher Creek Gang. Now how could I pass up an offer like that? As we splashed our way through the spring fed creek, I heard it again.
I hear it when I replay the adventures my sister and I shared while searching for our grandpa. We visited the house our dad grew up in, met the relatives that live there, gathered family information, and wrote a book. She and her husband traveled to North Dakota where they put a grave marker on grandpa’s grave because the years had destroyed the original one.
It continues to play. It is there for our encouragement, enjoyment, and enrichment.
Just listen…
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine…” Proverbs 17: 22
Lewis Smedes said, “Life is out of joint whenever a person is ungrateful for its gifts.”
Custard Pie Deluxe
2 eggs ½ t. vanilla
3/8 c. white sugar 1 ½ c. whole milk
(½ c. minus 2 T.) ½ c. evaporated milk
¼ t. salt 1 t. nutmeg
¾ c. coconut
Beat eggs until yolks and whites are well blended. Add sugar, salt and vanilla. Slowly add whole milk then evaporated, stirring constantly. Add coconut. Line a 9” pie plate with pastry. Rub a few drops of cold water over pastry to prevent soaking. Add filling and sprinkle top with nutmeg. Bake in preheated oven at 425 for 15 min. then reduce to 325. Bake 15 to 20 min. until inserted knife comes out clean.
"Hi.It's nice to have you here." That is what is printed on the glass mug. It shows a black outline of Ziggy with an enormous smile and folded hands. We also have a colorful Ziggy cup that says, "Have a day filled with rainbows. Have a day filled with love."
Ziggy is a cartoon character created by Tom Wilson, Sr. Ziggy is a last-in-line character, the last picked for everything. Tom Wilson, Sr., was an artist at American Greetings card company in Cleveland for over 35 years. Because his name came toward the end of the alphabet, he invented a cartoon character named, Ziggy. Ziggy was first published in 1969 in a collection, "When You're Not Around." In 1971, Ziggy was in 15 newspapers and now appears in over 500. Ziggy has been in books, calendars and greeting cards.
"Ziggy's Gift" was an ABC Christmas special in 1983 which won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. It was re-released on DVD in 2005. Tom Wilson, Jr., took over the comic in 1987. He described his father as, "passionate and charismatic. He loved ideas and he loved creating--that was really what drove him. His passion just came out and inspired everyone around him." His father headed the creative team that developed the Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears character licensing.
"Tom Wilson had a unique gift for producing creations that stirred imaginations and touched people's lives," said Hugh Andrews, chief executive officer and president of Andrews McMeel Publishing. (The Daily Telegram, Tuesday, September 20, 2011)
"Tom Wilson, Sr. was a visionary cartoonist," said John McMeel, chairman and president of what was formerly known as Universal Press Syndicate. It is now Andrews McMeel Universal, which owns Universal Uclick. He continued, "Tom leaves behind a wonderful legacy in Ziggy, a hard-luck comics page hero who serves as a reflection of Tom's endearing wit and optimism in the face of adversity." Tom Wilson, Sr., lived to be 80 years old and died September 19, 2011. The last eight years were spent in a Cincinnati nursing home to be near his family. He is survived by his wife, Carol, daughters, Ava, and Julie, and son, Tom, Jr. And Ziggy whose caption on June 23, 2006, read, "Thanks for thirty-five years. "
Legacy is defined as anything received from or passed on by an ancestor or predecessor. We may not be like Tom Wilson, Sr., who loved creating, developing, and finalizing ideas. But we all leave something for future generations because we all touch people's lives. What will your legacy be? It is your choice.
It's nice to have you here. Have a day filled with rainbows. Have a day filled with love.
Econ 101 is the title of an article in WORLD September 24, 2011. A program called “Infusionomics” is a co-curricular approach used by some schools to equip students in economics and finances. There is no textbook but the economic theory permeates the curriculum. The school-wide computer system combines Infusionomics with “Economis” . It is a cause-and -effect system. The students earn credits or debits in a personal account. For instance, they can earn credit by getting an A or they can lose credit by being tardy for class. Since the results have consequences for buying and selling, the students pay attention.
This approach is possible because of the cooperation of individuals and organizations such as:
1. StreetSchool Network (SSN) -a loose nationwide gathering of mostly private Christian schools ministering to minorities in inner-city settings.
2. The Powell Center for Economic Literacy, based in Charlottesville, Virginia.
3. Sagamore Institute, a market-oriented think tank in Indianapolis, Indiana.
4. Central Ohio Youth for Christ (COYFC) of Columbus, Ohio, and its director, Scott Arnold.
A Sagamore report stated, “In one recent study of economic awareness among high school seniors, the average test score was 47.5 percent-a solid F. Real hope for America’s long term economic future rests with the next generation.”
This necessary awareness of economics continues to decline at the college level. The nonprofit American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) reviewed over 1,000 colleges and universities. It has rated schools according to how many of the core subjects are required and found that only 5 percent require economics.
SSN vice president said, ”We started realizing that these principles-about cost benefit analysis and opportunity costs and short-and long-term consequences were incredibly relevant for the life skills we’re tying to equip our kids with. This is the kind of practical knowledge that can help them climb out of poverty.”
Soon they were joining forces to design a two-track strategy to teach key economic concepts (like scarcity and margin) alongside financial life skills (like controlling one’s checkbook and credit cards). They focus on both schools and after-school ministries reaching disadvantaged, urban kids.
It needed to be practical and make sense in the real world. The team developing the program decided on three criteria to be met for the program to succeed. It had to be relevant to the kids, easy for the teachers to learn and use, and it had to be fun.
There are nine foundational keystone economic principles.
1. We all make choices.
2. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
3. All choices have consequences.
4. Economic systems influence choices.
5. Incentives produce ‘predictable’ responses.
6. Do what you do best; trade for the rest.
7. Economic thinking is marginal thinking.
8. Quantity and quality of available resources impact living standards.
9. Prices are determined by the market forces of supply and demand--and are constantly changing.
When asked, “Does it work?“ One teacher estimates he has gained an average of 2.5 hours of instructional time in his classroom every week. Punctuality and classroom behavior have improved because students are thinking in a more orderly way.
The project leader for Infusionomics said, “The most important thing we do is to help students make intelligent choices--choices in which they consider the consequences of their decisions. If it’s true as someone has said that character is the sum total of hundreds of little choices we make every day, then we’re not just helping them to think better. We’re helping them build solid character. And they’ll need both to thrive in the century ahead.”
