SPRING. . . . . WHERE ARE YOU?

I think everyone in the northern part of the country is wondering where spring is. It is cold and damp today, just as it was yesterday. The high for the day barely reached 40 degrees yesterday and still only 39 this morning as I write this. And there is enough wind to make it feel even cooler. We do appreciate the light rains we are getting, but we want WARM rain! There is even talk of a slight chance of snow in the forecast. Not much, but none of us really want to see any white stuff that starts with S on the ground right now, unless it is SAND! Nice warm sand. I have to keep reminding myself that God is in control and He makes no mistakes.

I dropped in today as I wanted to reply to Jeannette, who left a comment here recently. So nice to have you join me, Jeannette! I also thought I needed to change the picture at the top of the blog. No more winter! Since we are into spring, even if the weather doesn't look like it, it is time to put spring on this page. We can at least pretend it is spring and enjoy some pretty plants.

I never did get around to planting any flowers last year and I missed that. And now, looking at some that I did two years ago, I know I need to have some flowers on my patio again this year. If it ever warms up to get them planted.

I am still very busy working on genealogy. If any of you are working on yours, you might understand the pull to keep digging. There was not much known about my ancestors, and I was unsuccessful in getting answers in the beginning. But now, by teaming up with a few other distant relatives, we are making discoveries right and left! When one mystery seems to be solved, another one pops up. Others will ask a question which sends us digging again. So my life is totally wrapped up in 'digging up bones.'  (I always did love that song done by Randy Travis.) I was just thinking last night about the wealth of information on family there is on the computer. So far all my research has been either on the internet, or through exchange of information by email. That wasn't even possible about 15 years ago! I am very thankful to all the people who have gone to the work of digitizing so many records and putting them online for all of us to access.

In case you have not discovered findagrave.com yet, this is a wonderful site for finding graves of ancestors, including pictures of many of them. But I have discovered that the graves of many of my local family are not there, which surprises me. So I need to make a trip and take some pictures and put them on the site this summer. I would suggest to you, to check for your family member tombstones on the site, and if they are not there, take your camera along when you visit the cemetery on Memorial Day, and get those pictures! Maybe you could even take photos of each stone in the row or a few rows, and put those online, too. Someone will appreciate it someday.

This week I also need to work on a new lesson for our Friday morning Bible study, and I need to run to the next town one of these days to get my new (expensive) eyeglasses. I haven't had new glasses for several years so am really past due for them, but I really did not want to spend the money. And then the doctor said I will need cataract surgery done on my right eye in another year or two. Not happy with that news, but expected. At least Medicare should pay for the surgery, unless Obamacare changes that, too.

I have a long list of things I plan to blog about, but right now it is a matter of making the time between Bible study, genealogy, and regular daily living needs. Who ever said that you have lots of free time when you are retired?? I never have enough time!

And with that, I must get busy as I have much to do today that is not on the computer. May you all have a good and blessed day. See you next time!

BEEP. . . . . . BEEP. . . . . BEEP

(I am writing this post to be published later. )

Last night, or I should say early this morning I was awake because I was not sleeping well all night. It was about 5:30 this morning and all of a sudden I hear a man's voice say, " Please replace the battery." At first I thought it was the radio scanner as I have that on all the time, but this sounded different and closer. Then I started hearing the loud beep. . . . . . . .beep. . . . . . beep.

Yes, the batteries in my smoke and carbon monoxide alarm need to be replaced. Funny, I was just thinking about that the other day. I thought maybe it was time to replace them.

Well, that loud beep was very annoying. But the alarm is at the ceiling. So I went out to the pantry and pulled out the step stool. It is difficult for me to climb any steps so a step stool is next to impossible. But I really needed to shut the beep up! I would have been okay if I could reach it from the first step, but that wasn't going to work. So, using the door and door frame, I managed to pull myself up to the second step. But in the process I tweaked something in my forearm. So now if I turn it just wrong it hurts. It is my left arm and I am left handed. Not good. But I will live.

Then I had to figure out how to get the battery compartment open. Let me tell you, that was NOT easy! Meanwhile the blasted thing is still beeping at me! And it is 6 am and I am usually asleep at this hour. I finally had to get a screw driver and pry the thing open. I was afraid I would break the whole thing before I got those batteries out. But things are back to being beepless again. However, I will wait until someone is here who can put it back up for me. There is no way I will be able to get back up that step with an arm that is hurting.

I also have to check and see if I have 2 AA batteries in the house. And now that I know how to check to see if a battery is charged, you can be sure I will check them before putting them that crazy thing.

Have you seen the video on facebook or youtube on how to check batteries? The following link is not the same one I saw on facebook, but this one is testing the first guy's theory and demonstration. He showed that it basically does work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRf9JTg3QwA

I just tried it with the old battery and it did bounce quite a bit. I don't have another battery handy to test right now, but I have a feeling it will tell me whether it is still good or not. Interesting. Haven't you always wondered if the batteries that have been laying in your junk drawer are still good? Who knows how long they have been in there.

People always tell us to change the batteries in your alarms at least once a year. Pick a time - Jan 1, daylight savings time change, etc. But it has been my experience that the batteries last much longer that a year.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

More branches down on the yard!

                     

But this time, not from a storm. 

My next door neighbor had 3 trees cut down on Tuesday.  By the time I saw what was happening, they already had all those branches down. (above)

The guy in the bucket is WAAAY up there! That is a very old maple tree that is huge. I have one like it, even bigger, on my yard. Mine probably should come down as well, but I don't think the landlord wants to spend the money. It costs a LOT to have a tree service take out a tree.

They start out at the lower limbs and cut off the branches, and then work their way up to the top, then get a larger power saw and start cutting the thicker parts into more manageable logs that just fall to the ground.

I didn't get to see them take the bottom of the trunk out as I had company. By the time I got back there they had already removed the stump and were working on a couple of stubborn roots. All that is left is a big hole. The neighbor is lucky my tree is still standing or he might regret taking his down because he would not have any shade from the afternoon sun. The side of the house you can see is facing west.

At the same time the maple was coming down, another man with another boom truck was working on a huge evergreen tree at the front of the house. It was a very pretty tree and healthy, so I hate to see it gone as well. It sheltered a lot of birds and a rabbit or two. The bottom branches went all the way to the ground. I would have liked to see him just have the branches trimmed up 4 or 5 feet above ground. I saw several birds watching what was going on, and I am sure they were not happy. I hope there weren't any nests with eggs in that tree.

This picture may give you a little more perspective. You can see the back end of the first truck that worked on the maple, and the front end of the second truck working on the evergreen.

With the big evergreen gone I now have a better view of the street as I sit here at the computer.

I did mention they had 3 trees removed. There was a smaller tree or tall bush close to the foundation at the front of the house. I always did think it was too close to the house. That is now gone as well.

Now I wonder if he is going to build a deck where the patio door is. Time will tell.

PROM AGAIN

I thought you might like to see a picture from my senior prom in 1961. Too bad it is not in color, and too bad that we posed in front of those very busy drapes!

I loved, and still love, that dress. I loved it so much when I put it on in the store, but Mom said it was too expensive. I think it was between $90-100 and that was a lot for a dress in those days. At least it was for us. But I begged, and I promised I would wear this dress to both proms so they would not have to buy me a second prom dress. Mom finally gave in. And I did wear the dress both years - - - - - plus my maid of honor wore it at my wedding! In those days I sewed most of my clothes so this dress was very special in every way.

This dress was my favorite color,  a very pretty lavender with white lace overlay. The ribbon above the waist and the bow with long streamers was the same satiny lavender. For my wedding we did a minor change. We brought those long streamers up behind the bow and tacked them at the shoulders and across the back neckline so that it resembled a collar in the back. You see, my favorite color was also my wedding color. The prom was in May and my wedding was September the same year. I still have that dress tucked away in a box in the closet as I can't bear to get rid of it. (I just wish it still fit!)

Notice the wrist corsage. That was a good choice since there wasn't much of a place to pin a corsage on the dress.

A FAVORITE

I bought this Dawn Platinum Power Clean some time ago. The reason I bought it is because it states "power of an overnight soak in 3 minutes". That really grabbed my attention since I don't wash dishes very often, depending on how often I actually cook. Some weeks all I have in the sink for the whole week are coffee mugs, cereal and soup bowls, spoons and knives that buttered toast plus peanut butter or jam. The rest is washing the recyclable plastics from yogurt containers and the food trays in microwavable meals. That's sad, I know. Occasionally I will have a frying pan or two waiting to be washed as well.

That means those dishes and pans have been sitting there dirty for several days and they need to be soaked. This stuff really works!! And it works well. I like it much better than the regular Dawn, which I always buy as it works better than other brands for the water we have here. It works great for those yucky frying pans and baked on food in casseroles, whether they are washed the same day or a day or two later.

So if you need something like this, I highly recommend you try it. This is my own personal experience and I have not be paid to tell you about it.

PROM TIME (continued)

Last time we looked at Mom's junior year prom. Today we look at her senior year prom - 1927.

This time the cover was printed, not done by hand. They also included the date, which is nice. It is made like the previous one except that it is a smaller version. This time the ribbon is red so I assume that is the class color, but it is not recorded inside, nor is the class motto and flower.

The food again sounds like a regular meal one would get at home. Like the year before,  we start out with fruit cocktail. I am guessing this is the kind that comes out of a can, but maybe they made their own with fresh fruits, but it doesn't say 'fresh' fruit cocktail. This time the salad is just simply gelatine salad. Do you suppose it was made with the very popular chopped cabbage and shredded carrots in lemon jello, or did it have fruit in it? I am going to guess that it had vegetables in it since they already had fruit cocktail and the dessert follows. Dessert - angel food cake and cherry ice cream. Mmmm. That sounds good!

On to the program. It seems the theme has something to do with basketball. I reported in another post that my mom played basketball in high school. Maybe that year they had a winning team?

Now I wonder, the program is set up in 'courses' just as the menu is. Did they happen at the same time? While they were eating the first course, they were entertained with the 'first course' of the program?

It seems teachers were part of the entertainment since "Miss Gleason" performed a vocal solo, and "Miss Herrmann" played a "pianologue" during the main course. That sounds like it might have been continuous piano playing while they were eating the main course - dining music. That is a little more upscale, don't you think? And then we have "Mr. Comer". The year before "The Maelstrom" was a H. L. Comer. Probably the same person. Was he the principle, or superintendent?

I wish Mom were here to answer the questions! If your mom is still living, ask her what her proms were like while you still can.

I wish I had some snapshots of the proms and the dresses that were worn. But I did not find any. At least I have the programs and know that my mother attended her proms. They must have been special to her since she kept the programs. I also wonder if they had dates for proms back then, or if it was just for the class members? If they did have dates, who did my mom go with?

PROM TIME

Did you go to your prom? I went to both of mine. I didn't have a date for the first one as a junior, but did have one for the second one as a senior. He turned out to be my first husband and we were married on September 2 of that same year. But that is another story.

Today I am writing about proms since this is the time of year when they usually happen. I know the local schools are having them about now. There was always a lot of excitement and expectation connected to prom. There would be a theme to decide on, and then figuring out how to decorate to fit the theme. It was custom when I was in high school to have the banquet, and then the dates could come for the dance if they were not juniors and seniors in the same school. There would always be a decorated set for having pictures taken with your date.

 When the dance was over most of us would go to a bigger town 16 miles away where there was a big movie theater. They would be open just for us since we wouldn't get there until well past midnight. If there was a cafe open after the movie, some of us would go out for breakfast. Back in those days there were not many places that were open 24 hours as you can find today. I think some would congregate at someones home for breakfast, until dawn. If you were lucky you could then go to bed and sleep for the rest of the day.

Today in many of the local towns, the parents of the junior/senior class members, and other interested people and businesses, will set up an after prom party where the kids play games and there are donated prizes, more food, and lots of fun. That way the teens don't have to drive out of town when they are overly tired.

This is all leading up to the main reason I write about proms. I found the programs for the two proms my mother went to in 1926 and 1927! They don't give the themes for the prom, but the titles in the program are interesting! The menus are a bit different than what I think you will find today as well. I doubt that they were catered affairs. I am guessing that either the junior class prepared the meal, or maybe their parents?

This is the cover of the prom for Mom's junior year. i can see the junior girls sitting at a table, cutting the papers to size, and printing "MENU" on th front of each. The pencil guide is still faintly visible, and then filled in by hand with green ink. Then someone had to punch holes, thread in the ribbon and tie the bow.

I like their class motto. "We will find a path or make one."

  It seems their theme must have had something to do with a radio according to the program. Was that a skit?

I looked up the definition of a maelstrom ~~

A maelstrom is a very powerful whirlpool; a large, swirling body of water. A free vortex, it has considerable downdraft. 

a situation in which there are a lot of confused activities, emotions, etc

a restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs

Doesn't that make you wonder what was happening? "The Maelstrom" seems to be one person, so what was he doing? Was he doing some hyperactive activities?Was he whirling and twirling and creating a vortex around the other people who represented a radio? Inquiring minds want to know! I am guessing it was very entertaining!

How about that menu? It sounds like any meal one might have had at home and certainly nothing fancy - except for the Demi-tasse. Does anyone know what the Imperial Salad was like? When I googled that I got a huge variety of salads, and some sounded very gourmet. But the ones that sounded like they would fit this menu in that day and age, in a small farming community, I found here --
http://blogs.knoxnews.com/constantine/2008/06/imperial-salad-2-versions.html

The first one is made up of cabbage, carrots, radishes, celery, green pepper and mayo. The vegetables are ground together (though chopped and shredded sound better to me) with the option of boiled ham added.

I am sure the group had a great time.

Then there is the program for Mom's senior prom ~~

(continued)

DECLUTTERING

I just read that you don't have to organize as you declutter. You have permission to just declutter first. Once you are done, then you can organize what is left. That makes good sense to me. But I catch myself thinking that I need to clean, and organize at the same time I am decluttering. Is that how you feel too? I suspect that is exactly why I never seem to get around to decluttering, or don't stay at it if I do start. I may have to keep reminding myself that I have permission to focus only on decluttering. I AM the only one living in this house, so the only one I have to answer to is myself.

Now, do I declutter the whole house first, and then start cleaning? Then do I get all the cleaning done before I start organizing? Hmm.

I am inclined to think that I need to do it one room at a time. I think that will keep me more focused, otherwise I get too distracted and never get anything done.

Where should I start? I would guess that I need to do the public areas of the house first, right? So why do I always want to start in my bedroom? And work on closets and pantry where most people will never see anyway?

I think a decluttered, organized and clean bedroom is necessary for good rest. At the other house I did quite well in keeping the bedroom tidy. But in this house? Not so much. For one, it is too crowded. For another the computer desk and filing cabinet are also in the bedroom because there is no room anywhere else in this house where it can go, and that creates its own clutter. If there were room I would set up a screen in front of the computer so that I don't have to look at the clutter all the time. Every bit of wall space in this house has something in front of it, and it isn't that I have a lot of furniture, but I do have some large pieces, such as the antique upright piano in the living room, as well as a large entertainment center, and a large dresser with hutch/ mirror on top that overpowers the bedroom. Small, one bedroom houses with no basement or second floor can be a problem. It is a good thing that what I collect is paper - magazine articles, recipes, etc. That does take up some room but not as much as antiques and other collectible items.

I have rambled on long enough. I had intended to write a different post tonight, but then noticed this draft sitting here unfinished. At least I can say that I finished something today! Meanwhile the decluttering, organizing and cleaning are waiting for me.