Thursday, October 16, 2008
Goodbye Flowers
We had a hard frost last night as can be seen on our zinnias. So, no more pretty flowers & foilage until next spring. *le sigh*
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Catholics have all the fun
As a young child, I attended the Methodist church with my family. Even though I currently choose not to be part of an organized religion, I am most familiar with the Methodist church when it comes to such things.
I can remember growing up being a bit jealous of the Catholics in my small town. They had the fanciest church. Most of the popular kids attended the Catholic church. They also had the most population of kids (duh), with the Lutherans close behind. Then there was the little white Methodist church with maybe 10 kids in total. It's just a fact, when you're a kid, you want to be around other kids.
I used to spend some time with a neighbor friend who's family was Catholic. They were a large family (duh) and when they gathered for a meal, it was an impressive crowd. This was also the first place I saw people recite a prayer, all together, and perform strange, synchronized hand movements. I remember feeling very awkward and out of place. I think it was my first culture shock. In our small, very caucasion community, religion, income, townies or farmers were pretty much the only differences among us.
Later, as I learned more about religions and the Catholic practices and rituals, I thought the Methodists were even more uninteresting. We only talked about Mary around Christmas. We didn't have rituals or synchronized prayers during our service. I take that back, the Methodists recite the Lord's prayer together and I guess their ritual was passing the donation plate; just not as fascinating as the Catholics. Then there was the Catholic stuff: the saints, the necklaces/rosaries, the cards, the statues on the dashboards, the swinging smoke thing and lighting candles. The Methodists didn't have any cool stuff.
Now, after all these years, those old "Catholics are cool" thoughts came streaming back. And it was because of the bowling ball rosary story from Herald & Review in Central Illinois...
Monday, October 2, 2006 8:43 AM CDT
1,000-pound rosary sends heavy message:
By TONY REID - H&R Staff Writer
Photo by Herald & Review/Kelly J. Huff
NOKOMIS, ILLINOIS - Hail Mary, full of grace ? and if you sinners out there try to pray this particular rosary, you are going to need a back brace.
Not that fingering the 59 beads is the point here, of course. The rosary that retired quarry worker Bernard "Chub" Clark has created in his rural three acre yard near Nokomis is made of old bowling balls and probably weighs close to 1,000 pounds, give or take.
Behind the rosary is a cautionary sign, stark black letters against a white backdrop: "You know not the hour Jesus will come - please pray." Clark hopes the message rather than the rosary will weigh heavily on the conscience of rubber-necking motorists passing by on Hillside Avenue. Clark believes mankind has strayed further and further into the gutter and our Father, who art displeased in heaven, is getting ready to bowl us over for our wickedness.
"People have got no respect for themselves or anybody else," laments Clark, 73, a faithful Catholic. "And I do think, if we don't change the ways of the world, then the good Lord one of these days is going to say 'The hell with you' and stick a match to it."
He's convinced his 65-year-old Lutheran wife, Wilma, who has a 500-plus collection of angel figurines and thinks her husband is on to something: "The signs aren't good," she says. "Things just seem to be getting worse and worse all the time."
So, what to do? Her husband took the view, supported by his wife, that if people aren't taking much notice of God, you can at least remind them that he's out there in the great alley of sin, keeping score. Clark, who has bowled a fair bit in his time and fingered a personal rosary so fervently over the years he had to replace the worn-out beads with lead shot fishing weights, decided he could combine bowling and the rosary to make a striking statement about salvation.
He got it all done four years ago, linking each ball by 1/4-inch log chain and attaching a 2-foot by 16-inch cross hewn from 4-by-4 treated lumber at the center. Word of his creation has gradually spread among the multitude, and various priests have dropped by for a visitation, too. In July, it made the front page of the Catholic Times, the official newspaper for the Catholic Diocese of Springfield, no less.
"After it came out in the Catholic Times, I don't know how many phone calls we got about it," says Wilma. "We've had a lot of people coming out here to take pictures of it."
Her husband even encountered a passer-by who confessed up front he was an atheist but, despite himself, couldn't hide his admiration for the bold handiwork wrought by a true believer. "He said he thought the rosary was really neat," recalls Clark, smiling. "So maybe it might be turning him around a little bit towards God, I don't know. It can't hurt, though, can it?"
I can remember growing up being a bit jealous of the Catholics in my small town. They had the fanciest church. Most of the popular kids attended the Catholic church. They also had the most population of kids (duh), with the Lutherans close behind. Then there was the little white Methodist church with maybe 10 kids in total. It's just a fact, when you're a kid, you want to be around other kids.
I used to spend some time with a neighbor friend who's family was Catholic. They were a large family (duh) and when they gathered for a meal, it was an impressive crowd. This was also the first place I saw people recite a prayer, all together, and perform strange, synchronized hand movements. I remember feeling very awkward and out of place. I think it was my first culture shock. In our small, very caucasion community, religion, income, townies or farmers were pretty much the only differences among us.
Later, as I learned more about religions and the Catholic practices and rituals, I thought the Methodists were even more uninteresting. We only talked about Mary around Christmas. We didn't have rituals or synchronized prayers during our service. I take that back, the Methodists recite the Lord's prayer together and I guess their ritual was passing the donation plate; just not as fascinating as the Catholics. Then there was the Catholic stuff: the saints, the necklaces/rosaries, the cards, the statues on the dashboards, the swinging smoke thing and lighting candles. The Methodists didn't have any cool stuff.
Now, after all these years, those old "Catholics are cool" thoughts came streaming back. And it was because of the bowling ball rosary story from Herald & Review in Central Illinois...
Monday, October 2, 2006 8:43 AM CDT
1,000-pound rosary sends heavy message:
By TONY REID - H&R Staff Writer
Photo by Herald & Review/Kelly J. Huff
NOKOMIS, ILLINOIS - Hail Mary, full of grace ? and if you sinners out there try to pray this particular rosary, you are going to need a back brace.
Not that fingering the 59 beads is the point here, of course. The rosary that retired quarry worker Bernard "Chub" Clark has created in his rural three acre yard near Nokomis is made of old bowling balls and probably weighs close to 1,000 pounds, give or take.
Behind the rosary is a cautionary sign, stark black letters against a white backdrop: "You know not the hour Jesus will come - please pray." Clark hopes the message rather than the rosary will weigh heavily on the conscience of rubber-necking motorists passing by on Hillside Avenue. Clark believes mankind has strayed further and further into the gutter and our Father, who art displeased in heaven, is getting ready to bowl us over for our wickedness.
"People have got no respect for themselves or anybody else," laments Clark, 73, a faithful Catholic. "And I do think, if we don't change the ways of the world, then the good Lord one of these days is going to say 'The hell with you' and stick a match to it."
He's convinced his 65-year-old Lutheran wife, Wilma, who has a 500-plus collection of angel figurines and thinks her husband is on to something: "The signs aren't good," she says. "Things just seem to be getting worse and worse all the time."
So, what to do? Her husband took the view, supported by his wife, that if people aren't taking much notice of God, you can at least remind them that he's out there in the great alley of sin, keeping score. Clark, who has bowled a fair bit in his time and fingered a personal rosary so fervently over the years he had to replace the worn-out beads with lead shot fishing weights, decided he could combine bowling and the rosary to make a striking statement about salvation.
He got it all done four years ago, linking each ball by 1/4-inch log chain and attaching a 2-foot by 16-inch cross hewn from 4-by-4 treated lumber at the center. Word of his creation has gradually spread among the multitude, and various priests have dropped by for a visitation, too. In July, it made the front page of the Catholic Times, the official newspaper for the Catholic Diocese of Springfield, no less.
"After it came out in the Catholic Times, I don't know how many phone calls we got about it," says Wilma. "We've had a lot of people coming out here to take pictures of it."
Her husband even encountered a passer-by who confessed up front he was an atheist but, despite himself, couldn't hide his admiration for the bold handiwork wrought by a true believer. "He said he thought the rosary was really neat," recalls Clark, smiling. "So maybe it might be turning him around a little bit towards God, I don't know. It can't hurt, though, can it?"
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Fall Colors Drive
The hubby and I took the convertible out last Saturday (October 12th) and drove around in the hills in Buffalo County, Wisconsin. The colors were not quite peak but we were able to cruise around with the top down so it was close enough. We had a fun day. Enjoy the slideshow...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
You Just Never Know #1
You just never know what you're going to find when you Google Christopher Walken...
Friday, October 10, 2008
Strange Tastes
I wonder why it is I like the foods that most people wrinkle their noses at? Is it some sort of genetic thing? I know my love for stinky fish comes from my family. We all love a good smoked whitefish and pickled herring. Oyster stew is also a family holiday tradition. It's the good Norwegian in us don'tchya know.
When shopping for groceries, I can't seem to pass up the smoked oysters or the kipper snacks. I was strangely excited while at Trader Joe's the other day I found smoked oysters and smoked herring at a better price than my local store! See? Even now when I'm writing about it I want to use an exclamation point! That's weird isn't it? And when I discovered they were of much better quality than my local stores' options, I was beyond myself ecstatic! I wanted to call someone with my great news but knew no one that would appreciate it.
I also love cooked spinach, brussel sprouts, liver and onions (with mustard) and blue cheese. I've never tried it but I'm guessing I would love that stinkiest of cheeses, Limburger. And then there's my spicy factor...I love spicy foods too. Anything with Szechuan in front of it is my choice at Asian restaurants. Chili, the spicier the better. Although I have to calm down my chili since the hubby doesn't have the same love of spicy foods. I have brought tears to his eyes a few times with my chili.
What strange food tastes do you have?
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
UP
Hubby sent an email with this snippet about the word "UP"....
There is a two-letter word in English that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.' It is listed in the dictionary as being used as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends and we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm-up the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has a real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this up is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP !
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP , look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP.
One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now...my time is UP,so time to shut UP!
There is a two-letter word in English that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.' It is listed in the dictionary as being used as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends and we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm-up the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has a real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this up is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP !
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP , look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP.
One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now...my time is UP,so time to shut UP!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Psychic, Clue or Pumpkin
Hubby read my mind this past Saturday. He did! Really! It's actually not such an unusual event in our household. The guy has some extra receptors in his brain that tune him in to things. I admit though, I did help this one along a bit. I made a grocery store run earlier in the day and left the convertible parked in the driveway rather than putting it in the garage. I hoped hubby would see it and suggest a drive. It was a beautiful, cool but sunny day. With too few of these days left before the snow flies, he "read my mind" and we hopped into the convertible and put the top down and started wandering around the back country roads.
We are blessed here in Western Wisconsin with mostly paved back roads. We drove along and decided to go to a little town called Elmwood. North of Elmwood is County Road P. It's a gorgeous drive surrounded by tree covered hills jutting up around the river valley. The sugar maple trees are just on the verge of showing us their true, glorious colors. This area will be dazzling with hills of color in a week or two. We still enjoyed our ride and found some cool smaller back roads.
Along the way we came upon a trailer loaded with giant pumpkins some skilled gardeners had grown over the summer. I've always wondered how they do this. I'm sure it takes a great deal of TLC and even more fertilizer. Then I wondered...maybe it wasn't the hubbies psychic abilities, or even my subtle clue that initiated our afternoon drive...rather, I'm thinking it might have been the gravitational pull of those gargantuan gourds that drew us out that day.
Left to right: 533 lbs./126" circumference, 492 lbs./124" circ. and 642 lbs./142" circ. If you're in the area, these are located at County Road G and County Road C in Pierce County, Wisconsin (east of El Paso and west of Elmwood.) These folks have a large pumpkin field and have larger than normal pumpkins for sale.
We are blessed here in Western Wisconsin with mostly paved back roads. We drove along and decided to go to a little town called Elmwood. North of Elmwood is County Road P. It's a gorgeous drive surrounded by tree covered hills jutting up around the river valley. The sugar maple trees are just on the verge of showing us their true, glorious colors. This area will be dazzling with hills of color in a week or two. We still enjoyed our ride and found some cool smaller back roads.
Along the way we came upon a trailer loaded with giant pumpkins some skilled gardeners had grown over the summer. I've always wondered how they do this. I'm sure it takes a great deal of TLC and even more fertilizer. Then I wondered...maybe it wasn't the hubbies psychic abilities, or even my subtle clue that initiated our afternoon drive...rather, I'm thinking it might have been the gravitational pull of those gargantuan gourds that drew us out that day.
Left to right: 533 lbs./126" circumference, 492 lbs./124" circ. and 642 lbs./142" circ. If you're in the area, these are located at County Road G and County Road C in Pierce County, Wisconsin (east of El Paso and west of Elmwood.) These folks have a large pumpkin field and have larger than normal pumpkins for sale.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Shhhh...tomatoes are sleeping.
You know winter is coming when we have to snuggle up our plants and flowers for the evening frost. You can see in the hill behind us the fall colors are just starting to show themselves. I hope we have a long autumn.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Twenty Years Ago
Today was our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Man, where has the time gone? Hubby said we beat the odds and I think we're still good together after all this time. I couldn't have found a better match.
I went looking through wedding photos this morning with my coffee and walked down memory lane. When I watch my nieces and nephews getting married, I wonder how we pulled off our wedding. The details that go into their weddings today are amazing. I look back at our wedding and I can't remember doing any of those things. Was I clueless or is more expected of weddings today? I have come to the conclusion that my florist was amazing and covered my taffeta covered butt on a lot of details. She basically decorated the church and the restaurant where we had our reception. The details may not have been covered but we had a wonderful wedding day and night all around with great memories.
I went looking through wedding photos this morning with my coffee and walked down memory lane. When I watch my nieces and nephews getting married, I wonder how we pulled off our wedding. The details that go into their weddings today are amazing. I look back at our wedding and I can't remember doing any of those things. Was I clueless or is more expected of weddings today? I have come to the conclusion that my florist was amazing and covered my taffeta covered butt on a lot of details. She basically decorated the church and the restaurant where we had our reception. The details may not have been covered but we had a wonderful wedding day and night all around with great memories.
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