See you in September

Ahhhh, September. The most uneventful, hassle free month on the whole calendar! Excluding Labor Day which doesn’t count since it’s at the very first of the month. The month of September is a breather month. The restaurants are less nosy since school is back in session. The roadways are less crowded except for those long RV’s that seem to show up after school goes back. You don’t have to stand in long lines at the mall or theme parks and apples are absolutely everywhere!!!

The summer frenzy has slowed way down and the turkey has months to show up on your shopping list. It’s a laid back time where we get to enjoy the fall harvest of produce from our farmer’s long summer of labor. It’s the month where the last of the hay is put up for the harsh winter ahead and where our spring flowers have given their last efforts to bloom and begin to fade away.

In September the grass is still green and the trees begin to show hints of the beautiful array of colors yet to come. It’s a month in limbo, if you will. Not summer anymore and yet too soon to be fall. The perfect month!!!! The perfect month for traveling, vacationing and eating! All around you just can’t beat September!

September is an unappreciated month that lays quietly in wait for October where the air will be electrified with energy for the up coming holidays and change in weather. September is a transitional month. A month where the children have settled into a school routine and parents start living by schedules again.

The weather is highly unpredictable in September where you can enjoy a pleasant 75 degree Monday and experience the all too familiar fall crisp air on Tuesday. It can be a month of surprises where you get just a sample of all the four seasons rolled up in one. September is a fickle month that holds summer in one hand and fall in the other. She seems to be pulled into two directions not knowing which one to let go of.

We should not take September for granted. It is a month to be enjoyed, cherished and inhaled for all it has to offer. Take it for what it was meant to be, a breather month. Let the month of September rejuvenate you and restore your sprit for life.

So from now on I’m going to look forward to September and the entire uneventful ness it has to offer. Embrace it for all that it is and isn’t. Ahhhh September!!!

Growing up in the 70’s I saw the family unit as a place to find shelter, comfort, good and nourishing food and solace from the outside world. Our mother never ate till everyone in her small yellow kitchen had their fill. The kitchen table was the center of our lives. With a freshly ironed tablecloth it was where we sat down as a family for Sunday dinner. It was where all homework was done with a cold glass of milk and a few cookies. Unfortunately it was also the place where your report card was read by your father while you stood by his chair and waited for his approval or disapproval. It was where you found Mom to talk about your life and the place where she sat you straight when you messed up.

Sadly there is something missing from our families now. Mom has now been replaced by a woman that is stretched into too many directions. Her demands at work and her need to succeed are followed closely by her anxiety and guilt of not always being there for her children. Many professionals now state that even with the modern mother having to reach these limits our children are actually thriving. Statistics tell us different. More children then ever are in therapy or on medications for behavioral problems. More children then ever suffer from neglect, abuse and abandonment. The development of grandparents taking over the role of parenting and care giving has taken a steady raise in recent years.

The family table now sits in dust while the family rarely eats at the same time and conversation dwindles into saying hello and goodbye at the front door. There is a way to rectify this and all it takes is a little change on the parent’s part.

Children need guidelines at home. Simply said there should be rules to your home that must be followed or obeyed. No matter what they say a child wants to know that he is not in total control of your home. They want to feel secure in the knowledge that their guardian is in control of their surroundings.

Make time for meals. The most important clues you will get about what’s happening in your child’s life will be revealed at the kitchen table. Set the mood with good and nourishing food and let the conversation begin. I have never met a child that didn’t want to have someone just listen to them. Your time is what a child really wants. Give it to them and watch them thrive.

Let your child know that home is where they will and should feel safe. No matter what happens to their outside world home is where they will find the peace and unity they need. A homelife where they will find unconditional love and support and laughter.

A close family starts with one person willing to give of her or his time and devotion. This person or couple must be willing to become the caretaker of the family unit. The person or couple that will set the standards that your children will come to respect, follow and appreciate. If you do these small things you will see a big difference in your family life. It’s never too late to start. Gather your family tonight at the kitchen table.

My mother taught me well when it came to feeding a large family of seven. How she was able to take one chicken, a few potatoes plus a few left overs and whip it all up to be one of the best tasting, nutritious meals I'll never know. She often told us how hard it was growing up in the depression in St. Louis and how she would stand for hours in a soup line to bring her sick mother something to eat. For many of us it seems like we are going through the same thing. There is hope out there in stretching your grocery dollar and at the same time making meals that will appease you pickiest eater.
My mother's steadfast was beans (twice a week). Penny for penny you will not find a cheaper meal or a tastier one. Chalked full of fiber ounce for ounce, bowl for bowl you just can't lose with a piping hot bowl of bean soup. Served with a box of cornbread or our family favorite, homemade corn pone you can actually feed a family of 4 for $1.85! Try to get that at McDonalds! For a dollar more you can make some fresh coleslaw to go with it. In these hard economy times you have to get creative. You also have to do some ground work. For instance, I use a local market for my meat cuts. I got to know the butcher and remembered to call him by his name and asked for his opinion on meal ideas and cuts of meat. He remembered me and would often let me know if he was cutting a certain type that day and if it was on sale. Having a friend and ally behind the meat counter can be a big plus for you.
Chicken has now become the new hamburger, meaning it's cheaper to buy chicken then it is to buy hamburger. Sloppy Joes, meatloaf, and tacos were the foundation of my meals when my children were in school. Now it's all about the chicken. It pays to shop around, don't throw your money away by buying at the nearest store. There can be sufficient savings at one store for meats and another store for produce.
Always keep your stables in stock. I have found after a long and stressful day a hot grill cheese and a piping hot bowl of tomato soup will fill anyone up and just for pennies on the dollar. Learn to make large meals and freeze leftovers to be used when you are in a pinch for time and money. They will be your best investment of your time in the kitchen.
Remember that your cooking is like the seasons. There will be times where you will be able to create time consuming elaborate meals and times where a sandwich and a cup of soup will suffice. No matter what you bring to the table with a little time and presentation it won’t break the bank and your family will reap the benefits of a nourtish meal.

April Fools Day!

Good morning fellow bloggers! This is it, the spring day in the year we all dread....April 1 (April Fools Day) This special day where everyone tries to fool everyone else by either scaring the tar out of them or surprising them with something so wonderful it can't be true and usually isn't. I think I hate those the worse. Let me explain where this special day originated from. You see April Fools' Day is observed throughout the Western world. Practices include sending someone on a "fool's errand," looking for things that don't exist; playing pranks; and trying to get people to believe ridiculous things, but no one really knows where it originated from. Some say it started when we switched the start of the new calendar year from April 1 to January 1. Others believe it was a way to celebrate the new spring season after a long cold winter. Either way when spring comes all God's creatures act a little "foolish". I call it "Twitter Love".

April 1st is also a wonderful day to be born on. Those born on April Fools Day are carefree, light hearted and good natured. Our next door neighbor growing up was Lloyd Kelly. A carefree boy trapped inside a full gown mans body. Lloyd could jump a fence like a gazelle and could let out the most wild animal yell when playing sports. He was a free spirit and his enthusiasm was contagious!

My dear daughter in-law Emily was also born on this crazy day. She is grade school teacher that is very outgoing and has a wonderful sense of humor. Being around her is like always being at a party. She's that much fun! I know her students adore her. Happy Birthday EM!!!

So get out and have fun today but don't buy anything anyone tells you, it just might be the biggest prank of all! So if the "Clearing House van drives up and announces you are the grand prize winner make sure you see the check is real and not from Elmer Fuds Bank, before you go jumping down the street like a "fool". Happy Birthday Em....Happy Birthday Lloyd......Happy April Fools Day everybody!!!! Aunt Onie

Ahh Sweet Spring

March 4th, 1976. February had been a mild month and now March entered like a lamb hitting temperatures in the balmy 70's. Everywhere you looked daffodils were in full bloom. Their beautiful yellow petals and brilliant green stems signaled to the world that spring had come!

It was on this particular morning (2 AM)when I calmly woke my husband telling him it was time to go to the hospital to have our first child. The look of terror filled poor Larry's face as he scrambled to get dressed, forgetting where his shoes and pants were. We had practiced this departure for two weeks and finally when my water broke that morning nothing was ready. Larry had parked the car in backwards for weeks so we could just take off from the driveway. Now it sat forward. There were towels all over the bathroom floor and my suitcase was empty.

"Go get your mother!" I screamed at a wide eyed Larry. This, he was eager to do and vanished out the back door, running through the fruit orchard that separated our homes. Men never share their feelings but I often wondered what thoughts went through his mind as he ran through that moonlit field. Did he ponder that he was about to become a father for the first time and what it would mean to guide and love a small male child? Did he think of the awesome responsibility it would mean to shape a young man's life? Since he never shares his feelings I'll never know but odds were he was just trying to run like the wind to get his mother.

Mother Thornhill arrived minutes later out of breath and gave me a brief reassuring hug and quickly organized the two of us so we could get to the hospital to become a family. She was good because before I knew it I was dressed and in the car. As we were backing away from our little home I stared at it as we pulled away. It hit me that when I saw it again I would be a mother......Mother, Mommy, Momma. A real, live breathing mother of a child. The hospital was actually going to let Larry and me take a real live breathing, crying, pooping baby home! Thank heavens for the labor pains that soon took my mind way off of that!

I had a wonderful German nurse when I got to the labor room of the small country hospital and I felt like I was in very good experienced hands. Then she calmly tells me that she is ready to go off shift but will come to see me and my baby when she comes back on. If I knew then what I know now I would have never let her leave me!

During the following hours my labor pains started in and my very pregnant younger sister Beverly shows up at my door with her hands full of bright yellow daffodils. She and her husband had been out on their motorcycle (7 months pregnant!) and stopped to pick me flowers.

A new nursing crew came on shift and it looked like they were all fresh out of nursing school. One young nurse had me breathing hard just hours after my labor started. Within 8 hours of this I was exhausted. Each long hour they would check me and tell me it would be any time now. As the endless hours of labor continued a spring storm blew up outside and I could hear the lighting, wind and rain as it beat against the roof of the hospital. What a storm it was! I later found out that the wind had picked up our mobile home and sat it off it's foundation!

March 4th, 1 AM....Twenty four hours later, and still no baby. I was starting to think I just wanted to get up and go home when there she was standing in my labor room doorway....my German Nurse! She quickly accessed the situation and determined I was nowhere near ready to have my baby and called the doctor for a real evaluation. Within twenty minutes a rain soaked Doc Nickels stood over my bed.

"Sorry little lady but it looks like this little guy is going to need some help getting born, I'm going to stop your labor and take him by C-section." My poor Larry looked as tired as I was as he kissed me goodbye as they wheeled me away to surgery. The shot Doc gave me eased up my contractions as I felt myself drifting away on a dream cloud. As I slowly came to, my wonderful nurse was standing there and asked in her strong German accent if I was ready to hold the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen. Yes, Yes, Yes I told her as I struggled to sit up. She gently placed him in my arms as I stared down at his sweet sleeping face. He was mine, I mean ours as Larry stared down at our sleeping son.

That was 34 years ago today.....34 years ago I became a Mom for the first time. I remember every little scratch, bump and cut he ever got. I remember the "why" questions and "watch this Mom". That little boy and the man you have become, filled our lives with so much happiness that can not be measured. So "Happy 34th Birthday Adam Joseph! I hope you have a great one. Dad and I are so proud of you and all your accomplishments. I know you will spend this day with your own little family and I hope you have as much fun with your own son as I did with mine.
Happy Birthday Son......Momma Onie

The Sidewalk Garden

My mother was a eternal optimist. When she looked out her window at the yard filled with snow birds savaging in the snow for food she would say I can see the trees "feathering", spring is almost here. She never complained of the weather regarding winter as a time for the earth to rest. Such a wise woman. Not me. I grow unceasingly impatient for spring.

Mom always waited in anticipation for the Henry Fields Seed Catalog to arrive for when it did it signaled that Spring would soon follow. My Henry Fields Seed catalog arrived two weeks ago and it hasn't quit snowing since!!!

I forgot what green grass looked and smelt like! I tell my grandsons and Godsons that soon we will build a camp fire again and roast those heavenly marshmallows they love so much. It's beginning to sound like a fairy tale, it's been so long. So did you know that in 1976 on this very day February 16th it was 76 degrees? 76 degrees!The 5 AM weather report said tomorrow may reach into the middle 40's! What a heat wave!

Here I sit with my cup of coffee pouring over my seed catalog trying to remember what my garden looked like last year. I planted my whole flower and vegetable garden not in a special garden on the side or back yard but instead I planted tomatoes and roses side by side along my sidewalk, I think big juicy red tomatoes bursting with flavor look beautiful right next to a red or yellow azalea! Yes I had a few family members laugh at me but the majority of my visitors thought my flower/vegetable garden was wonderful. When I was having a dinner party someone would just walked out on the sidewalk and pick fresh bell peppers, firm crisp cucumbers,jumbo red tomatoes and sidewalk stealing squash! Everything for a complete salad, and you never had to leave the sidewalk.

Another advantage of a sidewalk garden was it allowed you to keep an eye out for uninvited guest like rabbits and turtles. A rabbit can eat your vegetables clear down to the roots.

Nothing can compare to the satisfaction of sipping morning coffee on your front porch and watch your garden labor bloom into a wonderful array of colors and bounty!

So get those seed catalogs out and start planning yourself a little niche in your yard, whether you till up the ground or just use some good size planting pots, you too can grow a sidewalk garden! It doesn't take much to reap such big rewards, not to mention you will be feeding your family home grown veggies without chemicals!

Now don't let the heavy snow fool you.....I can see the tree's feathering from my kitchen window! Happy Gardening everyone!!! Aunt Onie

"Going Out" In The 70's

Ground Hog Day 1973


Maureen, Candy, Donna, Onie and Paula

Aunt Onie 1972
Today is Ground Hog Day. For me that means that good old Larry and I were engaged 36years ago today! And that started me thinking about the good old days of "going with someone". At least that was what we called it. Larry and I met on a blind date on November 29th, 1973 and got married April 18th 1974. Now that was some fast courting on Larry's part. We were crazy in love and just threw caution to the wind and set off on a "life long" commitment. How lucky for us that we made it work. Back then dating was serious business. We would meet with a group of friends and then pair off at the movie theatre, skating rink or Rexalls drug store. Those were the days.

I met Charles Wiggington at our local theatre and he gave me the ring he found in his Cracker Jacks box (how romantic was that!) He had dark curly hair and seemed so much older and mature then the other boys in our class. He was so moody and serious most of the time and had an air of sophistication about him. I never knew what happened to Charles since he never came back to any of our High School reunions.

I remember some of the Junior and Senior popular girls would occasionally date a new Sophomore boy causing much to talk about. I believe that the class of 1975 had some very cute boys in it that some of the "older girls" couldn't resist. Scandalous!!

As for me and my friends we spent Saturday night cruising around town in my freshly waxed 1951 Chevy. You could actually stand up in the back seat. Our usual hangout back then was a drive in called "Curley's". Best hamburgers and fries anywhere! We'd even do a little drag racing past the A&W Root Beer Stand and stop just short of the Ft. Wood Military Base. I'd still have that Chevy if someone took the time to tell me to keep oil in the thing. Oh well, what memories.

In High School all our lockers were down stairs and that one long hall was the meeting place to ask someone out for a date. Everyone just hung around their lockers and waited till someone walked up or left a note for you sticking out of your locker. That was when Maureen or Donna told me that this certain guy wanted to ask me out. He was good looking but had one flaw that I just couldn't over look.... He wore baggy pants! I turned this good looking guy down because he wore baggy pants! A man born before his time!! Back then you wouldn't be caught dead in baggy jeans. We all wore tight fitting, hip hugger bell bottom jeans. Straight legs were strictly forbidden! Thinking back to the 70's I think we were the best dressed teens since then! Our dresses were beautiful and short. We wore men's shirt over our jeans giving us a sexy look. Now a days the more worn and baggy the clothes the better. The same with our make-up. We took hours to put our make-up on and styled our hair. We were really into mascaras and eyeliner but would die if we wore black finger nail polish or other dark colors that are so in now a days. Our guys wore their hair long but stylish.

In the 70's if you got serious with one boy you "went steady". You even wore his class ring. You were "going with someone". That meant you didn't date anyone else. For that reason alone those commitments didn't last very long. One summer in 1972 my good friend Candy and I dated the "Ward" brothers. That's another blog by itself!

With Valentine's Day fast approaching I like to think back to those days of uncertainty. Who would be standing at your locker when you approached? Who put out feelers if you liked them enough to go out with them? There was excitement on Friday night. Being engaged 36 years ago I realize now how important it is to keep some of that excitement and uncertainty in my marriage. A little imagination can go a long ways. This Valentines Day put a little thought into your planned day for your special someone. Make them feel like you are dating them all over again. Till then keep your relationship alive and full of intrigue and mystery, yes Robert, mystery!
Aunt Onie

The Brotherhood Of Sisters

This photo was taken at Silver Dollar City shortly after our mother passed away. Can you spot the female ghost right above my head. I never saw her till I was posting this picture.
My sister Bev, Mom and I in front of our old house on Y Hwy

Taken out in front of our favorite Flea Market in Laquey

My sister Bev lending a hand with our new driveway

They say write what you know and coming from a family of five girls and two boys, boy do I know a lot about sisters! I've put this post on hold for quite awhile now, knowing fully it would take a lot of thought in putting it together. You see my sisters mean a lot to me. The relationship between sisters is a very complicated one, especially my sisters. My sisters are my best friends. They know everything about each other, good and bad. They know how you work. They know where to hit you too....how to push all your buttons. It's because they know what is near and dear to you.

You can try to fool other people but never try to fool your sisters. They know you too well. A sister will tell you like it is and they have the right to. If you ask one if they like your new hair cut brace yourself because your going to hear the truth. It's not meant to hurt you it's a honest opinion meant to inform you if you goofed. I value my sisters opinions. If you have gained a little weight or neglected your self a sister will gladly point it out to you. It's their job. You may not agree with them at first but when you get a little time to yourself you will reflect on their comments and take a better look at yourself.

My sisters have always been there for me, in good times, bad times and trying times....they have been there. We have raised our children together and all our kids think the world of their aunts. My oldest son Adam once gave all of us the most wonderful compliment. He once told me that he thought we sisters were the strongest women he had ever known. What a wonderful statement. For I believe women need to be strong. I can't understand a weak woman! God gave us a mind to think with and the courage to take care of our families. All my sisters are wonderful mothers. At about roughly 3 years apart it's nice to talk to all my sisters for advice because you will get so many different takes on the situation at hand because we are all at different times in our lives.

My oldest sister Sharon had seen it all. Young marriage, five children, tons of grandchildren, and she still faces each day with anticipation and the spirit for new adventures. Just ask her about her chickens!

My sister Bev was the peacemaker growing up and hated fighting with anyone. She carried this approach to life into adulthood. About within the last five years she has finally realized her own potential and began her own highly successful business. Her confidence continues to grow daily and we are all very proud of her accomplishments.

My older sister Patti is the life of the party. Her positive personality attracts friends wherever she goes. Growing up she was always in a freshly ironed dress while I barely had any clothes on at all. She was all girl and I was all tom boy. I think she was ironing at four. She was neat as a pin then and she's as neat as a pin now. At her house everything has a place and everything is in it's place. I hate that about her!

I am the middle sister. It's a nice place to be. One year I will feel really close to one certain sister and another year I will identify myself with a different sister. Those are the benefits of having so many.

All in all since my mother passed away 3 1/2 years ago all of us sisters have gone in unique directions. Some have embarked on new careers, new spiritual paths and passages.

As for me I have discovered that taking a combination of simple pleasures and slowing down has a lot to offer. My dreams and goals are still there but I'm not waiting to start living. I'm living each day, each moment, finding pleasure in everyday simple things now. One vow I have made to myself is to do more fishing this year. I can not even put into words the absolute thrill of seeing my bobber go under the water!!! Not to mention my love of cooking out doors over a open fire pit.

Getting back to my sisters I would like to say that we never fought but that would be an out and out lie. I can't ever remember not fighting with my baby sister Deb. We have always fought, mostly because we are so much a like in nature and personality. We are both family driven. We would do anything for family. We are both strong willed so naturally we butted heads since Mom introduced us. Along with this we completely understand each other even though she once said I never "got her". Growing up I tried to boss her around but she always stood her ground but at the same time if in trouble she always knew I would be there. That's what sisters do. We will always be there for each other. A voice in the night telling you that everything will be okay.

We lost our father to cancer when we were very young and our dear mother became our firm foundation that we could always lean on. She taught us how to laugh at our own flaws and to find the courage to try new paths. She taught us what family was and the power and faith of a true mother. If more mothers could be a little like her. She invoked all that a mother should be. Nurturing, loving and steady. We could always depend on her. She made you happy you were born a woman. She was a wonderful guide through this life and when we lost her we thought we would surely die too. But her strength lives on in us and we have go on. We nurture our children and our grandchildren. We take time to enjoy our husbands and we make time to get together. Uncontrolled laughter rings through our homes whenever we are together. We are sisters. Such a relationship can't be put in mere words. We will be there for each other the rest of our lives and never be afraid to say " What have you done to your hair?" If you are lucky to have a sister or five like mine, take time to enjoy them, laugh with them for surly they are one of your world treasures! Aunt Onie

Out With The Old, In With The New

Sitting here in the "dead of winter", my mind wanders away from the white snow landscape outside my office window and is drawn mysteriously to a spring time vision of green grass, tree frogs and somewhere in the distance the welcomed familiar sound of someone mowing grass. AHHHHH if it was only Spring! But it's not. It's my least favorite time of year where Christmas is a fast fading memory and taxes are fast coming due. It's where you sit down and look back at the year past and think what you could have done better. It's a time where you notice you pants and sweaters seem to have shrunk more with the new detergent you have been using. Then it hits you like a ton of bricks. This year will be different! This year you will have better finances, a slimmer figure and be more organized. You vow to reinvent yourself because you are looking at a New Year, a clean slate so to speak. Anything is possible!

We should take this opportunity to clean out our closets, organized our bills, and simplify our lives. What better time to do this when we have more time to focus on these task, while the earth sleeps. As soon as the winter months fade there will be so much to do and so little time to do it. It only makes sense to tackle these worthwhile projects now, in the dead of winter.

As for me I will be focusing more on my writing skills and start that long awaited novel. I will be focusing my endeavors to obtaining a literary agent as well. At the same time I am going to work on me. I will be putting more effort into my appearance and well being, inside and out. I am motivated to feeling more fit this spring and summer.

As cabin fever sets in I am revealing some small but useful techniques I have used in keeping my spirits up and positive. We all know that a positive attitude can keep you healthy both physically and mentally. Here are just a few that have helped me through many a harsh winter.

First, sleeping with a lamp near your face a few nights a week can actually help swing your mood to a more happy side. Something about less sun during winter months can play havoc with our good moods. I can really notice a difference with sleeping with a light on my face.

Second take time to pamper your body as it faces cold wind and dry air. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Your body and mind will thank you.

Third, go to your happy place by using smells. Yes smells. Sit by a sunny window and rub some suntan lotion on your arms and close your eyes and let the smell of the lotion take you to the beach or by a swimming pool. Feel the warm air on your face and you can even smell fresh cut grass. Our connection to smells and memories of places you have been are all interconnected and can easily lift our spirits in association. Try other smells of summer and see the difference they can make.

Fourth, transition yourself to focus on the spring and summer months by giving yourself some goals to reach by winters end. These goals will see you through the long winter nights and before you know it, spring will be here in all it's glory.

Fifth, bring color into your winter. Nothing says spring like yellow, blue and lavender so buy an inexpensive bouquet of flowers for your bed side. Set the mood for your meals with a brightly colored tablecloth. Bring a splash of spring to your bathroom and bedroom.

These simple yet effective techniques will help you to stay happy and healthy during the long winter. If you have other ideas to beat the winter blues please email me or post a comment. I would love to hear from you. Till then stay positive and upbeat, enjoy a good book, movie or a romantic evening and be sure to get plenty of rest and exercise. Before you know it we will all be able to pick fresh flowers, feel the sun on our faces and enjoy the wonderful sound of tree frogs. Close your eyes for a second....can you hear the distant sound of someone mowing the lawn?........ Aunt Onie

Back Among The Living

Happy New Year 2010 Everyone!
I've been down with a bad cold and hope to be back to my old self tomorrow and up with a new post on my Blog. Thanks for a great 2009 and all the great feedback, praise and comments you have so graciously given me. My greatest wish is that I put something in there that you can really use in your everyday life or just makes you smile or laugh. We all need those in our lives once in awhile. So here's to a great year blogging. As always feel free to share my blog with all your friends, relatives and co workers. If there is a topic you would like me to cover, please let me know and I will do my best to research and write about your subject. Happy reading everyone!
Aunt Onie