Rules For Dads With Daughters...

  I read the best blog post today. "50 Rules for Daddy's and Daughters"..  It was great. You can read it here.
Make sure you grab a Kleenex. Don't forget to share it with Daddy's you know..

A few of the things the writer mentions brought wonderful memories of my dad aka. "Papa" back to me. I thought I might mention a few of them.

Dancing... 

Some of my best memories was dancing with my papa. I stood on his feet and we twirled and swirled around the living room. It was grand. I loved dancing with him. It was the only opportunity we had to dance together. I'm so glad he did. 

Be ready to dress funny... 

My papa would wear funny hats. The ones in the photo I made out of paper grocery bags with my crayons. My mom cut them out. We all had party hats to wear. His did him proud. Papa was never afraid to have fun and tease. His laughter always made the house feel happier. 

Get out and play in the Snow together.. 

My papa loved the snow. He took us out and played with us. It was a pain in the neck to bundle us up in those crazy snow pants and coats, boots, scarfs, hats and mittens. We always had to go pee just as soon as the whole get up was on. He would make us leave everything but the boots and snow pants on. LOL 

 We played together.  Don't miss an opportunity to play. 

Take your daughter Hunting and Fishing... 

If you hunt and or fish. Take your daughter with you. I loved going fishing with my dad. He was good about teaching me how to bait my own hook and how to get my own fish off. If I cried he would do it for me, but he would remind me I could do it. My first deer hunting trip was with my papa. We never saw a deer. I think it could have been because I love to talk. LOL  But he took me. 

He showed me how to shoot and taught me gun safety. 

Your Daughter will never be so big that you can't hold her hand... 

I loved it when my papa held my hand. That big old hand was a comfort to me.

 I knew that hand meant safety. When papa became ill and was in his last months of life, 

We held hands every day. 

Be ready to be silly at every opportunity... 

I can't say this enough. My papa was willing to be silly with me. 

We had fun. Life has enough serious moments in it. Papa loved to be silly. 

I have a great photo of him with candles up his nose and in his ears and fingers. 

It was his birthday. Papa was the Supervisor of the Lab at our local hospital. 

He had a serious job and a serious position. I was so glad my papa could still be silly. 

Know that pink foam curlers may be involved....

A friend of ours David has a daughter. One day we went over to their house for supper. David was sporting some pink foam rollers in his hair and was getting some clear nail polish on his toes. Now David is NOT the pink roller, nail polish type, but his daughter wanted to play beauty parlor. He loved her enough to play with her and played his part no matter what it was. 

Story time is a big deal. 

My papa loved to read to me.One of my favorites was Uncle Wiggly. 

I have that book and look through it from time to time. 

I can still hear his voice change as he read each character's part. 

Papa told stories too. Stories from when he was a boy, and stories about his 

brothers and sisters and things that happened. Papa would also make up stories. 

He would start and Keith and I would add in a bit here and there when it was our turn. 

Keep your Lap available... 

The last time I sat on my Papa's lap I was 27 yrs. old. Papa passed the following year. 

It was a special thing I did. When I was hurt or sick or frustrated with life I 

knew my papa's lap was available. I would flop down and put my head on his shoulder. 

He would always hold me and tell me everything was going to be alright. 

He'd pat my back and just let me sit.

 Sometimes I told him about what was making me sad. Sometimes I would just sit. 

Today I'm 53 yrs. old and would give anything to sit on his lap one more time. 

Have a special name for her. 

My papa called my his little gumdrop.. There was nothing little about me, 

but my papa didn't care about that. I was his gumdrop, his sweetheart. 

Our calling him Papa was special too. 

Sing... 

My papa played guitar. I have photos of him with his guitar and with a collage band he played with. 

One of the things we did together was sing. Papa would get out his guitar and we would sing. 

I couldn't for the life of me tell you what we sang. We sang old songs, and Church songs. 

But the one song that I remember as clearly as anything is "Our Song".. 

Papa would always sing me "Our Song"..   

"You Are My Sunshine"..  

That guitar never came out that he didn't sing that song to me. 

He would sing it first, then we would sing it together. 

When papa was spending his last days here. I held his hand, 

and in my head I sang our song over and over to him. 

I wish now that I would have been brave enough to sing it out loud. 

I should have. I am hoping he heard my heart singing it to him. 

Lastly:  You Don't Have To Be Perfect... 

You don't have to be perfect.. your daughter already thinks you are. 

You are the slayer of dragons, 

You are her hero. 

You can wrestle bears, 

and tame alligators. 

You can heal any hurt. 

You can fix anything mechanical. 

She hangs on your every word. 

well, not so much when she is a teenager, but she will get over that too. 

The most important things my papa taught me were: 

His love was unconditional. 

I could always come home. 

It is better to give then to receive. 

I could be anything, do anything, there were no limits on me. 

Family is the most important thing. 

Love God above all. 

My Papa wasn't perfect, but he was perfect for me. 

I'm hoping that every little girl has a Daddy just like him. 

To Remember Is To Honor...

To Remember Is To Honor. 

"There She Stands"

Written by: Michael W. Smith, and Wes King…

(you can watch this fabulous video Here... )

When the night

Seems to say

All is lost

Gone away

But I know

I’m not alone

By the light

She stands

There she waves

Faithful friend

Shimmering stars

Westward wind

Show the way

Carry me

To the place

She stands

Just when you think it might be over

Just when you think the fight is gone

Someone will risk his life to raise her

There she stands

There she flies

Clear blue sky

Reminds us with red

Of those that died

Washed in white

By the brave

In their strength

She stands

When evil calls itself a martyr

When all your hopes come crashing down

Someone will pull her from the rubble

There she stands

We’ve seen her flying torn and tattered

We’ve seen her stand the test of time

And through it all the fools have fallen

There she stands

By the dawns

Early light

And through the fight

She stands

September 11th.. We Remember..

   It is difficult to believe that it has been 10 years since that day. I can still remember it, I can still feel all the emotion, the fear, the terror, and the overwhelming grief of it. I remember crying every day for weeks. I remember not sleeping but watching TV for hours, holding my breath, and praying. A lot of praying. I remember it was the first time in my 43 years of life that I felt fear. True dark evasive fear.

 I, like millions watched the events that morning unfold on "Good Morning America".. I was so thankful for Charlie Gibson. He was calm and had a soothing voice just like my papa. It helped. I think it was the only thing that kept me from hysteria. After the 2nd plane hit I woke up Ken screaming. It took him a while to understand what I was trying but failing to say. I led him to the TV. and we watched.

We had a Ladies Missionary meeting that morning. I went. In the truck on the way to the meeting I heard about the Pentagon. I was stunned into numbness. We had our meeting. We prayed, though I think we mostly went through the motions. I don't think any of us had fully grasped what was taking place. Maybe somewhat but not fully. I felt like we all just operated like robots doing what we always did. I guess I was comforted by the fact that none of those ladies seemed to be panicked. That kept me calm for a time. Until I got home.

Over the next few weeks I was able to "help", by making blankets for the children who lost parents at the Trade Center. Our project Linus group (they make quilts for children suffering illness and trauma) was asked to donate 100 blankets. They were combined with other Linus group donations from around our state, and mailed to the Chapter in New York. I prayed over the blankets I made. I prayed that they might give some small comfort to a precious child.

Later I volunteered to cross stitch 4 blocks for a memorial flag that honored all who had been killed by terrorist attacks. I made two blocks for two Sailors who had died on the USS Cole. and two for people who had died in the towers. That Flag was sewn together and is now on display in Oklahoma City at a Museum. It is 63 feet long and 25 ft. wide. You can see the flag here. there is a wonderful story about the vision one woman had to create it. I took photos of my squares before sending them off. I'm glad I did. I look at that flag now and feel like I did something good for those families who suffered so much.

I should also say that I saw in those first few days True American Spirit. That day there was no black or white, no ethnicity, no politics, no religion,  that day we were all Americans. I saw the best we could be. I saw flags flying from everywhere. I saw hundreds of volunteers. I saw hundreds of hugs and heroes that day. That was the thing I'd like to remember most. I'm hoping as the years go on those GOOD things will stand out. I hope those things will be what I recall. I hope those feelings of Pride, and Patriotism will be the things that come flooding into my heart and my mind.

The last thing I wanted to mention was President George Bush's speech given that night. I read through it again tonight. It gave me some comfort then. I try not to talk to much about politics, but I truly believe that President Bush was the right man for that hour. You can read that speech here.

As we come to this 10th Anniversary I pray that we will remember how we cared for each other in those days. I pray we will also be willing to step out and step up if called upon to do so. I pray that we continue to see the fight against terrorism in any form, as our fight.

God Bless America....

The Dip...

 The 88 Dip to be exact. A wonderful old Ice Cream / burger joint in Marion Ky. I have a lot of fond memories of the Dip. I can taste those burgers now, and the shakes, oh my goodness the shakes. But I digress.  


The Dip. We still go every time we get down to our place in Ky. We don't live in town, but it's a nice little drive there. We find ourselves in Marion often. I like the shops there and it's the County seat so we pay taxes there and such. 


My first memory of "The Dip" was back in 1980 when Ken's great uncle Dewey Norvall took us into town for supper. We had already eaten at the Burger Queen. Tonight we were gonna go to "The Dip". Cool. I walked up to the counter after Uncle Dewey and husband ordered. I perused the menu. The young man behind the counter all young and snappy looking. I almost think I remember he had on a white apron.  


I asked for the Chicken basket as did Uncle and husband. I then asked the most horrific question that has ever been uttered in the state of Ky. " What kind of pop do you have?" 
Now that may seem seem weird that I would make such a statement, but it's true. That question has haunted me on several occasions. I came to realize the problem was not me, but the two cultures. One that says soft drinks are referred to as pop, and one that says soft drinks are referred to as cokes (no matter what it is) or soda. 


Well that poor young man looked me square in the eye and said "pardon me ma'am". I repeated by question.. "What kind of pop do you have".. He in turn again pronounced "pardon me ma'am". 
I,  thinking he might be a bit hard of hearing proclaimed in a much louder voice. " What kind of pop do you have"..  He in turn began turning the shade of ketchup, and whimpered " pardon me ma'am.".   


Well I'd had it.. with every exasperated bone in my body.. I asked.. " what kind of pop do you have, you know.. coke, Pepsi, 7-up,  you know pop?"   To this he gained a huge grin and proudly said ".. oh, you mean sodie "..  then he proceeded to give me the run down on the soft drinks available to me. It was quite a laugh for all of us. I will tell you that I have run into the same problem recently too. Walmart to be exact. The poor girl thought I was asking for pipe.. when I was asking where the pop was. LOL  


To continue on. The Chicken was out of this world. The hamburgers can be ordered in two different sizes. The normal size is HUGE.. I had my first pork chop sandwich here. I also pick up Ken real strawberry shakes here.. no fancy machine thingy.. a real milk shake machine that they put ice cream and real strawberries in.  It's fabulous. 


We always make the trip into Marion to the "The 88 Dip". We enjoy the Happy faces and prompt service. They still wrap their food in pieces of waxed paper held with a toothpick. I love it. 


below I am including a bit of their history. I found it when clicking on their ad in the local paper. 
If you ever find yourself in Marion Ky. you will want to stop at "The 88 Dip".  it's well worth the extra wait. 

Our History
The 88 Dip Restaurant opened in the spring of 1952, having been founded by Raymond and Florence Jones and Eugene and Thelma Cruce. Raymond and Gene owned the garage on the adjoining lot where they opened an Oldsmobile dealership. Thus the name 88 Dip, derived from the 88 Oldsmobile and the dipping of ice cream. Raymond and Gene made frequent trips to Chicago for the purpose of buying vehicles for resale, and having seen the drive-in restaurants in that area, thought Crittenden County residents might be receptive to such a business.

The original business was small and only ice cream items and a limited sandwich menu was offered. In the late 50s, the building was enlarged to include a dining area and restrooms. Along with that came an expanded menu including sandwiches, chicken and pizza as well as "curb service."

In August of 1970, Raymond and Florence purchased the Cruce interest in the 88 Dip and it has been in the Jones family since that time. It is currently owned and operated by Melissa Jones Tabor and her husband, James A. "Jat" Tabor, and Bill Jones, continuing the history of family ownership through three generations.

In the early days of the 88 Dip, it was the only restaurant of its type in town and was the turn-around place for the young people cruising through town. Later, after John Holloman built the Dairy Merry on the south side of town, the routine was to circle the Dip on the north end of town and the Dairy Merry on the south end, over and over and over again.

After 55 years and three generations of serving the people of Marion and Crittenden County, we strive to continue the tradition of friendly service and good food started by Raymond and Florence Jones many years ago.  

A Great Recipe For Salsa...

This is a photo of the salsa I made last week. 

I was just finished writing the entry about canning and realized I had told you I would share my salsa recipe with you. It's easy to make, the chopping takes the longest. You may want to go chop all the veggies first. 

The photo of my first batch this year didn't turn out well. The lighting wasn't right and I didn't realize it. It will look brighter then this. Cooking it will darken it, but not a lot. You may want to cut the amounts down and just make it up and store in the fridge. You may have a fresh salsa recipe that is quicker. I'd probably save this one for canning. I use it in meatloaf, and mix in some with black or pinto beans and mix it up with rice. It's great. As a side note I canned some of the Salsa in the 1/2 pt. jars aka: jelly jars, for my Special Soldiers. They are also great for quick gifts. 

Salsa

*Use only FRESH ingredients. (makes about 8 pints) 

20-22 medium Tomatoes, washed, peeled, and quartered. (enough to make 18 cups) 

1/2 cup finely chopped red chilies

6- Jalapenos seeded and finely chopped

3-banana peppers seeded and finely chopped

1- green pepper seeded and fine chopped

4-1/2  cups Onion finely diced

1-cup celery finely diced

1/2- clove garlic ( I use about 2 tsp. of the minced in the jar)

1- 12oz can of tomato paste

1-1/2 cups of white vinegar

2-Tablespoons Season Salt

3- Tablespoons regular Salt

1- Tablespoon ground black pepper

1- Tablespoon sugar (optional) 

** I have also used other peppers like poblano peppers. They are mild and have a great flavor. If you remove the seeds you remove a lot of the heat. We don't like hot, so I may add another green pepper or yellow peppers and take away a couple of the jalapenos. You may want to add a couple of the hotter peppers. it's all up to you. I usually have more tomatoes so I make sure I keep careful track of the # of cups. then adjust the recipe accordingly. 

Mix all the ingredients in a large pot.

 Heat to boiling, then simmer for about 3 hours. 

You will want to make sure you stir it ever so often. 

If you have a lot of excess juice, you may want to remove it after cooking for 2 hours. 

(I use a turkey baster to remove any extra juice) 

* I have found if I chop the stuff kind of chunky there is not as much juice

To Can

Fill Jars with hot salsa and seal. 

process in a water bath about 20-30 minutes for pints. 

about an hour for quarts. 

My Kitchen Is Full Of Canning Jars Again...

 It's that time of year again.. My kitchen is full of canning stuff again. This past week there were canning jars stacked everywhere for washing. The big pots are up from the basement, and I'm sorting through the screw bands and looking for that new box of lids I bought last spring on clearance. The water bath canner was hauled out and fired up. My largest colander and biggest bowls are found. The jar lifter, funnels, and tongs are at the ready. The Canning Season Has Begun.. 


I love it. I don't love the way my kitchen will look for the next couple of weeks, but I do love the canning part. I love the baskets and grocery bags full of produce that appear on the table every day. I love the red of the tomatoes, the Yellow and white of our Sugar and Cream sweet corn. The green of the beans. All of the colors pop when they have been canned. They all look brighter and happier somehow.

I love the smells that waft through the house with each batch of salsa, speg. sauce, green tomato mincemeat, and pickled beets. I love when my kitchen is full of canning jars.

Today I will wash up and get ready to make the next batch of salsa. I think with the next picking of green beans I'll be canning some of those too. I still have jars of canned tomatoes and tomato juice left from last year. I may even make up one batch of speg. sauce if I get really ambitious.

Our garden is much smaller these days. Now we plant tomatoes, peppers, green beans, some squash, and maybe corn. It's more difficult for husband to run the tiller and work the hoe. It takes me a little longer to carry the pots up, But I can't imagine not canning some of it. The idea that later this winter I will open a jar of beans or salsa is wonderful. It will bring back the memories of the summer. The bright colors and familiar smells will elicit those great memories of just a few months before. Then sometime in January the first seed catalog will arrive and husband and I will start talking about what we want to put out in the garden this summer. I think this next year I'm going to ask for beets. I'm also going to ask for a few extra tomato plants. I will have finished up the green tomato ketchup/relish and the green tomato mincemeat. I can smell that mincemeat cooking already. It's wonderful.

Enjoy your day. I'm going to go wash up a few more jars. I think I will can some green beans.

Ketch-up Saturday...

Good Morning !  I've got dishes in the water, so I'll have to be quick. Another post or two will come later today.. 

1.  I adopted 2 new Soldiers. That means I write letters and pack their boxes 

2. I took on teaching our girls at Church again. Grades 1-6. I love it, I can't wait to start. 

3. No knee pain this week unless I bend them a little to much. 

4. NEVER and I mean NEVER shut your bare foot in the front door. My toe is still bruised and swollen. Wearing shoes is very, very painful. 

5. The green beans are coming in full tilt. Husband has been picking and snapping them for me. 

6. The green beans have been coming in full tilt. Husband is tired of snapping them for me. (he did it 3 whole times)  chuckle. Anyway He picked 2 bags full yesterday. He quickly dispersed all of them to the neighbors. Guess he won't have to snap them. 

7. Bills have been paid, errands run. Well most of them. Next week I have to run to the Vet and get heart worm meds. 

8. I went to a friend's house and showed her how to can tomatoes. She is canning like crazy now. 

9. My first canning of the season was done. I made Salsa. 10 Pints and 2 -1/2 pt jars are done. It's very yummy. 

Hope your week has been going great too..