Local Events

We're heading into fall and that means lots of local events are scheduled. People in this area love their fall festivals and other happenings!

There's a local Scarecrow Fest coming up and the big Pumpkin Fest in nearby Sycamore. This weekend is the fall festival at the Boone County Conservation District. This is a great festival. If you're in the norther Illinois area, don't miss it.

While reading the paper the other day I came upon an advertisement for a senior prom. What, you ask, isn't this the wrong time of year for a prom? No! It's not a high school prom it's one for senior citizens.



That's right. One of the local senior living place is putting on a prom. What a great idea. Dancing. Appetizers. Crowning of the King and Queen. What could be better? It's only $10 per couple.



I think the Farmer and I need to go but unfortunately I'm working that evening. Dang. This job is affecting all my fun.

What about you? Any cool fall events in your area?

About that job

I've mentioned the fact that I got a job. Yes, another job. I'm going to keep getting jobs until one sticks!

I did like the last job demonstrating food at the local Sam's Club. Then I danced on the two-edged sword. Our very, very, VERY expensive COBRA insurance ran out. No matter for the Farmer because he went on Medicare and supplement but since I'm a relatively young chick (yeah, right) I still needed insurance for two years. I was lucky enough to be accepted into a state program that acts as a big group policy, allowing those who can't find insurance anywhere else to obtain a good policy. AND, it's 1/3 the cost of what we were paying on COBRA. The only catch? You can't work for a company that offers health insurance. My little part-time job demonstrating food did offer a ridiculous policy which paid about $20 on a $20,000 hospital bill. And so, crazy as it may seem, I had to quit my job to get health insurance.

I still visit the women I worked with because they were fun and interesting people.

The new job is with a local furniture store and my first question before I filled out the application was, "Do you offer health insurance to part-time employees? No? Good!"

Now, that's crazy.

The new job is good, I like the people alot but this is tons and tons of product information and policies for this old brain to remember. I'm going to stick with it for awhile because the Farmer and I need to tie up some loose ends before we actually retire. Some days it doesn't seem like that will ever happen. We keep putting one foot in front of another and keep our eyes on the goals we've set.

Let me say this though..... you must be flexible and not be "married" to a dream. Dreams are good. Dreams keep us focused and moving forward but if, for some reason, that dream can't be realized you must be able to reset, reorganize and find another dream to be happy with.


The Anthony Chapel - Hot Spings Village, Arkasas
No far from our retirement property.

Case in point. The Farmer and I have owned a piece of beautiful property and our intent has always been to build. The reality is that it makes no sense to build at $150 a square foot when we can find a beautiful home with a view equal to our lot for $80 a square foot. And so, like a computer we've reset and relaunched.

How about you? Is it easy for you to alter your dreams and expectations or is this something you struggle with?

Tomorrow I'll give you a heads up on some local events.

William Wren - In Remembrance

In 2006 I became a part of something called Project 2996. Each person who agreed to participate was given the name of someone who perished on September 11. Since that time I remember William Wren and his family on this day.



In remembrance -

William Wren - age 61
Resident Manger - OCS Security
Confirmed Dead - World Trade Center

WILLIAM WREN

William Wren, a retired New York City firefighter, worked for OCS Securiy as fire security officers in the World Trade Centers.

Raised in Gerritsen Beach in Brooklyn, Wren graduated from James Madison High School, served three years in the U.S. Army and joined the New York City Fire Department. People remember him as a quiet, reserved man who never spoke of his firefighting adventures.

The New York Port Authority contracted with OCS as part of the additional safety precautions that were put into place after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Five employees of OCS died on September 11, including Wren's neighbor of over thirty years, Richard Fitzsimons.

Both men were at work on that morning and Wren called his wife Pat shortly after 9 a.m. to say he was OK. But sirens were wailing in the background. Ten minutes later he called back to say that Richard was also OK and that Pat should call his wife and let her know.

That was a last time either family heard from the men. It is known that they continued to perform their duties, along with the other OTC employees who were lost - Philip Hayes, Larry Boisseau and Robert Mayo. They evacuated the day care center first, and with their intimate knowledge of the building continued to evacuate and bring others to safety.

These are just the barest facts of his life and his actions on that day. To tell his whole story, the story of his life and his death, would take an entire book. There are those who can remember him as the man who saved their lives. How would you ever repay a debt of that magnitude? You could remember.... and vow to live your life with the caliber of character exhibited by this man.

Just people..... just doing their jobs....thrust into extreme circumstances. Everyday heroes.

I want William Wren's wife Pat and their children to know that they are in my thoughts and prayers and that we will never forget their loved one or their loss.

To the people of New York: Your home was violated, your lives were violated. I corresponded with someone from Brooklyn who volunteered in the weeks and months following 9-11. New Yorkers are to be commended for their support and commitment to doing what needed to be done following the attack. They worked as a community galvanized by loss. I admire you.

I also want to remember the passengers on Flight 93. After being made aware of the events that had unfolded in New York and Washington, they VOTED to storm the cockpit and do whatever it took to thwart the hijackers plans. How totally American - they voted and waited until they were over a rural area to prevent loss of life on the ground. These were not soldiers who are trained to rush into dangerous situations and fight, they were businessmen, flight attendants and others. They were just plain citizens, like you and me, who found the courage and took a stand knowing that it meant their lives. There are many stories of heroism from that day but it was these people who, in their actions, said "HELL NO" the terrorists. Their wives, mothers and friends should also be commended for telling them the truth, confirming their love and supporting their decision to do what needed to be done. They have my undying admiration.

Sod Houses

Yesterday I discussed the book, No Time on My Hands by Grace Snyder. There were questions in the comments section that I thought could best be answered in a new post.

The book is 541 pages long, which means that any review will just hit the high points. I love these types of books that tell us how people actually lived day-to-day in the past.

Yesterday Lisa commented:

That sounds like my kind of story. I love the kind of story that helps me see/feel how someone else lived, be it another time or another place.
I love that "overmuch weather". So funny. And I can NOT imagine making that quilt! Wow! That is amazing!

I also love the phrase "overmuch weather" and plan to use it to describe our overmuch snow.

Judy says:

I have this book and have seen Grace Snyders quilts in Lincoln Nebraska where they had been displayed. The quilts are amazing. I spent 2 hours in the International Quilt Study Center & Museum and could have spent more time.

It sounds like a worthwhile tripa and it's been added to my Bucket List.

Pam says:

I read this book last year, saw it on someone's blog or post some where. it was a great book, loved it! had to have my library get it from another, it was worth the wait though, I would highly recommend it!

I was very suprised to realize how many people have read this book. Perhaps it's made the rounds of quilters circles. I was surprise that she didn't really discuss her quilting much in the book.

Vee says:

Amazing quilt. And one that took a great deal of time. Stolen time? Sacred time? Precious time to be sure. Now you have me wanting to see that quilt. How closely are you able to see the details on the original photo in the book?

Her large show quilts were produced after her children were grown and her day-to-day responsibilities were not as pressing. Lots of work was done in the winter. Many years they were snowed in and she didn't leave the ranch from OCTOBER TO MARCH!!! (Caps - shouting in disbelief). Gosh, these people certainly had patience and a different mindset. The only photo of the quilt is on the front cover and it's not very detailed. I can't imagine 8 pieces of fabric sewn together to make something the size of a 2 cent stamp. Was that stamp bigger than those of today? I don't think so.

Harriet said:

Many years ago, my family "camped" our way to Colorado. Nebraska was truly amazing. The rest areas were wonderful especially because inside were huge photographs of "sod homes". It was very moving to read the captions. What struck me was: 1) one picture showed a bird in a cage hanging outside of the sod home...reason given was since no birds were around to sing it was one way women were able to get relief from the constant sound of wind and only if they could afford a bird, 2) the homes shown were so compact and to me dreary that I gained a great appreciation for those home steaders who braved living in such isolation literally in a dirt house, 3) yes the wind blew and I was able to imagine the sound that actually drove people mad.

I will get the book and look forward to reading it. Thanks.

One of the pictures included in the book was a photo of their extended family. Grace's mother kept birds and she insisted that they be dragged out of the sod house and included in the photo. The birdcages are standing behind the family members so perhaps it was this photo that was displayed. We cannot, in our wildest imaginations, know what it was to live in a sod house, isolated from your neighbors and family members back east, or in this case Missouri. People did indeed go mad.

Terri says:

I have been in two soddies in MN when we lived there and worked on the road. My hubby sold yellow page advertising and we drove to customers' businesses throughout the upper Midwest. On the road around Sleepy Eye, I think, there was a farmer who built two soddies that you could visit for a few dollars. They were surrounded by the tall tossled-out native grasses that were plowed under to make farm fields. The houses were furnished with old pieces, a treddle sewing machine, a pot- bellied stove with a cook top, a bed on the floor with a utility type quilt, a handmade cradle, and on the sewing machine there was a scrap book of newspaper articles (showing pictures with the owners) about soddies... how one was even built to be a two story home! Inside was dark and musty. My first thought was "No wonder they cooked outside - How could anybody stay sane over a winter in this place." These weren't people who were poor that came out west. They'd had to pay quite a bit to get supplies for the journey and to buy a wagon and horses or better oxen. So they were used to nice big homes with real floors and roofs, and separate rooms...
I'm always amazed at their courage and the hardwork they did.

Grace's family moved to Nebraska from Missouri. Her mother would be tormented by the thought of the lovely Missouri home surrounded by trees and lovely gardens. The stark nature of the Nebraska plains was a tough row to hoe, so to speak. You wonder if Missouri was so lacking in opportunities. Is that why they struck out for a homestead? These people were made of some really tough stuff.

Red Shoes said:

I must see that quilt...road trip!

Yes! I bet I could make a business out of this. Get a bus, set up road trips. Hmmmmmm.

ROUND ROBIN BOOK READ

My friend Sandy, in South Carolina, has suggested a round robin read of this book. I was planning to come back today and offer the book to one of my readers, so this idea is perfect. Since Sandy came up with it she will be the first reader. Here's how it works:

- Anyone interested in reading the book (and not in a big hurry) can e-mail me at Abscissa63@aol.com - express your interest in the round robin and include your mailing address.

- Sandy will read the book and I will provide her with the address for the next person. That person will read and I'll provide them with the next reader.

- I will include a small journal for each person to record their impressions. The journal will travel with the book.

Sound good?

OK, remember to e-mail me if you are interested.

NOTE: Sod home museums are located in Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Other books chronicling daily life in the past include This Cruel War by Grant and Malinda Taylor. This is an almost complete set of letters sent between husband and wife during the Civil War.

Giants in the Earth by O.E. Rolvaag is another tale of living on the lonely prairie. There are at least two other books in the series. It's really a good read.

A Homesteaders Tale

Recently I read a review of a book entitled, "No Time on My Hands". It's the life story of Grace McCance Snyder as told to her daughter Nellie Snyder Yost. I first saw the book featured on Linda's blog Under the Gables. Here's her review of the book:

NO TIME ON MY HANDS REVIEW



Grace moved to Nebraska in 1885 when she was three years old. Her family had moved from Missouri and lived in a sod house. I can't even imagine such a thing. Grace either kept some journals or had a fantastic memory because she relates stories up to her 80th year (she died at 100). Her memory for people and dates is amazing.

As a child she begged her mother for bits of cloth so that she could stitch them together as her mother did in quilt making. The title of the book refers to an adage of her grandmother which applies to her life also. These people had very little time on their hands. Each moment of the day was pretty much spoken for but Grace did find some time, while herding animals, to have some daydreams.

This is not a traditional piece of writing. It's more of Grace's streaming consciousness and occasionally tales end abruptly leaving you wonder if there was more to it. Never mind, it's a tremendously difficult and fascinating life.

Grace eventually does get fabric of her own and in adulthood she begins creating quilts. Not much time is spent discussing her quilting but at some point she reveals that her quilts begin to travel the country on display and one in particular (pictured below) called the Flower Basket Quilt is considered one of the top 100 quilts produced during the 20th century. It is now permanently on display in a special case at the Nebraska State Historical Society Museum in Lincoln.



There's two things for my bucket list, view Grace's quilt and visit one of the sod house museums.

The quilt was created during the second world war. It's patterned after the design in the center of a piece of china. The petit point design was created from the tiniest pieces, 87,789 of them. Yes, I said over 87,000 pieces! Now, that's patience.

Grace states:

"I made it of triangle shaped pieces so small that eight of them sewed together made a "block" no larger than a two-cent postage stamp. The effect is more like needle point embroidery than patchwork quilt piecing. I was sixteen months making the quilt, and I used 5,400 yards of thread in the sewing."

The book is 541 pages long but it never dragged, I remained interested from cover to cover.

Towards the end of the book she states, "If there has seemed to be overmuch of weather in this story, it is because there is overmuch of weather in Nebraska, and it still has much to do with what does on in the big state. Man, with all his inventions to make life easier and better and faster, has come an amazing long way in three quarters of a century. But when Nature whips up something really rough in the way of a storm, men and all their gadgets are stopped in their tracks."

This entry made me laugh because sometimes I feel that I also make overmuch of the weather.



But, Grace McCance Snyder was right, in rural areas there does seem to be overmuch of weather.



I do love the fact that we can see horizon to horizon. I like to see what's coming!

Let's Have Lunch

It's the end of summer and I thought we'd have some lunch together. I apologize that it's not ready yet and that you're going to have to go shopping with me for the ingredients. You won't mind, it's only a short ride away.

Things have been crazy this summer with graduation parties and the Other Mother's 90th party to plan. The garden and tomatoes just didn't happen this year. Sigh.

It's no matter because the local farm wives have bounty to share. They set up self-serve stands near the roadside and you're invited to stop and shop for fresh produce and sometimes eggs.



I wanted to include the above shot of the roadway with the cute little white parsonage to the right. It's a rental now because the pastor lives elsewhere.

The sign invites us to stop and have a look.



We need ingredients for our sandwiches.



Hooks hanging at the end of the table hold bags for our produce.



Can you believe how red these tomatoes are? The entire row and the ones in the basket are only 15 cents apiece. We're going to pick some juicy ones.



There's also some yellow squash and zucchini but we'll save those for another day. Four tomatoes ought to be enough. That's 60 cents which we'll put in the box.



Now, let's go back to the house and make our sandwiches. First we'll rinse them off.



We're going to need some crusty bread, salt and good quality mayonnaise. I'm putting my Blue Plate to good use. We're making 'mater sandwiches.



Nope, we don't need ham, beef, tuna or anything else, just home grown tomatoes.

Slice the tomatoes. Omigosh, can you stand this? There's not a store bought tomato anywhere that resembles this.



Give them a good dusting of salt, spread mayo on the bread. It's tomato glue, to prevent the slices from sliding out. It might not work because these tomatoes are very juicy.



Lunch is served. 'Mater sandwiches with iced tea.



I hope you enjoyed our trip to the farm stand. There are big, more commercialized stands but I prefer the little tables set up by the roadside. I doubt that this woman makes a lot of money with her excess produce but you never know. It's what my mom used to call "egg money".