Happy Black (Eye) Friday!!??!!
by Ken Hansen on Nov.25, 2011, under Happy Friday!!
The holidays can be nice and warm with family gatherings and friendly fellowship. They can also be a bit stressful, what with all the gifts we like to get for those we love. Personally, I’d be very happy to receive nothing more than the basics for Christmas, or any other day of the year for that matter. By “the basics,” I mean clean air and water, good food, a place to stay warm and dry, and the love of friends and family. What more can a person really ask from life? Oh maybe some clothing… I forgot to mention clothes. I’d probably need some of those; don’t want to frighten anyone with my wrinkly old body running around naked or anything.
Anyway, believe it or not there was a time when the term “Black Friday” was not necessarily known as a retailer’s most profitable time. According to Wikipedia, the term originated in Philadelphia some time in the 1960s, and was a negative reference to the large amount of vehicle and pedestrian traffic on the day after the US Thanksgiving. The term soon spread outward from Philly and has since gained recognition throughout the US as one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
However, the negative connotation didn’t completely disappear. I distinctly remember November 20, 1992 because of a different kind of “Black Friday.” The company I was working for was restructuring, which of course meant layoffs. For whatever reason, Friday was always the day of choice to deliver the news to often unsuspecting layoff recipients. That day, my lovely girlfriend saw me off to work, gave me a smooch and said, “have a nice day!” I replied, “well we’ll see, it’s Black Friday.”
I was home by 11 AM with no job.
Being unemployed, at the very least, gives one pause about life, the universe and everything. Oh, and also about money. The layoff was actually a wonderful thing, because it helped me understand what’s really important in life. Also, my next career path turned out to pay better; and my skill set is much more marketable than it was in those days. But as I said, I acquired a new appreciation for the simple things.
Needless to say, I shake my head at the craziness that ensues each year for “Black Friday.” The commercials on TV are amusing but often hit pretty close to home when they mock the insane behavior that accompanies the drive to get a deal. I understand that retailers need to do what they can to get ahead, but encouraging shoppers to camp in front of their entrances seems a bit sad to me. And yes, they really are encouraging the camping out… if that were not true, why would a port-a-potty be strategically placed in front of the store a few days before the big event?
I enjoyed my day off today. I did go to two stores, but not until well after the crazies had their shopping orgy. When I got home, it was time to move some more firewood while listening to 780 AM out of Chicago. Comes in very well here in West Michigan and keeps me in tune with both the time and what’s going on in the world. I was saddened but not shocked when I heard the stories about Black Friday violence. There was the lady who sprayed pepper spray at Walmart in California. One way to beat competing customers!! She managed to make her purchase and exit the store, but when they find her she’ll have a felony assault charge as a nice holiday gift. There were also some Black Friday related shootings and fights sprinkled around the country… a very nice way to enjoy the day after Thanksgiving.
I’ll just keep it simple and shop when nobody is chasing me with a weapon if you don’t mind. And again, I remind my family over and over that the only thing I need for a gift is their love. Well… maybe some music CDs. Oh and some fancy coffee beans… ummm… oh sorry never mind.
I truly hope none of the “Occupy Wall Street” folks are getting tangled up in this Black Friday madness. If they are… well I guess they’re no better than our friend Mr. Greedy Humpty Dumpty here…
Zoomer Radio, Zoomophone, Good Zoomer!
by Ken Hansen on Nov.18, 2011, under Happy Friday!!
So there I was, minding my own business, finally getting off my duff and bringing firewood into the house. Saw some snowflakes today, and although there were way too few of them to stick, it was obviously the harbinger of things to come. We’ve been heating with wood pretty much since we moved into this place… almost 30 years already!! During our first winter here, we found out pretty much instantly that heating a house with zero insulation gets pretty expensive. That’s especially true if you’re furnace is old and uses fuel oil. Fortunately, Mr. Erickson (the original owner / builder) put in a very good chimney that was designed for a coal furnace. That of course meant that it was also very suitable for a wood furnace.
Lots of work, but saves us a bundle in heating costs.
We have a “secret door” into which I toss the wood… I load up my wheelbarrow from the big pile of sticks (OK, they’re really logs) on the north side of the driveway. Then across the driveway I go to the “secret door” and toss them into the basement. The door is camouflaged with fake stone, just like that which covers the original blocks as a nice country looking facade. It actually looks like the foundation of the house is made of stone, mortared in to make a wall at the base of the house. Our magically talented contractor, Jeff, did a fantastic job installing the fake stone, and he was even able to add it to the wood door in such a way that one would easily miss it if the door wasn’t pointed out.
So there I was, minding my own business tossing logs into the basement through the secret door. Gets dark early these days, so me and Musky Da Husky often find ourselves outside enjoying the starry nights and listening to AM radio. That’s right… I said it, AM Radio. But not just any AM radio station… we like Zoomer Radio. You know, AM 740 out of Toronoto, Canada. Comes in like gangbusters in many states after the sun goes down. And the music is specially selected for “Zoomers,” which is their way of fondly referring to us “Boomers.” Baby boomers, that is. The signal is very strong and comes in quite readily on car radios. Gotta wait till dusk though… because that’s when the AM radio band sparkles with life, as many of you already know. If you haven’t had the pleasure of picking up AM 740 in your car or at home, you can also check them out online, here, at http://zoomerradio.ca/.
While “pitching wood” takes some effort, I find it a good way to get a combination of exercise and meditation. Then of course when I’m not meditating, I’m often reminiscing about something. This particular evening I found myself going way back into childhood. I very clearly remember my brother and I traveling in the car with our cousin Eddie, and he abruptly shouted “Zoomophone!!” He was giggling with delight, and of course my brother and I were giggling at Eddie’s strange new word. Eddie laughingly shouted “Zoomophone!!” again, as his gaze was transfixed outside the car. My brother and I looked in the same direction and saw it: it was the ice cream truck.
After we both had a nice laugh we said, “no Eddie, that’s the Good Humor Man!”
“Zoomophone!!” Eddie persisted. “No,” we replied, chuckling,”Good HUMOR!!” Finally, Eddie relented… well a little bit anyway.
“Good Zoomer!!” he said, trying to follow our lead. My brother and I both figured that was close enough. Besides, we really liked hearing him shout “Zoomophone!!”
So there I was, minding my own business, my memory dancing about while I was tuned into Zoomer Radio. And you know what happened next? I put the wheelbarrow away and went inside!! So there!! Then it was time to write “Happy Friday!!” Then I asked myself, “Self, I wonder if you can find a video of that song ‘Mexican Radio’ from all those moons ago. What was that like from the ’80s or something??”
Yep, it was… 1982 to be precise. And no, that didn’t come to me while pitching wood… I had to look it up. So here we go with the video awreddy…
For Dessert We Have The Blended Fruit Soup
by Ken Hansen on Nov.12, 2011, under Happy Friday!!, Recipes
I love the farmers’ market. The whole experience is truly spiritual, in my professional opinion. All the growers bring their goodies, in all kinds of weather, so we can come and get the best fresh produce money can buy. You know how people sometimes get cranky at the grocery store? Whether they’re giving the cashier a hard time about a price they don’t like, or yelling at their kids, there can be discord at the store at various times.
Never, never have I seen anything like that at the market.
Last Saturday, I was in charge of our grandson Ollie, after Nini (pronounced “Neenee”) fed him breakfast and ran off to work. His Dad went on a hunting trip, and his Mom was entertaining a friend who was home from overseas. So, we had the privilege of watching our wonderful young man over the weekend. On the agenda: a trip to the market to buy some fruit.
We get plenty of veggies in our garden, so no need to buy any of those right now. But we don’t have any plums, pears, or apples growing around the place, so off to the market I go each weekend. I sometimes get a bit over zealous with the grabbing of the fruit. For example, I found it necessary to buy ½ peck of plums. That’s a lot of plums!! And of course I had to get almost as many pears. Both of those are going out of season soon you know. And last but not least, I had to get some more apples. One can never have too many apples… right??
Once we parked the car, we got out and noticed the REALLY BIG BACKHOE moving REALLY BIG THINGS across the road from the farmers’ market. Seemed like they were doing some kind of storm drain work, and we arrived just in time to see the back hoe moving a gigantic section of concrete drain. Pretty cool stuff for such a young man to watch!
Then off we went to get the goodies. When we came upon the booth with the plums, Ollie mentioned that he likes those. “You want one now?” I asked. “I do!” he replied without hesitation. As we continued on, one of the kind ladies at another booth caught up to me with a big hunk of paper towel. “You’re gonna need this soon!” she said, smiling. I smiled back and thanked her, then off we went to finish shopping.
On our way out, we walked to the edge of the parking lot for another glimpse of the REALLY BIG BACKHOE. Our dear friend Kathleen caught up to us just as we were getting into the car.
“Hi Ken!! What are you doing here??” she asked. Being the eternal smarty pants, I quipped, “I was trying to go fishing. I went all up and down those aisles but no fish anywhere.” Many folks are surprised that although I have a pretty prolific garden I still go to the farmers’ market. One extra bonus of going to market, though, is I almost always run into someone who’s near and dear to my heart. Plus, Kathleen had heard me and my beautiful girlfriend brag about Ollie but now she finally got to meet him.
Fast forward several days… the pears are almost all eaten. Some went home with our son the other day so that helped. My lovely girlfriend put out a fruit bowl with assorted market goodies for her women’s meeting, so that got rid of some of the plums. However, some of the plums were becoming compost, and some of the pears and apples were fast on the way to not-so-yummy land. Every time I opened the fruit drawer to get something for work, all kinds of thoughts raced through my noggin. Most of these were predicated with the question, “WHAT THE HECK ARE WE GONNA DO WITH ALL THIS FRUIT???”
Then came Wednesday. My lovely bride was exhausted from a long work day and some physical therapy to help her heel problems. I was in charge of dinner. I found a nice salmon filet on sale at Meijer. Cooked that up with some beets and beet greens, nuked a couple potatoes, and voila!! Dinner is served. OK… how about some dessert?? What to make… that is the question. Then it came to me in a flash, and I jumped up on top of the kitchen counter, clanged some Revere Ware together, and shouted “EUREKA!!” at the top of my lungs.
Or not.
But I did have a flash of inspiration for something I thought might be yummy: fruit sauce. You know, like apple sauce, but with more than just apples. I hunted down all the not so wonderful fruit: apples, plums, and pears. Then I chopped them up whole, skins and all (minus cores and pits of course) and threw them in a 2 ½ quart Revere Ware pan. Next, I poured about a cup or so of apple juice in the pan for a sweet but moist head start for boiling. Couple dashes of cinnamon and the last of a bag of brown sugar just to sweeten it a bit more. There was only about one tablespoon of sugar left in the bag, maybe less (probably could have omitted the sugar, but what the heck). Oh, and for an added nutritional wallop, I tossed about a half handful each of walnut halves and shaved almonds in there.
I brought all this to a boil, stirred them around a bit with one of our many wooden spoons. After the fruit was nice and soft, into the food processor it went. Now, many of you have heard me rant that I’m old school in many ways. A dinosaur even. And I like it already! Although I bought my lovely girlfriend a nice Kitchenaid food processor a couple Santa times ago, I still turn to my favorite food processor every time. It’s the one my father-in-law gave us for a wedding present 38 years ago. Made in the USA, sold by Montgomery Ward where he worked at the time. Here it is next to my finished product, which turned out nice and smooth but was more like fruit soup than fruit sauce. Click on the picture for a larger view.
HI-Tech Food Processor from 1973
That blender has helped me make many a pumpkin puree for pies over the years. Works great for iced coffee smoothies in the summer too. The crazy thing works and even (almost) looks like brand new. And of course, every time I use it, I have fond memories of Grampa Hilliard who’s probably reading this down in Jasper, Florida.
So the fruit became soup instead of compost. Well, more like pudding than soup I guess. Pretty darn tasty though… and while it was still warm I plopped some in a couple bowls and accidentally dropped some Breyer’s Fat Free Vanilla Ice Cream on top of it. Oh my goodness it was cosmic!!
With winter on the way, I’ll be staying home tomorrow instead of the usual trek to the market. Gotta get the swiss chard and some other veggies out before the snow moves in!! I’d like to be at least a little prepared and stock our pantry (or, more accurately, the freezer) before the snows come.
Well, I tried to find a suitable video for this Happy Friday and found this gem featuring my favorite chefs. Please forgive the fact that it’s broken into two parts… but quite often that’s the “price” of free stuff these days.
Part 1 -
Part 2 -
Bumblebee – Right From The Farm
by Ken Hansen on Nov.04, 2011, under Happy Friday!!
Tickling a grandchild is very important. Techniques are varied, but some are steeped in tradition. This one was passed down from my beautiful girlfriend’s family:
The “tickling hand” is closed with the exception of the index finger pointed straight out. Next, the hand is moved in a circle, drawing ever closer to the target. Since we only have one grandchild, we are the ticklers and Oliver is the ticklee. As the circling hand is in motion, the following refrain is unleashed, all the while maintaining an impish look and complete, unwaivering eye contact…
“Bumblebee bumblebee right from the farm… I’m gonna get Oliver… under the arm!!” At this time, serious tickling is in progress. This of course is repeated a few times, and then given a rest until a later time (sometimes just a little bit later).
As luck would have it, my beautiful girlfriend (who was kind enough to married me some years ago) and our beautiful daughter were at an outlet mall last year. My honey found a bumblebee costume for Ollie at Old Navy for a whopping four dollars!! Such a splendid bargain, and it came in very handy for this past Hallowe’en. As you can see, Ollie’s mind was focused on getting some loot. Click on the picture for a bigger view.
I'm gonna get me some candy!!
His trick-or-treating pal was Fern, the Care Bear. Again, click for a better look.
Ready to go!
As we escorted Ollie through Fern’s neighborhood, Ollie announced to his Care Bear friend, “time to hold hands!!” I don’t think they were very pleased with the flash but I simply had to get a picture of that!!
Time to hold hands!
As we “big kids” were walking about and enjoying the various ghouls, goblins, and other festive get-ups, we couldn’t help but reminisce about our own childhoods. Having started in Long Island, NY, my brothers, my sister and I were pretty much in Candy Land when trick-or-treating time came along. We would literally fill a pillowcase with candy, go home and dump it (in what we believed to be a secure location), and go out and get at least another half load. Our poor parents were probably tested to the max once we got all sugared up.
We had mischievous souls in our day; but usually nothing more than some shaving cream on door handles or something innocuous like that. Of course we did have the “bad eggs” who would prove their naughtiness by throwing them. Nothing really destructive though.
That of course has changed to some degree. What with “Devils Night” arson and other such nasty business, now there are churches and other organizations who sponsor “trunk-or-treating,” where kids go to a parking lot and walk from car to car to get their goodies. All well and good I suppose, but in my book, the old fashioned trick-or-treating is still the best entertainment for the kids, young and old.
There, I said it: old fashioned. Well what the heck, I’m a dinosaur/hippie/tree hugger/baby boomer guy. I’m allowed to be a little old fashioned. We still love Hallowe’en. My lovely wife (girlfriend) “makes” me watch “The Great Pumpkin” Charlie Brown classic every year. This year I showed her: I “made” her watch “The Bride of Frankenstein.”
Our little bumblebee loves Hallowe’en too I think, but for the same primal reason as we had when we were kids.
“What do you like best about Hallowe’en, Ollie??” I asked today.
“CANDY!!” he said without hesitation.
Ollie’s not quite three, so he won’t be watching any Popeye cartoons at our house for several years. But I couldn’t help but go hunting for a Hallowe’en cartoon so here you go!
Northern Lights!!
by Ken Hansen on Oct.27, 2011, under Happy Friday!!
Very big thanks go out to our daughter for calling us this past Monday night. My lovely girlfriend (wife) and I were watching the idiot box in the bedroom. It was about 9:30 PM when the phone rang.
“Dad!?!?!” she blurted when I answered the phone. “THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ARE OUT!!”
“Oh wow!!” I said and, to my wife’s bewilderment, I zoomed from the bedroom to the back door. “HOLY WAZOOKA!!” I said as I gazed at the beautifully lit sky. “OK,” she said, “I gotta call Andrea now.” I quickly dialed our son… but alas it went to voicemail.
Last time I remember a similar spectacle was during the summer of 1972, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. My beautiful girlfriend and I were watching the submarine races one lovely summer night at Hodag Park in metropolitan Rhinelander, Wisconsin. And yes, I still am completely smitten by my beautiful girlfriend. Same lovely girl I was smooching in those days… but the added bonus is that we’re married now.
Anyway, the northern lights were all aglow that night, at first dazzling us with all different colors: red, blue, purple, green, and various morphing of all combined. The show “settled down” after a bit. However, I distinctly remember luminous feathery green waves of light wafting way up above us throughout the night sky into the wee hours.
The show from this past Monday was much more brief, at least in these parts. Lasted maybe 20 to 30 minutes after our daughter called. According to my brief search on Google, though, this particular display was seen over 20 states, and as far south as Alabama!! Very unusual. It’s even a bit rare to see them here in lower Michigan, but we do see them from time to time.
The following day I was at our local McDonalds picking up an order for a friend (yes, really for a friend). Tuesday night is “Women’s Group” night, with my lovely bride hosting for October. Split pea soup was on the menu at our house. When I told our dear friend what was on the menu her reaction was “BLECHH!!” Last time I checked, I am not a woman, and therefore not welcome at the Women’s Group meeting. So, my mission was to get our dear friend a burger so she could forego the pea soup; then skedaddle. After I paid I asked the young lady, “did you see the Northern Lights last night?? They were awesome!” “No,” she answered, “I don’t know what that is.”
Sheesh!! I thought to myself, “OK lady… do you even know where NORTH is??”
After I delivered the McDonalds, Musky Da Husky and I had a “boys’ night out” at Mr. Quick; a local hamburger joint. I ate inside, and reserved a cheeseburger for Da Husky. As I finished up, I thought I’d try my “northern lights” question again.
“Any of you see the northern lights last night?”
One of the young ladies piped up, “No!! Were they out??”
“Yeah… it was awesome. You know what they are?”
“Ummm yeah… Aurora Borealis, right?”
I breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. “Yes!! I asked this young lady at McDonalds and she had no clue.” I was commiserating about this with a friend at work and we both lamented the lacking education of our young people. “However,” he said, “when asked ‘who lives in a pineapple under the sea?’ the immediate response is, ‘SPONGE BOB!!’ “
Oh well… take a gander at some the pictures captured from the display on Monday night. Just click —-> here. But come back for the video!
No northern lights, but these guys are definitely from outer space…
No Poison For Me, Thanks!
by Ken Hansen on Oct.22, 2011, under Happy Friday!!
Well it’s that time of year again. “Benefits Enrollment,” they call it in corporate speak. Our annual benefits meeting informed us all that the pension plan is being phased out; and medical benefits will cost us more. We haven’t had a raise in 4 years and that probably won’t change. However, the Upper Crust seems to make sure their pockets are nicely lined with 6-figure bonuses. This is not unique to the company I work for, it’s become common all over the corporate world.
Small wonder there are world wide “Occupy” demonstrations!
Lots of folks are all buzzing about and grimacing from the changes. Nobody loves change, including me. However, I’m getting a little better at keeping the negative fire storms out of my head. Being annoyed is one thing; but my magnifying mind can, if let loose, really run with a grudge that ends up being harmful to me.
I’ve been thinking out loud to groups of friends about all this work stuff. They are very good at reminding me to stay grateful and just try to do the next right thing. Bless them… they’re probably getting a bit weary of my rants when I start spouting off about all the injustice at work and elsewhere. They’ve heard it before, and before that, and before that. Yet, they seem to love me anyway! Not sure how anyone else works it all out; but I need to vent to someone who understands when I’m hurting inside. The way it works for me is to vent until I get tired of hearing it myself. Fortunately, I’ve become aware that if I allow anger and resentment to fester in my heart, I’m basically working on poisoning myself. Being livid about things over which I have no control is about as effective as eating a poison pill and expecting someone else to die.
I do have choices here of course. I could quit my job. Boy would that show them or what?? Umm, no it wouldn’t. Nothing would change except my ability to pay bills and buy food. So what’s the alternative? Find another job! Well, hey, not much out there that pays very well. OK smartypants (I’m thinking out loud in writing here), now what do you do?
I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do!! I’m gonna continue to work at the job and try to be happy! So there!! I’m going to try to avoid dipping into the poison pot with my peers when they start sniping about corporate dysfunction. After all, the only thing I have any control over is how I react to all these “wonderful” things that are changing at my workplace.
When my serenity alarm goes off, I need to remind myself to run through my “gratitude list.” I am healthy and I have the love of a beautiful woman. She even let me marry her! We have cars that work, a nice home, plenty to eat. We have loving relationships with our offspring, relatives and friends. Life really is good at our house.
No poison for me thanks. I need to make gratitude my attitude. Sometimes it takes a bit of work to pull it off, but life is much more peaceful when I succeed.
Can you tell I’m practicing?
I can’t help but think of Louie Armstrong’s “Wonderful World” when I need an attitude adjustment. Here’s one of his recordings with a very nice photo collage someone put together for youtube.
Greens – Good For Your Heart!!
by Ken Hansen on Oct.13, 2011, under Gardening, Happy Friday!!
Although summer is my favorite time of year, autumn rates a very close second when I consider what’s happening in the garden. Most of the warm weather crops have been frosted to death now; so the remaining harvest is, in large part, greens.
My beautiful girlfriend and I got hooked on greens as a result of living in Dixie while I was in the Air Force. Southerners do love their greens: collards, turnip greens, beet greens, mustard greens… We tried all of them and were smitten pretty much instantly. Greens of one variety or another have been a staple in our garden ever since. They are easy to grow and packed with nutrition. And of course, while we are eating our greens, we sing the Greens Eating Song:
Greens!! Greens!! They’re good for your heart!!
The more you eat ‘em the more you’re smart!!
The more you’re smart, the better you feel,
So eat your greens with every meal!!
(And eat clam chowder to make them louder!!)
Well maybe that’s not how the song goes…
Anyway, greens are one of the most versatile vegetables for the simple fact that you can eat them just as soon as they start growing; and continue to harvest right up through winter. I garden intensively; meaning I grow a lot of food in a small space. I often purposely sow seeds for collards or kale a bit too thickly and thin them out as they germinate. The remaining seedlings are then allowed to grow a bit more, and I continue to harvest by thinning as the plants grow. The sprouts and / or young plants are a wonderful addition to any almost any dish, salad and stir-fry to name just two. Just snip off the roots, rinse a bit, and toss them into whatever you like. I’ve even been known to use them as a substitute for lettuce on a sandwich.
Eventually my beds of greens will be thinned so there’s about a foot between plants. Many of them will thrive throughout the entire gardening season. I often plant root crops in the beds with the greens. Here’s an example, click the image for a better view.
Swiss chard and beets
Again, this allows me to grow more food in a smaller space. The combination of leafy vegetables and root crops keeps weeds at bay while the vegetables thrive. Beds are also a good habitat for toads, spiders, and other beneficial creatures who keep pest insect damage to a minimum.
Swiss chard tastes very similar to spinach. However, spinach will “bolt” and go to seed in the heat of summer while chard will produce right up to winter. It’s frost hardy, but after the temp falls below 20 degrees F for awhile it will die. Therefore, the Swiss chard has to be completely harvested before the weather stays bitter cold. Kale and collards, though, will survive the entire winter. These two are among our favorites. They’re good, hearty fare at the table either by themselves or mixed up in other dishes. The flavor is pretty strong in summer but mellows nicely when the cool weather comes. And besides, aren’t they just plain pretty? Again, click on the pictures for a larger view.
Beautiful Kale
We Do Love Our Collards
On more than one occasion I’ve picked collards or kale, and also kohlrabi out of the snow. Although they appear to be dead in the garden they’re still green. When brought inside the effectiveness of their natural antifreeze shows up as they magically “come to life.” A good snow cover is welcome in the kale and collard beds, because snow protects their leaves from getting wind burn during the cold winter weather.
However, I’ve learned the hard way that it’s a good idea to mark where the beds are with some long sticks. It’s no fun shoveling snow around looking for your greens!
Now HERE’S a guy who always loved his greens…
On The Other Side
by Ken Hansen on Oct.06, 2011, under Happy Friday!!
Another great creative soul has left our midst and journeyed into the Great Beyond. As most everyone knows, Steve Jobs finally succumbed to cancer after a brilliant worldly career. His creative drive sparked Apple Computers and Pixar, but I’m not going to be so bold as to profess I can tell even a fraction of his story.
October, November, and December are months that I for one can’t help but equate with loss. Our good friend Lew left this world 3 years ago this month. Goodness how time flies, yet drags along. Last night, HBO broadcast the first part of a new film about George Harrison, who left in November of 2001. And then of course John Lennon was literally shot into heaven in December of 1980. I mention these not to glorify any of them; but one cannot help but reflect when someone you love deeply and / or has affected your life passes on.
This is supposed to be an installment of “Happy Friday!!!,” so I won’t go dabbling into any morose analyses of all this life and death stuff. No, I think I will just make this short an sweet, so to speak.
However I would like to close with the thought that grief is an expression of love. And love for friends, family, Mother Nature, and our fellow creatures (all creatures) is, in my mind anyway, the most valuable and indeed the most powerful force in the universe.
OK, enough of such babbling… here’s a little stroll down memory lane.
Popcorn And Other Toys
by Ken Hansen on Sep.30, 2011, under Gardening, Happy Friday!!
Summer has waved bye-bye here in beautiful West Michigan. Forty two degrees out tonight already, and my Beautiful Girlfriend and I were scrambling to harvest the last of the tomatoes this evening. Usually such a low temperature before sundown means a heavy frost overnight. However, even though we’ve had more than enough rain lately, I see clouds lingering and the deck has telltale signs of a few sprinkles. Rain means frost is unlikely, but better safe than sorry.
I was in the garden Wednesday evening also, with the dual purpose of picking tomatoes and avoiding the Tupperware party that was busily occupying our home. My good friend Steve accompanied his lovely bride to the Tupperware gig, and when he learned I was in the garden that gave him an excellent escape plan.
Daylight began to vanish so the tomatoes became less and less visible. Then Steve asked, “what else you need to get?” I brought him over to the popcorn row and we got as many ears as we could see.
That’s right… the popcorn row. I don’t really have the space to grow a big patch of corn, so I grew about 10 plants each of sweet corn and popcorn. Raising the popcorn was purely recreational. As you may know, corn doesn’t fill the cobs with kernels well unless it’s pollinated completely. When you only grow one row of corn, the best success occurs when the popcorn is pollinated by hand. So as we were picking I was relating the pollination story to Steve: “yeah, I saved the seed from some popcorn I bought from this art studio (the Khnemu Studio)we visit every year. They make pottery but also raise vegetables organically and have lots of interesting poultry. The plants grew so tall I had to climb a step ladder to get to the tassles!!”
We finished picking just as the early autumn night had set upon us. All the ladies were on their way out of the party when they spied our haul from the garden. I couldn’t resist pulling back the husks on several of the ears of popcorn. That, of course resulted in not only a few “ooohhss and aaahhhs” but also in me giving away several ears. That’s very OK, I grew the popcorn for fun anyway, and it’s also fun to share. Aren’t they pretty?? Freddy seems to think so…
Freddy thinks corn husks are fun. Click the picture for a better view.
I simply had to show off my toy popcorn you know… it’s only fair. After all, my Beautiful Girlfriend shows her toys off every season. Sometimes I joke with her (and family and friends) that if she gets any more seasonal decoration stuff our house will explode from creative critical mass. It really is a treat for me to watch her get into “decorating mode,” where she pulls all her toys out and places them just so. She’s had several of her gems for many years, and she often remarks aloud about the memories they conjure up when she holds them and ponders where they need to be. I have to admit she’s developed quite the knack for making our house festive for every major holiday. Just look at some of her handiwork. Again, click on the pictures for a better view:
A Hallowe'en Latrine??
Of course, the bathroom window has to look the part…
Spider web - skeleton window treatment
I call them “my speakers,” but they are also “her counter tops…”
Jack O' Lanterns On Top of My Speaker!!
As you can see we have no shortage of toys…popcorn or otherwise. And these are just for Hallowe’en!! We are basically spoiled rotten. We’re blessed with plenty to eat, a nice home, and the love of wonderful friends and family. What more can we ask for?
Well I’m not sure, but I think my Beautiful Girlfriend still wants more toys!
Did someone say, “TOYS??”
The Beautiful F*&%ing Shed
by Ken Hansen on Sep.23, 2011, under Happy Friday!!
Once Upon A Time, in a yard very nearby, there lived a very old shed with a slanted roof. The poor shed was not very attractive. Made of wood that was apparently scrounged from hither and yon; it was covered from head to toe with tar paper to protect it from the elements. It had very little paint on it, except on and around the door, which had fallen off years ago. The poor shed lived near a swamp, so having wet feet would surely have caused it to rot away many years ago. However, its maker saw fit to place it on a concrete foundation.
In 1982, a young tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man and his Beautiful Princess bride bought the land on which the very old shed stood. The Beautiful Princess was never too thrilled with the house the young man bought for her. However, they were soul mates and she agreed to live with him in the old homestead with the very old shed. The young man loved the old shed, because it kept his garden tools and rototiller protected from the weather. He didn’t have much money and tried many times to patch the slanted roof with whatever was available: old shingles, old linoleum, old siding… lots of tar and other assorted goops. This worked for awhile but eventually the slanted roof gave up the ghost and began to droop ever closer to the floor.
Fast forward several years: the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man was not so young now, and he thought it was high time to fix up the shed. The Beautiful Princess, however, was pretty much sick up and fed with the unsightly shack, and exhorted, “let’s just torch the stupid thing.” Well this saddened the tree-hugger hippy heart of the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man, so he convinced the Beautiful Princess to buy some trusses for a new roof. This, he believed would be the beginning of a beautiful new shed.
Fast forward a few more years. Remember the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man?? Well, a carpenter he was not. So after several years of watching the trusses age (along with a few “harrumphs” from the Beautiful Princess), he finally got off his hiney and hired a young man to replace the roof. He did a splendid job, and although the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man had grandiose (good) intentions of finishing the job, the very old shed looked like this for several more years (click on the picture for a larger view): The old shed in 2006
Please note that the small shed-like building in front is NOT the very old shed, but a doghouse that was inherited when the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man and the Beautiful Princess adopted Musky Da Husky. He doesn’t live in the dog house anymore…
Fast forward a couple more years: now the very old house that came with the old homestead was newly remodeled and beautiful. However, by this time the Beautiful Princess had lost patience with the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man regarding the very old shed with the new roof. She began calling the very old shed the “F*&%ing Shed;” and since great care is taken to keep this a family oriented web site I shall not transcribe the expletive in its full form.
Fast forward five more years: remember the statement that the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man is no carpenter? Well that has not changed. However, all hope was not lost thanks to the Most Wonderful Son-In-Law. Although the Most Wonderful Son-In-Law is not a carpenter by trade, he has acquired much practical knowledge in this craft. By some wonderful miracle, the Most Wonderful Son-In-Law agreed to lend his skills to the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man and his Beautiful Princess. He came one afternoon and calculated how much lumber, etc. would be needed and assisted with the purchase of it all. Then, he arrived early on a Saturday morning and worked his and the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man’s hineys off. Then he came back a third time to finish the job!!
The results were amazing (again, click the image for a larger view): New and improved very old shed!
Truly remarkable, wouldn’t you say?
So, the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man and his Beautiful Princess will be forever grateful to the Most Wonderful Son-In-Law. And now, the “F*&%ing Shed” has been renamed the “Beautiful F*&%ing Shed.” And the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man will, for the foreseeable future anyway, believe that he owes the Most Wonderful Son-In-Law. Big time.
The End.
It’s really a very good thing the tree-hugger peacenik hippie-type man did NOT try to rebuild the shed himself, as it’s highly likely the result would have been similar to one of his favorite Buster Keaton films…
