Sunday, August 27, 2006

Country Gal

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell 8-29-06
The City Wide Garage Sale gave Jims brother, John and his boys a good excuse to come see us. After the shopping the kids, Jeff, Jennifer and Jason started to talking about what they used to do while we were out of the house. Johns oldest son, Jason and Jeff are close to the same age. So when they came to visit the two boys found all kinds of things to do.
Jennifer was the oldest by five years and she watched out for the boys. I was unaware that she had been running interference for them. She went around and fix what they broke and did not always rat them out if she thought what they were doing was not life threatening. There were a few times that she did tell on them. For instance- they had found some old shot gun shells and they thought that it would be fun to hit the brass ends with hammers. They did not want the adults to know what they were doing so the carried the shells and hammers out under an old tree and was pounding on the ammo. Jennifer did come and tell me what they were doing and we quickly put a stop to that. The old shells were some shells that the previous tenants had left behind and we had no idea that the ammunition was even there. They talked about how they tried to fly by using trash sacks-plywood- boards and paper. It was never successful. And all of the holes they dug in the pasture in their attempt to find China. They dug such big holes that Jennifer had to get a rope to pull them out. She made them fill the holes in as she knew that if we found out about the deep pits the boys would be in big trouble.
Since I was a stay at home mom I thought that I knew most everything that went on in my house. That kind of thinking always gets you into trouble. Did I have a rude awakening! Sometimes we would go to town and leave the kids home for a little while. I found out this weekend that Jeff had broken a lot of my figurines. I had always told my kids that if something got broken it would be alright just tell me and clean up the mess. I knew that accidents would happen. What I did not have any tolerance for was just doing things for no purpose. Such as swinging a bat in the house and hitting balls just to see where they might land. These are the things that Jeff did while we were away. Jennifer would glue the broken objects back together in hopes that I would never notice them. Jim had known that some things had been broken but he thought that I had glued them back together again. I had never noticed them until the kids showed me the cracks. I must say that Jennifer is a darn’ good gluer. Her only defense was that if I knew what she knew, Jeff might not have survived my wrath. And she might have been right.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Country Gal- Vanita Blundell---5-03-05

This was for sure a memorable week. We had the privilege of helping Daryl Schiff and The Barber County Historical Society with the Martina McBride show that was held in the new Community Center in Medicine Lodge. I made cookies and donated a few white elephants for their auction. Jim helped finish up the parking markers and helped direct traffic for the shows. We also helped in the concessions while the auction and Celebrity Auction was going on, which was a good idea so I would not even be tempted. Then I was the emcee for the two shows at1:00 and 7:00. It was an honor to be asked to introduce Martina McBride, Marty Schiff, Miss Kansas, Miss Micah Thom, Daryl Schiff and Gene Winter.
What was so impressive was all of the volunteers that were there to help with the playground, in Medicine Lodge, that was the recipient of the Humanitarian Award. They came from all over the United States to help with the playground and anything else that needed to be done. I think that the Show and Auction was Jeanne Schiff’s ‘brain child’ and she put her energy into getting everything done just right. The Medicine Lodge people were in full force with the organization and the ‘know how’ to make it a great success.
Martina and all of her family were gracious and kind to everyone. She put on a wonderful show. It is nice to see families work and play together, not only the Schiff’s but there were other families involved as well.
Seeing Martina and her dad sing together could not help but make me a little envious. I can remember Vickie and Dad singing together, and how much they enjoyed that connection. Most of us girls have that special bond with there dads.
I think that people working together can accomplish great things. Nothing is impossible to do if you can keep focused. You may not think that you do anything, but if you are pleasant to people and try to overlook the faults of others you will be an inspiration and nothing is out of reach. I guess the older I get I can see how negative thoughts and actions can be so destructive. Which brings me back to a little verse in Proverbs Dad liked to say ‘A merry heart doth like a medicine, but a broken spirit dryth up the bones’.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell 8-22-06

Do you remember the sad song they sang on Hee-Haw: “Gloom-despair and agony on me- deep dark depression excessive misery- if it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all- Gloom, despair, and agony on me”. This has been a sad week- I have decided that I am not a very good nanny. The one and only puppy that I had did not make it. I know that people say that animals are dumb and that they do not have the capacity to reason. I do not think that is true. The mamma dog has mourned her loss, even Jake, who is not the brightest crayon in the box, knows that something is not right. It has been a little depressing around here.
Jennifer and Giz are anxious to get settled. They have been living in our basement and we love having them, but I think that they are wanting to get on with their lives. We have been looking for homes for them. It is sad to see where all of the old homesteads used to be. You know, that in those empty yards their was a lot of happiness that occurred there. Little boys chasing their sisters with frogs and bugs. A young lady’s first kiss on the porch, the tire swing in the tree, if you were lucky enough to have a tree in the yard. Kids anxiously awaiting their dad to come home from a hard days work. There are some large homes that are now beyond repair but at one time they were quite a show place. I can not imagine how people kept up the yards with everything else that they had to do with out the modern conveniences, such as gas powered lawn mowers and electric hedge trimmers and edgers. At my house I would just as soon turn the horses out and let them graze in the back yard, not to mention, I just like to see them. The horses not only mow they also trim and fertilize all at the same time. When I was little when dad mowed the yard it was a scary thing to watch. Mom would make sure that I was in the house and away from the windows. Our mower was open all the way around the bottom and rocks, wire, twigs, dirt flew in all directions. Even when I saw that grass eating- stick throwing machine in the barn or garage I would keep a safe distance from it, I did not want to take any chances. With my luck something strange might happen and Dad would have said, “Who would have thought that would happen?”.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell 8-15-06

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell 8-15-06
It RAINED!!! I hope every one of you remembered to thank the Good Lord for the moisture. I have had a theory- the Lord gives us a little rain to see if we are thankful then he decides if he will gives us any more. Just a theory mind you- just a theory.
Friday we went to Tulsa to see Jim’s mom. She is still having Chemo-treatments one day- every other week. On the way home we stopped and bought a damaged wading pool. This is for the up coming puppies that Josie is to have. I got it just in time as she went into labor Saturday evening. Being the vet that I am not, this was a very long and drawn out ordeal. I have come to one conclusion I would rather help a cow calve than to watch a dog give birth. Or I feel more confident in what should happen next or at least what things look like. I could get in more detail but I think you get the idea. Why is it that things like this always happen on the weekends and in the evenings?
Since I (really it was Jim) did not want Josie to have the puppies in the house we took the wading pool with blankets out on the deck and we waited. As Josie was trying to do her thing, poor Jake was the nervous daddy-to- be- he just paced back and forth and side to side. I thought that I should get him to boil water to keep him busy- but what would a dog do with boiling water? I made a pallet and slept on the deck with her all night long. No puppy- We went to Sunday school and Church came home- no puppy - then we had company so Josie had more alone time and some peace still no puppy. I thought that she had lost her babies and I was in for a vet bill. When the kids were getting ready for bed they heard an odd squealing sound outside their window and sure enough there was one little black puppy.
So I am happy to report that I am the proud owner of one, just one, puppy so far. It was like Josie had one and she said that was enough- I can not say that I blame her- this is the noisiest pup I have ever heard. I would like to have had at least two but I will take what I can get. Jake, was one of sixteen puppies- I do not think that I want sixteen puppies to contend with the first time out of the gate. But one pup will be hard not to get attached to since I have every intention of selling this one.
At our house this week looks like it will be a ‘dogs life’ whatever that means.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell 8-08-06

It is that time of year again-it is the time of year that puts fear and excitement down deep in your bones. School is getting ready to start. I never was fond of school. I would have preferred to stay at home and helped Dad but mom did not think that was a good idea. I went to Wilmore Grade School and I had a great first grade teacher- Lila Miller- she was wonderful. She taught first and second together. We had a large class there were 17 or 18 of first and second graders Mrs. Miller played the piano and we sang “Jumbo Elephant” among others and a good morning song we sang each morning before we started our school day. She also made sure that we washed our hands before we went to lunch and we prayed before we ate. Mrs. Miller sat at the head of the table at lunch to make sure we used our table manners and also showed us the proper way to hold a fork and a spoon. I can remember looking at the head of the table and it made me feel secure, kind of like being at home. I can not remember her ever yelling at us, I am sure that she must have - if we did not mind she was so disappointed and that made us feel bad.
The school bus was something that we moaned over, but that is where I learned to play cards- pitch-crazy 8’s- war and gin-rummy. We had great drivers- Wade and Ernestine Ziegler and Irma Downing. One year the school let the senior boys drive the little vans (this was before suburbans. I can not imagine that happening now. So Zearl Ziegler was our driver. One time we got stuck in the mud out in the pastures and he radioed his mom, Ernestine, and asked her pull us out and bring us food. She came and got us pulled out and brought us cookies and apples. What a great lady!! Every time from then on we were not worried about getting stuck because we thought that we just might get something great from Ernestine’s kitchen. We really had a good time on the bus. We kept track of the antelope in Gregg’s pasture and watched for other things out of the ordinary. When it was extremely muddy the driver would have all of us sit in the very back to give him more traction in the rear, either that or he was trying to get us as far away from his seat as he could. One time two boys were picking on each other and Wade got tired of it and he stopped the bus and had them get out and fight to get it out of their system. When they got out they decided that they did not want to fight anymore. It was very quite the rest of the way home.
My brother never got one school year without having a sister on the bus. That was cruel and unusual punishment. Vickie was probably better than I was, Virgil would pay me a nickel to not tell on him- I took the nickel and sometimes rat him out anyway. That really proves that I had a good brother, he probably should have pounded me a time or two and I would have thought twice about squealing on him. But he never did. I really do not remember him doing anything that would have gotten him in trouble but at the time it must have seemed important.
I can remember that when I got on the bus or went to school that the bus driver and the teacher could have ended my life at any time. I knew that I had to behave or else. School is where you learn to tell your folks what happened before someone else would tell them their version. I found that it was always better to fess up and let them know what was going on and why you did what you did. What is the saying better to be forewarned than forearmed?
The neat thing about starting school was school shopping. That was one of my favorite memories with my mom. We would take a whole day to shop for school and Mom would let me pick where we would eat. It was wonderful. My mom can spot a sale rack in a store across the street. She is a wonderful bargain hunter. We would check all the $5.00 racks and try on clothes all day. I always got new shoes and new gym shoes. Buying two pair of shoes was not a common occurrence. And a buying a new note book was exciting. Sometimes Mom would tell that I could use the year before notebook and I was horrified that everyone would know that I did not get a new notebook. We always got new crayons I thought that I should get the big box of crayons. Then when I would break the first one it was disturbing.
Remember taking an apple or candy to the teacher is not a bad way to begin the new year.