A pleasant surprise

 Although it is obvious from the pictures that this post is about fried green tomatoes, a more fitting title is "Using What You Have". Many years ago we were at home in Silver Lake for the Holidays and along with mom and dad and my sister, Barb and her husband Gary, we attended a service (I think it was a New Year's Eve service) at the Center United Methodist Church north of town where they had a guest speaker. Since it has been so many years ago and I don't remember the year, I also can't tell you whether or not Barb and Gary's boys Bret and Bart (Not Maverick, although some might consider them so????) were with us at that time. Today I picture the speaker much like Harlan Sanders. At least he was an older gentleman. The title of his message was, "If you don't have what you want, use what you've got." That message has been a centerpiece of our lives every since that night.

Fast forward to spring 2018. While shopping for garden plants at Prairie Gardens, I decided to look in the heirloom tomato racks and picked out one named "Kellogg Breakfast Tomato". That plant yielded huge yellow tomatoes that I do believe were the tastiest tomatoes I've eaten. Fast forward again to spring 2019. We had moved to this flat single level house in Urbana with very little garden space. I had 2 large pots which I decided to use to grow some tomatoes which was the extent of our garden this year for various reasons. I ran out to Prairie Garden's to get 2 Kellogg Breakfast Tomato plants. Hmmm none to be found and the experts there said the supplier must not have grown them this year. After I recovered from my disappointment, I started looking online and found some and hesitantly ordered 2 plants. I believe this is where I got them. Piedmont Nursery

That turned out well and those plants grew well and supplied us with lots of wonderful tasty tomatoes. Now it's fall and they are no longer ripening on the vine, so I gathered most of them to give away rather than see them all go to waste. 

 Today, I decided I should try some myself. After all on our trips to Florida, we stopped several times in Juliette, Georgia to eat Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, made famous in the Fannie Flagg book and subsequent movie. I looked up a recipe online and set out to accomplish another new task. First roadblock was that we didn't have enough oil to fry them in. I did find a half jar of coconut oil and my mind started to whirl. Hmm, that might add an interesting taste. Then we were out of corn meal and bread crumbs. But there was a bag of our favorite chips which I crunched up to substitute for them. Right near was a container of Tony Chacheres's Cajun spice that was sent to us by our late friend from the Veterinary Radiology world, Mike Thomas from Starkeville, Mississippi. I decided that would add a nice touch. I sliced one of those puppies and instructed and started the process.

Oh My Goodness!!!! I'm gonna have to do that again. I'm sure true southerners will think I have desecrated their classic dish, but that was really good. "I can't believe I ate the whole thing".... Sorry to those too young to know where that came from. One interesting thing was that although the tomato I used was just a slight tinge of yellow in color, when fried, it turned yellow and actually wasn't as "green tasting" as I remembered from the "original version". My advice is to fix yourself a mess of these. You can use an "authentic" recipe or try my version. Then find a copy of the movie and enjoy both together.

So by using what we had when I didn't have what I wanted, I ended up with a really tasty meal.

Dance Like No One is Watching... Hmmmm

You have surely heard it and most likely have said it a time or two. I saw it on a billboard several weeks ago and something struck me that felt strange. I thought, "I need to do a blog post about this." Before I got home, it had left my mind completely. I spent the next several days thinking: "what was that I was going to write a blog post about?".  I'm betting you can say, "Been there, done that." Maybe not about a blog post, but at least something that you wanted to tell someone about, possibly in the middle of a sentence. What do we say then? "Oh well, if it is important, it will come back". I guess this is important because yesterday I was driving on I-74 and "Boom". There it was. The billboard. Now I have no idea what it was selling us, but you get to decide if it was worth your effort to read my dilemma with this age old bit of advice. Before launching into it, I do want to bring up a similar phrase that became a popular song a few years ago. "I Hope You Dance". This one I can get behind completely with no reservation. It runs in the same vein as "Just Do It". Too often, we sit it out because we may lack the confidence, but if we jump over that hurdle, we find life is so much more meaningful and enjoyable. So if I mess up your mind with the words to follow, just remember to Dance.... Period!!! If you make it to that point, you won't need to be concerned about anyone watching.

I get the meaning of Dance Like No One is Watching. Simply put, dance for the enjoyment of grooving to the music and expressing your joy in the moment without embarrassment. But who really dances like no one is watching. I mean, for most of us, we are dancing for the crowd....... right? Unless it's old fashioned "square dancing".... Well, maybe even then. Here is a test. Look at the facial expression of anyone dancing. There is a certain look we wear which says, "I'm trying to look like I don't care, but, ain't I cool???" You see it everywhere. And lest I make you think that I'm judging others, I know the feeling that goes with that facial expression. Like no one is looking, my ass!!!! That feeling and facial expression is something that takes me back to the basketball games of my tiny Silver Lake, Indiana High School. As the team comes out of the dressing room for warm up, with the crowd cheering, there was that aloof persona that lasted for a few minutes. It's "I know you are looking at me, but I will act like I don't see you."  The feeling was heightened when I would hear Fred Vanderpool say, "Come on Stevie"...  Can you see the connection? As people start to clap and cheer at our dance moves, that aloof expression will often melt to a big grin. Like No One is Watching? I don't think so. Isn't that the goal? To get people to watch?  Why do we often practice dance moves? To help us feel the music??? Methinks feeling the music takes no practice. The purest "like no one is watching" comes at sporting events with "Every Body Clap Your Hands", right? Even then we often try to polish it a bit.

So if you break the barrier and get out and dance, don't worry about who is watching. If you find yourself showing off a bit or even enjoying a little attention, don't worry. I agree, don't let anyone else keep you from enjoying your dance. If you commit a misstep that's OK too. I know that you have seen someone "dancing" and thought they looked goofy. Hey, if they are enjoying it, (as long as it isn't "inappropriate"), they are accomplishing their purpose and who are you to decide what looks goofy? My goodness, whether it's dance, dress, hair.... etc. It's all for those who are looking. And most of it is goofy (to me)... I could go on and on with what people do primarily for those who are looking, but think I'm starting to circle around again. So Dance Like No One is Looking..... If you can!
Gangnam Style

History of Aprons

I won't often do back to back posts, but my sister sent me this blurb called The History of Aprons. We reminisced a bit how our mom, both of our grandma's, and Aunt Vade (Vada) wore aprons a lot and our picture of them was with an apron. This piece depicts them pretty well. As a little aside, Aunt Vade was our Grandma Herron's sister and she was married to Grandma Kneller's brother, our "Uncle Charlie" we spent a lot of time with Aunt Vade and Uncle Charlie and loved it. Those people and that time reminded me of another lady from our past who nearly always wore an apron, Her name was "Ma Kettle". The Ma and Pa Kettle movies took that lifestyle to the extreme. Here is a clip of one of those movies to give you a taste (or another memory). Ma and Pa Kettle clip 

Ma was played by Margorie Main who was born in Indianapolis, so there's another Hoosier tie.

Here's the thing Barb shared with me and I'm sharing with you. I hope it brings back some memories to those old enough to understand and some "culture" to those too young.

The History of 'APRONS'

I don't think most kids today know what an apron is. The principle use of Mom's or Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few.

It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material.

But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..

And when the weather was cold, she wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, she walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about aprons.

REMEMBER:

Mom's and Grandma's used to set hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love

Hate is not a family value!

I saw this bumper sticker today and it really hit me in the face because the thought came front and center that there are too many families in which it is. There are families who are proud of their hateful attitude, be it toward each other or "us against the world" hate. It may be related to race, politics, financial "status", popularity, success. You name it. There is far too much "them and us" in this world. You know, "That's just the way we are......." Here is one of my favorite cartoons. You will have to wait for "Why can't we be friends".
Chub Chubs

So I walked by the driver side and their window was down and I said, "It is in too many families". The couple was not what you would call attractive, however they both smiled really big and he said, "Not this family". They were the kind of folks I would probably ignore if we met walking in a store, but they did make a mark in my heart.

So much of the pain in our world is centered around hate or disregard for others. Every person in this world is "different from me". Every person in this world is struggling in some way to live a peaceful, happy life. Far be it from me to work toward achieving happiness at the expense of even one of the other dear souls that God has put on this planet. (or solar system?) A former pastor often spoke a "personal proverb"... Every person we run into is there to teach us something. Or in other words, We can learn something from every person we meet if we look for it rather than set up our defenses, which is usually some kind of hate. I'm not advocating that we allow ourselves to be taken advantage of, but we should at least "Meet them in the middle" (Sorry Kelly"). I think I'm starting to go around this bush for the second time. I will close this corny post with my favorite scripture: Micah 6:8 Do Justly, Love Mercy, and walk Humbly with your God.

I've got spurs

As seems to happen more and more as age creeps up on me, I wake up with something running through my head from the past. This morning it was an old song, that anyone under 60 who doesn't watch old TV westerns would not know. "I've got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle." To arouse memories in some and enlightenment in others here you go. Join me in sounds of yesteryear.

Blaine, listen up. It's your last chance.
No, there are also songs about lonely cowboys. We look forward to celebrating your Wedded Bliss to Jordan this weekend. Hang up those spurs as you jump in the pool.

Gene Autry I've got spurs

Lyrics

Yippy yeah, there'll be no wedding bells for today

I've got spurs that jingle, jangel, jingle
As I go riding merrily along
And they sing, oh, ain't you glad you're single?
And that song ain't so very far from wrong

Oh, Lillie Belle, oh, Lillie Belle
Though I may have done some fooling
This is why I never fell

I've got spurs that jingle, jangel, jingle
As I go riding merrily along
And they sing, oh, ain't you glad you're single?
And that song ain't so very far from wrong

I've got spurs that jingle, jangel, jingle
As I go riding merrily along
And they sing, oh, ain't you glad you're single?
And that song ain't so very far from wrong

Oh, Sally Jane, oh, Sally Jane
Though I'd loved to stay forever
This is why I can't remain

I've got spurs that jingle, jangel, jingle
As I go riding merrily along
And they sing, oh, ain't you glad you're single?
And that song ain't so very far from wrong

I've got spurs that jingle, jangel, jingle
As I go riding merrily along
And they sing, oh, ain't you glad you're single?
And that song ain't so very far from wrong

Oh, Mary Ann, oh, Mary Ann
Though we've done some moonlight walking
This is why I up and ran

I've got spurs that jingle, jangel, jingle
As I go riding merrily along
And they sing, oh, ain't you glad you're single?
And that song ain't so very far from wrong
And that song ain't so very far from wrong

So I jingle, jangel, jingle all along

Songwriters: Reg Presley

(I've Got Spurs That) Jingle, Jangle, Jingle lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Authentic cuisine

The family gathered Friday night to eat at a new Mexican restaurant near our house. Casa Del Mar. Apparently it's a chain, but here's the local one:facebook.com/Casa-Del-Mar Urbana, IL
 Twas very good and reminded me of one of our favorites from our travels in Laramie, WY. I know I have featured it before. It's name is Corona Village. Probably the best Mexican place I've eaten in. Well that memory took me to one that I thought was funny. In Corvallis, we had a favorite Chinese restaurant named China Blue ran by a family. His primary purpose was making his customers happy. He was all over us to be sure we got what we wanted. Did a lot of take out from there also. It had been several years since we were in Corvallis, and in 2017, we drove the route 3 times from Mahomet to Corvallis and back. This gave us plenty of chances to visit China Blue. It was still good. Same food, but something was different. We only saw one oriental person there. We found out later that she was the grand-daughter of the original owners. So what else was different? Everyone else working there were..... wait for it...…. Mexican. The original family had retired and sold out to Mexicans. Now that was a bit strange, but they had bought the recipes and the grand-daughter helped keep it authentic. Oh here's their site: China Blue Corvallis.

My lectures were given in Ocotillo Hall

Georgia among the Cholla (teddy bear) cacti

Me and a saguaro cactus
While I'm at it, might as well give you a travelogue for that year. We started the year going back to finish our first stint at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ where we contracted to give the imaging course in the new veterinary school. Again many of my Facebook friends will have already experienced much of this with us. We had started it by doing 3 weeks from Thanksgiving to mid December in 2016, then ran home to celebrate Christmas, the back to start the year teaching 7 more weeks. Not a
bad place to spend the winter, but actually the locals complained that it was pretty nasty weather for them. We did enjoy the sunshine and the scenery was quite different for us. Most of the buildings on campus are named after local trees, cacti, etc. so we learned about the Ocotillo tree, the barrel cactus, and the cactus wren among others.

Desert Botanical Garden Luminaries

There were a couple of cool happenings while we were there. First was the evening light show at the Desert Botanical Garden. Then in January my cousin Dave (who winters there with his wife Jane) and I went to an annual crazy light show. I'm only putting a few of the pictures here. It's called Lights of the World and is apparently set up in Tucson as well as the south side of Phoenix. If you are in the area over winter, it is certainly worth looking up.

Dave and Jane and I with Lights of the World Entrance

OK, back to the trips to the NorthWest.

Eating at Black Butte Ranch, Sister's Oregon

The first trip to Corvallis was in mid to late April. Leaving winter behind and embracing green grass and sunshine without the cacti. We took a different route which led us to Nebraska City, barely out of Missouri and we stumbled onto the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Museum. It

was a really pleasant surprise. Aside from getting reacquainted with Corvallis and the OSU (west) folks..... OOPS. Did you know that there are 3 OSU's with veterinary colleges in the USA? Oregon State, Oklahoma State, and Ohio State. And the school colors for both Oregon State and Oklahoma State are Orange and Black.... Sorry, saw a squirrel.... Anyway, aside from that, I think the highlight of this visit to Oregon was that we finally ate a meal at Black Butte Ranch which was delicious with fantastic
 scenery and a waiter who entertained us with his story about moving to Oregon with his 2 kids from Alaska to get them a good education. He then plans to return to Alaska cause he just loves it there. We were told by Dr. Jana Gordon of OSU that it was a great place and we finally made it.

While in Corvallis we walked in the park and finally took some pictures of the Ballerina Statue that we had admired many times. Also on the way to Sisters, we did stop by our beloved Sahalie Falls.

 And now we have been to all the continental states except Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. I know I've told you this before. The cool thing is that in most of the states we have actually slept and ate and quite often worked with and visited local people so we really got a taste of the areas. Feel really blessed to see that good people are everywhere.

Georgia didn't make it, but one windy day, I ventured north a bit to visit the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm which was nothing short of spectacular. I got lots of pictures, but I think I'll let their pictures on the website do the job. Great to see, but lots of walking.

We did get to reconnect with the Pacific Ocean. It was a bit chilly, but some gorgeous flowers were out. It is also interesting that Here I am on the Pacific coast wearing a jacket that I bought in Hyannis, MASS. Hard to believe that I barely got out of Indiana until I was 19 years old. 


 On our way home, we finally got things worked out to visit Oregon's Painted Hills. Again we got some great pictures, but I decided to let their website show you the beauty. Well, I am including one picture.

Thought you would enjoy my selfie prowess. 

Yes that's my finger covering my face. 

At least it's a good picture of Georgia.

Just a peek at the Oregon Painted Hills

On our first visit to Laramie back in January of 2008, we got snowed in for 3 days.  That seemed sensible being January and all. However, on our trip home this time (2017) it is May 18. Yup, they got us again. It's a good thing that we like Laramie.

However before we hit Laramie we did another bucket list item. Georgia had always wanted to go to

Downtown Park City

Olympic training center

Park City, Utah where they hold Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival at the Egyptian Theater.  We were always working against some deadline and I thought it was more "off the path" than it was. I got enlightened, so this time we made it. Another spectacular sight that is worth the effort although I would not want to be there when the crowds arrive. Not like our flatlands with sprawling parking lots. Georgia got some great purses which she uses still Fantastic, got them in Park City, Utah...…. at TJMAXX. LOL

So the second trip of 2017 is finished. I got to go to the annual Silver Lake High School Alumni Banquet to reunite with many of my high school classmates. Not bad for a bunch of 75 year olds, huh? So sad that we lost Marilyn the next winter. She worked tirelessly to keep the class together. I'm sure others will pick up the baton, but can't replace Marilyn.

Had a great Father's Day picnic with the family at Lake of the Woods. Since we moved to Urbana from Mahomet, I wonder if we will still go to Lake of the Woods or do somewhere else. 

Hurricaine Matthew had pretty much wrecked the Maverick where we typically went every other 26th week of the year. This year was Rod's family's turn. Since we couldn't go to Florida, Rod and family got a nice place on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for several days. They asked us to join them and we had a great time with great scenery and boating. . 

With the arrival of August we headed back for Corvallis. This time we made it back to one of our favorites, Florence, Oregon. Since we had been there a new seafood place had developed in Oldtown which is a favorite place for us. It had been recommended by a friend and it lived up to the recommendation. It appears to be a chain, but a good chain. It's Mo's, and it's just down the street from Georgia's favorite clothing shop, Bonjour. The owners must be 7th day Adventists because we got fooled and found they were closed on Saturday, so all Georgia could do was peer in the window. The boardwalk was nice and filled with booths. The 5-Pine shirt I'm wearing will become significant in a bit.  One of the great things about being semi-retired is flexibility. Yes, we went back on Sunday so Georgia could shop. Found some really great outfits.

Back at the Poultry Building in Corvallis, Dave had planted a rose bush that I hadn't noticed before. Don't know if it was the time of the year or what, but these blooms were astonishing. You know that roses tend to change shades as they mature. Well these change color from red to orange. I had to ask Dave what they were: Joseph's Coat Roses. I WILL have to get some of these. 

I'm about worn out from this posting, so I'm going to save the trip home and the last trip to Corvallis in October for the next posting. Sorry, I told you there would be more about 5Pine soon. Gonna have to wait for the next time. Hopefully I haven't made you dizzy with the "out of order" travel all over the place.

I just stumbled into something I need to share. How many of you know who Doug Kershaw is??? Well, here is an introduction if you don't and a trip in the wayback machine if you do.

Doug Kershaw