Saturday, September 18, 2010
The smile
we passed on the street
started with a little flirt
sweet gentle smile
I will always remember
my poor heart went pit-a-pat
Photo and Poem Copyright
© 2010 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved
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This little guy was hanging out on the streets of old Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland this summer.
[Poem previously posted on Jim's Little Photo and Poem Place blog.]
Labels: Poem, Poland, Summer 2010 European holiday, Tanka
Friday, September 17, 2010
Flashback Friday # 12 ~ Jim's early going to bed info
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All about our early bedtime arrangements is what Linda wants from us this week. Linda asked several questions. Click her icon, right, if you want to read others or participate in this.
First,
All about our early bedtime arrangements is what Linda wants from us this week. Linda asked several questions. Click her icon, right, if you want to read others or participate in this.
First,
a little teacher joke from my friend, bornagn901 (I never know whether that will be James or Gwen--the address belongs to James but they both use it when it comes pass-around-joke time):
TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O.
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
Now, to what Linda asked us to answer:
What was bedtime like when you were growing up?
Dad usually went to bed early, around eight. I would follow at nine or a little later. Mom would got to bed around midnight. I cannot remember when my sister, Lois, would go to bed I suppose earlier than I would but possibly it was the same time.
Were your parents strict in enforcing bedtimes?
The only bedtime that I can remember was when I was eight or ten or older. I think I just went to bed when it was time, mostly around nine. We didn't have TV so there was not TV to want to watch earlier or later than that.
Were you a difficult one to get to bed?
I don't remember any hassles about going to bed at a certain time. Most always I was tired and ready.
Did your parents share stories about getting you to sleep when you were a baby?
I think Mom used to read to me before going to bed or else in bed. But I don't remember any of that, just that I had some favorite books which I wouldn't have been old enough to read by myself.
When did your parents turn bedtime over to you?
Maybe always I had control. Or else when I was young I would take a suggestion like, "It's your bedtime. But again I only remember setting my own time.
Were there any special rituals/routines a parent did - books, singing a special song, etc.?
The only ritual was that for the next morning I had clean clothes hanging where I had put my dirty ones. That was in a closet designated for me in the bathroom.
Nightlights, music, special doll/blanket or other things?
We had an outside yard light that shone in through my shadeless windows. And the kitchen had a window that light would shine through as Mom would still be up reading the paper, counting the church money, or cleaning the eggs that had been laid that day.
Did you have your own bed or did you share with a sibling?
My bed was also a front porch couch during the day. At night Mom or I would pull it open for a sleeper bed. Before my sister was old enough to have her bedroom I slept in the second upstairs bedroom. Our house had four rooms, a kitchen, a living room, and two bedrooms upstairs.
Grandpa and Dad remodeled the front porch by screening it and putting on sliding glass windows. There were storm windows for the winter. My porch sleeping room was not heated and we did not have air conditioning.
This is the house where I was born. Probably around the turn of the 20th century it was brand new. It had two bedrooms upstairs, a living room, and a country kitchen. Later two enclosed but not heated porches were added.
The porch on the right is where I had to sleep when my sister was old enough to have her own room. Cold mornings would find frost on my blankets where my breath would freeze. You can see it is fallen in now, first entered by the raccoons, then finished off by the tree.
Did you have nighttime fears and bad dreams? How did you handle them?
I did not have any night time fears. But I did not like to go out in the grove to the outhouse in the dark by myself. So I would get Lois to walk with me to the outside toilet.
Bad dreams,none.
Did you ever walk or talk in your sleep?
I did walk in my sleep. Dad or Mom would find me out in the ban or barnyard. Dad thought he fixed it by hooking the screen door to the outside. I don't ever remember trying to unhook it or of my parents finding me walking.
Dad's theory was that if I had to take the time to unhook the door it might be enough trouble to wake me up. As I said, I don't remember messing with the door.
Feel free to also share any routines you have done with your kids.
No routine except that we did enforce bedtimes for the kids.
I think it is a trait that runs in my genes of not wanting to wake up in the morning. I have slept through an alarm making me late for work.
When Dad would get up he would dress, then head for the barn and cow milking. On his way out he would wake me up so I could come help him. Several times I went back to sleep and either missed milking or would get a stern call from Dad who had walked back to the house to see where I was.
When Karen (daughter) had her own apartment at college I would daily give her a long distance call to wake her for classes.
This is the house where I was born. Probably around the turn of the 20th century it was brand new. It had two bedrooms upstairs, a living room, and a country kitchen. Later two enclosed but not heated porches were added.
The porch on the right is where I had to sleep when my sister was old enough to have her own room. Cold mornings would find frost on my blankets where my breath would freeze. You can see it is fallen in now, first entered by the raccoons, then finished off by the tree.
Did you have nighttime fears and bad dreams? How did you handle them?
I did not have any night time fears. But I did not like to go out in the grove to the outhouse in the dark by myself. So I would get Lois to walk with me to the outside toilet.
Bad dreams,none.
Did you ever walk or talk in your sleep?
I did walk in my sleep. Dad or Mom would find me out in the ban or barnyard. Dad thought he fixed it by hooking the screen door to the outside. I don't ever remember trying to unhook it or of my parents finding me walking.
Dad's theory was that if I had to take the time to unhook the door it might be enough trouble to wake me up. As I said, I don't remember messing with the door.
Feel free to also share any routines you have done with your kids.
No routine except that we did enforce bedtimes for the kids.
I think it is a trait that runs in my genes of not wanting to wake up in the morning. I have slept through an alarm making me late for work.
When Dad would get up he would dress, then head for the barn and cow milking. On his way out he would wake me up so I could come help him. Several times I went back to sleep and either missed milking or would get a stern call from Dad who had walked back to the house to see where I was.
When Karen (daughter) had her own apartment at college I would daily give her a long distance call to wake her for classes.
Labels: Flashback Friday, Jim's Life, Routine
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Men's Power Lunch — MidWeek Blues — Grant Teaff
Our Church has started having a Men's Power Lunches series. Monday, this week, our speaker was Grant Teaff, former head football coach at Baylor University.Grant has been in the College Football Hall of Fame since 2001. Around here he famous for having been the winningest coach against the University of Texas (at Austin) [Wikipedia article].
Of course I attended along with over 149 other men who dropped in during their lunch hour. I would say that less than half were members of our church, the First Baptist Church of Conroe, Texas (link).
Coach Teaff talked about how he encouraged football players to be the best they could be. At what ever assignment they held. As he talked he showed how to apply his teachings to our own lives. To be the best we could be. Teaff is famous for his jokes, I thought both funny and corny, which he liberally sprinkled on all us.
It is a wonder I don't have a picture of the delicious McKenzie's Barbecue plate I had. I must be getting old.
Take a look at the (BLUE) speaker schedule. I am sure you will recognize some of these. All of them will show up on Google Search, most will be in Wikipedia.
If you would be in town on any of those days remember that I have invited you to come. The lunch costs $10.00. Next time I will take a food picture but it might not be barbecue from McKenzie's.
Below is the speaker, Coach Grant Teaff.
We ate in the church gym. This Thursday evening we will be beginning our contemporary services again. Those are held in the gym.
He had been having them but when the assistant minister left to start his own church we stopped having them. A lot of the young people like this type of service with the loud music and praise songs. I like them too but then that isn't acting my age.
In January we plan to change the contemporary service back to Sunday mornings while one of the other services is going along.
Our pastor is Dr. Mark Dennison (picture link). He is fairly new to us since this Spring and has gotten off to a great start. He is a lot younger than me but we can communicate and relate fine.
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He had been having them but when the assistant minister left to start his own church we stopped having them. A lot of the young people like this type of service with the loud music and praise songs. I like them too but then that isn't acting my age.
In January we plan to change the contemporary service back to Sunday mornings while one of the other services is going along.
Our pastor is Dr. Mark Dennison (picture link). He is fairly new to us since this Spring and has gotten off to a great start. He is a lot younger than me but we can communicate and relate fine.
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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.
Or do less. All she requires is a BLUE PICTURE or BLUE THOUGHT, you don't have to write.
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Labels: Church, Eating, Football
Monday, September 13, 2010
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When they got to the game the twins knew they were overdressed.
No matter. Their Houston Texans won over the Indiananapolis Colts 34-24.
140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2010 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved
Picture from Susan's blog, Stony River
These ladies' picture was in her mother's family picture collection. Most likely they were taken by Susan's mother.
Susan would like for us to take notice of the high heels even though the ladies have made their way out onto the grass.
Check over at Susan's blog, Stony River, for more microfiction Monday! They should read quickly because our requirement is 140 characters or less.
For more of Jim's microFiction Monday posts on his other blog, click here.
When they got to the game the twins knew they were overdressed.
No matter. Their Houston Texans won over the Indiananapolis Colts 34-24.
140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2010 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved
Picture from Susan's blog, Stony River
These ladies' picture was in her mother's family picture collection. Most likely they were taken by Susan's mother.
Susan would like for us to take notice of the high heels even though the ladies have made their way out onto the grass.
Check over at Susan's blog, Stony River, for more microfiction Monday! They should read quickly because our requirement is 140 characters or less. For more of Jim's microFiction Monday posts on his other blog, click here.
Labels: Microfiction-Monday
