In the good ol' Summertime

There was an old song like that. I think my mom had sheet music of it. Right now we are experiencing the heat of summer, high 90s. I was able to be indoors most of the day at work. Other people weren't quite so blessed, but they enjoyed coming into the cool hardware store. In the past few days, people bought alot of ice cream from the ice cream freezer, that's by the register and drinks as well. Our ice cream rep from Dreyers came in today and reloaded the cooler. No free samples, ah.

It's amazing what an ice cream cooler can do to a person. Some people wonder why I put it there to tempt them? Seemingly happy children come into the store with one or two parents. Upon spying the ice cream freezer, they beg for ice cream. I've seen a temper tantrum erupt very quickly if no ice cream is given. In that instance, ice cream isn't given. Older men, who I know have had heart by-passes will buy ice cream as well. Not just the little bars but the big, heart attack in the making ice cream wafer cones. About the only one that's good for you in there is the Haagen Daas bars, less junk but still rich (and $2.29).

I just succumb to waiting til I get home and eat ice cream from my own freezer. Most of the time I have Tillamook or Umpqua ice cream on hand. They are both made in Oregon and have relatively good ingredients in them. I'm trying to cut back from eating much of high fructose corn syrup. Not good for me, not good for my husband that's diabetic. He can eat this ice cream in moderation. I buy the ice cream when it's been on sale. Right now I have one in the side-by-side freezer and one in the deep freeze, for later.

We all have our favorites things to eat in the summertime. It's great we live in the Northwest where we get many berries, cherries, apples, peaches, and fresh veggies. But other places around the country do as well. I used to make jams but not much any more. I can get great jam at the fruit farm store for a good price. Baumans is open almost all year now, which is a good thing. (They close a couple weeks after Christmas.) By the time I make it, the cost has gone way up. There's really nothing like homemade jam, though. I helped my mom make it for years while we lived on the farm. I've made it in years past after I was married as well. I canned some cherries and peaches in the past but none recently. I love to make applesauce, though. My daughter-in-law, Erin, tells her daughter, Melody, that maybe grandma will make some applesauce for her in the fall. I'm sure she'll like it. Most of the applesauce I find in stores isn't that tasty. I have found First Crush as Trader Joe's to be excellent. Only apples and water. You can buy it sweetened as well. Motts, which I usually pick up at Grocery Outlet is good as well.

Speaking of summer and heat, the plants are calling me to go outside and water them. One task of the summer to keep them hydrated and weeds minimal. I've been whacking away at the blackberries that are in my flower bed. One runner has made itself long enough to reach the sidewalk again. So I best whack it back again. Never ending things to take care of. So it is with our lives. Constant up keep of our health and spiritual well being. Keeping ourself free to worship on Sunday and free to be a Christian without being persecuted in this great country of ours. God bless America and keep her strong. May he keep our soldiers safe as well.

Chair and Car Episode

In the last blog, I mentioned that I had ordered an adirondack chair for me from the hardware store that I work at. I need to mention another part of the story that happened when the chairs arrived on Wed. I'd ordered a big one for me and a kid's adirondack chair for my granddaughter, Melody. She's only 13 months old and I don't know when she'll be sitting in this since she's quite active. This is a grandma's house chair as well. But I want her to have something her size to sit in, eventually.

A couple weeks ago I traded my van in for a smaller vehicle, 2007 Ford Focus. I really like and it's comfortable for me to drive and get groceries in. But this buying of chair and taking it home was more of a chore for me.

I was able to fit the little chair in just fine, in the back seat. Then I attempted to put the bigger chair in. The chair doesn't fold up. I tried different ways to get it to fit but it wouldn't go. So I attempted to put the bigger (grandma sized) chair into the trunk to no avail!!! Right behind me was a pickup truck, with 2 people in it, watching all of this! I felt a bit humiliated at one point becuz I knew they were watching. So I turned around, when I had failed at putting the chair in the trunk, raised up my hands and said "I guess I can't buy it!" At that point they laughed!

I decided to give the front passenger side of the car a chance. Believe it or not, the door opened up wider than the back door. I was just about ready to get the chair in, when my co-worker, Gil, came up beside me. He had obviously seen my dilemma as he was taking something out for a customer. He came up and said, (with a sheepish grin) "You remember that you don't have your van any more." We laughed!! I managed to get the chair in by laying the front seat back and moved the seat itself back. Instant insertion of chair. I even got the door shut!! I was able to drive home without the chair falling on me.

Quite a story to remember of how not to buy bigger things than your car can hold. Or overdue your life's schedule to the point of exhaustion and never being home for your family or time to read the Bible. How well does what you want fold well into your life and still meet your criteria and life choices?