Raise your hand if you’ve ever used an outhouse.
During a recent discussion with friends, the topic of outhouses came up. I honestly don’t remember why it made its way into the conversation, but boy, did it ever.
So, I posed the question on my Facebook page, yes or no, have you ever used an outhouse? I was shocked at not only the number of people who said yes, but also at the number of people who responded with comments about their ...
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I grew up in the land of harvest gold and avocado green. I can withstand anything.
As a kid of the 70’s, I was surrounded by strong colors and shag carpet. Most kids probably didn’t notice or care how garish our surroundings were, but I did.
What were we thinking?
As a child, I would look at photos from the previous decades and admire the choices people made when they decorated their homes and businesses. Specifically, I was drawn to the Art Deco ...
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I used to think that technological advancements were amazing. I couldn’t wait to see what was next. Now, I just want to keep using what I’ve already figured out.
I used to make fun of folks who shunned new technology. “Why wouldn’t you want to learn new and better ways to do things?” I thought.
Not anymore. I’ve become that person.
I realize that things change and improve, but do they have to change so darn fast?
Just when I figured out how to ...
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When I was a kid, I didn’t appreciate my grandparents as much as I should have. It’s a mistake I think most of us make.
Grandparents and grandchildren share a bond. Innately, grandchildren know that there’s a special love between them and their parent’s parents.
Your mom and dad had your back, but your grandparents had your mom and dad’s back. You always knew that.
I can remember my grandmother helping me on a school project for history class. I have fond memories ...
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Married folks always have great stories. Some stories are more amusing to one spouse than the other.
Over the Christmas holiday, we went home to Arkansas to visit family. Christmas seems to be the time when everyone whips out their favorite story on another family member, but the stories spouses tell on each other normally are the best.
My mom’s friend is like many women when it comes to automobiles. She knows how to operate one, but isn’t too keen on any ...
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Christmas is what you make it.
Some people look forward to Christmas. Others just try and find ways to get through it.
When you’re a kid, you think about yourself. Christmas is about you and Santa. When you grow up, reality sets in.
If you’re a young parent, you want your kids to have the best Christmas ever. If you’re a grandparent, you simply want to see your children and grandchildren. If only for a short time during the holidays.
What I remember most ...
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We got into my friend’s car and Billy Joel came on the satellite radio.
I began to sing along. It was an album cut. Not one that had been played much on the radio almost 40 years ago.
I knew all of the words. My friend pointed that out.
For Christmas in 1977, I wanted Billy Joel’s new album, “The Stranger”. Specifically, I wanted it on 8-track. I’d been driving for about a year, and no self-respecting teen left home without his or ...
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Biscuit making is a lost art.
There have been many great advancements in civilization, but I have to say that canned biscuits isn’t one of them.
Pillsbury Grands, the flaky variety of course, are about as close to homemade biscuits as you can get, but they’re still nowhere near as good as biscuits made by the hands of an experienced biscuit maker.
This came to mind at Thanksgiving after eating my brother-in-law’s famous yeast rolls. It’s not his recipe (it came from one ...
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Toys ain’t what they used to be. For the most part.
When my kids were little, Cabbage Patch Dolls were all the rage.
I never understood Cabbage Patch Dolls, or the hair pulling and fistfights that occurred in stores across America over who was going to get the first ones off the shelf when the new shipments arrived.
Think about it. The premise was that each doll was born in a cabbage patch. I’m not sure if the idea was to take a ...
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Most of us celebrate Thanksgiving without a second thought. That’s not how it was intended.
Contrary to what many say, America was founded on religious principles. Thanksgiving is proof of that.
Those who fled England to come here in the early 1600s did so for religious reasons. The first recognized Thanksgiving was a feast they shared with Native Americans to honor the Creator.
Since 1863, by proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln, Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a federal holiday on the fourth Thursday ...
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