Some Of My Favorite Things

The old lighthouse on Lake Michigan in my hometown. That is the city of Chicago sticking up across the lake. On a clear day, you can see Gary and Chicago.

Michigan City is a small town that borders on Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes. We have our own zoo and didn’t have a Mall until one was built. It was wonderful growing up there and I think about doing so with great fondness.

When I think about those days there are so many, one of a kind memories I got to experience while growing up Hoosier. I thought I’d share some of them with you.

1. Eating breakfast at Brownies Restaurant after church, filled with people who had been at Sunday services.

2. The view from our largest sand dune, Mount Baldy.

3. Summer concerts at the old band shell.

4. Going to the Moose Lodge for parties and functions with my family.

5. Riding the South Shore (electric train) to Chicago and back.

6. Franklin Street, (our main drag) filled with honking cars after the 1966 state basketball championship.

7. Seeing Santa at his little house that would magically appear at Christmas on the corner of 7th and Franklin street.

8. Watching men make railroad cars at Pullman Steel.

9. Going fishing at the crack of dawn on the pier by the lighthouse.

10. Walking along Lake Michigan searching for beautiful pieces of driftwood and other treasures that washed up on the shore.

11. Riding with my friends up and down the main drag after we all got our drivers license.

12. Going to the bakery for fresh Bear Claws.

13. Driving along the lake on Lakeshore Drive looking at all the beautiful homes and mansions on the lake.

14. Going to ‘sock hops’ at school and the YMCA.

15. Watching my dad wrestle at the Armory, state fairs, and Ames Field.

16. Ice skating and bobsledding in the Winter.

17. Going to Scholl’s Dairy for the best ice cream ever.

18. Horseback riding at the stables in Beverly Shores.

19. Ordering cherry cokes and fries at Woolworth's fountain.

20. Buying 45 records at Harvey’s Dime Store.

21. Going to the beach and swimming in Lake Michigan.

22. Going to the A & W on the way to the beach for hot dogs and root beer.

23. Penny candy and I have the fillings to prove it.

24. Standing outside at McDonald’s and buying 25 cent hamburgers.

25. Christmas decorations on Franklin Street.

26. The balcony at the Tivoli Theater.

27. The smell of the Smith Brothers cough drop factory.

28. Fish fries with fresh water perch (the best food ever) at M&M’s restaurant.

29. Three feet of snow in 1958.

30. Walking out to the lighthouse.

31. Climbing all the way up to the top of the observation tower by the zoo.

32. Going to the Washington Park Zoo to see Monkey Island.

33. Riding the bumper cars at Washington Park.

34. Going to the old amusement park on the beach by Lake Michigan.

35. Going to the lake to get a free truck full of sand for our sandbox.

36. Walking to school and back home every day all by ourselves.

37. Going to movies at the 212 outdoor theater.

38. Catching lightning bugs on warm summer nights.

37. Sunrises and sunsets on Lake Michigan.

Just a few of my favorite things about my home town.

Mount Baldy the biggest sand dune now a park.

The Armory where my father wrestled.

Carlson's Drive-in, the only one left now.

The lighthouse in winter.

Our Mall (we only had one) where we hung out and my mom taught me to drive in the parking lot when it was closed on Sundays.

I enjoyed growing up here and if I could make time stand still I would have done it before all the little changes that forever make our lives different. This place as I remember it is just a memory.

Keep On Bloggin’!

Welcome Home And Congratulations To The SF Giants!

The SF Giants won the World Series in 2010! Awesome!

In 2012...

The SF Giants win the World Series; again! 

They dominated the season and took no prisoners!

Go  

 

Thank you for all of your hard work, but it wouldn’t be anything without your hearts behind it. You are definitely a team with heart! Relax and enjoy what you have reaped. Go SF Giants!

What Is It About Mondays?

Yeah, Mondays can suck. Monday is the day after the weekend and being such, has become one of the least popular days of the week. But what do you really know about the day we love to hate?

Basic Monday Facts

Monday is the day between Sunday and Tuesday. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the first day of the work week. Monday is derived from Old English, mōndæg literally meaning “moons day”. Monday aligns with the celestial body, the Moon, and the astrological sign of Cancer, and is represented by the symbol of the Moon, ☾.

Common Monday Names

The term ‘Mondayitis’ has become a popular saying among employees who work a common working week starting on Monday.

In times past Monday also became known as ‘Blue Monday’, named when the first day of the week was set aside for doing laundry. Bluing was used to keep clothes white and from that product the day became known as ‘Blue Monday’. Although today Mondays are not typically set aside for laundry as they once were the term ‘Blue Monday’ still exists as many employees begin their working week after a weekend break.

Monday’s Health And Color

According to the British Medical Journal, there is a reported 20% increase in heart attacks on Mondays as opposed to the other days of the week. As the color of the moon is milky white the ancient system of health care called Ayurveda which centers on holistic health recommends wearing milky white and being around white flowers on this day of the week.

Songs About Monday

♦ Monday Monday – The Mamas and The Papas

♦ Monday Morning – Melanie Fiona

♦ Manic Monday – The Bangles

♦ Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters

♦ I Don’t Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats

Books On Monday

♦ Monday Begins on Saturday – Boris and Arkady Strugatsky

♦ Mister Monday – Garth Nix

♦ Monday Mourning – Kathy Reichs

♦ Monday with a Mad Genius – Mary Pope Osbourne

Number Of Monday’s In A Calendar Year

There are either 52 or 53 Mondays in a calendar year, depending on what day of the week a year starts. It will also depend if the year is a leap year. In 2010 and 2011 there will be 52 Mondays and there will be 53 in 2012. So if you are not looking forward to next Monday remember you are not alone, and try to look on the bright side – there are still six other days of the week in between.

Named Holidays

♦ Easter Monday - follows Easter and is celebrated as a holiday in some cultures.

♦ Cyber Monday - follows Thanksgiving- refers to the increase in online sales.

♦ Hansel Monday - first of the new year in which gifts are given to convey good wishes in Scotland and Northern England.

♦ Clean Monday - or Ash Monday- the first day of Lent. Refers to being free from sin.

♦ Big Monday - ESPN's College Basketball presentation.

♦ Black Monday - October 19, 1987- the day the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 508 points.

The Worst Day

In many cultures, the first day of the work week holds the honor of being the worst day. Another interesting fact about Monday, the second day of the week, is, the French used to call automobiles that turn out to be lemons, "Monday Cars."

The Brighter Side

On the brighter side, there are two positive things about Monday. First, if you were born on this day, then you're not homely. After all, the old rhyme goes, "Monday's child is fair of face". That's a good thing. And second, when you're going to shop for a new car, do it on a Monday. Car salespeople make the bulk of their sales on the weekends. When Monday rolls around, there are usually few customers in sight, and the weekend is a long ways off. That's why car salespeople are more desperate on Monday, and they'll be more willing to cut you a deal.

Miscellaneous Monday Fact

A strange Monday fact is it’s associated with Silver when it comes to Alchemy; an ancient chemical science.

Eleven Monday Fun Facts

1. Most of us don't crack our first smile until 11:16 a.m.

2. The best-preferred way to beat Monday blues is by watching television or having sex.

3. Over 50% of employees are late to work.

4. Most people will moan about it being Monday for a whole 12 minutes.

5. People between the ages of 45 and 54 are likely to suffer the most Monday blues.

6. Workers only manage 3 1/2 hours of productive work.

7. Monday is the most likely day to commit suicide.

8. Most heart attacks happen on Mondays.

9. Monday is the least rainy day in the week.

10. Monday is the best day to buy a car.

11. You’re most likely to have a hangover on a Monday.

Enjoy your Mondays! Keep On Bloggin'!           

The Month Of May

This month is my birthday but I like the month of May for many reasons. The big one being that Spring is warming up and everywhere there’s signs of new life. I look at May as a month of renewal and of change. I can’t wait to see what life brings me next as I welcome May back.

Poems About May

May Crown

All early in the morning
I rose to greet the day,
And underneath my window
I saw a Child at play.

The robins were not fearful
Of one so mild and meek;
They lighted on His shoulder
And nested at His cheek.

He picked the clustering roses,
The lily in its sheath,
The long-stemmed purple violets,
And wove them in a wreath.

And then I saw a Lady
Come walking in the dew;
Her robe was white as starshine,
Her mantle was deep blue.

And as the Child approached her,
All sweetly she knelt down
And bent her head, receiving
His fragrant, flowery crown.

© Helen Connolly

May

Hail, sweet month of May!
Hail, bright month of May!
Bring sunshine with thee,
Chasing clouds away.
March has left us sighing
In cold and chilly blast,
April's tears have fallen,
May has come at last!

I will wander in the meadows,
I will search in sunny bowers,
I will cut sweet-scented posies,
I will twine a wreath of flowers.
The lily and the rosebud
With May I will entwine,
And lay them for an offering
Upon Our Lady's shrine.

And there is another offering
Which at Mary's feet I'll lay,
I know that she will prize it more
Than all the flowers of May,
I will pray to her to keep it
And never from it part,
And my Queen will deign to take it -
My poor, yet loving heart.

I will pray to her to guide it,
In truth and wisdom's way,
And make it pure and balmy
As the flowers which spring in May;
I will pray to her to warm it
With the sunshine of her love,
And make it fit to deck a crown
One day in heaven above.

Anonymous

May In Bloom

May is so beautiful:
Orchards are fair;
Branches of fruit trees
Make gardens of air.

Flowers of fragrance
Bloom in the light;
Fall like the snowflakes
Showering white.

Orchards of heaven
Grow with a grace,
And like a blessing
Perfume the place.

Each tree in blossom,
Each lovely spray,
In this month of Our Lady,
Bring glory to May.

© Helen Maring

May Quotes

"Be like a flower and turn your face to the sun."
- Kahlil Gibran

"Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,
A box where sweets compacted lie."
- George Herbert, Virtue

"The world's favorite season is the spring.
All things seem possible in May."
- Edwin Way Teale

More May Poetry

May

"The wind is tossing the lilacs,
The new leaves laugh in the sun,
And the petals fall on the orchard wall,
But for me the spring is done.
Beneath the apple blossoms
I go a wintry way,
For love that smiled in April
Is false to me in May."

© Sara Teasdale

An English Rhyme

"A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay;
A swarm of bees in June
Is worth a silver spoon;
A swarm of bees in July
Is not worth a fly."
- Rhyme from England

May Weather Lore

A cold January, a warm May. - Welsh Proverb

Mist in May, heat in June, make the harvest come right soon.

A wet May makes a big load of hay. A cold May is kindly and fills the barn finely.

A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay.

Flowers before May bring bad luck. - Welsh Proverb

Happy May Day!

Keep On Bloggin’!