The Difference Between Men and Boys . . .

 . . . is the price of their toys :-)

My DSO lives in a marina.  Last week a friend and his wife came driving up.  Isn't this just the cutest thing?

It's an amphi-car from the 60's.  After launching the amphi-car at a nearby dock, they stopped by Fritz's dock.

It definitely is an attention-getter!



And they are off once again.

I didn't get to go for a ride :(  Maybe next time.

* * *

It is rug hooking week at Sauder Village.  I'll go up for the day on Thursday.  I don't "need" anything . . . other than a #9 cutter head :) so hopefully I won't be too bad.

Thanks for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Just for Fun ~

Meet Mimi from Stowe, Ohio.

She and her Mom were one of the vendors

at the Ohio Pug Rescue benefit

at the Candlelight Winery in Garretsville, Ohio.

It was a beautiful summer day

and there were pugs galore,

in addition to many other breeds of dogs.

Mimi is something of a celebrity.

Her Mom has written a book about her

and Mimi has a better wardrobe than I do :)

She is also one of the top pugs nationwide

in agility competitions.

She is just too cute!

That's Lulu smiling at us
with some of her OPR
brothers' and sisters' butts.

 Jake had a ball.  He found another young boy
to play with and the two of them
 went wading in a creek
 on the winery premises.
To say they got wet is an understatement
but they had fun
and when you're a kid,
that's all important!

* * *
Hiding in these trees is the house that
my Aunt Mary lived in.
I had not been past it in many decades
but I passed it on the way to the winery.
I can't believe it is still standing.
The house had no running water
and as kids we would put a marble
on one side of the kitchen
and watch it roll to the other side.
I remember my Aunt Mary
chasing down any fly that dared
 enter her home.
I think about her each time
I go chasing a fly.



I recall a school being across the street,
but this building looks more like a church.
I don't remember if another structure
was there back then.

I think this is the same slide
we used to slide down as kids.
Looks at all the dings!
We were each given one piece
of waxed paper to help us go down faster.
Oh, what memories.
 

* * *
Now, just for fun . . .

We older people need to learn something new every day . . .

just to keep the grey matter tuned up.

* * *

The next time you are washing your hands

and complain because the water temperature

isn't just how you like it,
think about how things used to be.

* * *

Where "Piss Poor" came from and other interesting history.

* * *

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot.

And then once a day it was taken
 and sold to the tannery.
If you had to do this to survive

 you were "piss poor".

But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot . . .

They "didn't have a pot to piss in"

and were the lowest of the low.

* * *

Here are some facts about the 1500s ~ ~ ~

* * *

Most people got married in June

because they took their yearly bath in May,

and they still smelled pretty good by June.

However, since they were starting to smell,

brides carried a bouquet of flowers

to hide the body odor.

Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet

 when getting married.

* * *

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water.

The man of the house had the privilege

 of the nice clean water,

Then all the other sons and men,

then the women and finally the children.

Last of all the babies.

By then the water was so dirty

you could actually lose someone in it.

Hence the saying,

"Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!".

* * *

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high,

 with no wood underneath.

It was the only place for animals to get warm,

so all the cats and other small animals

(mice, bugs) lived in the roof.

When it rained it became slippery

 and sometimes the animals

 would slip and fall off the roof.

Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs".

* * *

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.

This posed a real problem in the bedroom

 where bugs and other droppings

could mess up your nice clean bed.

Hence, a bed with big posts

 and a sheet hung over the top

 afforded some protection.

That's how canopy beds came into existence.

* * *

The floor was dirt.

Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.

Hence the saying, "dirt poor".

* * *

The wealthy had slate floors

that would get slippery

in the winter when wet,

so they spread thresh (straw) on floor

 to help keep their footing.

As the winter wore on,

they added more thresh until,

when you opened the door,

it would all start slipping outside.

A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way.

Hence: a thresh hold.

* * *

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

* * *

In those old days,

they cooked in the kitchen

with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.

Every day they lit the fire

 and added things to the pot.

They ate mostly vegetables

and did not get much meat.

They would eat the stew for dinner,

leaving leftovers in the pot

to get cold overnight

 and then start over the next day.

Sometimes stew had food in it

that had been there for quite a while.

Hence the rhyme:

Peas porridge hot,

peas porridge cold,

peas porridge in the pot nine days old.

* * *

Sometimes they could obtain pork,

which made them feel quite special.

When visitors came over,

they would hang up their bacon to show off.

It was a sign of wealth that a man could

"bring home the bacon".

They would cut off a little to share with guests

and would all sit around and "chew the fat".

* * *

Those with money had plates made of pewter.

Food with high acid content

caused some of the lead to leach onto the food,

causing lead poisoning death.

This happened most often with tomatoes,

so for the next 400 years or so,

 tomatoes were considered poisonous.

* * *

Bread was divided according to status.

Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf,

the family got the middle,

and guests got the top,

or the "upper crust".

* * *

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky.

The combination would sometimes knock

 the imbibers out for a couple of days.

Someone walking along the road

would take them for dead

and prepare them for burial.

They were laid out on the kitchen table

 for a couple of days

 and the family would gather around

and eat and drink

 and wait and see if they would wake up.

Hence the custom of holding a wake.

* * *

England is old and small

 and the local folks

started running out of places to bury people.

So they would dig up coffins

 and would take the bones to a bone-house

and reuse the grave.

When reopening these coffins,

1 out of 25 coffins were found

to have scratch marks

on the inside and they realized

they had been burying people alive.

So they would tie a string

 on the wrist of the corpse,

lead it through the coffin

and up through the ground and tie it to a bell.

Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night

the "graveyard" shift

to listen for the bell;

thus, someone could besaved by the bell

or was considered a dead ringer.

* * *

And that's the truth.

Now, whoever said History was boring!!!

Inside every older person

is a younger person wondering,

"What the heck happened?'"

* * *

We'll be friends until we are old and senile.

Then we'll be new friends.

* * *

Thanks for stopping by!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

For Eema's Fan Club Members ~

Just a quick Eema update :)

* * *

I am happy to report that Mom Dolly

says that Eema hasn't changed any

since I visited a couple of weeks ago.

She likes to twirl herself into the corner drape

and then peek out.

She also likes to plop down close to the floor vent

 when the air is going to cool off that belly ;-)

Tomorrow Jake and I are off to an

Ohio Pug Rescue benefit at the

Candlelight Winery

about an hour and a half east of me.

It is a family event with the emphasis

on the pugs, not the wine.

I'll buy some Pink Pug Wine,

but not drink any until after I get home :)

* * *

Thanks for stopping by!

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

The Bean ~

While in Chicago, my son said he wanted to see the Bean.  I had never heard of the Bean.  According to Wikipedia . . .

"Cloud Gate, a public sculpture by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor, is the centerpiece of the AT&T Plaza in Millennium Park within the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The sculpture and AT&T Plaza are located on top of Park Grill, between the Chase Promenade and McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink. Constructed between 2004 and 2006, the sculpture is nicknamed "The Bean" because of its bean-like shape. Made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It is 33 by 66 by 42 feet (10 by 20 by 13 m), and weighs 110 short tons (100 t; 98 long tons)."

Here we are at the entrance of Millennium Park.  For those of you who have mentioned my son never smiles in his pics, here's one for you.

Here's the Bean.  Isn't it just too cool?

That's me at the very bottom taking the picture.

Can you find me again?  (Kind of like Where's Waldo?)

There are two identical fountains at the Park maybe 200 feet apart and the area in between has several inches of water for people to wade or play in. Periodically, faces are projected on to the fountains.

The eyes open and close and the lips move . . .

. . . and every so often they spit water simultaneously.

 

The kids had a blast.  Here's Jake with his 5 year old cousin Alexis.

Getting kisses from Tessa.

We had a great family trip to Chicago.  How nice to spend time with two of my favorite people, visiting some of my favorite people.

Thank you for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Monday Mumblings ~

Happy, happy birthday to my #1 bad boy, Bill.  Here he is all decked out in his mining gear.  Exploring mines in Nevada and California is a favorite past time of his.  I can't believe he is 32.  Geez, if he's that old, what does that make me?

Our trip home from Chicago was thankfully uneventful.  Son J drove the entire trip home so I got to work on a little punch needle piece I started on the trip out.  It rained about 75% of the way home and I was hoping the rain would make it to Ohio, but unfortunately it did not :(

Even though I am working on a fall piece, I am not wishing that it gets here anytime soon.  Oh, how the days are already changing!  It is now dark in the morning when I walk the dog and by 9 pm, it's quite dark.  The crickets are getting noisier and I am seeing more grasshoppers ~ definitely signs of fall on Ohio's north coast.

While I was in Chicago, Lulu spent the time with DSO Fritz and Loocie.  She and Loocie had "words" a couple of times.  These pugs can be as bad as kids!  She seems to be settling in and is a bit calmer.  She is now allowed to sleep in bed and today I left her uncrated when I went to work and she seems to have done just fine.  She hates when I leave, but hated the crate even more.  In a few more days when she is off her ear meds, she will be put on the ready to adopt list. 

Thank you so much for stopping by and a big THANK YOU to all my new followers.  

Pug hugs :)
Lauren  

Lincoln Park Zoo ~

Yesterday we took a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.  Here's Jake with his cousins Sophia and Alexis who reside in Chicago.  As soon as we entered the zoo, they wanted to take a little train ride.

Here they are checking out the sea lions.

 

Jake's favorite exhibit at the zoo was the polar bear.  Mine too:)

I don't remember the name of this bear.
 

The kids loved the "smashed" pennies that they could make at the zoo.  Actually, the first coin is a smashed quarter.  I had never seen it done with quarters before.  The kids loved smashing the coins and it is a very inexpensive souvenir to remember their day at the zoo.

The Chicago skyline as seen from the zoo.  That's the Hancock Building in the background.

My son J and Jake.

Jake really loves his cousins!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Road Trip ~

Tomorrow my younger son J, grandson Jake and I are heading to Chicago for a long weekend to visit my niece and her family.



Jake is SO looking forward to seeing his cousins Sophia and Alexis.  This picture was taken two summers ago, but I just love it.  It screams "happy kids" to me.

A big thank you to my new followers.  I was stuck at 195 forever and then lost one.  I just picked up a few new.  Woo hoo!  I'm closing in on 200!!!

* * * * *

Please be sure to let those you love know it.  Give them a hug and tell them.  You never know what tomorrow holds.  The wife of a mechanic in our maintenance garage was fine Monday morning, complaining only of a sore leg over the weekend.  Tuesday her funeral was being planned.  She was only 43 and leaves behind not only her husband, but a six year old daughter.  Please say a prayer for them.

* * * * *

Pug hugs :)
Lauren