Smelling Chicken, Listening to Mooing Sounds, and Giving Things Away (Truly Grateful Series)

The Chamber of Commerce in my town hosted their annual Business & Industry Show at the local Middle School yesterday, and I was there with our display booth from the library.  

It is part of my job to put the display together including taking all of the pictures that are on the board and arranging the table when it is all set up.  We generally have three or four events during the year when we take the display booth somewhere and have it set up.  Another part of my job is designing and creating brochures, pamphlets, and bookmarks like you see on the right side of the table.

We held drawings and gave away a children's book and a tote bag with the library logo on it every hour.  At the end of the show, we gave away the gift basket which held four children's books plus a tote bag, a mug, and a cap all with the library logo on them.  

We also had pens and pencils and bookmarks to give away as freebies to anyone who wanted them.

It was a nice change of pace to work at the display booth, and it got me out of my office for a little while.  I only worked there for four hours switching off with other library employees for the rest of the day.  It was nice to chat with the folks who stopped by to visit our booth, pass out informational brochures to those who wanted them, and answer whatever questions people had about the library.

I couldn't back up enough from the display to get a picture of the whole booth so I took several pictures from different angles.  The reason I couldn't back up enough to take a picture was because directly across from our booth were these two booths: one for my son's and his girlfriend's favorite ice cream shop here in town, and one for a company that sells seasonings. 

The seasonings company was giving away samples of chicken cooked with the seasoning and the ice cream place was handing out free ice cream sandwiches to anyone who was willing to moo like a cow.  So all day long we smelled the chicken cooking in that silver pan there on the table to the left and listened to people mooing before watching them enjoy a yummy ice cream sandwich!  Also, around the corner from us, you might be able to see in the very first picture of this post was the booth for a company that sells delicious caramel corn.


Our table with free bookmarks and pens and pencils paled in comparison to the free samples of ice cream and chicken bites across from us!  Even so, we had quite a few people stop to enter our drawings and to say hello as they passed by.  I don't know how many people came through to see the show, but it was crowded all day long.  These pictures I took were all taken before the show even started, so the people you see in these shots are all exhibitors at the show.

These pictures were all taken in the gymnasium of the school where our booth was set up.  There were also booths set up in the cafeteria, the hallway, and the music room.  This is spring break week for the kids in our local schools so the school was empty of students for the day of the show.  The Business & Industry Show is held at the school every year during spring break.  

Businesses of all sorts from all around the county were there with their displays, giveaways, and drawings.

Here are a few of the freebies that I was given. Lots of booths gave away candy, pens, pencils, yardsticks, jar openers, refrigerator magnets, and other sorts of goods that had business logos printed on them.  I was also given a full size bag of peanut butter flavored dog treats, but I forgot to put them in this picture.  Max the poodle dog was quite pleased that I brought those home for him.

I also picked up quite a few coupons for businesses around town.  I made sure to get some coupons from my son's favorite ice cream shop whose booth I mentioned above.  Also, I was the winner of a coupon for a free haircut at one of our area beauty salons!

I spent part of my day at work today calling the winners of all of our drawings from the show to let them know they could pick up their prizes at the library.  That was fun to do.  It's not often you can call up strangers and tell them they have won a prize.  I continue to be so grateful for this job I have that I love.


Lord, for this job that I love, please let me be truly grateful.

"When Did He Grow To Be So Tall?"

My husband and older son flew to Florida last week because my son had applied at Palm Beach Atlantic University there and had an interview scheduled with them.  I had to work at the library and my younger son had school, so we stayed at home with the pets.  The interview went very well, and they let him know the next day that he had been accepted.  He was (and still is) quite excited and happy.  


I thought I'd share some of the pictures they took while they were down there.  I left the pictures in the smaller size so as not to overwhelm anyone's browser, but you can click on any to enlarge them if you wish.  Of course, while they were there, they spent a little time on the beach and saw a few sights.

They wanted me to see what the temperatures were there.

Thumbs up!  The interview went well.  Time for a break.

A silly pose for the camera--I have no idea where he gets that from!

Oh yeah, now I remember where he gets that from.

This is me, the smiling and very proud mom, of course.  My son has worked very hard to be where he is.  He has been carrying a double major in psychology and sociology and going to school year around so that he will graduate this summer after three years in college instead of stretching it to four as most do.  After graduate school, he would like to be a counselor at the college level and help kids who have problems with substance abuse.  

I am very happy for him and very proud of him.  I am also worried and a little nervous about him being so far away from home to go to school, and I will readily admit I am rather sad about him being so far away also.  However, time marches on, doesn't it, no matter how much I sometimes wish I could make it stand still.

Thank You, Thank You Very Much!

I have some blog business to tend to today.  I have a couple of folks I want to thank for their kindness.

First of all, I'd like to thank Paige who writes the blog, Paradise Valley 2...Hell's Mountain and over the edge. Paige gave me this lovely Summer Blog Award that you see below.  Doesn't that picture make you wish you could just go and spend a day at the beach?  She has some fun things planned for her readers during the month of April, especially for those who like poetry.

                             

Paige sometimes makes me laugh with her blog, and other times she teaches me something new.  She also writes some wonderful poetry.  If you have time, stop over and tell her hello.  I'm sure she will be glad to meet you!  Thank you, Paige!   

I'd like to pass this award on to whoever is reading this who would like to take it home with them and put it up on their blogging mantel.  If you're reading my blog, you're a winner in my book!  HA!  (Paige made up her own rules when she gave me this blog award, so I thought I'd do the same.  I know she will forgive me.)

I'd also like to thank Ryan who writes the blog, Scotland Here And Now.  Ryan recently held a giveaway and his wee son drew my name out as the winner!  The book you see below, Edinburgh City of the Dead, was my prize.  Thank you, Ryan!

As you might guess, Ryan writes about all things Scotland on his blog from travel to history to tall tales.  Ryan has a good sense of humor, knows how to share a laugh, and may occasionally pull your leg a bit with his stories and photos, but it is all in good fun and always entertaining. Stop by and say hello to Ryan if you have a minute.  I'm sure he will give you a warm welcome if you do. 


Now you know I like to include music every once in a while on my blog posts so here's an odd but cheery little gem to go along with today's "thank you" theme  titled, "Thank You Very Much."  


The group singing this song is called "The Scaffold."  According to Wikipedia, "The Scaffold were a comedy, poetry and music trio from Liverpool, England, consisting of Mike McGear (real name Peter Michael McCartney, the brother of Paul McCartney), Roger McGough and John Gorman."  


If you listen to this song, it may get stuck in your head for the rest of the day.  You can't say I didn't warn you!   Watch for the white suits near the end---good for a laugh. 

A Piece of Poetic Pie

My boys were all home at the same time for a while last weekend, so I made a chocolate peanut butter truffle pie. (That link is for the recipe in case anyone wants to try it out.)  I took a picture of one of the pieces.  I had to be quick about it because it didn't stay around too long.  So I had this picture, but never got around to blogging about it.  


Then I read on JL Dodge's blog about a poetry challenge.  I decided I would attempt her poetry challenge and write a poem about that piece of pie.  She challenged her readers to write a monotetra.  You can read about what that is on her blog, JL Dodge Writes.  I don't know if I did this right, but this is my feeble attempt.   


I know, I know.  I cheated on the first line by adding an "s" to the word "call" which makes the rhyme not quite right at the end.  I'm also not sure I followed all the rules that were set forth in the challenge, but oh well, what's a broken rule here and there when it comes to poetry, right?  


I actually didn't follow all the rules when making the pie, either, come to think of it.  I put more chocolate on top than what the recipe called for because I had extra chocolate to use up and, well, because I could.  Those seemed like good enough reasons to me. I mean, can you have too much chocolate?  The boys didn't seem to mind. 


 So below is the picture and the poem.  If you'd like to try your hand at writing this type of poem and join the challenge, go visit JL Dodge's blog at the link I gave you earlier to see her example, which is MUCH better than mine, by the way.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie calls.

Total Sweetness!  Diet downfall.

Willpower gone.  I've hit a wall.

Whipped cream and all.  Whipped cream and all.

Who I See at the "Y-M-C-A..."

Now that spring has arrived, I am looking forward to spending a lot less time walking on the track at the Y and instead be walking outside in the park, as long as weather permits.

When walking at the Y, there isn't much to see while going around and around the indoor track.

I don't think the folks at the Y would want me snapping their pictures while they are trying to exercise.  Instead, I thought I'd post some character sketches of them I have composed in my head while walking and observing them. 

"Mutt and Jeff" are at the Y nearly every morning.  No, those aren't their real names.   Well, I don't THINK those are their real names.  I don't actually know what their names are.  Mutt and Jeff are just the names I've given them in my head.  One of them is quite tall while the other one is short and stocky, so they remind me of those two comic strip characters.  

The taller one has a full shock of white hair and appears to be fit and strong.  The shorter one has rather nondescript, brown hair and looks like someone who probably spends a lot of time on a couch watching football with a beer in one hand and a bag of chips in the other.  

I don't know anything about these two men other than that they seem quite different from each other but also seem to be very good friends.  They generally walk twelve laps on the track (equivalent to a mile) each morning, talking and swapping stories the whole time.  The tall one is quite loud and sometimes rather obnoxious.   He generally does most of the talking, often complaining about something his wife has or has not done recently.  When they go past me on the track, I have learned to hold my breath because, well, to put it delicately, the aroma of the combination of sweat and whatever weird cologne they are wearing is a bit off-putting.

The "Pats," as I like to call them, are two pleasant women who come together to the Y to walk each morning.  These two women look to be in their mid to late sixties.  They wear simple pull-on pants (They probably call them "slacks") and tops usually in dark colors.  They manage to look both sensible and fashionable with their hair always neatly arranged, makeup applied, and little pearl earrings in their ears.  In fact, they both remind me of Pat Nixon, 

like cookie cutters of her, in fact (thus, the reason I have dubbed them the "Pats").  Their hair color is different from hers, one with grey hair and one with brown hair, but the presence and personality they portray is the same.  They chat casually with each other while they whiz by me as if I am standing still.  They give me a little queen wave as they pass and chirp out "Good morning" to me.

At five foot seven inches, I don't think I am extraordinarily tall, but I am a good head taller than the "Pats."  I walk at the Y in a pair of old sweat pants and a faded sweatshirt, no makeup, wild morning hair that looks like this,

and no jewelry other than my wedding and engagement rings. I go there before work, dragging myself out of bed and throwing on workout clothes, too early in the morning to care that much about what I look like.  I wait to shower after I get home from the Y so I can make myself presentable to go to work.  Anyway, I always feel sluggish and rather Sasquatchian compared to the neat and petite "Pats" as I trudge around the track.

Do you remember Gladys Cravitch, the nosy neighbor on the show Bewitched?

There is a blonde lady who walks each morning at the Y who reminds me of Gladys Cravitch.  She is petite and  smartly dressed like the "Pats."  One odd thing about Gladys, though, is that she always wears a pair of black gloves on her hands as she walks. I guess her hands must be cold a lot.  She is a cheery sort and likes to exchange a few pleasantries with me as she walks by, chatting about the weather or something from the news.  I get a feeling that she might be the type who, though well-meaning and acting with good intentions, takes delight in hearing and spreading the latest tidbit of juicy gossip.  I don't know this for fact, at all, much to the contrary, but if I were to put her into a work of fiction, that is the type of personality I would assign to her based on appearances alone.   

Given the fact that I feel kind of Sasquatchian in appearance at the Y, I think I'd be afraid to know what kind of a fictional character others might picture me as, if they were to write a story about me!

One other person I see at the Y each morning that I'd like to mention here is "Abner Cravitch."  No, he doesn't arrive at the Y with "Gladys" from above.  They come in separately, but I always imagine them to be a couple.  You remember Abner from Bewitched too, don't you?

Well, the "Abner" at the Y doesn't walk the track.  He mostly just sits on some of the exercise machines (notice I said "sits on" not "uses") and shoots the breeze with anyone he can get to listen to him.  I find him amusing in both appearance and personality because he is so far from the stereotypical image of a guy who comes to "work out" at the Y.  He doesn't look like this fellow here, at all.

No, the "Abner" at my Y is an overweight, balding man in his sixties with a pair of glasses that always sit half way down his nose.  He wears the same outfit to the Y every day, which consists of a pair of wild, brightly colored, flowered shorts (or maybe they are swim trunks?---I'm not sure), 

an old, very worn-looking, grey, tank-top-type shirt that reveals way more hairy, old-man moob cleavage than anyone ever wants to see, 

and black socks with sandals.  

I kid you not!!  This is what he wears every morning to the Y.  Trust me, "Abner" is a sight to behold!

So these are the folks I spend my early morning time with during the winter.  Is it any wonder I look forward to spring and the return of my walks to the park?  

Besides, as Sasquatch, I feel right at home out in the wild.  :-D