Monday, December 28, 2009

Stories from my sister Frances (199)

My Dear sister Frances and her hubby Ralph Hengst have been gone for a few years.
But she wrote some stories true ones about her life and her Grandson Rick Callahan
who is a writer for the Associated Press in Indy shares them from time to time...So
I guess Rick gets his desire to write honestly from his grandmother.  So this arrived
today from my niece Roxanne Winnings so thought I would today turn my blog site over
to a guest writer, my sister Frances Lahrman to share with you all...Stories are over
80 years old, closer to 90, but still alive here today. Note at right tells of the
basketball talent of Ralph Hengst..I had no idea but am not surprised he was a winner.
And the team may have lost a "valuable man" when he graduated but I think we all know
a young female who gained one....... 

By Frances Lahrman
"Just Pretending"
Just a glimpse of how my two older sisters and I used to spend our time, and what
times they were. When we three get together we sit and talk and laugh about the way
we used to pretend like we were Edra, Kreda Ay Mericaus, and Medra. Where we got the
names I don’t know. We would dress up fancy in some of mother’s old style
dresses and gee, but we did strut.
One time I went home to visit with grandmother and grandfather. Where grandfather
worked there was a handsome boy, Jim Fowler, who thought he was just it. And when I
saw him I did too, although I was only about seven years old. When I came home I
told my sisters of my new beau, Jim Fowler. After that, when we played house we were
always expecting Jim Fowler to call on us.
Then came the dispute _ which one was to have him? It usually settled that he should
never go steady. What fun we had just pretending we were someone else.

====="My Patent"
Between the ages of six to nine, one is prone to mischief. For one likes to explore,
or find out what isn’t clear to him. So that’s the reason this story can be
told.
There was a large pond on the Parker farm, where we used to live, that always took
my eye. Being little, mother never allowed me to go to the pond alone.
Each evening during the winter months, mother would drive the ducks up from the
pond. I would often go with her.
One afternoon as I was playing in the back yard, I spied the old red hen and her
seven baby chickens. I was just thinking how tiresome those poor little chickens
must be following their mother around from morning till night, while those little
ducks are out swimming all day long.
I went into the house to get a box, and sneaked out quietly, for I never dared let
mother catch me at this. Packing all seven chickens in it, I was determined to find
out why chickens can’t swim while ducks can.
When I reached the pond each little duck was swimming with the greatest of ease.
Well, that is very simple I thought. So I took one of the chickens and put it into
the water, but for all the kicking and flopping that went on, it then disappeared. I
thought if you want to play hide-go-seek, just go ahead. I took another chicken and
it went through the same gestures, and another, and another, until there were only
two left. I looked all around the pond, but not a chicken was in sight, when all of
a sudden two came to the top, and do you know they were floating on their side. I
was certainly surprised to find out that they had taught themselves to sink or
float. Later all five of them were floating.
As I was just ready to put the last two in the water, so they could float, one
chicken washed to the bank. I picked it up, but my goodness it was dead. I then
realized what I had done. I found out that ducks can swim but chickens can’t.
Most people try experiments, and if they are successful they receive patents, but as
you know my experiment didn’t work, therefore; I received something similar to a
patent but in a different form.

I got to share a footnote here about the first story that mentions "Jim Fowler"
My grandfather worked for the Fowlers on South Street which is now the Tippecanoe
County Muesum and called the Fowler House.  He was a custodian of some sort taking
care of the horses and buggies' and the wine cellar I have heard, maybe linking to
my desire to taste and partake in fine wines.  Well, I doubt Frances ever dated the
boy from the wealthy Fowler family, but she did date and marry the boy who lived up
the road at the corner of 200 South and 900 East.  Ralph was a gem and she could have
done no better....Picture at the right takes some explaining.  I know it is goofy
but it was taken for a purpose. The story is my brothers were in the service in the
1940's and my mom and sisters took this and sent it to him for a laugh.  He was
embarrased, and did not share it with his buddies but kept it quiet...good move

Another note the "parker place" she refers to is still standing, an abandoned farm
house and barn along I65 just south of the new Clarian/Arnett Hospital.




Saturday, December 26, 2009

Christmas is over, but good as always. (198)

Well I have listened to my Christmas CD's playing now for at least a month. Everyday most of the day while I worked on the house, wrapped gifts, ate breakfast, enjoyed wine and cheese at 5, whenever, it has been good. All the old favorites, White Christmas, Chestnuts Roasting, I could go on and on but you get the idea and probably the idea that starting tomorrow I won't be listening to all these wonderful songs...for at least 11 months, then I will be ready again, I am sure. But for now, well I think I am ready for whatever is coming at us the rest of this year and then the bitter cold months, the Indiana Winter of January and February. They are just plain cold and I hope to spend at least part of this time in good ole Naples Florida....Which by the way is as my blog title states the third phase of my yearly rotation...First come Corn that I plant and followed closely by Beans, then a long lull while that stuff grows, matures and is harvested...But then the last phase the Naples part, and surely a welcome phase especially with what goes on here in Indiana those two winter months.

But getting ahead of myself here a bit, I do want to put a wrap on Christmas with this blog. Today was the last of the many parties I attended. Today my dear friend sweet pea had her party at her house with her family and close friends. She got me nice gifts too, I did well unwrapping my many gifts and she did well also. All of us did well, young and older, that would be me and even buddy the wonder dog did good. He got a nice winter jacket with a boilermaker logo on the back for him to wear out in this bitter cold winter ahead when he has to go outside and relieve himself....Buddy is such a good doggie, he never makes a mess anywhere, well except for onetime he got direa but we just won't go there, and I didn't but instead put him in the garage and kind of "left town". But anyway we ain't going there, were concentrating on Buddy being a real wonder dog which he is....Anyway I slipped it on him and to the right side here is the only pic I am posting from today of Buddy modeling his new Boiler Jersey...He loved it wore it all day long inside and out. I told him he looked stunning and marvelous in it so he just kept it on. He is a great dog, thinks himself a person and not a dog at all, his mom has spoiled him just a tad maybe.

Also over the right side is my Son John's family in their rendesion of the Christmas Story where the kid gets his wish of a Red Ryder BB gun...I love that movie, used to watch it each season, but anyway it is a comic spoof of this movie, good for a laugh.

Today I noticed an ad on my blog for Persimmon Trees. I kind of have a soft spot in my heart for exotic trees so could not resist the idea of having a couple Japanese Persimmon trees in my little forest here I call home. They are the really big persimmons that you see in the grocery stores all year long, just had to try them so I did. Now I wait till spring for them to be shipped and then I plant and hopefully someday harvest them as I do my Indiana variety.

So, here we are, I am glad it is all over for this year. Was a good Christmas, sometimes dampened a bit with memories of the past, but for the most part moving on an building some new ones, that can be built on then in future years. I hope that each of you out there had a good Christmas also

Monday, December 14, 2009

INVICTUS the movie......and Happy Birthday John..(197)

Gosh I can not believe it but Hollywood, via director Clint Eastwood has done it again...Sweet Pea and I have now seen three movies in a row that are kind of like the old days...They make sense and some times a tear or two...I love good movies and I detest most that are by my rating system "garbage". But here we are the streak of excellent movies now setting at three. First came the Amelia Earhart movie, Then Blind Side which I did not write about but it was one great movie...But now comes "INVICTUS", a really great true story about the first black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandella who was in prison for almost 30 years. But when Aparti I think it was called broke down he was released, ran for president and won....Morgan Freeman who looks like him played the part well...Matt Damon played the captain of the Rugby team...Anyway sports was used to unite the people of the nation, black and white...absolutely great movie, don't miss it.....

My rating is two thumbs up on this one which is equivelant to SIX Stars......

And 41 years ago my son John was born this date....I got 30 years on him but waiting on him to "catch up"....Seems like the older one gets for sure time does, "speed up"....I always heard that growing up and dismissed it as nosence, but like so many things I ignored and did not believe it is true. Time does speed up every decade after 40 I think time speeds up by 10% and not exaggerating one bit believe me....So not sure he can catch me as my clock is now running 30% faster than his...I better forget that idea, he ain't gonna catch me....

Happy Birthday John......

Friday, December 11, 2009

Christmas Traditions (196)

Well, I can think of two for sure...One being gaining weight, boy that is a tradition that goes all the way back to my childhood and I am sure yours. And probably as far back as when food could be cooked and shared with ones family...Its a great time of year to "push food" onto folk, makes ya feel good to share your food..And of course they can't say "no thanks", no way, so down the hatch it goes and guess what? Come January there is a New Years resolution to...................yep lose some pounds...

But another one and the one I want tell about for sure is the Lahrman Men's Christmas Breakfast.
I think my brother Joe or Bob came up with the idea and according to my brother Joe who lives in Mulberry this little tradition got started about 35 years ago he say's...Maybe more maybe a couple less I forgot the announcement he made at our meeting last Saturday morning....But anyway his memory serves him to say that at first it all started with just the three "farmin" Lahrman Boys getting together for breakfast for Christmas sometime in the 1970's....Joe said that after a few years of that that we decided to invite our banking brother Larry and let him in on the fun...After a few years of the Lahrman Boy's Christmas, liberalism crept in and we decided to allow the sons of the Lahrman Boys to attend our little shindig and the four brothers usually popping for the bill for their son's breakfast.....

Then after that the son's in laws were allowed and then we just threw open the doors at some point not too many years ago and we now allow in laws, out laws, as long as you are a decendant of our dad Lawrence Lahrman, who just turned 119 this month or if you are married to a decendant male or female...So our crowd grows, gets a little bigger each and every year...We meet at the New York City Grill on Teal Road, I think the first saturday morning in December and we take up the whole east part of the building...We have fun, we eat of course and we visit and we have an annual picture taken as you see here at the right side...So goes our tradition of the gathering of the Lawrence Lahrman decendants..If everyone has been good all year we usually pick up the tab for our linage, and probably one reason this event grows in numbers, and popularity....I hope I can make at least 20 more of these, and hope the money holds out, we will see...

Merry Christmas Everyone....

Monday, December 7, 2009

Family Christmas 2009 and Christmas Parade (195)

The family Christmas gathering happened for my family yesterday...We started with a "brunch" at 11 am...it was good, we had some really good stuff to eat and plenty of it...just what we all probably did not need but, "its Christmas"...Will we ever learn? Probably not because that is the way we Americans seem to celebrate the Holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Easter, they are all eating and drinking events it seems.....We are stuck with it and I for one don't know what to do to change it..Maybe the Democrats will come up with something on that, they are very big on change, so who knows after Heathcare, Global warming, the economy, and the wars are solved well these genius's will maybe just take on and change Holiday Celebrations...

OK how in the hell did politics get into the middle of my Christmas message here? Lets move on here, it was a good day and all went well...Again the food was fabulous, the gifts we all got were very nice, Sweet Pea made it out, all my kids were here and looking successful. Most of the grand kids were here but some were tied up elsewhere, in School, in the military, or at work...But for the most part as my picasso of pictures to the right will show a lot were here and all had a good time. We had the meal, shucked our gift wrap and looked over our gifts recieved and stayed on schedule to make the Lafayette Indiana Christmas Parade. We had too because again this year a member of our clan was elected "Snow Princess" from an elementry school...Yep Sophie Post was our snow princess and the reason a lot of us froze our tookis's off until her magisty had passed in review...I for one would be for holding these Christmas Parades in maybe September. The problem being the darn thing last so long, as they put half the people in Tippecanoe County in the parade, so then the other half of the people have to show up to watch it. My son John has used his car for our family snow princess's and prince, the last few years and that is great but he don't even get cold...He has a heater in that car, and I'm sure it is on high, so yeal bring it on, drive slowly down main street, smiling and looking at the viewers struggling to raise their arms and produce a smile on their faces. Most of our politicians show up for this, the smart ones walk, just to stay warm but some dress real warm and ride on floats....smiling and probably wondering what the hell did I do to deserve this?

Well that's my family Christmas so far...While typing this I consumed a can of candied pretzels, figuring that a pretty balanced lunch for this time of year, and called the Tippecanoe County Clerks office to find out that I owe them $127.50 for a "ticket" that I was lucky enough to obtain on one of my last days of harvest....Just a normal preventive check there Mr. Lahrman the DOT officer said...Hit those brakes Mr. Lahrman, ow ow, must be a fuse out, most likely that's usually it Mr. Lahrman, and hey 3 of those tires on the tag axle sure don't have much tread...Here you go Mr. Lahrman call this number they will let you know if you owe anything....fuse 98cents, tires and tubes 760 bucks at All Star Tire... the experience "priceless" everything else went on my mastercard...

Merry Christmas out there everyone, everone needs a little "stimulus" this time of year, especially this year with change in the air....don't forget those good missionary's and charities...

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Obama on Afganistan and my Christmas Tree (194)

The occupant of the white house, has finally done something I approve of. Gee I almost called him the President but will hold that respect to see how some of the nutsville stuff he has going on turns out. But for now he is the occupant, and the occupant did finally make a good decision I feel on his long awaited decision on this war. And I am not too upset on his approach to making the decision. Some of my Marine friends are but I think sometimes sleeping on things a bit is good.

I like the idea of 18 more months with a larger force to hunt down and destroy as many bad guys as we can find. I also like the idea that we shift this war to the people who benefit from the freedom they can have if they are willing to step up to the plate and grab the vision of a free nation.
Maybe they are not capable of that if not then I say and I hope the nation will say that they are not then worth the price of our blood on their battlefields. In 18 months we will have a handle on that and if not then start the withdraw of our forces except for a few trainers maybe. But this old business of staying there forever like we have in Europe and Korea is not good, not good at all. And we should do likewise as soon as possible in Korea...Let them know this is their freedom and do you want it or not...and then get the hell out of their also and Europe...By the way Mike Huckabee has also complimented Obama on his decision and that is why Mr. Huckabee would make this nation one whale of a good President/commander in chief...

If things go good and Obama gets reelected, I guess so be it but I hope not...I hope it is Huck or Mike Pence with maybe S. Palin as the VP choice...we will see.

But to more important matters, its Christmas time and hey I got a tree...its ugly, I know but it's my tree....I walked across the field to the west to a fence line where it has been growing and I have been watching it for maybe 6 years. It has no distinct top at all and its as fat as it is tall but once cut, I had not the heart to put it on my burn pile until it had its turn as my first tree in a long time...You see Linda and I got into the habit of doing Naples before Christmas so we got out of the habit..but I thought it would be fun and the family is descending on my place this Sunday morning for a brunch and exchange...wine, poo-poo's you know all that goes with it, maybe even my award winning pumpkin pie and persimmon pudding...and then we are all going to the Christmas Parade where yet another grandchild will be riding in the back of a convertible...Sophie Post got the job this year at Cole Elementary...by the way she is turning out the lights on my participation at cole after this year. I went to grandparents day and I said well where is Tabby at and she informed me that Tabby who was snow princess a couple years ago also had moved on to Wainwright...She said I am the only one here now grandpa and next year I go to Wainwright also...So that's it for Cole, I am out of there, no more visits for me unless I live too long, and get invited to great grandparents days there....who knows?

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Gov.Mike Huckabee at Purdue (193)

Sweet Pea and I went to Purdue last night to the annual Right to Life banquet....It was great and the Overtones quartet provided some great singing...even impressing the main speaker Mike Huckabee...I would not be surprised to see the boys from Rossville Indiana invited someday to be on the Huckabee TV show on Fox network.

Gov. Huckabee gave a great moving speech about the importance of the sanctity of life from the "womb to the tomb"...The man is a great American and would if this country were to do the wise thing be a great President for this nation. But I doubt that the voters will embrase this man, as the average voter today does not want a man that will be good long term for the Nation. Instead the average voter today wants a man that will be good short term for them....And that same lack of wisdom goes all the way into congress on many matters...Not what is good for the nation but what is going to get me noticed and reelected. Lets face it we are a nation of very very spoiled people.

There was a 12 year old lad who got up and gave a memorized 15 minute speech also on the sanctity of life...Good greif was this kid good..when he finished he got a long standing ovation from the maybe 8 to 900 people there. Gov Huckabee had a hard act to follow I kid you not. When he first was introduced he stated that maybe we had seen a political career launched here tonight, not mine but this young lad, Collin Knolhoff. Mike Huckabee said my goodness this lad has more going for him at 12 than most serving in congress right now...He was totally amazing, I think I have and all of us not seen the last of Collin Knolhoff, mark my word. I would not be surprised to see him invited to the Huckabee show also....

My friend Connie Basham served as master of ceremonies I would say and did a great job. We would be well served with her in the Courthouse, the state house or congress...She like Gov Huckabee would do the things good for our nation long term win or lose she would take the high road.

Two of my daughters attended with spouses and some grand daughters, it was a wonderful night.......Oh yesterday was my dad's birthday...he would be 119.....gosh I miss him.

No pictures, I forgot my camera but just as well the crowd was so large I was never close to the Governor....