Faretheewell

Faretheewell.......

Gotcha!  I bet you were thinking I was telling you faretheewell for good.  Excuse me but that's farewell.

But right now I will use Faretheewell as a kind of goodbye.

Faretheewell to the month of October.  It's been here and now it's gone.  It was here today and gone tomorrow kind of thing.   The goblins got it and chawed it up and spit it out because October really is a boring month!  What exactly goes on in October, to be excited about??? Oh I know....the trees start turning their beautiful colors of red and gold and are on the trees for a couple of days and then turn brown and fall down.  This means you must fit your tender little hands around a rake handle (no, do not fly away on it either).  Rake 'em up my friend.  Until your hand has big oozing blisters because you can't find a pair of gloves that fit or maybe can find only two left handed gloves and you are right handed.  Faretheewell to October.

Faretheewell to the d*mn fox who lives in the woods behind our house.  That little sucker does those vixen calls at all hours of the night and sounds like a woman in labor.  I thought foxes only did those vixen calls during mating season.  Apparently the foxes around here must be horny little dudes cause the wild vixen calls had been ringing loud and true but, at least for the last month, we haven't heard them.  Thank goodness and faretheewell.

Faretheewell to the big sagging butt.  I'm trying to lose it, but the word O L D keeps coming back to haunt me.  The older you get the harder it is to do anything.  So...maybe sagging butt is beautiful but if it does leave me, faretheewell.

Faretheewell to my next birthday.  I absolutely decided that I've had enough of those dang things.  What good are birthdays anyway??   All they do at this age, is get you closer to a permanent home out in Elmwood cemetery.  Yep, that place is waiting but for crying our loud, if those birthdays stop, maybe I can hold off going to the big place.  Thus....no more birthdays please and thank you and so long birthdays....find another sucker.

Faretheewell to the dang white tail deer around here.  I would love for the government to enact a Deer Be Gone law today.  That law should say that if a white tail deer appears in front of you, hit him, knife him, shoot him, spit on him, poke him in the eye,  throw paper wads at him,  pepper spray him,  hog tie him or any other thing that will get rid of them.  Right now it's "dodge deer time".....just like the old dodge ball game.  You can't go anywhere without seeing a deer cross the road.  Sure those deer go through Rutting stages and like the foxes, they are looking for a hot doe.  And, wouldn't you know it, the rutting moon came in October 29 this year, so these dang deer already have a lot of really hot testosterone running in their veins.  Those hot does are doing it doncha know.  So lets get rid of of the dang deer......Faretheewell - I wish!

Farethewell....well dang I looked up the meaning and it means a "state of perfection."  Well dang it I used it wrong.  But I just coined my meaning.....and I can use any word I want, any way I want....so there.  I ain't rewriting this post .....


Old Time Stuff I Remember

Just the other day I did a "I remember about Smitty's tavern, so why not do one on the "lower tavern".  I used to go in there too.  You might get the impression I spent a lot of time in the taverns....I really didn't, but when I did go in the taverns, they made a big impression on me.  The smell, the fights, the bar stools, and whatever.  And, when I was a kid I was my dad's shadow....where he went, I went.  So if he went to the tavern, so did I.  I didn't become a drinker per se so, I guess it didn't do much harm.

The lower tavern was north on the main street which went down the center of the downtown area.  It was located just south of the old red building which was what we used to call the old hotel, which actually was the Bracken building in the founding days of the town. 

During my youth, Gene and Marie Steinmetz owned the tavern.  This couple shared the duties of running the tavern.  They were a fun loving couple and were family friends.  Gene and Marie lived in the building to the immediate north of their tavern.  Their residence building was a narrow little building and had a big window in the front with long gold colored curtains which completely blocked out an outsider's view of their living quarters.  Marie always left a light on behind the curtains.

I actually didn't go into this tavern as much as Smitty's as this tavern was known for its fights and wild and loud talk.  And Gene, as well as Marie, put up with much more than what Smitty did when it came to letting the peeps who drank too much stay and drink more.  In fact, and to document history, one time my dad got hit with a beer bottle in the lower tavern because a man by the name of Asa H. was mad at my dad.  My dad was simply sitting on a stool having a beer.  This man hollered at him and my dad turned around and this Asa guy hit my dad on the cheek bone with the bottle, and then turned and hit the bottle on the bar to break the bottle and came towards my dad to cut his throat.  My dad was still dazed and couldn't defend himself.  Other men in the tavern grabbed this Asa fellow and held him until the Constable came.  He went to jail.  And, if I remember right, this was over a cattle deal which fell through.  I think this Asa guy might have run a meat market and wanted to buy cattle to butcher and a deal just couldn't be made.  Shows you what drinking too much does for a person.  Needless to say my dad had a huge goose egg and a severely black eye for a long time.

In the mid-1960's Gene and Marie sold to the tavern to Gene Banister.  He bought it for  his wife Louise to run while he was working as a truck driver in Michigan.  Not long ago I talked to Gene Banister and, he told me he paid $13,000 for the tavern but didn't buy the residence next door.  Gene and Marie Steinmetz continued to live in that building.

Gene  Banister also told me that he thought that Gene Steinmetz was from another state, but he thought Marie  originally was from Waverly.  Gene B. also said he thought that Gene Steinmetz bought this lower tavern from Jim Gilmore from Petersburg, but Gene B. didn't know a date.  Gene Banister said he eventually sold his lower tavern to a man from Springfield but couldn't remember his name.  He said that Baugher's eventually bought the property as well as the living quarters to use the land as a storage area for their implements.

I haven't been able to find any photos of this place but maybe one day I will.  In the mid 1980's we bought a river cabin down by Altig Bridge from Gene and Marie Steinmetz and had some good old times there.  We used to invite them out to have breakfast cooked over a wood fire.  We would talk about the old days.  After Gene Steinmetz died in 1987, Marie lived in Athens and we occasionally visited with her.  She was a character believe me!  She died in 2011. 

 This picture shows Marie in her later years. 
     




Quote For The Day

The cure for boredom is curiosity.

There is no cure for curiosity.

--Dorothy Parker

If you really want to have a good time, get out your dictionary and look up words.  The longer the word, the funnier it is.  Take for instance the word
"fibbertigibbet".  That word is a long word and it's funny to boot.  I bet my last quarter that you didn't even know that was a word....did you????

Well it means a whimsical person.  And when you look it up, you might see my picture.  But of course, it you do, you must cut out that picture and put it inside your cabinet to run the gremlins and rodents out of your cabinets.  Now don't you wish I hadn't whisked that word "fibbertigibbet" upon you??!!

 

 

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Happy Halloween

Kumbaya

Kumbaya...do you remember that word?

Of course I remember singing the old song.  We sang it quietly and spiritually.  And I was always told it meant "come by here".  And when we sang it like this: "kumbaya my Lord ",  it asked the Lord to come by and stand beside us.  It was in our girl scout book and was sung around the campfire.

This song was an old African-American song to depict spiritual closeness to the Lord.

But, now it seems to mean something a little different.  The urban social clickers are using it in a way to mean coming together peacefully.  Sure it's close but when it's used on twitter and other social networks it's not being used in the same spiritual way as it was originally meant.  Kumbaya has been robbed!

At times, we all need to call upon the Lord for a bit of spiritual renewal and it sure wouldn't hurt to quietly sing the song of old or at least hum it beneath your breath.  Spiritual guidance or renewal can do a soul so much good.

If you see Kumbaya used on Twitter or another social network and not being sung for spiritual renewal or closeness, think about how glad you are that you were raised during the baby boomer time when everyone knew this song and sung it the way it should be sung.  Quietly, with a bit of a plea to the Lord for a bit of help....

Kum bay ya, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Kum bay ya, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Kum bay ya, my Lord, kum bay ya,
O Lord, kum bay ya.

Someone's laughing, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Someone's laughing, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Someone's laughing, my Lord, kum bay ya,
O Lord, kum bay ya.

Someone's crying, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Someone's crying, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Someone's crying, my Lord, kum bay ya,
O Lord, kum bay ya.

Someone's praying, Lord, kum bay ya;
Someone's praying, Lord, kum bay ya;
Someone's praying, Lord, kum bay ya,
O Lord, kum bay ya.

Someone's singing, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Someone's singing, my Lord, kum bay ya;
Someone's singing, my Lord, kum bay ya,
O Lord, kum bay ya.

Don't think I need to say more.......


New Acquisition

I recently was able to purchase a 1950's matchbook straight from Smitty's tavern.  It's in very good shape, is foil colored and hard to photograph so my picture is not so good.  I was so glad to find this.  Hope you enjoy this picture!!!   (I hope you will be able to click on it to get an enlarged view - most photos you can, but some don't enlarge)

I remember going into Smitty's with my dad.   It was owned by Luther Schmidt and his very nice wife Mildred.  Mildred was a very thin lady who was very quiet but so friendly.   The tavern always smelled like beer.  As a kid,  I always wondered if they scrubbed the floor with beer in the mop bucket.  Most of the time the front would have 4 or 5 men sitting on the stools.  But the back part remained dark and dank.  But if I remember right, there were bar stools back there too.  I hated to have to walk back there to go to the restroom.  There was a piece of wood lattice with a doorway which kind of separated the two parts of the tavern.  I would creep up to that and scan the back to make sure no boogie men were hiding there in the dark. 

I'm not sure but I seem to remember a shuffle board in this tavern, but I could be wrong.  It's been many years.  Then I remember  Paul Kincaid taking over the business but, I remember my dad telling me that Smitty's wife still owned the building.

Then came the day in 1963, on May 2, while I was at the high school auditioning for a high school cheerleader position, a fire broke out in the locker plant next door, and to the south of Smitty's old place (now Paul Kincaid's).  Mr. Arnold Berg, the local welder was dismantling the locker's freezing units when fire erupted.  This fire resulted in a huge fire, burning the old Propst Opera House which housed K & K Market ( the old skating rink upstairs) and the locker plant and Smitty's/Kincaid's tavern and apartments upstairs.  The Opera House was built in 1910.  Firemen from Greenview, Middletown, Athens, and Mason City worked hard just to save the remaining buildings in town.  My sister had a movie camera and filmed a very very short segment of the fire.  She had that converted to a VHS tape and I still have that.  I really need to get that converted to a DVD and will do that soon. 

Fond memories of Smitty's tavern will always remain with me.  I particularly liked the days when it was so hot outside and my dad needed a cold beer to cool off his insides.  It was always many degrees cooler in Smitty's than it was outside.  How refreshing and I could even ignore the rather dank smells as long as I got a cold bottle of coke to hold in my hot and sweating hands. 

Those were the days.  Gone but not forgotten.


Quote For The Day

The memories of men are too frail a thread

to hang history from.

 

--John Still 

 

Costume party that's called the Small Town Trash Party....not here....but somewhere near.  I want to go as the trailer park humor queen.  But not sure if I have enough cars up on blocks in the yard to go as that queen of bling.

 

At these adult costume trash parties, I find it best to go trashy like the name of the party.  The more trashier the better.  Wear bright red lipstick (no one wears that red colored crap any longer) and be sure to paint rouge (no one even remembers what rouge is these days).  And, spike high heels and hope the heck I don't fall off my spikes.

 

Oh and the hair has to be teased into a bee hive which stands about 8 inches tall and sprayed until "the hive" won't move even if you stood in front of a hurricane.  And, of course, there's need for a proper tattoo on an arm and on the peaking power of the bosoms.  Just a small rose will do....and yes, if you don't want to go out and get a real one, you can use a fake one...or even get out the "sharpie" pen and draw one on.

 

If you're going to the Trashy Costume party, you have to take a potluck dish.  How about Spam bites.  Or maybe carp nuggets, fried crisply and don't forget to score the bones.  I bet no one would think to bring this town's favorite, french fried Rocky Mountain Oysters.  The men in this town always loved these, but now most wouldn't even know what the heck these are.  And finally another potluck dish suggestion is to take a bottle of Boones Farm, Strawberry Hill (or maybe two bottles) and a stack of paper cups.  A true trash party addition to a fine evening.

 

Hope you can make the costume party..... Coming to a location near you.  Come as you are, no one will even care!  See you soon!

 

 





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Happy Halloween!

 

 

 

 

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Lots of Old Wife Tales in This Town

 

You probably know lots of old wives tales ...

As I was growing up in Greenview, lots of old ladies used to get together for church meetings and other lady functions to talk and drink coffee and eat cookies, cakes and pies. Grammy told me they also talked about old wives tales....and were always exchanging information and to see who had the best old wives tales.

As both grammy and I aged, I loved to sit with her and hear her tales about everything. She was in her nineties but she was sharp. She knew lots of things so I was always curious and always had a piece of paper around to jot things down. I asked Grammy about some of these old wives tales and the following are some of the tales she told me.....and for some, she swore by them as did a lot of the older folks around Greenview.

1. If you sneeze you must put your hand over your mouth to prevent your soul from escaping. Be sure someone says "God Bless You" to drive the devil away or he will enter your body. (hmmmph...I'm gonna cover my mouth for sure)

2. The old wives sneeze tale: Sneeze once for sorrow; Sneeze twice for joy; Sneeze three times for a letter; Sneeze four times for a boy; Sneeze five times for silver; Sneeze six times for gold; Sneeze seven times for a secret that never will be told. (note: Allergies probably caused the sneezies)

3. Hold a buttercup under your chin and the color will shine on your face and this person will become rich in the near future.
(Note....I did this several times, but to no avail.)

4. If you hear the cry of an owl, someone will soon die. (false)

5. If you crack your knuckles, you will get arthritis. (Note...I asked and doc said this is not true, but he said don't crack your knuckles)

6. When you drive by a cemetery you must hold your breath or you will breathe in the spirit of someone who recently was buried. (false)

7. If a bird flies into your home, there will be a death in the family.
(false....the bird was probably following a bug or trying to build a nest in your door wreath.)

8. Touching a toad will give you warts. (Note....false)

9. Fish is brain food. (TRUE; omega 3 fatty acids fish oil boosts brain power)

10. Bad Luck caused by:

• spilling salt...throw some over your left shoulder to redeem
• putting your shirt on wrong side out
• rooster crowing at night
• bad luck all day if your left foot comes out of bed first
• 7 years bad luck for a broken mirror
• bad luck if you give away an item which was a wedding present
• bad luck to the household if umbrella opened inside the house
• bad luck to stare at the moon over left shoulder
• bad luck if you sing before breakfast
• bad luck if you find a five leaf clover

Grammy knew best so I listened and believed in some as she did. It's not always easy to ignore something you heard as a child. We were impressionable then and as far as I'm concerned, I still believe in some of these! Maybe I never grew up!

Miscellaneous Vintage Photos

(on most photos, you can click on photos to get an enlarged view)

 





 



 

 

 

This was printed in the Petersburg Observer in 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

The Pavilion at Chautauqua

 

 

 

 

This was when the old skating rink was torn down.  This

building was contracted by the Armour Packing Company in 1923 and operated as the Armour Cheese company.  Four years later, the cheese operation was moved to Wisconsin and this building became the home of the New York Dressed Chicken Company.

Later in years this became home to a dairy, a skating rink and an auction house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Marbold.  The founder of the Marbold farmstead.  John was born Johann Wernsing on May 7, 1800 in Hanover Germany.

 

Because his childless aunt could only pass her estate, without thegovernment seizing it, to a legal heir with the same surname,

the aunt adopted Johann in 1820 and his name was changed to John Marbold.  John's brother lived in Petersburg and returned to Germany to convince his brother John to moved to America.   John's wife had died in 1843 so he was apparently ready for change.   John and his children moved to Petersburg and lived there for 3 years before moving to Greenview to buy 200 acres from Charles Montgomery.  He began to build a home called Elmwood.  The home was built 1850 to 1853.  John's wife was Marie Shearborn and they had six children.

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. H. H. Marbold (Margaret Hackmann) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B. F. Marbold, son of H. H. Marbold. 

 

 

 

 

 

Springfield Drive In which was off old route Business 66, otherwise known as 31st street and later known as Dirksen Parkway.  This drive in was located behind Guiffre Buick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Has Mother Nature Gone Wacko or What?

Maybe these warm days and perhaps record breaking temps at that are the dog days of summer we hear about.  Or, has old Mother Nature just gone wacko like she did all this year. 

Yoohoo Mom Nature.  Could you tell us please?  I'm a bit tired of trying to be a weatherman among my other daily routines!!  

I swear I think old Mother Nature lives in a shoe all by herself and she's as dried up as an old prune.  She has a nasty attitude because Father Nature left her long ago because of her attitude and her ability to screw up the weather so badly.  But she still has some kids (us) at home.  When they (us) do meanie things she puts on a storm of unbelievable multitude.  Those hurricanes we have in the south, yep they're her work.  And if she could, she would have hurricanes even in the Midwest.  But since we don't have an ocean around here, she fluffs her tail feathers and gives us those dang Tornadoes which are just awful  And they are most awfullest (is that a word?) when her kids (us) are really acting up.

Today it's going to be warm so I can guess that one of her kids (us) has been a bit bad, but not yet awful.  You better hope those kids (us) don't run around without supervision today and create a catastrophe because you know she will send down a warm air tornado.  Her acts of punishment comes down to us (the kids) because she thinks we played too much while she wasn't/isn't
looking.   And hey Momo...what's this having chilly willy coming up this weekend?  Did you lose your drawers and can't find them so our punishment is cold and wet and more cold?

I am the kid here Mom Nature and I'm tired of you always being in control.  Put down your dang cell phone and quit trying to get old Papa Nature back.  You know he ain't coming back unless you change your attitude.  Or better yet, when you get a face lift cause you're really ugly most of the time.  Cool it.  Not that I really mean send cool air down, which I see you intend to do anyway.  Just be nice and don't do anything horrible.

Get it straight Mom Nature.  I don't like wearing shorts today and a winter coat on Friday.  I'm trying to be nice to Mother Nature but lady, you really try me some days.  Better watch it Mom Nature or you'll be getting a new pair of those pearly white dentures cause I'm gonna knock out your teeth for sending us stupid weather.  Now go do it or I'm gonna be bad and you ain't gonna like it!  I might even hide your Oil of Olay and your wrinkle cream and, then, who will want you around?


Old Photos and Stuff
(click on photo for an enlarged view on most photos)

While I was doing some research, I found this picture in an old Illinois Blue Book.  It was used in the bill that Homer Tice was instrumental in getting passed -  in an attempt to get paved highways, with said bill passing in 1918. I don't know if this photo was around here but Homer Tice used it in his bill.

 

 

 

I found this old Marbold Bank check on ebay.  Unfortunately I didn't win this ebay auction but I did copy the check photo.

From November 1, 1899 when H. H. Marbold was the banker.

 

 

 

1917 Greenview Ads

 

 

Quote For The Day

 

There is a child in every one of us

who is still a trick or treater

looking for a brightly lit porch light.

--Robert Brault

 

 

All saints night is coming.  Most of us have Halloween past stories.  Mine is the hayrack ride from h*ll.

 

We got on the rack wagon.  Some were kissing, some were hugging and some were sitting scared to death they were going to fall off.  I was in none of the categories.  I was a lonely girl who had broken up with a boyfriend.  What the heck was I doing on this hayrack ride I was asking myself.  I sat there with my hands curled up in the straw trying to breath through the dust and the dirt and the rag weed which I'm sure the bales of straw contained.

 

Then the tractor stopped.  And the lights went off.  Dang, the tractor broke down.  Out in the middle of nowhere and about 3 miles from town.

 

We sat there, all quiet.  Everyone worried that they would never get home. I knew I would cause I was going to walk to somewhere.  Everyone else could kiss and tell jokes and spook stories, I was going to be the "savior of the hayrack ride".

 

So down I climbed and started to walk towards what I thought was town.  I walked and walked and walked and finally made it home.  Opened the door and there was my roommate who had been on the hayrack ride.  She immediately said "where have you been?  What happened to you?  All at once when we started to go again, we couldn't find you!"

 

I said "what do you mean when we started to go again?"  She then explained that the tractor driver had to go to the bathroom so he stopped the tractor and went to the woods to go.  He came back and away they went in several minutes later after most of the others also went into the woods to go to the bathroom....they went in the opposite direction as I was walking.

 

That was the last hayrack ride I ever went on.  I had blisters for days and days and my feet ached.  The moral of this story is, if you ever go on a hayride around Halloween,  stay put even if the dang tractor stops.  Someone might come at you with a chain saw but just blow him off because he's probably just a ghost.

 

 



 





Happy Halloween

 

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Numpty Peeps

Numpty Peeps Can Be Devils In Disguise

A numpty person is one of the worst type of persons you can run into.  They can screw you up and cause mighty big problems sometimes.  Just like the devil. 

Numpties are like going out on the highway and driving without your light switch turned to "on".  There's nothing there.  Yep.  That describes a Numpty all right.  Blank in the head.  But one who thinks they know everything or at this least the numpty tries to profess that they possess unusual skills and abilities on a certain subject.

I'm sure you probably have known quite a few numpties in your lifetime but didn't know what to call them.  Let me give you a good example of how a numpty operates out in public:

    If you take a trip to the grocery store and are standing in front of
    the Beef department and a person comes up and sees you
    looking at Beef Ribs and this person suddenly says "those make
    the best Pork BBQ", that person is a true undisguised Numpty. 
    This numpty talked like he knew what he was talking about
    but, all non-numpties know that Beef ribs don't equate to Pork  
    BBQ.....OMG how funny!  A Big Numpty!  Gobsmacked
    Numpty to the nnth degree!
   
Another example:

    A person who goes to the refrigerator and removes the item they 
    were seeking and then goes away and leaves the refrigerator door
    open.   Wide open in fact. And doesn't come back to close 
    it.  That's a  numbty for sure.   This person thinks they know all 
    there is to know about how to keep things cold.   And it ain't 
    by leaving the refrigerator door open.                                                                         

As you finish going through life, look for those numpties.  You will find quite a few.  Always thinking they are GOD's gift to the smart world and all they are DUMB!  Gobsmacked for sure.
 

More Abraham Lincoln Information
(you can click on the photos to get an enlarged view on most photos)

 

Illinois Republican Ticket 1860

 

 

 

 

Abe Lincoln's Stepmother Sarah Bush Johnson

 

 

 

 

 

Abe Lincoln 8-13-1860

   

 

Viewing pass for Abraham Lincoln's

funeral May 4, 1865

 

 

 

Abraham Lincoln's first tomb at

Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois

 

 

Quote For The Day

 

Good things, when short, are twice as good.

--Baltasar

 

 

Now come thee to trick or treat.  The little goblins will show up at your door and swear they will trick if you don't treat them.  And some of them might just do that.

 

How do you keep the trick or treaters from doing the tricks.  Well it's not by keeping your lights off.  In fact they might be more likely to do the trickin on that night.  We normally don't have trick or treaters where we live but one night it was a neighbor kid's 16th birthday.  That girl was one of the most hated kids in this rural area because of the mean things she did.  No names announced here. 

 

Yep you guessed it.  The next morning the side of our red truck was painted a new color.  Jet black all the way from the front fender to the end of the bed of the truck.  Two swipes of the spray can.  We knew who it was but the parent didn't like us because of a couple of other times this kid did things like.....ran her bicycle through our front yard after we had paid to have it graded and seeded.  And another time, when she brought her huge dog to swim in our fish pond because her dog was hot.  We complained to her mother and the mother hated us thereafter.

 

But on that wonderful Halloween birthday night, the black paint spray cans were tossed in the woods across the road.  And low and behold, we saw them and took them to the police.  Fingerprints don't lie.  They don't live here around any longer.  So I guess we will have a dull Halloween this year.  YAY.

 

 

 

By the way, oven cleaner took the black paint off the truck....I didn't know you could use that for paint removal over auto paint....but you can.  Just be careful it doesn't remove the clear paint.

 



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Boo!

Fare-thee-well To Snot's The Case

Did I really say that?

Yes I said it.  Fare-thee-well snot's the case.  I had snot for several days and now I don't.  Simple and clear cut. 

Having that snot build-up in your nose ain't funny at all.  If I were a bit younger and needed birth control (heaven forbid - at my age - don't even think of that crap) that snot in the nose would surely be a great method of birth control.   And at no cost too!   No one, and I repeat, no one wants to get within a long pole from a snot nose.  Even a beautiful snot nose would be subject to that long distance.  I was indeed spreading the snot around.

Leaving my body alone was one thing I wanted.   I was praying to the snot Gods.  Please Snot Gods, make the snot leave and don't come back.

And during that time, I had reason to invest in the Puff's corporation. It was horrible and one time I couldn't find my favorite Puff box design.  How depressing to have snot's the case and not being able to even buy the right box design.   Those Puff tissues are supposedly so soft because they are made of virgin wood pulp and not recycled.  But believe me ... by the time the snot Gods granted my wish for snot removal, my nose felt like the Puff's corporation had filled their boxes with pieces of virgin wood....splinters and all.  Proctor and Gamble made sure that the Puffy Puffs went hard instead of soft!  Wonder how they did that?  Unless they were using recycled tissues to make Puff's.  Oh Icky! 

So let this be a warning.  Be prepared for lots of Snot's the Case this season.  It's going around.  And get out your prayers for the Snot Gods.  You're gonna need those prayers.


Old Salem - Petersburg Chautauqua

Around 1909 Old Salem/Chautauqua was a thriving city of 4,000 to 5,000 campers, in tents, cottages or the summer hotel.   There was one article which says it drew 100,000 at its peak. I think this means during summer festival time.   This Chautauqua was a gathering of those who sought to worship with others in a jovial and relaxing and fun atmosphere.   Chautauqua was one in the state which attracted persons from all of the Midwest, including other states and even from Chicago.  Entertainment was high quality and most from different states.  It has been said that this particular Chautauqua was one of the most popular in the nation of Chautauqua facilities.

Lectures, orations, medical demonstrations, music, prayers, vespers, baseball games, craft education, worship services all were a part of the celebration which sometimes lasted up to two weeks at a time.  This particular Chautauqua was popular because of the grounds and available amenities.    There were nine different church buildings for different denominations for worship and social gatherings. This all was located on the banks of the Sangamon River which was ever so popular to attendees.  I have several photographs of the village in 1909.  I was surprised that there was even an enclosed 65 foot long swimming pool with a depth of 2 feet up to 5.5 feet deep which was billed as being artificially heated with filtered softened water.   The bath house had twelve tubs and six shower baths and lots of dressing rooms....a shower, or tub bath was just 25 cents.

And a huge hotel was also on the grounds, as well as ground area for tents and there were cottages for rent.  Tent space was cheap to rent and you could even rent a tent.

I remember seeing the buildings at the Chautauqua grounds when I was young but I didn't know what these buildings were used for.  Many of the cottages at that time were owned by local persons and used as a summer or weekend cottage. 

The Chautauqua Committee was the group which owned New Salem and rebuilt it and eventually deeded it over to the State of Illinois.  A media mogul named William Hearst bought the bare ground where New Salem once stood and gave it to the Chautauqua committee in the early 1900's.  The Association started their recreation of the village in 1918.  The original owner, Mr. Hearst,  wanted to make sure that any resulting park would always remain free of charge.  Mr. Homer Tice was the president of the Chautauqua Association in 1909.

It is certainly too bad that this Chautauqua and those like it didn't survive through the years.  Perhaps the world would have been better had that happened.

Photos...you can click on photos to get an enlarged view.  Please don't copy my Chautauqua information or photos.  I present history information for the sake of history preservation and not to make a profit.  I purchase a lot of county wide history information and that same or similar information is available to you to purchase for your own use.

 

A reception while at Chautauqua

 

 

 

 

The headquarters at Chautauqua and a reception held there.

 

 

 

Jenison Hall for Applied Christianity (note John Jenison was a resident of Greenview in the early years)

 

 

 

 

Jenison Lodge

 

 

 

 

The Old Hotel at Chautauqua which was called

"Old Salem Hotel".  It had electricity and had rooms, a dining hall, and a lunch counter.  The cost, with one person in the room was $1.00; with two or more persons in the room the cost was 75 cents each person.  The dining hall could seat 300 at one time with the cost of the meal at 35 cents or a meal ticket could be purchase for 10 meals at $3.00.

 

 

 

The swimming pool and the bath house were housed in this building which was billed as being on the highest hill within the Chautauqua grounds.

 



 

I have other photos and a lot more information about the Old Chautauqua.  I will soon post another segment of this wonderful old place which provided much enjoyment and relaxation to thousands of persons.  Perhaps your and my relatives were frequent visitors to the grounds.  Let's hope so since rural life was hard to cope with and any enjoyment would have been a welcome relief.

 

Please tell me in the comments section about what you remember about Old Chautauqua.  You may have had a cottage or played there or went to camp there.  I know my uncle and aunt had a cottage and also a few sets of family friends, so we went there often for relaxation but there was no organization of events at that time.

 

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Do You Get The Fall Blues??

Watch Out....The Fall Slump

If you think you get a bit depressed when summer is over and fall begins, how do you think the poor animals feel.  We have an educated brain to know what is happening but, do the animals?  Perhaps but I think probably not all animals.  For instance a cow, do they know the seasons are changing?  I doubt that they know that when the calendar reaches a certain day of the month in September, that the fall equinox is upon us.

But, some animals have instincts to tell them to start gathering nuts because "hard times" are coming.  Those squirrels around our house are running like scared rats.  Scurrying around with their little hands around nuts which fell from the walnut and shag bark hickory trees.  Good...they are getting rid of those messy black walnuts which stain your skin and feet.  And there are dozens and dozens of those critters.  The squirrels must have had a meeting over about 10 miles and told each other where the nuts are this year.  The drought really short-changed the nuts but some were produced but, in a much reduced amount compared to years where plenty of rain is received.

Fall is rather pretty with the changing leaf colors but in some cases the leaves on trees aren't as pretty as they normally are.  Here's a picture of our yard showing a burning bush which is just beautiful, while the trees are all just yellow and not any reds or oranges. 

 ***Sigh****  I miss my fall palette of colors in our yard.

But for a lot of reasons, I'm not looking forward to the following season.  Cold weather and I don't get along.  I actually hate winter and if I could, I would move to somewhere south where it's hot in the summer and warm in the winter.  But obligations to a husband who doesn't want to move keeps me here in the cold. 

More Abraham Lincoln Info

Did you know this:

***Many gifts poured into the White House.  The most favorite gifts were two goats named Nanny and Nanko.  Abe's sons would hitch the goats up to little carts and sometimes to the chairs and drive the goats in the White House.  One time Tad hitched Nanko to a chair and drove the goat through to the East Room where an important White House reception was being held.  The ladies held up their hoops as Tad entered and drove through the room.


***This is a picture of Abe and Mary's second born son Edward Baker Lincoln, fondly called Eddie, born March 10, 1846.  In December of 1849, Eddie became very ill with what was thought to be diphtheria.  Later research indicates that Eddie might have been suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis.  He was very ill for 52 days and passed away on February 1, 1850 at the age of 3 years, 10 months and 18 days.  His remains were buried near the Lincoln's home.  Then in 1865 they were moved to  a temporary tomb in the Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois.  Then Abraham, Eddie and another son Willie were all moved to the permanent tomb in 1871. 

A week after Eddie's death, Mary Todd Lincoln wrote the following poem, entitled "Little Eddie"

"Those midnight stars are sadly dimmed
That late so brilliantly shone,
And the crimson tinge from cheek and lip,
With the heart's warm life has flown -
The angel of Death was hovering nigh,
And the lovely boy was called to die.

The silken waves of his glossy hair
Lie still over his marble brow,
And the pallid lip and pearly cheek
The presence of Death avow.
Pure little bud in kindness given,
In mercy taken to bloom in heaven.

Happier far is the angel child
With the harp and the crown of gold,
Who warbles now at the Savior's feet
The glories to us untold.
Eddie, meet blossom of heaven;y love,
Dwells in the spirit-world above.

Angel Boy= fare thee well, farewell
Sweet Eddie, We bid thee adieu!
Affections' wail cannot reach thee now
Deep though it be, and true.
Bright is the home to him now given
For "of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.""

 

Photo of Abe Lincoln in 1854 in Chicago

as he was campaigning for the Senate.

 

Lincoln with wild hair.

Reporters in 1857 once called his hair

wild Republican Hair.

 

*****************

 

 

Quote For The Day

 

Man is harder than rock and more fragile than an egg.

 

--Yugoslav Proverb

 

 

If you are currently dieting you might have a couple of sayings posted on the refrigerator.  Something like "You Look Like an Elephant and If You Keep Eating You Will Smell Like One Too".  Or maybe "By The Time I'm Thin, Fat Will Be In".

 

One time I read a quotation and it said that "a diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit".

Now that sure as heck is true.

 

When I'm on a diet I always fear that I will lose my brains instead of the fat I need to lose.  I fear that those brains will just melt away in lost calories.  And believe me, my brain is pretty small

but I fear it weighs a lot, so that the brain might go first during the weight loss period.  Lost brains just aren't a good thing.

 

Oh well.  Diets are for those who just don't want to eat the good stuff any longer.  Personally I still want to eat the good stuff, so I guess I'm not on a diet.

 

 

 

 

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