15 Animal and Bird Songs

Ah, do you remember these?

Here's a Fun Friday Fifteen, since I missed the Thursday Thirteen. (Yes, I did just invent the Fun Friday Fifteen!)

1. Old Blue (Bet you five dollars he's a good dog too.)
2. The Old Gray Mare (She ain't what she used to be.)
3. Sweetly Sings the Donkey (At the break of day.)
4. Git Along Little Dogies (It's your misfortune and none of my own.)
5. Mary Had a Little Lamb (Its fleece was white as snow.)
6. Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat (Where have you been?)
7. Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? (Where, oh where can he be?)
8. Pop! Goes the Weasel (Round and round the cobbler's bench...)
9. Froggie Went a Courtin' (And he did ride, a-hum, a-hum.)
10. Go Tell Aunt Rhody (The old gray goose is dead.)
11. Be Kind to your Webfooted Friends (For a duck may be somebody's mother.)
12. Three Blind Mice (Did ever you see such a sight in your life?)
13. Teensy Weensy Spider (Climbed up the spout again.)
14. Rabbit Ain't Got No Tail At All (Same song, second verse, a little bit louder, and a little bit worse.)
15. The Bear Went Over the Mountain (To see what he could see.)

Now which one of these is stuck in your head? For me, it's "Froggie Went a Courtin'." A-hum.

Illustrations from the Project Gutenberg EBook of Denslow's Mother Goose, copyright 1902 by William Wallace Denslow. http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18546 ==Us

Thirteen Amish Proverbs

Collected from my Amish cookbooks

I've bought several Amish cookbooks at local Mennonite stores over the years. All of these cookbooks are from the "Pennsylvania Dutch" country of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Like many church cookbooks, they include some pithy bits of advice for living, in addition to the recipes. Here's a "Thursday Thirteen" sample of some of the proverbs.

1. There are just as good fish in the sea as ever were caught.
2. A barking dog seldom bites.
3. Bend the sapling before it's too late.
4. A smooth tongue often hides sharp teeth.
5. Easy got, soon spent.
6. It's a poor hunter who does not always have one barrel loaded.
7. Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without.
8. The laborer is worthy of his hire.
9. If you swear while fishing, you won't catch anything.
10. Girls with fat cheeks have hearts like flint.
11. It is easier to fall than to get up.
12. The old bull keeps on bellowing.
13. When lost in the woods, look up a tree.

Numbers 8 through 13 must be classics. Each one of them appears in several of my cookbooks, with both the "Dutch" version and the English translation.

You might enjoy some of the other Thursday Thirteens around the web today.

WPA tourism poster. depicting an Amish family

Thursday Thirteen: Old-time Riddles

Conundrums from the early 1900s

1. If a chicken said anything, why would it be likely to swear?
Because it could only use fowl language.

2.What is the best thing to do if you split your sides with laughter?
Run until you get a stitch in them.

3. Why is a dirty boy like a piece of cheap flannel?
Because they both shrink from washing.

4. Why is the number 9 like a peacock?
Because it would be nothing without its tail.

5. Which is quicker, heat or cold?
Heat is, because you can catch cold.

6. Why were the Middle Ages called dark ages?
Because there were so many (k)nights.

7. Why did the fly fly?
Because the spider spied her.

8. Why do you always find a lost object in the very last place where you look?
Because when you find it, you stop looking for it.

9. Why is a straw hat like a kiss over the telephone?
Because it is not felt.

10. Why is a watch like a river?
Because it will not run long without winding.

11. Why is the letter D like a squalling baby?
Because it makes Ma mad ("ma"-d).

12. Why is there no such thing as a perfect day?
Because every day begins by breaking.

13. Why is a fishmonger ungenerous?
Because his job makes him sell fish (selfish).

From Party Games For All Occasions by Bernard Stanley. Published in Philadelphia by J. B. Lippincott Company, copyright date unknown.

Find more Thursday Thirteen posts here.

"Peacock and Peahen" by Maruyama Ōkyo (1747 - 1821)
Image from Wikimedia Commons

13 Reasons I'm Sure It's Spring

The power of positive thinking :)

1. The high temperature today in Hopkinsville, KY, was 70°. The skies were blue, and the sun was shining.

2. Farmers are spreading lime on their fields.

3. I saw a dozen buzzards swarming over a high hill.

4. The neighbor's horses were kicking up their heels in the pasture, pretending to buck and fight.

5. The animal control officer in Hopkinsville was called to remove five or six garter snakes from someone's back yard.

6. Our cats Casper and Skittles spent the entire day outside.

7. Rain, not snow, is in the forecast for the next few days.

8. Tiny buds of future blossoms are forming on the forsythias.

9. A single clump of daffodils is blooming on the south bank above the old road.

10. I put away my winter gloves today.

11. We have too many blankets on the bed.

12. It occurred to me that I could plant some lettuce, and light frost probably wouldn't hurt it.

13. I noticed that the windows and many other things around here could use a spring cleaning!

Find more Thursday Thirteens listed on the homepage.

13 Links to Enjoy

A "Thursday Thirteen" of all sorts

Most of these links were sent by friends and readers, and the remainder came from my own web expeditions.

 1. Download and install free software easily at the Ninite Installer website.

 2. Daily Sodoku -- Just one of many Brainbashers at this site

 3. Easy Bib -- If you remember typing footnotes and bibliography the old-fashioned way, this site will make you cry, "Unfair!"

 4. Slide show of cowboy and western paintings. If you enjoy rural scenery and images of ranch life, you'll also like these photos of the American Midwest

 5. How to make a folded German bell ornament -- for your spare time between now and Christmas

 6. Whooping Crane Reintroduction website with Operation Migration Crane Cam

 7. Print a calendar for 2010.

 8. A great set of corner shelves, cut from a single sheet of plywood

9. Eagle vs. fox  -- An astonishing encounter over a carcass (verified by Snopes)

10. Views of San Francisco Bay from a Zeppelin at 1000 feet -- very cool

11. "Foods That Heal" -- but don't stop your prescriptions!

12. "Guess Your Number" game -- How do these things work so well?!

13. Independence Day quiz -- Can you answer 20 questions once used on the citizenship test?

Thanks to all who have sent interesting links to share!

There's usually a large number of Thursday 13 posts listed at the Thursday 13 website.

13 Questions and 13 Answers

For the 13 people who typed these questions into search engines and surfed to my blog

1. Are there chiggers in Kentucky?

Yes, Kentucky has chiggers. Lots and lots of them.

2. What is the significance of the painted pigs in Cadiz?

The painted pigs in Cadiz (KY) are mascots. They are an amusing and eye-catching curiosity on the sidewalks and lawns of Cadiz, and they are a year-round reminder of the Country Ham Festival -- which is coming up this weekend, by the way.

3. Could you survive without shampoo?

Yes, but I don't want to. I am not fond of the naturally oily look.

4. Why do Mennonites have steel wheels on tractors?

The Mennonites are concerned that their members might be tempted to use tractors as a motorized form of transportation.The steel wheels limit the tractors to farm use. The Mennonites strengthen ties with each other by avoiding the ownership of motorized transportation. They look to the local Mennonite community first for what they need. Then, if travel beyond the range of a bicycle or horse and buggy is necessary, they hire an automobile.

5. Can shingles cause numbness in the arms?

Yes, and the numbness can linger for a long time after the shingle outbreak disappears. I had a mild case of shingles about 15 months ago and the top of my hand is still a little numb!

6. Where is the flower on a dill plant?

If you're having trouble seeing your dill flowers, I don't think your dill plants have bloomed yet. The flowers are at the ends of the stems and branches, and there's no way that you would mistake them for leaves.

7. Why do tobacco barns smoke?

Tobacco barns smoke because they have a smoldering fire inside them. The smoke flavors and colors the tobacco leaves that are hanging inside the barn. This is the usual and most desirable reason that a barn is smoking. Every now and then a tobacco barn smokes because it has caught fire. This is an unusual and very undesirable reason for the barn to be smoking.

8. How do you make an orange julius?

Combine ice cubes, milk, sugar, vanilla, and OJ concentrate in a blender. Blend on high until slushy. Complete directions here: Homemade Orange Julius. They are delicious, but drink them slowly so you don't get a brain freeze.

9. In the 1920s, what were mules used for?

Mules did heavy work that we use tractors and other motorized machines for today, such as moving carloads of coal out of mines and pulling plows, freight wagons, and streetcars. People also rode mules. Of course, in the 1920s, all of this was changing because of gasoline engines.

10. Are windmills illegal in Kentucky?

No, and I can't imagine why you think they would be. Several of our "non-electric" Mennonite neighbors have windmills. The reason you don't see more windmills around here is that most farmers use electric pumps. Windmills require a much larger initial investment, and of course, if the wind doesn't blow, no water can be pumped.

11. Where can I see interesting old sod houses?

I recommend the "Prairie Settlement" exhibit at the Library of Congress. Try looking in the Subject Index for "sod house".

12. What birds eat pyracantha berries?

The only birds that have consumed our pyracantha berries with real gusto were the cedar waxwings who visited one winter. Usually, the berries stay on the bushes until they fall off. I would love to have the waxwings come for another visit. I really enjoyed watching them.

13. What big cats are native to Kentucky?

Historically, the eastern cougar and the bobcat are natives of Kentucky. Stories of big cat sightings abound, but for reliable information, check the Eastern Cougar Foundations's website.

On the web:
Read more "Thursday Thirteens."

13 Things Men Have Written About Women

Thursday Thirteen

Keely picked up a little book of quotations for me at a thrift shop. Its title is Women: Pro and Con, and it was published in 1958 by the Peter Pauper Press, Mount Vernon. No editor is listed.

The foreword suggests that the book presents a balanced view of women because the few quotations that praise women are much more heartfelt than the multitude of sarcastic quotations about women. Well, maybe. At any rate, here are thirteen interesting quotes.

 1. "Never any good came out of female domination. God created Adam master and lord of living creatures, but Eve spoiled all."
-- Martin Luther (1483-1546)

 2. "In the East, women religiously conceal that they have faces; in the West, that they have legs. In both cases they make it evident that they have but little brains."
-- Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

 3. "Women have great talent, but no genius, for they always remain subjective."
-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

 4."Women are nothing but machines for producing children."
-- Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

 5. "Woman's advice has little value, but he who won't take it is a fool."
-- Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)

 6. "Nature has given women so much power that the law has wisely given her very little."
-- Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

 7. "If you wish women to love you, be original; I know a man who wore fur boots summer and winter, and women fell in love with him."
-- Anton Chekhov (1860-1904)

 8. "When women love us, they forgive us everything, even our crimes; when they do not love us, they give us credit for nothing, not even our virtues."
-- Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850)

 9. "Take my word for it, the silliest woman can manage a clever man, but it needs a very clever woman to manage a fool."
-- Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

10. "Being a woman is a terribly difficult trade, since it consists principally of dealings with men."
-- Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)

11. "Women, cats and birds are the creatures that waste the most time on their toilets."
--Charles Nodier (1780-1844)

12. "To be beautiful is enough! If a woman can do that well who shall demand more from her? You don't want a rose to sing."
-- William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)

13. "A man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner than when his wife talks Greek."
-- Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Six Things

About me

I was recently tagged by Angie of 5 Kids, My Husband, and Me. I'm supposed to tell six things about myself, so here goes:

• My favorite quick breakfast is toasted homemade rolls with peanut butter.
• Most rooms in my house are painted in shades of ivory. Will I continue this trend when I repaint the bathroom? Only time will tell.
• I wear the same pair of earrings most of the time, and most of my work wardrobe is built around black slacks.
• I prefer two-lane highways and backroads, paved or unpaved.
• I would love to take the next few months off from my job!
• I am a lifelong cat-lover, even though both our kitties are terribly disobedient and disrespectful.

I'm supposed to tag six other bloggers, but I don't usually have much luck with that. Instead, anyone is welcome to do the meme and let us know the link in the comments here. Thanks.

Thirteen Books in My Bookcase

A "Thursday 13" on a random topic

Here's a look at the nearest bookcase to my computer, third row from the top, left to right. Some links below go to Prairie Bluestem posts, and some links go to other internet sites.

1. Beeton's Book of Household Management, by Mrs. Isabella Beeton. Originally by S.O. Beeton in 24 monthly parts, 1859-1861, London. My copy is a "First Edition Facsimile." Online version of this book.

2. Montgomery Ward & Co. Fall & Winter 1894-1895 Catalogue & Buyers Guide: No. 56. As you might suspect, this is a reprint of the original. Story of Montgomery Ward with some illustrations from the 1895 catalog.

3. War-Time Guide Book for the Home. Prepared by the Editorial Staff of Popular Science Monthly. Copyright 1942. Read my post about this book.

4. Fabrics and Dress by Lucy Rathbone and Elizabeth Tarpley. A 1931 home economics textbook. A few images from the book have been posted online by a blogger who has a children's clothing business, but it's under copyright until 2026.

5. The Poems of Eugene Field, Complete Edition. Online version of this book. Read my post about how I acquired this book and also book #6.

6. The Works of Stevenson Read Robert Louis Stevenson online.

7. The Best Short Stories of 1929 List of the stories included in this book.

8. American Notes by Rudyard Kipling. Read this book online. Read my post about what Rudyard Kipling thought of Omaha, Nebraska.

9. Similes and Figures from Alexander McClaren, published in 1910. McClaren was a well-known Scottish Baptist preacher, sometimes called the "Prince of Expositors." Read an artitle by McClaren titled, "The Boy Jesus" which appeared in the 1906 Pennsylvania School Journal.

10. Riley Love-Lyrics, by James Whitcomb Riley Read my posts about William B. Dyer's Life pictures in this book and about growing up with James Whitcomb Riley.

11. Poems of Passion by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. Read this book online.

12. The Roundup. Book VII in the New Silent Readers Basal Activities Series, published in 1937. An essay about slang that I posted from this book.

13. America Our Country, a 1934 history book published by the John C. Winston Company. Under copyright until 2029, so I don't usually look in it for blogging material.

Thursday Thirteen: Some of My Valentines

A Valentine's Day note of appreciation to...

1. My husband who has put up with me for 29 years, through thick and thin, and much more. It's been interesting. :)

2. Keely, my daughter, and Isaac, my son -- they're fine young adults and I'm proud of them.

3. Dwight and Charlotte, my brother and sister, who've known me since the beginning and love me anyhow.

4. Kathy, my sister-in-law and David, my brother-in-law, who take care of my brother and sister for me.

5. Taurus, my daughter's boyfriend of several years, a good-natured guy who tolerates the Netz family well and never complains about fixing my computer one more time.

6. My Cousin Alta, Aunt Becky, and Uncle Larry, who try to keep track of me.

7. My girlfriend Sammie whom I've known since I was 13 years old. When we get together, we laugh and laugh about all the craziness we've shared.

8. My church friend, Jackie, who is like me in so many ways -- a farm girl whose birthday is just one day before mine, she grew up in the EUB church just as I did.

9. Our pastor who has been a true friend, a Godly example, and a spiritual guide. He's helped us through some very traumatic experiences.

10. Our neighbor lady, Margie, who takes a motherly interest in me.

11. Our two Mennonite neighbor families who are kind, decent people.

12. My co-worker, Debbie, who's always cheerful and helpful.
.
13. All my blog readers -- including you! I appreciate your visit to my humble blog, and I hope your Valentine's Day has been happy.

Thursday Thirteen: Things You Can Raise

13 Things Often Raised

"Raise" is an interesting word with many meanings. Dictionary.com's Unabridged gives it 33 different meanings as a verb, and several more as a noun! It's a versatile word that appears in many figures of speech and familiar expressions, such as "raising a racket." The word came to the English language from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings.

Here are 13 things we often speak of raising. I'm sure that you can think of many more.

• 1. Children
• 2. A garden
• 3. Our eyebrows
• 4. The flag
• 5. The roof
• 6. Cain
• 7. Money
• 8. Our voices
• 9. Objections
• 10. Expectations
• 11. The anchor
• 12. The ante
• 13. A glass

Thanksgiving Thursday Thirteen

Counting a few of my blessings

1. I'm thankful that my husband and I became parents.
2. I'm thankful that I have everything I really need and much more.
3. I'm thankful that I live in America.
4. I'm thankful that I grew up in a happy home.
5. I'm thankful that I have never been persecuted for being a Christian.
6. I'm thankful for the peace and quiet of our country home.
7. I'm thankful that I live in the internet age.
8. I'm thankful that I have interests and hobbies.
9. I'm thankful that we are debt-free.
10. I'm thankful that I am able to read.
11. I'm thankful that I enjoy the holidays.
12. I'm thankful for all the cats who have owned me.
13. I'm thankful for my eyes and for my eyeglasses.

How about you? What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Rockin' Girl Blogger ElisaRae

Girl Blogger Award

Much to my surprise, I was declared a "Rockin' Girl Blogger" a few days ago by Mrs. Mom. With this post, I'm passing on the award to very deserving blogger -- and yes, of course she's a girl. The blogger is:

ElisaRae of ElisaRae's World

ElisaRae has been blogging for over a year now. She has a refreshing point of view and she takes good photographs. (Of course, she does have a great photography teacher -- her dad, Rich Legg.)

ElisaRae roller skates, rappels and rock-climbs. So you see, she really is a rockin' girl!

ElisaRae, I think the rules are that you can pass this award to as many as five girl bloggers. Also, if you want, you can display the "Rockin' Girl Blogger" award on your website.

Technorati tags: Rockin' Girl Blogger Award, meme

Eight Things You Never Asked To Know

All In The Family... Blogs and Blogging...

A meme is going around some of the blogs I frequent. I enjoyed reading Greenman Tim's responses to it. Then I read the last paragraph and realized he had tagged me. So here are eight random things about myself.

1. I think I would enjoy video games but I've never allowed myself to get started playing them. I'm afraid I would want to play night and day.

2. Speaking of night, I'm quite a nightowl. I would do well at a night job.

3. I am terribly near-sighted. I'm thankful that I was born in the age of modern optometry. I started wearing glasses when I was in second grade. When I was 20, I got contact lenses and I wore them for nearly 30 years. Then I caught pinkeye (a really disgusting condition!) and I had to wear glasses while I was getting over it. I haven't gone back to contacts since, though I think about it sometimes.

4. When my sister and I were little, we sometimes rolled our chewed bubble gum in the sugar bowl to refresh it.

5. I hate pantyhose. Here is how I avoid wearing them. When I have to "dress up" for church or whatever, I wear black slacks and a coordinating top. I have eight pairs of black slacks, in several different fabrics. In summer, I add a few pairs of beige slacks to the mix. Once in a while, I might wear a summer dress with sandals.

6. I was a "Betty Crocker Homemaker of the Year" when I was a senior in high school. A few years later, I was a "Miss Nebraska Charolais." Another girl was the "Miss Nebraska Charolais." I was just the runner-up. I think those are the only two titles I've ever won. I won a local photography contest once, and I won a floral arrangement once in a drawing. I've never been particularly lucky at winning things.

7. I taught elementary school for eight years before I had kids, and spent another year teaching Basic Math to soldiers in Germany before Isaac was born. I should have gone back to teaching when we came to Kentucky, but the schools were in an uproar because of the new Kentucky Education Reform Act. I was a stay-at-home mom for a while, then worked at a couple of other jobs. Now my kids are grown. I wonder if I still have the energy for the students, the papers that have to be graded, the classes they'd want me to take, and all those cranky co-teachers. People my age retire from teaching, not return to it. Nonetheless, I will probably substitute teach this fall.

8. When we lived in Bolivia, I played cribbage fiercely with a group of intense cribbage players. Then life went on, and I had no cribbage-playing cronies. When Keely was eight, I taught her to play. Now every time we play, she beats me! (She's also much faster and better at Sudoku than me!)

The next step of the meme is that I'm supposed to invite eight more bloggers to carry on the meme. If this meme interests you, please consider yourself tagged. If you send me the link to your eight things, I'll post it here.

Technorati tags: meme, eight things

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Blogs and Blogging...

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Very Lady Genevieve the Herbaceous of Wimblish upon Frognaze Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Netdisaster: Too Cool

And What I Think About It...

Flower Power attack on Prairie Bluestem!

It's a Netdisaster!

(Don't try these links if you have a serious shortage of computer memory.)

• Prairie Bluestem overcome by Flower Power
• Prairie Bluestem picketed by marching demonstrators
• Oops. Now it looks like coffee has spilled on Prairie Bluestem.
• Prairie Bluestem bombarded with cream pies.

And so on, one disaster after another! It reminds me a little of Mr. Bill, if you remember him. The visuals are lots of fun -- and you can change the site and the disaster via the controls at the top.

Thanks to Lucianne.com for the link!

Technorati tags:

cool websites
Netdisaster

Not Jackson Pollock

And What I Think About It...

At jacksonpollock.org, you too can make a quick Jackson Pollock-ish image like this. It's a good way to waste a few minutes or more. To copy your image, hold down the CTRL key and press "Print Screen". It will be copied to your clipboard and you can paste it wherever you want it.

Isaac said the one above wasn't random enough. So I made the one below with my eyes closed. It's really not random, either. It's hard to be deliberately random. It's also hard to know when you're finished. I guess Jackson Pollock overcame little difficulties like these and that's what made him a great abstract artist.

After looking at several Jackson Pollock images, I can see that he wouldn't have been finished with them nearly as quickly as I was.



"When I am in my painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of "get acquainted" period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well." Jackson Pollock, 1912-1956

Technorati tags:

Jackson Pollock

Nearest Book Meme

Blogs and Blogging...

This is from Sarabeth's blog:

1. Grab the nearest book.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next four sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.

5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest!

(Quoted from I once was HP)

The nearest book for me was Roget's Thesaurus, and it has no sentences on page 123, so I've disqualified it.

The second nearest book was Huckleberry Finn. I'm not reading it, but I guess Isaac must be.

"I ain't undisposed. What's your line -- mainly?"

"Jour printer, by trade; do a little in patent medicines; theatre-actor -- tragedy, you know; take a turn at mesmerism and phrenology when there's a chance; teach singing; geography school for a change; sling a lecture, sometimes -- oh I do lots of things -- most anything that comes handy, so it ain't work. What's your lay?"

(Four sentences from page 123 of a paperback edition of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)

This was entertaining to do. What's your nearest book?

Technorati tags:

meme

Nerdishness Confirmed

Not Easily Classified...

Just as you all suspected -- I am a bit nerdish.

Tomatoes Someday...

The Rural Life... More About Trees and Plants... My Various Hobbies...

These little pear tomatoes will be showing some color soon ... I hope! That's my cage of leaf compost behind them. This vine is huge! It's sprawling everywhere and it's loaded with little green tomatoes.

This is my entry in Dr. Charles' Tomato Exhibition. Entrants so far are posted here. Thanks to Sarabeth for posting the link.



Dill, zinnias, and marigold are in the foreground. In the background, cucumbers are growing up and out onto their wooden pallet trellis. I've left lots of blank area for them to spread into.

My garden is really late this year! Lots of people are already eating tomatoes, zucchini, beans, and more from their gardens.

Fortunately, Kentucky has a long growing season, so we'll still enjoy some produce from our own garden this summer -- just a little later than usual.

Right now, the only thing I'm harvesting is some bouquets of zinnias.

Related posts:
My Vegetable Garden
A Composter but not an Organic Gardener

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tomatoes
dill
zinnias