One By One

A few months ago, we noticed the grain in the granary had been getting wet. Opening the door and looking up, I could see cracks in the ceiling where the water was coming through. After telling Dad about it, he told us it was time to take off the old shingles and replace them with new ones. The granary was constructed in 2007. The roof that Trey had made had lasted for sixteen years! That is a long time.

When the time came to replace the roof, Samuel, Isaac, and I gathered up the tools we needed. We needed out hammers, our pry bars, roofing nails, and we also took our two biggest ladders. After climbing onto the roof, we began taking off the old shingles. 

It did not take long to remove them. Most of the shingles were rotting and falling apart. That made the job a lot easier. After they were off, the granary looked very strange.

Now it was time to put on the tar paper. This would keep out the water when it rained. We had a roll in the shop left over from building the back porch roof, so we used it. Starting from bottom to top, we laid out the paper on the bare roof. We also put a strip of flashing on the ridge of the roof where the tar paper would not be placed.

The shingles were made from cedar wood, and each piece was wedge shaped. Dad showed me how to put the shingles on. He showed me to work from bottom to top, the thick end of the shingle facing the ground, and the other end facing the top.

I put on the shingles one by one, working from right to left. When I got to the left side, I would measure and then mark a line, then start on the next row. I continued this repeatedly, and each time moving five- and one-half inches up, overlapping the last row. I did this over and over again. Finally, I got to the top! It took pretty much all day. I climbed down off the ladder and looked at the new roof. It looked wonderful. I took a little break, stretched my legs, and got a drink of water. After moving the ladders and tools to the other side of the roof, I went back to work. It was starting to get dark, so I put on two rows. 

I was exhausted, and glad that it was time to be done for the night. The next day I continued working on the roof, and that evening, completed it! It was exciting to see it finished!

Although it was a long and slow job putting on the shingles one by one, I had an enjoyable time doing them. It was fun to watch the roof slowly get covered, and I knew it would not only look good, but also help protect the grain on the inside. Now when it rains, it will roll right off the new shingled roof.

~Jonah

Aster No Questions

Hiking the other day, we happened upon several bunches of beautiful wild asters. Seen in riotous profusion this time of year, they are often observed in cultivated gardens throughout the countryside. The name- aster, gave me pause to remember a saying hundreds of years old. . . Ask her (aster) no questions and she’ll tell you no lies, or rather, ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.

The phrase is intended to mean that I cannot give you a true or exact answer, so you may as well not ask me. Don’t question me on the topic because I will probably lie. If you want the truth, you’d better not ask directly. You shouldn’t ask because the truth- either will offend you or it isn’t your place to receive it. Please don’t ask because it will be more truth than you wanted or too little to satisfy, or both. Whether I am unable to answer your questions, or whether I choose not to answer, that is for me to know.

After some digging, I found that the question is attributed to the Irish playwright, Oliver Goldsmith, and his comedy, She Stoops to Conquer, written 1773. This charming comedy was performed in London and has delighted audiences for over two centuries. Ironically, it uses the word “fibs” rather than lies. Later, the phrase was made widely known by the likes of Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, and even Lynyrd Skynyrd who all sang about the topic.

Questions often seem to make many people uncomfortable. But why is that? Are questions uncomfortable because we don’t always have the answers? Do they make one uneasy because we’re left feeling exposed? Do we feel confronted—like we’re being “questioned?” There is a difference between asking a question and questioning. Relatives, friends, or even strangers may intend to be caring or concerned, yet still ask inappropriate, intrusive, or downright rude questions. According to Ecclesiastes, there is a “time to be silent and a time to speak.”

As people genuinely care, often the uncomfortableness was unintended. Why are they asking you this question? Every so often someone is just simply nosy. Do they need the information they’re asking for? While honesty is always the best policy, answering your best in those situations may necessitate being vague or not directly answering the offending question. What could they do with any information you give them? Sometimes it might entail ignoring the question or changing the subject. A little infused humor might possibly deflect the infraction. Often, it means turning the question back around to the other person. Practicing limits or boundaries politely is necessary, because sometimes uncomfortable questions stem from an unhealthy, rebellious attitude or anger and jealousy.

That’s an interesting question. I’m sorry, that’s personal. Why are you asking? This isn’t a good place to discuss that. That’s a very long story, and a lifetime wouldn’t be enough time to explain. “Aster no questions and she’ll tell you no lies.”

~Rhonda

Amazing Defenses!

Lizards have many ways of defending themselves. Some are super cool, like the common Basilisk. It can run on water. It is also the fastest lizard species known. The blue tailed skink is known for dropping his tail. It is amazing how God designed lizards.

The other day, I was walking down the driveway to check the mailbox, when I saw Samuel climbing up a tree. I asked him what he was doing. He said that there were two lizards that had climbed the tree before him. Now he was trying to catch them, so he climbed up the tree after them. I asked if he wanted some help, and he gladly accepted. One of the eastern fence lizard’s defenses is filling up with air and making a long loud hissing sound when being handled.

After a while of trying to get the lizards to come down, one of them finally decided to make a dash for it, to get to another tree. As it scurried down the tree, Samuel snatched it up and handed it down to me, to put it in one of the containers he had brought. When he did this the lizard puffed up with air and made a hiss. It might have worked against someone else, but we knew what to expect. There was still one more lizard to catch and we were determined to capture it. Slowly we got it into grasping reach. Not seeing the trap that was set, the lizard climbed down the tree. As it did, I reached out my hand and picked her up. She was about nine inches long. The other was a little smaller. It was a boy with a bright blue belly.

Like the eastern fence lizard, the western fence lizard also has a bright blue belly. He flattens his body and exposes his colors, which tricks the predator. He might then be mistaken for a larger more dangerous reptile.

The Frilled lizard stands up on its two back legs and pops out a large piece of colorful skin that surrounds its neck. As it does this, it opens its mouth and hisses like most lizards do. The lizard immediately looks two times bigger, and two times scarier than it was. Most of the time this protection works but if it does not, the Frilled dragon will run to the nearest tree.

When a predator wants to eat the five-inch Horned lizard, he will shoot blood from out of his eye sockets. As a result, the predator is frightened and flees. He also uses this technique to remove foreign particles from the surface of his eyes.

All of the unique ways of defending themselves, from gliding from tree to tree, hiding out under water, or curling up into a ball, are amazing. God created lizards with many ways of staying safe. The other day, Samuel and I were able to see some of these amazing defenses.

~Isaac

Now Part Of the Club

Do you ever wonder what the three R’s stand for? Maybe you think of reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. If you look at the bottom of a plastic jug, you will see the symbol of three chasing arrows in a triangle. It means to reduce, reuse, recycle.

When Mom and Dad go on their jog, I sometimes tag-along to pick up cans to recycle. I find them mostly alongside the road. I am looking for steel, aluminum, or copper, also. The typical person has the chance to recycle more than 25,000 cans in a lifetime. Beside the house, I keep my bags stored and any time I get cans, I smash them and put them in the old feed bag I have.

Recently I collected two and a half bags full of aluminum cans. When I told Dad, he said we could take them to the T and T Recycling place. I was so excited that I loaded the cans up right away. 

Every three months, Americans throw enough aluminum in the landfills to repair America’s commercial fleet of airplanes. It made me happy that my cans would make me some money instead.

After a nice drive, we made it there and put my cans on the scale. The cans gathered in my bags weighed fourteen pounds. I stood watching as the men moved my cans from the scale into the crusher. It smashed the aluminum into large cubes. Afterward, the workers gave us a receipt to give to the lady inside.

We walked into the building where I would get paid. Going straight to the counter, I handed my receipt to the lady. She handed me back the slip along with some cash. She then gave me a whole lesson on what could be recycled and what could not be recycled. It was very interesting. She even gave me a magnet to test metals. If it doesn’t stick, the metal is copper, aluminum, brass, or stainless steel- all good materials for recycling.

As soon as I got home, I got to work on our junk pile. There are lots of metals to sort through. Now I’m officially part of the T and T recycling club! I’m very happy to be part of the people who are recycling. I like recycling not only because it helps me gain a lot of money, but it helps conserve nature, and helps save energy.

~Unique

Hand-Me-Downs

Eden wearing Unique's little blue dress

Having been blessed with three older sisters and a younger one also, I inherited the privilege of receiving and giving hand-me-downs. To me, hand-me-downs are so special.

Hand knitted sweaters passed down from Amanda and Rachel

Although there are so many ways my sisters and I connect and build our relationships together, (like through letters and long talks, cooking, playing, visiting, crafting, and working together etc.) bundling up in a cozy sweater my sister wore before me, twirling around in one of her favorite dresses, or passing down a well-loved article of clothing myself, is one of the ways I feel bonded and closer to them.

 

There being the five of us, sometimes clothes get passed, passed again, and passed again! Jayla and I have sweaters that Mama made for our older sisters, and that one day we will pass on to Unique. She has worn many things that were passed down from me, which I got from Jayla. So, the clothing goes down the chain, link by link.

  

Hand-me-downs aren’t limited to clothing either. Jewelry, special trinkets, stories, games, tips, and songs all get passed down from one sibling to the next. A tea set from my older sister, passed down to Jayla and then to me, sits in my closet to be used whenever nieces are here and want an hour or two “over tea!” 

  

Earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, a little more worn or tarnished at each switch-over, hang in the jewelry boxes of us three girls still at home. Stories, hand games, and silly songs, which most of the time originated with Dad or Mama, all passed from older mouth to younger mind, and so on, and so on.

 

Now, the daughters of our two married sisters wear shirts and dresses and sweaters passed down from their aunties before them. Even little Eden wears clothing that Aunt Unique used to wear nearly twelve years ago. I always love to see one of my nieces wearing something that I can remember being my favorite outfit!

As long as there are older sisters, there will always be hand me downs. I will never mind though, because my sisters and what is special to them will always be important to me. I will treasure any hand me down that comes my way and will be grateful for the ability to be able to pass anything on to those younger than me.

 

~Halayah

Fun At the Field

We were recently in Ohio for a family reunion and had a chance to watch the Cincinnati Reds play against the St. Louis Cardinals at the Great American Ball Park! I was excited as we drove toward the field, and even more excited when the stadium came into sight! We had been near the Great American Ball Park only once, and not while a game was being played! Traffic slowly began to build as we neared the stadium. Lots of people were heading towards the ballpark.

Having sixteen members of our family all going to the playing field, it was necessary for us to take three cars! Dad pulled up close to the stadium and dropped Halayah and me off to accompany Mamaw, who had been let off up near the stadium so she wouldn’t have to walk so far. As the cars drove off to find a parking spot, I went along with Halayah and Mamaw toward the playing field.

After about a three-minute walk, we arrived at gate A where we waited for the rest of the family beside the statue of Tony Perez. After a few minutes, the rest of the family arrived, and we headed into the stadium. We arrived at our seats right as the game was starting. Our seats were behind home plate, and a few rows up.

The Cincinnati Reds have had eight different home stadiums since 1869 when they were first established as a major league baseball team. They have played at Union Grounds, Avenue Grounds, Bank Street Grounds, League Park, Place Of the Fans, Crosley Field, Riverfront Stadium or Cinergy Field, and currently The Great American Ballpark.

My favorite major league baseball team is the Cincinnati Reds. The oldest teams in the history of major league baseball were the Atlanta Braves- 1876, The Chicago Cubs- 1876, The St. Louis Cardinals- 1882, The Pittsburgh Pirates- 1882, The Cincinnati Reds- 1882, the San Francisco Giants- 1883, the Philadelphia Phillies- 1883, the Los Angeles Dodgers- 1884, the Oakland Athletics- 1901, and the Minnesota Twins- 1901. The Reds won the first league’s championship title in 1882 with a 688-winning percentage! That is the highest in the club history.

We cheered loudly with the rest of the crowd as the Red’s third baseman hit a homerun! The farthest homerun ever hit in the history of the Great American Ballpark was by Adam Dunn, a Cincinnati Reds outfielder on August 10, 2004. The distance was 535 feet, and the ball landed in the Kentucky side of the Ohio River! We all were hoping to catch a fouled ball, but they never quite landed in our area.

Sadly, the Reds lost the game 4 to 9 to the St. Louis Cardinals. It was an exciting game, with two homeruns by the Reds and some amazing plays and stolen bases by both teams.

Two of the three Reds vs. Cardinals baseball games I’ve been to, have been in the Cardinals’ home stadium- Busch. In contrast, in the Great American Ballpark, it was fun to watch and hear other people cheering for the same team as we were. It was an exciting evening at the ballpark as the night ended with fireworks over the beautiful Ohio River.

~Samuel