GRANDMOTHER OLIVE ASKS: WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

I understand you wanted me to do another post, but I couldn't think of anything that would interest you.  When I saw this picture, I saw things that shouldn't be done near a wood burning stove. I saw things that are dangerous.

Now before I start, I am not blaming the people whose house it is.  Maybe the man was bringing in wood when the photographer came.  Maybe the photographer asked that the wood be placed where it is for the picture - to prove it is a wood burning stove.  Maybe there were other reasons, I don't know about.  So I do not blame them as I do not know the facts.  But I will tell you things, that are in this picture, that you should not do if you own a wood burning stove.

Lets start with the logs.  The wood logs should not be in that location so near the stove.  Should something happen and a spark fly off, those logs could cause a major fire.  Also, these logs look like they are sitting on cardboard.  Again, should a spark fly hitting that cardboard, would cause a real major fire.  The log should not be close to that door.  If the logs caught on fire, they would block an exit from the house.  In case of a fire, every exit counts.

I see a little bit of black on the left side which could be the bin to put the logs in.  Logs should be put in a metal bin away from the stove.  It has to be close so you can get the logs and put them in the stove as needed, but they should not be right next to the stove.  Jean's log bin is across the kitchen from the wood stove.  Anna's bin is in her kitchen next to her stove, but there is over a yard between her wood burning stove and the logs.  Both Jean and Anna's kitchen has two door exits out of that room - one the back door and the other side of the kitchen there is an exit through the mud room.

Another thing that concerned me is what is on the floor in front of the wood  burning stove.  I hope it is either tile or stone and not carpeting.  Carpeting sets on fire very easy and could cause a major fire.  Now they have some carpet out that they say is fire proof, but I don't know safe that is.  Also, tile or glue or whatever glued the stone could also burn, but the chance is not as great as carpeting.

The next thing you shouldn't do is something I have to admit, I have done myself.  On the front of the stove it looks like child slacks are hanging from the handle.  Now it could be my eyes and it is a pot holder, or cloth, but it looks like slacks to me.  You shouldn't put cloth items on the front of the stove,  Now, I admit, when the children were young, if they came in from outside for say lunch and were going out again, I put their slacks on the oven handle to dry.  But, because I did it does not mean it was right.

A thing that is on there that I haven't seen in years is about half way up the wooden piece by the pipe.  That pulls out and you can attach mittens, socks, or like small items on to dry over the stove.  The heat from the stove made them dry faster than hanging them in the basement.  Of course that was the days before we had all the modern items we do now. Still you have to watch that items do not get too hot.

I previously spoke of sparks.  Now, when using the wood burning stove you should be so careful that sparks should not fly.  If this happens, you should check what you are doing.  But, I can never say it doesn't happen.  With the wood stove you must be more careful and fire preventive than in other stoves.

Be With God,
Olive

HAPPY HALLOWEEN DAY !!!!!!!

I drove around town last Saturday to get some Halloween pictures.  Hope they put is in the Halloween mood.  Happy Halloween to everyone.  Oh, there are two posts on today.  Grandmother Olive is coming next.

PALMYRA, NY - CHURCH STREET CEMETARY

Seeing Halloween is coming tomorrow - what better to show today than a cemetery.  This cemetery is one of seven in the town of Palmyra and that is not including the cemeteries that some farms that date back have on their property.  This cemetery is on Church Street, on a hill across from the Catholic Church.  The land was originally donated by John Swift, the founded of our town, for the first school.  Later, I heard there was a church built there.  Then it became the cemetery.   Pictures two through six are the graves of John Swift and his wife.  These graves date back to the early 1800. You will note that in pictures 17 and 18 is a fairly new grave stone.  I believe the family replaced the old 1800 grave stone with a new one.  Some of the grave stones have not weathered the years as some of the others.  The last picture shows how high up the hill the graves are on. There are people who live in our town and village that are related to some of the people in this cemetery.

JEAN'S CARAMEL - CHOCOLATE APPLES

JEAN'S CARAMEL: - CHOCOLATE APPLES

4 or 5 apples
1 package (14 ounces) caramel candies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate

Remove stems and blossom ends from apples.  Make sure apples are completely dry.

Heat caramel candies, semisweet chocolate, salt, and water in top of a double broiler over hot water, stirring frequently until caramels and chocolate are melted and mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat.

Keeping sauce over hot water, place each apple in hot caramel - chocolate sauce, spooning sauce over apple until it is completely coated.  Insert wooden skewer in stem and remove from sauce and place on waxed paper.  Refrigerate until caramel-chocolate coating is firm.

ANNA'S MENU FOR A DAY

Someone asked for a daily menu at our house.  I thought it would be easy, but it's not as easy as it sounds.  First, Elmer and I had eight children so we had it that each child could pick breakfast every week or so.  Saturday was either Elmer or mine's choice and Sunday was the Lord's Day so we mostly ate and still do eat cereal that day for breakfast.  Seeing we only have one child still at home, for a short time, now anyone one of us can decide what we want for breakfast. If I don't hear any choices, I make what I want.  I also feel that breakfast is the most important meal.  How we start the day food wise helps the way our day will go both work wise and health wise.

So in the morning we usually have juice or fresh fruit depending on the season.  Elmer and John each like a small bowl of oat meal.  Then we might have pancakes or french toast, or waffles,  etc. with either ham, bacon or sausage.  Sometimes they would like soft boiled eggs or scrambled eggs then I will have homemade bread with homemade jelly in addition to the meat and home fried potatoes. Of course we have coffee.

In midmorning, we have a snack and coffee.  Many times John is over at his farm so it is just Elmer and myself.  I use to bake real fattening coffee cakes or donuts, etc. for this time, but being more health wise, we usually have a muffin or fruit and coffee.

I try to serve the main meal at lunch, but that doesn't always work out with John working at his place and Elmer here.  Sometimes one of the men will tell me what they would like for dinner the night before or I make something - they eat it.

It could be beef stew or chicken stew over noodles.  It could be baked chicken or fish or pot roast.  It could be ham stew over noodles or spaghetti or lots of things.  Sometimes, depending on the weather, Elmer will do burgers or steaks on the grill.  If we don't have noodles, then we have either baked, mash or fried potatoes.  Vegetables, salad, fresh homemade bread with jelly.  Also, we have chow chow or beet eggs or alike.  Elmer always wants desert at the main meal so I have cake or pie or cookies or alike for desert.

In the middle of the afternoon, we sometimes have another snack.  Again, it might be cookies or muffin or fruit and coffee.

If we had the big dinner at lunch, we have a lighter dinner.  Many times I make a salad like a Julian Salad or tuna noodle salad or alike. Then I try to have fruit or a fruit salad.  We usually have bread with jelly.  I do make whole wheat bread when I can, but sometimes the men would prefer white bread.  We may instead of bread have rolls, muffins or alike.  If we have the main meal in the evening that you just switch these two menus.

If it has been a hard day and we have been working or plowing or planting, we sometimes order a pizza or something to deliver.  Then I just add a salad for dinner.

In the evening, we also snack.  It could be popcorn or cookies or if I have left over desert.  We sometimes have cider or coco or tea to drink.  We drink coffee all day and sometimes we just like tea instead.

So that is pretty much what we eat.  I don't make fried foods very often although once in a while Elmer or John will ask me to fry chicken - and I usually do it.  We pay more attention to health than we did when we were children.  Of course views have changed since we were children.

Saturday is usually Elmer's breakfast day. We have juice or fruit, oatmeal, fried eggs, home fries, either bacon sausage or ham, homemade bread,jelly or muffins or rolls.  Elmer calls that his grease day - most everything fried.

As Elmer and John do less work and are less active in the winter than they are in the other three seasons, I try to watch what they eat.  I don't always get away with it, though.  Although Elmer has some jobs that people want done.  He and John are putting siding on another Amish man's house right now.  It was suppose to have been done two years ago, but the man thought he would do it.  Last year Elmer went and gave him a price.  Still the man thought he would so it.  A few weeks ago he called Elmer and asked him if he would do it for the same price he quoted last year.  Elmer stated he would.  The man's wife is a little upset that all you see when people drive by is insulation.  No siding.  The man thought he better get it done.  So he hired Elmer and John.

So here is usual menu.  It isn't perfect because they change every day.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna

JEAN ANSWERS QUESTONS

Thought I would ask some questions that people asked me and Martha, a while back that never got answered.  Martha and Joseph are still waiting for their first grandchild which should be due in November.

Some asked if Thomas has gained any weight?  He has gained a little weight, but not much.  The doctor said he is doing fine and he is just a person that burns off food fast.  He also said that Thomas will probably he a thin person.  But he is healthy and not to worry about his weight.  I think that was a nice way to tell me not to be fussing over his weight all the time.

It was not our religious ways to teach children to kick and scream if someone should try to take them as we never had this problem.  Since the girls were taken in upstate New York, Bishop Joseph had a meeting with us parents at school and it was decided that the children should be taught.  They had classes at school and here at home teaching what the children should do if someone should try to take them.  We also explained why they should not take candy from anyone or look at the puppy in their car, etc.  None of our little ones are allowed to go sell at our stand unless one of the bigger children like Thomas, Michael or Edward are with them - or David or myself,  Somehow people are the most afraid of Edward. which comes in handy with our little ones sometimes.  Edward is over six foot tall, a big fellow and black skin.  His height and the color of his skin make some people take notice.  Of course, they don't know how harmless he is.

In our community do many people leave the Old Order Mennonite Church?  Not too many.  If they do leave, the usually go to a more wordly Mennonite Order.

If an Old Order Mennonite boy fell in love with an Englisher would it make him sway to leave the church?  Working with Englishers they are bound to meet someone outside the church.  We encourage our young folks to court folks that are Old Order Mennonite.  Some. sometimes, do date outsiders like Martha and Joseph, but Martha joined our religion.  Again, I say, if someone does want to marry someone outside Old Order Mennonite, they usually change to another Mennonite Order.

With the changing times with new technology like computers and cell phones influence the young to want to leave your ways?  We do not have computers, but we do have a cell phone in our house because David is with the Fire Department. We also have a regular land line phone.  I do know that Michael has gone to the library to use their computer, but he has not been baptized, as yet.  Really, I don't think that has a great influence on children leaving our church.

We are still working on Grandmother Olive to see if we can get her to put on another post.  She thinks she doesn't have anything to say.  But like Anna, I think she has a lot to say that we would be interested in.

Someone mentioned smelling soil.  Maybe you have to live on a farm to smell it.  Right now, we can still smell it as it is getting one last plowing to be put down for the winter.  Oh, the men smell it too.  David always tells me he smells it especially in the spring.

Someone asked about Kevin and Bridget.  I will have to see if I can get one of them to do a post.  Most likely it would be Kevin because Bridget wants nothing to do with computers.  Of course Anna said that and Martha said that and they both have had posts since them.  I guess Bridget is another I will have to work on.

I guess I have answered all your questions for now. I also wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Be With God,
Jean

MARILYN HAS SOME THINGS TO SAY

Usually, I am not here on Sunday nor do I usually make special posts, but I have a few things to say.  First there are two posts today.  The church post should have come on before this post.

Also, there are two posts on October 31st.  The first one should come on at 5:00 AM and that should be of pictures I took today.  The second should come on at 6:00 AM and should be Grandmother Olive. I hope that I have them set up right.

Next week, I have to go to Wolcott Nutrition Center to train for taking over for a week in November as the manager has to have surgery.  Wolcott is about 35 miles, one way from where I live.  I will be going there Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  So I will not be here as much as I usually am.

I have posts set up from now until next Saturday.  So they will come on even if I am not here.  I just want you to know what is happening in case you try to contact me and I don't answer.  I will come on when I can, but it won't be as often as I usually do. Any questions or comments or messages that you leave for Jean, Anna, or Grandmother Olive, I will see they get them.  Just later than usual.

Just wanted you all to know what was happening and why.

God Bless You,
Marilyn

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, NEWARK, NEW YORK

First Baptist Church of Newark, New York was established in 1847.  The church is located on Miller Street in Newark,  I have been to many rummage sales at this church.  They also have many dinners for missions and local Newark needs.

ERIE CANAL -LOCK 29, ERIE BRIDGE, PALMYRA-MACEDON, NEW YORK

Lock 29 is on the boarder of Palmyra and Macedon.  Part is in Palmyra and part in Macedon.  I took these pictures over a year ago. Lock 29 is still used today.   The last picture is of a bridge that was over the original Erie Canal.  It had worn out and part fell in the Erie and it was pulled out.  It was stored in a few places before it was found in someone's barn.  People of Palmyra and Macedon obtained it, restored it, and have it at Lock 29 so it can be seen and walked over today.