After a Long Winter's Break

We just returned from taking our daughter back to college after a LONG Winter's break. We were caught off guard by slick road conditions and spent an unexpected night in a Day's Inn in Liberty. My youngest loved having the chance to see The Steelers win a football game on TV. It was an unplanned mini vacation. Route 17 E hadn't been plowed, nor were the other roads attended to yet. We kept thinking the snow would dissipate the further South we travelled, but it didn't.I asked one man near a grocery store when the snow was supposed to end, and he replied, "Two hours and 3 1/2 inches ago". The best road we encountered was the one over the mountain near New Paltz which had been plowed, although we noticed a plow spinning its wheels on the turnoff by the hairpin curve. We're glad to be home again.








Perhaps pedal power would've been a wiser alternative.

Garden Dreams Continued

The cold continues but is starting to lose its tight grip on our region. Stopped by the local variety store this morning and they had new seeds on display, too! (4 packs/$1.00) Bought radishes, cucumbers, spinach, nasturtiums, sunflowers (can't have too many sunflowers), cornflowers,sweet peas and cosmos. I also bought zucchini and zinnias last night at Kmart when looking for thermal pants for J. (Didn't find any in kids' sizes, but drifted past the seeds on my way out, and the 2 Z's yelled at me to grab them on the run). Received a new catalog in the mail from Fredericksburg, TX, called Wildseed Farms. It's very informative and has a nice layout. I look forward to looking through it and daydreaming some more!



J had his first basketball game this morning. It was nice that the whole family was there to see his first game ever. The opponents looked huge and won, (they must've been college kids!) but our guys had a good time trying, and they played with heart.

Baby, It's COLD Outside!

The porch thermometer read twelve below this morning, and it's warmed to zero now (about 11 AM). Replenished the sunflower seeds for the birds and the feeder is a happening place.





I just placed an order for 100 mixed glad bulbs, 25 mixed day lilies, 10 hardy, tall, mixed phlox and 25 Mary Washington asparagus.The first 800 number I reached wasn't the garden place and the man gave me the correct number, explaining the catalog showed a misprint. He seemed patient, but I'm sure he's been fielding dozens of calls lately. The woman I ordered from in Virginia Beach had a pleasant, southern accent. I'm sure VA is warmer today than upstate NY! I told her it's a good day to be dreaming of planting season!

I also purchased my first few seed packs at KMart last night, a sure sign that Spring will come! (Burpee seeds- 40% off!) My dream garden will have a mix of sunflowers, hollyhocks (have to wait two years to see them bloom), Heavenly Blue Morning Glories, and lettuce. That's just the start! I haven't had much luck with blue morning glories in the past couple years, but I continue to plant them with great expectations- that's what hope's all about.



About ten years ago, I had a showy display of Heavenly Blue Morning Glories against an old, rusted gate. My hollyhocks were beautiful, too, especially the apricot colored ones from Jane's garden and the almost black ones given to me by my dear, sweet Uncle Ed. (The 2006 flood destroyed that garden, but it's still blooming in memory) I'll find a great place for the new seeds to grow! Garden dreaming and birdwatching are excellent activities on these cold, beyond cold, days!

Thinking of 2010 already!

I know 2009 has barely started, but I have to work ahead since I like to draw calendar pictures. I'm lucky if, I get two done a month, and I'm a bit behind schedule. I have quite a few great train reference photos to work from thanks to a rail fan who frequents the diner I do. So far, I've completed one drawing of a CP train near the old Jennison Plant in Bainbridge, NY. I'm currently working on a sketch of a D&H engine engineered by a friend's nephew. Our good friend, Jack, was also a D&H engineer, so if if do a whole train calendar, I'll do it in honor of Jack.

Saturday's project

Saturday's project
Originally uploaded by Farmhouse Greetings

Saturday's project

An idea came to me in the wee, dark hours of Saturday morning, while I was lying, awake, in bed to transform an old quilt top that my mother-in-law gave me two years ago into a window panel for our very cold window area in the dining/computer/piano room. I'm surprised that I actually remembered my idea the next day and lost no time making it into reality!   I added enough borders to fit the window area (top and bottom) and backed it with an old, flannel sheet. It seems to make the room look cozier, anyway!  Temperatures are expected to plummet by week's end.

Another New Day

It's dreary outside, but the wood stove is warm, a good day to stay inside. I'll be working on a drawing of a D&H train engine for my 2010 calendar. I should be working on a commission, an anniversary drawing, but it can wait a day or two. Here's what I see out my window.



Pat Stone, the editor of GreenPrints, gave me the thumbs up on the three recent illustrations I did for the Spring, so I'm coasting a little. The assignments force me to do a little research. One story by Becky Rupp compared the current Wall Street crisis to the Dutch tulipmania in the 1600s. Did a nifty drawing for that, should I show a sneak peak? I also did a colored illustration for a poem, a parody Hamlet's famous "To be, or not to be..." This one is- "To garden or not to garden..." Color isn't my strength, but I had fun doing this (for one of GreenPrints' internet stories) First, had to read Hamlet enough to grasp the basic concepts,(what a tragic play, not very happy) before I could try to draw something that referred to it. I'll try to post some thumbnails of my sketches, as a plug for GreenPrints, a cool, gardening quarterly, full of gardening stories and illustrations.

Icy, Dicey Day

It's another "snow" day for D and J. J's watching the movie, Transformers. I hope to spend a good part of the day at the drawing board, working toward my 2010 calendar. My theme this year might be Trains, or perhaps it will be an eclectic mix of drawings I've done of images I like. Will probably postpone a much needed eye exam for R. My birthday tulips have dropped all their petals, but they live on in my photos and memory. Dropped into Price Chopper yesterday to pick out another bouquet of mini- carnations for the kitchen table.

Happy New Year!

My New year recently started on my early January birthday. D gave me a nice bouquet of tulips and a small watering can, J helped make me breakfast, R sang me a song, J gave me an iChat gizmo and the whole family went with me early to see one of my favorite bands perform at the Bainbridge Town Hall Theater. We were the first ones there, but the seats quickly filled.Live music, well done, is a total joy to experience.

I don't mind getting older: I try to find something to enjoy in each day, even if it's just a passing comment about the weather from a stranger, a ray of sun, streaming through the window on an otherwise gloomy day, or a sip of hot tea. I don't need a whiz bang celebration to make a day special. I've perfected the art of appreciating life's little pleasures.

O Christmas Tree

Here's Mom playing her favorite song to play on piano, Redwing:

Christmas tidings

Christmas day is over but I plan on continuing its celebration throughout the year! I'm glad the mild weather enabled my parents to celebrate with us. Dad really enjoyed receiving a blue and gray South Kortright cap, a memento from the school where he and mom first taught and met at a teacher's meeting on Labor Day, 1940.



Here is a copy of my Christmas morning "interview" I did of Dad to send to the SK alumuni who donated the cap for Dad and Mom, when they found out they taught there nearly 70 years ago:

Dear Bob and Cathy:

Today is Christmas 2008 and we gave Dad and Mom a South Kortright cap. Dad absolutely beamed when he opened the gift bag and exclaimed, “S.K! Blue and gray!” He wondered where I found one, and I explained about seeing MaryAlyce’s husband, Andy, wearing one at line dancing one night, and I wondered how to get one. I jotted down some notes, recording Dad and Mom’s South Kortright days.

My Dad, Lawrence N. Cook, grew up in the midst of the great depression on a small, family farm with 8 brothers and 2 sisters in Rome, PA, and graduated from Cornell‘s Ag program in 1940.(He roomed at the Ithaca firehouse and worked as a dishwasher in sorority houses for his meals). My Mom, Marion E. McKee, grew up on a very small farm on the outskirts of Afton, NY, and graduated from Albany State teachers college in 1940 with a business education degree.

They met on Labor Day 1940 at a teachers’ meeting at 1 p.m where they were served coffee and cookies. Since Dad was sitting at the end of an aisle, he had to pass out papers. Dad was the newly hired ag and industrial arts’ teacher, and Mom was the new business teacher. Dad said that Mr. Burke, the superintendent and principal, made it clear that all teachers were expected to remain in town during the weekends.(To be accessible to their students?)

Dad said that at that time, elementary teachers at South Kortright were paid $900 per year, high school teachers received $1,200 per year, and that the ag teacher received $1,800 per year, since he worked during the summer as well, visiting projects at over two dozen area farms. He also received 5 cents per mile, gas money. The principal and superintendent were the same person, Mr. Burke, who hired both of them. His salary was the highest at $3,000 per year. Mr. Burke’s wife, Betty, served as the school librarian at that time, and expected Mr. Burke to help put supper on the table, since she worked, too. Mom and Dad stayed in touch with the Burkes throughout their lives. The Burkes even attended Mom and Dad’s golden wedding anniversary celebration in Afton, NY, on July 10, 1992.

South Kortright was in a brand new building at that time. The school day started around 8:20 to 3:45. Each class was 45 minutes. All students were bussed to school except for the Tylers who lived on a farm next door.

While in South Kortright, Dad roomed over Lew and Sadie White’s funeral parlor. Mr. White also served as mayor at that time. They later moved to Cooperstown, NY.

Dad had a car that he was making payments on- a black 1936 Oldsmobile. He used it to visit his students’ projects. His brother, Jake, was able to sell it for him when he entered the service for the same amount of money he bought it for- $350.

Dad taught at SK until he left for serving in the army air force Air cadets in Oct 1941. He even taught some night school courses to make some extra money before his enlistment. He had started CPT (Civilian Pilot Training) while in Ithaca, and completed the program at Hartwick in Oneonta, where he soloed in an airplane with skis.He passed the traveling aviation board exam in Oneonta and volunteered for WW2 service instead of getting drafted even though Mr. Burke felt he could get him a deferment for essential work service. Dad spent most of his time during the war, flying the aerial gunners’ training planes in harlingen, TX. He was slated to report overseas to Italy when the war ended in 1945.(His gear had already been shipped over)

Mom continued to teach at SK until February 1943. She had married Dad in July 1942, but continued to teach while he was in TX. (She taught until she began “to show” her pregnancy, since those were the days that obviously pregnant women were not supposed to teach. My brother, Jack was born in July 1943).

The first year Mom taught at South Kortright, she roomed with Ellen Russ, the language teacher (French and Latin) and Mary Trainer, an English teacher. They lived in an apartment owned by a man who ran a Texaco gas station, so they were nicknamed the “Texaco Trio”.

The following year, Mary Trainer and Mom lived with an elementary teacher named Phoebe Snow.

One of Dad’s industrial arts students in the 7th grade was Hugh Rose who later served as a pastor atthe First Pres. Church in Binghamton, where Mom and Dad are long time members. Hugh Rose’s sister , Ruth, taught at SK, and married Floyd Maney (Sp?). Some other names of students Dad remembers are: Hans Wechs (Sp?), Chauncy Whitney, Walter and Howard Rich, and the Fox boy. He remembers visiting the Macalusso (Sp?) farm where they made wine, and had eggs, vegetables, and cauliflower. I’m sure he remembers many other students, too, but that’s all we chatted about on Christmas. He wore his new hat home!

Thank you so much for your generosity! Dad and Mom love having a tangible reminder of their South Kortright days!

My Christmas card to you

I'm sending out my Christmas cards by regular mail so thought I'd post one, too-This is the front of our card and it shows J holding Jazz, the cat he got for his tenth birthday...



The inside our of card reads-"TAKE JOY in this SEASON & all through the YEAR!" And here's the back:



And D wrote a new poem for the inside, too:

Family, Fix-it and Fleeting Clouds

My oldest son fixed my sewing machine this week, and it's given our whole family peace of mind.  They no longer hear the horrendous metallic squeal emanating from my tiny sewing room when I try to make anything.  The deafening squeal turned out to be from one of the rods on the very bottom of the machine that a drop or two of oil remedied instantly. I'm so happy my machine is operative again.  I don't know if I'll get any more sewing done, but at least now it'll be a pleasurable experience to go in and sew.





On Tuesday, Dad, Mom and I drove done to Rome, PA, to have lunch with Dad's youngest sister, Ruth.  Dad and Ruth are the only two Cook "children" remaining of the eleven children of Robert and Edna Cook, who were everyday saints in the eyes of the rest of us. I think all my aunts and uncles (Dad included) have achieved this status also.

I noticed some neat clouds over Nineveh as I drove down to meet up with Mom and Dad. 

11.04.08

My daughter sent D and I matching t-shirts that have today's date on the front and "Rock the Vote" on back. It's a nice shirt to commemorate our 30th anniversary, which equals 10,958 days according to D. Last night, I finished adding binding to a bird quilt that is now on our bed, another momento of the day. (Someday, I'll tie or quilt it, I have another 30 years to get around to it, right?) It's also a reminder of this historic election day.  Well, can't wait to go cast my vote with millions of others, so that regardless who wins, I have a legitimate right to complain. Actually both candidates seem like men of integrity, but I'm hoping O wins and brings a sense of renewal, promise and potential to the country. That's about as political as I get.

November Already!

I hope to do a better job posting in November than the past few months. I'll start with posting a few photos from the weekend.



This is the south side of Main Street Afton, caught in a web of overhead wires on Halloween.



Looking up Main Street.



Eye Candy on Halloween