Of Boilers and Birthdays

To celebrate Jim's birthday, we got up early, loaded the car, and headed north to see our Boilers play. This is how the sky looked when I went out to feed PeeWee. Whenever I see a beautiful sunrise, I'm always reminded of the song 'To the Morning' by Dan Fogelberg. One of my favorites.

Before we had even left home, I got a text from Adam asking when we would arrive on campus. He and his buddies were up early for breakfast club dressed as the Jamaican bobsled team from the movie Cool Runnings. He sent me this picture. Pretty creative for college boys.

Breakfast Club is a tradition on the Purdue campus that gets the students up and going on home football game days. They dress in all sorts of creative costumes and get in the game day spirit. Breakfast club does not involve pancakes.

In Adam's case, pancakes, and other delicious breakfast foods, are provided by his parents in the tailgate lot.

You can find us by looking for the black Purdue train flag and the Saints flag.

In addition to pancakes, bacon, and sausage, I also made the peanut butter football dip I found on Pinterest. It was a big hit!

Sure enough, Adam and his boys were right on time, and ready to eat. They received many compliments on their spiffy costumes.

After cooking the breakfast, Jim needed a little nap. I guess it's ok just this once, since it's his birthday. :)

Time to head in for the game! Haleigh was looking cute in her football leggings.

She and Grandpa enjoyed watching the game.

It didn't take long before Haleigh was saying, "touchdown, Boilers!"

Jennifer took this cute one during the game.

The little girls (and their daddy) got a little hot and tired of football (and it wasn't a close game), so they took a little break outside the stadium. Here they are with their pretty mommy.

Jim also decided to head back to the tailgate lot for the second half. Again, it was his birthday. I, however, am usually there 'til the end. I always enjoy the halftime show. The Silver Twins did a little pre-performance ritual. An interesting note, for the first time, there were no identical twins who auditioned for the twirling positions this year, and it was assumed that there would be no Silver Twins on the field for this football season. Breaking with tradition, the director of bands asked Jordan Foster and Alyssa Lyzen to fill the positions. From my seat, I couldn't tell they weren't twins.

The Golden Girl, MerrieBeth Cox.

World's Largest Drum. Boiler Up!

A beautiful day for football.

I like the backs of the Silver Twins' outfits, that say PURDUE.

The official Purdue mascot, the Boilermaker Special, with the Boilermaker X-Tra Special in front.

The team warms up before the second half.

And look who's here to lead "Shout" after the third quarter? One of our favs, Robbie Hummel.

"Come on Boilermaker fans... it's time to SHOUT!"

You know you make me wanna...

And of course, I had to include a photo of Drew Brees. The bobblehead version.

Back at the lot, and ready for round two... juicy burgers.

And a friendly game of cornhole.

Jennifer was teaching Haleigh the rules of the game.

Great toss!

Ella wanted in on the action too.

We sang the birthday song to Jim, and he shared his cupcakes.

Spent some time just relaxin'.

Ella was ready for the picture, but Hay was much too busy with her juice box.

Now she's ready to smile.

Jennifer and Bryan are all smiles, too.

And then it was time for a serious game of cornhole. Jennifer and Adam vs. Jim and Bryan.

I'm not sure what the score was for the cornhole game, but the final score on the football field was Purdue 54, Eastern Michigan 16.Way to go Boilers!

Back at the farm, the sun was just setting as we unloaded the car. A great day for a birthday!

Happy Birthday Jim!

Hut Hut Hodgepodge!

Wednesday is here, and that means it's time for the Hodgepodge. I am thankful to Joyce for hosting this fun little party, and giving us food for thought each week. Be sure to click on the button to pay her a visit!

1.  ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?  The NFL is back in action along with all the college teams.  Are you a fan?  Who do you root for?  If you're not a fan what do you do while the rest of America watches Saturday, Sunday, Monday night, and now Thursday night games?
Oh my yes. And yes. In answer to the first two questions. And I think I will assume that Joyce wrote this question just for me. :)

I root for Purdue. My alma mater. I married into a Purdue family, and have proudly embraced it, especially the football part. At home games, you will find us in the tailgate lot cooking up delicious pancakes for breakfast, juicy burgers for lunch, and proudly supporting our Boilers.

 And, well, there's also this guy. He played for Purdue.

 Took us to the Rose Bowl.

Oh yes he did.

He also signed some autographs. For a little boy with a broken arm. Two in fact - autographs that is - one on the cast and one on the jersey. (And later, on the photo of him autographing the jersey.)

And he still plays football. And now I root for his new team. You might remember this sweet photo of Drew Brees and his son Baylen after they won the SUPER BOWL! Who Dat!!! (Yes, I took a picture of the TV.)

And he's still signing autographs for little boys.

 Even those without broken arms.

So yes, I'm ready for some football. And I'll be seeing the Saints play twice in person this year. Who Dat!!

2. What's something I'll always find in your closet?
Old clothes, new clothes, clothes that fit, and clothes that don't. Oh, and lots of shoes. Not well organized.

3. Share one of your earliest memories.
One of my earliest memories was when I was in my Aunt Jane's wedding. I thought I was pretty special to have such an important job dropping petals down the aisle. My little lace basket hung in my room as a decoration for many years after.

4. What circus act best describes your week so far?
Not too much of a circus around here so far this week. I guess it would be some kind of equestrian act since I showed our 30-year-old horse and explained the use of a bit and bridle to our pastor and his 6-year-old son.
I never think of a circus without thinking of the story of Modoc the Elephant. When my mom was 7 years old, an elephant got loose from the circus in her small town of Wabash, Indiana. Legend has it that Modoc ran to the downtown area, right into the corner drugstore where she smelled peanuts roasting. After helping herself to some peanuts, she exited the store via the back door. She roamed the town for 5 days before she was caught. Today there is a market located in the building, and named for the famous elephant.

5. What's a food you disliked as a child but you love now?
I never liked sour cream on my baked potato, but I do enjoy it now. And not just on baked potatoes.

6.  Describe your summer in three words.
Gone too soon.

7.  Where were you on September 11, 2001? Will you do anything special to mark the day this year?
I was teaching Reading Recovery to first graders, and about to start with my first student of the morning. One of the first grade teachers came to the door of the tiny room where I taught my lessons to tell me we were under attack. Not sure what she meant, I went to the teachers' lounge and then to the cafeteria, where someone had turned on a TV. A few of us who weren't responsible for a classroom of students watched in horror and disbelief as the second plane hit, and then the tower fell. Many parents came to pick up their children early that day. Our oldest was a freshman at Purdue, and I remember calling him later just to hear his voice. I also remember trying to find out the location of our nephew, a pilot for American Airlines. He was safe.
I didn't do anything special to mark the day, but I thought I would share this photo, taken by another nephew who lives and works in NYC.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Thinking about our first tailgate of the season, coming up on Saturday, I found these two cute and yummy sounding recipes. On Pinterest, of course. 

This one is from Dorothy at Crazy for Crust. Peanut Butter Football Dip. Oh. My. Word.

 This little cutie is a Chocolate Peanut Butter Football, and involves peanut butter, rice crispies, and chocolate. Oh. My. Word. Again. Found this one on Food Mayhem. Now to decide which one to try....

Do you have any tried and true all time favorite tailgating recipes? I would love to hear about them!
Have a great Wednesday!

Grow With the Hodgepodge

Wednesday is here, and it's time for the Hodgepodge. We had a busy and fun (although wet, thanks to Isaac), Labor Day weekend, but I didn't take any pictures. Sometimes it's nice just to live the days, rather than document the days. Click on the Hodgepodge button to visit our hostess, Joyce, and link up to join the fun.

1. In your opinion what's the most important job in the world? Oh, and parenting is a given so besides parenting, what's the most important job in the world?
The world has lots of important jobs in it. Teaching is important, farming is important, scientific research is important. I'm going to say the most important job is that of the doctor who is taking care of my loved one who is sick or injured.

2. Share a favorite or not so favorite memory from a childhood birthday.
For my 10th birthday, my mom planned a reenactment of the wedding of Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki, which had taken place on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson just a month earlier. It was watched by 21.4 million viewers that night.

(source)

At the party, my 10-year old friends and I all drew for parts in the 'production.' We had costumes, brief instructions, and a rehearsal. Then we were ready for the filming of the 'wedding.' Of course, home movies at that time didn't have sound, so it was a silent movie. Probably just as well. :)
My brother was in charge of the title frame. He also appeared in the movie as the pianist.

I was the mother of the groom. My job was crying into my handkerchief. I couldn't find the actual photographs from the party (probably at my mom's somewhere), but I do have the movie, which has been transferred to dvd. I took these pictures with my phone from the tv. Tiny Tim couldn't even imagine that kind of technology.

Way back then, film had to be developed, so we hosted a follow-up movie night a few weeks later to watch ourselves on the big screen. Yes, we set up a screen, and played the movie film on a projector. With popcorn, of course.

3. Peanut butter-crunchy or smooth?

There was a time in my life that I preferred crunchy, but I now choose smooth. The homemade PB in Haiti is delicious.

4. William Butler Yeats is credited as saying, "Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth, We are happy when we are growing." Your thoughts?
I agree. And that growth/happiness often follows being in an uncomfortable place, even a painful one. This is especially true in relationships. Spouse, family, friends, co-workers can all stretch us to a point where we feel like breaking. This is the point where we can make a choice to give up or grow through it. And it is always worth it to go through the growing pains to the reward of relationship. We need each other. And we never stop growing. (I just wish the growing didn't include my hips. Lol.)
I love the song, by JJ Heller, called Grow. You can listen here.

Don't be afraid to let your feelings show
If we dry up, then we won't grow.

5. What's something that makes you cringe?

Of course, fingernails on a chalkboard, but also, OR scenes on Grey's Anatomy (thankfully, I can usually anticipate when to close my eyes), daredevil boys (and Shelly) going off the high dock or the rope swing at the lake, and tv shows with a dead body in the first 5 minutes (the music usually alerts me to change the channel before the body appears). Give me a something to laugh at, like a Raymond rerun. :)

6. Name a song that always puts you in a good mood?

Sometimes, I like to go with my first thought when I read Joyce's questions. For this one, interestingly, the first song I thought of was 'Top of the World' by the Carpenters. Isn't that weird? It's definitely not a song I hear often, and it was originally recorded when I was 12. It is certainly a 'good mood song' though, and there aren't many voices like that of Karen Carpenter.

7. The answer is yes. What's the question?

Would you marry him again?

8. Insert your own random thought here.
 My Wednesdays include, not only the Hodgepodge, but also a visit from these little girls. It's always a great day when I get to spend time with my grandchildren. Last Wednesday, they spent a little time outside.

 There was only a tiny bit of water in the bottom of the bucket, but it was fun to check it out.

 Before I know it, they'll be able to fill the bucket and carry it to the barn for me!

 Because, in the words of Raffi (and since we have a bit of a 'growing' theme today), Everything Grows.



Have a great Wednesday!