Wordless Wednesday-Can You Spot the Birdie?

I know you are all busy checking out everyone's Wordless Wednesday but take the time to bookmark me and drop back to check out my blog. I am a retired Special Ed teacher who now spends most of her time on Sanibel Island, Florida (altlhough right now I'm stuck in the flatlands of NW Ohio) volunteering for a Wildlife hospital rescuing and rehabbing wildlife. I even dumpster dive for injured Raccoons!! I am also the proud grandma of 5 wonderful grandkids and brag about them often!! I also have a blog called Branches and Roots where I talk about genealogy and my ancestors. OK, enough about me. Back to Wordless Wednesday.


Enjoy more Wordless Wednesdays at Wordless Wednesday and 5 Minutes for Mom

Down By the Old Mill Stream

Down by the Old Mill Stream, where I first met you,
with your eyes of blue, dressed in gingham too,
It was there I knew, that you loved me true,
You were sixteen, my village queen,
Down by the Old Mill Stream.

Music by Tell Taylor --1910

OK, now who hasn't sung this song at least once? And if, like me, you happen to have lived in Findlay, Ohio you have sung it a LOT more than once. And why is that? Because Tell Taylor who penned the song lived in Findlay. So today, I decided to go out to Riverside Park and take some pictures of the actual Old Mill Stream--better known as the Blanchard River. Yes, this is the same Blanchard River which caused the worst flood in Findlay's history last August--but more about that in another post. Today it's all about Tell Taylor and his famous song.

Tell Taylor's home was actually a couple of blocks from the river.

This was where he lived for a time. Obviously someone still lives here. That's probably why there is a fence. To keep people like me from walking up on their porch and peering in the windows. OK, if you knew me, you would know that I was embarrassed to even walk in front of the gate and take a picture!


Taylor's house is right next to the Hancock County Fairgrounds. This is a sign inside the fairgrounds. Very original.


And of course, if the fairgrounds is next door to his house then of course you name the fairgrounds after his song, right?


This is a sign in Riverside Park talking about the Blanchard River better known as The Old Mill Stream.


Of course, the city of Findlay had to honor it's native son with a memorial. No this isn't the memorial--this is the sign for the memorial.


This is the memorial. Can you believe that this memorial was put here 40 years ago and this is the first time I have actually walked up to it to see it up close and personal. Kind of like living in NYC and never going to the Statue of Liberty or the Top of the Empire State Building I guess. There are smaller stones along the walkway leading up to this memorial. They tell a little about Taylor's life. This memorial is on top of a small mound.


This is a close up of the stone on the right.

This is the stone on the left.

And of course this is the stone on top of the memorial.

And this would be The Old Mill Stream. Beautiful isn't it? Well, it is now, but you should have seen it last August but more about that in another post. That means you have to come back to find out more about

The Old Mill Stream

The Best Man

Fort Findlay Playhouse

OK, I know this sounds like something about a wedding but it is actually about a play I attended tonight. The Best Man is a play by Gore Vidal. It was also a movie which starred Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson.

As some of you know, I was a member of the Fort Findlay Playhouse for more years than I care to count. Ok, for about 30 years. I was pregnant with my son when I worked on my first show there. Over those years I acted, directed, produced, stage managed and worked every backstage crew known to man. I quit due to job responsibilities and burn out. But, I do miss it. And I miss all the friends I had at FFP. And so, when we are in town and there is a Playhouse production on, we try to go.

And tonight was closing night for The Best Man. The cast consisted of 3 women and 9 men. There was a day when the FFP were lucky to get 4 men to audition. Now I don't know how many auditioned for this show but the 9 Patrick Davis, the director, cast were 9 extremely strong actors as were the 3 women. My daughter will recognize a few names here. Steve Froelich was William Russell. I've seen Steve in other shows but he was amazing in this show as was Jim Toth who played the ex-president. I think this was the best I have ever seen Jim and he has been doing shows there since 1963. Also in the cast was Bill Rayle who lives with us. He, too, was very strong in his role. Steve's wife, Bonnie, played his wife in the play. I've known Bonnie for many many years and her acting never fails to amaze me. She is so versatile.

Oh, and Karen, we sat next to Vicki and Phil McClurkin during the show and caught up with them. Gee, it's fun to see old friends again!

This morning, we also went to Max and Erma's for breakfast. It was a fundraiser for the Playhouse. FFP members served as waiters and waitresses. Many of the cast members from tonight were there bright and early this morning. The Playhouse lost a lot during the horrible flood we had in Findlay last August. Everything in the basement was lost as there was water up to the ceiling. And many of the props, flats etc which were stored down the street were also lost. And no flood insurance since they were told they weren't in a flood zone. Guess again!! Anyway, Max and Erma's helped raise a little bit of money to help out this morning. It was much appreciated.

In case you are interested in reading a few items about FFP and the flood go here, here, and here.

Anyway, I just wanted to give the Playhouse, the cast, and crew a standing ovation (which they got by the way) for a job well done.

At Last!!

I have a clean attic!!! I can actually see the floor--dirty as it is--I can actually see the floor! This is probably the first time in more years than I care to count that the shelves are bare and the floor is practically bare except where things are supposed to be. Amazing. Ok, ok, so there are still a bunch of boxes sitting around. I went through every stinkin' box and threw stuff away. But there were things I just couldn't part with. Whatnots that belonged to my grandmother, hankies that belonged to my mother, baby clothes that I wore and my kids wore, playbills from broadway shows, scripts from some of my favorite shows that I have directed etc etc etc. I also inherited a lot of antique glassware from my aunt and I am going to wait to get it appraised before I plop it on a table at a garage sale. I also have TONS of hockey cards from the early 90's. Any takers? Yeah, I know, it sounds a bit surprising but I collected hockey cards for awhile. I am a Bowling Green State University hockey nut and used to know many of the players personally including some who played in the NHL. Sooo, I collected cards. (See you learn something new about me everyday!) Now, I want to get rid of the cards. As I said, any takers??

So, my attic is clean. My garage is full. My back is killing me. And I now have to find the time to have a massive garage sale. Ugh!!

Before

After



Before

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Before


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Before

After
Ok, I admit it, this doesn't look a whole lot better but this is all stuff going to someone else so it will be gone, I promise!!



And this is really all that is left. The boxes on this end are glassware and will be sold eventually. Our luggage is in the middle. And the other end is all that my kids have to decide what to do with. Hee, hee, hee.

I'm done and if I go up in that attic anytime soon, it will be tooooo soon!

Outgrowing!!

OK, so now I've moved a bunch of stuff from the attic to the garage--and boy do the calves of my legs HURT!! I'm beginning to feel my 70 (ouch) years. Anyway, I still have a bunch of my aunt's boxes to go through but I have definitely run out of room in the garage. So, I'm posting some pictures. Any of you want any of this stuff??? LOL I think the thing that breaks my heart the most is the little yellow and orange toy motorcycle you can see. That was my oldest grandson's favorite toy when he would come to visit me. And I think by the time my twin grandsons come to visit, they will need real grown up motorcycles. Again, LOL.

Downsizing!!

For those of you who suffered through my posts when we remodeled our Florida Room on our Sanibel home--well now, you have to suffer through cleaning my attic in my Findlay home!

We live in a 100+ year old home. It has a full basement, a first floor with 4 rooms, a utility room, and a half bath, a second floor with 4 bedrooms and a full bath, and a FULL attic. And I do mean full! We have lived here for about 35 years and after 46 years of marriage, two kids, and 5 grandkids and inherited items from parents, stepparents, aunts, grandparents etc--you tend to collect stuff! So, yesterday I started to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, and started pitching. Well, I didn't exactly pitch--I just moved it to the garage. I have this grandiose vision of having a garage sale this summer and making enough money to go to Ireland next summer. (yeah right!!). So now, my attic is half empty and my carriage house/barn/garage is full. I actually wore my pedometer yesterday to count steps and I had almost 7000 steps. That is 3 miles of up and down steps and walking to the barn. Man am I sore today!! So, now, I need to get back to the attic and start going through boxes and possibly weeding out more. But unfortunately, this is stuff I have saved (mementos and such-can't get rid of those!), books from my childhood (can't get rid of those!), antiques and glasswear from various relatives (can't get rid of those!), baby clothes from Mr. Snowbird, my kids and from me (can't get rid of those!), my wedding dress (can't get rid of that!). Well, you get the idea.

Anyway, I'm off to the attic. More later--if I can crawl my way back to the computer.

Oh by the way, Karen, is this your teddy bear or your brothers?????

Kissing the Ground He Walks On

My grandson, Luka, kissing the ground while his twin, Ethan, looks on.

I know you are all busy checking out everyone's Wordless Wednesday but take the time to bookmark me and drop back to check out my blog. I am a retired Special Ed teacher who now spends most of her time on Sanibel Island, Florida volunteering for a Wildlife hospital rescuing and rehabbing wildlife. I even dumpster dive for injured Raccoons!! I am also the proud grandma of 5 wonderful grandkids and brag about them often!! I also have a blog called Branches and Roots where I talk about genealogy and my ancestors. OK, enough about me. Back to Wordless Wednesday.


Enjoy more Wordless Wednesdays at Wordless Wednesday and 5 Minutes for Mom