Oglebay's Festival of Lights

A few nights ago, I went to see the Festival of Lights at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia, with my son and his family. Ever since living in Pittsburgh, I have always wanted to see the light display. Let’s just say, now I can check this item off of my ‘Bucket List.”

 

When I was a little, growing up in Cleveland, my family and I would drive around Nela Park and see the light display there. Nela Park was located on the East Side of Cleveland, and the grounds were home to General Electric’s Lighting Division. The 92-acre campus was known for its elegant Georgian – style architecture and its spectacular holiday lighting display. Or sometimes my father would just drive us around during the holidays at night to see the lights on the individual homes in the Cleveland area.

 

Later on when I was married and living in Pittsburgh, we would occasionally go to Hartwood Acres to see the Christmas Lights. Now, because of the cost, Hartwood Acres has discontinued their light display.

 

Finally, I can add the Oglebay Festival of Lights. The lights were beautiful and spread out along the grounds of the resort and the surrounding nearby areas. Some of the displays covered the Peanuts characters with one being a four-panel of comics, cleverly depicting Charlie Brown trying to kick the football with Lucy as the holder, a huge carousel, the 12 days of Christmas, rockets, flags, nativity set, patriotic soldiers, wreaths, animals, dinosaurs and much more. One could even include a stop at the Good Zoo, by the resort, and watch an interior light show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My grandchildren’s excitement was contagious. My son, daughter-in-law, and I enjoyed the display of lights. The whole night seemed to tap into our inner child. Enjoying the Oglebay’s Festival of Christmas Lights with members of my family was special. The drive to Oglebay from the north hills area of Pittsburgh is a little over an hour. It is an easy drive and the Festival of Lights is a perfect family outing and a wonderful way to start off the holiday season.

Mary's Apple Pie

Call it a prolonged senior moment or a ‘glitch’ in my head - I haven’t quite figured it out. Awhile back, I blogged about looking for the best pie. In all of that, I totally forgot about my cousin, Mary’s pies. Maybe it is because I only see Mary once a year, when I go back to visit her in Utica, New York.

 

But when I’m there, besides visiting my cousins, I am lucky to partake in Mary’s dinners…and they are fantastic. She loves meat and potatoes and so do I, along with pasta. It is her pies that are out of this world. I don’t know her secret but maybe it’s over 50 years of cooking and baking. Her apple pies from the filling to the crust are two thumbs up and five stars. So is every other pie that she makes, like her cream pies and her other fruit pies.

 

What jogged my memory was seeing a family member post Mary’s apple pie on Facebook. When I saw it, I slapped the side of my head and said, “Oh my God, of course! My favorite pie is located 300+ miles from here, a six and a half hour drive to Utica. It’s Mary’s pies.”

 

Just looking at the picture triggered a Proust memory of that pie. I actually tasted it in my mouth and in my mind. It was so vivid that I had to drink some water to wash it down. I called Mary and she laughed about the picture of the pie on Facebook. I asked her what her secret was. “No secret,” she answered. “I just stuff it with everything.” I assume she meant stuffed it with fruit.

 

So that’s the recipe? Like my grandmother and my mother, all those recipes were in their heads, wrist, finger tips, eyes, tastes, and years of cooking. Nothing was written down.

 

All I can say is that I can’t wait to make a trip to Utica in the spring. I can almost taste Mary’s pie.

Bag Balm

For anyone who has dry skin, or rashes or even needs to keep tools from rusting, may want to try Bag Balm. Bag Balm is a salve that was created to soften cow udders. The formula for this wonder product was purchased by John L. Norris in 1899 from a Vermont druggist.

 

Its initial use was to soften cow udders. Interesting enough, the wives of farmers noticed the softness of their husband’s hands and started to use the salve themselves. Bag Balm is also popular with Veterinarians and pet owners. The gooey yellow green ointment can be found in its original green tin with the red clover on the lid.

 

Now it is used for dry skin, cracked fingers and toes, burns, diaper rash, sunburns, psoriasis, bed sores, radiation burns, and zits. It is used for more things like squeaky springs, pruned trees, and shell casings.

 

Some interesting facts about Bag Balm - soldiers in WW1 used the salve to protect their weapons from rust. It was also used on the paws of the cadaver-sniffing dogs at Ground Zero, and along with American troops in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

 

The reason for my interest in Bag Balm was that my newest grandson has developed a really sore and raw bottom from his new born bowel movements and diapers. My daughter and I used Butt Paste and Desitin without success. The Pediatrician recommended Bag Balm. Strange that this is the same Bag Balm that my kids used to deliver newspapers and kept their wet socks on their feet too long. Their feet became dried and developed deep cracks, and bled. A friend told me about Bag Balm and after using it for a while, everything cleared up. How could I have forgotten about Bag Balm? I don’t know but I have re-acquainted myself with this green tin.

 

I went back to the Best Feeds store where I had first purchased Bag Balm, years ago. The salve can be purchased in some drug stores, grocery stores, farm stores, pet stores, Hardware stores, feed and tackle shops.

 

What makes it so special – maybe it is the ingredients of hydroxy quinolone sulfate, antiseptic, petroleum jelly and lanolin. Or maybe it is the fact that it just works. You can now add a new generation of Gauntners, who will be using Bag Balm. Besides that it works, it keeps the users hands extremely soft.

Of Cats and Me

Right now, I’m reading Charles Krauthammer’s book, Things That Matter. The book consists of essays that have appeared in his column over the years. I just finished reading his essay, Of Dogs and Man. I could not disagree with what he said in praise of his dog, Chester a black lab. Chester died at the age of 8 but not without dispensing all his love on the Krauthammer family.

 

I have always had a tender spot for animals. I always wanted a dog. When I was younger, my brother and I found a little black cocker spaniel puppy and brought him home. We both used the following lines on our parents, “Look what followed us home. Can we keep him? Please.”

 

We named the puppy Mikey or I did in my mind, because my brother said its name was Rusty. All those years have made our minds fuzzy, but I believed in my mind it was Mikey. When I had one of my son’s, I named him Mikey.

 

Mikey lived in our small house for a few days – whining and crying, peeing and pooping like a puppy. When my father went into the bathroom one night, he stepped, barefooted, on Mikey’s poop. The next day, Mikey was history.

 

When I married, I was eager to have my own dog. I always wanted a St. Bernard but my spouse was allergic to dogs…so that dream was history.

 

So, I settled on a cat. In our house, we had many cats. Some were affectionate; others were aloof, unless they wanted the food that you happened to be eating. Some of the names of the cats were Pierre, Barney, Sam, Butterscotch, Two Balls, Murphy, Archie, Rambo, Woody, Chopin and Scraps.

 

Now, I have two cats living with me and they are Woody and Scraps. They are affectionate, usually wanting to be sitting on my lap while I am knitting, or reading, or eating. Both cats follow me closely when I walk down the steps and go into the kitchen, eagerly waiting to be fed. They crowd me in bed when I am trying to sleep; Woody on my feet and Scraps next to my head.

 

Sometimes they irritate me but mostly they are my two constant companions. They love to be brushed and when I do brush them, they purr. They love to be petted and cuddled. They communicate to me in their own cat ways.  They are interesting creatures; graceful and beautiful. They are my pets, who show me affectionate. It is because of their trust and close bond with me, that I love them…despite the shedding, and hair balls and more.

Freddy the Leaf

Years ago, when the children’s book, Freddy the Leaf came out, I used it for my CCD (religion) class. It was a story about a leaf and in the end, it died. I would use the message in my class – live your lives to the fullest because there is always an end to things. As I grew older and changed, I viewed fall in a negative way. Fall to me evoked death. I would refer to fall as Freddy the Leaf.

 

Then I started to work at the greenhouse. This was when I learned the necessity of the seasons and the importance that each one had on the growth of trees, grass, bushes, plants and flowers. Winter is important for dormancy and renewal; spring for growth – spectacular growth after fall and winter; summer, when the grass, trees, and gardens are in their full beauty and fall represents cleaning out the old growth and preparing lawns and gardens for the next season.

 

From working at the greenhouse I learned how to enjoy fall. I now love the change in color of the leaves. I’m still not crazy about the falling of the leaves to the ground and having to rake them up, or apprentice one of my children and their children to help me. Or occasionally, I hire someone to do that chore. But now I do love fall and it no longer represents death. It represents dormancy, fall colors, fall flowers, Halloween and Thanksgiving.

 

Now, I just relax and enjoy each season, and what each offers. 

 

Snoopy Happy Dance

 

When I was in high school, I was a big fan of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and all their little buddies. To me all those characters really rocked. I bought all their books, and faithfully read the Sunday comics, where Charlie Brown was the first comic on the top of the page. I used to cut them out for the humor and wisdom. When I was in college, I used to draw Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Lucy and write my own comments under the pictures and hung them up in my dorm room.

 

Snoopy jumping up in the air with his eyes closed and his head raised up in the air was one of my favorites. In college, I wrote under the picture…Snoopy Flaufting. (I think you can figure what that meant.) But in reality, it was Snoopy showing pure abandoned joy. It was Snoopy doing his happy dance.

 

Last Monday, I had the privilege of being in the labor and delivery room with my daughter. I didn’t push my way in, I was asked. So, I kind of played the rah-rah coach. When my daughter went into labor, I helped to support her head and shoulders, and encouraged her to push. I kept saying, “You can do it, or Good Job.” It was a long but steady labor.

 

Then after four exhausting hours of pushing…the baby came out. At first it was a mind boggling thing that turned into relief and then pure joy. Baby Will had made his appearance to all our relief.

 

After those initial feelings, I finally understood that picture of Snoopy in the air…I wanted to do the same thing but I thought people would think I was nuts. But for me the Snoopy in the air was Snoopy jumping for pure joy. I have come a long way from my college days and thoughts.

 

When I did hold the baby…I hugged him and smelled his head. At the moment there was no odor. Babies always have that gentle odor of sweetness. Maybe I smelled the pureness of the baby or maybe the pureness of heaven. Eventually, later on, the baby had developed that sweet baby scent.

 

For now…Congratulations Becca! You did a great job! Welcome to the family, Will! You might be my 19^th grandchild, but like the rest…I will love you just as much as I love the others. In my world, there is always room and love for one more.