How much is a "mess" and other interesting terms.

Recently I was at the farmer's market that we visit on Saturdays.  I was talking to a young man who has helped his father at their booth all summer.  We were talking about green beans (I know green beans were in my post last week also).  I asked what amount of beans you received for the price they had posted.  He replied that you got a good "mess" of them.  I had not heard that term since I visited my husband's family in southern Ohio many years ago.  They always referred to fixing a "mess" of green beans (or corn or tomatoes or whatever from the garden).  I would ask my husband "how much is a mess?" His reply was that it was enough to feed everyone at the table. 

So I asked this young man at the farmer's market,  "How much is a mess?"  He replied that is was probably about two pounds of green beans.  I went on to ask him where he had heard the term "mess."  He replied that it is an "old time" term used by his grandparents and the older people in his family.  He just happened to pick it up and use it also.  I was telling him the story about my husband's family using the term also and how I always found it fascinating. 

Being a writer I am always tuned into language.  I find it fascinating to hear terms about items or how people refer to things in different parts of the world.  My husband and I are hockey fans and have friends from all over the world we have met through hockey.  Although I know that hockey jerseys are also referred to as "sweaters" it was surprising to hear that term used by one of my Canadian friends.  Not because it was wrong but just because it was the first time I had heard someone call a jersey a "sweater."  Sweaters are knitted things you put on when the room is a little cool.  Jerseys are heavy material with logos, numbers, names and sometimes advertising worn by hockey players.  If you are a collector of hockey jerseys (or sweaters) you want one that is preferably authentic (with the fighting strap), game worn and maybe has a few rips and blood stains on it.  Those are the ones that are really valuable.

I work at a college and we often discuss diversity and how it adds to the richness of life on campus.  For me the diversity of language is also something that adds a richness to my life.  So what are the words you find interesting?  Whether you eat a "mess" of green beans or a serving or you wear a sweater or jersey to play hockey language adds to the complexity of our lives.  The journey through language is just fascinating.  

Snappin' Beans

Right now is the time of year that is one of my favorites.  Summer is in full swing and the farmers' markets and stores are overflowing with fresh produce.  As a kid and as an adult one of my favorite summer vegetables are green beans.  Combine fresh green beans with corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes from the garden and something cooked on the grill and you are about as close to food heaven as it gets in my opinion.

This last weekend I picked up a couple of pounds of fresh green beans from the farmers' market where we shop.  As I was snapping them and cleaning them I was reminded of the many family gatherings I have attended over the years.  When I was still living at home with my parents and four sisters we often had fresh green beans in the summer.  It was usually one of our jobs to clean the beans.  The process for cleaning beans involves snapping off the tips and then breaking them into bite sized pieces before they are cooked.   Often, in the Midwest fresh green beans are combined with onions and maybe a little ham in the cooking process.  Although snapping beans is not one of my favorite tasks the end result of tender freshly cooked beans makes up for the time it takes to get them ready.

While I was working I was reminded of all the family gatherings and reunions where we had wonderful food and company.  It also reminded me that as my sisters and I grew up and moved away that our dad took over the bean cleaning duties when we would return to visit in the summer.  You could always tell when our dad did the bean cleaning.   Being a scientist he brought his propensity for precision to bean cleaning.  While my green beans are usually all different lengths, his green beans are broken precisely into the same lengths. We would always tease him about his precision cleaned and snapped beans!

So many of my family memories revolve around gatherings where we shared food; summer cookouts and picnics, holiday buffets and favorite recipes.  As a family history my sister and I compiled a book of family recipes and favorites from all of our gatherings, including photos.   We shared it with all our sisters, other relatives and any new additions to our family.  That is one way of keeping memories alive as the older generation is passing on. 

It just amazes me that one simple task of cleaning green beans can bring back so many memories.  What brings back memories for you?  Food?  Music? Scents? 

A Change of Seasons

Right now it is sweltering hot in the Midwest.  We have had 90 degree days for the last week.  Yet since we are now past July 4th it seems like all the stores are celebrating the arrival of Fall.  Most of the big stores are having clearance sales and it is getting harder and harder to find anything that is summer related, even though we have lots of summer left to experience.  Then you start to see sweaters, fall colors and items for Halloween.  Many of our schools start in the next two weeks so many stores are pushing "Back to School" sales and items.  For me is it just hard to get excited about the arrival of fall when we are having the hottest days of the summer right now.

At least I am grateful that we have only had a few days of energy-draining heat.  Last summer we had a drought and weeks of time where the temperature was over 90 degrees.

This morning I was at a meeting and one of the people there was eager for the start of hockey season.  My husband and I are hockey fans and in the midst of summer we do talk about missing the smell of the refrigerant used to chill the rinks and hockey gear.  If any of you have had kids play hockey or are fans of the game you understand that smell.  Soon the rinks will fill with kids and adults starting to skate for the beginning of the season.  Then we can all get our  hockey fix. 

Right now it just seems that summer is flying by too quickly.  As of today we are one month from the start of fall semester at the college where I work.  This last month will speed by quickly and soon we will be back into the rhythm of fall semester and a new college academic year.

Enjoy the remainder of your summer.   Fall, Halloween and then Christmas is right around the corner. 

Family History

The weekend before the Fourth of July I went to Ohio to visit my sister.  It has been a busy spring and summer and usually if I have time to travel my husband and I will go to Nashville to see our grandson (Ronan the Magnificent).  So the week of the July 4th holiday I took some time off and wanted to visit my sister and just "chill" for a while.  I had a list of projects I wanted to get done during my time off. 

For the last few years when I have visited my sister the visit usually included seeing our parents who were both in assisted living and later my mother who was in a nursing facility the final few years of her life.  Our parents have both passed on so this time we decided to visit the cemetery where they are buried.   I had not been to the cemetery, except for a burial for many years.  Our mother, as did many in her generation, purchased several burial plots many years ago.  It was at the time our biological father died in the late 1950's.  So he is buried there as well as our maternal grand parents.  Later our step-father and finally our mother joined the group after they passed on. 

The cemetery is lovely and serene, with rolling hills and beautiful grounds.  There are no monuments but all of the headstones are set in the ground so all you see when you look across the landscape is grass, trees, shrubbery and the occasional urns with flowers.  When our mother bought the plots she especially liked the fact that it looked like just rolling hills with no statuary. 

So my sister and I took some time to clean up the graves. She had already done some of the work but we completed the clean up and then just stood and talked about our common history 

One sadness that we both shared is that almost all of the people who can connect us to our past are now gone.  We have one uncle who is still living but the generation that is older than us is quickly passing on.  I know that is the "circle of life" yet as I realize that we are becoming the older generation I'm not sure if I am up to the task. 

Older people carried the family history in their heads.  They could tell you about the people in your family who were wonderful and those who were scoundrels.  They were able to connect you to all your extended family and were the keepers of history.  I know that I am not that person.  So as time goes on my son and grandson will know less and less about our history and family.  I'm not sure how to make that better or change how time is moving on.  It's just sad. 

Mornings with Ronan

My grandson, Ronan, lives in another city and state from where I live.  He is currently 5 months old and growing and changing almost daily.  Because of my work and school schedule I only get to see him about once a month, when my husband and I can take a long weekend and travel the five hours to his parents' house.

So my son, Ronan's dad, set up the baby monitor/web camera so I can log into it and check on him.  My favorite time to do this is in the morning when I wake up.  Ronan's mom has an early work schedule so usually I catch them when I get up at 6:30 AM.  They are on Central time (we are on Eastern time) so it is an hour earlier at their house.  So most mornings I get to see Ronan waking up, starting to make noises and move around in his crib.  On a good day I get to see his mom wake him up.  She will often tickle his tummy and make him laugh as he wakes up to a new day.

I am so happy to have these few minutes to check in on my grandson as he starts each morning.  I can see how he is growing and progressing and say a prayer of thanks for this miracle in our lives.  This is one type of technology that has allowed me to pick up my smart phone and check in on my grandson most mornings and just spend a few minutes with him, even though he does not know I am there.  This is technology that I eagerly embrace because it allows me to connect with those people I love even though I am far away. 

Ronan is fortunate because while his parents work he spends his days with his great-grandmother and cousins.  I am envious that I am not there to be an everyday presence in his life.  Yet, I don't begrudge his great-grandmother the opportunity to be with him daily.  He is surrounded by family who love him and cherish him every day.  What a fortunate little guy.

So I will keep checking in on Ronan and getting my daily dose of this little guy.  I have just set up a Skype account so we can chat live.  I'll talk about that when we get a chance to visit online.