Boys Will Be Boys
My grandson Michael will be 15 next week. As I was sitting here thinking about him tonight, I thought of this pic:
This was taken at the Atlanta Zoo when he was about 6 or 7 years old. I still love this photo!
It’s That Time Of Year Again
You know, the end of the season. Party time. The end of the season means everyone who can throws a party to say good bye to friends and co-workers. Some, we’ll never see again–they move on to other parks, other jobs, retire. Others, we’ll see next year, or at the next park. Then there are the ones we meet up with during the off season whenever we can.
While I’m not saying that park rangers throw the best parties on earth, I am saying we certainly know how to improvise, and how to create something from nothing. With two days notice, we can prepare the biggest fire pit in the history of the universe, scrape together some pretty darn good curry, make a killer chili, or even a pie, with what is left in the pantry that we’re trying to “eat down” because we’re leaving. And most of us DON’T live in a travel trailer–most live in government housing, those tiny little cabins or apartments.
We all work long hard days making the park safe, creating a memorable time for our visitors, greeting the public and answering their questions. We can go days on end without seeing our friends who work just down the road. But mention the word PARTY, and we are there.
I love the parties, the food, the fellowship, the beer, the fun. There are more to come in the next two weeks. Love the parties, yes. But it means goodbye. And that is the hard part.
I Could Live There
Since Fabgrandpa and I are still looking for a house, I was looking at a real estate place online. I found this house owned by Sharon Stone for sale for a mere $8,995,000! Wowza! And the estimated payment is only $52,888 a month. Yep, very affordable. When can I move in?
Is It Ever OK?
When I was growing up, it was just another day for my brothers and I to be fighting. We punched, kicked, slapped, pulled each other’s hair. It was part of being siblings in our household. I would venture to say that is the case for a lot of other people too. Kids fight. They just do. My kids fought constantly. As you can see from the photo above, so do my grandchildren. But, is it ever ok for a child to hit another child?
This debate has been going on on Facebook for a while today. In this case, the question is about if it is ok for a BOY to hit a GIRL if she hits him first. Does a young boy, say age 10 or younger, have the right to defend himself if his he hit first by a girl.
The debate turned into a discussion of domestic violence, which I feel is NEVER ok. It is never ok for a man to hit a woman or for a woman to hit a man, for any reason. I have been in a domestic violence situation myself, and just left. That man only got once chance to hit me. I walked away and never looked back. But that is not what I am talking about here.
Why is it in our society that we teach BOYS to never hit a girl, under any circumstances? If, for instance, a little boy was being bullied on the playground or on the bus by a little girl, and he hits her back, then HE is the one who gets in trouble? If he doesn’t hit her back, but tells his parents, and the parents go to the school principal, then that little boy is called a sissy or made fun of by other kids at school. If the situation were reversed, and it was a little girl getting hit by a little boy, and SHE hit back, no one would say a word.
What do you think? Should both children be punished equally when this happens? Should the little boy just have to suck it up and be a man? Should the little girl be the one who gets punished? Should the girl be punished the same as if the boy had hit a girl? Do you teach your children to walk away or to fight back?
5 Things I Am Looking Forward To When This Season Is Over
1. A gluten free pizza and some meatballs at Picazzo’s Pizza in Flagstaff
2. Sleeping for as long as I want to and staying in my pajamas all day.
3. Stopping in Shamrock, Texas to go to Big Verne’s Steakhouse.
3. A haircut done by my Becky. I miss this most of all not being in Georgia.
4. Getting a manicure and pedicure.
5. Going to Madidi Restaurant in Clarksdale, Mississippi and go to Ground Zero Blues Club on the trip home.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Yesterday I cooked that pumpkin, and today I made a pumpkin pie. I was going to make muffins too, but just didn’t get that done today.
To make this pie, you’ll need a gluten free pie crust. I used Glutino Gluten Free Pantry Perfect Pie Crust Mix. (click on the link to see my review of it)It is really good, cooks up to a golden brown, and holds together when you serve the pie. I really like it.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie
3 cups fresh cooked pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup milk or evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Put all the ingredients in a large bowl, and beat with electric mixer for about 2 minutes or until well blended. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
First Day Of Autumn At The North Rim
Since it was the first day of Autumn here at the North Rim, and I had the day off, I decided to drive up to Point Imperial. Here are some things I saw today:
