I'll give you a quarter

When we were growing up a quarter was my parent's payment of choice. We could get a quarter for rubbing lotion on my dad's feet for 1/2 an hour or scratching my mom's head for half an hour. I think back rubs were a quarter for a half an hour as well.

When the tooth fairy would forget to leave a quarter under the pillow, my dad would tell us the we just missed the "magic quarter". He would stick his hand under the pillow and magically "find" that magic quarter.

We lived a few doors down from Star Market. My parents would send us to the store more times in a day than we could count. The last question before we left was always, "can I have a nickel for going to the store." Back then a nickel bought all kinds of good candy.

When my mom would take us shopping she would always buy us some candy or a toy of our choice. I got a lot of books that way. I had my own personal library that was cataloged and everything!

American Idol Castoff a Big Surprise

I expected Karen to be around awhile. It just goes to show you never know how people are going to vote. (I never vote by the way)

I thought Haley would be gone or the little blonde country singer....there's always next week.

Eddie Caught a Water Dog

This is a West Virginia Water Dog. Eddie caught one today. Unfortunately I had to kill it because it swallowed the hook and he couldn't get it out. It was suffering.

It is the first water dog I have ever seen. It was neat. It was about 8 inches long. They grow to about 3 foot or so I have heard. I looked it up on the internet. They can be kept in aquariums. I wanted him to leave it on the hook and use it for giant catfish bait but it was time to come home.

my fears are unfounded?

I received a statement in the mail today saying my final payment would be about 40 cents more than I paid them the other day. I immediately got on the phone to the bank. The operator assured me that the statement had crossed my payment in the mail and everything was fine. She also told me that the title would be released on the 24th.

Everything is going to be OK! (my fingers are crossed)

American Idol Living up the the Hype this Year!

Irish Superstitions about Home Remedies (part 4 of the Siobhan Series)

(Remember these are just old Irish superstitions, "old wives tales" in my part of the world. Don't try these at home!)

A bunch of mint tied around the wrist is a sure remedy for disorders of the stomach.

A sick persons bed must be placed north and south not cross ways.

Nettles gathered in a churchyard and boiled down for a drink have the power to cure dropsy.

The touch from the hand of a seventh son is said to cure the bite of a mad dog.

An iron ring wore on the fourth finger will ward off rheumatism.

The seed of docks tied to the left hand of a woman will prevent her from being barren.

Drinking boiled down carrot juice will purify the blood.

The clippings of the hair and nails of a child tied up in linen and placed under their bed will cure convulsions.

A bunch of mint tied around the wrist is believed to ward off infection and disease.

To cure a fever, place the person on the shore when the tide is coming in. When the tide begins to go back out, the retreating waves will carry away the disease and the fever.

To make your skin beautiful, wash your face with May dew on May morning (May Day) at sunrise.

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This is my final 4 part story of superstitions. I have written these for purpose of intrigue and entertainment. Please don't take what you read too serious. I have grown up with alot of these tales and I do believe in some of these superstitions mentioned.

Hope you will enjoy reading them

Siobhan

Good Deeds are Piling Up On Me

I guess I've made some good friends since I've been at Lee Terrace. I decided to accept Eddie's offer and I took the loan and paid off my truck. The bank said I should have the title in about 3 weeks once they have crossed all the t's and dotted all the i's on the paperwork. I hope they aren't trying to pull a fast one. We'll see.

Then Bob, another friend, stopped me today. He asked me if I could use some meat. I knew I could but I thought he meant for me to pay for it and I didn't know what to say. I told him it was a nice offer and he saw my hesitation and told me that it was free. He had some extra in his freezer and he had checked out my blog and saw I was having a hard time because of my truck he decided to offer some to me. He gave me a bag full of chicken breasts, pork chops, steak and sausage. He also gave me a $10 gift card to Walmart. He said he had had it awhile and he never went to Wally World. He told me to use it to buy some vegetables. It was very nice of him considering that we only speak about every few months or so.

Then Fruth called. They had 35 dozen eggs for me to give out. I went and picked them up. Then called a few friends in the building and spread the word. They were gone in about 45 minutes. Eddie was kind enough to knock on a few doors and let people know who wouldn't have found out otherwise. He also delivered a few dozen to a couple of people who can't get out even to come downstairs to my truck. I am not able to do that much walking myself so it was a great help to give them out. Today would be the first day that it was going to get to 70 degrees this spring.

As usual I had to call down a couple of people who were greedy and wanted to take more than a dozen. A dozen eggs is plenty for one person! I gave Bob a roll of venison with his eggs since he gave me so much meat. He said he hadn't had any deer meat in awhile so he was happy. I had plenty of deer meat that my aunt and uncle had given me. I thought I was going to have to eat all of it this month. I was going to be really sick of it if that had been the case.

Now I am over the hump. I will be comfortable this month. There will be no suffering in Pamville now.

Irish Superstitions about the Dead (Hey Siobhan)

It is believed that the souls of the dead that die abroad, wish to be buried in Ireland. The dead will not rest peaceably unless buried with their forefathers and people of their own kind.

A dead hand is believed to be a cure for all diseases. Many times sick people were brought to a house where a corpse was laid out, so that the hand of the dead might be laid on them.

(There are quite a few Irish superstitons concerning dead hands, but they start getting really weird. The one above seemed the less creepy of them. I thought I'd stop at one dead hand superstition.)

The corner of a sheet that was wrapped around a corpse is a cure for a headache, when tied around your head. It will also reduce the swelling of a limb, if tied around the affected limb.

The ends of candles used at wakes are good for curing burns.

The spirit of the dead last buried has to watch in the churchyard until another corpse is buried. Duties include carrying water for the dead that are waiting in Purgatory. This keeps them very busy. Purgatory is a very hot place. This superstition has been known to cause fights when two funeral processions try to enter the same churchyard at the same time. No one wants their loved one to be the last buried and have to perform these duties.

If anyone stumbles at a grave it is considered a bad omen. If you fall and touch the ground you will most likely die by the end of the year.

(I have to admit here that I've tripped and fallen at the cemetery. I've spent time at several cemeteries chasing down my family history. Those little foot stones seem to jump right out at you if you don't pay attention. I'll let you know how things turn out.)

If you meet a funeral you must turn back and walk at least four steps with the mourners.

If the nearest relative touches the hand of a corpse it will shout out a wild cry if not quite dead.

On Twelfth Night the dead walk the Earth. On every tile of your house a soul is sitting waiting for your prayers to take it out of purgatory.

If a magpie comes to your door and looks at you it is a sure sign of death. Nothing can be done to avert the doom.

When a swarm of bees suddenly quits the hive it is a sign that death is hovering near the house

SHE CAME AT ME LIKE A RAGING BULL

One time I stayed late at work to finish a project I was working on. This was back in the days when I actually worked at my job and didn't go just to hang out. I told my boss not to lock me in the store (I had that happen once) that I would be working on the floor while everybody else counted their drawers.

I was working away, All of a sudden I heard crashing and running footsteps and I looked up to see Lou, who is a big a woman as I am, charging at me full speed with a murderous expression on her face. I took a few steps back and exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing?" I couldn't figure out for the life of me what her problem was.

"YOU!" She yelled at me! "What in the world are you doing here?"

"I'm working," I replied. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh my God. We saw someone's feet on the security monitors and thought somebody was in here robbing the place."

Then I got mad. "Well what were you going to do if I was a robber? If I had been you could have been killed. You know better than to challenge some crazy robber, you're supposed to lock the door and call the police. What if I had been that oxycontin robber? You would be dead by now!" (there had been a rash of robberys at local drug stores for oxycontin pills at the time)

Then I said, "besides that, I TOLD Kim I was out here working anyway."

Lou said, "Kim forgot you were here. She was scared to death that we were being robbed too!"

"Well, at least she would be alive. She didn't come out here like a crazy person to challenge somebody over a bunch of stuff that wasn't even hers!"

Then we both started laughing. We still laugh about it sometimes.

Animals in Irish Superstions (Siobhan Strikes Again)

A crowing hen, a whistling girl, and a black cat are considered very unlucky. Beware of them in a house.

If a rooster comes to your threshold and crows, you may expect visitors.

While on a trip if you see three magpies on your left it is unlucky; but two on the right is a good omen.

If you hear a cuckoo on your right you will have good luck for a year.

Whoever kills a robin redbreast will never have good luck, even if they lived to be a thousand years old.

A water wagtail near the house means bad news is on its way to you.

If the first lamb of the year is born black, it means mourning garments in the family within the year.

It's very lucky for a hen and her chicks to stray into your house.

It is good to meet a white lamb in the early morning with the sunlight on its face.

It's a sign of bad luck to meet a magpie, a cat, or a lame woman on a trip. If you meet a rooster at your door and it crows, your trip should be postponed.

If one magpie comes chattering at your door it's a sign of death, but if two come chattering it's a sign of prosperity.

It's very unlucky to ask a man on his way to fish where he is going. Many would turn back knowing it was an evil spell.

The shoe of a horse or an ass nailed to the doorpost will bring good luck. But the shoe must be found, not given in order to bring good luck.

In whatever quarter you are looking when you hear the first cuckoo of the season, that is the direction you will be traveling before the year is out.

Someday's I just full of witty repartee...

...and some days I'm just full of it!

I tried to assassinate a spider!

Once upon a time I walked on to our balcony and there was a big, big spider. My first instinct was to murder it. I grabbed a stick and I ran to the spider and I pushed it off the balcony to what I thought was certain death!

That sucker floated the 15 or so feet to the ground and walked off!

"Did 'ja ever lick a frog's back?"

When I first moved to Florida I was supposed to move into someone's trailer (rent free) and watch their greyhounds for them while they went to train at another track. We pulled up to the trailer and it was as dilapidated as any trailer I have seen on the back roads of WV. I really had no desire to stay there (and I didn't).

The woman who lived there liked to party - as did I. I never expected this question though. "Did 'ja ever lick a frog's back?"

My reply was, "No. If I ever get desperate enough to get high that I would lick a frog's back, I'll give it up." And I meant it.

Apparently they have those frogs in Florida that have poison glands on their backs. (The same kind the natives in South America use to make poison darts) However, if you just lick the frog's back you will get high and hallucinate.

I knew of several people that did it.

Go Fly a Kite!

It's a kite flying kind of day, the wind is perfect and spring is in the air. When we were kids we would be collecting our money (and/or selling pop bottles) to get the money to buy a kite and spend the day flying our kites. In our younger days we would run our hearts out and most of the time still not be able to get the kite to fly.

As we got older we learned to wait for the wind. We would take turns holding each other's kites in the air to maximize our chances of catching the breeze and the rush of excitement we felt when the kite finally took off was matched only by the dejection we would feel when it invariably got caught in a tree within the first minute.

Every now and then one of us would get lucky and the kite would be up all day. Sometimes we would share the kite but usually we couldn't take the chance on another kid screwing up our flight. When things were going really good we would share our kite string so that the soaring kite could go even higher.

One time Rusty got a kite up on 10 rolls of string. It was the highest we ever got a kite. It was so high that it looked like a spot in the sky. As he flew the kite we were scrambling for every scrap of string we could find and collecting money to run to Star Market to buy some more. It was the greatest day ever! Finally it got so dark that we had to pull the kite down because we couldn't see it anymore. We never did repeat that sucess.

When I went to Ohio State, I decided to try my hand at kite flying one blustery, spring day. I learned that sometimes the wind can be too strong to fly a kite. I walked into the field beside our dormatory. I held up the kite and it immediately took off. It took off so fast that the kite string sliced the palm of my hand like a knife! I quickly wrapped the string around my jacket sleeve. It promptly sliced off the sleeve and cut my arm as well.

I let that kite go.

I can remember when I was really little and we lived in Tennessee. We were in the backyard having a picnic. My dad was flying a kite and he let me have it. I let it go. I can remember him running and chasing the kite and cussing the whole way trying to get it. It flew away.

I saw a squirrel sitting on Jesus' head eating a sunflower seed

No! I'm not crazy!

Jesus is a statue in the garden.

It did make me wonder...

wwjd, if there really was a squirrel sitting on his head eating a sunflower seed?

It reminded me of the time that Eddie and I were getting in the truck and a bird pooped on his head! (hahahahahaha - I have to laugh about that one even now).

Then there was the time we were standing in line at the food pantry and a bee flew under my blouse. Fortunately the blouse was loose and I had a t-shirt underneath so I was able to gingerly remove it and the bee flew away - no harm done.

Mother Nature does not care who you are or what good you have done, she is the great equalizer.

She Keeps Me Grounded

Whenever I watch a tv show with Sis and I make some sort of comment to the effect of "that person's ugly".

Sis always mutters, "SHE LOOKS BETTER THAN WE DO!"

and you know what? She's usually right!