Front Porch Stories

Brrrrrrrr!!!!!  We have gotten so used to the spring type of weather that we have been having that this little cold snap is chilling to the bone!  The wind seems relentless.  My Mom would have called this Blackberry Winter.  We always seem to have a little cold spell around the time that the blackberries are in bloom or have just finished blooming.  This cold spell puts it right on target!  The blackberries around here were in full bloom just a week ago.  Sometimes the old sayings just seem to fit in with what ever is going on. It's a beautiful day and I would love to go outside and work in the yard, but I will have to wait for it to warm up!!  The wind will cut right through your clothes and I need to water plants.  I hope that where ever you are that you have a wonderful day.  May God Bless each of my readers and may he Bless this great country we live in.

Thanks for the post, Bernard Vasquez I have taught second grade for six years and every year I take my students to the zoo in the spring for a field trip. It usually ends up being the highlight of the year. I have lots of parent volunteers who come as chaperones because it is not very easy to keep 22 second graders in my sight at all times. Each child brings a lunch that day and we have a picnic under the trees by the gorilla exhibit.  I always wait until early May to take them because by then most of the rain storms are long gone, but this year we decided to take the trip in March because it has gotten hot really early in the year thus far. I started to get worried early in the week last week when someone told me it was going to rain on Friday, which was the day of our trip to the zoo. Thank goodness I had DIRECTTV so I could watch the Weather Channel to find out that it was not going to rain on Friday. We went and had a great time, as we do every year.

I have always said you have to give credit where credit is due.  That even applies to Pop!  Although we didn't see eye to eye on a lot of issues we still shared a lot of good times and learned things from each other.  He taught me about taking care of my money and drilled the case for keeping your overhead low. We both loved flowers and I grew up just planting them where I wanted to and he taught me the importance of reading to see where they would grow the best.  This spring I have put that knowledge to work to help my son create a more colorful landscape at the studio and here at the house. I have even been able to teach my grandson about how to help the water drain off the yard better and how to rock around the tile that runs under the driveway.  So even though Pop and I parted on harsh terms, you have to give every one their due credit when it's due.  So Pop I know that you, and your friends read my blogs, so thanks for all the things you taught me over the years.

Beautiful spring weather makes all the flowers bloom, the grass turn green and the poison oak and poison ivy green up as well!!  I am very allergic to both of those plants and  even though I have been very careful I have gotten myself a breakout.  I thought I would pass along a homemade remedy that helps to relieve the itch and aids in drying it up.  You probably have these items in your kitchen.  Any kind of soap to make a lather over the affected area and baking soda.  Lather over the area then sprinkle on enough baking soda to make a paste let it dry for a few minutes then wash off with a bath cloth.  This helps to remove the oil of the plant from your skin. Another thing to keep handy this summer is regular Listerine.  If you or the kids get in an ant bed, the mouthwash helps to draw the sting out.  These are just a couple of handy household tips for having a better summer.