The 5 and Dime - Overview

These past few weeks we have been in a quandary lamenting over a name for our new section of the blog. This section will deal with diverse topics such as knitting, cooking, handling elderly mothers, grocery store specials etc. As you can see we have an enormous amount of obscure thoughts floating in our heads that we are eager to express. We only trust that you are eager to read and react to them.

Our task was to arrive at a name that was short, clever, engaging and one that adequately defined the category. Many names were thrown out such as Peek a Boo, A la Carte, The Ben Franklin Store, Multifariousness and others. Finally today however we both decided on "The 5 and Dime". Do you remember the variety stores known as Ben Franklin or also the 5 and dime? So now we have it and we can begin a weekly posting here. The first one will be about bread making and will be published within the next few days.

Ciao!

< 6 Degrees

Melvin Jones was the founder in 1917 of this organization. There are over 44,500 clubs, more than 1.3 million members in 203 countries in the world. All funds raised by this club from the public are used for charitable purposes while administrative costs are paid for by members. In 1925 at Cedar Point, Ohio, Helen Keller addressed the convention and charged these folks to be "Knights of the Blind".


MEET Philip and Penny Sharpe. Phil forgets exactly how long he has been a LION but it is somewhere between 35-40 years. These years of service as well as their 47 year marriage is extraordinary at the least. Although Phil had a full time job as an Accountant and Penny as a Data Processing Manager they continually offered themselves, of their own free will, to service for the Lions Club. How many degrees separate you from the Sharpes?

In July, as has been the way for many years, they will head to Wise County in Southwest Virginia to work for the week preparing meals for some 1,000 - 1,500 volunteers for the RAM project. RAM, The Remote Area Medical Expedition, annually
heads to the Wise County Fairgrounds to provide the underpriviledged citizens of Appalachia free medical services. Although the services are offered for two and a half days, the food team must work for the week in order to complete their tasks.
It is estimated the medical team performs somewhere between 6 - 7,000 encounters at a cost of over $1.5 million for the care.

So today we thank everyone involved in this endeavor. My admiration for Phil, Penny and the others is huge and I sing your praises for your humble hearts.

< 6 Degrees

Winston Churchill, adored cats. Churchill used to refer to his cat, Jock, as his special assistant because Jock attended many war-time Cabinet meetings along side Churchill. It is even believed that Jock was on the bed with his master on the day the great British statesman died.


MEET James Guest, born in London and educated as a General Contractor. In 1993 he moved to Florida as a temporary stop for an American experience on his way to Asia however he never made it out of the U.S. There he met and married "a wonderful woman" who became his wife, Cara Meixner. How man degrees separate you from James?

In 2007 Cara accepted a job at JMU and began working here however the job situation was not as easy for James. While strolling downtown he noticed a sign in a store front looking for help to renovate the space. He "poked his head in" and offered to assist. There he volunteered his time and knowledge for completing the interior design work and supervising the construction of what is now the new home for Cat's Cradle. With no job possibilities on the horizon he returned to Florida where his contracting business was prospering. For 2 years James and Cara survived a long distance marriage but in January 2010 he wrapped up his business in Florida and decided to move here permanently. Currently James is working on a variety of jobs and is grateful for the work. Most especially he is grateful to be living full time with his wife once again.

James is a skilled contractor, eager to do excellent work at a fair price and in a timely fashion. We wish you the very best here and hope we can help to build your business from your own credentials.

Our BIG Garden

There is something very fulfilling as well as mystical when you harvest vegetables from your own garden.

On April 9th & 10th we placed what appeared to be minute, insignificant seeds under an inch of amended soil. We questioned whether our bounty would fill a paper lunch sack or a 30 gallon bag and the anticipation of what would come grew more intense as the days slipped by.

Now today, after having escaped the last of May freezes in our area we are gathering tender, succulent spinach and lettuces. It seems almost ethereal to dine on food that grew from the sweat and toil of your own hands.

Real Estate - Summer of ' 63

Franklin Street was the best place to be in 1963. It was a time when folks did not hide out behind privacy fences on backyard patios because we had front porches. Who needs Facebook when you can just sit there and have your own social network as neighbors stop by to share the news on their way home. It was always my first stop when I came home from work and the last place to wind down before going to bed.

You just sit there, in a big rocker or on the swing and enjoyed the best part of the day. You could see a whole block and you knew who was at home because they were on their porch too. When you walked downtown, to stores, theaters, the library, bowling alley, restaurants or Klines Frozen Custard, you saw everyone else on their porch and you stopped to chat or at least waved. You knew who was from the neighborhood and who wasn't, who had company or who was alone. You checked on your neighbors and they checked on you.

I suppose neighborhoods have evolved beyond the porch stage since we now have central air, 150 channels and the internet to keep us occupied. On nights like tonight though, when I am sitting on my private deck, shopping on Ebay, I think about that Franklin Street porch and the summer of '63.

Jim Acker

< 6 Degrees

TRIVIA QUESTION:

What animal only sleeps between 10 minutes to 2 hours a day?

HINT:

This is a ruminant, quadruped African animal.

When I asked this man this question he was QUICK to respond with the correct answer, the giraffe.

MEET Mack Orebaugh. He graduated from JMU with an MS in Education in 1973. He doesn't admit whether his birthplace is West Va. or Va. but we all know that if he lived in Arizona they would have checked his papers by now. Partially named after Connie Mack, one time owner of the Philadelphia A's, his sister carries the name Connie while Mack claims the latter. In his earlier years he coached at McLean High School where he coached Connie Mack's great-great grandson, named none other than, Connie
Mack.

A highlight of Mack's (not to be confused with Connie Mack) career was when he ran a baseball program in Newfoundland between 1983-1993. Mack currently works at the RMH Wellness Center and can be found sharply at 5:15am greeting us with a hearty "Good Morning" during the week.

Interested in everyone, he engages in conversation learning about others as well as sharing trivia in hopes to expand our knowledge. When asked what he enjoyed most about his job he responded, "The knowledge I gain each morning from others, getting away from my mom and watching Stormi walk by every morning at 8:15."

How many degrees separate you from this man? Thank you Mack for brightening up our mornings at the gym, for your wonderful sense of humor and most especially for making each of us feel important. I have one more question for you before I end however, how many stomachs does a cow have? I will bet you Mack knows!

Our BIG Garden

The saga continues . . . . .

the rabbits are oblivious to her signs and have thwarted her plans. She believes they can not read so now our Q.G.G. (Queen Garden Guard) has devised a new plan to scare off the marauders. This one involves a frog riding a bicycle! Now you may be asking "What the heck does a frog riding a bike have anything to do it, much less scaring rabbits?" That is a very prudent question but one that I can not answer. Perhaps you should take a look at the picture and see if it clearly explains her thought processes:




. . . . yet again, there is serious doubt stirring among the "real" workers as to the Q.G.G.'s competence in her position. Perhaps you should comment with your thoughts and help her out with reasonable solutions so we can keep her employed. (ie. foil pie plates hanging throughout the garden)