Sunday Scribblings: First Job, Worst Job, Dream Job

In sixth grade it was a treat for a group of us to go downstairs at the Corner Drug on a Saturday afternoon and order chocolate sodas. MJ was the waitress and I thought she was divine. I also believed as she wore that apron and carried that order pad proudly that she had a dream job. I admired other older girls that worked at the S&R, The Boat, or The Miner’s Hat Drive-Ins.

Working at a drive-in seemed like a perfect job. Everybody hung out there. If I worked at the Humdinger I could listen to the music of KJRB playing from a GTO radio parked close to the order window. I could also whip up root beer milkshakes, soft ice cream cones, or a 50 cent banana split.

I applied to work at the Humdinger the summer of 1972. It would be my first job. JK handled soft ice cream cones and other waitress tasks with ease. SD was talking about applying for employment there also. I imagined myself taking orders on the green notepad with a pencil behind my ear. I could visualize the milkshake machine purring as I ran it with an air of importance. I would wrap hot, delicious hamburgers hot off the grill in a square of wax paper to hold in the pickles, onions, and sliced tomatoes.The owner called me and said he wanted to “try me out”. He sent me home with the menu asking me to memorize the items and prices and come in the next day. CM called me the morning of my first day of work. He wanted to go out to the lake. Would I like to join him? I knew I was a quick study. I took my employment homework on the short trip to the lake.

I had to be at the Humdinger by 3:00. The sail boating adventure was fun, but led to a bad sunburn and lack of quality time to do my homework. I arrived to work on time, but it was a disaster. Taking orders and remembering prices was hard. I never realized how challenging it was to make milkshakes, wrap burgers, form strawberry dip cones, figure out change, and smile while suffering from a sunburn and lack of menu knowledge. JK was the queen of waitressing. I flunked my trial run. SD would definitely do better. The owner told me he didn’t need me any more. I went home discouraged.
Mom gave me the “ I told you not to go out to the lake, but stay home and learn those prices” lecture. Dad said I was a “bull in a china closet” and reminded me “I couldn’t walk, take orders, and chew gum at the same time”. SD got a job and was able to enjoy the finer things in life as a waitress; listening to “ Lean on Me” from a car radio in the parking lot while taking orders, making soft ice cream cones, giving change, and smiling at the order window with JK. My first job was going to be my dream job, but turned out being my worst job.

The Humdinger still serves burgers, cones, and shakes in Kellogg in the same location.

I was amazed today when I noticed this is blog post #300. Fortunately there are more pictures to take and stories to tell. Thanks to all my blog readers for the comments and continued support.

You can enjoy other Sunday Scribblings about jobs here.

Bouquet #20: Autumn Harvest

"The Amen! of Nature is always a flower."

Oliver Wendell Holmes,Sr.

Creating Interest During Four Seasons in the Garden: Landscaping Learnings Pt. 2

Another topic I learned about in my landscaping classes was how to create interest in the garden. This can mean adding varieties of plants that provide food for birds. It also means adding shrubs with colored branches, finding plants with bright colored berries, or leaving leaves and rose hips on after the fall freeze.The plant above is an Oak Leaf Mountain Ash which has leaves that are shaped beautifully and turn yellow in the fall, and have an added bonus of bright berries for interest and food for birds. The honeysuckle creates interest in the fall with the leaves transforming to yellow allowing the red berries to stand out even more.
The cotoneaster plant is a keeper for any garden. It grows quickly, has berries that draw birds and adds color, and it grows with little water or care! Now that is my kind of plant. You can divide them, propagate them, and even start them from the seeds in the berries if you are patient.Holly is always a popular plant in a bed because it does stay green in the winter causing the berries to stand out, plus it is there under the snow waiting to be harvested for holiday decor.

In another month these plants will be the showstoppers in the garden along with the shrubs that lose their leaves allowing them to show off their branches. These shrubs include the dogwood willow with its red branches and other plants with yellow branches. As we move through fall it gives this gardener more to look forward to. I have found this is a good time of year to plan for your next year's garden plantings. You can observe patterns, sizes and shapes that have changed due to growth or death, and where the holes are for color and texture.Sweet William added garden interest by showing up on the fence during the photo tour.

Creating Color During Four Seasons in the Garden:Landscaping Learnings Pt. 1

When I got serious about landscaping I made a decision to learn more about plants, flowers, and trees before I began. I read some outstanding books, I relied on information from some of my favorite magazines, and I took some local classes in landscaping. What I learned in the class about our area is you really want to plant things that provide color or texture for more than one season. I was struck by this idea as I did planning and planting in my gardens. Now, ten years later I can take pictures this time of year and be convinced that I did create color in my garden based on the information I gleaned from all my sources.Hostas provide bright color in the fall as the leaves turn yellow. Maples create different leaf colors depending on the type. This one in the backyard is a lovely mix of color right now, especially when the sun shines through the leaves.

The maple leaves out front create a lovely yellow hue.
Our red rose illustrates that summer isn't over yet, especially with two buds sitting side by side ready to bloom.
Even lilac leaves turn a distinctive color in the fall of the year. As some plants turn they are showy and add a focal point to a fall garden. Others are more subtle, but help create that mosaic of color and texture as they blend together to make autumn so glorious.

Heroes Every Day

Balto

"I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people who are convinced they are about to change the world. I am more awed by those who struggle to make one small difference after another. " Ellen Goodman American journalist (1941 - )

In my 8th grade class we are doing a unit of study centering around heroes. We had brainstormed what makes a hero, what words describe a hero, and quotes about heroes. Today when they had to sit down and compose a narrative about an act of heroism it was hard at first.

We had read about Balto and his heroism as a sled dog in Alaska last year and remembered that courageous act. They mentioned other big events like 911 and heroic acts that involved people being found by search and rescue dogs. That hadn't happened in our town with people they knew.

As we began to discuss other acts of heroism other people came to mind. One girl wrote about her mom being her hero because she went to work every day even when it was difficult because she wanted to be a stay- at-home mom. Another student remembered an aunt being a hero as she fought a difficult battle with liver disease and tried to raise her daughter while dying.

These heroes we meet in our everyday life are often the ones that touch are hearts deeper. Students were still moved by the dog that saved a family in a fire and the rescue workers in the coal mine. They did return to the heroic acts that were closer to home like their classmate returning to school and working hard after his mother ended up in a coma. He was their hero. We all remembered another classmate that returned to school the day after losing her niece to SIDS, keeping a brave smile on her face.

I look forward to our continued study of heroes and my students' observations and thoughts as we read stories, poetry, and news articles around the theme.

Seeking Comfort by the Fire

When JEJ enclosed the patio last spring he had one last project to do to make the job complete. He had gotten an old Franklin stove free a few years ago and we didn't have a place for it. We do love wood heat. We heat with wood in the house and also have a fireplace outside. Who couldn't resist another stove, especially if it was free? He got the stove set up so we could seek comfort by the fire this afternoon. As we relaxed, listened to the rain, and sat and read. Our kitten Kit decided he wanted to experience this comfort by the fire stuff. He cuddled up with Annie near the stove and decided it was the best seat in the house!