Three years ago when I arrived home from work I head a scratching noise coming from behind the dryer and I immediately knew that there was some type of critter in the flexible dryer duct that leads from the dryer to the vent mounted on the outside wall of our home. I knew without a doubt that there was an animal in the dryer duct because it had happened before. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Splendippity
Hey MLB! Bring Day Games Back to The World Series
A game for the ages was played on Wednesday night, the type of game baseball fans live for. Game seven of the 2016 World Series had everything die-hard baseball fans love, two franchises that haven’t taken home the title in forever, home runs, comebacks and extra innings. As a fan of the game I know that those who were lucky enough to see the whole thing will probably remember it forever. I wasn’t lucky enough to see the whole game. Oh, I tried to see the whole game, but I couldn’t stay awake. Continue reading
Lucy and Ginger
My husband Steve and I have had at least one Saint Bernard at any given time for the past 16 years. To accommodate them, we have a kennel, that is actually a 12 foot by 20 foot building that is insulated and fully equipped with water and electricity. Surrounding the dog kennel is a large fenced in area that allows our dogs to run and play all day without direct supervision. This has worked out well for us and for the Saints. Saint Bernards, which were originally bred in the Swiss Alps, love being outside and they love the cold and snow . Although their kennel is insulated, and although we have wall heaters for it….we’ve never had to turn on the heat; the dogs have a very natural ability to keep themselves warm. Continue reading
The Flea Circus
When I was a little girl I desperately wanted to see a flea circus. Having seen them on various television shows and in the cartoons in the Sunday papers, I couldn’t wait to see one in person. When I asked my mother where we could find a flea circus, she told me that she didn’t know but that she didn’t think someone could really train fleas to do tricks. She said she thought the whole idea of a flea circus was itself a trick. I didn’t really understand what she meant, I just knew I wanted to go to a flea circus.
A few weeks ago my husband Steve and I, along with some friends, went to the Sherman’s Valley Heritage Days in Blaine, Pennsylvania. This annual event features old farm equipment, steam-powered engines, people in period costumes, home-made baked goods, arts and crafts and this year… ta-da…Marty’s Flea Circus! It took me fifty years, but I finally found one.
Marty, flea wrangler extraordinaire, told the audience, which was mostly children, the names of the fleas and from where they came, including one that he got from Evel Knievel. The trained fleas did all kinds of tricks, from moving steel balls to being shot out of cannons and jumping into cans. Unfortunately, now that I’m in my fifties, my eyesight isn’t as good as it once was and I had trouble seeing the tiny fleas. But the children, whose eyesight is not yet aged, saw them clearly. 
Daily Prompt: Tiny
© 2016 All rights reserved
Hobo the Wonder Kitty
It was May 2nd, 2012 and I was in the kitchen when I heard my husband Steve call to me from outside, “Lorrie, come here, you’ve got to see this.” Continue reading
Apple Cider Memories
My son Aaron has always loved apple cider so I was not surprised when he purchased a 125 year-old cider press several years ago. The cider press, still in its original condition, is both beautiful and practical. Although Aaron bought it to make himself hard cider, which is similar to an apple wine, my daughter-in-law, Renee, saw the potential for a new family tradition, and so the Annual Deck Family Apple Festival was born. Continue reading
Morning Lorries
When I was about six years old I found a trumpet-shaped white flower with a purple center growing alongside the dirt road that ran next to our home. I picked it and when I sniffed it, the petals collapsed around my nose. I soon realized that the flower would stay on my nose without use of my hands as long as I kept inhaling and since I thought that was hilarious, I kept doing it over and over. Looking around as I stood there at the side of the dirt road, breathing in deeply to keep the flower stuck to my face, I saw hundreds of the same flowers. They were growing on vines that covered the other weeds and bushes; little bright white lights in a sea of green weeds. I picked a few and ran home to show them to my mother.
“It’s Morning Glory,” she said.
“Morning Lorrie?”
“Yes, Morning Glory,” she said.
I was amazed; a flower with my name, a Morning Lorrie! I had never heard of a flower called Lorrie before. Sure, we had geraniums, we had petunias – we even had a few marigolds – but I was the only Lorrie around. I told my mother that I thought that we should plant Morning Lorrie’s in our yard.
“Hmm….I don’t know about that,” she said, most people think Morning Glories are weeds.”
“I think they’re pretty. What Lorrie are they named for?”
“What?”
“What famous Lorrie are they named for?” I asked.
My mother started laughing. “No, not Morning Lorries. Morning Glories.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said, Morning Lorries.”
“No, not Lorries, Glories, with a ga sound.”
“Morning Glories?
“Yes, Morning Glories.”
Fall has come to Pennsylvania and my flower garden is almost spent. But last week my garden surprised me with one last hurrah – some volunteer pink Morning Glories appeared, daring to take on the fall weather. Although I haven’t planted Morning Glories in a few years, those that did grow a few years ago must have dropped some seeds that were still there, just waiting for their turn in the sun. Morning Lorries….they still make me smile and they still stick to my nose like a suction cup when I hold them to my nose and breathe in.
Volunteer Pink Morning Glory Lorrie
Copyright © 2016 All rights reserved
Wolf Sanctuary of PA
Lately Facebook seems like it’s a place for people to disagree about everything from politics to the best apple pie recipe, but sometimes a gem sneaks into my feed. Such was the case last week when Only in Your State made a post about the Wolf Sanctuary of PA. As it turns out, this little gem is located within thirty miles of my home but until I saw it on Facebook, I had no idea it existed. Continue reading
Batter up!
I was in bed watching television late one evening when my then college-aged daughter came out of her bedroom and said, “Mom, look at Jo, she’s just running back and forth in the hallway.”
I looked towards the doorway of my room and saw Jo, our Cocker Spaniel, shuffle past my doorway, then shuffle past again, going in the other direction.
“I don’t know what she’s doing,” Kinsey said as Jo ran by again, her nose pointed up towards the ceiling.
“It looks like she’s watching something,” I said.
Kinsey looked up. “Bat!” she yelled as she ran back into her room, “It’s a bat!” Continue reading
Find a Penny…
Find a penny, pick it up and all the day you’ll have good luck.
My great-grandmother taught me that saying. I asked her why bother to pick up a penny and she said, “A penny saved is a penny earned. Pick up pennies and save them until you have enough to buy yourself some candy.” Continue reading
Splendippity 