It's About Time . . . Healdsburg & Beyond

This week seems to have had more than it's share of activities and events. Last Sunday as I had posted in the blog, we did not know but were fairly certain that the San Francisco Giants would win the World Series -- and of course they did with a four game sweep over the Detroit Tigers. Then there were the preparations all around for Halloween which for many is a major holiday.

The above shows some of the annual display at a house locally in Healdsburg. There are many other examples as well and they really show the extent that some go to entertain us.

Unfortunately another event came just after the World Series and that was "Sandy" the near hurricane storm that has leveled and destroyed a huge part of coastal New Jersey and parts of New York.  TV has given us close up views of this and makes us think of our own vulnerability . . . and the need for preparedness.

So the weeks is filled with mixed reactions to the events taking place and then there is the campaigning activities going on as well.

The Time -- Thanks Ben!

By now we all know that the return to Standard Time took place 12 hours or so ago. Apparently the change to Daylight Savings Time can be credited to Benjamin Franklin who of course is credited with so much already. He had made the suggestion to Parisians -- when he served there -- that they could save a "bundle" on candles by moving the time forward and back by an hour at appropriate times of the year. That was initiated and in America as well.

The dilemma for us in our house hold though can be seen by the numerous timepieces that have to be changed to reflect the correct time:

These are just some of the devices that we have to change and little by little that will happen. Then there are the automobile clocks as well -- which seem to always give us a bit of a challenge.

But overall, getting up this morning, the time (and the temperature) seemed to be right -- all fit with the mood so-to-speak. Even Dino was content with the change and did not mind the different feeding hour.

More Time 

This week as mentioned we celebrated Halloween -- and we will have a very short few days before it is Thanksgiving and then GUESS WHAT -- it is THE holiday season for real. It seems like it takes forever and then it is here (and gone) quickly:

Can you believe it that there are only 51 (or 50 when you see this) shopping days until Christmas. We are already seeing an increase in UPS and FEDEX delivery trucks in the neighborhood and it just may be that some of the overhead jets are those of the two main carriers of packages. I believe that I read that some of the first jets to take off from the Sandy-stricken airports were UPS/FEDEX planes -- and rightly so as this economy needs all the stimulation that it can get -- we are doing our part . . .

This morning as Dino and I went to get the newspaper it was noticeably heavier than usual. Not for the amount of news but for the amount of the "ads" being printed. It is still fun for us to peruse these ads even though our purchasing habits have changed somewhat in the last few years.

The Times for our Ancestors/Relatives

Speaking of ads -- as I search through the "old" newspapers I love to also glance at the ads that appear there and reflect on the spirit of those times as well. We all have been influenced by advertising -- some of us a lot more than others . . .

Looking at some of the above ads it would be very hard to imagine seeing those ads appear today. Growing up in the Chicago/Milwaukee general area Blatz for example was a big factor in the beer market. But the ad above clearly indicates another market than the one I was aware of . . .

The ads above certainly reflect how maybe the health and welfare of infants were ultimately impacted. Then too the health and welfare of everyone was negatively impacted through a lot of the above type advertising. It will take years to correct but it looks like we are heading more in the right direction as it pertains to more healthy choices -- too bad it is too late for some. The times sure have changed, hopefully for the good.

Random Pics from two Branches of our Tree

Going through the huge amount of pictures that I have accumulated of folks in our tree, two pictures came to  the forefront as I paged through:

The two photos just struck me that they are representative of "other " times. The one on the left comes from Gail's family and they are of her Grand Uncle Blaine Bouldron and his younger brother Walt Bouldron (Gail's Grandfather). I found the clothing articles interesting.

The photo on the right comes from my family and is of my Uncle Stewart and my brother, Marv. I found the clothing also interesting. I enjoy looking at photos of this type and am happy to share them. It is sad to think that due to Sandy we heard that so many families lost all of their photos like the above -- so in a way by publishing them these two have some sense of protection . . .

It is (finally) the Time, Next Week

I know many of you have already voted, but Gail and I still enjoy going to the local voting place and marking our ballots -- this year we will take Dino along with us to his first presidential election voting experience.

Sometimes I think that elections long ago may have been less controversial or less dramatic and then I look up the facts . . .

In 1912 there was a huge amount of controversy and "politics" being played. We recognize most of the players but probably do not know all the circumstances. Basically, Taft was running for reelection and his predecessor Teddy Roosevelt had become disenchanted with Taft's first term and decided to run as well (on a third party ticket). The third party entry split the Republicans and the Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson won the election . . .

Hopefully by this time next week we will know the result of the election this year . . . I say hopefully because some have said that we could end up with a tie -- which means that Congress would decide . . . memories of  "hanging chad" . . .

Burger Time Last Night . . .

Lately for the past several months anyway, Gail and I have had burgers every Saturday Night. Previously we had "Sliders" every Saturday Night for a few years -- I suspect eventually we will switch back again at some point.

But the day yesterday was probably one of the most pleasant days weather-wise that we have had all year.
We had invited my brother and his wife to join us for burgers -- which they did.

Before having the burgers we enjoyed some time "under the arbor" in the backyard. When we started it was light and summery, eventually the grape lights lit and we moved to the warmth of the inside. We even managed to watch some of the USC/Oregon game (recorded)  before and after dinner.

We enjoyed the evening and were glad to have had guests to share in our tradition . . .


Lastly 

The internet again has come through with putting me in touch with someone that I have not been able to contact for over 50 years. While he is not a relative, he was a best friend throughout school days and I look forward to sharing memories of these past several years -- so thanks to Steve B. and the anticipated reacquaintancing . . .

Just for the record, tonight we are going to try out the steam infusion method of roasting a chicken with the Ninja . . .

See you all in a few!