By Nancy Whitaker

THE DAYS OF CLOUDS AND CLOVER

As I was driving home from work the other day, enjoying the nice sunny weather, I happened to look up at the blue skies and the white fluffy clouds.

Of course, this scene triggered my mind to go back and remember the era in which I grew up. I thought of the simple ways that as kids how we used to entertain and occupy ourselves for hours.

We lived in the country and one of my favorite things to do was just lie on the ground on my back and gaze at the sky. As I peered into the clouds, I always thought to myself, “What is up there? Where is Heaven? If people are walking on streets of gold, why can’t I see them? Why don’t they fall out of the sky?”

By Nancy Whitaker

DON’T TOUCH MY PEEPS

Do you remember eating your first Peep? Those sweet, sugary marshmallow chicks and bunnies that hops into stores every Easter are the most popular Easter candy next to chocolate.

An Easter basket would not be complete without these cute marshmallow candies. My own children loved the packages of the gooey, sugary, marshmallow treats and would always expect to find them in their baskets on Easter morning.

Even though Peeps were first made in 1953, it wasn’t until I had my own kids that I really paid attention to the chewy marshmallow treat. I love Peeps and I like to eat mine when they are stale and dried out, however, some people prefer their Peeps soft and fluffy.

When I think of a Peep, I think of the yellow chicks and pink rabbits. But, Peeps, just like everything else has progressed and today we see blue, pink, green and purple Peeps.

By Nancy Whitaker

A TOOTHPICK AND THE FLU

The flu has been rampant this year and I was fortunate to catch it. On Sunday evening, I felt like I had a scratchy throat and felt like I may be coming down with perhaps a sinus infection or maybe one of my allergies.

When I awoke the next day, to my surprise and dismay, my voice sounded like a man’s. My eyes were swollen, I was coughing and ached all over. I thought, “Oh no. This is Monday, I really need to go to work.”

But, with a head that felt like it was going to burst and a tummy which was rolling and grumbling, I decided I was in no shape to be around anyone.

By Nancy Whitaker

JUST CALL HIM ROVER

It is always fun to get a new puppy or kitten. They become a vital part of our family and selecting a name for your pet may take some time.

A lot of thought goes into selecting just the right name for a much-anticipated new family member. When I was growing up, we always had a family dog. My grandpa, for some inane reason, always named our dogs “Rover.” We had three different Rovers that I can recall.

The first Rover met his demise when he was spotted killing the neighbor’s sheep. He was banished from our farmland and given to a city dweller.

Rover No. Two liked to bite and chase people and vehicles. He chased anything that moved, including anyone on a bicycle.

By Nancy Whitaker

The words of a coward: ‘I give up’

How many times have we all felt like, and said, “I am just going to give up?” Believe me I have said it many times. Then there is the old cliché, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Those words are hard to remember when something bad happens and you just want to cover up your head and stay in bed.

Young and old alike, we experience a lot of bumps in life. For young teens it could be, “Gee, I just don’t fit in.” Or it could be a break-up of a relationship that you felt was “the real thing.”

As we progress in life, we face the tragedy of losing family members and acquaintances. While some fail at business, others fail at college.

TASTING THE SOUP

There are some areas of study I find very fascinating. Among my favorites are history, politics, crime investigation, the Titanic and the study of old archaeological finds.

To even think of how inhabitants of the world lived 100, 200 or 1,000 years before us is intriguing. I have to wonder about the cave men and women. When I think of the cave man era, I tend to remember Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. Of course, we all know that life back then was nothing like it was portrayed in the long running animated cartoon.

We have all watched a lot of TV and I am inclined to believe that the days of the old west were just like they are depicted on television.

WORTHLESS? YOU TELL ME

I have always been the type of person who likes to try new gadgets and new ways of doing simple tasks. Of course, a lot of new things I have purchased I perhaps use one time and find out it is too time consuming to use it again. Then it just takes up space.

I have bought items such as a pasta cooker, pasta measurer, hot dog cooker, cookie shooter, salad shooter, juicer and a microwave egg cooker just to name a few.

I am very gullible when it comes to infomercials on TV. The late TV pitchman, Billy Mays, could have sold me an igloo in Antarctica and I probably would have taken the bait.

This past Christmas, Daughter No. 3 wanted one of the egg cookers that you put in a plastic egg shaped container and boil the eggs in the container. You crack the eggs into the individual holders which are egg shaped and put them in boiling water until they are done.

By Nancy Whitaker

LET’S ALL GO TO THE LOBBY

Drive-in movies used to be the place to go. On warm summer nights, there was nothing quite as much fun as going to a drive-in movie.

In previous decades drive-ins were thought of as teen hangouts, as it was one of the few places teens could be alone in those days.

Guys used to take their gals to the drive-in movies on dates and lots of times would want to park their vehicles in the back row of the outdoor parking lot, hoping to steal a kiss.

Back in the day, a carload of people used to be able to get into the drive-in for $5. I remember as a teenager, we would pile as many people as we could in a car and would often have two more hide in the trunk. Those were the days.

The drive-in always seemed to have a special smell. Sure, there was the popcorn and the hot dogs and the mustard, but indoor movie theaters had those things, too, and never smelled anywhere near as good as the drive-in.

By Nancy Whitaker

ONLY THE NOSE KNOWS

Have you ever stopped and thought just how important your nose is? We may say we hate the way our noses look or we don’t like the size or the shape. Some people have turned up noses, others have huge noses and some have crooked noses.

The size and shape of the nose is really irrelevant, as it is the nose’s job that makes it one of the most important parts of our body. Have you ever stopped and thought what it would be like if you couldn’t smell anything or if we didn’t have a nose?

Of course not every scent is good and not every scent is bad. However, some things smell different to different folks. Smells should indeed be our friends; open your arms and welcome them in.

Some of my favorite memories reflect the different aromas which I smelled as a child. Now, it has been reported that some smells, although they might be stinky ones, can bring back good memories. It is almost like physiological smelling.

By: Nancy Whitaker

MARRIED OR DATING?

Did you know that you can tell a lot of things about a person by their body language? Body language and facial expressions can help give us an indication as to how people are feeling and what they are thinking.

By watching people from a distance, you can usually determine how they feel about each other, whether they are friends, family, or just plain strangers. Body language is something we see everyday that helps us communicate without words.