“It’s up to each individual to make learning fun.”
~~~Trenton Doyle Hancock
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays and/or Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2023/01/25/one-liner-wednesday-jusjojan-the-25th-2023-how-i-know/
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To my immediate left is a throw on the back of the couch which features carousel horses.
Here in Broome County NY, carousels are part of our identity. Back in the early part of the twentieth century, one of the important sources of jobs for immigrants and for people already established here was the shoe company named Endicott-Johnson for its founders. They also gave their names to two of the villages, Endicott and Johnson City, that with the City of Binghamton make up the Triple Cities of Broome County. I’m sure everyone is excited to learn this local geography!
The Endicott and Johnson families wanted their employees and their families to have a good quality of life, so they paid them fairly and helped with home ownership, as well as innovations like providing health care and pensions. They also invested in creating recreation opportunities, which brings us to carousels.
The families installed carousels in six public parks scattered around the area. Because they didn’t want anyone to be deprived of a ride, part of the stipulation of the gift was that they would always be free to ride. And because one of the founders recalled the disappointment of getting onto a carousel but being on a stationary horse, all the horses on these carousels are “jumpers” which means they go up and down as well as ’round and ’round.
Most of the figures on the carousels are horses, but some also have a couple of other animals included, such as a dog or boar. Most of the carousels also include chariots to accommodate babes-in-arms or anyone who can’t climb up onto a horse.
When my daughters were young, we spent many hours at the various carousels. They traditionally open Memorial Day weekend and close after Labor Day weekend. I admit that I also love to ride carousels and we would see many other adults there, too. Sometimes, bridal parties will even make stops at the carousels to take photos. My favorite visitors would be elders who grew up in the area but then had moved away; they would come to take a ride and tell stories of how it had been visiting the carousels when they were young.
In our photo albums, we have a succession of years of photos of E and T visiting the carousels. It was a privilege when granddaughter ABC was living with us to introduce her to the carousels, too. It won’t be this summer, but maybe next it will be safe to travel and we’ll get to bring ABC and her little sister JG to the carousels for a ride. We’ll take photos with our phones that they can look at when they return home to the UK and remember.
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Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week was to write about the memories evoked by what was to one’s immediate left when writing the post. Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2021/05/07/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-8-2021/
“Your fastidious nature will have much more fun this year!”
~ the inscrutable fortune in my cookie this week
Please join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out how here: https://lindaghill.com/2020/08/19/one-liner-wednesday-dreamin/
Badge by Laura
On Saturday, B, T, and I went to see Ghostbusters. It was a lot of fun!
B and I are very familiar with the 1984 film and appreciated all the cameos of actors from that version, as well as the dedication to the late Harold Ramis. There are also a bunch of clever lines and visuals that hark back to the earlier version.
I really appreciated the new script, which gives the characters more scientific and technical cred, as well as backstories of why they are interested in the paranormal. I also appreciate the lack of smarminess; I was always bothered by Bill Murray’s skirtchasing. While Chris Hemsworth’s character as the office receptionist/model is there to be eye candy, he is treated in a light-hearted, rather than exploitative, way. The fun extends into the credits, so make sure you stay. Bonus: there is a sequel set-up in a short scene at the very end.
The special effects are impressive. We saw a showing in 2D. I’m not sure that I want to imagine what 3D would be like…
Two of my favorite performances were Kate McKinnon as engineering whiz Jillian and Leslie Jones as NYC native and expert Patty. So much fun to watch!
Some people feel that they have to choose between liking the 1984 version or the 2016 version. Why choose? It is perfectly acceptable to like them both.
For anyone who needs a smile or chuckle today, watch this father/daughter wedding dance video!
Our daughter’s wedding to her Prince Charming exceeded all expectations of celebration. The traditional Father Daughter wedding dance was no exception. For those of you convinced I am the wild and crazy one of the duo the illusion shall now be shattered.
Photo credit – Bretton Dyte Photography
Below is a video of the Dad and Daughter shenanigans thanks to our son.Things really get shaking at the 55 second mark. Watch for the well choreographed Macarena – Spice Girl transition. The big finale of the Gangnam style extravaganza is my personal favorite. No matter how many times I watch it I end up snorting with laughter.
Many of you were very kind as to do a dance to the sun gods for the wedding and we extend our sincere thanks for your efforts. The rain did stop late in the day, and turned to snow. Perhaps you were facing the…
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It’s D. Parker’s two-year blogaversary! Check it out!
It’s been 2 years since I started blogging and I feel like I’ve won the lottery…accept without any of the money, so yeah, I’d still like to win an actual lottery.
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Jay Dee Archer of “I Read Encyclopedias for Fun” is hosting a meet and greet to celebrate reaching the 1,000 followers milestone! Jay Dee is an author, teacher, spouse, and dad, currently living in Japan but planning a return to Canada next year. He blogs about writing, life in Japan, being a dad, geography, astronomy, and much more. Go check out his blog, introduce yourself on his meet and greet thread, and have fun!
I love milestones, and this is a big one. This blog has finally achieved 1,000 followers! So, I thought, what could I do for this occasion? Well, some other people have done something similar, one for a 500 follower milestone, and another who just does it to bring bloggers together.
Let’s have a good old meet and greet! It’s very simple, just leave a comment with a link to your blog (the main blog or a single post, it’s up to you) and say something brief about your blog or yourself if you like. If you have a book, tell us about it, too. I’d also like to ask you to do one other thing: share this post as much as you like and anywhere you like. Tell other bloggers you know about this post so they can also find some great blogs to follow.
I look forward to meeting…
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Top of JC's Mind 