adventures – Sillyfrog's Blog

Rory’s questions for today:

Are you a person who likes their life to be orderly with set routines and schedules or is that not an essential for you to worry about?

I’ve always disliked schedules, deadlines, and appointments. There’s too much to be ‘thought about’, ‘investigated’, ‘created’ and “played” every day for that. Probably half of the reason I never liked school was because I felt forced to be there. When I was spending summers at my grandparents’ dairy farm, the adults were busy with chores, while I was busy being a “free range” kid on my own. I was never bored. With the farm dog as my sidekick, I explored fields, ditches and barns. Some of my pastimes were braiding bailing twine into belts, teaching the farm dog tricks, exploring ditches for polliwogs, riding my pony while pretending to be Annie Oakley, and collecting interesting rocks.
Every situation since has felt a little ‘confining’.
When I discovered I could make a supplemental living by inviting kids into my home each day, it was my perfect niche. With kids (at least with my style) every day was a different adventure. Sometimes I’d plan activities, but they were always subject to change. If a backhoe showed up to dig a trench across the street, would you want to sit at the table pasting pictures or watch it? The gang and I always chose the backhoe of course.
As for tidiness, I’m not good at that either. Our helter-skelter day care ways left picking up for days’ end… sometimes the next day. 😉

Are you a natural people watcher and if so what do you enjoy about the experience?

Gosh, yes. People are almost as interesting as polliwogs. Everyone has a story, everyone has a natural born temperament, and everyone is a possible new friend. While growing up, I watched people and evaluated them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ examples of who I wanted to be. As an adult, I want to know what others think when I can get them to ‘open up’. My everyday dress code is mostly a decorative t-shirt with a flannel overshirt. My t-shirts have words and/or symbols that represent a wide assortment of my favorite things. Those t-shirts frequently elicit a comment and connection when I’m in public. It’s just the opening I need to be comical and friendly. The grocery store never disappoints. It’s a place where I can collect new humous anecdotes or curiosities on human behavior.

Do you think your online persona is very different from the one at home or are you exactly the same as you display yourself to your readers?

I don’t see any difference. I’m genuine to a fault. Even when it means I may ask inappropriate questions or state brutal truths, it’s always me talking… sometimes apologizing. LOL

https://earthlycomforts.uk/2023/03/19/a-wild-aloha-to-you-28/

Children never recognize that their lives have blessings. There are experiences that we have that seem ordinary until we’re grown and reflect upon them.
As a child, I had the tremendous opportunity to hang around on my grandparent’s farm.
“Doesn’t everyone?”
Not until later on, I realized, “No, Susan. Most have no idea about your experiences.”
One especially cool experience was observing old-fashioned milking time.
The cattle would wait beyond the barn door as they knew it was milking time. The doors were flung open, and they’d file in finding their own assigned spot among many. There was an open stanchion that they would stick their head through finding a measured amount of grain waiting. One of the chores was for someone to walk along beyond and snap each stanchion shut. This kept each cow still until the milking machine could be placed on her.
It was a while before I was tall enough and responsible enough to be the stanchion closer but when that happened, it was a rite of passage and confidence booster for this kid. Walking among 1200-pound beasts is alone a big deal so snapping that stanchion shut and patting each on the head like I owned the place was a super big deal.
None of the kids that I went to elementary school with had any idea about those extraordinary life experiences and watching them squeal at spiders or run from puppies soon made me appreciate my life.
My escapades with those cows were many. Some were smarter than others and tried to intimidate me. I learned a lot about asserting myself, hiding fear, and, of course, connecting with animals.

Someday, I’ll tell you about Suzette. She became my nemesis and her daughter Bambi carried on her legacy! But that’s another story…

https://emkingston.wordpress.com/2022/09/12/e-m-s-rwp-266-stanchion/