When I was a kid I loved playing Pick Up Sticks. I guess because I could challenge myself not to move the sticks, but since I was playing by myself if I did move one I got an automatic do-over. It was one of the games that wasn't quite so pathetic to play alone unlike Hungry Hungry Hippos (yeah, I played that alone). It's kind of like solitaire with sticks. So I was happy to share my love of this simple childhood game with my kids.
Turns out that it is a major source of contention between Holden and Emeline. Any millimeter of movement and there's an outburst of "you moved it!" met by a resounding "no I didn't!". Holden inevitably gets the black stick that guarantees a win and Emeline complains about how unfair it is for the next 20 minutes. Owen doesn't really get it yet. For him, it's more like Dump Out Sticks. And who knew the colored sticks made perfect light sabers? Well, Owen did. Same with Tinker Toys. He even hands you the correct color for the character he wants you to be, but that's another story.
After Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, we had another version of Pick Up Sticks to play. Our yard is full of twigs, sticks, and branches from the strong winds. Add to that the few broken sticks from our mini-ice storm a couple of weeks ago and we now have the makings of a bonfire. Owen and I spent about an hour picking up sticks from our backyard alone this afternoon. Tomorrow we'll tackle the front yard.
Ben did some picking up sticks of his own last Saturday when he traveled to Madisonville, Kentucky to help with the ice storm clean up. "Dumbfounded" was the word he used to describe the devastation the ice left in it's wake. The landscape is so changed that it doesn't look anything like any place on the planet. Trees are mere sticks poking out of the ground. All the branches from every tree left standing are now laying below the trees six feet deep.
I wonder where all the animals and birds that called those trees home are now. I wonder what kind of effect the hundreds of square miles left treeless will have on the environment. Questions that are beyond my ability to answer here. I am just grateful that we aren't dealing with them in our own backyard right now.
Sous Chef Position at Evins Mill
-
While our core culinary team remains in place, we're hiring an additional
full-time chef to accommodate our continued growth and better serve our
bur...
1 year ago
3 comments:
Do you have friends there then? How very sad. I always think about the animals in these situations as well.
Ben went to help with the relief effort organized by Jehovah's Witnesses. The group from this area went to Madisonville, Kentucky that day. About 300 met there Saturday morning and went out in teams of about 30 each to clean up the yards (and neighbor's yards) of those in the congregation there. The following day they were going to another town to do the same.
I have noticed lots of birds around here lately. It's almost as if a roar is coming from the woods outside of our house, but it's birds! Maybe they are just heading back North or maybe it's some displaced Kentucky birds...
Woohoo! I can finally comment on your blog, it never gave me the option to before.
Kregg & Christy Woosley drove through KY on there way out here right when that storm hit. They said it was unbelievable. Trees down on the interstate, they could only go 30mph. Her parents who live in Princeton(close to Madisonville) had to drive all the way to Hopkinsville just to get gas for their generator and car. That's awesome that Ben was able to help with the relief effort.
Post a Comment