What? Summer Without a Porch Swing?

I love and old-fashioned porch swing.  What says "summer"  any better than sitting on the porch on a summer evening, visiting with neighbors, listening to the crickets, seeing the lightening bugs and the street lights start to glow.

I would guess from this baby picture, that my love of the porch and the swing began when I was just a
baby.  I even love the idea of a young  "courting" couple sitting on the porch swing stealing a kiss now and then.  Courting?  Now there's an old-fashioned word that fits right in with the old-fashioned porch swing.
When Don and I were "dating"  way back then, we spent a lot of evenings on my front porch, but we had
no swing....just regular old chairs.  Don just remembers my dad coming out and reminding us how late it was getting.  But, even now, when I think of summer nights, that front porch is the first thing that comes to mind.

When I retired from teaching, the other teachers at Southview School presented me with a lovely card, and a very generous monetary gift.  I used that money to buy a new porch swing.  It seemed a very appropriate gift to celebrate retiring.  You know....retire, sit on the porch, swing away the hours reading and visiting!

Well, in retirement we did many other things besides, but the swing did get a lot of use.  It first resided on the deck at our lake place.  Our place was at the top of a hill looking down toward the lake.  It felt like you were swinging in the tree tops.  Well, actually you were.  We loved it there in the mornings with our coffee, and in the evenings with a glass of wine.  And all the grandchildren loved swinging in the tree tops when they visited.

When we sold the lake place, we brought the swing home, and it held court on our screened-in front porch at 123.  There we had a great view of the neighborhood and all our neighbors.  Sometimes you saw more than you wanted to see, but usually it was just great.  And the swing was used daily by all of us, even all our pets.  And there it resided in the summer, was stored away in the winter, and came out again in the spring to be restained and get new cushions.

When we moved here to 634, we had to move the swing out into the yard.  We had added some new porch furniture, and there simply wasn't room for the swing.  It looked lovely there, and was quite nice for the occasional party and picnic.  We liked to sit in the yard, but the mosquitoes found us quite delectable! Ouch!  And

Don had to move it around every time he mowed.  But still itcame out each summer for its restaining and new cushions, and was front and center for many parties.

And, in the yard, the old-fashioned swing had actually become a "courting swing".  Well, Don and I are way past courting.  But, we have seen many courting couples sitting on our swing.  Mr. and Mrs. Mourning Dove sat on the back of the swing singing their sweet, melancholy song to each other.  So sweet.  And I have seen 

Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal there.  Now the Kingfishers are in the yard, but they are a whole different story.

All they seem to do is fly about, chasing one another, arguing, and diving into the creek. At least their song sounds like arguing.

And then, one day I did see another courting couple.  With my poor eyesight I thought I saw something moving on the swing.  When I looked through the binoculars , I thought it was a huge, beautiful butterfly.  Later, I saw the huge butterfly become two regular-sized butterflies as they flew away.  I realized

they were actually two butterflies who were.....ummmm......courting?

At the beginning of this summer, we made a very sad decision.  When Don took the swing out of storage, he decided that it was simply beyond repair.  So now the swing has gone to "Porch Furniture Heaven."  At least I think that is where the trash truck took it.  I miss it, though I rarely sat in it.  Don is happy.  He does not have to move it around and mow around it.  Maybe someday we will get another one.

CHAPTER ELEVEN The Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving 2016 has come and gone, and it was, indeed, a challenging time for the little Doll House people of Smithville.

Why, you might ask, was Thanksgiving so different for the little people?  Well, it just seemed like Don and Phyllis were ALWAYS around, and BUSY, getting ready for the big day.  So the little people had to stay inside and out of sight.  They had no time to prepare for their own celebration.

And it seemed like Don and Phyllis were doing very little, if any, cooking in preparation for Thanksgiving!  Now, that was just not right!  How were the Smiths going to have a feast with no food?  And, worse than that, how would the little people find any leftovers to collect for their feast?

Also, it seemed like Don was up earlier and earlier, getting the house ready for company, setting up tables, and he even put up the Christmas tree, for heavens sake.

And Phyllis was staying up later and later.  She even had the tables all set ready for company.  But still no cooking was happening!

And if that weren't strange enough, the company began arriving the evening before Thanksgiving.  And all the kids and grandkids brought the food with them!  So that explained why Don and Phyllis did no cooking.  And all of them called their party "Thank-mas."  So that explained why the Christmas decorations went up so early.  The Smiths were having one big party to celebrate both holidays.

The Little Doll House people did enjoy watching the family having so much fun.  And, even though the food looked and smelled delicious,  the little people went to bed early and dreamed about all the leftovers they would find tomorrow!

And, sure enough, a little before noon on Thanksgiving Day,  Don began getting out all the leftovers and warming everything that needed warming.  And soon everyone was in the living room eating leftovers and watching football.  Why, they were so engrossed in the game, the Doll House Collection team had little trouble collecting ample supplies for the Little People Thanksgiving Feast.

And after the men returned with the supplies, the women set about preparing everything for the community-wide Thanksgiving Feast!


So here is their delicious feast.

And here are their beautiful and festive tables.

And here are all the thankful families enjoying the Smithville Thanksgiving Day!

It is Halloween Time in Smithville

It is the week before Halloween, and Mrs. Lamper, the Smithville School teacher, is having
a very hard time keeping her students on task.  They have, evidently, been sneaking samples from
the Halloween, Trick-or-Treat candy supplies at their homes.   They all seem to be on
sugar highs.  Either that, or they have been watching too many scary political advertisements, and
it has made them all on edge.  Those ads are, after all, very frightful!

So Mrs. Lamper, in desperation, has dispensed with regular assignments, and is introducing
an entirely new project for all her students.

"Now students, I have raided Mrs. Smith's craft room and have found some interesting supplies in
her scrap basket.  I have found various colored papers, cardboard, tape, glue, fabric scraps, ribbon
scraps, some little baskets , and some beads.

I want each one of you to decide on one graphic design that symbolizes Halloween for you.  Then
I would like for you to use the markers that I found to draw a large picture of your design.
After that you should write a short description of how that symbolizes Halloween.  You can make
it into a poem if you like.  The last thing I would like for you to do is create a matching costume
for yourself that you can wear for trick-or-treating.

We will display these here at school until our all-school Halloween party.  Then you may take
everything home to decorate your house for Halloween night.  And you may wear your costumes
for trick-or-treating.  If you want, you may work with your brother or sister, to make one
display for your home.",

Well, the students were so excited.  They loved the idea and the chance to work on their own.
You have never seen such industrious students.  They thought and thought, then they painted pictures.
The pictures were so colorful and attractive that they were inspired them to write about their chosen
Halloween symbol.

But most exciting of all was choosing supplies from the scrap basket to create their very own
Halloween costumes.  Mrs. Lamper was so pleased with the outcome that she decided to
allow voting for the very best results of this day's work.

Following you will see the finished projects.  You can vote for your favorite by leaving a comment.

Project Number 1.  Created by Corey and Cathy Switcher.

This was the project completed by Corey and Cathy Switcher, and their be-wigged dog!  They
selected Trick-or-Treaters as their symbol.

Number 2.  This next project was completed by Freddy Sewell.  He painted a picture of an owl
and wrote about owls.  His Halloween costume included an owl's head made from a basket.

Project number 3.  Penelope Prescott is new to Smithville School.  But I think you will agree she
did a lovely job on her project symbol, the Pumpkin.

She wrote: "Yellow pumpkin , yellow moon,
                  Yellow candlelight.
                   It is so fun being scared
                   On Halloween night."

Her costume:

Number 4 .  This project belongs to Harriet and Annie Lamper.  They think that black cats

                   are the perfect Halloween symbol

                 Black cats with yellow eyes and long, curly tails.

                 They ride on witches broomsticks

                  And scratch with their long toe nails!

The students can't wait until Monday to have their party at school, and then take their costumes

and pictures home for an exciting night of trick-or-treating.  Vote for the best, if you would like

by commenting on Facebook.

CHAPTER NINE "New Folks In Town"

     September was a pleasant month for all the residents of Smithville.  On most days sunshine came in the windows, music played on the radio and blended with the sounds of lawn mowers busily working outside.  Now October is here, and with it comes some exciting news, but upsetting news for some.

     Last week Tess Endrews arrived at the Sewell's house with a letter for Elizabeth. And Elizabeth
couldn't believe what she was reading!

     The letter was from Elizabeth's mother and father, Phillip and Pamela Prescott.  The big news was that Phillip and Pamela would be arriving that day for an extended stay in Smithville.  It seems that the
Prescott's son and daughter-in-law (he being Elizabeth's older brother)  were being taken to Africa with
a missionary family for an extended stay at a missionary school.  They had decided that the extended stay would be too long for their daughter, Penelope.  So they decided to leave her with her grandparents.
     And Phillip and Pamela had decided to come stay with Elizabeth and Frederick, so that Penelope would have the company of her cousins, and the grandparents would have the child care assistance .
AND THEY WERE ARRIVING TODAY!
     "Frederick, Frederick, Come
 here!  You won't believe what is happening.  And it is going to
happen TODAY!"
     Well, if I tell you that Frederick was just a bit upset at the news, then I am the master of the understatement.  Frederick was horrified.  He had no desire to share his home with his in-laws....
for an extended  period of time. Besides, there really wasn't enough room in their house.

     "Elizabeth, exactly how long will they be here?"

     " Well, I don't know exactly, but Mother does mention the the missionary's term of service is
at least one school year."

     "YEAR!" shouted Frederick.  "NO, it is impossible"

     Elizabeth was wringing her hands and tears were threatening to spill.  From the kitchen Claire was observing their distress.  Now, you must understand that Claire has always been a very resourceful girl. She has had to be, handling all the crises that erupt in the Sewell household.
     She long ago had managed to acquire her own living space, so that she could have her own
days away from all the drama of the Sewell household.  Claire had bartered with the local Bed and Breakfast to have her own bedroom in the carriage house attached to the Hollyhock Hill Bed and Breakfast, in exchange for doing some cooking and laundry work.
     " I think I could get you a good rate on rooms at the Hollyhock Hill.  They aren't very busy right now, and would be especially interested in a long term stay."
     "Oh, could you?  Would you?  Frederick was quite excited.
      So the three of them hurried over to the bed and breakfast.  After inspecting the rooms, they
were excited to learn that they could rent them for a very reasonable rate.  And the owners were delighted to have good renters for at least a year.
     Later that day, all the Prescotts arrived, and Elizabeth was really happy to see her family again.
And Frederick was very relieved to show them their lovely rooms at the Hollyhock Hill Bed and Breakfast.

   
 And, oh yes, they brought their dogs, too!  

CHAPTER EIGHT from Small Stories of Life in Smithville

     Labor Day weekend was very exciting in Smithville.  On Friday and Saturday the tiny residents noticed that Don and Phyllis were a little busier than usual.  They did a little sweeping, a little dusting, and some grocery shopping.  Hmmm, they must be expecting company.  Then, when Don started putting up an extra table, and Phyllis started setting the table , they knew!  There was going to be COMPANY,  and a PARTY!
     Sure enough, on Sunday morning they started noticing the mouth-watering aromas of cooking, saw a birthday cake on the counter, and there were serving dishes being readied.  It was certain.  A birthday party was going to happen!
     By noon, the house was full of voices, laughter, and music.  Uh oh, the grown-ups were having such a good time, Britton had a lot of freedom to explore.  The tiny people were a little tense!  It wouldn't take Britton very long to rearrange all their houses!
     But as soon as Grandpa Don was through eating, he and Taylor took Britton outside for a walk and to play, so the Smithville small houses and tiny people began to relax and enjoy the day as much as the party goers did.
     By evening, most of the company had gone home.  Only Carla and Randy were still there visiting.
After all, they had driven all the way from Cincinnati, and they didn't get to visit all that often.  So they were catching up on all the news with Don and Phyllis.  When they decided they had better head home, Don and Phyllis followed them as far as Pendleton, and the four of them stopped in Pendleton for a sandwich before Carla and Randy headed for Cincinnati.
     When the tiny people saw that the house was quiet and the coast was clear, Tom Endrews decided that it was safe for him to deliver the day's mail to the other residents.  When he got on his bicycle and rode by the kitchen he noticed that Phyllis and Don had left food out on the counter, some that needed to cool before being put away.
      Tom was excited!  It was a perfect opportunity for the Lamper boys to pick up supplies to replenish the Smithville pantries!  Tom hurried off to deliver both the mail and the exciting news to George and Herbie.
     It wasn't long before George and Herbie had rounded up their equipment necessary for food gathering.  They gathered up storage bags, climbing ropes, hooks, baskets, and buckets.  Most importantly, they each had a wheeled cart for moving the supplies.
      Once, all was gathered. the boys took off on their mission.  The first step was to hook the climbing rope onto the kitchen stool and climb up that dizzying height!

     Once they were up on the stool, they used the phone cord to make their final ascent to the counter.

Wow!  Once on the counter, they find a feast of supplies:  flour, sugar, salt, crackers, vegetables, beef cubes.....things the residents can feast upon for days to come!
   

Then the boys have the hard job of loading the goods, packing them in bags and baskets, and lowering them to the floor so they can be loaded onto their carts.   

NOW!  They have the happy job of delivering all the goodies, dividing them up fairly among all of the Smithville residents.  The citizens of Smithville were so happy!  They, too, had a wonderful Labor Day, and a real reason to celebrate the day!  

In fact, they were so happy that they decided to pool some of their supplies, and have their own Labor Day celebration.  So they gathered together in Happy Valley, in Tom and Tess Endrew's yard. They each brought a covered dish, and the men cooked a huge kettle of beef stew using some of their new veggies and beef.  And, while Don and Phyllis slept that night, the tiny Smithville residents played music, sang, and danced by the light of the moon coming through the window!  What a happy day it had been for one and all!

CHAPTER SEVEN "The Happy Valley Neighborhood"

     Smithville has a pleasant little neighborhood called Happy Valley.  In Happy Valley live several extra-tiny people.  And, Happy Valley is a good name for the area, because the people who live there always have smiles on their faces.

     In  the pretty little yellow house shown above live two of Smithville's most appreciated citizens, Tom and Tess Endrews.  Tom and Tess have taken on the responsibility for delivering all important messages and news to the citizens of Smithville.  You see, their house in located right next to where Phyllis Smith listens to her television. And she faithfully listens to all the news and weather reports.
So Tom and Tess use their bicycles to deliver all important news to the town's citizens.  They also
pick up and deliver all the paper mail and messages from one house to another.

      You can see from looking at their house, Tom and Tess are very neat and organized.

     Also located in Happy Valley is the brand new town Library.  This lovely building is just
completed and managed by the only triplets in Smithville:  Bill, Bentley, and  Bonnie Box.
It is a wonderful addition to the town, and is being efficiently managed by the triplets, who also reside in living quarters in the same building.

   

However, do not come into the neighborhood or the library with the idea of being

noisy or unruly.  These extra-tiny people may be happy and smiling, but the like everything 

quiet, neat, and orderly.  They might just ask you to LEAVE!