Grandpa's Famous Sayings

Who died and left you boss?

George Engel                                                                   

 

 

On my dad's birthday, I think it's only appropriate to post one of his famous sayings.  When we thought we knew everything, we were acting too bossy, we were disagreeable, or we put ourselves above someone else, my dad would always say "Who died and left you boss?"

 

A man of much wisdom, he taught us so much, including how to humble ourselves. He touched so many lives, always taking in someone who was less fortunate or needed a helping hand, yet keeping his family the center of his life.

 

Laughter was common in our house.  He loved to tease us all endlessly, while, at the same time, guiding us with a firm hand.  When his hand hit the table, everyone was quiet!  Even then, we were allowed to question so we understood, and we were never put down.  He knew how to correct a bad behavior without saying an unkind word.

 

From him, I learned to be compassionate and nurturing.  Someone always needs a helping hand or a kind word at some time in their life.  People respond more to kind words then put downs.  I believe this is where I got "There's a nice way to say everything, and a way to say everything nice", but I don't remember him saying this exact quote.

 

For his grandchildren - a little background.  Grandpa grew up in a family that helped other family members during the Great Depression, teaching him to be giving.  He had a tough father, so he learned to be the opposite, a very caring father.

 

I miss you, dad, and try to live my life by the example you set.  Happy Birthday!

 

Easy Recipe

This salad was a common dish in my childhood home.  It's especially good with any roast (so you can dip your meat in it).

Dad's Favorite Salad

Head of Lettuce - cored and chopped into bite size pieces
Mayonnaise
Sour Cream
A little Milk
Garlic and Onion Salt

Add mayonnaise and sour cream - as much as you would add for dressing.  Add a little milk to thin out the mayonnaise and sour cream mixture.  Season with garlic and onion salt to taste.  Toss with lettuce.  Sooo good!

Love you,
Aunt Janet

Garden Signs

I spent the last week and a half painting these signs in the hopes of making some extra money at Kicks on 66.  I had so much fun painting them, and found out that I really did get my mom's creative gene.

My mom has a lot right off of the old Route 66, so I decided I could save money, and set up my "booth" on my mom's lot.  What the heck - it's down the street from where the paying booths were located.

Well, Uncle Todd's truck died, and he needed my vehicle to go to work.  So, I needed a ride (besides money to help pay for the truck).  After several phone calls, my sister came through.  (Oh, and I was just calling to tell you I found a ride, but thanks anyway.) 

So, I had the signs, the spot and the ride.  Now I needed the stakes.  I suggested using some of the cedar sticks in the yard that UT cut up to make logs for his bird houses.  UT didn't want me to use them for stakes, so he told me to search my mom's garage for stakes.  My sister and I climbed through the mess - that somehow accumulated in the garage that I've sorted and cleaned a hundred times before (yes - you could actually park 2 cars in it after I'm done, each of the hundred times) - in search of stakes.  I found some, full of nails, but useable.

I stick them in my car along with a table, bird feeders, and trellises that somehow got in her garage, and set out for home.  I got a hammer and started pulling out the nails.  BTW, if I die from tetanus, I scratched myself with one of the nails. After some procrastination and complaining, UT said we couldn't use the stakes I had got from my mom's house and went to the yard to get the cedar sticks.  I got UT to put the stakes on the signs, as I stood by putting the screws on the screw gun, because that is my job when UT does anything for me.

Okay, stakes taken care of.  I took pictures, posted them on Facebook, with all pertinent info, packed them up, got together all the stuff to paint more signs, printed a sign, and priced all the signs, not with stickers but with paper and tapes because UT doesn't want to have to take them off when we put them in our yard.  Then it was off to bed.

Waking early because Maggie made me get up, I didn't feel that good.  UT thought maybe it wasn't a good idea to go, but I assured him it would pass (after some medicine).  Knowing my sister is always on time, I gathered all my stuff on the lawn, ready to throw in her car.  Half an hour later sitting on the front stairs, I realized that my sister had learned something from her sisters - the art of being late.

She showed up and, of course, the things that had to go in first, were on the bottom of my neatly stacked pile.  After stuffing everything into her car (I lied - I told her it would just be a few things), we set off for the lot.  On the way, we stopped at the bank so I could get change.  With money in my pocket, I proceeded to open the wrong car door, which was luckily locked, but the guy in the next car was laughing at me hysterically.

We get to the block that my mom's lot is on, and half way down the block, I asked my sister to stop so I could put my signs up (over my mom's for sale sign) that was at the corner.  In the wind and fighting with the tape, I finally got the sign up, only to be greeted by the biggest puppy I've ever seen.  Cute dog.

Well, we got to the lot, and unpacked her full car, trying to figure out if anyone would see me.  The lot where the booths were set up were already bustling with people.   We decided that maybe I should move closer to the corner.  Wanting to stay on my mom's property, we then carried all the stuff about 30 feet closer to the old Route 66.  Thank God my sister was with me because it probably would have taken me an hour to move it by myself.

She wished me luck and was on her way, and I waited for all the people to come and buy my signs.  And I waited, and I painted, and I waited, and I played a game, and I waited.  A truck went by, hit a puddle, spraying mud all over me and my signs, and I waited.  A red SUV pulled up, and I thought "my first customer".  The door opened, and out came UT.  I gave a sad face, and he melted, packed me up, and took me to get my favorite barbeque pork sandwich.

What did I learn?  Sometimes you have to spend a little money to make money.  I should have just gotten a booth.  And, no matter how much work you put into something, it doesn't always turn out the way you want it.  You think I should have learned this lesson by now.  (For those that know me, they get it.)  But, aren't my signs cute?  Hand painted and price right!

Gardening

I've always had a kid or two in my garden - helping to plant and then harvesting the fresh veggies.  My nieces and nephews are grown, and the next generation is old enough to carry on the tradition.   My nieces already are passing on the fun they had in my garden.  So, who wants to help and when?  Ask your moms to let me know.

Easy Recipe

My sister recently asked for my cole slaw recipe, so here it is:

Creamy Cabbage Slaw
6 cups or 1 medium cabbage, shredded
¼ cup green onion, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt

Combine cabbage and onion.  Mix remaining ingredients together and stir into slaw.

Enjoy!
Aunt Janet