Most families this week with children are busily working on getting everyone ready to start the new school year right after Labor Day or perhaps trying to grab one last family vacation before that old yellow school bus pulls up in front of the house.
Jeanette and I took a trip back in time to my 55th year class reunion in Smithville, Ohio last weekend. We had a great time getting re-acquainted with my old class mates – many of whom I went to school with for all twelve years at Smithville. In elementary school, each grade had just one teacher and just one room where all of the subjects were taught. It wasn’t until High School that we moved around to different classrooms and had different teachers depending upon the subjects taught. As I look back, my class mates were truly more like brother and sisters.
On Saturday, we visited the East Union Bulk Food store near Orville, Ohio. This store is near to the part of Ohio where I grew up in and the Amish lifestyle is very similar to the lifestyle which was practiced by the students who went to the Smithville Schools and to the Mennonites who live in the Smithville, Ohio area. Our mission was to buy a ring of Trail Bologna and some cheese with horseradish in it. Man, do I like sandwiches made from Trail Bologna!
Behind the store was beautiful Amish garden with flowers, ripe tomatoes, corn, and potatoes for winter storage – the very basic kinds of foods that my Mother raised in her garden. The Amish are masters at raising gardens that not only look beautiful to the eye but produce the healthy kinds of vegetables that sustain their hard working lifestyles.
Back home on the old Bupp Family Farm, the house where I grew up in looks much like it looked fifty years ago. I can still see my mother tending to her geraniums on the front porch. Her garden is gone now as it is too easy just to go to the store and buy a can of tomatoes. But I am glad that the family living there today has flowers on the front porch. Flowers make all of the difference in the world!
Loved the trip back in time “ohio”. Wish I’d known you were here, would have really enjoyed seeing you. Interesting, I buy all my lunch meat, bulk baking supplies at East Union. Some weeks I’m there a couple of times. Prices can’t be beat. Ran into John and Joann at the car repair shop a couple of wks ago. Surprised to see them there! This is Wayne Co. fair wk. So much fun to go and see lots of people seems I only see once a year. I worked one day for the Lion’s Club taking tickets and will park cars for Goodwill tomorrow AM. The Sat horse pull and Sat eve tractor pull is what I wait for. Have a great rest of the wk. JoAnn
JoAnn,
There’s three things that you never give up when you get older: FOOD, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS! I am happy that you read my blog. Every now and then, I slip one in about Ohio! Enjoy the Wayne County Fair. We have bulk food stores out here in the Finger Lakes run by the Old Order Mennonites who live in the area and I buy my noodles there which are made in Holmes County! I haven’t found any Trail Bologna yet!
Jim