Pa and Na's Carnival

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Here's proof to show you that grandparents will go to great lengths to make their grand kids happy.  My friends Martha and J.R. created an entire carnival for their visiting grand children.  They invited the whole neighborhood and all their friends.  I wanted to share with you this book I created for them and let you see that it wasn't just the kids who were having a great time, but everyone there!  Thanks Martha and J.R. for making some great memories for everyone!

TableHenge

Another great CSN Product

CSN stores is giving me another chance to review a product.  If you haven't been to their site you must look for yourself. Among their many products and brands you will find Corelle.  I have been a Corelle fan for many years.  I  still use Corelleware dishes that I received at my wedding shower more than 36 years ago!
Because of the great selection, its always hard to decide which CSN product I want to try.  Keep checking Meanwhile Back on the Ponderosa to see what I choose this time.

My Review of Americana Table and Chairs Set

 I was recently allowed to choose a product to review by CSN Stores.  I picked this Little Tikes Table Set.  It has been a great place for Parker to sit and play or eat and he loved the box it came in almost as much as the table.  Just like all the other Little Tikes products we have owed it has been worth the money!  This is the review I submitted for CSN stores.

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

These sturdy round tables feature durable, wipe-clean tops and comfortable chairs to match.

Features:

• Americana table and chairs set
• Fully assembled
• Ages 2 to 6 years
• Table Dimensions:: 18.69" H x 24.38" W x 24....

Americana Table and Chairs Set

Tough as a Three Year Old

By Parker's Nana from Tennessee on 8/25/2010

5out of 5

Pros: Fun, Bright Colors, Easy To Clean, Comfortable, Easy to store
Best Uses: Young Children
Describe Yourself: Midrange Shopper

This table is tough enough to allow a little boy to use it in all types of ways. It is a place to eat, a track for his cars, and a good place to use his crayons and play-doh. It is light enough that the child can move it, but not so light it tips over. The chairs fit right under the table and make for easy storage. The colors are great for a boy or girl.

(legalese)

Harvesting

How to Properly Harvest the Garden Produce

1.   You will need a little boy with a tractor!  

2.  Consult with your P-pa about whether the crop is really ready to harvest! 

3.  Examine all crops carefully, you only want to choose the best!

4.  Once you find something to harvest, place it in your trailer and remember to secure the back.  You don't want to lose any vegetables.

(Harvesting tip: It's best not to pour your produce into the wagon from a great height, because it can cause damage)

5.  When your wagon is full, it's time to head to Nana's brown house where you. . . 

Just

unload with some help from your P-pa.

Harvesting is a hot job and can make you tired, but just remember some one's got to do it!

It's time for a juice box!

The Box

When a child gets something new, sometimes he likes the box, just as much as what came in it!

56 Years. . .

Every good story has a beginning and this one began in 1954, on this very day, fifty six years ago. My mom and dad were married on a military base in Germany.

After their ceremony they took a ride on a tank!  They lived in Germany for almost a year and returned to New York by crossing the North Atlantic on a ship.  Ask them someday to tell you about that adventure.

Here's the telegram Mom sent once she arrived in Europe.  My granny once told me that she almost chocked to death as she watched her plane leave Nashville! 

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad.

Shopping @ CSN Stores

I love to shop and usually I'm not indecisive about what I want to purchase. But, recently CSN Stores offered me the opportunity to review a product from one of their stores and I think I am going to have a difficult time choosing! CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from cookware to cribs and even your most specific needs like LED lighting or laptop cases!
Check back in a couple of days to see what I decide to review and meanwhile take a look at CSN stores to see the variety of products and brands they offer and tell me what you think I should pick.
You might see some items you like and decide it's time for some back to school shopping!

Beetles and Spiders, Oh My!

We live on the Ponderosa with all sorts of little varmits, usually in a state of peace and harmony but this week we have declared War!  We each have our own individual battles going.  Peanut is waging war on the Japanese Beetles!  

Here's one of the pesky creatures on my sunflowers.  See that huge piece that has been eaten from the leaf.  His weapon of mass destruction  is a sprayer full of Sevin and he is not afraid to use it--on the garden on the shrubs any place one of these little beetles are spotted. While he fights the bugs, I fight the spiders.

This one is right outside my back door and seems to be catching other pests.  It's web is so intricate that I hate to tear it down, so it has been given a little reprieve and I named her Charlotte.  As long as she stays put we can declare a truce.  Other spiders are not so lucky.  They are everywhere.  I find them in the window sills and the door frames but the worst ones are those you don't notice before you walk through them!

 

My weapon against them is my little two gallon shop vacuum.  Their webs are no match against the suction power of my Craftsman Clean and Carry!  

But today there was a new battle, one that called for a weapon of mass destruction!  

This plaque hangs right beside our door and there was a funny buzzing noise coming from it.

And here is what was responsible for this noise. . . 

I am now making it  my mission to put dirt daubers on the endangered species list. The battle was messy and even involved the water hose set on power wash and a golf  club!

 But these critters are allowed on the Ponderosa any time, they have free reign, if only they fed on beetles, spiders or dirt daubers!

All you need. . .

To make a little boy happy, all you need is a stick and a river!  He'll play for hours!

Gonna Need a Nap

After this perfect summertime lunch we are going to need a nap!  It takes a community to create a lunch this good.  The beans and squash are from our garden.  The tomatoes are from my Mom and Dad's garden.  The corn is from our neighbors' garden.  The cornbread was made by me and the potatoes came from the grocery store!  No restaurant around could serve any better lunch! But the kitchen sure was a mess!

Anticipation

Remember Carly Simon's hit song, Anticipation?  Went like this:

Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'

(If you are too young for Carly you may remember this song from a ketchup commercial)

Since what can we eat next is our motto on the Ponderosa, here's what we are anticipating!