Thursday, July 21, 2011

Bell tower, young chef and teenagers

- It's Random Photo Thursday. My brother-in-law's cook shed on their farm in northern Florida. The bell at the top is from his family's summer lake cabin - they took it with them when the cabin was sold. His late mother used to ring the bell for the boys to come home for dinner when they were out rambling around the lake. Twenty years later, it was located and hung here.

- A mom at last night's potluck telling how the burden of preparing food was lifted by her 15-year-old son, who made the rice and the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies - both perfectly cooked. I think how it will be so valuable for him in life that he knows how to cook.

- A friend sent this explanation for the bird festival in my feeder and planter each night: "It's time for nesting birds to send their young out into the world, some of them for the second time this season. The appearance at our feeders of juveniles of various species is at least entertaining, and certainly educational. Enjoy these "teenagers" as they begin to achieve independence and look for their own apartments!"

13 comments:

Granny Annie said...

Oh I love the story of the bell. It is great that it was saved when the property sold. We have my parent's old cast iron bell hanging in our barn. I think I might have to move it closer to the house so I can ring it at dinner time.

All of our grandsons (5) are great cooks and NONE of our granddaughters (3) give a hoot about culinary skills.

I love the explanation about the juvenile birds and their last hurrah's before taking on life's hardships.

Fireblossom said...

You are so right, that knowing how to cook will serve that young man well.

happygirl said...

Love how the stories intertwine. Teenage birds leaving the nest, sons learning to cook for themselves and a dinner bell. :)

Maude Lynn said...

I'm trying to teach Baby Puppy to cook. It's, um, entertaining!

Sara said...

Lynn,

Your first story about the bell brought back a memory for me. We have a big bell at my first house. My mom would ring it for dinner. While reading that section, I could hear it in my head.

I didn't have a son, but both of my daughters cook better than I do. Their dad was always the "cook." I was the bottle washer:~)

Also, the part about the birds at the feeder is so true. Mine are very active. The adult birds are determined to leave the juvies at the feeders.

I think they've had enough of the fluttering wings and open mouths. The young cardinals and finches are the funniest ones. They chase their parents constantly.

LL Cool Joe said...

I wish I knew how to cook. It really is a life skill.

Nice story behind the bell too. :)

Jannie Funster said...

Ahhh, teenage birds, how sweet. So many fun traditions for all species coming of age.

I fall in love more with your sister's place each time I see it. No wonder you spend as much time there as you can.

xoxo

Louvregirl said...

Hi Lynn~ It was a busy day for me and I am late late getting to blogging. I love the bell story; so glad that they could salvage the bell she rang for the family!

Ileana said...

I have a dinner bell, but I never ring it. The kids would run and hide and wanna kill me! lol

I love how they hung the bell on the shed after all these years...a sweet reminder of how it used to be, back in the day.

I should get my soon-to-be 15 year old daughter to cook the rice. I've been making rice since I was 6 or 7!

"Teenaged birds" ...I love it! :)

Snaggle Tooth said...

I wonder if they use the bell often, n what it's tone sounds like. Neat idea to recycle it. I have windchimes from my Mom's porch in my house. I'd given to her- like the notes. A boy who has patience to cook has a wonderful n delicious future ahead!
Teen-agers having a party! That explains it!

Lynn said...

Granny Annie -

I'm glad you liked the story of that - he also has hung a huge Gulf Oil sign on the barn as a tribute to his granddad.

I taught my husband how to cook - wonder if he still does?

Those nightly visitors to my back porch have all the exuberance of teenagers for sure.

FB -

That is such a great family, too, I'm not surprised his mom got him doing that and probably found a way to make it fun.

happygirl -

Thank you - it just kind of came together like that. Not planned at all.

Mama Zen -

I'll bet. :)

Sara -

How nice that you remembered that and that you can still hear it in your memory. My sister actually went out and rang the bell for her husband to come in for dinner one night.

Cooking is a life skill that is so great to have. I should be doing more of that.

And my birds are house finches, I think - that makes sense then, the way they come up rapidly flying.

Lynn said...

Sara -

I loved your post on Apalachicola! I haven't been there in a while - my sister and I used to go on rambles and we just don't have the time lately. St. George, Julia Mae's, Havana, Apalach. That's where my bil's boat is kept.

Lynn said...

Joe -

Cooking is easy - just get a simple cookbook and follow the directions.

Jannie -

It's wonderful down there, but pretty darn hot.

xoxo

lg -

My bil's parents died way too soon - tragically within six months of each other and both were only in their 60s. This is a way to keep their memory alive.

Ily -

Good idea - rice is a great start and you can add stuff to it. I wish I had started cooking when I was that age - I had to figure it out as a new married.

Snaggle -

I'll have to ring that bell next week and see!