Here's an update from one of our favorite websites - CommonSense Media, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the media and technology lives of kids and families.
Caroline Knorr has written a short and sweet article about helping teens control their online privacy with 3 simple rules to keep in mind (using Facebook as an example):
Stick with your friends
Keep private information private.
Don't let your information get away from you.
^ Use discretion!
This is NOT safe!
We at Buzzing Kids World are big supporters of keeping our kids safe. We trust that you are, too, and that you'll find this article helpful. ^.^
Feel a beat coming on? Here's an idea...start your own Rhythm Band! We found some cool items to get you started. This is your opportunity to show off your creative skills with:
Wrist and Ankle Bells -
shake, rattle, and roll to
your own dance routine.
Rhythm Sticks - whether it's
off-beat, upbeat, or on-beat,
make sounds with the sticks!
Beat Shakers -
feel a jam session coming on?
Then... gather your friends together, get out your favorite recorder, and make music!
Now all you need is a cool name like: The Street Beat Combo, Rythym Belles, or The Shaker Music Makers. You get the idea - make music! Like Love, it's a universal language.
We found a website that we love and think you will, too - CommonSenseMedia.org. They review and make age-appropriate recommendations for movies, games, websites, TV, books and music... for kids.
Their ratings are on a scale from stoplight red to yellow caution "iffy" to greenlight "on"! For example, they recently reviewed the Miley Cyrus drama The Last Song. They rate it "iffy" for ages 12-13 (which means "ON" for 14+) and then tell you why - the good stuff (messages and role models) and what to watch out for (violence, sex, language, consumerism, and drinking, drugs, & smoking).
And then they go on to offer these suggestions about the topic: What Parents Need to Know and what Families Can Talk About [at the dinner table, for instance].
In addition, CommonSenseMedia shows the average ratings by their members (parents, educators and kids) to give you more insight from their perspective.
If you want to know what the Best Bets are for your kids' ages (2 - 17+), checkout CommonSenseMedia.org. It's easy to navigate and definitely family-friendly. That's a big PLUS in our humble opinion here at Buzzing Kids World! ^.^
Did you know that some plants can be fun! That's right... fun! We can think of two, right off the bat without even Googling it - the Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula... don't ask us how to pronounce it. Google it! ^.^) and the Tickle Me Plant (Mimosa pudica). They're fun to have 'cause the Venus Fly Trap snaps its mouth closed really fast when a fly (or your finger) lands on it and the Tickle Me Plant closes its long leaves when touched and reopens them over a period of time.
They make fun presents to give to a friend, too. Bet you know someone who has a birthday coming up; wouldn't that be a fun present to take to the party? They may be a little hard to find at the garden shop 'cause they sell pretty fast, but you can grow them from seed or let your friend grow one as their own garden project.
Well, I just had my first portrait done by a real live artist... Nemo. KidsGranny commissioned it 'cause it seemed like so much fun to be able to use the website logo (that's me with the world behind me in the right column). On the left is Nemo's drawing with the perfectly drawn circles that he does by hand with a pencil. How cool is that! And isn't it an awesome piece of artwork, too? I luv the way his circles make my hair look like cornrows and you can see that I do have legs. Oh, and that's my pet guinea pig that I'm walking. ^.^ ~KidsBuzz
It snowed last night – a whole inch! Cool! All the big trees have white snow on the tips of their branches and the railings are piled with it, too. The bushes down by the creek look like a fairyland. Only one problem… it's too dry to make a snowman OR a snowball. What's with that? Even the kids at the school next door can't make them, but they're having fun throwing snow at each other.
It's been over 30 years since KidsGranny has seen snow and it's the first time for Kitty. He looks so funny walking in it (so does KidsGranny, but don't tell her I said so). Kitty takes a step, shakes his leg, licks his paw, takes another step, shakes that leg, and so on. (Just so you know, KG doesn't do THAT!) Kitty looks a little lost 'cause he can't find his favorite spots. (KG does NOT look lost.)
Update: Well, that was fun while it lasted. The sun came out and it is melting. There are still big patches of the snow though. Kitty is one happy cat again. ^.^
Lucky Bums
All in all, I'd say that was just enough of a teaser to make me want more… soon! Maybe next time there will be enough snow that I can try snowboarding on that Lucky Bums kid's beginner snowboard I saw the other day. We do have a little hill - more like a slope, I guess. Wouldn't it be perfect for beginners?
Little did I know when I did the blog series on A Kid's Summer On A Farm, that within a few months I'd be living the dream and once again living in the country. Well they call it 'country' around here... even though it's 20 acres at 2600' elevation. It does have a huge barn, potting shed, chicken coop, a combo work shop/garage for the tractor and riding lawnmower (both of which came with the property - how about that!); a separate building that is being made into a music studio; PLUS a small orchard and fenced-in garden with raised beds.The house even has a canning room. (It's been a looong time since I've done any of that and even then it was only Bread and Butter Pickles. Yummy!)
There's one small caveat to the description above - there are NO farm animals on the property - just wild turkeys and the ususal critters like squirrels and funny looking rabbits (not exactly the kind you see at Easter-time); oodles of birds and, so far, five deer who visit regularly. RobinNestor reported on the critters in her blog that was just posted. She didn't talk about the bears though. I was assured there were no bears around here. The movers who were unpacking us said, "Then how come there's a creek (see photo on right) just down the road named Bear Creek?" I don't go roaming around the property at night; but then I didn't do that in the City either.
The park-like front yard/meadow with built-in lava rock as a landscaping feature is just one of the main attractions for me. The other is the kids at the elementary school that abuts the property line. How cool is that... having a website about kids and living right next door to a school... and where I can hand-deliver The BuzzLetter each month. The best part is watching them during their recesses from the window while I work on my website.
And guess what? Even the deer must know it's a playground, 'cause when I see them over there they are playing Tag. So tell me, Dear Diary, how do they know it's a playground? Haven't seen them on the swings or sliding boards yet - but who knows! I'll keep you posted.
~ KidsGranny
It's time for costumes, dress-up, let's pretend, and scary, spooky stories. And who doesn't like Halloween? If the projects in the Oct 09 issue of The BuzzLetter are not enough to get you into the mood for Halloween try these creepy books. They're suitable for ages 9-12.
Dare to Be Scared (Thirteen Stories to Chill and Thrill) (Illustrated) by Robert D. San Souci
Ghost Mysteries (Unraveling the World's Most Mysterious Hauntings) (Apaperback) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Scary Stories/Boxed Set (Paperback) by Alvin Schwartz
It's Labor Day! KidsGranny says it's a day-off for people who work every day. So why is she working today??? She works every day, all day – well it seems so to me.
As for wearing white after Labor Day? "NOT" says KidsGranny. This morning she was telling us how Labor Day meant we couldn't wear white shoes anymore – at least not until Easter or next spring. I never heard that before. I see people wearing white shoes all year long. She said you aren't supposed to wear white shoes OR white gloves, either, after Labor Day. Who wears white gloves anymore? KidsGranny says she often wore white gloves and A HAT, too, when she went downtown – and always when she went to church. Phew! And I think today's rules are hard to follow!
I guess I'm just lucky – I get to wear the same thing EVERY day. ^.^
This is written by me, KidsBuzz. KidsGranny is busy… you guessed it, she's working! (Psst! Follow me on Twitter. I want to get more followers than she gets. See you there. http://twitter.com/kidsbuzz) ^.^
Here's a true story: One of my grandsons, age 14 at the time and living in the suburbs, took a summer course in the city which required traveling via the train. In the mornings he rode with his dad to the city; but, had to travel back to the suburbs via the train… alone. Mom insisted he text her each step of the way… and the time:
When he left class
When he arrived at the city train station
When he was train-bound for the suburbs
When he arrived at the suburb station
When he arrived home
Well, that lasted for several days, but soon my grandson got tired of "being treated like a baby". He and his mom had a "discussion" about it. Neither would give in. Mom's position: It's for your safety. Son's position: I'm a big boy now! Dad stayed out of it. The next day when it came time to head back home from the city here are the text messages his anxious Mom received:
TRAIN
HOME
That's all. Just those two one-word messages. My grandson grew a foot taller that summer! Mom found a gray hair she didn't have before. Dad just smiled. So did KidsGranny when she heard about it. Hmm. Does this qualify as Coming of Age through responsibility, loosening the apron strings, or both? ^.^
We are constantly looking for ways to help parents get kids away from the video console to the outdoors. Brian Crecente's article Backyard Adaptations Of Video Game Classics references a way to do it on Kotaku's website:
Or have the kids make up variations of the classic Hopscotch game.
Try it! See if your kids can create new ways of playing video games in their own backyard. Getting the kids involved in outdoor activities is a good thing!
Dear Diary:
Years later, as an adult, I visited the Waterford Fair in Northern Virginia every Fall with a friend. It brought back memories of when my sister and I spent our summer vacations on a farm between school terms. The Fair had, and still has, it all – homemade crafts, art shows, weaving, and even blacksmithing (though I can't tell from the website if it's still included.)
We always started the day with the tour of the Heritage homes and gardens; then off to the marketplace and quaint little shops. A huge kettle was in the middle of the main cross street where apple butter was being stirred. We bought jars of it to take home.
Since those days of yesteryear the town of Waterford has received the distinction of being designated a Historic Town. If you're ever in Northern Virginia in early Fall, go to the Waterford Fair. They have planned activities for the kids, too. It'll be an experience you and they will never forget.
And finally, here's something for a real life fantasy page
When I was 9, and my sister was 8, we loved to go play at a small clearing by a little stream in the woods on our property. We'd break off a fresh limb to clear away dead leaves and twigs and declare it as our territory. I was Wonder Woman! She was the victim and I used to swing across the stream on a vine that was hanging from a tall tree to protect or rescue her from the wild animals. (We never saw anything wilder than a squirrel or rabbit.) We'd celebrate by eating our packed lunch while telling stories before returning to the real world. Such was fantasy in our wondrous little world!
How did you spend your summer vacations when you were a child? Leave a comment, short or long, and tell us how you had fun. And what was or would be your fantasy vacation?
Canning and pickling and haystacks The family took care of the garden; when it came time for planting and harvesting the fields of crops the farmers helped each other, going from farm to farm planting and harvesting. Not all farmers could afford to have all the heavy equipment needed for the different crops. They gladly helped each other knowing that they, too, would be helped with their fields. Some of the most fun was when they mowed the hay and we'd slide down the haystacks or carve out a small shelter in the side of them.
We helped with the preparation of canning, making jellies and pickling; e.g.,
stringing and snapping the beans
shelling the peas
shucking the corn
picking the berries and cherries
When we picked the corn and shucked it, the boys saved the dried corn silk and later stuffed it in a corncob pipe and smoked it. It didn't last long though, it always burned out fast. And they didn't want to risk get caught trying to light up another one. And NO, I did not try smoking it – cross my heart and hope (not) to die. Smoking was never a vice of mine.
There was a trap door in the kitchen floor that covered the steps leading down to the cool "dirt" cellar. That's where the bins were for storing potatoes and shelves for all the jars of canned vegetables, jellies, and meats. My favorite canned meat was the pork tenderloins. It was saved for special occasions.
Smoking meats
There was no smoke house on the farm where we spent the summers, so the butchered meat was taken to a smoke house. Virginia is famous for its smoked, salted or honey cured hams.
We were already back at school when the apple butter and cider were made.
Such was life for kids on a farm during summer vacations. Then, it was back to school in the city and indoor plumbing. Looking back, to those days, in some ways spending the summer on a farm was like glorified camping with chores.
Spending summer vacations in the country for us kids wasn't all "running through the cool grass or the raindrops when it rained." We had chores to do, too. They came first. The cows HAD to be milked twice a day. The animals HAD to be fed.
First: We helped the grown-ups tend to and feed the animals:
hay for the horses,
mash for the cows,
slop for the pigs and
dried cracked corn for the chickens who ran free in the barnyard
We gathered eggs from the henhouse
The cats and dogs got leftovers from the table - probably because there was no refrigeration as we know it today.
We had a real ice box that held a big block of ice to keep food cold (cool would be more like it). It was used mostly to keep crocks of fresh milk and prepared foods cool until meal time. We made our own butter, taking turns churning it. I ate the butter, but couldn't bring myself to drink that fresh milk. And I never learned to milk a cow; tried … couldn't get the hang of it. (No pun intended. I'll just stop there with that train of thought. ^.^)
Second: We tended to the gardening
Chores also meant weeding or picking fruits and vegetables as they came in season. We hated weeding. We didn't mind picking strawberries until our backs got tired. Blackberries were a stand-up chore. We gathered the fallen peaches and early apples and picked the ripening ones from the trees. The grown-ups made the pies (must have been about 10 of them) for the week and kept them in the cool parlor on a table covered with a linen cloth.
We grabbed grapes from the vines as we ran by and ate tomatoes fresh off the vine without washing them (we rubbed the dust off on our clothes) … hoping we wouldn't get caught eating the pickings or soiling our clothes.
After the chores were done, we could play.
In Part IV we'll tackle the process of canning, pickling, and smoking (meat, that is).
Playtime meant hiding in the hayloft, seeing who could jump from the highest rung of the ladder, swinging from the big oak tree in the front yard, swimming in a creek that meant crossing a field with that ornery bull in it. (I used to have nightmares of that bull chasing me, but always awakened before he caught up with me.) The horses were "working" horses not riding horses. We'd chase the chickens and tease the pigs just to hear them squeal until we got caught doing it.
We used to play farm … really! The boys would make the toys from leftover wood scraps – the house, barn, sheds, tractors, fences, trucks, and animals. (While the boys were making the toys, the girls were helping in the kitchen.) When all was ready, we'd go to the shade of the cigar tree and scrape out an area in the ground to plot out the farm – making changes as we went along.
The big events were the holidays (4th of July), when we had company, or when neighbors came to help with a harvest (although we were already back in school at harvest time). There was a huge spread of food including smoked or canned meats.
The biggest treat for us was making our own ice cream. Have you ever had vanilla ice cream with grape nuts in it? Yum. Just as the cream mixture begins to harden add one cup of grape nuts to each gallon of creamy mixture (if you do it too soon the grape nuts soften). Finish the churning to mix, harden, and then serve.
While it was still light we'd have a watermelon seed spittin' contest. As it got dark we'd punch holes in the lids of old jars and catch lightning bugs (aka fireflies) and let them go when we got tired of that game.
Then we'd lie on the cool grass and look for the Big and Little Dipper among the stars. Sometimes we'd just sit on the porch swing and talk about tomorrow. Playtime on a farm in those days was free-style - sort of like recess used to be in schools. Playtime was not structured as it is today with league sports and online games. We made up our own games and rules and had fun doing it.
But it wasn't all feast and fun. The chores always came first. That'll be the next blog entry - slopping the pigs, milking the cows, and more.
I remember with such fond memories when my sister and I were little kids and we spent the summers on a farm during summer vacations in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia … windows wide open, curtains blowing in the breeze, screen doors banging, flypaper hanging over the dining room table, and the utensils upright in a pewter pitcher on the table - handy so you could take what you needed for the meal. There was no air-conditioning in those days, only roll-up blinds pulled down in the parlor to keep it cool in case company came to visit.
We all slept on feather beds - kids, parents and grand-parents. There was electricity – a bulb in the ceiling of each room; oil lamps if you wanted to read. There was no indoor plumbing so you can guess what was under the bed. If nature called in a "big" way, that kid had to empty the jar in the morning. As kids, the "outdoor plumbing" was a novelty. A bench with two holes (known as a "two holer") and a sears catalog draped over a wooden bar. Is this too much detail? ^.^
We (and the other kids) ran barefoot on the cool green grass and sought relief in it from the rocks and stones we walked on. After the bottoms of our feet toughened up, there was practically nothing that could stop us. Yes, there were occasional cuts and nail punctures sometimes requiring a trip to see the town doctor; however, I don't remember him ever having to come to the house to give us treatment of any kind. There were many home remedies.
We had our Saturday evening bath in the huge tin laundry tub and rinsed our hair with the help of a pitcher similar to what Robert Redford did for Meryl Streep in the movie Out of Africa (only we were way too young for any romantic ideas, but the water still felt good pouring through our hair).
We caught run-off rainwater from the roof in a barrel and the cistern. [Did I just read that collecting rainwater is against the law somewhere in the U.S.?] There was a hand pump outside with a dipper in a bucket (just like you see in old Westerns). It was there for the taking if you needed a drink of water. We all drank from the same dipper and poured any remainding water in the dipper over our heads to cool off.
Now that I've laid the groundwork and set the scene, the next entry will be about kids summer playtime in the country.
Need a laugh? Do you have a sense of humor? Yes? Then can't you just image the soul searching going on when these kids found themselves in these predicaments? Let's take a look:
1. One Sunday a school teacher was discussing The Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill." [Hmmm. Right on point.]
2. Another small boy stunned his parents after church one Sunday when he began to empty his pockets of nickels, dimes and quarters. Finally his mother asked the obvious question, "Where did you get all that money?" "At Sunday school," the boy replied nonchalantly. "They have bowls of it." [Pennies from heaven, perhaps? Resourceful little rascal, to say the least.]
3. And this little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination, and looked at the old pages as he turned them. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible, and he picked it up and looked at it closely. It was an old leaf from a tree that had been pressed in between the pages. "Momma, look what I found," the boy called out.
"What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked.
With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered: "I think it's Adam's suit!" [At least he was paying attention during Sunday School class.]
4. As another mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3, the boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, "Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait." Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus." [Now wasn't that a generous act of kindness!]
5. And finally the age old question: Where is God?
A couple down the street had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that if any mischief occurred in the town their sons were probably involved.
The boys' mother heard that a local clergyman had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The clergyman agreed, but asked to see them individually. So the mother sent her 8-year-old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.
The clergyman, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?"
The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there with his mouth hanging open, wide-eyed. So the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God!!?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer.
So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "WHERE IS GOD!?"
The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?"
The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time, dude. God is missing - and they think WE did it!"
No disrespect of any religion was intended with this blog entry.
Your comments are welcome.
Some kids are just a bit smarter than the grown-ups. Little Tyrone comes to mind when he was:
At School
When Little Tyrone's kindergarten class went on a field trip to their local police station they saw pictures tacked to a bulletin board of the 10 most wanted criminals. One of the youngsters pointed to a picture and asked if it really was the photo of a wanted person. "Yes," said the policeman. "The detectives want very badly to capture him." Little Tyrone asked, "Why didn't you keep him when you took his picture?" [Makes sense to us!]
A couple years later the teacher saw that little Tyrone wasn't paying attention in class. She called on him and said, "Tyrone ! What are 2 and 4 and 28 and 44?" Little Tyrone quickly replied, "NBC, FOX, ESPN and the Cartoon Network!" [Little Tyrone pays attention to the important things in his life - as he sees it. ^.^ ]
When a new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses, she started her class by saying, "Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up!" After a few seconds, Little Tyrone stood up. The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Little Tyrone ?" "No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!" [Could this qualify as no teacher left behind?]
At Home
Little Tyrone watched, fascinated, as his mother smoothed cold cream on her face. "Why do you do that, mommy?" he asked. "To make myself beautiful," said his mother, who then began removing the cream with a tissue. "What's the matter?" asked Little Tyrone. "Giving up?" [Uh, oh! Not so smart, Tyrone.]
We hope this brightened your day as much as it did ours.
Resolutions are on our mind and we're wondering what parents resolved to do or stop doing during the new year? So parents, was it to mind your manners? Go on a diet? Visit a shut-in more often.? It really doesn't have to be a big deal; it's so simple. Kids help keep things in perspective. As grown-ups, we could take a lesson or two from them. Here's how kids mind their manners:
Manners
We say, "Thank you."
We say, "Please."
We don't interrupt or tease.
We don't argue. We don't fuss.
We listen when folks talk to us.
We share our toys and take our turn.
Good manners aren't too hard to learn.
It's really easy, when you find.
Good manners means
JUST BEING KIND!
~ Hummingbird Educational Sources
xxxxxx
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." ~Aesop
Beauty
Or maybe you resolved to go on a diet – to keep, or make, yourself beautiful again. If only that was as simple as minding your manners. Here are some kids' perspectives on beauty:
"If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." -- Anita, age 8
"Beauty is skin deep. But how rich you are can last a long time." -- Christine, age 9
"It isn't always how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything, and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." -- Brian, age 7
So hang in there everybody – and get your beauty sleep!
Dream like you'll live forever and live like there's no tomorrow.
Post a comment and tell us what your New Year's resolutions are?
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Little did I know when I did the blog series on 
visit regularly. RobinNestor reported on the critters in her 
And guess what? Even the deer must know it's a playground, 'cause when I see them over there they are playing Tag. So tell me, Dear Diary, how do they know it's a playground? Haven't seen them on the swings or sliding boards yet - but who knows! I'll keep you posted. 
As for wearing white after Labor Day? "NOT" says KidsGranny. This morning she was telling us how Labor Day meant we couldn't wear white shoes anymore – at least not until Easter or next spring. I never heard that before. I see people wearing white shoes all year long. She said you aren't supposed to wear white shoes OR white gloves, either, after Labor Day. Who wears white gloves anymore? KidsGranny says she often wore white gloves and A HAT, too, when she went downtown – and always when she went to church. Phew! And I think today's rules are hard to follow!
Here's a true story: One of my grandsons, age 14 at the time and living in the suburbs, took a summer course in the city which required traveling via the train. In the mornings he rode with his dad to the city; but, had to travel back to the suburbs via the train… alone. Mom insisted he text her each step of the way… and the time: 
Dear Diary:
in the woods on our property. We'd break off a fresh limb to clear away dead leaves and twigs and declare it as our territory. I was Wonder Woman! She was the victim and I used to swing across the stream on a vine that was hanging from a tall tree to protect or rescue her from the wild animals. (We never saw anything wilder than a squirrel or rabbit.) We'd celebrate by eating our packed lunch while telling stories before returning to the real world. Such was fantasy in our wondrous little world!
The family took care of the garden; when it came time for planting and harvesting the fields of crops the farmers helped each other, going from farm to farm planting and harvesting. Not all farmers could afford to have all the heavy equipment needed for the different crops. They gladly helped each other knowing that they, too, would be helped with their fields. Some of the most fun was when they mowed the hay and we'd slide down the haystacks or carve out a small shelter in the side of them..jpg)
![Book: A Guide to Canning, Freezing, Curing, and Smoking Meat, Fish and Game](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580174574?ie=UTF8&tag=buzkidwor-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1580174574"><img border="0" src="513R3DM5P4L._SL160_.jpg"></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=buzkidwor-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1580174574" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />)
Spending summer vacations in the country for us kids wasn't all "running through the cool grass or the raindrops when it rained." We had chores to do, too. They came first. The cows HAD to be milked twice a day. The animals HAD to be fed.
We had a real ice box that held a big block of ice to keep food cold (cool would be more like it). It was used mostly to keep crocks of fresh milk and prepared foods cool until meal time. We made our own butter, taking turns churning it. I ate the butter, but couldn't bring myself to drink that fresh milk. And I never learned to milk a cow; tried … couldn't get the hang of it. (No pun intended. I'll just stop there with that train of thought. ^.^)
We grabbed grapes from the vines as we ran by and ate tomatoes fresh off the vine without washing them (we rubbed the dust off on our clothes) … hoping we wouldn't get caught eating the pickings or soiling our clothes.
Playtime meant hiding in the hayloft, seeing who could jump from the highest rung of the ladder, swinging from the big oak tree in the front yard, swimming in a creek that meant crossing a field with that ornery bull in it. (I used to have nightmares of that bull chasing me, but always awakened before he caught up with me.) The horses were "working" horses not riding horses. We'd chase the chickens and tease the pigs just to hear them squeal until we got caught doing it.
The big events were the holidays (4th of July), when we had company, or when neighbors came to help with a harvest (although we were already back in school at harvest time). There was a huge spread of food including smoked or canned meats. 
While it was still light we'd have a watermelon seed spittin' contest. As it got dark we'd punch holes in the lids of old jars and catch lightning bugs (aka fireflies) and let them go when we got tired of that game.
I remember with such fond memories when my sister and I were little kids and we spent the summers on a farm during summer vacations in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia … windows wide open, curtains blowing in the breeze, screen doors banging, flypaper hanging over the dining room table, and the utensils upright in a pewter pitcher on the table - handy so you could take what you needed for the meal. There was no air-conditioning in those days, only roll-up blinds pulled down in the parlor to keep it cool in case company came to visit. 
We (and the other kids) ran barefoot on the cool green grass and sought relief in it from the rocks and stones we walked on. After the bottoms of our feet toughened up, there was practically nothing that could stop us. Yes, there were occasional cuts and nail punctures sometimes requiring a trip to see the town doctor; however, I don't remember him ever having to come to the house to give us treatment of any kind. There were many home remedies.
his pockets of nickels, dimes and quarters. Finally his mother asked the obvious question, "Where did you get all that money?" "At Sunday school," the boy replied nonchalantly. "They have bowls of it." [Pennies from heaven, perhaps? Resourceful little rascal, to say the least.]
"Momma, look what I found," the boy called out. 
began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, "Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait." Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus." [Now wasn't that a generous act of kindness!]
The clergyman, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?"
When Little Tyrone's kindergarten class went on a field trip to their local police station they saw pictures tacked to a bulletin board of the 10 most wanted criminals. One of the youngsters pointed to a picture and asked if it really was the photo of a wanted person. "Yes," said the policeman. "The detectives want very badly to capture him." Little Tyrone asked, "Why didn't you keep him when you took his picture?" [Makes sense to us!]
"Beauty is skin deep. But how rich you are can last a long time." 
