Random Thoughts

Blog, Holiday

Independence Day

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on Independence Day
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So we celebrate Independence Day tomorrow. In many ways, it’s one of our most important holidays, as this is when we honor when our country gained freedom. Ideally, we also offer gratitude to those who have served or currently serve.

Somehow the holiday name has changed over time. By many people, it’s referred to as the Fourth of July. Yes, the holiday does fall on July 4th, but in changing how we reference it, we lose that important component of “independence”.

Those who know me will recognize that I have a bit of an attitude about the name change. We don’t refer to Christmas as the 25th of December. We don’t call Thanksgiving the 4th Thursday of November.

So why the Fourth of July? Let’s reflect. This holiday is more than barbeques, apple pie, and fireworks. It’s a time to reflect on and celebrate what makes this country great. Our freedom…our independence…

Happy Independence Day! Enjoy the day and be safe…

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

Blog, Family

Where did all the food go?

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on Where did all the food go?
assorted color box lot on rack
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So I called Mom yesterday and asked, “How the hell did you manage to feed six kids when I can barely keep the pantry full with only two?”

Yup…kids…Where do they put it? You come home from the market with enough food to feed an army, and the next day the cupboard is bare.

I remember as a child taking trips to the grocery store. Mom walked in with all of us in tow. With six kids to feed, we usually left with three carts full of food. Mom said cereal was the big secret. If we needed a snack between meals there was always plenty of healthy cereal available.

I guess every generation of parents recognizes the same thing. Growing kids consume massive amounts of food. So be prepared to do one oversized trip a week sprinkled in with quick stops to pick up “just one more thing”.

The daily trip to the supermarket…It may be a pain, but I’ll sure miss it when I’m an empty nester someday.

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

Be Well, Blog

Aroma…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on Aroma…

Image result for candle

The aroma

of a candle burning,

of just sprayed perfume,

of morning coffee brewing,

of incense,

of a casserole baking in the oven,

of potpourri,

of burning leaves,

of just washed sheets,

to name a few…

It’s amazing how scents can make us feel happy or bring up memories…

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

 

 

Blog, Memories

The Bucket Family…

by Susie Krivacic1 Comment on The Bucket Family…
little boy playing in the sand
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So this particular blog entry may only be significant to my family, but it’s a tale that must be told.

Today, while teaching my students in China, the vocabulary term “bucket” came up. It immediately brought back a childhood memory:

My parents were out of town and my Uncle David was staying with us. Amy and Todd, the youngest two of six kids, loved Blueberry Buckle baby food. Uncle David was always a joking fellow, so he told the kids they were members of the “Buckle family”. There’s Amy Buckle, Todd Buckle, Mommy Buckle, Daddy Buckle, etc…

As Amy and Todd were still eating baby food, you can imagine that their pronunciation of most words would be questionable. That was the case here. They referred to us as the “Bucket family”. That’s Amy Bucket, Todd Bucket, Mommy Bucket, Daddy Bucket, etc…

For years we continued to make reference to the Bucket family. I had completely forgotten about it until the vocabulary term “bucket” appeared in the lesson today. It’s amazing how one word can stir up memories…

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

Blog, Technology

She’s reading a book…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on She’s reading a book…
apple book break child
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So my daughter, Sammy, did the most unusual thing today. She read a book. Now don’t get me wrong, she reads all the time. She just doesn’t actually hold a covered, printed on paper book.

You see, technology has spoiled us for reading actual books. We have e-readers, tablets, stories online, and audiobooks to name a few. These have virtually replaced books as our means of reading.

So when I came downstairs and saw her holding a large paperback book entitled House of Leaves I was surprised. It turns out there is no e-book for this title. Why? Sammy showed me that it was the style of the text. It was written inconsistently: sometimes sideways, angled, or even circular.

Once she finishes with this book, I’m sure she’ll be back to her online reading. Then I can borrow House of Leaves.

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

Blog, Family

Star Wars action figures and such…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on Star Wars action figures and such…
star wars bobba fett costume
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So Ethan and Stef discovered their common interest in Star Wars action figures. I don’t know how the topic came up, but I walked into my room to discover Ethan’s Star Wars box open and the two of them going through and talking in great detail about the figures. (Boy, that was a long sentence!)

It was so fun to listen to them go on about the rarity of certain figures and to hear Stef say, “I had one like that when I was a kid.” To see Ethan rediscover characters he forgot he had brought a chuckle.

Han Solo, Princess Leah, Darth Vadar, Yoda, Chewbacca, Storm Troopers, Luke Skywalker, Mace Windu, Jabba the Hut’s Palace Band, Obi-Wan, Ewoks, Darth Maul, Emperor Palpatine, R2D2, and C3PO were all represented, to name just some of the plethora of Star Wars action figures Ethan collected over the years. It made Stef wish he still had his childhood collection to compare.

It was pretty cool to watch. May the force be with you!

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

Blog, Family

Siblings are cool…

by Susie Krivacic2 Comments on Siblings are cool…
girl and three boys on staircase
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So I grew up in a large family with three brothers and two sisters. The cool thing about growing up with so many siblings is that there is always someone to hang out with. We weren’t just siblings…We were friends.

We often ran around with the other neighborhood kids just like all children do, but if many were away on holiday, we always had each other.

We played typical games such as hide and seek and kick the can but we also had a singing group. Now, this is comical as not one of us could carry a tune, but we had fun doing it. We’d even put on holiday plays for our parents complete with costumes. We had bike races, football games, whiffle ball games, and red rover competitions. We ice skated and played ice hockey. We swam for hours on end playing Marco Polo or water basketball.

All we really needed was each other. If you have siblings, you know what I’m talking about…

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)