Life with Smuffy (Episode 3): “That Sinking Feeling” (or, “The Wreck of ’97”)

For all the dads out there and for all those who are remembering one or honoring one this Father’s Day, I dedicate this story to you. Father’s Day weekend, 1997, has become one of those landmarks in our family history – retold often with laughter and at times, a shudder.  You might want to buckle up your life vest before going any further.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I can’t keep an eye on Smuffy every second. At first, I wished I could. However, it didn’t take me long to realize that in order to avoid ulcers and insanity, I would have to leave him to his guardian angels and pretend he wasn’t really out somewhere trying to do himself in. I did ask that a few more be assigned to him, just so I could sleep at night.

Smuffy the Outdoorsman www.midweststoryteller.com

An outdoorsman and adventure lover, Smuffy is never happier than when immersing himself in his greatest passion water! It doesn’t seem to matter how much and what kind. He’ll take anything from a long soak in the tub to a romp in the ocean. Inside the man lies the spirit of Thor Heyerdahl and the longing to head out for Kon-Tiki on a raft. For the record: This girl won’t be going along.

I can’t even begin to describe what comes over Smuffy at the sight of a body of water. While in a motor vehicle, he’ll putz along, never exceeding the speed limit. When making financial decisions, he’s Mr. Belt & Suspenders all the way. The shimmering vision of water, however, sucks him in as though he were Clark Kent entering a phone booth. Within seconds, he’s transformed into Captain Super Wonder Water Man. At least, he thinks he is.  At the top of Smuffy’s bucket list – canoeing every river in our state!

Big Piney Canoe www.midweststoryteller.com

More than once, Smuffy’s wet ‘n wild side has scared the pants off normal folks. It got so that grown men would approach me after Smuffy had invited them to go canoeing or boating and, with a tremor in their voices, ask me if I intended to go along. You might be puzzling at their reasons for such behavior. I wondered at first myself. However, I soon realized that people considered my presence their life insurance policy! They assumed that, if accompanied by the woman he’d have to live with in the ugly aftermath of one of his crazed adventures, Captain Super Wonder Water Man might tame things down a bit rather than endure a lifetime of “I told you so’s”.

This proved to be the case. Though it taxed my good nature to its limit, I learned how to dish out preliminary fire and brimstone sermons that let him know that, if he valued his future happiness, he’d better bring me (and everybody else) back home alive, dry and in possession of all their body parts and belongings. Even so, water activities with Smuffy still left me in a state of exhaustion, for the moment he beheld the water’s rippling surface, he needed restraint. Only by a folding of the arms and a piercing glare from my wifely stink-eye, administered every thirty minutes or so, did any of us return in one piece. Even then, you could hear the smacking of lips as Smuffy’s passengers, once back on shore, fell to their knees and kissed the dry ground.

He earned a reputation, and rightly so. Through the years, I’ve often wondered how many people, upon watching the nightly news and hearing of some boating disaster, leaped to the assumption that Smuffy must have had a hand in it. Even carefree children developed a wisdom beyond their years and began to avoid Captain Super Wonder Water Man.

Once, after we’d flipped over a log and capsized in a southern Missouri river, I rose to the surface and began the search for my young daughter. As her life jacket brought her up, bobbing and spitting, I could see the panic in her eyes. I tried to propel myself faster than the current so that I could grab her arm and I called out.

“I’m coming. Mommy’s coming!”

Smuffy screamed at me from upstream. “Don’t worry about anything else! Just grab her before she gets away. I’ll get everything else!”

I managed to get a grip on my little girl. She clung to me, trembling.

“Daddy! Daddy! Where’s Daddy?”

“He’ll be here soon. He’s trying to get our canoe and all our stuff.”

“I want my daddy! I want my daddy!”

I looked around. We’d planned for a big day and most of our plans were floating downstream faster than Smuffy could collect them. First things first, he went after the canoe. While he wrestled it into an upright position, its contents drifted downstream. Our cooler, along with a tool-box, dry-box, towels, bags of chips and everything else that had spelled out F-U-N earlier in the day scattered like livestock with the gate left open.

Smuffy, hearing the hysterics, kept calling out for me to keep a firm grip on the most important prize while he retrieved everything else.

“Daddy! Daddy! Where’s my daddy?”

Her soggy, blonde braid whipped from side to side as my precious girl searched the river.

“There he is,” I pointed. “See? Daddy’s fine. He’ll be here in a minute, just as soon as he gets all of our stuff back. See? Daddy’s all right.”

The big, blue eyes narrowed as they honed in on her target.

“I want my daddy so I can smack him!”

Yes, it seemed the river had washed the glamour right off Captain Super Wonder Water Man even in the eyes of his devoted daughter. Though I refrained from saying so, I had somewhat of an urge to smack Smuffy myself.

As though summoned by our prayers, several members of the Gasconade River Boating Club happened along and fished the female members of our party out of the river.

Still, to this day, I can’t believe I let her go!

Girl and Her Captain www.midweststoryteller.com

Even the hard-core adventurous types began to eye Smuffy with caution when he suggested they join him for a day at the lake or a trip to the river. Other than a couple of die-hard old water buddies, people just didn’t seem to like the idea of spending the day with a man who, upon reaching a fork in the river, cupped a hand behind his ear and, with a dangerous gleam in his eye, steered them straight toward the sound of whitewater.

One such faithful friend was Steve. More than likely, Steve figured that if Smuffy hadn’t managed to kill him way back in their college days, he had a pretty good chance of survival. Steve’s wife, Darlene, lacked a great deal of her husband’s confidence. Her own fear of water, combined with a multiple encounters with Captain Super Wonder Water Man, had made her wary (if we care to make the understatement of the century).

What Smuffy needed was a cure, but the thought of what that might entail seemed unthinkable. Effective cures for Smuffy seem to burst on the scene with a great deal of drama. You can check out a prime example of that here.

The circumstances of life offered a prime opportunity for a cure on Father’s Day weekend of 1997 and now, more than twenty years later, you have the whole story.

On that beautiful Saturday morning, Smuffy and Steve left for a grand day of adventure which would take them on three different rivers. The gas tanks were full and so were the coolers in preparation for a steak dinner cooked over an open fire. Once they’d scouted out all the good spots on the trip upstream, they’d turn back toward home and dine at an ideal location.

Overflowing River www.midweststoryteller.com

High water only added to Smuffy’s excitement. He told me I needn’t worry about submerged logs and other snags that might cause danger out on the river. Prolonged and heavy rains had raised the river level far above all such debris and would allow them to take the boat full throttle all the way.

Uh-huh. I offered him the stink-eye and, no, he didn’t notice. Like a little boy with a new toy, he kissed me good-bye and said he’d be home before dark. Uh-huh.

They looked cute, I had to admit. Smuffy had restored a 1963 Studebaker Champ pickup truck and a 1957 wood runabout and nearly got a cramps from returning all the thumbs-ups and waves he got when he took that snazzy set out together.

Vintage Wood Boat www.midweststoryteller.com

The girls stayed behind. More children had entered into the dynamics of the thing and to Darlene and me, it seemed only logical to guarantee them at least one surviving parent.

I spent the day doing what I usually did when Smuffy hit the water. I tried not to think about it. Besides, I had a little girl to take care of and housework to do and a few unfinished projects.

At dusk, I began to get a little concerned about Darlene, knowing that her head must now be filling with visions of Titanic-like proportions. I decided to grab some leftover cake and go over to her house, hoping to keep her mind occupied and show her that there was no need to worry. Did I mention that her husband was out with Captain Super Wonder Water Man?

There comes a time of night when, even though their presence provides a welcome distraction, children must be put to bed. Though I hated to leave Darlene in a quiet house with nothing but her terrifying imaginations to keep her company, the cake and conversation ran out and I took my young one home.

Then, I sat. Uttering a prayer or two during commercials, I watched TV and waited. Around eleven o’clock, I began to vacillate between panic-inducing visions and murderous plots. You see, Smuffy had the ability to radio the local amateur radio club tower and make a distress call, but had he done so, they would have put him through to me. Either something had happened or he assumed I shouldn’t be worried. Like I said panic, then murder.

The sheriff! I could call the sheriff! I hesitated on the grounds that it might make Smuffy mad at me. Then, I reasoned that if he didn’t really need the sheriff, he deserved to be every bit as upset as his wife. I pondered as to what course law enforcement might take. Would they tell me that I had to wait a certain number of hours before he could be classified as “missing”? Did they even own a boat? Now, I pondered the prospect of adding of some type of water patrol to the mix. Oh, dear! Would they even know how or where to look?

I knew what I really needed. I needed someone every bit as prone to irrational acts of self-destruction as Smuffy somebody dumb enough to throw themselves into the river in the black of night and not come back without Smuffy and Steve. I called Smuffy’s brother.

Smuffy's Brother www.midweststoryteller.com

He took the eleven-thirty call with a great degree of calm, I thought. He did, however, make a comment or two about the space between his younger brother’s ears before praying with me and promising to launch himself into the deep if the boys didn’t return within the hour.

As midnight approached, the phone rang. Smuffy assured me that while there had been an accident, he and Steve were alive and well and headed home and he would tell me all about it when he arrived.

After letting his brother know that he didn’t have to go diving after dark, I called Darlene and we, to put it mildly, spent a few moments sharing similar views on husbands, boating and idiocy before going to bed to wait for the return and the explanation.

In the middle of all this, the calendar rolled over to a new day and it was a relief to know that when our children woke up on Father’s Day, we’d be able to tell them they still had dads!

Around 1:30 a.m., after falling asleep with all the times Smuffy had gone wild on water and dragged in late dancing in my head, I awakened to the sound of the key in the lock. I issued myself a quick reminder that there had been an accident and that accidents are, in fact, accidental, and that I needed to be nice.

One look at Smuffy told me that he’d been through the wringer. Soaked to the skin and covered with mud, his face showed not only exhaustion, but a numb form of shock.

“I thought I killed Steve,” he muttered. “I thought I killed him.”

Opening the refrigerator, he shoved a few bites of whatever he could find into his mouth, his face registering that it tasted similar to ashes. He wobbled off to the tub to scrub off the river, a great deal of its banks and a the distinct smell of fish and other forms of organic matter in various stages of decomposition.

Later in the day, Darlene told me that Steve had arrived in worse condition, which had caused her compassionate nature to rise to the surface and subdue all her previous plans to express herself.

Even I, listening to Smuffy as he fluctuated between naps and sudden bursts of recall, began to think there may be no need to point out the obvious. I went outside to have a look at the boat.

It looked worse than the boys. Once a gem, it’s shattered windshield and dangling steering cables caught the eye right away. A few good-sized holes in it’s beautiful wood glared at me.

I believe it was the poet Burns who observed that the best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley. Smuffy’s and Steve’s plans couldn’t have ganged any further aft if they’d tried.

They’d started up the Missouri River at top speed, for as Smuffy had predicted, recent rains had raised it many feet above any snags that may have otherwise marred their course. Feeling that the day was young and they were only getting started, they cruised up another tributary and then another, all the while scouting for that perfect sandy beach where they would stop for steaks over the fire and whatever manly sides dishes they’d packed to round out their meal.

When, at last, they felt they’d gone as far from home as they dare, the boys turned the boat around. With appetites sharpened by a day on the water, they hurried on to their supper destination with fleeting memories that somewhere, hours ago, they’d promised a couple of women they’d be home by dark.

The river seemed different now. While they flew over the surface because, after all, that is how fast the motor will make the boat go, Smuffy studied the banks. He began to think that perhaps the water level might be dropping, but he didn’t get to entertain the notion for long.

While the boat skimmed over the huge log with no problem, the submerged parts of the motor did not. The steering cables, jerked free from their happy homes, dangled uselessly and the boat veered toward shore. Smuffy cut the engine, offered up a quick prayer of thanksgiving for a huge brush pile that he hoped might cushion the blow, and waited for impact.

Collecting himself afterward, he turned to Steve, who didn’t seem to be there. Looking down toward the soft sounds of gurgling and moaning that came from the bottom of the boat, he found Steve lying where a tree limb had knocked him after crashing through the windshield. The wound where it had met Steve’s forehead looked to be a nasty one.

“Steve!” Smuffy yelled. “Steve! Can you hear me?”

The gurgling and moaning went on for a bit before Steve managed words.

“Where am I?”

You tell me where you are!” Smuffy demanded.

Continual questioning at last proved that Steve could not only ascertain where he was, but who he was. He was even able to identify the one who had dragged him along on this binge – Captain Super Wonder Water Man.

Once able to take his eyes off his long-time friend, Smuffy looked around in hopes of discovering minimal damage to the boat. The river, now an inch from the rim, seemed to be demanding his immediate attention. He needed Steve now.

“We’re sinking!  I’ll get the excess weight out of the boat and you start bailing!”

The boat held an abundance of food and even a spare boat motor should they have trouble, but Smuffy hadn’t planned for this. In a panic, he handed Steve the lid off the cooler and Steve took the unwieldy thing and started bailing.

Smuffy looked at his spare motor – his precious spare motor. A water-loving man can never have too many boat motors. Taking a deep breath, Smuffy mustered up his physical and emotional strength, hoisted it and chucked it overboard. Now, the logical thing to do was to get the boat moving forward to help keep some of the water from coming in the holes and head home as fast as possible before Steve’s arms wore out.

Realizing that the boat would be at the bottom of the river in the time it took to reattach the steering cables, Smuffy started up the motor and, throwing his arms around it, steered it with a hug. They continued all the way down three rivers, soon finding themselves in total darkness, but grateful that river debris began to collect in the holes in the boat, slowing down the intake of water. Eventually, this enabled them to pause for a moment or two at a time and while Steve kept bailing, Smuffy released his grip on the motor and tried to make distress calls. All but the last of these proved unsuccessful, even though Smuffy climbed up through the underbrush along the riverbanks in the dark, attempting to get a better signal. At last, they left the Missouri River, turned up yet another and arrived at the boat landing.

As I listened to Smuffy’s tale, I fluctuated between wanting to hug him tighter than he’d hugged that boat motor and wanting to throw him onto the floor and sit on him until he promised never to use his super-powers again. After all, as we could plainly see, submerged logs equaled kryptonite. I wandered around the house, checking the clock often, wondering just how long I was required to keep up this “nice” bit.

I soon began to think drastic measures might not be necessary. As he sank into his recliner and spent Father’s Day (and several days afterward) muttering to himself, I thought Smuffy might have taken the cure. Over and over, I heard things like, “I thought I’d killed Steve”, “What was I going to tell Darlene?”, “I never want to go in a boat again as long as I live,” and “I’ll just fix it up and sell it.”

My sense of relief was three-fold. I had Smuffy home, safe and sound. He hadn’t killed Steve and he had learned his lesson – no more of these crazy water adventures.

The following week passed, quiet and uneventful. Then, Smuffy began muttering again. I couldn’t believe my ears.

“I think I know where that motor is.,” he said, pausing to scratch some poison ivy that had sprouted along his arms and legs.

“What?”

“The spare motor that I threw overboard. I know exactly where I dropped it. I’ll bet I could find it.”

I tried to be gentle. After all, people in shock do talk gibberish sometimes. “But it’s at the bottom of the river, Dear. It’s ruined!”

“I’ve dried motors out before.”

“But you don’t have a boat to go get it with,” I pointed out. “It’s sitting in the driveway, full of holes.”

“I could take the canoe…”

“What!”

“It wouldn’t take that long – I know right where it is.  Do we have any calamine lotion and some gauze?  I must have crawled through a field of  poison ivy when I climbed up the bank all those times to try and call you.”

I was not softened by this, despite the cute factor.

The Cute Factor www.midweststoryteller.com

“There’s no way you are ever going out on water alone again. I can’t stand the strain. The only person silly enough to go with you is someone who’s had the sense knocked into him and I have a funny feeling Darlene will put her foot down at the slightest mention of it.”

“I know right where it is…”

“Stop it!”

“Steve wouldn’t have to go on the water. All he’d have to do is just drive me up to the river access, just ahead of where I dropped the motor, then I’ll get the motor and come on home in the canoe!”

“No! That’s miles and miles back home. No!”

“If we start out early, there’s no way I wouldn’t be home by dark.”

“No! No! No!”

I repeated this over and over for a solid week, adding emphasis to it with the stinkiest stink-eye I possessed, arms crossed while snorting air through my nostrils like an irate bull, flinging my hands into the air, leaving the room in a huff and if I remember correctly, slamming a few doors.

Saturday rolled around and as Smuffy opened the door to climb in to his truck, I stood at the door hoping my icy stare, aimed up and down his spine, would paralyze him into submission.

“Dark!” I yelled.

“I’ll be home by dark for sure!”

“Because at dark-thirty, I’m calling the sheriff and I mean it!”

“That wouldn’t do any good. What do you think they’re gonna do?”

“It might not do any good, but it’ll put your name in paper! Something has got to be the cure for this type of insanity!”

I watched him give himself a thorough scratching before climbing into his truck.  I’m not the kind of woman who’d say he got what he deserved, but I am the kind of woman who has the thought go through her mind like a speeding motorboat before she can help herself.

Smuffy rolled out of the driveway on his way to pick up Steve. I heaved a sigh, waited a decent interval and called Darlene.

And that, dear readers, is only the beginning of it.

Subscribe!   Don’t miss Part II of “Life with Smuffy (Episode 4): That Sinking Feeling Returns” (or, “Shoeless, Clueless and as Wet as it Gets”)

Comments? I’d love to hear from you. (As you can see, this girl needs all the support she can get!) Just scroll back up and click on “Leave a Comment” under the title of this post. On a mobile device, this may appear all the way to the bottom of the river – I mean post!

Have a happy, fun and SAFE Father’s Day weekend!

I think I need a little time out before telling you the rest of this story.

While you wait, be sure to check out my Smokin’ Hot Honeymoon with Smuffy!

Another Winner (and I think I’ve seen this face before)!

Rules are rules, and there’s no rule here at Midwest Storyteller against winning the First Friday Freebie again!   It just goes to show you that it pays to keep on trying.  She won back in November and she’s done it again. June’s freebie winner is –

Freebie Winner Ginger www.midweststoryteller.com

Ginger of Prairie Home, Missouri!

(Now, you may be wondering how she managed to do that twice.  I can only think of one way to lower the odds of such a thing happening and that is if you subscribe, enter to win and SHARE with everyone so your friends and family can enter, too!)

Ginger commented on the post, saying, “I’m all stirred up!”  She needed to do just that in order to place her name into the drawing for this six-piece bamboo utensil set with wood burning designs done by Kathy and me.  Then, as usual, I offered up the names to Smuffy so he could choose one at random. He must have been a little bored or perhaps this is something his scientific brain has been working on for a while, because he introduced a motif of name flagging, counting off remaining names according to a pre-determined number and then stopping on a new name. (Huh?)   Since it seemed even more random than just picking one, I let him have his way.  I need to do that once in a while, you know.  Variety, as they say, is the spice of life.

The utensils will look great on Ginger’s kitchen counter.  Take a look at the photo she sent me showing them displayed in an antique pitcher that belonged to her grandmother.

Utensils in Pitcher www.midweststoryteller.com

To see the original freebie offer, click here.  To meet the amazing Kathy, who showed me that wood burning was nothing to shy away from, click here and see the tutorial.   To see what Ginger won in November, click here.

Congratulations, Ginger!  I know Grandma is looking down, pleased to see you’re keeping your memories of her alive.

The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, July 6th, 2018.

Share this post with all your friends so they can SUSCRIBE and enter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.

Take a look at our “Freebies” page where you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have been winning. It pays to SUBSCRIBE!

And now, here are the Freebie Rules.

First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.

IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.

To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.

Subscribe now, before you forget, following these three simple steps, and you’ll be ready for July.

How will your friends find out about First Friday Freebies if you don’t “Share”, “like” and “pin” this post? They’ll want to enter to win, too!

Have an opinion on the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.

 

Summer Has Arrived – Along with June’s Freebie!

When the First Friday falls on the first, the First Friday Freebie can sneak up on you! (Say that three times fast while standing on one leg, rubbing your tummy and patting the top of your head.)

I, however, planned ahead. The fun part is that I did it right under your very nose! Take a look at June’s free gift. Recognize these?

Woodburning Utensils www.midweststoryteller.com

That’s right! The last post – more than just a tutorial – provided this month’s free gift! If you missed it, check out the first installment of “Create with Kathy”. While Kathy was sharing her wood burning skills with me, I had been all the while hoping that I wouldn’t be a total failure at it so I could create something special just for you.

This set of six bamboo utensils with wood burning accents goes to Midwest Storyteller’s June winner. Each is embellished with a different pattern and I think they’ll make a great addition to your kitchen decor. All you need to do to enter to win is leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight, June 1st, telling me how excited you are to win by saying, “I’m all stirred up!” You’re name will go into a drawing and a winner will be chosen at random. (Container shown is not included.)

I picked up this set of dishwasher safe wooden utensils at Marshalls. I find they have some great deals on gadgets, necessary items and home accents. I purchased them just after I saw the utensil set my friend, Kathy, made for her mom, and Kathy agreed to bring her wood burning kit and help me get started.

Note: I do not know if the utensils are still dishwasher safe once the wood burning process has been done. I’d be hesitant to put them in the dishwasher myself, as I think it may fade the patterns.

Kathy will be returning with more great ideas. You can get to know her here and see her utensil set along with other unique items she’s created.

I find that everyone loves a handmade gift. I suppose I should have counted the hours it took to do this project, but as usual, I became hyper-focused on the creative process and time ceased to exist.

Just a little help for the guys: Handmade gifts score points, if you get my drift, so why not subscribe and enter to win. The lady in your life will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends so they can enter to win!

Previous freebies can be found on the “Freebies” page. Take a look at the gifts subscribers have been winning.

Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I’m all stirred up!”

And now, here are the complete rules:

First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.

IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.

To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post (or all the way to the bottom, depending on your device) and click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.

Three simple steps!

What are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, June 1st!

 

 

 

Burning With Creativity? Be Inspired – Create with Kathy!

Welcome to Midwest Storyteller’s first installment of –

Create with Kathy www.midweststoryteller.com

If we analyze our friendships, we’ll often return to the old saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”. I found this to be especially true of Kathy. We estimate that we’ve known each other about five years. Prior to that, I knew she existed, but I didn’t “know” her.

The things we miss out on! It’s happened before. Years ago, a lady named Rebekah showed up at my writers’ group. Soon after, she volunteered to help with the Youth Theater I directed. I discovered not only that she’d been my neighbor two doors away for the last two years, but that she and I were twin souls! (Is that what you call it when you each think the other is riotously funny?) She encouraged me and inspired me, helped me and then, as sometimes is the way with life, she moved away, darn it all. She has a blog, too! Be sure to check her out at “There Will Be a $5 Charge for Whining”.

Kathy has proved to be another of those rare souls who has moved from the fringes of my life and taken up residence in my spirit. I’ve been hoping she’d succumb to my hints and agree to be a guest at Midwest Storyteller, so I’m thrilled to welcome you to her debut!

I misjudged Kathy at first. When a friend of mine invited her to a monthly food and fun night, she seemed to fit right in, but, my-oh-my, she took a lot of notes! As we all chattered away, sharing life, tips, ideas, stories, recipes and more, Kathy seemed to be jotting down everything we said in a little notebook that already bulged with previous notations. “Type A”, I thought. “Hops out of bed at the crack of dawn, rounds up all her ducks, requires them to salute as they line up in their rows and that’s the way they march. All. Day. Long. (Without making a mess).”

Then, one night we played a fun personality game. Kathy shocked me! By the time we finished, I could tell that the only thing I’d gotten right in my assumptions about Kathy was the possibility that she might have a collection of actual ducks! I looked at her, astonished. “The reason you carry your little book and make all those notes is so that you can keep all these ideas and go home and do them all!”

Smiling, she nodded. That’s when I knew that Kathy’s brain is every bit as “squiggly” as mine and bursting with creativity! I knew she had a “stash” – a treasure trove of things yet to be. I knew she had a messy room brimming with projects at various gestational stages. I love this woman! I’ve come to know I can count on her for understanding, prayer, hands-on help and she’ll probably adopt any ducks I find because not only does she have a pond – she loves animals!

Having delved into arts and crafts “forever”, Kathy is now retired from the insurance industry and has time to use all her hoarded supplies. Her favorite adventures usually involve a splash of paint as Kathy’s specialty is reclaiming old objects and making something new out of them. Take a look at a few of her fun projects –

Art Kit by Kathy www.midweststoryteller.com

And, how about these innovative ideas?

Organize & Express by Kathy www.midweststoryteller.com

Kathy’s life is built around Christ, her husband, Robert, three children and five grandchildren. Although all the animals in the world would love to belong to Kathy and Kathy often dreams of this, she draws the line at the dog, Bre and the cat, Trixie. I’m grateful that she’s taking time out for us here at Midwest Storyteller to share her latest adventure – wood burning.

After seeing the set of beautiful wooden spoons she created for her mom with a wood burning kit, I wanted to try my hand at it, all the while muttering to myself that all I needed was one more hobby. Nevertheless, I took the plunge with Kathy holding my hand. Take a look at how her project turned out –

Woodburning Spoons www.midweststoryteller.com

Let’s get started. Here’s what Kathy recommends:

  1. Take a little time to watch some tutorials. YouTube always has lots to choose from and Kathy got great ideas and tips from CreativeBug.com
  2. Put down something to protect the surface if you are doing this on your dining table, countertop or some other surface that you don’t want to risk getting a burn mark. Wood burning tools are hot! We used cardboard.
  3. Gather your supplies.   Needless to say, you’ll need a wood burning kit. Kathy found this Walnut Hollow Creative Versa-Tool at Hobby Lobby for $29.99. Of course, it’s always a good idea to watch for their great half-price deals or use their weekly 40% OFF coupon. Needle-nose pliers are great for removing tips from the tool that will be way too hot to touch, and a small tube of graphite powder keeps the tips turning smoothly when you screw them in and out of the tool. Safety glasses are a good idea if you’re tackling a project that will take you a while. Remember that oldies tune, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.” Well, it does. (We worked on a nice day with the windows open and didn’t really notice a problem.) A piece of scrap wood for practicing with the tips will reduce the “oops factor”. I couldn’t find any, so I grabbed a couple of paint stirring sticks and that worked just fine. Food grade mineral oil, rubbed on your finished project, will bring out the beauty of your work. An extension cord will probably be helpful to allow you to position your work comfortably.  Woodburning supplies www.midweststoryteller.com
  4. Practice with your tips on your scrap wood. Also, practice with your temperature control so that you’ll be able to get a clean look when creating your design. The paint sticks were “raw” wood and had no coating. The spoons were bamboo and seemed to have a coating or polish on the handles that required higher heat.
  5. You can transfer a pattern if you need to or take off free-hand like a dare-devil! I chose middle ground by placing my spoons on the cardboard surface and drawing around them. Then, I penciled in whatever pattern came to mind when I practiced with the tips, offered up a prayer and gave it my best shot.
  6. Once you’re satisfied with your artwork, erase any stray pencil marks, brush away any eraser crumbs or stray wood fibers and rub with mineral oil.

I know you can do it! All you need are supplies and bravery. My spoons aren’t perfect, but for a first project, I’m pleased! I thought Kathy’s were a masterpiece!

Here are a few more tips that Kathy shared with me and things we learned as we went along –

The shading point is great for leaves and flowers with pointy petals. It helped to rock it back and forth so that the wood burned all the way to the edge of the pattern because the spoons, like many other things you might use this tool on, look pretty flat but have a slightly curved surface.

The tapered point worked nicely for thin stems and small dots, while the flow point, though it looks too big for the job, draws nice lines and is best for cursive writing.

Woodburning Tips www.midweststoryteller.com

The hot stamping points added a lot of fun. The kit came with three – a square, a round and one with concentric circles. I used the circles for centers of flowers. The square one, pressed carefully along in a line, created the diagonal pattern you see on one of the spoons. The circular one, for some strange reason, reminded me of dandelion fluff, so I used it in clusters to create flowers that resemble those.

Neither of us may have every single duck in a row, but we did manage it with our spoons. Here they are –

Woodburning Spoon Set www.midweststoryteller.com

Kathy and I both recommend Pinterest for tons of wood burning ideas. You’ll be inspired to create something fabulous! We hope we’ve helped do just that here today.

Thank you, Kathy, for teaching me how to do this! Wood burning turned out to be much more fun than I expected and I’m so pleased with the results.

Kathy and I would both love your comments. Have you tried wood burning? Are you inspired to give it a try? Let us hear from you!

Subscribe now so you don’t miss out, because we’ll be Creating with Kathy again soon!

A reminder: June is about to come busting out all over and you know what that means – There’s a First Friday Freebie coming right up!

May I Introduce You To May’s Freebie Winner?

A huge dose of yard work, a dash of distraction and a computer apocalypse has made this announcement a little slow in coming. Among those who commented on May 4th, saying, “Send the birdie my way!”, a winner has been drawn and she is –  

Tanya Freebie Winner www.midweststoryteller.com

Tanya from St. Clair, Missouri!

Each freebie offer requires a specific comment and Tanya’s was among those who went into the drawing, which was conducted by Smuffy when I placed the entries in front of him, tapped him (he was resting his eyes) and told him to pick one. We like to keep it on the up and up around here.

This little Spring Shop birdie from Hobby Lobby did, indeed, go Tanya’s way and now it can greet her when she takes her daily “tour of the estate”, which is how I like to refer to my daily trip around the grounds to say hello to all my flowers. I’d tell you how they answer, but one of you would be bound to feel obligated to turn me in to the authorities, so we’ll just skip that.

If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here.

Congratulations, Tanya! I hope it makes your garden look even lovelier than it does already.

The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, June 1, 2018 and that, dear friends, is just days away!

Share this post with all your friends so they can SUSCRIBE and enter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.

Take a look at our “Freebies” page where you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have been winning. It pays to SUBSCRIBE!

And now, here are the Freebie Rules.

First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.

IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.

To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.

Three simple steps! Subscribe now, before you forget, and you’ll be ready for June.

“Share”, “like” and “pin” this post. Your friends deserve a Freebie, too!

Opinions on the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.

 

A Little Birdie Told Me: “It’s Freebie Day!”

Don’t you love it? Spring has finally arrived! In my neighborhood, it showed up late and all at once, but that’s just fine as long as it’s here.

And, don’t you love it! Freebies, I mean. It’s the first Friday of the month and you know what that means. Let’s take a peek at May’s free gift –

Yard Decor Bird www.midweststoryteller.com

I know you’ve been out filling those porch pots with blooming annuals and nestling happy little plants into your flower beds. This cute little metal birdie yard décor by Spring Shop offers that little extra touch that makes things inviting and well – let’s go ahead and overuse the word – cute!

The total length is 14 ¼ inches and the above-the-ground portion measures 10 ½ inches.  (See inset photo.)

A word to the wise (or perhaps the clueless) – If this little birdie is not calling your name, you should enter to win anyway because Mother’s Day is 9 days away and you know she’d love a little something thoughtful. If you don’t tell her you got it for free, I won’t either. All you have to do is follow the instructions in this post carefully.

SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends so they can enter to win!

Want to see what you’ve been missing? Previous freebies can be found on the “Freebies” page. Take a look. You’ll get an idea of the fun gifts subscribers can win!

REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Send the birdie my way!”

And now, here are the complete rules:

  1. First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
  2. IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
  3. To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post (or all the way to the bottom, depending on your device) and click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.

Three simple steps!

Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, May 4th!

And, as much as I tried to resist saying this – May the 4th be with you!

Thriving on Gratitude

Today I Am Thankful www.midweststoryteller.comI am thankful for each one of you! I took this photo recently and just had to share.

I thought it frame-worthy. If you think so, too, you can request the FREE printable! Read on to find out how.

The plague of moles in past years has ended, allowing my tulips to multiply and the results make me smile every time I pull in my driveway or look out my front door. My favorite season has arrived at last and tulips always brighten my world. For that, I am thankful.

Spring weather affects us in more ways than one. Fresh air invigorates us. Sunshine gives us extra doses of Vitamin D which eases those aches and pains we seem to notice more during the colder months. My mom referred to it as being “stove up from winter”. She may not have known a lot about vitamin deficiencies, but she knew how she felt.

Walking, hiking, puttering and downright vigorous yard work make us stronger and give us that “good tired” feeling – unless we over-do it. When that happens, I find there’s nothing more therapeutic than a good, brisk sit. Phoebe June agrees. After chattering at birds, studying squirrels with a wary eye, chasing bugs and swatting at passing bees, there’s nothing like retreating inside the peony bush.

Rest is a Good Thing www.midweststoryteller.com

You might need to keep Phoebe’s philosophy in mind this month! While you’re snatching a bit of repose in your hideaway, remember that rest is a gift from God.  Close your eyes and give thanks that you’ve been able to engage in any of the activities that have made you so tired! It truly is a blessing to be able to do something as simple as take a walk or plant a few flowers.

Another blessing in disguise is the flurry of activity that May brings. I suppose it’s been going on this way for centuries, but it seems the whole world schedules its activities in May. After all, is there any better time for a picnic? Mother’s Day, graduations, Memorial Day get-togethers, showers, babies, weddings – they all demand that we prepare and partake. While you’re doing so, give thanks that you are not alone. Family and friends are asking you to carve out a little time for them and that’s a good thing.

So, here you are reading this blog when you should be out getting things done! Right? Right!

Get going! But first, “like”, “pin” and “SHARE” the this post with your friends. A few tulips and a gentle reminder may be just what someone needs today.

Leave a comment! Scroll to the bottom or top of this post (depending on your device).

Subscribers who comment requesting a printable version of the photo art will receive one by email, so SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Coming up next: May’s First Friday Freebie! Be ready to enter to win!  If you’re new to Midwest Storyteller, be sure to check out the Freebies page where you’ll see freebies and their past winners!

And April’s Winner is…

A month ago when I announced March’s First Friday Freebie winner, I was bragging on the gorgeous weather. Now we’re all back to shivering and walking around all scrunched up as though we’re afraid that loosening our muscles will allow our last molecule of heat to escape. To keep from pouting, let’s think happy thoughts! Let’s see who won April’s Freebie!

The winner is –

Jenny the Winner www.midweststoryteller.com

Jenny from Village of Windsor, Missouri!

Each freebie offer has a specific requirement and Jenny entered the drawing by leaving a comment saying, “Make the banner mine!” Smuffy then performed his duty and drew a name from the entries. He’s such a help!

With this banner, Jenny can now join the rest of us as we “fake it till we make it” by declaring that it is SPRING! If you’d like to see the original freebie offer and additional photos, click here.

Congratulations, Jenny! I hope it brings a little warmth and sunshine indoors even if you’re not experiencing it outdoors.

The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, May 4, 2018.

Share this post with all your friends so they can SUSCRIBE and enter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.

Take a look at our “Freebies” page where you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have been winning. It pays to SUBSCRIBE!

And now, here are the Freebie Rules.

  1. First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
  2. IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
  3. To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.

Three simple steps! Subscribe now, before you forget, and you’ll be ready for May.

Share”, “like” and “pin” this post. Your friends deserve a Freebie, too!

Opinions on the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.

Celebrating a Great Life!

I couldn’t let April 10th pass by without giving a shout-up to my mom. You see, she’s having her 100th birthday party today in Heaven!

The great example she set for me and all my precious memories of her help me thrive! 

She spent her nearly 95 years on this earth living within a rather small geographical radius. Here she is in front of the house where she was born back in 1918.

Baby Emmabelle www.midweststoryteller.com

Little Emmabelle arrived in the midst of the great flu pandemic which was the first time H1N1 attempted to wipe out the human race. It infected 500 million people and killed somewhere between 50 million and 100 million, or 5-10% of the world’s population. It didn’t, however, get Emmabelle.

In the heart of the Mid-west, her parents made a living as best they could in a tiny town along the railroad tracks where her daddy, Judge (and we have already established that he wasn’t one), operated a business that served as general store, barbershop and post office. I would imagine that no one in the town held any secrets he didn’t hear about!  Her mother, Nettie, stepped into the role of post-mistress in later years. Judge and Nettie raised their brood of six in a tiny house so close to the railroad tracks that I’m sure its timbers rattled with each passing train.

The third-born in her family, Mom had an older brother, Gerald. They called him Spiege – for a reason. You can get acquainted with Spiege here. Her older sister, Martha, became a great playmate when Emmabelle was home. While Martha could be termed a “ball ‘o fire”, Emmabelle was shy and reserved. Here they are on an outing together, having a little fun and sporting their 1920’s bobbed haircuts.  Emmabelle is the blonde on the right.

Martha & Emmabelle www.midweststoryteller.com

Mom was often not at home, for her grandma Martha and step-grandpa “Uncle John”, who lived about ten miles away, had rheumatism. Even as a preschooler, little Emmabelle rode the train alone to stay with them for extended periods of time and help out. She loved them very much and though she missed being with her siblings, she enjoyed her time with them and had a real bond with her grandparents.  I’m told that she did, however, pretend to have the measles once in order to go home.

Once in a while, one of the younger siblings got to take a turn helping out Grandma and Uncle John and you might want to read about a particular one of those visits here if you’re in need of a good old-fashioned giggle today.

Emmabelle’s younger siblings included another brother, Tim (whose name was neither Tim nor Timothy) and two baby sisters, Gladys Pearl (of the above-mentioned story) and Jean.  They aren’t without their own stories and those are yet to come.

Mom walked to school every day, along with the rest of her siblings, to attend the little schoolhouse that had been expanded from one room to two. She graduated from 8th Grade there. Here’s her graduating class. Emmabelle is the blonde on the back row.

Emmabelle Graduates www.midweststoryteller.comI remember growing up thinking that my mom must not have gotten much of an education. Take a look at this 8th Grade Final Exam from 1931. If Mom’s test was anything like this one, I tend to think I was selling her short. Think of all the fourteen-year-olds you know.  I’d hate to have to take it myself, but I’d love to see the results if this test were given to high school seniors (or, come to think of it – college seniors) today. I’d also like to be in the room to observe their faces and hear their groans about three minutes after they’d been handed this test.

Mom – you were one smart cookie!

After graduating, Mom helped out at home, did some babysitting and sometimes stayed with her newly-married sister, Martha.

In September of 1940, my parents met at a meeting amongst area churches. They married that December and moved into a log cabin near his parents with no water or electricity. They started out by having a couple of girls and making a move, then settled down on a farm and had a boy and three more girls. Then, after nearly a decade, Mom received what must have been quite a surprise – me!

All I have room to say here is that life for Mom was difficult in more ways than one. Though she never denied her troubles, she did not complain. She worked harder than anybody ever ought to have to work. She made every effort to spread sunshine in order to dispel the gloom around her. She loved her children and did her best to bless them in small ways that she hoped would make up for the negativity in their lives.

Mom could make something out of absolutely nothing. In fact, she was forced to do just that. I never knew when I came home from school what she might have whipped up during the day. It might be curtains. It might be some creative storage concept. It might be something like this.

Take a Guess www.midweststoryteller.com

Well, you can figure out what that is by clicking here.

One year, Mom fell in love with making Christmas ornaments out of felt. This turned out not to be a passing fancy. Felt became her medium and she created felt masterpieces, large and small, for the rest of her life, including nativity scenes and wedding banners. If she got bored, she’d copy patterns off whatever she could find around the house, turning them into refrigerator magnets or anything else she could think of. Her urge to put a smile on your face led her to create things that were outside the norm. I’ll never forget coming home from school one afternoon to find the exact likeness of Orville Redenbacher pinned to the kitchen door curtain! He hung there, in good company, along with the Jolly Green Giant and the Pillsbury Doughboy.

I’m pretty much convinced that Mom is in charge of all the Heavenly Christmas decorations now and that every room in her mansion is lavender.

Emmabelle had a quiet wit. Her sense of humor never ceased to get me tickled. Though she would never put herself forward to tell a story, she would, if you asked, share the treasure she held within. Nothing made me happier than to watch and listen as she and her sisters, during their rare visits, shared their memories and giggled themselves silly.  Here they are again, Emmabelle and Martha, the last two surviving siblings, reuniting in 2007 after having not seen each other in years.

Sisters Reunited www.midweststoryteller.com

In 1969, Mom decided to return to keeping a diary and I am so glad she did. It’s a family history treasure and at times, it’s simply just a hoot!

Mom never liked having her picture taken, but I just love this one from the last birthday party we had for her.  Here she is, worn out from partying, with Smuffy.  It was a great day.  

Emmabelle and Smuffy www.midweststoryteller.com

All mom’s siblings, with the exception of Martha, passed on years before she did. When in her 90’s, Mom and Martha often talked, pondering why they were still around. They came to a mutual agreement that if the Good Lord was taking that much time to build their mansions in Heaven, they must be in for something pretty palatial.

My mom made her last trip to the hospital in December of 2012. After her heart-to-heart talks with her beloved doctor and Jesus, we both knew she was ready to go Home. As we sat dangling our legs over the side of her hospital bed, she spoke of many things she’d never told me before. I knew Mom was ready to go.

As she talked, it became evident that one thing in particular gave her satisfaction when she thought about all the years she’d lived. “I’ve got seven good kids,” she said. I reassured her that she could count on every one of us to join her someday.

Mom left us on January 10, 2013, in her own quiet way, under her own terms and in her own home, just the way she wanted it.

So, Happy 100th, Mom! You said you never understood why we all claimed to have the best mother in the world. We, your seven kids – we understand!

Emmabelle's Kids www.mideststoryteller.com

I’d love to hear your comments. On your desktop computer, you’ll need to scroll back up to the top of this post. On various devices, you need to scroll to the bottom of the post.

If you still have your mom, love on her today. Pry some stories out of her. Ask the questions you know you’ll be sorry if you never asked. She’ll be gone before you’re ready for her leave you. 

Mother’s Day will be here before you know it, and if my mom’s story will touch someone in your life, please share!

Spring Is In The Air! And is That also a Freebie I See?

I’ll keep saying it until it happens! It just plain messes with my mind to go for a romp in the back yard yesterday and prepare for more snowfall and lows in the teens today. It’s only nine days till what should be our regular planting time. Brrrrrr….

Snow is free, but not the kind of freebie I had in mind.

Take a look at something a little more cheerful – Midwest Storyteller’s April Freebie –

Handmade Spring Banner www.midweststoryteller.com

This spring banner is bound to add the right touch to your spring décor. It’s hand-crafted by me (and my trusty Cricut machine) from cardstock and patterned scrapbooking papers in pastel shades of green, blue, pink and yellow.

Each card in the banner measures 2 5/8” X 4”, making it large enough to use on the wall alone or across your mantle. Banners are quite the rage right now, no matter the season. You might enjoy doing a search for “spring banners” on Pinterest to discover fun ways to display it. I left the jute string nice and long so you can have plenty of room attach it.

I see banners used in all sorts of ways –

Decorating with Banners www.midweststoryteller.com

Draped over a mirror looks nice and I thought it went well under my Aunt Martha’s crayon picture of the girl with the bicycle. (Yes, she really did do this on fabric with whatever quality crayons were available back in the 1920’s or 30’s.) There’s a real trend lately of using banners inside empty frames, too.  Never forget the fireplace option.

If you’d like a chance to win this spring banner, all you have to do is enter before midnight (CST)TONIGHT!  Become a subscriber, if you are not already, and comment on this post, saying: “Make the banner mine!”

(Complete rules are included at the end of this post.)

I enjoyed making it for you and I can’t wait to find out who wins!

Why not SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends who might like to enter to win?

Midwest Storyteller’s previous freebies can be found on our “Freebies” page. Take a look. You’ll get an idea of the great gifts only subscribers can win!  The easiest way to subscribe is click here and fill in the into at the right sidebar.

REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Make the banner mine!”

And now, here are the complete rules:

  1. First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
  2. IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
  3. To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.

Three simple steps!

Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, April 6th

If you do not, for some reason, receive a confirmation email, please comment and let me know.  I am trying to make sure that all technical difficulties are solved.