Midwest Adventures – Travel Review

 

Summertime is frequently 'vacation time'. After a year of travel restrictions, many are looking forward to taking trips this year. Because of some restrictions still in place and due to limited resources and high gas and motel prices, most people are deciding to stick close to home for their vacations and/or staycations (visiting local attractions without much travel). 

For those living in the Midwest, there are a wide variety of simple, easy-to-reach, and fairly inexpensive places to see and things to do.  A few which have been visited by contributors to ReviewThisReviews are listed here, along with reviews and recommendations. 

The American Midwest

Source: Wikipedia

The Midwest (or American Midwest or The Midwestern United States) consists of  12 states in the north central United States. The states are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Several of our Review This contributors live within this area and have visited, written about and reviewed local attractions. If you cannot travel to some of them in person right now, taking a virtual tour via these travelogues would be a fun way to decide on your next trip.

MISSOURI

Mary Beth Granger (mbgphoto) loves to visit and photograph local areas in her Midwestern state of Missouri. She lives in Eastern Missouri, so the St. Louis area offers her many easy-to-reach places to visit. She frequently takes day trips with camera in hand to document her visits. Among some of her recommended places to visit are:

St. Louis Arch

Image Credit: mbgphoto

Known as the "Gateway to the West", the St. Louis Arch was built as a monument to the 'Westward Expansion of the United States". 

Mary Beth Granger gives us a wonderful overview of this historic monument in her article Explore St Louis-The Gateway Arch.

*Note: The St. Louis Arch is located in Gateway Arch National Park on the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.  Cost to ride to the top of the arch is $3.00 for visitors 16 and up and free for children 15 and under. 

St. Louis Union Station and the St. Louis Wheel

Photo Credit: mgbphoto

While you are still in downtown St. Louis, you might enjoy checking out the St. Louis Union Station and enjoying a ride on the new St. Louis Wheel.  The Wheel opened on September 30th, 2019 to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of Union Station. The Wheel is a 200 foot high observation wheel with 42 fully enclosed and climate controlled gondolas that each seat 6 adults. The 15-minute ride includes 3-4 rotations high above the St. Louis skyline. 

Read all about it in Mary Beth Granger's Review of New Wheel at St. Louis Union Station.

*NOTE: Union Station is located at 201 S 18th St. St. Louis, MO. Cost of tickets to ride the Wheel is $15 for adults and $10 for children.

In addition to the New Wheel, the St. Louis Union Station (a former train station for the area) also boasts a total of 7 other attractions, including the St. Louis Aquarium. It also has a hotel and a variety of restaurants. Check out the St. Louis Union Station attractions here. 

Forest Park in St. Louis

Forest Park St. Louis - Photo by mbgphoto

Forest Park located just west of the city of St. Louis is a large public park with numerous attractions. Among the things to see and do is the St. Louis Zoo, The Art Museum and the Science Center.  Many other attractions are also available in this amazing park. Mary Beth Granger describes the many delights of Forest Park in her article Visit Missouri-Explore St Louis- Forest Park and the Jewel Box

*NOTE: Forest Park is Located at 5595 Grand Dr, St. Louis, MO 63112. Open daily until 10 pm, many of the attractions are free. The St. Louis Zoo does have some special attractions with ticket prices, but the zoo itself is free.  There is a nominal parking fee per vehicle. 

The above St. Louis, MO attractions are just a few of places to visit in Missouri. For a review of several other fun places to see, such as Defiance (home of Daniel Boone) and the Missouri Covered Bridges, click on the MISSOURI search in ReviewThisReviews.

IOWA

Cedar Bridge in Madison County - mgbphoto

Madison County, Iowa is famous for its covered bridges. Mary Beth Granger visited there a few years ago and wrote all about the famous 'Bridges of Madison County' and the John Wayne Museum located in Winterset, Iowa, the county seat of Madison County. Read her Review of a Visit to Madison County Iowa.

*NOTE: The John Wayne Museum is open from 10 AM to 5 PM and the admission price is $15. It is located at 205 S John Wayne Drive, Winterset, IA. 

Field of Dreams - Dyersville, Iowa

If you build it, he will come!

The movie Field of Dreams was filmed at the old Lansing Family Farm in Dyersville, Iowa. Afterwards, the field was kept by the property owners and turned into a tourist attraction. People have been coming to visit here for over 32 years and its popularity continues. 

Read Wednesday Elf's review of this iconic Midwest movie location (Field of Dreams Travel Review) written after a day trip with family.

For any baseball fan, or anyone who has ever had a dream, the Field of Dreams baseball field is a delightful place to visit.

This summer (August 2021) the Field of Dreams Movie Site will host a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees. The Legend of 'Shoeless Joe' continues.  

“Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa”

*NOTE:  The Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa is free to visit. It is located in Dyersville, Iowa, 30 minutes west of Dubuque and two and a half hours from Des Moines. 

Minnesota and Michigan Lighthouse B&Bs

Big Bay Lighthouse by mbgphoto

For an unusual overnight stay, you can be a Lighthouse Keeper.  Here are two of the lighthouses in the Midwest which are available for overnight stays.

• Big Bay Lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
• Two Harbors Minnesota

Read You Too Can Be a Lighthouse Keeper for interesting details about Lighthouse B&Bs.

*NOTE: TWO HARBORS LIGHTHOUSE - MINNESOTA: Self guided tours include the lighthouse tower, the Assistant Keeper's house, a Pilot House and the Fog Signal building. The Keeper's Quarters is open year round as the Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast.

Located on  Lake Superior, this quirky bed-and-breakfast sits in the oldest operational lighthouse in Minnesota, a 19th-century redbrick building that once housed the lighthouse keeper's quarters. It is less than a mile from downtown Two Harbors and 28.2 miles from Duluth. Check the Two Harbors Website for price details.

BIG BAY LIGHTHOUSE. Located at 4674 Co Rd KCB, Big Bay, MI in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior, approximately 24 miles northwest of Marquette, the Big Bay Point Light stands on a tall bluff over a rocky point near Big Bay, Michigan. Today it is the only operational lighthouse with a bed and breakfast. It is reputed to be haunted. Send them an email @ keepers@bigbaylighthouse.com for information.

Michigan Waterfalls

Michigan Waterfalls Postcard
by mbgphoto

While in Michigan, you might also visit the lovely waterfalls in Michigan described in Mary Beth Granger's Photographing Waterfalls article.

Midwest Sports

For the summer sports fan, there are quite a few Midwestern locations of Major League Baseball Fields to visit for a game, including the Chicago Cubs, who play at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO. and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Plus, the Minnesota Twins located in the Twin cities and the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin. 

Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa - (Wikipedia)

Or you could attend a Minor League baseball game at Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa and watch the Quad City River Bandits, currently a minor league baseball team for the Kansas City Royals.

*NOTE: Woodmen Park is located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport, Iowa at 209 S Gaines St, Davenport, IA. Click here for game dates and ticket prices.

Summary

These are just a few of the many vacation spots and attractions available to visit on a Midwest Vacation. 

HAPPY TRAILS!

*Midwest Adventures compiled and written by 

Wednesday Elf

Journey through America's Heartland:

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10 Free Personal Gift Ideas to Honor Dad

These days, the thought counts more and more.

If you're looking for ways to celebrate dad that involve a personal touch, check out these suggestions.

1. Framed Handprint Art

Have the kids, whether little or big, create a collage of their handprints. If the kids are all grown up, do it anyway, it still makes a beautiful, personal gift. In fact, for adult kids create a collage of everyone's feet - how funny would that be, lol - then frame it. 

2. Create a Collage of Personal Love Messages for Dad

Have the kids write out what they love about dad, glue the messages to a board, frame it, or have it laminated. Keep dad's personal messages from family, from every special occasion in a scrapbook or album. It doesn't matter if you haven't started this tradition in the early years; start it today.

3. Spend Time with Dad

Spend the day with dad, watch movies, go for walks, or play games. Show interest in the things he loves. Or just sit and talk to dad. When our parents are gone, we wish for one more day to be with them. Treat this special day as if it were a magic wish you've been granted.

Have you ever heard "One More Day" by Diamond Rio - Listen to the lyrics; they say it best; they're a moving reminder of why we should spend time with those we love while we can. Don't take dad for granted; he won't always be there. If you're reading this via mobile, here's the link to the song.

4. Cook Dad's Favorite Meal

This is a standard in our home for birthdays and other celebrations. The person of the day gets to pick the menu. We spend time together having dinner as a family.

5. Go on a Hike Together

Plan an all-day outing with dad. Take him on a hike. Spend the day outdoors and treat him to conversation and physical activity. 

6. Assemble His Family History in a Book

Research dad's family history and present dad with a book that highlights his ancestors and the entire family all the way up to the current time. Dad will love this gift; it's one he can hand back and pass along to grandchildren.

7. Plan a Family Soccer or Baseball Game

Organize a day at the local baseball or soccer field and spend the entire day playing sports, laughing, and eating. Pack a picnic and make it a full day of outdoor fun.

8. Clean Dads Car and Garage

If dad rarely has time to do those weekend cleaning tasks, do it for him. Have him sit outside with his favorite beverage, in a comfortable chair, with his favorite music blasting, watching you all work as you clean up the garage and wash his car.

9. Create a YouTube Video Music Playlist

Create a YouTube video playlist featuring all of Dad's favorite songs. Make the list public, and write a beautiful personal message in the video description area for all the world to see. You can also create a list of songs that honor dad from a daughter's point of view. You can find a list of ten suggested father/daughter songs here. Here's are songs to honor father/son relationships.

10. Write a Poem or Create a Video Poem

If creating video poems isn't your thing, simply write a poem from everyone or just from you and frame it. 

Here's a video poem I wrote long ago for my husband on the passing of his father: If you're viewing this via mobile, the video is here on YouTube.

Enjoy your day with dad. Time with dad is truly the best gift for you and for him.

For My Dad In Heaven: "Last night I had a crazy dream, a wish was granted just for me, it could be for anything, I didn't ask for money or a mansion in Malibu, I simply wished for one more day with you, but then again, I know what it would do, leave me wishing still, for one more day with you" (Lyrics - One More Day by Diamond Rio). 

Dad, I'll love you 'til the end of time, and time never ends.

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Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner – A Book Review

Lisa Gardner has two popular series in her list of suspense novels, the FBI Profiler Series and the Detective D.D. Warren Series. Right Behind You is the seventh (and latest) book in the Pierce Quincy/Rainie Conner FBI Profiler series 

After writing the first six books in her FBI series between 1998 and 2008, Gardner went on to write 11 books in the D.D. Warren series, along with six non-series books. Now she finally returns with another Quincy and Rainie story at the insistence of her long-time fans. THIS fan is delighted, as these characters are my favorite of all her books.

Introduction

Pierce Quincy is now a retired FBI profiler and Lorraine (Rainie) Conner is a retired police detective. They are married and also partners in a Cold Case or weird murders consulting business, helping small local police departments who lack the personnel and equipment to handle a major violent crime. In Right Behind You they have also been foster parents for the past three years to Sharlah, a 13-year-old orphan girl they are soon to adopt.  Suddenly they are involved in a case that hits far too close to home. 

Synosis

Available on Amazon

As Quincey and Rainie begin to assist their town sheriff with a double murder at a local gas station, more murders are discovered and the suspect appears to be the foster son of a local couple who, it turns out, is also Sharlah's older brother. Eight years ago the brother, 9-year-old Telly Ray Nash, saw his father kill his mother and then come after the children.  Telly beat his knife-wielding drug-addicted and drunken father to death with a baseball bat to save both him and his little sister Sharlah.  

Now 17, Telly is suddenly being blamed for the recent murders. A massive hunt for Telly is launched and Quincy and Rainie must answer two critical questions: Why after eight years has this young man started killing again? And what does this mean for Sharlah?  

Sharlah has her own questions. Is her brother who once saved her life a hero or a killer? And how much will it cost her new family before they learn the final shattering truth. 

Summary

Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner, published in 2017, is available in hardback, in paperback, as an audio book and on Kindle.

*Editor's Pick in Best Mystery, Thriller and Suspense.

*Interesting Note: Titles cannot be copyrighted in the United States. Therefore, two or more books can have the same title.

Another book by the same title of Right Behind You is by Rachel Abbot and is reviewed here on ReviewThisReviews by Louanne Cox (Lou16).

Quick Links:

• Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner reviewed by Wednesday Elf
• Right Behind You by Rachel Abbot reviewed by Lou16
• Catch Me (A DD Warren novel) by Lisa Gardner reviewed by Wednesday Elf

*Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner book review written by (c) Wednesday Elf

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Bing Crosby - Reviewed

Bing Crosby - Reviewed
Photo credit: Getty Free Images

Who doesn’t remember that one voice in a lifetime the voice of Bing Crosby? If you are too young to remember or think that you have never heard him sing, think again. If you listen to any radio station around the holidays then you have probably heard his voice.

Always around the holidays, you'll hear that famous song “White Christmas” played over and over again during the Holiday season. Written by Irving Berlin “White Christmas” was the biggest hit of Bing Crosby’s career and first introduced in 1942 in the Movie "Holiday Inn" 

Then, in 1954 the musical  White Christmas was released, featuring songs by Irving Berlin. This movie still remains a favorite today during the holiday season. We never miss watching White Christmas every year, as it became a tradition in our family while I was growing up.

Solo vocalist, radio, big screen, and television Bing Crosby did it all and did it well. Bing  Crosby was voted by Yank magazine as the person who had done the most for the GI’s during World War II. I really would have thought that would have been Bob Hope.

Bing Crosby was one of my dad's favorites so growing up I became very familiar with his voice, especially around the holidays. I can still hear my dad singing White Christmas as we decorated our tree.

Bing Crosby: Some Interesting Facts

·         Born: May 3, 1903 (Harry Lillis Crosby Jr.) nicknamed Bingo by his neighbor in 1910, later the O was dropped and the nickname Bing stuck.

·         He was among one of the first singers to use the microphone.

·         Bing Crosby invested in the company called Ampex; the company built the first reel-to-reel tape recorder in North America.

·         He was the first to pre-record his own radio show.

·         In 1946 he became part owner of my favorite baseball team the Pittsburgh Pirates. He taped the famous 1960 World Series; this tape was found in his wine cellar in 2009.

·         Bing was an avid hunter and fisherman and was known to be an expert fly fisherman.

·         He also owned a cattle ranch in Elko Nevada where he was the honorary Mayor.

·         A fan of horse racing, he owned his own stables, and his horse Ligaroti raced against Seabiscuit in 1948.

I must have been too young to have had any of this, but there was a Bing Crosby Ice Cream. Maybe I did have it when I was a little one and just don’t remember.

Every time I hear his voice now it brings back memories of my childhood. Maybe that is why I have come to appreciate his voice.

                               I'm sure you can find the movie White Christmas streaming somewhere or you can own the DVD

White Christmas (Blu-ray + Digital)

 

Find more movie Reviews here: ReviewThisMovies.com

Find more music Reviews here: ReviewThisMusic.com

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Review of The World is My Home: A Memoir by James Michener

Photo of Bora Bora, a favorite place of James A. Michener, Image by WikiImages from Pixabay 

James Michener's World

James A. Michener has packed 85 of his 90 years of life and travel memories into the 577 pages of The World Is My Home. As I read his book, I felt I was there with him. He walked alone in some of the world's most beautiful places.  He traveled by air with heads of state. He ate garbage on Navy transport ships commanded by drunk captains, and he had dinner with Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt. 

By reading The World is My Home I feel I've become acquainted with James Michener. I better understand why he wrote what he did.  I was impressed not only with his skill as a writer and the breadth of his knowledge,  but also with his humility. 

The World Is My Home

 The World Is My Home is a weighty book. Within its pages you will probably find out almost anything you could want to know about James Michener, his life, his motivations, and his values. Although he felt at home anywhere in the world, he never became an expat.  He believed he needed to stay connected to his American roots to feel nourished and he didn't want to lose touch with America.

If you like stories, he tells many in this book. He also talks about his writing life and his numerous interests.  I am amazed at how much was packed into one life. I can hardly begin to scratch the surface here about the content of this encyclopedic memoir. But if you are interested in the cultures of the world, Navy life, aviation, true adventures, writing, art, music, how subjects for postage stamps are selected, travel, bull fighting, the publishing industry, United States politics behind the scenes, what it takes to be a writer, what a novelist's life is like, how much it costs a publisher to print a book, how much a best-selling author gets paid, and any number of other subjects, you will want to read this book.

Who Was James A. Michener?

One might ask, which one? Writer James A. Michener shared his name with many others. One even lived in the same town. But James really was not a Michener at all. He never knew who his parents were. He had no birth certificate. He had been taken in by a widow, Mabel Mitchener, and used her name, but her dead husband's sisters would always make sure James knew he was not a Mitchener. Until he was a young man he wondered who his parents really were, but finally accepted the fact he'd probably never know. He decided not to bother his head about it anymore.

James' Childhood

Mabel was poor. She took in laundry and sewing work to make a living. As a boy James never had what other boys his age seemed to. Once his “mother” explained why he couldn't have roller skates, a red wagon, a bicycle, or a baseball glove, he acted as though they did not exist and closed his mind to them. In spite of the poverty he lived in, though, he always felt loved.

To help out he started earning money when he was nine by harvesting chestnuts from the forest and selling them around town. When he was eleven he got his first real job with the Burpee Seed Company. It taught him to hate phlox. He worked from 7 am until 5 pm six days a week. Of this time he says: “I have sown phlox, thinned phlox, hoed phlox, gathered phlox, and heaven knows what else, and if my birthday were tomorrow and someone were to give me a bouquet of the horrid flowers, I would punch him in the nose.” He gave the $4.50 a week he earned to Mabel.

Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay 

James always worked at some job. He was apprenticed to a plumber when he was still young and he was good at plumbing. He considered quitting school to become a plumber, but his Uncle Albert squashed that idea and made him quit. He said, 'James, you were not intended to be a plumber.'

Later James was a paperboy and loved it. He got to know where everyone in town lived and learned many secrets about his neighbors, as well. He delivered handbills for the theater on Saturdays in exchange for seeing the movies free. During this time he gained his first insights into the motion picture industry.

His next job was with the Willow Grove Amusement Park, a job which tested his character. It provided cheap rides, food, and four free concerts a day. The job also enabled him to make friends with Victor Herbert, John Philip Sousa, and members of the Philadelphia Orchestra who often played at the park.

Jim was a cashier for one of the rides and soon learned that management didn't care if he gave too little change for entrance fees. Stealing from customers in this way was known as 'honest cheating' and management expected and tolerated it. 'Dishonest stealing' was when cashiers stole from the company. James only tried that once, but reformed quickly when an older cashier was arrested. Soon James was removed from his regular job and asked  to substitute for suspect operators when they were absent or on breaks and report to management if he found anything fishy. Management knew he had cheated that once and then stopped cheating on his own.

Attitude Toward Wealth

Because Jim grew up poor, one might think that he'd want to become rich someday, but he was not ambitious in that way. He was content with enough to support himself and a wife. When his books won prizes and became best sellers, he was pleased, but he still lived simply and gave away what he didn't think he needed for his expenses. He used his wealth to help others. He donated most of the royalties from his books. He felt he had a debt to pay back for the free public education he had received all the way through graduate school. He wanted to assist other young people who needed financial help to get an education.

Jim didn't like to negotiate book deals or discuss print run sizes. He left that to his agent. He wasn't arrogant or greedy,  and was content to let his agent look after him financially. 

Life Purpose

One night toward the end of World War II, James came close to being in a plane crash after leaving his duties in the Fiji Islands and exploring Bora Bora. (One reason he'd been sent there was to find out why none of the enlisted men wanted to leave when it was time to go home. You'll have to read the book to find the answer to that.) He was on his way back to headquarters in French New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific. When it was time to make a sunset landing at the Tontouta Air Base, the sky got dark and visibility was low. It took three tries to finally make a safe landing. He had known the third attempt to land would be the final one. It was a close call.

Later that night he went back to the airstrip to walk and to calm his nerves. He thought about what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He didn't come to a conclusion as to what work he wanted to do, but he decided 'I'm going to erase envy and cheap thoughts. I'm going to concentrate my life on the biggest ideals and ideas I can handle. I'm going to associate myself with people who know more than I do. I'm going to tackle objectives of moment.' He also decided that he would support the things he believed in.

It was at this point in his life he began to listen more carefully as other transients with travel orders told stories in the hotels. He looked for those with unusual experiences. He learned “what the Pacific adventure meant in human terms.” Although many complained, he believed that later, when they got back home, the ones who complained most would want to explain to others what their time in service had been like. He knew the Pacific better than almost anyone. He believed he could tell their stories more accurately than anyone else. From these stories came his first book, Tales of the South Pacific, which won a Pulitzer Prize. As you probably know, it was turned into a popular musical, South Pacific.

Tales of the South PacificRodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific: In Concert From Carnegie Hall

Michener did not like calling himself an author. He considered himself a writer. He believed good writing was “trying to use ordinary words to achieve extraordinary results.” Words fascinated him. I was happy to see he shared my appreciation for Rodale's Synonym Finder.

Should You Read This Book?

I would recommend this book to any writer who wants to learn more about writing and traditional publishing. Among other things, James was an editor at Macmillan for many years and he shares what he knows about the industry from the point of view of both writer and editor. Almost half the book is about writing.

If you are interested in travel, this book will show you most of the world. It also shows you military life during World War II.

If you are interested in art or music, you will find that James was, too. He started collecting art in postcard form early in his youth. His uncle brought him his first Victrola and some records when he was about seven. He became an opera fan and later branched out into other classical music.

If you are interested in politics, you can learn a lot from Michener. At one point in his life he ran for Congress and he takes us behind the scenes of a campaign. He didn't win, but he did get appointments to committees and we learn much about the workings of government from him. One of his committees selected who would be honored with a postage stamp. I was amazed at how controversial that was. There was pressure to honor Elvis right after his death, which was against the rule of waiting until someone had been dead for ten years. Lillian Gilbreth's family (remember Cheaper by the Dozen?) also put pressure on the committee to honor her. I enjoyed these stories.

Why Michener Wrote This Book

Jim was 85 when he wrote this book. He knew he was getting to the end of his life but he still still had the qualities that made him want to write when he was 45: "a passionate desire to communicate, to organize experience," and to tell stories.

In his own words, here's his reason for writing The World Is My Home: "I want the reader to see in careful detail the kind of ordinary human being who becomes a writer and then to see the complex and contradictory motivation that enables him to remain one."

I believe he achieved that goal. Don't miss this informative and entertaining book. Get it now while you are thinking about it. You will be glad you did. 

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Ken Burns Country Music Film Reviewed

A Ken Burns Film You Shouldn't Miss

Country Music the Ken Burns documentary film now being aired on your local PBS station is one, in my humble opinion, that you shouldn't miss. My husband and I have sat spellbound as each two hour segment has been presented.

Some of the legends in this Country Music Mural are featured in Ken Burns film
image courtesy of pixabay.com

Mr. Burns has a way of telling us about pieces of our history and our diverse cultures that not only inform us but entertain us as well. His latest creation about Country Music doesn't fall short on those notes, in fact I think it might be the best one he has done to date. That is saying a lot when you consider his work on the Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, Prohibition, WWII and the Viet Nam War.

It is more than just the music

One of the quotes that is repeated often is from Harlan Howard. He once said, "Country Music is three cords and the truth." I think that is probably why I have always loved Country Music; so many of the lyrics in the songs are about my truth, your truth or our truths. Some songs make us want to move our feet, others remind us of the happiness of loving someone while others break our hearts. There is literally something to listen to no matter what your mood might be. 

The segments that will total 16 hours by the time all are shown cover the history of the music that is uniquely American. We hear portions of songs but it is the backstories that I find the most fascinating. Ken Burns and his incredible crew of people tell us about the artists who made the songs popular and the people who wrote the songs. We find out about how they grew up (some of 'em will just break your heart!); how they got started and portions of their careers that might surprise us. 

I have always been a "words" kind of gal. Yes, I love to dance but it has always been more about what the story in the song says to me. I think that is why I am drawn to the people who write the songs. Those poets who don't always get a lot of recognition but can sit down and put words together that touch us in some way. In the documentary we find out quite a bit about those songwriters. Some performed their own music while others wrote for others. It has been fascinating!

Honestly, even if Country isn't the genre of music that you prefer to listen to; this Ken Burns film is one that I think you will enjoy. After hearing the history of the it; you might even be converted to a fan. There are segments that will make you smile, move your feet and touch your soul. I don't know if they will repeat this series soon or not. Don't despair if you have missed the first episodes. It is available in DVD and Blu-ray.

Ken Burns Country Music

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Rainbrella Golf Umbrella and Grabber Hand Warmers Review

Source: Pixabay

It was a quite chilly and very rainy Saturday with the youth baseball tournament games in full swing. With no time for make-up games, the games had to be played. This resulted in wet & chilly ball players and even wetter parents in the stands and on the sidelines.

I was working at Ace Hardware in our small Iowa community that day. As the wet morning wore on, we were inundated with parents coming in to purchase umbrellas and hand warmers.  Before noon, we had completely sold out of the Rainbrella Golf umbrellas and the Grabber Hand Warmers. 

Rainbrella Golf Umbrella

Rainbrella Golf Umbrella

These large umbrellas by Rainbrella (available in 42 inch and 60 inch diameter) are perfect for golf outings and any other sporting event (such as our local youth baseball tournament). The umbrellas are multi-colored and collapsible. 

Large umbrellas can definitely save the day and these Rainbrella umbrellas were much appreciated by the kids and parents alike at the ball park on this particular day. 

Grabber Hand Warmers

Grabber Hand Warmers

An assistant coach to one baseball team came in to Ace and bought dozens of 2-pair packages of the Grabber Hand Warmers for the kids sitting in the dugouts waiting for their turn at bat and on the field.  He told me the boys' hands were freezing and he needed to keep them warm so they could play.

These portable heat in the palm of your hand Air-activated Grabber Hand Warmers keep hands and fingers toasty for over 7 hours. No shaking or kneading required; just open the package and put the Warmers in your glove or pocket for a few minutes to start the process. All Grabber Warmers are designed for one-time, disposable use. 

Summary

While the umbrellas and hand warmers worked out well for our youth baseball games, they are also very handy for other outdoor sporting events such as football games. Plus, they are perfect for hunters and fishermen on similar cold and wet days. So best to stock up ahead of time and not wait until bad weather forces a run on them.  Since we were the only store in our small town carrying these umbrellas and hand warmers, we sold out quickly. 

These products are available in a number of places, such as Ace Hardware, Walmart and online at Amazon.

Quick Links:

• Ace Hardware
• Amazon
• Walmart

(c) Wednesday Elf Review 9/14/2019

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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