The days seem to be getting longer. It seems like the sun waits to set a little later every day.
Daylight Saving Time will begin March 12. This idea started in Germany 1916 as a way to save power during WWI.
The United States followed suit in 1918, but abolished the practice after the war. Since the Roaring ’20s, U.S. states can choose when they will spring forward and fall back. Most of them have decided to call it at the same time. Hawaii and parts of Arizona are already clock change free zones. A bill has been introduced in the legislature to end the practice. It's called the Sunshine Protection Act but it has yet to gain approval in the House.
I would love for this bill to pass. I don't care if it's the "spring forward" or the "fall back" time decided but just stick to one or the other. My internal clock has difficulty adjusting to the new time twice a year. Remember, I don't like change.
As far back as when my children were young and as my husband ran a grocery store and was late getting home at night, I would have already fed the boys, gotten their baths and in their pajamas before he ever came home at 7:30 or 8 o'clock and it had been dark for three hours. Now I still somewhat follow this practice. I have my sleeping clothes on before I cook supper in the winter time and we are both ready for bed by eight o'clock. Then, of course, Elvis Pecksley wakes us up by 6 in the morning.
One of our children and her children love to ride four wheelers and side by sides over in our cow pastures and through the creeks and "hoots and hollers". They never get here until four or five o'clock and of course now it's already beginning to fall dark. My husband complains about them being in the backwoods so late. They always carry a weapon for coyotes and perhaps bears and cougars. As the days become longer I imagine they will stay in the woods until the moon gives them light.
I can easily remember as a child how we would eat an early supper and head back outside and play passed the time the street lights would glow from the street corners. There were several families that lived within walking distance to each other and we were all over the road into the nights riding bikes and playing softball in the hazy part of the night.
As I was thinking about this, I realize how sad it is that we cannot leave our children outside late to play spotlight or the other night games we used to enjoy. My parents never worried about our not coming in because someone had grabbed us from the streets. We just never heard of things like that. When did our world take a turn for the very worst. Now days you hear about children being snatched from right in their own front yards. We tell them when they venture outside our homes to stay in groups as it would be more difficult to be taken. I surely don't know what happened to our society that has us all on guard to keep our children safe.
I do know that out here in the country I feel safer with them outside at dusk or even dark. There is no traffic in the pastures and the cows are no threat and the coyotes and other varmints can be dealt with. Well, all except one, Pawpaw as he still wants them out of the woods by dark.
I still love crock pot meals. So easy.
Crock-Pot Barbecue Chicken
2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts
1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (may omit)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 minced cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
Lay chicken in bottom of Crock-Pot and cover with all ingredients. Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on low. Shred and serve on buns with all fixings.
