Rain Doesn’t Stop Red Oak II Show.

The Car Show at Red Oak II drew a fair amount of vehicles despite the dismal rain that fell during the early hours of last Saturday.

Disapointed entrants gathered inside as the rain fell during the initial hours of the event until judging was completed about noon. Trophies were presented and the few vendors that braved the weather left shortly after.

A day log jam session for musicians went on inside the Salem church. Music could be heard from noon until after 8 p.m.

After years of listenin’ to the variety of telemarketers give their patter durin’ supper time, ya start to give ‘em ratings after ya tell ‘em to get lost.

The easy ones to hang up on are the pushy type. The always start with some kinda joke or cute remark about the weather. ‘Course most of ‘em are in a different time zone and don’t have a clue ‘bout the climate in this part of the country. The real friendly ones get shot down quickest.

There are some ya gotta feel a little sorry for. They stumble over the words as they try to get enthused about what ever product they are pushin’ today. I give ‘em a few kind words and tell ‘em not to get too discouraged. They have a tough job and are goin’ to get a lot of no’s. Then I tell ‘em to take me off the list and not to call again. Figure they might as well get a full lesson.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Introducing Kids to Home Improvement

Q: Recently, when a roofing crew made significant repairs to our roof due to storm damage, my two sons and daughter were fascinated by all the activity. They followed the crew around and pestered them with questions. I think learning about home repair is a valuable skill, and I’d like the kids to be involved in more projects, but I am unable to perform many home-repair tasks myself. I also wonder if they’re old enough to learn various tasks: They are 10, 8 and 5. Do you have any suggestions? -- Gloria G., Fort Worth, Texas

A: Getting kids involved in home improvement and repair projects can be very rewarding. Of course, their age, abilities and maturity should be taken into account when deciding how much they can be allowed to do. A 5-year-old shouldn’t be hammering nails, but a 10-year-old would probably do a brilliant job (and handle the hammer responsibly).

There are programs out there for kids. Some are offered by public-service departments, others by nonprofit organizations (including Scouting, which teaches kids a myriad of life skills), while others are paid classes geared to different age levels. Check around and see if something is available for all three kids, or at least the two older ones.

Look around your home as well. Not all home-improvement projects have to be big or involved. They can be as simple as patching a nail hole or hanging a picture. Sit down with the kids and plan out how you’ll all tackle the project. Who will gather the tools and supplies needed, who will do the actual work, who will help carry items back and forth?

If you have a trusted neighbor who frequently does home repairs and is willing to teach the kids a thing or two, you have another option to allow them to learn.

Keep in mind that the kids might only be initially interested. But teaching them new skills and letting them take on more responsibility can have rewards far beyond just the simple act of fixing or improving something.