Making The Best Of It - A Favorite Fall Family Memory

By
Home Stager with Sharon Tara Transformations

Most people have such busy lives that it's sometimes difficult to find time for family.  My extended family used to get together for birthdays, holidays and cookouts, but it just isn't  happening any more.

Many years ago I put together a family trip to a local corn maze. It was a wonderful way to spend a Fall afternoon.   After the maze, we returned to my house for soup and apple crisp and then we visited a local haunted house.  We had such a great time that we made it a yearly family "tradition."

hay ride Then, in 2009, we all met at the farm and boarded the hay wagon. As we approached the corn maze my uncle mentioned that the corn didn't seem very tall. 

I just figured it was an optical illusion assuming that as we got closer the corn would get taller.

We couldn't believe it when we arrived and the corn was not even shoulder high.  It was the most pathetic corn...a poor crop, due to the very wet summer we had. 

As we wandered around, actually looking over the top of the corn, we joked about "getting lost" and "finding our way out" and we even whined a little about getting our money back.

 It was very disappointing.  

 

corn maze

I'm proud to say that we

 made the best of it.   

We had a lot of laughs and

in some areas of the maze (not many)  

the corn was actually taller than we were.

 

Laughing about it afterward, trying to justify the money spent, we decided the day was not a total loss:

  •  the weather had turned out very nice
  •  we got a fun hayride out of it
  •  most important of all...we had spent quality time together 

So what if the corn maze sucked!  The important thing is we carried on our tradition!

 

It was then that we decided our new family motto:

tradition

 

 

Here is a video from 2007 - when the corn was actually CORN:

 

 

 

Comments (14)

Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Always nice to find the positives - and family quality time is precious these days 

Oct 18, 2022 08:11 AM
Sharon Tara

Lise Howe  We recently had a family memorial service and a couple of the relatives that were on those hay rides said we should make an attempt to do it again this year. Hasn't happened yet, but I am hoping we can make it happen.

Oct 18, 2022 08:17 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Long & Foster Real Estate Inc 610-225-7400 - Devon, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

I love the family motto, had be laughing out loud, so funny but often true. Glad you made the best of it and found some fun from the experience. 

Oct 18, 2022 08:11 AM
Sharon Tara

Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543 We laughed pretty hard about it when I came up with it too. Comedy is something my family has always appreciated. I'm glad you appreciated the motto, thank you!

Oct 18, 2022 08:18 AM
Ray Henson
eXp Realty of California, Inc. (lic. #01878277) - Elk Grove, CA
Realtor

It sounds like it was still a good day.  I wish our family had a few more traditions.  I hope the next time you get to the corn maze that it is 10' tall. 😃

Oct 18, 2022 08:14 AM
Sharon Tara

Ray Henson  I really hope to get the family together in the next couple of weeks. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for the Youtube "like" on my macaroni salad recipe. That was a real surprise getting that notification.

Oct 18, 2022 08:20 AM
Ray Henson

You should be getting lots of likes for that recipe.  It is a good one, Sharon Tara.

Oct 19, 2022 06:16 AM
Sharon Tara

Ray Henson  Thank you!

Oct 19, 2022 07:53 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Los Angeles Pasadena 818.516.4393

Hello Sharon - not being much of a fan of corn, I am sometimes amazed what can be found outside the can (or is that a box???). 

 Is it Wordless Wednesday already?   Oops, it's Tuesday or I am just lost.  Damn maze of reckless thoughts.  Or was that a wreck-full occurrence?  I digress. . . 

Oct 18, 2022 08:41 AM
Sharon Tara

Michael Jacobs Well by the time I got around to being here...yes, it is Wednesday. LOL

That maze of reckless thoughts is something I am familiar with.

Oct 19, 2022 07:54 AM
Michael Jacobs

Sharon Tara - I am a frequent visitor to that "maze".  🙃

Oct 19, 2022 09:39 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Sharon,

I love family traditions!! We are going to The Pumpkin Lights tomorrow night and can't wait, always go to many Austin ionic events..just so much fun to put on the calendar and go!

Oct 18, 2022 08:45 AM
Sharon Tara

Dorie Dillard Austin TX  Sadly not as many of our family traditions still in tact. Immediate family, yes. But the extended family not so much. It is so hard when we all have our children and grandchildren. 

Oct 19, 2022 07:57 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Hi Sharon... you nailed it! At the end of the day it's about having fun with family and friends and making memories that one looks back on with fondness.

Oct 18, 2022 10:36 AM
Sharon Tara

Nina Hollander, Broker  We have to make the best of what we have. Life is far too short. We certainly have made a ton of awesome memories and when we do get together it is so much fun.

Oct 19, 2022 07:59 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Sharon- what a perfect family motto..I'm really big on Tradition!!!!  The music you picked was perfect for the video!!!

Oct 18, 2022 06:07 PM
Sharon Tara

Kathy Streib I love that song. Funny seeing my son and his wife before any of their four sons were even considered. Life was so different then.

Oct 19, 2022 07:59 AM
Anna Banana Kruchten Phoenix Broker
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Hi Sharon even if things don't turn out as expected there always are some joys of being together that makes it all so worthwhile.  Have fun when you finally get the gang together for some good ole fashioned fall fun!

Oct 18, 2022 08:54 PM
Sharon Tara

Anna Banana Kruchten CRS, Phoenix Broker My family is quite humorous and we never have a shortage of laughs when we gather.

Oct 19, 2022 08:00 AM
Kat Palmiotti
406-270-3667, kat@thehousekat.com, Broker/REALTOR® - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

That sounds like a wonderful tradition... The corn maze people should have charged 1/2 price if the corn wasn't high. I'm glad you all made the best of it. Memories are precious.

Oct 19, 2022 05:01 AM
Sharon Tara

Kat Palmiotti I guess the weather isn't their fault and they need to make a living too. We did have a wonderful time and left laughing and happy. Memories are precious.

Oct 19, 2022 08:02 AM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

I don't think that I have ever been through a corn maze, I should go check one out sometime.

Oct 19, 2022 05:12 AM
Sharon Tara

Brian England  Maybe something to do with the nephews? So much fun. Have a donut and some apple cider while you are there.

Oct 19, 2022 08:02 AM
Brian England

That is a great idea, I am sure that they would enjoy it.  I don't get to see them as often as I would like though.  My brother and their Mom got a divorce so they aren't always with him and not always able to do the fun things we used to do together as a family.  It is very sad and breaks my heart.

Oct 19, 2022 08:06 AM
Brian England

I should get to see them on Saturday, I am really looking forward to that.

Oct 20, 2022 08:26 AM
Sharon Tara

Brian England  So sad. Sorry to hear that. I'm sure they miss seeing you. 

Oct 20, 2022 07:43 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Oct 22, 2022 05:44 PM
Sharon Tara

Kathy Streib  Thank you so much for the feature!

Oct 24, 2022 08:31 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Good morning Sharon - those family traditions are wonderful.  We are very big on traditions in our family.

Oct 23, 2022 06:59 AM
Sharon Tara

Grant Schneider  It is so important, especially for the children! I'm trying to create as many traditions for my grandbabies as I can.

Oct 24, 2022 08:32 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

What a fantastic way of making memories. Thanks for sharing.

Oct 23, 2022 02:34 PM
Sharon Tara

Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400  We had so much fun on those little wagon rides and maze hikes. 

Oct 24, 2022 08:33 AM
Ed Silva
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

The appreciation is not completely for the event but the people that you have with you that make it memorable

Oct 24, 2022 08:14 AM
Sharon Tara

Ed Silva  Exactly...it is the time spent with people you love that is the greatest treat.

Oct 24, 2022 08:34 AM