The summer promise
I promise not to complain about the heat all summer. I promise to eat lots of corn on the cob (preferably yellow or bi-color, white is just so trendy). I promise to eat peaches and let the juice drip down my arms. I promise to make a dinner out of fat slices of juicy red heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. I promise to only wear four items of clothing at a time. And not to wear any shoes that cover my toes except during athletic endeavors. I promise to make iced tea from my leftover breakfast tea and add a sprig of the mint I'm growing in my garden. (OK, that has taken over my garden and is threatening to eat the house.)
What inspired all this was that my husband and I were having breakfast on the back porch this morning. ...
After we finished (this now swerves wildly off topic), he brought out his mother's old yearbook. She got her certificate of nursing from Temple University in 1936. In among its pages was a yellowing newspaper clipping from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin of the graduation ceremony, which listed all the graduates. Can you imagine a big-city paper doing that these days?
There were also a couple of human interest stories. One was about John Raymond Hendrickson, the outstanding honor graduate, who took 40 courses in four years and made an A in all of them. (He was a Latin major.) The other was on the fact that five sets of twins were in the graduating class.
After I looked at the clipping, I folded it up reverently, not just as a bit of family history but because for the first time I thought, this is a bit of history about how the news used to be delivered. My yet-to-be-born grandchildren may never see a paper newspaper of their own.
Also next to the stories was a supermarket ad for Snellenburgs. A can of Hormel Spiced Luncheon Meat, which was pictured, cost 35 cents. I tell you that not because it's cheap; we all know things cost more these days. But that must be the precursor of Spam, right?
It's so much more attractive a name. I wonder why they changed it.
(AP photo)
Comments
That was probably around the time Hormel was running the contest to "Name the Luncheon Meat." They say it debuted in 1937.
Posted by: Retired in Elkridge | May 24, 2009 9:03 AM
My yet-to-be-born grandchildren may never see a paper newspaper of their own.
Uh oh Gailor.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | May 24, 2009 9:08 AM
Hmmm, a newspaper filled with human interest stories. No doubt the reading public hated it and was just waiting for the day when their newspaper would feature huge photos and graphics on the front page along with full body shots of the columnists. It took us a while, but eventually newspapers got to where they needed to be.
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | May 24, 2009 10:08 AM
Just think how hot you would be right now if you were that furry!
Posted by: Dahlink | May 24, 2009 10:27 AM
I don't know why but I'm repulsed by the thought of peach juice trickling down my arm. Interesting. Perhaps I have a sticky-arm phobia.
Maybe, deep down, I'm psychologically committed to the belief that there must be a better use of free-roaming peach juice.
Posted by: jl | May 24, 2009 12:59 PM
Good lord, Dahlink.
My unfortunately slow, and perverse brain read that as something totally different
Posted by: El Generalissimo | May 24, 2009 1:06 PM
I read daily...
Am amazed by the OWL
enjoy from a distance the friendships developed here.
I have to comment on this most special of days.....Thank you all for the fun of following your trials and meals...
And God bless our troops, both serving now and past
Posted by: Bud J | May 24, 2009 1:09 PM
Glad to hear the weather up there has finally broken enough for you to have breakfast outside. Its been like that here for awhile, but I don't dare do it. The humidity is way high. And the chameleons stare at me when I'm on the porch.
But the local frogs must have had babies recently. There have been bunches of tiny (smaller than a fly) frogs hopping about. I have to shoo them away from my door in the mornings. They might be cute, but they croak WAY too loud.
Posted by: PCB Rob | May 24, 2009 2:22 PM
Is it me, or do babies of all species have far more lung capacity than brain? Or even physical volume?
Posted by: Lissa | May 24, 2009 3:56 PM
Lissa,
You might be on to something there. These frogs are about the size of a quarter (or less) and can croak almost as loud as I can yell.
Thankfully the walls here have enough soundproofing that I don't hear them at night.
Posted by: PCB Rob | May 24, 2009 4:05 PM
Love the picture, even though it doesn't exactly seem part of the topic, unless, was that the view you had from your porch EL? I guess it does make me think of lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.
It's how I feel like spending the summer. EL
Posted by: Tweety Cat | May 24, 2009 5:05 PM
EL, don't forget that there are also yellow, green, orange, and purple heirloom tomatoes, all of which, perfectly ripe, are excellent with basil. They all taste just a little different, but they all taste WONDERFUL!
BTW, LOVE the cat hanging on the fence. It's so plump, tho, I wonder how it manages to balance so well.
Posted by: Dottie | May 26, 2009 9:51 PM