Bonus Day

To make plans for this year's garden.

We want ours to look just like this one at Klehm's Song Sparrow.

What We Know Now

We understand that we will never be natives of our little town, but we may have finally gone from "not from here" to being locals.

Some might think we would have achieved that status because we've owned the same house for 25 years, delivered three babies in the hometown hospital and soon will have graduated three Chi-Hi Cardinals.

But the true signs came slowly, and very subtly added to our localness. Let's see...

There was the first successful making of the Chippewa hot beef.

Then we learned which day of the week fresh cheese curds come to the mom and pop grocery and that they remain squeaky only if left out of the frig.

Next came the ability to call the plumber, mechanic, paint store, and library without having to look up the numbers or needing to identify ourselves by more than a first name.

We quickly learned that anyone we are talking to could be related to the person we are talking about.

After a relatively short while we could not walk the six blocks to downtown without getting a honk or wave from at least one, and usually many, passing motorists or pedestrians.

If we forget we have gone to the store on foot and unthinkingly buy the five pound bag of potatoes or watermelon on weekly special we can always find someone in the store who will offer to take our heavy load and drop it off on the front porch.

We finally know which way we should be heading if someone tells us to go up Porkchop Hill, across the Silver Bridge, out to Shafer's Corner, past Pooh's on the Pond, or across from Ray's Beach.

And now it seems, the deal has been sealed. Yup, NDL is a bowling league sub.

We have arrived (in striped rental shoes and with a 93 handicap).

At Ease

Photo: S. Plasch

Sew Still

Faithfully, silently, sweetly waiting to be of service.

This longtime companion of a dedicated, skilled seamstress now keeps us company in the sewing room reminding us of the many generations of artful women before us who knew how to "make do or mend".

Photo: S. Plasch

Silver Bullet

Lightens the burden of the housewife.

The helpful thimble as symbol of the burden-lightening, lighting enhancing product advertised on the other side, Delco Light - a small internal combustion generator with battery intended to provide a source of electric illumination and mechanical power to rural residents (mostly farmers) who were not yet connected to the nascent electrical grid system. - Wikipedia

Found in a tin of buttons gifted to us by a friend.

Behind Every Great Man

Is a proud mom willing to do most anything for him. No, no, we're not talking about Jon Hamm. Although we're sure his mother is very proud.

Behind him? A model who needs you to buy the March issue of Esquire so that she can earn enough money to buy clothes that cover her whole body.

But the real reason to buy the current issue is to see the picture chosen for publication from a photo shoot held right next door to NDL HQ, by NDL, of the Queen of Cream of Mushroom Soup herself - Honeybee.

Her son, yet another neighborhood kid made good, is photo director for the illustrious Esquire magazine. When he called to request a photo of dear old mom for an article on Moms and pantry cooking we were all over it like Shake'n Bake on a drumstick and had a darn good time trying to get a shot that would capture the true essence of our favorite convenience food gourmand.

There are several great articles you will want to read...

...but page 139 131 is the main attraction as far as we're concerned. Bring your copy on over and you might just score an autograph and some free cooking tips. For example: the best brand of can opener to use to avoid repetitive stress injuries.

Yum yum.


Did You Know?

Trivia:

Honeybee's favorite secret seasoning to enhance a canned soup sauce is Mrs. Dash.

The secret to making her sloppy Joes mouthwatering and her wedded life spicy? Manwich.

Goofs:

The photo crew did not notice until the shoot was over that Honeybee was holding the supposedly hot skillet barehanded by the base rather than the handle.

Quotes:

"Not bad for cold Ragu."

"A sandwich is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal."

A Head for Buttons

Couldn't resist these clever buttons from johncaswelldesign. They make us smile.

Cool stuff on his blog too.

Funny Up, Down, and on Both Sides of the Pond

If you are a fan of Downton Abbey you might enjoy this silly version that rings oh so true (as does most great parody) created for The UK's 2011 Red Nose Day - Comic Relief Night. Some of our very favorites make very funny appearances here. Remember Patsy and Edina, AKA Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, from Abfab? How we've missed them*.






If you loved that here's the, possibly even funnier, Part Two.


* They're back on their own too!

White Glove Love

When you marry a fastidious homemaker you shouldn't be surprised when scouring and scrubbing get in the way of love.

It is hard to ease up on our stringent standards, but maybe just for today we'll let the cobwebs and dust bunnies hang around while we focus on domestic arts in matters of the heart.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bell Boy Oh Boy

Aren't you cute!

My Punny Valentine

Henrietta could tell from Floyd's choice of Valentine that accepting his invitation would result in the most excruciatingly painful first/last date ever.

Choose wisely fellas.(and gals)

Driven to Distraction

Valentine, you drive me crazy.

Vapid Valentine

It is said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. Well, sometimes we part the curtains, peek inside and there is not a soul at home. But if the house has a vacancy sign in front maybe that means there is plenty of room for uncomplicated love inside.

Here's a little secret,

Promise not to tell -

If you like me as I like you

You like me pretty well!

And if the Hearts and Flowers Don't Work

...Try a Valentine that may get you a sweetheart, but more likely, a restraining order.

Money Can't Buy Me Love

I'd like to be a millionaire,

And in my private car to fare

Across the continent in ease,

Or sail my yacht on seven seas;

But more than all, I'd like to sign

Myself as your true Valentine.

Birds and Flowers All Agree

That you are just the one for me.

Law of the Universe

Two's company, three's a crowd.

Super Love

We interupt our Valentine love fest to show a little love to hometown boys made good, Megafaun.

"Hope You Know" from the LP "Megafaun" is the lovely background for this Toyota Camry commercial that we are expecting to see during the Superbowl.




We thought only Hallmark commercials could make us tear-up. But between the touching images and beautiful melody in the advertisement, and the memories of these musically talented, former little rascals weaving in and out of neighborhood life, well, we got a bit misty.

Well done boys.



P.S. We wonder if another local connection might be found with the cork covered car. Could it belong to this woman?

Pretty Please

Nothing counts without you,

My heart lies at your feet

So say you'll be my Valentine

And make my world complete.

Beano and Bonbons

New meaning for "I've got that loving feeling."?

Red Hot Thoughts of You

Are not enough to melt the Winter into Spring.

Hang in there loverboy.

From the XO Files

We share with you selections from a recent acquisition of vintage Valentines made possible by the generous donation of a kindred spirit in collecting. There is a lot to say, but at the same time not much that needs to be said about these sweet offerings of the heart. Saved for three quarters of a century by bachelor farmers who received them from school pals and relatives in the 20's and 30's they speak for themselves as they did for the young givers who were perhaps too tongue-tied to express their feelings out loud. We do wonder if the affection shown by Lorna, Perdilla, Bernetta, Mariella, Nedra, and others through rhyming verse and gilded design was reciprocated by the shy brothers, but we will never know.

More sentiment of the sweet season to follow in the next 14 days of Valentines.