Postcard Friendship Friday - A Halloween Yarn

Reprinted with kind permission of http://www.cardcow.com/
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Another Halloween wish postcard! This one promises the name of the man that the yarn caster will marry.



As always, be careful of what you wish for.

(Is it just me or does this guy look like Charles Starkweather?)




The card is postmarked Lenox, Michigan, October 30, 1912

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It reads:

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Dear friend, Nice and dark tonight, isn't it? We were to Lenox today. Are you through with the beans now? Did you go and celebrate Monday? Nothing doing to go to Adair Sat, evening. Better intend to go to church and then go to Rahns. Ok we got you caught anyway. As ever.
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Nothing doing in Adair??? I can't believe it. If you're in the area, be sure and pronounce the name "a-deer".

Ojibwa Indian

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Here is an accurate map of Michigan. The arrow points to the base of the thumb.

Lenox Township and the village of New Haven are in Macomb County, at the base of Michigan's thumb.
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The Ojibwa lived in the area centuries before European contact. The first European explorers arrived in the area during the 17th century. A Moravian colony was established in the county in the late 18th century. They included French fur trappers and missionaries.

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Ojibwa Medicine Wheel

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Marovian Spice Cookies
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Moravian's are known for producing the thinnest spice cookies in the world. These are a traditional kind of cookie that originated in the Colonial American communities of the Moravian Church. The blend of spices and molasses, rolled paper thin, are related to German Lebkuchen. Original recipes can be traced back to the 1700's.
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In addition to the original French and English, later settlers included Germans, Belgians (waffles!) and others who came directly from Europe. In the 19th century the county received many American migrants from New York and New England who were attracted to the area for land and booming jobs.

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Macomb County was formally organized on January 15, 1818 as the third county in the Michigan territory. At that time, it covered a much larger area than it does today. In 1819 and 1820, large portions of the county were removed to form the counties of Oakland, Lapeer, Genesee and St. Clair . The county was named in honor of General Alexander Macomb, a highly decorated veteran of the War of 1812.

General Alexander Macomb

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Macomb, a Detroit native, won acclaim during the War of 1812 as brigadier general in command of the frontier of northern New York. At the Battle of Plattsburgh on September 11, 1814, with only 1,500 regular troops and some detachments of militia, he was opposed by a British force of 10,531 men under Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost.

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Macomb's heavily outnumbered troops fell back before the British columns in a series of skirmishes as Prevost advanced towards the American defensive works. In the weeks leading up to the battle, Macomb, knowing full well he would be outnumbered heavily, worked with his men to move trees and create fake roads in order to obscure the genuine roads and lead the British into dead-end traps far from the three nearby American forts.

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The British attack was diffused. Long narrow lines of marching soldiers were unable to easily stop and about-face. They became entangled in the narrow false road maze, and were sitting targets for the waiting Americans.
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Tch! tch! tch!

On August 5th, 2007, the entire New Haven village council, including Village Council Chairman Suzie Romero and Village President Brett Harris, were recalled and arraigned on multiple charges, ranging from corruption to money laundering.

A vintage shot of downtown Lenox, Michigan

Have a Boo-tiful Halloween!

For more Postcard Friendship Friday, stop by and visit our happy hostess, Marie, at Voila! Vintage Postcards!

See Me Sea Cruisin'!

Last week the Mister and I enjoyed a cruise to the Bahamas. Our ship was Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas. It sailed out of Port Canaveral on Monday October 19. We enjoyed 4 days and 4 nights of sun, sea, snoozing and snacking. It was a blur of buffets. A dearth of dinners. A litter of lunches.

And a semi comfy bed. Only mermaids and ship's passengers know what it's like to have the sea rock you gently to sleep.

A cruise is easy traveling. You take your hotel with you wherever you go. We docked next to this Norwegian Cruise ship in the Bahamas

Those beautiful resort hotels stay where they are. You have to pack up your stuff and take it with you if you want to go someplace else.

Freeport is not exactly free, but you do save money on essentials - like a years supply of Grand Mariner for example,

A sunny sight as seen from deck 11. Something about those buildings makes me homesick...or maybe thirsty......?....

Ah - a closer look - a Starbuck's! No wonder! Luckily the ship has a coffee shop, Latte-Tudes, so I don't have to leave the ship for a sip of java. But cruising is really all about f-o-o-d. Rumor has it that cruise ships are not allowed to dock back at the home port until all the food is gone. We'll do our part!

So, the Mister and I donned our "smart casual" wear and stopped by to pick up our cruise posse, Bill and Suzanne on our way to Claude's Dining Room

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We weren't the only ones that answered the dinner bell. They're on their way to the Windjammer buffet dinner.
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Our staterooms are just steps away from the elevators! Brilliant planning!

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The mister looks a bit peckish. It's been at least an hour since we last ate.
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We meet our wonderful serving staff. Amit, from India and Sunshine from China. Just two of about 40 nations represented by the ships crew.

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Sunshine showed me how to write "beautiful" in Chinese characters.

Beautiful!

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Amit took our dinner orders.

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Mia, from Great Britain, was traveling with her parents and brothers. She celebrated her birthday and wore this beautiful sea foam mermaid dress for the occasion.

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A first course of roasted garlic soup. Mmmmm!

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And my all time favorite escargot

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Where'd it go? Please Sir, May I have more?

After a wonderful evening of dinner, conversation, donating to slot machines and browsing about the ship we headed for our blankets and pillows
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Our stateroom staff had everything ship shape and left a bunny to watch for our safe return.

The mornings brought breakfast followed by lunch and plenty of activities and naps to keep us busy until dinner.
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Here we go again!

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Happy!


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Menu?


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Sunshine captures Mia for my camera.

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Looking a bit smug and very well fed

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While we were away, Layla the dog caught up on her favorite catalog

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And waited for us to set sail for home.

So, how was the trip?


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Beautiful!

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Postcard Friendship Friday! Pumpkin Seed Charm

Postcard reproduced here with kind permission of http://www.cardcow.com/

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday! We'll celebrate with another Hallowe'en postcard. This one includes a verse that instructs us how to keep black cats - and their associated bad luck -away. The not so menacing Jack o' lantern will keep him at bay as long as he is fortified with a ring of pumpkin seeds.

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Mmmm - pumpkin seeds! For years I was aware only of those store bought seeds that are covered in a salty salted saltish crust of salty salt. The main flavor was salt. I ate so many pumpkin seeds..well.. it's just a wonder I didn't end up like Lot's wife.
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I can almost hear my ankles swelling!
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Only 4 carbs per serving but enough salt to preserve you over the winter.

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I was in my early teens before we had our first home roasted pumpkin seeds fresh out of the Jack-o-lantern.
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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 pinch salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.

Delicious!

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The postcard is dated October 31, 1921. There is no stamp, or postmark. Perhaps Grandma tucked it away in his mother's suitcase during their last visit with several reminders of "don't forget to give this card to little Albert on Halloween!

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It reads:

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Hello Albert

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How is Grandma's little boy - what have you been doing since you got home. Love and kisses from Grandma

Sounds like a mighty nice Grandma, doesn't she?

I searched for Park Idaho, but found no information to share with you. Zilch. Albert lived one state over, in Leadpoint which is an unincorporated mining area in the far north east of Washington State. When I think of "mining town" I automatically think of coal mine. Leadpoint mines, however, contained galena (which is lead) and other associated minerals and elements:

Leadpoint Mines Mineral List:

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Cerussite also known as white lead
Dolomite sedimentary carbonate rock
Fluorite calcium fluoride -used in smelting process
Galena lead
Limonite an iron ore
Pyrite a carbonate mineral also known as fool's gold
Quartz second most abundant mineral on earth. amethyst and citrine are examples of quartz
Scheelite ore mineral of tungsten
Siderite a valuable iron mineral
Sphalerite zinc ore
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Leadpoint is a hilly or perhaps mountainous area with lots of lakes.
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Speaking of hills:

Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas anchored by some hilly isle.

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Here's where me n' the Mister were this week!

Celebrating our 40th

what a life!

See you later today!

In the meantime, stop by and visit our PFF host, Marie at Voila! Vintage Postcards!

Postcard Friendship Friday With Good Luck Wishes

I've found another early 1900's postcard with unusual good luck wishes for Halloween:


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A message of good luck for you

The best that you could dream

So let us all be merry

On this joyous Halloween.

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Apparently that is a good witch in the picture. Her BFF, the good Blue Fairy is mixing a cauldron of luck to ensure a joyous (?) Halloween.

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The year on the postmark is unreadable. My best guess is October 2o, 1904, 24 or 34. You choose.





It was mailed from Grants Pass in Oregon - another state the rest of us never talk much about. The liberal, Caucasian, gun toting, treehugging, hydroponic residents sandwiched between Washington and California would have moved further west had it not been for the Pacific Ocean.





The written message is like a prehistoric discovery. Cave drawings. Footsteps in the sandstone as it were. The author, Ralph, used the text messaging abbreviation "r u" for "are you"! I should send it to the Smithsonian. I'm thinking this find will surely compete with the Prehistoric Barbie!

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The message reads:

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Dear (unreadable) thithter Ruth,
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How r u and Rose getting along in H. School now. Mrs. Gruber, Marie's sister you know, thought you were doing fine. She used to be a stenographer. She, Mr. Gruber and little "Snookie" are coming down Saturday. "Snookie" or LaVon, rather, is a mighty cute baby and we have great times. She comes to me when she won't to her mother sometimes. Love to all, Ralph.

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Sounds like Ralph is a fun brother to his "thithter" and a great attraction to babies.

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Grants Pass and Medford are located in the Rogue Valley of southwest Oregon. Grant's pass was once a timber town, but now relies on tourism and Medford, once an agricultural area now has healthcare services as the main industry.

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Medford, down in the Rouge Valley

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Meet the Thunder Egg, an agate filled nodule. The Oregon State rock.

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Seed cone of the Douglas Fir, the State Tree of Oregon

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A California Native American myth states that the three-ended bracts in the seed cone are a tail and two tiny legs of the mice who hid inside the scales of the tree's cones during forest fires, and the tree was kind enough to be the enduring sanctuary for them. Beautiful!



The name of the tree honors David Douglas, a Scottish botanist who first cultivated the fir tree in Europe. It is one of the most common trees in North America and a very popular Christmas tree choice.
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A little too early to think about Christmas...it's not even that lucky joyous Halloween yet!
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For more Postcard Friendly Friday fun, stop by and see Marie at Voila! Vintage Postcards.

A Wedding Anniversary - 40 Years!

Today we celebrate 40 years together, my Mister and I

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The years just flew by - at least it seems that way now

Did you know that the 40th Wedding Anniversary....

Is the Ruby Anniversary?

That's what we celebrate today

You know? ....we never did have monogrammed towels... but those we've had through the years, and there have been many...dried us just the same.

We picked an amazing year to marry. That rainy Friday night was just one more day in an amazing year.

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Rob Kirpatrick wrote a book about 1969. He called it 1969 The Year Everything Changed.

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"This was the year that saw Apollo 11 land on the moon, the Cinderella stories of Joe Namath’s Jets and the “Miracle Mets,” the Harvard student strike and armed standoff at Cornell, the People’s Park riots, the first artificial heart transplant and first computer network connection, the Manson family murders and cryptic Zodiac Killer letters, the Woodstock music festival, Easy Rider, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, the Battle of Hamburger Hill, the birth of punk music, the invasion of Led Zeppelin, the occupation of Alcatraz, death at Altamont Speedway, and much more. It was a year that pushed boundaries on stage (Oh! Calcutta!), screen (Midnight Cowboy), and the printed page (Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex), witnessed the genesis of the gay rights movement at Stonewall, and started the era of the “no fault” divorce. Richard Nixon became president, the New Left squared off against the Silent Majority, William Ayers co-founded the Weatherman Organization, and the nationwide Moratorium provided a unifying force in the peace movement."

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40 Years!

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The letters of the word "forty" are in alphabetical order; this is the only number that has this linguistic property in English

Life begins at forty"

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forty winks

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40 yard dash

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The back 40

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Days and Nights of Noah's Flood

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the code for direct dial international phone calls to Romania

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hours in a work week

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days of fasting

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years the Israelites wandered in the desert

And the number of years the Mister and I have loved each other and shared our lives.

40

It has a nice ring to it