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Planet Mom will return soon!
Planet Mom: It’s
where I live. Visit me there at
www.notesfromplanetmom.com and now at
www.notesfromplanetmom.blogspot.com too!

The House
Spouse
By Jerry Westbrook
Camp Marshmallow
Long ago and
far away, my parents sent me to summer camp at Lake Arrowhead.
No, not that ritzy one in California, the other one. We slept on
lumpy bunks in tiny, stuffy cabins, not in classy suites.
Instead of loads of free time to explore nature and generally
enjoy ourselves, we were tied to a rigid camp schedule. I hated
that rigid schedule. Everything was timed to the nanosecond.
Even the fish in the lake were told when to jump.
To break the
monotony, we snuck out of our cabin during one afternoon’s
forced rest period. We found some round rocks a little smaller
than basketballs, painted them, and arranged them for a border
around the front of our cabin. Instead of feeling like resting,
we felt energized, so we went inside and straightened up the
cabin. Then we swept, mopped, and waxed the floor and cleaned
the window (that’s window – singular). I wasn’t much direct
help, I admit, but I was credited with coming up with the
constant stream of ideas for what we could do next.
We were
busted, of course. After dinner that night, we were called up to
the head table in the mess hall in front of everybody and
presented the Neatest Cabin Award for the day. Until then, the
girls in cabin 13 across the rec field had always swept up the
trophy. They were furious. They couldn’t fathom that we’d ever
be motivated to beat them, let alone find the time.
All that
afternoon, they thought we’d be sneaking down to the lake for an
extra swim during rest period, so they spiffied up their cabin.
Surely they’d beat us at inspection time. We wouldn’t have a
chance. They didn’t reckon with our rock hounds or my duty list.
They were such sore losers that at the age of eight, I gave up
on women for at least two weeks.
I vowed that
I’d never get myself into a camp regimen again. And I didn’t,
except for a few campouts with the Boy Scouts. That was more
like real camping — tents, sleeping bags, cooking our own grub,
digging our own latrine, roasting marshmallows on a dirty stick
over a smoky campfire.
Fast forward
four or five decades to last weekend. The Mrs. talked me into
taking her and The Poodle camping. I’d forgotten what it’s like
to rough it out in the woods. The folks on both sides of our
site felt the same way.
Camp
Marshmallow is a cozy little getaway in a rustic, wooded site
beside a stream that was expected to overflow at any moment,
thanks to the steady downpour that arrived right after we did.
After dark, we also noticed that we’d parked under an airport
flight path and not that far from a stock car racetrack.
One evening,
between rainstorms, the Mrs. had a brainstorm. "Hey! I have a
brainstorm," she announced. "Why don’t we take advantage of the
lull and roast marshmallows over the campfire?" I could
immediately think of dozens of reasons why not, but just to
teach her a lesson, I set out to accomplish just that feat.
For five
bucks, I bought an armload of wet wood from the camp
authorities. She wondered aloud how I’d manage to start a fire
with wet wood. I replied that we’d use an old Boy Scout trick.
Her incredulous look egged me on, so I explained that we always
carried a copy of the Girl Scout Handbook with us. She
brightened, thinking I’d say that Girl Scouts would naturally
have better ideas for starting a cooking fire.
Interrupting
her triumphant thoughts, I continued. All we had to do was
borrow a lighter from the Scout Master, rip a few pages from the
Girl Scout Manual, and we’d be roasting marshmallows in no time.
She’d never have believed me if I’d said we rubbed sticks
together.
Jerry
Westbrook is a writer living with the Mrs. and The Poodle in
Winfield, PA, where he's drying his camping gear.
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The Jaded
Eye
By Gerry Ayers
The French Connection
I was madly in
love with a French belle in the 1980s who was really quite
beautiful, had a mind of her own, and of course, had a certain
je ne sais quoi about her.
Trouble is, I
never got to meet her, let alone afford her. Let me explain.
I've never
been one to go mainstream and when the rumor mill started to
overflow with speculation that the Renault Alpine GTA sports car
was coming to these shores, I was overjoyed. It was love at
first sight not only with the design, but the specifications and
execution. I was jubilant this swoopy sweetheart of a car was
going to make its way from Europe to the United States.
The troubled
American Motors Corporation (AMC) was going to bring this jewel
stateside to stimulate sales and make it a "halo vehicle" in
their lineup. But by December 1986, Chrysler's buyout of AMC put
the kibosh on these plans. And on mine.
You see, I
started to save for this piece de resistance the minute I
saw pictures of it. Some men fall for Italian beauties such as
Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati or Lamborghini. Others go ga ga
over German marques such as Porsche or BMW. But I was lusting
after something that was of French design — Eiffel Tower
thinking and, unfortunately, Channel No. 5 price tag.
When you're a
young man you dream big. Oui?
The car shown
in the picture was powered by a 200 horsepower V6 motor driven
through the rear wheels. It was a 2 plus 2 cockpit — meaning
bucket seats up front and small jump seats in the rear. The body
was made of plastic resin material for lightweight and strength.
Perhaps the quirkiest feature was the motor, which resided
BEHIND the rear axel line, like a Porsche 911.
C'est magnifique!
Just like a
French woman who can be sedate one minute and go berserk the
next, the Renault Alpine GTA had tricky handling characteristics
at the limit because of so much weight over the rear wheels. No
problem. By 1986 they pondered making it all wheel drive and
boosting the power level to 240 horsepower via turbocharging.
Now my
adrenaline was really flowing! I wrote love letters to AMC and
Renault asking them, begging them, to bring this femme fatale
our way. I'd pay her admission, get her the green card she
desperately needed for instant citizenship. I was proposing an
arranged marriage of sorts.
They'd write
back to me saying "Thank you for your interest in our product,
but no definite plans have been made as of yet regarding this
model." Were they more worried about their country's wine,
cheese and bread sticks than this moving piece of art?
The obsession
and hope centered on having an Alpine GTA of my own lasted for a
few years until harsh reality settled in. AMC was totally broke
and not coming back. Chrysler didn't want an Alpine GTA to fight
Porsche 911s or Lotus Esprits because they already had a
sledgehammer of a sports car in the works — the Dodge Viper.
And, even if I sold my soul, I wouldn't be able to afford an
Alpine, which I'm sure a few got exported here through the gray
market.
One reason I
keep going to car shows is to maybe catch a glimpse of this sexy
starlette whom I never got to meet in person. I still look at
all the magazines I kept about her. Read about how she held her
own against much higher priced exotics. I still find her
charming and unique. And unobtainable.
Back in the
day, my Ford Mustangs and Shelby Dodges were cool but crude.
Much like many American girls, who lacked true sophistication
and a certain flair that only Europeans seemed to not only
capture, but exploit.
So, do you
know of a nice 1980s vintage Renault Alpine GTA sitting
someplace, used gingerly, waxed and serviced regularly and has
all service records intact? And that wants to meet a guy who'll
treat her with respect and admiration?
Call G so I
can arrange a dream date. Until then, au revoir!
Back to Top
The Bookworm Sez
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
"The Particular Sadness of Lemon
Cake"By Aimee Bender
$25.95 / $30.00 Canada
304 pages
The recipe is the original, in her
handwriting. You’ve figured out that a "handful" equals one cup
and a "pinch" is a quarter teaspoon. You’ve measured and spooned
and sifted faithfully.
So why can’t you get anything to
taste the way Grandma made it? You wish she was around to tell.
What mysterious addition made food different when it came from
her kitchen?
Ask Rose. There’s always something
extra in her food, but in the new book "The Particular
Sadness of Lemon Cake" by Aimee Bender, it’s rarely edible.
It started on the cusp of Rose
Edelstein’s ninth birthday. Rose’s mother was excited to have
time to bake a special cake, a lemon one from a
delicious-sounding recipe. From the oven, it smelled wonderful,
but one bite and Rose knew something was wrong. Despair
overwhelmed her and she couldn’t finish.
Hardly anyone would believe her,
for sure. Rose’s father was always working and when he was home,
he was exhausted and barely had energy for TV-watching. Her
brother, Joseph, was a strange boy who loved math and physics
and being alone. Her mother, the source of all sad food, was
wrapped up in a new job that was fulfilling in a new-job sort of
way. The only person who didn’t scoff was George, Joseph’s best
friend, and Rose loved him for it.
By age twelve, the "gift" was honed
so well that Rose could taste the difference between oranges
from Florida and oranges from California. Her tongue knew each
factory, each grass-feeding beef farm, every garden from every
state. She tasted anger and happiness, love and machinery. Her
odd ability never left her, and it was strong enough to know
that her mother was having an affair.
At age seventeen, Rose cooked her
first meal and ate it, not recognizing the factory taste of
herself. That was the year Joseph disappeared for the last time,
her mother started sleeping in his old bed night after night,
and Rose’s father took up jogging after dark. It was the year
that Rose made a fool of herself over George.
But it was also the year that Rose
found the restaurant she’d been searching for all her life.
There, spinach was spinach and onions had no meaning. There,
food was for savoring and secrets were safe.
There are a lot of adjectives that
can be used to describe author Aimee Bender’s latest novel:
quirky, weird, odd. Also: compelling, addictive. The ultimate
fact is that "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" is probably
the strangest book you’ll never want to put down.
But here’s the thing: I say that
with no small amount of amazement. I wasn’t too keen on the plot
of this book at first, but Bender’s precocious Rose made me
stay. I was glad I did, because this book turned out to be
purely irresistible.
Perfect for vacationing,
weekending, or for book groups, I think you’ll like "The
Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake". If you’re in the mood for
something different, you’ll eat this book up.
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Listen to This
Payola —
Dead or Alive? Part 2
By Mark Boyer
Last week, I introduced a little
Rock and Roll History 101 to you. I gave my "ugly
segregation in American music history" speech and I mentioned
that Rock and Roll was initially really just Rhythm and Blues
music that was originating in black communities, but was being
introduced to white kids through the radio, jukeboxes and record
companies.
This Rhythm and Blues music had
actually been around for many years and some of the really big
hits of the 1950s were actually popular R&B tunes from the 1930s
and 40s. The one thing that it was lacking was popular exposure,
among all races.
In the 1950s, deejays brought the
needed exposure to this style of music. As television began to
take over the radio market, radio focused in on playing music.
Record companies began to heavily use a process of paying
deejays to play specific songs known as Payola, a combination
the words "pay" and "Victrola". It wasn’t a new concept
entirely, nor was it strictly Rock and Roll specific. Payola was
provided in the form of direct payments or more often in the
form of partial ownership of song royalties or other backdoor
procedures. The more the deejays pushed a song, the more kids
would buy the records and the more money the deejay would make.
In 1959, television was rocked by a
scandal in the game show industry. It was found that many shows
were rigging the results so that popular guests were winning,
helping ratings to blossom from week to week. Following
Congressional hearings, attention was turned to the radio
industry, where Payola was becoming big business and deejays —
even more than the companies they worked for — were becoming big
financial players in the entertainment industry. In 1960,
Congress focused its attention on cleaning up the corruption in
the radio and record industries.
Rock and Roll had become a thorn in
the side of many older generation Americans as well as many of
the ASCAP song-pluggers of the earlier decades that had now seen
their popularity bubble pop. Payola was the one way to get a
grasp on this out-of-control marketplace. The Congressional
probe focused in on the most popular deejays in the music
industry such as Alan Freed and Dick Clark. As the Payola
scandal became a public issue, many radio stations began cutting
their deejays lose before any wrongdoing could be focused on the
company. Hundreds of deejays across America were fired for
accepting Payola before the hearings even began.
The scandal also became big news
because of the way that the two big name deejays handled
themselves. Alan Freed was indicted initially for receiving just
$2,500 that he said was just a gift. He held to the position
that his airplay was not affected by any payments. This denial
of any wrongdoing, but admission that he had received money from
record companies, made him a big target, eventually ruining his
career. He was quickly fired by all of his affiliated radio
stations. Dick Clark was much more careful and cooperative. He
sold all his holdings and interests in the record industry. He
had everything laid out, with statistics about his involvement
in Payola and how it affected popularity charts. He also
admitted profits of nearly $12,000 on an investment of only
about $120. In the end, although everyone seemed to know that he
was involved, he received just a slap on the wrist and continued
his illustrious career. Alan Freed on the other hand was
devastated professionally. He died of alcohol abuse just a few
years later, broke and broken.
Over the years, record companies
found other creative ways to get music played. Third party gifts
became standard in the days following Payola, where record
companies would hire promotion companies that would then give
"incentives" to radio stations for adding certain songs to their
play lists. The loophole was closed finally in 2007 when the FCC
cracked down on radio station companies and independent
promoters. After 47 years of corruption since the Congressional
Payola hearings, it seems that Payola is finally dead.
The question that doesn’t seem to
be asked though is, what is the next avenue for record companies
to get their hits to become hits.
Throughout the history of Rock and
Roll, Billboard has had some type of Top 100 list, although it
has changed over the years. The songs are ranked on the list by
using a formula, which includes radio play, record sales and
other factors. There are many factors that determine a "hit" and
there are many different outlets for the record companies to use
to get us hooked on their song. Radio is taking a back seat to
the Internet. The deejay isn’t a real star factor anymore, and
the radio companies don’t have their loophole anymore. Things
have changed again, and with that change will come new ways to
get you to hear what the record companies want you to hear. They
pick the hits long before you hear them. Corruption follows
money in most cases. It’s just a matter of time until Payola is
reinvented.
Mark Boyer is a proud father of
three, Director of Secondary Bands for the East Lycoming School
District, freelance trumpet player, private music teacher and
production associate for Knoebels Amusement. He can be reached
at sandhazrd@aol.com.
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Just
Say Ahhhhh
By China Neal
I just finished helping to register
100 United States Postal Service mail carriers attending a
conference, as potential bone marrow donors. While, I was
registering people a man approached and said, "I’m a recipient,
I would not be here today if someone hadn’t donated their bone
marrow."
What would you do to save a life?
Regular Webb Weekly readers will
remember my article, Why I’m a Dodger fan. In the story I wrote
about my co-worker’s husband, Bobby who died while waiting for a
bone marrow transplant. The truth is people especially children,
are dying needlessly.
The markers used in matching are
inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their
own race or ethnicity and, as is sometimes the case, siblings
are not always a match. The more donors that come from diverse
racial and ethnic backgrounds increases the possibility that all
patients will find a match.
Donors must be between the ages of
18 and 60 and meet certain health guidelines.
If you are from a minority
community, you are especially encouraged to
join the
Be The Match registry or
donate
umbilical cord blood. But everyone is needed and unfortunately
most minorities only represent 7% to 9% of the registry.
Here is a list of diseases that may
be treated and hopefully cured by a bone marrow transplant.
For adults: Amyloidosis, Aplastic
anemia, Inherited diseases, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple
myeloma, myelodspastic syndrome, solid tumors including
(ovarian, testicular and brain cancers).
The list is even longer for
children:
Adenoleukodystrophy (ALD), Aplastic
Anemia( severe), Fanconi's anemia, High grade gliomas (primary
brain tumors), Leukemia, Myelodysplastic syndrome, Lymphoma,
Medulloblastoma (Pediatric brain tumors),
Metabolic/genetic-selected inborn error correctable with
transplant, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, MPS VI, SCI, Thalassemia,
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), Sickle Cell anemia,
Solid tumors e.g. Ewing sarcoma, Wilm’s Tumor, Clear cell
sarcoma.
My friends and I formed the Me2
Foundation for the purpose of connecting the Cancer community
and providing education. The name comes from the answer to the
question — "Do you know someone whose life has been impacted by
cancer? Well me, too." Get it….Me2? The truth is everyone knows
someone who has or has had cancer. Our motto is "One Community."
It doesn’t matter if you are a warrior fighting for your life, a
survivor or a friend or family member; we are all impacted, we
are all connected.
About a year ago, Me2 became a
partner with the National Bone Marrow Registry now know as Be
the Match. The partnership entails Me2 conducting bone
marrow drives. We conducted two bone marrow drives in
conjunction with the Red Cross Blood Drives. Last month we did a
drive at the Pediatric Cancer 5k and half marathon race.
In August we are assisting at two
drives for The United States Postal Services Convention for
Letter Carriers. Me2 will also be at the 6th Annual Healthy
Heritage Wellness Conference designed to address Health Issues
within the African -American Community. In September we will be
registering donors at the Leukemia and Lymphoma’s "Light The
Night" event at Angel’s Stadium.
If you would like to join the Bone
Marrow Registry, please look for bone marrow drives in your
area. You can also contact the local chapter of Be The Match
to sponsor a drive.
But, I can make it even easier for
you. From now until September 30th you can go online to
BeTheMatch.org and register. They will send you the swab kit.
There is usually a cost attached to the online registration, but
if you put in the promo code "me2" when prompted they will send
you the swab kit at no cost. Of course, if you’d like to donate
money to the Registry that would be wonderful! The donations pay
for the drives to register people, for patient financial support
for the transplant journey and for life saving research.
I’m fortunate, my medicine is doing
a great job keeping pretty healthy, but the only cure for my
type of leukemia is a bone marrow transplant. One day that may
become my only option.
It’s just one swab each to the four
corners of your cheek for the typing, to see if you are a
potential match. When I joined in the bone marrow registry in
1989, they poked your finger and drew a pipette of blood. Now
all you have to do is open your mouth – ahhhhhhh.
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The Pennsylvania Garden
Lavender in the Garden Makes Scents
By Gary Federowicz
"Perfumes are the feelings of flowers."
— Heinrich Heine
When it comes to fragrant plants in
the garden, a few automatically come to mind, such as lilacs,
roses and lilies. These bloomers not only add beauty to the
landscape, they also provide a delicate sent.
No list of fragrant plants would be
complete without the versatile lavender whose name is as sweet
at the plant itself.
English Lavender (Lavendula
angustttieolia) is one of the most popular , lavender varieties
and features a compact growing habit and aromatic blooms.
Native to the Mediterranean regions
of the world, lavender is often spotted growing in steep,
hillside locations where the soil conditions are not the best.
This is a good indicator on the
plants adaptability and hardiness.
The key to growing lavender is
adequate drainage, this is critical since lavender does not like
to have wet "feet."
Plant in full sun settings with
well drained soil.
Lavender may be used in beds,
boarders or as edging.
In the spring, lavender may be cut
back to about six inches high, Doing this helps increase growth,
while creating a stronger blooming plant. There are many
varieties of lavender available to gardeners but many are not
perennially suited for our growing zone here in the Susquehana
valley. If you plant any of these more tender lavenders they
will perform more as an annual and not survive our cold winters.
Two types that are great for over wintering here in our zone are
the English varieties Munstead and Munstead Dwarf, both are
hardy and easy to grow.
The aromatic munstead features
whorlly spikes of lavender blue flowers and typically stay under
18 inches tall.
Lavender makes for an excellent
dried flower and may be used in potpourri, while commercially it
is used in perfumes, scented candles and soap.
A quick and easy way to enjoy
lavender is to simply cut several stems before they are fully
open, tie them in a small and hang the bunch upside down until
fully dried. Although the flowers will dry, the lovely scent
remains intact.
With its delicate blooms, tranquil
color and delicate fragrance, adding a pot or two of lavender to
the garden will makes perfect scents.
Back to Top
Businesses on the Lawn
By Rosemary Neidig
In the height of summer yard sales,
nothing quite compares to this annual display of
entrepreneurship around the valley. One who organizes a business
venture assumes the risk for the sake of profit. In varying
degrees, individuals, families, neighbors and entire communities
organize this informal business venture.
Once a year, we scour basements,
attics, garages and closets for items that are collecting dust.
Household stuff that we thought someday we might need or clothes
saved for another season after we shed those unwanted pounds.
Decision making becomes crucial in
selecting inventory for the yard sale. Like any business,
knowing your customers proves valuable. For example, mothers
whose young children are growing faster than their wardrobes are
often shopping for toddler play clothes. Avid novel readers are
interested in the latest paperbacks by their favorite authors at
bargain prices. And don’t overlook used sports equipment and
handyman tools that attract men’s interest. Those "nuts and
bolts" that have accumulated over the years can become appealing
items on a specialized display. One caution though. Several
years ago, a mother eagerly gathered items to contribute to her
church’s rummage sale. As she sorted through her children’s
toys, she added several playthings to her pile. She was very
pleased with her donation as she walked away from the rummage
sale’s preparation in the school gym. When the children returned
from school that day, Judy wondered where her favorite doll had
disappeared too. Mom’s heart dropped, realizing that the prize
possession had been included in her donation. There was nothing
more to do than explain where dolly was and try to console her
tearful child. Nothing quieted Judy until mom agreed to send her
to the rummage sale with money to buy back her doll. Choose
wisely.
Advertisements are a vital element
for every business and an important aspect of having a
successful yard sale. This takes on many forms including
newspaper ads in advance of your date; often weekend days have
proved to be the most attended. Some of your customers
systematically plan a yard sale route for their Saturday morning
shopping spree, so directional signs are valuable in guiding
your customers to your place. Florescent green and orange flyers
and brightly colored balloons are everywhere in the valley along
with all those black and white handmade signs tacked to poles ,
and propped up at corner stop signs on Saturday mornings
announcing all those amateur businesses.
The day before your sale is set
aside for arranging your inventory. Just as department stores
display items to attract shoppers, displaying your merchandise
is another important feature for success. Tables are a
convenient height for shoppers but few of us have a stockpile of
folding card tables, picnic tables and kitchen tables; instead,
wooden "horses" and sheets of plywood can serve as makeshift
tables. Clothesline strung between two front yard trees makes a
great hanger for lightweight shirts, sweaters, dresses and
slacks. Smaller and heavier clothes can be stacked on tables
according to size, making for shopping ease.
Pricing, one of those tedious
tasks, can be made easier even without the high tech barcodes in
grocery stores. Groups of similar items can be listed on a
cardboard sign with one price for each. Paperback books listed
at one price; hardbacks for another price. Also, pricing might
be done before the rush of prep day. But remember, most
customers like to negotiate your price; this seems to be a
standard among yard sale shoppers, especially if the item
carries a larger price tag.
Friday nights in summer can
generate heavy dew by Saturday morning; so the experienced sales
manager covers all those carefully arranged merchandise tables
with tarps, shower curtains or some sort of plastic protection.
Check the weather report, too, because rain can spoil all your
plans.
Dawn on sale day is greeted with
enterprising sellers and buyers alike. Hope and energy carries
everybody at the start. Ready, set, go. Cash boxes full of
change, bags for purchases, warm coffee to take off the early
morning’s chill. Early Birds who arrive before the announced
grand opening pose the first dilemma. Do you reward their
enthusiasm? Or refuse to sell items before time? Then there is
the sellers’ most frequently asked question on sale day. "will
you take less for…?" may be hard to deal with.
But at the end of your business day
while you are counting your profit; remember, you have had "on
the job" training for business management. Success can not
always be measured in dollars and cents.
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