The dreidel, Christmas tree, black, red and green candles are readily identifiable elements of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa, ones that we’re all familiar with.  I was chatting with Carol this afternoon and asked about her holiday plans. Along with a Christmas eve gathering and visiting family on Christmas day, she mentioned an annual tradition something akin to a Chinese auction.  Unusual maybe, but a unique experience that will continue with the next generation and the next . . .

I’m curious.  Does your family have a special holiday tradition?  When did it begin?  Share your experience with us.  And Happy Holidays.

While it may be collectible, it’s not really ‘old’ if you find the following:

POSTAL CODE
1943:  The postal service implements postal zones for large cities.
                John Hancock
                28 Main St.
                Boston 24, Massachusetts
July 1, 1963:  Non-mandatory 5-digit ZIP codes are announced for the whole country.
                John Hancock
                28 Main St.
                Boston, Massachusetts 02124
1967: ZIP mandatory for second- and third-class bulk mailers, and soon adopted generally.
1983: USPS begins using an expanded ZIP + 4

 
TELEPHONE NUMBER
(Actual dates vary widely, as determining factors such as region, company, population, etc. could mean a delay of years before innovations were implemented.)
1878:  First commercial switchboard begins operation.  Callers request connections by name.
1879:  First numbers/letters are assigned; no particular order or number of digits.
ca. 1928:  Letter prefix and digits begin, number of characters vary with region, etc.
1947:  Three-digit area codes, called the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) including the United States and Canada, go into effect.
1958:  ANC, or all number calling begins.
(note: in old advertisements you may find a name before a number that is not an exchange. Areas with competing telephone companies did not provide interconnecting service.  Therefore a business might list two phone numbers—Bell 1234 and Atlanta 4321—so customers using either Southern Bell or Atlantic Telephone could call.)

 
BAR CODE
Late 1960’s: Two early systems are installed – one in a General Motors plant and the other in the General Trading Company’s distribution center in New Jersey. The barcodes held only 2 digits of data.
1972:  A bullseye symbol and scanner are installed and operating in a Cincinnati Kroger. Printing problems with the bulls-eye barcodes and scanning problems limited its usefulness.
June 26th, 1974:  A 10-pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum was the first product logged in a grocery store by a barcoding system using the modern UPC code.
1994:  The QR (quick response) code is created to track parts in vehicle manufacturing. Since then it has become more widely used, and is rapidly expanding.

Better Homes & Gardens is offering FREE pumpkin carving stencils.
Better yet, they’re donating $2 to several charities for every stencil downloaded, up to $5,000!

The Humane Society of the United States has already reached the limit, but
The March of Dimes
Rebuilding Together
Big Brothers Big Sisters
and
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
are still collecting

A simple registration is all that’s required.
You can choose to get various BHG offerings or opt out.
Once you’ve chosen and downloaded your stencil from one of the four charities,
you’ll see the Humane Society (really cute!) stencils available,
although they will not receive any more donations.

Thanks BHG, it’s a great idea!
http://bhg.com/charitystencils

My son and his wife flew off to Nevada to meet up with my older son and attend the 2011 Burning Man festival.  They left two children and two dogs in my care.  Unfortunately the timing was bad because I do the layout for an e-magazine under a tight deadline that just happened to fall within that 10-day span.  So after dropping the kids off at their schools, I’d race home to my computer in Fort Pierce, work until it was time to pick them up, then race back to Port St. Lucie

First thing, I laid out the ground rules and established a schedule; bedtime, mealtime, homework first, no video games after 7pm, cookies are not a major food group, etc., etc.  The kids (Damien 6 and Gianna 4) have been great, although they did start to salute me after a couple days.

Gianna is starting dance class, so needed the required clothing.  I raised two boys, I can fish, repair just about anything, change my oil, install a dishwasher.  Don’t have a clue where to buy a tu-tu.  Well, let’s start at Wal-Mart, I know they have tights.  After repeatedly asking a salesperson where individual items are located, she finally asks “Is this for a dance class?”  Hhmm, maybe she knows about this stuff.  Turns out Wal-Mart has a dancewear section!  We have tights, leotard, shoes, and in lieu of the tu-tu, something called a dance skirt – all in fabulous, feminine pink.

I discovered that my son’s boxers and a t-shirt will work as pajamas if I forget my laundry at home.  I discovered that no one will tell you that your shirt is on backwards and that size and price are clearly visible on the long sticky strip you forgot to remove.  I discovered that broccoli dipped in Italian dressing is pretty good, corn on the cob – not so much.  I discovered that if you don’t like white milk, but like cereal, add some Nestle’s chocolate.

Four more days to go and I return home – to sleep in my own bed, take naps when I feel like it, the quiet of living with only my senior citizen dog, skip breakfast if I want, leave sharp knives on the countertop, read books that have multi-syllable words.  To my humble abode, where I won’t have to ask my grandson, “Where the heck does mom keep the cheese grater/stapler/dog chews, etc.?”

Yep, looking forward to that.  But I’ve had fun.  My grandchildren are fascinating people with so much to teach me, and I have this opportunity to really listen to them.  Exhausted?  Yes.  Would I do it again?  In a heartbeat.

Animal collectibles!  Ok, maybe the collectibles don’t, but their real life counterparts do.  From the earliest cave drawings to our modern world, mankind has always been fascinated by animals.  Whether it’s fuzzy and huggable or wild and dangerous, we’re captivated and want to surround ourselves with our favorites.  Since having a hundred dogs, or even a single tiger, isn’t really practical (or safe!), collectibles fulfill that desire.

Some of the most popular animals collected are: dogs and cats – often a specific breed; farm animals such as cows, pigs, chickens; butterflies, bees and birds land on our tabletops; horses, zebras and deer trot across our mantles; dolphins, whales, frogs and turtles grace out desks; while skunks, rabbits and squirrels find a home in our curio cabinets.  Whichever creature of land, sea or air bewitches you, that first acquisition can lead to a lifetime hobby.

Figurines are most often collected.  Usually small, you can add to your collection for years before you need to buy a bigger home.  Prices can be absurdly cheap or set you back nearly as much as that bigger home.  But figurines just scratch the surface of the many available collectibles.

Vintage books – fact or fiction – especially children’s books, that focus on an animal are a wonderful way to expand your collection.  For horse lovers, the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley comes to mind.  Paintings and prints, jewelry, salt and pepper shakers, ornaments, paperweights, plates and mugs can all reflect your preference.

The United States Postal Service has issued several sets of animal stamps highlighting endangered species, pet adoption and favorite children’s book animals, to name a few.  Something you may not have considered is the many hundreds of coins from around the world that feature animals.

So start a collection – for yourself or a friend.  Whether your favorite sound is a growl or a chirp, the satisfaction you’ll feel when you place that first one on the shelf never fades.

Petal Pusher Press has graciously allowed us to share an issue of their e-magazine Saponifier.  Though Saponifier is targeted at soap, toiletry and candle makers, there’s a wealth of information for the average Jane or Joe.  The articles on business practices can be applied to any endeavor, and this particular issue on the Spa Experience also has several formulas that don’t require any specialized knowledge.

Click the link below and enjoy!
http://www.box.net/shared/f8ck0174d3m9dt5zqvdq

Note:  magazine is much sharper if downloaded, rather than viewed online

Just for fun, I thought I’d pass on some recipes and helpful hints from The New Home Cook Book.  Prepared by a Ladies’ Club and published by the Illinois State Register in 1927.

Vinegar Pie
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon butter
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Mix all together except vinegar, put vinegar into cup, fill remainder with water and add to mixture. Pour in unbaked crust; bake in moderate oven.

A little milk added to the water in which silver is washed will help to keep it bright.

New Sandwich
Add two tablespoonfuls of water to three tablespoonfuls of peanut butter.  Beat until creamy then add two tablespoonfuls catsup.  Mix well and spread on unbuttered bread.

When cream is hard to whip add some lemon juice.  It will whip quickly.

Sugar Cure for Meat
For 1000 pounds of meat
4 pounds of brown sugar
1 pound of pepper
1/2 pound salt petre
12 quarts of salt

It is really very simple to have the oven scrubbed out while it is still hot, after baking a joint, etc., and many disagreeable smells are avoided by this practice.  For the purpose a long brush, such as is used to clean carriage wheels, is useful.

Lice Powder
2 ounces carbolic acid
6 ounces gasoline
2 pounds of plaster paris
Stir plaster paris in mixed liquids until it would be dry enough to powder nicely.

When separating eggs if you drop a portion of egg yolk into whites, moisten a cloth with cold water, touch to yolk and it will adhere to it.

Harvest Drink
This is a drink that is relished in the hay-field. Take 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 cup molasses with 10 cups water, add level tablespoons of ginger, more or less, according to the fondness for the taste. Serve very cold.

When Vernon B. strolled through Laura’s Emporium and spotted this secretary in Booth #F3, he saw beyond the white paint and purple flowers.  Down to the solid wood and quality construction, and the possibilities within.  After bringing that vision to the surface, he brought in photos for our website.  Thanks for sharing, Vernon, it’s stunning.

It all started with a turtle.  A really cute, well made, special turtle – marked with the generic USA.  I was pretty sure it was a McCoy, but that only began to narrow it down.  As I’m sure you know, the McCoy name pops up quite a bit in the pottery world.  Each time I’ve read the histories and think I’ve got it down pat – poof! – I’ve got the wrong people in the wrong places with the wrong partners yet again.

While it’s a fascinating history of potteries and people, I don’t want to keep reading all this information from various books, websites, etc. over and over.  Not all agree on the exact facts and dates, so it takes a while to wade through it.

So, for my, and your, edification I’ve condensed it into a kind of timeline/family chart.  Probably not completely accurate, but it gives you a general idea of which McCoy/Nelson/James/Brush you’re dealing with.  Any errors are mine.  If you’ve never read the complete history of the McCoy potteries, I encourage you to – there’s some excellent websites and collector clubs usually have a list of recommended books.

Have visiting family or friends?  Take them to some of St. Lucie County’s activities for an enjoyable day.  Keep scrolling down for more.

Oxbow Eco-Center
http://www.stlucieco.gov/erd/oxbow/index.htm
Located in northern Port St. Lucie, the 225-acre Oxbow Eco-Center is dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the ‘real Florida.’ Its 225-acre preserve on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River is a living laboratory of floodplain forest, sandy scrub and pine flatwoods, and swamps and wetlands. From dawn to dusk, you can wander trails, bridges, boardwalks and observation towers on your own. Or you can join a naturalist on a guided walk. The Center, a building constructed using green building technologies, houses an Exhibit Hall and Discovery Room. A life-size exhibit that takes you on a journey down the St. Lucie River to the Atlantic Ocean, is well worth the visit. Be sure to check the monthly calendar which offers a variety of programs for both youth and adults. Art classes, swamp tales, brown bag lectures are just a few.
Editor’s note: Captivating for any age, this is a great family outing. Trails, exhibits, Center are all free, as are many of their scheduled events.  Very reasonable charge for some.

FPL Energy Encounter
http://www.fpl.com/community/learning/energy_encounter_overview.shtml
Your self-guided tour begins with an Energy Treasure Hunt led by Hutch the parrot.  As you pass through the exhibits, press a button where you see Hutch and he’ll lead you further on the hunt.  Many of the exhibits are interactive – touch screens, controls, videos, and challenges keep the kids involved – and new ones are added regularly. The College of Turtle Knowledge exhibit is open year round. Turtle Walks are available in June and July (turtle nesting season), by appointment only, and they’re very popular so make your reservation early.
Editor’s note: Everything is free. FPL sponsors several educational programs for schools and Scouts can earn their Nuclear Science Merit Badge through FPL. 

St. Lucie County Regional History Center
http://www.stlucieco.gov/history/index.htm
The Saint Lucie County Regional History Center offers a unique view into the complex history of the Treasure Coast. Be sure to pay attention as you explore the grounds – you’ll find remnants of the Spanish Treasure Fleet that gave the region its name! Venturing into the museum will reveal major exhibits featuring the native Ais Indian population, the Seminole Wars and the Seminole tribe, the fishing, cattle and citrus industries and a recreation of P.P. Cobb’s general store, complete with product displays. In addition, there are displays dedicated to the Hill photograph collection and the region’s involvement in World War II. Round out your visit by touring the Gardner house, a lovingly-restored showpiece of life at the turn of the century.
Editor’s note: $4 for adults; $3 for seniors and $1.50 for children and well worth it.