Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Yay Pie! had a post the other day about favorite childhood books. After reading her post I began thinking of some of my old favorites and remembered "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle". Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is an unusual neighborhood character that always has an cure for typical childhood misbehaviors. Her cures are not as simple as a spanking or sending the child to a "time out chair" - they are much more time consuming...her philosophy being more of a reverse-psychology method of discipline.

The "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle" books were written by Betty MacDonald (also the author of 'The Egg and I').

I had never read a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle book to my kids yet - but decided today was the day. They LOVED it! What's not to like about a story that includes a boy stuck in his room b/c his toys are all over the place and he has to have his food sent up to him by a garden rake, outside his bedroom window?

My favorite story as a child was the one about the little girl who always "misheard" things...she calls a friend's house to see if she can come out and play...the friend's mother answers the phone and says she can't come out b/c she was riding on her coaster and fell and got hurt. Mishearing girl takes that to be "she fell into the toaster and got burnt up". I remember thinking that part was so hilarious! I even remember where I was sitting when I read it...out on my parent's front steps...which means I was at least 8 yrs old and could have been as old as 12 yrs old.

Just hope the kids don't get any ideas from these books...

Hot Homemade Bread - Anything Better?

Today was the first time I baked bread in quite awhile. The hot weather outside doesn't really make one want to fire up the old oven - but today it's kind of cloudy and rainy so I took my chances.

I have had these French Bread "molds" for a few years - found them at the thrift store still in their original packaging. The instructions were typed on an old typewriter so it makes me think these were at least 25 yrs old.

I tried a new French Bread recipe - this one was part whole-wheat part white flour. Just out of the oven with a thin layer of butter - it is WONDERFUL!

My theory on French bread is this...it is best straight out of the oven and the taste/texture continues to decline throughout the day - so it's best to bake just before serving. I would have done that today but I didn't want the whole house hot just before supper. And besides, I am able to eat it now while it's still warm.

I read that if you plan to freeze your French bread after baking, you should undercook it by about ? minutes...then freeze it. Then you pop it in the oven and cook it for the remaining minutes just before serving. When I've attempted to freeze fully baked French bread it turns out very dry.

Breakfast at the Park

Yesterday morning we packed a picnic breakfast and went for a walk. Starting out I wasn't sure which way we'd go as there are quite a few parks within walking distance. I chose one we had never walked to before - it took us about 1/2 hr to get there.

I figured I could kill a few birds with one stone...exercise for the day for us all, playtime at the park while it was still "cool" outside, and an opportunity for me to read my book.

My breakfast plan wasn't thought out too far in advance so I just packed up what I had on hand and what I thought would be an easy portable menu...pudding cups, water, graham wafers, cherries and grapes.

Our picnic table was right under a huge tree that I've always thought would be the perfect picture taking spot.

We took a rather circuitous route home and swung by McDonalds for some hot apple pies.

Speaking of McDonalds here is an odd thing that happened the last time we ate there (other than the hot apple pie time).

It was just the kids and I eating at McDonalds. I let them choose where we'd sit. They chose a spot in a little cubby area where they could sit at a high counter with 2 chairs and I'd sit at a very small table next to them. This area was kind of set apart from the rest of the restaurant. The table I sat at had 2 chairs but it's actually only comfortable for one person - especially with a tray on the table.

I had just about finished eating when I notice a woman in a McDonalds' uniform standing at "my" table...she didn't say a word but she was putting a tray of food on "my" table which of course I thought was odd but then thought well she's an employee so maybe she's just setting her tray there for a moment or wanting to take my tray to the trash. But no. She proceeds to sit down across from me and begin eating while I felt like I was being pushed out.

If we were eating in a place where there were no or very few empty tables this would not have been so unusual - though usually a person would say "is this seat taken?" or "can I sit here?" BUT there were PLENTY of empty spaces all over the restaurant. Odd.

The woman did appear to be from a "foreign land" - so perhaps that was the reason for the unusual etiquette.

Only in Canada eh? Pity!

Red Rose tea was "the" tea that I had growing up.

My sister gave me a box of Red Rose tea to bring home with me :)

We all tried it out (first time for the kids - first time for me in awhile) - and we all enjoyed it.

One thing that was fun about Red Rose tea is that they used to include a little figurine in the box. My grandmother gave some to my dd and I did take a pic but for some reason the photo keeps loading sideways and looks goofy - so if you want to see what they look like - click here.

I think at one time they also included some kind of trading card. I'm not sure if Red Rose can still only be purchased in Canada but the title phrase is from an old t.v. commercial...of course it has to be said with a British accent.

My 6 yr old is hovering at my side waiting for me to get off the computer so he can play a game. While he is hovering he is trying to edit my writing..."that doesn't sound right...", he pointed out a sentence I had just written. Then he proceeds to tell me how HE thinks the sentence should read.

I better get off before he blows his top!

Married for Money??

I enjoy finding and reading old letters. It's best if I know the people who are mentioned in the letters but even if I don't - they are fun.

Over the weekend I received a copy of a letter from 1897, that belonged to my husband's great-great grandmother...the letter was to her from HER mother.

The letter is a poor photocopy of a handwritten copy (don't know who copied it out or when) of the original. I would like to have had the original or a photocopy of the original - but at least this one is probably easier to read.

Mama is writing from Mastodon, Mississippi on September 6, 1897. Numerous times, numerous people are referred to as DEAREST or DEAR so and so...dearest daughter, dear Annie, Dear Josie.

My favorite part of the letter is when dear old mom is recounting some neighborhood "gossip"..."Mrs. F. Neal, who was a Bowsy, married a man 35 and she was 67. Almost all the widows in this country are marrying young. They say she gave him $5,000 a few days after she was married."

So did Mrs. F. Neal (who was a Bowsy) - pay $5,000 to a young man to marry her? In "today's dollars" the $5,000 might equal around $100,000 (?). I'd say a widow lady from the late 1800's would have looked every day of her 67 years if not a great deal older.

Why were "almost all the widows in this country marrying young", in the late 1800's?

I'm Going Out to Smoke My Pipe...

I won't be back til Sunday night - so don't let the witch in!

We have a wedding to attend this evening and then out to the farm.

It's gonna be wet and muddy so the rubber boots have been packed.

When You Eat Your Smarties Do You Eat The Red Ones Last?

"When you eat your Smarties,
Do you eat the red ones last?
Do you suck them very slowly,
Or crunch them very fast?
Eat that candy-coated chocolate,
But tell me when I ask,
When you eat your Smarties,
Do you eat the red ones last?"
(Smarties Jingle)

Smarties in Canada are not those little pastel pill shaped candy that comes rolled up in cellophane - but rather it is a box of "candy-coated chocolate" that comes in a colorful box. "Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of about 5 mm and a major axis of about 15 mm (0.6 in). They come in eight colours."

When I moved down south I had a hard time getting used to M&Ms (less popular in Canada - at least when I was a kid) - I was a Smarties die-hard. Was.

I brought back some packages this month and I had to admit DISAPPOINTMENT! They are flavorless compared to M&Ms. They are flatter than M&Ms - meaning less of the chocolate goodness. I don't like how they feel on my teeth when I crunch them.

I just asked the girl what she thought of the Smarties...she replied "Oh I didn't really like them - I didn't eat them all." "I just don't like the flavor." I can't believe it. I asked the boy also what he thought of them and his answer was the same as his sister's. It's candy and it's chocolate and they don't like them.