Country Cousin

Fathers...

Hi Folks!

Summer is definitely here, but according to the calendar it won’t officially arrive until next week - Thursday, June 21, the longest day of the year.

FATHER’S DAY

Before that, on the third Sunday of June, we honor our fathers. It’s often hard to know what kind of gift to buy for Dad. They tend to keep their secret desires just that, secrets. They don’t often get teary eyed over flowers; they’re not given to costume jewelry, most of them would probably rather have a good steak than boxed chocolates, and a new shirt doesn’t turn them on unless it has a really funny saying.

The things they really want and do talk about are so expensive most of us - wives and kids alike - can’t buy them without their help - or at least their permission. Talking here about things like boats, cars, motorcycles...

On the other hand, there are often hints, if we just take the time to really listen. Maybe hip boots or fishing tackle. Maybe a home baked apple pie. Maybe a new CD or cell phone. Perhaps a new bow or hunting rifle.

Dads are people, too, you know.

Fact is, that Father’s Day got its start because there was already a Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1870, but didn’t become a commercial holiday until 1908. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers, a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men of the area who had died in explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, the previous December, but that was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday.

The next year, Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by her widowed father in Spokane, Wash., tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on July 19, 1910.

The holiday spread slowly. In 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C.

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. However, according to one historian, many men continued to disdain the day. They “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products—often paid for by the father himself.”

During the 1920s and 1930s, there were efforts to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether in favor of a single holiday, Parents’ Day.

When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day was still not a national holiday, but it was a national institution.

It wasn’t until 1972, in the midst of a hard-fought presidential re-election campaign, that President Richard Nixon finally signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a national holiday.

Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts.

COMMANDMENT

Even God appears to sanction the idea behind Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. In the Ten Commandments, we are instructed, “Honor thy Father and thy Mother.” That is an instruction not to be taken lightly, and observing the day set aside for them seems to be an appropriate way to honor them, in addition to the deference and respect due to them each and every day of the year.

OF DAD

There are fathers, and there are dads. A male individual can be a biological father and never ever be a dad. And male persons who never sired a child can be wonderful fathers, dads or pops, whatever pet name they go by in the family.

Dad is the person we go to for help fixing a broken bike, putting up a swing, finding a lost dog, mending a skinned knee, or getting a ride to school when Mom isn’t around.

In today’s world Dads seem to spend more time being Dads than they did when I was a girl, but that’s partly because more Moms are often out working. And that’s not entirely a bad thing.

Dad probably has a louder voice, gives a grumpier scolding, has less sympathy and more of a “keep the old chin up,” attitude than Mom, but when things get really tough, he has a bigger shoulder to cry on.

To my own Dad, although you’re gone, hope you know how much you meant to your kids when we were growing up.

Hope, looking down, you see us resisting temptation to keep something that isn’t ours because we remember you driving 10 miles back to a filling station to return a soda bottle that we didn’t pay deposit on.

Hope you know we understood, even then, that working a 12 hour shift and then getting up to drive your daughter and her friends to a high school dance wasn’t part of your job, it was a sacrifice, done because you loved us.

And hope you know how much we enjoyed the rare times we saw you really having fun.

All those are precious memories, Dad, and even though you usually worked two jobs to buy us the things we wanted and needed, we know now that the most precious things you gave us were happy memories and good examples.

Thank you, Dad! Hope where you are now, up at that great fishing hole in the sky, there are strawberries and green beans that don’t need picking, corn fields that don’t need plowing, tires that don’t go flat, and golden sidewalks that never need shoveling. Hope they have 24-inch trout and 12-point bucks up there in Heaven, and that you and them are on a first name basis!

You may be gone, but your memory will live as long as any of your children walk this Earth.

FLAG DAY

This week, Thursday, June 14 is Flag Day - the day specifically set aside to honor Old Glory.

You know the wonderful patriotic song, “It’s a Grand Old Flag”? Just learned that was not the original title, nor was that line part of the original words of the song that sold over a million copies of sheet music alone.

ALL IN A NAME

The story is, when George M. Cohan wrote the song in 1906 for the stage musical, “George Washington, Jr.,” he was recalling an event in his own life. He had met a veteran of the Battle of Gettysburg carrying a carefully folded, ragged old flag. “She’s a grand old rag,” said the veteran, who appeared a bit ragged himself, as he unwrapped and displayed his tattered, battle worn treasure. Cohan reportedly picked up on that line, and entitled his song, “You’re a Grand Old Rag.” Too many people objected to calling the flag a “rag” and Cohan changed the song’s words and title.

PROUD POUND

According to its 1981 Centennial booklet, the Village of Pound in the old days had a flag to be proud of. Memoirs written by Lloyd Gisenas state the village in its early years erected a 96-foot-tall “Liberty Pole” at the corner of Main and Colburn streets. The flag pole was put up in two sections, and a huge flag - 25 feet by 15 feet - was furled from it. That memorable flag was carried in parades on Independence Day and Memorial Day, according to the memoir segment compiled by Gisenas.

HAVE A GOOD DAY

A couple who enjoyed breakfast at The Woods near Crivitz last Sunday helped make the day a better one for a young family who also dined there and the bartender who served them as well.

The bartender said the older couple paid for their own food and drink and then returned briefly to their table. A very short time later the man came back up to the bar, asked how much the bill for the young family was, and then told the bartender to put the entire amount on his tab, including a $10 tip for the waitress, with instructions that when the parents came to pay for their family meal he should tell them to take the kids out for some fun and enjoy the rest of their day. Said he’s been tending bar there for several years and never saw any of the people involved before.

The entire incident left him with a feel-good glow and renewed faith in human generosity.

Shared this story with a girl friend, who said back in the days when she felt richer she would occasionally notice a family with a car load of kids behind her at the drive-up restaurant and pay their bill before they got to the window. Called it a “random act of kindness,” and hoped someday they would pass the favor along to someone else.

TANKS A LOT

That story brings to mind a favor done in Marinette not long ago by a perfect stranger.

Well, maybe he wasn’t perfect, but he was a stranger. And he did a very nice thing.

A grandson, stranded in the city without gas in his car and without money to put more in, had sent out a call for help. Grandma, just getting off work, was able to help out but had no gas can along and he wasn’t sure his car would make it to the gas station. So she stopped at a nearby budget store to buy a gas can. Culture shock struck again, just as it does every time she has to buy gas. A cheap little 2-gallon gas can carried an $8.95 price tag. She simply wouldn’t pay that. Set it back on the shelf with a remark that once she paid for the can there wouldn’t be any money left to put gas in it.

The stranger, long hair, bit of a beard, sporting leather jacket and a few Cocos, had overheard. He tapped her on the shoulder and offered, “If you’ll wait while I check out my things, I have an extra gas can you can have. I only live a few blocks from here. You can follow me.”

He didn’t exactly look like a guy you’d take home to mother, but Grandma took him up on his offer, grandson got the gas, and the stranger refused to take any money for his gas can. Wouldn’t even accept an offer to return it! Said Grandma should someday pass along a favor to someone else.

You just never know who will turn out to be an angel in disguise!

MOTOR CLUB BENEFITS???

Another traveler not long ago ran out of gas on Hwy. 141 halfway between Lena and Coleman early on a weekend morning. The emergency road service sent by the motor club would charge $95 to deliver 5 gallons of gas, in addition to whatever the motor club was to pay, and couldn’t be there for at least an hour.

(Tip: If you think you’re protected against this sort of thing by your motor club, check it out. Can’t name any names here, but some coverages are good on paper but absolutely useless if you ever need them in real life. They are not angels! Other motor club plans are invaluable to anyone who does any amount of driving and well worth their modest cost.)

Anyway, the stranded motorist told the motor club to forget it. Too much money and too long a wait for what should be a 5-minute trip from the next service station. Said she’d call a friend instead. Then, noticing a nearby home with people about and a few lawnmowers in the yard, knocked on the door and asked if they had any gas she could buy.

They didn’t. But the young mother who lived there loaded her three youngsters into her car, drove to Lena, bought gas, came back, poured it into the stranded vehicle’s tank, and refused to take any money to pay for it.

Maybe this old world is filled with incognito angels who only show up when we need them.

And maybe this world would be a better place if we spent more time passing along the word of their good deeds than we do talking about the evil ways of their brothers from the Dark Side.

COOKIN’ TIME

RED GRAPEFRUIT AND PAPAYA SALAD

Recipe makes eight servings, but the salad keeps well as long as you add the lettuce base at the last minute. Gives a whole new twist to lettuce and green onions from the garden. Most of these ingredients won’t be found in Wisconsin gardens, but variety after all is the spice of life. Goes really well with a rotisserie chicken and baked potato for a sumptuous meal that’s on the table lickety split.

1 large head red leaf lettuce

3 ruby red grapefruit

3 small ripe papayas (about a pound each)

2 ripe avocados

1/ cup minced green onions

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon chili powder

Clean the lettuce, cut into shreds and chill until serving time. Peel the grapefruit and cut into sections over a bowl so you can catch the juice. Peel and seed the papayas and slice them thinly lengthwise. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, chili powder and three tablespoons grapefruit juice. Add another tablespoon grapefruit juice if you wish. On a serving platter or individual salad dishes arrange a bed of lettuce. On top arrange the grapefruit, papaya and avocado pieces. Sprinkle on the green onions. Drizzle dressing over the top of all.

SEASHELL TUNA SALAD

Remember this good old picnic and pot luck standby? Great summer meal on its own, with maybe watermelon for dessert, or served with almost anything cooked on the grill.

1 package small seashell pasta (8 ounces)

1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas (or 1 cup cut asparagus)

2 cans tuna, drained

1/2 cup sliced stuffed green olives

10 small dill pickles, thinly sliced

3/4 cup thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup sliced green onions, including white and green parts

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced

4 hard boiled eggs, chunked

1/2 pound diced or coarsely shredded cheese, preferably

cheddar or muenster

Mayonnaise

Salt, Pepper, and/or Lemon Pepper, to taste

Cherry or grape tomatoes

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions, but add peas or asparagus for the last two or three minutes of cooking time. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Stir it around a bit to get all of the water out of the little shells. Turn this into a large bowl and add everything else except the dressing. Add enough mayonnaise or dressing to moisten as you like it. This is even better made early in the day and refrigerated until serving time, but just before serving check the consistency. You will most likely find much of the dressing has been absorbed by the pasta and you will want to add more.

STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI POKE CAKE

You can also bake this cake in a 9”x13” and dispense with turning the cake out, washing pans, etc. Simply cool the cake, pour on the gelatin mixture, and chill again. Frost as directed, or serve with whipped cream, your choice. Beautiful choice for a bridal shower!

1 box white cake mix

Ingredients called for on cake mix box

2 tablespoons grated lime peel

1 cup water

2/3 cup light rum

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

2 boxes (4-serving size each) strawberry or strawberry

Daiquiri-flavored gelatin dessert mix

2 1/2 cups Betty Crocker� Whipped vanilla frosting

(from 2 containers)

Strawberries and lime slices, if desired

Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for two 8-inch round pans, adding grated lime peel to batter. When done, remove from oven, turn cake layers out onto cooling rack and cool completely, about an hour. Wash and dry cake pans. Return cooled cake layers to clean 8-inch round pans. With thin stirring straw, toothpick, skewer or long-tined fork, pierce cakes at 1/2-inch intervals. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1 cup water to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in rum, lime juice and gelatin until completely dissolved. Spoon half of gelatin mixture over each cake. Refrigerate 1 to 3 hours to allow gelatin to set in cakes. To remove cakes from pans, dip pans in warm water 10 seconds. Unmold 1 cake onto serving platter; spread about 1 cup frosting on top of cake. Unmold second cake; carefully place on first cake on platter. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Garnish with strawberries and lime. Loosely cover and refrigerate any remaining cake.

Thought for the week: In honor of Flag Day, Thursday, June 14, these words are taken from the song of the same title: “You’re a grand old flag, You’re a high flying flag, And forever in peace may you wave. You’re the emblem of the land I love, The home of the free and the brave.” Thank you, God, for giving us a nation we can be proud of, and help us not to let it go down paths that would make us ashamed, rather than proud of all that our flag stands for.

COUNTRY COUSIN

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