Archive for the ‘Musings’ Category

What a beautiful day it is on the Leelanau peninsula! The cherry trees are blooming, the bees are buzzing and there is promise in the air of a good crop.  This area grows the majority of the tart cherries in north america. Last year there was almost complete crop failure because of some freaky hot weather in march for 10 days. Say a prayer and keep your fingers crossed for a good crop this year.

These are tart cherries, the variety is called Balaton. My favorite!

Rows and rows of cherries

The Fruit growers have to rent bees to ensure pollination. These bees are from Sleeping Bear Apiaries

Rows and Rows and Rows of Cherries. This orchard is adjacent to Hillside Homestead

And the Sun we could not do it without the sun and the bees and the soil and the water.

A friend and I were recently discussing if sunglasses were available ‘back in the day’. So I went to my original 1902 Sears catalog to get the scoop. And the scoop is YES! They are not called sunglasses or sunnies for all you UK types! The catalog sells colored spectacles and eye glasses, scenery or shooting spectacles for tourists, goggles and eye protectors. You can read the descriptions in the pictures below. They are fun!

No magnifying power, just protection from the sun

Go whole hog and wear googles to protect you from the sun. Besides Goggles is a fun word

The friend who started this discussion, well we used to work together at Firestone Farm at Greenfield village, today known as “The Henry Ford”. Well we did field and such and I can say that the sears catalog recommends ‘eye protectors’ for various employments, including harvesting.

These are overlays for your regular glasses.

Shades for your regular glasses, steampunkers would like this.

And the catalog even includes an eye chart to help you select the correct glasses.

The 1902 Sears Catalog includes a reading chart, like the eye doctor has, so that you can select the correct glasses.

Now back to the regular work, dishes, gardening and baking cookies today!

A friend recently gave me a copy of an old magazine called “Table Talk” the Dec 1909 edition. I have read through it a bit an found all the sorts of things I am used to in these women’s magazines from 100 years ago. I keep it with my cook books in the kitchen. I was glancing at it the other day and noticed the advertisement on the back page.

I was drawn in by the picture in the ad and the words ‘baked beans’. I make baked beans. So I start reading the ad to see what they have to say about that lovely side dish. Lea & Perrins sauce, Worcestershire sauce that is what it said. It suggested adding that sauce to your beans. I paused and said out loud, to myself, “Hmmm that could be good, I should try that. Do I have any?” So I go to the kitchen cupboard and find no Lea & Perrins sauce, so I write it on my shopping list. And I have since purchased a bottle.

Then I explain the whole story to Maggie, who works with me and how excited I am to try the sauce on the beans next time. Later that day I realize that I have responded to an advertisement from 104 years ago. I should send this to the Lea & Perrins Company. It must be a really good ad or perhaps I just susceptible to century old advertisements!

an ad for Lea and Perrins Sauce from Dec 1909 from the magazine “Table Talk”