by Debbie Walker

You know how sometimes you think you have things figured out and you are happy? And then “Whoops!” things change. That is Christmas for me.

I need to give you some background here before we go on. When my grandkids got to be about nine or 10 years old I stopped buying gifts. They were getting to an age where I just didn’t even want to try to figure out what to get. I didn’t know their music or if they were fussy about what they wore, and I was around them a great deal of the time! It was at that time that I switched over to gifting them an experience.

We all lived in Florida (they still do) so coming up with places for them to visit was easy. I think their favorite was the Museum of Science.

When they (granddaughter and grandson) got to be 14 or 15 I decided to change things up a little. I had certain gadgets and other kitchen items that I really like to use so I decided I was going to start buying that kind of stuff for the kids. I figured before too many years went by they would be going out on their own. I started picking up kitchen items and holiday decorations. I bought the same for both of them; some of the items I got in thrift stores and Dollar Tree. And… I wrapped them all in aluminum foil (kitchen theme!) The following year they even had a use for the foil, rolled it all into a big ball and bounced it through the house till just before the next Christmas.
I picked up those kinds of things all year. I don’t think I ever enjoyed gifting quite so much! The kids appeared to have fun with that Christmas so I decided the next year would be done the same way. My daughter said she had overheard the kids telling friends about Christmas with Nana Daffy and, yes, they still call me that, but that’s words for another week!)

My living in Maine and they in Florida makes things a little difficult but… I talked to Tristin the other day about the possibility of a new computer. Before our conversation was over she had put her bid in for their old Christmas’. She explained to me that she didn’t need a computer but she would love some more “kitchen stuff.” Two days later I know exactly what I am going to send them!

So I know what I am doing for Christmas, I’m just curious if you know what you are going to do? Sorry but Christmas is coming. Thanks for reading! Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com, I love hearing from you! Don’t forget, check out our website!

by Debbie Walker

How about I start out with “You Are Not a Duck!” Bet you are wondering where I am going with that one! Well… Oil of Olay had a commercial once upon a time that used that quote. For some reason that one really caught my ear-sight, even though I’m not one for a ritual of skin care. The rest of the ad has a picture of a duck and a woman. The words for that part said, “To camouflage her body, the female mallard duck assumes a dull, colorless hue, ‘You are not a duck!'”

I am sure there are still some people who believe it is wrong for a woman to dress and “color” herself up. I am not one. Right now my hair is burgundy. The other day I had a laugh with a lady who looked at me and said “your hair matches your top!” She was right, it did! My hair has been a variety of “reds.” There was one time when it came out like a funny clown’s hot pink hair. That day I was going to my niece’s birthday party. I rang the doorbell and my little niece answered the door. She looked at me and finally said, “Auntie, did you do that on purpose?”

Fortunately, I have a wonderful friend, soul sister, etc., who can fix just about anything I can mess up with hair color! It’s a miracle that I still have hair after all the things I have done to it!! I am definitely not a duck!

People soon may be wondering if I am a zoo keeper when they see my pocketbooks. That sounds like a strange comment but I am running around now with a moose pocketbook. I love it. People smile, some laugh and some stop to talk. My pocketbook has antlers and his name is Humpfree. Ken, of course, just shakes his head slowly but Mom, well that is another subject. I believe Mom knows that I am going to be her “forever child.” To save my mom from embarrassment I believe she just reminds herself and tells other people that it’s okay, what I do, because I volunteer with first and second graders. And yes, the kids love Humpfree. (I have a unicorn, pony and fish coming soon!)

Speaking of the kids, I love being part of their reading and writing program. The teacher gave them an assignment the other day. They were going to be writing about a personal experience they had that day. They were going to have 10 minutes to do this. You just never know what a child is going to say, that was proven again that day. Some of the kids wrote about an outside run, and some of the little writers wrote about our now painted and decorated classroom bench. One of our little writers, when asked what he was writing about, he replied “about 5 minutes on the toilet.” Needless to say the teacher and I had to control our expressions! I keep learning over and over again; don’t ask a child (or grown man!) if you don’t want to know!

I am just curious about some of the daily personal subjects you would like to write about. As usual, please contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com with your questions and comments. And don’t forget to try out our web page. Thank you for reading.

by Debbie Walker

I almost feel bad for you all to be left to my mind for any of your reading material. But I doubt that many others have as much fun in their heads as I do. Yesterday, my head was busy dreaming up new pocketbooks. Once I get the kinks worked out I’ll let you know how they come out if you are interested. Today, I saw some clothes in a catalog that I think I may attempt to make one or two similar. This kind of stuff happens all the time!

Tonight I wanted to pass on some Halloween history. This was printed in The Country Register, written by Elizabeth Nix. I have pulled out bits and pieces of interest.

Trick or Treating started in the 1930s and early 1940s. In those years children were given homemade cookies and pieces of cake, fruit, nuts, even coins and toys. When I started Trick or Treating we were still given baked goods and store bought treats. That was in the ‘50s. Fudge made by mom was and always will be the best treat. That is my best Halloween memory!

In the 1950s candy manufacturers started to promote their products for Halloween. About 1970 or so the “boughten” candy became more important. There was and still is a problem with safety. Why in the world anyone would ever be cruel enough to try to harm children. I am afraid there is a sickness involved.

I like the idea of Trick A Trunk. My grandsons used to go to their church for Trick A Trunk. They had the fun of dressing up and to be able to holler Trick or Treat and be safe.

One of the things I enjoyed about Ms. Nix article was the history of some of our “today” candies:

1900 – Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar invented
1907- Hershey’s Kisses
1923- Milky Way bars
1928- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
1930- Snickers bar
1932- 3 Musketeers bar
193?- Mars bar
193?- Nestle Crunch bar
1937- Kit Kat bars
1941- M&Ms

The really neat one is the tri-color candy corn that was invented in the 1880s!

So, I don’t know about you but just from writing this I feel like I am on a chocolate rush and I haven’t had a bite! I do like chocolate especially the dark stuff. But when I start buying candy for Halloween I make sure I buy the stuff I don’t like! Keeps me out of it (pretty much!).

I’m just curious what your favorite memories of Halloween are? Let me know at dwdaffy@yahoo.com sub: Halloween. Don’t forget to try out our website!

by Debbie Walker

I can’t believe how fast this summer sped by. I personally hate the idea of fall because behind that will be winter. Thirty years of winters in Florida was a nice escape before I came back to Maine winters! Well, it’s a good thing I look at life as a journey to learn! ‘Cause I certainly feel like I am always learning. I believe that is where my “curiosity” comes from.

I know that it is curiosity that seems to have me addicted to magazines. One of my most recent purchases is the latest HGTV magazine. I found the neatest facts about pumpkins:

Did you know that jack-o’-lanterns started out as carved out turnips or beets? (You know of course I may have to try that!) I think carving out a turnip is going to be tough, they are soooo hard! The carving story comes from an Irish myth about Stingy Jack’s ghost carrying a carved out turnip with a burning coal for a light. Just close your eyes for a minute and imagine the sight.

Moving on… the “largest” pumpkin pie was 20 feet wide. Yes, 20 feet wide and doled out 5,000 slices in New Bremen, Ohio. The filling used 187 cans of pumpkin, 2,796 eggs, 109 gallons evaporated milk, 525 pounds of sugar. I love the idea they added 14-1/2 pounds of cinnamon (love cinnamon!), etc.

Also in the magazine was a blip about floating pumpkins! Did you ever think, probably not, I never had thought about it either? My Uncle Royce grew a record sized pumpkin; I would have never thought to truck it down to the lake for a float! On Tualatin Lake in Tualatin, Oregon, they held the 14th year of the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta; the next one will be October 21.

The heaviest pumpkin weighed 2,625 pounds, that would be the same weight as a 2-door Mini Cooper (a compact vehicle). I just cannot imagine no matter how many times I close my eyes!

I have seen so many products with pumpkin flavoring. Have you? Coffee? Oreos? Ice cream? Knowing all of this I have to admit that I was still shocked to see pumpkin flavored Cheerios! Worse yet, I had to buy a box because I knew my mom would love them. I like pumpkin pies but I really don’t know that I want anything else with that flavor.

Then, of course, we will finish with the most famous pumpkin, Cinderella’s carriage! Little girls have been dreaming of this for years and the movie is, of course, a favorite.

I’m just curious what you think of the “pumpkin” stories. Let me know what your thoughts are. Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com, I’ll be waiting. Don’t forget to check out our website. Thanks for reading.

by Debbie Walker

Remember those books I told you I bought in the south, one was titled Southern Superstitions. I decided I would give you some of the New England and some of the Southern Superstitions. Save this column because next week will be the southern version of the subject! Then you can compare. It’s up to you to figure who is more superstitious.

I believe the following New England information comes from the New England Historical Society and I took the license to edit the information for this column. The Town Line is not responsible for my choice.

New England Puritans were a superstitious lot who believed luck ruled their lives. They took measures to ward off bad luck, attract good luck and change their luck from bad to good. One of their odder customs was to place old shoes in the walls of a house wards off evil. (Wish I had read that one before we closed up the walls in this house, we could have used a little more good luck!)

• Dropping bread and butter with the butter side downs brings bad luck. (Who wants to eat dirty bread?)
• Rock an empty chair and you will have bad luck. (Never heard the bad luck but I knew we weren’t supposed to rock that chair empty!)
• Tripping on something is a sign of bad luck. The remedy is to walk over it again. If you’ve tripped on a stone, go back and touch it. (Since I have lost most of my balance control there is a lot to that tripping business!)
• If you put on an apron inside out, wear it that way or your luck will change. (Maybe that is why so many homes don’t have any aprons anymore!)
• If you have bad luck playing cards, get up and move around your chair. Or blow on your cards to change your luck. (You could just give up and say goodnight!)
• See a pin and let it lie, come to sorrow by and by.
• Finding a penny is surer to bring you good luck than anything else.
• It is good luck to fall up a hill.
• If a spider spins down from the ceiling toward you, it will bring good luck.
• If you move to a new home, don’t bring the cat with you. It will bring bad luck.
• If you see a cat sitting with her tail to the fire, expect bad luck.
• If a strange dog or cat comes to live with you, it will bring good luck. A black cat will bring its owner good luck.

I’m just curious if you remember if you’d missed an issue of The Town Line and you have a computer you can look up the week you missed. So…hold your decisions until you read the southern version. Keep in mind the New England Superstitions has a sailor/fisherman version of their own! Maybe we will look at those one day. In the meantime send any questions or comments to dwdaffy@yahoo.com.