Since I've lost my marbles...

It's been 8 long weeks with my splinted mallet finger.  Dr. Selkow assigned me myriad rehab activities including picking up marbles with the afflicted digit, except I've lost my marbles...and had to resort to lifting Dan's rocks instead.

Dan (and his father) thought it would be fun to adorn the front yard with the 70 year old manure spreader for his mother's enjoyment. Tom recalls scooping up and spreading chicken and cow manure with this implement.

In case you needed to view it from a different angle. The euphemism for manure spreader is honey wagon. Lookit, when you pass a field that has had manure applied, there ain't no way in hell it smells like honey.

Brother-in-law James was on the Class of '63 float for Chatworth's Heritage Days.

Oh the things you'll see on a bike ride through Livingston County. Here is Dan relaxing by the pond after a hard day of work with his dad on the farm.

Tom is taking his lunch back to the tractor where he is planting the organic 80 (acres) of soybeans.

I asked Tom why his rows are especially straight this year.  He explained that many farmers use GPS to plant their crops, hence the straight, straight rows.  Tom doesn't have GPS so he just eye-balls his rows up with the farmer across the road and...well, it's really worked from my opinion!

Here is Tom spraying his conventional field with some sort of chemical. 

On a bike ramble through southern Livingston County you never know what you will see (piggy mail box).

Pile of chicken shit to be spread as HONEY over this farmer's field. 

An old barn.

We all have our collections to adorn the roadside.

This little horsey got left out. 

John and Megan got married last weekend.

A fine time was had by all at the celebration. All that we ate for dinner was danced off later that evening!

The Lard Controversies - a blast from the past!

Fourteen years ago cousin Karen edited a book entitled "Family Secrets." It's not what you think. This was a book of family recipes which she collected for our family reunion that took place in NJ in July 2001.  The last chapter was dedicated to the Lard Controversies which played out over email back in 1999. We recalled it over Dan's graduation weekend and, while making Tom Terrific a Lard Crust (LC) pie for Father's Day today, I decided it was time to enjoy these missives once again.

Family Secrets, Chapter 10, edited by cousin Karen

This is for all of you who did not benefit from the email conversation regarding lard usage. Thanks to Aunt Annie who kept the string of emails!! The story begins in the Midwest and caused quite a stir in the family, hence the name The Lard Controversies.

From Barb (12/12/99):

Tom and I had a major disagreement today over lard vs. Crisco...he was going to the store and I wanted him to buy me some Crisco so I could make some Christmas cookies. He is quite sure that margarine, Crisco, and other assorted hydrogenated items are very bad for us. I was being stubborn (my dad tells me that comes from my mother's side) and insisted that I use Crisco. He bought the Crisco for me with great reservation.

From Barb (12/13/99):

Cookies turned out great (with Crisco) AND Tom keeps thinking he should test them.

From Aunt Harriet (12/13/99):

Barber, (she always calls me Barber...and I don't know why to this day) regardless what YF (your father) says, butter is the only thing to use when making cookies. Absolutely. Try it and I know you will agree. Certainly you would never use lard for cookies. Pie crust, yes, but not cookies.

From Barb (12/14/99):

Aunt Harriet! Really?! No lard in cookies! You may be hearing from Tom Terrific on this one, but I'm with ya all the way!

From Barb (12/16/99):

I told  Tom what Aunt Harriet said about never making cookies with lard. He paused, shook his head and said, "She's so closed-minded."

From Ann  (my mom):

Barb, you needn't make cookies with lard - butter will do nicely. I never used lard.

From Jeanne  (Tom's sister):

Just read your email and of course had to respond to the cookie dilemma. I just made cookies this weekend with lard. Oh no! Actually it depends on the cookie probably. You wouldn't want to make sugar cookies with lard I suppose.  Oh well, just had to enter into the discussion.

From Carol (my sister in law):

Just go to the store and buy Pillsbury sugar cookie dough! From the sacrilege living in SS (Sunny South).

From Tom (Himself):

Has anyone tried cookies with lard? Me neither. But how do you know that they wouldn't be the best cookies ever?  Pie crusts are better with lard so why not cookies. Whoops, I see that my sister Jean has used lard in cookies, must be a genetic inclination. I agree with the butter assessment, cookies are fine with butter. My discussion relates to the Crisco issue, I contend that lard is a superior product and should generally be used as a substitute for Crisco. Crisco may be the next big health issue because of the hydrogenation of liquid fat (which is how Crisco and margarine are made) results in the body's inability to dispose of it. Plus IMFFHO (in my far from humble opinion) lard is superior in flavor. There, now you have a registered opinion from the origin of the debate. I am taking orders for "Eat more Lard" bumper stickers. I am sure George E will want one.

From Aunt Harriet: (12/17/99)

Himself finally wrote about the Lard controversy. He is all wrong, there isn't a cookie that lard could enhance. Besides, it is fuller of cholesterol than butter, hence badder for you. When you come from dairy country like LB (little brother) and LS (little sister), and TOB (the old b-you fill in) you know that butter is best regardless of what the AMA (American Medical Association) says.

From Barb (12/23/99)

Marta and her sister joined us for dinner recently. Soon the conversation turned to the Lard Controversy.  Dan piped up (he was only 4 at the time) and said, "Dad loves lard."  Anyhow, Tom has decided that the problem with lard is the marketing/packaging. Crisco, margarine, and butter all have measurements marked off on the side of the stick and lard doesn't. Marta's sister was sure that lard is the grossest thing in the world. After dinner I served chocolate cream pie and Sister ate every bite.  Tom couldn't wait for Sister to put down her fork before mentioning how good the lard crust was.

From Aunt Harriet:

Barber, I am sure I told you at the beginning of the LC that my pies are all made with lard only. It gives the best flavor. I won't disagree with Himself on that. Has he ever spread it on his toast?

From Barb (12/24/99):

Lard Trackers!  While making the pumpkin pie I noticed we were out of lard. You recall, however, that I still have several sticks of Crisco in the frig from my sugar cookies the other day. When I told Karen we were out of lard, but that we had plenty of Crisco left over SHE suggested that I make the pie with Crisco. So the pie is in the oven and Himself has no idea that it's not lard. So stay tuned to see if we can fool Tom with Crisco. Heh, heh. Karen is SO bad.

Ah ha! Himself ate the Crisco crust pumpkin pie and said, MMM, the lard crust is coming through good and clear." The girls immediately fell to the floor in gales of laughter. Once they told him it was Crisco he started laughing and said, "Entrapment."

Oh it was sweet.

From Tom Himself (later still on 12/24/99):

I'm so humiliated. George, I need to talk to you about this entrapment issue.
Himself.

Father's Day, June 16, 2013

While I'm not much for pie or cookies, I must admit that rolling out a pie crust using lard is very easy.  Tom requested a banana cream (LC) pie for his Father's Day dessert. Dan wasn't disappointed with his choice.

Nothing like a bucket of lard in the frig!

 It used to be a 3-4 swear word job rolling out the Crisco crust because it would crack and tear. Not so with lard.

Ready to bake the crust.