Thursday, April 05, 2007

Mixed Nuts

I like cashews and almonds, thank you....no really....a mix of topics tonight!

Came across this old (nearly as old as me) newspaper clipping while cleaning out the file cabinet in the workshop. I have not included the entire article because it uses full names. Take a look and read about it below.


The gentleman in the photo on the left is my dad. In the right hand photo is my mom and ME! I was seven months old in the pic. Have you heard of electronic baby monitors? You know, like Fischer-Price makes? Well, step back to the year 1955. My dad built his own. The microphone is mounted on the head of my crib (just above my mom's wrist in the pic), the amplifier and speakers were located in the bookcase downstairs (next to my dad). Pretty cool, huh? Of course it was a one of a kind...never patented as the company my dad worked for would have taken ownership of the patent, paying him $1 for the idea. That was company policy...anything, even unrelated to the company, that was developed, invented, etc. would belong to the company. I still think it's really neat.

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It's been a busy week with "outside" jobs. Tunings, repairs, and evaluations. I shipped out two sets of keys on Monday. Only one set has come in this week, but another two sets should be arriving anytime. Tomorrow, I've got to spend the afternoon shopping. The birthdays are coming up quickly. I'll have to do my dad's shopping for my mom's present. I've spent some time the past couple of days working up a media contact list for Jayne. Her publisher is wanting to get more copies of her book out to the media. I'm having a time finding one specific postal code. Once that is found then the list will be done. I'll email it to her tomorrow.

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Got reminiscing with Mom. First about the quality of the crumpets we have been buying. They're not as good as what my grandmother used to buy at Worthington's Bakery in New Bedford. Worthington's is long gone taking with it marvelous meat pies, Maid-of-Honors, chocolate filled cupcakes, and of course, crumpets. That got us thinking about the bakery where we each worked part time. Esbensen's Danish Bakery....gone, too. But the memories continue of Kransekager, Mozart cakes, Mazariner, Almond tarts, Wienerbrod, Princess cake, some delish treats that I have forgotten the name of....an almond macaroon on the bottom, a conical top of mocha buttercream dipped in dark chocolate...yummmmm. Lots of wonderful fresh breads, especially the oatmeal bread. Then there was the lunch that was always provided. Usually something like a Danish meatball sandwich with sweet and sour cucumber, or boiled cabbage and sausage rolls. I may just have to make a Mazariner soon. I have recipes for a few of the things. Mazariner are either a pie or tarts made from almond paste, eggs, and sugar with icing on the top. Although Kransekager (Danish wedding cake) is a big project, I do make a cookie version like we sold in the bakery. It is a horseshoe shaped almond paste cookie with one end dipped in dark chocolate. I can't remember the name of those.

I'm starting to gain weight just thinking about it.

7 comments:

dickiebo said...

I'm afraid that your last line sums it up. Very naughty, and not a good example to set. Don't mind u Yanks being overweight but, we must keep our lads like TUPC fighting-fit. No more, please.

deb said...

You *do* notice that there is nothing "Apple Pie" about my post. We seemed to have taken our sweet habits from Brits and Danes!

While thinking on TUPC. Over here-the city of Boston has seen a rather drastic rise in it's murder rate this year. I think three murders just within the last couple of weeks. So....they've put the police officers back on foot patrol. Why don't they do this all the time? A lot could use the exercise!

Yes, I know the answer that they can cover more territory in the police cruiser. But evidently not as effectively.

So...I guess I shouldn't post my decadent recipe for scones?

dickiebo said...

Course u can. Being overweight is not forbidden to pensioners.
(Me - not u!!)

Anonymous said...

Wow, your dad is something else! Too bad he couldn't have benefited
financially from his own invention.

In all of this there is some irony about their being able to monitor
your every move as an infant and maybe it never stopped? I can't
quite put my thought together in a coherent sentence but I guess what
I am inferring is that they may no longer need an electronic device
but they seem to be able to get the same results? Sorry, that was
rude of me.

deb said...

I understand what you mean, Mary. Just today the conversation went thusly....
me: "I'm taking Amanda to work and then going on errands."

Mom: "Oh where? Any place fun?"

me: "No."

Mom: "Birthday shopping?"

me: "You're not the only one with a birthday coming up."

I left..........

Anonymous said...

In my rush to be sarcastically humorous in my previous comment, I neglected to say "what a cute little kid!".

Now for a cuppa tea and some scones. My mouth is watering - no fair talking about all those delicious foods.

deb said...

Yeah, sort of like kittens and puppies....shame they have to grow up!

The scone recipe *will* get posted one of these days.