poll: childhood candy

(Update 10:05 am EST: Hey, the new Harry Potter trailer is online in its entirety! Thanks to Allison for the URL)

My sister-in-law Larkin and her fiancé Rick are getting married this weekend. Jeff and I are heading up tomorrow morning for pre-wedding festivities. Larkin is treating the Ridpath clan women to some pampering at the Millcroft Inn spa. I'm getting a "Nutritious Exfoliating Body Wrap".

I've been practising harp in preparation for playing during part of the reception, and am excited about my first public harp playing! My other sister-in-law Debbie and I will also be performing a song together during the signing of the register. Originally we were going to do John Lennon's "Grow Old With Me", but a few weeks ago Larkin decided on Shania Twain's "You've Got A Way" instead. I'll be playing guitar accompaniment since there isn't time to work up another harp arrangement.

To all of you going to Contata in New Jersey this weekend: hope you have fun! Sounds like it's going to be a wonderful convention, with Dandelion Wine as GoHs, Steve Brinich as Listener Guest, Solomon Davidoff as Toastmaster, and Andrew Eigel as Interfilk Guest.

Today's Blatherpics are from the JUST RELEASED CD from Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff. I am super-excited about getting hold of a copy. I was lucky enough to hear some unmixed tracks while visiting them last year, and was completely blown away.

"Manhattan Sleeps" will be available very soon (they were just shipped on Wednesday) from DAG productions, from Southern Fried Filk, from Bill and Gretchen Roper, from Random Factors, and Cafe Annick. You can also check the soon-to-updated Mystic Fig Bohnhoff site; Jeff and Maya won't be selling directly, but will be putting up links to the sites that do. If you want to contact Jeff directly, you can send him e-mail.

I highly urge you all to go out and order/buy one of their CDs right away! You won't regret it. You can find out more about the Bohnhoffs in this Dandelion Report interview.





Finished my July column for Writing World yesterday, sent it in. It's amazing how much more productive I am without the audit hanging over my head. I still can't believe it's over; I think part of my brain is still waiting for another phonecall or letter requiring me to drop everything and spend more time hunting through old financial records and phoning accountants and tax lawyers.

Made lemon chicken schnitzel last night; I felt like making something with a "z" in it. I also was overcome by a craving for Jell-O, so made some. I've always associated Jell-O with my childhood, as well as church potluck dinners. Remembering those potluck dinners made me dump in some canned mandarin oranges to complete my culinary nostalgia trip.

Which prompts me to ask the following new poll question:

What were your favourite childhood desserts or childhood candy?

Answer in Blatherchat

I liked anything with Cool Whip. Another church potluck dinner dessert I always liked was a recipe involving melted marshmallows and fruit. Can't remember the name of it, but I'm sure it was wonderfully unhealthy.

Speaking of wonderfully unhealthy, I can remember making a weekly trip with friends (sometimes Ruth and Jim) to a neighbourhood candy store, clutching my allowance. My favourites included:

- Lick'n'Dip (or maybe it was Dip'n'Lick? Fun Dip?), where you take a piece of candy, dip it into sweet powder, suck it off.

- Wax pan pipes. The thought of this grosses me out now, but I remember loving this. I'd play the pipes first, then chew up the wax. I don't think we were supposed to actually EAT the wax, just chew it and then spit out. Eugh, even more gross. What was I thinking?

- Candy necklaces. We used to walk around for a day or two afterwards with sticky bits on our necks from nibbling on the necklaces while we wore them.

- Lolas. I think they were called Lolas. Big frozen things in different flavours.

- Pop rocks.

- Pixie Stix. Long paper straws full of sweet, flavoured powder.

- Bag-O-Gold. Small cloth bag full of "gold nuggets" made of chewing gum.

- Candy Cigarettes. The one with Popeye on the front. I notice they've replaced the word "cigarettes" with "sticks" nowadays.

Dear lord. It's a wonder I have any teeth left.