A Different Kind of Playdate

Victoria Worth of Ashfield writes:

In Ashfield yesterday at Elmer’s, I approached Nan’s father about arranging a playdate with my mother. I didn’t expect his answer, “Well, I already have a playmate.” Needless to say, I turned a bright shade of red and explained that I meant nothing more than a cup of tea and conversation. I reassured him my my 88-year old mother was interested in meeting other elderly folks in the neighborhood, and that his wife was, of course, included. As I was excusing my use of the term, “playdate,” I pointed out that my mother’s idea of ‘play’ probably amounted to no more than a game of cards.

I realized at that point that my language is more fitting for get-togethers with my five-year old than with those of the generation beyond my own. Well, call it what you will. I am seeking contemporary companionship for my 88-year old mother. Really very above-board, I assure you. My mother is a most respectable lady, regardless of her daughter’s awkward introduction.

Kindly reply to vkworth@gmail.com.

Forbes Library Seeks Applications from Community Member for Future Programming

Forbes Library in Northampton, MA, has an active schedule of programs including lectures, workshops, classes, discussions, and more. We are seeking applications from the community for future programs. Do you have a special skill, body of knowledge, or other discussion topic to share with the community? Please consider applying to present a program at the library. Programs are generally offered on Monday or Wednesday evenings but can be given any time the library is open.

Topics that have been popular in the past include lectures on self-improvement and health topics, art classes, movement and dance classes, history lectures, sustainable gardening and landscaping. As you can see these topics are as diverse as our community. The library assists with publicity including posting on our website, a press-release to local media, and an announcement sent to our email distribution list of patrons.

To apply, please submit a short description of the program, a short biography, and two references. Please include any special needs that your program will require such as audio-visual equipment, scheduling considerations, carpeted floor, quiet room, etc. Criteria for review include popularity of topic, experience of presenter, and contribution to an interesting and varied program calendar for the year.

Please submit applications to Lisa Downing, Assistant Director, 20 West Street, Northampton, MA 01060 or by email to ldowning@forbeslibrary.org. Applications submitted by August 1, 2008 will be given priority consideration. Applications submitted after that will be considered as space is available. For more information call 413-587-1017.

Support MPHA’s Efforts to
PROTECT OUR CHILDREN’S HEALTH!

House Bill 4376, An Act to Promote Proper School Nutrition

THE PROBLEM: Junk food and sugary drinks are contributing to an epidemic of obesity and diabetes among our children.

In Massachusetts, 26% of high school students are overweight or obese.

Rates of obesity among children have more than doubled in the past two decades.

Overweight children are at higher risk of developing diabetes, asthma, heart disease, depression and low self-esteem. Poor nutrition also reduces children’s ability to learn.

Children are over-eating food and drinks high in fat and sugar. One source of this problem is the sale of junk food in schools. The easy availability of candy bars, chips, and soda in school vending machines encourage unhealthy eating habits.

A SOLUTION: Healthy food choices for our children at school.

The time to prevent obesity is in childhood and schools are an excellent place to start. Children learn the habits of a lifetime in school – one of those habits should be healthy eating.

HOUSE BILL 4376, An Act to Promote Proper School Nutrition:

• Directs the Department of Public Health (DPH) to establish healthy standards for snacks and beverages sold in vending machines, school stores, and cafeteria ala carte lines. These standards are to be in accordance with Institute of Medicine guidelines, which recommend that sodas be replaced with water, low- and non-fat milk, and juice; fat and sugar be reduced in snacks; and fresh fruits and vegetables be made available in cafeterias.
• Establishes a Governor’s Commission on Childhood Obesity to develop a coordinated statewide plan to reduce childhood obesity.
• Requires DPH and the Department of Education (DOE) to set guidelines for the training of school nurses to help children with diabetes and eating disorders and to collect and evaluate data on these conditions.
• Calls for an investigation of how to make it easier for schools to purchase fresh foods from local farmers. One 20 ounce soda has 17 teaspoons of sugar and 250 “empty” calorie

ACTION: Your help is needed to pass this bill!

• ENDORSE the bill by filling out and returning the endorsement form to MPHA (click here).
• CONTACT your state legislators and urge them to support House Bill 4376, An Act to Pro-mote Proper School Nutrition. To determine who they are, visit www.WhereDoIVoteMA.com, or contact MPHA. Then call your legislators at the State House: (617) 722-2000.
• SHARE copies of this fact sheet with your friends, family, and neighbors and urge them to contact their legislators.
• ASK your school board members, PTA, church, or hospital to endorse this bill.
• WRITE a letter to your local newspaper in support of this bill

Sponsored by Representative Peter Koutoujian, the School Nutrition Bill (H. 4376) would help prevent childhood obesity and encourage healthy eating habits in all children by establishing standards for snacks and beverages sold or offered in schools.

In the past two years, the Massachusetts Public Health Association has published letters in dozens of local newspapers, garnered over 100 organizational endorsements, and held events across the state. Thanks to hard work, the bill has advanced through two committees, Public Health and Health Care Financing.

The bill is now in the House Ways and Means Committee. Representative Christine Canavan is circulating a letter of support among her House colleagues for signatures. This letter asks Ways & Means Chairman Robert DeLeo to bring the bill to a vote!

Click here to send an email to your state representative. Urge him or her to sign the letter of support for the School Nutrition Bill (H. 4376).

Please follow up your email with a phone call. To determine who your legislators are, visit www.WhereDoIVoteMA.com. The State House phone number is 617-722-2000.

For more information contact Eric Weltman at MPHA: (617) 524-6696 x 111 or EWeltman@MPHAweb.org.

Photo Credit:
School Vending Machine (ccl) www.flickr.com/photos/something startedcrazyy/2261121091
Apple Photo (ccl) www.flickr.com/photos/–char–/ 2587613670

ON VACATION

This week’s Suggested Events is on vacation. But we’ll return next week so be sure to check back. If you’re looking for something to do, don’t fret … visit our Suggest An Event page for a lot of great family friendly activities people have suggested, or visit our Things to Do, Place to See page for local attractions.

If you know of any other upcoming events, post them here to let our readers know.  Just scroll down to the bottom of that page and post your suggested event in the comment box to share with our readers.

Kids afternoon rock show with

THE SIPPY CUPS
and special guest
Ulysses S. Dee of The Deedle Deedle Dees

on Saturday, July 12th at 3PM

at the Pearl Street Ballroom

in Northampton, MA!

The Sippy Cups return to the national stage this spring and summer with a musically fresh, theatrically ambitious whirlwind of a show for kids and families. The Sippy Cups’ engaging live shows feature a beloved cast of juggling unicyclists, oversized puppets, sensitive super-heroes and other comedic characters. Acrobats and aerialists add to the spectacle on some dates. A new repertoire expands the unique combination of recast cult classics and winning pop-rock originals that originally garnered the band its loyal, multi-generational following.

Less than three years after the band began, The Sippy Cups have grown from their San Francisco roots into a nationwide phenomenon. Their first full-length original CD, Electric Storyland, garnered widespread critical acclaim and was ranked #6 for the year in the 2006 Fids & Kamily Music Awards. This was followed by the 2007 release of a live concert DVD, Electric Storyland, Live at The Great American Music Hall, recent winner of a 2008 Parents Choice award. The band has toured to major concert halls and festivals across the country including Symphony Space in New York City, Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza.

An exclusive Sippy Cups live video feature recently launched at Rhapsody, showcasing the band in action at a recent San Francisco club show. Click here to view the performance.

Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller), leader of the Brooklyn-based educational band, the Deedle Deedle Dees, will make a special solo appearance opening the show. Ulysses most recently made a trip to the Pioneer Valley last fall when the full band played a packed Saturday morning show at the First Churches (click here to see photos). Over the past three years, the Dees have also performed at Flywheel in Easthampton, MA, Artifacts 21st Century in Florence, MA, and live on air in the studio on Bill Childs’ acclaimed radio show, Spare the Rock Spoil the Child.

Ulysses will be performing songs from the Deedle Deedle Dees’ two upcoming albums, one a new collection of American history songs he has created as part of his school programs in New York City, the other a long-awaited compilation of nature songs he has developed in his toddler class in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, Nature Babies. He’ll also include some favorites from the Dees’ last release, 2007’s Freedom in a Box, an album that received glowing reviews all over the country in publications including School Library Journal, Time Out New York Kids, and Cookie.

To read more about Ulysses (Lloyd) and the Deedle Deedle Dees, check out some of these links:

• A review of the Dees recent concert to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge
• A tongue-in-cheek piece in Esquire
• A review of Freedom in a Box on the popular kids music blog, Zooglobble

Presented by Spare the Rock Radio! / 93.9 The River (WRSI). ($)

Notes from Nan: The Summer Reading Issue
BY HF Contributing Writer, Nan Parati

Oh that damn umbrella! I wish I’d never bought it!

There it was, so hot for those days, that I really thought we needed a sun umbrella for our outside tables! So I spent good (lots of good) money on a big-old blue-green sun umbrella to shade people from the southern-like rays!  Well, then it started raining, so I took the thing down for the Cajun Festival to make it quit raining and be nice, which it did.

So then Rob put it back up because the sun was out and he thought we needed shade. It would be a natural assumption if it weren’t such a preternatural umbrella.

So he put the umbrella up and it started raining again. Not just regular summer rain, but cold, windy, thundery Sturm und Drang rain! EVERY FREAKIN’ DAY AND NIGHT FOR FORTY OF EACH OF THOSE!

So I took it down.

And then the sun came out—really hard! With strong, harsh, x-ray-type rays and lots of humidity (that I actually found quite pleasant, but apparently I’m the only one around here who thinks we need a distinct temperature separation between Winter and Summer.)

So, Sunday morning in the middle of breakfast Rob said, “Why’d you take the umbrella down! Go put it up!” To which I growled, “No! It’ll rain!” to which he growled, “It’s gonna rain anyway!” to which I growled, “Not if I can help it!”

But then, all the poor customers who wanted to sit outside were turning pink and their tongues were hanging out, and so I put it back up and had to apologize to the whole wait staff that I was ruining the rest of their afternoon by forcing it to rain again just about the time they got off from work, which it did start to!

But then I took it down again and left it down and look! This morning is beeyoutiful again!

These people around here tell me I’m superstitious. To which I say, Superstitious hell! I’m not superstitious! I’m just reacting to what’s real!

I don’t know how Judith has managed to keep afloat at the Lake House with all those umbrellas she has out on her deck there. Scares me every time I go over there. Umbrellas! Quick! Everyone out of the water! 

LAKE HOUSE

Speaking of the Lake House:

Go to the Lake House for dinner this Friday!

Judith is having her annual big Forth of July to-do there and, in support of her event, we are throwing all our support to her and you will find us all over there eating and dancing and not at all at Elmer’s. She’s got two bands, she’ll have good food, she’ll have a big, fun time and on the lake will be just beautiful! (I wish we had a lake. That mountain range I ordered for Norton Hill Road has not yet come in. It’s back-ordered, but I hope it gets here before winter comes back again.)

Here is Judith’s band line-up:

• 4 – 8 pm Mosrites
• 8:30 – midnight Instigators

She promises outdoor cocktails, fun and surprises!

So—No dinner at Elmer’s this Friday night. But good times at the Ashfield Lake House!

GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL

And now a word from The Green River Festival (July 18th and 19th)

So let’s see what old Mr. Rob has to say. I finished writing my part of this newsletter this morning. Asked him for his contribution and he gives me some song and dance about “I’ll do it tonight.” Tonight’s not good enough for Big Elmer’s people; they want their news NOW! So then he sent me this. Let’s see what old Mr. Rob has to say.

Oh you big suck-up! You will not! You’ll be over at the Lake House talking to your brother on the phone or something! Look at this! An entire case of Gerolsteiner Sparkling Wasser still not priced and on the shelf! Get to work you Rob, you! No Whipples for you! (or wait—this is better–) I’m gonna Whipple you if you don’t buckle down and get to work!

Little Donna Elwell is the only one of us who ever gets her report in on time.

Remember in elementary school how, no matter what you said, your teacher turned it into a verb?

“I have to get some water.”

“I’m gonna water you if you don’t sit down!”

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

“I’m gonna bathroom you if you don’t sit down!”

Did they do that up north or was that only in the south? I remember being in the first grade and thinking that was weird language construction, even then.

See, we are on summer vacation here in the newsroom at Elmer’s Store, so we’ll just write about anything.

HEY! Does anybody out there in reader land know anything about starting a radio station? Just a little one. Surely someone does. If you do, would you write me back and just say, “Well, what do you want to know?” and I’ll tell you.

COMING UP AT ELMER’S:

Art Opening Sunday, July 6th from 3 – 5 pm with works by Kate Bakey and Bob Parati

Lord, look—we got us a five pager this time! You can take this to the beach and lay around reading it! Don’t forget your sunscreen and watch out for those sharks!

See you around and everywhere,

Big E

Hot Peas ‘N Butter: The Pod Squad

THIS WEEKS CONTEST

My first exposure to Hot Peas ‘N Butter was on Noggin with their video Number One. I became an instant fan! They have a new CD that has recently been released, Hot Peas ‘N Butter Vol. 4: The Pod Squad, featuring the legendary cuatro player, Yomo Toro. This week we’re offering the chance for two families to win a copy of their newest CD.

Their song Different Spokes for Different Folks off of their new album has been getting a lot of attention. Tune in to the July 5th episode of HFVS to give it a listen.

HOW TO WIN:

Your chance to win free music is as easy as 1-2-3 (4)! To win simply

1. POST A COMMENT BELOW and be sure to tell us your
2. NAME and where you
3. LIVE (TOWN/STATE) PLEASE include your town and state to be eligible. We’ll randomly draw a winner from those who leave a comment (along with their name and town/state) and contact the winner via email, so be sure to leave an
4. ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address).
   

IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline is 07/09/08 @ 7pm (EST).

CONGRATULATIONS TO

• Angie Gregory of Ashfield, MA
• Leah Juarez or Albuquerque, NM
• Karin A. or Tenstrike, MN
• Daniela of Irving, TX

on winning our previous contest. The will receive a CD from Dean Joans & Dog on Fleas (www.dogonfleas.com). Congratulations ladies! Thanks for participating.

MAKING BUTTER
by Robert Krampf

My Grandmother is going to have her 103rd birthday this month. I have been thinking about how much the world has changed during her life. Imagine only having fruits and vegetables when they were in season. Imagine no computers, no television, no air conditioning, no refrigerators. This time we are going to step back in time a bit, and make our own butter.

To try this delicious treat, you will need

• a small container of heavy whipping crea
• a glass jar with a tight fitting lid

If you have never made butter, these instructions may sound strange, but trust me, it works wonderfully. The first thing to do is to let the cream sit on the counter, at room temperature, for about 12 hours. I put it out on the counter after supper, and I had freshly made butter on my toast the next morning.

After letting the cream sit, pour it into the glass jar. Don’t worry if it has a slightly sour smell. Put the lid on the jar. Now we have to shake the jar, but we don’t want to just start shaking it wildly. We want to watch what is happening. Give it one good hard shake about once every second. Watch carefully. For the first few minutes, not much will happen. Then suddenly, you will feel something solid hit the jar when you shake it. Look inside and you will see a large lump of butter. Give it a few more hard jolts and your butter should be ready.

Open the jar and look carefully. Around the butter is a thin, white liquid, which is commonly known as buttermilk. If you have ever had buttermilk biscuits, this is what they are made with. Pour off the buttermilk and add some cold water to the jar. Swirl it around a bit and then pour it off. Repeat this a few times, until the water remains clear. Drain all the water and put the lump of butter into a small bowl.

At this point, you have sweet cream butter, which is wonderful on hot bread or fresh biscuits. If you prefer salted butter, simply sprinkle some salt into the butter and stir it in. At this point, treat the butter just as you would the butter you get from the store.

That was quite yummy, but how and why did it work? First, we have to know a bit about milk. If you have ever been lucky enough to have milk fresh from the cow, you know that if you let it sit for a while, the cream floats to the top. That is because milk contains lots of tiny globules of milk fat, each surrounded by a thin membrane. Imagine tiny balloons filled with butter instead of air. Because the milk fat (butter) is lighter than the liquid, they tend to float. The cream that rises to the top is really a very high concentration of these fat globules floating on the milk. The milk from the grocery does not do this because it has been homogenized, a process that makes the fat globules small enough to keep them mixed evenly in the milk.

We left the cream out of the refrigerator overnight for two reasons. First, it helps the fat in the globules to form crystals. These crystals will help to break the membrane when we shake the cream. Imagine a water balloon with shards of glass inside. One jolt would cause the glass to slice through the balloon. That is what we want to happen.

Letting the cream sit at room temperature does something else. It allows lactic acid bacteria to grow. We think of bacteria as a bad thing, but many of them are quite useful. These bacteria make the cream more acidic, which prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. They also produce chemicals that give the butter a stronger and richer flavor.

When you shake the cream, some of the globules slam into the glass and break open. Soon, the cream is filled with tiny globs of butter. As these tiny bits of butter bump into each other, they stick together. The lumps of butter get larger and larger, as more and more globules are ripped open. Very quickly, you have one large lump of butter and a small amount of liquid buttermilk. I was amazed at how little liquid was left once the butter formed.

You will probably notice that the color of your butter is more pale that the stuff you buy at the store. Some manufacturers add yellow color, but a lot depends on what the cows are eating. Cows that eat grass get lots of a chemical called carotene, which adds a yellow color to the butter.

Of course, the true test of your butter is a fresh, hot biscuit, or some crusty French bread, or some nice pancakes, or some…. well, you get the idea.

Reprinted with permission. © 2008. Robert Krampf’s Science Education

Chemical of the Week: Fireworks

Photo (ccl) Sam Meztli

This explanation of the chemistry of fireworks discusses the compounds that produce specific colors of fireworks, the production and ignition of fireworks, the reactions (oxidations and reductions) that cause the explosions, fireworks safety, and the origins of gunpowder. From a chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Click here to review the site. [(c) LII]

An excellent site for students of home studies.

LISTEN NOW

HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW

WXOJ LP - 103.3 FM - Valley Free Radio
Northampton, MA
Saturday mornings from 9-10am

06/28/08 PLAYLIST

listen now | request a song | subscribe to free podcast
archived shows | contests | myspace

• Lisa Loeb - “Ready for the Summer” [Camp Lisa]
• Dog on Fleas - “Green Grass of Summer” [When I Get Little]
• Nat King Cole - “Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer” [The Greatest Hits]
• Tony Bennett - “Firefly” [The Playground]
• Robbi K & Friends - “Summer’s Here” [Music Makes Me Happy]
• Justin Roberts - “Kickboard, Baby, Yeah” [Pop Fly]
• Gunnar Madsen - “Summertime is Here” [Old Mr. Mackle Hackle]
• Storytelling ID: Steve Weeks www.steveweeksmusic.com
• Bill Harley - “King of the Clams” [Blah, Blah, Blah]
• The Terrible Twos - “Lily Names Everything Sandy” [Jerzy the Giant]
• The Beach Boys - “Fun, Fun, Fun” [Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys]
• T-Squad - “No Sleep ‘Til Summertime” [T-Squad]
• SHOW ID: Princess Katie & Racer Steve (www.princessracer.org)
• Randy Kaplan - “Mosquito Song” [Five Cent Piece]
• Ellis Paul - “Dragonfly Races” [The Dragonfly Races]
• Recess Monkey - “The Sandbox Song” [Tabby Road]

Persephone saw this video of the Beach Boys performing Fun, Fun, Fun back in 1964. After the video finished, her only comment was “Cool!” That’s enough approval from my official focus group of one to post it here to share:

FEATURED NEW MUSIC

• Camp Lisa by Lisa Loeb
• Pop Fly by Justin Roberts
• Jerzy the Giant by The Terrible Twos