Barbara's Blog

  From "Tik-Tok of Oz" by L. Frank Baum: [The Queen of Oogaboo is recruiting men for her army, and enlists her subject Jo Files]            “This Files … had nine book-trees, on which grew a choice selection of story-books. In case you have never seen books growing upon trees, I will explain that those in Jo Files’ orchard were enclosed in broad green husks which, when fully ripe, turned to a deep red color. Then the books were picked and husked and were ready to read. If they were picked too soon, the stories were found to be confused and uninteresting and the spelling bad. However, if allowed to ripen perfectly, the stories were fine reading and the spelling and grammar excellent.            “Files freely gave his books to all who wanted them, but the people of Oogaboo cared little for books and so he had to read most of them himself, before they spoiled. For, as you probably know, as soon as the books were read the words disappeared and the leaves withered and faded – wh

  Back when I lived in Westchester, one of my neighbors grew these in his front yard, and entered them in competitions. Most of them were white, but he had a couple of orange ones. It was like walking past a parking-lot full of Volkswagens. Carve one of THOSE into a Jack 'o' Lantern that looks like it means business! I always did wonder whether they tasted the same. Peoples' hobbies and occupations are wonderful things. Not only stranger than we imagine, but stranger than we CAN imagine.