by jphilo | Aug 21, 2012 | Three Thoughts for Thursday
Uh-huh, the Iowa State Fair is over for another year. And yes, last week’s top 10 list was all about the fair. But we had so much fun the day we attended, I’m back with 10 more top 10 reasons to attend the 2013 fair.
10. Plenty of rides for those who like them. Plenty of head-shaking material for those who don’t.
9. Where else in Iowa do pedestrians totally rule?
8. The Iowa State Fair may be the only place on earth with a memorial honoring a butter cow sculptor.
7. It may also be the only place to see the Seven Dwarves in butter. Do you think Sneezy changed his name to Greasy for the duration of the fair?
6. In the same vein, where else will you see an icy version of the Big Chief Tablet Indian?
5. Where else is there a chance to snuggle up to Clifford the Big Red Dog?
4. And discover that Tupperware is eye candy?
3. At the Iowa State Fair, you can see the Barbie Doll Case you lusted after as a child.
2. Not to mention a Trixie Belden paper doll book like the one you bought with your allowance way back when.
1. For those of us who had disabled fathers, where but at the State Fair does the opportunity exist to see a replica of the metal urinals our dads used, which in hindsight must have felt mighty cold on crisp fall mornings before our penny-pinching parents turned on the heat.
There you have them. 10 more top 10 reasons to mark your calendars for the 2013 Iowa State Fair, August 8 – 18. For those of you who made it to this year’s gala event, what would you add to the list?
by jphilo | Jan 23, 2012 | Daily Life
Have you seen the Pioneers of American Industrial Design stamps issued by the US Post Office last June? I am totally in love with them. Maybe because the sleek modern lines – with a few art deco flourishes here and there – soothe my soul. Or maybe because the Fiestaware pitchers, the black rotary dial phone, and the box camera stir up the kind of sweet childhood memories I like to carry around with me the older I get. Whatever the reason, I’m toying with the idea of purchasing a lifetime supply of these new Forever stamps.
The stamps also got me thinking about a new Forever Stamp idea. I settled upon a collection of household innovations developed during the lifetime of Baby Boomers. The featured items in that category will be near and dear to anyone – male or female – born since 1950 (give or take a few years) who’s in charge of making a house run smoothly. Here are the innovations on my top ten list.
Top Ten Household Innovations
10. Automatic car lock fobs – While these are not actually in the house, anyone who has
tried to use a key to lock a car while carrying groceries knows it belongs on the list.
9. Liquid hand soap for the home – How come it took so long for this one to move from
schools, rest stops, and gas station bathrooms to the home?
8. Baby carrots – No explanation needed on this one.
7. Stackable washer and dryer – Again, why did this take so long?
6. Reusable grocery bags – I know, Europeans have been using these for decades, but
the bags took a long time to get across the pond. If the Beatles had used them on
the Ed Sullivan show in the early 1960s, plastic grocery bags might never have been
invented.
5. Pampered Chef nut chopper – No explanation needed on this one, either.
4. Pampered Chef and/or Tupperware can openers – I’m not endorsing Pampered Chef,
but these can openers have prevented cuts from the jagged metal piece left by
traditional can openers, they make the list.
3. Self-stick stamps – No, I didn’t add this one to ingratiate myself with the Post Office
come stamp selection time. But, eery time I plop a self-stick stamp on an envelope, I
remember the horrid taste of the gummed stamps that required a quick lick to stick
and offer a prayer of thanks.
2. Post-It Notes – Love ’em.
And now, for the top household innovation since 1960…..
1. DOUBLE ROLL TOILET PAPER – Need I say more?
That’s my top ten list. But, let’s go for the top twenty. Leave a comment to add your favorite household innovation since 1960.
This is gonna be fun!
