Hubby must not read my blog very often, because he loves scrapple but didn't jump to its defense after my somewhat critical post on the mixed meat.

His sister, though, certainly did! Adriane says:

I will defend our beloved Scrapple to my dying day!! People are 'afraid' of scrapple, because it is assumed that the 'scraps' are swept off the butcher room floor or are taken from the tails, toes or ears of the swine. NOT SO! The 'scraps' are merely the ppieces of meat so small they cannot be sold - so they are salvaged to make an AWESOME product! There are several other types of meats and foods that are created by congealing them from boiling the bones, and internal organs of the animal for superb flavor, not just scrapple.

I admire her commitment to the still-questionable-in-my-mind meat product, but I'm still not a fan.

Meanwhile, from the other half of our family, my sister Louise weighs in:

I would eat some scrapple if it is sliced very thin and fried very crisp and brown. Scrapple's problem is it is UGLY FOOD. Maybe add a little red dye? olives? Oh well.

Well, she's got me on one point. Maybe it is the look, not the taste, that bothers me so much.

Posted in Things we eat

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As if the window candles didn't spark enough debate on local house-decorating customs, what about this one?

I'm referring, of course, to the idea of putting a huge metal star on your house.

My roommate (for another few days at least - an early goodbye to you, Tina!) mentioned these to me. It's funny; this is another thing that I didn't realize was special to this region. Tina's from California, and she says the metal stars are definitely an area concept here.

Hubby, for what it's worth, hates these. In an almost irrational way. I don't mind them, but we're not much for the rustic style of decor, so I probably wouldn't use one. Anyone have one? Is it really something out of a rural Northeast tradition?

Posted in County customs Joan's randomness

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Just a quick update to let you all know - you know, all five of you :) - that I am still running/walking and playing tennis every Tuesday and Thursday evening!

My big claim to fame is that I measured the area where my friend Dan and I are running/walking, and one "lap" is almost exactly one mile. Last week, we made it around 8 times in a bit under two and a half hours - that's not real fast, but that's OK with me. I made it 8 miles!!! Holy cow.

I am not quite at the point yet where I can jog/run/sprint a whole lap. I can get about three-quarters of one but then I need to walk. But, I'm slowly improving, and that's what I'm focusing on. Wish me luck!

Posted in Joan's randomness

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This is Buffy.

Buffy is our Assistant Managing Editor for Features and Niche in the newsroom. She is immensely smart, immensely organized, and basically everything I want to be if I ever start acting like a grown-up.

Buffy, however, is known around the office for being, well, a little... unusual. She carries four calendars around. She has a certain number of sharpened pencils at her desk at all times. And she has those air fresheners on timers that deliver a nice puff of scented air every so often at her house.

I say this not to mock Buffy, because I appreciate all these things and the glorious order of them.

But when Buffy told me her story about window candles, I admit, even I was a little amazed.

Posted in Joan's randomness

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For the first time in... wow, I don't even want to think how long ... I'm off for a holiday!

I was off Sunday, too, so I have a rare two-day weekend. (I normally am off Sundays and Wednesdays, which is great in that it breaks up the week but not so great in that I never have two days together off.)

Anyone doing anything fun for the holiday? Going to the parade at Kiwanis Lake or up to Kipona in Harrisburg? Today is the last day you can look for letterboxes, so we will probably finish up our quest for all 30 of those (only 4 to go!)

Let me know how you spent the day - especially if you ate anything good (JO!)

Posted in Around town

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Well, we've officially finished the first week of school here in West York.

Here was daughter Sarah, third from left, getting ready to board the bus on the first day last Monday:

The first week went well. We're still adjusting to the homework in the new "Everyday Math" program, but I really like it. (Some people don't.)

And, Sarah went the whole week without getting in trouble. (That's huge. She's not a bad kid, but boy can she talk out of turn.) Our deal is that if she goes the first two weeks with no trouble, she gets a new game for her GameBoy. (She has one of the old-fashioned models, so games are only about $6.) Yes, I'm into bribery. Call it rewards for good behavior if that sounds better. It amounts to the same thing: She gets something she wants for acting the way I want.

And I'm OK with that. Here's to a good REST of the school year (I'm not forking over $6 every two weeks, though!)

Posted in Dover/West York Joan's randomness

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I live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. That's it up there. You know the kind... brick front, siding on the other sides, and while I don't have candles in the window, I do have a nice butterfly bush that really looks nice around this time of year.

Now, the problem with living in a nice house in a nice neighborhood, is that if you let the weeds get even slightly out of control, in comparison with your neighbors, your house looks like this:

Now, why, you ask, would I LET my weeds take over like that?

Posted in Dover/West York Joan's randomness

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