Country Cousin 7/13/22

Issue Date: July 13, 2022

Half past summer....

Hard to believe, but summer 2022 is half over. Memorial Day has come and gone. The Fourth of July has come and gone. School officials all around the nation, including here in TIMESLand, are getting ready for the re-opening of classes in about six short weeks. Gardens are ready for harvesting. We'd better hurry up and do the things we love to do in summer or it will be too late.

We've been enjoying some fine weather, and forecasters from the National Weather Service are promising us more of the same through the coming weekend, with most of the rain possibilities as late afternoon nighttime showers. Predictions are for daytime highs in the mid-80s, and nighttime lows in the mid-60s, perfect for enjoying the outdoors, especially the bright moonlit evenings that should follow Wednesday's Full Buck Moon.

The July Full Buck Moon, the biggest super moon of three to shine this year, will rise in the southeast sky on Wednesday evening, and continue to appear as the largest full moon of 2022 through Thursday night. Moonlight should still be romantically shining through Friday night. Let's hope for clear skies to help us fully enjoy it.

Incidentally, the July full moon is called the "Buck Moon" in reference to the time of year when male deer grow their new antlers. The July full moon is the second of three super moons promised in 2022.

AVOID HEAT STROKE

While dangerously high temperatures are not predicted for TIMESLand in the immediate future, there will probably be plenty more coming this year, and many of us will be traveling to warmer climes, so perhaps some keep cool advice is not out of order.

Experts say in extreme heat we should stay hydrated by filling up with fluids, but avoid sugary drinks and alcohol. They make things worse. Drink cool fluids as desired, but to avoid "brain freeze," icy ones should be sipped, not gulped.

If you get too, too hot, get into the shade immediately. Take a cool shower or bath, or better still, a dip in a cool lake, stream or pool. If that's not an option, run a towel under cool water and ring it out. Wipe down your face, and then wrap the towel around the base of your neck so it touches the bottom of you head. Hold your wrists under cool running water for a few minutes.

If your pulse starts pounding and breath comes hard, find a way to cool down and rest immediately to avoid heat stroke.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Extreme heat is dangerous, but so is extreme cold. An older man, living alone, decided he wanted a pet, and after thinking long and hard about the decision, he buys a parrot and brings it home.

However, things don't go well. The parrot almost immediately starts insulting the man and uses crude language. The parrot won't shut up, so in a moment of anger, the man picks up the parrot and tosses it into the freezer and slams the cover shut to teach it a lesson.

After a few minutes the bird stops squawking, and the man opens the freezer and lifts it out. The parrot straightens up, looks up at the man, and solemnly declares, "I apologize for offending you, and I humbly ask your forgiveness."

The man replies, "Well, thank you. I forgive you, and I'm sorry I put you in that freezer."

The parrot then gets brave, and asks, "By the way"� what did that chicken do?"

FUN STUFF

Summer may be half over, but there's still lots of fun stuff coming up, including the Coleman Fireman's Picnic this weekend; concerts in the park held regularly in Peshtigo and Marinette, Gospel Jam at the Town of Stephenson Town Hall on Friday, July 15, and a day-long old fashioned River Revival will be held at W4167 Schroeder Rd., outside of Marinette on Friday, July 22, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Planners promise "... a place to lay your burdens down and experience a better day, a better way, and perhaps a better life...a day of prayer and praise where you might even find your joy." There will be music, snacks, speakers, water baptism, and more at this free family oriented event.

SILVER CREAM

Speaking of concerts in the Park, the concert on Stephenson Island in the City of Marinette from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, offers music by The Silver Cream Band.

That reminded me of the old days, when my grandfather, Louis "Smokey" Boivin, had Silver Cream beer on tap and lots of their signs displayed at his "Smokey's Bar" on Hwy. 141 in Middle Inlet, which is now the I Don't Know Saloon.

Grandpa said he kept offering Silver Cream as his primary beer because the brewery in Menominee had kept him supplied during years when he had been unable to get beer from anywhere else. (He didn't say if that was from prohibition or other problems, and I don't recall asking.)

Anyway, the brewing company closed and the original Silver Cream Beer stopped being brewed decades ago. Their cans, bottles and advertising items are now quite collectable.

A beer called Silver Cream is currently produced by at least one local brew pub, but the original Silver Cream came from the Menominee-Marinette Brewing Co. Inc., which opened in 1933 and closed in 1950 after being open for 17 years.

According to one website, this brewing company's listing was active during Prohibition which, the site said, "makes it an oddity," though some breweries were able to stay in business by producing "near-beer" which was very low alcohol, while others switched to bottling sodas or other beverages. (LaSalle Bottling company operated in Marinette or Menominee at that time.)

Menominee-Marinette Brewing Co. Inc. again opened in 1950 and closed in 1961, after being open for 11 years.

According to the website, items from breweries that started up right after Prohibition was repealed, up to around the 1950s, are often highly collectible. During the period after Prohibition was repealed beer cans became popular, and some of the rarest and most desirable cans come from this period. For cans to be very valuable they need to be rare, and in very good condition.

There's a also a web report that the Menominee-Marinette Brewing Company that existed from 1933 to 1961 was first known for a light beer called "Menominee Champion," and in 1958 came out with another brand, "Big Mac," apparently to capitalize on the fame of the new bridge over the Straits of Mackinac that made it possible to drive between Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Lower Michigan for the first time. The Big Mac brand did not last very long and the brewery closed in 1961. The bridge, on the other hand, remains the only way a land vehicle can travel from the thumb to the hand of the Michigan mitten unless it rides on a ferry boat for part of the trip.

SPEAKING OF BEER

Speaking of beer reminded me of the three elderly gentleman who were out for a stroll. All were somewhat hard of hearing, but none of them would admit it. First guy says, "Windy, isn't it?" The second one says, "No, it's Thursday!" Third one says, "So am I. Let's go get a beer."

So they did.

ON THE SOAP BOX

FREEDOM OF RELIGION

Thank God for the majority of justices on today's United States Supreme Court. Long may they rule, and long may that court survive the court-packing proposed by legislators on the dictatorial Liberal left.

One of their recent rulings upheld the right of Joe Kennedy, a Washington state high school football coach, to kneel on the 50-yard line while offering a private prayer of thanks after football games. Kennedy had been fired by the Bremmerton School District, which argued that leaving the coach undisciplined might lead to a mistaken conclusion that it endorsed his religious beliefs.

Bet that same school board would have found it okay for a coach to kneel in protest, rather than stand for the National Anthem, as some nationally-known professional athletes chose to do.

Wonder how they would have handled it if the coach were a Muslim kneeling for his prayers to Allah?

A district court had ruled in favor of the school district's position that offering his prayer in view of the public constituted a violation of its public speech policies.

Six of the nine Supreme Court justices ruled in favor of Kennedy, and three disagreed with the majority opinion that was written by Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Gorsuch wrote: "The Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment protect expressions like Mr. Kennedy's. Nor does a proper understanding of the Amendment's Establishment Clause require the government to single out private religious speech for special disfavor.

"The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and non religious views."

The opinion of dissenting justices, written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, said in part that Kennedy was responsible for repeated disruptions of school programming and violations of school policy regarding public access to the field. "This case is about whether a public school must permit a school official to kneel, bow his head, and say a prayer at the center of a school event," Sotomayor wrote. "The Constitution does not authorize, let alone require, public schools to embrace this conduct."

She further concluded, "This decision does a disservice to schools and the young citizens they serve, as well as to our nation's longstanding commitment to the separation of church and state."

Attorneys representing the school district argued that Kennedy was seen as a mentor role model by players and other students of the district when he prayed in public. There was no indication by school officials that anyone said, or even thought, that Kennedy was requiring, or even inviting, his players to pray with him. Apparently his only problem was praying where others could see him.

Heaven forbid that anyone who serves as a mentor and role model for students should be caught praying!!!

Want to offer a personal note of thanks to Coach Kennedy for having the courage to pray in public, and to the six Supreme Court Justices who ruled that he had the right to do so.

It hasn't happened yet, but am certain there will be attempts to prohibit use of the Bible to administer oaths of office for public officials in this country, and to eliminate "In God We Trust" as our national motto, which would then lead to removing those words from our coins and currency.

Let us all - of whatever religion - pray that does not happen. Have always felt that our Creator gave favored treatment to the United States of America its support of freedom of religion, and fear that we will lose that protection if we allow the anti-God people to succeed in banning god from national recognition as they have succeeded in banning Him from our public school system.

COOKIN' TIME

Berries are ripening and gardens are producing. Strawberry season is nearing an end, but blueberries are ready. We enjoyed our first fresh green beans from the garden this week, and there will be more to come - so many that canning time will be upon us. Incidentally, when buying a watermelon, to get sweet, juicy eating, select one with a yellow spot on the bottom, not a white one.

CRANANA BLUEBERRY POPSICLES

This easy frozen treat makes is wonderful on a hot summer day.

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 ripe bananas

1-3/4 cups cranberry juice cocktail, divided

Optional: 2 tablespoons honey or sugar

Process blueberries and 3/4 cup of cranberry juice in a blender for 20 seconds. If you want to remove blueberry skins, pour the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing with spatula, and then rinse the blender before pouring strained liquid back in. Add the banana and remaining cranberry juice and honey o sugar (if using), and blend another 20 seconds or so. Pour into molds, add popsicle sticks or other handles, and freeze at least 4 hours. If you don't mind the texture of the blueberry skins, just process the blueberries with cranberry juice for 20 to 30 seconds, add the other ingredients and process again for 20 seconds and then freeze. If you have no molds for freezing, use small size disposable cups and popsicle sticks if you have them, and plastic spoons if you do not.

CROCK POT TURKEY LEGS

Tired of grilled food, great as it is? If you have an outdoor area where rain can't fall, you can plug the slow cooker inside to cook a traditional meal while you keep the kitchen cool and go about your other chores - or fun. You can make this with chicken too, if it's cheaper. Make this easy meal with thighs if you prefer, but peel off as much visible fat as possible. Skin them if you like. Don't skin the legs. They tend to be a bit dry already and you don't want the meat falling off so all those flat bones get in the sauce. Chicken drumsticks or thighs work too.

2 to 4 pounds turkey legs

1 onion, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 can tomato soup (10 1/2 oz.)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup water

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon thyme

Place turkey drumsticks, thick end down, into slow cooker with onion and green pepper slices. Mix soup and remaining ingredients and pour over the drumsticks. Cover and cook on low 4 to 6 hours. Serve with rice, noodles or potatoes, and a tossed salad, sliced tomatoes, or a fresh cooked green vegetable, like green beans straight from the garden.

HERBED GREEN BEANS

If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can use your Insta-Pot pressure cooker to put these beans up for winter eating. Only make as many pints at a time as it can handle. The whole process is a lot easier than it sounds. If food prices keep climbing as they have been you could be very, very glad you have them.?3 pounds green beans?1-1/2 cups chopped onion?1 cup chopped celery?1 clove garlic, minced?1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed?1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed?Wash and drain green beans. Trim ends and cut in 1-inch pieces; measure 12 cups. In 4 to 6 quart kettle or Dutch oven simmer beans in boiling water to cover for 5 minutes; drain. Combine green beans, onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, and basil. Pack mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt per pint. Adjust lids. Process in pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (pints) 20 minutes. Makes 6 pints. Boil at least 10 minutes before tasting or using. Then drain and add a few sprinkles of pepper and a tablespoon butter to each pint before serving, if desired.

Thought for the week: If our national values are to survive, now is the time when we must have the courage to speak up and stand up for what we believe is morally right. We must talk down those of the "woke" culture, who are busy all around us ridiculing our moral values and trying to stifle our words and our thoughts so they can destroy our faith, our families, our culture and our nation. We can withstand their attacks, hold on to our values, and keep our nation and our families strong if we are strong enough and bold enough. As the late, great President Ronald Reagan said, probably more than once, "No weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

(This column is written by Shirley Prudhomme of Crivitz. Views expressed are her own and are in no way intended to be an official statement of the opinions of Peshtigo Times editors and publishers. She may be contacted by phone at 715-291-9002 or by e-mail to shirleyprudhommechickadee@yahoo.com.)

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