Purple Popsicle Eaters

Frank Epperson, the clever San Francisco lad who invented the popsicle (in 1905, at age 11), went out and patented it (when he was grown up). He didn’t even mean to invent anything. He just left some soda powder and water and a stirring stick out on the porch overnight and there was a cold snap and the inevitable happened. After the inevitable happened though, he waited 18 years to do something about it. Eighteen years! That’s a lot of hot summers without popsicles, Frank.

And it is thanks to him that today is National Grape Popiscle Day.

Today we celebrate not merely the popsicle, but the grape popsicle. Some people think that these are the best kind (usually children) and others (They Who Do The Laundry) think that these are the worst kind for getting the stains off of clothing after said children consume them.

Frank Epperson patented the popsicle in 1924, 2 years after they were first sold at Alameda, California. Epperson called his little frozen treats Epsicles, but his children came up with a better name. Hence the Popsicle. I like it! I think we’ve got something here.

What we’ve got is lots and lots of popsicles. We also have some links:

A Grape Popsicle Cocktail for the grownups, at GroupRecipes.

This guy made up the Popsicle Diet, which includes 15 grape popsicles a day (out of 50 total). He is kidding, of course (and also he forgot to include lemon popsicles, which cleanse the palate as everyone knows.)

The lovely picture of real grapes is from here. Frozen grapes are good in the summer, too.  

Ten Records, Twenty Moods

Above you see “your most pleasing discovery of 1966.” (For the record, I was 3 going on 4 for most of 1966, amd my most pleasing discovery was that I could put chewing gum on the upholstered chair, though this was temporary, since I got caught). The woman on the album cover looks thrilled. I wonder which one of the 20 moods she is in? I would say Cheesed Off, but that isn’t one of them.

And that’s a pretty sweeping statement to make, Reader’s Digest. So you think you’ve captured all my moods? Actually, not only have you left plenty of moods out, you’ve put in some that I never even heard of. Like what precisely is a Starlight mood? Or a Latin mood. Or a Movie mood. If I’m in a Movie mood, I’ll go see a movie, you know.

Now what I really do want is some music for my real, everyday moods! Like Frazzled (that would be music to get everyone off in the morning). Or, What the Hell Am I Making For Dinner Again? That’s a good one. Or, Don’t Ask Me Now, It’s 11 pm.

I already know what music I like if I’m in a good mood, or going out to run, or need to get charged up to go out. I think we all have our favorites. The mood music though. That’s where Reader’s Digest clearly needs help.

-What sort of mood do you think they should have included? And what music would you suggest?

-Has anyone reading ever had a Starlight mood? Or Spectacular. What’s that? Is it a little ego trip (“boy, am I spectacular!”) or that you’re just having a really good day?

If WordPress allows polls (and I will look, but I fear not) I’ll put this in the sidebar (which is acting funny, I might play with the template again).

Later today we will be celebrating National Grape Popsicle Day, so do come back for a refreshing treat later on. And maybe we can find some music for a Popsicle mood (Good Humor joke goes here).