Remarkable Dreams at Age 80

My Dad turned 80 this past summer and of course we threw a big party to celebrate with him. It was a wonderful backyard BBQ with family and friends; just the kind of celebration he relishes. Simple, low key and all about the people. And the hamburgers, too, but mostly about the people.

Frank's been a gifted singer pretty much all of his life - an accountant by trade, a really good athlete for fun, but always a singer by choice. He passed his love of music on to all five of us kids; we've each performed in one way or another, professionally or casually, since we were little kids. He probably still has reel-to-reel tapes of us singing around the Christmas tree back in 1966. Dad, Mom and all of us sang in the church choir at varying times; you'll still find my Dad there on Saturdays and Sundays. He sings for funerals as well - people request him because they love his ever powerful, beautiful tenor voice.

You might think of an 80-year-old man as one who sits in a chair, watching TV and talking about his various ailments, but that's not my Dad. He recently purchased a bicycle and still plays a mean game of ping-pong. The only beings he loves more than family and friends would be horses, and he'll go riding whenever there is an opportunity. But music is really his passion.

The remarkable project Dad's completing now is an album of love songs (and others) -mostly music from the 1940s. It's remarkable because he still sounds great at age 80 and still wants so much to share his music. It's remarkable to see the tender loving care he's putting into this project and the great cooperation between him and my son, Greg, as the recording engineer.

Dad has also sent his vocal demo of the National Anthem to the Red Sox, hopeful that they'll choose him for the line up for next season. He's positive and passionate about music - in his quiet way he's the perfect role model. Here's why: it's a powerful lesson to realize that an 80-year-old person can still possess the talent, the will, and the passion to make his dreams reality.

Flint Farm - Taste the Local Flavor Part II

Two of the hardest-working people I've met are the proprietors of Flint Farm in East Mansfield. Beth and Don Flint (the farm was passed down through his family, and his mom still works there, as do Beth and Don's sons) are friendly, energetic, and extremely business-savvy. All of that explains the continuous lines in front of the ice cream window on a recent Sunday afternoon. "Richardson's Ice Cream is the best tasting ice cream around and my customers know it" says Beth. With a mind-boggling array of flavors and a helpful staff of young ladies who love working for the Flint Family manning ice cream scoops, the Flint's ice cream stand is a special treat.

Asked how many customers they served this season, Beth replied, "I can't begin to think how many ice creams we made!"

Beautiful produce abounds - this is the time to choose just the right pumpkins to decorate your front stairs, porch or mantel. And see what else is on the shelves of Flint's produce stand; like a Cezanne still life, the colors and shapes satisfy, then you bring your treasure home and enjoy the fruits of the Flints' labor. I've said it before: there's nothing so delectable as the flavor of locally grown corn, tomatoes and whatever else is fresh from the field today.

There are other fun activities happening at Flint Farm: some Sunday afternoons you'll find The Van Burens playing an acoustic set of covers and original music on the side lawn while little kids dance and everyone enjoys their favorite ice cream flavor. The new corn maze is open and is a delightfully old-fashioned experience. Saturdays and Sundays there are hayrides from 12 - 6 p.m. There is a nominal fee for the maze and the hayrides, but under age 3 is free. Family fun and local flavor at its best!

Flint Farm: 789 East Street, just off Route 106 in East Mansfield
bflint1@comcast.net

I Love a Baking Challenge (it is so civilized)

"I love a baking challenge. It is so civilized." This is my friend, Mary Alice, the consummate baker and true Southern lady (transplanted years ago here in the Northeast) talking about baking a Lane cake. Have you heard of this delightful confection? It gets a mention in Harper Lee's heartbreaking and beautiful story
"To Kill A Mockingbird", which I recommend you read immediately if you haven't.

Created by Emma Rylander Lane of Clayton, Alabama, Lane cake is something that appears on special occasions in the South. A big cake, says Mary Alice, with raisins, coconut, pecans, lots of eggs and a jigger of whiskey, then topped with luscious seven-minute frosting.

Civilized? Definitely. Delicious? I'll tell you later . . .

Fashion Me Red

Back in August I was browsing women's clothing catalogs online in places where I wouldn't normally shop because I'm not that cool or trendy. Understanding that the color red would be back this Fall, I felt exhilarated and eagerly anticipated adding that new red sweater or coat into my regular rotation of favorites. Red is a color that complements me and works reliably with the various black, denim or brown slacks, jeans or skirts I wear for every occasion. According to Wikipedia, the color red connotes a variety of signals including, danger, anger, communism, lust, friendship and honor. For me, red just feels good.

To my dismay, I completely misunderstood the trend. All of the new women's clothing catalogs in my mailbox and inbox are displaying sweaters, boyfriend jackets and tweeds in purple, lavender, grey and blue. There are some orange and yellow and green accents here and there, and they're very nice, but true red clothing appears to be out, for the time being. Apparently the more muted colors are reflective of our "tough economic times", according to Allan Barger of "Fashionising". I have recently sworn off the phrase "tough economic times" and still prefer Pantone 185 or 186 Red to American Beauty Rose or Burnt Sienna.

I trust that my new red sweater will turn up eventually; I can be patient.

The One and Only Packaging Diva

When you see the word "diva", you normally think of an opera singer like Jessye Norman or even an R&B singer like Aretha Franklin. Barbra Streisand and Mariah Carey come to mind. I've never made acquaintance with these divas, but agree that they fit the profile, given the Merriam-Webster definition of diva, which is "a usually glamorous and successful female performer".

The Packaging Diva, JoAnn Hines, deserves the diva moniker because of the breadth of her interest in and knowledge of all things packaging. She has been around the business for so long that even the likes of Bill Clinton (she's been to the White House twice) and Faith Popcorn have called for JoAnn's input before they made a public statement.

To put it simply, JoAnn Hines knows how products should be packaged so that people will buy them. Whether you are launching a new product, retooling a tried and true favorite, looking for a packaging vendor, need input on a packaging design already in the works, seek a packaging expert to speak at an event, require help to stay competitive in the marketplace, or are looking to expand your market or target a specific demographic, Joann has the qualifications to steer you in the right direction. She has affiliations with universities, publications, manufacturers and pretty much anyone who has anything to do with packaging. JoAnn has even developed her own Packaging University with myriad opportunities to learn to integrate your packaging with the needs of the consumer.

A successful business is all about connections, isn't it? If you're in the packaging business, make that connection with The Packaging Diva - you'll be glad you found her.
The Packaging Diva

Saturday at the Farmer's Market

Have you been to your local farmer's market? Sponsored by Sustainable Braintree, the Braintree Farmer's Market is open on Saturday mornings through October in the parking lot of town hall, where you'll find vegetables and fruits (some exotic, others familiar), meats, seafood, homemade pies, cookies, soaps, granola, plants and other great items you likely won't find on the shelf at the grocery store. One lucky day I even found the Friends of Thayer Public Library selling gently used paperback books on the cheap! I bought a couple of books that day, but return faithfully each Saturday for the vegetables. Everything there is super-fresh; most of the produce was picked in the last 24 hours - unless you grow it yourself you'll find none better. Some of the sweetest corn and juiciest gigantic tomatoes come from The Farmer's Garden in Rehoboth. On a recent visit, owner Tammy Noons mentioned that the corn had been picked that morning; her table was crowded with buyers scooping up as many ears of corn as they could carry.

It evokes an uncommon, small-town, old-fashioned feeling; mingling in the sunshine with neighbors, while the proud farmers help you choose the best produce and even tell you how to prepare it if you need advice. As the summer winds down, find a farmer's market near you and enjoy the local flavor.

Fully Committed

Riding down the highway the other day, I noticed a car, first because it was a brilliant yellow Mustang, which I thought was cool, and then because it had Red Sox stickers on it. (I'm a big Sox fan). Upon closer inspection (traffic was at a standstill), I saw that it was a young female driver, who obviously has a great love for the Red Sox, and for Dustin Pedroia in particular. She had the Red Sox logo on her license plate and in the center of the rear window, and the oval shaped "15" (Pedroia's number for you National League fans) sticker in the lower right corner. "MVPedroia" decorated the lower portion of the rear window, all adding up to a BIG LOVE for the very accomplished infielder.

We have a great tendency to wear our hearts on our sleeves, as it were, for sports teams and causes, our country or our candidate. I recommend that each of us be even more committed to ourselves. Not for selfish reasons, but to be better people, for ourselves and for those around us. It brings to mind the safety instructions on airplanes: the flight attendants remind us, in case of emergency, to put on our own oxygen masks before helping others.

It's simple - if you're going to do it, be fully committed.