Jack’s Winning Words 9/1/15
“There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.”  (Carl Sandburg)  Sandburg was from Galesburg, IL, as was my father.  They belonged to the same church, although Carl wasn’t much of a church-goer.  I like his down to earth style of writing.  He composed for children, too…The Rootabaga Stories.  Who knows what a rootabaga is?  What kind of animal are you today?  An eagle, a hippo, or….?    ;-)  Jack

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  you put rutabagas in pasties so the miners in the UP could have a hot meal down in the mines at noon.  they heated them on their shovels with the carbide lanterns.  I think I have all this info correct.  my Dad once took a photo of Carl Sandburg which I still have and value for obvious reasons.  have a good day now...====JACK:  Rutabagas have a distinct taste, that's for sure.  You like the flavor, or you don't.  BTW, I had an aunt who knew Carl as they were growing up together in Galesburg.  "He was a bum!"  She was one who never minded expressing her opinion.

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  I know what a rutabaga is.====JACK:  Of course you do!  Your dad had a garden, and he probably grew them.

FROM TARMART REV:  ... how about a "teddy bear" for Willmar, MN... everybody wants to hug a teddy bear.====JACK:  Is that your nickname around town...Teddy?

FROM HONEST JOHN:  A root abaya is a staple of a real Finnish pasty.====JACK:  I think that all the Scandinavians had uses for them.  I can remember having mashed rutabaga, like mashed potatoes.  I liked the potatoes better.  Since you're interested in childrens' books, maybe you've read Sandburg's Rootabaga Stories.  I'll have to see if I can pull up one of them.

FROM CL IN CALIFORNIA:  Jack, Are you kidding? I hated rootabaga as a kid!====JACK:  As a kid, I had my hates, too.  I hated corn on the cob.  I hated it when my mom wet her handkerchief with her mouth and wiped something off of my face.  I hated girls.  Do you have a list of other childhood-hates?====CL:  Mostly just rhubarb!====JACK:  Last week I had strawberry/rhubarb pie.  Still a favorite from my growing up years...along with liver and onions and spinach.  

FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  A hippo with wings.====JACK:  I've seen Dumbo fly, but never a hippo.  Maybe you can write a children's story about one....a hippo who saw an eagle soaring in the sky and dreamed of doing that, and...an eagle who looked down and saw the hippo wallowing and wished that he could do that.

FROM JD IN MPLS:  jack, I feel like a turtle as I can't move fast anymore.====JACK:  Agility is one thing that I miss.  Like you and the turtle, I can move, but it takes longer to get to where I want to go.  There's a young lady who power-walks past our how each day.  As Archie and Edith used to sing, "Those were the days..."

FROM GUSTIE MARLYS:  I went to the State Fair yesterday—so today I am a Hippo!====JACK:  Daughter Jeanne traveled to Minnesota over the weekend and spent some time at The Fair.  She said they were selling "Casserole on a Stick."  Have you ever had one of those?

FROM ANNE:  Did every one learn " The fog crept  in on little cat feet"?  I will check my poetry books.  This is the recall by an old head.====JACK:  Beautiful descriptive writing