by Taryn McColpin

Ahh, October…The month of Harvest and Halloween, pumpkins and parties, fall and food.

Surprisingly, the fall month most associated with food is not November, but October. What first comes to mind is the bags full of candy we collect on the last day of the month for most of our childhoods, but many Halloween traditions are associated with actual food.

Samhain, the Celtic harvest festival, is one of the origins of Halloween as we know it. In the first century, the Romans adopted some Celtic practices as their own, and Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of other October Roman traditions, such as their day to honor Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, which might explain the origin of our modern tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween, as the Romans were fond of dunking as a torture device, which carried through to our Salem days.

Trick-or-treating is thought to have originated with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for “soul cakes” made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more jelly sandwiches the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to ensure the donors’ deceased relatives a quick trip to their just rewards.

Halloween customs were brought to America in the 1840’s by Irish immigrants fleeing their country’s potato famine. The Jack-o-lantern probably comes from Irish folklore, although the original carved vegetables were usually gourds or turnips, which don’t make very good pies. They were left on the doorstep to ward off spirits, sometimes with treats to avoid the spirits’ tricks. Trick-or-treating has somehow morphed into setting fire to the village of Detroit, but at that time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over outhouses (hopefully uninhabited) and unhinging fence gates.

During October, many foods are in season, including all the root crops, and the squash family, such as the venerable pumpkin, nuts and berries, apples and pears and peppers…plus oysters (since it is a month with an R) and the beginning of Archery Only hunting season on October 2 (where the hunters bring home venison, goose, partridge, and empty cases of beer).

In Canada, they get a foodie jump on us by celebrating Thanksgiving on October 11. Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, the biggest Harvest festival of them all, is September 18-October 4. Early Oktoberfest celebrations were, naturally, held in October, but the festival was eventually moved to September, as the weather was better earlier in the fall, a sentiment with which we Texans can empathize.

In the USA, almost all food-related special days are referred to as “National,” whether they have been declared so officially or not. We Americans like our food…and it shows. We start out healthy, with World Vegetarian Day on October 1st; however, Pudding Season begins on that day as well. Sweetest Day is the third Saturday in October, and we also have National Taco Day, National Dessert Day (and Chocolate Covered Insect Day), National Pasta Day, and National Nut Day. And on October 30 is a National Day for candy corn, which amazingly is fat-free, but serves its Halloween purpose by making people scream when they step on the scale after indulging in a bag or two of the stuff.

National Chili Week is October 3-9, followed logically by American Beer Week. October is Pickled Pepper Month, Pizza Month, Popcorn Poppin’ Month, and Eat Country Ham Month, among many others. The puzzling part about this is that October is also Hunger Awareness Month.

So contribute to your local Food Bank on World Food Day, October 16th, pass out jelly sandwiches for Halloween if you have any pesky ghosts you wish to rush along to their final destination, and make sure there are no stray Romans behind you when you are dunking for apples.

by Taryn McColpin

Ahhh…August.  Backyard gardens are giving up their crops, and pantries are filling with jewel-toned glass jars of canned goods.  The air is ripe with the sound of ice cream truck music, air conditioner hum, childrens’ swimming pool squeals, and…cell phone ringtones?

As recently as 60 years ago, some places in this country did not even have landline phones. This is the story of The Time The Phones Went On In Texas.

Once upon a time, there was little girl who lived on a farm waaaay out in the country, on Garrett’s Creek Road, with her grandparents.  She spent her days playing with baby chicks and climbing the peach tree behind the farmhouse, which was covered in hot pink blossoms and butterflies in the spring, and carefully-avoided reddish fruits in the summer.

On a steamy day in July, the bushel baskets and Mason jars were pulled from the dry cellar, and Mammaw walked the path to the peach tree in her sundress and wide-brimmed hat. Carefully inspecting for worms, she dropped the winners into the baskets, and soon the kitchen counter was covered with piles of fruit.  The little girl watched from her yellow metal chair-stool, wistfully yearning to help Mammaw can the peaches, but such a dangerous process is not for the young.

Soon the big black cookpot of peaches was boiling away to help with the peeling process, the scented steam roiling above it, then they were cut in half, pitted, stowed away in the hot Mason jars, and carefully lowered into the canner, with its ominous-looking gauge on top.  After what seemed like hours but was only ten minutes, the weight on the lid began its jiggling dance and off went the fire. More “hours” for the pressure to subside, then the golden jars were carefully lifted from the canner and set on hotplates to cool, covered with dish towels. The little girl had been told that this was important, in case one of the jars exploded, and when she saw a towel slip off, she leaned over from her perch to re-cover the jars, and….bang! Too far of a reach, too top-heavy of a stool, and down she went.

Mammaw turned around at the noise and saw her unconscious baby lying on the floor, a knot already forming on her forehead.  Panicked, she scooped her up in her arms, calling out her name, and when no response came she ran cold water in the tub and immersed the fully-clothed child, hoping to waken her.  Still no response, and with the girl again in her arms, she ran out the door and down the rock road, not noticing the rocks cutting into her bare feet. The closest neighbor, the local nurse, lived an eighth mile away, and Mammaw flew there on wings of adrenaline and love.  By the time she arrived, the child was awake; the diagnosis, possible concussion and “keep her off high stools.”

In those days, telephones were an option and a luxury, not the necessity they have become, and the small and poor country community had seen no need for the expense. But the little girl’s fall, and the cloud of “what might have been,” put things in a different light.  Within the month, phone lines were in, and Garrett’s Creek Road was connected to the rest of the country.

Nowadays, there is no longer a landline at the old farmhouse.  Everyone who lives there has a cell phone, connecting them not only to the country, but to the world.  The rock road is paved, the peach tree is gone, but a little girl’s memory of peaches – and love – lives on.

4th of July Jubilee
Celebrate 4th of July at Denton Civic Center and Quakertown Park with carnival games, live entertainment, a hot dog cookout, and more.  Prior to the Jubilee, the 12th Annual Liberty 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk begins at 7:30 am, and the Yankee Doodle Parade begins at 9 am. Live entertainment until noon. Lucky Horseshoe Tournament, children’s carnival and Great Gutter Race, arts and crafts show.  Civic Center Pool admission $1.00 from 12 noon until 6:00 pm. For more information, call 940-349-8733.

Kiwanis Fireworks Show & Independence Day Celebration
5:30 pm:    Gates Open – only west side stands are open
6:30 pm:    City Folk Band- Set #1
7:50 pm:    Kiwanis Welcome and Announcements
8:00 pm:    Color Guard, National Anthem
8:15 pm:    George Dunham and the Bird Dogs Band
9:45 pm:    (Approximate time) – Fireworks Show
10:15 pm:    Happy Trails
George Dunham from Sports Radio 1310 “The Ticket” (and the Mean Green Radio Network) is lead singer for the Bird Dogs.  Veteran Dallas/Fort Worth guitarist, Steve Porcari anchors both bands who will perform a blend of covers from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, as well as original country/rock songs written by Dunham.  Denton Kiwanis, 940-390-7869.

Lake Cities Celebration
Saturday July 3rd, from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. Cities of Corinth, Hickory Creek, Shady Shores and Lake Dallas unite for a one-of-a-kind, 4th of July blow-out Celebration!  City Park of Lake Dallas is filled with FREE 4th of July festivities including an old fashioned parade, the CrossPointe KidZone with free kid’s games, giant waterslide, inflatables, contests for cash prizes, great food, art & craft booths, free live entertainment  and a spectacular fireworks show tops off the celebration!

Red, White & Lewisville
The city’s annual fireworks show, will be held July 4th around Vista Ridge Mall. The show will start at approximately 9:30 pm.  The best viewing opportunities will be on the South side of Vista Ridge Mall and along the 121 Bypass.  For more information please call 972-219-3401.

10th Annual Freedomfest
July 4th, gate opens at 5:30 pm. Event benefits Peace of the Rock Ministries and local and international missions.  Cost is $5.00 per person, kids 3 and under are FREE.  Family Fun including: pedal boats, canoes, fishing (bring your gear), playgrounds, inflatables, mechanical bull, Old McDonald’s Kiddie Train and LifeGate Church Praise Band.  Food and drinks may be purchased at the Chicken Coop Cafe.  No alcohol or pets please.  Firework Show begins at 9:30 pm. Located at Rancho De La Roca Retreat Ranch, 2459 W. Blackjack in Aubrey, 940.365.7625, www.peaceoftherock.org

by Taryn McColpin

Ahh, April…  The snow has finally stopped, the weather is warming, and there is a welcome release from the cabin fever that drives us all outside.  People take to the roads without fear of black ice skids and low visibility.  With February’s hearts and flowers behind us and June’s wedding marches yet to come, what can get our hearts thumping and adrenaline rushing more than…traffic?

Nothing in our modern world brings about more irritation, frustration, or bad behavior than driving…except maybe politics!  Want to really insult someone?  Call them a lousy driver.  Want to witness 3-year-old stubbornness in a 40-yr-old woman?  Try to merge in front of her in a rush-hour standstill.  Want to see a normally sane and mild-mannered gentleman turn into a testosterone-fueled raging bull?  Put him behind the wheel of a pickup truck in…traffic.

The differences in traffic between countries can be startling, especially since it is such a universal activity and there is no universal standard. An example is the high degree of American irritation and blocking behavior brought on by those driving to the end of a closing lane and merging into the waiting traffic.  In Britain, this is an encouraged common practice called Late Merge, and the ensuing “zippering” of traffic is highly effective, causing 35% less congestion.

In Texas, highway travel is ubiquitous and necessary, given the sprawling size of our state. To get to work, to school, to play, we find ourselves stuck in, dealing with, navigating…traffic.  How is the traffic? There was bad traffic. Allow for the traffic! I’m late because of the traffic. While in Italy tailgating is seen as a sign to Move Over, which the tailgatee graciously does, here in Texas we see it as either aggressive road-hogging or as “drafting,” which really doesn’t work as well on highways as it does in NASCAR.

In Denton, we have our own Olympic-style challenges: The double-turn-lane-only-on-arrow slalom at Sherman and Carroll, the 6-name-change road course that starts as Cooper Creek and ends as Nottingham, and the enter-merge-exit triathlon at the Dallas Drive/ I-35/Lillian Miller cluster.  Oh, and did you hear that there’s going to be more construction lane closures on the Loop?  April Fool!  (Not.)

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, nearly 80% of crashes involve driver inattention, 75% of drivers over age 40 have received at least one traffic citation, and 65% of the same age group have been involved in an accident…which makes the 80% self-rating of “above average” in a recent drivers’ poll both highly improbable and statistically impossible.

There’s an old saying:  Everyone who drives slower than you is an idiot, and everyone who drives faster than you is a maniac.  So unless you are driving exactly the same as every other driver around you, you are either someone’s idiot or someone’s maniac.  Let’s find a median between idiotic and maniacal, and remember: If you think you are a member of the special percentage of above-average drivers who can drive and text at the same time, you truly are an April Fool.

Information and statistics courtesy of Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic – Why We Drive The Way We Do (And What It Says About Us) My favorite quote: “Traffic is like a language.  It generally works best if everyone knows and obeys the rules of grammar, though slang can be brutally effective.”

Opened in 1992, Fera’s Italian Restaurant remains family owned and operated which creates a relaxed atmosphere for all to enjoy. Uncle and nephews started a new pizza and pasta spot, formally known as Bari’s in Denton. From their original endeavor, one brother managed the store while the other expanded businesses to Sherman, Tyler and most recently Gainesville in 2009. Although the Denton location caught fire in 1999, after rebuilding, this restaurant continues to be a favorite with locals and the college group. Don’t be confused by the name change.  Bari’s to Fera’s, but everything else remains the same. Currently all locations are open 6 days a week, offering daily lunch specials as low as $5.95. If you need a break from work or class whether a slice of pizza or to treat your family to a spaghetti supper, stop in and try their “Best of Denton” award winning Italian cuisine.