CLOWNING AROUND AT THE MUSTARD MUSEUM

Since 1986 the National Mustard Museum has headquartered itself in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. The National Mustard Museum? Yup.

Everything you wanted to know about mustard is there. Including the warning that no ketchup or mayonnaise allowed.

How about Colonel Mustard? Yup, again. He's there along with a display of St. Louis Cardinal baseball cards from the 1946 World Series connecting baseball, hot dogs, and mustard.

What about Grey Poupon? It's there with tee shirts, magnets, and megaphone. Even a toilet lid is appropriately available for Grey Poupon.

What about tailgate mustards? Of course, and they're available from many college teams.

Well, I'm sure they don't give samples. Wrong. From beer and mustard to peppercorn mustard, they're availble along with Snyder pretzels.

Mustards throughout history, mustards used as poultices, state mustards, a huge display of mustard bottles, and a private collection of mustard containers and servers all adorn the museum and adjoining gift shop.

It's the only one in the world. If you're in the area it's a Must-(ard) place to visit.

IF YOU'RE NOT KISSING, THEN THE NEXT BEST THING TO DO WITH YOUR LIPS IS TO SMILE

I heard that from our guest speaker substituting for our pastor on Sunday morning.

Tulips in the sunshine; tulips in the park. But the best two lips are two lips in the dark. I heard that years ago from my girlfriend turned wife.

Besame mucho. I heard teacher Mike Gibbons yell to a Spanish substitute. She simply looked at him sternly and told him to shut up. (That's the way, Andrea.)

On another occasion in the Teachers' Lounge, the same teacher dangled mistletoe looking for a Christmas kiss. He was less than pleased when a certain teacher entered the lounge and took him up on it. (Way to go, Sue; he had it coming.)

Besos Robados are stolen kisses. And that's where this blog ends.

MY FAVORITE CAT PICTURE (BESIDES THE ONE WHERE MISSLE BRUSHES HIS TEETH )
This is my second blog this week about cats. And I had one earlier about dogs. And I had one earlier about roadrunners, coyotes, and javalinas.

Ever since I watched Eight Below, I've been in animal mode. Well, along with 40th reunion mode. You know my classmates ad I are closer to being 65 than 50. We're closer to being 70 than 40. We're closer to being 80 years old than 30. Well, I warned you about modes.

But this picture amazes me, with perfect alignment. Tail, feet, centered nose. That cat must have had to pose time and time again for hours to achieve the desired effect of the photographer. Even the fish is in perfect symmetry.

I'll scan the Missile picture for faithful reader(s). No adjustment or re-takes were necessary to catch Courtney's cat brushing his teeth.

A hummingbird is hitting on a dead sprig of agave or aloe plant just outside the window just now. I won't write anymore about him for fear that I'll get into the bird mode. I have been thinking about birds though. Why do only young kids and old folks (those closer to 65 than 50) pay much attention to birds anyway(s)?

LOTS OF POSSIBILITIES

While this 1979 poster from Cuba expresses a basic belief from times past, it also offers hope for the future of Cuba without Fidel. Opportunities abound for a democracy there with zillions from tourists and tourism related businesses.

It also poses extreme danger if Cuba falls into the wrong hands. The strangling hands of dictatorships who are anti-American. The Freedom Floatilla from Jimmy Carter days could return. Freedom, yes, but not the Carter way where he accepted criminals, prisoners, mentally incarcerated patients, along with a few political dissidents under the guise of "give me your tired and hungry." Instead, Fidel ridded his country of many undesirables. At the sake of our country.

Then, there was no plan in place and so they were held in prison-like camps, some for over one year. South Florida, especially the East Coast has never quite been the same.

Don't misunderstand me. This is not an anti-expose about immigration. If immigrants want to be Americans, then I'm for it 100%. If they want to undermine our government, then I'm against them 100%. If they don't want to change, if they don't want to fit in to America, if they don't want to learn the language, if they don't want to become citizens, then allow them a work visa as other countries do. Limit them to 6 months, and then allow them to decide. Remain and become citizens or return to their homelands.

Let's get started on it now. Let's have a plan in place when Cubans become free. Some will, of course, choose to stay. But for those who want to come, then embrace the USA. And welcome.

HOW DID CAIRO NEVER MAKE IT

As a history minor in college, I studied some Illinois history, but I never figured out why Cairo, Illinois never prospered. Why Pittsburg did and Cairo didn't.

Actually why chicago did and Cairo didn't. Seemingly, Cairo has a better location for transportation. Both by waterways and by road and rail. What I mean is, by being located more in the heart of the country, Cairo would provide more easy access to more people.

The Cairo Cubs sounds better. The Cairo Bears, too. All that seems to go with or after chicago is sucks.

On the other hand, denizens from the southern most Illinois city can't even decide on what to call their city: Cairo, as in Egypt; Karow, as in maple syrup; or Care-o, as it's written. Most favor the latter. But in nearby Vienna, it's Vy-anna, and not too far away Advance, Missouri, is called Add-vance with the accent on ADD. Oh well, some call Missouri, Missoura, so who knows?

So while one end of Illinois prospered, the other end declined. And I still don't know why. But then again, with the current governor having such an affinity for the big city rather than the downstate capital, maybe Cairo lucked out after all.

THE MUNSTERS

Grandpa, Hand, Lillie were all good. But Herman and Marilyn were the best. You know, I'm not sure how long the show ran, but it was pretty creative for the 60's.

I didn't realize how pretty Marilyn was. Oh, I knew she was attractive back then, but I would never have put her in the Joey Heatherton, Tuesday Weld, Barbara Perkins class of beauties. I should have. She was just so funny. Or stupid. Not to realize how weird her family was. Even after every boyfriend that met them took off running.

Herman. What a personality. And what a garb to get dressed in for every show. To top it off, he still looked liked Fred Gywnn. I even liked him in Car 54 Where Are You. And that show was not good.

Their house..their car. They may not be too much on re-runs, but they were fun to watch in an era of ordinary tv shows. But compared to today's sit coms, maybe it was the golden age of television.

I wonder what ever happened to Marilyn? Was she type cast after that show? I never recall seeing her again. Maybe she was out of it, and didn't realize how zany (there's a TV Guide word for you) her family was. Naugh.

THE BRITISH INVASION

Just maybe because I have my 20th high school reunion coming...wait, my 30th high school re...is it 40th? Already? What the heck happened to all those years? Oh, yeah. My son's 32; my daughter's 26. I have 3 grandchilden. Dang.

Anyway(s), my gulp 4oth high school reunion is coming up and Lord willing I'll be there. I haven't missed any yet. I find people either love or hate going to reunions. I really like to see some of my old friends. Emphasis on old, now. And we talk about the ones we'd like to see who don't come back. Usually I enjoy Friday night when we re-new old acquaintances, and the Saturday golf game. But by Saturday night's dinner and dance, I've had enough.

One thing that keeps me going is the old songs. I start singing 60's songs long before the actual reunion. Then I complain about the music they select. At one reunion, they played zero Beatles songs. What? Zilch. Well, that's not the way I remember high school.

Music was all important. To punctuate a moment, a time. I still remember typing class when Hoobie and I would type out our top 10 songs of the week. We'd exchange every Monday. We always had the same 8 or so, but it was something we did.

Invariably, The Dave Clark 5, Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Peter and Gordon, and others who followed The Beatles would make our lists.

Of course, no group could or would ever surpass The Beatles and their effects on American culture. But the British Invasion was embraced by American audiences. I hope I hear some good old DC5, including their best, "Because." But just in case, I'm preparing myself for Elvis. He was even before our times in high school twenty or thirty years ago. Ok. 40.