Bountiful Harvests and Bitter Harvests

For many, the autumn season is an enjoyable time. Individuals enjoy slipping into cozy sweaters, watching football, seeing fall foliage change colors, seeing the corn harvest, eating hearty fall soups, and drinking hot apple cider or pumpkin spice lattes.

Some individuals may have an unofficial way of marking the beginning of fall. Although the first day of autumn (autumnal equinox) usually occurs on September 22nd or 23rd, some individuals may use other events to mark the arrival of fall. Some people see Labor Day as their last chance to have a big blowout to end the summer season. Some people stop wearing white and pastel colors after Labor Day though they may not necessarily dig out their sweaters just yet. 

Some parents and children may view the return to school as marking the beginning of fall. When one returns to school it doesn't feel like summer anymore regardless of the date on the calendar or the weather. For some, the start of the football season signifies the return of fall. Many are joyous with the return of fall. 

I used to enjoy fall myself. I enjoyed watching high school football, Homecoming, going to bonfires, going on hayrides, seeing corn harvested, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. But now fall seems to simply remind me of its close proximity to the cold winter months that lie ahead. 

I still enjoy fall in spirit. I like the imagery associated with fall like Indian corn, corn shocks standing in fields, pumpkins, gourds, hayrides, and bonfires. 

A corn shock is a group of corn stalks bundled together and tied up for drying. Corn shocks standing in corn fields were once a common sight during harvest. This method of drying corn was replaced once mechanical harvesters appeared on the scene. Today corn shocks are more commonly seen in fall displays that may also include pumpkins, gourds, and straw bales.

Many churches have fall festivals or bazaars. I attended our church's fall festival for many years while growing up. At the festival's auction, my grandpa would always be the highest bidder on the jelly roll his neighbor made. I usually got to enjoy a slice of it. 

Some organizations, including several bible camps, have a fall festival and quilt auction including a meal. Hog roast, anyone?

Some cities, towns, and organizations even have scarecrow contests and scarecrow festivals each fall. 

I didn't realize how popular chrysanthemums (mums) were as a fall flower until I worked for a big-box retailer. Our home and garden department sold a lot of mums. I recall flowerpots specifically labeled hardy mum. A favorite for outdoor fall decor, mums burst into bloom just when many other summer flowers dwindle in the cooler autumn weather. 

Some vegetables can be harvested in the cool fall weather as well. I'd never heard of a fall garden or late-season crops. A fall garden can be easier for some because of not having to deal with the heat as well as the fall garden needing less maintenance. However, if you love tomatoes then you're still going to need that spring or summer garden. I guess the feasibility of a fall garden depends on where you live and your first frost date. Some vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are considered hardy. I know you love broccoli and cauliflower!

I seem to recall raking leaves in the fall. Now some experts are saying it's better for the environment if you don't rake up all the leaves, bag them, and take them to the landfill. However, a thick layer of fallen leaves can deprive grass of sunlight. Leaving at least some of the leaves in your yard can help fertilize your grass and other plants, provide shelter for animals and even reduce emissions from landfills. Having a healthy lawn does not depend on hunting down every stray leaf you can find. 

When I was a high school freshman, my classmates and I had to participate in our biology teacher's annual leaf collecting project. The project involved finding, pressing, and drying leaves representative of the trees of Northeast Iowa. I enjoyed walking in the sunshine with our teacher. He would stop at various trees and identify them by their leaves. And he'd describe them and what their wood was useful for. For instance, certain woods were good for sporting equipment while harder woods were good for tool handles. I didn't care much for the leaf project itself though. Fortunately, my grandpa helped me find and identify a lot of leaves that strengthened my collection considerably. 

I enjoyed the school's Homecoming activities each year. The parade, floats, pep rally, bonfire, pageantry of the Homecoming King and Queen competition, and football game were always enjoyable. And when I was in high school, I could finally attend the homecoming dance. My junior year Homecoming wasn't quite so enjoyable though. 

Ann, my girlfriend from another school, backed out of attending my school's homecoming dance with me. I won't go so far as to say that she reneged on a promise because no promise had been made. She was my girlfriend, so I just assumed she'd attend the dance with me. I'd even jokingly typed up a letter inviting her to attend the homecoming dance with me though it actually just seemed like a given to me at the time.

She claimed she had to attend her own team's game that same night. Even though she wasn't a varsity cheerleader, supposedly she was required by the cheerleading coach to attend the game and support the team. I wasn't really buying it. But what could I do? I was a quiet guy who wasn't exactly into confronting people. Later on, my suspicions were confirmed. She simply didn't want to go to the dance for certain reasons she didn't feel comfortable revealing to me at the time. 

I wasn't that upset. And I knew the FFA/FHA Sweetheart Dance was coming up in late October or early November. We planned on attending that dance. Then in early October she dumped me! What did this girl have against going to a dance with me? Had I done something wrong? Had I taken her for granted? Was I boring or arrogant at times? Was I reaping the bitter harvest of some past actions I was unaware of? The autumn season wasn't going so well for me. 

Interestingly, Ann and I had met in autumn a year earlier. We'd met at a church youth group retreat that involved prayer, worship, games, a hayride, and a cookout. We bonded while eating hot dogs at the cookout and I held her hand under a blanket on the hayride. We became a couple after that weekend. But now, a year later, it was over. 

While mourning the loss of my girlfriend that fall, one evening a couple of friends stopped by our family farm and asked if I wanted to go to a haunted house with them. The Jaycees were hosting a haunted house in a town nearby in an old barn the college formerly used as a summer theatre facility. 

Yes, Ye Old Cowbarn was going to be used as a haunted house. For five days the old barn would greet visitors each evening from 6:30 to 10:30 PM. I told my friends I was in. Why not? Visiting a haunted house had to beat moping over some girl, right?

As we approached the short line of people waiting to enter the haunted house, I noticed Rachel. I'd met her two summers ago at the drive-in theater. She didn't go to our school, but I'd ran into her from time to time. She was standing with two other girls who were obviously identical twins. Rachel and I talked a bit while my two friends became friendly with the twins. We, of course, decided we should all walk through the haunted house together. 

Rachel got scared in the darkness at some point and grabbed my hand which made me feel manly. And having this cute brunette hold my hand felt nice after recently being dumped. We walked through a room with a strobe light that caused a stop-motion or slow-motion effect that was cool but a bit disturbing. Finally, we reached the end and walked out a door into the back parking lot.

After we walked out, I let go of Rachel's hand. Then I noticed each of my friends still holding hands with a twin sister. I guess fright leads to romance sometimes in a roundabout way. I didn't see Rachel again for a while after that evening though my friends dated the twins for a while. In an odd twist of fate, Ann and I got back together - after the Sweetheart Dance. What did this girl have against attending a dance with me?

The fall of my senior year, my buddy Brad and I went stag to the Sweetheart Dance. We cruised around in his Monte Carlo for a while listening to music cassettes on his car stereo before arriving at the dance. I must admit I think we each had a cup of raspberry, er, um, soda pop that evening. 

We ended up in the town where Ann lived. I hadn't seen her since the previous summer. We hadn't been dating for several months. But we decided to visit her house. One of her parents answered the door when I knocked. They were a bit surprised to see me and Brad but not shocked by any means. They said Ann was in her usual haunt down in basement and that we could just head on down. Ann didn't seem all that surprised to find me walking down the staircase into her basement hideaway. 

She, Brad, and I talked for a bit. I believe she had a new boyfriend, one from her own school this time. I'd met him before and he seemed like a nice guy. I think he was away playing in a football playoff game. I'm not sure why Ann wasn't there. We didn't stay too long and soon Brad and I were off again. 

Ann told me later that her parents had remarked I was a bit livelier and more boisterous than usual the night I had visited. They knew me as a rather quiet boy so they may have been amused to see a different side of me. Maybe it was that cup of raspberry pop I'd had that evening. 

At any rate, Brad and I made it to the dance safely that evening. I did talk to one of Ann's classmates that evening at the dance who was dating a friend of mine at the time. That was my last Sweetheart Dance. I was never once nominated to be a Sweetheart candidate. 

I'd always enjoyed Halloween. Dressing in costumes and extorting adults for candy was fun. Do I like candy corn? Yes! My sisters and I would carve pumpkins to make jack-o'-lanterns. Well, my mother did the carving and I mainly watched. I seem to recall Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, with the giant squid attacking the Nautilus, playing on TV one blustery evening while we were carving pumpkins. Or perhaps, that's just the way I like to remember it. Pumpkin pie used to be my favorite and my mother made delicious pumpkin bars.

Yes, I watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. "I got a rock." And we always watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in which Charlie Brown feeds his guests a feast of toast, popcorn, pretzel sticks, and jellybeans. 

As a boy, I was rather intrigued by the image of Frankenstein with his flat head, stitched forehead, and bolts in his neck. I believe my mother explained that the bolts were electrodes meant to bring the monster to life via electricity. Later in life I read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and found that she gave very little description of the monster or how he was brought to life. The monster didn't really scare me. I thought he was fascinating. 

Dracula, and vampires in general, are a bit more frightening. But even Dracula seemed cool because he had fangs, wore a cape, and could turn into a bat. 

During my senior year I went to a different haunted house than the old barn. Brad was along this time. My group didn't meet any girls although we did get kicked out. I believe one member of our group tore down a ghost of some sort that was suspended on a wire. As you can imagine, the management wasn't too happy about this turn of events. Suddenly all of the lights in the haunted house came on and we were told to exit the premises immediately and not return. After we left, I thought Brad was going to get in a fight when someone commented on his height. 

"Hey, you're tall," he said to Brad.

"Hey, you're ugly!" was Brad's reply. 

Then we drove back to our home turf. We went into Casey's with our costumes and masks on. But Sheila, who was cashiering, knew who we all were anyway. Brad was very disappointed. I think we eventually ended up at a party at the "bridge" where we consumed a glass of, er, um, root beer. 

One year, I spent Halloween on a psychiatric unit. I was reaping the bitter harvest of depression and weeks of starvation. I was emaciated from an eating disorder but was still allowed to attend a party held in the hospital gymnasium. Ryan pointed out a female from another unit he knew who was dressed in a sexy French maid outfit including fishnet stockings. 

I was pretty out of it but managed to glance at her and say, "Yeah, she's hot." 

Lisa, another patient from my unit, managed to convince Dr. H to let her borrow his long, white lab coat so she could pretend to be a physician.  

Being on a psychiatric unit was scary enough without a Halloween party. Another time I was in treatment, we went to an apple orchard in the fall. It was fun but we were each were required to eat an apple turnover. We made apple crisp in treatment as well. 

We used to harvest apples from trees on our family farm and my grandparents' farm when I was younger. Caramel apples seem to make me think of fall as well. I've been to an orchard but never a cider mill. 

When I worked for the college food service, one year we offered plastic-wrapped popcorn balls during October. After work some evenings I would sneak a few back to my dorm room. Caramel corn makes me think of fall as well. 

Walden Pond offered their sourdough pancakes in the spring and again in the fall. It was nice eating pancakes in a lodge on a brisk Sunday in fall. 

Many agricultural events take place in the fall. The Farm Progress Show is held each fall as is the National FFA Convention both of which I've attended. I've attended the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin in autumn on a few occasions and my parents once attended the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto in November. 

Although my father's side of the family has some German heritage, I've never been to an Oktoberfest celebration. Oktoberfest USA is held in La Crosse, Wisconsin each year which is fairly close to where I grew up. But Munich, Germany is where it all began. 

Oktoberfest–a rite of autumn–owes its origins to the 1810 marriage celebration of Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig (later to become King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Revelers had so much fun at the Munich festivities that they decided to continue the observance annually. 

I have to admit I used to enjoy stories about the Mayflower and the pilgrims as well as stories about the first Thanksgiving. But it would seem the pilgrims have fallen out of favor over the years since I was a boy. Stories of the pilgrims and of the so-called first Thanksgiving may be politically incorrect now, but I still enjoy them. 

I've never been to a corn maze. I've never had a pumpkin spice latte. I still enjoy hearty soups like ham and bean, chicken noodle, and chili. I enjoy caramel corn and hot chocolate. Halloween just sort of comes and goes now without me paying much attention. Thanksgiving still seems to be the least commercialized holiday. I was disappointed upon discovering my alma mater now holds the Sweetheart Dance in February. 

Speaking of dances - which one of you ladies is going to ask me to the Sadie Hawkins dance?

Enchanting Evening at the Supper Club

The blond-haired girl I picked up for my date that evening was the only girl I'd ever taken to eat at a fancy restaurant. I had dined with Ann once at Gus and Tony's Pizza and Steak House which was rather intimate and special even if we simply shared a pizza. And I suppose sharing a plate of nachos with Diane at Taco Bill's late one evening was pleasant. 

I'd went to the Black Angus in Prairie du Chien one evening with some other FFA members and had a steak. I went to The Barn Restaurant (also in Prairie du Chien) the fall of my senior year with some of the Homecoming Court and ate fish in the big dining room of a converted barn with a nice view. I'd dined on fried clams with my family at the Cliff House Resort Motel and Restaurant. In my younger days, I'd even dined with my buddy Chris and his parents at the Heidelberg. 

But I'd never really taken a date out for an evening of fine dining. Haute cuisine was not in my vocabulary. In my world, a so-called supper club was about as close to fine dining as I was going to get. 

Jane was the only girl I'd ever taken to Livingood's Supper Club. I'm calling her Jane because she looked like Jayne Mansfield. Well, perhaps she looked more like Marilyn Monroe. But you get the idea. Jane and I had some history together. She was free and I was free, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Gus and Tony's may have been a safer choice. They had a number of items to choose from. Mabe's Pizza would have been a sound choice as well. Everyone seemed to love Mabe's Pizza. But how could those establishments ever match the ambience of Livingood's? The aura of this venue was going to thoroughly charm my date (HYPERBOLE). 

Jane and I had dressed up a bit for this special date. That is to say, we didn't wear blue jeans. When we arrived, a waitress in a dark uniform seated us. I held Jane's chair like a proper gentleman (well not really but I should have). Our waitress asked us if we wanted anything from the bar as was the custom.

"Can I start you off with something from the bar?"

"I'll have a Jack and Coke, please. And my lady friend will have a glass of chardonnay."

Just kidding. We asked for a couple of sodas, and she gave us our menus. We decided to have their famous fried fish served family style. 

I liked the character of Livingood's. The restaurant was dimly lit which accented the candles on each table. The walls were scarlet with some sort of black pattern on them which I believe is called damask. The table linens may have been similar. The most interesting feature for me was the faux fireplace. Even though it was fake, I enjoyed the fire glowing in the fireplace.

I'd been to Livingood's several times with my parents and sisters. I can remember the street of the small town being lined with cars on busy Saturday nights. At one time, I believe the cocktail napkins at Livingood's featured an image of the restaurant as well as an image of the local cheese factory on the edge of town. I guess they were proud of their small town. 

When I was a little boy, I enjoyed drinking my pop out of a Collins glass and pretending it was a cocktail. I liked the big bowl of crackers they had to choose from at the salad bar. I liked the ones that were like small bread sticks so I could pretend I was smoking a cigar. I liked the carrot sticks and I enjoyed trying blue cheese dressing. I even ate the pickled herring. When I was served shrimp with a side of cocktail sauce, I had to ask my parents what the red sauce that looked like ketchup in the paper cup was. Livingood's often garnished one's plate with a sprig of parsley. I had to ask my parents about that as well. I believe I was told that it was edible but mainly for decoration. 

Livingood's was also unique because its patrons were served a small loaf of fresh bread with their meal. I simply preferred the standard dinner rolls most restaurants served but the small loaves of bread were certainly distinctive. Livingood's was also novel by serving something called Boston baked potatoes (a baked potato thickly sliced and then deep fried). They also served french fries and baked potatoes, but the Boston baked were special. 

A lot of restaurants used the term "supper club" in their names back then. For example:

Valhalla Supper Club

Nob Hill Supper Club

Wagon Wheel Supper Club 

Heidelberg Supper Club (aka Heidelberg Gardens)

Food Ranch Supper Club 

White House Supper Club

White Springs Supper Club

Pink Elephant Supper Club 

I believe that my father once took his date (his future wife and my future mother) to Blue Heaven Supper Club for a nice meal. Blue Heaven!

Many interesting restaurants existed back then including the Red Lantern, Humphry Cafe, Fireplace Restaurant, Branding Iron, Red Vest, Pirate's Den, Riv Aire, and Pirillo's Sportsmen Club. In my college days, I would learn of places like Carvers and the Brown Bottle. One could find a lot of supper clubs and inns like the State Line Inn, Stone Hearth Inn, Fireman's Inn, and Ox Yoke Inn. Some restaurants used both names like the Highlander Inn and Supper Club. Some establishments were known as Such-and-Such Restaurant & Lounge. I even found an ad for Stone Hearth Inn Restaurant & Lounge. I knew of names like Nordic Lounge, Friar Tuck's Lounge, Fireplace Lounge, Horseshoe Lounge, and Spare Room Lounge. You may have guessed the Spare Room Lounge was in a bowling alley. I guess a lounge is basically a bar although it may serve food and have a more extensive drink menu seeming more upscale than a mere bar or pub. 

A lot of steaks, seafood, and fried food were served back then. Promises of Alaskan King Crab Legs and prime rib. I learned that 1/4 chicken meant two pieces and that 1/2 chicken meant four pieces. You would have been hard pressed to find a boneless, skinless chicken breast in a restaurant back then. Many places advertised having a buffet or smorgasbord. Don't forget your choice of potato and of course the salad bar is included. All you can eat!

Unfortunately, the older I got the less I liked Livingood's. It wasn't their fault. True to their name they were a supper club. They focused on a limited menu and doing certain things very well. They didn't serve burgers expect perhaps on the kid's menu. They didn't serve spaghetti, lasagna, or pizza. They didn't serve diner specials like meatloaf, chicken fried steak, chicken pot pie, or hot beef sandwiches. I'm sure their steaks were great, but I didn't care for steaks. So, it seemed like I was limited to fish or chicken which I became tired of. Perhaps I should have gone there during the Lenten season when they served their Lenten Seafood Platter including their famous fish, delicious scallops, jumbo fried frog legs, and Louisiana style peeled shrimp with choice of potatoes and all you can eat salad bar. That would have been interesting.

A new proprietor came along at some point. He had a special oven installed to perfectly cook prime rib although that may have been after I went off to college. One other significant change he made was the addition of a Sunday brunch which was quite delicious and popular. But he kept the famous fish and the popular name everyone was familiar with - Livingood's.

Although it had lost its charm for me, Livingood's always had that air of a classy place. And I knew I had to take at least one date to such a nice place. Back in the 1970s a couple may have spent the entire evening at a supper club. They may have had a few drinks and a nice meal followed by some live music by a group like the Blue Flames. Perhaps they might even share the supper club staple called the Grasshopper Cocktail. 

To make a grasshopper the Midwest supper club way you blend lightly 1 shot of creme de menthe, 1 shot of creme de cacao, and 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Top with whipped cream. 

What would Jane and I do after dinner? Even though Frankville may have been a small town (village, hamlet) or even dismissed by some as just a "spot in the road" we could drive to the edge of town and sit in a small park with a playground and ball diamond and perhaps listen to Z-93 on the car radio. A 15-minute drive could get us to Moe Park on Old Stage Road where we could steam up the windows if you know what I mean. Maybe we could catch a movie in Decorah or hang out at Phelps Park or Palisades Park. Perhaps some dance hall or ballroom like Matter's, Dreamland, Lakeside, or the Inwood was having a teen dance. Maybe The Toe Tappers were playing somewhere or better yet the rock band Gemini. Maybe rock station Z-93 featuring disc jockey Brad Dinsmore was playing somewhere. But for now, I was just happy to be with this beautiful young woman in a classy restaurant. 

Jane and I enjoyed our fish and Boston baked potatoes. We, of course, got to take a trip to the salad bar as part of our meal. She cut some slices from our small loaf of bread. I did not pretend my Collins glass of 7-Up was a cocktail nor did I pretend my breadstick cracker was a cigar. But I did feel quite grown up sitting across from this beautiful young lady in the candlelight with a faux fire burning in the fireplace nearby. I was right about the ambience. It was an enchanting evening.