Colonel Good Night at The Good House

Well... I would have put a picture of the Good House here, but my "add image" button does NOTHING! I'm aggravated about that. The last time I did this, I was able to include a photo... what's the problem NOW? As far as I know, I'm doing nothing differently. Anyway...

Next Wednesday evening, Paul and I have reservations at The Good House for Colonel Good Night!! I am so excited. Mom & Dad and a bunch of their Model T friends are going the following Wednesday. Donna & Buck have had the Good House open for five years now... so to celebrate that, Donna came up with this Colonel Good Night idea. They did a bunch of research into what things would have been like at The Good House back in the original days when Colonel Good was running the show. This includes the way the tables would have been set up and the types of food that would have probably been served at that time. From what I hear... this could mean even something like a dish of RABBIT!!! My mom got some books on the subject from the library for Buck, Donna, & Sharon to use to plan all this out. Sharon said last evening, "I think we've created a monster." They never expected it to be as popular as it is... this past Wednesday they had 75 people in attendance, and they're already busting at the seams with reservations for the remaining two Wednesdays!
At one end of the restaurant, they have a display with a big portrat of Col. Good. They set the tables up end to end to make two LONG tables. Dinner starts promptly at 6pm. Dinner is 25 cents (like it would have been back whenever) but there is a $9.50 cover charge. A local historian/storyteller is there to "paint the picture" about certain figures and events from that time. I absolutely cannot wait!

I had an interesting conversation with Sharon last evening at The Good House. She and her husband used to own it in he 70's. She said that sometimes on Saturdays, they'd have bands play at 9pm. They could pack in up to 120 people!! They usually just had a cover charge. I really hope that everything comes together for the Boondogglers ("unplugged" version) to come play at The Good House as my Bowl For Kids' Sake benefit (sometime before May 14). There are conversations happening... and I think it looks promising. :) I feel very certain we could get a LOT of locals to come to this event.

Pumpkin Rarebit Soup

(from "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" cookbook)

4 cups cooked or canned pumpkin

1 cup chicken stock or water

1-1/2 cups light beer or ale

1 heaping cup chopped onion

2 tbsp. butter

3/4-1 tsp. salt

2-3 medium garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

black pepper

1 packed cup grated cheddar cheese

1) Blend pumpkin & stock. Combine with beer in heavy saucepan & simmer just to boiling.

2) Saute the onions & garlic with salt in butter, until slightly browned. Add to pumpkin mixture.

3) Add remaining ingredients, stirring well.

4) Let simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes, strirring to prevent scorching.

Serve with rolls or crusty bread & salad. Serves 4-6.

"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed." ~ Storm Jameson

Here goes! My first blog... I make no claims of any profound or prophetic thoughts. I just had to start somewhere. I actually have a day off work today and the first part of it has been spent (hopefully not wasted) in setting up this blog. My to-do list today includes:

1. laundry (another attempt to conquer Mt. Washmore)
2. go to the office and gather items for a BBBS display at a grocery store in Orrville
3. find the grocery store in Orrville and set up display
4. go to the office and work a little on Bowl For Kids' Sake (not more than one hour!)
5. watch "Dear Frankie" (recommendation by one of Mom's friends)
6. some efforts toward a cleaner house
7. make my annual batch of pumpkin rarebit
8. write 10 wedding thank-you notes

I think this seems reasonable. I have a lot of difficulty creating realistic to-do lists, and hence, at the end of the day... sometimes have a bigger mess than what I started with.

I think this quote caught my attention today because it goes with the overall theme of why I took my cousin's suggestion to start a blog. I get swept away with projects of one sort or another (at the moment, Bowl For Kids' Sake), and have the illusion that I am not holding the reins on the direction and contents of my own life. I have come to the conclusion that some change and prioritizing is in order, and keeping a blog seems to be a way to accomplish several objectives.