Idyllic Interlude

Maureen and I spent a couple of hours at our beach late this afternoon, in our folding chairs, reading novels, while noisy waves washed the sand in the background and the sun began its daily descent into the western horizon. A black bird lit on my cap for a moment before realizing its mistake and flitting to the lawn in front of us. Half a dozen sea gulls eyed us patiently, several feet away from where we were seated, hoping, I suppose, for a late lunch from us. Two very small, brown-skinned children, one completely naked, splashed and frolicked in a large pool of salt water left behind by the receding tide. I love living near where the land and sea meet. The sound of the surf always seems to soothe my soul.

"Get Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks!"

We found a message on our answering machine tonight - "Hi, Mom and Dad. This is Amy. Averey was just wondering if Cracker Jacks were invented when you guys were little. Were they around then?"

My Dear Averey, Yes, Craker Jacks were invented when we were little. They were a favorite treat. Every box used to have a nice prize inside, like toys, whistles, compasses and so forth. Cracker Jacks were also very popular at baseball games.





Cracker Jacks have been around since 1893 when a man named Frederick William Rueckheim (known to friends and family as "Fritzl") and his brother Louis sold it at the first Chicago World's Fair. At the time, it was a mixture of popcorn, molasses, and peanuts and was called "Candied Popcorn and Peanuts".

Cracker Jacks are older than us! Love, Grandpa and Grandma Hixon