A < W • I r nt >i cV »i 1 Ii) »' I I l‘« > ■fc A* 84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 10,1990 Onbei a farm -And o bazar Joyce B Regardless of interest levels, idiosyncracies of the stock mark et, value of the dollar, or the state of your personal allowance, this week we’ll all “be in the red.” If you doubt that, just flip through the colorful advertising flyers accompanying your local newspapers or take a quick turn around in just about any sort of shopping arena. It’s as though Cupid shot his arrow into the air to shatter the sullen overcast of February and pour cloudbursts of cheery red hearts into this stretch of drab, often damp, mid-winter. C’mon, you didn’t forget did you? If so, it’s not too late to pon der a remembrance for your swee tie. Modern merchandising has made it incredibly easy. It’s possi ble to say a Valentine’s Day “I love you!” in an endless array of shades of bright crimson and blaz ing pink and with textures ranging from glittery foil to shiny ceramic to soft, stuffed, fuzzy, fake fur. Tops on the list, of course, are long-stemmed roses, a standard symbol of affection. Costly, but. definitely high-ranking for mak ing a positive impression. Yes, indeed, my loved ones have often gifted me with roses. In . fact, we’re hoping that those of recent years managed to survive ..‘Jtuumjiiwg their exposed location in the rose bed even through the December’s bitter arctic blasts. Candy is equally traditional, with lots of retailers already prom oting sale prices for those of us to whom money is an object Heart shaped boxes of chocolates are perpetual winners despite aware ness of their caloric content. And who can resist the lure of the messages spelled out on the eternally popular “conversation hearts?” Well, apparently this household can. Some months ago, I pitched out the hard, stale, uneaten remains of a pack of can died “Love You,” “Be Mine” and “Oh You Kid” confections left from at least two years ago. the reading of these tiny, pastel. 1 ■' ' r ft) ►* I >rt *> heart-shaped messages obviously proved more appealing than did the eating. Long gone, too, are the years when it was necessary fen* this Mom to track down a supply of i children’s Valentine Day cards for sending to school friends. But, the tradition of trading Valentines at school appears to remain alive and well, and many of these handy packs of cards still include one for the teacher. A quick glance at kids’ Valentine cards offers a cap sule look at today’s popular enter tainment trends. Remember punching out perforated-edged Valentines from big cardboard books, then cutting out and pasting together the enve lopes in which to send them? There wasn’t a single Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle or Super Mario Brothers card in the whole lot. Wish I had squirreled away some of those old Valentine cards. They’re probably collector items by now. Actually, we’ve never been ter ribly “into” Valentine’s Day flowers, candy or gifts, and have never dug very deeply into pock etbooks to support the merchan dising of this cheery February holiday. Most memorable (?) was the pair of “gummy” rats presented me a few years ago by the youngest. Life-sized, one in (f you're better at producing milk than most, we want to help you get paid better than most. Three times better. Dairy farming is too tough a game to be in it for kicks. Which is why Eastern Milk Producers is kicking up a new month-over-month incen tive program. One with real teeth in it. And real money. We’re tripling premiums for your in creased production over the same month last year. Op to $3/cwt. more, for some months. And with a minimum, even during spring flush months, of 35C/cwt. This joins an already hefty program of premiums for volume, quality and protein, as well as competitive upfront production premiums. Added up, they offer you a remarkable opportunity to become one of the best-paid dairy farmers in the business. But there’s more. Eastern is making a full-bore commitment to helping you reach these goals. orange, the other in bubble-gum three-sheeler ihltTfcT"pasture or * flavor, the rats were of the same fencerow to share in the sighting thick, fehewy textured candy made of an unusual bird. Or having the popular by “gummy bears” and dishwasher emptied, or the lawn “gummy worms.” . mowed, or the attic cleaned. With such memories, I choose before I have the chance to get the to cherish instead the less obvious chore done. Even just a phone call “Valentines” periodically to let me know they’ll be home dropped into the day-to-day rou- late is a welcome thoughtfulness, tine of our dairy-farm lifestyle. So if you almost forgot Valen- Valentincs like a bouquet of tine’s Day again, just clip this col sweet-smelling lilacs brought in umn and present it to your loved on a tractor from some distant one. Just make sure you wrap it field during May haymaking. Or first around a bouquet of roses or being summoned for a quick heart-shaped box of candy Before Buying House, Attend Workshop LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) P “Steps for Homcbuyers,” a workshop series on how to buy a house, will be held from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on March 6, 13, 20 at the Farm and Home Center. The three-evening series begins Tuesday, March 6, with “Step One: Finding a House to Fit Your Budget,” which includes advan tages and disadvantages of home ownership, working with a real estate agent, finding out about financing, and setting realistic expectations. “Step Two: Sizing up the Structure” will be held Tuesday, March 13. Topics covered include assessing structural quality; checking out the electrical, heat- By providing, where possible, management help with environmental and health programs. Or by helping you to find expert advice elsewhere, when necessary. That’s the Eastern Commitment. For more details, or to find out how you can become an Eastern member-owner, call, write or contact your Eastern representative. Isn’t it about time you started making what you’re really worth? EASTERN MILK PRODUCERS II COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, INC. 2401 Burnet Ave. • Syracuse. N.Y. 13217 Telephone: 315/463-0781 Toll Free: 1-800-253-0003 (NY) Toll Free: 1-800-448-0910 (PA, VT & other Northeast states) ing, and plumbing systems; and testing for radon. The sales concludes Tuesday, March 20, with “Step Three: Learning about the Purchase Pro cess.” Making the purchase offer, understanding the paperwork, learning about legal aspects, and homeowner’s insurance will be .discussed. There is a $lO registration fee for the course. Make checks pay able to Agricultural Extension and mail by February 26 to Penn State Cooperative Extension. 1383 Arcadia Road, Room 1, Lancaster, PA 17601. For more information call 394-6851.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers