Today we are taking a trip back to 1997 and then enjoying a fall poem. The late 90s was a time when I was sending my work out to publishers in the mail, including Elizabeth’s War. This included children’s magazine articles. I received rejections, including one from Highlights, who kindly suggested that I focus on one area and submit more pictures. Did I get that is what they wanted me to do? No, I didn’t. I missed an opportunity there.
But, an article called “Mega Veggies” did score a yes and my first payment for writing. In May 1997, my article was in Nature Friend Children’s magazine under my real name. They are still going today and it might be time for me to resume some of that article writing I used to do.
Not only did I talk about how to grow your own veggies but the extra mile farmers went to increase product size. Here’s the quiz from my 1997 article and the sizes of veggies way back when. Which belongs to which? Answers below.
| 1. cabbage | a. 37 lbs. 5 oz. |
| 2. carrot | b. 124 lbs. |
| 3. tomato | c. 1006 lbs. |
| 4. pumpkin | d. 7 lbs. 2 oz. |
| 5. radish | e. 15 lbs. 7 oz. |
| 6. zucchini | f 7 lbs. 13 oz. |
| 7. potato | g. 64 lbs. 8 oz. |
| 8. cucumber | h. 20 lbs. 1 oz. |
What made me think about this article from twenty-six years ago? I saw a news story about the current size of the world’s biggest pumpkin. Since I wrote my article, it has more than doubled to 2749 pounds from a mere 1006 pounds years ago.
Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota world record pumpkin, was weighed on 10-09-23 in Half Moon Bay, CA.
Answers to quiz: 1b, 2e, 3d, 4c, 5a, 6g, 7f, and 8h.
Here is a fall poem from Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms
HARVEST MOON
full moon
autumn’s delight
a fairy celebration
under the bright harvest glow
joyful
all the woodland creatures join
pirouetting under the stars
before first snow
arrives.
NOTE:
Next week is the release of The Destination. Be sure to stop by and celebrate with me, along with enjoying the Halloween day. I’m dressing up as the Wicked Witch from Wizard of Oz for my daughter’s costume party this coming weekend and my husband is going to be wolfman. I’ll share pictures then. It’s a come as a classic villian theme. I went back and forth between the Wicked Witch and Annie Wilkes from Misery. Anyone else dressing up?
Embrace your inner child. Take a fall (or spring) walk and enjoy nature! Then sit down on a bench and read a book or write a poem. D. l. Finn
