News & Events
Father's Day and Graduation Time!
June 02, 2008
Happy Father's Day!
This year Father's Day is June 15th. Sonora Smart Dodd is credited with initiating the celebration of Father's Day because she wanted to honor her own father for his selflessness. Her father, William Smart, was a Civil War veteran living in rural Washington state when his wife died in child birth with their sixth child. He did not remarry, instead, he remained a single dad and raised his family by himself. This was a man ahead of his time!
While researching the holiday for this newsletter I came across a site that listed some well known dads from TV land. I had some fun with the list so I thought I'd pass it along to you. These "dads" are described on the site as "cardigan-wearing "Father Knows Best" types" and "guys juggling dysfunctional families and questionable jobs". I'm sure you'll find the descriptions accurate! Ward Cleaver, Ben Cartwright, Andy Taylor, Archie Bunker, Mike Brady, Howard Cunningham, Heathcliff Huxtable, Steven Keaton, Dan Connor, Homer Simpson, Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, Ray Barone and Tony Soprano. What a line up! Can you name the show they appeared in? How about the actors' real names? (check the end of this newsletter for the answers... I wouldn't be that mean!)
One of my favorite father's day quotes is credited to Bill Cosby ... "Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a- rope". Check out our solutions to "What to get Dad for Father's Day" Father's Day Gift Selection Remember, we deliver locally and ship anywhere.
Graduation
Laurel Mountain Basket Company is located in a part of Western Massachusetts known as the "Five College Area. If you count all of the colleges within our "local delivery" area you would have to include Greenfield Community College and Holyoke Community College, the several colleges in Springfield including American International College, Springfield College and Western New England College, Bay Path College in Longmeadow and The Elms in Chicopee we have many more than five colleges in our immediate area and we certainly see our share of graduations each year.
I've lived in the Pioneer Valley all of my life so, as a "townie" I learned early that during May and June I needed to schedule local travel so as not to coincide with college graduation exercises or I could find myself stuck in traffic for hours.
Northampton, the home of Smith College, is not a large city so adding several hundred cars and families to downtown can cause major congestion. South Hadley, where Mt Holyoke College is located, has an even smaller downtown proper. If you have never visited either of these towns (Northampton is actually a city but a small one...29,000 or so in 2000) you are missing out. They are so absolutely beautifully "New England" and both of the colleges are beautiful in their own right with big old oak trees and weathered stone buildings that instill a sense of aged wisdom.
Amherst, home of UMass/Amherst, Amherst College and Hampshire College, sees an influx of thousands of parents during this time of year. Amherst is another extremely beautiful New England town with the town common, where oxen grazed during Colonial days, at the edge of Amherst College, and the high rise dorms of the University of Massachusetts not far down the street.
Hampshire College, the new kid on the block, is on the outskirts of Amherst. It's campus is breathtakingly beautiful. Surrounded by rolling farm land and orchards the campus sits at the base of the Mount Holyoke Range. It is also the home of the famous Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
I was talking with a resident of Amherst recently and she said that you can actually feel a change in the air at graduation time. There is a wonderful excitement and vitality.
For our part, we provide Final Exam Survival Kits and College Survival Kits to many students during the weeks prior to graduation. Students love the big boxes of snack food and parents love to be able to supply a little support during this stressful time.
Final Exam Survival Kits are not just for college students. We partner with The Williston Northampton School, the prestigious college prep school located here in Easthampton, each semester. We prepare Survival Kits for WNS parents and half of the proceeds are given back to a student fund or project. It's an easy way for parents to encourage their student and support the school.
Dates to Remember
- 2nd Leave the Office Early Day
- 12th Nursing Assistants Day
- 13th Blame Someone Else Day
- 13 th Friday the 13th (the only one in 2008 so enjoy!)
- 14th Flag Day
- 15th Father's Day
- 20th Take Your Dog To Work Day
Answers to Who are these dear old dads...
Ward Cleaver - Hugh Beaumont - Leave it to Beaver - 1957-1963
Ben Cartwright - Lorne Greene - Bonanza - 1959-1971
Andy Taylor - Andy Griffith - The Andy Griffith Show - 1960 - 1968
Archie Bunker - Carroll O'Connor - All In The Family - 1971- 1979
Mike Brady - Robert Reed - The Bardy Bunch - 1969-1974
Howard Cunningham - Tom Bosley - Happy Days - 1974- 1984
Heathcliff Huxtable -Bill Cosby - The Bill Cosby Show - 1984 - 1993
Steven Keaton - Michael Gross - Family Ties - 1982- 1989
Dan Connor - John Goodman - Rosanne - 1988 - 1997
Homer Simpson - The Simpsons - 1989 - present
Tim Taylor - Tim Allen - Home Improvements - 1991-1999
Ray Barone - Ray Romano - Everybody Loves Raymond - 1996 - 2005
Tony Soprano - James Gandolfini - The Sopranos - 1999 - 2007
How did you do!!!???
