Top writers

The Woman’s Literary Union March 16 luncheon held at the Woodfords Congregational Church, Portland entertained the students who participated in the union’s Writing Contest, and their family members. The students are from these high schools: Deering, Falmouth, Greeley, Catherine McAuley, Portland, Scarborough and South Portland.

The luncheon, catered by the chef at the Woodfords Club, was excellent, and most appropriate, held the day before St. Patrick’s Day. The boiled dinner included corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, beets, onions, and big baked biscuits. Dessert was a large slice of applesauce cake with real whipped cream on top. Olivia Hamilton was luncheon chairman, and Ruth Hathaway is the Youth Council chairman.

Susanne MacArthur is director of the writing workshops for the contest students. The workshop meetings are held three times in the fall, at WLU headquarters.

Winners of the contest and their schools are: first place, Rebecca Weidler, Catherine McAuley, second place, Carolyn Conley, South Portland, and third place, Brianna Wing, South Portland. Each read her contribution. The topic was “Anticipation.”

Winning honorable mention, and the schools they attend, are Catherine Hayes, Falmouth, Luci Lantos, Falmouth, Elizabeth McCarthy, Scarborough, Danielle Pellitier-Cairns, Scarborough, and Rebecca Tanner, Deering.

It was impressive to hear and see a group of students who worked hard to enter this writing contest. It surely shows their interest in literature and their command of vocabulary skills.

There were 14 other students who completed the course, too, and we also commend them.

Best bottles

The Antiques Study Group of the Woman’s Literary Union, meeting March 12 at Proctor Hall, on the Westbrook campus of the University of New England, had a chance to view 100 bottles on display. The collection included wine, whisky and beer bottles, patent medicine bottles, Mason jars and perfume and cold drink bottles of many colors – white, light and dark green, pale blue, cobalt, light and dark brown and purple. We recall Magnesia medicine bottles of cobalt blue, and they still use that color today.

Glass bottles were made, first in pieces, and then molded together. In 1900 the automatic bottle machine was invented, and bottles since then are made in one piece.

Sites for finding old bottles were old town dumps, old farms and even privies. Dumps were often located in gullies.

The bottles in the collection were in many shapes, some tiny, doll’s bottles, one was in the shape of a violin. A tiny bottle was printed with the words, “Drink – Drink,” and beneath that, “Pepsi-Cola,” in red letters. One beautiful, tall glass vase had a carved stopper in the top. It was a varied collection, and made a fascinating display for members to study.

Weighty matter

We’ve read recently in the Boston Herald of an overweight cat and a very heavy dog, both of whom were in trouble. In Britain, two brothers were guilty of overfeeding their dog, a 10-year-old Labrador, who weighed more than 150 pounds, more than double the weight he should have been. The brothers were given a three-year conditional discharge. Vets said the dog was so fat that he was unable to walk more than six steps without having to sit down. The dog, Rusty, has lost about 45 pounds since being in the care of animal welfare officials. He was returned to the brothers on the condition that they not let him put on any weight.

Tubby Hercules, a cat weighing 20 pounds, was stuck inside a dog door it was using to sneak into a garage and help himself to dog food in a Portland, Oregon, home. His girth got him stuck. He was a runaway – went missing in Seattle while his owner was in for a lung transplant. He had been missing for six months. The lady who found him stuck in the dog door helped free him and gave him a plate of food on her patio. While in the Seattle Humane Society, Hercules was diagnosed with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, similar to HIV in humans. Vets say that about 40 percent of America’s cats are obese, putting them at risk for a variety of diabetes-related disorders.

The article did not say how he and his owner got together again, but a photo of the young lady, Tiffany Voreuil, shows her looking very happy to be holding the cat. The cat is handsome and seems to be posing for the AP cameraman.

Household favorite

This recipe is one that we always enjoy at our house – lemon is a favorite, whether in cake, bread, or pudding and also in lemonade in the summer.

LEMON TEA BREAD

6 tablespoons Crisco

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup milk

Grated peel of 1 lemon

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cream shortening; add sugar and beaten eggs. Add the sifted ingredients alternately with the milk. Fold in grated lemon peel and nuts. Bake in a loaf pan for 50-60 minutes, at 350 degrees.

Allow to cool. Then mix 1/4 cup sugar and part of the juice of 1 lemon. Drizzle this syrup over the top of the bread. Cool 1 hour before eating.

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