Dearest Jesse, thank you so much for this wonderful nostalgic post. I remember when my brother and I went to the deep south of Italy, to the southernmost area of Puglia, to Salento, even further south than the city of Lecce, to a town in the hinterland of Gallipoli where our paternal grandparents lived. We took the train down from Milan with a cousin that studied la there, preceding our parents by a month to spend an extra month with our grandparents. In the afternoon everyone used to go to sleep due to the heat and we were impatiently waiting for the reopening of the grocery store in front of the house where we bought two Provenzano brand ice lollies which costed 50 lire each. I still perfectly remember the flavor and color of the aniseed one which was my favourite!
And with this little story I greet you and embrace you with much affection, dearest Jesse, and with you I greet all your readers.
I'm so happy that you're settling into your new space! That's awesome! It's been cooling down here, and I'm glad for that. I had a touch of heat exhaustion on Monday. It snuck up on me while I was weeding. Thankfully, I knew enough to get in the house; I took a cool bath right away and had a drink with electrolytes. I felt better quickly! I've been taking it easy ever since, spending the hottest part of the day sitting on my porch reading a book and enjoying the breeze with my little feral kitty friend, Harper Lee. (I've been reading Moby Dick.) When I was a kid, my friends and I were always on the prowl to be invited to a neighborhood swimming pool; squirt guns or water balloons were always a fun option to burn off energy and get wet. Turning on the garden hose was always an option for a quick cool-off, or running through the sprinkler in my backyard was another option. But we also would stop in at the Public Library where they had air conditioning, and the Wayne County Museum was also a refreshing pitstop (which was the county sheriff's house and the jail a long time ago.) The old jail cells were in the basement; we'd go sit in them and read the graffiti. There was always the Saturday matinee at the movie theater; sometimes, if the movie was good and we didn't feel like roasting outside, we'd stay for the second showing. The ice cream truck was always a delight. My favorite was called Buried Treasure, which was a raspberry sherbet on a plastic stick. The sticks would have an animal shape, and if you got the white unicorn, you'd get your next one for free. I did get it once, so it wasn't a scam. I also liked the chocolate eclair; the chocolate center was the best part!
Hello. I loved your summer haiku. It seemed like I was having a bit of time travel to my childhood yesterday when I saw a little boy riding by my house on his bike with such a joyful smile on his face. He had streamers flying out from his handlebars and playing cards in the spokes of his wheels to make that cool clicking sound. I never see those accoutrements on kid's bikes nowadays, but it was all the rage when I was young growing up in Minneapolis. I am so looking forward to reading your SUBSTACK messages. I always enjoyed the ones your mom reposted on her site.
Hello Jesse, hope you are having a lovely day. I got your post as a cross post from Patti. I'd like to share a haiku with you today, on memories of Irish summers. Enjoy!
We are hoeing tobacco, the six of us, my mom and us 5 kids in the Wisconsin summer heat. Maybe we’ll get to go to the lake after it gets too hot to work today.
My sis and I usually go to visit our Mom in her care home on Fridays (we're in Winnipeg, she's in Gimli about an hour and a half away). And Fridays are ice cream days! So after sharing a lunch with Mom (91) we always enjoy an ice cream cone with her, and usually her brother (94) comes over from the adjoining 55+ apartment complex.
Growing up on the Jersey shore memories to me mean settling up a lemonade table on the roadside by the beach, also waving down the ice cream man as he went down my street. Does my heart good when I see the kids with their lemonade stands keeping the tradition going. I always have to stop as people did for me so many years ago
Thanks for your post. We had one humit day over here, then came thunder, luckely. Well take care over there in New York. 'I know the feeling of city's hot breath between the buildings'
I have the remembering of summer, when i was little. I fell from my bike because i had to bike in the hot sun from de swimmingpool home., overheated. We didn't have or take bottles water back then. But i had my 'patat and mayo', wich we loved after swimming. Icecream man came on sunday's, i remember my grandmother saying, sorry we don't buy that on sundays. But since i can choose for my self, it's Italian ice, the good stuff.
Just saw a post somewhere (YT?) of people trying to rescue an ice cream truck from being washed out to sea.
I got really tired of the electronic jingle the ice cream truck in my last neighborhood played while cruising through every school day around 4 o' clock . Thankfully have forgotten which one. Not 'The Sting ' .
I much prefer the chimes on the nomadic popsicle vendor carts.
Haven't seen any since before Covid.
We used to yell out, "PALETA MAN!" when ever we would spot or hear one nearby and tip generously.
Summers' Super Hero, the smiling guy with the popsicles!
Coconut, Lime and Tamarindo were my favorites. Now there are some new Agua Fresca stands on some busy corners where fresh fruits are
cut and served over ice, maybe blended too. Need to stop at one and check it out. Like raspados but without ice cream? Not sure.
When I was a little kid (8ish) we used to buy single cigarettes from our ice cream vendor.
Discreetly in a napkin WITH another purchased treat.
We thought we were so cool and would sometimes sell them to older kids who were actually cool.
I loved the red white and blue "Bombpops" because they had 3 flavors on one stick. Cherry , lemon and whatever the blue was(?)
Plus they lasted awhile.
I was THRILLED to find popsicle molds at the dollar store and now make my own with fresh fruit from farmers mkt and sometimes with teas and essential oils . Rose with lavender is refreshing, also
Oolong with just a smidge of honey
but my all time fave is
nectarine creamsicles!
There is a cute tall man who sells Italian ices from a cooler on his reverse tricycle various places.
Has a fancy bluetooth speaker that plays music from his phone but they aren't homemade.
The syrups are a bit bland and chalky tasting.
Too bad because he has a nice set up and is around many events.
Raspados are THE treat of the season with ice cream or not.
It's fun to watch how peoples' faces light up when theirs' is ready!
Still haven't tried " Brazilian Limeade" but might be too sweet with the sweetened condensed milk. Adjustable no doubt.
Good Humor! That’s the correct attitude.
Dearest Jesse, thank you so much for this wonderful nostalgic post. I remember when my brother and I went to the deep south of Italy, to the southernmost area of Puglia, to Salento, even further south than the city of Lecce, to a town in the hinterland of Gallipoli where our paternal grandparents lived. We took the train down from Milan with a cousin that studied la there, preceding our parents by a month to spend an extra month with our grandparents. In the afternoon everyone used to go to sleep due to the heat and we were impatiently waiting for the reopening of the grocery store in front of the house where we bought two Provenzano brand ice lollies which costed 50 lire each. I still perfectly remember the flavor and color of the aniseed one which was my favourite!
And with this little story I greet you and embrace you with much affection, dearest Jesse, and with you I greet all your readers.
Luca 😊 🌸❤️☮️❤️🌸
I'm so happy that you're settling into your new space! That's awesome! It's been cooling down here, and I'm glad for that. I had a touch of heat exhaustion on Monday. It snuck up on me while I was weeding. Thankfully, I knew enough to get in the house; I took a cool bath right away and had a drink with electrolytes. I felt better quickly! I've been taking it easy ever since, spending the hottest part of the day sitting on my porch reading a book and enjoying the breeze with my little feral kitty friend, Harper Lee. (I've been reading Moby Dick.) When I was a kid, my friends and I were always on the prowl to be invited to a neighborhood swimming pool; squirt guns or water balloons were always a fun option to burn off energy and get wet. Turning on the garden hose was always an option for a quick cool-off, or running through the sprinkler in my backyard was another option. But we also would stop in at the Public Library where they had air conditioning, and the Wayne County Museum was also a refreshing pitstop (which was the county sheriff's house and the jail a long time ago.) The old jail cells were in the basement; we'd go sit in them and read the graffiti. There was always the Saturday matinee at the movie theater; sometimes, if the movie was good and we didn't feel like roasting outside, we'd stay for the second showing. The ice cream truck was always a delight. My favorite was called Buried Treasure, which was a raspberry sherbet on a plastic stick. The sticks would have an animal shape, and if you got the white unicorn, you'd get your next one for free. I did get it once, so it wasn't a scam. I also liked the chocolate eclair; the chocolate center was the best part!
no heatwave in London. yet. love the haiku! hello from across the pond 💧💦🌊💙💙💙
I likelike ice cream 😏
Hello. I loved your summer haiku. It seemed like I was having a bit of time travel to my childhood yesterday when I saw a little boy riding by my house on his bike with such a joyful smile on his face. He had streamers flying out from his handlebars and playing cards in the spokes of his wheels to make that cool clicking sound. I never see those accoutrements on kid's bikes nowadays, but it was all the rage when I was young growing up in Minneapolis. I am so looking forward to reading your SUBSTACK messages. I always enjoyed the ones your mom reposted on her site.
Dairy Queen ad from 1950’s 🍦https://www.instagram.com/reels/audio/1457960318160020?igsh=MWR1YW1lNXJsNTdtcQ==
Hello Jesse, hope you are having a lovely day. I got your post as a cross post from Patti. I'd like to share a haiku with you today, on memories of Irish summers. Enjoy!
Lick my ice-cream
From Beach side truck
Sticky wafers melting
🍦
Impossibly blue sky
Waves of green
Shimmering in the sun
We are hoeing tobacco, the six of us, my mom and us 5 kids in the Wisconsin summer heat. Maybe we’ll get to go to the lake after it gets too hot to work today.
My sis and I usually go to visit our Mom in her care home on Fridays (we're in Winnipeg, she's in Gimli about an hour and a half away). And Fridays are ice cream days! So after sharing a lunch with Mom (91) we always enjoy an ice cream cone with her, and usually her brother (94) comes over from the adjoining 55+ apartment complex.
Growing up on the Jersey shore memories to me mean settling up a lemonade table on the roadside by the beach, also waving down the ice cream man as he went down my street. Does my heart good when I see the kids with their lemonade stands keeping the tradition going. I always have to stop as people did for me so many years ago
Thanks for your post. We had one humit day over here, then came thunder, luckely. Well take care over there in New York. 'I know the feeling of city's hot breath between the buildings'
I have the remembering of summer, when i was little. I fell from my bike because i had to bike in the hot sun from de swimmingpool home., overheated. We didn't have or take bottles water back then. But i had my 'patat and mayo', wich we loved after swimming. Icecream man came on sunday's, i remember my grandmother saying, sorry we don't buy that on sundays. But since i can choose for my self, it's Italian ice, the good stuff.
Good survey! Thank you. Stay cool.
Just saw a post somewhere (YT?) of people trying to rescue an ice cream truck from being washed out to sea.
I got really tired of the electronic jingle the ice cream truck in my last neighborhood played while cruising through every school day around 4 o' clock . Thankfully have forgotten which one. Not 'The Sting ' .
I much prefer the chimes on the nomadic popsicle vendor carts.
Haven't seen any since before Covid.
We used to yell out, "PALETA MAN!" when ever we would spot or hear one nearby and tip generously.
Summers' Super Hero, the smiling guy with the popsicles!
Coconut, Lime and Tamarindo were my favorites. Now there are some new Agua Fresca stands on some busy corners where fresh fruits are
cut and served over ice, maybe blended too. Need to stop at one and check it out. Like raspados but without ice cream? Not sure.
When I was a little kid (8ish) we used to buy single cigarettes from our ice cream vendor.
Discreetly in a napkin WITH another purchased treat.
We thought we were so cool and would sometimes sell them to older kids who were actually cool.
I loved the red white and blue "Bombpops" because they had 3 flavors on one stick. Cherry , lemon and whatever the blue was(?)
Plus they lasted awhile.
I was THRILLED to find popsicle molds at the dollar store and now make my own with fresh fruit from farmers mkt and sometimes with teas and essential oils . Rose with lavender is refreshing, also
Oolong with just a smidge of honey
but my all time fave is
nectarine creamsicles!
There is a cute tall man who sells Italian ices from a cooler on his reverse tricycle various places.
Has a fancy bluetooth speaker that plays music from his phone but they aren't homemade.
The syrups are a bit bland and chalky tasting.
Too bad because he has a nice set up and is around many events.
Raspados are THE treat of the season with ice cream or not.
It's fun to watch how peoples' faces light up when theirs' is ready!
Still haven't tried " Brazilian Limeade" but might be too sweet with the sweetened condensed milk. Adjustable no doubt.
Are there pomegranate Italian ices in New York?
Mmm Paletas!
Also recall that both Stanley Kunitz and Mr Harvey Ball - as in the original 😊- are from Worcester, MA
The Last Friday in September is World Smile Day - as versus Talk Like a Pirate Day September 19
“ at my touch the wild
braid of creation
trembles. “ the Snakes of September
I associate the garden with the whole experience of being alive, (…) and in its driving energy to live - to grow, to bear fruit .
The universe is a continuous web. Touch it at any point and the whole web quivers.