Storytorch

One evening a week or so ago, in need of an emergency ingredient,* I dashed to our little town's single grocery store. A friend's son was about to celebrate his 31st birthday, and I had promised to whip up some homemade ice cream for the party. Off I went while our electric freezer churned away.

My block-and-a-half walk took me through the town square, and I stepped into the vestibule of my bank on the northwest corner to get cash from the ATM. While my request was processing, I took a look at a receipt dropped on the floor by a previous customer. A withdrawal of $30 had left a balance of $128. Wow, I thought, remembering early marriage.

Money in hand, I continued to the store, noticing freshly-painted lettering on the door of the shop across the street:

BETSY'S PLACE
GIFTS
PARTY SUPPLIES
CUSTOM SANDBLASTING

Yep, I thought, the time is definitely right for creative entrepreneurship.

Earlier in the day, when I walked west down Jefferson on my usual loop, I passed the historic Henry Wallace home, still with the For Sale sign in the yard. Weeds are out-competing flowers in the once-beautiful perennial garden. The lawn of the handsome home, on the market now for over a year, is mowed but seedy.

Henry Wallace, who lived on that corner in the 1870s, was founder of the magazine Wallace's Farmer. His son, Henry Cantwell Wallace, was US Secretary of Agriculture (1921-1924). His grandson, Henry Agard Wallace, was also Secretary of Agriculture (1933-1940) and 33rd Vice President of the United States (1941–1945). The property has changed hands many times over the years, and has been on the National Historic Register as long as I can remember.

Today's Fortune Cookie Fortune:
You will think about the economy every single day.

*If you fold a container of Cool Whip into a batch of homemade ice cream after churning, the ice cream can be stored in the freezer section of your fridge and not get too hard to dip the next day. Use an electric mixer to incorporate the Cool Whip thoroughly. (The flavor of the ice cream will not be affected.)