Let’s spring into National Slinky Day

One of the most recognizable toys for decades, the Slinky, walks its way down stairs with a little extra swagger today, because it’s Slinky Day. As Checkiday says, in 1943, Richard James, a naval engineer, was in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard working on a project that used springs to hold items up on moving ships, when he accidentally knocked a spring, and watched it “walk” and then coil itself up neatly on the floor. It was an inspiring moment, and along with his wife, Betty, he hatched a plan to create a new toy.

Betty combed through a dictionary and came up with the name “Slinky,” and in 1945, with a $500 loan, the couple created James Industries. At first, the Slinkys weren’t selling. But when a demonstration table was set up in Philadelphia’s Gimbels Department Store during the 1945 holiday shopping season, the Jameses sold 400 of them for a dollar each in 90 minutes — and people wanted more.

The Slinky was introduced at the American Toy Fair the following year, and soon it was being marketed all over the world. But there was no “straight line” to success. In 1960, when the company was close to bankruptcy, Richard left Betty and their six children in Pennsylvania and joined a religious cult in Bolivia.

However, not to be deterred by her husband’s lack of sense, Betty soldiered on, brought the company back from the brink of ruin and made it flourish. In 1963, she brought the Slinky to a toy show in New York City, where it became a huge hit. During that decade, she moved the factory to Hollidaysburg, from its original location in Clifton Heights.

Betty James died in 2008 at the age of 90. By then, hundreds of millions of Slinkys had been sold. Not only have Slinkys kept children and adults entertained, but they’ve also been used by NASA for experiments. The Slinky was put on a United States postage stamp in 1999 and inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000. I think Slinkys are one of the best toys to play with. They have a calming effect.

It is also National Toasted Marshmallow Day. Yummy! Toasted marshmallow is a very popular sweet treat. And for this reason, there is a whole day dedicated to the lovely, gooey, scrumptious confectionery.

Marshmallow is a type of sugar candy. According to Awareness Days, it originally was a medical confection to treat angina, made from Althaea officinalis. The marshmallow of today is typically made with sugar, gelatin and corn starch. And as I am sure you well know, when toasted or roasted over an open flame, a marshmallow can go from a golden brown to a flaming char in seconds. The charred outer layer is my favorite. So gather some friends and sticks and a bag of marshmallows, fire up the fire pit, and enjoy a toasted marshmallow or two and maybe add some chocolate and graham crackers. Enjoy.

Check out the blue moon tonight. It will be a while before you get to see two full moons in one month again. The first full moon was called a “beaver” full moon and the second full moon is referred to as a blue moon.

I don’t know about you, but the end of August means the end of summer. It is time to start thinking about preparing for winter. Yes, I said, “thinking.” It is still hot, but we can get organized and write down what needs to be done so we are not caught short. For us, it is house and barn prep for winter: replacing tiles and roofing if needed, and checking or removing screens. Straw, shavings, hay stacked, pens and water and grain buckets are cleaned. Medicines are refreshed. Gardens are cleaned and cleared from summer and prepared for winter garden.

Have the leaf blowers, brooms and rakes ready for all the fallen leaves. Have fences and gates examined. However, this weekend is Labor Day weekend! That’s correct, Monday is a holiday. So, you have an extra day to just relax, eat some pancakes, BBQ something tasty add a salad and for dessert roast a marshmallow or two, and dip it in warm fudge. Yummy! Then prepare a list for October, to make storage room for all the outside chairs, tables, yard art etc. Preparing for winter is a never-ending battle.

Flower of the day: Mexican Primrose

Recipe of the day: Toasted Marshmallow and Chocolate.

Dates to remember:

Sept. 4: Labor Day, the last unofficial three-day weekend of summer

Sept. 10: Grandparents Day

Sept. 11: Patriot’s Day

Sept. 22: Autumnal equinox

Until next week — be strong, be courageous, make a memory.

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