Moon June Spoon: Summer Sweets
Jun 13th, 2009 by Marilyn
Somewhere between the food world and today’s would-be plans, I sold a lot of greeting cards. Yes. Greeting cards. When a writer friend suggested I’d “enjoy short form” – code for attention span? – I quickly studied the racks, and eventually sold to major companies. I wrote funny cards, pun cards, happy cards, sad cards, cards for graduations and dogs and new houses and babies. Here is what I know about that business: you won’t get rich, but you will learn, as never before, the sound of human desires, and what people wish, or need, to hear. They call it “me to you” – as in, when you receive a card, it should make you feel like the sender spoke directly to your heart. You can add humor to the magic, but most often it comes in two flavors: sickly or sweet. Alliteration may wag tongues, but sickly sweet sells. So I worked on long-form poetry cards – not something I’d ever send, but it was a challenge, like acting in a play; I am Grandma writing to Susie, brother writing to sister, Uncle Joe writing to his ex-niece’s cat.
It came easy to me, but editors warned of a common fault: for rhyming cards, they said, not so much “moon June spoon.” Meaning avoid the common rhymes, and don’t go for easy sound. Standard goods like “you, do, blue, and new” also made the list; what was a sappy writer to do? Only so many words convey feeling and rhyme like sugar, and let’s face it, there’s no me-to-you without you. So I’d use them anyway, re-arranged and refreshed enough to slip an editor’s eye, and they sold, sold like candy, proving that as long as it sounds pretty, people will hear whatever they want. A moon that loves you in June pleases; blue without you, nothing I can do? Like honey. And my friends, a man who buys cards on the sweet side will not do better than honey.
So. Why are we talking spoons in June and sending the very best? Because it’s summer, and even if you couldn’t see the wide bright sky or smell sun off the pavement, you’d hear it. We all have those sounds that ring summer, the slap of wet towels and flip-flops and no thoughts at all. What are yours? Mull it over, and while you do, try a few warm-weather sweets, pulled exclusively from the archives for your breezy dessert pleasure:
Key Lime Tarts say crashing waves to me.
Bowls inside or on the porch? Peach-Pecan Cobbler swings like a screen door.
Sizzling Banana Sundaes with Salted Chocolate Pecans. Now with built-in sizzle.
For pure June-moon bliss I’d also point you to Bumbleberry Pie and Good Kansas Limeade. Now – cicadas, campfires, bike bells. What’s your summer sound?
the splashes and squeals of kids in the pool, the lazy hum of the bumble bee and the sizzle of sausages on the barbecue
The sizzle of sparklers on the Fourth of July, drowning out the hissing of beef fat dripping into the fire from cheddar stuffed burgers.
I love summer, and I love looking at the pictures of your desserts. That key lime pie makes me want to run to the kitchen. Thank you!
The harmonious love songs of tree frogs accompanied the crickets playing the strings .
The current sound of summer in Chicago is the dibble, dibble, dopp (thank you, Dr. Seuss) of rain. Rain, rain, go AWAY!
The GC world misses you sorely, Dear Dash, but even I might be tempted to give it up for all of these lovely treats.
The whirl of a White Mountain Ice Cream maker against a riprap of rock salt and ice as it works its magic
Moon, June, VROOM! As in mowing, nonstop mowing, push-mowing and on-the-tractor mowing, and then over and again.
Did I mention I do a lot of *mowing*?
Mowing, sizzling, rock salt – love these sounds.
Welcome Chef Gwen! You must check our her Pen & Fork blog, it’s delicious.
Can’t believe no mention yet of ice cream trucks! Along with screaming cicadas, it’s my consummate sound of summer. We ran like a herd when that truck arrived, clueless; now my daughter says they sound “creepy.” When did that happen?
Ooooh, summer, how I love thee! Iced tea being poured into a glass, cracking open a new book, flip flops flopping and the methodic (and melodic!) sound only a porch swing can make.
Ice cream trucks were a big indicator of summer when I was growing up in NYC. Also the sound of hydrants being opened (legally or not…) and the whooshing out water out into the hot streets. Now, living in the country, it’s the sound of birds outside my window. I can’t get enough of it.
The sounds of lightening bugs and falling stars topped off by the 4th of July. Oh how I love summer. N
This summer I am begrudgingly grateful to have the screaming of blue jays reintroduced to the avian choir. Now their raucous cries sound triumphant to me rather than jeering.
They are coming back from greatly reduced numbers. The West Nile Virus struck them especially hard in ’07 and we had two nearly jay-silent summers.
How fun that you’ve created greeting cards! Summer sounds for me… waves crashing, of course (we stay on the beach). And the gleeful, joyous squeals of the kids catching crabs down on the jetty.
Those key lime tarts have my name written all over them!
The melodies of family picnics and the harmony found in a ripe watermelon…thump, thump, thump. It’s ripe…
Heartfelt post, inviting pictures and seasoned comments.
Thanks for sharing, Marilyn…
The sounds of summer I hear right now are: MARCO……POLO!!!!! The pool is full of kiddos. Marilyn, I am also going to add limes to my grocery list to try some homemade limeade. I am also going to be a little wild and add the maraschino cherries! : )
Happy Summer!!!
I, too, used to write + edit greeting cards — once upon a time. Strange business.
Those key lime tarts are killing me most. Yum.