American Dreams Part 2

Delaware

On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state by ratifying the U.S. Constitution.    It is a beautiful place to live with some of the friendliest people in the country.  Although it is the 2nd smallest state it still has a lot of farmland and country charm south of the canal, as well as, an annual Indian Powwow.   American dreamer, Oliver Evans of Newport, Delaware invented the automatic flour-milling machine and revolutionized grain milling in the United States in 1785.

The American Dream continues to grow in this small state where many home-based businesses still revolve around agriculture in Delaware. Local honey producer, Ken Outten, sells honey at Hills Market Apiary in Felton, DE.  

(You can find out more about Delaware honey at  http://www.delawarebeekeepers.com/for_sale.html )

The RAPA Scrapple factory brings a lot of business to Bridgeville, Delaware. Scrapple is a yummy concoction made from pork scraps and cornmeal. The factory has a sign in town with the ingredients listed boldly if you want to know it all. The town hosts the annual Apple-Scrapple Festival which is hungrily attended by thousands of people each year.  Apple Dumplings and Scrapple seem to have been made for each other in this charming east coast town. The streets of the town are taken over by food and craft vendors, musicians, classic cars, and re-enactors. (I’m not sure what they are re-enacting but it is fun to see these history buffs in their period garb.)  Do other countries have re-enactors or is this just an American hobby?

Country craftsmen and women still make many handmade items. From homemade jams and jellies to musical instruments, craft fairs are a big deal in this state! William Hanes of Harrington, DE, has been making handmade dulcimers and guitars for many years and sells them at crafts fairs. Each quality instrument has its own character and unique sound. He recently made a Dobro that is just as beautiful to listen to as it is to see.

Breweries are important to Delaware. Many American Dreams began in the taverns of the colonies around a cold glass of beer.  Dog Fishhead Brewery of Milton, DE is well known for its unique craft-brewed ales. I personally prefer root beer so, when I was in the Dover Newsstand one day for breakfast with my son I became curious about a frothy product made right here in Delaware. As we were sharing an awesome omelet and some rye toast I looked down and noticed an ad on the tabletop: "These sodas are made 2.3 miles from the Dover Newsstand."  It is the first time I have ever decided I must order a root beer with my breakfast. The Dominion Brewery in Dover, DE has been making Root Beer based on recipes from the Library of Congress. The bubbling beverage is made with honey, cane sugar, and sassafras.  Sassafras is a tree that grows in the woodlands of America.  I remember going out to the woods in Southern Indiana as a child to dig the roots which were then chipped up to make a tasty tea. The leaves of the tree have lobes that often look mitten-shaped.  If you happen to see one of these trees on your next walk, bend a branch and you will be able to smell the sassafras scent that makes Old Dominion Root Beer so wonderful. You can take a tour of the brewery and see how it's made.  Check out their website: http://www.fordhamanddominion.com/#!tours/c4uo 

Speaking of concoctions, did you know that Jello products are made in little old Delaware.  I think I will have some banana pudding now.

Please share your knowledge of Made in Delaware products and businesses.

The American Dream Part 1

People come to the USA even now as my ancestors did to escape persecution, poverty, disaster, and the fear of death. People come here risking their lives with the hope of being able to survive and thrive because wherever they come from they may not survive. That dream begins to come true with work. Work that provides our needs and grows a hope that is more than just a hope of survival. It becomes a hope of prosperity. The best definition I've heard for prosperity is "having enough to share". Having enough to survive is great but, having enough to share the dream with others is the ideal. One of the ways Americans share the dream is by creating jobs and the USA has certainly done that, even to the point of creating jobs for people in other countries....but have we gone to the other extreme? Have we forgotten to take care of home first?

I heard on the news last night that more than 18% of our young people (age 16-24) cannot find work. In my opinion, young people should be working. It keeps them out of trouble. The younger they begin working the better work ethic they acquire. Age 12 is a good age to begin a part-time job, even if it is just bagging groceries and pushing shopping carts. (Did you know our government doesn't want young Americans to have a job until age 14 unless they are doing agricultural work or working at home?) If they begin saving while young they will be ready to start their own households and continue contributing to society by the time they are out of college.

In the town where I grew up, I remember waking up to the work whistle at the local glass factory. In our town, there was also a shoe factory and a car battery factory. Those factories are not there now. Our countrymen and women need jobs.

So how do we keep the American dream alive? How can we help Americans have more jobs and create more jobs? It's simple. If you have a job support America first, by being grateful for your work and by buying more of the things you need from Americans who made them. Second, if you own a business, give a kid a job! (Low paying is better than no paying!) Third, if you are out of work, keep looking and look with hope, being willing to do whatever mundane task you may be asked to do and do it well with a smile. The smile will make you feel better too.

Don't depend on elected officials to change things for the better. You must be the mover and shaker. Make your own American dreams come true! Start early. Start young. Start now.

In future posts I will be mentioning companies who still create stuff right here in the USA, like the All-American Baby Shop! I hope you will support their endeavors! Please feel free to let me know about your favorite American made products!