Happy Birthday Joe!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

JOE

April 24

1934

 1943

early 1960s

1985

1997

2010

Click here for Joe's story about the baby picture.

Sunshine in the Forecast!

See that sun and 0%? 

No clouds, no raindrops obscuring the sun

0% chance of precipitation

What a glorious day! We know the rain is necessary in order to make the Northwest green, but it's great to have a day like today. 


People tell us we'll have a summer and fall full of days like this, only a tad warmer. Everything "sparkles" during the summer. See this weather related post. It's really not as dismal as it seems. We hear that Central Ohio is experiencing more than its share of rain and gray days. 

Joe - The Gerber Baby?

THE GERBER BABY

This  picture was taken during my first year in 1934. I often wonder what was making me laugh. I was probably very easy to entertain.

But what I remember most about this picture is that an 8”x10” copy of it was hung up on a very large bulletin board in my Grandmother and Grandfather Todd’s (Lala and Far) kitchen for many years. They used to tell me that I was the model for the Gerber Baby’s picture on the baby food jar.

Now, I would think they were probably kidding around with me except that Far & Lala AKA Dr. Joseph Clinton Todd, DD and PhD, Minister in the Disciples of Christ Church and Dean of Indiana University School of Religion, and Emily Robertson Todd, MA and I think PhD, were two of the most serious minded, issue-oriented people that I have ever encountered. They were in stark contrast to Mamaw & Trapper, AKA Dr. Alonso Solon Neely MD, and Elizabeth Gilmore Neely, who were equally serious minded - Trapper about his patients and Mamaw about equal rights, but were robustly interacting with the folks around them and kidded around a lot.

Back to my picture and the Gerber baby picture on the baby food bottles – It could have been my picture because my father (Joseph Robertson Todd) was in the advertising business and I think may have had the Gerber account for a while. Unless one of you can find a 1930 to 40ish Geber's baby food bottle we can never make a careful comparison since they have changed the picture to modernize it. I suppose I could contact the Gerber’s company since they still are in business. But, then again that might modify a nice memory- because I always believed Far & Lala – even today I think, maybe it really was me!

Joe Todd 11/07

From the Gerber website:

In 1928 Gerber held a contest to find a face to represent a baby food ad campaign. Artist Dorothy Hope Smith entered her simple charcoal sketch of a tousled-hair, bright-eyed cherub of a baby with endearing pursed lips. Smith noted that she would finish the sketch if she won. Smith’s drawing competed with elaborate oil paintings, but the judges fell in love with this baby’s face and when choosing it as the winner, insisted that the simple illustration remain a sketch. …..Gerber adopted it as its official trademark in 1931. Since then, the Gerber Baby has appeared on all Gerber® packaging and in every Gerber advertisement. The identity of the baby, however, would be kept secret for 40 years, until 1978.

Mystery novelist and retired English teacher Ann Turner Cook … is the Gerber Baby. She posed for neighbor Dorothy Hope Smith."

According to Wikipedia, in 2011 Gerber was looking for a new Gerber baby and chose a toddler named Mercy. 

Afterthought from Joe – Then again maybe Far and Lala really meant the Gerber Baby picture was the model for the picture my father took of me.

SOLD!

52 West North Street now has new owners. The sale was completed April 15.


The process went extremely quickly and smoothly. Just a few weeks after the house was put on the market we had a signed offer with buyers who had a preapproved loan. The buyers requested just three repairs, all of them reasonable, and the deal was ready to go. 

My sister Jan went to the house the afternoon of the 15th to take a picture for us and the sign was already down. So we created our own "sold" photo. 


We wish the new family health and happiness in the home that was so good for us for 34 years. 

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle is a fascinating place. 

Fresh Columbia River Salmon 

First of the Season

 JUMBO shrimp from Ecuador. 

There are about 6 to a pound. 

Elephant garlic - huge

Tofu corn dogs - right up Joe's alley!

All sorts of entertainment throughout the market

 Gorgeous flowers

Rachel the Pig, a 550-pound, bronze piggy bank has stood outside the market's famous fish-throwing stand since 1986.The piggy bank collects $6,000 to $9,000 every year. The money helps pay for social services.

We liked the small donuts made at this stand.

From Wikipedia - Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants. 

The Market is built on the edge of a steep hill, and consists of several lower levels located below the main level. Each features a variety of unique shops. Antique dealers, comic book sellers, small family-owned restaurants. The upper street level contains fishmongers, fresh produce stands and craft stalls operating in the covered arcades. Local farmers and craftspeople sell year-round in the arcades from tables they rent from the Market on a daily basis, in accordance with the Market's mission and founding goal: allowing consumers to "Meet the Producer."

Pike Place Market is home to nearly 500 residents who live in 8 different buildings throughout the Market. Most of these buildings have been low income housing in the past, however, some of them no longer are. The Market is run by the quasi-government Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA). 

The Pike Place Market sees 10 million visitors annually.

Walk To The Lake

We thought you might enjoy going along as we walk the eight short blocks from our house to Lake Washington.  These pictures were taken early in the morning. Someday we'll take pictures when the light is better. 

Starting point

This office complex is across the street from us. The picture is taken from the end of our driveway. 

Apartments and homes are squeezed into tight spaces. These homes are just a few doors from us. 

New house at the end of our block. Towards the end of the house on the second floor you can barely see a spiral staircase that leads to a rooftop deck. 

At the end of our block - heading down Kirkland Avenue. Lake Washington is in the distance. On a clear day you see the Olympic Mountains. 

Single family homes at the end of our block

Moss is everywhere - must have something to do with all the rain!

QFC grocery (owned by Kroger) 

Kirkland Performance Center

This cafe has soup, sandwiches, and pastries.

Community center and pools

 The grandchildren saw this place and suggested that Grandma take lessons. They said it wouldn't take long for Grandma to get a black belt!

Kirkland library & sculpture

Heathman Hotel

Another cafe, more shops & sculpture

 Apartments & condos

Almost to the center of town - Variety of restaurants - Greek & Italian, Japanese/Teriyaki, & "Asian Veg"

One of our favorite places to eat 

Cafe Happy, "Asian Veg Food"

 Downtown - Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street - Lake Washington is at the end of Kirkland Avenue

 Shops, restaurants, hair salons

Olive You Restaurant

Marina Park on Lake Washington

Seattle is across the lake

In the block around the intersection of Lake & Kirkland

Cupcake shop

Many restaurants on both sides of this block

 On the way back home 

 This hill is steeper than it looks

On another walk we'll show you other parts of this wonderful town. Thanks for walking with us!