Mr. Applebee
(Steilacoom, WA)
It's eight a.m. as the bell rings and everyone is seated quietly in their
seats. A sharply dressed,
middle-aged man enters the room. "Good
morning class, I am your history teacher, Mr. Applebee from Apple Valley in
Washington State!" The kids'
all smile and say hello to welcome their new teacher.
"This morning we are going to discuss my favorite topic, Apples of
course!" "But not just any apples, freshly grown Washington State
Apples!" "After biting
into a red, green or yellow juicy Washington apple and you taste the "applelicious"
flavor, you'll understand why these are among my favorites!"
"Class, have any of you ever pressed apples through a cider press
and made delicious apple cider?" The
small historic town of Steilacoom Washington just South of Seattle, has their
annual "Apple Squeeze" where people come from all around to do just
that!" "It's quite an
event to see all the kids' and adults with their cider presses, bags of apples
and cider jugs filled with the freshest apple cider around."
Cider is great hot or cold. Hot
for those long cold Seattle nights and cold for those warm Puget Sound
summers."
"Right now down the hall in the Science Lab students are pressing
apples with berries for a special "Apple Berry Cider."
"Not far from the Science Lab is Mrs. Applebee's cooking class,
where her students are making apple crisps, apple turnovers, apple strudels,
apple butter, and Mrs. Applebee's famous mouth-watering "hot cinnamon apple
pie for lunch." "Oh, the
smells emanating from her delicious cooking class!"
"Speaking of lunch!" "Class
now open your lunch bags." "How
many of you have apples in your lunch bags?"
"Whole apples, sliced apples, dried apples, apple juice or even
applesauce?" "By the show
of hands I'd say you remembered how nutritious apples are."
"As Granny Smith Applebee always said, an apple a day keeps the
doctors away and with the doctors away we are able to play!"
"Let me write that down on the chalkboard for you."
"How many of you have ever seen a crab apple?"
"It doesn't necessarily mean that the apple is crabby." "They are small and very sour which might make you
pretty crabby if you ever ate one. They
are very hard on your tummy so I don't advise eating any of those.
"Class, let's all move over to the window."
"Below us under the flowering apple tree you'll find my son
"Newton Applebee" and his friend "Johnny Apple seed" bobbing
for apples." "Next to
them are my two daughters, "Carmel Applebee" and "Blossom
Applebee." They are the apple
of my eye (figuratively speaking of course.)
I almost forgot to mention their little pet, "Fritters
Applebee." "He's a medium
sized green worm the kids found in an apple core."
"He loves to munch on apple seeds so he's a rather inexpensive pet
to keep around." "The
kids love him and he seems to be a rather happy fellow so I can't
complain." "They keep a
good eye on him because if he were ever on the loose he would certainly do some
damage to the apple crops." "Let's
face it, a worm hole in an apple is not an appetizing sight!"
"Luckily the kids have control of the little green worm."
"Let's head back to our seats class, it's almost time for the last
bell to ring." "be sure and sign up for our exclusive apple orchards
tour." "I will need your
permission slips filled out with your parents signatures."
"The bus leaves at eight a.m. sharp rain or shine!"
"If you are interested in going Mrs. Applebee and myself will be
your guides." "Until then, your homework is simple… when
you get home think apples and make yourself a delicious snack!"
"As for me I will be watching the "Apple Cup Football
Game," (the University of Washington verses the Washington State
University.)
Copyright
1997 by Author Patti Tricoli
