Thursday, May 8, 2014

Farm-Fresh Eggs in Connecticut

Sometimes, words, phrases, or names just strike me as interesting or funny and I'll get on a jag that could go on for a while. When I was younger, to keep The Kid Brother occupied, I would make up stories about the people we would see (I still do). Years later, My Mother The Dowager Duchess told me that, when she and my father were dating, he would make up names for people they saw on the subway. Maybe it's genetic.

One of my jags — and not a very high-brow one — was more than 20 years ago on a drive home from work. At the time, San Geraldo and I both worked at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. We lived in "the country," 15 miles east, in the town of Guilford (established 1639).

HOME, AT THE TIME
(ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS.)

On this particular afternoon, we had decided to drive home via the country highway instead of the Connecticut Turnpike. We were driving through North Branford. Along the way was a sign for "Doody's Farm Fresh Eggs." Set back a bit from the road was the old farmhouse. (To see my first mention of Doody's — click here.)

CHURCH-LIKE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS.
FITTING FOR THE OFFICE OF SAN GERALDO.

As we passed Doody's Farm, I saw a woman removing mail from the roadside mail box. The woman wore what looked like a practical and plain farm dress, which was covered by a large old-fashioned flowered apron.

I turned to San Geraldo, who was driving, and said, "That's Trudy Doody."

"How do you know her name?" he asked. But the light bulb went on over his head. And he groaned, "Oh no."

I continued.

"She's married to Rudy Doody and they have a son and daughter, Ludy and Judy."

"OK, Mitchell. I get it."

"Ludy married Tooty Gilhoody. The family doesn't like her much. She can be a bit snooty."

"Mitchell..."

"Judy is now married to Yehudi Menudi."

"Mitchell..."

"She was first married to a Mr. Moody. She dumped him for being a bit too broody."

"Mitchell, if you don't stop right now, I'm going to pull over and you can walk home!"

STILL 15 MILES (24KM) TO HOME...

"Just one more,"I insisted. "Judy and Yehudi just had a new little Doody..."

"Mitchell!"

I rushed on, "I don't know the baby's name, but I've heard she's a real cutie patootie."

"Mitchell! Enough!!!"

I sat back and smiled.

I haven't even told San Geraldo about my recent discovery of a Doody who has a restaurant near the original farm. She's apparently quite the foodie. (Sadly, her name is Emma.)

27 comments:

  1. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! :)))
    I especially like picturing you rushing to get out that last phrase: "I don't know the baby's name, but I've heard she's a real cutie patootie."

    You crack me up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judy:
      Oh, after a few years (minutes?) you'd be yelling "Mitchell!!!," too.

      Delete
  2. Mitch... you're a real hoot-ie!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sharon:
      Oh, we could go on with this forever, couldn't we?!?

      Delete
  3. Love it.
    I love a good running gag and the idea that there's always "just one more."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful! But admit it, San Geraldo truly is a saint.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marty:
      Well... maybe sometimes. Truth is, in his case, "saint" is mostly ironic.

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Laurent:
      Sometimes, I really get a kick out of myself.

      Delete
  6. The old question of "where does one go when one is carried away?".

    This was a pretty good flight of fancy!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Raybeard:
    Actually, Dudo and Moose have less patience for me than San Geraldo does. They usually just give me a look and walk away.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Maybe you can convince Emma to change her name?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stephen:
      I had thought of sending this post her way. So, what should her name be?

      Delete
  9. LOLOL!
    Was duct-tape available back then?!
    This is hilarious!
    I guess 'Emma' must be the end of that line!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jim:
      San Geraldo has to put up with me. I would never put up with duct tape.

      Emma's not the only Doody still in Connecticut. I did some research and found many in the family and some fascinating characters at that.

      Delete
  10. You are great and your sense of humour is amazing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gosia:
      Aw, thanks! San Geraldo might not always agree!

      Delete
  11. You have a very fertile mind! Might the restaurant be Emma Krumbee's?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ms. Sparrow:
      I don't know about Emma Krumbee's. I may have Emma Doody's relationship wrong. There's also a Doody's Totoken Inn that has been on the road very near the original farm since 1934. The farm house is from 1639, but wasn't called Doody's Farm until a long time later.

      Delete
  12. You pulled off that jag without a hitch, Mitch.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Emma? Now that's a dilemma.

    ReplyDelete

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