Hey Mom, it's your birthday!
On this day, n years ago, Janice Lynn McManes was born in Brandon, Manitoba. Soon after, her mother brought her home to the tiny hamlet of Alexander, Manitoba, where the family farmed wheat and barley, raised cows and livestock, and where she lived until she went to high school in Brandon. One sister and four brothers followed her into the world, all of their names starting with a 'J'. In order of birth: Jan, Jim, Joanne, John, Jeff, Jaye.
When she was 8 Janice entered a 4H contest to raise the Best Farm Animal. She chose to raise a cow. Every morning before school she trudged out to the barn to tend to the cow who she had named Scottie. She brushed it and fed it, cut its hair and walked it around its pen. Scottie became a fixture in her young life, something she focused her whole attention on. The big day of judging at the Brandon Agricultural Exhibition arrived and Janice led Scottie into the ring with a braided rope. The judges deliberated for an appropriate length of time and awarded the top prize to Scottie. That was the last anyone saw of Scottie. The next day in the Brandon paper, Janice appeared with Scottie, winners of First Prize. On the opposite page, Safeway had taken out an ad: Ex Sale! 20% off all beef.
Janice insists to this day that it is simply a coincidence that she named her second-born son, Scott.
Happy birthday, Mom.
Posted by James Sherrett at September 30, 2003 10:04 AMLet the record show, Janice McManes (which rhymes nicely) maintains to this day that the name for her second born was chosen by the father.
It is thought that there was much subliminal suggestion for this name.
Luckily, Safeway is not interested in me, although the slogan prime beef is appropriate.
S the B