Your grandma’s secret recipe is a lie

We love a good story. Here are a few of our favorites. Having trouble viewing this email? [View this email on the web.]( [Anecdotes, Pleasantries, and the Golden Rule]( We love a good story. But this first one is causing some controversy. Dear Story Lover, If there’s one thing that we enjoy here at The Old Farmer’s Almanac (aside from weather, of course), it’s a good story. A humorous anecdote works anywhere, whether you’re sitting around the campfire, having a family dinner, or taking a break at work. So it’s only natural that we included a few anecdotes in this year’s Almanac. Honestly, they aren’t even that hard to find. We found one in the news recently about an interesting, though apparently controversial, ingredient. Most of us know that the secret ingredient to a prizewinning recipe is love (and possibly an iron skillet). The FDA, however, doesn’t necessarily agree, as the Nashoba Brook Bakery in Massachusetts discovered when they tried to list “Love” as an ingredient in their granola. According to the FDA, “‘Love’ is not a common or usual name of an ingredient and is considered to be intervening material because it is not part of the common or usual name of the ingredient.” We sincerely wish the FDA good luck when they argue with thousands of grandmas about that. We also got a kick out of the story about a 16-inch, 11-pound zucchini found in Berlin, Germany. It was originally mistaken for an unexploded World War II bomb! Wonder how much zucchini bread we could make with that? Hmmm. HALF-PRICE Offer Now in Effect! Special Charter Membership Invitation for You: Introducing The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass— Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac Be among the first to claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! [Yes! sign me up now!]( The "Best Value Club" is really an incredible value! Our love of a good story isn’t new, of course. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a long-noted love of anecdotes, poetry, pleasantries, and rules to live by, as evidenced by this poem in the 1819 edition (a replica of which you’ll get as part of [The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership](). [Sensibility]( The shallow brook with restless murmur flows, And ever bubbling, prattles as it goes; The deeper river rolls its tranquil tide, In silent dignity and stately pride; So judgment still and virtue most abound Where there is least of show, and least of sound. [Time, Youth, and Poetry]( We included a bit of poetry in the 1919 edition, as well, by George Peele. His golden locks time hath to silver turned; O time too swift! O swiftness never ceasing! His youth ’gainst age, and age at time, hath spurned, But spurned in vain; youth waneth by increasing: Beauty, strength, youth, are flowers but fading seen; Duty, faith, love, are roots and ever green. [Around the World With the Golden Rule]( Poetry and storytelling styles have changed over the two centuries since we began publishing. But one thing hasn’t changed: the Golden Rule. Interestingly, The Golden Rule is found throughout time and across cultures. In Christianity, it reads, “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” It’s such a well-known maxim that it is sometimes shortened to “Do unto others.” In Buddhism, the Golden Rule reads, “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” In the Jewish faith, the Talmud reads, “What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.” And in Taoism, it reads, “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.” [Famous Last Words]( We’ll leave you with some famous last words, spoken by Ludwig van Beethoven, who died on March 26, 1827: “Friends, applaud. The comedy is finished.” Or, perhaps we should part with the last words of actress Ethel Barrymore: “Is everybody happy? I want everybody to be happy. I know I’m happy.” If you want more anecdotes, pleasantries, famous last words, and much more useful information, wit, and wisdom, you can get it and a bundle of FREE BONUSES with an [Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership](! HALF-PRICE Offer Now in Effect! Special Charter Membership Invitation for You: Introducing The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass— Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac Be among the first to claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! [Yes! sign me up now!]( The "Best Value Club" is really an incredible value! With an [Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership](, you’ll get the handsome hardcover 2019 edition of the Almanac, the full-color monthly EXTRA! digital magazine with timely information on a variety of Almanac topics and other content not found in the print edition, plus a bundle of bonuses. With an [Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership](, you’ll learn more about: - Nature’s very own Frank Sinatra, the northern mockingbird - What happened when the Sun “exploded” on September 1, 1859 - Our magic formula for accurately predicting the weather for over two centuries - The best days this year for common activities, according to the Moon’s phase - Why a dog may be the best medicine for whatever ails you [Get full access to everything under the Sun, including the Moon, weather, vegetable and flower gardening, folklore, nature, home remedies, and more —with your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership!]( Introducing [The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership](! This new and exciting club is designed especially for you—and it’s packed with articles, advice, best days, facts, and fun that you cannot get anywhere else! Your [Charter Membership]( gives you all the elements of a true almanac—a “calendar of the heavens” and a “time capsule of the year” for 2019, plus some bonuses when you join today. More about those bonuses in a minute. Since 1792—in fact, every day since!—The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been trusted and enjoyed by folks from all walks of life: people who grow their own food depend on the planting dates; home cooks, gardeners, and folks hungry for something quick and delicious love the recipes; just about everybody checks on the Moon phases and sunrise and set times … as well as the weather forecasts … to know what to expect on any given day, week, month, or season. With [The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership](, you’ll have content that is both useful and humorous. You’ll discover quirky facts, timeless adages and advice, amusing quotes and profound proverbs, contests, Anecdotes and Pleasantries, Best Days to do things (from fishing to weaning from planting to setting eggs, for example), and so much more! Your [Charter Membership]( gives you everything that you’ve come to expect and depend on in an Almanac—valuable and accurate content and advice. In fact, fulfillment of readers’ expectations has made our Almanac the best-known and most sought-after Almanac for generations. Did you know? The Old Farmer’s Almanac is the oldest continuously published periodical in North America! We got started with this valuable content in 1792—when George Washington was president and the U.S. Post Office Department was first established . . . and we’ve been at it ever since then, for 227 years! HALF-PRICE Offer Now in Effect! Special Charter Membership Invitation for You: Introducing The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass— Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac Be among the first to claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! [Yes! sign me up now!]( The "Best Value Club" is really an incredible value! People always ask how and why our Almanac has lasted—and continues to be a best seller. The answer is simple: We stay true to the original mission of founder Robert B. Thomas, who declared in an early edition, “Our main endeavor is to be useful, with a pleasant degree of humor.” We believe that, especially in today’s trying times, finding humor and enjoyment in daily life is important and can be uplifting, and we hope you like our light-hearted fun and find the joy in chuckling at our witty and inspiring words. This will make you smile, too: Every edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac is fresh, new, and designed to make the year one of the best ever. How do we do that? With entertaining and informative articles. For example: Want to know about the most fun and fascinating trends for 2019? Here’s a hint: We’ll be exercising in the grocery stores, we’ll be drinking banana milk, shopping in stores with “quiet hours,” and decorating with “scratch-and-sniff” wallpaper. Are you a vegetable gardener or want to be one? Many gardeners consider the Almanac their most valuable tool, so this year, for all of you trying to grow food we’ve got foolproof advice that promises a harvest the first year and every one thereafter. Perhaps you grow flowers—or want to: In the 2019 Almanac, you’ll learn which flowers are edible, when to pick them, and how to use them (e.g., pick apple blossoms in late spring and sprinkle them onto a Waldorf salad, all summer use impatiens as a garnish). But that’s just the beginning! Here’s just some of what else you’ll discover in the 2019 Almanac: - The Faces of Farming: ambitious folks from across the country tell about how they got started, the hurdles they faced, and the rewards of working the land - Timetables and advice for spotting meteor showers, bright stars, conjunctions, and other fascinating astronomical events - Best days for planting, pruning, weeding, grafting, and controlling pests, plus the easiest-ever soil test (all you need is a pair of men’s clean, white, 100% cotton underwear and a small shovel) - Daily weather forecasts for all regions of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii - Fresh new ways to savor the asparagus, beet, corn, and cucumber harvests, with “The ABCs of Pickling” - Easy, delicious, and Almanac prize-winning recipes using oranges - "Adventures in the Zodiac Zone"—what’s behind the Sun and Moon? - A look back at "The Day the Sun Exploded"—and a look forward to how it could happen again - The “full” explanation of if and why more strange things happen during a full Moon than at other times. - Facts, folklore, and traditions in “Telling the Bees”—Did you know that beekeepers often invite their bees to weddings? - Thinking of getting a pig, a cow, a goat, or maybe chickens? Or know someone who is? You do not want to miss “The Pros and Cons of Backyard Livestock.” - Why a Dog May be Your Best Medicine—and your child’s, too! - The Story of Baseball’s Most Amazin' Season, with the “Miracle Mets” - "How to Make Sausage at Home"- It’s easier than you think, especially if you make patties instead of links - All this and too much more to mention for 288 pages of riveting content! Plus, the Almanac’s easy-to-follow charts, maps, and photos bring it all to life for you—making it all easy to understand and use. HALF-PRICE Offer Now in Effect! Special Charter Membership Invitation for You: Introducing The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass— Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac Be among the first to claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! [Yes! sign me up now!]( The "Best Value Club" is really an incredible value! [An Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership will deliver exciting rewards for you—and for a special introductory rate, HALF-OFF right now, to all new Charter Members.]( When you join today, you’ll ensure that you get the latest details about Almanac events and forecasts—and you’ll enjoy all these benefits: - Your best garden ever—Almanac gardening advice, planting dates, time-saving tips, and detailed guidance from experts will get you growing like never before. - You’ll know in advance about every important astronomical event in 2019—when they’re happening, where in the sky, and the details and delights of each one. - You’ll have access to the world’s best source of Almanac content—from astronomy and weather to anniversaries and milestone dates; from important (and little known) holidays and religious events to traditional days in calendar folklore. - You’ll save time and money when you follow all the practical advice and tips that we deliver to you about everything from gardening to food preparation and cooking. - You’ll be a weather expert in your family and circle of friends—no one else you know will have the detailed knowledge about forecasting and weather that you’ll have . . . and for every region of the country! How can you not consider becoming an [Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Member](? [What you’ll get with an Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership.]( When you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership today, your Charter membership will include: - The Old Farmer’s 2019 Almanac—Our newest edition, the hard-copy version will be shipped to you right away with everything you’ve come to expect from the world’s premier almanac. - Bonus #1: The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2019 Gardening Wall Calendar. Lovely to look at, fun to use! Each month features a beautiful full-color original illustration of seasonal plant or animal life, as well as timeless gardening secrets and advice, folklore, fun facts, and holidays—plus Moon phases to help you use the “Planting by the Moon” chart and have your best garden ever! - Bonus #2: The Old Farmer’s Almanac 1819 edition— A printed version will be shipped to you with your order. Take a trip down memory lane and see what one of our early Almanacs looked like! It’s a time capsule of life 200 years ago! - Bonus #3: The Old Farmer’s Almanac 1919 edition—A printed version will be shipped to you with your order. Another classic Almanac, this takes you back a century: Compare the content then and now! - Bonus #4: The Old Farmer’s Almanac EXTRA! —A treasure trove of digital updates and Almanac content not found in the printed edition, including audio and video multimedia content. EXTRA! is far more interactive and fun than plain printed pages! And all of this is available to you—right now—when you claim your [Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership](. What are you waiting for? Half-off this Charter Membership offer is in effect for you right now! No other Almanac has so many fun and fascinating facts, timely and accurate events and predictions, and topical and useful articles all in one place for your easy access and use—and covering more regions of North America than any other almanac or resource! HALF-PRICE Offer Now in Effect! Special Charter Membership Invitation for You: Introducing The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass— Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac Be among the first to claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! [Yes! sign me up now!]( The "Best Value Club" is really an incredible value! [Why not join right now?]( Gardeners, weather and sky watchers, and nature lovers everywhere have been enjoying The Old Farmer’s Almanac for generations, and now it’s easier than ever for YOU to experience it all with an [Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership](. When we created this new club for folks like you, we wanted to make it easy to use, easy to order, and packed with content and value—that’s why we named it the “Best Value Club”! The Almanac is the ultimate resource for gardening, astronomy, folklore, nature, and more, and now it can be all yours with your [Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership](. HALF-PRICE Introductory Offer is Now in Effect! Special limited-time Charter Membership offer for you right now! When you respond today, you’ll be among a select group of Almanac friends to take advantage of this special Charter Membership offer. Activate your Charter Membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club today, and you’ll get access to unique almanac content that you can’t find anywhere else—plus four bonuses! Join other weather and astronomy watchers, gardeners, nature and food lovers, and trivia fans—for half-off when you respond today! This is a [limited-time offer that you should take advantage of right now](. Why not be among the first—gardeners in your neighborhood; weather and astronomy watchers under the Sun; cooks in your community; trivia fans in your circle; nature-lovers in your area—to join us today and benefit from all the valuable Almanac information that you simply cannot get anywhere else? Become an [Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club Charter Member]( today—while this special HALF-PRICE offer lasts! Sincerely, Janice Stillman Editor, The Old Farmer’s Almanac P.S. You should act today to claim your Charter Membership in [The Old Farmer’s Almanac Best Value Club](—while 2019 copies of the Almanac are still fresh . . . and to get your bonuses, too! HALF-PRICE Offer Now in Effect! Special Charter Membership Invitation for You: Introducing The Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club! Get Your Special Pass— Access to the World's Most Beloved Almanac Be among the first to claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Best Value Club Charter Membership—become a Charter Member today! [Yes! sign me up now!]( The "Best Value Club" is really an incredible value! [facebook]( [twitter]( [pinterest]( [Instagram]( [Google Plus]( You are receiving this e-mail message because you subscribed at our Web site: [Almanac.com]( If you do not wish to receive our regular e-mail newsletter in the future, please [click here to m]([anage preferences](. *Please do not reply to this e-mail* [Update your email address here]( To report corrections or inquire about your account, products, editorial, technical issues, [visit our Help Page]( © 2019 Yankee Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. [View web version](