The Jackery of Siblings: Did You Survive?

I look back over my childhood with two sisters and a brother and wonder how I survived, especially the pranks and jokes my brother played on me. They are probably asking how they survived me!

Sibling Shenanigans

I’ve shared some funny stories about my brother Rick and his pranks, as well as mine. Here’s a delightful story from one of our customers in response to yesterday's email:

“Debbie,

It’s rough being the youngest child in a 7-child household. That was me. It will toughen you up.

My dad had an electric fence inside his hog wire fence to keep the animals from pushing on the fence. My older brothers and sisters got a big tire out by the electric wire. They stood on the tire and grabbed the wire. No shock for them because they were not grounded.

They said, Johnny, come over here and grab our hand. I was standing in the wet grass, and as the 12 volts flowed through me to the grass, my hair probably did curl up.

Everyone laughed but me.

Your family will toughen you up for life.”

Isn’t this typical sibling jackery? I love that it involved a fence. Thank you, Johnny, for this delightful story!

Share Your Stories

Keep sharing your stories, and I’ll share them with your permission.

Fencing Solutions

What do you have up your sleeve for fencing? We recently received an excellent order for galvanized-after 16 gauge 1x1. Do you know what they are using it for? All 234 rolls? Rodent control! I had not guessed that one. Wire mesh plays a massive part in our society.

Order yours now. Call Terry to discuss your fencing needs.

Have a great day, and send me stories! Any jackery in your personality?

Kind Regards,

Debbie Page

CEO, Louis E. Page Inc – Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (Yep: 131 years of continuous service through 2 world wars and 2 pandemics)

Rats on the Rooftop

Here’s something I didn’t know before one of our customers—a major pest control company—came to us: there’s a real problem with rats on the roofs of commercial buildings!

The Rooftop Rat Problem

You read that right: rats love hanging out on rooftops, especially in large urban areas. This pest control company contracts with us to purchase our Italian-made vinyl-coated 16 gauge 1/2x1/2 wire mesh, which they use to build custom traps to prevent rats from causing damage to commercial properties.

The Perfect Solution

The mesh they use is perfect for the job—it’s strong and durable and can withstand the elements while keeping those pesky critters out. Once installed, the traps effectively block rats from making their way into vents, HVAC systems, and other areas where they can wreak havoc. Thanks to the quality of our mesh, the traps are reliable and long-lasting, ensuring the building stays protected.

Versatility of Wire Mesh

It’s amazing to think about how versatile wire mesh can be, isn’t it? Whether it’s fencing for farms, securing solar farms, or keeping rats off rooftops, our products are built to handle the job.

If you’ve got a unique project in mind, or you’re just looking for the best materials to protect your property, we’ve got you covered with wire mesh solutions that get the job done. And if you want to learn more, you can always call Terry, our fence expert, at 978-486-3116 for advice on your next project!

Kind Regards,

Debbie Page

CEO, Louis E. Page Inc – Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (131 years of continuous service through 2 world wars and 2 pandemics)

I Spill the Beans...

It was a morning, indeed. I’m glad I’ve trained my brain to give thanks at all times and in all places. It’s an excellent tool for my toolbox, along with spontaneous laughter. Try laughing out loud when you’re by yourself. We use "LOL" often, but how frequently do we really laugh out loud? Don’t mind the people who may see or hear you and call you crazy. I want to be a bit crazy.

A Morning of Mishaps

First, I walked outside with my socks on and stepped onto a soppy, wet rug on my deck. And it was 48 degrees. Next, I caught the puppy’s ear in the buckle of her collar. Ouch! Sorry, Phoebe.

And then, the most ridiculous thing of the morning, I spilled the beans, as in coffee beans. But it wasn’t just a typical spill of beans on the floor. No, this was a crazy spill. I “put” the beans into my grinder but did not remove the lid. They hit the convex cover and scattered in a hundred directions. Oh, my giddyup! I buy excellent coffee and didn’t want to lose a single bean. Phoebe came running to investigate as I scooped the beans off the floor, counter, under the refrigerator, and stove. At least everything was dry—milk’s one of the worst things to spill.

Laughter and Song

I’m laughing and wondering where my brain is this morning, so I start to sing, “I love to laugh. Hahaha. Loud and long and clear.”

The Origin of "Spill the Beans"

My curiosity asked, “Hey, Google. Where did the saying, ‘Spill the beans,’ come from?” The answer completely surprised me. Straight from Google’s AI search:

This expression is believed to originate in ancient Greece, where beans were used as a means of electing officials. Candidates in elections would place their upturned helmets in a line, and voters would put a bean in the helmet of their preferred candidate. When the election process ended, the number of beans in each helmet would be counted, and the winner was the candidate with the largest number of beans. The winner’s helmet was then returned to him with the beans inside. He would then spill the beans and place the helmet on his head, thereby signifying his acceptance of the post to which he had been elected. Spilling the beans was therefore a means of revealing the outcome of a secret process and has passed into the language as disclosing a secret.

Did any of you know this? It went on to include this bit of information: If you spill the beans, you reveal a secret that you are not supposed to disclose. Criminals being interrogated by the police often spill the beans and reveal the names of their accomplices.

Spilling the Beans on Our Products

I’m on a roll here with this bean thing! I’ll spill the beans about our products. Get ready…

We offer fabulous wire from the USA, Italy, and China, depending on what you need and your desire for durability. The USA and Italian-made wire will last longer as they are superior. Some products, such as hexagonal wire, are not manufactured in the USA. They all come from China.

I greatly respect government projects, and many require products made in the USA. We bid on many projects that are set aside for small businesses, and some are set aside for women-owned businesses. I want to support American companies every time I can. Did you know small businesses employ half of the American workforce and represent 43.5% of our GDP?

Thank you for buying from Louis Page. I’m spilling the beans; we are a small, woman-owned business that has been around for 131 years!

Call Terry at 978-486-3116. 99% of the time, she can find what you want. If she can’t, it’s probably because nobody makes it!

Kind Regards,

Debbie Page

Pass the Skewer and Dangle the Dog

Jerry and Ramona wanted me to come over and enjoy their fire pit this summer. They like to roast marshmallows for s’mores, but this didn't appeal to me since I don’t eat sugar. I called her up recently and suggested we roast hotdogs on their fire pit. She was thrilled.

Preparing for the Fire Pit

I cooked some fabulous “hotdog” chili, as we called it in the South, made coleslaw, bought my favorite hotdogs and buns, and headed over for an evening of outdoor roasting. Their friend Bill came as well. The guys headed to the fire pit and got a nice fire blazing.

Ramona and I joined them with a tray of dogs to roast. Ramona ran back into the kitchen to grab the skewers. When she reappeared on the scene, I burst out laughing.

The Skewer Situation

“Ramona, those are your skewers?” I exclaimed, looking at tiny metal 10” skewers. “Is this what you normally use?”

“We’ve never roasted hotdogs,” she replied.

“What? I thought you had been roasting all summer.”

“Only marshmallows,” she sighed.

“How will we keep from getting our hands burned with such short metal skewers without handles? Oh, my word,” I declared.

Jerry and Bill were laughing, but Ramona didn’t seem to understand the dilemma. Jerry attempted to explain it to her, but it really didn’t sink in at first.

Making the Best of It

Always wanting to make the best of a situation, I speared a dog and tried to hold it over the hot coals. I couldn’t get it close enough to cook it. Jerry excused himself to find an alternative. Meanwhile, I looked over and saw Bill was dangling his dog vertically over the coals. I followed suit. Ramona returned, and now she began laughing.

Jerry, a fine woodworker of furniture, rejoined us with narrow pieces of wood about 20” long. His idea was to thread the wood through the eye of the skewer to lengthen the skewer. Bill and Jerry managed to do that, but every time I tried, the skewers with the hotdog rotated upside down. I’m having difficulty painting the ludicrous picture of what was happening. I was laughing so hard. Ultimately, I dangled my hotdog vertically and got a bit of a char on it.

We decided to head indoors to eat.

Chili Slaw Dawg or Nekkid Dawg?

“Ramona, are you having a chili slaw dawg or a nekkid dawg?” I asked with a smirk.

“What in the world are you talking about?” she inquired.

In the little town of Lincolnton, North Carolina, there is a famous cafe on the square across from the Lincoln County Courthouse called City Lunch. They serve good ole country cookin', including hotdogs. I’ve been told they sometimes sell upwards of 10,000 hotdogs in a day when supplying a fair or rally. When you order your hotdog, it comes with mustard, onions, chili, and slaw. If you want none of that, you order a naked (nekkid) dog. It’s a family tradition to order these chili slaw dogs whenever I'm in town.

The Legend of Lynette Greer

They only take cash, and they don’t have an ATM. A reputable source told me that the late owner, a delightful and friendly woman, Lynette Greer, took the cash home each night. By her death, she had a million dollars in cash in “safe” keeping. Urban legend? I don’t know.

I hope she had a tall security fence, a burglar system, and a fireproof safe for all her money! Though she dressed simply and didn’t wear makeup, she was a smart, savvy woman and always had a smile for you. She made a fortune selling her hotdogs—the diner still serves up an average of 700 a day, and they fry chicken the old-fashioned way in a cast iron skillet every Thursday.

Protecting What Matters

What do you need to protect from the outside world? Hopefully, you aren’t keeping a million dollars of cash in your house! However, I hope you have a million dollars if that’s your dream. Fences will keep your children and your dogs in and keep the deer and foxes out.

Call Terry today! She’s waiting to hear from you!

All my best regards,

Debbie Page

CEO, Louis E. Page Inc – Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (So 131 years ago our family ancestor Louis E. founded the company!)

Strangeness in the Night

Oh, the hazards of setting up camp after dark. In August 1977, Betty and I drove from Atlanta to NYC and then on to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to visit a friend in New York City and the parents of friends in Coal Center, Pennsylvania. I’ll save that Coal Center story for another time—it’s a story all to itself!

The Search for a Room

We were getting pretty weary of driving and decided we’d just get a hotel room. For miles, we searched for a room. This was in the 1970s, so there were no cell phones or internet. Everywhere we saw a high hotel sign, we’d exit the highway, park the car, go into the lobby, and inquire about a room.

None were available.

Hotel after hotel.

No room at the inn.

There was some type of colossal car racing event taking place in Virginia, and there were no rooms available for a hundred-mile radius, we were told.

A Night to Remember

It was 1:00 AM, and we desperately wanted sleep. We found a campground via our good old trusty paper map and pulled in. Since it was after hours, the sign said to pick a spot, camp, and pay in the morning.

We picked a spot, parked Betty’s green Grand Torino, set up our tent, and fell asleep. By that time, it must have been 2:00 AM. It hardly seemed like we’d been sleeping when we began to hear footsteps, voices, and laughter. Poking our heads out of the tent, we were astonished to see a steady stream of people. We looked beyond the people and saw the brick building.

Where were we?

Oh, my gosh, we had set up our tent on the pathway to the bathroom. No wonder people were laughing at six o’clock in the morning. We made haste to get dressed and take down our tent.

Adventures and Fencing

Isn’t life a barrel of monkeys? Especially when you go on an adventure. As I’ve quoted from The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien before, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Where are you going today? Are you ready to be swept off by your sense of adventure?

It’s always the perfect time to think about your next fencing adventure, whether small or grand. We wouldn’t have staked our tent there if that bathroom had been fenced in! I’m thankful it wasn’t. Who wants fences in campgrounds?

But you have an idea for your property, backyard, and private oasis. If a fence will help you keep intruders out, let’s go for it!

Call our fence expert, Terry. She’s been providing fence solutions for 24 years! I shout her accolades from the rooftops!

All my best regards,

Debbie Page

CEO, Louis E. Page Inc – Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (So 131 years ago our family ancestor Louis E. founded the company!)