Rawleigh thinks June is November, maybe?

It's June-- that lovely time of year when the roses are blooming, the butterflies are flitting about, and I am yelling at the birds at 5 a.m. to quit being such jackasses and wait to start that goddamn singing until, oh, say 9 a.m. But I digress. It's also time for Rawleigh's Good Health Guide Almanac Cook Book (1953). What do those purveyors of fine MLM wares have in store for June?

In their resolute determination not to acknowledge the actual season, Rawleigh decides that June is the prefect month to bust out the Spicy Sweet Potatoes-- though the apple cider and warm spices seem far more fall-appropriate (not to mention the hour-plus baking time back when few houses had air conditioning!). Then there's the warm-weather classic, Baked Prune Whip, a dish that to Rawleigh doesn't at all seem more suited to winter when one has to rely on dried fruit, rather than June when the strawberries and raspberries are in full swing. (At least Monday does acknowledge the late spring/ early summer bounty with its recipe-less red raspberries and cream dessert.) And while Banana-Nut Loaf and Carrot and Raisin Salad maybe aren't quite as clearly out of season as the sweet potatoes and the prune whip, they still seem more suited to the days when one has to rely on the pantry than when the fresh young fruits and vegetables are emerging after months of cold... At least there's a tossed salad, but this seems to be partly out of season too, as the bell peppers and tomatoes will probably have to come from the grocery store rather than the garden this early in the season. For a time when I thought more people kept home gardens, this book seems out of touch with what gardeners would have been likely to have had.

As for the horoscope, I'm not sure what it means to "have a very good mind," especially in 1953. Does it mean that someone actually knows what fruits and vegetables might be in season? Does it mean that they're especially good at forcing the kids to go to church without too much complaining (what with the Gemini's "strongly religious" nature)? Does it mean they're especially good at explaining why white guys are the only ones who deserve to be treated like full-on human beings, or does it mean they're especially good at pointing out why that mindset is bullshit, even if it's typical for the time? A "good mind" could mean just about anything...

As for the product spotlight, June is the month of romance, so Rawleigh knows its best play is to make everybody feel anxious about their sex appeal.

That's right! "(beautiful girls can lose their men; and handsome brutes can lose their gals through body odor)"

I'm not really sure why Rawleigh felt the need for the parentheses (or the semicolon for that matter). Maybe they thought the message would be too alarming without the parentheses? In any case, Rawleigh could come to the rescue in the form of cologne, powder, or cream.

There's nothing quite like to idea of starting the day by sticking a finger or two into the deodorant cream and rubbing it around in one's armpits to make me so happy for stick deodorant... especially now that we're heading into the hot weather. Stay cool and deodorized, everyone, until we find out what's in store for July.