That’s an interesting story.

I grew up in the Hudson Valley of NYS, and lived there pretty contentedly for 27 years. Met someone who lived in the Finger Lakes region and decided to move. Long story short, we got married and have been living here for the past 31 years.

While we were living here, we moved a few times, but always stayed in the Finger Lakes region. One day, when we were driving along the lake road, I happened to spot a sign near a cottage on the opposite side. The cottage was more like a farmhouse, very imposing 2-story edifice with lots of windows, angles and a wrought iron fence that surrounded it and sat atop the retaining wall that kept the house from sliding into the road. The sign said, quite plainly Oleo Acres – One of the Cheaper Spreads. That just tickled my funny bone to all get out. When I was younger, my Mom always referred to margarine as ‘oleo’. Even the brand of oleo that she used was Fleischman’s Margarine; but it was universally called oleo. And since margarine (or oleo) is less expensive that butter, the turn of phrase made sense. And it was humorous.

Years later, apparently the house changed hands, and the sign disappeared. Where it went to, I have no idea, but the name of it still makes me laugh and smile when I think of it. So where is Oleo Acres? It’s wherever you want it to be, kind of like Neverland, or Atlantis or the Land of Tír na nÓg. For the sake of argument, it’s right here between my ears. And I’ll be expounding from it, here.