Did you know cranberries were named after a bird?

From wikipedia.com: "The name cranberry derives from "craneberry," first named by early European settlers in America who felt the expanding flower, stem, calyx, and petals resembled the neck, head, and bill of a crane. Another name used in northeastern Canada is mossberry. ...

"In North America, Native Americans were the first to use cranberries as food. Native Americans used cranberries in a variety of foods, especially for pemmican (a high-energy mix of meat, fat and fruit), wound medicine and dye. Calling the red berries Sassamanash, natives may have introduced cranberries to starving English settlers in Massachusetts who incorporated the berries into traditional Thanksgiving feasts."

As usual, cranberries will be a big part of our Christmas open house fundraiser Nov. 20-23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

For your $6 ticket, you'll tour 12 professionally decorated rooms. The ticket also includes a piece of our famous cranberry cake with butter sauce, which will be served in the new banquet hall.

The decorators are: Bella Vista Interiors, A Touch of Charm, Ben's Floral & Frame, Twice is Nice, Mary Ann Wolesky and Vicki Trimble, Hy-Vee Floral, Younkers, Sterling Main Street, Stampin' Up by Kelly Kleven, Becky Whithaus, Olde Tyme Antiques, Belles & Beaus and the Hardy Geranium.

Brick Furniture provides furniture as needed to the decorators. The Albert Lea Lens & Shuttle Club will hang photos in the new banquet hall prefunction area.

The Premier Night Dinner returns this year, with social hour at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 20. Reserve your ticket now for this four-course dinner, which features the only chance to see our special holiday decor lighted for the evening. The menu is hors d'ouevres, salad, salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, holiday green beans and roll and cranberry cake for dessert. Wine also will be served. Tickets are $30 a person. Call the HHH office at 433-4243 to make a reservation.

Holiday parties

Our new banquet hall is open for occupancy. Schedule a holiday party or other gathering for your business, club or family. There are still a few December dates open. Alcohol may be served (no keg beer). Please call the HHH office for more information.

This week

• 8:30 a.m. Monday, board of directors.

• 1 p.m. Monday, Floral Club.

• 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Y's Women.

Laura Helle is the director of the Hormel Historic Home, 208 Fourth Ave. N.W., Austin.

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