People Behind the 2006 Jell-Os

Preparation of the offerings

Well, I been working on my Jell-O
going Hoedown
working on my Jell-O
Woo about to Hoedown …

At five o’clock in the morning,
I’m baking hotdish.
When my Jell-O is ready,
I look forward to having fun

— From “Working on My Jell-O” aka “Working in the Coal Mine”

The final Creature from the Black Lagoon

For the Hotdish Hoedown
we made a Jell-O Scene
showing a colorful life
in the land of submarines

So we sailed up to the sun
till we found Jell-O green
Blueberries made waves
for our Jell-O submarine

We all ate up the Jell-O Submarine
Jell-O Submarine
Jell-O Submarine …

— From “Jell-O Submarine,” aka “Yellow Submarine”

The final Dona-Jell-O

Elize Steinhoff and the Best Thing About Kindergarten: Fingerpainting

Jell-O Child

Have you never been Jell-O?
Have you never tried to find that Jell-O child inside you?
Have you never been happy just to fill a mold?
Don’t you know that Jell-O never gets old?

Running around as we do, leaving Jell-O until the end,
I was like you

Now it’s not hard to understanding
You need time to make a Jell-O plan.

— From “Have You Never Been Jell-O?” aka “Have You Never Been Mellow?”

Best Pun? Hmmm …

Hostess Karen Faster at her 2006 Hotdish Hoedown

2006 Jell-O #10: Best Pun: Hot Dish! Artist wishes to remain anonymous. Medium: Jello. On loan from the collection of the General Mills Minnesota Museum of Fine Food Art.

Nancy Westphal-Johnson, Karen Faster and Peter Bazur-Leidy sing another Jell-O tune

Karen Faster reacts as Ed Hansen indicates to the crowd that he really wants to bring home the really really tall trophy. So do a lot of other kids. Somehow Peter does not seem to understand the gravity of Ed’s pronouncement.

Calli Obern applauds as Sam Ashenbrenner collects his trophy.

Ed talks to the audience

After weeks thinking about his Jell-O and dreaming about the Hotdish Hoedown, Ed Hansen come to the party with a story to tell.

During the singing, he asks Karen if he can say a few words about his “La Brea Jell-O Pits.” After climbing up on the chair, he explains to the crowd the dinosaurs and the Jell-O and their existential meaning.

2006 Jell-O No. 9 La Brea Jell-O Pits for Best Landscape

And then …

2006 really really tall trophy coveted by Ed Hansen and several other youngsters

After a couple more songs, Ed says he would like to say a few words about the trophies, including an allusion to his desire to win the really tall trophy.

This precipitates anticipation of a crisis in the hostess’ mind (see left) as she envisions one young Hoedown guest taking home the big trophy to the consternation of other entrants of that age cohort.

The dilemma is compounded when Jo Ann, the top vote-getter in the Best Thing About Kindergarten category for her entry “Cookies and Milk” — declines the big trophy, saying “Give it to one of the kids.”

Punting during the trophy presentation, the hostess resolves “to save the big trophy for next year.”

Later, during cleanup, Ed tells Karen several times that he is really happy with the trophy he won. His mother reports he has it on his bedside table.

The tall trophy is safely stored alongside the stairs to Karen’s basement.