Retroblogging: Random AuntieCrafts

The weather is finally making New England look like a scene out of Currier and Ives.

Which reminds me, when I was out in Logan, Utah in December hanging with the Great-Aunties, Aunt Shirley dragged out an album with some of her choice correspondence. Upon flipping through the book, what did I spy, but a letter from a youthful me. The letter was dated in the 1970s, but both Mom and I agree. Based on the handwriting and the subject matter, it must have been the early 1980s. No matter. Just look at that. Isn't this cute?

To be truthful, I'm about 150% sure this is not an original work. I think it was a black & white drawing that I enhanced before I sent it off in the mail.

Remember when we would just draw and be free and not constricted by self doubt? When we could be content to just color and draw, and sketch and paint, and trace and scribble -- just for fun?

Remember when we'd BEG to go out and play in the snow? When we'd BEG to go out and make snowballs, snow forts, snow angels, and snowmen - excuse me snow PEOPLE? When we'd have to be coaxed inside when our faces where bright red, our noses streaming (let's be honest here), when we couldn't feel our fingers or toes - and we'd have cocoa to warm up?

I think that song from Frozen needs a new set of lyrics.

 Do you want to drink a snowman?

These cuties were created by Kelli for Christmas 2013 - out of old baby food jars. 

I wonder if it's too late to order about 15 for pickup this Thursday?

Kelli?

Letters from Ollie J -- Sept. 10, 1981

Unless Mom has yet another stash tucked away in the 17-20 buckets of family photos, genealogy, and documents she has yet to deal with, I suspect that this probably will be the last of the letters from my grandmother.

It is so her though, set on the farm, the syntax, the chickens, mention of her siblings, a list of chores, and advice for me and the boys. Plus her love.

I wasn't quite 10 yet when I got this letter. Now Jed is all grown up and his kid is in 2nd grade - a year more than he was when Grandma wrote this and J.J.'s little Nathan is in the same position his Poppa was - home alone without his big siblings for the first time. And finally, that new bed in the basement she mentions at the end of the letter? I'm still sleeping on it - all these years later here in the Attic. Time has passed, and we're both banged up, bruised, scrapped, and dingy with white highlights, but ... we're still functional.

I love you too Grandma -- even if this new fangled computer and Internet and whole public journal/sharing of feelings thing would have made you totally uncomfortable.

10 September 1981

Dear Granddaughter,

Thank you for the nice letter. I read it with pleasure.

So glad you like your dress and hope it will last you a long time.

I'm fealing better. Had a cold and got some medicine which helped. I am staying busy. Helped Uncle Hyrum put down floor tile Saturday. So was up and down on my knees. There for I am sore muscle wise.

The aunts in Utah are doing fine. They were pleased with your gift. Aunt Shirley said she missed you. She went to California with Uncle Preston to a reunion with his Navy buddies. Hope they enjoyed themselves. Were to be gone three days.

So you are in fourth grade? How time flies. Been or seems such a short time ago when you were born. Now you are fast growing into a young lady. Study well and learn the things the teacher teaches you which are true.

Jed in first grade that's a big step for him. Help him learn what you already know.

I glad you could come and visit with me in Wayne County, N.C. Love having you all.

Well that old rooster is waking me up. Don't he crow like he's proud to be alive? The hens are not laying the eggs so fast right now. They take a rest period.

But your mom will fix you up a good lunch to take to school. One which will make you grow and learn well. You'll be proud to carry your pretty lunch boxes.

J.J. will be lonesome while you and Jed are at school so be kind to him when you get home.

I'm washing as I write this letter. I stop reload machine. So you can bet it is a beautiful sunshiney day. Was just a little cool to being with (fallish)

Uncle Hyrum sends his love. Uncle Carl is so busy not sure he heard me when I told him you said hi.

Your Mom told me on the phone you had a new bed in the basement. It must be pretty from what she said.

Take care of yourself and be a good girl. Help look after your brothers and love them not boss them.

I love each of you very much.

Kisses for all

Grandma [Ollie]

Have fun while Grandma [Roa] visits you.

40 Diamonds for 40: Awesome Aunties, Aunt Shirley

Even though my grandfathers weren't much of a presence in my life, I was very fortunate to have additional grandparents in the form of great-aunts and their spouses. Aunt Shirley and my late Uncle Preston, shown below in their kitchen, lived just blocks away and attended the same church congregation with us. I don't know if that's why we had the closest relationships, but I harbor quite a tendre for them. Their house is a very special place, with a gargantuan garden with produce ripe from the vine; musical mementos like the cuckoo clock, Uncle Preston's trumpeted tunes, the special clacking spoons, and to the budding musician that I was --- a piano!; a bevy of beautiful birdies; a magical basement with hidden rooms and treasures; and most of all, a sweet sweet spirit imbued by faith and family. Each of my aunties and uncles are lovely in the their own right, but because of who she is, and what she means to me, my Auntie Shirley is the only one allowed to call me by a special nickname*.

Dec. 29, 2011

Dear [Auntie Nettie]*! My pet name for you, and I loved to be the only one allowed to use it. You were as cute as a bug.

You know of our background by observing your Grandmother and will understand when we say we admire your family and take pride in the good person you have become.

Your loving caring way about us is much appreciated. You have gifts of warmth, charity, and find choices of style and dress that you wear.

[Auntie Nettie] … I choose to call you [your nickname] because as a baby and a little girl, I thought you were as cute as a bug.

So Happy 40th year.

Congrats
Love
Auntie Shirley

Come see me when you can

*Because she is the ONLY one who can use it, I'm obviously not going to spill the beans in this post! I'm apparently old enough to know better now that I'm 40.

Letters from Ollie J - March 2, 1999

Photo of the Logan LDS Temple (at top right) courtesy of Rick Satterfield, c. 2005, and can be found here.

After her accident and some initial rehabilitation, Grandma went out to Logan to live with her sister Dorothy. It was originally thought that this might be an extended and permanent living arrangement, giving them both company, Grandma sisterly support, and access to extended geriatric care. However, Grandma had been too used to being the big sister and Ms. Independent for too long, and not long after this letter, for one reason and another, Mom and I traveled out West to bring Grandma back to North Carolina. (Needless to say, this was NOT an easy trip.) You can take the girl off the farm and out of the south, but ...

It's funny to read this letter now, to know some of what was going on behind the scenes, and hearing some versions of it from Grandmary and the aunties. It was one of those mixed blessing arrangements that actually did more good in the long run, despite the immediate difficulties.

The photo at the end of the letter is of the aunties and Grandmary c. August 2010, during our stopover on the River Trip. From left to right: Aunt Shirley, Aunt Ruby, Aunt Dorothy, and Grandmary. (How can you miss the family resemblance?)

[postmarked 2] March 1999

[Aunt Dorothy’s house, Logan, UT]

Dear [Granddaughter],

Thanks for your cards and letters. Your thoughts and Actions.

I do feal[sic] better. My sholders[sic] tire easly[sic]. Can walk better. Even quilted a quilt with help of Ruby, Shirley and Dorothy.

Have been to Temple LOGAN eight times. Does feal[sic] good to be in Temple again. Have see[sic] several people I worked with at Washington. Like Meeting some of Family.

Good you and Mom can go off together and do thing you like to do. You can have NY I’d rather shop in a smaler[sic] place. Oh yes I have been to NY once with your Mom.

We had fine snow falling most all day yesterday. Melted quite fast too.Am sure it was heaver[sic] than here.

Called Lucille A— a few days ago. She said they had a wind storm that took tin off Cow shelter. She went over to my house to see how storm was. Things weren’t too disturbed there.

Aunt Shirley has infection in her Right eye. Doctor and medicine is helping it heal.

Preston & Shirley went to Hawaii for a week had a good time.

You didn’t say a thing about your Brother. Hope they are well and Happy.

Hope you and your Mom has a good Flight out.

All the Sisters or Aunts are well – and busy – Yes Happy too.

Take Care of your self.

Be good to see you again

Love

Grandma

Recipes from Aunt Shirley -- White Cake

I may have mentioned earlier that I grabbed a bunch of recipes from the great-aunts when I saw them back in August. This one is from Aunt Shirley, another of Grandma Ollie's younger sisters. When we lived in Utah, Aunt Shirley and the late, greatly missed Uncle Preston lived in our congregation and were like surrogate parents and grandparents to us all. Since she was my other granny, I'm including this in the Grandma Recipes.

Also, Aunt Shirley is the only living person who I will allow to use a certain nickname (and you are seriously kidding me if you think I'm telling you what it is).

White Cake

2/3 cup shortening (Crisco-butter flavored)
1 1/2 cup sugar (white)
2 eggs
2 2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream sugar, shortening, eggs
Add dry ingredients with milk (and vanilla) (to the rest of mix and beat well until there are no large lumps)
Place in a well greased 13x9 baking pan
Bake 350 degrees 30-35 minutes (or until a test of the middle comes out clean)
Let cool well or overnight before attempting to frost

Why do people persist on using cake mixes from the store. What is so hard about this recipe? There's not so many ingredients that it's over whelming, nor too many steps for little people to help.

My only confusion at the outset was which baking pan to use. I defaulted to the standard 13x9x2 to be on the safe side. Since it was for work, I figured that if it came out slightly thinner, it would be fine.

To be entirely truthful, I had planned to cheat by using store-bought chocolate frosting. My original plan was to frost it after it made it to the appropriate office.

Then I decided to leave them with the can and a knife and let people frost at will.



I finally grabbed piece of this at the end of the next day, and it was still super moist. The cups of milk and not underbaking it kept it from drying out. It actually almost didn't need the frosting.

But you always need a helping of chocolate frosting ... ALWAYS.

Recipes from Aunt Shirley -- Night Before Coffee Cake

I was served this delicious Coffee Cake during a multi-generational family breakfast this past summer during the River/Road Trip. We built in a rest-day in Logan, Utah on our way back south, and stayed over at Aunt Ruby's house. Aunt Ruby made the famous family Wedding Breakfast Casserole (see forthcoming 12/27/10 entry), and Aunt Shirley brought this treat. She was concerned that she didn't get the center quite cooked through, but we all didn't mind too much.

Night Before Coffee Cake [from someone named Annette]

Mix [in one bowl]:
2 cups flour (white)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon soda (baking)
1 teaspoon b.p. (baking powder)

Cream [in another bowl]:
1 cup sugar (white)
1/2 cup b. sugar (brown)
2/3 cup shortening

add 2 beaten eggs

Add [creamed mixture] alternately [to] dry ingredients & [add] 1 cup buttermilk

Pour in 9 x 13 pan

[Top with topping]

Topping:
1/2 cup b. sugar (brown)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dates
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Refrigerate over night

Bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes*.

*watch cooking time. Test out the center for firmness with a knife. If gooey, cook for 5-10 minutes and test again. Repeat as needed.

Here's Uncle Gordon serving up the cake. Certain family members ate theirs with a side of melon, but I like mine uncontaminated by health food.

Also, the large tablecloth pictured here? My mother's grandmother (Great-grandma Bertha) made that -- Grandma Ollie, Aunt Ruby, Aunt Dorothy, and Aunt Shirley's mom. By hand. One tiny cross-stitch at a time. In essence there were four generations represented at that breakfast -- with that tablecloth being one, all the way down to me. That's over 100 years of history around one table.

I'm finally getting smarter about documenting the original recipe cards and asking more questions when I have queries about abbreviations.

I forsee a few problem with making this recipe:

1) I can barely get up in enough time to get ready and get out the door for a 8:00 ish train. Building in more time in the morning so I can get up, put this in my oven which is already notoriously slow, and then give it enough time to cool is not something of which I can conceive right now.

Plus
2) How I will transport a hot 9x13 dish through my crazy 1 hour commute, without
a) ruining it,
b) getting burned,
c) devouring it myself, or
d) getting mugged by my fellow commuters and/or the train conductors.

Dilemmas to be sure. Maybe I just make one up for me and the neighbors. I doubt they'll turn away baked goods.