Throwback Thursday: Fenced Perspective

"And this is how I make spider-webs for my haunted house."

There's my caption. What's yours? Feel free to leave your caption in the comments below.

Memory Monday: A Valuable Lesson

Vera and Me

A MOST VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED

My husband’s paternal grandmother, Vera, was a small, feisty woman. After she was widowed, she lived for a number of years before her health caused her to move in with her twin sister, Era—but she was known to the family as Aunt Pete (still not sure why). But for most of the years I knew her, Vera lived in her own home by herself.

I would like to share my strongest memory of this woman and the lesson I learned that helps me today:

I met my husband’s grandmother at our wedding, but like many brides, there was so much going on that I didn’t make great connections with family members I had never met and who came from out-of-town (we lived in New Mexico and Vera lived in central Texas). So the first time I truly visited with her was when we went to her house. The first morning we were there and while my husband was getting dressed, I went into her kitchen as Grandmother (my husband’s name for her) was fixing breakfast. After greeting each other, she turned back to the stove. I noticed that the dress she was wearing hadn’t been zipped up the back up all the way.

I figured that she couldn’t reach back that far, so I said that I would help her with her zipper and reached out to do it. She turned around, looked at me, and said, “No, I’ll do it some way. One day, I’ll not be able to do things for myself. When that happens, it’ll be easier to accept help knowing that when I could do things for myself, I did them.”

She smiled. I smiled. A few minutes later, my husband walked into the kitchen, spied the dress not totally zipped up, and reached out to help. I jerked his arm back and shook my head. We went into the living room, and I explained what she had told me.

Now, forty plus years later, I understand much better what Grandmother meant. I’m older. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, but I can still do things for myself. The day may come when I can’t do things for myself, but at that time, I’ll know that I did all I could while I could. And that already feels good.

Throwback Thursday: A Pile of Girls

Here's my caption:
"We played Ring-Around-the-Roses and we all fell down."

Got a good caption for this picture? Feel free to leave it in the comments below.

Memory Monday: How Dinners Change

My great-grandfather, his second wife, and their family

HOW DINNERS HAVE CHANGED THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

The following is from the book Everyday Cookery, Table Talk, and Hints for Laundry by Juliet Corson, published 1884—about five years before my great-grandmother married my great-grandfather (added note: Even though he had a wife and children at home, he fought in the Civil War—1861-1865, his first wife died in 1888. His second wife—my great-grandmother—was born in 1862, and they married in 1889.)

THE DINNER SERVICE.

A dinner service consists of a covered soup-tureen and ladle and deep plates for soup, platters and plates for fish and meats, deep covered dishes for vegetables, a gravy-tureen, salad bowl, cheese tray, sauce-boat, and a pudding dish, with small plates for dessert; the salad and cheese are usually served with, or directly after the roast. These sets of dishes can be bought in New York from five dollars up, according to style and quality. Unless a person is rich enough to at once replace broken dishes belonging to decorated sets, plain white dishes are most desirable; they are in perfect taste, and with a snowy cloth, and clean glassware, they set a table nicely.

AMERICAN DINNER SERVICE.

A third form of service, preferred personally, as combining all the advantages of the two already given, and still preserving the genial element of individual hospitality, has been considered the most delightful way of serving a dinner, by many guests.

The table is laid as for the dinner, it la Russe, with the relishes, small sweets, and confectionery; the oysters at each place; the first course of soup and fish are placed before the host and hostess, and served by them, the waiters taking up each plate as it is served, and placing it before the guest; at the same time, with the fish, passing the potatoes. In the succeeding courses the same method is fol lowed, until the dessert is reached, the cloth being cleared from crumbs, and all the glasses except those for water, champagne, and madeira, sherry, or port; only one of these wines is taken with dessert. Coffee is served in the drawing-room directly after dinner; and tea in an hour to the guests who remain.

FIRST COURSE

Oysters on the Shells.

Consommi. Salmon, with Shrimp sauce.

Parisienne Potatoes. Relishes.

SECOND COURSE.

Salmi of Duck, with Olives. Lobster Salad.

French Beans. Asparagus with Cream.
Oyster Patties.

Roman Punch.

THIRD COURSE.

Roast Chicken, with Potato Croquettes.

Game Birds with Salad.

Green Peas. Cheese Straws.

FOURTH COURSE

Charlotte of Strawberries. Orange Croquante.

Panaehie Jelly with Fruit.

Confectionery. Candied Fruit.

Coffee.

How things are done today, at least in my house.

I guess the nearest thing to the dinners discussed in the section above are our Thanksgiving Dinners when the family all gathers, occasionally along with friends, but our dinners are so different from what is written about in 1884.

First of all, instead of white dishes, I always use my Corelle Callaway dishes (I like the green ivy, and if one of them breaks—which they almost never do—I just buy a replacement on E-bay). Next, I don’t use table cloths, so I don’t have to worry about that one. And I have never had waiters serve in my house, unless that’s what I’m considered when I jump up and get something that isn’t on the table. Now onto the menu: We only have one course—everyone grabs their filled salad bowl and sits at the table where everything else, besides dessert, has already been set out. Thanksgiving Dinner is always the same: smoked ribs, brisket (my son does a wonderful job smoking the meat), stuffed mushrooms, potatoes au gratin, corn, jalapeno poppers (low-fat and baked, of course), and a salad bar (after all, not everyone likes the same thing in his or her salad, and I hate to see them pick out the things they don’t like). As far as dessert goes, no one wants to even look at that until the Dallas game half-time, and we usually have Marie Callendar’s Dutch Apple Pie and vanilla ice cream.

What kind of dinners do you host? Please share thoughts and memories.

Throwback Thursday: Hiding

"I'm playing hide and seek. Think anyone will find me?"

That's my caption, what's yours? Feel free to leave your caption in the comments below.

Memory Monday: My Daughter's Blog Part Two

My family in 1997

Well the years have passed, and my daughter has a family of her own now. And as I wrote in my last post, she likes lots of different kinds of food from what her father and I eat. Recently she made a trip to Washington state to visit relatives. While there, she sampled a different type of food from what we usually have around here.
I hope you enjoy her culinary trip. Here is the link to that trip. You Ate What...? Washington State

Throwback Thursday: End of Summer

Here's my caption:
"Drat, summer’s coming to an end."
What's your caption? Feel free to leave it in the comments below.

Memory Monday: My Daughter's Blog Part One

My husband, me, and my daughter in 1982

For the last few weeks, I have written about people who came before me—their mementos, their recipes, their remedies. For the next two weeks I would like to look a different direction—someone who is coming after me—my daughter.

One of the areas that many women have in common with other women is food—its preparation, its origin, etc. For me, I cook mostly regular old “American” food—hamburgers, roast, baked/broiled chicken, with a little bit (OK, maybe a lot) of Tex-Mex thrown in. My daughter on the other hand is much more adventurous. She eats some things that I would never think about trying, and she like them.

Here is a link to her blog post from a recent trip to Houston. I hope you enjoy sharing her adventure. 

You Ate What? Houston: Mostly Asian Inspired Road Trip Food

She also took a trip to Washington state. Next week, I’ll link that post.

Throwback Thursday: Sunday Train

Here's my caption:

Just a regular Saturday afternoon—sitting around and waiting for the train to pass by.

What's yours? Feel free to leave it in the comments below.