Snow cream

Since I live in the south, we do not get snow every winter.  On the rare occasions over the years that we got enough to accumulate, my mother would always make snow cream.  Nothing like ice cream, this is a lot better.  She always used evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla.  No set recipe, just add the ingredients until it tasted like you wanted.  Fluffy or soupy.  We had a big metal bowl and spoon that she always used.  Add it all in, stir it up and dish it out. 


After both of my parents passed away and we started cleaning out their house, there was the big metal bowl.  Under the cabinet, waiting to be used again for that once a year treat.  I brought it home where it made its way under my cabinet in anticipation of a good snowfall. 


It snowed this week.  The second time since I have owned the bowl and spoon.  I made snow cream.  For a few brief minutes I was back in one of my childhood homes where my mom was adding just enough milk and vanilla to turn it from white to off-white.  It was a rare treat and one that reminded me of a time long ago. 


Thanks mom for sending the snow.  I had a bowl for you.

Scouting for Food-Feb 1, 2014

My sons were active in Scouts and always participated in Scouting for Food.  Years ago, this event was held in November so people would have food for a good Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. The dens/troop would go out one Saturday, leave a bag on mailboxes in the community and the next Saturday go back to pick up any food that the homeowners had left.  The food picked up would be taken to the local food bank to be distributed to anyone who needed it.  The bags contained anything from 1-2 cans to being full. 

I have never been hungry, nor has my family ever gone without a meal.  My mother went to the grocery store every week and we always had food. 

My sister was in Girl Scouts several years ago.  Her troop was making fruit baskets to distribute at Christmastime.  I'm not sure who they would be given to, church shut-ins, names gotten from the local community organization or whoever.  Each girl was told what to bring so that they would have a variety of items.  My sister was supposed to bring 2 oranges.  Just 2.  Nothing else.  When she told my dad what she was supposed to bring, I am sure many thoughts went through my dad's mind.  My dad had grown up during the depression when people didn't have much.  A trip was made to the local grocery store where he proceeded to buy 2 BAGS of oranges-because as he later told my sister, "I know what it's like to be hungry'.

At Christmas if you visit my parent's grave, you will see an orange sitting on the headstone.  From me with love.

Never underestimate the power of a card

The price of postage went up today.  People are banking/paying bills on line and have cut down on mailing payments.  Christmas cards are now being sent by email or being posted on Facebook.  Invitations to showers and birthdays are now sent electronically.  Very few personal items are 'snailed mailed' anymore.

All of the above are fine with me.  However, something that I will never stop mailing are sympathy cards.  Until you receive a card during one of the hardest times in your life, you will never understand how much a card can mean.  Holding something in your hand and rereading it over the period of a few weeks can help the healing process.  Seeing a small note written at the bottom or just someone's name can make you feel that someone understands what you are going through.  I can remember my Aunt Bennie asking for stamps and boxes of cards for her birthday and Christmas so that she could send them to her friends.  I never understood why she didn't want something for herself since she was on a fixed income and couldn't buy a lot of things like clothes or books, etc..  I now know the good feeling she got when someone would tell her that her card meant a lot to them. 

When my father passed away several years ago, we had a spray made with 7 dozen red roses.  One for each of us children, the 3 children-in-laws and my mom.  Roses were my dad's favorite flower and since it was Christmas we chose red.  About a week later, I received a card from 2 very dear friends of ours with a poem about a rose.  I am sure that this couple had looked for just the right card to send since they had seen the flower arrangement.  20 years later when my mom passed, I remembered the card and asked to have the poem printed on her memorial program.

We will always treasure the cards received after the passing of our parents.  They are tucked away, in a box in our attic and forever in our hearts.

 The Rose Still Blooms

A rose once grew where all could see

Sheltered beside a garden wall,

And as the days passed swiftly by

It spreads its branches, straight and tall.

One day a beam of light shown through

A crevice had opened wide,

The rose bent gently toward its warmth

Then passed beyond to the other side.

Now, you who deeply feel its loss

Be comforted-the rose blooms there,

Its beauty even greater now

Nurtured by God's own care.


My day at the gym

The other day I drove a different vehicle to the gym.  I did not realize until I pulled into the parking lot that I had left my ear buds at home.  My gym has 10 TVs hanging from the ceiling with different channels programmed.  You can plug in while you are on the treadmill and listen to music or watch TV.  Since I needed my ear buds to listen to the sound on the TV, I thought I would go in and work out with free weights and forgo walking on the treadmill.


After finishing my workout, I thought I would walk on the treadmill for about 10 minutes, quietly, without any sound.  As I was walking and looking at the programs on the TVs, I started making up what the people were saying on the shows.


Cooking show host making a cake-"Don't try this at home.  This is my 6th try, the ingredients are expensive and you could buy something cheaper and save yourself a lot of trouble."


Home improvement show/buyers are viewing houses to buy/potential male buyer-"Look at all of those clothes in that closet.  It's a good thing I'm not married to her.  She would bankrupt us on shoes alone".


Bridal show/mom and dad and best friend are waiting on the bride to come out in a potential wedding gown-Best friend "You are going to pop out." Mom "You will never be able to bend over or hug anyone in that dress." Dad-"If you think I am paying $6000 on a dress to wear for 5 hours, you're crazy".


Weather channel-Meteorologist "I don't really know if it is going to snow or not.  Your guess is as good as mine."


TV drama/murder plot-Male detective "What motive could the wife have for wanting the husband dead?"  Female detective "Maybe he left his dirty socks on the floor".


I ended up staying my usual time on the treadmill.  It was fun to make up dialogues to the shows.  But probably the other walkers didn't appreciate me laughing out loud.

My book

For those of you who have recently inquired about my book-Yes, it is still available.  I only have them at my house but I will be glad to meet you somewhere.  It is $10 and you may look at it before you pay.  If you are completely satisfied, then you can pay me.  Facebook me-Bridget Summerville or email me at agsummer@bellsouth.net. 


Go to the start of this blog in Oct and Nov 2013 to see pictures and get an idea of my childhood dream.

Happy Birthday Danielle!

Yesterday was my daughter-in-law's birthday.  I'm sorry I am late posting this.


Danielle and Andrew have been married over 3 years.  She was going to college, while working a full time job when we first met her.  She also managed to play on a co-ed soccer team.  Since they have married, she has gone back to school to get her masters degree.  Again, while working a full time job and being married. 


When your children are of dating age, you pray that they will find the person that God wanted for them.  Eric and I feel that Andrew and Danielle are God's choices for one another.  They have made decisions together and been there for each other with unfailing support.


They are the parents of a 4 month old son, Drew.  We see the love they have for him and how happy he has made them.  What more could we ask for?


Happy birthday Danielle.

Our extended family

When both of our sons started dating, Eric and I would talk about the future daughters-in-law and their families.  Since we live in my hometown, several of my sons classmates were children of my classmates.  When our younger son brought his date home one night and introduced her, Eric realized that he knew the date's mother.  Eric and the mother had both grown up in the same town about 1 mile from each other.  They knew mutual friends and relatives.  This young lady would become daughter-in-law #1.  Daughter-in-law # 2 came a few years later. 


We knew that we would be sharing holidays and birthdays with our extended families when both sons were married. We knew that we would be spending time in a hospital one day, waiting on grandchildren to be born.  We hoped that our families would be able to laugh together and that we would enjoy spending time with them.  That was a huge understatement.  We LOVE their families.   Some of them are not close enough for us to visit like we wish we could.  Hopefully one day they will be.  Some of them have been there for us when we were going through hard times. 


I hope that when your family starts to grow with in-laws and grandchildren, that you are as fortunate as we were.  And I hope that your extended family is as wonderful as ours.

My blessings

About 15 years ago, my family decided that we wanted to start a new Christmas Eve tradition.  After attending church, the 4 of us came home to eat dinner.  When our plates were fixed and we sat down, we would go around the table and take turns telling what we were thankful for that year and what we hoped the new year would bring.  Since our sons were in school it was usually, 'I am thankful that I made the soccer team and I hope to be on the honor roll next year'.  Eric and I were always thankful for good health and good jobs.  As Andrew and Paul got older, their statements changed to "I'm thankful I got my license", "I'm thankful I got into college", "I'm thankful I met my future wife", "I'm thankful I got a good job", "I'm thankful I was able to buy a house". 

For the past 3 Christmases, we have all been thankful that God has blessed us with a beautiful granddaughter.  This year we were thankful that God has given us a wonderful grandson.  In 2014, we will again be able to say "we are thankful that God has given us another grandson."

I don't know what I ever did to deserve my blessings.  But I do know that I thank God everyday for all that I have.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.  May that be truly said of us, and all of us! 

As we start the new year, try to follow Ebenezer Scrooge's example in your life.