PAST FAUX PAS NO LONGER IMPORTANT

[My maternal grandmother, Nina Portfors (1886-1955) had two younger sisters, Bessie and Muriel. These were Mother’s aunts, hereinafter affectionately called Aunt Bessie and Aunt Muriel.]

It was a Sunday afternoon in 1965. Aunt Muriel was coming from Calgary, and we were to meet her at the bus station in Lewiston, some 45 miles from our home in Orofino. The next day, Mother and Aunt Muriel would drive to Portland to see about Aunt Bessie, who had to be moved to a nursing home.

Mother was fixing dinner as well as packing for the trip, so she asked my half-brother, Chuck (always called “Charles” by my parents and family elders), if he would pick up Aunt Muriel at the bus station. He was willing enough to go, but it had been years since he’d seen Aunt Muriel. He wasn’t sure he would recognize her, so Mother assigned me to go with him. (I was 16; he was 29.) I was happy to go. Riding in Chuck’s new Ford Mustang convertible was a lark!

Well, we met Aunt Muriel at the bus as planned. I explained that we had come to get her because Mother was busy, etc. I thought she looked at me kinda funny, but she didn’t say anything. I crawled into the back of the Mustang for the return trip to Orofino, seating Aunt Muriel in the passenger seat next to Chuck. (If you remember those Mustangs, they were two-seaters; the backseat was just a bench.) Again, she looked at me quizzically, and again, I didn’t understand. I kept up the conversation on the way home and thought I was doing a darn good job. I was, after all, the youngest person in the group, and the adults weren’t much help.

Later that evening, Mother called me aside for a stern lecture. Aunt Muriel had confided to Mother that she didn’t recognize Chuck – er, Charles. She had thought he was my boyfriend whom I had failed to introduce. Mother blamed me for this confusion. I should have said, “Aunt Muriel, you remember Charles, don’t you?” It seemed incongruous to me that Aunt Muriel would think Chuck was my boyfriend. After all, Chuck was OLD! As we traveled and Chuck and I conversed about family, it dawned on her that this was “Charles.”

To this day, I remain a bit miffed over this scolding. After all, did Mother scold Chuck? He could have said, “Hi Aunt Muriel; remember me – Charles? It’s been such a long time, hasn’t it?” Or, Mother herself could have foreseen the confusion and reminded us to be sure Aunt Muriel knew he was Charles. OR – lastly, Aunt Muriel could simply have asked, “And who is this?”

But in recent conversation with Chuck, he more or less said I need to get over it. He says it no longer matters, along with a lot of other stuff in the past. KW

PIE CRUST WOES

I was quite happy using pie crust mixes until recently when they resulted in tough crusts. Is this the result of user error, or did the manufacturer change the formula? We may never know.

“Why didn’t your mother teach you to make a pie crust,” asked Mike pointedly. “Didn’t you ask her to?”

This question evokes defensiveness. My dad was proud of my mother’s flaky pie crusts, and she was reticent to allow my experimentation when she knew her efforts would yield a tasty result and compliments. And actually, we seldom had pie because Mother tried valiantly to control my weight through diet. After she came face-to-face with the caloric value of pie, dessert was usually canned fruit or iced milk.

AND – We were busy people. With the passage of time, we forget the duties of day-to-day life in a bygone era, but we had plenty to do.

Mother tried to teach me to make pie crust once or twice, but I think making the successful crust is a matter of feel, and with those few efforts, I didn’t get the touch. That whole “until dough resembles small peas” thing eludes me. My dough never resembles what I would call “small peas.” Mine goes from clumpy to mealy in a flash.

But if I’m ever going to learn to make pie crust, now is the time. On Presidents’ Day, I made a cherry pie using a recipe for the pastry from bettycrocker.com:

2 cups of flour

2/3 cup of shortening

½ tsp of salt

4-6 tbsp of water

Long story short, I used 4 tablespoons of ice water, and I suppose I should have added a little more. The dough was crumbly, as opposed to flaky, and difficult to work with. The texture was grainy rather than smooth, and experts say that means I overworked it. At least it wasn’t tough, and I guess it tasted okay.

I suppose I’ll try again. Nothing will take the place of practice, but it’s just not something one should do every day, not even every week. I could just give up this effort because I don’t even really like pie crust, especially that crimped part at the edge. I give mine to Bess. But some people, like Bess, think that’s the best part. However, we have a few favorite pies, and I don’t think my family wants me to entirely stop making them.

“What did you teach your children about cooking,” asks Mike.

Well, I’ve always been proud of the fact that they left home knowing how to fix food for themselves. I’m also proud that all three of them are interested in cooking and nutrition and continually expand their skills. It’s important to eat balanced, nutritious meals at home as opposed to constantly eating out. But I admit that I didn’t teach them to make pie crusts. After all, you can hardly teach someone a skill that you haven’t mastered yourself. KW

ANOTHER COLD SNAP

We often have springlike weather in February, and indeed, I was reminded of spring just the other day. The sun was shining, the temp was nearly 60, the daffodils are poking through the soil, a few little birds flitted through the trees, AND (last but not least), the days are noticeably longer. Of course, we still expect some blustery cold days, but a cold snap at this time of year is unusual.

Robins nosh from eavestrough 

We awoke Wednesday morning (Feb. 22) to an inch or so of snow and winds that gusted to 25 mph. And it’s in no hurry to warm up – morning lows have been at 20 and below, but the dry, brittle snow on the street quickly melted or blew off. It’s not pleasant, but still, when we hear of the heavy snow, slick roads and devastation that this storm is causing elsewhere in our country, who are we to complain about a little cold and wind?

The neighbors above us have a trampoline in their yard which blew down the bank and into our next-door neighbor’s yard. I think he’s waiting to see how long it takes them to notice it’s missing. So far, it’s still behind his garage. KW

 

FUN WITH ALEXA

Hallie and Silas

I admit that I get a bit impatient with those folks in other parts of our country who fail to take care of themselves when tornados are pending. I shouldn’t think along these lines because I really don’t know anything about their situation. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we don’t have overwhelmingly devastating storms. The devastation here is more likely to be in the form of summer wildfires. The lack of winter moisture we experience contributes to that phenomenon.

But I will say that weather alerts that fail to materialize contribute to complacency. “Do you think we’re going to have ferocious wind today,” I asked Mike when Alexa announced a wind advisory on a day that seemed calm. “No!” was his immediate response. And we were right. The wind didn’t gust at more than five mph.

However, one day later, we now have another wind advisory. The forecast is for up to 60 mph in some regions, but it might affect the upper country more than the Valley. And the weatherman still says a cold snap will begin on Wednesday.

Silas

Speaking of Alexa, we have an Echo Show in the kitchen window, a gift from Hallie so that she could share photos of Silas with us. And she does. Wonderful photos of Silas and his parents fade in and out as I work in the kitchen. I also bought a unit for the farm, which is wintering in my sewing room. In addition to sharing photos, we also message each other and have face-time calls.

I use “Alexa” for other purposes, too. Last year I listened to the “Harry Potter” books through Audible on my Echo Show. This year, I balked at the cost of annual renewal, not to mention the price of the books if you don’t have credits, and I refused to renew. However, I found that I really missed listening to books as I worked in the kitchen, so I subscribed to Audible on a monthly basis. Maybe they’ll eventually offer me a better deal.

My favorite photo 

So, what am I listening to now? – All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. I remember when the book first came out, but I didn’t read it. I also remember the long-running first television production, but we didn’t watch it. We have watched the present series and really enjoyed it. It’s so refreshing to watch a program with reasonable certainty that nothing really bad is going to happen.

Oh! And the book I’m listening too is read by Nicholas Ralph, the Scottish actor who portrays James Herriot in the present series. It’s wonderful! I listen every chance I get. I might even re-listen!

Well, Mike is off on his bike. He needs to ride before the wind blows and the temperature drops. And what am I doing? Winding yarn for the afghan. KW

[I took these photos of the Echo Show screen this afternoon. And yes, it really was 59 today. Will it drop to 34 on Wednesday? That's the prediction.]

REMEMBERING WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY

The afternoon high temp has been pleasant this week – almost 60 on Friday – so Mike suggested we make a trip to the farm this weekend to check on things and bring back the trailer, the weed sprayer, and some pinecones. I have things on my “to get” list, too, but I wondered to myself if it might be too soon to go. On the other hand, maybe we should go while the ground is still frozen.

Well, we checked the weather forecast for the upper country. Rain and snow are predicted over the weekend, and by Tuesday another three-day cold snap sets in. Looks like it doesn’t really warm up again for a while. We decided not to chance it this weekend.

So, here’s another three-day weekend – Presidents’ Day. These holidays don’t mean so much to the retired person. “Why didn’t we get any mail today?” we’ll ask each other on Monday. “Oh yeah. It’s a holiday.” Government workers and bank employees will have the day off on Monday. For other people, it’s just another workday.

When I was a child, George Washington wasn’t required to share his birthday (February 22) with other presidents. After taking down the valentine hearts on our classroom bulletin boards, we pinned up hatchets and cherry trees made of construction paper. I don’t remember that it was a federal holiday. My mother would bake a pie with cherries picked from the trees at the farm.

I would guess that they no longer speak much about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree and his honesty and courage in confessing this deed to his father since we no longer think the story is true. But hey! The teachers got a lot of mileage out of that story when we were kids, teaching us the value of integrity. And now . . . well, never mind.

Despite our taking George Washington off his pedestal and debunking his cherry tree story, I still make a cherry pie in his honor. This year’s pie is a no-bake cheesecake base served with cherry pie filling. It will last through this long weekend. KW

 

ON TO THE NEXT "HOLIDAY"

Valentines’ Day is over now. Mike and I exchanged cards as we ate chili leftover from our Super Bowl celebration for supper. I baked a white cake in heart-shaped pans and frosted it with Hershey’s best chocolate frosting. It was a low-key event, but we both prefer that.

Now it’s on to the next “holiday.” Next Monday is Presidents' Day, an official three-day weekend in the U.S. -- and that's the last one until Memorial Day. As far as decorating goes, we have St. Patrick’s Day, and then Easter. Luckily, my dolls don't expect me to get caught up in those. I’m thinking ahead to Halloween and Christmas so that I’ll be ready in time. Apparently I’m not alone.

But I did take a break from the gray afghan yesterday to crochet a soap saver. As with all projects, it takes more than the allotted time. I finished mine and started Mike’s. (We don’t use the same soap, hence the “his and hers” soap savers.)

Here are a couple of other finishes. Shirley Anne, American Farm Girl, models a crocheted Christmas sweater. The pattern is by Little Abbee and can be purchased on Pixie Faire. Note the bell-shaped Christmas buttons which adorn the back closure. While the sweater is basically a good fit, it’s just a bit snug in the middle on Shirley Anne. It might be better worn by one of her slenderer sisters. 

The nightgown is fashioned after a peasant blouse by “Oh Sew Kat,” using fabric from a bag that bed sheets came in. (Why do they do that anyway?) The doll is my Magical Maggie (or whatever I'm calling her now), a Tonner "My Imagination" doll. 

Hallie called on the Alexa Show the other day to talk while mixing bread dough. Silas wanted to be included, so she put him on a stool. Peeking over the counter, he was happy to see his grandparents on the screen and gave us big grins. We reviewed animal sounds, and he loved that. All too soon the dough was ready, the call was over, and Silas was most unhappy. He doesn’t transition well, says Hallie. I can relate. KW

THE RETALIATION OF THE CHINESE, ONE SHOPPER AT A TIME

I try to be savvy and avoid scams. I hate to be gullible, unwittingly allowing someone to take advantage of me. That’s why I feel like such a fool today.

I struggle to find shoes that fit. Remember when shoe stores were a real thing and we had those jokes about women trying on 50 pairs of shoes while the salesman tears his hair? I was that customer. I have a short foot with wide toes and a narrow heel. (Mike calls them duck feet.) If my toes are pinched, I’m in pain. Now that shoe stores are mostly a thing of the past, I just haven’t found access to really good shoes. I must try them on before I buy, and I know it.

But – since the need for shoes is always on my mind, I unfortunately fell for a Facebook ad for winter shoes promising wide toes, a cushioned insole, wonderful arch support, great tread, and fur lining – just what I wanted for winter wear. I threw caution to the wind and ordered a pair.

And as soon as I ordered, I regretted it. The company kept sending messages asking me to buy the same shoes again. It looked suspiciously like my order hadn’t gone through, but thankfully, I was sure it had.

And then I waited more than two weeks for delivery. It looked like the shoes were stuck in California. I suspect they were on a ship between China and a California port.

Once the shoes were delivered, I tried them on right away. They’re narrow and stiff – no wide toe. The arch is in the wrong place for my foot, and it feels like a rock. This is a horrible, unusable pair of shoes.

Return them? No such luck. While the website says the company offers a “stress-free” refund, this is not true. The buyer is responsible for return postage, and that might not be so bad except that the company has no return address in the U.S., a point that is not specified in the fine print. A 15% refund on the shoes is all they offer. That’s $7.50. So what!

Reviews clearly indicate that this is a scam. I just didn’t read them. All of us that fell for it have the same story.

Hopefully, I will never be fooled again. I’m just grateful the damage wasn’t worse than it is. From now on I’m sticking to the fun stuff – fabric, yarn, DIY books from my favorite, tried and true retailers. I can’t go wrong with those. KW

WINTERTIME GEOCACHING WITH MIKE AND BESS

 

A view of the Tammany Creek area from 10th Street, Lewiston Orchards

It was a nice day – sunny and warmer (the afternoon high was 50), but Mike deemed it too breezy for a bike ride. We decided to pick up some geocaches instead. We found three. One was missing.

And while we were driving around in the vicinity of Rosauer’s (grocery store), I suggested we stop for a few items we can’t find elsewhere. I didn’t have my list, but it was only four items, and we were able to reconstruct from memory – maple and brown sugar Malt-o-Meal, pie crust mixes, and tapioca pudding. I even found fruitcake mix – got the last one. It pays to check at Rosauer’s for those hard-to-find items.

“It didn’t take long to spend $25,” observed Mike. He calculated that a Malt-o-Meal breakfast costs $.38 per serving. I told him he’s worth it. KW 

SECOND GUESSING

Original kit -- yarn and pattern

According to an internet source, second guessing yourself is a form of anxiety brought on by needing to be 100% certain you’ve done the right thing. I have that form of anxiety. I vacillate over decisions, and it’s frustrating, especially when it just isn’t important.

No matter what project I start, I begin to have second thoughts. Is this what I really want to do? Would another pattern (or another recipe) work as well – or better? Do I even want to make this little dress – or bake a pie (or cake) for dessert, or crochet this afghan? I try to keep all this indecision to myself. After all, I don’t want to let on that I have trouble making decisions lest someone else make them for me. I prefer to make my own decisions. I tell myself: “It doesn’t really matter; just decide and get on with it.”

When granddaughter Emerson was born, I took advantage of the opportunity to make a doll from a pattern I’d had in my collection since daughter Hallie was small. Before I finished cutting the doll from the fabric, I knew it wasn’t right for Emmy. It was like a door had closed. I gathered the pieces and put them away. Somewhere, I still have them, but I don’t even think of it as an unfinished project.

After Christmas, I decided to crochet a warm blanket and ordered a kit. The kit was delivered the other day – a pattern and 12 skeins of soft gray yarn. I took one look at the pattern and knew I didn’t want to make it. I know you’re wondering why I ordered it, and I wonder, too. However, all is not lost. The kit was a bargain for the yarn, and after due deliberation, I chose to simply crochet an afghan using the wattle stitch. (Not “waffle” -- “wattle.”) Deciding on the stitch seemed like a big decision, but it just doesn’t matter. It’s not the last afghan I’ll make, the good Lord willing, and even if it is, it still doesn’t matter.

Wattle stitch

And actually, I do like working with this simple stitch. I can crochet while I watch TV without constantly having to read directions. I simply started with a chain that’s a multiple of three, like 210 or 300, and I was on my way after the first-row set-up. I’ve made a good start. I started with 210, but naturally, I decided it should be wider, so I started again with 300. 

Quilting / Needlework websites are now saying, “Start now to finish by Christmas.” Which Christmas, I ask. Dare I hope to have this blanket finished and ready to use by Christmas 2023. We’ll see. KW 

[Update: Since writing this post, I discovered that my base of 300 stitches was wider than needed, so I took it back to 210 stitches. I will undoubtedly need more yarn. Thankfully, that's doable.]

FEBRUARY 2 – CANDLEMAS

According to the "Daily Almanac" (the daily newsletter from "The Old Farmer's Almanac"), today is not only Groundhog’s Day but also Candlemas, a Christian feast day celebrated by the lighting of candles. I love it! In my opinion, we’re all too quick to put our Christmas traditions away instead of letting them light our way through January. Keep lighting those candles (and singing those songs) during the dark months.

Speaking of candles, the price is exorbitant these days – $25 for a large pillar candle at JoAnn’s, and I learned from experience that they don't burn especially well. Of course, at discount locations, prices are marked up to be marked down, but still – as far as I’m concerned, they’re asking an original price of $25 for a $10 item. Well, no matter. I have votives and tea candles, and those are just as much fun to burn with the added bonus that they are unscented.

Today, the Daily Almanac reports that the Groundhog accurately predicts the coming of spring only 39% of the time. He is not a reliable predicter. It’s still 49 days until spring. KW

PLAY DOUGH

Play Dough popped up in an ad the other day, and I wondered how old Silas should be before I send some to him. Ironically, the next morning Hallie messaged that they were making play dough. Then the memories of mixing homemade play dough for my children came flooding back.

I reached for my recipe box and found my recipes for kids’ activities right where I left them 35 years ago – on yellow 3x5 cards in the right front side of the box. Of course, these days a mother would just look online, but back in the ‘80s, we got these recipes by networking with other mothers.

I have two recipes for play dough. The basic mixture is flour, water, oil, and salt. One recipe calls for a little cream of tartar and the other, alum. Of course, food coloring is added. My mother provided another recipe which was one cup of cornstarch and two cups of baking soda heated with 1 ¼ cups water. This batch was meant to be shaped, dried, and decorated for homemade Christmas ornaments.

I never tried Mother’s recipe, but I did make the recipe with alum. I remember that once I tried to make half the recipe, but apparently I forgot what I was doing and used the full amount of water or twice too much flour or something. At any rate, it was a mess! I felt guilty for the waste of flour, and I don’t think that I ever tried to make play dough again.

I don’t have a recipe for “peanut butter play dough,” but I note that it can be found online. I never made it. “Non-toxic” is important, but outright enticing the kids to eat the dough after messing in it with their grubby hands just seems gross. Shouldn’t they learn not to eat some things?

We had an extended family reunion in 1998 when our eldest grandchildren were two or three years old. (That’s right! – The elder of the two just turned 28. Time flies!) One daughter-in-law asked if she could go through my recipes and was delighted to find the kid activities. She was busy copying them down, but I don’t know if she ever tried them.

As for Hallie’s play dough experiment, she discovered that Silas is a little young to grasp the concept. Better to wait until he’s two, she says. No matter. It won’t be long, and she will be ready. KW