Bobby and Vickie

Bobby and I were close in age and it seemed like we fought all the time over anything. My first memory was Bobby being at fault in braking the leg of my infamous ballerina doll. He just wanted to upset me and decided to try and take her away from me…I wasn’t having that and thus her broken leg. ( I bandaged her leg and as some of you know, I have her still today and I will get her picture on this site soon.)

Going through the teen years is never easy, but Bobby made fun of my blemishes, my short clothes, and anything else he could think of to make me cry. We would fight and chase each other around the stove and around the house. I can’t believe we didn’t kill one another, but we loved each and figured that out as we got older. One of the funniest things was when he brought Joy home for the first time. Joy was pretty, tall, and had legs that went on forever. Her skirt was so short! Bobby never made fun of my clothes again.

Around 1980, I took a business trip to New York. Bobby was working in NY at the time and we made plans to meet at some O’something club. I had 3 friends who joined me. On the way through Times Sq, we we rerouted because there was a bomb scare. We walked like we had no cares and arrived at the club. Bobby was there w/some of his guys and was so glad to see me. We danced (I’m not a dancer, but Bobby always led you like you felt you looked good on the floor. His comment to me was, “god it’s good to see someone (girl) he wasn’t afraid of touching”.) Aids had just become epidemic and he was really nervous. My co-workers left early and Bobby said he’d get me back to the hotel safely. When the night was over, Bobby and I got in a cab and even though his hotel was on the way to mine, he rode w/me to my hotel to make sure I was safe.

We made plans to take the train to Philadelphia and visit Myrtle and Pat. I had my first experience of being accousted when getting out of a cab and having someone try to grab our bags, just so they could get a tip…that didn’t work, but it was interesting to see Bobby take control. All I could think is that we could be shot!

It was such a welcome visit. Although Myrtle and Pat aren’t drinkers, they always have tons of liquor left over from parties. We got our hands on a “drink recipe book” and started to make as many of the concoctions as possible. We made something that was pink and Myrtle put it to her lips, but that was that. It was a great visit and I definately knew Bobby cared for me. “All brothers and sisters fight…it really doesn’t mean a thing”.

Gary and Vickie and a thought of Mom.

I must have family feuds on the mind, but…

As young teens back in the old days of the 60’s, one very important thing was being on the telephone before Mom and Dad got home from work. One afternoon, Gary was on the phone and refused to get off and let me have a chance. I was like a tazmanian devil and began to scratch him until I ripped his shirt almost off of him. I don’t remember what we did w/the shirt to hide it, but I do know I got to use the phone. Gary has always been so great and certainly didn’t deserve this treatment, but I guess it was just a part of “growing pains”. Ahhhh growing up in a big family!

Another “funny” memory was in the summer time at the Ferguson house. We were all riding bikes and had just finished swimming in the river or we were going to our swimming hole under the bridge . Along the way, we were all going along the edge of the road and Gary slipped off the birm and fell over. I was close behind and proceeded to ride right across Gary’w legs and his bike. It was funny at the time and he wasn’t hurt at all. We all continued on.

When I left home before my 18th birtday, Gary was the one that I found a home with. I still had 1/2 yr of school before I graduated and I needed to be close to town. Gary had no problem w/me staying w/him. We helped each other no matter what.

This makes me think of Mom. She would send quarters, wrapped in foil w/Martha to give to me at school. She always tried to help each of us when she could.

Some of my Mom Memories

I made homemade vegetable soup yesterday and that made me think of Mom. The summer/fall days spent cutting corn off the cob, chopping cabbage, shredding carrots, and the lists goes on. Mom also cooked ground beef and included in the last soup fixings she made. The time devoted to this chore was enormous, but the result can never be duplicated, yet my soup made me think of Mom.

Another “chop job” Mom and I did together was sauerkraut. Lord, my first memory was taking evaporated milk cans, heating one end over a gas burner and prying off the lid. This became the kraut chopper. It took so much time and energy to chop enough cabbage to fill a dozen jars, but it was worth it. Pushing cabbage into (preferaby wide mouth jars), adding 1 T salt, filling w/boiling water, and inserting a case knife, wriggling it around to make the water get to the bottom, wiping jar clean and sealing. Now my biggest fan is my brother-in-law, Pat Sorge. It’s easier to make now, but still takes time, but I always try to keep kraut supplied for Pat.

I make some pretty good fried chicken in the skillet, oven, or on the grill, but I have never been able to make it like Mom. (Marnee named my chicken “killer chicken”, what a compliment!) One thing Mom always wanted me to make for her was fried chicken livers. (Now that was the ultimate compliment!)

Speaking of chicken…when I bought my little farm in 1990, I was gifted by a local farmer, 245 chicks and 5 turkeys. Oh my goodness, that’s a lot of birds! Initially they were free range birds. I’d come hom from work and this brood came running down from the barnyard because they “knew” it was feeding time. (I wish I had a movie camera but I don’t think I’ll ever that sight!) The point of this story is that there were lots of chickens/roosters that had to go by that fall. Mom was the teacher of killing chickens. After we caught the chickens, she’d take the bird by the neck, swing it around, put the head under her foot, and pull the head off. All of us got into the act and I must say it was so funny to watch those birds flop around with no heads. We killed, boiled, plucked, and froze about 100 that day. Isn’t it amazing the memories that are burned into your mind!

That’s just a few of my wonderful memories of my Mom!

That Taffy Recipe

I still have that taffy pulling (that Vickie mentioned) picture in my mind. And I still remember getting those blisters. And believe it or not I remember several kids pulling that taffy. Umm – no gloves, were those hands clean… My goodness – nobody died of dirt either… but we had a lot of fun pulling that taffy all over that kitchen at the house that burned.

I found my original ditto copy of my Home Economics recipe page. For those who may not know what ditto is – it was a method of making multiple copies of a typed or written document. This was before printers and copiers. Teachers typed things on these pages that had ink on the back and then they could place it on a drum like cylinder and feed several pages through to make copies. The copies came out purple. Oh, how far we have come with all this technology!

Anyway, here are the recipes as they were printed on the original handout in 9th grade Home Ec around 1959:

Taffy

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water
1teaspoon vinegar

Combine sugar, corn syrup, water and vinegar. Cook without stirring until a little forms a hard ball in cold water or 268 degrees Farenheit. Add vanilla and pour onto greased platter, but do not scrape the pan as candy will sugar. When cool enough to handle, pull until light colored and firm. Stretch into a long rope and cut into short pieces. If desired, wrap in wax paper.

Variations:

One square of chocolate may be melted with the 1/4 cup of water and added to the sugar mixture.

Five cents worth of red cinnamon candies may be melted with the 1/4 cup of water before adding the sugar.

(I have no idea how much five cents worth is)

White Taffy

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch cream of tartar
2/3 cup water
1teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Put sugar, corn syrup and water in saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until thermometer is 268 Farenheit. Remove from fire. Stir in vanilla, turn onto a greased pan and cool till ready to handle. Gather in a ball and pull until firm and white.

Molasses Taffy

1cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cup light molasses
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon soda
pinch of salt

Put the sugars, molasses, and water into a saucepan and cook to the temperature of 265 Farenheit. It will be necessary to cook the candy slowly and to stir it during the latter part of cooking in order to prevent burning. Remove from the fire, add the butter and soda, and salt. Stir just enough to mix well. In adding the soda, be sure it is free from lumps. Turn into a greased pan and allow to stand until cool enough to handle.

Gather into a ball and pull until rather firm and of a light yellow color. Stretch out in a rope and cut into pieces.

Uncle Walter

I was only 5 or 6. I can’t believe I remember Uncle Walter. I’m not sure, but I think he was from Dad’s side of the family. He came to visit us when we lived at the Linkhart house. He had a heart of gold and wasn’t a fat man, but he had a bowling ball belly. He couldn’t speak or hear, but he was funny. We all tried to play horse shoes and he usually won.

One morning I was getting ready for school and I had a dress with ties and everyone was busy except Uncle Walter. He tied a beautiful bow that instead of encircling snugly around the waist, it was hanging around my butt like a bustle. I showed him to try to tighten. Still not snug. Needless to say I wasn’t happy, but I remember going off to school as was. (At least I hope that’s what I did…it’s a bit vague.) He was a very kind man. He was a keeper!