A GIFT

Barnes & Noble

I  have a daily addiction which is fulfilled at Starbucks in Barnes & Noble around the corner from our home. Today when we went there we had the good fortune to meet the author, Nelson DeMille. He was signing his latest book "The Quest". It is the very book that I am now reading. We had a lovely chat and I explained that I had read every one of his fabulous books including "The General's Daughter" which was made into a major motion picture. Because of this chance meeting I do want to recommend Mr. DeMille's books. He was delightful and charming!



For My Sister

The day my sister was born I was in elementary school. I was nine years and seven months old, an only child. The principal called me into her office to share the most wonderful news, I was a big sister!!!  I was and am  so thrilled to have my baby sister in my life. She is a terrific person who has accomplished a lot in her life. I love her to pieces!!! Mom and dad allowed me to help choose her name. I was given two choices, Margaret Anne or Carole-Anne. I selected the later but most everyone calls her C.A. She has always been there for me and for that I say, thank you dear sister.



 I wanted to do something special for my sister's 50th birthday so I hand wrote a journal of recipes that our mother had made. I sifted through all her old recipes and found the ones that she frequently made. I also wrote a duplicate for my own enjoyment. I included the following letter in the journal: June 10th, 1999. You and I were truly blessed to have had such wonderful parents. Our needs and desires were always met without us being aware of the sacrifices Mommy and Daddy made,  They were always there for us. They were kind, decent and caring. Daddy's garden provided us with unlimited fresh vegetables and Mommy's canning abilities kept the larder stocked. I especially remember all the fun times at Mt. Tremper (Catskills, N.Y.) To this day I love the mountains. I can't remember a Christmas when "Santa" didn't fulfill all our wishes. As modest as our home was Mom and Dad had some of the best get togethers. Everyone loved to come to our house. Food was abundant and delicious and people "could put their feet up". Our childhood was made safe and happy by two people who adored their two little girls. Yes, we were indeed so lucky to have picked out the very best parents in the world. And, we truly lived on a "Golden Pond"

Journal Recipe

Peach Crunch
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Quakers oatmeal
2/4 cup brown sugar (either light or dark)
1 teaspoon  cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup melted butter (unsalted)
l lb. 3 oz.  can  cling peach halves

In a casserole set the peaches. Mix other ingredients and sprinkle on and around the peaches. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. It is such a cozy dessert!

Life can be very funny! If you told me even a year ago that I would have my own blog I would have laughed and said "No Way!". But when I faced and am facing a crisis I thought about a lot of things including a legacy. This in a way is my way of leaving one for my wonderful family. Maybe through these little stories they can get to know me a little better particularly the younger me. Our daughter, Laura never got to meet her grandfather. She is his only granddaughter. He would have adored her! She certainly got his artistic gene!  I will deviate from the personal in future blogs but will always try to include a recipe and an author.  In the meantime, I hope you will let me know if you have made any of the recipes. ~ Arlene