I have been in a whirlwind the last couple of weeks, as I’m sure you all have been as well. Shopping, wrapping, baking...and baking...and baking some more. Along with the baking comes a little nibbling here and there. Hey, it’s called quality control, right? It is really not a problem till your body puts on the brakes and says, “Whoa, lady! What the heck are you trying to do to me???” Yeah...that was me yesterday morning.

Just before the bombings started in England in WWII, the Queen issued an edict that was produced on signs and posted everywhere to encourage the British citizenry.

“Keep Calm and Carry On”

After all, it is what the Brits were known for. Strength and calm in the face of adversity. They are a stoic lot with dry wit, fierce loyalty, and sturdy countenance...all attributes well to be admired and emulated by all. 

This photo was taken 50 years ago today!

Most of the paper photos I have left are in boxes out at the farm. One of these days, I need to bring them home with me...like, when I have this back bedroom cleaned out. I imagine there are some pictures in that box of the Christmas trees from my youth. Sometimes they were straggly little Charlie Brown trees with sad, empty arms. Usually brought home a day or two before Christmas when my dad could get a better deal on one.

I was browsing photos in a Facebook Group I belong to the other day. It was one of those “You Might Be From __________ If...” pages. People post stories and photos. There are a precious few of the “old guard” who grew up and know those pictured. But there are far more who come on and say... “Does anyone recognize the people in this photo?” Those are the sad ones because the elders are dying off without labeling the photos or teaching the young’uns who were in them.

From as early as I can remember, I was in the kitchen making something. Out of necessity, I learned to cook the meals at home when I was still in grade school. Mom was...ummmm....challenged in the kitchen, as it were. Her culinary concoctions were enough to make me beg her to let me go to the cooking school for kids at our local community center one summer. Things were much better around the table at our house after that.

There are a lot of country saying in WV and I think my grandma said every one of them at least once. And there are words commonly used when I was growing up that today might cause one to scratch your head. I remember when I was very young, my uncle asked me if I needed a poke. I just stood there and stared at him because I wasn’t at all sure what he was asking me. Did he want to hurt me? Was he teasing me? What was he going to poke me with...a stick? Ouch! Thank goodness my mom overheard and told me that was a word for a paper sack. 

Some of Mr. FixIt’s Heirlooms

A friend of Mr. FixIt’s called him the other day, looking for a collectible and hoping he might have one. They worked together at an internationally known tool making plant. Every so often, the plant would create belt buckles or commemorative medallions and people would buy them along with the velvet lined cases to display them in. I tease my sweetheart and tell him he has in his possession everything he has ever owned, and a lot of what used to belong to someone else. This often comes in handy when we need something specific. And, on occasion, it leads us on an interesting treasure hunt.

Have you ever seen those posts on Facebook where someone sees the cutest thing on Pinterest and tries to make it...only to fail miserably? However, in true optimist fashion...and with much self-depredation...posts a side-by-side comparison of the two? Yeah...well. I had one of those experiences yesterday. 

First...the turkey is STILL too frozen to remove the giblets so it has to wait till today. Since the oven was unoccupied, I simply HAD to bake...right? I was so excited to use my new-to-me cookie press from the thrift shop. It came from Pampered Chef and had a dozen or more different extruded patterns...all for the amazingly low price of $5! I had the perfect score...or, so I thought.

I couldn’t wait to get into the kitchen yesterday and start baking. I really thought I’d get more done than I did, but I was happy with the results. I decided to make the Appalachian Gingerbread I saw on YouTube. Actually, the video was originally posted on TikTok. I don’t know if you’ve seen many TikTok videos, but they are only sixty seconds long. Try to recite an entire recipe along with the video in just sixty seconds. She talks really, really fast! But, I was determined. 

There was a time in my life when I was fussy about my surroundings. I mean, I grew up in a tiny little house and spent as much time as I possibly could out at my grandma’s farm. I was used to just having the basics...nothing fancy. And while I was a doctor’s wife for twenty years, I can’t say my kitchen was extravagant. Big, yes...tons of cabinets and storage for days. But it certainly wasn’t like some of the kitchens the other doctor’s wives got to cook in.