Whatever you do, Emily — DON’T BLINK!

I just left Emily a "You are my Sunshine" note this morning (I was going to leave it on her car, but she was still in it!) as that was one of her favorite songs to sing together as a young girl. So - it seemed appropriate to put this one up today!  

Originally PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 10, 2016 · UPDATED DECEMBER 4, 2016

Isn’t it amazing how history repeats itself? As I am preparing to launch my blog, I have reviewing and relocating some pieces that I have written in the past. This post was originally written February 28, 2014. That eldest baby still lives in New York City, and now has her Masters degree under her belt as well.

The world is no less scary; having her live in such a large city so far away is no easier, but she is happy, and that is what counts most to a Mom. My advice to her remains the same:

• Don’t be afraid to pursue what you want;
  
  
  
  
  
• The only bad decision is indecision; and
• If you follow you heart, and live with passion and love, you will find your happily ever after.

(Original February 2014 post)

Earlier this week, my minions and I loaded into the car to drop my eldest off at the train station to begin her adult life in New York City ~ a far cry difference from her life in Farmville (yes – that truly is the name of the town where we live — irony at it’s best). Degree in hand, a heart filled with excitement, dreams and desires of entering the world of editing, a dear friend waiting at Penn Station to teach my rural baby the ins and outs of THE Big City, while the remaining four of us watched her depart, and me hiding my tears behind my sunglasses.

It is the right time for her to go, even if her brother has declared that all four of them should live at home until they are 50 (I love you guys, but I really don’t know how I feel about this one Little Man)…

As I watched her walk away, bags on her shoulder, I couldn’t help but think of watching her at age 7 in ballet class. The window on the studio door was covered with paper so parents would not distract their little babies, but I happened to notice a space the length and width of a pencil that allowed me to peek through and see our dancing cherubs. I stood there watching her, and felt a horrible pang in my heart at how she wasn’t a baby anymore; a deep sadness at how much I had missed as a working, single Mom  for most of her little life – time I could never get back. In hindsight, I don’t think working, or being single made me feel this way- I think ALL Moms feel this — no matter how hard you try, you just never live up to your own parenting expectations and doubt yourself.  Seventeen years later, this poem still rings true to me….

FOR EMILY (written in 1997)

It seems like only yesterday

I held you in my arms

As you would cry,

And I’d kiss your tears away.

Time is passing

So quickly.

I stand and watch you grow,

Right before my eyes.

As you laugh,

And dance,

I cry.

For all the moments

I’ve let slip by

That we can never have back.

I cannot turn back time,

Nor can I steal back

Missed moments.

But I can try to change

And make the best

Of what little childhood

You have left.

 

May your grown up life be filled with much love, much adventure, much joy, much sharing, and much love (yes Em – I know I repeated myself — because love is the most important)…and thank goodness we have Skype and Facetime!

PS – You will ALWAYS be my little girl!

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Christmas 2019 (aka my Christmas letter)

 BY CHRISTINE · PUBLISHED DECEMBER 18, 2019 · UPDATED DECEMBER 18, 2019

downloaded from publicdomainpictures.net

‘Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, except Mom herself.
Clothing was strewn round the room with no care
Knowing Mom would take care of the laundry in there.

The boys were engrossed in electronic games
While MackDaddy Mike was doing the same.
And me all stressed out – house to clean, gifts to wrap
Just wanted a second to sit down and nap.

When out where they were, there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my chores to see what was the matter.
Away to the living room I flew like a flash,
Hurdling baskets and boxes and piles of trash.

The lights on the boys seated below
Melted my heart as I gazed at them so,
when, what to my wondering mind should appear,
but a memory of all that transpired this year.

Emily teaching, coaching swim team and drama,
So busy and happy – her days off in pajamas.
Loving her students and colleagues a plenty,
Who know what will come to her in 2020?!

Logan is planning her wedding next November,
My girl’s little no more, just a memory ember.
Working as a dispatcher, her fiancé a cop,
With Leona and Aurora (my grandbabies), their adventures don’t stop!

Michael P is so tall with a musical ear,
He’ll be driving as soon as his permit test clears.
Spending summers in Maine playing bassoon
Only three years remain, time passes too soon!

James started middle school aback in the fall,
The trumpet he plays, and is having a ball!
Sports-minded our youngest decided to be,
Trying basketball this winter, he tall enough you see!

Mackdaddy is happily working close to the ‘Ville,
Enjoys getting home earlier and hanging to chill.
Relaxing and “teching”, enjoying his time,
The mileage he saves on his car is sublime.

As for me – all’s the same, just another year older,
Another year passes, I’m a little bit bolder.
Lots of work travel make me all the fonder,
Of getting back home, so much to ponder.

I look at these boys, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be some trick.
Just yesterday they were little, I want to exclaim,
but I whistled and shouted and called them by name…

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky
so my tears crested my eyelid and down they flew,
with the memories of loved ones, departed ones too.

With a tear in my eye knowing time goes so fast,
that I sighed when I saw them, in spite of myself.
Those boys saw my gaze and with a nod of their heads
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

They spoke not a word, but went straight to their work,
Grabbing shirts and stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying their hand on the railing they froze,
and giving a nod, up the staircase they rose.

I sprang to attention, to my boys gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard them exclaim, ‘ere they ran out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

May you and yours have a magical holiday season!

Gobs … You Know You’re from Western Pennsylvania if …

 

 ORGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2, 2016 · UPDATED DECEMBER 16, 2018

NOTE --- I think this has been one of my all-time most read blog posts, so it had to be reposted on this new site asap!  :)

Johnstown, Pennsylvania – my hometown – is known for many things. There are the beautiful rolling mountains; its world famous floods of 1889, 1936, and 1977; Glosser Brothers Department Store; the legend of Morley’s dog;  Coney Island Hot Dogs; and of course … home of the GOBS. For those of us from Western Pennsylvania, this term conjures up a chocolately-sweet-creamy sandwich memory that is the sheer definition of childhood in this part of the state. All it takes is one little bite of these yummy cake-like confections, and youthful mayhem carries you back to barefoot summer days playing “Kick the Can” until it was dark enough to catch fire flies.

Gobs ready to go!

Every family in the area seems to have at least one semi-secret gob 

recipe. I say only semi-secret because recipe swapping is also a bit of a tradition among these Western PA folks, and they happily share everything they own. Just recently, when going through some of my Mom’s recipe books and collections, I came across a hand-written copy of one such recipe. I don’t recognize the handwriting, but I believe it may have been one of her sisters – I am guessing Betty or Helen – or her sister-in-law, Naomi. I am hoping some of my Lugar Clan cousins can identify the writing.

And — since it IS the holiday season, which means it is ALSO baking season, I figured I would take this vintage recipe out for a spin. PS~~~ they are as yummy as I remember, even in December without fire flies, and no one to play Kick the Can with me.  The steps listed below are as they appear on the paper, but a printable version is available at the end of the post (you’re welcome).

Cream together 2 cups sugar and ½ cup Crisco (side note – there are very few recipes that I keep in my arsenal that I actually use Crisco or shortening and not a substitute as it is not the healthiest ingredient out there. However – THIS is one of them).

Add 2 eggs  and 1 cup milk…

… 1 cup boiling water … and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

 

Sift together 4 cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ cup cocoa. (Another side note – yes, that is my assistant James, taking a brief sifting break from his homework, which is seen resting with his pencil nest to the bowl – a Mom’s gotta multi-task).

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Blend well.

Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. The batter will not spread much, so you can place them fairly close together – I did about an inch apart. I also lined my sheets with parchment paper, and found this really was an unnecessary step (again with the side note – sorry for the shadow … I did not inherit my father’s photography skills, nor am I able to make nice round mounds of the batter, as evidenced below…)

Bake at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes.

The left tray just came out of the oven, the right tray is awaiting its baking turn.

To make the icing:

Place 1 cup milk and 5 tablespoons flour in a sauce pan on the stove. Heat until thick, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

Once thick, remove from heat and allow to thoroughly cool. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Don’t get so excited to put your gobs together that you don’t let this get completely cool or your icing won’t set properly (yet another side note — trust me – I have learned this by experience).

Once cooled, beat in 1¾ cups powdered sugar, 1 cup Crisco (again with the Crisco! What is it with vintage recipes and Crisco?!), ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Beat until creamy and fluffy.

Spread between your gob cake rounds. I am always kind of skimpy on icing at first and then heavy handed at the end when I still have a lot left in the bowl, so I now ice one side without putting the “top on. That way, I can add more icing to the lighter ones when I know I had enough to cover them all.

 Print

GOBS

Creamy vanilla icing sandwiched between two palm sized chocolate cake rounds - a bite of Pennsylvania heaven!

 Course Dessert

 Cuisine American

 Prep Time 35 minutes

 Cook Time 15 minutes

 Total Time 50 minutes

 Servings 54 approximate count

 Author from Leona's hand written collection

Ingredients

Cake round ingredients

• 1/2 c Crisco
• 2 c sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c milk 1 c boiling water
• 1 t vanilla
• 4 c flour
• 2 t baking soda
• ½ t baking powder
• ¾ c cocoa

Icing Ingredients

• 1 c milk
• 5 T flour
• 1 ¾ c powdered sugar
• 1 c Crisco
• ¼ t salt
• 1 t vanilla

Instructions

Cake Rounds:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cream together sugar and Crisco.
3. Add eggs, milk, boiling water, and vanilla.
4. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa.
5. Add to mixture
6. Drop by spoon onto cookie sheet.
7. Bake 5-7 minutes at 450 degrees.

Icing:

1. Combine milk and flour in a sauce pan. Cook until thick, then let milk cool.
2. Once cool, add powdered sugar, Crisco, salt, and vanilla.
3. Beat until creamy and fluffy.
4. Spread between two of the cake rounds.

So — do you have one of these semi-secret gob recipes? Is there a trade family secret ingredient? Do tell ….

Two of my three assistant floor cleaners waiting for me to drop something…where there is cooking, there is spillage…