The Ditch

As I was saying the other day in another post Passing Down Heritage, we have memories from our childhood that make us.

As I told you, we lived on a cul-de-sac. Behind some of the homes, ran a piece of land that you could dump and burn your trimmings. It wasn't big enough for a home and had no access except through the side of the homes that bordered on it. It also had a "ditch" that was probably a natural run off and had perhaps six inches of water at the very most.

Here, at the ditch area, we had a favorite place to play. But, we were banned from going down to the ditch because it had water, and that water was probably enough to drown in (!) You have to know that my mother was deathly afraid of drowning and the water situation to really appreciate this. Reprimands didn't work for long, back we would go when we could.

We dug holes for "forts", mapped out how our future homes would look. We made stew with ashes, water and crushed piracatha berries. We gathered polly-wogs to take home and watch anxiously to turn into frogs. We gathered tulle bush tops and as they dried out, they would make such a lovely shower of giant dandelion like dust. We loved it.

Little by little my mom became more comfortable with out sneaking down to the "ditch". We moved away when I was about 12, I don't remember having many restrictions about going at that point, but then I had probably outgrown my need to build forts, or make weird stew.

Passing Down Heritage

My sis and I were reminiscing the other day about the places we lived in our childhoods.

One was on a "dead end" street. We were the last house and our house had a freeway exit ramp in our front yard. Just a cyclone fence with a few vines separated us from cars that whizzed by morning, noon and night. I drove by the house the other day, it now has a high, sound proof barrier between it and the highway.

OK, then, our neighborhood was a safe place. We knew all the neighbors down the street. Next door were the S*****. They were on the same side of our cul-de-sac with an older couple next. Now started the houses on both sides. As you walked along, the left house had a family that had 10 children. You pick an age, they had it. Across the street from them was were "The Sherriff" lived. Nobody, not nobody, messed with his yard, trees, etc. You might go to jail (in our child's minds). Next to their home was my introduction to an outdoor pool. It was probably 10 feet across, but it was huge in my mind. A loving couple opened it up to all the neighborhood kids, too. I could go on about the neighbors, but...

Now, on the heritage part. My mother, bless her soul, was deathly afraid of water. That is swimming water. I don't know why, but she ingrained in me that I needed to be afraid also. Perhaps she was thrown into a body of water as a child with the old saying "sink or swim". Anyway, she did not like it. Read more about this on The Ditch post.

As a matter of fact, she heard that you could get a cramp if you went into water too soon after eating, so we were not allowed to "run through the sprinkler" (our form of cooling off in the summer) until we had waited a while.

So, as I recognized this fear in myself, I resolved that I would NOT pass this along to my children. As far as I know, they are all very comfortable in any water and swim wonderfully.

Are there things in our lives that we pass along without thinking about the impact they will have on others around us? Does your lack of submissiveness in your marriage shows your daughter "you don't have to be under his thumb". (contrary to scripture) Does my shyness translate to "uncaring".  Does my distrust of an individual make it harder for my children to trust?

Positive side, do your children see you pray about a situation and then see the peace it brings? Do they see the love you have for the Lord? Do you let them into the places of your heart that you have given over to the Lord?

A few years after we moved from the "freeway house" about 1960's.

These are things I wish I had thought out more as I was raising my family. Just something to think about.

Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes

I guess everyone has what is called a favorite recipe.

This is one that my mother made.

It is one that has been passed down, by word of mouth for a long time.

 Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes

Just to let you know, this does take a little work

but the rewards are great.

These are a sure winner with 

Ham

Meatloaf

Pork Roast

Chicken
Turkey

(what's left?)

I don't personally make this for Mr and I as a side dish,

probably because if I am going to go to the effort,

I make enough to feed a small army.

Let me give you the cast of characters

We have potatoes in the background - for this size dish I used probably about 5 lbs

(notice the precise measurement? Sorry, it's like that throughout)

You need shredded cheese, here is mild cheddar and some leftover pepper jack

Salt and Pepper

Sliced onion

Butter

Milk

And, flour - I used rice flour today to make this gluten - free.

But, "normally" I would use regular flour.

Your choice.

I get mine in the bulk section of my favorite grocery store.

Gotta love the bulk sections, right?

There is a scientific explanation as to why you use flour, butter and milk.

All I know is that they work together to make a sauce.

It bathes the potatoes and onions, to make your mouth sing,

add cheddar cheese and you will be joining the choir.

My little work horse of a peeler.

It not only peels apples, but also potatoes.

If you run across one in a yard sale, thrift shop, I consider this worth

more than a handful of silver coins. 

Mine is well over 20 years old and it keeps on giving.

A little like the Energizer Bunny

Poor box, it has seen lots of years.

Another beauty shot

You do need to unscrew the corer part and drop it down,

but even if you didn't, the potatoes would turn out OK.

The main idea is to get them into slices.

And, sure, they have some funny ridges and the ends need to be 

trimmed, but overall, it is worth it to me.

Not everyone is perfect.
You could leave them unpeeled, if that is your thing.

OK, now, slice those potatoes and layer them in your dish.
(Some graters have a side that slices, I don't use mine because
I am deathly afraid that I will slice off a digit or two)

It is a good idea to spray the dish before so that you don't have to

dump out what you put in it and spray it and then reassemble.

Here are potatoes, salt and pepper, onions, rice flour sprinkled on,

"dots" of butter and ready for a layer of cheese.

Now after everything is layered in,

carefully pour in milk on the corner.

You don't want to mess up your creation.

Pour, pour, pour until you just see the milk peeking around the sliced potatoes.

Not over the top, because that is too much, but just enough...

I have made these in shallow dishes and deep bowls.

It is always the same as to the milk, just when you see it, stop.
I prefer the shallow bake pans, because then there is more of the
cheese baked to a dark brown to eat.

Bake, bake, bake. It will seem like forever, so allow that much time.
At 350'.

A word to the wise, put a baking sheet under
the pan. There have been more times than I want to
remember of having these bubble over and splash onto the floor of my
oven and make smoke... not a good sign for your guests...

If you have ham going, put them in with it.

Meatloafs take around an hour and half to bake, so bake these too, if it is a smaller dish.
Turkeys, chickens, the idea is to use the same oven temperature and save
a little energy in the making of these.

Mine, in this dish were finally finished about 2 hours later.

And, that is a long time to smell those onions baking, nothing better.

A word, as they are "nearing" the end, they will show a watery

bubbling around the edges, let them cook more.

Even if your fork or knife tester shows that the potatoes are

done, Let them cook more til the water is absorbed.

You will thank me for that.

No one wants watery scalloped potatoes.

I'm sorry that I don't have a picture of the finished product.

That alone would sell you on these.

The same my mother made, perhaps she got the recipe from her mother...

Just old fashioned cooking.

P.S. they are great left-over

8th Grade Graduation and a Trip Down Memory Lane

One of my grandsons graduated from 8th Grade this year.

At a "Remembrance Ceremony" he sang the National Anthem

I 'thought' I was recording it, when I noticed this little red button...

anyway, it is partly there.

Which brings me to the part down the memory lane. You may want to skip this, it is just memories that came to mind when I thought of 8th grade.

Many years ago, 48...

I graduated from 8th grade.

At a little country school, we had about 20 students in the 8th grade. We shared a room with the 7th graders also. Our 2 teachers traded off on subjects. I remember our 'man' teacher the most. He had a sense of humor that would 'now-a-days' be considered so politically incorrect. He had "names" for most of the classmates. One of the girls, who was absent more than at school he named "The Visitor", another young man who was growing faster than his parents could keep him in pants enough to cover his ankles he named "The Flood Inspector" and so on. I can't remember the name he gave one young man who was in pure size and demeanor a bully, but he surprised us all.

Jimmy Tufts was larger than the teacher. His glare probably hid his frustration of being in a poor home with who knows what that went on there. At the night of the graduation, he appeared in a suit coat (!) and sang with a voice that had us all dropping our jaws. A kind teacher had seen the potential and coached him in singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" (from Oklahoma). We were astounded. If this bully could be transformed into a singing canary, what could our future hold? It has been a life lesson for me. Not all that we see on the outside is what is going on inside.

There I am. And, sadly, 

I don't even remember the young man in the other class photo. Old age is coming on strongly.

P.S. to the grandchildren -- yes, that is how I wore my hair!

The China is Going to a Good Home

I has come to my attention that I am now ready to see some of my treasured items go to a new home.

My china.

Before I was married, a couple that I worked for gave me a place setting of this lovely china.

At our wedding, they gave me the rest of the set - gasp!

So dainty, and feminine.

Pink glass accessories are very nice with it.

It must not have been a very popular selling item

because I have not seen many extra pieces in my years of

digging through piles of yard sales

shopping the aisles of thrift stores

and seeing it online.

It is German made and the store where the couple purchased it has long since closed it doors.

I still love it

but

I think I will love it more when I see it in my daughter "B's" home.

It has survived over 40 years of marriage,

six children

and I didn't use it as often as it deserved.

But, it is all there, no chips, cracks, etc.

Service for 8.

Long ago, this child claimed it for herself.

It was a joke that she would get it after...

after I was finished with it.

The other girls have other claims in also,

but that is for another post.

Well, I don't see myself giving dinner parties

and she is rather a social butterfly,

so, it will now be put to good use.

I like to give "with an open hand",

which means to me that whoever gets what I give

can do whatever they want with the gift,

no strings attached.

It is now theirs.

I packed it in a box and the next time "B" comes, she can properly pack it for travel.

Because it is going around 1750 miles to its new home.

Half a country away.

It's a good thing.