Category: Commentary

Discovering the Perfect Pencil

 “It’s like my whole world is coming undone, but when I write, my pencil is a needle and thread, and I’m stitching the scraps back together.”-Julia Alvarez

Pencils are practical tools, ever ready to capture words and scratch your thoughts onto paper. Since childhood, most of us have lived with pencils. In elementary school, they first gave us those big fat pencils that felt like logs in our little hands. Later we got to use real grown-up pencils, usually the bright school bus yellow variety (the best were the Ticonderoga brand). Somewhere in junior high or high school, most of us left our pencils behind, traded for the ubiquitous ballpoint pen, also a wonderful tool. Recently I have rediscovered the pencil. And in doing so, I think I’ve found the perfect one.
With some trepidation, I can say that I am a writer. When working on a column, I always write my first draft using my typewriter, a treasured Royal portable (a 1946 Arrow model). But before going to my typewriter, often in the wee hours of the morning when I first fall out of bed, I will write out by hand what I call skeleton notes. Sometimes this is just an outline, so I have a word map of sorts to guide me as I type. Sometimes it is more. Often words will just flow, like turning on a faucet. And as I sit up in bed in my boxer shorts, I need to capture them. Ordinarily, I keep a notepad and pen handy. But now, instead of a pen, I have switched to a pencil. I find that a pencil better captures words before they get away. I can write faster with a pencil. This small change occurred after I read about and bought a box of the famous Blackwing pencils.
The Blackwing 602 pencil, with its flat ferrule, clamp eraser, and trademark slogan “Half the Pressure, Twice the Speed” stamped on the side, was created in 1934 by the Eberhard Faber Company. It was the first commercial pencil made with wax in its core and was noted for its incredibly smooth writing. The Blackwing pencil caught on with creative folks, most notably writers, animators, and musicians. John Steinbeck wrote the Grapes of Wrath using a Blackwing 602. He didn’t type, so would hand write his manuscripts and then have his secretary type them. Many other writers, including Truman Capote and Thomas Wolfe were fans of the Blackwing pencil.
The Blackwing 602 was especially popular with artists and animators. Chuck Jones, whose work included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Wile E. Coyote, was a big fan, along with Tim Hodge who was known for his work on the classic Tom & Jerry cartoons. Walt Disney’s core animators – known as the “Nine Old Men” – were huge fans of the Blackwing 602. Ollie Johnston, creator of Bambi and Thumper, kept the first one he ever owned as a prized possession. Brothers Robert and Richard Sherman used Blackwing pencils for their contributions to Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, and The Jungle Book. Shamus Culhane, known for his work on Snow White, was such a fan that he was buried with a Blackwing 602 pencil in his hand.
Many notable musicians loved their Blackwing pencils as well, including composer Stephen Sondheim, band leader Nelson Riddle, pianist and composer Duke Ellington, trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis, songwriter Johnny Mercer, composer Leonard Bernstein, composer Aaron Copland, and Texas music legend Guy Clark.
Blackwing pencils have also been used at times on TV and in cinema. In the movie Jaws (1975), Richard Dreyfuss in one scene is pictured with a Blackwing 602 clenched between his teeth. In Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Anthony Edwards and Robert Carradine, as nerds Gilbert and Lewis, carry Blackwing pencils tucked into their pocket protectors.
Despite their cult status with the artistic crowd, for a number of reasons, including low sales volume, broken machinery, and company acquisitions, in 1998 the Blackwing 602 pencil was discontinued. With Blackwings no longer in production, the resale market went crazy. Pencils were selling on eBay for as much as $40 each.
A few years later, a company in Stockton, California – Cal Cedar – acquired the Blackwing name and trademark. In 2010 they brought the Blackwing 602 back. Because the exact secret formula of graphite, clay, and wax had been lost, the company had to re-engineer the pencil in order to bring it back to life. They mastered the top-secret graphite formula. Some say the new Blackwing is better than the original. And fortunately, we can now buy them again.
They have several models, but the classic Blackwing 602, usually recommended for writers, is what I use. I find them smooth and easy. It’s like writing with butter. The pencil skims across the page easily and quickly. And using my Blackwing appeals to my senses. The 602 has a tactile quality that is missing with a drugstore pencil or plastic pen. The smooth finished wood feels good in my hand. The smell of graphite and cedar is soothing. There is a satisfying scratch on paper as dark lines emerge. All stirs the senses and makes writing a pleasure. And I can quickly capture my thoughts and whip out my skeleton notes before running my words through my typewriter.
If you find the need to pull words from your head and put them on paper, consider the lowly pencil, and maybe try a Blackwing (blackwing602.com). They are a bit expensive. You’ll pay a little more than a few dollars per pencil (much more than a twenty-five cent Walmart pencil), but I think they are worth every penny. Happy writing…
© 2025 Jody Dyer
typewriterweekly.com

Stand By Me – Remembering Boyhood

 Recently we absorbed the tragic news of Rob Reiner’s passing, along with his wife Michele.  I find myself grieving.  Circumstances surrounding their deaths are beyond horrific, and I am so, so very sorry.  Though Reiner’s political leanings were far from mine, I’ve always admired his work.  Creative genius, even in its roughest forms, I believe reflects the glory of our Creator.  Rob Reiner was a creative genius, and arguably one of the greatest movie makers of our time. 

 The son of famed comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner came to prominence on the classic TV sitcom All in the Family.  Reiner played Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the perfect foil to his Nixon-loving father-in-law Archie Bunker.  For five seasons, All in the Family was the number one TV show in America.  

 Reiner came into his own, however, as a director, making movies.  Known as an actor’s director, his string of hits in the 1980s and early 1990s cemented his standing in Hollywood.  These included This is Spinal Tap (1984), The Sure Thing (1985), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally… (1989), Misery (1990), and A Few Good Men (1992).  

 But, in my humble, if twisted opinion, Reiner’s greatest work was his epic boyhood story, Stand by Me (1986).  The movie is poetry on film.  And yes, before the movie world was digitized, in 1986 Stand by Me was shot on 35mm film (Kodak’s Eastman 100T Color Negative Film 5247) using Panavision cameras.  

 The movie is based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella The Body.  Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Oregon, the movie has an amazing soundtrack, featuring songs from the 1950s and early 1960s from groups like The Coasters, The Bobettes, The Del-Vikings and more.  Included is the iconic song that gives the film its title, Stand by Me, by Ben E. King.

 Reiner’s unforgettable movie stars Wil Wheaton (as Gordie Lachance), the late River Phoenix (as Gordie’s best friend Chris Chambers), with Corey Feldman and Jerry O’Connell (as friends Teddy Duchamp and Vern Tessio).  The story centers around a journey to find the dead body of a missing boy, undertaken by the four friends over Labor Day weekend in 1959, as remembered through the eyes and words of Gordie.

 An underlying theme in the movie is death.  One of the most difficult things we are forced to do in life is process grief.  As a boy, Gordie faces the trauma of losing his older brother Denny (played by John Cusack) in a Jeep accident.  As an adult, the story begins with Gordie reading a newspaper article about the death of his childhood friend, Chris Chambers.  Much of the movie is an extended flashback, with Gordie remembering and writing and grieving.  It is interesting to note that Richard Dreyfuss, who portrays adult Gordie as a writer, was in real life a childhood friend of Rob Reiner.   

 This movie takes me back to my boyhood.  I was Gordie, the same skinny, sensitive kid in a ballcap, destined to become a writer.  My best friend at age twelve was Mike O’Rafferty, the spitting image of Chris Chambers.  Mike and his brother Billy were my best boyhood companions.  My first year in junior high, I met the best friend I’ve ever had in life, Danny Reed.  I miss those guys.

 In my youth, we were just like Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern.  We swore like sailors.  It was a bad thing.  Stand by Me is rated R, primarily because of the swearing.  But that’s how we really were as boys (sorry Mom).  In the movie the boys play cards in their tree house.  For me and my slew-foot friends, most of our card playing was done on the dusty floor of cabin #13 at 4-H camp every summer.  We played poker, five card draw, for pennies and peanuts.  Like Gordie, I was a reader, spending my money on magazines (True West, Sports Afield, Guns & Ammo, and Fur, Fish & Game).     In our dirt road neighborhood, we even had a junk yard dog, just like in the movie.  Our menace was a giant, coal black German Shepherd named “Ace.”  His back was as high as the seat on my bike.  Ace would chase us boys.  I could outrun him for short distances on my bike, but it was always close, and breathtaking.  Along with playing baseball, shooting marbles, and prowling the hills with a .22 rifle, as boys we savored adventure.  In a time when even protective parents didn’t worry so much about our safety, boys could be boys.  Our biggest danger was being caught by Old Man Christianson who patrolled the backroads of his property in a Cadillac, with a .38 revolver on the front seat beside him.  We were always on the lookout and afraid of being shot when sneaking over to Foxy’s Lake, hiding our bikes in the nearby eucalyptus grove before we explored.  The danger made it all the more fun.  So much of this movie speaks to my childhood.  My Dad even drove an old 1957 Chevy truck (long bed in faded orange), just like you see in the movie.

Boyhood friends leave a mark. You never have any friends later on like those you had when you were twelve. Thank you, Rob Reiner, for helping us remember…

© 2025 Jody Dyer
typewriterweekly.com

The life’s work of some is more visible than others.  You might build a solid business, grow a strong family, or cultivate a beautiful garden, and no one ever notices.  But make a good movie and all the world knows your name.  So it was with Rob Reiner.  

 Recently we absorbed the tragic news of Rob Reiner’s passing, along with his wife Michele.  I find myself grieving.  Circumstances surrounding their deaths are beyond horrific, and I am so, so very sorry.  Though Reiner’s political leanings were far from mine, I’ve always admired his work.  Creative genius, even in its roughest forms, I believe reflects the glory of our Creator.  Rob Reiner was a creative genius, and arguably one of the greatest movie makers of our time. 

 The son of famed comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner came to prominence on the classic TV sitcom All in the Family.  Reiner played Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the perfect foil to his Nixon-loving father-in-law Archie Bunker.  For five seasons, All in the Family was the number one TV show in America.  

 Reiner came into his own, however, as a director, making movies.  Known as an actor’s director, his string of hits in the 1980s and early 1990s cemented his standing in Hollywood.  These included This is Spinal Tap (1984), The Sure Thing (1985), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally… (1989), Misery (1990), and A Few Good Men (1992).  

 But, in my humble, if twisted opinion, Reiner’s greatest work was his epic boyhood story, Stand by Me (1986).  The movie is poetry on film.  And yes, before the movie world was digitized, in 1986 Stand by Me was shot on 35mm film (Kodak’s Eastman 100T Color Negative Film 5247) using Panavision cameras.  

 The movie is based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella The Body.  Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Oregon, the movie has an amazing soundtrack, featuring songs from the 1950s and early 1960s from groups like The Coasters, The Bobettes, The Del-Vikings and more.  Included is the iconic song that gives the film its title, Stand by Me, by Ben E. King.

 Reiner’s unforgettable movie stars Wil Wheaton (as Gordie Lachance), the late River Phoenix (as Gordie’s best friend Chris Chambers), with Corey Feldman and Jerry O’Connell (as friends Teddy Duchamp and Vern Tessio).  The story centers around a journey to find the dead body of a missing boy, undertaken by the four friends over Labor Day weekend in 1959, as remembered through the eyes and words of Gordie.

 An underlying theme in the movie is death.  One of the most difficult things we are forced to do in life is process grief.  As a boy, Gordie faces the trauma of losing his older brother Denny (played by John Cusack) in a Jeep accident.  As an adult, the story begins with Gordie reading a newspaper article about the death of his childhood friend, Chris Chambers.  Much of the movie is an extended flashback, with Gordie remembering and writing and grieving.  It is interesting to note that Richard Dreyfuss, who portrays adult Gordie as a writer, was in real life a childhood friend of Rob Reiner.   

 This movie takes me back to my boyhood.  I was Gordie, the same skinny, sensitive kid in a ballcap, destined to become a writer.  My best friend at age twelve was Mike O’Rafferty, the spitting image of Chris Chambers.  Mike and his brother Billy were my best boyhood companions.  My first year in junior high, I met the best friend I’ve ever had in life, Danny Reed.  I miss those guys.

 In my youth, we were just like Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern.  We swore like sailors.  It was a bad thing.  Stand by Me is rated R, primarily because of the swearing.  But that’s how we really were as boys (sorry Mom).  In the movie the boys play cards in their tree house.  For me and my slew-foot friends, most of our card playing was done on the dusty floor of cabin #13 at 4-H camp every summer.  We played poker, five card draw, for pennies and peanuts.  Like Gordie, I was a reader, spending my money on magazines (True West, Sports Afield, Guns & Ammo, and Fur, Fish & Game).     In our dirt road neighborhood, we even had a junk yard dog, just like in the movie.  Our menace was a giant, coal black German Shepherd named “Ace.”  His back was as high as the seat on my bike.  Ace would chase us boys.  I could outrun him for short distances on my bike, but it was always close, and breathtaking.  Along with playing baseball, shooting marbles, and prowling the hills with a .22 rifle, as boys we savored adventure.  In a time when even protective parents didn’t worry so much about our safety, boys could be boys.  Our biggest danger was being caught by Old Man Christianson who patrolled the backroads of his property in a Cadillac, with a .38 revolver on the front seat beside him.  We were always on the lookout and afraid of being shot when sneaking over to Foxy’s Lake, hiding our bikes in the nearby eucalyptus grove before we explored.  The danger made it all the more fun.  So much of this movie speaks to my childhood.  My Dad even drove an old 1957 Chevy truck (long bed in faded orange), just like you see in the movie.

Boyhood friends leave a mark. You never have any friends later on like those you had when you were twelve. Thank you, Rob Reiner, for helping us remember…

© 2025 Jody Dyer
typewriterweekly.com

And another year is gone

In going through my files, I found the column from the year 2000 where we were all bemoaning the fact that we were facing a new century and all the strange things that could be happening with our electronics and what was going to happen in the world in general, many of which never occurred except in someone’s overactive imagination. Twenty years down the line, we were all scared out of our wits by the covid pandemic. Actually, it’s probably the first thing that comes to our mind. It was truly a horrible time, I spent a lot of time making some of the masks we were all told to wear at all times, and almost all of us did wear them especially when we went out in public. As I said, truly a horrible time.
We have gone from that into a time of bad weather and hurricanes that took way too many lives. Hurricane Ike will live in infamy for the damage caused in Galveston, Texas, and other towns in its path. A few years later we had one named Harvey, that also caused billions of dollars damage to anything in its path. I pretty much watched the one named Ike on TV and worried about my family and extended family who lived in Galveston at the time. My daughter came inland to her sister and her husband stayed with their home. It was mind boggling. During the one named Harvey, I went inland to my son and his family and stayed there. A friend was in Louisiana at the time and couldn’t get back home to Yoakum for nearly a week. It took that long for the roads to reopen.
And, then there was the more recent ice storm about three years ago, with the temperatures so low and power being off, etc., etc. I was here at my home during that time and had nearly run out of propane, and used candles in place of electricity. After surviving that, my sister and I took a trip to be with family in North Texas and I came home to a broken pipe in my attic that no one knew was there. Yep, it was interesting to say the least, my kitchen had to be pretty much gutted and re-done, as was a bathroom, and my dining room table was my pantry. Luckily, my built-in cabinets didn’t have to be torn out and redone.
And this past year, the rain storm that took everyone by surprise and cost many lives and did so much damage, in the Texas hill country, and now, just a few months later we’re in drought conditions and need rain so badly.
Dear readers, I would like to say a big “Thank you” to all of you who have followed me for these past years and read this column. The time has come to hang up my by-line and call it quits. Cook books and recipes have become obsolete, the younger generation picks up their iPhone or some type of device and find recipes and doesn’t use a cook book, and since I’ve seen and tasted some of the food they find recipes for, I’m impressed. (I’m not really sure how they find it again if they liked it), but I’m sure they do! In fact, my granddaughters have shared some of their recipes with me and I’ve truly enjoyed making the food and trying the recipes.
Now, however, it’s time to retire and enjoy not having to struggle to find something to write on a weekly basis. As far as telling you about different vegetables, I realize that I have covered a lot of fruits and vegetables, ranging from beets to quince.
Thanks again for having me in your homes for these past almost thirty years! I’ve enjoyed writing a column that began with about one column by four or five inches in size to what I have now. Also, thank you KK, and before you your parents for allowing me to continue writing. It has been fun most of the time. Hugs to everyone, have a wonderful and Happy New Year during 2026!

Christmas Gift!

It’s a miracle that this Briscoe Family Christmas Tradition has carried on because it is an odd one and a little awkward to convey! I’ll begin with its origin.
My grandfather, Mary Briscoe’s dad, was a young man during the depression. There were very few funds for gifts or “extras” during Christmas, so a game was invented to play instead and he brought this tradition to us. On the morning of Christmas Eve, family members would race to be the first to say “Christmas Eve Gift” to each person in the house.
The name of the person must be said after “Christmas Eve Gift” to be fully official. If you were “gotten,” you’d vow to “get” them the next time and say things like “you cheated,” “hey, I haven’t even had my coffee yet” or “that’s not fair!” Then, the same game would be played on Christmas morning.
“Christmas Gift, Dad!”
You might imagine that when a new person was added to the family, much explanation and encouragement to play the game was sometimes necessary. At this point, the new family member was probably saying, “Who are these people?” But, by some miracle, the game is played with competitive enthusiasm by the new comers as well.
With family members flung far and wide and texting options available, it’s a given that family in Arizona, California, or the Yukon Territory are typically not the winners of the game because of the time differences. Hey, it’s not my fault that they moved to a time zone that is two hours behind!
This silly game has a deeper meaning for me now. There’s someone else who has “gotten” all of us first, Emmanuel, Lord of Lords! We love because He first loved us. So, if a more awake person happens to “Christmas Gift” me, I’m pretty OK that they loved me first.
[Here’s hoping everyone had a] Merry Christmas, and know that we have been “gifted” first with the most precious gift of all.

Like Christmas Cookies

Like Christmas Cookies
Had a great time this past weekend with some new friends and our families. We went to the San Antonio Aquarium which is an AMAZING place, and if you’ve never been, here’s your sign. It’s kind of like an aquarium, a zoo, an arcade, and a bouncy castle playground all in one.
Anyway, with it being Christmas and all, we got chased around by the Grinch a little bit while we looked at the Stingrays and the Sharks, took a picture of the kids in a shark’s jaws, and tried our hand at “glow in the dark” ping pong. That was interesting, because my first reaction to there being glow in the dark ping pong was “oh great…I can hardly hit the ball in the light,” but somehow it actually seemed a little easier.
The next day we did breakfast and Playdough time. And I will say if you’ve never had your children create you out of Playdough, you should try it. You might be surprised at all of the interesting features they see in you! Later we all went to Devine Acres. One of my favorite parts there was seeing all of the boys (little and big) try their hands at the “tractor pull”, which is literally an old tractor with a rope tied to it. We also enjoyed our encounter with the Goat Races, fishing (though the perch were a little stubborn), played a little Tether ball while the kids scoured the playground, Dino Paintball, and we even got to run through the “snow” machine on our way out in 80 degree weather! I feel like from the time I left my house to when I arrived at Devine Acres, the temperature rose by 10 degrees so I was pretty dang hot. But still, walking through the snow on our way out was pretty magical. For a moment, I almost stopped sweating when I saw that beautiful bubble “snow” coming down!
As we went to sleep last night, me and Tucker said our prayers, our normal prayers. And then we started saying our “made up” prayers from the heart, and it was a cute one. He was saying “Thank you God for the bestest family in the whole wise world” and then followed that up by proceeding to thank God for a whole laundry list of very practical things….It went a little something like this: “God, thank you for cups. Thank you for trash cans. God, thank you for tooth brushes and tooth paste…” and that’s when I lost it. I had held my breath through a list of things, but when he thanked God for toothbrushes, a snicker burst out of me. It didn’t phase him too much though. He was serious about this prayer for very practical things. He just reached over and covered up my mouth while he continued.
It’s only a few days til Christmas now, and I have to say around this time of year, I am always wishing it was a little farther away. The preparation and excitement of getting ready for Christmas day is more than half of the fun. My daughter has the ceiling of our hallway lit up like a runway for Santa’s sleigh, and every morning I listen to Christmas music without anyone accusing me of being crazy, and our living room tree and fireplace with the stockings just make me smile. Every day I look forward to Christmas morning, but I don’t want it to end. I like looking forward to it.
I will admit, we have baked WAY too many Christmas cookies this year, and decorated them with WAY too much icing, but everything about it is just too fun. Speaking of that, you might be surprised what your face looks like as a Christmas cookie decorated by your children too. It’s always fun to see what they come up with.
I guess that’s the best part about kids, seeing and listening to the silly stuff they come up with and the sweet things they do. Kids are kinda like Christmas cookies…they are just too fun and too sweet…and the more the merrier!

Partridge in a Pear Tree

By the time most of y’all get this paper, you will be just about finished celebrating Christmas, and hopefully you have most of the mess cleaned up also. My family will be with me on Saturday the 27th. My youngest granddaughter and her three boys spent part of the weekend with me this past week. We made some cookies; and they decorated them using the cookie paint that I told you about a couple of weeks ago. Their dinosaurs were really cute and different!
 This week, my thought was to give you something a little different, so instead of a bunch of recipes, I’m going to give you the story of the Partridge in a Pear Tree. Most of you have probably already heard of it, but when someone sent it to me last year, I hadn’t heard it before.
1.  The partridge in a pear tree if Jesus Christ.
2.  The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.
3.  Three French hens stand for Faith, Hope, and Love.
4.  The four calling birds are the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
5.  The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of  The Old   Testament.
6.  The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.
8.  The eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes.
9.  The nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.

10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.

11. Eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples.

12. The twelve drummers drumming symbolizes the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.
So, there is your history lesson for today.
And now, I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a very Healthy, Happy New Year!
 

    A Story and Recipes for Christmas!

    Christmas is truly creeping up on my one day at a time, and as is usually true the first week of the month was busy beyond measure. On Monday, I helped at the Annual Betty Powell mean that is served to anyone who cares to pick up a plate. It is drive through only and we served about 1,200 plates. I opted out of serving food this year and instead carried plates to be filled at the food line.
    Tuesday, we had Auxiliary meeting and discussed what had to be finished for our annual Christmas sale and bake sale that would be on Friday. After the meeting, several of us went to our workshop and finished most of the tray favors that needed to be done to finish December. We generally make tray favors for the hospital patients each month, but in December try to make one for each week of December! The patients seem to enjoy the little extra attention and we really like doing it. And as usual, Wednesday found me behind the desk in the gift shop. It was a busy day and there were lots of people in and out, with most of them buying something they needed for a gift.
    Thursday was a day for baking, and I started early in the morning and was finished with everything I planned to make. However, I had decided Wednesday afternoon on the way home from work that I didn’t need anything at the grocery store. Wrong. I had decided earlier in the day to make something that they could buy and take back to their office and eat…not going to the store, this didn’t happen! I guess since no one knew about it, no one missed it and I got a few minutes more sleep. Friday was a horrible morning to be out early as the fog was thicker than it had been so far this year. I had to be really careful driving town and on to the hospital, but we did really well on our sale, and the work and worry was worth it.
    Remember during these stressful days to take care of yourself, your family would rather have a few things not done, a few less cookies baked and have time with you in good health, both mentally and physically instead!
    The Story of Cookies for Santa
    Almost as much fun as the toys under the tree for a young boy and girl are the other signs that Santa Claus really did come to visit during the night—the glass of milk is empty and all the cookies are gone, nothing left but a few crumbs.
    Nobody seems to know just who first came up with the idea of leaving a snack to keep Santa’s energy up during his whirlwind Christmas voyage. One researcher has traced the tradition as far back as 1908 to an article that appeared in a New York newspaper.
    The story reported that children in one family left a meal of sandwiches, cake and coffee for Santa. To their delight, the next morning the food was gone and in its place was a note from Santa thanking them for their kindness.
    It wasn’t unusual in the early 1900s for thoughtful children to remember Santa’s reindeer. Accounts of children leaving carrots for the team, and of rural youngsters, leaving piles of salt on their windowsills.
    The reindeer probably have not fared so well in recent years, although Santa may be sharing some of his milk and cookies. It is a wonderfully whimsical food tradition; the stuff a child’s dreams are made of.
    This cookie recipe is one that I’ve made since the mid ‘60s when I first got it, the combination is great. If  I’ve already given you this recently, please forgive me, but, it is a great recipe.
     Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
    ¾ cup butter or margarine
    ½ cup granulated sugar
    1½ cups packed brown sugar
    2 eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1¼ cups flour
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon salt
    2½ cups quick cooking oatmeal (not instant)
    1 cup chopped pecans
    1 cup coconut (optional)

    Cream together thoroughly, the butter or margarine and the sugars, add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir in. By hand, stir in the oatmeal, pecans and coconut if used. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets and bake at 375ºF  for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 4 to 5 dozen, depending on size spoon used.
     
    Fudge
    1 jar marshmallow cream
    1½ cups granulated sugar
    2/3 cup evaporated milk
    ¼ cup butter
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    12-ounce package chocolate chips
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    ¾ cup chopped pecans

    Combine marshmallow cream, sugar, milk, butter and salt in saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and pecans. Spread into 9-inch square pan. Chill until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in airtight container.

     Margaret’s Pecan Pralines
    2 cups granulated sugar
    1 cup buttermilk or clabber
    1 level teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1 cup pecans (can use halves or chopped)

    Use a large pot and slowly boil to soft ball stage (240º to 250ºF), the sugar, buttermilk and baking soda. This mixture turns brown as it cooks and needs to be stirred constantly. Take off heat when it reaches soft ball stage and stir in vanilla and pecans. Stir and beat with a spoon (wooden is best) until it looks as if it is going to turn to sugar. Drop by spoonsful onto waxed paper or foil Cool completely. Store in airtight container.

    Peanut Brittle
    Before you start making this, cover a cookie sheet with foil, butter well, and sprinkle with granulated sugar to coat. Set aside.

    1 cup sugar
    1 cup white corn syrup
    2 cups shelled, raw peanuts
    1 teaspoon baking soda

    Combine sugar, peanuts and syrup. Cooking stirring constantly until it is light brown in color, about 16 to 20 minutes.

    When mixture is light brown, remove from heat and stir in baking soda. This will cause mixture to foam up. Immediately pour onto prepared cookie sheet and spread to sides of pan. Allow to cool completely, break into pieces and store in airtight container.

    The “100” Cookies
    1 cup sugar
    1 cup brown sugar
    1 cup softened margarine or butter
    1 cup oil
    1 egg
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1 cup crisp Rice Krispies®
    1 cup oatmeal
    1 cup coconut
    1 cup chopped nuts (any kind)
    ½ teaspoon salt
    3½ cups all-purpose flour (not necessary to sift)
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon cream of tartar
    In large mixing bowl, mix together first six ingredients.  Stir in next four ingredients, mixing well. Sift together salt, flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add to previous mixture and mix well. Drop by spoonsful onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350º for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

     
    Have a great weekend, and don’t worry if you don’t get everything done on time. The world will not stop spinning on its axis if you don’t have everything perfect. Take time to spend with your family, they would rather have your time than have everything picture book perfect, and you completely worn out. Over the years, I have learned this, sometimes the hard way. If you expect perfection from yourself and those around you, you are going to be disappointed person many times more than you would like.

    Your Brain on Green Tea

    “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
    -C. S. Lewis

    There are few things better for our bodies than green tea. I am a dedicated coffee drinker and often write about the many health benefits of fresh coffee, but I drink tea as well. It has become my habit to brew and enjoy a big cup of green tea first thing in the morning, before I make my coffee. And the more I learn about green tea, the more committed I become to continuing this practice. Green tea is good for the entire body, but it is especially good for our decaying brains. We all need better brains. New research is showing that your brain on green tea will be calmer, more focused, better functioning, and less likely to develop dreaded diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia.

    There are a number of good- for-you neuroactive compounds in green tea. Chief among them is caffeine. Moderate caffeine consumption is very beneficial for the brain. Caffeine can improve mood and cognitive performance, increasing the ability to concentrate and focus and find your keys. Caffeine has been shown to provide neuroprotective effects against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, functioning as a brain antioxidant. The key to caffeine’s benefits are moderate and regular consumption. Consume as much caffeine as you can handle without disrupting your sleep. You are going to have to test this.

    Another beneficial compound we get from green tea is the amino acid L-theanine. The many benefits of L-theanine include enhanced memory and learning ability, decreased risk of neurodegenerative diseases, improved sleep quality, and relief from stress, anxiety, and depression. L-theanine has been shown to seriously reduce stress. Drinking green tea can calm you and keep you from swearing. Over time, brain exposure to L-theanine fosters increased neurogenesis, or serious brain cell growth. When super smart scientists in the lab squirt L-theanine on brain cells in petri dishes the cells grow thicker and bigger. The same thing happens in your head when you drink green tea.

    Another group of healthy compounds that can be found in your morning cup are green tea catechins. And the most abundant of these catechins is epigallocatechin gallate-EGCG.

    EGCG acts as a free radical scavenger. Free radicals are tiny little jerk molecules that roam through your body, fostering oxidation and destroying things. They rip electrons off your DNA, promote mutations, cultivate cancer, and cause trouble wherever they go. The catechins in your green tea, especially EGCGs, neutralize these little boogers so they can’t destroy your cells. Catechins also reduce inflammation in your brain. Inflammation is considered the link between toxin exposure and the development of disease. And catechins promote healthy mitochondria, increasing ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and energy in your brain cells.
    Recent studies also show evidence that the interaction between beneficial compounds in tea and intestinal microorganisms in your gut may provide an effective way to prevent psychiatric disorders. The tea-brain-gut connection reveals that tea drinking can promote mental health and a sense of calm, well-being, and happiness. We all need to drink more green tea.
    If you decide to bless your brain with the goodness of green tea, here are a few tips. Start with higher quality loose-leaf green tea (you might have to buy this online). Do not surrender to the convenience of grocery store tea bags. These bags contain lesser quality tea, along with perhaps floor sweepings and rodent hair, and maybe even plastic. Bags steeped in hot water can leach out all sorts of putrid organisms and bad stuff. It is best to stick with quality loose-leaf organic tea.
    To brew your tea, all you need is a large glass measuring cup or pot, a kitchen strainer, hot water, and tea leaves. Heat water and take off boil for a minute (ideal temp for brewing green tea is about 160 – 185 degrees F). Place tea leaves in your container (approx. 1-2 tablespoons per cup). Add water and gently stir. Let steep for 2-4 minutes. Then use your strainer and pour into your cup. I like adding freshly squeezed lemon to my tea. Vitamin C and citric

    It’s on the way, Christmas, that is

    As usual, it’s been a busy week, and this coming week is going to be busier, between getting my house ready for company, I also have to do a couple of things that will take me away from the house, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday! Also, we’re doing work shop getting some things ready for our bake sale, that will be on the 12th. Last week I gave you directions for cinnamon ornaments and sugar cookies. I have used the sugar cookie recipe for more years than I can remember, it is simple and does not have to be refrigerated overnight, and that makes it number one for me! The “cookie paint’ makes decorating super simple and my children, grandchildren, and the older great-grandchildren all love decorating cookies and using it.
    Today’s recipe is very simple as you use cooking oil rather than shortening or butter and just put the dough on the baking sheet, no rolling nor cutting!
    This week, I’m going to give you a recipe for mini-muffins. This is easy to make for a bake sale, as you get twice the muffins that you get from a regular recipe!
    Here’s a bit of Christmas trivia for you. It appeared several years ago during Christmas week in the Victoria Advocate. They stated that is from Old Icelandic tales that give the following as the names of Santa’s elves: Askasleikir, Bjugnakraekir, Faldafeykir, Stekjarstaur, Gattathefur, Giljagaur, Gluggagaegir, Ketkrokur, Og Ketasnikir, Pottaslekir, Skyjarmur, Stufur and last but not least, Thvorusleikir! (This is the source that was listed at the end of the article: Source didyouknow.cd).

    Peanut Butter Mini-muffins

    1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
    ¼ cup butter (do not substitute), softened (1/2 stick)
    ¼ cup granulated sugar
    ¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
    1 large egg
    ¾ cup buttermilk*
    3 Tbs. vegetable oil
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    1 1/3 cups “M&M’s® Milk Cho9colate Mini Baking Bits

    Chocolate Glaze

    Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 36 mini-muffin cups with foil or paper liners and spray lightly non-stick spray, (I put my liners on a cookie sheet and spray so I don’t get so much spray on the muffin tins.
    In large mixing bowl, cream together peanut butter, and butter and sugars util light and fluffy; beat in egg. Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix to combine. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and gradually blend into creamed mixture. Divide batter evenly among prepare cups, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle evenly with ¾ cup of the “M&M’s”. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.
    Glaze: In top of double boiler, over hot (not boiling) water, melt two squares of semi-sweet chocolate with 1-tablespoon butter. Stir until smooth, allow to cool slightly and drizzle over the muffins from the tip of an ice-tea spoon or regular teaspoon and decorate with with the remaining “M&M’s”. *If you don’t have buttermilk, pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into your measuring cup and add milk to make ¾ cup. Stir to mix and allow to stand about 5 minutes before using.

    Stir and Drop Cookies

    2 eggs
    2/3 cup cooking oil
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1 teaspoon lemon zest
    ¾ cup granulated sugar
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    ½ teaspoon salt
    Preheat oven to 400ºF. Beat eggs with a fork until blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, and lemon rind, blend in sugar until mixture thickens. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to egg mixture. Dough will be soft, drop by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly by pressing lightly with a glass dipped in sugar. (Lightly spray or oil glass, dip in sugar, flatten a couple of cookies, continue dipping sugar as you do each cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet immediately. Cool completely.

    Cookies and ornaments

    Ready or not, Christmas is only three weeks away! Thanksgiving is a wonderful memory, and some new memories were made. As it has been for several years, we celebrated Thanksgiving at my sons’ home. Also as is usual, there was plenty of food, lots of desserts and my daughter even brought that perennial favorite “Death by Chocolate”. Cherry Cheesecake, pecan and apple pies had their spot on the table until there wasn’t room for much more.
    Since I now have a grandson living in Natalia, his parents picked me up at my home and we took both cars, so I would have mine if needed. It worked out beautifully and we did it in reverse coming home.
    This week will start with a Christmas party and meeting Monday evening, followed on Tuesday by the Hospital Auxiliary meeting, and then Wednesday, I’ll work in the gift shop and that evening attend yet another meeting and party. For the party on Monday evening, I baked an interesting appetizer. It is in the current issue of Taste of Home, and is made with pimento cheese, flour and a little salt, you form the mixture into balls and make an indentation that you fill with jalapeno jelly. My sister and I tried them at noon and they’re pretty tasty!

    The first of today’s recipes is actually a couple of different types of ornaments you either bake or just allow to air dry. I have used both of them and they work really well. The ones made with cinnamon smell great and two or three of them in a box would work well as a teacher gift or something like that.
    Christmas Ornaments (Non-edible)
    2 cups all purpose flour
    1 cup salt (non-iodized)
    1 cup water
    Food coloring, optional
    OTHER ITEMS NEEDED:
    Aluminum foil
    Heavy-duty mixer (If you don’t have one, mix by hand, it just takes a little longer).
    Plastic drinking straw
    Cookie sheets
    Christmas cookie cutters
    Acrylic paints or watercolors
    Polyurethane varnish
    School glue (i.e. Elmer’s® or that type)
    Craft paint brushes (i.e. like kids use for water coloring)
    Glitter, if desired
    Preheat oven to 325º to 350º. Cover the bottoms of baking sides with foil and set aside upside down.
    Combine the flour and salt in a large (flat inside bottom) mixing bowl. Mix a small amount of water at a time, stirring with a spoon to form a ball of dough. Knead the dough in your heavy-duty mixer for 4 minutes or by hand for 7 to 10 minutes. It should have a firm and smooth texture. (Since I don’t have a heavy-duty mixer, I kneaded it by hand, just as you would knead bread. It takes a while and some muscle!). Place the dough in a plastic bag to prevent drying. This will keep in the fridge for 5 or 6 days, so you can make the dough and then make the ornaments later.
    Roll the dough out, just as you cookie dough, on the bottom of the prepared pans to ¼ to ½-inch thickness and cot out with the Christmas cookie cutters and just remove the excess scraps of dough from between the cookies. Use the straw to make a hole at the top end of the cookie so you can hang them. Bake the ‘cookies’ for 20 minutes if you rolled them ¼-inch thick and for 40 minutes if you rolled them ½-inch thick, until they are golden brown. Remove from pans and cool completely. Now, you are ready to decorate the cookies using the watercolors or acrylic paints. Once the paint is dry, apply a coat of the polyurethane varnish. It will work best if you paint one side, allow it to dry and then turn the cookie over and paint the other side.
    Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments (non-edible)
    1 cup unsweetened applesauce
    1 ½ cups cinnamon
    1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon oil
    Mix together in bowl with hands. Knead and roll out to about ½-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. (Gingerbread boy shapes are cute with this.) Poke hole on top with drinking straw. Dry flat for 2 days, turning 3 to 4 times. Makes about 25 ornaments (3-inch diameter.)
    Kids love to help with holiday preparations, especially those that let them use their creativity.
    Baking up some tasty holiday treats together delivers the gift of memories and a delicious gift to share with family and friends.
    So, here is my favorite Sugar Cookie recipe. It has been made more times than almost any other kind at my house, most especially because my grandchildren and I used to bake and decorate them together at my house, sometimes with neighborhood children helping also; and when the great-grandchildren got old enough, I started the tradition with them too. Everyone seems to have a great time when we do this and my one complaint is that almost all of them now live too far away for me to do this with them. We have, in the past, made them up at Easter or Valentine’s Day just so we could have the fun and make the memories.
    The good thing about this recipe is that the dough does not have to be chilled before using, the second thing is that we basically decorate before we bake, as we “paint” the cookies using evaporated milk and food coloring, then sprinkle with sugar that matches or just enhances the design.
    (The measurements in ( ) are to make a double batch of the recipe.
    Sugar Cookies
    2/3 (1 1/3 cups shortening)
    1¼ (2½ cups granulated sugar)
    2 (4 eggs)
    1 (2 tablespoons milk)
    1 (2 teaspoons vanilla)
    3 (6 cups sifted flour)
    ½ (1 teaspoon salt)
    2 (4 teaspoons baking powder)
    Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine dry ingredients and set aside.  Thoroughly cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla; add combined dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Roll out 1/8 to ¼-inch thick on lightly floured* board and cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, sprinkle with granulated sugar (if you did not previously paint them,) and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
    This cookie paint is used after you cut the cookies out and before you bake them. Just follow the directions.
    Cookie Paint
    Evaporated milk (i.e. Pet Milk, Carnation Milk)
    Liquid, paste, or gel food coloring
    Plastic egg carton
    Small, inexpensive craft paint brushes
    Decorative sugars, nonpareils, and any other types of decoration you desire.
    Pour about 1 to 1½ tablespoons of the milk into each of several of the cups in the egg carton. Add a few drops of coloring or paste to each on until desired color is reached. Paint unbaked cookies, decorate as desired and bake in preheated oven. Remove from sheets and cool thoroughly. *The paste or gel food coloring gives you the brightest colors.