Our Mom & Pop Grocery Store

When I was a child we had a grocery store in our home.
One of my clearest memories was of the curtain  between the kitchen and the entry to the store. If you pulled the curtain aside you were able to see glass cases filled with dishes of candy.  I still have some of the  dishes.
Mom waited on the customers while Dad worked at Bemis Bag Company.  Dad trusted  the neighbors and let them charge everything. In those days a handshake was all you needed.
I remember seeing packaged butterhorns from the bakery. ( You notice everything I remember is made of sugar).
Mom had a problem with her leg and had to be hospitalized for a short period of time. While she was gone, Dad closed the store and changed the room  into a living room.
Later on Mom said she wanted a piano. Dad said yes, and it didn't take her long to buy one.
My Uncle Ernie (Mom's brother) was a pianist & also tuned our piano. I remember listening to him tune the piano.   It was much more fun listening to him play.

The children in the photo..From left to right.. Martha .... Judy..... Barbara     

Katie 1992

Mom is the only woman I know who misses her menstrual cycle.
A modern day pioneer who misses her coal and wood stove.
A study in contrast..Two decades away from her centennial birthday, she continues to work two days a week at the Nutrition Center.
She claims to have no self confidence yet becomes the resident advisor wherever she goes.
Years ago, at a  fast food restaurant she asked for a hamburger on whole wheat bread.



Mom died in 1994

Useful comments when you receive a gift ......by Steve MacKenzie

Did you buy it new?
Just my color
I was just  looking at this
It's perfect
Just what I wanted
I can use this
I'm taking it home.

Where's the receipt?

Saint Barbara Church

Joe & I enjoy driving to Black Diamond every so often.  I like to visit the church where my father was an altar boy.  He used to serve at morning mass. The first thing he had to do when he arrived at church was ring the bells. This would act as an alarm clock for the priest.

Book her, Dano

 One evening in 2002 during a visit with Aunt Blanche there was a loud  pounding on the door. "Who is it? I asked. "It's the police .Open the door." It was kind of scary but I slowly opened the door.
  As soon as he stepped into the house the questions began..
1. Who are you?
2. What are you doing here?
3. Identify the persons in that photo?
Luckily, it was the wedding photograph of Nonna and Nonno Rosa.  If  it had been a photo of Uncle Bud's relatives, I may have been incarcerated.
After a short conversation he was convinced that I was one of Blanche's neices.
Jerry, the not so scary policeman was amazed that Aunt Blanche was 100 years old. He had never had a conversation with a person who lived 100 years. He seemed to enjoy it.
He explained the neighbors had phoned when they saw my truck in the alley.  Apparently they were used to relatives parking in front of the house. I always parked in the alley, but usually visited during the day when neighbors were at work.
 I was very grateful that they cared enough to notice.

Aunt Blanche will be 105 this year. If Jerry came over for a visit these days, and listened to her stories, he would probably arrest my cousin Signe's partner, Mike, who had the nerve (according to Blanchie),  to sit on her red chair!!! How dare he?


This was written in 2005 after a visit with Aunt Blanche. She went on & on about Mike sitting in her special red chair.

Being Human Is Such Fun

After an error in judgment or any old mistake, I've been known to make the comment, "Perfection is so boring".
Think about it! How much humor would exist if each day went by without someone having an embarrassing moment.  We may fail to see the humor until days, months or decades later.

Years ago we were at a boat launch on Lake Washington. We saw a boat go under water because the owner failed to set the emergency brake.
The owner was upset and embarrassed but I'm sure ( actually I hope) he enjoyed telling the story many times for many laughs.

Sentimental Journey 1994

Trapped in a dingy attic, covering the same area rats often travel,
sifting through eighty-four years of collecting, wondering why
Mom was driven to save each memory.

Family Miracle

Our daughter-in-law Debbie was told that her father had only a few weeks to live. His glucose was sky-high.
He was in the hospital receiving medication to keep him alive. The family asked that he be taken off  medication.
He started to improve and is now home doing much better. They hired a nutritionist to supervise his diet.
The family found out that someone had been giving him candy bars at the care facility.
I don't know the entire story. I do know that I already purchased a sympathy card and will not have to use it.
How great is that!

Culinary Memories 9/19/89

I Remember....
My father dressed in his chef's apron, preparing sausage, onion ,garlic, tomato, mushroom, generous portions of cheese, and a secret ingredient to complete the sauce that he would pour over  pasta. The odors filling our home promised pleasure.

I Remember...
The torment of having to say "no thank you" (a family rule) when Nonna Rosa offered her homemade oven fresh parkerhouse rolls.
I watched her grind beef, bacon, spinach, basil to add to her pasta sauce.The delicate reddish-orange color and subtle flavor was tempting but tasting it was not an option.
I was fascinated when she  poured  polenta into a large cloth covered bowl. She lifted out the cloth and turned it out onto a platter.  We did get to taste  little polenta balls filled with cheese that she made for us. Yum.


I remember....

Nonna Torlai serving a bowl of soup from a pot  consisting of one carrot swimming around in flavorless broth. The soup was accompanied by a bottle of frozen pop (soda). Nonna would set the pop on the top ledge of the coal and wood stove to thaw.
Dad apparently received his cooking talent from his Dad and his story telling talent from his mom.

I remember...

The first time I baked bread, the sticky dough made smooth by kneading, the relief when it began to rise, the aroma filling the kitchen as the bread baked, waiting until it was cool enough to slice, and the satisfaction I felt cutting through the golden brown, even textured loaf. The final reward was the feast of warm bread covered with melted butter enjoyed by the family.

Happy Birthday to Joe!

Drove to Kanaskat-Palmer State Park this morning. Lovely drive once you got out of all the little cities. The view of Mt. Rainier, the fields of cows, the three dead raccoons on the side of the road.( It can't all be beautiful)
Bought  gas at new Costco in Covington. We checked out the store.  Huge. As a special gift to Joe, I purchased nothing.
When we returned home  Joe found a gift from Mike on the bench.  There were also two messages for Joe.  We have such a great family.
We decided to take the day off and just spend time together. We should do this more often.

An added gift, Joe will get a day off from my roasted veggies.

Fun Sunday

Yesterday was a long and pleasant day.  After a lovely service, good homily by Fr. Ryan , excellent lector and
beautiful music, we drove, (while munching on cheese,crackers and fruit), to Liz's house to ride with them to Cross Country at Woodland Park.
Cross Country involved all parishes plus some private schools. Lots of runners. The grades were four through eight.  The course for older grades is 1.7 miles, up and down hills etc. Zoe and Sami both ran very well for OLG.

After the run we went back to Liz and John's for a birthday dinner for Joe. Our son, John, and Grandchildren, Sami and Alex were also there. Both families live in West Seattle.
Food was delicious. Liz prepared salmon, brussels sprouts and broccoli and our son John prepared ribs with pineapple.Liz also had pigs in a blanket for kids but we all had a taste. She used  Hebrew Nationals and an excellent bun. All food was delicious.
I wonder why our kids are  such good cooks. It must be the love of good food gene.
  I brought a cake which was OK. It was low carb version of a great recipe, that  I haven't perfected  as yet. Good taste, but texture a little crumbly. It was saved by a dollop of Tillamook Old Fashioned Vanilla ice cream.

Love to watch the Grandchildren visit. They were looking through Zoe's school annuals, getting a laugh at her old class photos.  Zoe is an old lady of 12. Sami and Alex are 13.  Really old.

Liz's husband, John brought out the cake complete with candles. Joe really appreciated everyone's thoughtfulness.
Then John asked Joe about his memories as a kid. WWII etc. It was interesting to hear Joe reminisce.

A Pleasant Surprise

Liz just phoned and wanted to give us tickets to a show. They thought they had a sittter for tonight but missed it by a week.   Liz said it would be Dad's birthday gift.  Dad and I talked it over and  decided we would rather have Zoe spend the night. Liz said she would talk  it over with Zoe and call me back. Zoe will be here at 4:30p.m..
She was promised a pizza for dinner if she did a good job cleaning her room, so I don't even have to cook for her.
Zoe or Zoey (she changed her name this year) is an interesting child and it's always fun spending time with her.

More later.

Beyond Our Power

.


The cycle of seasons
visits each year
filled with surprises

Squirrels prepare nests
corncob lined walls
carpet of leaves
pantry filled with apples


Brilliant fall foliage
burned by summer heat
begins to fall

In early winter
hidden nests come into view
nude trees show lines and forms
hidden by Spring and Summer wardrobe

Golden Years

Wisdom rests in furrowed brows
lines drawn by pen of age

For The Sake Of Beauty

Artifice

The bonsai tree in a shallow pot
may have grown to eighty feet
on the side of a mountain
til split by lightening

A gardener carefully prunes
whittles the nine inch tree
and croons,
"It is your nature to be small and cozy
domestic and weak;
how fortunate little one
to have a pot in which to grow."

With living creatures
one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth.
Bound feet and bosom
crippled brain
soft hands to caress.

"A" for Effort

Had a very good day. I returned two pair of jeans at Costco without receipt..no problem. Then back home to fill another bag for "Blind" pickup.  I managed to get another  filled before the truck arrived.
Then on to baking.
I've been trying out almond meal as a substitute for part of the flour in recipes to lower carbohydrates. So far, I've tried Huckleberry Coffee Cake, Beat & Bake Cocoa Cake  and Sourdough Chocolate Cake. The taste is fine but the texture is not right. All are in the freezer.  Joe can have a little on his birthday next week, the rest, I don't know. The wild huckleberry cake is the best. It  didn't raise as much as it should but at least it doesn't fall apart while being sliced.
Joe has been washing the house to ready it for painting in the spring.
We  cleared all plants away from the house to make room for his platform.  Filled about five wheel barrels. It actually looks better. Not quite so wild, just wild enough.
Taking the rest of the night off.  Think I'll play some solitaire.

The Impossible Dream

I was going to write something about the autumn leaves laying a carpet on our grass but I decided to share a dream I had last night.
Angela came up to me at choir practice and said she wanted to give me a baby shower. I was very excited and offered our home for the event.  She said that would be great and started making plans. Thank God I woke up before any thing further developed.

It reminds me of an old song.

I had the craziest dream last night, yes I did
I never dreamed it could be
But  there I was pregnant again




Photo is our son Steve's first trip to Disneyland. He was born six months later.

Grapes of Wrath

    
We wait for the grapes to ripen
and wonder if the deer will arrive
before we receive a share of the harvest..

The Wonders of Nature

A woodpecker pushes food towards the protruding beaks
in the dead hemlock.

Does the woodpecker scout out a dying tree and nest?
Or  hammer a healthy tree, helping it to an early demise?

The Vanishing Forest

Haunting sounds of an owl enter the room
Mating rituals? Hunting signals?
Conversation?
As the woods begin to disappear, I wonder.
Will I hear the owls again

I met a coyote in our driveway
Not a ragamuffin
A well coifed confident animal
We stared.  The coyote won.
Soon bulldozers will push away stumps and brush
Will the coyote return for a rematch?

Many animals live in our woods
Some tunnel deep into the rich earth
Others bed down on softly crushed branches
Where will they go?

How Aunt Blanche Met Uncle Bud

"Bud and I met at a house party (dance).  He asked me how I learned to dance.  I thought to myself, City Slicker!
We saw each other again at Earlington Dance Hall.  Mary Weber (neighbor) wanted to be Bud's partner for the prize dance. Mary pushed me out on the floor to dance with Mike Klepach  (another neighbor).  We all changed partners and when I was dancing with Bud, the judge said, "Stop the music, we have our winners." "

Blanche and Bud went on to win many dance contests e.g. Fox Trot contest on floating dance ship at Golden Gardens and were Renton Junction dance champions.
I asked Aunt Blanche if she watched "Dancing With The Stars".  Her answer." Bud and I were better."

Bud had various jobs. He traveled around to different fairs with his ponies.  Blanche  sold tickets for rides on the Shetland ponies.  Bud used to round up wild horses in Yakima.,take them through the Yakima river. He sold the horses.

.Later on in their marriage, Bud built their home.

Aunt Blanche loved motorcycles. Mike Albenesa (friend) would bring over his Harley Davidson for her to see. It wouldn't surprise me if she rode it.

Aunt Blanche loved to dance. They would dance from 2:00p.m. in the afternoon until 7:00a.m., then take the 35 cent round trip ride from Earlington to Seattle to work at the macaroni factory. Blanche would put her name in the macaroni boxes and servicemen  (WWI) would write to her. Two soldiers showed up at the factory so Blanche brought them home to Nonna's ( This was before Bud). They slept in the barn. I'm sure Nonna cooked them a good meal and Nonno supplied some of his home made wine.

When did they sleep?

Conversation With Aunt Blanche 2005

Conversations with Aunt Blanche are mostly reruns of former conversations. Blanchie is 103, still lives on her own and deserves the right to repeat herself.
Last night was different. In the middle of our conversation she said, "I wish I was sitting at the table in Mama's kitchen".
I paused for a moment, then told her that maybe heaven will be Nonna's kitchen.

Heaven is described in many ways..The dictionary e.g. " The abode of God, the angels, and the souls of those who are granted salvation". is one description.
A condition or place of great happiness, delight or pleasure, is another.

Each Sunday the family gathered for a simple supper. The sight of Nonna pouring the polenta into a cloth, the smell of her sauce, a salad bowl  filled with fresh greens from her garden, a feast for the eyes as well as the palette

Aunt Blanche wants to visit these times and experience again the love that was shared by the family.
Why not "Mama's Kitchen" for Aunt Blanche..

Photos taken at Aunt Blanche's 100th. birthday.

Aunt Blanche died in 2008...age 106

Little House on MacKenzie's Acres

 When we moved the shed away from the house, it brought back memories.  Joe built it years ago using wood salvaged from our barn.  I loved the old barn but it was getting to be a danger. Children  thought it was fascinating ( like" The Secret Barn") and would sneak in to have a look.  It was beyond repair so we had no choice but to bring it down.
We used it to store items we didn't want in the house. Right now it has garden tools, shoes etc.
I think it is very charming.  We thought about putting a half moon on the front but decided we'd be taking a chance that a garden gnome might leave souvenirs
.
The side of the garage shows the need for cleaning.
All the sedum in the photos is from one small plant I received from my Aunt Blanche years ago.