I’ve decided if I ever write my autobiography that I would title it, “From V-Mail to E-Mail.” Actually that would not be correct since I was here a while before V-Mail, and I expect that E-Mail will be here long after I am gone.
Thinking about all the changes that have occurred during that time frame is difficult to comprehend. Who would ever have thought we would have cellular phones today that take pictures, and that people can use to play games?
Understanding V-Mail is likely as foreign to the younger generation as E-Mail is to some of us in our senior years. V-Mail was a form of correspondence using stationery that could be purchased at the five and ten cent stores or at the post office. Both the military and the civilian population used this type of letters, which took much less time to deliver.
The sheets of paper were very thin and it has been reported that 1,700 V-Mail letters could fit into a cigarette packet.
Often times a section of the letters would be cut out, or possibly blacked out. Anything that might breach security was eliminated.
Surely I was born in the wrong generation, because I can still remember the three-cent stamp and a penny postcard. In Dallas we received two home deliveries of mail five days a week. On Saturdays, the mailman came once a day, and of course, no delivery on Sundays.
My niece recently sent me a copy of the schedule of price increases in mail delivery effective May 11. A regular stamp for mailing a letter will increase to 44 cents.
We have been reading and hearing of many newspapers that have discontinued publication due to rising expenses. My brother had a paper route in Dallas while he was in school. He delivered The Times Herald, which was the afternoon paper, while The Dallas Morning News was delivered in the morning.
Some years ago, The Times Herald discontinued publication. During the time my brother was a “paper boy”, the weekly cost of delivery was fifteen cents per week, or 65 cents a month.
Commenting on the increase of postage rates, my brother said he had been paying $57 per three months for The Dallas Morning News, but when he received his new bill last week, the price had increased to $90 per month.
In high school, newspapers were provided for us to read in our journalism class. We were expected to comment on the style and content of these papers. That is when I learned to appreciate the editorial columns and enjoy the views of the various authors. Before that, I only read the comic section.
Sometimes it seems that we are drowning in news on television, but news from different sources and different reporters is likely to give us a more balanced view at what is reported.
I suppose too many of us take our postal service and the newspapers for granted and assume they will always be available. In the past few years, I have come to believe the saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
4-22-2009
#431
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Cooking Is All in the Recipe
I haven’t a clue what subjects men talk about when they gather in a group. However, one subject that comes up quite often when women get together is recipes.
One of my friends says, “Where two or three are gathered together, there will be a casserole.” And of course, these casseroles must have a recipe.
A sister-in-law of my sister sold Tupperware for many years. Tupperware was shown and sold at parties in the homes of women who received some sort of bonus gift for hosting the party. Usually, a dessert was served at some point during this get-together.
My sister often told me about some of the delicacies that she learned from her relative. The now famous Hershey Cake recipe was passed on to me from my sister. Anytime my children were called on to provide a dessert for a fundraiser at school, they would request that I make a Hershey cake. Most of the time, these cakes were already spoken for by the time I put the cake in the oven.
Several years ago I got the urge to make one of these cakes. I found a problem when I tried to find five-cent Hershey bars that were called for in the recipe. I think I finally found the equivalent of eight five-cent bars that the recipe recommended.
Another favorite for school functions was homemade glazed donuts. The county agent’s wife had given me the recipe for these and I made good use of it. This chore went much easier when two persons were working together on it. Deep frying the donuts and then dipping them in the glaze required haste and teamwork, if they were to turn out well.
One good source of new recipes is at benefit dinners or potluck meals at church.
For several years I’ve gotten one or two new recipes at the noon meals served during Holy Week. These gatherings, sponsored by the local ministerial alliance, are scheduled so that a different church is responsible for the meal and the message each day during that week.
When the Baptist church had the meal and the service on Monday last week, I ate a sandwich of the most delicious pimento cheese that I have ever tasted. This sandwich filling was so smooth and rich, I’m sure that I received my entire calorie requirement for the day in that one sandwich half.
We also obtained the recipe for the outstanding potato-cheese soup that was served on Tuesday. We tried it out over the weekend and I told Starr I thought I could eat that everyday.
I still have many of my mother’s recipes that had been passed down from her mother. The problem with some of these is the lack of specific measurements of ingredients. Instead of ‘a teaspoon of soda’, the recipes often called for ‘a pinch of soda.’ Sometimes a little tweaking was required in the recipes.
One of the foster children who lived with our family for several years often went to her grandmother’s for the weekend. She came back on Sunday afternoon and would tell me about making a lemon pie at her grandma’s house. She would add, “Grandma didn’t have any lemons, so I just used cocoa and we had chocolate pie instead.”
She knew how to get the job done.
4-15-2009
#430
One of my friends says, “Where two or three are gathered together, there will be a casserole.” And of course, these casseroles must have a recipe.
A sister-in-law of my sister sold Tupperware for many years. Tupperware was shown and sold at parties in the homes of women who received some sort of bonus gift for hosting the party. Usually, a dessert was served at some point during this get-together.
My sister often told me about some of the delicacies that she learned from her relative. The now famous Hershey Cake recipe was passed on to me from my sister. Anytime my children were called on to provide a dessert for a fundraiser at school, they would request that I make a Hershey cake. Most of the time, these cakes were already spoken for by the time I put the cake in the oven.
Several years ago I got the urge to make one of these cakes. I found a problem when I tried to find five-cent Hershey bars that were called for in the recipe. I think I finally found the equivalent of eight five-cent bars that the recipe recommended.
Another favorite for school functions was homemade glazed donuts. The county agent’s wife had given me the recipe for these and I made good use of it. This chore went much easier when two persons were working together on it. Deep frying the donuts and then dipping them in the glaze required haste and teamwork, if they were to turn out well.
One good source of new recipes is at benefit dinners or potluck meals at church.
For several years I’ve gotten one or two new recipes at the noon meals served during Holy Week. These gatherings, sponsored by the local ministerial alliance, are scheduled so that a different church is responsible for the meal and the message each day during that week.
When the Baptist church had the meal and the service on Monday last week, I ate a sandwich of the most delicious pimento cheese that I have ever tasted. This sandwich filling was so smooth and rich, I’m sure that I received my entire calorie requirement for the day in that one sandwich half.
We also obtained the recipe for the outstanding potato-cheese soup that was served on Tuesday. We tried it out over the weekend and I told Starr I thought I could eat that everyday.
I still have many of my mother’s recipes that had been passed down from her mother. The problem with some of these is the lack of specific measurements of ingredients. Instead of ‘a teaspoon of soda’, the recipes often called for ‘a pinch of soda.’ Sometimes a little tweaking was required in the recipes.
One of the foster children who lived with our family for several years often went to her grandmother’s for the weekend. She came back on Sunday afternoon and would tell me about making a lemon pie at her grandma’s house. She would add, “Grandma didn’t have any lemons, so I just used cocoa and we had chocolate pie instead.”
She knew how to get the job done.
4-15-2009
#430
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Farmers Deserve to Grumble
Many people are becoming more pessimistic now that April has arrived and we still have not received the rains we need.
Growing up in a large city, I never thought much about the necessity of rain to produce food, fill the lakes and ponds and keep the earth green and lush. When it rained, we wore our raincoats and galoshes to school and that was it.
My husband grew up on a farm and understood about the need for moisture on a regular basis and how the people and the land suffered when rain was not available.
After Ray and I were married, I learned about the urgent need for moisture to produce vegetables and fruits, and to provide water for livestock and other animals. One aspect of this situation that had escaped me, was the need for rain to prevent and douse fires. This season has culminated in many damaging fires with the loss of lives, homes, businesses and in its wake, has left thousands of acres of scorched land.
When I was confronted with some of these facts, I recognized the truth in one of Ray’s favorite sayings: Farming is the greatest gamble on earth. Farmers are unable to control the weather and the price they will receive when marketing their products, whether cattle or vegetables.
If prices are high when farmers plant, then the crop costs more to produce. This happens frequently and then the price drops when the producer is ready to sell.
I do believe that few persons have a true appreciation for those who raise our food. If the price of food goes up, we complain that we can’t afford to buy those products. Rarely does the farmer benefit by a raise in the price of his crops.
My only experience of living on a farm was during my childhood when I spent time with my grandparents. My maternal grandparents lived in a very small town in Texas. I remember going into the garden with my Grandma and helping her pull up green onions and gathering some tomatoes for our evening meal.
She also allowed me to help her gather the eggs from the henhouse in the late afternoons. I never was allowed to milk the cow, not that I wanted to, but I spent many hours watching my grandpa milk their big Jersey cow.
My other grandparents actually lived out in the country, just a few miles from the town where Mother’s parents lived. My dad’s folks raised most of the food they consumed. In addition to raising vegetables, they killed hogs in the winter to provide bacon, ham and sausage for the family.
Watching my Grandma Stephens sit in her cane-bottom chair while churning milk into butter and buttermilk was a fascinating event for me.
As a small child, I was delighted when my grandma told me about the time she was churning and had to leave the kitchen for a short period of time. When she returned, she said my dad had put his little black puppy in the churn and every few seconds the puppy would jump up with his head just above the rim of the churn. She said the puppy had bits of butter all on his head and face.
Apparently, my dad just stood there watching the scene, while laughing all the time.
4-8-2009
#429
Growing up in a large city, I never thought much about the necessity of rain to produce food, fill the lakes and ponds and keep the earth green and lush. When it rained, we wore our raincoats and galoshes to school and that was it.
My husband grew up on a farm and understood about the need for moisture on a regular basis and how the people and the land suffered when rain was not available.
After Ray and I were married, I learned about the urgent need for moisture to produce vegetables and fruits, and to provide water for livestock and other animals. One aspect of this situation that had escaped me, was the need for rain to prevent and douse fires. This season has culminated in many damaging fires with the loss of lives, homes, businesses and in its wake, has left thousands of acres of scorched land.
When I was confronted with some of these facts, I recognized the truth in one of Ray’s favorite sayings: Farming is the greatest gamble on earth. Farmers are unable to control the weather and the price they will receive when marketing their products, whether cattle or vegetables.
If prices are high when farmers plant, then the crop costs more to produce. This happens frequently and then the price drops when the producer is ready to sell.
I do believe that few persons have a true appreciation for those who raise our food. If the price of food goes up, we complain that we can’t afford to buy those products. Rarely does the farmer benefit by a raise in the price of his crops.
My only experience of living on a farm was during my childhood when I spent time with my grandparents. My maternal grandparents lived in a very small town in Texas. I remember going into the garden with my Grandma and helping her pull up green onions and gathering some tomatoes for our evening meal.
She also allowed me to help her gather the eggs from the henhouse in the late afternoons. I never was allowed to milk the cow, not that I wanted to, but I spent many hours watching my grandpa milk their big Jersey cow.
My other grandparents actually lived out in the country, just a few miles from the town where Mother’s parents lived. My dad’s folks raised most of the food they consumed. In addition to raising vegetables, they killed hogs in the winter to provide bacon, ham and sausage for the family.
Watching my Grandma Stephens sit in her cane-bottom chair while churning milk into butter and buttermilk was a fascinating event for me.
As a small child, I was delighted when my grandma told me about the time she was churning and had to leave the kitchen for a short period of time. When she returned, she said my dad had put his little black puppy in the churn and every few seconds the puppy would jump up with his head just above the rim of the churn. She said the puppy had bits of butter all on his head and face.
Apparently, my dad just stood there watching the scene, while laughing all the time.
4-8-2009
#429
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Science of Procrastination
As my family and most of my friends know, I am a professional procrastinator. No doubt about it. Even so, I sometimes get ambitious to clean and organize my closets, drawers, cabinets and all other storage facilities in my home. However, it’s much easier to just think about what needs to be done than it is to get busy and do them.
A few weeks ago I heard of the county extension department’s scheduled upcoming session on procrastination and I thought ‘this is my chance. Perhaps I will be inspired if I attend this meeting.’ In fact I already had plans to give information in this column regarding the things I learned. You know, give the rest of the world the benefit of my newfound knowledge. So, I called and made reservations to attend.
However, as sometimes happens, something else more urgent happened in the meantime. Harold’s father-in-law passed away and the memorial service for him was set for the same day as the workshop. The service was held in Wichita Falls and with the threatening severe weather, Starr and I decided we should leave here early and that meant missing the meeting.
But, somehow over the weekend, I got the bug to begin changing the cluttered condition of my home, at least to make a genuine start. Sunday afternoon while we watched the basketball games, Starr and I took a drawer from the bureau and unloaded it on the dining table. After taking everything out of that drawer, we began to reorganize the contents. It always seems that no matter how much I discard, I usually end up with more to put back than I took out.
I must admit after the drawer was put back into the chest of drawers, it looked so good I just wanted to stand and look at it.
While the juices were still flowing, I was compelled to move on to another drawer. This dresser drawer was filled to overflowing with face powder, rouge, lipstick, tools for nail care, perfume and various other things.
Apparently, I was a wee bit over-ambitious because the drawer with all its previous contents, is still sitting on the dining table here on Monday morning.
Starr said she thought some of the things in that drawer had probably been around since she was in high school. I think that the core of my problem is that I am a packrat. One of my children often asks me, “Mom. are you still saving this?
My reply, ”Yes, I might need it one of these days.”
The rubber bands I’ve hoarded all these years have finally gone bad and break when I try to use them.
While Starr was searching in a cabinet recently, she found a small wooden board with a pad of tan paper attached. On the paper are the words: THINGS I’VE GOT TO DO SOMETIME.
An adaptation of a saying by Robert Burns in “To a Mouse,” is: The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Sometimes those plans can be revived or changed, but then other times it’s best to just let them go and start afresh.
4-1-2009
#428
A few weeks ago I heard of the county extension department’s scheduled upcoming session on procrastination and I thought ‘this is my chance. Perhaps I will be inspired if I attend this meeting.’ In fact I already had plans to give information in this column regarding the things I learned. You know, give the rest of the world the benefit of my newfound knowledge. So, I called and made reservations to attend.
However, as sometimes happens, something else more urgent happened in the meantime. Harold’s father-in-law passed away and the memorial service for him was set for the same day as the workshop. The service was held in Wichita Falls and with the threatening severe weather, Starr and I decided we should leave here early and that meant missing the meeting.
But, somehow over the weekend, I got the bug to begin changing the cluttered condition of my home, at least to make a genuine start. Sunday afternoon while we watched the basketball games, Starr and I took a drawer from the bureau and unloaded it on the dining table. After taking everything out of that drawer, we began to reorganize the contents. It always seems that no matter how much I discard, I usually end up with more to put back than I took out.
I must admit after the drawer was put back into the chest of drawers, it looked so good I just wanted to stand and look at it.
While the juices were still flowing, I was compelled to move on to another drawer. This dresser drawer was filled to overflowing with face powder, rouge, lipstick, tools for nail care, perfume and various other things.
Apparently, I was a wee bit over-ambitious because the drawer with all its previous contents, is still sitting on the dining table here on Monday morning.
Starr said she thought some of the things in that drawer had probably been around since she was in high school. I think that the core of my problem is that I am a packrat. One of my children often asks me, “Mom. are you still saving this?
My reply, ”Yes, I might need it one of these days.”
The rubber bands I’ve hoarded all these years have finally gone bad and break when I try to use them.
While Starr was searching in a cabinet recently, she found a small wooden board with a pad of tan paper attached. On the paper are the words: THINGS I’VE GOT TO DO SOMETIME.
An adaptation of a saying by Robert Burns in “To a Mouse,” is: The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Sometimes those plans can be revived or changed, but then other times it’s best to just let them go and start afresh.
4-1-2009
#428
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