Wayback Wednesday: A Tribute To Mr. Owl

Today I want to pay tribute to one of my favorite classic television commercial icons from my childhood, Mr. Owl!

The classic "How Many Licks?" Tootsie Pop commercial was created by the ad agency Doner, debuting in 1970 after a 1969 soft launch.

The original extended spot had a questioning boy ask a cow, a fox, and a turtle before reaching Mr. Owl. 

But eventually, the creators realized that the segment with Mr. Owl worked best on its own, leading to the tighter iconic 30-second cut most viewers know today.

Mr. Owl was voiced by legendary voice actor Paul Winchell, famous for voicing Tigger in Winnie the Pooh and Gargamel in The Smurfs. The questioning boy was voiced/played by Buddy Foster.

The narrator's closing line—"The world may never know"—became a permanent part of American pop culture. 

Over the decades, many real-life groups and student studies actually tested the math, finding it takes anywhere from 400 to over 1,000 licks to reach the chocolate center, proving Mr. Owl's "three licks" answer was purely playful.

Mr. Owl is such an iconic and honestly, endearing memory from my childhood that I actually recently purchased a t-shirt depicting his image. Interestingly enough, I was never a big fan of tootsie pops, although I do credit them with introducing me to the wonderful combination of orange and chocolate! To be honest, I'm not even sure what flavors they make anymore, is the orange flavor even still a thing?  Overall I was more of a tootsie roll girl. 

So what about you, do you have a favorite memory of a commercial from your childhood?  What was your favorite Tootsie Pop flavor?  Join the conversation in the comments! :)

Wayback Wednesday: A Forgotten Childhood Favorite - Love On A Rooftop

This week, quite to my surprise, I stumbled back onto a series from my childhood memory bank that I had almost completely forgotten—until the moment I saw it again and everything came rushing back.

I’m talking about Love On A Rooftop (1966–1967, ABC).

This short-lived single-season sitcom featured Alias Smith and Jones star Peter Deuel and Laugh-In favorite Judy Carne as a newlywed couple trying to make life work in a tiny top-floor walk-up apartment in San Francisco. Deuel played Dave Willis, an orphaned, working-class architect with a steady, grounded nature. Carne played Julie, an art student from a wealthy, well-connected family who brought a much more impulsive, free-spirited energy into the relationship.

And right there was the heart of it: contrast. Structure versus spontaneity. Practicality versus whimsy. A small apartment, a big city, and two young people trying to figure out how to share a life without driving each other completely mad in the process.

The series was created by Bernard Slade, who denied any intentional connection to Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park, the hugely successful 1963 stage play that later became a 1967 film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. But even at the time, comparisons were unavoidable. Industry insiders and audiences alike picked up on the similarities immediately.

And honestly, it’s not hard to see why.

You had the same basic blueprint: newlyweds navigating cramped urban living, a more rigid husband paired with a flightier wife, and the emotional growing pains of early marriage played for comedy. Even the “tiny apartment as battleground and sanctuary” idea feels like it was very much of that creative moment in television.

What’s interesting is that Barefoot in the Park eventually became its own television series in 1970, though it only lasted about six months. In a strange twist, Love On A Rooftop—the earlier and less remembered show—arguably handled the premise with a bit more charm and sincerity. There’s something about its softer edges that feels less theatrical and more lived-in.

And really, this format wasn’t an isolated experiment. Once Barefoot in the Park proved successful, television leaned heavily into this “young couple in the city” formula throughout the late 1960s and into the 1970s. Shows like The Occasional Wife and Bridget Loves Bernie continued exploring variations of the same idea: romance under pressure, identity clashes, and domestic comedy framed through modern relationships.

Despite its charm and a strong cast, Love On A Rooftop never made it past its first season. The reasons were pretty typical for the era—declining ratings, an unfortunate time slot, and the general volatility of network decision-making in the 1960s. ABC, in particular, was struggling throughout much of the decade, often ranking last among the major networks and frequently pulling the plug on shows before they had a chance to find their footing.

Behind the scenes, there were also rumors of tension between Judy Carne and Peter Deuel. Accounts suggested a difficult “love-hate” dynamic at times, with friction reportedly tied to professionalism and punctuality issues. Whether exaggerated by hindsight or not, it added another layer of strain to a show already fighting uphill for survival.

And yet, watching it today—or even just remembering it—it doesn’t feel like a failure. It feels like a time capsule.

There’s a softness to Love On A Rooftop that stands out now, especially in contrast to how fast and fragmented television has become. It captures a very specific kind of optimism about marriage, independence, and city life. Not perfect, not polished—just two people trying to build something together in a space barely big enough for the idea.

Looking back, I think that’s what makes rediscovering shows like this so meaningful. They weren’t just entertainment. They were reflections of what people hoped early adulthood might feel like—messy, funny, slightly chaotic, but still worth building.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what a forgotten sitcom gives you back: not just nostalgia, but a reminder of how many different ways life has been imagined before our own version of it ever began.

Here's the pilot episode, if you're interested.  The quality is not that great, but then . . . that's kind of part of the fun! Ironically the narrator for this episode is  Don Porter, who worked with Deuel prior to this series on Gidget! 

and, if you've never seen the movie, Barefoot In The Park, 

here's the opening credits

if you want to watch the full movie, it's available to rent or buy on Prime. 

From The Archives: My Mom's Recipe Box

I suppose it did me little good to schedule all those posts while we were away on vacation, just to come back home and not post anything for over a week! Sometimes I think it takes as much time to recover from vacation as it does to go on one! Anyway, I play to be posting new content again soon, but for today I thought I would share this post from the archives, originally dated 10/23/19, so it's been awhile! I hope you enjoy it, and I'll chat with you again soon!

When I was creating the graphics for another post, I came across some clip art that reminded me so much of a recipe card my mom had when I was little, that I immediately retrieved her recipe box (a treasured keepsake), to see if she had filed any of them away.  But sadly, no.  However looking through the box (which is 90% cakes, pies and cookies), stirred up a lot of emotions.

It's no surprise to me that regardless of the fact that there were dividers for a number of different food groups, that it was overflowing with recipes for sweets. My mom LOVED to bake, and it was the one thing she did right up to the end of her life that still seemed to bring her a lot of joy.  Though glaucoma had robbed of her much of her sight, she could still see well enough to bake things, though admittedly at times the measurements were, shall we say, a tad off.  In her later years she stuck to recipes that she had made so many times she knew them by heart (mostly), and on a few occasions she had me take one of the cards from this very box and write it out in VERY large print on several sheets of paper so she could read it.

I knew this box was old, but it wasn't until today that I noticed her maiden name scratched in the top, so now I'm thinking she may have been collecting recipes even before she met and married my dad, and as you can see it is well worn.

Of course in the picture at the top she is not quite old enough to be doing much in the kitchen, I think she once told me that this was her first grade school picture. But in going through some old family pictures recently, I laughed at how many there are of my mom in the kitchen, like the one below. My dad raved about my mom's cooking, and she loved cooking for him, so I'm really not surprised.  Several of the recipes in this box I know she's had since the 70's because I remember her making them.  But I think some of them may be even older than that. Looking at her familiar script is comforting, in an odd sort of way.  A little piece of her that I still have with me.

And while this isn't the same Apple Cobbler recipe that is shown on the card in the picture, I thought it might be fun to include one here as well.  To be honest, the recipe on the card didn't sound very good to me, and I never once recall my mother making it.

❈ Apple Cobbler

7 to 8 large (9 cups) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4-inch
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, melted
Ice cream, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F.  and place sliced apples in ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish.

Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in bowl; sprinkle over apples.

Combine remaining cinnamon, flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder and salt in bowl; mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apples. Pour melted butter over topping. Bake 45-55 minutes or until lightly browned and apples are tender.  Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

Do you have a collection of recipe cards written out in your grandmother or mother's familiar hand?  And isn't it lovely to have such treasures?   What is one recipe from your childhood that you remember someone in your family making and do you still make it today?  For me it my mom's chocolate pie, which I make every Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I'll be sharing that recipe here with you soon!  Until then, leave your memories (and recipes), in the comments!

❊

From The Archives: Books From My ChildhoodFor The Love Of Cozy Homes

I'm out of town today at a follow up doctor's appointment with my daughter. With that, I thought I'd share one of my favorite posts from my archives.  These books, depicting cozy scenes of home, seem fitting in this season. I just shared links to Autumn Story by Jill Barklem in my post this past Saturday, and this will direct you to a few more. And while we no longer live in an apartment in the city (when this post was originally written), I will say that our little homestead in the country definitely shows the influence of these lovely books! And with that, here's the original post, I hope you'll enjoy!

Originally posted April 27, 2023

I finished reading A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration and the Meaning of Home by Henry Cole, on Thursday.  It's a lovely book about a little mouse that lives in a great house on a plantation and befriends a young boy who carries her around in his pocket. Celeste faces several trials and adventures in the story, but has a gift for curating a safe and cozy home wherever she finds herself. At one point in the story she ventures up into the attic and comes across a doll house, just fit for a mouse, and temporarily makes it her home.  Here's a passage from the chapter that I think is just lovely!

"Celeste began straightaway to clean and make order of her new home. Now that the house was bright and cheery, and its contents easy to see, she could open drawers, explore cabinets, shake out linens, polish brass, shine crockery and sweep floors.

And that she did. She made a small broom using feathers from. the old mattresses, and a rag from a bit of mattress ticking. Soon the floors and the walnut staircase glowed. She dusted and polished the chandelier and glass cabinet doors.

An inventory of the dining room cabinet revealed a lace tablecloth, four china plates with matching cups and saucers, and a china serving platter. In one drawer, Celeste found several tiny serving candles, partially melted from the summer heat in the attic.

She pulled one of the chairs from the living room out on to the windowsill. The missing pane afforded her the chance of catching a passing breeze, and from her perch she could see the comings and goings of the plantation below.

Celeste felt contented after days of hard work. She straightened one last picture, fluffed up a sofa cushion, and then at last made her way to her bedroom."

- A Nest for Celeste

by Henry Cole

I don't know about you, but being a lover of homekeeping and creating cozy spaces for myself and my family, this just speaks to my soul! I could envision myself stepping right into that scene and helping Celeste set everything to right. I thrive on bringing order to chaos! This particular book was one that I discovered while homeschooling my girls, but the book that began it all was one I received when I was probably about six years old.

It all started with  Miss Suzy, which is the tale of little gray squirrel "who lives all by herself in the tip tip top of a tall oak tree." To this day I dream of living in a tree house, and I'm apparently not alone (I like #15 and #28). Like Celeste, Miss Suzy was forced for a time to take up residence in an attic doll house, where she discovers a small box of wooden soldiers who come to her aide in recovering her lovely tree top home. I don't want to give too much away in case you've never read it.

"Miss Suzy liked to cook, she liked to clean, and she liked to sing while she worked. Every morning Miss Suzy made herself a bowl of acorn pudding. And as she stirred it around she sang, "Oh I love to cook, I love to bake, I guess I'll make an acorn cake". After that she swept her moss carpet with a little broom she made from acorn twigs. Then she dusted her firefly lamps and rinsed her acorn cups and put her whole house in order."

- Miss Suzy

by Miriam Young

Reading those words is like coming home, so precious and familiar. They sweep me right back to the tiny bedroom in the north west corner of my childhood home where I first discovered this delightful story. If i could point to a moment when my love for all things homey and cozy was first instilled in my heart, it was upon reading this delightful little story. If you've never read it and don't want to bother with purchasing a copy or finding one at the library, I found a lovely reading of it, here.

I have many fond memories from my childhood of seeking out small spaces, which for a time was a corner of our garage, and transforming them into the most magical places. I recall when Cinderella was banished to the attic, and Rapunzel to the top of the tall tower, how lucky they were to be able to make a home in these more secluded, rustic spaces, and to keep company with the field mice and the birds. Though quiet honestly, on the few occasions when a mouse did make its way into our home, I was not welcoming! For a time, I did have a desire to keep a tiny mouse in a cage complete with a teacup, but as I've grown older I'm more content to imagine the adventurous lives they lead in the forest.

There were other books throughout my childhood, and in raising my girls that I've loved for their cozy depictions of home and coziness. Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, in my opinion is one of the most descriptive of the series when it comes to painting the scene of coziness.

"There were slabs of tempting cheese, there was a plate of quivering head cheese, there were glass dishes of jams and jellies  and preserves and a tall pitcher of milk, and a steaming pan of baked beans with a crisp bit of fat pork in the crumbling brown crust.

Almonzo ate the sweet, mellow baked beans. He ate the bit of salt pork that melted like cream in his mouth. He ate mealy boiled potatoes, with brown ham gravy. He ate the ham. He bit deep into velvety bread spread thick with butter, and he ate the crisp golden crust. He demolished a small heap of pale mashed turnips, and a hill of stewed yellow pumpkin. Then he sighed and tucked his napkin deeper into the neck back of his red waist. And he ate plum preserves and strawberry jam, and grape jelly, and spiced watermelon rind pickles. He felt very comfortable inside Slowly he ate a piece of pumpkin pie."

- from Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Chapter 2 - Winter Evening

That passage makes me hungry just reading it!

Some of my daughter's favorite books that likewise depict cozy scenes of home is the Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem.

- Winter Story

- Spring Story

- Summer Story

- Autumn Story

Which tells the story of the seasonal adventures of a community of mice who live in a little township called Brambly Hedge. I think I may have shared these links before, but they were made into a tv series in the UK, and you can find them on You Tube, Winter Story, Spring Story, Summer Story, Autumn Story.

I'm planning on watching Autumn Story over the weekend! I don't know if any of you are cartoon lovers in your adult years, but as with so many of the things I love, including old movies and old sit-coms, cartoons evoke that simpler time of my life as a child and in raising my children. And while I don't live in or dwell too much on the past, in this day and age, with how quickly the world is changing, there is just something about watching them that is like pulling up a soft warm blanket to shelter and cover me from the cold world.

And finally, I want to end by sharing another of my daughter's favorite cozy home books from her childhood,  TumTum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall by Emily Bearn. Here's a passage from the opening chapter.

"Once there were two married mice called Mr. & Mrs. Nutmouse, and they lived in great style. They had a big rambling house with a ballroom, and a billiards room, and a banqueting room, and a butler's pantry and just about every other sort of room a married couple might want. (There were thirty-six rooms in all.)

The house was called Nutmouse House, and it was situated in the broom cupboard of a small home dwelling called Rose Cottage. A broom cupboard might not sound like a very grand place for a home, but this broom cupboard was special. It had creamy white walls, mottled red tiles on the floor and a tiny sash window hidden behind a curtain of honeysuckle."

- TumTum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall

by Emily Bearn

And I'll simply leave you with that little morsel to wet your appetite for more! The book is filled with such depictions as it whisks you away on Mr. and Mrs. Nutmouse's adventures. It was one of the last books that I recall from Kate's childhood. She was eleven years old when it was first published and we discovered it one day on a trip to Target. I fondly recall reading it together under the big oak tree that stood at the side of our little farmhouse, images of a real cozy home where we lived happily for many years.

Our apartment today, while an apartment in a larger city, is perhaps not equally as cozy, but cozy just the same, and these books are the inspiration for it all! Are you a cozy home keeper, and are there any books from your childhood or even today, that inspire you with their words and sweet scenes of home? I'd love for you to share if you have one or two to recommend. I'm always eager to learn of a new book I might not be aware of yet, and I love to find kindred spirits who've lingered long over the pages of their favorites! Let me know if any of the titles I've mentioned are ones that are familiar to you, and if not, then if you enjoy reading children's literature for yourself or to share with your children or grand children, I can't recommend any of these titles enough! They are a sweet balm for the soul, and I hope you will find delight in them!

★

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Retro Rewind - .01

Being born in the 60’s and growing up in the 70’s, I have so many wonderful memories of those years! Even though politically those were turbulent years (not unlike today), it’s my opinion at least, that those were some of the best years to be a kid! I fondly recall many of my favorite foods and snacks, toys, restaurants and trends from that era, and I love reminiscing about them. 

I wrote this post, Retro Rewind, with the intention of it becoming a regular topic from time to time, about a year ago now. But as is often the case, it got lost in the archives. So today I’m reposting it with plans to revisit it and take a look back on the golden era of childhood. If you didn't grow up in the 60's and 70's, perhaps your parents or grandparent's did and you'll learn a little about what life was like for them. And if you did grow up in that era, I hope these posts will take you on a little trap down memory lane. So, let's jump right in, shall we?

FAVORITE FOODS

Pillsbury's Funny Face Drink Mix

As a child I absolutely loved Funny Face Drink Mix. My personal favorite was Goofy Grape, but I also liked Freckle Face Strawberry and Choo Choo Cherry. I recall liking Kool Aid, as well, but I was drawn to the cute characters of the Funny Face drinks. Do you remember Funny Face Drink Mix, and if so, what was your favorite flavor? 

Here's a link to a commercial from the 1960's.

FAVORITE STORES

Kresge's Dime Store

I have so many fond memories of Friday evenings with my family, which often found us at Richland Plaza Mall (now owned by the local school district). We would often eat dinner at Pancho's Mexican Buffet, which had the best refriend beans I have ever tasted, and the sopapilla's, oh my! And then after dinner we would usually walk over to one of my favorite stores, Kresge's Dime Store. In my memories of that time I got .50 a week for allowance, which in a 5-10 store went pretty far. It wasn't until I was an adult that I discovered that Kresge's went on to become K-Mart, which oddly, I never cared for as much. The store we shopped was in a mall, so there wouldn't have been a stop light on the corner, but I do recall the storefront looking very much like the one in this image. 

FAVORITE CHILDREN'S TELEVISION SHOWS

School House Rock

Aw, School House Rock! Who would have believed that watching a simple cartoon short in the early years of my childhood would help me ace my senior government final, but it's true. A few of my favorites were Unpack Your Adjectives, Conjunction Junction and Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here (can you tell I loved English Grammar?). And then there was the one that helped me ace my exam, The Preamble of The Constitution. 

There's a playlist on You Tube that claims to have all the videos, I didn't peruse it too closely so I'm not sure if they are all included, or not, but there are a number of them.  And if you love School House Rock you can purchase them on DVD from Amazon. (ASSOCIATE LINK).

And with that, I think I'll wrap this first edition up! I hope you've enjoyed reminiscing with me! If you had a favorite store from your childhood or a favorite School House Rock song, I'd love to hear! Share in the comments! 

❊

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From Grandma's Kitchen: A Recipe From My ChildhoodPotato Panckes!

 Last week I was watching a video on You Tube and came across a recipe I had completely forgotten about and remember fondly from my childhood, Potato Pancakes! I hadn't had these, as far as I can recall, since the last time my mom made them for me for breakfast and if my memory serves me correctly, that was probably when I was in elementary school!

Potato Pancakes are a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes, and since that is one dish I tend to make enough of to feed an army, I almost always have plenty on hand! And as it happens, I had just made mashed potatoes this past weekend, and so this morning I fried up a batch for breakfast!

These are so good, especially if you like potatoes as a side with your breakfast, which I have always loved!  This brought back such fond memories from my childhood, and I'm so happy to have been retintroduced to them, I wanted to share the recipe with you. I looked up several recipes and finally arrived at this one and I don't think I'll change a thing. They tasted just as I remembered!

POTATO PANCAKES

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

l large egg

1/3 cup all purpose flour, plus more if needed

1/2 tsp. salt, plus more for sprinkling

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Sour cream, grated cheese to serve (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, egg, flour, salt and pepper until well combined. The mixture should be moist but not wet; check to see if you can form a small amount into a pattie without it sticking. If the potatoe mixture is too wet, add more flour 1 tbsp. at a time.

Add oil to a large cast iron skillet until it covers the bottom by about 1/4 inch. Heat the oil on medium high (on my oven that is between 6-7), and fry the potato panckes (in batches if necessary) until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Drain on paper towesl and sprinkle with salt. Serve hot plain or sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese, chopped green onions and dollop of sour cream.

Small Things - First Saturday in March 2024

"Life is not, for most of us, a pageant of splendor, but is made up of many small things, rather like an old fashioned piecework quilt. No two people have the same, but we all have our own, whether it be listening to Beethoven's fifth with a beloved friend, or seeing a neighbor at the back door with a basket of white dahlias. Or after a long, hard day, having the family say, "That was a good supper."

- GLADYS TABER

In no particular order, here are six SMALL THINGS that have saved me this week.

1. If you've been visiting with me here, then it will come as no surprise to you that I LOVE old movies and sitcoms. 90% of what I watch are movies and sitcoms from the 50's, 60's and a few from the 70's. So I was overjoyed when I came across this YouTube channel, Keeping Walt in Disney, which "celebrates the Disney of Walt's era", which I'm sure at least most of us can agree (at least if you're my age!), was the best! I hardly know where to begin! Will it be, Savage Sam, The Three Lives of Thomasina, Beyond Witch Mountain? The collection is vast and memorable! If you loved watching Walt Disney as a child, take a trip down memory lane and revisit a beloved classic!

2. As I said, I watch very little in the way of modern day television, but if and when I do it's usually on PBS. I just finished watching Season 4 of All Creatures Great and Small, and let me tell you, this series is my current personal favorite! Have you seen it? It's available with a subscription to Masterpiece through Prime Video, or you can also subscribe through PBS, which is what I do. I've started over from the beginning now with Season 1 and I'm amazed at how much I had forgotten! I heard just this week that they are currently filming Season 5 and there will be a Season 6! And to top if off, one of my favorite characters, Tristan Farnon is returning this coming season!

3. discipleship.org I haven't spoken much about my spiritual life in recent months, well, let's be honest, I haven't spoken on much of anything. But that is, in part, because of the deep work the Holy Spirit has done and is continuing in my life. Perhaps I'll share more in an upcoming post, we'll see. I have spoken before about the profound impact that John Mark Comer and these videos have made on my life in recent years.  John Mark has recently written a book, Practicing The Way (AFFILIATE LINK), which speaks to this same subject, as well. I am going to be reading it soon with a friend of mine, and from there we may begin meeting with a small group of women who are interested in reading it as well, and then who knows, we'll see where the Holy Spirit takes us. discipleship.org has a wealth of free ebooks that I've been perusing, as well, some along the same line of thought as Practicing The Way. If you're interested in learning more about a more ancient, holistic, relational, embodied and emotional model of discipleship, I encourage you to check out the Practicing The Way videos, reading the book, or look through the offerings at discipleship.org.

4. This post I read on Facebook this week, "I want to be a come as you are friend" Kind of in line with the small group my friend and I are considering starting up this year.  I listened to a podcast this week that spoke to this as well. So many people feel like they can't come to church in their brokenness, so they put on this false self in order to be accepted. And I'm just shaking my head thinking, if you can't be broken you and saved you at the same time? This was never a prerequisite for Jesus, and the church needs to have the same capacity as Jesus. Either that, or stop saying "come as you are" when what they really mean is, "come until we find out". Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of churches that are doing this well, I'm not here to call out specific churches (althought I could). I'm talking Big C church, as in natinal/global. We need to do better, and I want to be a part in that!

5. This recipe for Big Mac Smash Burger Tacos. Can't say it's actually saved me, because we haven't made them yet. But I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since I saw it. Weird thing is I'm not even much of a Big Mac fan, like I NEVER order it! But I have had it, and something about this recipe just has me intrigued. Part of me thinks why mess with tacos, especially with a Big Mac? But I'm going to have to try thig one. Have you made this? What are your thoughts? Watch for a follow up post soon.

6. The Cold and Flu Bomb.  I mentioned in my post yesterday that I've been battling some upper respiratory crud this week. We actually had to take our daughter to the ER this week and she ended up being diagnosed with pneumonia, which kind of freaked me out, since I already had symptoms. Things did get worse for me, but never along the lines of her symptoms. Still, I've felt pretty crummy for several days now, but yesterday things finally took a turn for the better. I attribute it to the recipe that I am about to share with you. It brought me back from the worst case of flu I've ever had in my life a few years ago, and whatever it is I've been fighting this week couldn't stand up to it.  I had actually forgotten about it (HOW??), until I became so frustrated with all of the OTC treatments I'd been pushing for days.  Two doses of this and that same night I was already feeling relief. I'm still not quite 100%, but I'm still taking it and every day I feel better than the last. If you ever get the flu or just a really bad cold, this stuff works!

COLD AND FLU BOMB

*1 clove or garlic, minced

*1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 Tablespoon of honey (local is best)

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Juice of 1 lemon (organic)

Add this to 1/2 hot, 1/2 cold filtered water. Should be warm, but not too hot. Drink 2-3 x per days until symptoms subside. 

*The minced garlic and ginger may float to the bottom. I mince mine fine and they still find their way to the bottom of the cup.  I use a spoon and stir it as I drink and also spoon the piece up and put them in the mouth and then chase it with the liquid. The garlic and ginger are essential to fighting colds and flu, so don't let it sink to the bottom and stay there! Get every last piece!

❊

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Twelve Things In Tribute To My Grandmother On Her Birthday

My paternal grandmother, Irene Hooper Hutsell, was born on this day in 1902, and to honor her I thought I would share twelve things about her.

1. Her family once owned a significant amount of land in Keller, Texas and what is now South Lake. But when her father died when she was eight years old, her mother sold most of it to support herself and her three children. 

2. She did not have a middle name. 

3. She grayed very early in life (attributed to scarlet fever) and always seemed old to me. By the time I was born she had a full head of silvery white hair. She was 59 the year I was born, an age I have now surpassed, yet I don't feel as old as she seemed to me as a child.

4. She could grow anything, and had beautiful vegetable and flower gardens. A trait that sadly, did not pass on to me 

5. She lived her entire life in Keller, Texas. The house she lived in throughout my lifetime is now the parking lot of a Baptist Church. But at the back of the property where the house used to stand, is a patch of grass that was never disturbed, and every time I visit Texas I make that trip, take off my shoes and bury my toes deep into that soil. 

6. She had false teeth that never fit right and were prone to slipping out of her mouth. Because of that, she would grit her teeth in public when she spoke, giving her a stern demeanor. But the minute she got home, she would take them out and her entire composure changed. She had a soft, wrinkly smile and wild hair. That’s the way I prefer to remember her.

7. She never learned to drive.

8. She was an excellent cook and I have several of her recipes. I will never be as good as her, but that’s a trait that did pass on to me. 

9. She never had much and her house was very old, but I learned how to make any home inviting by her example. Her home was always cozy, and warm. 

10. I was born on my grandparent's 39th wedding anniversary, November 11, 1961.

11. She LOVED magazines and always had several on the coffee table that she was perusing. She cut out the Betsy McCall paper doll from McCall's magazine every month and would have it waiting for me to play with when we came to visit!

12. She was a devout member of the Church of Christ and “disowned” me in 1982 when I married a Baptist. She didn’t have anything, so she basically never spoke to me again. I’m a lot like her in many ways, and just as stubborn, so I told myself I didn’t care and went on with my life. When she died I found out that she kept a picture of me in my wedding dress beside her bed. I also learned a few years ago that her grandfather was a Baptist preacher and her own mother (his daughter), was raised a Baptist. I often wonder how her grandfather felt about his daughter leaving the Baptist church, maybe he disowned her, too? At any rate, if I allowed myself to linger long in regret, not mending that relationship would be one. She’s one of the first people I hope to see again in heaven. We have a lot of time to make up for!

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Grandma!

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