Thank God it’s Monday, again. I’m always grateful for Mondays, as they’re my 52 Chances a year, in which I get to share Memories of My Mom with you. Therefore, happy Monday.
A week from Thursday is Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas and Hanukkah, four weeks later. Plus, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated the next week. Not to mention, there are more observances in between all of those.
Most will agree that Thanksgiving is the star holiday of November, which fittingly is National Gratitude Month, among other things. Before we start considering our New Year’s resolutions, let us first start recognizing all those things (and people) for which we are grateful and thankful.
Mom often wrote about finding the blessings in any given day or moment; good and bad, alike. She also wrote about finding happiness in every day we’re given to be here because she truly believed that every new day is a turning point and everyday came with some sort of blessing in it.
That’s just how she was raised, being grateful for something everyday – not just for Life’s gifts and the joyful moments, but also for Life’s challenges from which she had the opportunity to learn and grow.
FROM MOM’S MEMORIES…
‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE THANKFUL AND/OR JOLLY
By Gloria Pitzer – Recipe Detective
As seen in… No Laughing Matter [her syndicated series of articles (circa 1970s – 1980s)]
I AM CONCERNED THAT each year it becomes more and more difficult to find the tradition of Thanksgiving being celebrated with the same spirit that we enjoyed in our childhood, and our parents in theirs. You certainly don’t have to celebrate the occasion extravagantly.
And you don’t have to feel that the glorious glossy photos in the countless magazines on the newsstands have set the standard that we must be obligated to follow. The world has always had its poor and unemployed, and people have always gone to bed hungry in every generation.
When our children were very small and our struggles seemed hopeless, I remember that had it not been for our backyard garden, a few apple and pear trees in the back, and good fishing in the river “out front”, we would have sent our children to bed hungry, many a night. But we didn’t.
Being products of the [Great] Depression of the 1930s, Paul and I remember how to make more from less, during those times. It was always sufficient. And we always looked toward the day when there might be “more”, making it a goal that enabled us to take on many an undesirable job for meager pay, just to keep going.
Our married daughter still has the rag doll I made her one of those Christmas holidays, designing it from one of my old skirts and blouses, stuffing it with old nylons.
I had forgotten all about it, until I saw the pathetic little thing sitting on her dresser, one day, and said it looked familiar. She keeps it, she confessed, to remind her of how much she has now and how far we have come, by working hard and caring!
Thank Heaven that for every 10 people you meet, who don’t care about anyone or anything these days, you’ll meet one who does! It isn’t a national statistic, but there’s every reason to believe it’s a growing epidemic that has us believing it’s now unfashionable to be either thankful and/or jolly!
It’s a wonder somebody didn’t try to cancel Christmas! I mean, after all, most people seem to forget that problems aren’t necessarily promises – lasting conditions that can’t be cured so must, therefore, be endured!
Maybe our biggest problem these days is that people don’t seem to like each other as much as they used to. I saw a sign in our local catalog store, advertising a new game to give for Christmas. It’s a jigsaw puzzle for folks you don’t like. None of the pieces fit together and the four corners are missing!
There was a time when people DID like each other, that our manners were morals, and discarding litter on the public roadside wasn’t considered a problem of the ecology but bad manners.
When was the last time you could nod, smile, and say “hello” to a stranger in a supermarket or on the main street of town and not get a look right back that said, “What in the world are you talking to me for?”
Even traffic signs have changed from an ordinary “Please, approach intersection with care” to little drawings that totally eliminate language. The walk/don’t walk signs fascinate me the most. It’s as if they were invented to give you something to think about, as you cross against the light.
On the other hand, in downtown Pearl Beach, where we have lived a long time, they always have to be different. We have one traffic sign that reads: “Walk!”, “Don’t walk!”, and “Run like the devil!”
A lot of people aren’t even going to have the traditional turkey at their holiday dinner table. If you’ve seen the prices lately, than you know why we now say that “a bird in the hand” isn’t even worth anything, unless you can get financing. Money may not buy happiness anymore but it can sure get you an appointment with the IRS!
It’s difficult to live in a world that now bases its entire system of values on the dollar – difficult but not impossible. Perhaps we have also forgotten to be thankful, really thankful for the good; since today, We’ve made television our bible and the news analysts our priests.
We have replaced that “poor-but-honest” image of the founding American with a hopelessness that things will never be right again, unless we get everything we want, rather than be thankful if we only get what we “need”!
In other words, we should be thankful for the good already received before we can expect to receive more but we forget. And the television news analysts continue to harp on our hangups.
But in a fine print reference, I noted one news commentator talking about the millions of Americans that will be eating “stale bread” this Thanksgiving, forgetting to mention that the cookbooks call it “stuffing”.
If we can’t think of one thing to really be thankful and/or jolly about this year, perhaps we should consider what would’ve happened to us, had our pilgrim ancestors decided to celebrate that first Thanksgiving with STEAK!
Mom’s faith was always a part of her writing, just as writing was always a part of her faith. She wrote her own daily devotionals, in journal after journal for most of her life. Over the decades, Mom was greatly influenced, in her writing, by many different, talented women.
One such lady was Maya Angelou, whose story, by David Holstrom, was in a 1993 issue of the Christian Science Monitor; revealing how her devotion to writing developed with “the yellow pad”, which greatly re-inspired Mom to write more about those things for which she, herself, was grateful.
Mom wrote about Maya’s story on page 10 of her Secret Recipes QuarterlyTM [newsletter (Winter 1994/1995)]. Maya had gone “to her voice teacher in mental turmoil over having to leave her child in Europe when she returned to the States. Frightened for her sanity, she told her teacher that she thought she was going mad.”
Mom went on to tell how Maya’s teacher – instead of showing her pity – had given her a yellow pad of paper and told her to write down all of her blessings on it. Apparently Maya was frustrated, as that wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
Her teacher insisted, though; suggesting she start there – with the fact that she could HEAR him! Continuing on, he pointed out that she could SEE the page and could HOLD the pen and so on!
Mom added that Maya had also said, in her interview with Mr. Holstrom, “before I reached the end of the page, I was transformed. So, everything I have written, every book, every stage play, every screenplay, was written on a yellow pad. As soon as I pick it up, I am reminded of my blessings.”
Born and bred in Christian Science, with some Jewish, Catholic, and Lutheran influences, as well – Mom was a very devout Christian. No matter the problems or struggles she encountered, she never lost faith that God had a plan for her.
From her parents’ influence, Mom would always try to find something in every day from which to learn, as well as for which to be grateful. Mom not only wrote about her faith in her own personal journals but also in all of her cookbooks and newsletters. She always found space to feed the soul.
Being grateful for anything and everything is as much a part of the preparation for Thursday’s big celebration as the turkey and all the trimmings that will grace our tables as we gather together, to feast. Have you paused to consider giving thanks – not only in prayer before your Thursday meal but also directly, to everyone with whom you come in contact?
Thank your cashier at the busy grocery store and the stocking clerk who found that one item for which you were looking high and low. Thank the person who delivers your mail, as well as those who collect your trash. Thank the police officers and fire fighters that protect your neighborhood. The list can be endless, but it takes only a second to say, “thank you”.
Set up a “gratitude app” on your phone, if that will help remind you to take a second or two out of your day to be grateful for something, anything. Focus on the simple things that surround you and be grateful for all you have. Life is short and fragile. All it takes is one unexpected moment or small event to change everything!
LAST THOUGHTS…
Mom was always grateful for her fans, who kept her inspired with new requests for imitating famous dishes and grocery products. She was also very thankful to all the media sources that interviewed, wrote, and talked about her copycat cookery concept.
As Thanksgiving approaches, let’s pause daily, for a second, to be grateful. Whenever possible, tell someone “thank you” or “I appreciate you”. Everyone appreciates being appreciated and an ounce of gratitude is figuratively worth a pound of gold.
Don’t forget, it’s Family Stories Month and National Life Writing Month. Thanksgiving’s gathering is the perfect time to start recording your family’s favorite stories of each other – plus, that/those for which/whom they’re grateful.
Thanks for visiting! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my memories of my mom, her memories, and other related things. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at [email protected]. You can also find me on Facebook: @TheRecipeDetective.
IN CLOSING…
In honor of Wednesday, being National Peanut Butter Fudge Day, AND November, being National Peanut Butter Lovers Month, here’s Mom’s copycat recipe for “Peanut Butter Fudge, Like Disney World”; as seen in her self-published cookbook, Secret That’s The Flavor Recipes (Secret RecipesTM, Marysville, MI; May 1998, p. 14). As always, I’m asking only for proper credit if you care to re-share it.
P.S. Food-for-thought until next Monday…
November observes… Banana Pudding Lovers Month, National Fun with Fondue Month, National Inspirational Role Models Month, National Native American Heritage Month, National Novel Writing Month, National Pepper Month, National Pomegranate Month, National Raisin Bread Month, National Roasting Month, Spinach and Squash Month, Sweet Potato Awareness Month (also in February), and National Vegan Month – among other things.
Today is also… National Vichyssoise Day.
Tomorrow is… National Carbonated Beverage With Caffeine Day.
Wednesday, November 20th, is… National Child’s Day.
Thursday, November 21st, is… National Gingerbread Cookie Day and National Stuffing Day.
Friday, November 22nd, is… National Cranberry Relish Day.
Saturday, November 23rd, is… National Cashew Day, National Eat a Cranberry Day, and National Espresso Day.
Sunday, November 24th, is… National Sardines Day.
…47 down, 5 to go!
