Christiansen's Comments,Hinds County Gazette Decmber 17 2009

Last time we spoke I told you I would not be keeping you long, because I was getting my house ready for a bridal shower. Over the years you have heard me mention my friends Bob and Betty Kemp many times… Well…as I was writing that column, my friend Bob , and his friend Thomas were at the bottom of my hill cutting up a big limb that had fallen across the old drive way…we needed the old drive for parking for the shower, so I asked Bob at church Sunday could he come help me…early Monday morning he and Thomas came and tended to the limb.




That Monday morning was the last time I saw Bob…. When Bob did not come to church Sunday, his family went to check on him….and found him dead.… I went to the house, I wanted to see him…before his body was removed….I had to see his face….. I am convinced, my friend Bob Kemp died a quietly, without pain or struggle…….I had to see that for myself. As near as coroner could tell…Bob died sometime



Saturday. I never could catch Bob home so, I didn’t even get to tell him “thank you“ for cutting that limb out of the drive way. That makes me sad. Betty died several months ago…..I miss them….they were like family.



It was a hard week for us over here in Edwards…earlier in the week…Jo Ruth McClain died. Jo Ruth was a thoughtful lady….one day, years ago, I looked out the kitchen window, Wilson and Jo Ruth were getting out of Wilson’s pick up…they were carrying the most beautiful cut glass bowl…and coming to my door. Jo Ruth handed me the beautiful piece and said “I thought of you, and wanted you to have this bowl, because you are always having parties” It had belonged to a friend of hers in Vicksburg…was that the sweetest most thoughtful thing? If you have the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary ’s cookbook Ambrosia, the bowl on the cover full of ambrosia, is very similar to the one Jo Ruth gave me.



In fact when my friend Betsy gave me the cookbook Ambrosia , I thought it was my bowl on the cover…I remembered Jo Ruth saying it had belonged to a friend in Vicksburg , but when I scrutinize them side by side it was not the same pattern…..Betsy gave me the book as a gift before my first chemo treatment….Seems like people are always giving me nice things doesn’t it?



Saturday the children of Bob Kemp gave me a very special gift, it was a well worn denim jacket that was Bob’s when he was a child…they found it neatly folded and put away amongst the things he treasured…The little jacket will now be happily at home, here 201, nestled cozily in amongst my treasures.



Love to all and Merry Christmas



PS. There was a time, I may have thought Christmas would not be a good time to bear the death of someone close…but lately I have been thinking, it is not such a bad time….everywhere I look there are reminders of the Baby Jesus, Gods gift to the world…so that we, who believe in him, may have life ever lasting…..now

Christiansen's Comments,Hinds County Gazette Deember 3 2009

Good Morning! Good Morning! I for sure will not be keeping you long today…I need to get cranking, we are having a bridal shower here at 201 Saturday, for Evan Allen, the soon to be bride of Adam Rydbeck, the son of the pastor at the Presbyterian Church.




I am decorated for Christmas, but I must put out a few touches of wedding…rearrange a bit of furniture. I have a Pete fountain CD playing, “New Orleans Jazz”…. I better take it out. Put something else in… before I get started…. or the decorations, instead of wedding or Christmas….might just take on a decidedly Mardis Gras appearance.



I was full steam ahead…. until my stride got broken by a plumbing crisis. But it could have been much worse…I found a plumber who works on Saturday. While he was here he cleaned out my slow moving drains.



It is a big mystery to me why there are not more plumbers…he was here 2 hours, his labor charge was $225.00. Mind you, I am not complaining, it was worth it to me to get it fixed….uncontrolled water can do big damage in a hurry, more then the $225.00 for sure….I have wood floors.



Well, here I go …..to get to work on the embellishments for Saturday…if I don’t get started, I can’t get finished. And of course when I finish…I won’t be done! I have told you my philosophy on that, “It is not done, until it is over done!” Over done is just a few steps past tacky….it takes nerves of steel to go to tacky… let alone past it…..some never get there…many stop at tacky….. But take heart you to can got to “Over Done” or at least to “tacky”….for some reason “tacky” and “over done” come easier with age.



Oh! I have a new favorite holiday dessert! And it is so pretty I have served it twice so far to rave reviews! And you don’t have to get out the mixer!!!





It started out with Martha Stewart’s Orange Cornmeal cake recipe, but I fixed it…I wasn’t crazy about the cornmeal…It is very easy Mix, ½ cup of oil, 2 eggs, a cup of sugar, ½ cup of wine or Orange juice, and the zest of 3 oranges, Martha only used the zest of one orange. Then add 1 1/2 cups of flour to which you have mixed with a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of salt….mix until smooth, Pour in a prepared 8 or 9 inch cake pan, sprinkle top with 1/3 cup of sugar and bake at 350, until done…my oven it was about 30 minutes.

This is the Gloria part of the dessert…what to do with the zested oranges? I peeled them and sectioned them like I was going to make Ambrosia, sprinkled a little sugar over them…. added some maraschino cherries …then when it came time to serve the cake I dipped out a big ladle of the oranges and cherries poured it over the cake, I served it in a flat soup bowl…..Fabulous!



Call if you need me….

"Christiansen's Comments" For the Hinds County Gazette...November 5 2009

Hinds county Gazette

Chritiansen’s comments

November 5 2009

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose” Well…… none of that is happening it has been perfect for wiener roasts and marshmallow toasting….roasting weenies and making S’Morhere in Mid-Mississippi. The rain finally stopped and the weather has been perfect for many, many days in a row now. I have finished lots of chores that I have been putting off…some of them for years….like painting the porch furniture.



And it’s sitting around a fire barrel is just about my favorite fall activity. I certainly have plenty of sticks and fallen limbs to burn.



My Christmas tree is up…and mostly decorated…. This is early even for me to have the tree up but, opportunity knocked and I answered! Grandson Garrett came for the weekend…I paid him to do it.



Life lesson # 1046 : When children are young and are too little to be much help….they beg to help….when they get old enough to be of real assistance you have to pay them.



To Garrett’s credit he did tell me I didn’t have to pay him. But, way on after while, I got to wondering…. Grand kids are quite skilled in the manipulation of grandmas. Reckon, he said that so I would give him a big tip? If he did, it worked he got his tip.



I have baked a fruitcake it’s ripening, all snug, wrapped in cheese cloth, soaked in dark rum. I know you all think I am rushing the season….I am not. I am calling myself getting prepared. Now days, the holiday season begins so early and lasts so long. Actually, Halloween through Super bowl Sunday….so if I don’t get started…I get behind.



We all have days driven by panic. I am not fond of days driven by panic…but I can handle them ….I have them… so I know I can. But at holiday time, the hectic, hurried, panic days that are self created… exasperate me. So I go on and get the tree up…The biggest dirt clods swept out the door, the most noticeable cobwebs pulled down, and the fluffiest dust bunnies vacuumed up. And I’m ready to enjoy the season‘s events…







And I like to have lots of time to leisurely enjoy the holidays, time to cook and bake, time to have friends in for nibbles…time for working in my shop. Time for late evening visits to Kay and Doug Turner in their shop, they make a birdhouse every Christmas….This year’s Turner Christmas birdhouse is the Edwards Baptist Church.



As usual I am crafting most of my Christmas gifts and as usual I have to get advise/help from Doug on how to proceed with my plan. Ideas and plans are easy to come up with…the difficulty comes in the execution….of said plan. I think Doug has the kinks worked out of mine now…so I shall began building in earnest this week.

Love to all

PS.

Here is my advise to you….During the holidays, don’t be grinning…..adopt a “Poor me” face, take lots of deep harried breaths and act busy…. Because if you are not scurrying around in a panic, …chances are you will be perceived as having nothing to do…and almost certainly shirking your holiday responsibilities. ..No doubt somebody is going to have to step up and carry your load….That person already in panic mode probably …so don’t be acting happy….act busy…Only when you are by yourself, do you dare smile, hum Christmas Carols and contemplate on the birth we are celebrating.













“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose” Well…… none of that is happening it has been perfect for wiener roasts and marshmallow toasting….roasting weenies and making S’Morhere in Mid-Mississippi. The rain finally stopped and the weather has been perfect for many, many days in a row now. I have finished lots of chores that I have been putting off…some of them for years….like painting the porch furniture.



And it’s around a fire is just about my favorite fall activity. I certainly have plenty of sticks and fallen limbs to burn.



My Christmas tree is up…and mostly decorated…. This is early even for me to have the tree up but, opportunity knocked and I answered! Grandson Garrett came for the weekend…I paid him to do it.



Life lesson # 1046 : When children are young and are too little to be much help….they beg to help….when they get old enough to be of real assistance you have to pay them.



To Garrett’s credit he did tell me I didn’t have to pay him. But, way on after while, I got to wondering…. Grand kids are quite skilled in the manipulation of grandmas. Reckon, he said that so I would give him a big tip? If he did, it worked he got his tip.



I have baked a fruitcake it’s ripening, all snug, wrapped in cheese cloth, soaked in dark rum. I know you all think I am rushing the season….I am not. I am calling myself getting prepared. Now days, the holiday season begins so early and lasts so long. Actually, Halloween through Super bowl Sunday….so if I don’t get started…I get behind.



We all have days driven by panic. I am not fond of days driven by panic…but I can handle them ….I have them… so I know I can. But at holiday time, the hectic, hurried, panic days that are self created… exasperate me. So I go on and get the tree up…The biggest dirt clods swept out the door, the most noticeable cobwebs pulled down, and the fluffiest dust bunnies vacuumed up. And I’m ready to enjoy the season‘s events…







And I like to have lots of time to leisurely enjoy the holidays, time to cook and bake, time to have friends in for nibbles…time for working in my shop. Time for late evening visits to Kay and Doug Turner in their shop, they make a birdhouse every Christmas….This year’s Turner Christmas birdhouse is the Edwards Baptist Church.



As usual I am crafting most of my Christmas gifts and as usual I have to get advise/help from Doug on how to proceed with my plan. Ideas and plans are easy to come up with…the difficulty comes in the execution….of said plan. I think Doug has the kinks worked out of mine now…so I shall began building in earnest this week.

Love to all

PS.

Here is my advise to you….During the holidays, don’t be grinning…..adopt a “Poor me” face, take lots of deep harried breaths and act busy…. Because if you are not scurrying around in a panic, …chances are you will be perceived as having nothing to do…and almost certainly shirking your holiday responsibilities. ..No doubt somebody is going to have to step up and carry your load….so don’t be acting happy.



Only when you are by yourself, do you dare smile, hum Christmas Carols and contemplate on the birth we are celebrating.