A Photo of Grandma and Me

19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Tuesday, December 22, 1914: <<no entry>>

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

After Grandma and Grandpa’s children grew up, they built a small bungalow on my uncle’s farm. This is where they lived when I was a child.

Since Grandma didn’t write anything a hundred years ago today, I’d like to repost a picture of Grandma and me that shows what the kitchen in the bungalow looked like.

This is wrote when I originally posted it on July 31, 2013:

Others who have family history blogs often have awesome pictures of themselves with the relative they are writing about—and I’m always slightly jealous.

The few pictures that I have of me with Grandma have many limitations. Time has taken a toll on the color, the picture has lighting problems or is blurry, and so on.

But, in spite of the poor quality of the picture above, I really like this photo so I decided to share it with you.

Recent photo of bungalow may grandparents lived in when I was a child.

Grandma Gave Herself a Christmas Gift

19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Monday, December 21, 1914: I look by these pages of late that I don’t take much interest in keeping a diary. I really don’t because I have nothing exciting to write. Am done Xmas shopping for this year, and my pocketbook is done, too. The trouble for me with Christmas presents is that I never get enough.

Had one of my Brownie pictures enlarged. It came this morning. A Xmas present for myself.

Alma Derr, Rachel Oakes, and Ruth Muffly at Niagara Falls (Caption order may not be correct; Uncertain of the order; of the women)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Grandma, do tell—Was it the picture that you took of the girls at Niagara Falls last summer?

If so, I feel tingly. By giving yourself a Christmas present, you’ve given your descendants a gift that has lasted a hundred years.

—-

Whew, I can hardly believe it. I’m only aware of one photo that Grandma took which still exists—and I think this dairy entry may be referring to it. My cousin Alice has a photo that Grandma took of her sister, her cousin, and a friend during a trip to Niagara Falls in August, 1914. Grandma really liked the photo, and mentioned it in previous diary entries.

I asked Alice about the photo last summer. I’m reposting what Alice told me:

My Dad and I were cleaning out sheds on our farm outside of McEwensville, probably around the summer of 1977 or 1978. That is when we found the picture. I had just bought my first house and was delighted to have some pictures to hang. There were several other pictures from the Muffly and Swartz family.

I love the picture so much. It still hangs in my office and I enjoy looking at it every day. Everyone looks so happy.

I’m Sharing A Recipe…

Sunday, December 20, 1914: <no entry>

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Readers participating in Grandma’s Bake-a-thon have shared many wonderful memories. We are giving Grandma a great send-off to live the rest of her life after the diary ends.

Today I’m reblogging an awesome post that Dianna at These Days of Mine did for the Bake-a-thon. She shares a wonderful Applesauce Cake recipe, and tells a heartwarming story about sharing the cake mini-loafs. And, I absolutely adore how she wraps the mini-loafs and ties ribbons around them. Dianna knows how to make a food gift really special.

these days of mine

…ALERT THE MEDIA!

(For those of you who don’t personally know me, let me share with you that I rarely cook, so the idea of me sharing a recipe is rather humorous.)

Today’s post is a combination: I’m participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop:

2. Share a favorite holiday inspired recipe!

…and this is also my entry for the “Bake-a-thon” over at Sheryl’s blog “A Hundred Years Ago Today”. For the past few years, Sheryl has shared her grandmother’s diary (written in 1911-1914) each day, but that diary comes to an end on December 31. Sheryl’s readers are sharing favorite family recipes as a way of honoring her grandmother and bidding farewell to the diary.

We didn’t often have desserts when I was a child, too tempting for my mom to have sweets in the house, I imagine. She would make peanut butter cookies occasionally, and sometimes, she…

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Enjoyed Ma and Pa Kettle Movies

19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Tuesday, December 15, 1914: <<no entry>>

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Since Grandma didn’t write anything again a hundred years ago today, I’ll continue with memories that others have of Grandma:

Aunt Eleanor (Grandma’s daughter) wrote:

I remember her sense of humor. She did enjoy a good joke or story, especially if it dealt with human foibles and/or pretensions. She adored the Ma and Pa Kettle movies, and I think she saw every one.

Last week-end I got a dvd of the first movie in the series, The Egg and I, out of the library. It is based on a book by Betty McDonald.

It was fun to imagine Grandma watching, and enjoying, the same movie 60 or 70 years ago.

This humorous movie tells the story of a couple, named Bob and Betty, who follow the husband’s dream to become a chicken farmer. One hilarious disaster follows another as they try to convert the run-down farm into a successful chicken operation. Ma and Pa Kettle (and their large family) live nearby.

Candy Cane Memories

Friday, December 11, 1914 :<<no entry>>
Readers participating in Grandma’s Bake-a-thon have shared many wonderful memories. We are giving Grandma a great send-off to live the rest of her life after the diary ends.

Today I’d like to share the awesome post that Sharon at Dirndl Skirt Gatherings did about her memories of baking Candy Cane Cookies with her mother.

One of the things that I most enjoy about Dirndl Skirt Gatherings is how Sharon infuses her art and artist’s perspective into many posts. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post to see her awesome holiday drawing of a woman wearing a candy cane skirt.

Dirndl Skirt Gatherings

credit: Me and My Green Bin

Growing up in the early 1960s, and being a kind of girly-girl, I do remember I liked my food pink. And sugary. When standing in line with my mom at Acme Supermarket, the impulse buy of choice near the cash register was those awful (to me now) pink marshmallow cookies with white coconut sprinkles. This was before red dye #2 was banned.

My mother, Shirley, and me in her state-of-the-art kitchen, 1957.

But at Christmas time, we made cookies. Mom did like to bake, if not actually cook. (Hey, it was the Atomic Age, and she had better things to do, like paint!) One of my favorites from that era was candy cane cookies. We had to divide the dough, and color one half. Then keep it moist until we twisted the braids together and curved them into the cane hook. Some baking…

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The Christmas Gift that Saves Work

19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Wednesday, December 9, 1914: Went to Milton this afternoon on a shopping trip. Took my camera down and had the film changed. Bought some Xmas presents and had a time getting them home.

hundred-year-old kitchen gadgets — Source: Ladies Home Journal (December, 1914)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Welcome back, Grandma-

Tell us, PLEASE. What did you buy? Maybe some of the latest kitchen and cleaning gadgets for your mother? They might be awkward to carry.

Milton’s at least four miles from your home. You didn’t walk the whole way did you? . . . Did you take the trolley from Milton to Watsontown, and then walk the last mile and a half or so?

December’s on the Way

19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Tuesday, December 1, 1914:

The Twenty-fifth is near, December’s on the way,

And thoughts of presents nice and dear fill every passing day.

‘I wonder what I’ll get’ is what we often think

Until the day has dawned again all rosy and pink.

The last month of the year. I must hurry and fill up the remaining pages of this diary by writing silly nothings in it.

Brought my dress home. It suits me to a T. Ma doesn’t seem to like it very well, but maybe she will when she sees it on me.

Source: Ladies Home Journal (October, 1914)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Grandma—

WHAT YOU ARE WRITING ARE NOT SILLY NOTHINGS! I know that you can’t possibly understand, but THEY ARE IMPORTANT THOUGHTS.

In any case—Even if you think your words are silly, please be generous with them. Someone will care about them someday.

P.S. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that your mother will like the dress after you model it for her.

—

Monthly Poem in Diary

Grandma began each month of the Diary with a poem. See this previous post for more information about them:

Monthly Poem in Diary

—

Thank You!

I’d like to thank all of you who took a moment yesterday to write a comment about why you regularly visit this blog. I’m amazed by the varied reasons that you visit—and I’m humbled by your kind, heartfelt words.

And, I think that Grandma would be absolutely astounded that so many of you read her words and story—and , I also think that, in her quiet way, that she’d be thrilled that people still remember and care about her a hundred years later.