Long Anglin and Rapp summer memories.

The first summer I went to Methodist church camp at Epworth Forrest. was a really new experience. I thought I would be lonely because I did not like playing  sports, but I was wrong. Anyway, none of my clothes were suitable for camp so G. Grace Anglin and dad conspired to get some fabric to my Aunt Maxine Rapp who was right down the road from G Grace. Aunt Mac, as we called her, was a genius in sewing and knitting. Plus, she was so pretty and fun to be around. She whipped up some cute shorts and tops that were just the ticket, and she did not use a pattern , just measuring and pinning stuff on me like the great fashion houses of Paris. She made me feel pretty special. Hope we all "thanked " her enough.

Yesterday the Presby church  I go to had a gargantuan picnic over at the park. It was complete with full music praise team and lots and lots of food inside. Someone I had met while judging herbs dragged her husband over to sit with me. We got to talking about the park and the pier. She had not grown up here so was interested in the town history. Of course I had to tell her how different things were then. I spent most of my teen summers at that beach. My brother , K. Donn Anglin, was usually present and showing off to my beach blanket companion girlfriends. The movies were a great influence then and it seemed the only movies we were getting in our small town were Tarzanesque. Anyway K. had one of those skimpy Tarzan style suits several years in a row .(Check out an early one in my March 26, 2009 post) Most kids jumped off the top level of the tower on the pier. But Tarzan would not do that, so K. perfected his dive, all eyes of my girlfriends up-on him. First time up the ladder that late summer day K. was in fine form but half way to the water he felt his trunks give way and start to slide. He caught them with his big toe just as he entered the lake. I was not amused.

My lunch companions live on "the island" at Winona. They were telling me fishing in the channel stories, so I told them about your dad (Glen Long) fishing with Don Sand ( another Winona boy) when they were twelve or so. It was night and they were trolling with Don's lantern in the bow. Suddenly they hear a swoosh and a big splat! Shinning in the light of the lantern, they saw a large BASS that had jumped into the boat. However, it was not quite bass season sooooo - the decision was made to throw it back into the water. How do we know that this was not a made up story? If you knew Don Sand, who grew-up to be a State Cop. and Mr. honesty, Glen Long, you would not ask. By the way. I asked if Glen's freshman college room mate was still living on the channel . They said he and his wife (they are both blind) are still there ,Mr. and Mrs Roger Smith.

Long :Summer winding down and Grandma Martha's Icicle pickles..

This has been an unusual weekend - doing things I do not often do. Most of it was fun though; and maybe there will  even be more right through the week. Sis, Kerry, took me and my fav med person, Maureen the super nurse, out to lunch and two historic homes in Elkhart for our up-coming birthdays. Got to meet Wnit television star, Gail Martin.
Today (Sun. 8/16/15) went to Presby church uptown - it was awesome. Got to talk to old friends.
Tomorrow is Delt's luncheon at the Downtown, Tues. is a special tech seminar in the Genealogy library at the museum. Wed. Hannah is back from Seattle. Thrus. is Wagon Wheel presentation of "Little Women " with Grace. Friday is a flying trip to Saugatuck Mi. with Grace's family.. 
It is supposed to hit 90 out there, so I'm coasting in the cool.-sorting old family recipes among other things.I did run across Grandma Martha's recipe for Icicle pickles. It didn't make it into the family cookbook so I will include it here.

                            GRANDMA MARTHA'S ICICLE PICKLES

Even though Grandma Martha was doing more "outside the house" she still made time to can her famous icicle pickles every year. As I recall, one of two or three friends, all named Dorothy, would show up with a wrinkly brown bag filled with rapidly maturing cucumbers and G. Martha would spring into action.

Personally, I do not care to bother with pickles because they have limited nutritional value. I never could convince my family of that and this is probably a fourth generation recipe and should have been included.
 
        Use one peck small size cucumbers with few blemishes.
        One pint of salt to one gallon cold water (best to use pickling salt). Wash pickles and put in brine  (salt water) in a large covered container which is not metal. G. Martha kept a big old crock just for this purpose.
Let pickles soak for one week, drain and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 24 hrs. Drain and slice in quarters. Cover with boiling water into which a rounded walnut sized  tablespoon of alum has been added.You guessed it-let stand for another 24 hours. Drain while heating two and one half pints of vinegar. Add eight pints (16 cups) of sugar. Now add a handful of pickling spice. One large spice can full should do it. By the way, she would pick out the red pepper used in this pickling spice to keep it mild. Re-heat this mixture , then after draining off the liquid that was on the pickles, pour the vinegar, sugar and spice mixture over the pickles and leave 4 more days- then add your pickles. Look up pickle canning . I guess she just assumed everyone knew how.   Good Luck!!

Rapp-17 yr old Anna

People tend to think teens sleep too much but new studies say they need almost as much as babies. Anyway - My Aunt Anna Marie Rapp was taking advantage of summer hours when she confided to her diary her typical schedule. :: Dear Diary, up at 12:OO (noon) breakfast. Cleaned up the house. Done dishes. took care of Tommy and such.(I think she was staying at Spike's). Wrote letters to Wayne, Liz, Count and Dad and Della. Helped Mac pin up some clothes to hem. Listened to the radio and worked some cross-word puzzles. Kept kids. To bed at 6:00 a.m.

Back to school

4th of July

 Anglin and Long:   Dad's big fun parties on Washington St. and later at Vinegar Bend come to mind on the 4th of July
K always made sure the music was loud and varied , from Mich Miller to Herb Alpert ending the evening with Sinatra.
Chris was not very happy about working today but I remember a 4th when he was little I was all geared up for a wonderful family day when the UTS operators went out on strike and his dad who was management ( on salary) had to pull a double shift and our forth was shot. This was in the days before fiber optic cable or computers. So, yeh, the old punch board stuff.
I made a low carb flag cake to take to Chris' for the rib fest tonight. Wish me luck!

Graduation and Father's Day

I'm trying to find that cute picture of Chris in his kindergarten graduation hat. It was taken against the privacy fence Glen constructed out of wood that he took from the big old barn he tore down on that Sheridan St. property we  had back in the late fifties. Chris maintained that confidence throughout school and has displayed the steely nerve his dad had, both on the highway in a big semi, or in the air dealing with unstable weather in a responsible manner. He has turned into the kind of father anyone would be proud of. Happy Father's Day, Chris!

This morning I hugged my uncle Jack Anglin. We were reminded that 70 years ago today he was in Germany crossing the Ludendorff bridge at Remagen which had just been captured by his company (the U.S. army's 9th Armored Division). It was the last of 22 road and rail bridges over the Rhine River still standing after German defenders failed to demolish it. This was Germany's last major natural barrier and line of defense, and caused Eisenhower to alter his plans to end the war; which likely shortened the war in Europe. We are so fortunate that Uncle Jack  got over that bridge safely and is with us now. The Allies were able to get six divisions across the bridge before it collapsed on March 17th, 1945, ten days after it was captured. The collapse killed 18 US Engineers.