“Mother’s Day, is Every Day”

By

Gerry Niskern

Moms and food go together. With my mother, it was food and family stories with a moral.

One of my first memories is of my mother making cottage cheese. Of course, that brings us to buttermilk; cold, tangy, buttermilk. When I was three, I was allowed to help pump the churn plunger up and down.

Dad worked in town, but mom loved living in the country. She plowed, planted and hoed large gardens; then canned vegetables and fruit every summer. She made deep fried fritters with chunks of peaches, apricots and plums.

I enjoy the ongoing debate of today’s young mothers. Should they work or be a stay-at home mother? With mom, there was no question. She was a working mom; in the barn, kitchen and the garden.

But always, along with the chores was a running monologue of her opinions on democracy, morals and life in general.

In the l930’s, during the dark days of the depression, one or two men came to our back door every day. They asked if they could get a drink from our pump and  could do some work for a bite to eat. Mom never let anyone go away hungry. Occasionally, I was trusted to carry a battered tin pie pan heaped with steaming eggs and generous slices of homemade bread out to the destitute man. Mom followed with a fresh pot of coffee. She never allowed anyone to call them Bums, they were just men looking for work.

When my adult kids are reminiscing about grandma’s cooking, they ask,  “Was the Sunday roast beef, with mashed potatoes and gravy, the “to die for” meatloat, or the fresh green beans, seasoned with bacon , the best? “

Personally, I think the chicken and homemade noodles win, hands down.

On second thought, I forgot to mention Halupkis. Every European country had  their version of cabbage rolls. Each roll, (leaf of cooked cabbage), contained a delicious mixture of ground beef, pork and rice.

I should mention the creamy dill flavored potato soup. Of course, my husband voted for her pies.  She baked two every Saturday up until the day she left us.

In her kitchen, while cooking, Mom taught me many things about honesty, hard work and putting family first.

I wonder if many of today’s young mothers who occasionally announce that they are “cooking tonight” will be remembered so well?

“Play Date”

By

Gerry Niskern

I have a play date! I’m going to the Phoenix Theatre to see ‘Sisters in Law.”

I’m reminded of “play dates” that I’ve had years ago with various grandchildren.

The first was around five when she invited three of her little friends from kindergarten to go with us. We picked them up one at a time and headed down Central Ave in my white convertible with gold trim and red leather seats. These little girls from the suburbs were amazed looking up at the tall buildings we passed on our way to the Phoenix Children’s Theatre. At that time, it was located in one of the old Christian churches just south of Margaret Hance Park. The girls had fun running up and down the  wide cement steps that ran across the front entrance. Then after the play,  they raced down those steps to be first to get auto graphs of the actors. Imagine, the Princess or the frog actually talked to them!

I remember listening in on one short conversation when each one stated what their Daddy did. One said hers sold insurance, another worked at a bank and another an electrician. But when my granddaughter said my Daddy works at Cox, they looked puzzled and said,”What’s that?”. “You know!” she replied, “That’s TV!” That was met with a respectful chorus of “ohhhhhhhhh”. She was the president of that club!

When one grandson was four and ready for play going, as everyone was clapping politely at the appropriate times during the performance, he proceeded to pump his fists and shout “Whoo. Whoo. Whoo!”

When it was his rough and tumble younger brother’s turn to start play going, I was hesitant. I wasn’t sure it was his “cup of tea.” He was very quiet during “Beauty and the Beast”. Maybe he’s bored, I thought. But later, when I asked him how he liked it, with big eyes, he replied,”I loved it!”. Even tough guys can be melted.

Later on, we started going to the Valley Youth Theatre. The kids were allowed to sit down front close to the stage. When the baseball player’s little sister came for the first time, she came running back to tell me to “come see the really huge guitar!” She had been looking down into the orchestra pit and spied a bass fiddle. Of all the kids and all the play dates, that last granddaughter was the only one who turned to me after watching her first performance and ask “When can I do that?”

“Let the Hunts Begin”

By

Gerry Niskern

Tell the kids to get out their running shoes and practice their wind sprints. The furry rabbit with the huge ears is coming. Grandmothers all over the valley will be one step ahead of the pack showing the baby where the Easter eggs are hidden, while the older children shout, “No fair!”

Years ago, our kids and their cousins thought the Easter Bunny only left his eggs on the desert. Thanks to grandma and grandpa, prior to our annual picnic, the eggs were hidden early on Easter morning among the rocks at Carefree.  Needless to say, there were no houses or resorts to intrude on the quest for eggs among the huge boulders.

The simple egg is perhaps the oldest and most universal symbol of rebirth and new life. The decorations and celebrations of the holiday may change with new generations, but the tradition of dyeing eggs in spring colors and giving them to family and friends goes way back. The Egyptians and Persians practiced this tradition long before Christ was born.

How did the egg come to Easter? In the Middle Ages it was forbidden to eat eggs during the 40 days of Lent. However, the hens kept laying and out of the resulting glut, the Easter egg tradition was born. The European countries, especially the Ukrainians, developed beautiful egg patterns, called the pysanky method. Ukrainian egg kits can even be ordered online.

Easter’s place on the calendar was not actually fixed to the Sunday after the first full moon of spring until 325 AD by Roman Emperor Constantine. He may also get credit for starting the traditional Easter Parade. The Emperor ordered every citizen to wear his best clothing to observe the Holy Day.

Different cultures have developed their own unique ways of decorating Easter eggs. The typical young Easter egg artist starts out with wax crayons, delicate designs to follow and great anticipation. If they’re like our family, after the first few eggs are colored and cups of dye spilled, the job becomes a little rushed.

Actually, there is something for everyone. In the computer world, you don’t have to wait for Easter for that egg hunt. Easter eggs can be found in computer hardware, software and DVD’s any time of the year. Computer Easter eggs are harmless “goodies” found by word of mouth or accident. Click the right spot, edit the right file, or type in the secret sequence and you will find the name of the programmer who created the product or sometimes even a game you can play. Programmers started writing Easter eggs for several reasons; mostly as a way to leave their signature on a program that the company actually gets credit for.

These eggs have recently been added, especially to DVDs with the blessing of the manufacturer to create some excitement for the product. A number of Web sites catalog Easter eggs for easy finding.

I guess I’d have to say one of the funniest Easter stories I remember was told by a young friend of mine. Seems she was always warning her hubby too watch his “salty” language around the baby. On Easter morning their little two- year- old started with her basket to find eggs.  With every egg she spotted, imagine her mother’s shock to hear, “There’s a !!#@#!** Egg!” Instead of daddy being chagrined, he kept inviting neighbors over to “listen to my daughter find Easter eggs.”

So as I said, there’s something for everyone.