For What it's Worth: December has been interesting
By MARCELLA BRUCE
Contributing writer
This month of December 2002 began interestingly as I joined 41 other senior citizens from the area on an overnight bus trip to Great Bend. I've been through that city a number of times and have lingered longer at least twice for press conventions.
This time was different. Great Bend was all "decked out" for the Christmas season. We visited their Christmas Craft Mall and their Fuller Brush-Stanley Outlet store; spent an elegant afternoon visiting Victorian homes; had an evening dinner at the Barton County Historical Village, with time to view their array of displays; took a nighttime tour of their Trail of Lights Christmas Fantasy Village. After such a busy day, we were ready for a good rest and sleep. After all, it was a "senior's event."
The next morning, we traveled to Great Bend's Barton County Community College. I was particularly impressed with the size of the campus, learning they have 2,000 students (that's a "give or take" figure).
There we saw an impressive program in the planetarium that provided tilt-back seats to better view the "sky" with its stars and planets.
A real highlight of the trip was a visit to the Shafer Gallery on campus that featured beautiful bronzes of Gus Shafer, who obviously had a passion for the American cowboy. There was also an "on loan" exhibit of Thomas Hart Benton work; fabulous water colors by Dr. John Cody, all of moths; and also paintings by Charles Rogers and Birger Sandzen. All of these artists have Kansas ties.
A stop for lunch, as we were homeward bound, was made at the Curtis Café in Stafford, where the walls are covered by more than 400 jigsaw puzzles. The last stop was at Hudson, home of the widely known Stafford County Mill, where the Hudson Cream Flour (as well as other varieties) is manufactured. The mill's president, an 86-year-old, was our host and "clued us in" on some of the history up to and including its present-day successful operation. He saw to it that all 42 visitors received a five-pound sack of either white, whole wheat or self-rising flour.
Once again, I was reminded of the diversity and treasures of this great Sunflower State.
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Here's a story to read and remember
A Native American grandfather was talking with his grandson when the grandson asked about how he dealt with the anger, struggles, and uncertainties in life.
The grandfather said to him, "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one. The other wolf is the loving, compassionate, and forgiving one."
The grandson asked him, "Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?" And the grandfather answered, "The one I feed."
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With this holiday season that finds wonderful cooks making all things delicious (and full of calories) to tempt us, let me share with you an absolutely super one for Hershey Almond pie. Meredith Ryan gave me the recipe after I went into ecstasy over the one she made and served a few months ago.
It calls for six (1.35 ounce) almond Hershey bars, 16 large marshmallows, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 cup whipping cream, and one graham cracker pie crust.
Melt Hershey bars and marshmallows in milk in the top of a double boiler. Cool thoroughly! Beat whipping cream until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and pour into crust. Refrigerate until serving time but a least three hours. Can be frozen.
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Another Dec. 7 passed on our calendars last week marking the 61st anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Anyone remembering can tell you where they were and what they were doing. They remember the shock — an almost unbelievable time.
Bud and I had been married not quite six months and were sitting in our small apartment in Lawrence, where he was coaching and teaching at Liberty Memorial High School.
Our life changed quickly. Within a month he was in the Navy training at Norfolk, Va., and I was in Clovis, N.M., with my parents. That's a familiar story for thousands of families at that time and at wars that have happened since.
As I look back to remember those years until his separation from service in the fall of 1945, I count the blessings, the worries of his being overseas, the times we had together, the many times we said good-byes, and the travel. All of them made us mature faster and gave us strength we didn't know we had.
A very merry Christmas and a blessed one too! Now get ready with those New Year's resolutions.
