It’s never easy when you have a death in the family, even if it is expected. Families can tend to fight and make things about themselves, rather than honoring the life that was lived. I don’t care about material things, or even money, although sometimes the memories associated with those things are what people crave. I guess my point is, why are you worried about the stuff or money you might get when someone you love passes away? It wasn’t yours to begin with and you shouldn’t expect it. I got dish towels. And I’m not even upset about it.
For the second time in as many weeks, I will be heading to North Dakota. This time, for my grandmother’s funeral. She reached the ripe age of 97 (almost 98) and I only hope that I make it that long.
I’m willing to bet that grandma lived a heck of a life. I only wish I could have learned more about it. She was born in 1926, so I’m sure she saw a lot in her lifetime, and she worked until well into her 80’s.
While I was home a couple weeks ago, we were watching old home videos of family get-togethers, birthdays, Christmas’s, and the like. My grandmother was in several of those videos, bustling around the kitchen making sure everyone was taken care of. She liked to play cards – gin rummy, whist, pinochle – she liked black hills gold jewelry, the color purple, and she liked to cook. I was fortunate to get a couple of her cookbooks. She had marked pages, and I found a hand-written recipe in an envelope in one.
The one thing I will miss is the dish towels every year. Grandma would hand embroider sets of dish towels. I know you can pick them up at pretty much any craft show these days, but they aren’t as special. I probably don’t even want to know how many hours she spent embroidering dish towels, and all of us nine grandkids got sets over the years, along with our parents receiving them as well.
I would periodically call grandma for advice on recipes or substitutions, or to just catch up. I didn’t call as often as I should have. I didn’t visit as often as I should have, either. My advice to you? Call your parents and grandparents. Go visit as often as you can. You never know how long you’ll have. Someday, you may just have dishtowels.
Grandma’s Recipe for White Chocolate Party Mix
- 1 – 10 oz pkg mini pretzels
- 5 cups Cherios or Fruit Loops
- 5 cups Chex cereal
- 1 lb M & M’s
- 2 cups salted peanuts
- 2 – 12 oz pkgs white chocolate chips
- 3 Tbs oil
- Put first 5 ingredients in bowl
- Heat white chocolate chips and oil over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring continuously until mixed together.
- Pour over cereal mix and stir.
- Spread on wax paper or in a greased pan.
- Allow it to cool.
- Cut and serve.
- Makes 5 qts.
