A Memory Shared
My parents and I moved in with Dad’s parents before my brother was born. They were looking for a place to live in Texas, but it was also the last two years of my Grandmother’s life. The memories I have are vague as she died in April 1977 just before Ethan was born.
She was determined. She was not supposed to live to see her 5th birthday, because she had gotten so ill (possibly scarlet fever). It damaged her body and kidneys. She was not supposed to live to see my dad’s 5th birthday, and she survived until a month before my 5th…
Her parents and eldest siblings came over from Germany in 1905, so there is a strong tie to Germany. That being said, they moved to the US to become Americans, not German-Americans. So she spoke German, but not often around us. There were little German reminders, such as teaching me “Oh Tannenbaum” instead of “Oh Christmas Tree.” Too many years have passed for me to sing it anymore.
Back then, there were family Christmas parties. These were her side of the family, so the German heritage showed more during these special events. While they used mostly English, terms of endearment were German, especially with children, of which there were very few. They sang “O Tannenbaum” and “Stille Nacht” (Silent Night). There were a few special dishes from Germany, but more often German twists on conventional, such as adding apples to the stuffing. But there was this “Christmas” smell, a German smell of….
Orange, spice, and molasses.
Lebkuchen
You might say like gingersnaps but with orange. She made a cookie that had this smell. My memories are faulty as I was so little. My memories recall stars and icing laces, but stronger than anything was the smell.
Then over Thanksgiving, the sister in law of “that guy in NM” offered me a cookie from a specialty bakery and suddenly I was sitting on the floor in the breakfast room, the bar blocking most of my view of the kitchen. While I couldn’t see much of my Grandmother and Mom in the kitchen much, I could smell the wonderful orange, spice and molasses. With that box, all I could think about was Grandmother’s cookies. Since I was full, I intended to get a cookie the next day, but forgot. The problem with too many choices.
The cookies are Lebkuchen, but no one has her actual recipe. Actually there are a couple of recipes the family wants but we do not have. A few years ago I looked for “Pink Stuff” and came across something my family loves. We are still looking for a Cranberry Relish recipe.
However, with a little help from friends, we found a similar recipe. After some variations from memory my kitchen smelled of Lebkuchen (Lebkuchen Recipe). The major variation was making icing with confectioners sugar and orange juice (instead of water). The recipe was “it.” Exactly what I remembered, more importantly what my parents remembered.
It brings back warm memories. The family parties are gone. The sisters are gone, only one brother remains. As my blood family disappears, I felt the need to revive a memory.
Now I share it with my new family. You, my friends, and the family in NM.
Leben Sie, Lachen, Liebe, (live, laugh, love)
MJ Schrader
PS Two videos, so you can hear the songs in German.
PPS Look forward to the next of the 30 Days of Truth on the 12th.
O Tannenbaum
Stille Nacht
Halloween Costumes
For 3 days before Halloween, every few hours my facebook status changed to say what costume I was going to wear and why. By popular demand these are the statuses I thought up, which were quite a few more than I actually used.
.
Branding
- is dressing up like a Timex cause she takes a licking and keeps ticking
- is dressing up like a Facebook page just so people can comment
- is dressing up like Coke cause she’s the real thing
- is dressing up like American Express, because people don’t leave home without it
- is dressing up as AIG so she can ask for her bailout…
- is dressing up like bread because she’s a Wonder…
- is dressing up like the Energizer bunny cause she just keeps going and going…
- is dressing up as Bud Dry… why ask why?
.
Food
- is dressing up like chocolate because who can resist chocolate?
- is dressing up like peanut butter so she can find her jelly
- is dressing up like sugar cause she’s that sweet
- is dressing up like butter cause she’s that smooth
- is dressing up as a peach to prove she’s not nuts…
- is dressing up like peanut butter cause she didn’t want to look cheesy
- is dressing up like a walnut, because she’s nutty
- is dressing up like tomato so people could argue if she’s a fruit or a vegetable
- is dressing up like coffee, so she can be smooth and rich
- is dressing up like salsa because she’s spicy…
.
Bad Puns
- isn’t dressing up like a dolphin in case anyone thinks she’s got illegal porpoises… * rimshot *…
- is dressing up as cheese so she can ask “Do you want cheese with that?” when kids whine where’s the chocolate?
- is dressing up as a tiger because she’s not lion about her costume… (read out loud)
- is dressing up as a vampire because she’s not a mummy…
- is dressing up a corpse because it goes with the coughin’ …
- is dressing up as a pyrite… don’t you just love spell checkers…. (pirate, pyrite)
.
Candy Hunting
- is dressing up like a thief to steal your Halloween Candy
- is dressing up like a ninja so she can sneak around grabbing candy
- is dressing up like Chuck Norris, because then Halloween candy would come to her…
- is dressing up as the teenager who bangs on the door w/o a costume and asks for candy…
- is dressing up as the IRS so she can tax kids on their candy haul…
.
Geek Alert:
- is dressing up like the Spanish Inquisition because nobody expects that
- is dressing up like Captain Kirk because he has a thing for green alien women (for the guys)
- is dressing up like Spock because it’s illogical to be anything else
- is dressing up like a dead parrot… in case anyone needs her for a certain skit…
- is dressing up as Darth Vader, so she can walk up to people and say “I am your father” (really amusing since she’s a she)
- is gluing cinnamon rolls to her ears so she can be Princess Leia…
- is dressing up as 42 so she can answer the ultimate question
- is dressing up as Ford Prefect because she’s a hoopy Frood.
- is dressing up like the Doctor so she can have a sonic screwdriver
.
Assorted:
- is dressing up like an icicle because she’s that chill
- is dressing up like an airplane cause she’s just that fly
- is dressing up like dynamite cause she’s a real firecracker
thought about dressing up like the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn’t want to look easy- is dressing up like a kid so she can get Halloween candy
- is dressing up like a deck of cards to prove she’s playing with a full deck….
- is dressing up like a deck of cards because she’s a heart clubbing with a spade full of diamonds
- is dressing up like an angel cause she plans on partying like a devil
- is dressing up like an IRS agent because she couldn’t find anything scarier
- is dressing up like a firefighter in case she catches any guys on fire…
- isn’t dressing up, so people can see she is a witch..
- is dressing up like a spider, because they eat their mates… (for a divorced friend)
- is dressing up like snow because she’s cool
- is dressing up like music, cause the rhythm is gonna get ya
- is dressing up like a broken shovel because she used to have a handle on life
- is dressing up like salmon because she likes swimming against the stream
- is dressing up as a dust bunny so she can hide your bed…
.
From Others
- is dressing up like butter cause she’s on a roll ~ TY Mike Shippey
- is dressing up like a habanero cause she’s that hot ~ Freddie Franco
- is dressing up like air conditioner because she’s a cool breeze ~ Fred Maestas
- is dressing up as a magnet because she’s so attractive ~ Maggie Miller
- is dressing up like a Mallard because she’s just ducky ~ Maggie Miller
- is dressing up like Fort Knox cause she’s pure Gold ~ Maggie Miller
- is dressing up like a Physics Equation because it’s scarier than the evil clown ~ Stella Todd
- is dressing up as dynamite cause she’s having a blast ~ Paul Hobart
- won’t dress up as a stock certificate because she doesn’t want anyone to sell her short ~ Mike Sweezy
- dressing up as a credit card because she has such high interest rates? ~ Mike Sweezy
- is dressing up as a car because she’s so driven ~ Trapper Sherwood
.
.
Twitter Me Something Wonderful
Yesterday I asked my friends on Twitter to “Twitter me something wonderful.” And here are their responses! If you aren’t on Twitter you really should be. Be sure to follow me, and the people below! After you join Twitter, click their name, then click follow. www.twitter.com/mjschrader
BenMack: @MJSchrader something wonderful is @davelakhani just gave me tomatoes from his garden
MJSchrader: My wonderful: 2002-04 I was a youth minister. Now 08, haven’t seen the kids in 3 yrs but they want to be my friends on Facebook.
lynettepatter: @MJSchrader I got tackled by an excited client who lost over 30lbs. She knocked me into a wall &we both fell down. We laughed so hard!!
Drwright1: @MJSchrader Oh, I wasnt online, was in the real world at a NAWVO meeting, I sold a $20 bill for $130! that was good today!
SpiritCoach: @MJSchrader -Something wonderful eh? How about how grateful I am that you are on the planet with me becuz of the Bright Star U R! : )
Tinu: @MJSchrader Sorry luv. I didn’t get you in my reply stream. Something wonderful is… I haven’t killed anyone today. Yet. Needs work, I kno.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Thank you to all those wonderful people, and all the wonderful people who read this blog. If you want to get added to this blog, Twitter me something wonderful!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
<!— RLZKKUJRPWML —>
New Twitter Me Something Special are Added!!! September 28th Also check comments for www.twitter.com/AlissaFereday
-
tonylaidig: @MJSchrader For your blog: “Life Awaits Discovery” so go explore your playground and discover something amazing!
-
Phil_Meyer: @MJSchrader Looked up at the sky last night, & I thought to myself: “how great is our God!” & then I got this wonderful shrinking feeling…
-
AmandaRisi: @MJSchrader .. Something Wonderful.. ♫ ♥ My uncle’s invited me to his book launch, waited long for his new limited ed.! ♫
Viva La Vida
Welcome to my personal blog. This blog in various forms and formats has been in existence since 2000. As for why this is called Viva La Vida, it means "live the life" in Spanish, but it is a salute to living life to the fullest. And my hope is that you will live life to the fullest!
This is my personal blog! So viva la vida with me!!