The Whatevers or The TRUTH Behind Lilydale

Hello and welcome back to this months adventure in creative storytelling with THE WHATEVERS. Here is my take for May…enjoy!

As I got older my parents decided to clear the air and explain how and why we left 125th St. in NYC to come to this strange little town called Lilydale. Now we had already lived there going on a dozen years and I was 17 year old, getting ready to go off to college the next fall. Although I loved living here it was strange in so many ways that I couldn't explain. This is when my parents sat me down to try and help make sense of it for me.

It all started the first summer we went to Lilydale, NY. It was only going to be for the summer and then back to NYC. Papa and Momma only took temporary jobs at  the Maplewood House, hoping to give all their children fresh air, sunshine, room to run around and just be kids. "IT" happened one day as Momma and I were walking down to Chautauqua Lake. We strolled past an orchard with a stone fence around it, it looked vaguely familiar to me. As we got closer to the fence I started jumping up and down, tugging on Mommas hand, trying to get her attention. Finally she looked down at me, incredulous that I was so excited, and she asked me why. When I told her, at that very moment everything changed. See I saw my Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Ernie sitting there on the fence. I saw them as clear as could be. I saw pretty pink flowers and circles of colors glowing around them, I saw the crisp white dress and the khaki uniform, but Momma couldn't see them. She stopped and knelt down to my level and very seriously said that it was impossible that I could see them.

"No Momma, I saw them. I really, really saw them. Aunt Gertrude was wearing a pretty white dress and Uncle Ernie had on a uniform." She said" impossible, that's impossible". Again I told her "no Momma, they called me by my name, they beckoned me to come over to the fence. They wanted to talk to me." Momma just froze, she looked again but I could tell she wasn't amused with my antics.

What I didn't know was Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Ernie had died in a car accident before I was born. What I had described to Momma was exactly like a  photograph that Momma carried folded in a hidden pocket everyday since the accident. She slowly pulled it from her pocket and carefully unfolded it…"Momma that's them, over there" I screamed but Momma didn't see them.

We walked slowly back to the inn, Momma didn't say much to me. In fact she barely said anything for several days except for when she was alone with Papa or when several of the town folks filed in and out like a secret meeting was taking place. I didn't know at that time what they were talking about but my parents had several big decisions to make.

After that my parents decided to permanently move to Lilydale. It seemed like I had become the talk of this little town. I found myself being bustled back and forth to different homes. At first it was fun but then I got tired of being asked all sorts of questions. I also got tired of my parents not seeing or hearing what I did but so many of other town folks did.

When the truth was revealed by Momma and Papa I was told that I had a gift, a gift that most people don't have or don't believe in. The reason we moved to Lilydale was because it had become quite evident that I had psychic abilities. Lilydale was known as The Town That Talks to the Dead. It seemed that I saw so many things that most others didn't and as I grew older this gift became stronger and stronger. I was OK when at home but in the outside world people looked at me quite oddly when I would see and talk to their relatives that had passed to the other side.

I knew I was different but now that the truth came to light I had to make a decision as to what I was going to do with this knowledge. I didn't have too much to say, it was too much to take in. Momma, Papa and I sat on the porch that night, not talking, just sitting and enjoying a cold glass of Mommas homemade Mint Lemon-Limeade.

MINT LEMON-LIMEADE

4-6 lemons, plus slices for garnish

3-4 limes, plus slices for garnish
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
3/4 cup superfine sugar
8 cups cold water

Squeeze the juice from the lemons and limes over a strainer into a glass measuring cup (about 1 cup of juice).

In the bottom of a tall pitcher, use a wooden spoon to gently mash the mint leaves with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add the strained juice; stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add the cold water and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar to the pitcher; stir well to dissolve the sugar. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar, if desired. Chill before serving.

Serve poured over ice in tall glasses garnished with a fresh sprig of mint, lemon and lime slices.

Before I sign off I want to share with you the stamps that I used for this project. My friends, Nathalie Kalbach and Catherine Matthews Scanlon, have designed stamps that have been produced and available for purchase.

                                                                                                

Here are links to the other creative stories about The Whatevers. Please stop by and see what these fabulous artists have created.

• Catherine Matthews Scanlon
• Cuchy Sanchez
• Nathalie Kalbach  
• Vickie Chrisman

If you would like to play along it's not to late to join in. Here are all the details that you need to know.

Here is how it works ~

• Vicki, Cat, Cuchy (Carmen), Nathalie and I have made a one-year commitment to each other and picked twelve photos with Whatevers whom we will give a story.
• Every month – if possible always on the 15th –  each of us will do a post with an individual story that goes along for us with the same photo.
• If you want you can play along and we will have the photo for you to download and show us your version of The Whatevers. The photo will be posted at the end of our blogposts- not on Facebook!
• There is no rules to the story itself- it can be funny, sad, uplifting, breathtaking- WHATEVER
• There is no rules on the length or the form of the story- it can be a short sentence, an essay, a poem or a soap opera – WHATEVER
• There is no rules on the artform you choose – it can be a scrapbook layout, an altered art project, an artjournal page – WHATEVER
• Here is a rule though: if you take the photo you have to link back to us and show us your story.
• These pictures are from our personal stash and are for personal use for you only! If you want to use them for a publication whether a book or magazine in print or digital form please ask for permission!
• If you want to participate we’ll have a linky list for each Whatever Post.
• You can also join our The Whatevers -Facebook Page

HERE IS THE PHOTO FOR THIS MONTH'S WHATEVERS:

Thank you for stopping by. Only 2 months left and I still have a lot of story left to share :)

The Whatevers or The Snowman's Ball

Hello everyone…are you surviving this very strange winter??? I'm here today to share my take on the Feb. version of The Whatevers.

"You can't get too much winter in winter." Robert Frost

It was one of those winters that just wore people out. Between the snow, wind and frigid temperatures that blew across Chautauqua Lake everyone was looking for some relief. There weren't many of Lilydale residents around as most traveled south to Sarastota, Fl. in Oct. and will return in the warmer spring months. The few residents that remained were full time residents that took care of the grounds and maintained the town.

Mama and Papa tended to the Maplewood Inn along with the surrounding grounds and gardens. They also looked after the staff who remained to keep the inn open for travelers. It seemed like those endless days would never end so Mama and Papa organized THE SNOWMAN'S BALL for the town folks. It was a great success with lots of great food and libations, along with music and dancing. Everyone enjoyed the party with lots of laughing and carrying on. Mama made her famous Hot Buttered Rum for the grown-ups and for the children Peppermint Cocoa with a peppermint stick to stir it with.

Papa dressed up as a snowman and Mama cut out silver snowflakes to decorate the ballroom. It was a wonderful time and after everyone left we caught Mama sitting on Papa's lap and it looked like the were in their own little world!

For that short time we forgot how brutal the winter had been!

Here's Mama's recipe"

Hot Buttered Rum Mix {Makes about 1½ quarts}

Ingredients:

½ pound unsalted butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 quart best-quality, vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1.    Combine butter and sugars in the mixing bowl, and beat until smooth and creamy.

2.    Add ice cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves, cardamom, and vanilla, and incorporate well. 

3.    Scoop into a freezer container, cover, and keep frozen.

Hot Buttered Rum Directions

1-2 tablespoons Hot Buttered Rum Mix

1½ ounces Dark Rum or Spiced Rum

boiling water

whipped cream, lightly sweetened

freshly ground nutmeg

1.    Put a heaping tablespoon of Hot Buttered Rum Mix into an 8-ounce coffee cup, then add 1½ ounces of dark rum and boiling water to almost fill the cup.  

2.    Stir to dissolve the mix. 

3.   Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of freshly ground nutmeg.

4.  Sip & ENJOY!

Here are links to the other creative stories about The Whatevers.

Please stop by and see what these fabulous artists have created.

• Catherine Matthews Scanlon
• Cuchy Sanchez
• Nathalie Kalbach {MIA due to computer issues} 
• Vickie Chrisman

If you would like to play along it's not to late to join in. Here are all the details that you need to know.

Here is how it works ~

• Vicki, Cat, Cuchy (Carmen), Nathalie and I have made a one-year commitment to each other and picked twelve photos with Whatevers whom we will give a story.
• Every month – if possible always on the 15th –  each of us will do a post with an individual story that goes along for us with the same photo.
• If you want you can play along and we will have the photo for you to download and show us your version of The Whatevers. The photo will be posted at the end of our blogposts- not on Facebook!
• There is no rules to the story itself- it can be funny, sad, uplifting, breathtaking- WHATEVER
• There is no rules on the length or the form of the story- it can be a short sentence, an essay, a poem or a soap opera – WHATEVER
• There is no rules on the artform you choose – it can be a scrapbook layout, an altered art project, an artjournal page – WHATEVER
• Here is a rule though: if you take the photo you have to link back to us and show us your story.
• These pictures are from our personal stash and are for personal use for you only! If you want to use them for a publication whether a book or magazine in print or digital form please ask for permission!
• If you want to participate we’ll have a linky list for each Whatever Post.
• You can also join our The Whatevers -Facebook Page

HERE IS THE PHOTO FOR THIS MONTH'S WHATEVERS:

Thanks for stopping by. Stay warm and remember that spring will arrive…someday!

An InLinkz Link-up

Julianna Hudgins, Positively Me and Jewel Loom Projects 2013

This year I had the opportunity to work with the Positively Me Design Team for Julianna Hudgins and her newest product, the Jewel Loom, from Beadalon. I've created jewelry on & off for years but to join a design team to showcase a new product was exciting and challenging to say the least!

Here are the projects I created.

If you want more information you can check out this video.

Thanks for stopping by! So excited that I blogged twice this week…yippee!

Frog Dog Studio Projects 2013

I have been MIA from my blog for most of 2013…I have been super busy but most of my work has been up in other blogs. I'm going to share with you some of my favorite art work. I made a pledge to myself to get back my blog!!!

I was fortunate enough to be a design team member for Tina Walker's very creative Mixed Media Kit Club FROG DOG STUDIO. Here is the FDS store. I hope you will check her out ;)

So there are most of my projects for Frog Dog Studio. I hope you enjoyed them and I will be back with more art that I created in 2013! Thank you for stopping by ;)

The WHATEVERS or Flossie and the Turnip Truck!

 Hello…hello. Welcome to The Whatevers 2014. Hard to believe not only are we in a new year but halfway through January. So let's get right to the story and take a look at this strange cast of characters we have living in Lilydale, NY.

"I never understood why people made fun of Flossie. I thought she was the sweetest little lady who always carried lemon drops in her pocket for all the children. Now I know it looked odd as her husband Fred had to use a wheel barrel to move Flossie around the small town but it didn't to me. Fred didn't care because Flossie was the love of his life. Flossie always had a knowing smile on her face.

Fred and Flossie lived away from the small village on a small farm that grew fresh vegetables for the town, turnips were there specialty. They came to town every Sat., at the same time, just like clockwork. They had to come down Melrose Place to get to the Maplewood Inn so they could deliver the fresh produce Mama ordered every week. The houses on Melrose Place were fancy, painted several different pastel colors and always decorated with beautiful banners and flags. You could hear the wheel barrel as it went over the brick road. People would come out on to their porches just to laugh and giggle as Flossie went by. Flossie would just grin and wave back like she was a queen.

When they arrived at the inn Flossie would jump off the wheel barrel and skip over to the little swing near the grape arbor. Most of the children were afraid of her because she spoke in rhymes and gibberish. I, on the other hand loved to sit with Flossie and listen to her stories. I didn't hear rhymes or gibberish I heard beautiful fairy tales about all the ghosts Flossie saw walking around Lilydale. Sometimes she would even talk to the ghosts as they approached her on the swing. Funny thing is I saw them too. Mama would always bring out lemonade and a loaf of freshly baked banana bread. It seemed like Mama wanted Fred and Flossie to be on their way and not stay long for a visit.

I never told anyone about seeing these ghosts because I thought no one would believe me. Little did I know that most of the residents of Lilydale saw them also. It was only later in my teens that the truth of why we moved to Lilydale came out.

My curiosity got the better of me and I finally asked Mama what happened to Flossie. Mama had a sad look on her face as she replied "When Flossie was younger…she just fell off the turnip truck!" And that was it.

RECIPE:
{This is a recipe that I have had for years. I found the recipe on Cooks.com}

BANANA-JAM BREAD

1/2 c. shortening 1 c. sugar 2 eggs 1 c. mashed ripe bananas 1 tsp. lemon juice 2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tbsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 c. strawberry jam 1 c. chopped pecans Preheat oven to 350°F.Cream the shortening, gradually adding sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine banana and lemon juice. Stir into creamed mixture. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture, stirring, just until combine. Some lumps may remain. Stir in jam and pecans. Transfer batter into 2 greased and floured 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3 inch loaf pans. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

Here are links to the other creative stories about The Whatevers.

Please stop by and see what these fabulous artists have created.

Catherine

Cuchy

Nathalie 

Vicki 

If you would like to play along it's not to late to join in. Here are all the details that you need to know.

Here is how it works ~

• Vicki, Cat, Cuchy (Carmen), Nathalie and I have made a one-year commitment to each other and picked twelve photos with Whatevers whom we will give a story.
• Every month – if possible always on the 15th –  each of us will do a post with an individual story that goes along for us with the same photo.
• If you want you can play along and we will have the photo for you to download and show us your version of The Whatevers. The photo will be posted at the end of our blogposts- not on Facebook!
• There is no rules to the story itself- it can be funny, sad, uplifting, breathtaking- WHATEVER
• There is no rules on the length or the form of the story- it can be a short sentence, an essay, a poem or a soap opera – WHATEVER
• There is no rules on the artform you choose – it can be a scrapbook layout, an altered art project, an artjournal page – WHATEVER
• Here is a rule though: if you take the photo you have to link back to us and show us your story.
• These pictures are from our personal stash and are for personal use for you only! If you want to use them for a publication whether a book or magazine in print or digital form please ask for permission!
• If you want to participate we’ll have a linky list for each Whatever Post.
• You can also join our The Whatevers -Facebook Page

HERE IS THE PHOTO FOR THIS MONTH'S WHATEVERS:

Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a great rest of the week ;)

It's WHATEVER Time or Christmas Comes to Lilydale

It's that time again to share The Whatevers photo and our own creative storytelling take on it!

It seems like time has flown by since Mama and Papa made the decision to move our family to Lilydale, NY. So many visitors, most importantly Auntie Esmeralda and her two daughters. That was a huge surprise for us all! I think Mama and Papa have accepted their arrival and enjoy having them here. I love having other girls to play with around the living quarters of the hotel, not just my brother.

Fall has come and gone and Christmas is right around the corner. Mama and Esmeralda have been busy getting the hotel decorated, cookies baked and all the necessary preparations. Even though they would be humming and singing as the busily worked I could tell something was wrong…they couldn't hide it. It seems since moving to Lilydale I can see what others are thinking…it's a weird feeling and I try to hide it.

I was soon to find out what the worry was about. Grandma Effie, a widow and her sister Belinda, my maiden great-aunt announced they would be coming for a Christmas visit. Mama  was worried because Grandma never thought she did anything right and Esmeralda hadn't seen her mother since she ran away with the Gypsy prince. I wasn't sure about them, they seemed larger than life to me…they were very stern and really disliked noise and fun. They would say that children were "to be seen but not heard".

They arrived dressed up like the "Queens of Sheba" …at least that's how Mama described their outfits. Grandma Effie and Great-aunt Belinda expected everyone to wait on them. They were stern with us, even when we were just sitting. I dreaded their arrival just like everyone else in the hotel. The only good thing about their arrival is they would bring with them my favorite Christmas treat.

Christmas finally arrived and after opening our gifts a very grand dinner would be served. I didn't really remember what we had to eat because I was saving room for after dinner desserts. There would be roasted chestnuts and dried figs, a variety of cookies and a huge plate of my favorite, STRUFOLI, a Neapolitan dessert that is traditionally prepared at Christmastime by my Grandma Effie.

Although the time they stayed with us was tense it seemed like they were happy to have Esmeralda back. Of course they spent several hours in adult conversations that we were always sent out of the room. Grandama tried unsuccessfully to convince Mama and Papa to move back to NY city. She told Mama and Papa that Lilydale was not the place to raise children with all the strange going's on. Everyone had a sigh of relief the day Papa took them back to the train station. Mama and Auntie Esmeralda fell into each others arms laughing and giggling and we went back to all our mischievous fun before the visit. Christmas had come and gone and we did survive the visit.

Here is the recipe for STRUFOLI. Since my grandmother never wrote this recipe down I was able to find this recipe from Franco Lania { http://www.huffingtonpost.com/franco-lania/struffoli-italian-christmas-tradition_b_4378585.html }.

In Italy, Italian home cooks traditionally make large quantities of these tiny honey balls for friends and family. When one visits relatives during the holidays, a plate of struffoli often is brought along as a gift to spread holiday cheer and in keeping with the theme of Christmas as the season of giving.

Struffoli: (serves: 10-15)

Ingredients: for the dough

Sugar - 1 cup
Butter - 2 oz. (unsalted)
Eggs - 5
Vanilla - 2 teaspoons
Flour - 4 cups
Baking powder - 2 teaspoons
Lemon - 1, grated

The honey syrup:

Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Honey - 16 oz.
Cinnamon - 1/4 teaspoon

Frying:

Vegetable oil - 6-8 cups

Garnishing:

Candied mixed fruit - 1/2 cup, chopped
Sprinkles - 1 tablespoon

• In the bowl of your electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment in place, blend together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. This should take 5-8 min on medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl down from time to time as needed.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
• Add the vanilla, flour, baking powder, grated lemon zest and blend well until a soft dough is formed. (If dough seem to sticky, add a little additional flour in order to achieve a workable dough that will not stick to your hands.)
• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured board into a long rope the diameter of a pencil. Then cut each rope into 1/2 inch size pieces. Lightly roll between the palms of your hands to create small ball shapes.
• Heat the oil to 350 F.
• Fry the dough pieces in the hot oil about 12 at a time. Cook until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a sheet pan lined with absorbent paper to drain. Repeat until all dough had been fried and drained. Then transfer all to a clean bowl and reserve until needed.
• In a medium pot, combine the sugar and water. Stir over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then add the honey and the cinnamon. Continue to stir until mixture reaches a simmer.
• Remove the pot from the heat and pour into the bowl with the fried dough balls, mixing and tossing the balls gently and simultaneously with a spatula to make sure that all are coated well.
• At this point, you can toss some of the candied chopped fruit into the bowl and mix in reserving the rest of the candied fruits for the garnishing.

Here are links to the other creative stories about The Whatevers. Please stop by and see what these fabulous artists have created.

• Catherine Matthews Scanlon
• Cuchy Sanchez
• Nathalie Kalbach  
• Vickie Chrisman

If you would like to play along it's not to late to join in. Here are all the details that you need to know.

Here is how it works ~

• Vicki, Cat, Cuchy (Carmen), Nathalie and I have made a one-year commitment to each other and picked twelve photos with Whatevers whom we will give a story.
• Every month – if possible always on the 15th –  each of us will do a post with an individual story that goes along for us with the same photo.
• If you want you can play along and we will have the photo for you to download and show us your version of The Whatevers. The photo will be posted at the end of our blogposts- not on Facebook!
• There is no rules to the story itself- it can be funny, sad, uplifting, breathtaking- WHATEVER
• There is no rules on the length or the form of the story- it can be a short sentence, an essay, a poem or a soap opera – WHATEVER
• There is no rules on the artform you choose – it can be a scrapbook layout, an altered art project, an artjournal page – WHATEVER
• Here is a rule though: if you take the photo you have to link back to us and show us your story.
• These pictures are from our personal stash and are for personal use for you only! If you want to use them for a publication whether a book or magazine in print or digital form please ask for permission!
• If you want to participate we’ll have a linky list for each Whatever Post.
• You can also join our The Whatevers -Facebook Page

HERE IS THE PHOTO FOR THIS MONTH'S WHATEVERS:

Thank you so much for taking time of these busy, hectic days as we prepare for the upcoming holiday season. 

If you would like to share your Whatevers here is the link: