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My baby boy celebrates his 22nd birthday tomorrow, so Saturday morning (before he left for the University) I needed to produce a birthday cake. Recipe of choice? My chocolate sheet cake which takes less than an hour to make from beginning to end. Yay! 'Twas finished in time for his trip to Redlands.....
Happy Birthday Kiddo!!!
Hi Natalie! We received your postcard from Paris! Wish you were here! Sending a celebratory slice of virtual birthday cake your way! Have fun in Italy!
Chocolate Sheet Cake
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
(or 1/2 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla (or 1 tablespoon Kahlua liqueur)
2 sticks margarine
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
Mix together sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan mix margarine, cocoa, and water. Bring to a boil then pour over dry ingredients. Mix well. Add milk, soda, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into an 11" X 16" greased and floured pan, then bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. (Batter will be thin.)
Frosting
1 stick margarine
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/3 cup milk
Mix ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1 pound of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla (or 1 tablespoon Kahlua liqueur), and a cup of chopped nuts (I use walnuts). Frost while the cake is hot. Allow to cool before serving.
My son’s good friend Natalie (from college) is spending the spring semester of her junior year in Salzburg, Austria.....
IN A CASTLE! Great gig if you can get it, yes?
I adore Natalie and love to receive the email glimpses she sends our way. It’s that old vicarious thing, ya know!
A portion of her latest ‘postcard’......
Forgive me for the lateness of this email. I haven’t gotten the chance to get on the internet in a while (we don’t have it at the house, and if I want to get online I have to pay for an expensive drink at a bar/café, unless it’s during happy hour).
Salzy is still as amazing as ever. I just finished watching The Sound of Music and it’s so cool to spot scenes in the movie and to know I was actually there (or rather that I actually live here). FYI-The scene where the children
and Maria pass the fountain on the way to their picnic (Do-Ray-Mi), I pass the same fountain on my way into
town EVERY DAY!
Since my last email, I have traveled to many places. The second complete weekend at the house (January 22-24), our class took a trip to Vienna with our professors. I’ve already been to Vienna, but it’s just as beautiful as I remember it. We saw many things including the Belvedere, Stephansdom (huge church), the Museum of Art History, in addition to going on a walking tour of the city and seeing other sites. Saturday the class headed back to Salzburg while Morgan (a friend of mine here) and I took a train from Vienna to Munich, Germany. We were there less than 24 hours but saw SO much. We went to the Hofbräuhaus (twice!...it’s a HUGE beer hall that can hold 8,000 people, supposedly). There are busty women who serve you pretzels and beer (only in liter form). You make friends there quite easily as you just sit down at a table with free space (others may already be sitting there with extra room). Our hostel called Wombat’s was cool, and offered a free three hour tour. We saw many sites, got lost a few times, walked MANY a mile, but made it home safely at around 8pm Sunday night.
The next weekend (January 29-February 1) I went to Prague (the capital of the Czech Republic). I was definitely out of my comfort zone there, as I didn’t even know the simplest words like “thank you” and “hello”. Austria and Germany are a breeze because at least I can get around with the little German I do know; but we had to speak English the entire time we were in Prague (it was rather discouraging). In addition, it was FREEZING. The weather forecast turned out to be incredibly wrong and I nearly froze to death the first day we walked around town. The second day I doubled up on shirts and it snowed. However, we got to see many sites like the Astronomical clock, this tower-like structure modeled after the Eiffel tower that looks out over ALL of Prague, Prague castle, a Salvador Dali/Alfonse Mucha exhibit, an Andy Warhol exhibit (that was interesting…), the Museum of Communism, Charles Bridge (which is GORGEOUS), and many others.......
This Thursday I am headed to Greece for 10 days!!!! We are going to be in Athens, Delphi, Nafplion, and Olympia. I am super excited and canNOT wait to tell you all about it.
For those of you who receive postcards within the next couple weeks, they might be a little outdated (as in, three weeks old) just because I haven’t gotten the opportunity to buy postage for a while, so bear with me please!
Liebe (Love),
Natalie
P.S. It snowed here this past week and everything looked gorgeous. I’m positive we got over half a foot of snow! But we had a “heat wave” the past couple days and it’s in the 40s, sometimes 50s and all of the snow is nearly gone. I’m hoping it snows again so that I can go sledding.
P.P.S. Sorry for the lack of pictures. It takes FOREVER to upload one picture.
P.P.S. Dad, can you send this to anyone else on your email that would enjoy this? i.e. C and C, the Harris Family, Terri and Jodi, Auntie Cher. Thanks Dad! :D
P.P.P.S. The one picture I have attached to this email was when I was on a sleigh ride through the Austrian Alps on January 11th.
Yes. Thanks, Natalie (and Dad too;)
Can't wait to hear about Greece.....
Time to ring in 2009. Our family makes the 25-mile annual pilgrimage to Pasadena to party on Colorado Boulevard at midnight then awaken with a front row seat to one of the most beautiful parades in existence, the Rose Parade.
Morning arrivals to The Boulevard (part of historic Route 66) require ladder seating, while sleep overs require warm clothing and blankets (or a snooze in the ol’ SUV for us wimps;) When my son and nieces were little, we added a wooden plank between our ladders. The little ones sat there with snacks, hot chocolate, and a bird’s eye view of the morning festivities.
New Year's Eve promises lots of activity on the streets near Colorado and Orange Grove! Watch out for silly string and shaving cream pies if you cruise the boulevard in your car; notice street campsites staked out with portable heaters, air mattresses, and chairs; see local reporters comb the area for news stories too; and if you venture south on Raymond around 10 PM, you may get a peek at flowered floats being moved from their ‘barn’ to the staging area on Orange Grove. Last, but never least, make a stop at Jakes. We do! The best sliders, burgers, and homemade chili you’ll find anywhere. Yum!
Colorado quiets slightly a few hours before daybreak, but morning reveals hustle and bustle and anticipation. The Parade will begin with a breathtaking flyover. You can hear a pin drop...just before the roar. Marching bands, incredible floats, beautiful flowers, equestrian units, and celebrity Grand Marshals make a chilly night on the street very worthwhile....
From past parades, I loved seeing the marching Storm Troopers from Star Wars, and Grand Marshal George Lucas...
...watched Kareem Abdul Jabbar talk on his cell phone while riding shotgun on a stagecoach. Must have been a matter of life and death (she says with tongue in cheek;)
...and I always marvel at designer Raul Rodriguez’s creations. He’s a local boy who won a float-designing contest as a teenager, then made it his career. Look for him and his beautiful blue macaw...
Then plan your trip to Pasadena for New Years 2010!
On Saturday, weather conditions brought wildfires as close to my neighborhood as they’ve ever been. As I walked at the park yesterday morning, the first plumes of smoke from Brea, Yorba Linda, and Anaheim Hills looked as if I could touch them; but they were still singular and separate. Early afternoon, we attended my niece’s softball game in Whittier. Scheduled as a double header, the air quality became too unhealthy to play the second game. Strong winds were blowing the smoke in a westerly direction (toward us) and at one point the sun suffered an eery eclipse. By nightfall, we could see a glow in the east and the car’s headlights created 'fireflies' from the ashes that were whipping around in the wind.
This morning, I took photos of the ash-covered concrete and cars under a haze-occluded sun. Santa Ana winds have tamed somewhat for now, but the damage is done.
I posted the following comment five weeks ago on Stumbleupon.com when we were in the midst of the Porter Ranch fires. Nature always has the ability to humble us, and she has once again.
While I love Autumn, the fall season in Southern California can be deadly. It is the season of Santa Ana winds and firestorms. I grew up here, an LA County Fireman's daughter. My dad has been retired 20 years now, but the last brush fire he fought was in the Porter Ranch area. Fire Fighting technology has improved tremendously in 20 years, but Fire is a tough adversary. The tragedy is that civilization has invaded the canyons and hills; they were meant to be left alone. Wild. Natural. So now Fire threatens not only the wild creatures, but the human ones too.
Halloween! All Hallow's Eve! Dia De Los Muertos! The day of candy corn, jack-o-lanterns, costumes, ghouls, goblins, fun, and generally SCARY STUFF!
How about spiders? They are very active in the Fall. Big garden spiders spin and spin, creating huge symmetrical webs to trap their prey. Daylight finds them in hiding; evening begins the hunt. And watch out for Black Widows too! They seek dark places, spinning rather desultory webs as their signature death trap.
And how scary is a pumpkin? The inside can be pretty darn to a little one, namely mine. When my son and niece were young we carved some pumpkins for Halloween. Each child was to clean-out his/her own pumpkin before the artistic process would begin. My niece dug in happily; my son protested. Thinking he just wanted to skip to the fun part I encouraged him to persist. Not until I heard him say "Mom, I see little white flies in my pumpkin" and "I'm dizzy" did I realize what was happening. My rough and tumble boy was seeing stars! Blood and guts never phased him, but the mushy innards of a pumpkin were definitely his kryptonite!
Be afraid! Be very afraid!
My folks had a road trip to Oregon planned for this Fall. A sentimental journey of sorts to enjoy long overdue visits with relatives and old friends. When my dad broke his ribs in early September, I had some concern about them traveling alone. (Besides, I’ll dig for any excuse to do a road trip;) So with vacation time available from work, I offered to be their chauffeur and travel agent:)
Dallas and Doris (my parents) have been married for 58 years. They were wed on June 25, 1950, a date familiar to US History buffs as the day the Korean War began. My mother had not seen my father for a year when she arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii where he was stationed as a member of the US Navy. They were married with no relatives present, only friends: Mac was Best Man. Lil was Matron of Honor. They, too, were newlyweds (of only four months). Mac was in the Navy. Lil worked at Ship Service.
Ah, the twists and turns of fate. My dad needed to find an apartment before my mom arrived, so Mac mentioned that the one below he and Lil was available. Thus began an enduring friendship of four people, born in different parts of the country within 10 months of one another. An Iowan, Missourian, Idahoan, and Hawaiian became friends and neighbors on Palani Street in Honolulu, Hawaii.
My parents have always remembered and appreciated the kindness of their friends. Mom had no wedding dress for the marriage ceremony, so Lil borrowed one from another friend for her to wear. The couples socialized and celebrated holidays together for the two years they were neighbors. My dad spent an extra year in the Navy because of the war. Mac signed over and became a career man. Our family ultimately settled in Southern California. Their family lived in Washington, Oregon, California, and even Cuba for two years. We kept in communication mostly through letters, lost touch for a number of years, then, with the aid of the internet, began communicating again.
This past weekend I watched four people who hadn’t seen each other in 37 years reminisce without missing a beat. Names, places, and stories from the past were discussed, photos shared, and gaps of time brought up to date. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing every moment of this event but must say that one particular discussion stood out above all others.
The day prior to our visit was Lil’s 80th birthday, making her the first of the four to reach that milestone. Always beautiful inside and out, sweet too, she still has that sharp little edge that makes her so interesting to talk with.
Lil was born and raised in Honolulu in a neighborhood near Diamond Head. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, she had just turned 13 years old. I felt so privileged to hear about this event from her perspective! A child’s point-of-view, so different from the military strategies of history books:)
She recounted that she remembered seeing the smoke rise from the harbor for days and also mentioned that they feared ground invasion from the Japanese. (Looking back, we know that the attack was only aerial, but if you are experiencing it in real time, how could you be certain?) Everyone was issued gas masks. She noted (as a 13 year old girl would;) that they were UGLY, heavy, and had a huge filter canister on them. Required to tote them everywhere, she gave up carrying a purse, and piled her belongings into the mask. Children are wonderful! She also noted the required blackouts in the days following the attack. Absolutely no light was allowed to leak from the houses at night. Her father was the warden in their neighborhood, too. He patrolled to make certain it was “Lights Out!”
On behalf of Dallas and Doris, I would like to thank Mac, Lil, Sharon, Debbie....and Mollie;) for their hospitality. This was a road trip like no other......
*Note: Photo Number 4 was taken at the Punchbowl Cemetery on Christmas Day 1950.
.....she said in her best British accent. No, not the alternative rock group (formed in Chi-town, BTW). It's October showcase time for the versatile pumpkin!Our pumpkins got an early start this year. After the seedlings were planted, vines took off across the yard and even up the fence. During the morning hours, bees were ecstatic over the blooms, showing no discrimination between male and female flowers. Soon tiny pumpkins appeared, then grew and grew till harvest time....My friend Jordi from Missouri (or Missoura, like my mom, a Missouri native, says) loves pumpkins (and gourds too). She occasionally looks to Martha Stewart Magazine for fun ideas, and discovered the Pumpkin Owls this year. They are quite easy to make, especially if you leave out the miniature lights.Jordi and I both get a giggle out of Martha (often the definition of perfectionism and its negatives). Martha did a televised special many years ago with Julia Child as guest. Watching loosey-goosey Julia frustrate Miss M (almost to the point of homicide) was incredibly entertaining. Someday Jordi and her sister will take over the Martha Stewart empire;) I hope it's hostile....Choose yer weapon, Martha! Spatulas it is!
My baby boy celebrates his 22nd birthday tomorrow, so Saturday morning (before he left for the University) I needed to produce a birthday cake. Recipe of choice? My chocolate sheet cake which takes less than an hour to make from beginning to end. Yay! 'Twas finished in time for his trip to Redlands.....
