Blocks 9 - 10

My Family Tree extends out

to Aunt Ruth and Aunt Helen.

They are Dad's sisters.

Dad was the oldest,

then Aunt Ruth

followed by Aunt Helen.

Aunt Ruth met and married Uncle Norman.

He had come back from the service,

left Cass County

and worked at US Steel in Gary.

When they married,

Aunt Ruth moved to "the region."

They had 2 daughters:

Marilyn and Debbie.

Every summer,

once we were old enough,

I would go to Gary and spend a week

and each of them would come to Logan

and spend a week.

I am SO HAPPY that we got to do this.

We three became as close as peas in a pod when we were together.

Mom always said that when we got together

we started up right where we left off.

Aunt Ruth had worked before she got marred,

but when she moved to Gary

she became a stay at home wife.

When I would visit,

 I was always eager to see what she would cook.

She had a mixing bowl on a stand,

not a hand mixer like we had.

I always wondered

if THAT was what made her food taste so good.

She made something called Johnny Marzetti . .

basically a hamburger and macaroni dish,

(if memory serves me right),

Cole Slaw

and corn bread that I can remember to this day.

I have yet to taste any of the three,

no matter how they are made,

that comes anywhere close to Aunt Ruth's.

So my Block #9

is in honor of Aunt Ruth.

In case you can't tell,

it  is an ear of corn.

Aunt Ruth

made

the ONLY

corn bread

that I ever liked.

I don't know what she did to them,

except she made them in those cast iron pans

that made them look like little ears of corn,

but to this day

hers are the ONLY ONES I have ever liked.

I don't care whos' recipe you have.

I don't care if your recipe has won State fair awards.

I don't care if your recipe

got you a show on the Food Network.

My Aunt Ruth

made

THE BEST

corn bread ever to be made

in the whole

United States of America.

No Exceptions ! ! ! ! !

Block #10

is honors my Aunt Helen.

I am sitting here laughing

because

Lee,

Marilyn

 Debbie and I

drove poor Aunt Helen

NUTZ ! ! ! ! !

Well, to be honest,

maybe not Debbie . .

she was the youngest

and the nicest of the 4 of us.

But the three remaining cousins made up for her.

Aunt Helen never married.

The 4 of us were the only kids she ever had.

We all loved her a TON

and she,

in return,

loved us more.

For many  years, at Christmas,

she would give all four of us the same present.

Lee doesn't remember this story . . .

but, as I say,

Lee wouldn't remember he had a sister

if his 4 kids didn't remind him :o}

Marilyn,

Debbie

and I remember it well.

Aunt Helen made us

Sock Monkeys

one year for Christmas.

That was when the filling for toys

wasn't nice like it is now.

By the time she got done,

she had that rubber feeling,

pellet looking

stuffing

all over her apartment.

I know she swore never to make anything like these again.

And,

I am 100% sure,

knowing Aunt Helen,

that she swore more than that!

One year,

not to long ago,

I found Sock Monkey

Christmas Tree ornaments.

Of course,

I bought 1 for Marilyn

and 1 for Debbie.

They both said

that when they opened them they started laughing.

They knew EXACTLY what they meant.

Aunt Ruth didn't remember the story,

but the girls filled her in.

So,

Aunt Helen

 got a Sock Monkey

 from me

 today.

100 Blessings Squares

Blocks 1 - 10 completed.

May 12, 2010.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for blessing me with two of the best, though totally different, aunts. Aunt Ruth showed me what pure kindness is. When I am around her, I always have a calm, serene feeling.

And Aunt Helen . . what can I say but laugh. She brought me so much joy in my life. I know I picked on her too much, but I also know that she didn't mind. I sure was lucky to have her living only 1 block from me the whole time I was growing up. Not many nieces / nephews are that lucky. She welcomed all of us into her home any time we wanted to visit . . and I am sure that I visited way to many times, at times.

Lord, you have truly blessed my life with people who have unconditionally loved me for who I am. Not for what they wish I was, or wished I would have become. For this, I am forever in your debt.

Amen.