Epilog

For the past 4 1/2 months, this has been a labor of love. I have found several of Mom´s recipes that I thought were lost. Others, I did not find: Those indeed are lost. As I was transcribing her recipes, the thoughts, smells and sights of her kitchen were fascinating. The memory flashes of huge Holiday dinners. The turkey, lamb roasts, duck and chicken. The pies and the rolls. And then the power of "The Frown" or of "The Smile" or of "The Laugh". The bustling and busy preparations. The deep concern of whether or not everything would turn out ok. "Are the rolls burned on the bottom?" Did the family "Roll Checker" look? Probably so. And then the philosophical question, "Is white corn ripe? Why isn´t it yellow?"

I remember huge Christmas dinners at my Grandma Young´s and Aunt Anna´s in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. The greetings of the cousins and other relatives. Uncle Dutch's electric train. Why did the men all go to the cellar? The old granite house with the winding wooden stairway to the second floor. The "spooky" attic stairs. The "Elliot Ness" 1929 Franklin in the garage. The "bums" on Station Avenue at the creek. The 25 pound plus turkey, the ham, the corn, the potatoes, the beans, the peas, the creamed onions, the rolls, the pies and ice cream and the cakes. I remember the long ride back to Newark and the questions of who belonged to whom.

The little house in Rising Sun, Maryland where my Grandmother Wilson lived. The roses on her front porch. The small kitchen. The meals in that kitchen over looking the sloping back yard. The gray wooden front porch. The house in Nottingham, Pennsylvania and my Uncle Johnny sending Morse Code at 100 wpm and the stories of his time working as a telegrapher on the Pennsylvania Railroad. His Blaze roses in the backyard. The old railroad station, where now Wise Potato Chips are made.

And I suppose that it all boils down to one fundamental fact: The joy of these family gatherings. The laughter and the teasing. The oneness of the meals; the bonding of family. I bitterly miss those times, but I am also rational enough to know that as a photograph is indeed a moment in time captured, never to be repeated, so are those times and events. Those meals and gatherings are a blessing and the memories of those times will endure. Hopefully, this volume will help all to reflect on those times and know that I am sincerely thankful for these family ties and bonds.

I do hope that anyone and everyone who may read this collection of recipes, enjoys them. They are a treasury of family gatherings and a treasured memory of my Mother. I submit this volume to all who may wish to see it, I know Mom would have also shared it. She was like that. It is an honor to be her son.
29 November 2000

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I Told You So!
Left to Right, Top - Bob, Wilson, Pop
Sitting - Peggy and Mom

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