Mama's Hot Cocoa

 

Margie: These cold winters surely make my old bones ache, sister, but I thank you for making me this warm nightgown. It's warm to my body. 

Edna, do you remember when Mama and Grandma would make us that good hot cocoa in the wintertime? My stars, that stuff would warm us through and through. They didn't use an old mix either. Remember?

Edna:  How could I forget?  It was so warm and lovely, and you know how I love my chocolate!  I remember how Mama used to make it special for us, and she'd put in broken peppermints or old pieces of candy cane.  Remember how we used to find bits of cellophane at the bottom of the cup?  We never told Mama, though, because we didn't want her to stop making us that delicious treat.

Margie: I do remember and I felt so loved when I saw that cup of cocoa. You know how I love marshmallows and Mama would always put an extra one in my cup. Nobody makes hot cocoa like that anymore.

Edna:  Well, that's certainly true.  Everything today is "instant" this, and "easy" that.  It's times like this that I really miss the old-fashioned ways.  And Mama, of course.

Thank you for reminding me of such a wonderful memory, sister.  Maybe we should make some of Mama's hot cocoa right now, it sure would warm us both up.

Margie: What a wonderful idea! Edna, please don't sling sugar all over my new nightgown. You always did that when Mama wasn't looking then she'd wonder why the floor was so gritty.

Edna:  Typical.  Why are you so bound and determined to ruin a nice conversation with some kind of crabby remark?  Just drink your cocoa, sister, and be glad I don't dump it in your lap.

National Popcorn Popping Month

Margie: Edna and I have always loved cool weather. You know the kind where it's cold enough to have the fireplace going. There's a smell to those old fireplaces that we always loved when we were girls. Our favorite times, though, were when Mama, Daddy, Edna, and I gathered around that fireplace and Daddy popped corn for us all. Mama made hot cider for everyone and we'd have a wonderful time.

Edna loved to hear Daddy tell stories about when he was a boy. She would get her funny box turned over because she couldn't believe that Daddy had once been a boy and not a Daddy.

Well, my old mind wanders a lot these days. I've said all this to say that October is National Popcorn Popping Month. That sure brings back a lot of happy memories. I think I'll go back and have more happy thoughts of the old days.

Edna, you sure are quiet. What's on your mind?

Edna: Nothing, I was just listening to you jaw away about the old days while I was munching on this popcorn I popped. If you want some, you'd best get over here and eat before it's all gone.

Margie and Edna: growing up in Kansas

Margie: Edna, remember this corn field? We'd want fresh corn and we'd get our beaus to go borrow some.

Edna: Margie, there's nothing like the taste of locally grown corn, and they didn't use all those pesticides back then, either.

Margie: That's the truth. Remember how we'd bring the corn home and help Mama shuck it? She'd cut it off the cob and fry it up in that old iron skillet of grandma's.

Edna: My favorite was when we'd have those big corn boils after church and invite the neighbors over. Then Daddy would get out his fiddle after dinner and we'd all dance on the porch. I wish folks still did that.

Margie: Sister, you do make me laugh sometimes. Everybody loved it when Daddy got out the fiddle. What good fun we did have.

There was so little crime then, Edna, because we made things to do. We didn't go looking to find mischief. Remember how you loved to dance barefoot and Daddy thought you would shame the family?

Edna: Margie, Daddy never thought that and you know it! You're the one who practically accused me of dancing barefoot down Main Street, when you know good and well that I only did that on the porch. My lands, how you can taint such a wonderful memory is beyond me.

Margie: What's beyond me, Edna, is how you try to make people believe you were a saint when you know I know better.

Daddy said I'd have been a nun if we'd been Catholic but we weren't so there went my career.

Edna: I do believe you misunderstood Daddy; what he did was threaten to send you to a convent, usually at least once a week. Trust you to miss a detail like that.

Margie: That's it, Edna. I'm not talking to you anymore today.

Edna: Well, glory hallelujah folks, if I'd known it was this easy to get her to stop talking to me, I'd have said that years ago! Let's just enjoy the silence for a while, shall we?

*photo courtesy of Sharon, CT Daily Photo

To our faithful readers

Recently, we had some nice comments posted on our "Margie and Edna remember VJ Day" blog entry. While we're very glad you enjoyed the sisters' "memories" of that day, we felt like we needed to correct some misconceptions. Margie and Edna are not real people, and what we wrote are not real memories. By and large, the posts on this blog are works of fiction, and are meant to be enjoyed primarily for their entertainment value. Neither of the authors of this blog are octogenarians--not even close! Nor are we real-life sisters. Now, this is not to say that there might not be a kernel of truth in some of these posts; we often take from our real-life experiences, or from those of our parents and/or grandparents.

We are delighted and flattered that these caricatures ring so true for some of you. We've been told that the ladies' interactions often remind people of their own relatives, and we're happy that they strike a chord among our readers. We enjoy so much presenting these ladies to you, our regular readers, and we hope that you continue to visit here to see what the ladies are up to. We promise you, they have many more adventures to tell you about!

Sincerely,

Jane and Beth, aka "Margie" and "Edna"