Apple Butter & Great-Great Aunt Lillie
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Today, I want to tell you about the delicious apple butter I discovered and share a story about my Great-Great Aunt Lillie.
As soon as I woke up, I heard the wind whipping around the sides of the house. The snowstorm is supposed to start tomorrow, according to what I’ve read.
I came awake when Ivy gently put her paw on me, letting me know it was time for the kitties to be fed. And so the day began.
The winter storm might be getting a head start, if the gusts of wind are any indication. I just hope the power doesn’t get interrupted.
It’s currently gray outside, and I can see the tree branches swaying out the window.
Apple Butter:
Have you ever tried White House Apple Butter? I hadn’t eaten apple butter in years. So when I ordered my groceries from Walmart at the beginning of the week, I ordered a couple of jars. The two-pack was shipped and delivered separately from my grocery order.
It is delicious! I like to put mine on peanut butter sandwiches. The apple butter is a yummy addition. I imagine it would be tasty on just a slice of bread alone.
When I was a child, I had a friend whose grandmother made apple butter. That was the first time I’d tasted it, and I still remember it all these years later. I believe we had it on a single folded slice of bread, and it sure tasted good.
Simon & Barbecued Potato Chips:
I had a peanut butter/apple butter sandwich yesterday, and Simon begged for the barbecue potato chips on my plate. The cats don’t usually get table food, but my Simon has a predilection for barbecue potato chips.
So I give him a bit that I’ve crushed, and he laps it right up. He doesn’t seem to care for regular potato chips.
Ivy likes cornbread. When I cook cornbread, Ivy is in the kitchen waiting for it to come out of the oven. I crumble up a little and put it into a bowl for her.
Daisy doesn’t tend to like anything but cat food, at least so far. She is a funny bunny. When you talk to Daisy, she typically opens her mouth with a big meow back at you. I suppose it is her way of having a conversation.
I don’t know what she’s trying to communicate to me, but I rub her head and pet her to let her know I’m acknowledging her.
Great-Great Aunt Lillie:
More and more, I think I’ve emulated my Great-great Aunt Lillie more than anyone else. When I was a child, she’d drive up in her white Chevrolet sedan, her dogs in the back seat.
Aunt Lillie spent a lot of time fishing and always wore men’s pants. This was at a time when older women usually wore dresses. Certainly, my grandmothers did. But Aunt Lillie didn’t seem to care what people thought about her attire.
Unlike my grandmothers, Aunt Lillie was not religious and didn’t go to church.
Her husband, Joe, was the town treasurer, a tall man with thinning hair. They seemed so diametrically opposed, with Uncle Joe dressed up in his suits, and Aunt Lillie in her man’s shirt and pants.
They lived in a big two-story house, but didn’t have children.
What impressed me most about Aunt Lillie was that she was a maverick and certainly her own unique person in that small town.
She didn’t wear lipstick or try to look feminine. Aunt Lillie’s hair was kind of wild and wavy. I have coarse hair, probably much like Aunt Lillie’s hair.
Mine has cowlicks that you can’t coach into submission, no matter what you do. I still shave my head, which I began doing during the pandemic. I’ve found that it’s much easier, and certainly saves money, not making appointments and having to go out to get my hair cut.
It’s quite freeing to get up in the morning without having to look in the mirror and worry about your hair. It’s unorthodox, I suppose, much like Aunt Lillie was. She didn’t seem to care what people thought about her attire, and I don’t care what people think of my lack of hair.
Is Greenland Now Safe?
So it looks like Greenland is safe for the moment. I’ve heard more about Greenland in the past few weeks than in my entire lifetime.
Years ago, the US took it upon itself to acquire vast amounts of land from Native Americans with its self-righteous policy of “ethnic cleansing”. They displaced them from their ancestral homelands, and many scholars labeled this a genocide.
There have been forced removals (like the Trail of Tears), coercive policies (like the Dawes Act), and outright seizure. This Manifest Destiny resulted in massive land loss for Indigenous peoples.
Greenland is a self-governing territory and under the protection of NATO, of which the US and Denmark are both members.
Why can’t this nation mind its own business, be kind to our allies, and take care of our own people? There are so many problems in this country that need attention.
The Invasion of Homes:
ICE enforcement officers are invading homes and terrifying everyone inside. They don’t seem to think they need a judge’s warrant, probable cause, or authorization to enter someone’s home.
There are young children who are likely traumatized for life because they were left in the streets to fend for themselves when ICE took a parent away.
I suppose ICE thought they were protecting our country by terrorizing 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos. He and his father are gone now, and isn’t America great again?
I know I won’t forget the tear-stained faces of these frightened children for as long as I live.
What I’m Reading:
I finished reading Empire of AI. Last night I began reading Raising Hare, a memoir exploring one woman’s unlikely friendship with a wild hare.
In February 2021, Chloe Dalton stumbled upon a newborn hare—a leveret—that had been chased by a dog. Fearing for its life, she took it home, only to discover how difficult it is to rear a wild hare, most of whom perish in captivity from either shock or starvation.
Through trial and error, she learned to feed and care for the leveret with every intention of returning it to the wilderness. Instead, it became her constant companion, wandering the fields and woods at night and returning to Dalton’s house by day.
Though Dalton feared that the hare would be preyed upon by foxes, weasels, feral cats, raptors, or even people, she never tried to restrict it to the house. Each time the hare left, Chloe knew she might never see it again. Yet she also understood that to confine it would be its own kind of death.
Raising Hare chronicled their journey together. This story is a perfect testimony to the transformative power of love.
No Sunday Snippets this Weekend:
Since I’m currently writing about weekly happenings, I’m pausing Sunday Snippets for the time being and taking the weekend off. Happy weekend, and stay warm and safe!
Kendra just brought my homemade soup and a big bag of cat food to feed the outdoor kitties. The water I put out for them is frozen solid. I hope Smitty next door keeps water for them in his basement.
I guess I’ll have my cup of coffee now. Check the news to see what’s going on out in the world. Sit huddled in my little house while the wind howls outside.
I’m not a big apple butter fan. Same with jelly.
The outdoor kitty’s water being frozen…you can get an outdoor bowl on Amazon that plugs in. I keep one plugged in on my porch for the feral kitties. (I also have a heated cat hut on my porch.)
I am with you on everything you wrote about ICE and Greenland. I have been so upset about all the ICE attacks that I had a nightmare about it last night. I won’t go into any detail.
That book, Raising Hare sounds really good. I’m going to see if my library has it.
Nice story about your aunt!! My Hubby loves apple butter too.
You know, I admire your courage to shave your head…I wish my head was such a nice shape as yours…I would consider so doing as well. I quit wearing makeup some maybe 6yrs ago. I asked my Hubby if it mattered to him and he did not care and I certainly am not out to impress anyone, so I quit. He liked not having to wait on me to do it if he decided to go someplace…it was much quicker. And now? Heh, it would take more than makeup to make me look better…
We need to stop romanizing the Indians. It’s rewriting history. Yes, they were here before us however, tribes also stole, pillaged, kidnapped, in order to take another tribes land. Tribes were extremely cruel. If you and others are concerned about stolen land, give the land you live on back to the native tribes. Also, ICE is NOT leaving children in the streets to fend for themselves.
Liam’s father ran from ICE leaving him behind. After retrieving his father, they are together awaiting deportation.
And please remember the Clinton and the Obama administrations used ICE as well. I’m sure in similar ways the Trump administration is using ICE now. Where was the outrage then? No other country allows illegal immigration. We cannot sustain it. If you and others are also so concerned, open your homes. Invite them in.
I do enjoy your blog Brenda. I hope some back and forth is welcomed.
Of course, it’s welcome! This is a free country.
praying for you and your family in that horrible weather.
Thanks! I think the worst of it is coming tonight.
Interesting facts about Greenland:
Its total population is 56,542 people
90% of that population are Indigenous people (Inuit), which means 50,500 of the 56,542 population are Native People to Greenland.
If I were rich, I would run a continuous ad in their newspaper reminding the people of Greenland how America treated, and are still mistreating, our Native population.
There is no money worth what will happen to their people and their environment if the United States purchases Greenland; especially from this presidency and his administration.
I agree.
I am very worried about the millions of people in all of the “red” states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, etc. that are going to be hit by the monster storm. I haven’t checked the latest forecast update on You Tube yet but with ice storms predicted millions of homes, businesses, hospitals and nursing homes, etc., could find themselves without power for a long time. I read on YouTube that various state utilities have asked for “linemen” to come to their states to aid them, just in case, and many have answered the call. Such brave people, and we’re going to need them because the latest report I heard about FEMA is that it sure isn’t ready to help the states during what could be massive disasters. The last I heard, the storm could rage on for at least a week as it moves to the east coast and hits the Mid-Atlantic region and further north, and the ice storms could take down wires leaving electric power out of business for weeks in some areas. I am thinking of what is probably a lot of price gouging that went on and may still be going on for food, gasoline, generators, medical supplies/ prescription drugs, fire wood, etc., and how tightly stretched families and single people’s budgets are already. Where I live in SE Wisconsin the wind chill was way below zero and the current temperature is minus 8 degrees F, geez Louise! It is forecast to get even colder by Sunday with wind chills as cold as 60 below zero. Stay safe everyone. And wouldn’t you know it, today I learned about “exploding trees” for the first time! Unfrozen sap that freezes quickly will expand and could cause a tree to “explode.” Now I’m worried about exploding trees – of all things to be thinking about. Maybe I just need a glass of wine and go to bed early, very early, it’s 4:22 p.m. here. You know what, I’m getting too old for this kind of stuff!
East central Wi here. Cold, but at least we have power. It sounds like Oconto is out. I feel so bad for them! We are cold, but at least we aren’t getting rain/snow.
I know you’re more accustomed to the weather there. Stay warm and safe!
Brenda, nother good post!
Thanks for sharing the news that seems our local CBS, NBC and ABC just sweeps away. I know they’re trying to appease the administration. We are living in some terrible times right now for sure. Those poor little children are suffering along with a lot of others . My ancestors were Cherokee and they were removed from TN. Seems these people are being targeted by ICE also. Imagine deporting the only true citizens of this country! Lord help us.
The storm is due in here late tonight. I guess we’re as ready as we’re going to get. Fingers crossed tightly that the power stays on!
You snuggle down with those kitties and stay safe and warm. Enjoy the homemade soup too.
Everything is crazy right now, it seems. Upside down crazy.
This is pure propaganda! No one is targeting Native Americans or children.
READ THE NEWS:
Several Native Americans have reportedly been swept up in Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, where federal agents are accused of racially profiling immigrants and citizens alike in rapid, warrantless arrests.
Four members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe were arrested and detained last week, according to Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out. Three remain in federal detention, according to the Tribe.
I read that too! We can’t deny what is happening here. So awful!
Brenda, thank you for this thoughtful post. I am 81 years old and have been enjoying White House apple butter my whole life.
Also thank you for helping the outdoor cats. I wish every cat could have a safe indoor life like ours do.
I hope the storm won’t be too bad where you are. ❤️
All four neighbors on this side of the street feed the outdoor cats.
Oh my aunt Lilly was quit a person wasn’t she? I never could see her and uncle Joe together. And she always had a dog the last one I think was French. Stay warm
I think you’re right. I had forgotten what kind of dog it was.