History & Nostalgia Today

Happy Blessed New Year 2025

1/1/2025

Happy Blessed New Year!
I love to memorize Scripture and poetry. Recently, I read more lines to a well-known poem by Robert Browning that were clearly based on Psalm 31:14-15, lines I have memorized. Browning's poem is a beautiful and tremendous truth, my New Year's message to you.

Grow Old Along with Me
by Robert Browning

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith, "A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God, see all, nor be afraid."

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A Raggedy Ann History

12/11/2024

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Mother and Daughter
Charlotte Brubaker and Ann Brubaker Greenleaf Wirtz
1988
       In the fall of the year 1959, our sixth grade Girl Scout troop, under the excellent and inspirational leadership of Audree McConnell (1923-2019), participated in a county-wide Christmas project to provide gifts for underprivileged children. All troops in the St. Louis area were asked to sew Raggedy Ann dolls.
     This beloved doll has a fascinating history, with its origin a combination of legend and fact. Individuals are unchanged, but the discovery varies. One version states the daughter, Marcella Delight (1902-1915), finds a faceless cloth doll in her grandmother’s attic and brings it to her father, Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938), who creates the iconic face and appearance.
     In the second version, according to Raggedy Ann historian Patricia Hall (raggedy-ann.com/patty), his wife Myrtle Swann Gruelle (1884-1968) tells the story differently. She recalls her husband finding the doll in his mother’s attic several years before their daughter is born. Later, he observes Marcella playing happily with her dolls, bringing the rag doll to mind. Gruelle, a political cartoonist, author, and illustrator begins writing stories based on the imaginative play he observes, using the cloth doll with the unique features he creates as the main character.
     The inspiration for the doll’s name comes from two poems written by Gruelle’s at one time suburban Indianapolis, Indiana, neighbor, well-known Hoosier, James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916), who received the title “the poet of the common people” for his homespun poetry (britannica.com). Riley’s famous poems, “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Orphant Annie,” combined to make the perfect name for Gruelle’s iconic doll: Raggedy Ann.
     Tragically, Marcella dies at age 13 and her death is attributed to a contaminated needle used to administer a second smallpox vaccination, given without her parents’ permission. Marcella’s death in November 1915 occurred six months after her father applied for a U.S. patent on his Raggedy Ann doll in May, with the patent for her name filed in June. In 1920 Gruelle patented his design for the doll’s brother and fellow adventurer Raggedy Andy. The popularity of Raggedy Ann makes it a very special gift to receive, and the Girl Scouts were ready to make that Christmas wish come true.
      Our meetings were held once a week at our leader’s warm and inviting home, conveniently located just down the block from Avery School. Her daughter and good friend, Tina, was in my class, and those golden elementary years were enhanced by the fun we all had together as members of our wonderful troop.
     We received the pattern for our Raggedy Ann doll, and the creativity began. I had earned my Sewing badge, and it was attached to my Girl Scout sash, but my skills were still very rudimentary. It was obvious to my mother, Charlotte Brubaker (1910-2002), and to myself that sewing a satisfactory doll was rather questionable. My strength was found in making straight, not intricate, seams and designs. Plus, I was busy at school and involved in other activities, so there was not a lot of free time for sewing.
     My mother was a fine seamstress and had made many delightful outfits for me. She also made clothes for the dolls I always requested at Christmas time, so, she made the Raggedy Ann doll with some basic though limited help from me. The finished doll was so adorable it was hard to part with her! But on a Saturday in early December, our troop congregated with hundreds of others at Kiel Auditorium to present our Raggedy Ann dolls for distribution.
     This grand Municipal Auditorium was dedicated in 1934 and renamed Kiel Auditorium in 1943 to honor Henry Kiel, the St. Louis Mayor and visionary behind its construction. The auditorium was smartly conceived to offer two simultaneous events. The front was the Kiel Opera House, and as a fifth and sixth grade student I went on multiple educational field trips there to learn about the various instruments and to hear an inspiring concert.
      A large venue was located behind the Opera House, and that was where we proudly, though in my case somewhat reluctantly, delivered our handmade dolls that wintery morning.
     Although Kiel Auditorium was a landmark, it was demolished in 1992 to make way for the Enterprise Center, which opened in 1994 with a hockey arena for the NHL St. Louis Blues. It is also the site for basketball, wrestling, concert, and pageant events, maintaining Mayor Kiel’s original intent for multiple community happenings in that location.
     I never forgot the Raggedy Ann doll Mom made, and over the years requested she make another one for me. And she finally did. After graduation from Webster Groves High School in 1966, I headed that fall to Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, to ultimately pursue my degree in elementary education. Tucked in my suitcase was a brand-new Raggedy Ann doll.
     Fifty-eight years later, this precious doll smiles at me even now, as she sits across the room radiating her Raggedy Ann personality. She blesses my life with the greatest gift a daughter could ever have: the memory of a loving mother.
     Dear Reader, may you cherish your long-ago Christmas memories as you make new ones to treasure. Every good wish and blessing to you, and may you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Published in The Pulse newspaper, Brentwood, MO
December 2024

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A Gingerbread Memory

12/30/2023

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A Gingerbread Memory
By
Ann Brubaker Greenleaf Wirtz
As appeared in “The Pulse” Brentwood, Missouri   December 2023

(Ann grew up in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, and a neighboring community to Brentwood.
She attended Lockwood and Avery Schools, Plymouth Jr. HS, and graduated from WGHS in 1966.
She has been writing an annual Christmas story for "The Pulse" since 2011.)

     There’s something romantic about gingerbread, and how it comes into its own in the fall and winter seasons. It is a delicious cool-weather dessert, its primary flavor the result of ginger combined with molasses, or treacle, a very similar yet slightly sweeter product used in Great Britain. Topped with whipped cream or warm lemon sauce, it’s a dessert to savor on a brisk day.
     Gingerbread, however, takes on a renowned persona in December. This classic yet simple dough is used to create delightful houses and structures and is shaped into a variety of items. It is especially used to make gingerbread men and women, decorated, eaten, or hung on a Christmas tree. December and gingerbread go together like the Star and the Manger.
     My own personal gingerbread memory falls into the dessert category. Mom baked her classic gingerbread in a square, glass cake pan, her warm and comforting after-dinner sweet usually topped with her homemade lemon sauce. It was one of my favorite desserts growing up. The scent of ginger and cinnamon in the air when I came home from school brought a smile of anticipation for the evening meal. Her dessert was delicious with the warm sauce, but I’m a whipped cream fan, too, because cream enhances everything, from coffee to pumpkin pie, to gingerbread and creamy soup.
     Gingerbread has a long history, dating back to 2400 BC in Greece with the first known recipe, according to Making Gingerbread Houses by Rhonda Massingham Hart. Recipes are recorded in China in the 10th century, and many gingerbread versions existed throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.
     Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) is given credit for envisioning gingerbread shapes and figures gilded with gold leaf to represent the highly esteemed individuals paying visit to her court. Decorated cookies, cut to resemble birds, animals, and seasonal flowers, along with the kings and queens, became popular at Medieval fairs held throughout England, Northern Europe, and Germany. Some gatherings became known as Gingerbread Fairs, with the ginger cookies identified as fairings (thehistorykitchen.com).
     Even Shakespeare gave homage to this comforting treat in his 1598 play, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Act 5, Scene1, “An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy gingerbread…” (smithsonianmagazine.com).
     In the 16th century, Germany began what has become the enormously popular tradition of making clever and elaborate gingerbread houses for the holidays. This practice was enhanced with the December 20, 1812, publication of what became known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm (historytoday.com).
     Their 86 original fairy tales included a very old story, Hansel and Gretel, originally a Baltic tale from the early 1300s when a severe famine occurred. The brother and sister, who are abandoned by their parents because of a famine, come upon a house deep in the forest owned by a witch and made entirely of sweet breads or gingerbread, cakes, and treats. Taken captive, the clever children in the end rescue themselves from the witch’s evil plan to cook them for her dinner.
     The classic tale The Gingerbread Boy has a main character looking exactly like the gingerbread cookie made and loved by all. The story was first published in 1875 in an issue of St. Nicholas Magazine, a monthly American publication started in 1873 by Charles Scribner’s Sons and written for children ages five to eighteen (The Baldwin Library, UF Digital Collection).
     America has another claim to gingerbread fame. The 1784 recipe made by Mary Ball Washington, the mother of our first president, was a favorite dessert enjoyed by her famous son, George. Mary served her gingerbread to the Marquis de Lafayette when he visited her home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Her special recipe was later called Lafayette Gingerbread (mountvernon.org).
     Ah, gingerbread, its uniqueness the stuff of stories and legends, the spice of culinary fame, the backbone of intricate houses, and the ingredient for creative accomplishment. It is both humble and extravagant, a bearer of joy and comfort, a memory maker, simply a food that brings people together.
     As you enjoy this lovely Christmas season, I offer a recipe of delicious and easy-to-make gingerbread cookies to savor and share with others. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ann’s Soft Gingerbread Drop Cookies
2 cups flour
1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
¼ cup molasses
¾ cup Craisins

Mix dry ingredients together.
Combine butter, egg, milk, molasses.
Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix well.
Add Craisins.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet or use parchment paper.
Using a teaspoon, drop dough into mounds on the prepared sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until done.

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Thankful for Sarah Young, Author of "Jesus Calling"

9/5/2023

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Sarah Young, author of the daily devotional Jesus Calling, died on August 31, 2023. Her passing brought tears to my eyes. I have six of her books, and each devotional has lifted my spirit and comforted my heart. Her writings connect us to Jesus and take us to the Throne of Grace, where we find solace, hope, peace, and joy. Her remarkable ministry has touched literally millions of lives. According to an article in "Christianity Today," Jesus Calling alone has sold "more than 45 million copies."

The books by Catherine Marshall, beginning with A Man Called Peter and each of her successive works, including Beyond Ourselves and Something More, combined with the devotional books written by Sarah Young are second only to the Bible in their impact on my life. These two women have been spiritual mentors, guiding and encouraging me in my journey of faith, and I thank the Lord for them! To God be the Glory!

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August Transition

8/26/2023

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In the Northern Hemisphere
Morning light comes later now,
No longer bright at six a.m., but dark,
And an earlier evening descends
As the earth in its spinning orbit of the sun,
With its tilted and unchanging axis, finds
The sun’s rays less direct on the North Pole,
Moving us closer to the autumnal equinox.

Within the green woodland
Signs of fall quietly appear,
In the South dogwood trees lighten
With an aura that shades to crimson,
And in the North touches of yellow and red
Flame amongst the hemlock,
As leaves land here and there,
Signaling both an end and a beginning.

Along the traveled byway
The black-eyed Susan wildflower
Winks joyfully in the summer breeze,
And sunflowers stand tall in garden plot
Or farmer’s field, grown for beauty
And for the harvest of their seeds,
A favorite for the ever-hungry birds,
Affecting with their avian song and flashing feathers.

To our alert ears
The rolling buzz and click of the cicada’s tymbals
Is the sound of summer, intensifying in August,
A background anthem accompanying a stroll in the garden
To admire lantana, alive with multi-hued loveliness,
Or impatiens, with colorful wide-open faces, and
Begonias, lavish in shades of serene pink, while
Bright marigolds nestle near queenly red geraniums, exquisite, all.

Seasons come and soon enough they go,
Be it through the world’s natural turn
Or as periods of challenging time,
Even as the gentle passage of our own years,
Rails they are, as seasons frame and steer our lives,
Sometimes along a course we never imagined,
But always in the looking back,
How quickly it all went.

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"June in the Middle" From Our Lives in Verse, Everyday Poetry

6/25/2023

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Memorial Day behind us,
The Fourth of July ahead,
Two days so vastly different …
One somber,
One joyous …
Yet, of each it can be said,
These days celebrate the best of us:
With tears for the fallen,
The brave who have died,
And cheers for the fireworks
That light the night sky.
Two holidays to honor
The joy and the pain,
To win freedom, so precious …
A cost with every gain.

And now we pause between the two,
The month of June is here.
Spring turns to summer,
Shimmer to shine …
Surprise,
We’re half-way
Through the year!

Dear Heavenly Father,
Day upon day upon day … and time goes slowly by until something is over … and then how quickly it passed … the hours, the days, the weeks, the months … the long years … all go by in haste. Nothing makes that clearer than history itself, so soon accomplished both in individual lives and nationally in a country’s historic sweep. We thank you for the founding of our great nation, America, for every sacrifice in lives and hardship to right wrongs and secure freedom … our never-ending story. Thank you for every month and year that passes, may we never take life for granted. Bless and keep us today, ever in your care.
In Your Holy Name.
Amen.

Invocation Poem and Prayer
Henderson County Genealogical and Historical Society
Hendersonville, North Carolina
June 2, 2018

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On St. Patrick’s Day, we …

3/17/2017

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Think of St. Patrick, of course, and Ireland. Erin is its ancient name, a poetic version made famous in Erin go Bragh, Gaelic for “Ireland forever,” literally “Ireland for eternity.”

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, so deemed for his zeal and success in converting the country to Christianity following his years of training in a monastery in France and his appointment as a bishop to Ireland. This Scottish born lad knew Ireland and its people well from the years he spent as a teen in captivity there, working as a shepherd. He escaped only to come back years later in March, 433, as a missionary. He died on March 17, 461, around 76 years old.

Wear a touch of emerald. Though any green will do, we think of this rich green in honor of the “Emerald Isle,” as poet William Drennan (1754-1820) first called beautiful lush, green Ireland in his poem When Erin First Rose.

Sing When Irish Eyes are Smiling. This is one of Ireland’s most beloved songs, written in 1912 by Americans Chauncey Olcott, whose mother emigrated from Ireland, George Graff, and Ernest Ball. Several years later, John McCormack, considered one of the greatest Irish tenors of all time, made the song forever famous.

Buy a Shamrock Plant (Oxalis). Its three leaves are similar to the shamrock used by St. Patrick to illustrate the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The shamrock is viewed by most as the white clover (Trifolium repens), a common plant. When a mutation occurs and four leaves form, we consider ourselves “lucky” to find one, and since the odds are against us 1:10,000, we are lucky, indeed. The four-leaf clover, however, is never considered a shamrock.

Decorate with touches of Ireland and spring, the start of the season only a few days away. Gather up those cherished, personal treasures that are tucked away and decorate for each season and holiday. Being able to take in hand, once more, the little gifts and family heirlooms that either represent decades of living or are brand new is an opportunity not to be missed. The value of the old is that it has survived a very long time … the who, what, when, and where of its history fascinating to contemplate.

In my photograph is a delicate Belleek creamer from Ireland that belonged to my mother, its 3rd period registry mark dating it from 1926-1946. It graces an authentic shamrock-embroidered doily from my friend, Karin, a gift from her trip to Ireland several years ago. The book is another treasure. Spring Is A New Beginning by Joan Walsh Anglund was published in 1963 and is one of her many books, her whimsical drawings and sayings extremely popular in the 1960s. I have four of Anglund’s titles. This book is extra special because it was a gift in October 1967 from Ginny, still one of my dearest friends, our friendship dating back to the second grade.

Bless others today with a traditional Gaelic blessing from Ireland.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

References:
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=89
http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/history-of-st-patrick.html
http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/erin
http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/top-ten-old-irish-phrases-and-their-meanings-eirinn-go-brach-137123193-237785321
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_go_bragh
https://www.reference.com/geography/ireland-called-emerald-island-bf45498cae8a7e2f
http://www.shmoop.com/when-irish-eyes-are-smiling/meaning.html
http://www.finegardening.com/history-shamrock
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/care-potted-shamrocks-96741.html
https://www.houseplant411.com/plant-care/shamrock-plants-for-st-patricks-day
http://goodlucksymbols.com/four-leaf-clover/
http://www.lords-prayer-words.com/famous_prayers/may_the_road_rise_up_to_meet_you.html

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Salada Tea and Me

3/9/2017

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William E. Gladstone was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, elected to Parliament four different times from 1868-1894. One of his enduring observations concerns the benefits of tea:
If you are cold, tea will warm you;
If you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.”

There is simply something about a cup of hot tea. While I’m devoted to my coffee first thing in the morning, tea is my choice mid-afternoon when energy begins to lag. Expounding on one of winter’s most delightful joys, I have written:
“And taking time for a respite on a chilly afternoon can be sublime with a luxuriously soft blanket and a fire’s warmth close by, a fine book and a mug of hot, fragrant tea in hand. With a teaspoon of local honey from the hives of friends, if one is fortunate, and a touch of organic cream to turn it milky white, the tea is especially satisfying. Yes, indeed, life can be very good in the wintertime.”

One of my favorite tea brands is Salada, the company originally founded by Peter C. Larkin in Montreal, Canada, in 1892 and named for an ancient tea garden in Ceylon. They were the first company to put tea in foil packets to keep it fresh. I’ve had three of their blends and have loved the uniqueness of each one: Citrus Medley, Peach Mango, and Pomegranate Acai. It’s difficult to name a favorite, and it depends on the moment, but Peach Mango is … amazing.

Today, Salada USA is a division of Redco Foods in Little Falls, New York. Redco Foods is owned by Teekanne GmbH of Dusseldorf, Germany, in the tea trade business since 1882. They are the inventors of the flow-through tea bag and were also the first to sell their tea in tins. “Teekanne” means Tea Pot … one of the more perfect names for a tea company! A final thought:

“I wish we could sit down together,
And have a cup of tea.
But since we can’t
When you have this one,
I hope you’ll think of me.”
~ Author Unknown

For more information about Salada and Teekanne go to:
http://www.salada.ca/en/salada_tea/history_of_a_classic.aspx
http://greentea.com/company/
http://www.teekanne.com/about-us/

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Fire Up the Griddle! Tomorrow, February 28, is Pancake Day!

2/27/2017

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Fire up the griddle, warm up the syrup, mix up the batter, tomorrow, 28 February 2017, is Pancake Day, a.k.a. Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras. In the church liturgical calendar, tomorrow marks the end of the season of Epiphany, which began on Three Kings Day, or the 12th day of Christmas, which was on January 6 this year.Tradition states that after following the star to Bethlehem, the Three Wise Men found the baby Jesus on this day.

Shrove Tuesday, 47 days before Easter, is derived from “shrive” meaning confession of sins and absolution. It is the final day of partying, celebration and indulgence before the self-sacrifice of the 40-day Lenten Season (the six Sundays are not counted). Lent begins the following day on Ash Wednesday. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27 is credited with this example of personal self-denial, as part of his testimony of faith in Jesus Christ.

Originating in Europe during the Middle Ages, Shrove Tuesday was the final opportunity to cook with the eggs, fats, and milk that would be restricted during Lent. Preparing meals with these ingredients would keep them from going to waste. France designated the day "Fat Tuesday," or Mardi Gras, and England, and other countries, began the tradition of serving pancakes as the perfect way to clean out the refrigerator, so to speak, and thus the name … “Pancake Day.”

Make them from scratch, make them from a box mix, but do make them (or have them out).
I plan to.
Enjoy!!

For more information, go to:
http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/origins_of_shrove_tuesday.html
or to:
http://www.myolddutch.com/History/Pancake-Day.aspx

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The 23rd Psalm

2/23/2017

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This lovely, silver lamb pendant was a precious Christmas gift from my husband, Patrick. I began acquiring little lambs in 2004, my delightful collection a statement of the deepest and most important relationship in my life ...
Jesus Christ is my Shepherd, and I belong to Him, a lamb in His eternal fold.

Enjoy the wonder of God's love for us, as expressed so eloquently by David in Psalm 23, the King James Version, which is how I memorized these verses as a child:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

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Happy Blessed New Year 2025

A Raggedy Ann History

A Gingerbread Memory

Thankful for Sarah Young, Author of "Jesus Calling"

August Transition

"June in the Middle" From Our Lives in Verse, Everyday Poetry

On St. Patrick’s Day, we …

Salada Tea and Me

Fire Up the Griddle! Tomorrow, February 28, is Pancake Day!

The 23rd Psalm

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