Plymouth Area News for the week of January 9th, 2017 by Joyce Stienr

 
Our sympathy to the family and friends of Darlene Myers.  She passed away on Sunday at the Golden Good Shepherd Home.  When I was growing up on the farm, she and her husband, Evans, lived in one of the closest houses for a few years.  Services were Friday at Living Faith United Methodist Church in Bowen with dinner being served by the church after the services.
Last week I left you hanging with a water leak in my bathroom-basement.  First thing Monday, a nice gentleman from Hollister’s came out and looked at the leak.  He thought a line had frozen but I showed him where the problem was and he decided that a piece had actually broken.  Could not fix it at the moment because the water had caused the floor to warp and could not get the pipe up through the hole.  No problem as it involved the down stairs bath tub which I seldom use anyway.  Currently I need to call them back and schedule another service call but I have not done it.  Hard to get motivated when the temperature has a minus sign in front of it!
My kitties needed their yearly check ups and shots so I made an appointment for Thursday morning at 8:15 before I knew it would be in the negative degrees on that day.  Worried about all of us getting out so early in those temperatures but all went well. You would have sworn that there was no one in the cat carriers.  There was not a “peep” on the way to Macomb, in the doctor’s office or on the way home!  Such perfectly behaved “children”.
Also got some air in my tires.  They tend to “go down” in the winter.  Guess we just never knew it before we had those little lights on the dash that tell you you have a low tire.
Friday night when the temperature was below zero again, I got a call from Heartland that Dot Burdett had fallen again and that they were sending her to the hospital to be checked out.  It was suggested that I come into Macomb so that she would not be at the ER alone.  I asked if her injuries seemed to be life threatening and they thought not.  So I explained my age, that I would be on the road alone after midnight and that the temperature was already below zero.  I suggested that they call me if they found serious problems.  That is the very first time I have not rushed to the hospital to be with Dot but…Anyway I went in first thing Saturday morning.  She was back at Heartland.  Her face was bruised where she had hit it when she fell but was otherwise fine.   Dot has always had problems with falls- glad she was not hurt badly.
Saturday I worked at the store and then went to a Christmas party at the home of Kathy and Ray Goodell in Vermont.  Think it was probably the last Christmas party of the season.  Friends there from Peoria and Germantown Hills as well as locally.  Of Course we talked stoneware for hours.  One of Ben and my long time friends had just quit a very stressful job.  I am very happy for the family as it was causing very serous health problems.  Told them they could not downsize until after the Paris show as I always stay with them while doing that show!
Sunday we took down the Christmas decorations at church.  Bruce Morton brought copies of his new book on Forgottonia to church for people to see.  If you would like a copy of his new book, you can get it at Plymouth Rock Antiques or from Bruce himself.  Lovely book.
Last week I told you I had tried using cranberries instead of gooseberries to make a pie.  Guess I should give you the recipe!  I think that cranberries are easier and cheaper to get than goose berries or rhubarb.
Let me know what you think.
Joyce’s Cranberry Pie
one unbaked deep dish pie shell
mix 1 1/2 cup sugar or  less
with 3 T flour
1 t ground nutmeg
3 slightly beaten eggs
mix in 4 cups of raw cranberries
put in pie shell
mix 1/2 c flour
1/3 c butter
1/4 c sugar with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly
place the topping on the pie
bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until the center is set.
Enjoy
This looks lovely with the red cranberry juice oozing out of the white topping.
Hope you have a great week.  I am looking forward to higher temperatures.  Used a lot of birdseed, corn and heated water this week. 
scatter Kindness.
Posted in Plymouth News