Inner Joy: Inner Joy: Cobbling My Cristmas Cookies

Inner Joy: Inner Joy: Cobbling My Cristmas Cookies: Inner Joy: Cobbling My Cristmas Cookies :     The pictures of those HOLIDAY cookies are so beautiful-Look at any magazine or the yearly Ch...

IA Wondrous New Year

A Wondrous New Year: Though It's five in the morning and I just finished writing-doing final edition, I couldn't help but think of what it means to have...

Inner Joy: Cobbling My Cristmas Cookies

Inner Joy: Cobbling My Cristmas Cookies:     The pictures of those HOLIDAY cookies are so beautiful-Look at any magazine or the yearly Christmas books with the stories, poems, and...

Cobbling My Cristmas Cookies

   The pictures of those HOLIDAY cookies are so beautiful-Look at any magazine or the yearly Christmas books with the stories, poems, and delightful recipes;  you'll see perfectly picturesque cookies and candy all laid out on fine china platters- Furthermore, turn on the television to the cooking shows or watch Martha Stwart if she's still doing her show. Those women never have flour all over themselves or the floor. Their clothes are spic and span and their hands free of butter.

That's how I expect it to be every year. My husband will walk in the door, kiss me, and grab a cookie. Are you kidding? He came in the door all right, but you should have seen his face. It turned white! I had to ask him if he was going to compliment me on the bumpy sugar cookies, nicely sprinkled with green sugar. I said, "Don't you  want to taste one?"

  I couldn't help it if I got mixed up and added water instead of oil or that the floor had flour all over...or that he had to sweep it up. I said, "You wonder why I don't bake more. You haven't even said how good they look or how scrumptious they taste." And that's the honest truth.

 Next I tried making  wedding balls with pecans. Even I had to admit that they tasted funny-A little rancid or whatever.  This time around he put one in his mouth and said "Mum - Yummy!"  Guess what?  All of them are still on the utility tray. 

On the next batch, I put all the ingredients in the bowl; before reading the recipe! The dough for those went down the drain! So today I made these oatmeal jobs with chips and raisins and nuts and m n' n's. They would have been fine except that they fell apart. 

    ...My problem is that my mind is on writing a Christmas story where it snows and a little girl comes to visit her grandma at Christmas and they bake cookies. 

 Merry Christmas.

Inner Joy: Inner Joy: The Rag Princess-the Plot Author Barb ...

Inner Joy: Inner Joy: The Rag Princess-the Plot Author Barb ...: Inner Joy: The Rag Princess-the Plot Author Barb Franzen :   The Rag Princess b y Barb Franzen -Hopefully out in January Plot Aunt  Sy...

Inner Joy: The Rag Princess-the Plot Author Barb Franzen

Inner Joy: The Rag Princess-the Plot Author Barb Franzen:   The Rag Princess b y Barb Franzen -Hopefully out in January Plot Aunt  Sylvie, whom Celeste knows nothing about, along with an unscr...

The Rag Princess-the Plot Author Barb Franzen

 The Rag Princess by Barb Franzen

-Hopefully out in January

Plot Aunt  Sylvie, whom Celeste knows nothing about, along with an unscrupulous child worker, Elvira, arrive at the Temple’s ranch and home, unannounced. They have come with “official” adoption papers, announcing that 12 year old Celeste and her younger brother, Howie, will be living in Lincoln with the aunt. The Temples are the family that Celeste’s father worked for as a hired hand. Ginny Temple is her best childhood friend.  Aunt Sylvia, the wife of a pharmacist who owns  two drugstores, gravely abuses Celeste, leading her to believe that those she knew and loved gave her away. A Reverend Evan good assists the wealthy aunt in abusing Celeste. He is more interested in young girl than in God. He injures Celeste along with Sylvie's extreme degradation of the young girl. 
.   Later, following nurses training, Celeste reunites with Will Temple, one of the grown Temple children. As a child Celeste was nothing more than a household figure to him. They develop a close relationship, but unfortunately Celeste carries a secret that prevents her from considering marriage. Eventually, during the evening of a Christmas dinner, a meal that Celeste fixes for Will, something happens.Her confession leads to a turbulent evening. Celeste is forced to reveal her secret to Will. Attend the dinner in  Celeste's Christmas Eatery ,  her dining room el, to learn the conclusion. Tears and a lot of laughter, even though this is a serious topic. .
Book stems from my work as a child therapist and further research on Nebraska history during the 1920's through the 30's. Editors- Ladette Randolph winner of the Virginia Faulkner award . Dawn Garcia- Lincoln