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I had much to ponder when my kids were young and needing gifts for the teachers to take to school for the Christmas season. There were more kids in the house than money in those days and they were all in the same school in kindergarten, second, fourth, and sixth grades. Actually, money was scarce for all the days until they grew into young men.

But that year I came across the directions on how to make attractive Christmas candles. This was a project they would enjoy participating in, so they crushed ice into chips as I heated the wax and dipped the wick into square, quart-sized empty (and washed) milk containers and filled them with  ice chips. Voila, when they cooled completely, I peeled off the carton paper, the water drained out and I had four, lacy Christmas candles to wrap for teacher gifts!

There is something special about people who love and care about food, where it comes from, how it’s cooked, how it is related to heritage, and the pride of it. This book, a collection of essays, blogs, recipes, and the wisdom of nonna that is handed down through the ages, is a great read about Italian food, culture, and memories. It’s a keeper to read again later. And again. And to refer to the recipes. Di Maio’s stories about Italian cookies during the Christmas holidays brought back memories of visiting my Italian girlfriend’s aunts and the wonderful cookies we (I) ate at each house. My mom wasn’t a cookie baker, but I became one when I was 10 because of the influence of these wonderful Italian aunts with their trays laden with all kinds of cookies that took weeks to make. Remember to read the chapter on Bread and Quarantines! I thought I had cooked all the Italian recipes over the years, but found ones new to me in the book, with pictures! I love this book and highly recommend it!

What if?

arlene s bice

what if 

that Texas cowboy

who came to Trenton

to play Little League

baseball play-offs

swaggering & swinging

a 10-gallon hat

wearing boots & denium

turned my head around

made my heart pound

instant love at first sight

what if he & I were

20 & 18 instead of 15 & 13

would I be living in west Texas

instead of Virginia?

***Can be found on Amazon.com

for personally inscribed contact me on my website

arlenebice.com

1.  Pets back in the White House.
2. Networking that gets results.
3. Beautiful area of Rudd’s Creek to walk.
4. Pumpkin is back on the menu for a while.
5. My UPS person who graciously brings deliveries to my door with such pleasantry.
6. The post office is open for mailbox pick-up 24/7 so I can go when no one else does.
7. Artists who see beauty and share it through their talent with the world.
8. Pandemic Blues and director Fred Motley at Kirby Theatre.
9. Paul UP for announcing today is World Kindness Day. Love it.

A break in the rainy days that I love so much.

so what if there is a pandemic

so what if beauty salons closed

so what if I face the big challenge

who cares what other people say

who is gonna see it anyway who, me – clip, clip, clip

What if? Those are two small words that bring about big thoughts of imagination. Regrets? Missed opportunities? Longing for what could have been? Anyone who has lived any length of time at all and has an imagination must have at least a wee couple of What Ifs.

It can be interesting when you’ve gained more ground behind you than in front of you to give a thought to What if? See what you come up with. Have you been super careful in your choices in life? Or the opposite, did you make a few wild choices when your life could have been safer, sounder and moe solid?

It’s time to remind you that books signed by the author make wonderful gits. .

1. Writers who are so generous with their work and talents.
2. Men who are true gentlemen.
3. Songbirds waiting at 7 am for me to hang the feeder.
4. For so many apps that help us do what we want to do.
5. Poets who offer programs to share with other poets.
6. Poetry that soothes the soul either writing or reading of it.
7. Volunteers of all kinds who we can’t thank enough.
8. All the volunteers who made & supply the little library houses so everyone can read without spending money.
9. Coconut oil, so good for the body inside & out & for the hair, too.
10. Vitamin supplements that assist my body in staying healthy.

1. Delighted to have voted by mail and relieved my responsibility is completed.
2. Delighted to be a member of TAF, IWWG, & WAM all writers’ organizations. I try to be a worthy member in each. It is important to join a group that helps others regardless of whether they belong or no.
3. The aroma in my home that says: somethin’ lovin’ is in the oven. It’s that time of year.
4. Readers. I read a quote that “what we write doesn’t come alive until someone reads it.” they may have said it better than me.
5. Internet search engines. Any question typed in will find an answer.
6. Census and records available to us genealogists. They helped me to find my family who mostly all passed away before I was born.
7. People who publish old, old histories of particular areas ( 1600s Piscataway, New Jersey) I send many, many, many thanks to you, even though you won’t make millions of dollars from it.
8. Lisa Tomey for the fabulous hosting of the anthology of What it is to be a Woman, now a Poets Connection podcast. She invited poets who came from CA, CO, NYC, VA, & NC last Saturday morning. Thank you Lisa for a fabulous program. I’m still walking on air. We all loved it.  https://anchor.fm/lisa-tomey/episodes/Episode-12—Poets-Connection—What-it-is-to-be-a-Woman-elh4qr
9. Visual Artists (painters) who make our world lovelier with color and images and their interpretation of life as they see it.
10. Art galleries such as recently opened Artists of Elements, Littleton NC who support those artists including potters, creative jewelry artists & more. To open when so many businesses are closing is bold and beautiful.

I’m digging, digging, digging into the past trying to find out who I come from, who I am and the country of origin of my roots. Most of the elders in my family were gone before I got here with only one left who passed away shortly after I arrived which made it hard to know the foundation of my family. Mom said “They didn’t talk about things like that” and she didn’t know any answers to the questions I asked as a kid.

So I had to wait until wearing the clothes of a grown-up person before I could seriously begin my research on finding my ancestors and it took until the internet before I found my father’s country of origin which turned out to be Cornwall, England where a zillion Bice families still live. Two of them fought in the Revolutionary War on the American side, which reveals that I come from good stock. Mom’s side revealed roots dating back to the 1600s in New Jersey where their names are enrolled in Piscataway history books that I have just received in the mail and will lose myself in them for the entire day making me a very happy person.

1. Pumpkins. Carving is fun even for a non-sculptor but I also love trying new soups, cakes and other recipes with pumpkin this time of year.
2. Successfully publishing of another anthology, What If?   This one for my long-time writing group of Ellie’s.
3. Needing no air conditioning or heat in the house for a stretch of autumn.
4. Friends and acquaintances staying healthy and safe from the coronavirus.
5. For those working in services staying safe during this COVID 19 dangerous time.
6. Federal Postal Service. Snail mail still brings me joyful pieces of mail.
7.  Autumn leaves.
8. To have the strength to NOT OWN a TV.
9. To have the strength to ignore the daily news on line. It keeps me at peace.
10. To accept things I cannot change instead of allowing them drive me crazy.