The Oprah Book Club Selection #9 - Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton

Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton. 1948, Charles Scribner’s Sons


This is an outstanding novel by a South African author. It’s the story of a journey and a search. And a story of loss and new beginnings. The story centers around an old Anglican priest, Stephen Kumalo, who pastors a dying church in a small, also dying, South African village. Ignorance of agriculture has caused the soil to become barren and hard and the rivers to dry up, while the village people suffer and starve. The able-bodied men and young people have fled to Johannesburg, where they can find work and survive. These people include most of Stephen’s family, including his sister, Gertrude, his brother, John and Stephen’s son, Absalom.

The book opens with a letter, delivered to Stephen by a small child. Stephen and his wife, unaccustomed to receiving mail, are fearful to open it. When they finally do, they learn that Stephen’s sister is seriously ill in Johannesburg and needs his attention immediately. The cryptic letter is sent by an Anglican priest in Johannesburg, who is to become a central figure in the book.

Stephen and his wife pull out their entire savings, and Stephen begins the long trip to the city, hoping to find not only his sister, but his son and brother as well.

Stephen’s search leads him to all three, but the results are not joyous. He searches fruitlessly for his son, Absalom, hitting “just missed him’s at every turn. When he finally catches up to his son, Absalom has just been charged with murdering a white activist – the son of Stephen’s well-to-do neighbor in the small village.

This is a wrenching story of a man attempting to put his family and his village back together against all odds. It’s the story of a friendship between two men – one whose son was brutally killed by the other’s. The political strife of South Africa plays into the story, as does the difference between South African whites and blacks.

After Absalom is sentenced to death, the family’s hope and prayer is for the boy’s life to be spared through appeal. Stephen returns home to try and repair his tiny village and await word on his son’s fate.

The story ends with a sunrise, symbolizing hope in a dark world.

I highly recommend this book.

Out of five stars, I give Cry, The Beloved Country…..

* * * * *

The Monday Recipe Blog

We are right in the middle of the holiday season, and it's a great time for another Lois Mueller recipe!

Today, straight from the recipe box of Lois Elaine Mueller, is a recipe for Candy Cane Cookies. For the next several months I will be featuring Lois Elaine's recipes every Monday. Her heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

Lois was an expert cookie-maker, and her kids swear by her Candy Cane Cookies.  So, let's give them a try!

Lois Elaine's Candy Cane Cookies:

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sifted powder sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t. almond flavoring
1 t. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/2 c. crushed candy cane
1/2 c. sugar
Red food coloring

Mix all ingredients together and divide in half, putting each half in a medium bowl.  To one bowl, add the red food coloring until the dough is nice and red.  Take a piece of the white dough and roll it between your hands to make a worm of at least two inches.  Do the same with the red dough.  Then twist the two together and bend the end to resemble a candy cane.

Bake at 375 degrees on an ungreased baking sheet for about 9 minutes.  Mix the crushed candy cane and sugar and sprinkle this mixture onto the cookies when they come out of the oven.

Note:  When I made these cookies, they took a LOT of time.  Rolling two little dough worms, then twisting them together for every cookie was a pain in the keester.  Crushing the candy canes was not pleasant, either.  These cookies are good and look like Christmas, but be prepared to spend some time.

The Friday Dog Blog

What a great Friday! Here is the Friday Dog Blog pic -

It's...Christmas Is Coming Schnauzer!!!

Do You Know How To Iron A Shirt?

Hello - Hope you are getting your holiday shopping taken care of early - Christmas will be here before we know it!

A little more about using the iron....Last week's post was about ironing a pair of pants.  But do you know how to properly iron a shirt or blouse?  I didn't, until I came across this information.  So, here we go....

How To Iron A Shirt:

Just simply iron in this order:
1.  The trimmings
2.  The underside of the collar.
3.  The upper side of the collar.
4.  The back of the sleeves and cuffs.
5.  The front of the sleeves and cuffs.
6.  The back of the garment.
7.  The front inner facings.
8.  And last, the front of the garment.

Hang the blouse up quickly on a hanger, never over a chair.

So, there it is....For all of us who grew up in a permanent press world and never learned to iron, (and who knew that cotton and natural fibers would make such a comeback??), we won't have to feel lost with an iron in our hand anymore....

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello, hope the weather is good in your neck of the woods.  Winter is coming on strong, and so are the holidays.

Today, straight from the recipe box of Lois Elaine Mueller, is a recipe for Caramel Delights. For the next several months I will be featuring Lois Elaine's recipes every Monday. Her heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and the dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

The holiday season was a favorite in the Mueller family of the 1950's and 1960's.  Winters were hard in Saginaw, Michigan, but Christmas was always white and beautiful.  Bill, a police detective, and Lois, a housewife, always got into the spirit of Christmas and the month of December was a delicious one for the Mueller kids.  Lois Elaine specialized in holiday cookies, but her other dishes were great as well. 

Here is the recipe for her Caramel Delights...

Lois Elaine's Caramel Delights:

28 Kraft caramels (about 1/2 pound)
2 T. cream
1 1/4 c. small pecan halves
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt the caramels in the top of a double broiler (note:  it's easy to melt caramels in a microwave oven now)
Add the cream, stirring until smooth.  Add the pecans.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.  Let stand until firm and not sticky to the touch.  They will set more quickly in the refrigerator. 

Melt the chocolate chips over hot (not boiling) water. (note:  see above re. the microwave oven)  Remove from heat.  Spread a teaspoon of the melted chocolate over each caramel delight and let stand until the chocolate is firm.

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello, hope you are having a great Friday!

Well, Christmas is approaching, and all good dogs' thoughts turn to, what else, reindeer.  Tery and Barb's dog Max is trying on his reindeer horns hoping that Santa will be impressed and leave an extra special toy under the tree this year.

Do You Know How To Iron Slacks?

Hello, and happy December! 

A lot of us own an iron, but do we really know how to use it?  Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to iron items, but unless we are June Cleaver, we may not know it.  Here are a few helpful hints about ironing a pair of slacks that you may or may not know....

How to iron slacks:

Iron the pockets first, then the waistband, then the seat.  Next iron the front down to the crotchline.  Then lay both legs out, overlapping, with the inseams aligned and the legs smooth, straight and matching.  Pull the top leg back and iron the inseam side of the bottom leg, moving from the seam out and straightening as you go along.  This should create a perfect, sharp crease down the front and back of the leg.  Flip the pants over and do the same with the second leg.  Now bring the inseams together and iron the upper side-seam side of each leg.  Hang them up immediately, and never over the back of a chair unless you want some new creases.

Now you know how to iron pants!