Christmas Remembered pg. 2 | Grandma’s Stories

Dec 23rd Christmas Remembered pg. 2

One thing I really liked about Christmas Time – my Dad would take the time to make Fudge candy and Divinity candy – for the men and women in the Services! When I was little, I thought you could only make candy when you had little kids, like us , to test it – so that you would know just exactly from us – that it was ready! This was a job that each of us sat around the kitchen table, waiting our turn – to taste and give our okay! We were very important – to the process of “Candy Making” – without us – how would you do it?

Kids know so much – when they are little? So many samples have to be done – just to get from the “soft ball stage to the hard ball stage” and then at the right moment you will finish making up the candy – to perfection! We were the best behaved kids – just to be a part of this most important job .

Every flat surface in the house – had sheets of “Wax Paper” – waiting for dollops of “Divinity Candy.” Boxes were filled very carefully with Fudge candy, wrapped in wax paper, and Divinity Candy wrapped in wax paper, so that no matter how that box is thrown around at the Post Office, each and every piece of candy will make it safe and sound to some service person to enjoy!

Lucky for us (the tasters) my Dad would receive more addresses to send more requested boxes of candy, and for several nights after Dad’s regular work, our kitchen was a “Candy Making Factory” for the Service People!

We used to hear, that when my Dad was in the “Army” – he did three (3) two (2) stints and this is when he did his learning to be a “Chef!” His Mother thought he was not getting enough food to eat and every so often she would bake a three (3) layer cake and send it to him. Her intentions were good – but her packing a cake to go from “Ohio to the Philippines” – the Post Office just does not hand carry a boxed cake!

Just think of the trip the cakes would take? You know that no matter what she wrote on that box – no one would read it – and I know – having worked at the Post Office, small light boxes get thrown from one area to another!

Every time – he would receive a box of “Crumbs!”