Hello Friends;
With all the company I've had the past few weeks we finally did a family reunion thing this evenin at my mommas (yes, she's still alive and well, thank the lord). Now, for you all who dont live in the south, at this point, I think you jus might be lucky! It's so hot and sticky here right now that you cant hardly catch your breath outside, it's just like you live in an ole fish bowl settin out in the sun with some celophane on top of it! Just suffocatin! I wonder sometimes how those early folks survived up in these parts without the invent of the air conditioner! Not to have a place to gasp a breath of cool fresh air is unimaginable to me now! But, yes, long ago I did somehow survive it all, along with the "No flush toilets"! But, those days are long gone.
Now today was really a special one for me, we did that gang of kin 'round the table and took out the picture box and we all talked and shared about those who passed on long ago, and momma just kept feedin us wonderful food, tons of fresh vegetables from the garden, and talk talk talk, all about those from the hills of West Virginia, and oh, that tale of stories that just flows from my momma about the family and the past, it just never seems to end. I find myself writtin everything down anymore, it just gets all the more interestin, even after my umpteen years, it's just that those mountains had so much life in them, and so much mystisism about the way the world works.

Now, we were all sittin down to a bowl of mommas famous "Bread Puddin Ice Cream", and then she told us this story we had never heard of before, but, a rather interestin one to say the least....

Ok, hears the recipe for the "Bread Puddin Ice Cream", and that ole story is soon to follow friends.

Laura Belles Bread Puddin Ice Cream
***********************************

2 eggs
2/3 Cup Sugar
1 1/3 Cups Milk
2 Cups Heavy Cream
2 Teaspoons Real Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons Bourbon (Optional) Thats Tourmalines idea, but a good one!!!
1 Cup Cubed Bread Puddin (1/2 inch cubes)


Beat the eggs and sugar together for 5 minutes, until thick and creamy. Stir in milk, cream, and vanilla and/or "Bourbon" (if you dare)! Freeze in an ice-cream freezer following the manufacturers instructions. Halfway through the process, when the ice cream is at the consistency of a VERY thick milk shake, put in the bread puddin cubes, then continue on until the ice cream dish is thick and done.
Let the cannister rest for a bit in the deep freeze to make it good and solid, then serve!!! Ummmmmmmmmmm, delicious as anythin you ever had, especially if you threw in that bourbon.

Now, to tell this story, you have to put your mind back to the early years of the depression. In those days in West Virginia, the entire south was so so poor, yet the family ties were so so rich. Momma said that she was out on the front porch on the farm they had up on Chestnut Mountain in Brooks, West Virginia, and that my Great Grandmother "Ma Johnson" was churnin butter. My, she was a sweet woman, and had lived back in the "Civil War" times, before West Virginia had succeded from Virginia.(I must add here, I never met her, but feel I know her through mommas stories). Momma said that she always said the Civil War was anythin but "Civil", and her whole world, as well as the rest of Chestnut Mountain was totally surrounded by God and Christ and The Church. My entire family had found a haven of peace up in the mountains, and a rough life it was, but it separated them from the horrors of what was happenin down in Virginia, as well as the rest of the south.

But, anyway, so much for "Ma Johnsons" history, but lets move on to what happened that night on the porch. Momma said she was sittin there drinkin an Orange Crush she'd bought from Langleys store down in Brooks, and walked all the way up the mountain to drink it and eat some cheese chips she'd also bought, and she said she was sittin there and talking to Ma Johnson, and it was gettin towards dusk, and they kept seeing a little glint in the sky. She told us that just after it got dark the whole sky just went ablaze with curtains of color, at first it was just streaks of color, then it got more and more vivid. Ma Johnsons fell on her knees and started yelling out that it was the comeing of "Our Lord", and the whole family gazed skyward at the spectacle that was happening over head. Momma said it was the most wondrous thing she had ever seen in her life, and till this day she recalls it most vividly! She said it was just curtains of color flowing over the skies and that it just went on and on and on. Momma said they were all so afraid that the end of the world was upon them, and they were mostly just cryin and in such a state. Momma said that Granny Church just went to her bed and was readin scripture and praying and askin for forgivness and on it went. Momma said those curtains of light just went on for hours, and they all kept waitin to hear the trumpet and she kept lookin for the angels.

The event gradually faded on into another night, and the whole of my ancestors went on to bed with fears that the world was ending. The next day momma said the headlines in the paper were "Aurora Borealis Seen In The South".
And, indeed that is just what it was. I dont know what causes the Aurora to be seen in the lower latitudes, but indeed that is just what it was on that evening back in the 30's.

Relieved that life would continue, and continue it did, and life went on and people did go on and live and die, and the rest of us kin continue on to this day. I keep lookin in our southern skies for that Aurora, but it's never come back to visit since I've been lookin, but I sure wish it would. But, last year I did get a glimpse of a phenomena that probably would have thrown my kin from past into a state of chaos, and that was that Hale-Bopp comet, now that would have caused quite a stir to my old ancestors, but, the unknown is scarey to us all!

Well, this evening at mommas the stories did flow and I just thought I would share this little special one with you. It's just from a time long ago, and a place that is quite far away, but still fresh as ever in my memories.

Peace and Love To All,
David In Virginia