Thursday, January 17, 2013

Art Follows Life Follows Art

 My day began very early (uncharacteristically early for me), since I promised to bake and send cookies to family down south by a certain date, and that date was fast approaching. I wanted to try a cookie that my Mutti (Mom) used to bake around the holidays for kids, grand-kids, friends, Vati (Dad)...an iced, spiced sugar cookie topped with an almond slice. Sound familiar? Yup, it's one of my "Sweet Treats" trio I've written about before...and here's the inspiration. I lamented that I had neither my Mutti's recipe nor the crinkle-edged heart cookie-cutter she always used...but I managed. As I rolled the dough, cut the hearts, laid them on the cookie sheets, etc., etc., etc., I thought back on all the times I watched Mutti do this very same thing. I thought back and regretted not having asked enough questions. What was it like doing this with YOUR Mutti? How was the kitchen different? The stove? The baking utensils and tools? How about, "May I have this recipe, please?" Better yet, why in blazes didn't you write it down yourself, Helen? Mutti left me over eleven years ago and took all those answers with her. And the other person whose brain I should have picked more, my brother Harald, has joined Mutti and left me alone with even MORE unanswered questions.
My point? Please, ask away. Ask your Moms and Dads, your Grams and Grandpas, your aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., etc., etc. ASK them! Ask them whatever! Life is really too short...ask them NOW.
I have more thoughts bouncing in my brain and photos to share, but my blog site is not cooperating. Hopefully my "glitches" will pass and tomorrow will be another day for me (to write?). The cookies are traveling as I pen this...may they arrive safely and bring great joy (-:
Art (loosely speaking, my edible interpretation of Mutti's cookies) follows life (my Mutti's wonderful iced, spiced ones) follows art (loosely speaking, my punch needle "cookies"...which actually, originally, followed life). Enjoy! And, thanks for "listening"...