Monday, April 2, 2007

fruitcake

my mama began making fruitcake when my father became ill..
my sister, sara and i were youngsters..
i remember the baby bath tub she mixed all the fruit and nuts in..
she tells me i tried to climb in the tub several times..
this could well be true..
i loved the bath..
loved getting my hair washed..
so much so..
that ...

one day.. all was silent upstairs..
my mother was suspect..
she climbed the stairs quietly
to giggles of delight..
sara was washing my hair in the toilet
with toothpaste..
we were breck girls!

i digress..
about a week ago,
after sallie had returned home
from a bout of pneumonia..
she and her grand-daughter, susie..
her grand-son, casey
and grand-daughter-in law, susan
made 25 pounds of fruitcake
in nellthorn's kitchen..
susan tells a rather charming tale of it all..

even though i am away from home,
alexa r. and her mama, charlotte
(blini, the pancake pup, too)
met me for chai in downtowne olympia..
with ms. sallie's fruitcake in hand!
touching hearts with a familiar face
is as sweet as the cake itself..

hail, rain, chill and my mama's fruitcake!

2 comments:

b said...

Oh that wonderful fruitcake! Amazing Sallie!

Fred Owens said...

Being a peace scout, eating fruit cake in the bath tub, washing it down with many Olys -- Ayah! Ayah! Ole!