Laughter and Friends fill each day with joy.

The following is a letter from my mother dated Nov. 6th, 2004 explaining why she was sending me a plum pudding.

Dear Linda,

When I saw the plum pudding in a catalog it reminded me of my Grandmother Vaughan's plum pudding. The day before Thanksgiving, Grandma Vaughan made the pudding. She used a large tin can for the mold. The can she had saved for months just for this pudding. The can was filled with batter was placed in a pan of water; then all placed in the oven of her big black wrought iron range. Grandma Vaughan kept constant watch over the pudding and the stove - keeping the temperature just right. She made the brandy sauce from the plum or peach brandy which Uncle Gorge brought her every summer from California. He knew the man that made it in a small one man business. Uncle George would always buy two gallon jugs for Grandma Vaughan to use for her fruitcakes and plum puddings. When the pudding was steamed Grandma Vaughan would bring it to the table and was greeted with exclamations of delight. The pudding was served into round slices and the sauce ( also cut into rounds) on top.

The Plum Pudding arrived, the Guys and I tried it one night. I think it was a bit to rich for them as they had never had steamed plum pudding before and this pudding was very heavy. The recipe of my Great Grandmother Vaughan is lost more likely than not. The only one to have it would be My Great Aunt Lill's daughter. Never mind it's only a recipe for plum pudding. Futhermore, why should I be bothered? I no longer celebrate Christmas at least not in the manner which christians do.. That's not the point now is it?

Yusef with AJ and Michael

It's only taken forever to get these pictures of Michael from Yusef. I'm like all grandparents I guess or maybe not. The last time we saw Yusef and Michael was in July of 2002 when we packed up the van and drove to Calif. as part a month long road trip accross the U.S.  The nieghbors thought we were insane, four teenagers in a van driving to Calif. Those who know me will tell you straight off I'm a Madhatter and that's their way of being nice about it.  The trip to Calif. is an other story which will some day move from memory to an entry here.

The Guys laugh at me as there's a box which keeps growing in size as items are constantly added to it. The problem is  I need to find another box to mail off all the stuffed animals, books & clothes for I keep finding and think this would good for Michael. Never mind you say, it's the holidays and everyone buys gifts now. What you don't understand is it's not because of the holidays, it's because I believe giving/charity is something top be done daily and I would except I am in Ohio and my eldest son and grandson are in Calif. I also don't do well without the family near by. I don't mean near by in the same world or country - Oy! I've already done that one! No, I mean near by in the same .. (please don't jump ahead putting words in for me) that same was not living in the same state nor county I meant nearby as in same town, better yet same nieghborhood ie street. Yes, now you understand....or do you??

Listen, I didn't go through nine months of being kicked, the labors of birth and more for how many years for any one of my sons to live somewhere unheard of. Family is family it will always be so. The tie of blood runs forever if you're not stone hearted with ears filled with wax. The Mother, will always be a mother. Your fifty and she's older forget it she's still your mother to be listened to and pleased. A friend once told my sons I'm a mother hen. I can think of worse ways to be.

Today is another one of those days which I explore the realms of Xanga and even work on my own place. Ah, working on her own Garden of Thoughts -yes please I'd love to, but I'm new at all of this and have no clue to HTML.  Do forgive me for pinching bits & pieces from your Xangas. You know who you are. Thank you for helping me along with the Xanga Garden.

One of the Bahraini Guys helped me out with getting the collection of music you hear at the Garden of Thoughts. More pieces will be added as I find sites to which I can link to. All the songs played here have a memory attached to them and there isn't a single song which I can say is me, just as I know this garden's changes are a constant reflection of me.