Oyster Stew on Christmas Eve

Not oyster stew again?  Someone in the family seems to ask the question every year.  Others agree that it’s a tradition for our family to have oyster stew on Christmas Eve.  My grandparents ate oyster stew on Christmas Eve.  My parents ate oyster stew on Christmas Eve. My immediate family has “enjoyed” oyster stew on Christmas Eve for more than 50 years.  And Ruth’s family, too, has a long history of oyster stew on Christmas Eve.

The oyster stew project has also become a ritual.  It’s hard to believe, the awful cook that I am and have always been, but I am in charge of oyster stew.  It begins when a couple days before the 24^th.  I look for fresh oysters in the grocery store.  Sometimes I have to go to more than one place as they are sold out—we are not the only family with this tradition.  This year I had three choices—little oysters, big oysters, or oysters in the shell.  I chose the little ones.

After church on Christmas Eve, with the family all gathered at our home  for dinner, they are required to wait until I complete the  ”making of the Oyster Stew. “  Into one pot go the oysters—not a pretty sight if you like your food to look pretty.  Then in another pot goes the 2% milk, a goodly amount of butter, some pepper, and a little salt—notice how carefully I measure everything.  I stir the oysters until they curl on the edges, and then dump them all into the milk mixture, stirring all the while.

By this time, Natasha takes the orders.  “Who wants oyster stew this year?  Four choices:  Oyster stew with one oyster, oyster stew with several oysters, oyster stew with no oysters, and tomato soup.  This year, a record for oyster stew acceptance in one form or another as five out of nine say “yes.”  One wanted no soup at all and three ate tomato soup. 

The tradition continues.  But will it make it to generation number four?  It looks promising based on this year’s acceptance rate.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Christmas Eve would not be the same without oyster stew.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 12, Noon, Wisconsin Certified Crops Advisory Board, Coliseum, Madison.

January 15, 6:45 p.m. Wisconsin Grazing Conference, Wisconsin Dells. Stories from the land.

January 25, 6:30 p.m. Mt. Horeb Library—History of Cheese making in Wisconsin.

February 2 and 3, Great Wisconsin Farm Expo 11:00 a.m. (Farm Memories). and 1:00 p.m. (History of Wis. Agriculture) each day.  Central Wisconsin Convention and Expo Center, 10101 Market Street, Rothschild, WI.

February 13-14. Garden Expo. Alliant Center, Madison.  February 13, 2:15:Wild Flowers, Butterflies, and Other Stories From the Land.  February 14, 1:00 p.m. Film: The Land With Jerry Apps plus discussion.

Santa at the Country School

During this Christmas season, my mind goes back to the one-room country school that I attended, and the annual Christmas program that we all had a part in.

I especially recall Santa Claus, and remember how we so much looked forward to his visit each year at our school.  When the Christmas program was completed, we listened for Santa’s sleigh bells, as Santa ran around the school house a couple of time ringing the bells.  Then he would burst into the school room with a loud “Ho, Ho, Ho—Merry Christmas,” sometimes give the teacher a kiss and then proceed to distribute gifts to each student from the big gunny bag he carried over his shoulder. 

            When I wrote the book, One Room Country Schools, I interviewed several former country school teachers. One teacher remembered the Santas she knew over the years:

            “One Santa came in his barn boots—the smell was so strong they could have walked by themselves.  One Santa was so stricken with stage fright that he forgot his own kids’ names.  One fortified himself with a bottle of whiskey under his belt.  He fell off the stage, sprained his ankle, and as some men escorted him out to his car, he swore so loudly that it fairly shook the building.  Another Santa came on stage, jingling the bells and shouting “Ho, Ho, Ho,” before the program was completed.  The rest of the program was a shambles, much to the disappointment and anger of the children who had not yet performed and the loud-voiced anger of their parents.”

            The former teacher told me that after that program, “I was numb for days.”  One good reason for the Christmas vacation I suspect.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Merry Christmas.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Next week I will include some 2016 events.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, (which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story). Also available is Jerry’s new novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County as well as Whispers and Shadows and his newest nonfiction book, Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Wish Book

Shortly after Thanksgiving my brothers and I began watching for the mailman to arrive at our farm mailbox.  Clarence Corning was our mailman, and he drove a blue car.  You could set your watch by his arrival, which was always at eleven o’clock.

We were patiently waiting for the arrival of the Sears Christmas catalog, the wish book as everyone called it.  And when it arrived, we spent most of time when our chores were done and our homework finished poring over its pages.  Page after page of toys—Tinker Toys, Lincoln logs, board games, dolls, BB guns, Yo-Yos, windup trains, teddy bears, and books, pages of books.  And clothing, too, but we were more interested in the toys than the clothing.  We each could pick out one toy and one piece of clothing—I usually selected a book, and often a sweater, or a plaid flannel shirt.

 I especially remember 1946, for that fall we had been wired for electricity, but it didn’t come to our farm until the spring of 1947. For our 1946 Christmas, Mother ordered a metal erector set for the three of us to share.  With the erector set we could build windmills, steam shovels, and cranes.  The set included a little electric motor.  But we had to wait until the following April to plug in the little motor and power the wonderful machines we had created.

Sears first published the Sears Christmas catalog in 1933 and continued to publish a print version until 1998. For us old timers a little bit of Christmas disappeared when we could no longer find the Sears “Wish Book” in our mailboxes a few days after Thanksgiving.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Wishing is still something we can do—even without the Sears “Wish Book.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

December 19, McFarlane’s, 780 Caroline St., Sauk City, Wisconsin.  1:00 p.m. Discussion and signing of Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, (which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story). Also available is Jerry’s new novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County as well as Whispers and Shadows and his newest nonfiction book, Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

The Land

For those who watched my newest Public Television documentary, “The Land,” a big thank you.  The show aired last Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m., and again on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m.  If you missed it, it will air once more on Monday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m.  And for those of you beyond the reach of Wisconsin Public TV’s several stations, you can see the program on line by going to this link: http://video.wpt.org/video/2365600489/.

Several people who have watched the show asked where they can purchase DVDs and my books.  I have made special arrangements with the Patterson Memorial Library in my home town of Wild Rose to sell DVDs and books as a fundraiser for them.  Check the details at the bottom of this blog.  The TV show is based on my new book “Whispers and Shadows.”

I was privileged to work with my grandsons, Josh and Ben Horman, on the show—they are a lot better looking than their old gray-haired grandpa.  What fun it was to get the younger generation’s perspective.

In these hurry-up and troubled times, the message of “The Land” is to slow down, turn off your cell phone and take a walk in the woods, at a nearby park, anywhere away from the hustle and bustle--and follow the advice of my father who said: “Listen for the whispers and look in the shadows.”

Oh, don’t forget to take along your children and grandchildren—you’ll all gain from the experience.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Slow down.  Listen to the land.  It has a powerful message.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

December 7, 7:00 p.m. All Wisconsin Public TV stations.  “The Land With Jerry Apps.” Hour-long documentary based on my book WHISPERS AND SHADOWS.

December 19, McFarlane’s, 780 Caroline St., Sauk City, Wisconsin.  1:00 p.m. Discussion and signing of Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, (which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story). Also available is Jerry’s new novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County as well as Whispers and Shadows and his newest nonfiction book, Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835