A few years ago, I posted a blog post on my memories of Plush Pippin pies, and the response has been overwhelming. It appears "everyone's flipping for Plush Pip-pin pies." Therefore, if anyone knows of any Plush Pippin pie recipes could you please either post them here or send me a message (Contact Me) so I can share. I would really love to find the marionberry pie recipe. I have tried other marionberry pies and they just aren't the same. Mmmm, the sweet berries and the crust so light and flakey. . . Not sure how close this recipe is to Plush Pippin, but I did find a Sour Cream Lemon Pie recipe on "Taste of Home" website.
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In the name of progress somethings change, but not always for the best.
There's something nostalgic about "mom and pop" hamburger joints; maybe memories from our youth or how life seemed less rushed, almost standing still. Growing up in West Linn, Oregon, there wasn't a lot of places to eat or shop (all that has changed as the town is no longer the little "sleeper" suburb south of Portland). However, on Friday nights after football games it was hanging out at Round Table Pizza, but any other night, it was all about Boni Lynn. Oh, how I miss their delirious burgers. My personal favorite was the Deluxe burger with everything on it. I also loved their deep fried mushrooms and deep fried cheese cubes. Or who could forget the real old fashion milkshakes and malts. I remember them having every flavor one could possibly imagine, including boysenberry, peanut butter, and licorice. And although I've never been a big fan of ice cream, I did like their swirled half chocolate and half vanilla soft-serve ice cream cones. It was always a special treat to go out to lunch or dinner at Boni Lynn's Restaurant. Although, I use the word restaurant loosely, as there were only two or three tables inside the building. However, it was the atmosphere, the food, and nostalgia I miss from those bygone days. Sadly, West Linn has become like every other cookie-cutter suburb, and has lost the uniqueness that once was West Linn. And Boni Lynn's was torn down and replaced with a Burgerville, all in the name of progress. However, nothing will ever come close to the old Boni Lynn. In the hustle and bustle of our busy life, it's easy to lose sight of the true meaning and the spirit of the holidays. Therefore, I really appreciated those who posted daily on their Facebook walls things they were thankful or grateful for. My mother added a slightly different twist to hers, as she posted what she was grateful for using the alphabet. I thought I would follow her example.
A = Amazon. I am thankful to Amazon for giving me a job this Holiday season. I am grateful they gave me a chance to come back to work after such a long hiatus and I hope to come back next Holiday season. Thank you for the additional income. I almost have Steffen's braces paid off. I am also thankful for autumn, my favorite season. I love the changing colors and the cool, crisp mornings. B = Books. I am thankful for the ability to read. I struggled with reading and had a reading tutor in grade school, but my disability never kept me from the love of a good story. In addition, I am grateful for my fourth grade teacher who started me on Walt Morey's books. I am also thankful for bacon. Yum. C = Cars. I am thankful for living in a time where we can travel to one place to another in relative ease. I love the freedom of the open road before me. I am also thankful for camping. I loved going camping when I was a child, and continue to enjoy the great outdoors, as we try and take one big camping trip a year with our boys. D = Dogs. I am thankful for the companionship a dog offers and how they love unconditionally. I am also grateful for Disney. E = Ed. I am grateful for my eternal companion, Ed. I am thankful for his friendship and how he brings balance to my life. I am also thankful for Elder Missionaries; our son, Michael, who is serving a mission in Salt Lake City and Elder Blackmore, who introduced the gospel to Ed. I am also grateful for Eagle Scouts, which I am a mother of two. F = Family. I am grateful for Family (Mother, Father, Grandparents) including those in my extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. I enjoy visiting family and wish we did it more often. I am also grateful to distant cousins whom I have never met in person, but has been immense help in researching family history. I am also thankful for fan fiction. G = Grammie. I am grateful for my grandmother, whom we called "Grammie." I miss her so much. I am grateful we had the opportunity to grow up only a few blocks from her, but was sad when we moved to Oregon and only visited a couple times a year. She often went on camping trips with us and was always a trooper. I also miss her cooking, especially her fried chicken and angel pie. I am also thankful for gymnastics. My favorite sport to watch. H = Humor. I am grateful for humor. I love to laugh and smile. I am also grateful for heat, whether from curling up by the wood stove in my pajamas, reading a good book or feeling the sun's warmth. I also love horses and horseback riding. I = Internet. I am thankful for social network sites like Facebook, where I have had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and find new friends. I also love the internet for the ability to research information for storytelling and family history and blogging. J = Jesus. I am eternally grateful for Jesus. I know I don't say it, but I am thankful for all Jesus has done for me. I am grateful for the atonement and of His ultimate sacrifice. I am also grateful for life's journey. K = Kids. I am grateful for my three boys; Michael, Steffen, and Joey. They are my world. I am also thankful for kisses, both the sweet moonlight kisses and the chocolate variety. L = Lakes. I am grateful for lakes. The beauty of them and the enjoyment we get from boating on ours. I love living on one of the most beautiful lakes in the county: Mason Lake. I am also grateful for Lookouts. Ed has been a forest fire lookout a few times in his career and I love the peace and solitude of being on the mountaintop, protecting the forest lands and trees. M = Musicals. I am grateful for musicals and love to watch them. I am also thankful for the musicals I have had the opportunity to be a part of, whether directing, stage managing, or acting. The Sound of Music is probably my favorite, but the one I probably go around singing the most is Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I am also grateful for Mountains and so glad I am surrounded by some of the most astonishing sights of Mt. Rainier and the Olympic Mountains. N = Naps. I am grateful for naps. I am also thankful for the Navy. I appreciate the brave service men and women keeping us safe. In addition, thanks for keeping Ed employed. O = Oceans. From sea to shining sea, I am thankful for oceans. I am grateful I have had the opportunity to see much of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans (and a small bit of the Gulf of Mexico) although I had to admit my favorite coastline is on the Oregon beaches. P = Parents. I am thankful for my Mother and Father and everything they have done for me. I am also thankful for pie. Q = Quiet. I enjoy the quietness of the house, where I can weave out stories and also love the quietness of soft snow falling or the babbling of brooks. Also Quiddtich, because it is a fun word and I had to get a "Harry Potter" reference in here somewhere. R = Rieners. I am grateful to be apart of the Riener family and appreciate how they welcomed me into the family. I am also thankful for the mighty rivers of the Willamette and Columbia, near Portland, Oregon, where I grew up. S = Sisters. I am grateful for my sisters, Elizabeth and Cathy. Yes, we fought like cats and dogs growing up; however, I could not have asked for two better sisters. And I appreciate my sister, Cathy, who is my biggest cheerleader. I am also thankful for "Scarecrows". T = Theatre. I am grateful for being involved in theater and the first time someone reached out to me (Brad) asking me to become involved with the group, I felt like I had come home. I am also thankful for travel and the opportunity I have had to see much of the United States, Canada, and a tiny bit of Europe. U = USA. I am thankful to be an American and enjoy the freedoms we have and hold dear. I am also grateful to the University of Washington Medical Center, where two of my boys were born and for them saving my life almost 20 years ago. (I also have to give a shout out to Harborview and Seattle EMS). V = Veterans. I am grateful for veterans. Those currently serving, those who have serviced, and those who laid down their life for our Country. Thanks for all you do. I love to attend the Armed Forces Parade in Bremerton and witness the pride of our community. I am also grateful for vacations. W = Writing. I am grateful for the gift of writing. I am also thankful for waterfalls and Western (both Western Oregon University and Western Washington University). Thanks for the quality education I received from these schools. X = The only "X" words I could think of were X-Flies and x-rays and I guess xylophone, which is similar to a glockenspiel. I loved seeing the Rathaus-Glockenspiel in Munich, Germany a few years ago. I also played the xylophone in fifth grade band. Y = Yosemite. One of my all-time favorite National Parks to visit. I love your magnificent monoliths and your beautiful waterfalls. I also love Yellowstone, with all your geysers (and other thermal activity), waterfalls, and lumbering bison. (But don't call them buffalo). Z = Zucchini. I am grateful for vegetables, especially green beans, corns, artichokes, but my favorite is probably zucchini. I like it streamed and fried. As well as in zucchini bread. My grandmother used it in soup, which she called Slumgullion. I am also grateful for Zula - because I had to get a Scarecrow and Mrs. King reference in here too, of course. I was never a cake or ice cream person. Oh, no—for me it was pie, I wanted for my birthday. Growing up near Portland, Oregon, there was a Plush Pippin Restaurant not too far from our house and on my birthday we ate there. I remember the large bakery ovens and displays of delicious pies that greeted us as we entered the doors. The heavenly aroma of mouth-watering, scrumptious fresh baked fruit, cinnamon, and sugar and other spices wafted through the store. I thought no one could make a lighter and flakier, melt-in-the mouth crust then Plush Pippin. I also loved the varieties of pies available; apple, dutch apple, blueberry, peach, pumpkin, blackberry or marionberry, lemon meringue, chocolate, and then more unique flavors of peanutbutter-chocolate and sourcream lemon. My all time favorite was the marrionberry pie. I always requested it warmed, sometimes with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, but most of the time just by itself –slightly tart, earthy, and sweet.
Sadly, they are all but gone. The restaurants closed years ago and they cater only a few flavors to grocery store chains; including their apple and pumpkin pies. Just south of Seattle is a small bakery outlet, where consumers can purchase factory seconds for only a few dollars a pie. Come with cash, as they do not except checks or credit cards. I stopped by the outlet, on my way back from Seattle, yesterday, and they had frozen lattice apple, cherry, blueberry, and pineapple pies available. Unfortunately, they stopped creating the amazing marrionberry pies years ago. Oh, how I miss Plush Pippin Pies. “Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.”
There are people in our lives who instantly touch us and we are drawn to their sweet spirits, as if we have known them forever – they are like precious jewels amongst life's treasures. These words describe my friend Lisa who touched me in so many ways. She always had a bright smile and never heard her say an unkind word. She made me laugh and I always felt welcomed in her presence. A few years ago, I reconnected with Lisa, an ‘old’ high school friend, via Facebook. We had lost contact since our days at West Linn High School, but I immediately felt drawn to her again and it was as if the years had not passed. I remember her as a beautiful and talented friend. We were involved in leadership and worked on several drama shows together. And I remember being in awe of her performance as Miss Havisham in Great Expectations. After reconnecting, I was pleasantly surprised to discover, we shared many of the same life experiences; graduating from college, marrying our best friend, our eldest child born on the same day, our youngest being the same age, and we both continued to be involved in community theatre when we could. A few months later, she told me she had breast cancer. She was first diagnosed with cancer about eight years ago, which she had successfully battled and went into remission. Regretfully, the cancer returned and by the time doctors had caught it, the cancer had spread to her bones and brain. Lisa faced death as she did life, with humor, bravely, compassion, and always a smile on her face. Even with photos, she posted on Facebook with her wearing silly hats, her hair gone, that magnificent smile was still on her face, and it left a permanent mark on my heart –she left a lasting impression on my soul. One more thought, back in our senior year in high school, she nominated me for Most Inspirational Senior, I think that award should have gone to her –she was my inspiration and my hero! Rest in peace, Lisa. Driving down a dark, deserted, narrow roadway on a cool, crisp early November morning, on my way to Seminary with my younger sister in the passenger seat, I hit a patch of black ice. The vehicle I was driving quickly spun out of control and the car rolled end over end. I remember how everything seemed to be in slow motion, the feeling of helplessness, the sound of glass shattering, the reverberation of tortured and twisted metal, and my sister yelling my name. Seconds later, I sat in the mangled car, hanging upside down, pinned against the window and my seatbelt holding me firmly against the drivers seat, frantically calling out to my sister. I believe guardian angels were watching over both of us that day, because I walked away without a scratch and my sister who had not been buckled, although tussled around the inside of the car, was miraculously not thrown from the vehicle. I learned some important lessons that day, first, you can’t beat the laws of physics, and second, sometimes our world needs to be turned upside-down for us to realize we are right side-up.
For Angela, who wanted to know what it was like growing up 80’s-style.
(I wrote this entry via the school years, as it seemed to be easier to remember things that way). This week following both an earthquake shaking the ground in Japan and a hurricane pounding the east coast, I am reminded how very lucky I have been when it comes to escaping natural disasters, and that I have not experienced anything too frightening or catastrophic. I have never been through a hurricane or tornado, nor do I ever want to be in one, although, I have been in a few earthquakes, windstorms, and even a volcanic eruption. Mount St. Helens ~ May 18, 1980 In actuality, I need to go back a few months earlier to March, and I was sitting in Math class when another student ran into the room hollering, "Mount St. Helens had just erupted." Of course, the image conjured up in my mind was that of hot molten lava oozing out of the crater. What a disappointment it was when I watched the evening news and saw it was only a little steam cloud and ash coming out of a vent. However, St. Helens did not disappoint for long and at 8:32am on a partly cloudy Sunday morning on May 18, following a small series of earthquakes the north face of the mountain violently exploded. The collapse of the northern flank of St. Helens mixed with ice, snow, and water created lahars (volcanic mudflows). These lahars flowed many miles down the Toutle and Cowlitz Rivers, destroying bridges and logging camps. We lived in West Linn, a suburb south of Portland, Oregon at the time, and the family was on our way to church, when we witnessed several cars pulled off to the side of the road. We stopped to see what everyone was gawking at and saw a large mushroom-shaped column of ash thousands of feet in the sky. The dark gray clouds appeared to be seeking supremacy as one climbed on top of the other. The eruption continued for eight hours, and the ash circled the globe and turned day into night. In addition, the once perfectly cone shaped mountain which resembled an ice cream cone, now looked like someone had licked the top off. The Nisqually Earthquake ~ February 28, 2001 At 10:54am, I was out visiting friends not too far from home when the ground began to shake violently. At first, I didn’t think much of it for I had grown up in California and had experienced earthquakes; however, it only took a second or two to realize this one was big and it shook for 45 long seconds. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake was one of the largest recorded earthquakes in Washington state history. Although areas around Seattle and Olympia suffered damage, the damage and loss of life was minimal, because the quake was at a depth of 32 miles. I have no doubt if the epicenter were closer to the surface, it would have been catastrophic. The only damage to our house was a busted hot water tank. Worried about Michael, who suffered from anxiety, I swung by the grade school to check on him, and found he had been comforting other children. The photo is a picture of the road that buckled and collapsed not far from our house. I have video of Michael standing in one of the cracks. Hanukkah Eve Windstorm ~ December 14, 2006 A powerful storm slammed into the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and southern British Columbia between December 14th and 15th. The storm produced hurricane force wind gusts and heavy rainfall. Wind gusts were as high as 70 to 100 mph. Our road looked like a war zone with hundreds of tree limbs littering the street and fallen trees downed power lines. We huddled in our house for three days without electricity and school had been canceled because there was no power. Actually, I was thankful, it only took three days for the power to come back on—we initially been told it would take a week. I was also grateful on several accounts, first we bought a generator the evening before the storm (even though we had never bought one before), and second, we had removed several large fir trees in the front yard only weeks earlier. Our property suffered minimal damage, although a tree crushed our trailer. Mammoth Lake Earthquake ~ May 27, 1980 Not long after the eruption of St. Helens, we were camping in Yosemite National Park in California, where we heard the mountain had blown again. Because of the direction the wind was blowing, this time Portland was hit with a heavy layer on soot and ash. We laughed because we thought we had missed all the drama. Then sitting down for breakfast at the Yosemite Lodge, I looked up to see the chandlers sway from side to side, and heard a loud rumbling. A 6.1 quake shock the valley floor and caused falling rock, landslides, and shattered nerves. Authorities closed the trails and a series off earthquakes closed the park. We left our vacation early to head back home to ash covered roofs and cars. This has been a week full of anger, frustration, and lots of drama. The kind of week where most people would want to pack up their bags and run away from it all. Unfortunately, I have let the drama get the best of me. However, I know running never solves anything.
When I was a little girl, growing up in California, we lived in a housing cooperative. And when I got angry, I would pack my little red wagon with a blanket, my clothes, and my favorite stuffed animals, walk down past the row of townhouses, until I reached the tiny front lawn, where I would set up camp, and never look back, until either the streetlights came on or my mom called me for dinner. That is how life is, because sooner then later, someone or something brings you back to where you belong, and eventually you have to face what it is you’re running away from and deal with it. Just shy of my fifth birthday, my mother led me into the Kindergarten classroom at the local grade school for the first day of school. Being away from my mother and my two younger sisters for the first time scared me, and it did not help I was unsure of myself and very shy. After my mom left, I paced the room like a caged animal—the fight or flight mode had kicked in. Then the opportunity presented itself when someone opened the classroom door and I bolted out the entrance, dashing past the main building of the schoolhouse, and ran and ran until I came to an intersection, then stopped to catch my breath. There I sat down on the curb of the sidewalk, because I was not allowed to cross the street by myself and this is where my mother found me a few minutes later. She calmly walked me back to the Kindergarten room. The teacher told me if I wanted to be a baby, I could go home. Well! Nonetheless, that was all it took for me to stay. My sisters were babies—I certainly was not! I stayed, faced my fears, made friends, and had a successful year in Kindergarten—no longer feeling the need to run away. When I was six years old, I decided I no longer wanted to be a girl. I thought boys had more fun. They could go hunting, fishing, and attend baseball games with their fathers, did not have to be lady-like, did not have to wear dresses, and most certainly did not have to play with dolls. To me dolls were evil. When I was four, I had received a doll from a little neighborhood boy who had come to my birthday party. After I opened the present, and saw what it was, I threw it across the room, loudly proclaiming, "No, doll!" Of course, my mother was mortified.
Then one day, after coming home from school, I went into the bathroom, took out a pair of scissors, and proceeded to cut my shoulder-length hair. . . very, very short. After that, I went into the living room, where my parents were sitting watching television and boldly told them I was no longer a girl. My dad chuckled at my antics, while my mom immediately made a phone call to the local hair salon. Seeing the humor in the situation, but stifling a laugh, my dad asked,”What's your new name going to be?" I stared at him perplexed. "You can't be Anne. I know of no boys named Anne." Logically that made perfect sense to me and I stood there pondering what my new name would be. Most likely because of the what I had done to my hair, he suggested Butch, which I proudly accepted. I even proclaimed my new status to my first grade teacher and wrote 'Butch' on all my papers, and when it was time to go to lunch or recess I stood in the boy’s line. After all, it was as simple as that, wasn't it? It didn't take me very long to realize that just by changing my outward appearance, and my name, did not change who I was on the inside, and I soon became Anne again. . . but forever remained a Tomboy. I walked through the front door of the brand new movie theater in Salem, Oregon, and scoped out the place. The smell of fresh popped popcorn filled the lobby, while the sound of movies playing in the background spilled from open auditorium doors. The two-story theater was clean and new; fresh yellow paint on the cinder-block walls, high commercial carpet on the spotless floors, tall glass windows reached to the ceiling, a concession stand on the left side of the lobby, with a full service deli on the right. The upper level was the manager's office, a coffee bar, restrooms, and projection booths. In all my years of working at movie theaters, I had never seen a more beautiful building. I asked the usher standing at the front door if I could talk to the manager. She pointed me in the direction of the manager’s office and up the stairs I climbed.
A couple of days ago, one of my college buddies posted a video clip from 42nd Street on Facebook. A production I had the privilege to being apart of during my college days at Western Oregon State College (now Western Oregon University). It sure was a blast from the past. I'm amazed at how young we all look and I remember how much fun we had doing that musical. It brought back many fond memories.
Like most young girls, I dreamed of being a ‘Superstar.’ I had always been a ham, but also very shy. I know, an oxymoron. To me, acting was being able to break from my shell, be anyone I wanted to be, and thanks to the script, I always knew what to say. Although, I had a few small bit roles in some church productions, I didn’t start being serious about drama until I was in high school, where I immersed myself in all aspects of the theatre. I had an incredible drama teacher in high school. I am grateful we had such a large drama department and a great Thespian troupe. My oldest son attends a small, rural high school where they only perform only two shows a year—so sad. He has become involved in theatre and I wish there was more opportunities for him. Karen, my drama teacher, encouraged me to be a writer. She thought I was very creative and had a vivid imagination, but I wanted nothing to do with writing back then. No, I wanted to act. My first acting experience was a children’s theatre production of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, which I also one of the co-directors. For the most part, I was a behind the scenes gal, building sets, hanging lights, assistant directing, and stage-managing. When I started college at WOSC, I was cast in my very first play production, A Christmas Carol, which was adapted and directed by the multi-talented Patrick Page. I was very active in the drama department and continued to perform, stage-manage, build sets, work on the stage crew, and was assistant shop supervisor. Two of my biggest achievements were being nominated for an Irene Ryan and attending ACTF in Anchorage, Alaska. I was also recognized in the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. My favorite role, and the one most people recognize me from was the yellow high-top tennis shoe wearing fairy godmother in Sleeping Beauty. I really hammed up the role, and had a great time performing for the kids. I finished my years at WOSC, graduating with a degree in Secondary Education. Then soon after I graduated I moved to Seattle, where I became a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Employees, stage managed countless productions, had an internship at Seattle’s Group Theatre, and worked great community theatres, like Burien Little Theatre, Mt. Baker Theatre, and Renton Civic Theatre. Later, I went back to school to earn a Masters degree in Theatre, with an emphasis in directing, from Western Washington University. I've directed Medea, Baby, From Five to Five-Thirty, A Christmas Carol, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Being a full-time mother and wife has limited the about of time I can devote to the theatre and I miss it, although I would not trade being a mom for anything. I would love to direct another play, and hope I have the opportunity soon. I miss the stage, the limelight, the applause, and the friendships. But for now I concentrate on writing, it keeps the creative juices flowing, and keeps me out of trouble. |
"Hey. . . it's me."I live in the shadows of the Olympic Mountains in the state of Washington and I love camping, boating, kayaking, hiking, and hanging out with my husband, our three adult children, and our Bernese Mountain dog, Henry. Tags
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