Happy Thanksgiving!

Abby Heaven

 Anyone whose been reading this blog for a while knows that Abby's absolute favorite treat is a candy cane.

And lucky for her, candy cane heaven is just across the Wabash River in Lafayette.

McCord's Candies has been in business for about 100 years. They are the quintessential sweet shop - with an old fashioned soda fountain, candy, and ice cream - but their hallmark is their handmade candy canes.

 

They are one of only a handful of places in the United States that still makes their candy canes by hand. And as part of our Thanksgiving festivities, we took a tour of the candy cane "factory" above the shop.

The hot liquid sugar mixture is poured onto a greased marble topped table and then turned with spatulas as it cools and changes consistency.

Then it is hung over a hook and pulled repeatedly.

A third is cut off, colored red, and then one part of that red portion is put on the bottom of the white mass

while the other part is cut again, this time into thirds, and put on top. These form the stripes (three narrow and one wide) when the candy cane is rolled and twisted.

That takes place in front of a heater to keep the candy mixture soft and pliable so it can be rolled.

The long strand is cut into pieces and then shaped into the traditional candy cane shape. Finished canes are put onto trays to cool and harden.

As part of the tour, we were each given a warm strand to shape as we desired. 

Look at that pretty heart that Julie made! I'd be smiling too if mine had looked that nice! (I did a heart, too, and it didn't.)

Susie told me that hers was "rather pear shaped." 

All too soon our tour came to an end 

and we headed back downstairs.

The candy shop and factory are in an old building downtown and the woodwork is gorgeous.

A view of the candy shop from the grand staircase... where Grammy and Boompa treated everyone to some yummy homemade candy.

As for Abby, I may give her one of the McCord's candy canes instead of the usual ones I get at the store.

Maybe. 

Candy Canes and Movie Moments

One of the most endearing movie scenes ever is Bella Notte in Disney's 1955 film Lady and the Tramp.

 Image retrieved from Google Images.

School Marm Lisa came out to the barn with me over her winter break to give Abby some leftover candy canes and we had our own Lady and the Tramp moment. Really, we just intended to give Abby a few treats and then go home, but Lisa decided to see if she could get Abby to take a candy cane from her mouth. 

Even with the candy cane right at her nostrils where she could smell it, Abby didn't take the treat.

So, Lisa tried putting the candy cane up higher to see if that would work. Of course, Abby then tried to get it from where it had originally been offered.

 She moved back to where Abby's head was and tried again.

Success!

 We had our own Lady and the Tramp moment!

And we then segued right into a Charles Dickens Oliver Twist moment. "More, please!" 

Which was not really a surprise, knowing Abby and her love of candy canes!

A Chilly and Cold Winter Solstice

Today is the shortest day of the year - the winter solstice. My Grandma Honeywell used to call my mother on the day of the winter solstice and say, "Spring is coming!" My mom and I continued that tradition until she passed away, and now my daughter Sarah, calls me and says it. It's sort of like whistling in the dark only about winter.

Although the earth is actually closer to the sun now than it is in the summer, we have been in the deep freeze in Indiana.

It's been really cold here the past couple of days. Thankfully, things are due to warm up soon. 

And lucky me, a bonus of having a retired Seeing Eye Guide Dog is that she has been trained to go to the bathroom on command. I can take her out, tell her to do her business, and we are back in the house with a minimum of shivering!

Pepper doesn't seem to mind the cold and absolutely loves to play in the snow. She and Lisa are playing catch with snowballs in my front yard.

The horses have shaggy winter coats and free access to two barns so that they can choose if they want to be outside or not.

Yesterday, despite the chill, they were all out in the southwest pasture, enjoying the weak winter sun.

It's Abby's favorite time of year - candy cane season! And of course I had a couple to give her. (Look at the snow that she and Diablo are sporting on their noses!)

Trouble and Sultanna were hanging out together by the gate. Tim has told me that Sultanna is definitely in foal.

Trouble and Hokey meandered off (with a little encouragement from Diablo) while Diablo and Sultanna continued to enjoy that weak winter sun.

 Ever hopeful, Abby waited by the fence, just in case I came back with more of her favorite treats.

But I was too cold to linger. I was just making a quick barn run to check on her and to put Tim's gift on his desk in the new barn's office, then heading back home to finish my Christmas cards.

In the meantime, I keep reminding myself, spring is coming!

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"

It's the holiday season and so Abby says, "Cue the music!"

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you "be of good cheer"
It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings
And gay happy meetings when friends come to call
It's the hap-happiest season of all

There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories
Of Christmases long, long ago

Abby would like to add a verse about candy canes because she thinks that THEY are what makes the holidays the most wonderful time of the year. 

 "I love this time of year!"

Abby's in luck; we have a candy shop that makes handmade candy canes right across the river in downtown Lafayette. McCord's has been a community staple for candy, lunches, and getting a soda from a real, old fashioned soda fountain for over 100 years.

They make handmade candy canes by the thousands and sell them across the world during the holidays.

I'm local so I can go downtown and buy them there.  

Or I can buy them at local food markets, too. There is a marked difference in taste between a McCord's candy cane and the mass marketed versions that appear during the holidays.

 I usually buy some for my children and their families. Abby gets a few, too.

Abby eats them year round so I buy boxes and boxes of them when candy canes go on sale after Christmas.

They always make her very happy. (Corinne and me with a very content Abby.)

I agree, Abby; it IS the most wonderful time of the year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ever wonder what passes through your horse's mind? I do, and no doubt today Abby is not thinking about turkey and tomorrow's Black Friday, she is thinking this:

(Photo from Google Images.)

Enjoy your turkey day!

A Reproachful Abby

It has been a busy summer, the busiest I can remember in years. All six of our kids and their families came home to visit, I attended two teaching/education conferences, we made several trips to Indianapolis for the Indianapolis Temple open house, Craig's mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and working to clean out my mother's home and disperse her possessions has meant there has been little barn time.

I have been making flying visits to see Abby (usually while on my way to someplace else), hastily shoving a few candy canes or carrots at her, doing a quick visual check for bumps, cuts, or scrapes, and then hopping back in my car and zooming off.

Abby seemed rather reproachful tonight when I went out to see her.

"Where have you been recently??"

"You think a few candy canes are going to make up for ignoring me??"

"Well.... maybe they will. I forgive you. I sure hope the start of the new school year gets you back into a more normal visiting schedule!"

So do I, Abby!! School starts Monday; surely that will help life to settle down for me.

Candy Canes - Unwrapped

The weather has turned very cold, and the wind seems to blow right through me when I am out at the barn. Abby's favorite treat is candy canes, and taking the time to unwrap each one means more standing in the cold.

So...

I brought a bunch inside and unwrapped them ahead of my next visit.

Now Abby no longer has to wait for her treat, either!

Muddy December

The weather in Indiana has been dreary this December - cold, overcast, rainy. Not much fun to be outside. 

The horses are faring well despite the damp chill, and yesterday when I arrived, they were out in the north pasture grazing.

I usually whistle for them, but they saw me and came up without being called.

 Diablo, as usual, led the herd.

 Trouble and Persuasion were coming, too, but where was Hokey? I found him later - he'd wandered over to the west pasture by himself.

 Would you give a candy cane to this muddy mare?

 And what is it that she is always sticking out her tongue??

 "Please, please, PLEASE may I have a candy cane?"

There's that tongue again. Look at the mud on her muzzle!

Abby ate a couple of candy canes before I headed back to the warmth of the barn and car - it was chilly! 

Abby left gifts for Tim in his barn workshop. Hope we get some snow so he can hook up that sleigh in the background!