Nancy and Margaret

Well, it’s taken me almost 40 years to realize that two of my favorite hobbies were favorite hobbies of my grandmothers (whom I am named after). Are hobbies genetic?

Grandma Nancy, who died when my mother was 14, was quite the writer when she was in high school. Her writing is sprinkled throughout her senior year high school yearbook. Here’s a poem:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mom also instilled in me a love of reading and writing. Thanks, Mom.

Not only did my dad’s mother, Grandma Peg, bake and cook up a storm, but she also worked on a variety of crafts at any given time: painting ceramics, making holiday ornaments, creating Moravian stars, fashioning magnets out of fabric.

My main craft hobby is card making, but I have also done jewelry making and have tried glass blowing and metal working. I’m looking forward to a crochet class in a few weeks. Although I’m a little intimidated because I’m left-handed.

I thought of Grandma Peg and Mom this past weekend when I took a cake decorating class at Michaels (#10 on the birthday list). Grandma sold her cakes and also worked in a grocery store bakery department later in life. For years, my dear mother made beautifully decorated Wilton birthday cakes for me and my brother.

Suffice it to say that I now fully appreciate Mom making 12 different colors of icing for my Bert and Ernie cake. I’m referring to this two-day class as bootcamp. I spent approximately 17 hours prepping for and attending the class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will spare you the details. But a brief overview:

On Saturday, we brought in cupcakes and learned how to use the different decorating tips and learned about the three different consistencies of icing and how to color it.

We were instructed to bring in a cake, filling, and 7 cups of colored icing in all of the consistencies on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was stressed because my cake was only an inch tall. The instructor suggested I make a “half-moon” cake so I could add the filling, and it worked out fine. This is yet another craft that is tricky due to my left-handedness. I saw left-handed decorating tips for sale so might try them sometime.

Here it is. And yes, I put it in a snowbank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve grown weary of the snow…when will it end???