Friday, November 14, 2008

The Mulberry Tree and Lemon Drops

Yesterday someone offered me a lemon drop. It took me back to a time in my youth when it was summer with my cousin Julie spending the whole summer with my Aunt Sadie. Aunt Sadie had a huge Mulberry Tree beside her huge garden. It was a wonderful tree that provided a lot of shade. Underneath the Mulberry Tree was a dilapidated, old wooden table about 6 feet long. Julie and I spent several summers under that Mulberry Tree concocting all kinds of goodies. You see, that table and Mulberry Tree was our summer kitchen. Aunt Sadie and my mom would give us old pots, pans, and dishes. We'd use them to create magnificent mud pies. We had the best black dirt to use from the garden which was only a couple of feet away. Buckets of water would be drawn for mixtures and to wash dishes. We had so much fun mixing pies, cakes, and treats of all sorts with that fabulous, thick, gooey mud. We'd decorate them with rocks, flowers, and mulberries. Sometimes we would "sneak" eggs from home to add to the mix or "borrow" goodies from the garden to garnish. Adding the eggs was the most fun. It made that mud turn to pure goo. After all the mixing and decorating, we'd put them in the sun to "bake".

When our goodies were done, we'd pop them out of the pans onto a special dish. Aunt Sadie would often sit down for a spell and pretend to have lunch or dinner with us. My dad would also show up to see what we were baking. Uncle Ralph refused to take part. We always asked getting a big hoot out of his predicted response, "nah, why in the hell would I want to eat that?" Grinning like a crazy monkey the whole time he said it. (He was just created to torment those he loved, and we knew it.) We'd laugh and go on cooking.

The reason why the lemon drop from yesterday took me back to these great memories was because Julie brought a bag of lemon drops to the kitchen one day. She thought they would be great to use with our baking. Imagine the excitement of being able to decorate with real lemon drops. Julie, the most adventurous cousin I know, decided she would try a lemon drop dropped in mud. No eggs that day. Just black dirt and water. Mixed with who only knows what else. Julie took that first mud covered lemon drop and declared, "it's good try it!" Okay. I did. It was not good. But I got a kick out of Julie continuing to eat several, maybe even numerous mud covered lemon drops that afternoon. Probably the more I laughed the more she ate. Aunt Sadie just about pooped a brick house when she realized what Julie was doing. She took the lemon drops and hid them. I really don't remember Julie ingesting anymore mud after that either.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had kind of forgotten about Lemon Drops. They are one of those candies that are addictive once you start eating them. I do like Lemon Drop Martinis though (they taste just like the candy)!

Terri Steffes said...

I have lemon drops in my desk as we speak. I love anything lemon! I love your sweet memory. Thanks for sharing it with us.

If they made my new phone in MU gold, I would be the happiest person on earth. Alas, they do not!

Anonymous said...

Oh... I love lemon drops, my father use to have them all the thyme.

Thank you for stopping in to visit with me today... Please come again soon.

Blessings 2 you on this November Day, Pamela

Anonymous said...

Hi Lisa!

I was trying to sort through my messy desk and I ran across the birthday card you sent me that I had been saving so I could find this blog. Thank you so much for remembering me!

I read a couple of your blog entries, but then I cried, so I stopped. :) I'll be back around again.

Please send me your email address. Denise, Annette, and Kathy all came for CMSU (now UCM) homecoming this year. Maybe you can come next!

Love,
Lori Schroeder Bell
jandlbell@charter.net

Gayla said...

What a great start for such a terrific cook.. No wonder you are fabulous, you started so young.. I remember a friend of mine always had four lemon drops wrapped up in a little square of celophane in her lunch. It seemed so decadent, and sometimes she'd share~!

Kathy said...

What a great story, Lisa! I loved reading it. Isn't it funny how something small like a lemon drop can bring back a wonderful memory like that!

I want to thank you for visiting me at Mimi's Garden today and for your really sweet comment. I appreciated it so much. Please come back again soon!
Kathy

Kathy said...

What a great story, Lisa! I loved reading it. Isn't it funny how something small like a lemon drop can bring back a wonderful memory like that!

I want to thank you for visiting me at Mimi's Garden today and for your really sweet comment. I appreciated it so much. Please come back again soon!
Kathy

M Ayers said...

Nice story Lisa...and so different from my city upbringing...

I have never eaten a lemon drop or a mud pie. I feel so deprived!

Hope your weekend was fantabulous (as my 6 year old says)!

Monique

Charmingdesigns said...

I just came by from who knows where.lol. My daughter is also an only child...love her to pieces. Are you sure that is your kitty??lol. Looks just like my daughters kitty. laurie

KATHY OF SWEETHOME GARDENS said...

I just love lemon drops...

Lisa... I finally posted my friendship award you gave me in October...I'm so sorry it took so long...looked back through your post but could not find what I was suppose to write about friends.

Thanks so much!

Kathy

carolyn@simple~primitive~devotion said...

Hahahahahaha! Memories! We had a giant mulberry tree in our backyard growing up. In fact, my Dad still lives there and I visit that tree often. We climbed that tree everyday and Mama made mulberry jam and cobblers every year. That tree has a special place in my heart and always will.
Your story reminds me of the fun we had with our mulberry tree. We used to also make mud pies, but I don't recall any of us ever actaully eating them! LOL! Too funny!
Have a great day!

Unknown said...

Good Monday Morning. Thanks so much for your comments to my blog.
And thanks so much for adding me to yours.
It is a treat to have people visit and comment when one is so new at this.

Anonymous said...

Lisa, I love this story. I remember making mud pies under a Mulberry tree at my Granny's, many a long year ago! Thanks for reminding me.

Anonymous said...

That was a great story. I used to love to make mud pies when I was a kid. I would decorate them with dandlions and clover.

CIELO said...

Good morning Lisa... I love that huge Mulberry Tree, and your memories are so sweet and well described...

Enjoy your lemon drops.. ;)

cielo

Anonymous said...

Hi Lisa -- I just found your blog today -- I lived in Marceline MO for many years, so when I saw what the weather was in Macon, I sat up and took notice! One of my favorite friends lives there. And you are right about being married to a great guy -- anyone who recognizes how awesome Albert (MVP again) and the Cardinals are is great!! Lynn