You Are a Christmas Cake

I was searching around for a cake recipe and pulled out my mother’s The Treasury of Newfoundland Dishes cookbook (published by Maple Leaf Mills Limited, Newfoundland, millers of Cream of the West Flour, Seventh Edition 1971). I had never noticed this one before. I’ve seen a number of recipes like this, but this one’s a little different.

You Are A Christmas Cake

1 cup of butter of faith – to make life run smoothly.
1 cup of sugar – life needs its sweetness.
5 eggs to make it light – this is prayer, which uplifts.
½ pound of nuts – humour. Nuts to crack like good humour – be sure they are clean!
¼ pound of cherries – colour the cake like music on a dull morning.
1 pound of raisins are old friends, always a delight.
1 pound of currants are new friends, always interesting.
¼ teaspoon of allspice puts tang in it like initiative.
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon is ambition.
2 teaspoons of baking powder to make it rise. This is the Holy Spirit.
½ cup of pure fresh whole milk – the perfect food which is the Word of God.
½ teaspoon of salt called Wisdom.
3 cups of four sifted finely to fold the whole cake together – Love blends all life into one.

Method: Mix all well together and bake in the slow oven of experience. When well done, allow to cool. Add frosting to surround it with beauty. Add red candles to light for all to see; then slice the cake and share it with others.

There is a note from the publishers at the end which says, “We thought the recipe itself was quite delightfully phrased, and it produces a very nice cake indeed.” Sally West.

Too holey?

I have a wee bit of a dilemma.

I have a few piercings. Okay, strictly in my ears. 7 to be exact. 2 in my right ear, and 5 in my left. Why the lack of balance? I'm not sure whether there's a reason or not. Hey, it was the thing to do! The thing I did, anyhow.

So I found a bunch of these nice, thicker guaged, sterling silver, sleeper hoops at Shoppers Drug Mart. I was having trouble with regular, thinner earrings making my holes (how else am I supposed to say that?) get infected - these thicker earrings worked like a charm. However, while I was pregnant, most of them became badly tarnished to the point where the finish was gone. Nothing I had would clean them up. So I went out and bought more. Yes, 7 more. Within a short period of time, they became badly tarnished as well.

I asked a couple of people what they thought about it. My hairdresser felt that the earrings in my left ear were placed in such a way that they touched the skin just behind my ear (the ones on the right weren't as bad as those on the left). She said there's a gland behind there and perhaps the pregnancy hormones were killing my silver. She suggested trying stainless steel. I found a store that sold stainless steel, but they were way too heavy a guage, more meant for funky piercings, not so much ears. It was suggested I try another jewellery store. I found and spoke to the manager of this jewellery store (more of a costume jewellery type shop, not the real good stuff). I told her about the problem I've been having and she proceeded to tell me about a relative of hers. This relative could not wear either silver or gold without it tarnishing. She figured I was in the same boat.

I decided to do a little experiment of my own. Mom had a couple of gold studs around that she let me borrow. They've been in my ears for weeks now and not a problem to be had. That got me thinking....I'd rather stick with the silver colour.....what about WHITE GOLD!!!!

I splurged. I bought myself a REALLY nice pair of white gold hoop earrings. Yes, they were expensive.

Okay, I tell you all of this as an introduction to something else.

I just turned 35 and I've got all of these holes in my ears and my skin is tarnishing all of the cheap stuff I get. Should I spend some bucks and replace all of my silver with white gold? Or should I bite the bullet and let them all go except my very first 2 original holes (well, and the one through the cartilege at the top of my left ear). Does it look stupid in this day and age for a regular Jane like me to have 7 holes in her ears??? Will I lose my youth, my cool, forever if I let them grow over?

Has anyone else been there and done that? I'd love to hear some opinions, thoughts, ideas and stories. What did you do?