That Turkey Don't Lie!

Well... I did it! I thought this year would be different but.....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I have succeeded in the Holiday Procrastination Tradition... some say it's a family thing. If I did every little thing on my "THINGS I GOTTA DO LIST" there would be nothing left to live for ...Ha!!!
My friend, the Turkey (to the right) that I invited to live on my blog just rubs it in every time I look at him. I thought he was cute .... now he laughs at me. Two freaking days.
Anyway.... We are going to Punderson Manor for Thanksgiving Dinner. I still feel that I have to cook a dinner... that will happen on the weekend.
Back in the 80's and 90's of the previous century...we had a few old order Amish ladies that would bake a multitude of yumminess to sell in our store. Mary Miller would host Amish Wedding Dinners for the "Yankees" as a part of tour group our store was connected with. I had the pleasure and privilege to be invited by Emma to a full Amish Wedding Ceremony and Dinner for her son Mikey Slaubaugh and his bride. This is one of my cherished and greatest memories...Oh the pictures I mentally took that day!
Here is one of Mary Miller's recipes that I will be making this weekend:

MARY MILLER'S DATE NUT PUDDING
Batter:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dates
1/4 cup nuts

Syrup:
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups hot water
2 teaspoons butter
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Whipping Cream

Boil syrup for 5 minutes and pour into cake pan. Mix the batter ingredients together and pour the batter on top of the syrup. Bake for 30 minutes at 325 to 350 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean just off the center. Cool and serve with whipped cream.

Happy Thanksgiving! Outen The Lights

Jay C., James A., Jelly and Jam

Jay C. Smith was my great-grand uncle. Born in Ira, Caynga County, New York, April 28, 1838 to Aretus Gregory and Keturah (Davis) Smith. Jay was the fifth of ten children.
I became interested in Jay as I am in possession of his diary. I have posted the last entries made to his diary which you can find below. He did not die on the battle field in a grueling battle...but he died in an Army Hospital of disease. His words are few but in reading his last words I can feel the cold and see the bleakness that surrounded him. Feel the warmth of the fire that he took refuge in when his own hospital bed was frozen.
Company B of the 41st OVI Regiment was formed in Geauga County, Ohio. Henry W. Johnson and L. T. Patchin went from village to village, neighborhood to neighborhood, with the flag flying, to the step of a fife and drum....this was grass roots recruitment. Jay C. Smith at the age of 23 entered the service for the Battle of the Rebellion, August 20, 1861.
Can you see these men walking with the flag?...Can you hear the fife and drum?
Can you see the anxious faces of young farm boys ready and able to fight for their country?
I am sure Jay started recording his Army days on August 20,1861. I don't have any proof that an earlier diary existed but I think it did. Even when Jay was very sick he made entries everyday without fail.
What else can I learn from Jay's diary? Tucked in the back slot is a teaching certificate dated 1858.... so he was a teacher...maybe. A few newspaper clippings one for "Cottage Pudding and Sauce" and "Buttermilk Pudding with Maple Syrup" and "Apple Jelly"... Many hand written recipes are in the last 8 pages of the little book. The writing appears to be that of my great grandmother Lodiska, sister to Jay.
Interesting recipes.... maybe I will post some of these. Tomato Pickles, Ginger Snaps, Sponge Cake, Mince Pie, Fruit Cake, Lemon Pie, Spiced Peaches, ( Note: My Mom made these are they were the best). I can get lost in "olde time" recipes.
The Smith family is buried in South Newbury Cemetery. This was a bustling farm community at one time. James Abram Garfield (later our 20th president) spoke at the Union Chapel at South Newbury. This is a great bit of history....Garfield was barred from speaking at the Congregational Church...the parishioners did not think it was proper to speak of politics in the house of the Lord.
In 1856, the people of South Newbury built the Union Chapel,dedicated to free speech...... across the road from the Church. The walls of this small yet mighty building heard the voices of James A. Garfield, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, Louisa M. Alcott, Theodore Parker, the advocate of the 8 hour working day, and John B. Gough, three time candidate for president on the Prohibition ticket. Wow! Wow! and Wow!
Field Trip....7 miles from our front door! Here is what we found:

A Tribute to Jay Cleveland Smith, My Great-Grand Uncle

Louisville, Kentucky 41st Ohio Regiment
Jay Cleveland Smith (28 April 1838- 26 January 1862)
His diary as follows:

January 1, 1862 Wednesday
The weather looks like rain this morning. Henry Hotchkiss came this morning and I went with him to his friends, where I partook of a splendid dinner. I walked back and was about bushed.

January 2, 1862 Thursday
It is cloudy and unpleasant this morning. I did not feel very well stayed in the house all day. Did not go to bed tonight. Very slippery.

January 3, 1862 Friday
It is rather misty and cold this morning. It rained quite hard before night. John Whitlam came in here today. He came from Camp with James Sisk. Two of the 91st boys started from here for Camp this morning.

January 4, 1862 Saturday
There was some signs of snow this morning. I feel rather miserable today. _____
______ came to see me today. There was a lot of sick men brought in tonight. I received a letter from R. P. Bennett Jr.

January 5, 1862 Sunday
It is not very pleasant. This morning some of the Ohio boys were sent to Cincinnati. I started to go a visiting today but the _____ did not______.
It rained and froze.

January 6, 1862 Monday
I was taken with the measles today and sent to No.4 Hospital. I was some sick, but did not like this place very well. Slept on a miserable bed tonight.

January 7, 1862 Tuesday
Ached so bad from lying on a bad bed. I got up and went to the fire . Thought it could no more than kill me and it would surely do that, to lay in a bed that is froze up solid. I slept very sound.

January 8, 1862 Wednesday
I began to feel quite well today. I am very weak and my back and sides pain me so. I am in misery. We have awful hard life here.

January 9, 1862 Thursday
It rained hard most all day. I lay on the bed about all day. A hundred sick men came in last night. They sent some of the Ohio boys to Cincinnati today.

January 10,1862 Friday
Nothing new on the program today. The room as noisy as ever. I had some mush and milk for supper tonight.

January 11, 1862 Saturday
Got up this morning and made my bed for the first time in this hospital. Got some potatoes for dinner with sprouts two inches long. I took a dose of oil today , the first I can remember of.

January 12 1862 Sunday
It rained very hard some of the time today. I would like a clean shirt mine are both dirty. The nurses all came out with white shirts today.

January 13, 1862 Monday
It is pretty cold today. some of the boys started for their Regt. this morning. L.T. Patchin came here to see us today. The bed hurt my bones horribly tonight. Very cold.

January 14,1962 Tuesday
It was very cold this morning. I did hate to get up. did not feel as well today as yesterday. preat came in last night sick and came here today. Some more sick men came in tonight.

January 15, 1862 Wednesday
I took some pills for the dierer did not do any good last night. Was so weak I could hardly walk. i lay on a bed just about all day. Some more sick men came in to night.

January 16, 1862 Thursday
It was very unpleasant this morning. I took six more pills tonight for my dierear.
Brigadier Quartermaster Johnson came here last night. Advised me to go home. I felt rather offended about it.

January 17, 1862 Friday
I felt worse today had a hard fever the Doc's gave me they're powder. I was glad when they were gone. Pleat came again today. I could not sleep tonight.

January 18, 1862 Saturday
lay afed gr as a
"The last words he ever wrote was to sick to finish what he commenced"

January 19,1862 to January 25,1862 no entries.

January 26, 1862 Sunday
Pa reached Louisville this morning, Jay was very anxious to come home, and laid his plan for coming. Thought he could ride in a boat as easy as to lie in the hospital. But his journey was different from what he anticipated..He died at 10 o'clock P.M. Very cold and dreary.~~~ written by Lodiska Smith, Jay's sister