French Apple Pie by Edna

I created this recipe in September 2007, attempting to duplicate the wonderful French Apple Pies that I remember from the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s when I was growing up in Maryland. My husband remembers it being served often in the dining hall when he was a Midshipman at Annapolis. He says it was always accompanied by a slice of American cheese.

The Crust:

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar or Splenda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick chilled unsalted butter (4 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons walnut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 5-7 tablespoons cold milk or ice water

Mix flours, sugar and salt in bowl. Cut in butter until the mixture is consists of pea size lumps. With a fork stir in the oil and liquid. When dough is moist and holds together, form into two balls. Place each ball of dough in a plastic kitchen bag and flatten into a disk. Wrap and chill until dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes.

Food Processor Method: Mix flour, sugar and salt in processor. Cut in the butter using six on/off pulses, or until the mixture consists of pea size lumps. Pour the combined liquid and oil into the running food processor, just until moist clumps form, adding more cold liquid if the dough seems too dry.

Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold overhang under. Crimp edges decoratively. (If the crust is prepared ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to two days.) Makes one 9-inch double crust.

The Filling

• 4-5 large fresh washed apples (2 ½ pounds), peeled, cored and thinly sliced. (I usualy leave some peel on the apple as it gives a bit of a crunch to the texture of the filling.)
• 5 tablespoons corn starch (corn flour)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground dry ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 cup raisins soaked in 1/4 cup rum, brandy or orange juice
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Begin preheating your oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl, mix the sugar, corn starch and spices.

Place one of the chilled dough disks in a 9 inch pie pan, preferably ceramic. Sprinkle about five tablespoons of the sugar-spice mixture into the pie crust and place a layer of apple slices, one slice deep, on top. Sprinkle some of the rum raisins on that. Continue layering the sugar-spice mix, apples, and raisins, keeping all snug so the air space is minimized. The apples cook down considerably, therefore they should be piled between 1 - 1.5 inches above the top of the pan. Place the top crust and seal and crimp edges and slice steam holes. Put the pie in the oven and cook at 425 degrees F for ten minutes. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees F and cook for another 45 minutes to one hour.

The Icing
When pie has cooled, beat until smooth 1 egg white with 1 cup of confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon of liquid (rum, vanilla or orange juice). Spread or pour on cooled pie and sprinkle with toasted walnuts.

Founders of Utah

On Temple Square at Salt Lake City, Utah is the Brigham Young Monument that reads “The names of the pioneers who arrived in this valley, 24 July 1847. ... The entire company and outfit consisted of 143 men, 3 women, 2 children 70 wagons, 1 boat 1 cannon, 93 horses, 52 mules, 66 oxen, 19 cows.” These were the original pioneer founders of Utah. The first of the 148 names is "Brigham YOUNG." In the next to the last column of the monument’s names is “Lewis BARNEY,” son of my husband’s Utah pioneer ancestor, "Charles BARNEY," who arrived at the Salt Lake Valley in 1852, along with most of the remainder of his BARNEY children. Other names included on the monument are three “colored servants” - “Green FLAKE, Hark LAY, and Oscar CROSBY.” The monument was unveiled on 24 July 1897.

These photographs were made at Temple Square in August of 2008.

Blueberry Cobbler

Blueberry Cobbler

For the filling:

• 6 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• zest of 1 lemon

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chilled butter, cut in small pieces
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. 2 In a large mixing bowl combine blueberries, sugar, vanilla, juice and lemon zest. Pile mixture into a large baking dish or pie plate.
3. In another bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal. Lightly toss with the half-and-half until it forms a soft dough. Drop batter by tablespoon size pieces over the blueberries until the surface is almost covered. Lightly pat the dough down to evenly distribute the top, but leave spaces for the blueberries to show through. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar..
4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until topping is golden and filling is bubbling. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired. 
   Makes 12 servings

A Butterfly for My Brother

"I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?" - "The Zhuangzi" by Zhuang Zhou

Butterfly at Jacksonville National Cemetery, March 2017

Paster Ida Iverson, who spoke the eulogy at my brother's funeral service would describe these butterflies that appeared soon after Arthur's death as "a God Thing when a connection like that happens and it will stand as a double meaning for your family."

Butterfly at Jacksonville National Cemetery, March 2017

When my sister and brother were deciding on the final resting place of Arthur, they found they could not bury our brother at his preferred military cemetery in St. Petersburg, Florida as there was no space available for in-ground burials. They chose Jacksonville National Cemetery as the next best choice. My sister verbalized a prayerful wish that our brother would not be sad with our arrangements: "If it is okay Arthur, send us a sign - like a butterfly." Later, when they visited the Jacksonville cemetery, upon returning to their vehicle, there was a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, landing and circling about the vehicle. My sister snapped these two photographs of it.

After the funeral, I was purchasing postage for an oversized birthday card at a local north Florida post office and requested an attractive appropriate stamp from the clerk. I was awestruck when her very first offering was a sheet of beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly stamps.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Postage Stamp

Once returning home to Virginia I decided to search for a personalized license plate to memorialize my brother, when I discovered that the State Insect of Virginia, our mother's home state, -- is the very same Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly that had appeared at the cemetery! I immediately ordered one for my vehicle in honor of the memory of my brother Arthur. 

Remember - whenever you see a butterfly flitting to and fro,

It is a loved one come from Heaven, just to say "Hello."

Obituary for my brother, Arthur Edward Richardson, 1943~2017

Arthur Edward Richardson (1943-2017)

Arthur Edward Richardson

Arthur Edward RICHARDSON was born 2 May 1943, at Halethorpe, Maryland, the firstborn son of Edward James Arthur RICHARDSON and Lillian Louise VIA. He died at the age of 73, on 5 March 2017, at Saint Petersburg General Hospital, Saint Petersburg, Florida. He grew up in Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland.

He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on 7 November 1961, as a Private, and served for four years, including a one year tour overseas, during the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged as a Lance Corporal (E-3) on 13 May 1966. He was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

He was married to Donna Darlene Schmidt (divorced) of Maryland by whom he had one son, Arthur Edward Richardson, Junior (Richie). Arthur worked as an oysterman, guard, and brickmason. At the time of his final illness, he was living at Lexington Health & Rehabilitation Center, 6300 46th Avenue North, Saint Petersburg. He is survived by his son Richie of Pelion, South Carolina and his three siblings, Edna Barney of Springfield, Virginia, Vickie Lynn Egerton of Parkville, Maryland and Ted Roy Richardson of Fernandina Beach, Florida.

On 13 March 2017, he was buried with military honors at Jacksonville National Cemetery, Jacksonville, Florida, with services provided by Oxley-Heard Funeral Home, Inc., Fernandina Beach, Florida. His remains are interred at Section 11, Grave 1799.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eulogy for Arthur Edward Richardson

This was a part of the Eulogy delivered by Reverend Ida E. Iverson on 13 March 2017 at the graveside ceremony for my brother entitled "Meditation."

     Arthur Edward Richardson, was born on May 2, 1943 and died on March 5, 2017 at the age of 73. I did not know Arthur, but God put in my path his brother Ted, who respected and wanted to have God's word spoken here today along with his sisters, Vickie and Edna. Arthur followed in the footstep of those who had come before him and was a brick and stone mason, and if his work was half as good as his brother's he could take great pride in all that he did. Because when brick and stone work is done well it is meant to last long past the mason's own lifetime.
     Speaking of masonry, Ted, when you were asked to put in the footings and a foundation here at the National Cemetery you had no idea that the monument that was to be placed on it was for the Marines who fought valiantly for their country and that it would be such a connection for you now that your brother will be buried here. Some could say that is a God thing when a connection like that happens and it will stand as a double meaning for your family.
     Everyone has those what might be called comfort foods and Arthur had a couple favorites ... Utz potato chips and Pepsi which he called his juice. When
you told me he had a favorite potato chip I was reminded of friends who came from Chicago, and they always had to bring back with them the local chips that they had grown up with. And of course, we know there are some people who are Coca Cola people and then there are the Pepsi people and Arthur was a Pepsi person or as he called it his juice. Life can be simple if you have the right bag of chips to snack on and your Pepsi to wash it down with.
     Ted something else you told me about your brother, was the one story he shared with you about his time in Viet Nam. You may not have thought of it this way but that was a holy time, a sacred time that you had with him, as he shared that scared story of his life with you.
     As I picked the lessons for today, it was with that story in mind. I thought about what he had experienced that day he told you about. Being surrounded by the enemy, not only having to kill to save his life while attempting to save the lives of those he cared about who were by his side, yet at the same time witnessing the death of too many of his friends. That day he was not just walking in the valley of the shadow of death he was very much deep down in that valley. To come out of that valley is not easy and I have had more than one man who has been there ask if God can forgive them for what they had to do in that valley.
     All I can say to them, is that they have made their confession and they have a God, who loves them so much that he forgives them and they have been absolved through Jesus Christ. Yet, the memories of moments like that do not go away easily and he along with many other warriors, are running a race to get away from those memories. Arthur has now finished the race and those
days are behind him forever.
     No, I did not know Arthur, but I have known many men who served their country and came back to work through the demons of war and as age catches up with them are blessed to find a place where they feel safe and are being treated well.
     Yes, last Sunday, Arthur took his last breath and entered the place that Jesus had gone to prepare for him. The place where there is no more war, where the pain of this side of eternity is gone forever, and where Jesus our Savior, who is the way, the truth and the life, met him face to face greeting Arthur, with welcome home good and faithful servant.
     Let us Pray: Lord, you walk with us through all that life on this side of eternity confronts us with, even in the valley in the shadow of death. We give thanks for the peace that you give as we grieve, and that we walk in the promise of eternal life with you through your Son Jesus Christ. Now, as we go from this cemetery that honors the men and women who served bravely for their country let your peace go with us. Rest in peace Lance Corporal Arthur Edward Richardson. Amen.

"A Butterfly for My Brother" (published on his 74th Birthday 2 May 2017) 

Our Mayflower Ancestors

Our BARNEY family is descended from four Brave Pilgrim Ancestors who sailed from Holland on the British ship Mayflower in 1620. They were a family: JOHN TILLIE, his wife, and his young daughter ELIZABETH TILLIE, and JOHN HOWLAND, a young member of the ship's company.

JOHN HOWLAND has recently been immortalized in Rush Limbaugh's children's book Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims. In the book, everyone was astonished that JOHN HOWLAND had fallen into the sea and yet survived. JOHN was apologizing for going onto the upper deck during a fierce storm. "Do not condemn yourself JOHN, said Elder Brewster. Your salvation from certain death is a miraculous sign. Everything happens for a reason. God has chosen to save you, which I believe means we are certain to make it to America."

"JOHN TILLIE, and his wife; both died soon after they came on shore. ELIZABETH, their daughter afterwards married JOHN HOWLAND." From "The Original Lists of Persons of Quality ... 1600-1700" by John Camden Hotten, 1874, pages xxiv, xxvi. 

All BARNEY family descendants of LOVISA LOSEE who married WILLIAM FRANKLIN BARNEY (1854-1924) and lived at Lake Shore, Utah, are also descendants of JOHN and ELIZABETH (TILLIE) HOWLAND, original settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts and celebrants at the Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving.

CAPITAL - CAPITOL

What is the Difference?

Capital, with an "a", refers to a city that serves as the seat of a government. Ironically, it is not capitalized.

Capitol, with an "o", refers to a building that houses a legislature. Like the names of other specific buildings, e.g., the White House, the Capitol is capitalized.

East, South, and North Capitol Streets are named after the building, so they are spelled with an "o".

The Capital Beltway is named after the city, so it is spelled with an "a".

There is no West Capitol Street. In its place, you will find the Mall, which, like other streets, is capitalized. Like East Capitol Street, Capitol Hill is named after the building, so it takes an "o".

Inspired by HistoryProfessor.org.