HeckColumns12

Fore-saken

By Mary Ehret Penn State Cooperative Extension

Tips for freezing produce go do something I enjoy. “By all means,” he magnanimously insists, “go shopping or something!” Newsflash: no mall or outlet or shopping center in the state is open for 16 hours. I couldn’t shop for four hours without killing myself and everyone before me holding a Bon Ton coupon. And, by the way, it’s hard to shop with no money! But apparently, it’s easy to golf with no money. I have no idea how – but there he goes again.

My mother-in-law hates when I grouse about golf. She tells everyone within earshot that he deserves to golf because “he works so hard.” Really? I guess I work mediocre-hard.

Or barely-hard or hardly-hard at all.

I suppose that after I work and make dinner and stay up until 1 a.m. finishing laundry…that’s not working hard. She’s right.

Poor, poor Anthony deserves a break. He really does. In fact, I mostly want to break his hand. The one sheathed in a golf glove.

I’m finding less and less people to commiserate with me over this situation. Denise, my BFF who always, and I mean always, sympathizes with everything I bellyache about…including my actual bellyaches…has crossed over to the dark side. When both her boys left for college, she decided to fill her child-free hours with…yes…THAT. I could just puke. When I moan about the 16 hours he was gone yesterday and tell her I feel like a single mother, she just purses her lips and asks me to pass the Splenda.

“Wait a minute…” I ask suspiciously, “why aren’t you agreeing with me?”

She explains:” Listen…take it from me. It’s not you he wants to get away from. It’s just…you know…the nature of the beast. It’s so much fun that you just lose track of time! It’s crazy!”

Yeah. Crazy. He just ran upstairs, two steps at a time, to excitedly inform me that the British Open is at 4:30…a.m. “And…thank God we have a DVR!” “Anthony,” I say, “I have no idea what a British Open is. And, I don’t give a darn.”

He patiently explained, like he’s the only American in a roomful of foreign-speaking children: “It’s an ‘Open,’ Maria. There are only four of these a year! FOUR! It’s an amazing event. And I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow to watch it!”

Well…at least I know where he’ll be if I decide to end up in the ER or ICU again. No one will have to fetch him off the golf course this time. Just off the couch. Yay. Golf. The gift that just keeps on giving…me an ulcer.

Maria Heck does not hesitate to use her "mighty pen" to write a column which appears in this space every week.

The farmers’ markets are open and, hopefully, the fruits and vegetables will be plentiful to freeze. By freezing we can enjoy fruits and vegetables all year round. While freezing is simple, it does require following USDA recommendations to ensure a safe, high-quality frozen product.

Penn State has easy-to-read fact sheets. Below tells you how you can receive a copy. Here is a summary of the steps to safely freezing vegetables.

First, freeze the best. Use vegetables at peak flavor and texture. Pick or purchase at the market in the morning and freeze the veggies within a few hours. Next, wash them thoroughly in cold water and sort them according to size for blanching and packing.

It’s important to blanch some vegetables before freezing. Blanching stops the action of enzymes that can cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching time is crucial and varies with the vegetable and its size.

Under blanching stimulates the enzymes’ activity. It’s worse than not blanching at all. And over blanching can cause the loss of flavor, color, vitamins and minerals. For specific blanching times, either call us or visit the web sites listed below.

Boiling is the recommended way to blanch vegetables. Use one gallon of water per pound of vegetables. Put the vegetables in a blanching basket and lower them into vigorously boiling water. Place a lid on the pot and start counting blanching time as soon as the water returns to a boil.

As soon as blanching is complete, cool the vegetables quickly to stop the cooking process by plunging the basket of vegetables immediately into a large quantity of cold water. Cool them as long as you have blanched them. Drain the vegetables completely after cooling.

Next, pack the foods for freezing. Most foods require headspace to allow for expansion as they freeze. All packaged food should be at room temperature or cooler before you put it in the freezer.

Last but not least, freeze fast. Quick freezing is best for frozen food quality. Spread the new packages around until they’re frozen. Then you can stack them.

Label all foods with the name of the food, date and type of pack. Most fruits and vegetables will remain high quality for eight to 12 months. For more information visit the Penn State Food Safety Web site at:http:// foodsafety.psu.edu/preserve.html. There are numerous recipes, questions and answers on all types of food preservation.

For a copy of the let’s preserve series, call or email me at1-888-8251701 or mre2@psu.edu.

Blueberry muffins

1 egg or 2 egg whites 1/2 cup skim milk 1/4 cup canola oil 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour 3/4cup whole wheat flour ½ cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup blueberries Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray muffin pan with non-fat cooking spray. Beat egg, stir in milk and oil. Mix flours, sugar, baking powder in a separate bowl and then add liquid ingredients. Stir just until moistened.

Batter will be lumpy. Add blueberries. (Add frozen blueberries without thawing.) Fill cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 muffins. *(Replace oil with 2 ½ tablespoons applesauce and reduce milk to 1/4 cup milk.)

Mary R. Ehre is with Penn State Cooperative Extension, 16 Luzerne Ave., West Pittston. Call her at 825-1701 or 602-0600 or email her at mre2@psu.edu.

PAGE 15

As mothers, we tend to mark the passage of time in our lives by pregnancies. For instance: The start of the Gulf War? Pregnant with Baby # 1. The OJ Trial? Child #2. Everything that came after that? Child #3. Another way I mark time is by my husband’s golf schedule. I just decided that we are married 25 years and he has probably spent a solid 12 of them on the golf course. And that’s not hyperbole, people.

It’s a Heck Factoid.

To blend the two time-markers of golf and pregnancy (and as a Heck, you are forced to), allow me to note that twice during my pregnancies I was in both the ICU and ER at different times and on both such occasions, Mr. Golfapotamus had to be hunted down and located by a man in a golf cart searching the entire course.

When he appeared in the ER the first time, he actually said these words to me: ‘Are you okay? Can I go back out? I mean, I’ll never get the chance to play on that course again…”

Thank God we were in a hospital; better to surgically extricate the 9 iron from his….” You get the picture.

When I make plans for us to do anything on the weekends, he protests:” Ooohhh…that’s gonna be tough for me. Golfing Saturday. And Sunday. And next Tuesday. And possibly…next Thursday...” As I morph into a premenopausal fire-breathing dragonette, he always proclaims: “Oh, please. I NEVER get to golf.” I want to punch him in the face.

Never gets to golf? I know he’s not on crystal meth because I think that would affect his golf game, but he is as deluded as an addict. Never golfs. That’s like saying I never talk. Or never sneeze. Or never go to the bathroom. But mostly, talk.

Several years ago, after the same conversation, which like Christmas, comes around every season, I decided to note his tee times on the calendar.

I stopped because I was unable to pencil-in any other appointments within the daily squares. Scribbles as far as the eye can see.

Golf. Golf. Golf in the Poconos. Golf at Fox Hill. In Virginia. In outer space. And on it went. Endless.

I keep explaining to him…it’s not the golf game, per se, that makes me insane; it’s the eight extra hours of refreshments and Godknows-what that fills in the empty minutes immediately following the last hole that I have trouble with.

Last Saturday, he left to golf at 7:30 a.m. and returned at midnight. If anyone’s counting – that’s longer than Congress was in session passing the health bill. Who can play a game with a ball and a stick for 16 solid hours? Who can do anything for 16 solid hours?

When I gripe about it, he encourages me to

by Maria Jiunta Heck

NUTRITION CORNER

SUNDAY DISPATCH, SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012

MOTHER’S DAZE

Stay strong

Maria Jiunta Heck

Pumpkins, more than a decoration Pumpkins are more than just a decoration. Although most of our pumpkins grown in this area are for carving, there are some that are grown for consumption too. The top pumpkin production states are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California (2008). Pumpkins are the second highest edible produce grown in the state. It’s only second to mushrooms!

Their bright orange color is a dead giveaway that pumpkins are loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. In the conversion to vitamin A, beta carotene performs many important functions in overall health.

Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing betacarotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protection against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.1cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt has only 49 calories, 2 grams of protein, and 564 mg of potassium. It has a whopping 22650 International Units of Vitamin A!. Pumpkin also has 3 grams of fiber for every one cup cooked.

Adding pumpkin to your list of vegetables is a great idea. Here are a few steps to follow when using a fresh “pie or sweet” pumpkin. These are smaller than the large jack-o-lantern pumpkins and the flesh is sweeter and less watery. However, you can substitute the jack-o-lantern variety with fairly good results.

Look for a pumpkin with 1 to 2 inches of stem left. If the stem is cut down too low the pumpkin will decay quickly or may be decaying at the time of purchase. Avoid pumpkins with blemishes and soft spots.

It should be heavy, shape is unimportant. A lopsided pumpkin is not necessarily a bad pumpkin. Figure one pound of raw, untrimmed pumpkin for each cup finished pumpkin puree.

Recipe for pumpkin puree: Remove the stem with a sharp knife. If you are planning to roast the pumpkin seeds, smash the pumpkin against a hard surface to break it open. If not, cut in half with a sharp knife. In any case, remove the stem and scoop out the seeds and scrape away all of the stringy mass. A messy job, but it will pay off.

There are three methods that you can use to cook a pumpkin, boiling/steaming, oven and microwave Boiling/Steaming Method: Cut the pumpkin into rather large chunks. Rinse in cold water. Place pieces in a large pot with about a cup of water. The water does not need to cover the pumpkin pieces.

Cover the pot and boil for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender, or steam for 10 to 12 minutes. Check for doneness by poking with a fork. Drain the cooked pumpkin in a colander. Reserve the liquid to use as a base for soup. Follow the steps outlined below in Preparing the Puree.

Oven Method: Cut pumpkin in half, scraping away stringy mass and seeds. Rinse under cold water. Place pumpkin; cut side down on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for one hour or until fork tender.

Then follow the procedure outlined below in Preparing the Puree.

Microwave Method: Cut pumpkin in half, place cut side down on a microwave safe plate or tray. Microwave on high for 15 minutes, check for doneness. If necessary continue cooking at 1-2 minute intervals until fork tender. Continue as outlined below in “Preparing the See NUTRITION, Page 24

Mary R. Ehret, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., is with Penn State Cooperative Extension, Luzerne County, 16 Luzerne Ave., West Pittston, Pa., 18643.

(570) 825-1701/602-0600. Fax (570) 825-1709. mre2@psu.edu.

PAGE 15

ment to discuss the continuous reign of viciousness What in the hell is happening, people?

Our children are killing themselves. In no uni- with the proper school personnel. I dissected the verse, in no world, in no moment can this ever be occasions of abuse, one by one. I named names, I explained. This is insanity. It’s incomprehensible, cried. I cried some more and here is what the result was: nothing. Absolutely nothing. it’s horrifying. It’s inexplicable. And yet.

If I felt the suffocation of helplessness, how must Yet … I understand the agony that propels these poor souls to decide not to awaken the next day; the the bullied feel?

My daughter felt hopeless and alone, but, at the pain that a brutal onslaught of bullying can bring.

It’s a knife to the soul and it makes it unbearable to very least, she had me: the mother who could talk a child’s ears right off their head. I pontificated and just be; too beaten down to catapult forward.

We moved our family here when my daughter reviewed the situation until she would run screamwas in 5th grade. Every class that comes through a ing from the room, covering her ears. (She also did school has a standard set of characters: the class this when I tried to have the birds and the bees chat clown, most talkative, intelligent, outgoing, athlet- with her ... but that’s an entirely different column ic, musical, perceived cool and most gifted … and for a different Sunday).

She begged us to remove her from this contamthen you have an entirely different set of anti-huinated environment and enroll her in a private man beings: The Toxic Clique. school. I resisted beI live within eyesight cause I felt she needed of the school, so it was an Physical and emotional bullying wounds the spirit to develop a backbone. added perk (or psychoI reasoned: “How in the sis, however you choose and chips away at the core of everything they world will you handle to look at it), that I could were taught to believe. Adult life is hard, but we glance out my window learn how to tolerate the aches and dodge poison all the adult bullies in your life if you run on any given day and see arrows. These are children. They can’t see past away from these little my children’s interacidiots?” tions on the playground. Tuesday … and they have not yet mastered the I regret it.

I was so excited to be an skills necessary to navigate the brutality, nor And if anything had anonymous spectator, cope with the abyss of bully-prompted torment. happened to her, I behind my drapes and would spend my last maybe utilizing a pair of day on Earth regretting it. binoculars. (I SAID MAYBE!) I am stopping short of saying the school ignored One day, as I peered out my window to catch a glimpse of my daughter at recess, I felt like some- our pleas, but I wish they would have taken it as seriously as, say, the clear backpack negotiations or one had thrown a bowling ball at my belly.

There was a venom-spewing group of girls gath- the metal detector development or even … footered around her, tormenting her. They were ball.

Every day that these kids walk into the same screaming and pointing and enticing others to joinin. Because, you realize, a bully never acts alone … classroom where the bully sits, they’re entering a cowards always delegates their messages of malice verbal war zone and every day it hurts like hell.

Being bullied is demeaning, demoralizing, agoto their minions, who are soulless followers and nizing. Their self-worth is decimated. It changes happy participants. who they are and how they present themselves to My daughter was crying. the world.

Not one adult or child came to her aid.

Once a barbed string of words is tossed their way, I flung myself across the street and asked the miniature Hitler-esque leader of the group if we it’s as permanent as a tattoo, to be witnessed by an could chat. Apparently she didn’t notice I was audience of cowardly spectators. Words cannot be breathing fire, because she agreed. What I said to reversed and swallowed back up. Words cut and her could probably be construed as borderline liti- sting like a slap across the face.

Physical and emotional bullying wounds the gious, so I shouldn’t repeat it, what with the questionable statute of limitations and all, but I may spirit and chips away at the core of everything they were taught to believe. Adult life is hard, but we have threatened her life. learn how to tolerate the aches and dodge poison I SAID MAY HAVE! A few weeks later I noticed the same cult form- arrows. These are children. They can’t see past ing a tight-knit circle on the playground. When my Tuesday … and they have not yet mastered the daughter tried to join-in this clique-fueled sphere, skills necessary to navigate the brutality, nor cope they compressed tighter and elbowed her roughly with the abyss of bully-prompted torment. aside so she could not penetrate their man-made gate. I thought: “So there it is. Them and her. They See MARIA, Page 24 are inside and she is outside and that is how it will always be.”

Maria Heck often makes us laugh, but also, such as When this herd of girls followed their tyrannical today, makes us think in her column which appears run right through high school, I made an appoint- in this space every other week.

NUTRITION CORNER

SUNDAY DISPATCH, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

MOTHER’S DAZE

Continued from Page 15

The victims believe in their teenage minds that they need to just end the pain. Just end it.

They believe no one listens.

No one hears. No one understands their agony.

They can complain, but the

bully tortures further and with more accurate aim.

Reporting the assaults may be a Band-aid, but it just does not eradicate the grief. The public service announcements promise us “It Gets Better�, but that is someday. And someday is just too far away.

Many victims grow-up and fly away, escaping the nastiness. Not everyone can last that long.

Nutrition Continued from Page 15

Puree�or use as chunks in the recipe below.

Preparing the Puree: When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, remove the peel using a small sharp knife and your fingers. Put the peeled pumpkin in a food processor and puree or use a food mill, ricer, strainer or potato masher to form a puree.Pumpkin puree freezes well. Substitute the same amount in any recipe calling for solid pack canned pumpkin.

If you are being bullied, please know this: You. Are. Worthy.

You were put on this earth to matter. You have a role. You are destined for greatness.

The people who bully you are bottom-feeders who live off the

powerlessness and fright of others. They are cowards. They are weak. They are nothing.

They will go exactly nowhere in this life. You will go everywhere. It’s the best revenge.

You are the hero.

Trust in karma, believe in kis-

met. It’s too late for some of our children, but not for you. Don’t let them take away the love you have for yourself.

Stay strong. Maintain your courage and wear it like a badge.

And I swear to God ‌ it does get better.

What if everything you’ve heard about KNEE SURGERY has been a lie?

Pumpkin Cheese Risotto

7 to 8 cups chicken stock, canned or homemade 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cups Arborio rice* 1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 6 fresh sage leaves, minced pepper to taste 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 sage leaves for garnish In a saucepan, heat stock to a simmer and holds at a very slow simmer.

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan next to stock, heat butter and add onion. Cook over medium heat until translucent.

Add rice, stir, and add 1 1/2 cups hot stock.

Stir until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

Add another 1 1/2 cups hot stock.

Repeat a third time adding pumpkin and sage.

Repeat with another 1 1/2 cups hot stock and pepper to taste.

Continue to stir until most of the stock has been absorbed by the rice. Rice should be firm but tender (al dente).

Leave risotto a little runny before adding the cheese so it will have a creamy not stiff texture.

Makes four servings as a main course or six appetizer servings.

Source: Univ of Illinois Extension

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PAGE 24

Maria

Full pews

So, it makes me wonder… is it better to have a church full of mourners when you kick it, or have lived a life of pure realness and alienate a few vermin along the way? Do we live our lives making friends just for the sport of it or do we make our friendships count…really, really count?

For me, the importance of having people in my life that stamp-out a meaningful import, who improve the quality of my own spirit, is more worthy than filling my audience with understudies.

The close of each year brings me fresh opportunity to appreciate the friends whom I truly love.

Those are the peeps who will fill my pews.

It’s always refreshing and surprising to me how haphazard a true friendship can begin: the library, Pilates class, my neighborhood, the liquor store, jail,(joke) rehab (again); it happens when you aren’t expecting it or searching for it with a flashlight and a checklist.

Real friendship just …arises, and sticks like glue. But our lives are also peppered with those who may not be that “til-death-do-us-part” bloodbrothers friend, but need to be acknowledged and adored, nonetheless. These souls are sprinkled throughout our lives for damn good reasons.

Our delivery people and mail carriers, who smile at us on even the crappiest of days, our library patrons who bestow a smile and an unexpected gift upon us when we are in need of both and didn’t even know it, my lovely seamstress who understands my vertical AND horizontal challenges, all those employees at CVS, the Dollar Store and BonTon who put-up with my coupon shenanigans. (I buy a lot of crap. With coupons).

These are the little spots of brightness that we enjoy daily, but sometimes often overlook.

Don’t overlook.

Aunt Mary never quite grasped that concept of nurturing an assortment of relationships, but I have. My heart is big enough for everyone. We need several layers of people in our lives. 2012 was a tough one, but made tolerable by the positive souls flitting in and out of my life. They say when one door closes, another one opens…but I have to tell you, that’s pretty much bullshit. You have to really, physically open the door yourself, and prop it aloft with a huge reference book of French synonyms. That way, people can come and go and trickle a little love over the threshold as they leave.

We make our luck, we make our love, we make our happiness. We live as best we know how and we hope that every day we can impart one small nuance of validation that may affect another’s life in a truly meaningful way. This is my prayer for you in 2013.

Okay, Aunt Mary … who’s the big, fat crybaby now?

Oh. Still me.

Big, fat crybaby or not, Maria Heck brings joy to Dispatch readers every other week in this space.

By Mary Ehret Penn State Cooperative Extension

Beware of fad diets If feeling healthy and being ten pounds lighter is on your list of New Year Resolutions, beware of fad diets.

First, what is a fad diet? A fad diet is any diet that is difficult to stay on longer than 3-4 months.

Here are some common myths about weight loss and fad diets.

Myth: Fad diets work for permanent weight loss.

Fact: Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight and keep it off.

You may lose weight at first on one of these diets. But diets that strictly limit calories or food choices are hard to follow. Most people quickly get tired of them and regain any lost weight.

Fad diets may be unhealthy because they may not provide all of the nutrients your body needs. Also, losing weight at a very rapid rate (more than 3 pounds a week after the first couple weeks) may increase your risk for developing gallstones.

Diets that provide less than 800 calories per day also could result in heart rhythm abnormalities, which can be fatal.

Tip: Research suggests that losing 1/2 to 2 pounds a week by making healthy food choices, eating moderate portions, and building physical activity into your daily life is the best way to lose weight and keep it off and lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Myth: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight.

Fact: But getting most of your daily calories from high-protein foods like meat, eggs, and cheese is not a balanced eating plan. Too much fat and cholesterol may raise heart disease risk.

Too few fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which may lead to constipation due to lack of dietary fiber. Following a high-protein/ low-carbohydrate diet may also make you feel nauseous, tired, and weak.

Eating fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrate a day can lead to the buildup of ketones (partially broken-down fats) in your blood, which can cause your body to produce high levels of uric acid, a risk factor for gout and kidney stones.

Ketosis may be especially risky for pregnant women and people with diabetes or kidney disease.

Tip: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are often low in calories because food choices are strictly limited, so they may cause shortterm weight loss. You may also find it easier to stick with a diet or eating plan that includes a greater variety of foods.

Myth: Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup, can burn fat and make you lose weight.

Fact: No foods can burn fat. Some foods with caffeine may speed up your metabolism for a short time, but they do not cause weight loss.

Tip: The best way to lose weight is to cut back on the number of calories you eat and be more physically active.

Myth: Natural or herbal weight-loss products are safe and effective.

Fact: A weight-loss product that claims to be “natural” or “herbal” is not necessarily safe. For example, herbal products containing ephedra (now banned by the U.S. Government) have caused serious health problems and even death.

Tip: Talk with your health care provider before using any weightloss product.

Mary R. Ehret, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., is with Penn State Cooperative Extension, Luzerne County, 16 Luzerne Ave., West Pittston, Pa., 18643.

(570) 825-1701/602-0600. Fax (570) 825-1709. mre2@psu.edu.

PAGE 15

My Aunt Mary died a few weeks ago. She was 92 and the epitome of a ballsy spitfire. She stood a demure 4 foot 10 inches, yet had the mouth of a longshoreman and the disposition of a cactus.

Aunt Mary was….um…lovingly thorny.

And she just did not give a flying fig what anyone thought of her completely unfiltered take on life. I loved her.

Aunt Mary never had children so she lacked finesse when dealing with them.

She bestowed several nicknames upon me in my lifetime, for example: milquetoast, big, fat crybaby, flipper lips, spineless jellyfish, Whiner McGee…to name just a few.

Strangely, I saw a lot of myself in her. She spoke her mind and did so with alarming accuracy and little deflection. Girlfriend called a spade a spade and then demanded that you go buy her a new box spring. I admired her audaciousness.

She’d lived on the top floor of my grandmother’s house forever and that made them like multi-generational, conjoined twins, she and Gramma Jiunta.

Twins who really did not enjoy me in the least; yet it never affected me, until the day I visited, 4 months pregnant. They both told me, and I quote: “You’d look a hell of a lot better without all that extra weight! Especially around your belly. Lay off the cannoli, for Christ sake!”

What can you do? They were two brazen Italian broads and I looked just like my mother, as opposite a Sicilian as you could ever get: A Polish Princess, though and through.

They didn’t get me. They did scare the living crap out of me, pretty regularly, though.

In her last years, Aunt Mary was placed in assisted living, and hated it with a white-hot vengeance.

She, in fact, threw the proverbial finger at all the rules that were required of her as the self-perceived prickly queen of the joint.

No drinking allowed? Pshhh…she just hid the bottles in a planter. No freaking smoking?! You may as well have driven a stake through her little, black heart! She’d simply perch on her balcony-ette and puff away every hour on the hour and hide her cigarette butts…where? That’s right. The planter.

That thing was as bottomless as the Aegean Sea. As I glanced around the church during Aunt Mary’s funeral, I was saddened that few people filled the pews, although, I’m certain that I cared more than she would have.

The priest tried his best, but he was given a mass of a person he never knew, and therefore whipped out his generic funereal missive. He was off by a country mile. He spoke of how many lives she touched …which wasn’t many and if she touched them, she did so with barbed wire and a gin and tonic. He spoke of her kindness. Wellll … I did witness her compassion toward her boxer, Twiggy, but not toward many actual, human beings.

But still. She was Aunt Mary and she was what she was. She was true to herself, right though to the very end.

Maria Jiunta Heck

NUTRITION CORNER

SUNDAY DISPATCH, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

MOTHER’S DAZE