I'M A LUCKY GIRL

I’m Bethy Rose Wheeler Butler (hopefully, one day Kinkaid). I’m so excited to be allowed to write in this blog. I can’t wait to make copies and show all of my friends. You bet I have a lot of friends. It makes me sad when I remember that MM grew up in Harts Corner without a close friend. You gotta have girlfriends or life ain’t (sorry, isn’t) worth living.

Some people say there’s not much to do in Harts Corner. I sure have always been able to find lots to do around here. Even before Daddy died and I came to live with MM, I had things to do. He was on the road a lot and kinda forgot to do certain parentin’ things, so I found ways to earn a little money. Tillie paid me to weed her flowers. SaveMart took all the cola bottles and cans I could pick up, and I bought milk, cereal, and stuff to tide me over until Daddy came home. And I usually had enough to buy a root beer float at the Blue Moon a couple of times a week.

I always loved to read. The little library set up in the corner of Dixie Lee’s Curl & Pearl shop had all kinds of books for me to read. Dixie is known to take some of her tips to purchase new books to go along with the donated ones on the shelves. I guess she did all right with the hair dos for ladies in town and the pearly polish she painted on their nails, because she always had new books for me to check out.

When I came to live with MM, she took me fishin’ on White Rock Creek, made sure I had a uniform so I could join the softball team, attended my school plays, and took me to Crockett to buy new school clothes twice a year. We went to the movies once a week when the show was kid appropriate. And she even allowed me to learn to cook when I told her I wanted to. So to those folks who tell you there’s nothing to do in Harts Corner, I say they just don’t have any imagination at all.

There’s one thing though that I wish MM would do. She needs to marry Miguel and make us a real family. He’s asked her but for whatever reason (I think she’s just being her own stubborn self as Aunt Lutie says), she won’t say yes. He’s the handsomest, bestest, kindest man, and he loves me like his real own daughter. I don’t want him to give up on us.

Did you all hear the story about the time MM helped me make cookies for Valentine’s Day? No? Well, you’ll just have to read the book; it tells the whole story. And it’s a doozy as Harold would say. Just to give you a taste (ha ha, funny, huh?)—here’s the recipe for my cookies.

Bethy Rose’s Valentine Cookies

1-1/4 c. soft butter                  1 tsp. salt

2 c. sugar                                 4tsp. baking powder
2 eggs                                      1 tsp. ground nutmeg
5 c. flour                                  ½ milk

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.

Stir together dry ingredients; add alternately with milk to creamed mixture. If dough is sticky, add flour to handle.

Roll ¼” thick on well-floured pastry cloth; cut with heart-shaped cutter. Bake on ungreased baking sheet in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Cool on racks. Makes about 100 cookies, depending on size of cutter.

 Cookie Frosting

½ c. butter                   5 egg whites, unbeaten

½ tsp. salt                    ½ c. light cream
12 c. confectioners’     2 tsp. vanilla
   sugar, sifted             Red food coloring

 Cream butter; add salt. Gradually add about 1 c. sugar, blending after each addition.

Add remaining sugar alternately with egg whites first, then cream, until of right consistency to spread. Beat smooth after each addition. Add vanilla and red food coloring to desired color. Frost each cookie; decorate with colored sugars or candies.

 Enjoy my cookies.