To me, this photo embodies good taffy-pulling. If you don't have extremely buttery hands or if you aren't pulling in the Z pattern, your enterprise is doomed.

'Without salt there is no savor';
Without vanilla there is no flavor!
The first is needed in salt-water taffy;
The latter added to homemade taffy.

Stretch it out...

...snip it off...

...wrap it up.

Finished product.

There is even an art to cutting the wrappers.

Now, Karen... I thought you wanted to learn how to pull taffy? If it was candy-canes you wanted to make, why ever didn't you say so? :-)

Perforated Taffy

The 2nd focus of the Evening

I'm trying to decide what our main objective really was that evening: pulling taffy so that we could take photos or taking photos to remember pulling taffy.

The photography session had to be started out properly by examining a master's work (a book of Karsh photographs in this case).

Dad, wipe that benevolent smile off your face! That's Fidel Castro you're looking at! ;-)

A creative photographer doesn't need a studio to get...

...beautiful portraits!

Typical Christian.

Faith was thrilled that I abandoned the camera. She must have taken around seventy-five photos - a blossoming photographer?

Listen, if you have only had salt-water taffy in your life and if that is what you have been comparing this to, stop! Pulled taffy is totally different and much better!

Divvying out the goodies. (How was your "thinking," Einwechters? - see bag ;-)

While doing a little research on taffy-pulling, I stumbled across this definition for a "taffy pull". Couldn't resist!

"A large group of self-absorbed people gathering for the purpose of patting themselves on the back, telling the world how great they are."

Somebody's sleepy.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

We had a wonderful time teaching you, Einwechters! Everybody else, if you want to learn the art, you can email me at taffypuller@candy.com to schedule your own taffy tutoring class.

So after much taffy-pulling and leg-pulling (yes, that is a fake email address ;-), I am signing off.

God Bless,

~Carmen~

Good Evening Everyone,

Yes, I'm posting this rather late in the day, which may be why I do not feel inclined to give any introduction (sorry, to those of you who like them :-).

I'm headed to bed. Have fun.

A Visit at the Raines!

Fortunately, Mrs. Raine was not "sick of cooking" and neither was "the kitchen closed" (see plate above stove - you may have to click on the photo to be able to read it). The lunch was delicious (thank you Mrs. Raine and Emma - Oh yes, and you too Mr. Raine!).


Hmm... I wonder which the Raines have more of: toys or books?

I bet the old cameras in Emma's collection never thought they would see the day when they would be curiosities sitting on a shelf and being photographed by their descendants.

But we make the descendants work harder (take more photos) than a film camera ever did.

If you thought Mr. Raine knew a lot... then you need to hear Mrs. Raine talk about caning chairs! :-)

Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett, maybe?


My brothers and the Raine boys - a deadly combination.


Prepare


Focus

Discharge!

(I'm tired of "Ready, Aim, Fire" so I decided to try some synonyms.)

Shot by the only enemy in sight - the photographer.

Resurrected and victorious!

(I get the feeling that they were glad to see me leaving.)

I'm still trying to decide why I am posting this picture. I know, it's bad blogging protocol to post photos for no reason, but... well... that is quite some chicken house isn't it?! (Conrad insists that I mention that it is frequented by foxes. I don't know whether the Raines will appreciate my making that public knowledge ;-) .

Time for a quilt "show and tell."

"I recognize that one!" - the classic line when looking at quilts made out of scraps.

Incredible! For once neither of them has anything to say!

Mr. Raine is always trying to broaden his horizons - he even stoops to learning about quilts. :-)

Mr. Raine doesn't remain quiet long. :-) We now move into one of his areas of expertise: Maple Syrup.

Any of this photo's faults are due to the fact that it was taken from at least a hundred yard's distance. Good shoes and a muddy yard are my excuses for not going with Emma to gather the sap.

A sympathizer to all photographic endeavors, Mr. Raine said, "I'll put the lid on really slow for you."

Trust me, it's good they strain the sap.

Last year's failure. ;-)

"What! you didn't like the maple syrup we gave you last year???"

We'll take more anyway. :-)

Our gift for taking the tour.

(Thank you, Raines, for the wonderful time!)

Valentine's Day

A time for hearts.

Definitely not a time for broken hearts. :-)

A time to bring out the china...

...and pour our favorite punch.

Caught red-handed!

I guess he forgot that we do this every year. ;-)

Chivalry

I've got one, two, three, four... ten valentines! I am so blessed!

The variant spelling of my name.