Wednesday, October 28, 2015


Dear Miss Blue,

The nature of hosting a weekend guest can be tenuous in many ways and for many reasons. As children at a birthday party for one of our friends we were always served ice cream, cake and candy. and sometimes popcorn balls.  But never never got sick.  I do wonder, Miss Blue, what Mr McSweeney had eaten before the Saturday evening cheese tray was brought out. Or just maybe, the smell of Limburger cheese was too much for Mr. McSweeney and caused him to slip under the table - certainly a frightening moment for everyone. Thank goodness for the bedroom to recuperate.
Which brings to mind, Miss Blue, the smell of tobacco.The wealthy have always loved the CornCob pipe, the most expensive, of course, with little pouches of tobacco -some intense and some mild - so I am sure Mr. McSweeney was with pipe and tobacco, propped up on two or three fluffy pillows and enjoying all the care the private nurse is giving him.  
Porcelain china is expensive and doesn't break easily.

Love, Pearl 

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Dear Pearl,

The weekend was almost a complete success.  But Mr. McSweeney was taken ill just before the cheese tray came out on Saturday evening.  Everyone watched in horror as our distinguished guest and Melba's old tutor - slipped under the table, pulling most
of the china down upon him.  We have whisked him away and tucked him into the bedroom you used to sleep in and a private nurse coddles him day and night.  I'm concerned that he is smoking some sort of tobacco product in there but Melba says I should not interfere.  He is, after all, wealthy! Melba just lives for money I'm afraid.

As for the blue skies of October and the gray geese?  Yes, by all means!  Carry on!

I Remain Your Devoted Miss Blue


Dear Miss Blue,

I have always wanted to be in business for myself, with good honest workers to help me by responding to whatever tasks that needed to be done so when Fanny and her friends heard that I needed help in delivering my wonderful chutney they asked for the job! I am just delighted to have the little girls deliver my chutney, Miss Blue, in addition to the tasty chutney in its little glass jars, Rye Crisp crackers with the chutney does bring out the best of both the crackers and the chutney. Pear's Pear Paradise alliteration is, in itself, a great selling point. Thank you for your inspiration, Miss Blue. You have always been so creative with words. I remember, years ago, when you recited the tongue twister "Three gray geese on three green ridges; gray were the geese and green were the ridges" We always clapped and begged you to say it again.

Chutney season is almost over, Miss Blue and I will be soon making my Mosaic Fruitcake; the delicious ingredients - pistachios and dates and candied cherries and pineapple and the secret ingredient 1/4 cup of light rum. Of course, the usual cake ingredients, flour, eggs, sugar eggs and baked for one and a half hours. And when done and while still hot add the Glaze which has been made in a little pot on top of the stove .
Well, my dear Miss Blue, it is true that making food that everyone loves is a blessing and a joy for me. Sending October bright blue skies and waiting for November to make my Mosaic Fruitcake for Christmas.

From Your Loving Pearl

Friday, October 16, 2015


Dear Pearl,
What a good idea you had, Dear, to let Fanny's friends deliver your chutney around the neighborhood!  (Except that Melinda couldn't resist spreading it on the Rye Crisp crackers that her Norwegian grandmother insists she carry about with her!)  Everyone loves it!  I say, have you ever considered starting some kind of commerce and industry around your dear little concoction?  You could call it Pear's Pear Paradise - chutney for this world and the next! It would be so much fun to be businesswomen, wouldn't it?  Think of the outfits we could wear!  And Mrs Highbottom still has that extra kitchen she could be persuaded to make available for us.  Since Mr Highbottom passed away, she doesn't need to keep kosher anymore.  Oh, do consider it, won't you dear friend?
I Remain As Always, 
Your Devoted Miss Blue

Thursday, October 8, 2015



Dear Miss Blue,
How ungracious of Melba and her friend Martha to leave you to look after Martha's two little girls, Penny and Daphne!  The moon always has a mysterious effect on the planet and being in a strange house with no familiar playthings not even a canary singing in his cage to delight them with songs only a canary can sing, warbling and jumping around the cage from the little swing bird cages always have (birds warble best when they are sitting on the swing),I can understand how disoriented they must have been.
Horehound drops have always been a favorite candy of mine, Miss Blue. Why, on my way to the John Monteith Library, six or seven blocks from home, I would always stop at the drugstore on the corner to buy a small bag of horehound drops, a few pennies worth, and there in the Children's Room, after finding a book to read, sitting by a lovely fireplace I would open up the bag of horehound drops being careful not to let the librarians see me eating candy (which was not allowed in the library).
Chutney Season is here and so are the Bartlett Pears - of all the fruits, the most elegant in taste and shape and so delicious.  Pear Apricot Chutney is the only chutney I have ever made.  Have you made chutney of any kind, Miss Blue?  Let me know if you have for I would surely like to try another recipe.
Oh my!  I forgot to tell you about the Pear Tree I have planted in my garden.  Yes, Miss Blue, it is rather small, as all fruit trees are, but it will grow and the pears will be tasty when they are ripe.  A fine pear to take to school .  
All my love, Pearl - hoping to hear from you soon!

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Dear Pearl,

We've had the most exhausting week!  Melba's friend Martha Blueblood stayed with us over the Harvest Moon Festival and brought her two dear little girls - Penny and Daphne - with her.  Whether it was the effect of the giant super moon on their larval brains, or just being in a strange house with an absent mother (Martha and Melba disappeared at the very moment of the lunar eclipse and didn't return until after The Blessing of The Animals a week later!!), the girls were very very poorly behaved.  They refused to eat anything with nutritional value and, after days of allowing only horehound drops past their lips, succumbed to a most explosive sort of flu like illness that ran their poor housemaid absolutely ragged. We had to send Fanny to stay with Mrs Highbottom until the messiest part of it was over. I've told Melba just how I feel about all this and she is cross at me again.  Oh dear, Pearl, it's not at all like the days when we were neighbors . . . Do take care, won't you?  Say, isn't it chutney season?

Your Devoted Miss Blue