For your reading enjoyment, we continue to publish Rambling Vines by the late Marylea Vines as she re-calls events and names of Corning folks from many years ago. We are currently in the year 1992.

Received an interesting note from Rich Martin (we call him Richie) last week along with a newspaper clipping from the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News. Rich, the son of Fred Martin, grew up in our neighborhood and his note made mention of snowmobiles which provided so much fun for all of us on the three or four occasions that it snowed a few years back… however, it is not every Winter that provides enough snow for the snowmobiling in Arkansas. Rick is in the military and residing in Alaska with his wife Pam, and two children.

Back to the clipping… Snowfall for the month of December was 26 inches; Average for December is 14.9 inches and for the season to date (December 30), 56.7 inches of snow.

The map also indicates that there could be expected five hours and 37 minutes of daylight time, and that sunrise would be at 10:14 a.m. and would set at 3:52 p.m.

The five-day forecast for Anchorage indicated a chance of snow every day with low temperatures ranging from 10 to 25 degrees.

Enjoyed chatting, via telephone, with Mrs. Myrtle Roberts, East Walnut Street, the other evening after she gave me a recipe for homemade cough syrup. I had to laugh last Fall when I went over to her house to take a picture of a row of cotton being raised in her garden. Even though she was expecting me on the day, I still introduced myself when she answered the door because I wanted her not to be frightened by a stranger. Much to my surprise, she threw the door open and said, “I know who you are, get in here.” She continued, “I’ve known you all your life, I even knew your mama and daddy before they were ever married.” To me, Mrs. Roberts is one of many local persons with whom I have a speaking acquaintance but would like to get to know better.

It has been interesting just listening to customer comments as they walk into our new office for the first time… about like me and the first time I ever visited Union Station in St. Louis when I walked all around looking at the ceiling. Our front office is, apparently, bigger than most folks think it is going to be, and they can’t keep from commenting. Roman Selig said, “You finally got room to cuss a cat and don’t even have a cat.” Way back there when we went through a remodeling at the Second street location, a portion of the front wall was gone while a rock wall was being constructed and I could hear what “sidewalk superintendents” thought about what was going on. One day these two older women came strolling by, pausing to see as much as they could without being obvious, then I heard one remark to the other, “Huh, if he (Mr. Rockwell) had picked up as many big old rocks as I have, he sure wouldn’t be hauling them in.” … That’s the way it goes, win a few, lose a few. Jenny Hancock, Knobel, handed me this cookie recipe stating, “These are so easy to make that I thought you might want to try… they are delicious… my aunt gave me the recipe.”

Here it is: Magic Peanut Butter Middles. Cookie dough: One and one-half cups of flour, one-half cup cocoa, one-half teaspoon baking soda, one-half cup sugar, one-half cup oleo (or butter flavored shortening), one teaspoon vanilla, one egg. Filling: Three-fourths cup peanut butter, three-fourths cup powdered sugar. Mix well and shape into 30 one-inch balls. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa and soda. Mix. In large bowl beat both sugars, oleo and one-fourth cup peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beat well. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. For each cookie shape about one tablespoon dough around one peanut butter ball. Dip in sugar, place on cookie sheet and flatten with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake until set and slightly cracked (In my oven that is seven minutes at 350 degrees).

Had a couple calls Sunday morning about the “millions” of geese on the Ella Norman farm West of Corning. Sure enough, there were so many of them that it looked like there had been a big snow. The only problem was they were so far out in the muddy field that there was no way of getting close enough for a good picture, not even on foot. Thanks for the tip though, maybe next time we will get lucky.

We are supposed to have Winter this week according to the weatherman. They are talking about snow and really cold temperatures. All I have to say about that is we had better have a Winter of some kind or the mosquitoes are really going to carry us off this Summer. Here it is the middle of Winter and a few of them are still around. I like snow… I’m not a very good driver on it… slide off in ditches, up against trees and fences and all that sort of thing… but I still think it is beautiful and anytime there is snow on the ground I can come up with lots of excuses to go places.