Old Soul, Young Heart

Apple Pie Recipe from: Susan Scheffert Directions: Stir together: 3 lbs apples (peeled and sliced at ¼ an inch) ½ cup flour Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg  I used about ¾ teaspoon cinnamon and a good pinch of nutmeg Then add: 1 ¼ cups sugar 1 stick melted butter For crust, mix and roll out: 2 cups flour ½ cup oil ¼ cup water or milk 1 teaspoon salt Place apple mixture in a large glass dish and then lay crust over top Cut slits on top and sprinkle lightly with sugar Bake at 350° for 45 minutes This recipe is from my Grandma Scheffert--my dad's mom! Grandma lived upstairs at our house with us, which was a full apartment. We were very close to her, especially my brother. She cared for us when our parents were working (we never had a babysitter), dropped us off at and picked us up from school (we never rode a school bus), and took us on adventures during the summer. She loved reading and gardening and birds. She was a very active grandma and we were lucky to have her. I have lots of...

I just love that my Grandma Scheffert wrote journal entries for years. When I first moved up here I had intentions of reading them. At first I was a little reserved about doing it, because I was afraid it would be too personal and I felt as though I might be invading her privacy. But then I realized that if she didn't want someone to read them that she probably wouldn't have written them in the first place, so I decided that she'd probably be okay with it. Some of what I've read already is so fascinating. I've learned a lot about her through her entries. Sometimes I've found myself laughing out loud at some of the things she's written. So tonight I decided to bust out her journal from 1984 because tomorrow we're having my birthday celebration at work and there are three questions we get asked on our birthday. Well, four, I guess: 1) How old are you turning? 2) What's the story of your birth? 3) What was the best thing that happened in the past ye...