Sisterhoods and Baked Goods

My-Mother-The-Dowager-Duchess grew up in a family of nine, which included her parents along with six girls and one boy. Time passes, sometimes sadly, and the brother and two of the sisters are now gone. But the remaining sisterhood is still strong.

THE SISTERHOOD (AND THEIR MOTHER) IN THE 1940s.

Monday, I drove my mother to visit her sister Matilda who now lives in New Jersey. Usually, Matilda insists on serving lunch, but this time the plan was that we would go out. Matilda tripped and broke her arm about six months ago. She's tough and determined and, although I'm sure it was difficult, she managed well. She finally got the cast off and was soon in an accident and broke the other arm. The right arm still needs time to fully heel; the left arm is in a splint. One would think that would slow her down, but it hasn't. When we arrived at Aunt Matilda's apartment Monday afternoon, she had a beautiful blueberry cake and a huge bag of chocolate chip mondel brodt (Jewish biscotti) packed up on the dining room table for us to take home. She had baked the day before just for us.

AUNT MATILDA'S MONDEL BRODT.  I FINISHED IT ALL BEFORE I LEFT NEW YORK.

AUNT MATILDA'S BLUEBERRY CAKE.  PERFECTION!
I TRIED TO FINISH IT BEFORE I LEFT NEW YORK.

I asked Matilda how she managed and she said she had a plastic glove that fits perfectly over the splinted left arm. She said she used the side of her arm, encased in the glove, to pound the dough. Unbelievable. (And I don't think that's why she was given that glove.)

AUNT MATILDA AND THE DOWAGER DUCHESS LAST WEEK... 

... AND A FEW YEARS BACK.

The oldest living sister, my Aunt Sylvie (89), has had dementia for a number of years. She has an amazing care-giver who lives with her and takes such good care of her that her physical health remains exceptional, so exceptional in fact that her doctor has told the care-giver she needs to tend to him when the time comes. We're grateful she is so lovingly and expertly watched over. She used to travel to California with my mother every year to spend a couple of weeks with us. We miss those times. Now, my mother visits her with their "kid sister." Tuesday, after my mother returned from Trader Joe's, I took her to visit Aunt Sylvie. We arrived later than hoped, but were fortunate to bump into the "kid sister" just as she was leaving.

AUNT SYLVIE.  LOVED AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF.

When Aunt Sylvie was still pretty sharp and she and The Duchess visited us in Santa Barbara, she was admiring all the family photos we had hanging on our walls. She came upon a photo of The Kid Brother and me (from 1961) and said, "Who's that?" The Duchess responded, "That's Mitchell and Chucky." Sylvie said, pointing at my face in the photo, "I know that's Chucky, but who's the other one?" The Duchess said, "No. That's Mitchell. Chucky is in front of him." Sylvie looked at me, looked at the photo, looked again at me, and said, "I don't remember you being so cute." She paused, appearing to consider what she had just said. Then she clarified, "Chucky was always better looking than you... Still is."

I'M THE FUNNY LOOKING ONE IN BACK.