I might entitle this from one grandmother to another. Here is Wendy – now Grandma to six, making short breads using HER grandmother’s cookie cutters. We got talking about how old these must be. We think they must be at least 70 years old.

Wendy has memories of her “Grandma” breaking open the baking things and making cookies. Grandma, Helen, and Grandpa, Walter, lived in tiny houses. Never opening one just renting. In their senior years they lived in the tiniest of apartments. I was always bewildered by what appeared to be their scant resources but Walter was a labourer and Helen didn’t work. They really must have relied upon their CPP and OAS to survive. Even their apartment was a rent-to-income subsidized housing.

Theirs was a simple life of church, picnics, ice cream on hot days and quiet existence. No cruises or big vacations. No fancy cars (they drove a Mini and not the BMW version).

Neither one of them had much education. Certainly nothing to provide them with skills to get good paying jobs. They managed with what they had and never expected more than what they had it would seem.

But she was a good grandmother to Wendy taking her along on shopping trips and picnics. She bought her fancy dresses and winter coats. She would refer to Wendy as the daughter she never had. When she was ready she had her will written to provide Wendy with the authority to deal with her wishes feeling that she could not trust her two sons to manage it well. I always thought that spoke volumes!

So when Wendy pulls these out once a year all these things remind me of the lady who held them all those years ago in her tiny kitchen.

And by the way… Wendy made these delicious butter tarts for me. She knows how much I love them!