Places of Significance: Duthie Park, Aberdeen

Whether with a picnic in hand, or to listen to music from the bandstand, or to participate in an egg-rolling contest at Easter, Duthie Park was a favorite spot for Ella and her family to visit. 

The park’s 44 acres, situated near the banks of the River Dee, boast fountains, statues, ponds, children’s play areas, and an indoor Winter Garden. When returning to visit in October 2014, we sure enjoyed leisurely walking, listening to Ella reminisce, and sampling ice cream from the park’s cafe. Next time we visit, let's pack a lunch and a toy boat!

Ralph and Ella near
an entrance to the park
1 Oct 2014

The bandstand on the expansive lawn
Image Source

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Sources:

• Video filmed on location, 1 Oct 2014
• Also this.

Places of Significance: City of Mesa Cemetery

Among the Italian cypress and orange citrus trees of the City of Mesa Cemetery, lay buried several members of our family - possibly the largest gathering of our family's graves. If you happen to visit sometime, here’s a PDF of the cemetery map, with locations of each family member noted below. 

Image Source

On Ralph’s side:
His mother and step-father

• Juanita Inglish (1906-1995) - Block 190, Lot 1, Grave 8 
• Lester Johnson (1891-1960) - Block 190, Lot 1, Grave 6

His maternal grandparents

• Earl Inglish (1873-1958) - Block 531, Lot 1, Grave 1
• Bertha Clarice Copeland (1882-1977) - Block 531, Lot 1, Grave 2 

His uncles (mother’s brothers)

• Alvin Inglish (1914-1943) - Block 531, Lot 1,  Grave 3

• Rayburn Earl Inglish (1911-2003) - Block 531, Lot 1, Grave 8

On Ella’s side:
Her father and mother

• George Findlay (1903-1970) - Block 549, Lot 4, Grave 8
• Ursula Katherine Bruce (1904-1990) - Block 549, Lot 4, Grave 7

Her sister and brother-in-law

• Charlesina Findlay (1928-2015) - Block 14, Lot 5, Grave 6c (companion grave)
• Frank Bond Slade (1924-1988) -  Block 14, Lot 5, Grave 6c (companion grave)

Recipe: Six Generations of Cornbread Stuffing

There are as many variations of Thanksgiving stuffing as there are variations of any type of side dish, with cornbread stuffing being just one style. However, I hadn't realized until this past Thanksgiving that cornbread stuffing has been a holiday staple in the family for at least six generations.

Ralph remembers his grandmother, Bertha Clarice Copeland (1882-1977), making it, as well as his own mother, Juanita Inglish (1906-1995). It naturally follows that Ralph would continue to make it for his own children, and thus it continues. Ralph describes how when his children were young, they would make a big batch, stuff the turkey with some, and bake the rest in a pan -- the stuffing that was in the turkey usually had a different flavor as it had more of the turkey juices. 

In my household (the fifth and sixth generations from Bertha), it ranks up there with pumpkin pie as a favorite dish of our Thanksgiving meal! We make extra, just to make sure we have leftovers!

There's no written recipe for Bertha's version, per se, but it traditionally includes crumbled cornbread, chopped celery, chopped boiled eggs, turkey giblets, juice from the cooked turkey, and spices. 

I generally need a recipe to follow, so this is the variation we've come up with:

KF's Cornbread Stuffing

• Bake cornbread (equivalent of 12 muffins or one pan); crumble and set aside in a bowl. 
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute 1 bunch of celery (chopped), 1 basket of mushrooms (about 8-10 oz, sliced; sausage or turkey giblets is also tasty), 1 yellow onion (diced), 1/4 c dried parsley, 1 Tbs dried sage, 1 Tbs dried rosemary, 1 Tbs dried thyme. Add to the crumbled cornbread in the bowl. 
• Mix in 1 cup dried cranberries (chopped even more finely) and 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth. 
• Put in an unbuttered casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Anyone else in the family have a variation on cornbread stuffing that they make? If so, please share! And bon appetit!

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Sources:

• From a phone conversation with Ralph, 27 Dec 2015. 
• From a conversation with BR, Dec 2015.