This year I determined I'd make divinity. But even though I've had good intentions, I haven't managed to propel myself into the kitchen long enough to whip up a batch of anything much. I've been too busy writing and editing.
Last week when I toted a suitcase full of packages to the post office, the man behind me in line looked at the small Priority boxes and remarked, "Ohhh...somebody's in for a treat. Looks like homemade candy."
I actually blushed. Remembering that I'm fortunate enough to have a writing partner who does her Martha thing every holiday season, and usually sends me a box of goodies, I smiled sweetly. "There's treats in these boxes, but they're full of books, not candy. Nowadays the candy comes to me, not from me."
"Books?" He scrunched up his face as if he smelled something unsavory indeed. "What kind of a present is that?" I continued to smile as I piled the books in front of the postal clerk. I didn't mention that the books, all from the new Not Your Mother's Book series, had been copy edited by me, and contained stories written by me...certainly a treat enough for my friends and family.
Yesterday I dashed into our local big box store to pick up some insulin for Natty, my late husband's mutt, also afflicted with diabetes, plus a few rawhide chews for both of the dogs. As I wheeled my cart through produce, grabbing a head of lettuce and some cherry tomatoes on the way, I noticed a stack of plastic boxes filled with divinity. Since I had a party to go to last night, I tossed one in my cart.
My hostess, another Martha type, accepted the gift. "We'll just transfer these to a pretty dish and put them on the buffet table."
A little later I overheard her telling another guest, "No...I didn't make the divinity. Terri made it." A woman who had accompanied me to the party, and who knew the truth, gasped, "Umhhh!"
I helped myself to a piece. Ahhhh....it was divine indeed, just like Grandma Gertie's.
When I lived in Belize I'd learned a proverb that I recall frequently. "If it's not so, it's nearly so."
I had made the trip to the store. I had made the decision to buy the candy. Now I made myself keep quiet so as to not embarrass my hostess by pointing out she'd told a little white lie about those little white candies.
The way I see it, I nearly made the divinity.
Here's a recipe that I've made in the past...and that's just like Grandma's:
http://southernfood.about.com/od/candyrecipes/r/blbb67.htm
It's divine.
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Hi Terri! I was just browsing through the Table of Contents in "NYMB...On Dogs" on Amazon, and saw your name. It sounded so familiar to me, so I Googled your name and found your blog. I must have read about you, or seen comments written by you....somewhere among the writers I know! Anyway, I wanted to say Hello and that I, too, have a story in the "Dogs" book. I can't wait to receive the print copies I ordered! And one more thing...my mother made divinity at Christmas time, and I always think of her when I see photos or recipes. Maybe I'll try to whip up some, too....or at least "nearly" make some! :)
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