Day before yesterday I took a moment to chat on Facebook with my niece, Lacy , about her life and new baby. While we were chatting I had a message pop up from an old high school friend, Rachel Wooldrige (can't remember her married last name) and we ended up chatting for a bit... catching up on our lives since high school. It was just like talking to the Rachel I knew back in 1978. I told her that I have actually mention her numerous times throughout the years and that I always tell everyone how I made her wedding cake the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. Mama took a cake decorating class when I was 11 or 12 and of course, I had to learn it all too. I used to love to decorate cakes and was so excited back in the day when Rachel asked me to make her 3 tiered wedding cake. I enlisted the help of my beloved Home Economics teacher, Connie Barksdale and I'm pretty sure we did the decorating in the Home Ec building at East Limestone even though school was out for the summer. I remember how excited I was and how I felt it was a great accomplishment to have created such a beautiful cake. I was scared to death when it was time for Rachels family to transport the cake from the Home Ec building to the site of the wedding. In the heat of the summer you have to get the air conditioning really cold in your vehicle in order to transport a big cake to keep it from melting and looking droopy. I'll never forget how proud I felt at the wedding reception when Rachel told her guest I had made the cake. In reality I probably couldn't have done such a cake without Ms. Barksdale and her knowledge.
Throughout the years when having discussions with various people in the crafting world I have always proudly told about my accomplishment of making Rachel's big wedding cake. I continued to decorate cakes and always made my step-daughter's birthday cakes. At some point in time I realized it exhausted me to do this and made a huge mess in the kitchen. Also, WalMart and now Publix makes beautiful cakes that are quite tasty. I don't think I've ever made Enola or Jordan's birthday cakes because it was so much easier to order them. When my Antebellum home burned in Dec. '05 that was the end of any thoughts or desires to decorate cakes. All my supplies and books burned and I've never had the desire to go out and buy new supplies.
It's was such a great thing to go to school with the same kids from 1st to 12th grade. We all pretty much knew everyone in school, knew the names of the younger and older siblings, knew who was related and knew where most everyone lived. I don't think students form as close of a bond as we did back in the 70's and early 80's because the schools are split up.
I plan on getting together with Rachel in the very near future and I know for a fact that the 33 years since our last real time together will seem to not even exist.
I feel that it is only in the South where students form such close bonds and can go for years without seeing or talking to each other and instantly reconnect as adults as if the years in between don't exist.
If you have a story or comment I would love for you to share it with me!!
Nanette
The Crow's Nest
P.S. Rachel and I both had to get offline to go and hang out the laundry lol!! Read my post from this past Wednesday about hanging out laundry growing up!! I hated it!! lol
Hey Rachel, Ive heard about your wedding cake many times, I bet it was splendid! Another great post, girlfriend!!!
ReplyDeleteKeep writing Nanette, thanks for reminding us of the good ole days.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike. I believe the older we get the more we focus on the good times from our younger days. Twenty years ago if asked about my childhood I would have started spouting off a mouth full of crap about my parents and blah, blah, blah. I have truly discovered that the good memories are what stick with us! Love to you, spider monkey and the kids!!
ReplyDeleteThe wedding cake was always the ultimate cake to prepare and decorate in my book!! I was so proud of it, and apparently still am today!!
ReplyDeleteThe wedding cake was amazing! Not only was it a work of art to look at, it tasted even better than it looked (if that is even possible). Nanette and I were always close in school, and we "talked" the other day it was just like old times. Yes we both had to leave and go hang our clothes out to dry, I thought I was the only one on earth taht still did thath.... love ya girl!!!
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