My Aunt Bonnie passed away yesterday in Arizona from Covid 19. There won't be a funeral right now so we won't get to sit around and tell our favorite Bonnie stories so I am going to tell you mine.
Bonnie is the oldest of my mother's siblings. She is married to Rick Phillips. She has two children, Missy and Kevin. Kevin and I are only months apart in age so we spent a lot of time together as children. Much of that time was at Bonnie's house which was almost directly behind my grandmother's house. I remember cutting through the backyards to get to Kevin and Missy's house so we could play together. Missy was older than me so she was doing her own thing by the time I was able to walk there by myself. I am pretty sure that Kevin would have liked to be doing anything else in the world but playing with me, but his parents made him do it.
I am sure my aunt had many talents that I am not aware of, but in my mind she is known for cooking and crafts, particularly painted ceramics. She tried to teach me how to paint ceramics. I did make a Christmas Tree with the light in the middle that lights up the little plastic ornaments. I was really proud of it, but let's be honest, it is hard to mess up painting something green. I still put it out at Christmas even though over half of the ornaments are broken. I do have several ornaments that she gave me as presents. Here is a picture of one.
She was always trying to make me into a crafter. I did successfully make a snowman out of a sock and some rice with her help, but the bugs eventually got it. I am pretty sure she knew I was a lost cause, but she kept trying.
Now let's talk about cooking. My aunt was a great cook. She wasn't afraid to try new recipes. I think most of her recipes came from women's magazines. She was especially good at cookies, desserts and party food. I believe she was the first one in our family to make Sour Cream Cookies. They are a cutout cookie that isn't as sweet as a sugar cookie and it kind of puffs up a little. She frosted hers with the most incredible frosting. She used to sell her cookies at Christmas. My Grandma Little would buy them so we got Aunt Bonnie cookies when we visited both sides of the family. I honestly don't know how many different kinds of cookies that there were. I know it was at least 15. When you went into her kitchen it was filled with baking supplies. She also introduced us to Cream Puff Cake. You make a Cream Puff dough and bake it in a 9x13 pan. The filling is Pudding, Cream Cheese, and Milk layered with Cool Whip and Chocolate Syrup. Yeah- it's amazing. .
Where Bonnie really was amazing was with parties. The woman could plan a party. She was the originator of the Bourbon Slush recipe. If you haven't had Bourbon Slush we need to talk. I was never old enough, but she had a game with horses and dice that you bet money while you drank Bourbon Slush. Those games got pretty rowdy. She and my Uncle Rick liked to play cards a lot and would often have people over or go to their house. She made some really good dips and other appetizers that could travel. When they moved to Massillon after Kevin was in college she joined a newcomers group. It didn't take long for her to be in charge of the group. (she was the oldest of 7 remember- she knew how to tell people to get things done). She had that group make a cookbook and we all got a copy.
Right now I can imagine that she is in the process of starting the New To Heaven group. Everyone has been told to bring their favorite appetizer. It is BYOB, but she will make some sort of really cool cocktail for everyone to try. She is telling St. Peter that he better get the joint cleaned up because there is card game Friday Night. And St. Francis- please do something with the garden around the pearly gate. It hasn't been updated in years. She tells him she may run over to Pat Catan's to make a decoration for the gate.
Goodbye Aunt Bonnie. Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
