By Ivalien Reynolds

April has been a month of ups and downs with the weather, but I did manage to get my yard cleaned up. The azaleas are beautiful.

It was a wonderful day when my step-son, Michael Reynolds and his sister came up from Moorehead City, N.C. to visit me. They brought me some goodies and we had a good time talking and catching up. Wish we lived nearer to each other. I love and admire my step-son very much – always have!

So sorry to hear of the death of Mrs. Kitty Goard. My love and heartfelt sympathy to the family.

So good to get a call from Mrs. Alene Foley. She still makes those delicious fried apple pies and cakes.

“Miss” Claudine Wood is excited about the hummingbirds being here. She loves company – the more the merrier. I hear she has a birthday coming up in May.

I have missed seeing The Simmons Family for awhile, but got to see them at church on Sunday. It’s always a joy to see them and their families.

The gospel group “God Can” sang at the Patrick Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church the other Wednesday. Everyone sure did enjoy it. Hope they came again soon.

All the soup clients sure do enjoy the homemade bread that a lady makes for the soup kitchen. It’s better than a slice of cakes. Thank you!

Love and prayers to my cousin, Josie Spence. Please put her on your prayer list. I always enjoy my visits with her every Tuesday.

Remember comfort isn’t ours alone – it is to be shared with others.

Helpful Hint: Praline is a fine powder of crushed nuts and caramel used to flavor creams and fillings. Crushed roughly, it may be used as cake decorations.

Sweet Date Bread

14 oz. plain flour

pinch of salt

4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

5 oz. soft dark brown sugar

4 1/2 of seedless raisins

3 oz. walnuts

2 oz. margarine

14 oz. dates finely chopped

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Set oven on 375 degrees. Sift the flour, salt, soda into a large bowl, add sugar, raisins, walnuts. Add margarine to dates and pour on 8 fluid ounces boiling water. Add date mixture, eggs, vanilla to dry ingredients and mix well. Put in prepared pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Yield about 12 slices.