Tag Archives: Apple Blackberry Pie

Day 184: Bob

7 Oct

My husband and I have known Bob for a long time. He has been in charge of the weekly “Keyway” for our Rotary club for many years. Bob does a great job with this project and puts a lot of time into making sure it is perfect.

Recently Bob had trouble with his computer and he has been speaking with my husband about how to fix things. I share his frustration with the technical world. I told him that sometimes I can sit at the computer for an hour trying to figure out something and then I mention the “problem” to my son or daughter and they come over and push one key and “fix” it. Bob understood exactly what I was talking about.

Bob has a nickname and it is “Dirigo”. Someone told me that he thought it was a reference to Shakespeare. When I asked Bob about it he told me that Dirigo was the motto of the state of Maine. It is latin and it translates as “I lead” (or direct, or guide).

It makes perfect sense that Bob has taken this nickname. He is as steady as a rock, as dependable as the sunrise. There are few of his caliber, steadfastness, and modesty. And you should know that Bob would balk at these accolades.

This afternoon I made Bob an Apple Blackberry pie. Once the pie was baked, I called Bob to see if he was at home. When he answered the phone, I told him who I was and asked if I could stop by. He said, “Okay” and hung up. There is something about those Maine folks; they don’t mince words.

When I arrived at Bob’s house, he asked me how he could help me. When I told him that I had made him a pie his face changed. He certainly was not expecting this visit, or this pie, and he told me several times how wonderful I was. I think that it was wonderful to surprise Bob with a pie. He definitely deserves it and I am thrilled to have been the one to bring it to him.

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Day 166: An Apple Blackberry Pie for Dr. Petey

19 Sep

Today is day 166 in my pie baking journey and that means (drumroll!) that there are less than 200 pies to go until the end of the year (which began in April). It just is amazing to me how many pies I’ve made thus far and how quickly the time has passed. The lesson I take from this is that time passes quickly regardless, so we should make the very most of it.

For today’s pie I went into my backyard and picked some apples. The apples are delicious, but quite small and after peeling and slicing about ten of them I decided I would finish this pie with blackberries that I picked on Saturday. Then I combined the fruit with a sauce made with butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon and apple juice. Here are a few pictures of that process.

Roux for pie filling

Sauce for pie filling

Fruit mixed with Sauce

You may recall that a week or so ago I asked for suggestions for pie recipients. Here is what one woman wrote about her nominee: “I would like to nominate …. Dr. Petey Laohaburanakit because he and his staff saved my life. He works as an Intensivist at Rogue Valley Medical Center’s (RVMC) intensive care unit. He and his staff do an amazing job… and the nurses I dealt with in ICU were some of the very best.” How’s that for a glowing recommendation?

This morning I called RVMC to make sure that Dr. Petey was on duty. The nurse who answered my call listened as I explained why I was coming to see Dr. Petey. She seemed happy as she told me that Dr. Petey would be at the hospital for most of the day if I wanted to deliver a pie to him.

When I arrived, I explained my mission to the volunteer at the ICU desk. After a bit of searching, she was able to track down Dr. Petey. Unfortunately, he was in a meeting that was not expected to end for half an hour. And as much as I wanted to wait, I could not, and so instead I wrote a note to Dr. Petey explaining who had recommended him and why. One of the ICU nurses came and picked up the pie and promised that Dr. Petey would get it… and I have not doubt that he did. And while I am sorry that I missed meeting him, I am truly honored to thank him for saving lives everyday.

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Day 149: Wendy

2 Sep

This morning I received an email from Wendy, a friend who lives in my neighborhood. She and I go to the same church and, at least for a while, we both had dogs. Her email stated that recently while out for a walk with her dog she tripped over an uneven sidewalk and suffered a broken a rib and she also broke a bone in her finger!

Tomorrow it will have been eight weeks since I broke a rib and I can tell you that it still hurts. My whole summer was affected by this seemingly small event and it is certain that Wendy will be uncomfortable (to say the least) for the next two months. Knowing this, I baked an Apple Blackberry Double Crust pie in the hopes that it would bring a smile to her face.


Wendy’s Pie looked just like this – right down to the sprinkling of sugar on top!

As I was preparing today’s pie I remembered that last year on Mother’s Day I was alone. My husband was away working, and both of my children were in Europe. Needless to say, I had no plans for the day. After church, Wendy came up to me and asked if I would like to come to her house for dinner. Her son, Walker, was going to cook and she would be delighted if I joined them. It was really nice to be included and I gladly accepted the invitation. As I recall, we all shared a very pleasant evening.

To me, that’s what friendship is all about: friends are there for one another. What that means may change from time to time, but there is a willingness to help one another in whatever way we can. It can be an offer to share a dinner or the simple gift of a pie. These gestures let us know that we are not alone; they remind us that we are loved. And that is so very important.

Wherever a man turns he can find someone who needs him. ~Albert Schweitzer

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