tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post1824922398533560060..comments2024-03-28T10:36:04.929-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Cathy Ace's Welsh traditionsJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-37809900398228512632016-11-19T23:42:31.404-05:002016-11-19T23:42:31.404-05:00You are so right, Hank! Don't people know tha...You are so right, Hank! Don't people know that yellow means speed up!!Ingrid Thofthttp://www.ingridthoft.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64790261124019543312016-11-19T20:57:31.736-05:002016-11-19T20:57:31.736-05:00Oh, Ingrid. When I go home to Indiana, people sto...Oh, Ingrid. When I go home to Indiana, people stop for yellow lights. Really?<br /> It's all I can do not to yell: GO GO GO! That's the Boston influence. Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-7834059939058481512016-11-19T19:19:21.409-05:002016-11-19T19:19:21.409-05:00Hi Kathy - thanks for your kind words....i have be...Hi Kathy - thanks for your kind words....i have been accused of being responsible for things much worse than giving someone an interest in Wales ;-) So pleased you enjoyed meeting Althea Twyst and the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency, and thanks for putting The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer on your list - chuffed! It's hard for me to believe the third book will be out in the UK later this month - how time flies. By the way, if you like my accent that much, I can tell you I passed the audition to record the first two Cait Morgan Mysteries for Audible myself... so you can listen to me gab on for about twenty hours, should you so choose ;-) <br /><br />y the way - why are they called "transparent" pies? And boots (vs trunks) RULE in my home...but my husband is Welsh too, so I suppose they would! Cathy Acehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03209957178470434907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-41324174615768154632016-11-19T17:09:27.315-05:002016-11-19T17:09:27.315-05:00Cathy, you and Rhys are responsible for my fascina...Cathy, you and Rhys are responsible for my fascination with Wales. I love your posts on Wales and the Welsh language, and The Case of the Dotty Dowager was such a great read. I have The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer on my Christmas list of books I will buy myself. And, I went ahead and added the first Cait Morgan book to my Kindle a few minutes ago. Looks like I might be adding that series to my winter series catch-up list. <br /><br />I have several things on my wish list for the next Bouchercon. One of them is to have a sit-down with you and just listen to you talk. I corner Catriona McPherson whenever I can to hear her Scottish accent. Ah, to have a voice that everyone wants to hear. So glad you stopped by the Reds today, Cathy.<br /><br />Oh, traditions or parts of culture one brings to a new place. When I got married, I moved from one end of the state of Kentucky to the other, and even though it's the same state, there are differences. Something specific to my hometown area of Maysville, KY is the transparent pie or transparent puddings (little pies, not really puddings). Another food item is the country ham of my youth, as not all country hams are created equal. Sweet tea didn't make the cut; I've gotten used to unsweet tea. Using the work boot for trunk on a car is something I brought with me, too, but I probably use trunk more now, although I'm rather sentimental about "boot." Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-44344781226193966282016-11-19T14:08:06.492-05:002016-11-19T14:08:06.492-05:00Hi again folks....
Diana - WOW, what a memory, be...Hi again folks....<br /><br />Diana - WOW, what a memory, because I know you're assailed by dozens of authors during the Malice Go Round at Malice Domestic (but it's such fun!). Tintern Abbey is the correct spelling - it's close to the border near the River Severn....lovely place with a unique atmosphere. And the rain? Oh yes...we Welsh prove that people don't rust :-)<br /><br />Joan - mince pies are my favourite at Christmas...I'll be making about 100 of them mid-December, as gifts ;-)<br /><br />Carol - lovely to see you, as always, and what delightful traditions you are keeping alive :-)<br /><br />Deborah - the pronunciation for hiraeth is "he" then say the word "rye" then "th" end...he-rye-th<br /><br />Julia - I recognize that "I'm home" feeling...I get it when I drive across the Severn Bridge and see the Croeso (Welcome) sign :-)<br /><br />Ingrid - you'll know at least I'm not missing the rain of Wales living here, as I do, in the Pacific Northwest ;-)<br /><br /><br />Cathy Acehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03209957178470434907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24284104520119531672016-11-19T13:26:31.289-05:002016-11-19T13:26:31.289-05:00I've done the opposite of Edith and Hallie: I&...I've done the opposite of Edith and Hallie: I'm a New Englander transplanted to the west coast. In many ways, Seattle is similar to Boston. Both have the sea, great restaurants, tech, and terrific hospitals, but I definitely miss certain Boston things on a regular basis. I miss plump juicy fried clams, the stomachs not just the necks, which is all they serve in Seattle. Sounds gross, I know, but it's a delicious difference. I miss the aggressive driving, not because I like aggression, but because you can anticipate it. I'm never quite sure what the meandering WA state drivers are going to do, but I know exactly what the Boston drivers are up to! I miss the no bs attitude, and the willingness to dive in and do something, rather than debate endlessly. Don't get me wrong, I love Seattle, but I fear the populace will spend so much time debating our traffic/road issues that we'll slide into Puget Sound before we make any decisions. <br /><br />And I missed baked stuff shrimp, but luckily, my mum makes it for Christmas. Yum!Ingrid Thofthttp://www.ingridthoft.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55887626071280221092016-11-19T13:05:47.202-05:002016-11-19T13:05:47.202-05:00Sometimes I feel hiraeth for Upstate New York. It&...Sometimes I feel hiraeth for Upstate New York. It's not that Maine is so different, and at this point, I've lived here far longer than I ever lived in New York, but when I drive over the Berkshire Mountains and into NY, there's always a part of me inside singing, "I'm home!"<br /><br />It feels like American traditions are around events: 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Labor Day. I'll agree with Roberta/Lucy- our real traditions are "Nothing is impossible" and "I have the right to make my voice heard" and "It doesn't matter where you went to school or how much money you have; I'm just as good as you, bub."Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-21882788225543387632016-11-19T12:59:21.124-05:002016-11-19T12:59:21.124-05:00Hi Cathy! I know the hiraeth (can you pronounce fo...Hi Cathy! I know the hiraeth (can you pronounce for us?) so well, but for me, a Texan, it has always been about England. I just came home from a month in the UK and am already homesick for all the little odds and ends of English life. That said, I do miss Texas and my family roots and customs when I'm away.<br /><br />I lived at one time in Chester, a stone's throw from North Wales, but I don't know Wales as well as I'd like. I'm going to start your books right now!<br /><br />Oh, and they do first-footing in Scotland, too!<br /><br />As for my family's traditions, most of them seem to center around food:-) But there are others. Last night we had our first fire of the season in the fireplace, always much looked forward to. There will be all the usual family Thanksgiving stuff, and then the first weekend in December we put up our fresh Christmas tree.<br /><br />And yes to champagne on Christmas morning, Hallie! My daughter and started that one!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-11590488165724354222016-11-19T12:25:46.328-05:002016-11-19T12:25:46.328-05:00I always enjoy encountering both Cathy and Hallie ...I always enjoy encountering both Cathy and Hallie at the Surrey Conference. It was a great experience again this fall, wasn't it, ladies?<br /><br />My paternal grandparents brought various memories with them from Ireland and England, but few real traditions. Storytelling and family sing-a-longs are what I most associate with them.<br /><br />One tradition for my own household involves gathering in the kitchen to make Christmas fruit cakes on Remembrance Day afternoon. We dig out the Christmas music, and everyone must take a turn stirring the cake batter whether or not they're big fans of actually eating the finished product. Another tradition is setting up the creche at the start of Advent, and, later, unpacking family heirloom decorations during the tree decorating. Many are ornaments acquired from parents and grandparents and evoke lots of good memories of family gatherings at Christmas time. Carol Garvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02182655399708415140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-65429451405107429452016-11-19T12:20:35.178-05:002016-11-19T12:20:35.178-05:00Oh, Lucy, we have the Christmas stockings traditio...Oh, Lucy, we have the Christmas stockings tradition, too . . . and everyone gets a special ornament each year.<br /><br />As far as food is concerned, the turkey and trimmings, homemade cranberry relish, and the requisite pies [mince and pumpkin] fill the Thanksgiving table, but it's a rib roast and plum pudding for Christmas. <br />And always, always made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls [from my mom's recipe] for breakfast on Christmas morning . . . .<br />Joan Emersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06810313925049108163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-10978017552616042822016-11-19T12:11:54.171-05:002016-11-19T12:11:54.171-05:00Hi Cathy! Welcome to JRW.
We met briefly at Mali...Hi Cathy! Welcome to JRW.<br /><br />We met briefly at Malice when you talked to us about your books for a minute. You and other authors moved from table to table full of fans like me to talk about books. It was funny because you look like a friend's Mom, though as far as we know she is Not Welsh nor British. Perhaps some German?<br /><br />I visited Wales once and loved it! Coming from California, which was undergoing an awful drought that year, it was so wonderful to see rain! in Wales, I was studying abroad and our class travelled to Wales for the day. Yes, on a rainy day :-) We visited three castles and Titern ? Abbey. I am not sure how to spell Titern Abbey. We visited Chepstow, Raglan and Goodrich, which were close to the River Wye.<br /><br />When I came home, I mentioned how surprised I was that Wales had a lot of green land with trees. Someone mentioned a movie called "How Green Was My Valley".<br /><br />I added your books to my TBR list.<br /><br />DianaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-60068178268721377182016-11-19T11:28:41.566-05:002016-11-19T11:28:41.566-05:00Hello folks - lots of comments to reply to....
Ye...Hello folks - lots of comments to reply to....<br /><br />Yes, that chasing the bride about is a horrid idea, Joan, though true - eek! <br /><br />Hello again Edith - I never knew either of my grandfathers (one was a baker, one a coal miner, both dead before they were fifty) and my parents' memories of them were hazy too (my father's dad died when he was only five, my mum's when she was thirteen) and I often wonder what I might have learned from them.<br /><br />Welsh cakes, Hallie? I wrote a piece for Mystery Lovers Kitchen a while ago with a recipe and full prep and cooking instructions for these treats. Each Welsh woman has her own recipe - passed down through generations, so it might differ from the one Rhys uses, but you can find it here: http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/search/label/Welsh%20Cakes<br /><br />They're cooked on a griddle, but are more like a flat scone than a pancake.<br /><br />Lucy/Roberta - ah yes, the things we do to keep the peace and made everyone as happy as possible. My husband and I began a new tradition 15 years ago and we promised each other we'd stick to, just for us...champagne with Christmas Day breakfast - so not a tough one to want to follow ;-)<br /><br />Oh Kait - you poor thing...and watch out for those wriggly little ones!<br /><br />Maybe my friends are oddities, Rhys, but I'm pleased to say the traditions of naming people in that typically Welsh way still lives in many places, and within circles. So many people share common names, it's still critical. Musician friends of mine regularly refer to Gwyn the trombone vs Gwyn the fiddle, or Huw double bass vs Huw flute. It's how we all talk about people, and differentiate between them. <br /><br />Denise Ann - a favourite memory with my maternal grandmother is that she had one of the Flower Fairy illustrated books at her house that i was able to look at, then read, when I visited, so I, too, connect grandmothers and fairies :-)<br /><br />FChurch - such generosity of spirit must mean lots of leftovers - YUM!<br /><br />Hank - thanks for your kind words...they put your lovely blurb on the front cover of the book - I am so chuffed :-) (and, Brigadoon is in Scotland...though there are probably places like it in remote valleys in Wales too!).<br /><br />Hi Karen - oh, you were most welcome :-) Our garden needs just a bit more attention - our mild weather has lingered here on the wet West coast, but today we'll pull pots of tender plants under cover, though the hydrangeas are still in full leaf and, in some cases, the blooms haven't even shriveled yet, so they look weirdly lovely, for November. But then? Winter-time blanket fort and TBR pile - you;re right :-) <br /><br />I like the idea of elves under piles of rocks, Hallie - and hope to get to Iceland one day to check it out for myself. <br /><br />SueAnn - "the dirt stays with you" is a great phrase! Cathy Acehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03209957178470434907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-5095036171471747832016-11-19T11:09:15.381-05:002016-11-19T11:09:15.381-05:00What's fun is to see what new traditions you i...What's fun is to see what new traditions you inadvertently started. My daughter introduced new one last year with jelly donuts Christmas morning. I've been looking forward to a repeat all year. Squash soup to start Thanksgiving dinner is another new one. And I make potato pancakes at Chanukah though my mother did not cook and my grandmother was a dreadful cook. Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-36393461137665828092016-11-19T10:55:17.330-05:002016-11-19T10:55:17.330-05:00Hi Cathy- I understand your feeling of home sickn...Hi Cathy- I understand your feeling of home sickness...when I worked and lived in NYC for 3 years, I loved being there..but the minute the plane flew over "my land"(Ohio)..I felt like I was HOME.......the dirt, stays with you, no matter where you are....<br />My family is a mix of Scot and German.....my grandparents were the ones that began the passing down of traditions..so we are an eclectic mix of customs..and not all are so different...But I see, the lose of them, thru generations....many of my cousins did not pass anything along..doesn't take long...for things to be lost...SueAnnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61731208763433347672016-11-19T09:54:15.407-05:002016-11-19T09:54:15.407-05:00Fairies! What a nice memory, Denise Ann. When we w...Fairies! What a nice memory, Denise Ann. When we were in Iceland it was all about elves. Piles of rocks go undisturbed for centuries because an elf resides there.Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43308578341816914402016-11-19T09:46:53.281-05:002016-11-19T09:46:53.281-05:00Hello, Cathy, dear! It was so much fun seeing you ...Hello, Cathy, dear! It was so much fun seeing you in NOLA, and I am still grateful to you for keeping charge of that ridiculously heavy bag all night. Thank you again.<br /><br />I've gotten all hiraeth just reading your essay. Food. It's all about the tastes, and smells, and sights, isn't it? At our family Thanksgiving this week the touchstone food will be different for each family member: my brother will have half of a plateful of mashed potatoes, two of my daughters will eat pumpkin pie until they turn orange, and I will enjoy the sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. Heaven help me, my daughters all love Stovetop stuffing, which I detest even the idea of. This year each of them is making their own favorite, which should be fun.<br /><br />Your books are in the pile, awaiting a time when I can binge read them. Now that the gardening is just about finished for the year, I really look forward to curling up and heading to Cathy Ace World. Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18002794561817071780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-50077154171877948522016-11-19T09:42:25.453-05:002016-11-19T09:42:25.453-05:00Thanksgiving. Sigh. Thanksgiving. Sigh. Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-77210576784624653032016-11-19T09:42:03.464-05:002016-11-19T09:42:03.464-05:00Oh, Cathy, love your books! As you well know. An I...<br />Oh, Cathy, love your books! As you well know. An I'd love to go to Wales--it seems so magical. Is Brigadoon is Wales? (Only here could one ask such a question...)<br /><br />Love the idea of passing along something...in Indiana, where I grew up, we had better corn. SO funny to think of! But I worry my grandsons will not know our music..so I always play the Beatles when they're here. Yes, The Beatles are ours, right?<br /><br />Thansgiving traditions? We'll talk more about those next week!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-39312696570526686122016-11-19T09:33:39.685-05:002016-11-19T09:33:39.685-05:00Hi Cathy! Greatly enjoyed The Case of the Missing ...Hi Cathy! Greatly enjoyed The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer--now will have to look for more. I'm with Rhys--there's a time I miss--the place still exists, but it will never be the same without my grandparents' welcoming arms and smiles and all the family coming 'home' to visit. The traditions we keep at the holidays don't involve specific treats--or even cherished recipes--but there shall be plenty of food and a festive table and room for family and friends and the stranger who comes to the door, hat in hand.<br /><br />And Kait, what meanness of spirit....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-87600743105102784092016-11-19T09:29:01.672-05:002016-11-19T09:29:01.672-05:00Fairies. When I was a little girl, I would sit in...Fairies. When I was a little girl, I would sit in the yard and search beneath the blades of grass for fairies. The popularity of "fairy houses" has helped me to share this with my grand daughters, and we have had lots of fun creating our own.<br /><br />I visited Wales once -- just took the train to Cardiff. The daughter I was traveling with got sick with tonsillitis, so we got to visit the National Health clinic, but I did get some time drinking in the Welsh culture, language.<br /><br />Thanks for this post -- I'll be checking out these books.Denise Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790883493798517829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64271206859116156652016-11-19T09:21:51.750-05:002016-11-19T09:21:51.750-05:00Croeso, Cathy! Those Welshcakes look so good. I ma...Croeso, Cathy! Those Welshcakes look so good. I may have to bake some today. It's sad that so many traditions have gone. Some of the things I wrote about in the Constable Evans series don't happen any more-- the funny nicknames like Evans-the-Meat.<br /><br />I certainly know that Hiraeth but it's more for a time than a place. And I don't miss the rain!Rhysnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67260064272272622232016-11-19T09:01:51.595-05:002016-11-19T09:01:51.595-05:00Cathy, thank you so much for the pocket education ...Cathy, thank you so much for the pocket education on Wales. It sounds like a delightful country, I always knew it was rich in tradition. <br /><br />Part of my heritage was stolen from me by my first husband. I had two tiny Christmas ornaments that my grandparents had brought from Germany when they came. The ornaments, according to family tradition, were old when they arrived at the turn of the century. A gnome and a Santa, blown glass. My ex refused to return them. The tradition I can pass on is cookies. Lots and lots of Christmas cookies, and the tradition that the youngest in the house puts the topper on the tree.<br />Kait Carsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00563141052893906365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-17728164804491480462016-11-19T08:55:33.437-05:002016-11-19T08:55:33.437-05:00Oh Cathy, that is a lovely essay. I have to say I&...Oh Cathy, that is a lovely essay. I have to say I'm homesick for the feeling that the things I love about America and feel passionately about will be safe in our new world order...<br /><br />But more concretely, my mother did not love to cook, though we had tons of decorated sugar cookies at Christmas. But one of the traditions we still hew to even as adults is Christmas stockings. I suggested to our grown kids a couple years ago that we might want to dispense with this. A great cry arose and the tradition continues...<br /><br />Your series sounds delightful!Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-73280541545736088242016-11-19T07:23:40.711-05:002016-11-19T07:23:40.711-05:00Cathy, we're so happy to have you here! And yo...Cathy, we're so happy to have you here! And you're right, Thanksgiving is a time for traditions, whatever yours are. My mother always put out dishes of whole nuts (with nutcrackers) and figs and dates. I miss real good figs and dates which are so much easier to find in California. Here on the east coast they're likely to be shriveled an dried out. NOT a treeat unless you're looking to pull out a filing.<br /><br />Cathy, are Welshcakes akin to what we call pancakes (batter cooked in a sklllet) or what we can an English Muffin or maybe a scone? Going now to look up a recipe because they look delicious.Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25515674028366145352016-11-19T07:08:18.468-05:002016-11-19T07:08:18.468-05:00Welcome, Cathy. We've run into each other at c...Welcome, Cathy. We've run into each other at conferences but I haven't gotten to your books yet - will now remedy that ASAP! <br /><br />Like Hallie, I'm a Californian transplanted to the east coast, and it's hard to bring the big sunny skies, tall mountains, and gorgeous beaches with me. For me the "culture" I try to pass along to my children is family culture. Quirky ways my wonderful father did things, a grandfather my sons never got to meet. My mother's cookie recipes and beautiful quilts (and yes, turkey stuffing recipe). Stories of camping in the Sierras. That kind of thing. Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.com