 ~ MRS. SHARP'S TRADITIONS ~  NOTE: The entire text below is taken directly from the book Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions. I cannot take credit in any form for the ideas and creativity on this page unless so noted. The book is written by Sarah Ban Breathnach and is currently out of print. If you can find a copy (the softcover version is called Victorian Family Celebrations), definitely grab it and run…and DON’T lend it to a friend because you’ll probably never get it back! "June is busting out all over as summer finally arrives. The days are hot, the roses are in bloom, and we feast on strawberries and cream. School is over, summer camp begins, picnic baskets are packed, and life begins to revolve around the front porch and swimming pool as much as possible. At Mrs. Sharp’s we celebrate life with Father this month (Father’s Day), enjoy "A Strawberry Regale" and look forward to an old-fashioned Midsummer Night’s Eve and fairy revel." There can be little doubt that with the exception of Christmas, summer was the season Victorian families loved best. For children it conjured up visions of parades, picnics, and fireworks, romps in swimming holes, baseball games, catching June bugs, homemade ice cream, ice cold watermelon, and frosty glasses of lemonade. For their parents, the summer meant care-free family outings in the countryside, excursions to trolley parks, and perhaps most important of all, a chance to take part in a brand-new fad sweeping the country ~~ a fortnight’s holiday called the two-week summer vacation. Mrs. Sharp’s tradition to mark the annual "School’s Out/Summer’s In" rite of passage is an old-fashioned ice cream social. The last day of school the children invite their friends over for a fun-filled extravaganza of excess: do-it-yourself ice cream sodas and sundaes. What makes this afternoon party so unique is the blending of ages as family, friends, classmates, and special teachers we’ll miss mingle in a wonderful melange of informal frivolity. Saying good-bye ~ either for the summer or permanently ~ to schoolmates and teachers can be an emotional occasion even for young children. Make sure you have an address book available and on display in which to write down everyone’s address and telephone number. As a party activity and for take-home favors, give out autograph books or make them. Take Polaroid pictures at the party or send pictures to your guests (using the addresses you’ve gathered in your address book!) This month many families will answer the call of the wild as children are packed up and shipped off to a uniquely American institution: summer camp. For over a century, summer camp has meant a coming of age for children. Generations of hopeful parents have viewed this annual adventure as an investment in the intellectual, emotional, and creative growth of their offspring. But despite how enjoyable camp may be for some children, for others it can be a period of loneliness and anxiety, especially if they are first-comers. Confront the child head-on and assure your child that other children will feel homesick as well. But emphasize that homesickness comes and goes; keeping busy is the best remedy. Mrs. Sharp’s tradition for helping a child feel connected while apart is a steady stream of envelopes and packages at mail call. Begin by sending your first letter before your child leaves home so that it will be there to welcome him. Camp counselors admit there is no more poignant memory than the sight of young children walking away empty-handed at mail call. If you would like to receive mail from your camper, be sure to send him to camp with a stationery kit that will encourage keeping in touch and don’t forget the self-addressed stamped envelopes! Another camp custom children particularly look forward to is receiving camp "care packages" filled with books, puzzles, games, and other novelties. Plan on one care package per two-week stay, and try to have five to six different items per package. Try to pick up unusual gift items as you see them and put them away several months before your child goes off to camp. Perhaps wrap each gift in colored tissue paper, and include an extra gift for a special bunkmate. Each year about this time it occurs to Mrs. Sharp that it could not possibly have been a woman who thought to set aside the third Sunday in June to celebrate life with Father. That’s because Father’s Day comes so close to Mother’s Day that the memory often stings in comparison. Dear Reader, as you attempt to cleverly outdo yourself in making Father’s Day a happy memorable event in your home, please refrain from recalling the highlights of your own special day. What do Fathers want on Father’s Day? Acknowledgment of their efforts on behalf of their beloved family and recognition by the family of the father’s role. Mrs. Sharp’s tradition for helping children observe Father’s Day is an annual scrapbook of appreciation recounting all Dad did with, and for, the children during the preceding year. Did Father help someone with a school project? Read through the entire opus of Winnie-the-Pooh? Teach a child how to ride a bicycle, swing a bat, or tie a shoe? If he did, encourage the children to show their appreciation with a loving memory book containing photographs, funny captions, cartoons, and drawings commemorating their year together. Have each child write (or dictate) a letter to Dad thanking him for all he does and letting him know how much he is loved. "It is a wise father that knows his own child," Shakespeare reminds us. Mrs. Sharp reminds her dear readers that wise wives and happy children know father is very sentimental. This ancient festival celebrates the summer solstice, and while it is barely noticed in America, it is still celebrated in England and Europe. It is observed either on June 21, the longest day of the year, or June 24, the official Midsummer Day, which is also the feast of St. John the Baptist. If you would like to introduce this delightful summertime custom into your family’s repertoire of pastimes, begin by telling your children that legend says that on Midsummer Night, the fairy realm hold its annual revels and is visible to human eyes as Shakespeare reminds us in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And the fairies expect a party. Long ago, Mrs. Sharp discovered a secret, which she passed down to her children. Any human child who prepares a feast for the fairies on Midsummer Night will be well-rewarded. First some caveats: The fairies leave presents only for the child who is thoughtful and kind enough to provide the party for them. Help the children prepare small treats and decorations; their little hands can also keep busy setting up tables or picnics with doll dishes in the garden for the fairy feast. As for the gifts the fairies leave behind, they always arrive specially wrapped, such as in brightly colored ribbons and netting or in gold foil. Suggestions include: books of fairy tales, a crystal mineral piece, perhaps in its own special pouch, tiny crystal animals or a crystal necklace, small wooden animals or puzzles, dried flower wreath crowns with ribbon streamers, magic wands and capes, or unusual art supplies. During the Victorian era, a favorite summer amusement on warm June evenings was the community's annual strawberry fete or festival. For decorations, Victorian women used garden flowers and a profusion of vines. For instance, garlands of fines were recommended to run from the corners of the room to the chandelier, white curtains could be looped with vines and a potted strawberry plant in fruit or flower should be placed in the center of each table. As for the food, "strawberries in every style and form will furnish the refreshments for the occasion. At the Sharp house, we head out to a local berry-picking patch the day before the festival. Picking strawberries with children is one of the simplest amusements but always as much anticipated as the eating. We make sure we pack our sun hats, berry baskets, and a thermos of cold lemonade, then early one morning head out together before the sun is too hot. We fill our baskets to the brim so that there will be more than enough for strawberry shortcakes, muffins, homemade ice cream and preserves. MRS. SHARP’S SIMPLE SCRUMPTIOUS STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE This is a Victorian-inspired recipe for pound cake. The cake is moist, rich, and delicious. 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted three times ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups sweet butter (3 sticks) at room temperature 3 cups sugar 7 eggs at room temperature 8 ounces sour cream 2 tablespoons brandy 2 tablespoons vanilla 2 quarts of strawberries 1 quart whipped cream Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift the flour with baking soda and salt and set aside. Cream the butter at a medium speed with an electric mixer until it resembles whipped cream. Dribble sugar into the creamed butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add flour to this mixture ½ cup at a time and mix well. Add sour cream all together, beat well. Add brandy and vanilla. Grease and flour a large tube or angel-food pan. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 1 ½ hours. This cake will rise very high. Remove cake and let it cool thoroughly. In the meantime, clean and hull 2 quarts of strawberries. Place 2/3 of the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Slice the remaining strawberries in half. Prepare 1 quart of homemade whipped cream. When the pound cake is completely cooled, slice it into three layers. Ladle some of the strawberries and sugar mixture onto the first layer of cake. Top it with a layer of whipped cream. Add the second layer of cake and repeat. Finish the cake by decorating with whipped cream and garnish with whole strawberries. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
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