Car trips with kids often bring to mind tortuous memories of back seat fights, urgent potty stops and whines of “I’m hungry” and “are we there yet?”

The late, great humorist Erma Bombeck said the only way to travel with kids is tranquilized. I think she meant herself — not the kids!

Oh, but when it comes to grandkids — it’s altogether different. Traveling with grandkids is sort of like waking up Christmas morning to discover that you are a kid again and experiencing the joys of childhood all over.

Although I was a forerunner of traveling with grandkids within my circle of friends because I was an “early” grandma, I am not alone in the opinion that traveling with grandkids is a true delight. I have old friends and new friends who love traveling with their grandkids. Plus, stories appear all the time in AARP Magazine and other senior publications about the joys of traveling with grandkids.

It creates a special bond between the generations that holds you together always.  It makes memories that can never be forgotten and photographs to fill volumes of scrapbooks.

Lake Highlands residents Bill and Becky Riggins love spending time with their grandkids.

“Traveling with our grandchildren enables us to experience things with a fresh outlook. Riding to the top of Pikes Peak and hearing all the ‘oohs and aahs’ from the backseat made it much more impressive. Hearing ‘hey Mum, look at that — wow!’ makes my heart warm! I love their young minds!” Becky Riggins said.

Vickery Place residents Candy and Richard Hearne also treasure time with the grandkids. Always on the go, Candy often takes trips with the kids. She believes that due to the advent of all the electronic devices — Kindle, iPad, cell phone games — traveling with grandchildren is in many ways much easier than traveling with our own children was.

 “However, it's not as enjoyable due to the lack of interaction! It's a trade off... oh my!” Candy said.

Candy also reminds us that when a road trip will not fit the schedule, enjoy a “staycation.” Dallas is full of adventures and great learning experiences that the generations can enjoy together.

Grandparents frequently turn to travel to share a particular interest with their grandchildren. For instance, history buffs may choose a trip that brings the past to life.

I once took my grandson on Route 66 and we stayed only in hotels that were listed on the National Historical Registry like the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Ariz. 

Those interested in family heritage may choose to show their homeland to the grandkids.

Outdoors lovers may go camping, white water rafting or visit National Parks. I am hardly an outdoorsman, but I did take fly fishing lessons at the Landry Center and rented a rustic cabin on the Rio Ruidosa in New Mexico so my grandson and I could fly fish.

Seniors often have time to take leisurely road trips to “off the beaten path” destinations— a luxury not always afforded to busy parents.

The trips do not have to be expensive or of long distance. I found that limiting travel in the car to no more than three hours a day worked out well when my grandchildren were very young.

 There are many nearby places of interest that can be a great adventure and a great learning experience. 

 Although I had the pleasure of taking my granddaughter to her first Broadway play in New York, she also saw her first opera with me at a children’s playhouse during a road trip to Eureka Springs, Ark.

The former travel agent in me says, Plan ahead."

 Do your homework by visiting websites and making phone calls. Ask friends who have traveled to a particular destination what they might share to make your trip more fun.

At parks like Sea World in San Antonio, always check out the “behind the scenes” programs. My grandkids and I enjoyed a one-on-one encounter with the penguins, but I booked it in advance.

At Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, besides exploring the cave and watching the phenomenal bat flight, kids can earn a junior ranger certificate.

I signed up for that in advance, too.

With the help of the Internet, it is easier now to plan a trip than it ever was before. You can Google what you are looking for, check ticket prices, and even view the menu at many popular restaurants.

School is nearly out; summer is on its way. Start planning now and make your own special memories with your grandkids.

If you follow the Book Trotters on BubbleLife, you know that the book club just read Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird.” 

For the monthly meeting of the book club, members often prepare dishes enjoyed by the book’s characters to share with each other over discussion. Re-reading the novel sparked my interest in the famous Lane cake.

In “To Kill A Mockingbird,” the Finches’ neighbor, Miss Maudie Atkinson, brought over a Lane cake to welcome Aunt Alexandra when she came for a visit. Miss Maudie was well known around Maycomb for her Lane cakes.

Scout Finch’s take on the cake was, “Miss Maudie baked a Lane cake so loaded with shinny it made me tight.”

Shinny derived from Moonshine, is slang for liquor.

The Lane cake is a traditional Southern cake that originated in Clayton, Alabama. According to food scholar Neil Ravenna, the inventor was Clayton’s Emma Rylander Lane, who won first prize with her creation at the county fair in Columbus, Georgia.^[ She called the cake Prize Cake when she self-published a cookbook. Later, a friend encouraged her to change the cake’s name and give it her own.

The original prize-winning recipe had the reputation as a difficult cake to make.  It was so difficult and labor intensive that throughout the South, the cake was synonymous with the celebration of a noteworthy life event. Reserved for special occasions,  many Southerners remember the cake at birthdays, anniversaries and wedding showers.

Borrowing from the “Cake Doctor” and her technique of starting with a cake mix and doctoring it to perfection, I decided to try my hand at a “copycat adaptation” of the Lane cake. A “copycat adaptation” is what my friend Kathy and I call something when we think we can produce a similar result with a lot less work and trouble!

Today, there are many versions of the Lane Cake recipe, but pecans, coconut, raisins and bourbon remain the main ingredients

I bought a good quality yellow cake mix. (You could use white.) Most people agree — though I am sure there are purists who would not — that the major baking companies like Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines and Pillsbury produce some moist, flavorful cakes.

Frosting is a different story. The canned frostings often have an artificial flavor. However, I have found a frosting mix at Central Market that is awesome. The brand is Homestead Baking Company. The mix is more expensive and you must add your own butter and milk, but the results are well worth it.

I prepared the cake mix according to the package directions, reducing the water by three teaspoons and adding one teaspoon of Mexican Vanilla extract, one teaspoon of brandy extract and one teaspoon of Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract. 

I learned this trick in a cake decorating class many years ago. Reduce the liquid and choose a combination of any three flavorings that complement your cake flavor. It makes the cake taste richer.

Mexican Vanilla was difficult to come by for a while, unless you picked up a bottle while vacationing in Mexico. However, our Henderson Avenue neighbor, La Mariposa, is now carrying the real thing — San Luis Rey Vanilla, imported from Mexico.

When the cake was completely cooled, using a serrated knife (a bread knife), I sliced the two layers into four layers. 

To prepare the frosting, additions to the packaged frosting mix include two sticks of softened butter and four tablespoons of milk. I substituted the milk with two tablespoons of bourbon and two tablespoons of half and half. Otherwise, I prepared the frosting according to the package directions, then I folded in 2/3 cup sweetened, flaked coconut, lightly toasted, 2/3 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted, and ½ cup raisins.

The frosting was just the right consistency for spreading, but had it been a little thick, I think an additional splash of Jim Beam would have done the trick.

I spread the frosting between the layers and on top of the cake — naked cake style —which is currently my favorite way to decorate a cake.

Now for the taste test! I invited my dear friend Jean Hollon Shackelford over for a piece of cake. Originally from Montgomery Alabama, she has memories of her mother’s Lane cakes and of her family sitting around the kitchen table shelling pecans and grating fresh coconut. Remember — labor intensive.

“We always had a Lane cake at Christmas,” she recalled. “When I brought Bob home [referring to her future husband Bob Shackelford] for my family to meet, we had a Lane cake.”

Sitting on my porch swing and enjoying a piece of cake, my friend said it brought back memories of her mother’s cake.

New York Chefs Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock, founders of Preservation of Southern Food were dedicated to keeping Southern food honest. One way they did that was by revitalizing old recipes. 

My mock Lane cake is probably not what they had in mind, and it may fall short of “honest.” However, it is a modernized recipe that tastes similar to the real thing. 

It won’t be entered in any county fairs, but I would make it again. Perhaps I’ll make it for Mother’s Day and I will refer to it as a “labor of love.” I would not be fudging on that. 

Still convinced that you want to make the “real cake?” Following is the recipe that Jean’s mother, Fred Hollon used in her Alabama kitchen.

 Ingredients

6 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened, plus more for pans

3 ½ cups cake flour , plus more for pans

1 Tbsp. homemade baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup milk , room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

8 egg whites , room temperature

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

8 egg yolks

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup finely chopped raisins

1 ¼ cups freshly grated coconut

¼ cup bourbon or Tennessee whiskey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

To make cake: Preheat oven to 325°. Line the bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper; grease and flour parchment paper and sides of pans.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a glass measuring cup, combine milk and vanilla. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk-vanilla mixture. Mix until combined, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

Transfer batter to large bowl; wash and completely dry mixing bowl and beater attachments. In clean bowl of electric mixer, beat egg whites just until they form soft peaks. Stir one-third of the beaten whites into the batter to lighten; then, in two parts, gently fold in remaining egg whites.

Scrape batter into prepared pans; gently tap pans on counter to remove air pockets. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until cake springs back in center when lightly touched. Place pans on racks to cool 5 minutes; invert cake layers onto racks to cool completely (do not remove parchment paper).

To make filling: In a large nonreactive saucepan, melt butter over low heat; set aside to cool. Whisk in sugar and egg yolks until well blended. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula while also scraping bottom of pan, until mixture reaches 170° to 180° when measured with an instant-read thermometer and thickly coats back of spatula, about 10 minutes (make sure mixture does not simmer). Remove from heat and stir in pecans, raisins, coconut, bourbon, and vanilla. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until thickened and chilled.

To assemble the cake: Peel parchment off cake layers. Invert 1 layer onto a large cake plate. Top with about 1 cup filling, spreading filling to the edges of cake. Top with second cake layer and spread that layer with 1 cup filling. Repeat with final cake layer and remaining filling. Cool completely before serving.

What better way to welcome spring and countdown to summer than with an afternoon picnic and classic lawn games?

Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) celebrated “Casual Sunday” after morning worship this past Sunday.  Members and guests were encouraged to dress for a picnic and bring family and friends for a day of outdoor activity.

Fried chicken (of course— it was Sunday) and all the trimmings that make a picnic special like baked beans, old-fashioned pea salad, deviled eggs  and cole slaw were among the spread of food that was followed by banana pudding, chocolate cake and other tempting desserts.

Central, (the oldest church in Dallas), boasts some great cooks, but some things have changed since the church was founded in 1863.  Frying chicken at home may well be one of them, so they looked to Bubba’s in SnyderPlaza for the chicken..

How long has it been since you’ve played a game of croquet or badminton?  At the picnic, some folks played those timeless, but often forgotten, games, while others amused themselves with ladder ball or tried their skill at raising and flying a kite.

Many enjoyed spending the afternoon just sitting in the shade of the giant bois d’ arc tree that sprawls the front lawn, sipping iced tea and visiting with each other.

Sunshine and the church’s beautiful lawn made the perfect place for a picnic.   

Central is located at 4711 Westside Dr. just off Mockingbird Lane.  All are welcome!

When the pastures are green in the springtime

    And the birds are singing their sonnets,

    You may look to the hills and the valleys

    And they’re covered with lovely Bluebonnets.  ~Julia Booth and Lora Crockett

Each year folks in New England look forward to the vibrant orange, red, yellow and purples that color the countryside by the turning of the leaves of the sugar filled maples. In the Ozarks, people can hardly wait for the explosion of pink and white when the dogwoods blossom.  And here in the LoneStarState, we look forward to the “sea of blue” carpet that covers our fields and rolling hills when the bluebonnet blooms in the spring.

Thought to resemble a lady’s bonnet, the flower, Lupinus texensis, is commonly called the bluebonnet and it was adopted as the state flower of Texas on March 7, 1901 in a bill signed by Governor Joseph Sayers.  Fields painted blue by the wildflower have become a spring trademark in Texas making a drive through Central Texas and the Hill Country  in April a spectacular sight.   

The Westside Wanderers, members of Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Dallas, boarded vans Wednesday morning to travel the Bluebonnet Trail and behold the beauty of the Texas landscape produced by the native flower.

First stop was at the Convention and VisitorsCenter in Ennis, Texas where we picked up a Bluebonnet Trail map showing our drivers the route to take to see the most beautiful blooms. Ennis was designated the “Official Texas Bluebonnet City” by the state legislature in 1997.  The Ennis Garden Club drives the trails to check the bloom status each week starting in April. The Club then reports to the Ennis Convention and Visitors Bureau about the latest status of the bluebonnets so that visitors can be well informed where the best flowers are on the trails at the time of their visit.

Following the map, we drove through the countryside enjoying breathtaking views of brilliant blue color, stopping to take photos of the magnificent flowers and of each other in them. 

The “oohing and aahing” had worked up an appetite so we returned to the heart of Ennis where we had reservations at the charming Wildflower Café. 

The tearoom style restaurant was voted “best of the best” by the Ennis newspaper.  We had heard it was good and it didn’t disappoint. We even enjoyed a private dining room for our group..

The restaurant’s signature chicken salad and their famous “wildflower” gelatin salad were superb. After lunch we browsed the shops adjacent to the restaurant and waked around the historic town square before heading back to Dallas and Central Christian Church.

Central is located at 4711 Westside Dr., just off Mockingbird Lane.  Founded in 1863, it has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating Protestant church in the city.

Central is not just a Sunday kind of church, but an active lifestyle— a place where you can find your niche, serve God and the community and make friends that last a lifetime. 

It is home to a dog park, a rehabilitation day program for adults with disabilities and will host a free drama camp taught by the DallasSummerMusicalAcademy this summer.

Come for a visit and see what you think.  Sunday worship is at 11 a.m.  All are welcome.

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What is the “Big Read?” It is a city-wide program created in the midwestern United States in 2006 to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and bring the transformative power of literature into the lives of its citizens.

The City of Dallas adopted the program as a city-wide suggested read three years ago, and in 2014, they personalized it by re-naming it “Big D Read.”

The first book selection for Dallas was “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury. The following year and the first year as a “Big D” read, the suggested book was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel “The Great Gatsby.”

This year, “True Grit” by Charles Portis is the Big D Read.

And who better to crow about the shenanigans of the novel’s character, Rooster Cogburn — the one-eyed, meanest U.S. Marshall around — than legendary local humorist, author and storyteller, Rose Mary Rumbley?

At a presentation hosted by “Friends of the Lakewood Library” Wednesday afternoon, Rumbley shared the difference between “strong men” and “tough men.” She even cited presidents who were tough men and who could have survived in the “Wild West” with a horse and a gun like the cowboys of western movie fame as she began a review of Rooster Cogburn and “True Grit.”

A moonshiner from Arkansas, John Franklin Cogburn, nicknamed Rooster, was such a man.

“Six foot three, dark eyed and a dead shot with a rifle, Franklin was as hard as the rocky mountain ground which reared him. The only authority the Cogburn clan recognized was God and a gun,” said Bret Cogburn, John Franklin’s great-grandson, an Oklahoma journalist. “Governments didn’t build your home, make your clothes, hunt your meat or defend your life. When it came to the Law, a man rolled his own from the makings of his individual ideas of right and wrong,” Cogburn added.

When Charles Portis began writing a serialized story for the “Saturday Evening Post,” he fashioned his character, Rooster Cogburn, on Bret Cogburn’s great-grandfather, John Franklin.

Interestingly, the idea for the novel “True Grit” started as serial literature — a story published inshortinstallmentsatregularintervals.

“This accounts for the many ‘cliff hangers’ in the novel,” Rumbley said.

“True Grit is a classic American adventure in a classic American landscape,” reads an excerpt from the dust jacket of a 1968 edition of the book.

The story begins in the 1800s, when Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl from Dardanelle, Ark., sets out to avenge the death of her daddy, who was killed by a drunken outlaw.   Even a young girl as feisty and brave as Mattie would not travel Indian Territory alone, so she hired the meanest U.S. Marshall around to accompany her. That would be one-eyed Rooster Cogburn.

The novel takes the reader through one dangerous and action-packed adventure after another, brought about by the harsh Wild West and the people who lived it. 

Everyone who attended Wednesday’s library event left with another memory of a Rumbley review and a special edition copy of “True Grit.”

The books were a gift from several generous donors who want everyone in Dallas to experience the power of a great book through the “Big D Read” program.

The Read began this month, so pick up your copy and begin the adventure.  You will soon remember how much you miss the “Old West” from your childhood days.