Sheilaclapkin's Blog;

Thirty ladies from the Day Trippers Study Group converged on Auntie Anne’s Pretzel store in Northridge, California, to become Honorary Pretzel Rollers where we gained expertise in the ability in hand rolling and twisting a pretzel. There are Auntie Anne’s throughout the world, so be on the lookout and you, too can become an Honorary Pretzel Roller, or if you don’t have time for the field trip, you can become an Honorary Pretzel eater. They are delicious.

How Pretzels came down through the ages: Monks, in order to reward children who learned their prayers invented pretzels as a little reward. The strips of dough were folded to resemble arms crossing the chest in prayer, and baked into soft bread.  One day the keeper of the bakery fell asleep, left the pretzels baking too long and dried out the pretzels.  The head baker chastised the napping baker, but through his nap, the crispy pretzel was invented.

An anti-bacterial soap was used to wash our hands and then they were held under a black light. My, my how we left residue on our hands even though we washed and washed them. Gloves were also used as protection. Prizes were given for the best pretzel, (Cindi) and the cleanest hands, (Susie). Our own individual pretzel was baked, plus bagged along with an Honorary Pretzel Roller pin and coupons for our next visit.  We will never pass an Auntie Anne’s without our lovely memories of learning and sharing.

After this fun filled kid based field trip, where everyone had such a good time, I began to wonder why some of us past childhood do not go into the past and re-capture fun for kids.  I would love to relive riding on a pony and bouncing with my heart in my mouth and my hands clasped in a death hold on the saddle knob.  Why not go to a petting zoo and be the one to pet instead of the one who now watches the little one who pets?  How about going to the tide pools and watching the activity there. Be sure to bring a sun hat. I would like to go back to the Gene Autry Museum and the zoo. Want to build a project with Lego’s? Let’s just have a Play Date, a picnic, pitch pennies, play a board game, take a dance class, or how about visiting the fire station, police station or the post office as a first time field trip, no letters to be mailed in hand. How long has it been since you collected fall leaves, played marbles or hide and seek, had a water fight, planted something, or gone on a hayride? Make a kite and fly it, play Frisbee, jump rope, or how about go bowling?  Let me know what your special go back in time things are…