Amanuensis Monday - Family Travels

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be transcribing accounts of two family vacations from old carbon copies I've had 'forever'.

One, an account of an Alaska cruise in 1954, was written by my Na, my maternal grandmother, Amy Estella Irwin (married name: Scott) and typed up, I'm pretty sure, by my mum, or possibly, Dad.

This was a trip with her sister, Maggie (married surname Drummond), on the Canadian National Railway ship, the S.S. Prince George, which left from Vancouver, BC, and travelled to Alaska and back from June 25th to July 5th, 1954. I can remember Na talking about this trip which she remembered with pleasure. She won first prize for 'most original costume' and kept that trophy all the rest of her life. (Yes, I have it now, although years ago, the little plaque was lost.)

Here is a bit of her account (un-expurgated). She begins by describing her sister's 'Gay 90s' outfit, then.

"In contrast I fixed up as a little "Injun". I made myself a pair of tan pants using the lining side-out of our port hole drapes. I fringed tan crepe paper to make my coat and trim of my paper bag moccasins. Made my bow and arrow from a wooden coat hanger, also fringed brown paper into feathers for my head band and had "Chief Eater" in lip stick on the band. [Na claimed she gained 5 pounds on the trip.]


Second prize went to a lady in a rain coat with a lighted coal oil lantern. Her placard read "Passenger on S.S. Pr. George looking for the midnight sun, or in fact any sun."

This is how I remember my Na, social, inventive and very fond of a (clean) joke, especially one involving words.


Names Na mentions as ship mates:

Maggie / Margaret Drummond - sister

Mr. and Mrs. Andresen, of Hollywood, California
Mr. and Mrs. Wright, Indianapolis, Indiana
Mr. and Mrs. Cobb, Edmonton, Alberta
Mr. Pepper, Sacramento, California (a high school principal)
Sheila Pepper
Russ Westover,  cartoonist, and his wife

If you have a connection to any of these people, would love to hear from you.


Amanuensis Monday was started by John Newmark of the Transylvanian Dutch blog to encourage more transcribing of family and family related documents. Click to read his this month's contribution from a recollection of Tecumseh, 1813.

My Na, Amy Estella Scott,

née Irwin, at her birthday celebration at her apartment in Vancouver, BC, 1971.

Na's Butterscotch Crisps - Geneabloggers Holiday Recipes

Mum and Na on a chilly day in Newdale, Manitoba, Canada, c. 1919. Looks like a great day for making cookies together. (Love those muffs! Warm hands! )

Geneabloggers is sponsoring a Holiday 2009 Recipe Contest and Cookbook. The deadline is Friday, December 4, 2009 at 11 pm and there's a special form to fill out here.

My Na, I'm sure, never missed a chance to pass on a recipe she liked, so here is one of my childhood favourites - a cookie recipe that easily makes enough for a party.

BUTTERSCOTCH CRISPS (Ice Box)
6 dozen

1 cup shortening
2 cups Brown sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ¾ cups A.P. (all purpose) flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts

Cream shortening (part butter) and sugar until light. Add unbeaten egg and vanilla.

Beat well. Sift flour, soda, cream of tartar and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Blend well. Add nuts.

Shape into rolls, wrap in waxed paper. Chill until very firm. Slice thin and bake on ungreased sheet 375° - 8-10 minutes.


When I was little, ice box cookies were a real ‘convenience’ to busy mums and grandmas. Before a party, this recipe would be made up and left rolled in the ‘fridge till time to get ready. No, I’m not old enough to remember ice boxes, although we did have a cool cupboard, but still we always called them 'ice box cookies'.

This is one of a number of recipes I have written out by my Na, my maternal grandmother. I sure remember these cookies. I love butterscotch and Na always used at least some real butter in her baking. (Notice she doesn’t say how much? Might depend on the budget!) But so good!

Na was Amy Estella (IRWIN) SCOTT, born in 1884 in Newdale, Manitoba, Canada; she died in 1983 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.