A VISIT FROM RUBY DOOLIN

'Twas the night before Christmas, and from within the house,

Ruby Doolin tied her apron and covered her blouse.

The stockings were hung on the chimney with care,

she was in the kitchen with cocoa powder everywhere.

Her family was snuggled and nested in their beds,

while visions of her fudge danced in their heads.

When from inside the kitchen there was such a clatter,

I came from my bed to see what’s the matter.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

it shined upon her as she moved with such flow.

Her little wooden spoon was so lively and quick,

she poured the fudge over and ever so thick.

She was mixing and pouring; she was a jolly lady,

I was surprised to see her for it has not been lately.

With a twist of her head and a wink of her eye,

she called to me, “Come here little guy.”

This piece was inspired by a conversation I had with Ruby Doolin, a resident of Edmond Mansions Independent Living. Doolin is one hundred years old and claims that she owes her longevity to goat’s milk, spinach and garlic. She is a lively person with a plethora of stories to tell. I sat down with her to hear about what her favorite holiday time traditions are with her family. She told me about some of the gifts she has received throughout her lifetime, but nothing compared to how much she loved to cook and bake with her family during the holidays.

Doolin grew up and spent her life in Edmond, Okla.. Her family always had chickens, a pig and a cow that were used for their resources. But as Edmond developed, they were not able to have a cow anymore due to city regulations. In turn, her mother butchered the cow and bought a goat. As she started to cook and bake more with her mom, they incorporated goat’s milk in a lot of recipes. She has a book with over 50 pages of recipes collected over the years. In that book, there is the recipe of her infamous goat milk fudge.