An Incredible Coincidence!

Several years ago, back when my niece Katy was perhaps 16 years old (she’s in her 30s now, so that gives you an idea of just how far back this story takes place), she and her mother were trying to come up with ideas for Christmas presents. 

Katy decided that she wanted to give me an antique cookbook because I like antique books and she & I had begun to share recipes with each other. An antique cookbook just seemed like the perfect combination of interests.

So, Noel took the idea with her to work and asked one of her clients to look for one since they were driving up to Fairbanks that week. As luck would have it, the client found one from 1941 and brought it back to Palmer for Katy to wrap up and give to me on Christmas day.

As I was opening the gift, they both told the story of how they got the book. It’s a pretty cool story, so I was happily listening while leafing through the book looking at all the different recipes. While doing so, I just happened to come across an old bookmark that somebody had used to mark their favorite recipe – and it gave me quite the jolt of surprise!

“Katy, where did you say you got this book from?” I asked her, with an amazed look on my face.

“From Fairbanks,” she replied “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Look at this!” I said, showing her what I had found.

Turns out, it was two raffle tickets from 1976 that apparently MY MOTHER had bought for a chance to win a horse that she planned to give to Kelly!!!

How the heck did THAT end up in this random cookbook that somehow managed to find its way into MY hands?!?

Later on, I asked Mother if she’d ever seen the book before, but she doesn’t remember it. She does remember buying the raffle tickets, however. Needless to say, she did not win the horse.