This year, as usual, various producers showed off their best syrup, sugar, maple cream, and maple candy.

But over in the corner stood an incongruous looking object -a sauce pan containing an unappetizing mass of something. Ahh -here's a piece of paper in front of it; no doubt an identifying label. This is what was on the paper:

EDITH'S MISTAKE

I thought I'd make some sugar
Out of syrup that was dark.
I'd save myself some money-
I'd have myself a lark.

I cooked and cooked and cooked it,
And then I stirred and stirred.
Then I poured it in the molds-
What a sticky mess – my word!

I screamed and raged and pulled my hair,
But oh, that sticky mess!
That darned stuff just wouldn't "set up"
What I did next you'll guess.

Out of the molds into the pan
I scraped that sticky goo.
To say I wasted half of it
Is telling it to you true!

I thought I'd make some taffy
Maybe that would do some good.
But when I went to pull it,
It was like a block of wood.

Now it has "set up" so hard
It would a hammer break,
So I decided just to show it,
Correctly labeled "My Mistake".

Who's Edith? You guessed it -Edith Benedict, who made lots of maple syrup without mistakes.

Thank you, Brian, for sharing this part of your Mother with us. She is going to be missed by those of us who knew her.