Daily Gazette: Molasses, memories mix in holiday tradition

December 25, 2013 By Jeff Wilkin (Contact) Gazette Re orter

!"oto#ra "er$ %tacey &a'ren()enne*y + c"il*,- *ream come tr'e, a table f'll of can*y an* cookie-, at t"e Gin#erbrea* .o'-e e/ent at t"e 0alley "ome in C"arlton on %'n*ay1
CHARLTON Katie alley !elie"es an#els$ %a"orite holiday %ood is not li#ht, s&on#y 'hite (a)e* +y no', #in#er!read m,st !e the &re%erred Christmas dessert amon# the (elestials all than)s to Kathy* alley$s sister, Kathy Kelly Anderson, ,sed to lo"e ma)in# #in#er!read ho,ses %or her %amily d,rin# the y,letide season* Children in her %amily lo"ed de(oratin# the ho,ses 'ith (andy* Anderson, a G,ilderland resident and lon#time n,rse in the Ca&ital Re#ion, died o% the !one disease m,lti&le myeloma in -...* /he 'as 0. years old*

alley has (ontin,ed Anderson$s tradition, al'ays on the /,nday a%ternoon !e%ore Christmas* This &ast /,nday, more than 1. )ids toddlers to teens de(orated #in#er!read ho,ses inside alley$s Charlton residen(e* 2t 'as a &arty %or Christmas, 'ith %amily and nei#h!ors in"ited* And it 'as a 'ay to )ee& Anderson$s memory ali"e* 2t$s my tri!,te to her,3 said alley, 04, 'ho !a)ed and (onstr,(ted 5. dee& !ro'n #in#er!read !,ildin#s %or the #atherin#* 6As 2 ma)e the ho,ses, 2 tal) to her (onstantly* Ma)in# (hildren ha&&y is 'hat she did*3 Anderson (ond,(ted her %irst #in#er!read session in 788. %or the se"en (hildren in her extended %amily* That 'as my sister9 it 'as all a!o,t the )ids,3 alley said* 6/he lo"ed her )ids9 she did e"erythin# 'ith her )ids* Her %amily 'as her li%e*3 alley remem!ers Anderson$s sense o% h,mor in the %a(e o% ad"ersity, e"en 'hen her time 'as 'indin# do'n* 2 'as ,nder#oin# %ertility treatments,3 alley said* 62 said, :Loo), 'hen yo, #et to hea"en, 'ill yo, #et me &re#nant;$ /he said, :/,re<$=3 Anderson &assed a'ay shortly a%ter the re>,est* 6A!o,t a 'ee) later, 2 'as &re#nant,3 alley said* /on H,nter alley, 'ho 'ill t,rn 71 in ?e!r,ary, 'as one o% the )ids on de(oration detail /,nday a%ternoon* Katie alley stayed in the )it(hen, tal)in# 'ith %riends and mixin# !at(hes o% %rostin# that mothers deli"ered to artists seated at t'o lon# ta!les* The %rostin# 'as slathered on the roo%s and sides o% ho,ses, and )ids ,sed M@M (andies, &e&&ermints, ri!!on (andy, #,mdro&s, (ho(olate non&areils and e"en (ereal %or their home im&ro"ement &roAe(ts* Terry Rossetti o% /(hene(tady 'al)ed the narro' ro' !et'een ta!les inside the en(losed rear &or(h and (arried a lar#e sil"er !o'l %illed 'ith %rostin#* 6Bo, 'ant more, honey;3 she as)ed 1CyearCold Adam Thom&sonCMoore* 6Bo, #ot it*3 Adam 'as de(oratin# 'ith his t'in !rother, Dames, and %ather, Ro!ert Moore* Ee$"e !een tal)in# a!o,t this %or 'ee)s,3 said Moore, a %i%thC#rade tea(her at Charlton Hei#hts Flementary /(hool in +allston La)e* 6They )ne' this 'as (omin#, and they$"e seen all the ho,se de(orations* They say, :Ee$re #oin# to ma)e them, too*$=3 G,ests !ro,#ht the (andy de(orations* Ryan /te'art, 71, o% +,rnt Hills, hel&ed himsel%*

F"erythin#, all )inds o% (andy,3 he said, as he loaded ,& his roo%* 6My &arents are #oin# to !e mad at me*3 Corey Car&enter, 0, o% Glen"ille, de(ided to #o old s(hool* /he ,sed &lenty o% Ne((o 'a%ers, a (andy that mi#ht ha"e !een more &o&,lar 'ith her #rand&arents* Tyler +er#, 71, o% +,rnt Hills, &iled layers o% &in) and red (andy on the to& o% his 'inter home* /ome )ids to&&ed their &la(es 'ith (andy sno'men* Garents 'at(hed the )ids ma)e (onstr,(tion de(isions and smiled* Tyler$s roo% is #oin# to (a"e in, he$s #ot so m,(h (andy on it,3 said Tina Gall,zzo o% +,rnt Hills, 'hose son Ha"ier, 7-, also 'as on the Ao!* 62 ho&e he has homeo'ner$s ins,ran(e*3 Ad,lts 'eren$t A,st "isitin# %or shrim&, &in'heel sand'i(h rolls, &izza and other sna()s* They had their (han(e to de(orate a%ter the )ids 'ere %inished* Ee$re (om&etiti"e, and 'e ta)e it "ery serio,sly,3 said Dina /olomon o% Glen"ille* /ome &arents ho"ered aro,nd the )it(hen sna() ta!le9 others 'at(hed the DetsC+ro'ns %oot!all #ame on tele"ision* Todd alley, Katie$s h,s!and, &layed handyman !y ,sin# a handC held ele(tri( drill to ma)e (ir(,lar holes in some )ids$ ho,ses* That 'ay, they (o,ld %ill the hea"ily de(orated str,(t,res 'ith e"en more (andy* 2t$s a #ood #etCto#ether A,st !e%ore Christmas,3 Todd alley said* Ann Garillo o% /(hene(tady, Katie$s mother, a&&re(iates the e%%ort her yo,n#est da,#hter ma)es to remem!er Kathy* 62 (an$t e"en tell yo, 'hat it does to my heart,3 she said* 6/he does it %or lo"e and %,n*3 Katie alley 'as smilin# all a%ternoon* +,t there 'ere still a (o,&le o% tears* 2t$s Aoy%,l,3 she said* 62 ha"e my moments, 2 al'ays tear ,&* Kathy 'o,ld !e &ro,d I 'e al'ays say Kathy$s al'ays loo)in# do'n and smilin#*3