My Mother's Christmas Divinity Can't Be Made When It Rains - Who Knew?

Every Christmas, my mother would whip up a batch or two of Christmas Candy - Divinity was always made, colored with the juice from a jar of Maraschino Cherries. It was put out on Christmas Eve and we would dance around the table which had her lace tablecloth with a length of red cloth underneath, until permission was granted to begin the feasting. For the decades I lived in Seattle, I tried valiantly to reproduce this treat for my family, only to be rewarded with a sugar and egg white soup, instead of that fluffy cross between a marshmallow and a meringue, with just the right amount of chewiness, that my mother made. What I didn't know was that the constant drizzle that was making me so unhappy living in Seattle, was also responsible for my Divinity not turning out right. Who knew? Although, I must admit, Seattle could really do a good Christmas, with the world class Nutcracker Ballet, wonderful shop window displays, plays and concerts, and beautiful lighting displays. For those few weeks, it made up for the grey.