Sept 8, 2026 – Ann is in OurLittleCorner today
You’re As Soft As Glass
I’ve been listening nonstop to Dolly Parton songs and reading so much about her life and her benevolence. Plus, I’d consider her a true feminist. According to NOW, “she encouraged women to embrace who they wanted to be and stand up for their values.” Would you say she was “as soft as glass?” That’s a line taken from a song from another amazing singer/songwriter, Townes Van Zandt.
(note: Andy and I have conflicting opinions on whether “You’re as soft as glass” is a compliment for a woman. Andy says it means you’re “brittle and break easily.” I take it to mean that this woman is not soft at all but incredibly tough…like tempered glass and like Dolly.)
Townes Van Zandt. His life story isn’t as moving -or nearly as well known – as Parton’s, but his music and lyrics are equally “folksy” – and maybe more haunting and sad. In contrast to Dolly, Van Zandt came from a wealthy Texas family but lived a short, tormented life, filled with mental issues and drug and alcohol abuse.
One of Townes Van Zandt’s most famous songs is “To Live Is To Fly” – which is also the song with the lines “Well you’re soft as glass, and I’m a gentle man,and we got the sky to talk about, and the world to lie upon.” Here are a few of my favorite stanzas, but the whole song is beautiful and meaningful.
Well to live is to fly
All low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes
Days, up and down they come
Like rain on a conga drum
Forget most, remember some
But don’t turn none away
Everything is not enough
And nothin’ is too much to bear
Where you been is good and gone
All you keep’s the getting there…
We all got holes to fill
And them holes are all that’s real
Some fall on you like a storm
Sometimes you dig your own
The choice is yours to make
And time is yours to take
Some dive into the sea
Some toil upon the stone
Today’s recipe might have been from Texas – to honor Towne’s heritage – or from Tennessee – in Dolly’s memory, but I chose instead to focus on soft glass!
Soft and Broken Glass Jello
- 4 boxes Jello in different colors (3 oz each)
- 4 c boiling water
- 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (.25 oz each)
- 2 c hot water
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
Using 1 cup of boiling water per box of Jello, dissolve each flavor separately, whisking until completely dissolved. Pour each flavor into small individual containers, aiming for the jello to be about 1″ deep; chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Once the Jello is set, cut each flavor into small cubes and place them in a glass 9×13-inch pan. Carefully mixthe Jello cubes.
In a separate bowl, dissolve both envelopes of unflavored gelatin in 2 cups of hot water. Let cool slightly, and stir in the sweetened condensed milk. Cool the milk mixture and then pour it over the Jello cubes. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles, then chill overnight.
To serve, cut into squares.
I’m fascinated by this recipe! I thought my mom had cornered the market on all Jello-based recipes, but this is new to me. And who doesn’t like Eagle Brand milk??
Sorry, this is Tricia.
We probably could have skipped the jello part and just stayed with the Eagle Brand condensed milk, but we wanted a recipe that was compatible with the soft glass theme. We haven’t served it at a dinner party yet; it certainly would be a good conversational dish. Thanks for the comment.
I’m a sucker for anything made with gelatin. This is in all the Mexican bakeries; and you can even get a whole “cake” of it. Heaven! Sandy
We debated about including “cake” in the recipe title, but decided that most of the recipes that called this a cake had some sort of graham-cracker-like crust. We’ll look for it the next time we’re in a Mexican bakery.