I was in Katy's Hallmark yesterday and saw a journal for grandparents to write to their grandchildren. It had questions about how you were brought up, your favorite things, just your life in general. Since we have little Elliotte on the way (and hopefully more in the future) it got me to thinking about how I would answer some of the questions. There was one question that really struck me. "What is your fondest memory of your childhood?" That got my mind racing. Now, I can't remember where I put my water bottle, but I do remember my childhood....................isn't that called Alzeheimer's??? I have lots of good memories of my childhood but one in particular stands out. There is one person that is always in my memories of growing up, my grandmother, Mema. I had 2 wonderful grandmothers. But I spent more time with Mema because we lived down the street from her for the first 9 years of my life. I think of Mema almost every day. I have the spoon she used to mix cookies, cakes, mashed potatoes and all things GOOD to eat. I use it when I'm cooking and every time it's in my hand I remember her. Her beautiful silver hair, the aprons she ALWAYS wore, the hankerchief she always had in the pocket of her apron because of her allergies, rolling out the dough for her biscuits and using a juice can to cut them with, helping her shape the butter cookie dough into cresent moons we called "Santa Claus Eyebrow" cookies, the old iron skillet she fried the best fried chicken in the world in. My days spent in the little rock house on Overhill Dr. in Donelson were some of the best days of my childhoo
d. Sunday lunch after church was always the best. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes (and gravy), corn, green beans, okra, homegrown tomatoes in the summer, and of course, BISCUITS!! For dessert, cookies, pies, and my very favorite, prune cake. Now I know you're thinking, prunes yuck, but this little lady could take prunes and make the most moist, sweet, delicious cake that melted in your mouth. And at Christmas, it was a bonanza of cookies, every kind you could think of. Before we would take a bite of anything she would say, "I'm not sure any of this is fit to eat." And as usual it would be the best ever. But Mema wasn't only good at cooking, she also played the piano. Kim and I would sit on either side of her while she played and sang songs from the Depression Era. I even remember some of the titles, "How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm After They've Seen Parie'" and "Jadda Jadda Jing Jang Jing" (sp?) I learned my love for singing at Mema's knee. Kim and I would BEG her to play the piano "just a little longer." And she usually would. She taught us to play Old Maid, checkers and a card game called "Touring." That was always my favorite game to play. She would get tired of playing Touring, but "just one more time" would always make me happy. And her green thumb was the best on the street. Mema could grow anything! She always had the most beautiful geraniums and petunias I've ever seen, even today. And along the back of her house she had my favorite, lilies of the valley. They smelled so pretty everytime you walked by. I have lilies of the valley growing along the back of my house. Mine will NEVER be as beautiful as hers were, but everytime I look out my window in the spring and see them blooming, Mema is right there. There was a swing that moved several different places in her yard but ended up on the side porch and Kim and I would fight over who got to sit with Mema in the swing. I remember spending copious amounts of time in that swing, thinking of all sorts of things and trying to solve my problems of the day. It was the most relaxing place on earth where nothing bad could ever happen. As I write this today, I'm thinking that heaven must be a little like Mema's house, warm, inviting, loving, where only good things happen with all the people you love most. Will my grandchildren feel same about me as I do about Mema? Will they love to come to visit our house like I did Mema's? Things are totally different these days than back in the "days of innocence." But I hope we can have a warm, inviting place that our grandchildren will feel loved and want to visit OFTEN. I am definitely not the cook Mema was and never will be and I can't play piano, except for a few easy pieces, but I can sit on the floor (not sure about the getting up part!) and play whatever their little imaginations can come up with. I can read to them, swing with them, bake cookies with them and most of all LOVE them. I hope someday when my grandchildren are asked the question, "What was your fondest memory of your childhood? that being with me will be one of the things they remember most. I thank God every day for my family and for giving me a grandmother like Mema. I will now add to my prayers for God to help me be the kind of influence in my grandchildren's lives that Mema was in mine.
What is your fondest memory of your childhood? Think about it and thank The Father above for allowing you to experience it. Until next time, think of the blessings in your life. Love to all!
d. Sunday lunch after church was always the best. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes (and gravy), corn, green beans, okra, homegrown tomatoes in the summer, and of course, BISCUITS!! For dessert, cookies, pies, and my very favorite, prune cake. Now I know you're thinking, prunes yuck, but this little lady could take prunes and make the most moist, sweet, delicious cake that melted in your mouth. And at Christmas, it was a bonanza of cookies, every kind you could think of. Before we would take a bite of anything she would say, "I'm not sure any of this is fit to eat." And as usual it would be the best ever. But Mema wasn't only good at cooking, she also played the piano. Kim and I would sit on either side of her while she played and sang songs from the Depression Era. I even remember some of the titles, "How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm After They've Seen Parie'" and "Jadda Jadda Jing Jang Jing" (sp?) I learned my love for singing at Mema's knee. Kim and I would BEG her to play the piano "just a little longer." And she usually would. She taught us to play Old Maid, checkers and a card game called "Touring." That was always my favorite game to play. She would get tired of playing Touring, but "just one more time" would always make me happy. And her green thumb was the best on the street. Mema could grow anything! She always had the most beautiful geraniums and petunias I've ever seen, even today. And along the back of her house she had my favorite, lilies of the valley. They smelled so pretty everytime you walked by. I have lilies of the valley growing along the back of my house. Mine will NEVER be as beautiful as hers were, but everytime I look out my window in the spring and see them blooming, Mema is right there. There was a swing that moved several different places in her yard but ended up on the side porch and Kim and I would fight over who got to sit with Mema in the swing. I remember spending copious amounts of time in that swing, thinking of all sorts of things and trying to solve my problems of the day. It was the most relaxing place on earth where nothing bad could ever happen. As I write this today, I'm thinking that heaven must be a little like Mema's house, warm, inviting, loving, where only good things happen with all the people you love most. Will my grandchildren feel same about me as I do about Mema? Will they love to come to visit our house like I did Mema's? Things are totally different these days than back in the "days of innocence." But I hope we can have a warm, inviting place that our grandchildren will feel loved and want to visit OFTEN. I am definitely not the cook Mema was and never will be and I can't play piano, except for a few easy pieces, but I can sit on the floor (not sure about the getting up part!) and play whatever their little imaginations can come up with. I can read to them, swing with them, bake cookies with them and most of all LOVE them. I hope someday when my grandchildren are asked the question, "What was your fondest memory of your childhood? that being with me will be one of the things they remember most. I thank God every day for my family and for giving me a grandmother like Mema. I will now add to my prayers for God to help me be the kind of influence in my grandchildren's lives that Mema was in mine.What is your fondest memory of your childhood? Think about it and thank The Father above for allowing you to experience it. Until next time, think of the blessings in your life. Love to all!
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