As promised, thanks to a picture taken by my Aunt Sherry... thanks Aunt Sherry!
Growing up we spent A LOT of time at our Grandmother and Grandaddy's house, there were lots of things tailored to make our endless days (and some nights) of both memorable and fun.
Our Grandparents went over and beyond their call of duty to make sure we were supplied with tons of activities and even access to our very own short order cook... pancakes for dinner were never out of the question.
We had a gazebo (or "restaurant") in the back yard... a pasture full of cows to chase, a barn to roam and explore, NICKALODEON!!!! (Folks this is back when you had to subscribe to this channel and subscribe they did!). We had trees that were modified with the quick use of a chainsaw to produce the most perfectly placed branches that served as a sort of ladder step to hoist us up as far as our nerves would let us be hoisted to.
Pear trees, where we could pick pears and feed the cows (thought often frowned upon after the 10th or 11th pear was picked) they preferred we used the rotted ones on the ground but never said a word as they saw the thrill we got from jumping as high as we could to get that almost out of reach pear from the tree. Grandmother kept the baby bed up long after any of us were of age to use it, so we had our very own nursery, you can't play "house" and raise baby dolls without a nursery and we had a REAL baby bed not a little playhouse one.
Most of all I remember a drawer our Grandmother made to be ours and only ours. This drawer was in her kitchen and it was FULL of tiny trinket like toys, we would sit for hours and play in this drawer while Grandmother cooked, canned, cleaned veggies Grandaddy would bring in from the garden and we sat there underneath her while she worked away. This drawer allowed us to be in the presence of such a soft, compassionate, warm, loving, tender and beautiful woman that is our Grandmother. Watching, learning, and taking in the aroma that was and will always be her kitchen.
When I think back to that drawer and that kitchen and that time spent all together, I can't help but smell the incredible smell and feel the warmth of the oven as she hurriedly opened and shut it taking in and out baked goods, I remember shutting my eyes as the warm breeze from the oven caused by the swift opening of the oven door blew across my face and caused any loose hair to blow around. Without that drawer I wouldn't have that memory, I wouldn't know how to split peas, or have the images of endless jars of freshly canned veggies on her counter or even know what an old original pressure cooker sounded like (a sound that will always take me back to that kitchen.)
Grandmother still has this drawer and it is hard to believe that our very own children have played with the same little trinket toys in the same little drawer in the same wonderful kitchen.
My mother took the idea and re-created it for Jack at her house... She cleaned out her cabinet and painted a scenery and I cut out tons of vinyl images to decorate and make it even more colorful and special. I know this will bring Jack just as many memories as we carry from the days and nights spent with our grandparents. Especially since she is the second best cook (other than our grandmother) that I know!
Here are a few pics, I wish I had pics of Grandmother's drawer I will have to snap one when I am over there and add it as an update to this post...
Our Grandparents went over and beyond their call of duty to make sure we were supplied with tons of activities and even access to our very own short order cook... pancakes for dinner were never out of the question.
We had a gazebo (or "restaurant") in the back yard... a pasture full of cows to chase, a barn to roam and explore, NICKALODEON!!!! (Folks this is back when you had to subscribe to this channel and subscribe they did!). We had trees that were modified with the quick use of a chainsaw to produce the most perfectly placed branches that served as a sort of ladder step to hoist us up as far as our nerves would let us be hoisted to.
Pear trees, where we could pick pears and feed the cows (thought often frowned upon after the 10th or 11th pear was picked) they preferred we used the rotted ones on the ground but never said a word as they saw the thrill we got from jumping as high as we could to get that almost out of reach pear from the tree. Grandmother kept the baby bed up long after any of us were of age to use it, so we had our very own nursery, you can't play "house" and raise baby dolls without a nursery and we had a REAL baby bed not a little playhouse one.
Most of all I remember a drawer our Grandmother made to be ours and only ours. This drawer was in her kitchen and it was FULL of tiny trinket like toys, we would sit for hours and play in this drawer while Grandmother cooked, canned, cleaned veggies Grandaddy would bring in from the garden and we sat there underneath her while she worked away. This drawer allowed us to be in the presence of such a soft, compassionate, warm, loving, tender and beautiful woman that is our Grandmother. Watching, learning, and taking in the aroma that was and will always be her kitchen.
When I think back to that drawer and that kitchen and that time spent all together, I can't help but smell the incredible smell and feel the warmth of the oven as she hurriedly opened and shut it taking in and out baked goods, I remember shutting my eyes as the warm breeze from the oven caused by the swift opening of the oven door blew across my face and caused any loose hair to blow around. Without that drawer I wouldn't have that memory, I wouldn't know how to split peas, or have the images of endless jars of freshly canned veggies on her counter or even know what an old original pressure cooker sounded like (a sound that will always take me back to that kitchen.)
Grandmother still has this drawer and it is hard to believe that our very own children have played with the same little trinket toys in the same little drawer in the same wonderful kitchen.
My mother took the idea and re-created it for Jack at her house... She cleaned out her cabinet and painted a scenery and I cut out tons of vinyl images to decorate and make it even more colorful and special. I know this will bring Jack just as many memories as we carry from the days and nights spent with our grandparents. Especially since she is the second best cook (other than our grandmother) that I know!
Here are a few pics, I wish I had pics of Grandmother's drawer I will have to snap one when I am over there and add it as an update to this post...
