Some conveniences are ones I really don’t need during certain times of the year. I prefer line-drying my clothes in the spring and summer…My grandmother did it and my clothes seem to feel cleaner and smell fresh that way. Many days I spent at her house when she was hanging clothes out to dry and it was time I got to spend with her. Now in the winter it’s a different story, but when I hang things out here, I think of her and those times.
I remember the Sunday dinners where “the horde” came to eat–and I’m referring to 30 + people. We’d watch football or music shows depending on what was on TV. On Saturday Night it was usually “Hee Haw“, “The Grande Old Opry”, “The Happy Goodmans” or some other music show the grand parents watched. My grandfather didn’t care if it was religious or if it was a Mariachi band on TV, he’d watch it anyway. To my knowledge, he wasn’t particularly religious either.
We used to ride to Mann’s Grocery with him in the old truck. He’d buy me a Pepsi or Dr. Pepper…One of the favorite drinks was Nu-Grape on a hot day too. He had his own little silver flask behind the seat of the truck. On one particular day he pulled that out and said, “This is Grandpa‘s soda water but don’t tell your Granny I have it!” I just kind of blew that off. Well my brother went and told Granny about it and she came UNGLUED! She was really mad that he drove us in the truck and drank at all.
She knew the dangers of drinking and driving, but back in those days it wasn’t uncommon for people to drink their alcohol behind the wheel. This was around 1970 this happened. I remember it because I wasn’t in Omaha, NE yet…We went there in ”71-72.
Anyway Grandpa thought I TOLD her and yelled at me. I started to cry and Granny came out and yelled, “And she ain’t the one that told me either, Ira! It was Jamie!” That would be my older brother. Grandpa said he was sorry but chewed my brother out later! Needless to say, he never drank out of the flask when we were with him after that.
I can remember the times my uncles acted up at the table too. She raised 5 boys and a girl (my mom) and I don’t know how on Earth she handled my uncles! They were a trip! One day I’ll share some of those stories too–but my youngest son Kevin reminds me of a combination of a couple of them…However he got my Granny’s knack for cooking!!! Thank God someone did! I certainly didn’t–and I’m not good at gardening either. My mom and my Granny could do anything like that!
The Haunted Pen 