Today on the June 5th of 1898, my dear grandmother was born. She was born with the name of Ether Arizona Dewey, which later in her life, she changed her first name to Ethel. She was my mother's mom. She was and still is my angel. I loved her dearly and the feelings were mutual.
She raised eight children, one of which was my mother, who was the only girl. So needless to say, I had many uncles and aunts and many cousins.
She never met a stranger and was always known to give out a meal or a bed to anyone who needed one. She didn't have much money, but the love she gave to everyone was worth millions.
As a child, I always looked forward to going to "Ja Ja's" house. She always kept an old bean pot on her bread table that she kept cookies in and all her beds were feather beds that you would sink deep into.
She had a big jolly laugh that she let shine frequently, one that you would expect to belong to Santa Claus. She always had a "little something" for me when I visited, something that she'd purchased at the local "rummage store".
She was also a "down home" cook deluxe, baking some of the best country bisquits around and serving platters of "piled high" fried eggs for breakfast, with not one yolk broken, and all the jellies and jams were always homemade.
Every meal she cooked was a "big spread", with everything from homemade hot "chow chow" to beans and cornbread to fried pork chops with mashed potatos and gravy. It just didn't get much better than that!
I can remember watching her snap fresh green peas and shuck and pull silks off of fresh corn, and trim the ends off of fresh green beans, filling bowl after bowl of the delicious vegetables. She'd also have big pans of "right off the stalk" fresh okra, all sliced up and ready to douse with cornmeal and flour and fry in her cast iron skillet.
And watermelon! Oh, my gosh.....she had a way of picking out the very sweetest one. She loved watermelon. Everyone always had the pleasurable experience of enjoying plenty of cold, sweet watermelon at her house. She shared with everyone and she always seemed to have plenty to share.
I can remember watching her cook in her kitchen with a timely rhythm, that seemed to make everything look so easy. She always wore one of the many aprons that she had made out of some piece of scrap material that she had found somewhere. She wore each apron around her waist and tied in a bow behind her back, with a big pocket sewn onto the front. I recall watching and listening to her prepare the meal, while she sang church hymns to herself, such as "The Old Rugged Cross" and "How Great Thou Art." I don't even think that she realized that anyone was even listening. Beautiful.....just beautiful!
There's so much that I could say about my "Ja Ja". She was a true angel that walked this earth.
I love her dearly and want to wish her a very "Happy Birthday". She would be 109 years old today.
Happy Birthday, Ja Ja. You were and are loved by so many people, and with ME being the first on that list!
I thank you for being you and for being born.
Without you, I'm not here.
I love you and miss you.
And thank you, Ja Ja......for the Western Union Telegram that you sent me on my 2nd birthday.
1 comment:
Fabulous, Mom.
Thank you.
T
Post a Comment