This is my paternal grandmother, and she had a great impact on my life although she passed away when I was only 8 years old. When I was a preschooler, our family lived next door to Grandmother, Aunt Thelma, and Uncle James. Running in and out of her house daily was part of our routine! The latter two were siblings to my dad, and are the only two siblings that are still living. There are so many fond memories of Grandmother that I can't recount them all, but I will try to give you some images that are a memorable part of my childhood! On Sunday afternoons, most of grandmother's children and their children would gather at the family home site and visit. There were cousins galore to play with, and we rambled the fields, the gully, the woods and a branch that adjoined the family land. During the Sunday visits, in the summer, at least, the front yard was quite a site to see. Each adult had some sort of seat and the family formed a circle so everyone could visit and talk. Some of the men, my daddy included, would take a ladder-back chair and turn it on the ground, using the ladder part as a backrest. Children of all sizes roamed in and out of the circle, playing with cousins, while the babies napped on quilts laid on the groud. I can still "see" it when I think of those times! Life was so simple and carefree.
Grandmother was quite a seamstress and made clothes for her grandchildren which delighted us to no end. Sometimes, because we lived next door, I would go into grandmother's house and sit to watch her sew. One afternoon, before I was old enough to go to school I saw her making a pretty dress. I asked about it and she told me it was for Patricia, my favorite cousin. I became jealous and told Grandmother I wanted a new dress too. She didn't scold me, or remind me that she had just made me a dress. Instead, she put aside her sewing and took one of Uncle James' tee shirts. Within a few minutes, she had sewn Ric Rack around the neck, sleeves and hem, added a pretty sash and I had perhaps the FIRST tee-shirt dress ever! They became the fad when my girls were growing up, and I told them about the wonderful dress Grandmother made me!
On another day, also before I started school, my younger sister, Cynthia and I were outside playing but told Grandmother we had nothing to play with. She asked what we wanted to play and we told her we wanted to have a tea party but we didn't have a table or chairs for our tea things. Grandmother quickly took her hammer, handsaw and nails and set to work building us a table and two chairs. In what seemed only minutes Cynthia and I were sitting at a little table, pouring "tea" for ourselves and Grandmother. Not only did she build the table and chairs but she furnished the treats and joined us for our "tea" party! WOW! was she something! Before you begin to think that she probably was a "young" and new grandmother, my siblings and I were some of her youngest grandchildren and she had over 40! Some were old enough to be our parents! LOL
Grandmother, mother and some of the neighbor ladies would sit and quilt all day, in the winter, and Cynthia, Patricia and I would lie under the table, watching the needles go in and out--listening as the ladies talked and sewed! I don't remember what they talked about, but I know they laughed and seemed to be having fun! As I think of them, their names and faces are so vivid in my mind and heart--Aunt Vick, Aunt Cora, Ruby, Ms. Silas, Grandmother, Mother, and I sure others, but those are the ones who come to mind.
I'm sure there are other memories that I could relay to you, but I thought these might give you a glimsp of me that few know of! Oh yes, another thing I remember is the game of "Thimble Shine". Grandmother would take one of her thimbles and place it somewhere in the room. The children would have to search with their eyes, without moving from their seat, and the first to find the thimble would get to place it again, while everyone else hid their eyes. This game would amuse us for long periods of time. Grandmother was really patient!
