I received this letter from my aunt Vivian several months ago. I bet that I've read the letter at least 10 times! Her recollection of my great grandmother Lucy is soulful and oh so sweet. I thought you might enjoy her letter too.
Jill,
I spent a lot of time with Grandma Lucy, and learned a lot from her. She lived in a very sweet house next to the rail road tracks. Enid furnished the house for her in a living room that contained beautiful, oak Mission furniture. The other item in the living room was a Victrola. I spent hours listening to many unfamiliar types of singing. My all time favorite was a record of birds and their calls.
The wash house was outside of the back door near the water well and the entrance to the garden. There were various fruit trees and large black walnut trees. She had a great vegetable garden planted with many flowers as well. She had a few chickens, and one particular rooster who liked to chase me at times.
She made soap and I enjoyed the process from beginning to end. When we were finished making the soap, she poured it into a shoe box lined with wax paper. We then put it in the bedroom where she stored all the children's toys and many interesting items from the past. We covered the soap boxes with quilts and she told me about when we would check and see when it was ready to cut. She used this soap for washing dishes, laundry and her skin and gave very little away.
There were numerous authentic hobos who came to her back door to ask for food. She never turned anyone away, and they always offered to do some small job in return for help.
In the middle of the house, in the dining room, there was a large pot belly stove. She would make us a "hobo" lunch by taking a coffee can to cook come boiled eggs, and we would have that with some of her home made bread and maybe some buttermilk.
She cooked in the kitchen on a kerosene stove with a camp style oven on the top of the stove. She made delicious Boston Brown Bread with raisins, cooked in a coffee can.
When I asked too many questions, she would give me this large, beautiful shell that she kept on her desk, and I would listen for what seemed to be hours to the "ocean." I had no concept of what an ocean was, but the shell transported me to a totally different place with a great imagined fairy tale setting. I love reading fairy tales, and read all that were in the tiny school library.
Lucy had an ice box in the wall of the kitchen where ice was left regularly. This was in the early 50s where this could be done.
One special treat was to get to sit, quietly, of course, while she sat with her friends over the quilting frame to sew quilts. I thought this was amazing. I still do. There was probably plenty of gossip, but I was not aware of that at the time.
A typical Sunday dinner was at our house when our mother would make cakes, salads and veggies, but Grandma Lucy would always make the smothered chicken. It was cooked in a large, iron skillet and outlandishly delicious. We used white linen. Everyone stood behind their places until the adults were ready to sit down and then we sat. We were expected to ask to be excused after we saw that everyone had finished.
Our parents were never strict. They expected us to be polite and we were taught to be respectful of others. While our parents were loving, fun and very nurturing, we were never able to make jokes that were at any ones expense. We were never spanked. We were taught to make our own decisions after our parents told us what they would like us to do, but they did not insist. The funny thing is, we usually assessed the facts and almost always, made our decision in the direction that they wanted us to go.
There were a lot of birthdays, big Xmas dinners, always celebrated by one of Mother's special decorated cakes. She had a hobby of making wedding cakes, big 3 tier Angel Food cakes with 7 minute icing. She taught me to decorate along with her. We grew to really dislike angel food cakes. If one fell, it was there to be eaten. Ugh.
There are so many child hood memories that you would have enjoyed living in those times. It is so nice to see that you create your own memories and the same simplicity around you. There are some guardian angels who are encouraging you and enjoying your appreciation in these very different times.
I LOVE THIS LETTER!
THANK YOU AUNT VIVIAN FOR SENDING IT.
I treasure each one.
Love,
Jill 00
