I helped my Grandmom clean the porch – back
then sweeping the porch for my Grandmom was fun; sweeping the sidewalk and our
concrete driveway today, not so much. I
would sit on the back porch with my Grandmom and read, play games and visit
with my Grandparents. But one of the
fondest memories I have is . . .
Sitting on the back porch shelling peas or
lima beans; snapping beans or husking corn.
My grandparents had a sizeable garden – okay sizable by my 7 year old
standards – and they, along with my parents or aunts and uncles would harvest
whatever produce was in season and I was given the job of shelling, snapping or
husking. I was helping my beloved
grandmom and that made me feel like one of the grownups. Sadly, no pictures – that I am aware of –
exist of this treasured memory of mine.L
With
the advent of the last 20th / early 21st century, back
yard gardens both in the area I grew up and the area I now live, have become in
large part passé. I must admit, when I
was a child, while I loved helping my Grandmom with the produce, I detested
getting my hands dirty – I absolutely did not like digging in the dirt! – so,
gardening was out. So I never really
developed a ‘green thumb,’ if I had any at all.
So, I never was able to pass on this fond memory to my children in a
tangible, hands-on experience; while they know that the fruits and vegetables
they eat come from gardens or orchards, they’re under the misguided impression
that ‘civilized’ folk purchase them from grocery stores or farmer’s
markets. All the more reason it has
become important for me to collect these memories, and assemble them much like
a quilt to pass on to them in oral, scrapbook, genealogical, and/or blog form,
so that they can appreciate the lives of those who came before and cherish and
learn from their ancestor’s life’s lessons.
It's wonderful that you got to spend time with your grandparents, learning about their lives and families. Three of my grandparents were already gone by the time I was born; the fourth was my maternal grandmother, who lived with dementia for many years and passed away when I was too young to really know her. It would have been SO interesting to have known them personally.
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Donna, thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I am so sorry to hear that you weren't afforded time with your grandparents and the memories you all would have created. I know that they must have left wonderful stories and memories for you to discover as you research your family history. I know that even today, I truly miss my grandparents. Have a great week!
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