Memories of My Granny

My granny passed away today.  Lots of emotions are going through me.  I didn't shed any tears when my dad told me the news because I knew this day would be coming soon.  It was no surprise.  She has been on a mental and physical decline for the past few years, and I'm thankful that she is no longer feeling pain.  I do shed tears now, though, as I remember my life with my Granny.

So many funny memories, not so funny memories, and sweet memories come to mind when I think of Granny.  She was a fiery pistol at times, and she was the sweetest grandma on earth at others.  I remember being so mad at her, and then remember times when I felt compassion and love for her.

She was a tiny woman, great beautician, wonderful cook, seamstress, and crocheter.  She was the epitome of granny-hood!  I just want to take time now to list out thoughts that come to mind as I remember her.

1.  She was five foot nothing at her peak height.  As a kid I would see her every two weeks on the weekend and measure myself against her as soon as she greeted me.  I remember being soooo excited the day I passed her up in height (not that it took much, and I was about 11 years old).

2.  Granny had a beauty shop on her property.  She called it Tildy's Beauty Shop (Tildy was her nickname.) Older ladies and some gentlemen from as far as Houston would come to have their hair done.  I spent endless hours in my granny's beauty shop listening to the beauty shop gossip.  It was fascinating to me to listen to these women talk!  When my granny was going to say something not for children ears to hear, she would get close to her client and whisper in their ear.  That made me all the more curious!  These ladies would get their hair washed, rolled, and set.  Sometimes they got perms, haircuts, or actual blue tint in their hair!  I loved my granny's beauty shop.  It was lively and my granny was a miracle worker.  When she was done for the day, I would spend hours in the shop spinning around in the barber chair, staring in the mirror and primping myself.

3.  My favorite Christmas present to this day for was a little note I found in my stocking in 4th grade.  After being denied by my dad for quite some time, the note was a voucher for a "permanent wave" to be done by my granny.  I was thrilled!  That was the best salon experience I've ever had.  I was so proud of my bouncy kinky curls.

4.  My granny used old fashioned words.  A lot.  She called black people "colored folk."  (As a child, I took this literally so I thought she was talking about some rainbow colored people I hadn't yet the privilege of seeing.)  She also said words with a country dialect.  Once was "one-st" Twice was "twi-st," wash was "worsh" and every store had an s added to the end.  Walmart was "Walmarts."  She also used lots of metaphors.  When referring to a large person, "She was as big around as this table here."  Again, as a child, I thought she was serious.

5.  My granny made damn sure you were NOT hungry at her house.  It would be thirty minutes after a big pancake/bacon/egg breakfast, and she'd be asking if she could get you something to eat.

6.  I will absolutely miss my favorite dessert.  Blackberry cobbler.  No one could make it like Granny.  It was more like blackberry dumpling, and ohhhh soooo good.  Especially with vanilla ice cream on top.

7.  Granny always had a pitcher of Sweet Tea.  Always.  You could count on it like you can count on the sun rising in the morning.

8.  Granny made so many signature dishes that I can't begin to name them all:  chicken and dumplings, fried cabbage, chicken strips, zucchini bread, gravy, chocolate pie, chocolate cake, coconut pie, etc etc etc.  She was an awesome cook.  She would always tell me that she was still practicing and she would be a professional one day.  We always sat around the dinner table to eat, and we always said a blessing.  If you didn't have seconds, she would say, "What's the matter.  You on a diet?"

9.  Granny loved to reminisce about the past.  I loved to listen to her tell me stories.  Many times, though, she would get caught up in a story that made her mad.  She would get all riled up again just thinking about it.  Didn't matter if it happened fifty years ago!  She was furious all over again.

10.  Granny loved to crochet.  She sat in her rocking chair with her crocheted quilt on her lap, her crocheted pillow behind her lower back, and her glass of tea on her crocheted coaster.  And she would sit there for hours with her yarn and needles and whatever project she was working on.  I knew not to mess with her stuff.  She was very particular about her crochet basket.

She won many Walker County fair prizes for her craft entries,sold a lot, and gave away even more.  She was very talented.  She could crochet anything.  It's a lost art, and I respect her talent.  She could look at something and make her own pattern from it.

She taught me at age 6 the basics and I made my first pot holder.  Now being a crocheter as an adult, I appreciate the time and effort she put into her work.    She told me it was therapy because it was tedious and if she was mad about something then she would just put all of her energy into it.  Because if your mind wanders while crocheting then you will mess up.  But then she would get so mad and frustrated sometimes when she would have to rip out her work and start over because of a mistake.  She was a character for sure.

11.  Granny could also sew like no one's business.  She made clothes, quilts, curtains, etc.  My absolute favorite blanket is a quilt she made for my high school graduation.  I was speechless when she gave it to me.  It's a butterfly quilt that she hand sewn.  Each butterfly has fabric scraps from stuff she's made.  There's even a piece of fabric on it that was from the same material she used to make my dad's first pair of "britches."  I sleep with it.  It's been washed many times and is so soft and comfy.

12.  My Granny was feisty.  I loved my Granny, but sometimes she would let things fester and then blow up at you.  Then you could expect for her to not talk to you for a few weeks.  I will always remember when she got mad at my dad and me around the holidays.  I think it was something simple that set her off but it was enough.  If I remember correctly it was the fact that I didn't take my boots off when I walked in the house.  I was about 14 or so.  She yanked the whole Christmas tree (ornaments, lights, and all) from the wall socket and threw it in the garage!!!!  She said, "It don't feel like Christmas" and walked off.  She didn't talk to us until after the new year.  After she was done being mad, she would go back to her usual sweet granny self. I remember at least two other times when something like this happened.  :)  Her feistiness often reminded me of Sophia from The Golden Girls.

13.  Granny loved cats.  And dogs.  She had a chihuahua named Missy when I was a little girl.  Missy didn't like anybody but Granny.  If you got within five feet of Missy she would snap at you.  She was mean!  Then there was Minnie and Queenie, and finally Maggie, who is still living.  Her dogs were her babies.  Her cats were her babies, too.  Baby- the beautiful cat, Popeye- the HUGE fat lazy cat, and Cricket- the sweet black cat.  

I have so many more treasured memories of my Granny.  Too many to list.  She babysat me in the summertime, so I spent a lot of time with her.  I just had to write down some to help me cope with losing her.  I'm scared I'll forget these as time passes, so I wanted to make sure I recorded them.  She died 33 years and 1 week after my grandfather, and her husband, Bobby.  I never met the person whom my first name is after, but I have a lifetime of memories of the person my middle name is after.  I'm so thankful to have had a loving grandmother.  I love you, Granny, and will deeply miss you.