I remember my grandmother. My mother’s mom was 4’11” tall, weighing probably around 250 lbs. with short-gray-blue hair and a great smile. Cotton dresses, embroidered aprons. I don’t know if she even knew how to drive a car. I do know she did crochet and embroidery, and I think she even tatted (it’s a hand-made lace thing…).
Funny, I always picture her in her kitchen. She made cakes and cookies from scratch. And of course, the kitchen was vintage 1940 – metal cabinets, big country sink, huge gas stove, and I remember the smell of….wait for it….tamale pie. Yes, she made a thing she called a tamale pie in a cast iron skillet, with cornmeal and ground beef and tomatoes and whole corn, that I never could duplicate. It would be great this time of year, on one of these icy, snowbound days.
I’ve found recipes, but they just aren’t the same. Maybe it’s not the recipe that I really miss.
Fast Forward….
I’m a grandmother now. In fact, I’m a great-grandmother now. I’m short and plump, but not nearly as heavy as grandma, and as long as they have color-in-a-bottle, I’m still dark blonde. I drive an SUV, have a full time job, go to the gym as often as I can, and have many different hobbies. I haven’t worn a dress but a couple times in the last five years. Jeans, slacks, and yoga pants are the mainstays of my wardrobe.
And I DON’T cook. Honestly. I made cakes from cake mixes years ago, but now I just buy them. My kitchen counters are used to pile books and things on. My oven’s been broken for two years, and I’m not inclined to fix it. I have a can opener and a microwave. These things see me through just fine.
I know I’m in much better shape – I’m physically active, and run around with my kids, grandkids, and great-grandchild and we do ‘projects’ together.
But are they missing out by not having one of those old-fashioned grandmothers who made cakes and tamale pies, and smelled like lilac and vanilla? Will their memories of me be just as sweet?
I think they will, Gayle. I think of my Grandmothers almost every day. I think they would be surprised by that. Whenever my Grandmother Bess got something new and I noticed it she’d say, ” Charlie brought that to me this morning.” Charlie was a make believe boyfriend. It seemed to me I always just missed him and I really wanted to meet him. I can still remember my idea of how he would look. I wouldn’t want to admit how old I was before I figured it all out.
I hope my grands remember me from playing games with them. Outdoor treasure hunts were lots of fun. But I made cookies, too, and often put my apron on to cook. As for dresses or skirts, I still wear them, especially on Sunday, but I feel I am no longer “fashionable.” Or else I’m just old. LOl
Good post! I’ll bet they’ll remember you more like a whirling dervish –maybe in a slightly slower motion. Mine? Who knows?
Love this post. My grands won’t remember me for my cooking either.
I bet they’ll remember how much fun you were!