Precious Memories.....

When I was growing up, we spent a lot of our summer days at my Mamaw and Papaw's house. They lived just out the road from us, so it was easy for us to just walk out there. Papaw worked in the mines, so he was gone during the day. As I grew older, me and one of my cousins who was the same age as me, would spend Friday nights at Mamaw...Papaw had passed away by then. My Mamaw....without a doubt....made the best biscuits in the whole wide world. They weren't very big...but oh, they were the most delicious things....would just melt in your mouth....oh, and her fried chicken...she would buy chicken breast, and cut them up into small strips (this was long before chicken tenders were popular)....and fry them....and serve them warm with those hot biscuits....oh, how I miss her cooking...but I don't think as much as she does doing the cooking!!!

I want to share some more of my favorite memories about being with Mamaw:

~~~Grape Kool-Aid made in a mason jar and put in the fridge...served to us ice cold with vanilla cream cookies

~~~Ice cream cones....she would give us ice cream and put it in a cone.....to a kid that was sooooo special

~~~Water gravy - if this makes no sense....some people make their gravy with milk...some water....I think because of the depression, Mamaw made hers with water....and it was

D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S

~~~Strawberry cobbler - I promise all my memories aren't food related...but I have never known of a better cook than my Mamaw....well, maybe except for Pappy's Mom

~~~Wringing head off of a chicken - I remember once as a kid her wringing the neck of a chicken and watching it flop around in the yard....that's not such a pleasant memory.... ;)

~~~Baby chicks - Papaw and Mamaw raised chickens (hence the above memory).....and they were in coops in the back yard. I loved those little baby chickens....especially the black ones, which were rare!!!

~~~Hamburgers - Mamaw used to fry the best hamburgers. When my cousin and I would spend Friday night, she would fix us hamburgers for lunch on Saturday...yum, yum, yum!!!

~~~Speaking of cousin.....like all kids do, we "fussed and fought". Once, we were mad at each other about something...and Mamaw made us hug one another and make up...and tell each "I LOVE YOU".....neither of us wanted to do that, and I wasn't too fond of Mamaw right at that moment...but, looking back....what a wonderful lesson it taught me....and I'll probably use it on the boys one of these days!!!

~~~June bugs - I hope PETA, or whoever is in charge of "animal cruelty" doesn't come arrest, or fine me, for this admission....but Mamaw used to give us a string and we would tie it around one leg of a June bug....and then let it go and let it fly around, like a kite!!! This is so comical to me now, almost 50 years later!! But, the poor June bug probably so no humor in it, when his leg got pulled off from the string....sorry to all the June bugs that I caused to be 3-legged!!!

~~~Papaw had cattle.....he watered them in a big old bathtub, and he would let me fill the tub up with water for them. Well...there happened to be an electric fence between me and the tub...and....well, let's just that since water and electricity don't mix....it wasn't a good idea to let the water from the hose run over the fence....Papaw thought it was funny....me, not so much!!!

~~~They say if you ever see a snake, that there's usually another one close by...it's mate. Well...Papaw killed a black snake that came too close to the porch, and the very next day, killed what we figured was it's mate. I'll never forget this....he hung it on the fence, because there's an old saying that if you hang it on the fence, it'll bring rain...and what farmer doesn't like rain!!!

~~~Porch swings and gliders - There were both at their house...and we wore them out!!! I would love to someday have the ones that are still on Mamaw's front porch!!!

~~~ Mamaw had mimosa trees in her yard....if you know anything about a mimosa tree, they have fuzzy little blooms that smell like peaches....I loved those trees. As kids, we would take the "leaves" off and shred them into lids and make "salads"!!! To go along with our mud pies...Mamaw would give us old lids and we would take dirt and stir in water and make "chocolate mud pies"!!!

~~~When we would go spend Friday nights with Mamaw, we always slept in the "front room". I remember one night us trying to get into bed...the covers were so heavy that we could barely lift them up to get under them!!!!

~~~Papaw had hogs, and they would always pick a very cold day to kill them. One time as a little girl, Daddy and Mom went out there to help. When I stepped up onto the back porch...there were "warsh tubs" sitting all over the porch with different hog parts in each one. I was soooo sick!!! But...nothing tastes any better than the sausage that Mamaw made. I can still see her grinding up that sausage and putting sage that she had dried in it!!!

~~~Christmas was a special time at Papaw and Mamaw's house. Papaw would go and cut down a cedar tree...and Mamaw would mix up "warshing powder" and water and get some in her hand and slide it down the tree limbs to make it look like snow. I still remember how it would smell when one of the big old light bulbs would start to melt that powder!!!

I know there are lots, lots more....but these are just a few of the sweet memories that I have of spending time at Mamaw's house. Mamaw will be ninety-eight this coming September....and she's getting a bit feeble...and her mind isn't as sharp as it used to be....but, when I go see her....her face lights up and she knows me....asks me questions....talks about gardening and cooking. When I start to leave, I always move her walker and give her a kiss....and she hugs me sooooo tight...and kisses me on the cheek.

I know....

that more than likely....

one of these days....

that's going to end....

but, until then....

(this picture was taken the last time Mamaw was able to cook Christmas Eve supper for us....and she's doing what she loves best...making biscuits!!!)

Blessings,

[ Grandparent's Day ]

Today is Grandparent's Day,

but it's also my Mamaw's 104th birthday and she's having the best celebration you could ever imagine.....

with JESUS!!!

Mamaw passed away on May 7, 2011,

just four months shy of her 100th birthday.

This woman meant the absolute world to me.

I cannot even begin to describe our relationship and how she loved and was loved back by all of her grandchildren.  I'm the oldest by several years, and since there's only seven years between the ages of my aunt and me, Mamaw told me once that I was more like a daughter to her.  What an honor that statement was to me.  Words like that stick in my mind because I heard so few precious things growing up.  At Mamaw's graveside service, the minister spoke from Proverbs 31 and said he had never used those verses at a memorial service.  What a testimony to her life that was!

This post is just to honor my Mamaw and it's especially fitting since it's a day to celebrate grandparents.

Doing what she loved best.....

cooking for her family in the an present house dress!  

  

Rhoda Onalee

September 13, 1911 - May 7, 2011

What a blessing it was to still have my grandmother in my life until I was 56 years old and at the time of her death there were five living generations.....

Mamaw, Mom, me, Jessica Leigh (named after Mamaw), and Samuel David.

God is so good!

Happy Grandparents Day!

Breathing in Grace,

Another post I did in 2009 about Papaw and Mamaw....

Precious Memories.

The great cover up.....

My Mamaw really disliked having a tan, so she would cover up any tan she got on her face with powder.  With Mamaw working outside so much in the summertime, she of course, was going to get a tan and those were the days long before sunscreen.

My Mom asked me to go to Mamaw's house with her yesterday.  After the last time I was there, I had said I wouldn't go back.  You see, my Mamaw passed away in May of 2011, just 4 months shy of her 100th birthday.  She meant the absolute world to me.  How blessed I was to be as old as I am and still have my Mamaw.   Since her death, nobody has lived in her house and it's run down so much.  My cousin bought it, but I don't know what his plans are for it.  When Mom called and asked if I wanted to go with her, I just couldn't tell her no.  And, when I walked into the back bedroom and saw a couple of containers of the face powder that my Mamaw used, I was reminded of the story of her not wanting her tan to show, and I just had to bring one of the containers home with me.  When I opened the lid, sweet memories came to mind of hugging Mamaw and smelling that Airspun face powder.

I got to thinking about how we all I try to cover up things in our lives my life that we I would rather others not see or know anything about.  Mamaw's powder probably concealed the tanned skin underneath.  And, most of the time we're probably able to hide our faults and insecurities from others, and even our SINS.  But, no matter how hard we try we cannot hide those things from the Lord.  We might as well just be open and honest and come right out and admit it all to HIM because He already knows!  But, then we can also count on that promise He gives us in His word that I'm reminded of in my morning walks.....



AMEN?
Amen!!!

Breathing in Grace,

Happy, happy birthday, Mamaw!!!

My dear, sweet, precious Mamaw...is 98 years young today.

I talked to my cousin for a bit yesterday and he described her as his "hero". I guess you would have to understand our family a bit better to really appreciate that comment...but I completely knew what he was talking about. I can't imagine another grandmother being loved any better than she is!!! When she was able to cook...that was her favorite thing in the world to do....and she did it better than anybody we've ever known.

As many of us that can will gather at her house to let her know how much we love her.

1979 - Mamaw and Jess

2007 - 5 Generations

Mamaw and me

Mamaw
Mamaw and my Mom's hands holding Little Bit

Early 2007 - not long after Little Bit was born....one of my favorite pictures.

Taken the last year she was able to cook Christmas Eve dinner for us...making biscuits!!!

Happy, happy 98th birthday to our precious Mamaw!!!

(and what a coincidence that her birthday is also Grandparent's Day!!!)

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

Bittersweet Memories!!!

(click on the picture for a post I wrote about Mamaw on July 15, 2009)

On SONday afternoon, August 12th,  my brother and cousin and myself were given the opportunity to go thru some of our Mamaw's belongings to take some things for ourselves.  It was such a bittersweet experience for me.  I'm the oldest of all of the first cousins, actually old enough to be Ms. Stephanie's Mom....which is why I call myself Aunt to her!!!  As I went room to room, I remembered all the times that I would spend Friday nights at Mamaw's house, sleeping in the front room where it was sooooo cold and Mamaw would have about 5 big heavy quilts on the bed.  You would have to heave them up and crawl under them and don't even consider trying to move once you got them back on top of you cause they were so heavy!!!   She would get up the next morning and make her famous biscuits....they would just melt in your mouth.  Then, for lunch she would fry hamburgers in an old iron skillet and they were the best hamburgers you've ever put in your mouth. 

 Can you tell that I adored my Mamaw....but isn't that how most kiddos feel about their grandparents?!?!?  She was an amazing woman and I remember being in the back bedroom by myself for a time and just thinking about her and how sad it was to be going thru her things and how I wished she was still there.  I miss her so much.  Can you even begin to imagine how blessed I am to have had my Mamaw still living at my age?!?!?  I don't take that fact for granted.  There were 5 generations still living at one time....my Mamaw, my Mom, me, Jess, and our two GRANDsons!!! 
Our God is sooooo good!!!

Here are a few things that I am blessed to bring home with me!!!  This post is mostly for myself, I guess....just as a reminder of things to "keep and ponder in my heart"!!!

   Stephanie and I sorta divided up the Pyrex.
I have no clue what anything is, except I think this might be called a fridgie?!?!

I got most of the green bowls 'cause that's the color of my kitchen!!!

I loved this little butter dish.

 Stephanie and I both got one of her biscuit cutters.
I wish it had been showing in the picture of her making biscuits.

This old oil lamp looks NOTHING like it did prior to a good clean-up....
....but I didn't get a before pic!!!

 An old coffee grinder.  
From research I did, it looks like it came from the late 1800's!!!

 My blue Ball jars sitting on top of our old hutch.
(that's where all the dishes I got were placed, too)

 A set of 3 green Pyrex bowls.

There were a few other things I didn't get pictures of.....a bunch of really old handkerchiefs and a small jewelry box....a pin that I gave her many years ago....one of her button up cardigans.....a sweet little table/desk (I'll show a picture of it later)....a mirror that I took her to get the mirror replaced in when I got my "new" car in 1974.....an old phonograph case.....and her very first set of rings.

Like I said.....bittersweet memories!!!

Proverbs 31:28

Her children arise and call her blessed.

And, so do her GRANDchildren!!!

In HIS Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

Blessings,

Deb 

{ Happy Heavenly Anniversary }

Yes, I'm sharing this foto of the Iris once again because today is the 7th anniversary of my Mamaw going to heaven. The minister who presided over her graveside service read Proverbs 31 saying he'd never used that scripture for another Lady before.   She passed away on May 7, 2011, the day before Mother's Day, just 4 months shy of her 100th birthday!  This woman was my role model as a grandmother because she was the absolute epitome of one.

(although I CANNOT cook/bake like her.....

but Jess can! Jess also shares part of Mamaw's name....Leigh)

We spent many summer days at her house when we were just kids (my cousins and my brother and me) drinking grape Kool-Aid from a half gallon jar she kept in the refrigerator and eating vanilla cream-filled cookies! She fried the best tasting hamburgers in an iron skillet and don't even get me started on her biscuits and "stickies" (cinnamon rolls) and strawberry cobbler and fried chicken!  My cousin, Carol, and I stayed there a lot on Friday nights and Mamaw would get up early the next morning and make us the best breakfast ever! I distinctly remember Carol and me getting into an argument once over what I don't know and Mamaw made us hug each other and makeup. 
Now, that I didn't like!

I remember mud pies in jar lids and making "salad" from mimosa leaves and how the mimosa blossoms smelled like peaches.....
swinging on the back porch swing and the old green glider and metal chairs.....
learning to ride a bike one summer on my Aunt Delores' blue bike.....
helping dig taters and sticking my hand into a rotten one.....
helping water the cattle and slop the hogs and the not so pleasant memory of when they'd kill hogs on the coldest day they could.....
making homemade ice cream on the old crank ice cream maker and my Daddy and Uncle Carl taking turns cranking the handle.

She loved her family so much and enjoyed cooking for us probably more than just about anything. But, besides her talent as the greatest cook ever, the thing that I cherish probably most about her was how her face would light up when I visited her. That still brings such a warm feeling to my heart just thinking about it.....

and tears to my eyes.

Oh, yes, she was loved dearly by all of us!

 Mom standing beside Mamaw's house a few years ago.

I've shared this foto so many times in the past, but she was doing what she loved best.....

cooking for our family. And, that's a pan of her famous biscuits!  Also, as I've gotten older, I've developed a love of those "house dresses".....

wonder why?

Rhoda Onalee 

September 13, 1911 - May 7, 2011

Thank you, Jesus, for the blessing of my sweet, precious Mamaw!

Prayer Requests

The past few weeks have been crazy, mixed-up, and my posts have gotten all out of my normal order...which is pretty random, at best...but....I haven't shared prayer requests with you all in a couple of weeks, and I've received some.....so, here goes:

1. Please pray for my Mom. She rarely gets sick, but she's pretty run down trying to take care of my Mamaw since she fell. She shares the duties with her sister, but Mom is the older of the two, so please pray for her. She has a terrible cough and just isn't feeling well at all. Remember her, please...her name is Rhonda.

2. My grandmother - Mamaw is doing much better, but she is so very weak. I can tell such a difference in her in the past few months. Christmas was wonderful, as all of us (not that I have such a huge family)...but all of us, except one cousin, was there to see her and she loves for her family to be around her. She even dictated to Mom and my Aunt what she wanted fixed, as far as food, and boy, did we have a feast. We even had STRAWBERRY COBBLER!!! Oh, yum, yum, yum. Mamaw ALWAYS had strawberry cobbler at every get-together I can remember...well, my Aunt took after Mamaw in the cooking department, so she made it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It was delicious!!! See how easily I get distracted when it comes to food...sorry :( ....please say a prayer for my Mamaw.
Her name is Onalee!!!

3. Paul Mayfield - Mr. Mayfield has cancer in his tonsils, so he will be having surgery on January 15th to remove his tonsils, some lymph nodes, and a knot on his jaw. Please pray for him and his doctors, and his family. Mr. Mayfield is the father and father-in-law to a young couple who lives in our neighborhood.

4. Please pray for all those who are sick with the stomach virus, or the upper respiratory infection. It seems like once this stuff gets started, it just doesn't stop until it makes it's rounds. Pray for some cold weather that might kill out some of the germs!!! Does that really work?? I've always heard and thought that it does!!!

5. I have a friend...who has a friend....and they are having trouble with their daughter. You know how that can be sometimes...they want their freedom, but yet aren't really ready for the responsibility that comes with it!!! Pray for this family that God will give them wisdom and discernment on handling the situation...also please pray for the young lady that God will keep His guiding hand on her...and that she will keep Him in her life!!!

If I've left out anybody, or anything, please give me a shout so I can add it!!!

In His Love...and with mine!!!

{ A date to remember }

I don't post on Saturday too often, but I couldn't let today go by without recognizing my precious Mamaw.  Today marks the 5th anniversary of her  death.   Mamaw was born September 11, 1911 and passed away on May 7, 2011, four months shy of her 100th birthday.  My Mamaw was one of the most awesome women I've ever known.  I can't even begin to describe to you what she meant to me.  She was the best cook on the planet and loved her family with a passion.  A huge hole was left in my heart when we lost her.  Just like today, May 7th fell on the day before Mother's Day in 2011.  She was the epitome of a grandmother and if I can be only half the Mamaw she was, then I'll be happy.

 Doing what she loved best.....

cooking for her family!

Wasn't she beautiful?

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of such an awesome grandparent.

Happy Mother's Day to you, Mamaw, as you celebrate in heaven!

My Mamaw's Hands

(courtesy of Jessica Leigh Photography - 
click on picture to enlarge and read)

These are the hands of my Mamaw, my Mom, Jess, me, and our GRAND-sons.  This was a Mother's Day gift to each of us several years ago from Jess.

 When I would go visit Mamaw, I would always try to sit by her on the couch and hold her hand....she never offered to pull her hand away, would just sit and hold hands with me.  Hers, feeble and wrinkled....mine fast getting the same way.  I asked God to give me a sweet memory of her that would be so different than what we saw yesterday and He brought back the reminder of her hands....and I found out thru my sweet friend that Jess had posted a picture of Mamaw's hands on FB last night. 


 Then I remembered that the first thing I noticed when Pappy and I walked into the room yesterday....was Mamaw's hand was outside her cover....I do believe she was reaching to let Jesus take her hand and lead her home!

Happy Mother's Day!


 In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

Friday Fotos.....

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTmas!

I ♥ this time of year.....

except, it REALLY makes me miss my Daddy and my Mamaw.
Yesterday, December 4th, was the 20th anniversary of my Daddy's death.

He loved getting gifts.....
and family get-togethers.....
and chocolate.....
well, actually any kind of "sweet".
I totally got my sweet tooth from him!

And my Mamaw.....

well, that woman just simply LOVED.

She loved her family.....

loved to cook.....

loved birds.....

(both my Daddy and Mamaw loved the birdies.....

and they are different sides of my family.....

so it's no wonder I have the same affection, right?)

So.....

it being CHRISTmas-time.....

and speaking of birds......

I want to share our tree and a new wreath I conjured up for this year.
 If you know me well.....
then, you won't be at all surprised at my "woodsy" tree.
It's all burlap and owlies and snowflakes and rusty jingle bells!
Pay close attention to the tree "skirt" in the pictures below.
It's actually a very old bed sheet that my Mamaw made out of grain sacks.
How fitting that it would cradle our tree this year!

HOPE y'all have an awesome weekend!

Breathing in Grace,

August 24, 2011

My Mom and Aunt are sorting thru my Mamaw's things.  When I was there one day last week, I saw a lot of the scarves that Mamaw had embroidered over the years and I remembered that she had done us one not long after we got married.  I've been doing some cleaning out and I found mine in the linen closet, so I got it out and ironed it and put it on a table in the sun room.  The table also came from Mamaw....we had it refinished many years ago!!!  
The vine also came from one of the dish gardens sent when Mamaw passed away.

Sweet memories of such a precious lady!!!

Happy Grandparent's Day

I know I said I probably wouldn't be posting on Sunday's...but....today is Grandparent's Day!!! That means I have to post a little something. I am so blessed at my age to still have a grandparent living....my grandmother....my Mamaw Hillard!!! Mamaw will be 97 years young next Saturday, the 13th, so I know I'll have something to post about that, especially pics of her birthday celebration. But, I want everybody to know that she is the best Mamaw ever...and I love her dearly!!!

Happy Grandparent's Day Mamaw....you mean the world to me and I love you so, so much!!!

Job 12:12 (NLT)
Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.

In His love...and with mine!!!