| My fondest memories are from the late 40s when I visited my great-grandmother and her two daughters (above). They lived in the country in a small five-room house with no electricity and no inside plumbing. Water was pumped from a well with a hand pump, which was on the back porch, just outside the kitchen door. Cooking was done on a very large wood-burning stove and these grand ladies turned out the tastiest food such as I have never eaten since. They cooked three full meals each day, and the aroma of the wood smoke and fresh-baked bread filled the house. My grandfather and I visited them often, and when we arrived, the first order of business was a visit to the pantry out of which my great-grandmother took the largest sugar cookie I’d ever seen. How big were they? Well, I later learned the cookies had been cut with a large coffee can. Just beyond the garden was a two-seater privy, which was kept as clean as their house. A foot bridge across a small stream led to the barn which housed chickens, guinea hens, geese and of course, a cow. Fresh eggs, fresh milk, fresh vegetables from the garden. I remember vividly the soothing sound of silence except for the ticking of the captain’s clock on the mantle. I would sit in the big padded rocking chair enjoying the tranquility. To this day, I love the sound of a ticking clock. I can close my eyes and see the white picket fence lined with roses and all the beautiful flowers and shrubbery which surrounded the house. I recall the taste of the icy-cold water, which we drank from tin cups. I remember my great aunt playing hymns on the old pump organ. Bedtime was shortly after dark. The oil lamps were lit only during the winter evenings when days were shorter, so it was to bed by 8 PM and up at 4 AM. By five, that mouth-watering aroma had filled the house. As a result of being a part of this family, I think the most important thing that I learned from them is that happiness comes from within the heart. No pretense, just plain, simple folk. I am fortunate to have these wonderful memories. |
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