Christina Websell wrote:
My grandmother said "just eat your egg and toast, God is cross with
someone but it's not you.." So I ate my egg. I was quite happy
with that explanation because I knew thunder was about God being
annoyed about something too.
Grandmothers are wonderful, aren't they?

Tweed
let's have some OT grandmother tales. They deserve to be recognised
for how they shaped our lives.

Well let's see. Grandma Brown was straight off the boat from Scotland (they
emigrated around 1920). She had a delightful low-country brogue. The first
thing upon going to visit, after hugging Grandma of course, was to check the
tin on the shelf by the cellar stairs. Home baked cookies! Oatmeal,
chocolate chip. She also made the most wonderful scones and shortbread. I
inherited her cast-iron griddle which she used to cook the scones on. I've
never managed to capture her light touch with the scones. (sigh) She also
had a sense of humour. Mom told me once they were walking to church and
grandma had put her panties on over a girdle. As they were walking, her
panties slid down around her ankles. Barely breaking stride, she picked
them up, tucked them in her purse and resumed walking. LOL

Now here's an odd thing. My father literally married "the girl next door"
so Grandma Mac lived in the house next to Grandma Brown. I remember one
occasion when I took a Barbie doll over and she got out a rag bag and a
needle and thread and on the spot hand-sewed a cute little skirt and top for
my doll out of yellow and white gingham with a white lace trim. I swear it
didn't take her 10 minutes and it was all hand-done. I was so thrilled!
She didn't bake cookies but upon visiting it would not do to fail to check
the candy dish! She made fantastic candy! I only once made her wonderful
date-nut-coconut candy. We're talking a production that Lucy & Ethel would
have found hilarious. It turned out well but it's rather like making
tamales - once was enough. I've no idea how she managed this in her tiny
kitchen on a regular basis. She also baked bread every Tuesday - 8 loaves.
Two would be given to my Grandma Brown, she kept one and gave the rest away
to other neighbors.

Grandma Brown died in 1976; Grandma Mac (who was younger) died in 1983. I
still miss them. And I wish I'd been a bit older so I could have talked
with them about how things were when they were growing up. Grandma Brown
was born in 1896 - imagine the things she saw in her lifetime! Went from a
crofters-type cottage with peat fires and being a "ladies maid" in a fine
house to being a housewife in the U.S. From the oil lamps and gaslight days
to electricity; from horse and buggies to cars and seeing men walk on the
moon.

Jill