It’s fun reading your Wise Granny stories.
I hope you will write more! If you missed them, read the comments section starting with those two posts back and continuing under the previous post. The previous post’s comments also include conversations about trains and gardens and lots of other good stuff.
The view of our home, taken upon returning to camp late in the day, Benson, Arizona
A few comments made me realize that I didn’t convey clearly the sources and breadth of Granny’s wisdom.
I want to correct that.
Granny made decisions based upon more than weather conditions. During her eighty-plus years of living simply, regular church-going, prayer, and Bible study, cooking, cleaning, raising children, planting, growing, harvesting at her truck farm and operating a roadside vegetable stand, and helping others in the surrounding Georgia countryside, Granny became wise.
Wisdom doesn’t come easy.
Granny suffered. Many years earlier, Granny (then known as Lois) suffered a great loss. As was her habit, Lois stopped by her daughter’s house on the way to Sunday evening church service. Mother and daughter always rode together, as the son-in-law didn’t attend church.
This one evening, the daughter, several months pregnant, said she didn’t feel up to it, understandable considering her condition.
The next day Lois (Granny) was told that her daughter passed away in the night. The cause was discovered to be sepsis, secondary to a kidney infection.
All the years that followed, Granny kept her daughter’s photo at her bedside.
That black-and-white photograph gave evidence of the intervening passage of time. The frame held the face of a smiling, young woman, her hair waved forties-style and held back from her forehead with a clip. As was the custom in those days before color photography, her eyes were lightly painted blue, her hair tinged with a warm brown, and her cheeks and lips brushed with a hint of pink.
No, wisdom doesn’t come easy.
Whether it was when to travel or when to stay home, when to broach a sensitive subject with a friend, which day to pick the figs or shake the pecans out of the trees, when to pursue, when to hold on tight, or when to let go, Granny knew.
For example . . .
People pride themselves in being able to “read” their bodies. Being alert to changes in one’s body, mental state, and energies is a valuable skill. Granny took that skill to a whole new level. She detected those changes in others before they did. Maybe she learned a hard lesson from the loss of her daughter and unborn grandchild.
One Saturday morning I stop by her house on my way to town. I tell her I can only stay a minute (how often we use that excuse when it’s really not true!), that I “have a lot to get done.”
Granny in her firm, yet loving, voice, says, “No. You’re staying for lunch.”
I protest.
Granny counters.
“If you go, you’ll get sick.”
I stay.
Granny sets to work.
A short while later, I sit at the table in her tiny and clean kitchen, Granny at the other end, her head bowed, saying grace, including a few words on my behalf.
This is what my friend put before me on that chilly, blustery, November day: one well-browned Jimmy Dean sausage patty, a thick slice of jellied cranberry sauce, a biscuit fresh out of the oven, and a bowl of warmed collard greens with a chunk of pork fat hiding in the pot likker somewhere.
(Read about the nutritional benefits of collards. If you don’t want to read it all, at least scroll down to the graph. What a powerfully healthful vegetable!)
Boy, everything tastes so good!
As I eat I feel myself being fortified. New strength flows through me. Being Saturday-busy the way working people often are, I hadn’t noticed how depleted I’d become.
And I feel calmer, too. I consider asking for another biscuit, this time with some of Granny’s homemade fig jam.
I don’t have to ask.
“There’s more if you want it.”
Thanks, Granny!
rvsue
NOTE: I apologize for the lack of photos to go with this post. More next time!
Thank you for your responses to the Rusty and Piper update. Interesting comments were coming in under the previous post shortly before this one being published. Enjoy! — Sue
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First?
Such words of wisdom from Granny. She was right in so many ways and to have learned from a tragic incident. Sad. I am aware of the nutritional value of greens and love them!
LEADER OF THE PACK TODAY, RENEE! CONGRATULATIONS!
Woohoo! Thank you, Sue!
🙂
Second?
Oh yes, wisdom almost always comes at a cost. How generous of Granny to share her hard-won wisdom with you. That is an ever rarer commodity these days!
So true….
Those wise folks are still around. People need to take the time to listen though.
Well, I saw this one right after you posted it. However, remembering and writing about the elders in my life will take some time. I’m glad to hear more about yours, and I’ll post later. (I didn’t even notice about the pictures until you mentioned it.)
I look forward to whatever you write, Calvin. I smiled at you not noticing the lack of photos. I’ll take that as a great compliment, thank you. 🙂
A reader asked a question under the previous post which I neglected to answer so I’ll do that here, since I think there are readers with a like concern.
QUESTION:
” . . . you sometimes let your crew run free, do you worry about snakes and scorpions? Have you found them a problem? We have a folding corral for the boys but I would love to let them run. Just not sure though.”
ANSWER:
I can’t give a definite answer that will fit all places and circumstances. I can say I try to be always mindful of our surroundings, especially what is on the ground nearby. Also it’s important to be cognizant of weather that brings the snakes out in spring.
Rattlesnakes tend to like the shady sides of sunny paths, where they can move in and out of sun and shade to regulate body temperature. Those are places to be especially careful and, in my opinion, to avoid once the weather warms.
I stay away from places with lots of piled rocks and boulders, unless they are regularly frequented by people such as in campgrounds. One time early in our travels my crew and I stopped at a place in central AZ called “Nowhere.” It consists of a pile of boulders and a sign. I stepped out of the PTV and instantly felt “snakiness.”
Right now our camp is warming up. It was in the 80s yesterday. No more running loose. I’m also keeping our walks to the wide, dirt road now.
Twice Roger has barked an alarm at a grassy area near our campsite. I brought him inside immediately and I’m being extra vigilant when stepping outside or when the boys play outside, tethered to the BLT.
I’m sorry I can’t give a better answer. Tolerance for risk vs. safety is something everyone has to decide for themselves.
Maybe blogorinos have more to offer on this subject of dogs and snakes and scorpions?
Scorpions hide in the day and come out at night! They aren’t looking to “attack” you or your dog…and will only sting if accidentally stepped on.
I wouldn’t leave stuff (beds blankets etc) down on the ground overnight.
AO has sniffed at a scorpion running at night on the cool deck. A quick “leave it” and she ignores it.
That’s one reason I take up the boys’ doggie beds or lounging pillow. Also don’t like night critters pooping on their stuff.
In the 6 years I’ve had my fur baby here in AZ I have never come across a snake in the wilderness or during one of our neighborhood walks, and nor a single scorpion. I worry about spiders, but even with his love of dark, dusty spaces, my doggie has never been bit. We’ve encountered numerous skunks (sprayed only once!! He’s learned that smell means NO!haha) , a couple raccoons and a few wasps (he has a tendency to snap at things that buzz). From my perspective, I’m more concerned about the ticks and fleas of the east of here than the critters around here!
Besides what Sue has already mentioned, just pay special attention to rocky areas or clusters of boulders that can provide cool shelter for creepy crawlies, during the winter there is no need to worry!
Hi Sue! I don’t have a wise granny story, but I do have a funny list that my grandmother told me she had when looking for a husband. 1) He couldn’t be too handsome. She didn’t want the ladies eyeing him all the time. 2) His mother should be passed. Oh goodness, I have the rest written down but not handy. So glad that my mother didn’t insist on that last one when she married my dad, or I wouldn’t have gotten to know my quirky Nanna.
Cute anecdote, Dawn. Thanks for telling it here. 🙂
It’s taken me a few days since we got home from our trip to catch up with reading the last few posts and accompanying comments. The granny stories have been wonderful and I loved getting to see Rusty’s photos – it’s always nice to be able to match an image to a thought of someone. We eat a ton of spinach and chard, but I’ve never cooked beet greens, mustard greens or collards. What’s the best way to do it? A little olive oil and garlic???
My little great-nephew was born on Monday. He had a congenital heart defect (which we were expecting thanks to some wonderful pre-natal testing) called TGA/Transposition of the Great Arteries. We each have a pulmonary artery and an aorta coming out of our hearts, and in his little heart, their position was improperly swapped. So yesterday, he had open-heart surgery at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Everything went as planned and he is doing well – I just know so many prayers guided the surgeon’s hands. He won’t be able to go home until he is about 6 weeks old, but we are all just so relieved and grateful that he made it through his first four days!!
We’ve had some rain here the last couple of days – I imagine some of it made its way east to Sue and the crew. It’s been nice because it came in slow and steady, allowing it to soak into the ground. When I took the dogs for their morning sniff and pull (some people call it a walk!) everything looked so green and clean.
I am deathly afraid of snakes and tend to walk my dogs on wide sidewalks. I stay away from narrow paths where there is dry brush or rocks that might harbor snakes. We have a lot of dirt trails in the hills around our house and many of my neighbors have encountered rattlesnakes and non-poisonous snakes on their walks up there. I know there are snake avoidance classes offered by many wildlife groups, gun clubs, and dog trainers, where they teach dogs to recognize the sight, smell, and sound of hiding rattlesnakes. Anyone who is worried about encountering snakes might benefit from such a class.
Thank God your family’s new baby is recovering well! Best wishes and prayers for the little guy and all those who have fallen in love with him. 🙂
It’s always a pleasure to hear from you, Cynthia. You add much to this blog.
No rain here!
Blogorinos: Do you know the best way to cook “beet greens, mustard greens or collards?”
I cook greens all the time but don’t do anything fancy. I just cook them in a small amount of water or chicken broth until tender; sometimes I start them in olive oil, sometimes I add garlic powder. Beet greens cook very fast and collards take longer. They are a really good source of calcium and other good things.
42 degrees here so that warm weather you are having sounds really good.
Hi, Janie,
Thinning and cooking the beets out of the garden, when the beets are less than an inch in diameter, along with the tops…. nutritious and delicious. My mother cooked them in a small amount of water with the lid on, then slathered them with butter (or margarine — It was the 50s, after all).
I really like some balsamic vinegar on the greens along with garlic and onions, maybe some peppers.
Throw a slab of pork belly or salted pork in a heavy pot over high heat, sear till browned and fat is released, reduce heat to med and add sliced onions and garlic, sizzle till browned, deglaze the pan with a hefty pour of decent sherry. When alcohol is cooked out, throw in shredded collards, sautee for a few minutes then add a few cups of bone broth to cover the greens, then turn down to a simmer for about 2-3hrs till the greens are chewy, or to your liking 🙂 Add some red pepper flakes with the broth if you like it spicy!!
That sounds absolutely delish, Seana! I’m definitely going to try it that way! Thanks for sharing.
Speaking of collards…and I am a beginner there…I found a recipe to make a wrap using them as the wrap…raw and uncooked…washed well of course…it was downright ok!! Not bad at all…so you might think of so doing that sometime…finely sliced and diced veggies, lettuce if you can…meat if you like and some kind of dressing…be it ranch or whatever…I am sure cheese might taste good too, if you can have it…
In my experience, it often takes more than just normal awareness to detect signs that someone else isn’t feeling well. If one cares for the other person being in tune with, and empathetic of, them is more likely to happen. Granny obviously loved you as a friend. I’m glad you had her help when life was so difficult that you needed someone else to notice what condition you were in. I think you’re right that she learned from her tragic loss. I can only imagine the depth of her grief from that.
Your single photo in this post is a glimpse of a somewhat rare dark and cloudy late afternoon in southern Arizona. The plant and wildlife there needs all the rainy days they can get this season. Providence and friends offering nourishment… always lovely to think about.
Hi, weather,
Good point about love helping us be sensitive to each other’s needs. Similar to the way those in a loving relationship understand each other with very little being said.
Granny had two daughters. Turned out the unborn grandchild was the only one she had.
We didn’t receive any rain but the plants, animals, and me and the crew are equipped to wait for its arrival in its own good time. 🙂
Thank you for another thoughtful comment, weather.
Well, since I married Chuck, I don’t get to eat greens like I used to! He doesn’t like them. But when I do fix them, I either boil them or grill them with some ingredients…. a slice of bacon and a bit of vinegar. I add more water if I am steaming or boiling them.
If I am cooking them in my cast iron fry pan, I add just a bit of water to keep them moist.! I can eat a whole bag of spinach all by myself! Ha!
Hi, Geri,
In Georgia, prior to New Year’s Day, one sees shoppers in the check-out line with huge bunches of collards to go with their ham/ham hock and black-eyed peas. Lots of rural homes have a plot of collards, left unpicked until the cold weather improves their taste, right in time for the new year.
Chuck is missing out! 🙂
I agree, Chuck is missing out on the good stuff!
Collard greens (or any greens) sauted in a bit of butter with garlic and a sprinkle of chili powder on top….oh boy….
Oh, yeah, good…. Common practice of collard eaters in Georgia is to have a bottle of hot sauce within reach.
Hi Sue, I was curious. Is your house battery the same type and size as the batteries in your van being charged by the solar panels? And, when your moving from one location to another do you run your fridge on propane? Thanks!
Hi, Jesse,
The BLT’s “house battery” is an Optima yellow-top AGM battery. The PTV’s two “storage batteries” are the same Optimas. The PTV’s starter battery isn’t an Optima.
I run the fridge on propane while moving.
Sue,
I love your pictures but even more I appreciate the way you tell stories making your readers feel like we were there or we also knew the people you write about. Thank you for taking us to those special places in your life.
You’re welcome, Marilu, and thank you for the sweet note.
When I was a kid, my Aunt and her family lived in Quartz Hill, a desert area above Los Angeles. They didn’t have a basement, but they did have a crawl space and she had a huge blacksnake living under the house. All us kids were cautioned to leave the snake alone because she didn’t want it to pack up and move. All the years the snake lived there, she never saw a mouse in the house.
Your aunt was a smart woman!
My neighbor had to have her one cup of collards everyday. Miss Clara bell lived to 101 yrs old and always chipper and smiling.
Hi, Sue!
Thank you for sharing the pictures of Rusty and Miss Piper’s new home. It is easy to see that Rusty is having fun, making it his own, with a garden and scenic railway. Miss Piper is having fun, too….running through her daddy’s newly tilled garden. Ha! 🙂
Those of us that have or had a “Granny” in our lives have been truly blessed. My maternal grandparents and I were extremely close. Grandma and I bonded when she would let me help cook and bake, always teaching, sharing life lessons, and stories of her and Grandpa’s early years. I cherished our time in the kitchen, and when snuggled on Gram’s lap, swaying back and forth in the rocker with the squeaky springs. Grandpa shared stories of how they met, their trials and tribulations, and life lessons learned. Some of my favorite times were helping him tend the flower beds and rhubarb patch in their postage-stamp sized backyard, and learning how to clean out the bird bath properly. I also loved hanging out with him while he was fixing things in the garage or basement. I cherished our special time, sharing news of the day, sitting side by side on the radiator, oh, so delightfully cozy and warm in the fall and winter, and welcomely cool in the hot summers. Our grandparents were always very loving and supportive of all of us (me and my sisters). They would do anything for us, and would offer help in any way that they could. Not monetarily….their wealth was in being present. I never understood why my “million” (ok, I am exaggerating a bit) cousins did not value our grandparents like we did or even want to bother to form a relationship. In my mind, they missed out big time. Tomorrow would have been my Grandma’s birthday. I miss you dearly and think of you and Grandpa every day, Gram! xo 💕
I have enjoyed reading about other blogorinos special “Granny.’ Thank you all for sharing! 🙂
Sending you, Reggie, and Roger love and hugs from me and Gracie pup! Enjoy the weekend! 🙂
I think of “elders” rather than “granny,” and I am blessed in that department.
I had a junior-high English teacher who could impart wisdom from the front of a classroom. He was a World War II veteran who had married an English woman after the war. She didn’t come to the US with him, though, and I don’t know what happened between them. He was worldly for our very small town and dignified without being pretentious, and as he approached retirement, he talked about aging. I learned to take a very long perspective, and that still serves me. He talked about many other things, too, and people in the class enjoyed getting him off the topic of English. (We had a good passing rate, though.)
I later discovered Aunt Hazel, who had a caring attitude and a flair for words that she herself never appreciated or nourished. Aunt Hazel tolerated our mutual family well and had a world of experience, much of it hard, from which she had learned. She also gave me the foundation of my family history, which I still pursue.
There are others, too, but as I sit here, I’m too sleepy to think of them all. I appreciate each one’s wisdom and willingness to gently pass it on.
Grandpas are pretty wise too. My birthday is March 4th. When I turned 12, I remember my grandpa looking up from the newspaper he was reading that morning, told me “Happy Birthday,” and said I was “born on the only day that is also a command, and when things get bad, you have to remember to keep marching forth.”
My wise little 4’6″ little Italian Granny didn’t speak any English but when I was young she took me out to the chopping block in her backyard, made chicken noises, made a gesture like she was twisting its neck. And then gestured that you put the chicken on the chopping block and made hatchet to the neck movements. I still giggle about that.
One of her wisdoms though was if y0u want that last piece of lemon pie, eat it. She argued with my aunt that dang it she was going to eat it (under Helen’s protest) and she did. She died in her sleep that night happy I’m sure!
I love the Granny stories, both yours and Bolgorinos’. I think you are becoming your own version of Granny, Sue, complete with nature wisdom, spiritual wisdom, intuition, and experience.
In can feel the joy of the boys’ days of playing, zooming, walking, napping, and eating chicken. Canine bliss.
You’ve made me want biscuits and fig jam.
Thank you for a wonderful story of Granny. A real uplifting tale and so enjoyable.
A bot of wisdom from some one older than I
Never pass up the opportunity to keep your mouth shut.
That has saved me a boatload of grief…..
Great post, RvSue!
I guess we have gotten used to snakes out where we live. Last night, at twilight, we were walking down to close our gate and walked around a copperhead in the middle of the driveway. He slithered off into the bushes. I hate to kill things when they are not an immediate threat. Mostly snakes just want to be left alone.
HAPPY SATURDAY, EVERYONE!
Whether this is a day for chores and getting things done or it’s a day for play and relaxation, I wish you well.
As always, I appreciate your participation in my blog. Funny, it seems strange to write “my blog.” It would be more appropriate to write “our blog.” You have made it what it is, a friendly, kind, and interesting respite from the harshness encountered in daily life.
Thank you!
Bye for now,
Sue
Enjoying the notes about the ones who taught us in life. Reading about some of these, this quote came to my mind: “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” It is attributed to AW Tozer…but I heard years ago it was said by John Bunyan who wrote Pilgrims Progress…so I don’t know. But by this time of my life, I do believe these words to be true!! We are still in the midst of great trial here. And anyone who prays, your prayers for the protection and best interest of our grandchildren are appreciated.
This week was talking to our little granddaughter (5) about my grandparents…she wondered where they were (been gone many years now)…and I told her as old as we are, I doubted that her children would ever know us because we are kind of old already. But that just as I was telling her about my grandparents, and what I learned from them, I hoped she would tell her grandchildren about US as we won’t be around to know them. What she does not know, of course, is that I am working on writing a book for our offspring about those wonderful people in my life (my mom, and her parents) which I hope to make copies of and that I hope will one day be in each grandchild’s hands. There is so much…there is not near enough time to tell them all I want to…so this is my way to do it. I hope others will do so also. We live in a culture that is fast losing most reason…and if we do not share what we know before we leave this life…who will tell them?
PS…I feel this is especially true…to the urgency for especially those of us who do not have much or any contact with our grandchildren, or some of them… to write down what you would say IF YOU COULD…give that to a trusted relative or friend, and hope that one day it will come into their hands…esp. once they are grown up and can then take safeguard of it. (Often those married into our kin do not have regards for anyone precious to us…so we must find a way to convey this…as well as our love for them in the writing of it…and thus not allow these unhappy sorts to have the final say!!)…just sayin’…
Hi, Elizabeth, I like your idea about writing family stories for the next generations to have.
I loved this post…I felt I was there at the farm and the table! It also brought back memories of my grannies. Thank you so much for sharing this. Safe travels!
Loved all the Granny stories. My grandparents passed when we were young. Grandpa when I was 8 from a heart attack and grandma when I was 10 from diabetes. However, they both loved life. In addition to grandpa’s job, he raised Beagles. I always had a good time going out with him to help feed and water them. Though there was probably more playing on my part. He and grandma had all their children and grand children over every Sunday for dinner. On Saturdays, grandpa would go to the bakery and fill the baker cabinet drawer with sweet rolls and cookies, so when we got all got their on Sunday, all of us kids including the cousins all made a dash for the bakery drawer. The whole time our parents telling us to stay out and grandpa saying let them have it, that’s what its there for. Grandma loved to laugh and boy did we make her do that with all of our silliness. She taught me how to sew on a treadle sewing machine, gosh was that hard! as well as crochet. She always made doilies and dresser scarves. She lived with us the last 6 months of her life. Her diabetes had gotten so bad that she only had 2 teeth left, & lost several of her toes. She was so weak she couldn’t stand, so she was in a wheelchair. It was a sad day when she passed. I am so glad they have made such progress in treating diabetes. (She died in the mid 50’s) This is the end of my blabber.
Yes, I was going to comment on greens. Sorry-but yuck!
My Dad was from Alabama and he and my mom both loved turnip and mustard greens. He grew them in his garden and when they boiled those up they sure stunk up the house! I would get in my car and go out to eat with my friends when they ate those! I have become fond of spinach in salads as I have grown older so maybe I would be more tolerant now…
But I doubt it! 😀