a Poem from reminiscing times with my Grandparents
To Grandma's house
Over the hills to Grandma's house
Does that make sense or ring a bell
For you? It does to me
some I remember well
Christmas and Thanksgiving most
Always we'd go. Turkey perhaps not
I'm not sure she knew how it cooks
All the moms brought some
things but Turkey not
Aunt, mother of the oldest kids
she'd bring duck
I didn't eat duck I think all the kids
didn't although the adults swooned
when it came in the door
Most kids didn't like Grandma's
scalaped oysters but I did. She made
them in a large tall pot
had soda crackers lining the
walls. Then
once a year, I don't remember when
like spring or fall, we'd have
fried catfish caught fresh from
the Missouri River they
were really good, I remember there'd
be yummy oyster stew too
Saturday nights Grandma and
Grandpa would always be home We
liked to come, Mom
would cook something good and
then head over there to
eat with them
Cousins might come too
Grandpa had TV and we liked the
wrestling he would watch. We liked
TV and we didn't
have one at home. After big holiday
family meals us kids watched Howdy
Doody on his TV
Mom and I would eat
breakfast too with Grandma
mostly on Monday mornings when
Mom would bring over her laundry.
We had no machine Those days
I had a private audience with
Grandma,
and she with me
Grandma was a school teacher before
she married After that she stayed
at home, had kids, cooked and took
care of the kids
She took care of Grandpa too, washed his
clothes and found him food. I know she
could cook regular stuff, fried eggs
and potatoes and oyster stew
Grandpa was the boss,
boss of Mom and Dad, boss of me
But not boss of Grandma. Grandpa had
three Midwest farms, all close together.
(My father share cropped on the smallest,
120 acres. The farm had to provide for
Mom, Dad, my younger sister, and me)
_ _ _ _
- Photo and Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2010 and 2018, All Rights Reserved
- I'm linked with Sherry Blue Sky in the Imaginary Garden at http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com/2018/12/wordy-thursday-with-wild-woman.html
- This is all true. Sherry wanted us to relate to some happenings or people or places that we were associated with in earlier days.
Labels: Family, Grandchildren, Jim's Life, Personal-Challenge-2018, Poem, Real Toads
posted by Jim @ 12/06/2018 09:11:00 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Jim, those were the days when families lived close and got together often. My grandma looked after one after another of us grandkids while our parents worked. Now families are scattered, maybe getting together for a funeral. Sigh. I love your poem. It took me back.
This is a beautiful poem, about those times and the relationships that were shared and nurtured in feelings of harmony and togetherness. It's like going through an old album and peeking into the history of your family. I love these sepia-toned memories and how they remind us all of our humanity.
The importance of grandparents is no longer apparent in today’s society, although they do still play a big role. I love the reminiscence and nostalgia in your poem, Jim, which triggered memories of my own grandparents. I was amazed by the descriptions of the food on your Christmas and Thanksgiving tables, Jim, especially the duck, oysters and catfish, which we’d never even heard of in post-war London. But back then we did have a lovely big extended family, which I miss.
"Grandpa was the boss,
boss of Mom and Dad, boss of me
But not boss of Grandma"
I love this. :)
And I love oysters! It's been ages since I had them last. My FIL buys them for me once in a blue moon.
Speaking of which, do you know the Norah Jones song, "Sinkin' Soon"? It opens with oyster crackers and stew. I was just listening to it last night. It's so sexy to me. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TDZgGmY_yU
Work, family, love, home... much of it spoken through working hands. I grew up in Missouri, north of Kansas City.
What a beautiful account of your early life Jim. It is always good to pass the information on so future generations can see how life was lived back then.
What a great recollection for you!
A very warm connected family. Love all the quotidien details. Grandma sounds great.
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