Monday, February 4, 2008

SWEET MEMORIES

I don't know how far back anyone can remember but it seems like the Good Memories stay in our mind from a young age.
I remember that I always Loved my Grandmother (Nellie)...she was my Mothers Mother. There were times when we lived with her or close to her and sometimes far away. It didn't matter because she was always in my daily thoughts. If I was sad she would wipe my tears and if I was Happy she was there to share my happiness.
She was born of Feb 28th in 1895 and the thing no one knew for many years is that she was found on the door step of the Mother she knew and that raised her. There was a note in the basket with her that read "Please take care of my Daughter "Nellie Christina".
She grew up in a loving family and even though there was hard times she grew up to be the Wonderful Person that I remember. She always trusted the Lord to be there for her and I know he always was. Way back in the days of her growing up the girls had to learn to do certain things and they had to learn to do it right. When she was 7 years old she had to make pieces of a old fashioned patch quilt. It was all different shapes and fabrics. They used the heavy ticking on the back and filled it with whatever was available. I was lucky enough to end up with the pieces that she made when she passed away. I kept them in a drawer for many years and kept trying to think of ways to display them.
If you go to my web site you will see the Teddy Bear that I made using some of the quilt pieces she made. I will alsays treasure that Bear because it was made by me (and she taught me how to sew) and it is pieces from her past. That Bear is now displayed on a Little Ice Cream Chair that belonged to my Mother as a child (another Treasure)
I have a lot of Good Memories of my Grandmother...we always called her Muma...but it was spelled mama. If you check out my website (Hugginshaven) you can see the well Loved Bear.
She was my Idol...my mentor...she taught me many things. I can still remember going to her House when she lived next door and her electric would be out...we would ask her what she was going to do her reply was always "The Lord will Provide" and sure enough the next day she would get a check in the mail :)
I still have some of her old Electric bills..they averaged about $3.00....times sure have changed. I used toLove to listen to her hum different Hymns while she was sitting at her sewing machine. I could stand and watch her for hours and it always amazed me how she could take a folded up big piece of Fabric and make something so Beautiful.
She started teaching me to sew when I was about 10 and would give me scraps of her fabric and I wouls lay my doll on that piece of fabric and cut around it and try to make doll clothes. I had to sew everything by hand. It would be interesting if I still had some of the first items I tried to make. She would then take the item and show me what I did wrong (like you can't fit a dolls head through a tiny round hole LOL) and show me the next step. When I was about 13 and had mastered simple patterns and my Grandmother was kind enough to trust me with using her sewing machine that my Dad bought me a little cheap sewing machine...The brand was a Koyo but could use singer parts.
She never gave up on me and must have had the patience of a Saint,,,she told me if I would keep sewing and learning new things that she would buy me everything I would need to sew...and she did..every color thread and every color zipper in every size and patterns and fabric. By the time I was in High school and took sewing class...it was a snap..I got all A's.
So now whenever I am kind of down and just feel like giving up on a lot of things...I just think about her and how sad she would be if I gave up....and how Happy she would be if I kept trying.
She called me her little entrepeauner. I would go to her house when she lived in the country and I was about 8 years old and pick Cat Tails out of the swampy areas, Then take them home where we lived in the City and paint them with house paint and paint for model cars...then I went door to door and sold them.
I will never be able to quit making things to sell...even when they don't sell. Be sure and read my post about my cook book I am publishing. Anyone that reads my blog is welcome to submit their favorite Recipes and see their name in print:)
Guess I rambled long enough for now...I could write a book about my Memories of my Grandmother. I still miss her every day.

5 comments:

Cora from Hidden Riches said...

Nancy, your post was just so sweet and brought back memories of my own grandmother, Opoe! She could sew, and always came to help my mother make our clothing. Scissors and scraps flew everywhere!

I know how you feel about your grandmother being a mentor like that. I only wish I could have learned all that mine knew how to do -- sewing, knitting, tatting, crochet, etc. Such a wealth of knowledge and abilities that I missed out on.

There is a saying, "God gives us memories so that we might have Roses in December."

Surely, your memories are blooming like roses in your post! Thanks for sharing the bouquet with us all! Cora

Lisa W. said...

Nancy,
Your story was so nice to read and brought tears to my eyes. It brought back lots of memories of my grandmother who I was very very close to. She was like my second mom. She was born in 1924 and died in 2004. I don't know that I will ever get over loosing her. I was not ready for her to go. My grandmother could sew also. When I was little she sewed or crocheted my clothes. I have two dollies she made when she was a younger girl using the threads from salt bags. One day soon I plan on having them framed. Thanks for such a nice story.

Lisa

J C said...

This is a beautiful post and a wonderful tribute to your grandmother. Mine was very special to me, also and I was much closer to her than my own mother. She taught me "real" things. Thanks for sharing!

Timaree said...

That was a really nice story about you and your Grandmother. I remember mine too - stories of the "old days" and cinnamon rolls freshly made. She was born in 1890 just a few years older than yours.

nancy huggins said...

I love the saying Cora and will be using it on some of the things that I make to create memories.
Thank you for sharing
Nancy
Hugginshaven.com