Holiday gatherings give me the warm fuzzies. For my family this was always a time of good food, company and sharing. My Mother was of the generation of women whose mind body and soul was centered around their cooking. The acquisition and preparation of the food would make a military stratagist proud. The holidays were their time for the spotlight and they well earned it. They put their heart soul and foot into making a making the holidays awesome. (Just kidding about the foot. My parents are Southerners and its considered the highest compliment to tell someone they "put their foot into it", the meal). Interestingly when my parents married my Daddy was the better cook. Daddy made the best cakes. He used a heavy silver serving spoon to beat his cakes. They would float out of the oven they were so light. Daddy's an Ancestor now, and foodie that I am, I'm still looking for a cake as light as his.
Back to the holidays they were always a time for large gatherings , many times folks came to our house for dinner. We had to eat in shifts. Kids and the elders were always fed first. The eldest person present, usually my granddaddy said grace. (Granddaddy passed just shy of his 96 birthday). I liked when my Daddy said grace. His prayer was, "Good food, Great God , Lets eat." and we did. Smile.
As I was thinking about this post I remembered a particular holiday my Mom pulled out a guitar she had bought at auction. (My Mom is from old money Atlanta, Georgia. Mommie loved auctions, I guess that's why all of our furniture was Duncan Phyfe. Good solid furniture that would withstand seven very active kids and their friends.) Mommie brought the guitar out showing it off, she couldn't play it. Mr Gus, from Mississippi, asked her for the guitar and started to play it. Mr Gus sang the blues and picked that guitar like he was Muddy Waters. For an hour you didn't hear a pin drop, even the babies were silent. After about an hour someone pulled out a harmonica and then folk started joining in or singing a song to his playing. It was an amazing day. Mr Gus's wife didn't know he could play guitar or sing like that!
My Mommie had sang jazz in nightclubs in Chicago. When I was little I would get up and lay just outside the kitchen door to hear her sing. She would be singing as she made biscuits or some other baked goodies for breakfast. I knew if she saw me she would stop sing and start talking. I wanted to hear her sing. Many a mornings she came out the kitchen to wake us for breakfast and I would be fast asleep in the floor.
Holidays were always a memorable time in our household. Good food, good friends and to quote Daddy, "Good Eatin". Smile
What are your memories of the holidays? Please share in a comment,.
Michelle
Back to the holidays they were always a time for large gatherings , many times folks came to our house for dinner. We had to eat in shifts. Kids and the elders were always fed first. The eldest person present, usually my granddaddy said grace. (Granddaddy passed just shy of his 96 birthday). I liked when my Daddy said grace. His prayer was, "Good food, Great God , Lets eat." and we did. Smile.
As I was thinking about this post I remembered a particular holiday my Mom pulled out a guitar she had bought at auction. (My Mom is from old money Atlanta, Georgia. Mommie loved auctions, I guess that's why all of our furniture was Duncan Phyfe. Good solid furniture that would withstand seven very active kids and their friends.) Mommie brought the guitar out showing it off, she couldn't play it. Mr Gus, from Mississippi, asked her for the guitar and started to play it. Mr Gus sang the blues and picked that guitar like he was Muddy Waters. For an hour you didn't hear a pin drop, even the babies were silent. After about an hour someone pulled out a harmonica and then folk started joining in or singing a song to his playing. It was an amazing day. Mr Gus's wife didn't know he could play guitar or sing like that!
My Mommie had sang jazz in nightclubs in Chicago. When I was little I would get up and lay just outside the kitchen door to hear her sing. She would be singing as she made biscuits or some other baked goodies for breakfast. I knew if she saw me she would stop sing and start talking. I wanted to hear her sing. Many a mornings she came out the kitchen to wake us for breakfast and I would be fast asleep in the floor.
Holidays were always a memorable time in our household. Good food, good friends and to quote Daddy, "Good Eatin". Smile
What are your memories of the holidays? Please share in a comment,.
Michelle
Good to have your family around, I only have One girl and she lives on the other side of the world
ReplyDeleteThen skype her to keep close. I have no family in Arizona, just me and baby girl. My eldest lives in Washington, DC. All the rest of my family lives in Detroit.
ReplyDeleteSkype.com let's me keep in touch as if we're in the same room.