Granny didn't have central heat and air so in the winter she kept a woodstove burning. One Fall before Grandpa died in a head-on collision due to a drunk-driver, he chopped a bunch of extra wood and kept it in a woodpile out beside the house. It was as if he knew his time was close. Whenever Granny would open the door to that woodstove to throw in more wood, the heat would rush out to greet you. The coals were a hot, burning red like the flames of hell. I remember thinking I definitely didn't wanna go there.
Every Saturday night it was a tradition to watch "Hee Haw". I can still see that old coon dog on the front porch as Roy Clark and the gang sang, "Gloom, Despair, and Agony on me"....
This was in the days before cable TV so you were lucky to get 3 channels especially out in the country and even that was only if you had a pair of "rabbit ears". Luckily Granny did so we never missed Hee Haw.
Being an only child I was always excited to see my cousins, Gary Jr., Laura Kay, and Chelsea (prounounced "Chel-se-uh"). They were my first best friends and the siblings I never had. I was 8 months younger than Chelsea and 4 yrs. older than Gary Jr. Laura Kay was 5 yrs. younger than me and the baby of the group. That is until years later when cousin Amanda came along. We would entertain ourselves running back and forth down the rows of corn or hiding in the barn, always stuff we shouldn't be doing. One thing Granny didn't like was us running in and out. She would holler, "You youngins' either come in or stay out, but quit that runnin' back and forth!"
One of my favorite things was when Granny would hand us kids some old tin buckets and tell us to go pick blackberries. We always knew what this meant. Homemade blackberry cobbler and believe you me, nobody could make a cobbler like Granny. In spite of the mosquitoes and the red bugs we would pick until our pails were full then run back to the house proud as a peacock to show Granny how much we'd gotten. That night, sure enough, we would eat our supper then have blackberry cobbler for dessert.
One thing about Granny, she may have grown up poor but she was a hard-workin' woman. She passed this trait down to her 5 children who were my Uncle Wyatt, Aunt Cybil, Mama, who was Sarah Jane, and Mama's twin brother, Jimmy, who died at age 14 when he climbed a light pole on a dare by his baby brother, my Uncle Gary, and was electrocuted. They said Granny like to have never gotten over that. I suppose second behind her would be mama, being that it was her twin and all.
Sometimes Granny would drive down to the coast by herself and come see us. On one such occasion she and I were outside hanging up the clothes to dry. Something had been weighing on my mind that I was dying to know. See, Granny had gotten married when she was only 14 yrs. old to Grandpa who was 10 years older than her. Basically he was a grown man and she was still just a girl. Finally I worked up my nerve and asked her if it hurts "the first time" and she didn't bat an eye. She exclaimed, "Yeah, it hurts when they pop the cherry!" Just what I thought.
Granny drove a beautiful cherry red Mercury Zephyr with white leather interior. When it came time for driving lessons she didn't hesitate to let me take her car out on the dirt road by her house. She sat on the passengers side and instructed me what to do. I drove the whole mile and a half to the end of the road and back, bare feet and all. Granny always had what we call a "lead foot" and I think I learned that from her. We both liked to drive fast which is why mama always told me, "Donna Jane, you drive like a bat out of hell." Blame Granny.
One of my favorite times of year was October cause that meant the county fair was coming to town. Mama didn't care much for the rides but Granny would ride anything! I remember us getting on the "Rampage" which was a very popular ride in the 70's. It was kinda like a double ferris-wheel. Watch here:
I thought I had the coolest Granny ever because even though she was old, she wasn't scared of anything.
It's been 9 years now since Granny passed in May of 2003. She had a stroke and couldn't take care of herself anymore. That meant Mama, Aunt Cybil and Aunt Nettie (Uncle Gary's wife) would rotate every 3 weeks taking turns one week at a time. Luckily they all lived right there near each other on the old home place so it worked out good for everyone. Eventually Granny got so feeble they couldn't handle her anymore so off to a nursing home she went. Mama cried and cried over that.
Now all I have are my precious memories and a few of Granny's old quilts that she made by hand. I look forward to seeing her again one day in Heaven. It's hard to believe so many of my loved ones have already gone on. Grandpa, Uncle Wyatt, Pa Bill (my stepfather), Uncle Jimmy, and Granny. Her real name was Ida Mae West. I love you, Granny. Thanks for all the great times.
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