Grandpa Washington

No mater how sick he was all month, he had to go to town on the first.  He had to pick up his check from the V.A.  Grandpa fought in the Spanish American war in Cuba.  He always went to the same bank up town Monroe.  Grandma  and if I was there I went.  They had to walk a long way to the city bus stop.  Grandma got what the Longs called "The Old Age Pension"  Huey P. Long taxed the oil companies so much per gallon of oil they produced.  At that time Louisiana was tops in oil and gas. Then there was no Social Security, Grandpa worked for the railroad but not long enough to retire.  I am sure my Grandparents paid their fair share of taxes.  The V.A. would have mailed  his check, like Grandma, but this is another story farther for another time.  When we got to town Grandma went to the same grocery store every month, Grandpa went to the court house.  Then he went to the bank.  I never knew why he always went outside to count his money.  This one time the cashier made a mistake.  Well you know they would be skeptical of him coming back in and saying young lady you made a mistake.  The manager was close by when Grandpa told her.  He walks up to Grandpa and said " This bank does not make mistakes".  Grandpa said "Yes she did".  Well the man took him by the arm to lead him out and said "No this bank does not make mistakes."  Grandpa was a very honest man and they thought I am sure that he was going to try to say they shorted him.  As he was leaving he said "Well thank you Sir for the extra ten dollar".  Well the banker tried to get the ten dollars bank, but Grandpa knew  what he had thought,and  he was a little insulted.  Grandpa always wore his best overalls and he was wiry old fox.  As he opened the door he said. "No Sir remember you said this bank makes no mistakes"  He laughed and  told everybody he treated  Grandma and me to hamburgers and cokes at Five Points, then to ice cream with that extra ten dollars.  But he always did that any way.  I wonder if that stiff banker ever told anybody else that this bank makes no mistakes.  I hope you enjoyed this story about Grandpa and the stiff banker, that is what Grandpa called him.  Thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom and I hope you grow one of your own.   Happy gardening to you from Carrel and I , Juanita.

 

Carrel's Day

Made him smile

The rain has started back, we have had rain every except yesterday July 16, since July 5.  I was so glad to see the sun but it sure turned hot.  I told carrel we would have to start watering in three days if the temperature kept going up.  The sun shined today until 12.10,  This may be just a little shower.  This blog page is not about the weather I got side tracked.  This is about Carrel's favorite breakfast.  My hands have gotten so bad until I can not always make biscuits.  The last time I made them was July 4, Carrel birthday.  We got up late Sunday July8, I knew he wanted something, he had a big grin on his face.  He asked if I felt like making biscuits and gravy, so I made his day.  I make biscuits the way my Mother and my Grandmother did with my hands. No cutter to cut the shortening, Crisco like Mama, Grandmother used lard.  I made milk gravy like a lady I use to baby sit for.  I can remember Mother and Grandmother made red I gravy with ham. You can not find ham like they had back then.  Grandmother got up early cooked biscuits, ham, red eye gravy, oatmeal, eggs, every day. Grandpa lived until he was ninety six, and smoked lucky strikes unfiltered every day.  I cook sausage and eggs.

I did not have a whisk  in my kitchen until I married Carrel, I always used a fork to beat my eggs.  Whisks are lots better.  It takes about thirty minutes to cook this meal to make him smile.  Well worth it.  My Grandson Paxton always liked my biscuits, said I could beat MacDonald or Kentucky Fried Chicken.   I do not think any of my girls make biscuits like I do, Debbie at one time used Bisquick  she made some good biscuits with it.  I use Martha White quick rise.  They are not beautiful but they are good.  When my hands would bend at all joints, they looked better.  I do not roll them I just shape with my hands.

Now you see why he is smiling.  I am not going to start a cooking blog.  I like my gardening one.

This is my plate.  After breakfast Carrel washed dishes.

 There were three biscuits left.  Carrel will split them and toast them and eat with jelly after he eats his oatmeal.

When all was clean we went to the garden.  Carrel dead headed the flowers I took  pictures, after the rain.

 Then he went to his favorite chair and hobby and I went to mine.

Hope you have enjoyed a look at Carrel and I.  Thank you for watching my flowers grow and bloom and I really do hope you grow one of your own to help to beautify you street.  Happy gardening to you from Carrel and I, Juanita.

Did you think I would not show you the pictures I took, never happen.   I love the rain drops on the flowers, the roses seem to smile.  You have a Blessed week.

A Long Day

If I want something all I have to do is let my friend Joann know.  Joann and I were talking and I told her I wanted colored butter beans, I had not had any fresh one since  1979.   OK she said  how many pounds,  now how would I know, I am use to bushels not pounds.   She said she knew a man who sold them for one dollar a pound,  OK get me twenty pounds.  I bought twenty pounds of peas, why not.  The peas were shelled the bean were not.  OK that is all right, you would think Carrel is in pain or he does not want to shell these beans.  Too bad they are ours now.  First thing is to wash the beans before we shell.  I can not stand to get all that dirt on my fingers and my beans.  I wash the beans in two different waters then let them stay in the third until we shell them.  Since we have wet them they will have to be put up that day.  When we got enough shelled to cook for supper I put them on the stove.  I like ham hocks with them, but since I did not have any I used olive oil, it is better for us any way.  Carrel did not mind shelling these butter beans, in fact he helps me do everything  I do except write my blog, he will proof read it.  He would not take a picture of me shelling beans because he wants everyone to think he did it all.  We shelled them all and put them in the freezer that night.  I place two big boilers of water on the stove to boil.  After washing my shelled beans three times, drained, place them in the boiling water brought them back to a boil, for three minutes.  Place boilers in the sink, water and beans, with ice, cooled.  We put three cups of beans in a quart bag cover with the same water they were boiled in and lay flat and freeze.  If you pour the water out there goes lots of  your vitamins.  We got twelve bags, Carrel likes peas best and I like butter beans.

We had supper at 10:00 PM that night.  Joann gave me some small okra, I boiled in my beans, we had fried egg plant from our garden and sliced tomatoes, and a fresh pan of corn bread.  Now can you beat that?  I cooked, Carrel washed dishes.  Isn't he a Dream Come True.  The name of the rose is Dream Come True, it is and so is Carrel.  We grew some tomato plants and egg plants along the fence in the back yard.
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I hope you have enjoyed this visit with Carrel and I.  Thank you for watching our garden grow and bloom and I hope you will grow one of you own.  Happy gardening to you from from Carrel and I. Juanita.

Welcomed Visiters

Thursday Carrel and I went outside of McGee and bought  two bushels or more of peas.  They were shelled and he had a bucket of about one gallon of figs.  I ask how much did he want for the figs he said nothing I could have them.  I told him no it was too hot to pick them to give away, so I paid him, not enough, but I paid him.  WE put the peas in the freezer, we had twenty four bags.   Carrel and I washed the peas, I bring a pot of water to a boil pour my peas in and bring them to a boil. I boil them for three minutes. Put a lid on the pot place it in the sink and pour ice over them.  I have two pots going at one time.  I cool water and peas.  I put three cups of peas in a quart bag cover with water, I do not loose my vitamins this way.  Friday morning I put up fig preserves,  nine pints.  While I was cooking lunch Charlotte, Bridget and her two little ones came.  They brought my birthday present.  This was from all of them Charlotte and Don, daughter and husband.  Paxton and Courtney, grandson and his wife.  Jacquie and GB granddaughter and husband.  Bridget and Trinity, granddaughter and husband.  This is my great granddaughter Rose, everyone except calls her Kennedy.  Little Miss Mischief was trying to get her brother, Ace wet.  I told Carrel she might enjoy the water hose and she did.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my visit with my daughter Charlotte, Granddaughter Bridget and great grandchildren Ace and Rose.  Thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom, and you will grow one of your own.  Happy gardening to you from us,Juanita and Carrel.