My dad’s mom’s name was Cora. Some of my cousins called her “Grandma Price”, but to me, she was Grandma Cory. Until I was about five, we lived beside her. She lived on one knoll with parking at the bottom, and we lived on another right beside her with our own driveway. My mom has reported to me that she would come and wake me up sometimes when I was napping. Knowing as a mom how much I needed those times when my kids took naps, I have no doubt that was difficult for my mom. Maybe those shortened naps was where it began because a bond I had with Grandma Cory for sure.
Her little house had two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. There was a coal stove in the living room. Outside her kitchen was a small wooden porch. A clothes line hung across the back to dry the hand-washed clothes. There was an outside toilet in which if memory serves me correctly, that’s when I was told not to let the “boogie man” get me! Oh, how I loved my grandma, but telling a kid with an imagination such as mine about the boogie man, was probably not a good idea! To this day, I have an image of what I think the boogie man looks like in my head!
As I mentioned, she lived on a knoll. The front yard and the side yard by the kitchen offered a great place for us grandkids to either slide down on cardboard or roll down the hill. If you haven’t tried rolling down a hill, you may find it quite a blast; however, I tried it as an adult, and found it to be a rockier ride and not as comfortable as when I was small, thin, and as straight as a stick! When I look back, though, Grandma was not the least bit worried about us tearing up her grass or making it look bad. She helped us find the cardboard for sliding, and I have no doubt enjoyed watching us play.
Eventually, Grandma acquired an inside bathroom. Not long after, her house burnt. Thankfully, she wasn’t home that day, but I remember it well…
My mom and dad had gone to cut wood on the back of our property. They left my brother and me at my aunt, Linda’s, house. For some reason, that day, Mom and Dad had told Linda to blow the horn on the car if she needed them. (God knew they would be needed.)
We saw firetrucks going by. I thought of Grandma Cory and called to make sure it wasn’t her house, but her phone was busy. I thought that meant that it wasn’t her house; however, the fire must have caused the phone to give a busy signal because we found out that it was indeed her house. Linda blew the horn to bring Mom and Dad out of the woods so they could go and be there. They must not have let me go because I only remember hearing later of my grandma’s sadness, although they were able to save several of her belongings including her old photos.
Eventually, Grandma got a new trailer. It was placed in the same spot as her house. It was very nice, not too big, two bedrooms. At the time of Grandma’s house fire, we had already moved a few miles around the road, but I still came and stayed all night. I loved to look at old photographs with her. Grandma had tons of black and white pictures. It seemed she was always willing to play cards. I remember time and time again sitting on her couch (She sometimes called it the davenport.) playing Slap Jack or War. And, if it was late in the evening, she’d have taken out her false teeth…she was fine with it—and so was I. She would fix me peanut butter no-bake cookies. Oh, how hard it was to wait until they set up! It seemed like for-E-ver! I still make those beloved cookies. Once I tried to add chocolate like so many people do, but they didn’t turn out. I think it was for the best. Everyone loves them just the way they are, and I think of her every time I make them. My mom found her handwritten recipe on an envelope in some recipes recently. I now have it framed and hanging in my kitchen.
She would let me cook, too. It didn’t always matter if she had the right ingredients, if I wanted it, she let me experiment! I remember making pizza with slices of American cheese, and one day when I wanted spaghetti, and she didn’t have any sauce–I used ketchup! Mom always said that she would let me do whatever I wanted! I don’t recall that being a bad thing!
She enjoyed sitting on her front porch swing. She didn’t really like to cook, and to be honest, she really wasn’t my favorite cook, but she would sit out on that swing and string green beans. I thought I had a vague memory of that, and then I found a picture of her on that swing with those green beans.
Grandma was definitely the superstitious sort! If she went in one door, she wouldn’t dare leave out a different one if she could keep from it— it was bad luck! Other superstitions that I feel positive that came from her are things like:
· If your ear itches, somebody is talking about you.
· If you hand itches, you’re going to get money.
· It’s bad luck to walk under a ladder.
· Breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck.
· It’s bad luck for a black cat to cross your path.
Now some of these probably sound familiar, but I would be surprised if very many of you have heard the one I am about to relate to you…
My cousin, Teresa, and I had gone to stay all night at Grandma’s house. I remember clearly, Grandmas sitting on the couch talking on her corded phone while Teresa lay in the floor watching TV. I was headed toward the kitchen and stepped or jumped over Teresa. All of a sudden, Grandma, still talking on the phone, mind you, totally unexpected, spouted, “Awwwe, jump back over her!!” Immediately, I obeyed. Then calmly she said, “She won’t grow anymore.”
Once I was married, as a family we would go to a local buffet that we enjoyed. One trip left us with laughter for years to come. Grandma put a large portion of what she thought was mashed potatoes on her plate. Can you guess?! It was whipped butter! My husband would often ask her when he saw her on following get-togethers if she’d had had any butter lately. I can still hear her laugh.
Grandma had eleven children. Ten survived into adulthood. Those ten looked after Grandma fervently. I never met my Grandpa Price. He died when my dad was a young lad. The kids spanned over twenty years. I remember my aunt, Marie, the oldest, saying that she came home to help every time Grandma had another baby. Now, stop and think about this. That many kids, their spouses and their kids made for a large number of family members. I counted 40+ grandchildren alone—not counting great-grandchildren. I said all that to say this. Grandma bought Christmas presents for each and every one of us for many years. It may not have been a ton, but bought she did. She told me that she started in January; and if you ask me, she must have been very organized.
Looking back, I sometimes don’t think we always realized the treasure we had in her. She sent us all birthday cards. She went to her church at Millstone faithfully and many others regularly. She was an avid reader and soap opera watcher. And last, but certainly not least, she prayed for us. When I was little, at times, I would see her mouth moving but heard nothing. When I asked, I learned that she was praying. I hope I have carried forward some of my Grandma Cory with me.
When my grandma passed away, the only thing that brought me comfort was knowing that she was a child of God, a follower of Christ, and that I would see her again in Heaven someday. She has been gone for several years now. I am no longer sad, but celebrate the memories and the life that I had the privilege to be a part of.
Simply Celebrate With Jackie 