Remembering Is Easy

She remembers a little kitchen long, long ago. Her heart yearns to go back to that place where she did grow.
A little six year old girl runnin around her mama’s legs wantin to learn how to cook.
Her mama’s recipes consisted of a pinch of this and a pinch of that. Oh how hard it was to learn all of those pinches.
 She struggled with those pinches till she got them down in her mind. The hardest part was learnin how many pinches to put in fresh cornmeal straight from the mill. But she finally got the hang of it and they ate it, without complaining.

 After she grew a little older she remembers her mama finally allowin her to build a fire in that ole woodstove and cookin a whole meal all by herself for a family of eight and all the joy and pride it brought to her heart.
She also remembers that same little girl climbin up in a chair at that ole sink and her mama tying an oversized apron around her small waist and washin dishes. She’ll admit she loved playin in the dishwater more so and starin out that little window and dreamin of being just like her mama, waitin for her prince charmin to come along. She could see  herself cookin in that little kitchen with all the little ones runnin around her legs and the joy she felt in her heart. Her mama was her hero and she’d always dreamed of doing everything just like her.

She also remembers helpin her mama can lots of jars of fresh food straight from the garden  on that woodstove on hot summer days and the sweat dripping off of her mama’s nose.
She remembers standin up in that chair at the sink and washin so many cannin jars, she thought her arms would fall off. But just being able to help and learn was such a treasure and still holdin all of that cannin knowledge close today is worth more than any money can buy.

She remembers the oil lamp that sit on the table givin light to early morning breakfast. Cookin before daylight was the usual routine, every morning. Helpin make those cathead biscuits and big bowls of gravy were such a delight. It took a lot of time to get the biscuits down pat but she managed it quite well. The gravy was a different story.

That oil lamp burned bright on short, winter evenings also. She remembers when everyone gathered around that big table bowin heads and Thanking God for every bite on the table and every blessin given abundantly. She still remembers every delicious meal and nary a bite left behind in either bowl.

After the evening meal she remembers sittin at that table till bedtime with her four brothers and sister playin by that oil lamp on an old board game that her mama made from a piece of cardboard while using marbles called, “Fox and the Geese”. Her mama taught everyone how to play it, as she remembered from her childhood.

She still remembers those cold, winter evenings helping her mama cut quilt scraps out at that table, learning how to be so precise and finally being allowed to cut with those big sewing scissors.
That was her first introduction to quiltin and what joy it still brings today. Every tiny stitch she makes still reminds her of her mama’s golden threads. She’ll forever hold it close to her heart and cherish that special place where it all came about.


That little kitchen sure did cook up plenty of memories and shared enough love to last a lifetime. Remembering is easy and it’s so amazin at what a mother and her kitchen can do.

                                                     © Susie Swanson, 2015

Happy Mother's Day to my mother in heaven and all mothers. May God Bless you all.
Update on my health issues. I had the gallbladder surgery last Thursday (30th) and all went well there but it threw me back some on my Thyroid issues. My Endo said it was the anesthesia that most likely did it but he raised my Thyroid meds. a week before surgery and I have to stay on it another month and do some more labwork to see what it's doing. It's just a waitin game there. Many thanks for all of your prayers and I'm praying for ya'll as well. ~Susie