Myrtle and Zim, East Coast Furlough, early 1940's

Earlier today, I told my daughter that one of the reasons for creating this blog was so that my memories and recipes would be archived for her. What a treasure this will hopefully be to her someday. As I share memories of my Grandma and Grandpa and growing up in their home, I often wish that I would have asked more questions, listened a little closer to their stories, taken more photos, spent more time with them. I wouldn't call this having regrets. It's more of a realization that they were truly precious people and I don't want them to be forgotten. I don't have a written journal from either of them. I've been wondering what it would have been like for my Grandma Myrtle to have a blog of her own back when she was first married and through the years that she raised her children and then me. What sort of things would she have talked about? Would she have shared her recipes and encouraged her fans to try them too? She was 52 when I came along. Old enough to have many life experiences but young enough to still be feisty and fun. She always had an adventure planned. There was never an idle day at our house. I sometimes wonder how she kept up with a hyperactive toddler while in her fifties. What an amazing woman. I do remember her saying, on more than one occasion that she was quite happy to send me off to kindergarten back in 1975. She was more than happy to have a few hours to herself while I was at school. Even back in the seventies, life was very different than it is now. There was no Facebook. And no internet. So, what did she do with her time? Well, the house was always spotless. Not a speck of dust anywhere. And I only recall a handful of times that I actually saw her cleaning. The Cleaning Fairies must have come in while we were all sleeping. There is no way that she cleaned the whole house herself, took care of half of the yard work, did all of the meal planning and grocery shopping, cooking and laundry by herself. She must've had super powers that I didn't know about. I never saw her scream, or have a tantrum. I definitely remember seeing her upset but she sure didn't behave in a way that would have been considered unladylike.  I don't remember a single time seeing my Grandparents have a marital "fight." I know they had discussions but it never escalated to the point of being rude or hurtful.

 There is something special about the women of this generation. Since I grew up in their house and they were very much parental figures to me, I knew all of their friends. And kept in touch with many of them as I grew into an adult. Men and women that were were children during the 1920's and teenagers during the Great Depression, then young adults as World War II took place had a certain strength and graciousness. The word "classy" comes to mind. Certain topics were never discussed among friends. Bad behavior was just not acceptable. This transcended their entire lives. While appearances meant quite a bit, I think that that particular generation lived through so much, they were genuinely appreciative of the blessings in their lives. There was no time to complain, or whine about what they didn't have.

The photos were taken during the early forties. My Grandfather was in the Army and on furlough in North Carolina. She rode a "Troop Train" to see him before he was sent to Europe. What an experience that must have been! She said they took many photos during their time together because they didn't know if they would ever see one another again. I cannot even comprehend what that must have been like. So many young couples were experiencing that same thing during that time in history. My Grandpa carried a photo very similar to this picture of her in his wallet until the day he passed away. He was always proud of the way my Grandma took care of herself. He wasn't the type of man to tell her on a regular basis but it was obvious in how he treated her. There was a photo of my Grandpa, taken during this time period on my Grandma's nightstand for many years. That must have been a bittersweet time for them.


What I wouldn't give to go back in time and know them throughout their entire lives, not just from 1970 on. I would have so many more stories to share! Looking at these photographs I realize how beautiful my Grandma was. She was so dainty and feminine. 5'3" and maybe 115 pounds. Adorable, sweet and classy. No wonder my Grandpa fell in love with her. He was quite a catch himself. She told me once that she always loved his auburn hair and his strong working hands. My hope is that as I share my stories with you, you'll come to know them and appreciate them as much as I do. They truly are missed. Each and every day.