Saturday, May 22, 2004

I remember Nana

It would be impossible to remember Nana without remembering what she looked like. She was SHORT, small frame with a nice smile However, the most outstanding feature was the sparkle in her eyes and her bright red hair.
The story was she was one of the lovliest girls in the county, and boys all over would roam the woods just so they could get a peak of her.  She had a love for nature like I've never seen since.  She loved her animals, and her farm. She had chickens, guineas, dogs, cats, and all kinds of birds. Everything was in bloom.  She could do just about anything, she could sew anything, she did pottery, fished, even logrolled.  She also ran a little diner.   I loved visiting her there.  She always gave me a place in the front by her at the cash register.  I also loved going in the back and visiting with one of the cooks, Ms. Sally sure could cook.  That was one of Nana's cooks.  I don't think I ever saw Nana wear a dress, she was a little cuite.  She wasn't really affectionate like my Mema, but I loved her just as much.  She raised 5 boys and my mother.  So I always got the feeling she liked little girls better.  Her and my sister Dena always had a tight bond, kind of like Sherry and I had with Mema.  Nana was very happy alone, her and my Pepa divorced when I was born.  He was very abusive to her.  There was a story that the first time he hit her was after she had their first son.  She packed up a donkey with Uncle Andy and rode it all the way to her parents, well I'm sure you know how it was back in those days.  They packed her right back up and put them back on the donkey for a long ride home.  Nana made the best chile in the world.  I still havn't ever been able to make it like hers.  Nana smoked a lot, and one time I remember spending the night with her, and she would go to bed early and off the lights went, well I was a reader, so I got one of the lamps put it under the sheets so I could read while Nana slept.  Unknown to me the sheets were smoking from the lamp.  Well Nana smelt the smoke and came in the room thinking I was smoking under the sheets, she got a glass of water and threw on the sheets.  When the water hit the hot lamp it burst, and scared me.  She wasn't too happy that I ruined her sheets, and burst the lamp, but after finding out I wasn't smoking she was quite happy.  She got me aflashlight and told me I could read as long as the batteries held up.  Nana did become more affectinate in her later years, she met and fell in love with Stacey in her 70's.  I remember the first time she brought him to meet us.  She grabbed me and planted a big kiss on me,  I said who is the red haired woman, and what has she done with my Nana.  Stacey brought out something wonderful in her that I'd never seen.  She wasn't scared to love anymore.  She had a stroke a couple years later and survived it, learned to walk, talk, and do everything again.  The only thing we couldn't get her to quit was smoking.  She had a heart attack when I was in college and died, her last words were "How are the Guineas". 
I remember the pear tree she had and the “slip-gut” grapes (concord) she had and of going into the garden area and having some of each. Nana had a garden until she died. I remember seeing her many times with her gardening tools and hoeing, etc.

Sundays always included a visit to Nana's house. Mama, Sherry and Dena would always sit out front under the big tree and talk.  I sure miss those Sundays and Nana!.
 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love your entries about your family.  They are so heartwarming.

Anonymous said...

These are nice memories.  Thanks for sharing.  I miss my grandfather the most for he taught me the love of nature and simplicity.  He too had a sparkle in his eyes which was the color of sky blue.  I've yet to see eyes like that since.  You've brought back some nice memories for me.  
Carol