Wow, isn’t the weather lovely during those first quiet hours of the morning?
It makes me impatient for fall — the kind of mornings that invite you to sit a little longer on the porch, cradle a second cup of coffee, and let your mind drift wherever it wants to go.
Lately, mine keeps wandering back to earlier times, to good times, and to memories that feel as warm and familiar as home.
For reasons I do not fully understand, the changing of the seasons always seems to open a door to bygone days. More often than not, my thoughts carry me back to my grandmother’s old house up in Montgomery County. If I let those memories meander long enough, I can almost taste her homemade biscuits and smell the smoke from that big old fireplace.
On the mantel sat a picture of my grandmother and granddaddy, both dressed in their Sunday best. They looked so young in that photograph — almost too young to have already begun building a life together. What I remember most, though, is how beautiful she was.
At the foot of her bed sat a large cedar chest, filled with treasures I was always allowed to explore. Inside were bits and pieces of family history: clothes that had belonged to one of my uncles, who passed away at the age of 2; a handkerchief my daughter would one day carry at her wedding; a small, intricately embroidered quilt; and delicate tatting made by my great-grandmother.
I learned so much about cooking while standing on the little wooden box my granddaddy made for me, watching my grandmother prepare meals on the old wood stove. It was my job to keep the small sticks of wood fed to the burners.
In the summertime, we canned tomatoes from her garden and sealed them in her big Mason jars. And oh, the chocolate cakes she baked! I have never been able to replicate them, though I have tried.
Now, as I grow older and spend time with my own grandchildren, my grandest wish is that they, too, will one day carry suitcases filled with memories of their grandmother — memories seasoned with love, laughter, stories and the comforting taste of something made in the kitchen.
Squash Casserole: Cook one pound of frozen squash in water with one diced onion until tender, then drain well. Pour the squash and onion into a hot skillet with two tablespoons of oil and cook on very low heat for about 30 minutes.
