Oral History

My Grandma DeMoss died in 1984 when I was twelve years old.  She was the most superstitious woman you could meet and I was her thirteenth grandchild.  I was also her last and her daughter was a single mother,so I spent a lot of time being watched by Grandma.  Being watched by Grandma usually involved playing cards with her at her kitchen table or sitting at her table while she cooked.  She was an AMAZING cook.  I learned so much from her.  She also wasn’t a real recipe follower, so to this day, that is how I prefer to operate.  Oh and she was eating avocado toast long before it was in style.

She made awesome chicken and noodles and her lebkuchen cookies were a family favorite, but she was probably best known for her pies.  I don’t know how many pies I watched her make.  Her measuring tool was her favorite coffee mug, so good luck trying to replicate that!

From the time my son was born, I have talked to him about his ancestors that died before he was born in 2011.  He knows little things about them and where we got certain things.  I never really knew how much he was taking in, but it was important to me to try.

Today, as we were going into the grocery store for our weekly supply run, he asked if we could make pumpkin pie using Grandma DeMoss’s special recipe.  Needless to say, we made pie this afternoon.   We used pre-made pie crusts because I just don’t have the room to roll them out. I shared grandma’s secret with him, and swore him to secrecy.  I didn’t get any pictures of him mixing the pie filling, but maybe next time. We watched them bake and then pulled them out of the oven. He about lost it when I told him it had to cool two hours before he could eat it! He ate a piece and a half without even blinking. All of this, because I have been telling him the stories his whole life.

Is there a good that reminds you of a loved one?  What is it?