Saturday, December 31, 2011

A New Year about 60 Years Ago...

When I was 8 and Bobby had just turned 5, our mother had just gotten re-married and we were living in the home in San Diego that was next door to our grandparents.  We were up early and were talking about what a new year meant.  I was trying to explain it because, well, I was 8 and practically (I thought) a grown-up.

Also, around that time, Queen Elizabeth's coronation was happening, and I was trying to explain that--he kept asking was she our queen and I kept saying no, she's the Queen of England--well, aren't we English--no, we're Americans, etc., etc., etc. and so it went.

Finally, he asked me, well if we aren't English, and she's not the Queen of California, why is it on the TV?

Good question I was never able to adequately answer.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Some Things I've Been Doing

This is what I made for Kelly's wedding.

...and I made this one for Alex (Eric's daughter).
I made four of these--I kept one and gave one each to Amy, Wendy and Christy.
--they're wall hangings.  Jennie's isn't finished yet and is related to her Master's degree, and I'll post when it's done.  My canning jar quilt is hanging on my kitchen wall.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Blogging

I re-read AmyWW's blog about reading a few blogs every day, etc.  I see that many people do blog all the time.  I think I'm the anti-blogger.  I love writing them; I love reading them; why don't I just do it more often?

I finally started following the Pioneer Woman--I noticed that some of the people in my family follow it so I checked it out.  Now I really enjoy her blogs.  I want to thank Jenna for turning me on to Budget Bytes.  It's an interesting blog and I'm going to follow it--I think I can use many of her ideas.

I don't surf around looking for interesting blogs.  I just see what other people are following and sometimes I do too.  However I do make some nifty quilts.  Here's one I just put together (that means the "sandwich"--backing, batting and top--is put together and waiting for me to actually quilt it.)


I had to push all my family room furniture back to the walls to get this monster laid out.  It's actually going on OUR bed, because I've wanted a "red work" quilt for a long time--even though my bedroom is mostly soft greens.

Looking at my picture, I see the TV tables that I'm using as side tables.  I think this is the year that I'm going to get real tables for Christmas for our home.  It seems that most years there are things I really need so that counts as Christmas for us.  This year, I don't really need--or even want--anything particular and I saw some really pretty side tables on sale at a local (OKC) furniture store, so maybe I'll retire the TV tables.

I am excited to give Kelly and Matt their owl quilt.  I'll post after the wedding.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Slow race

When we were little, Bob and I started a slow counting contest (race).  Whoever got to 10 slowest was the winner.  He got to 5 or 6 rather quickly.

I'm still on 1...

:)

Friday, July 29, 2011

So, How Ya Been?

OK, so Christy asked me yesterday when I was going to write a blog.  I see it was early May when I wrote last.  So, now the end of July I'm not sure if I have anything to say, but here goes.

Christy and I traveled to Houston and spent last week at Amy's home, visiting with grandkids and one particular very darling GREAT granddaughter. I got to see all of Amy's little ones, including Taylor, who is extremely handsome, grown up, but still has the little precious Taylor face.  That was wonderful.

We also canned a lot of food.  We sort of took turns putting up our own choices and helping one another chop, cut, slice, mix, boil, wash, etc.--all the chores that go into canning.

We brought Jeremy and Dylan with us; and Mark's daughter, Calysta.  What a great deal!  Cousins got to hang out, play video games and run around. Having Calysta there really made Avery happy.  She loves Calysta.

Avery wasn't thrilled with me or Christy, but tolerated us.  A few times I was allowed to hold her, give and receive hugs and kisses, feed her, and dress her.  Altogether, that part was wonderful.  She's so much like her mom, Karie, but she has some behaviors that are just like her Grammie, Amy.  Amy said she didn't know where this or that came from and I would say, that I remember a very little Amy doing the same things.  It's so wonderful to see how some things just seem to seep through several generations to a little one--a very wonderful little one.  It's interesting being an ancestor!  It was so much fun I forgot to take any pictures or movies!  (nuts)

Calysta played with Jake--they were running here and there and did much giggling.

Then, on Sunday, we traveled to Dallas to spend the next week with Cheli and Grampy.  Mark was there and took Calysta home (he and David had conducted some business so he was in Dallas.)  On Monday the 25th, I went to Baylor Hospital with Cheli for her surgery.  We were there until Wednesday and then I brought her home.  She's convalescing nicely--a bump here, a smooth place there--pretty normal recovery.  She'll be up and at 'em before long, I know. Dylan is spending this week with Jennie's family hanging with Alisa.

Jennie is coming over today and she, Christy and I are going to lunch--if Cheli is OK for me to leave.  That'll be a nice break.  I did a little cooking yesterday and Grampy was pretty thankful for that (split pea soup and chocolate cake--sugar free of course.)

I miss Bobby and my home.  We're headed for Norman on Sunday morning.  In the afternoon, Mark, Calysta, Christy, Dylan, Jeremy and I will try to go to see the Harry Potter movie again.  We tried on opening day but just before we went into the theater, all the power went out.  This area  (OK and TX) has had multiple weeks of over 100 degrees and I think some power grids are suffering.  I know the people are.  Since then, Dylan has seen it with Alisa, and Mark and Calysta saw it after they got home.  But since we still have our tickets, all of us will go to the theater and try again--wish us luck this time.

I think that's about it for me.  I love being retired and having the freedom to visit my offspring--I think it's my true career.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

My Mother

When my mother was 25 I was 6.  I distinctly remember that she had colored her hair red.  When the sisters at church asked her why she did that, her answer was that she would never be "brown" again.  That bit of sarcasm was not lost on me.

As we all know, she actually went back to her natural color and for the rest of her life, railed against any woman who colors her hair.  I never got it.  I mean, if you don't want to do it, don't; leave everyone else alone.  She especially disliked "older" women who continued to color their hair long after their faces would have looked better with a lighter color.  Wrinkles just seem a little mitigated by lighter colored hair--maybe nature has the right idea after all.  My own pet peeve is when women who have long-since been gray but continue to color their hair say, "My real hair color is ___."   I mean, c'mon, the real color is what it comes out at the roots, isn't it.

Just one of the pieces of craziness I brought into my generation from my mother's.

When she was about to get married to Daddy, she was a little "giddy".  Looking back, it's really rather wonderful to think about it.

My mother fought overweight her whole life.  I have memories of her very heavy and very trim.  She had a terrible self-image and even when she weighed only a little over 100 pounds, still talked about her big fat butt. Too bad.  Her mother was trim her whole life, and mother unfortunately took after her father's sister, Aunt Lucille.  Large butt...

I miss my mother.  We visited often in the last years, but I still miss her.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Update

Both my eyes are healed, I think.  I had my second post-op exam last week and I'm seeing 20/20 in both eyes--for distant vision!  I will still need glasses for reading, but even my close-up vision is better.  I also have very nice sun glasses.  All in all, my eyes are better than they were when I was 13.  Win for me.

My feet still hurt from the neuromas, but they're actually a lot better, I think.  At least I don't lie down in bed and they keep aching/throbbing.  Also, when I'm wearing my proper shoes, I can walk with almost no gimping around.

As for the right hand--I dunno.  I guess I'll have to see a hand doctor--what the hell is a hand doctor?

I've been substituting at the two local high schools almost every day.  Last day of school is May 27.  By that time, I will have earned enough to get my quilting machine.

Due to starting immune-suppressant drugs soon, I will severely limit my teaching next fall.  I think only the school around the corner from us, and then only maybe 4-5 days per month.  You know, schools are just big petri dishes.  Also, since I have been working so much, I have had no desire to quilt or even sew.  I'll be glad to have my old routine back.  But I have been single-minded about earning enough to get my quilting machine.  I have several large quilts that will cost many dollars to have someone else quilt, and I do not intend to do hand quilting.  PUH-LEEZE!!

Bobby's working part-time at the Wal-Mart in Moore.  It's good for him, he says.

I think I'm done.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

My "Ten Good Things" List

I thought I'd try to make my own list, like Amy did.

  1. I took so many painkillers for my right arm/hand, which did little good, that now my feet aren't sore today.
  2. My grandson will be home from Europe this summer.
  3. My peonies are BEAUTIFUL.
  4. I'm almost ready to buy my quilting machine!!
  5. I am 67 (it's a good thing; it's a good thing...certainly better than the alternative!)
  6. My husband is working part time.  Keeps him off the street.  :)
  7. We had a good rain over the weekend--FINALLY.
  8. I love my "job" (substitute teaching)--I can just decline an offer and stay home if I want--and I love being in the classroom (at the two local high schools.)
  9. There's a little mound, but the grass is completely filled in where the oak was--no more big scar.
  10. I taught in Bubby's science class yesterday and he told them that I'm his grandma--a small thing, but very good.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Morton, Left Eye and Daisy

I have many things on my mind today.

First of all, I have had such painful feet lately that at times I have had trouble walking.  My rheumatologist said there are no arthritic changes, so I should see a podiatrist.  Naturally, a person with flat feet and previously broken metatarsal bones and crushed right arch bones has a podiatrist.  I hadn't seen him lately (since he removed the claw from my right little toe--I told you I already have a podiatrist) so I made an appointment.  I sat down in the examination room and saw this picture on the wall--it was a little creepy because it illustrated EXACTLY where and how my feet hurt:


 Well, it's called a Morton's Neuroma.  I don't know who Morton was, but I don't like his neuromas, much.  The "cure" is I have to wear good quality, well-fitting shoes (bummer); I have to wear inserts in my shoes to support the flatness; I must take anti-inflammatories.  Since my rheumatologist just put me on Celebrex, that was already covered.  Well see if this helps.

Next, today I will have cataract-removal surgery on my left eye.  Not such an earth-shaking procedure, but it's my eyes, people.  Innately scary.  Left Eye- pre-surgery.


Lastly, and this one is really fun to me, Karie sent me a picture a few days ago saying that she thought this picture looks like me.

Of course, I loved the picture, and thought the bangs haircut is darling.  Later I glanced at my PC and the picture flashed up on my screensaver photo album that I keep running and the first thing I thought was -- I think this looks like Daisy!  I have always thought that Daisy looked like some of my baby pictures, and this is just remarkable, I think, considering that Daisy's grandfather and Avery's great grandmother are the common ancestors (Yes, Bob, we're ancestors!)

It's very dry here, windy and the state of Oklahoma is on fire every day somewhere.  We had 0.03" of rain in March and usually get around 3".  No rain in the near future--we really need rain out here. 

So, that's what I have on my mind today.  Hope yours is a good one.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Update on Right Eye

Did you hear about the guy who jumped off a 30-story rooftop?

As he passed the the 15th floor, someone yelled out at him, "How are you doing?"

The jumper yelled back, "So far, so good."

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Right Eye

Here's the eye that's going to have cataract surgery today.  It looks like an ordinary eye, but I think after today, it'll be a super eye.  The IOL (Intraocular lens) that they will implant will improve my vision, in addition to replacing the current lens that has a cataract--a honking cataract, according to the doctor (it's a technical term.)


I'll have the left eye done April 6.


After that, I should be able to get the "X" removed from my Driver's License where it says "must wear corrective lenses."  Also, I can get some good dark glasses, and I can buy my reading glasses from Wal-Mart.


I'm excited.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Blog Challenge: Most Treasured Item

I just read Cami's blog about what she would grab in the event the house was on fire. Of course, you don't count children, because everyone would just stop there.
We have a LaCie brick -- external hard drive--not too big, I think 300 gigabytes--well, I guess it's pretty big, and it's kept away from the PC in another part of the house in the event of getting hit by lightning (this has happened, so it's not a distant possibility.) I'd want this because we have many pictures on it that are no where else. Also our tax history for the past 8-10 years or so. That might be important. I'd want my sewing machine, and the quilts that have been basted together but are not quilted yet.
I know Bobby would want to get his ham radio stuff out, as much as he could get. His "Radio Shack" is near several windows, and I assume he'd just break them and pitch a lot of his equipment out through the window holes.
I guess if I could think of it, I might grab my college diploma off the wall above my computer.
All this introspection makes me realize that I don't have much in the way of "things" to save. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. We have some big stuff that would just have to get melted down with the house. I couldn't get my piano, my PC, my headboard that I waited nearly 13 years to get because I couldn't find one I liked, our big TVs. I might try to get my quilt projects, each in an individual plastic carrier. Yep, for sure those.
Several years ago we went around our house videotaping everything we have--for insurance purposes. It's out of date now, and I think we need to repeat the exercise. In fact, it would probably be a good idea to do it about every year or two. It's proof that you actually had what you're claiming was lost.
So, what I have learned from this is that there are some things that should be saved, maybe in a safety deposit box (irreplaceable papers, aforementioned up-to-date video), but otherwise, getting myself and my husband out (well, he'd have to get himself out after messing with his radio equipment) I'd just have to watch it burn.
Happy Saturday!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Day 3 Favorite TV Show

I wouldn't even know where to start on this one. There are shows I watch when I'm just "vegging" out, shows I watch on a semi-regular basis, shows I will watch when I find them on, and shows I actually look for.
I assume "favorite" TV show would have to be the ones I actually look for. There are some regular series shows I like but they're only good for a few weeks and then they start on reruns. I never watch reruns. As for shows I watch when I find them on, I guess I'd have to put most of what I watch in that category--science shows, TLC shows (I'm intrigued by the 19 kids show), some cooking and HGTV shows, and sometimes--rarely--old movies.
As for the ones I look for, sitting here in front of the computer with the TV off, I'm hard-put to come up with one. Well, there is one I really like that Bryant Gumbel does--"Real Sports" that I actually like. I know, who cares about sports? Not me, for sure. I have done some introspection about this because I had no idea in the beginning as to why I would watch this, or even give it a glance. I think it comes on HBO because those are the only movie channels we get. I don't know when it comes on. I look for it when I think about it, and will watch it if it's on. Here's the thing. The show is emceed by BG, and there are 4-5 regular reporters who tell the stories. The stories are not about the sports, the teams or their games. They are about the people who participate, the athletes. They choose (unerringly as far as I can tell) those people whose stories are worth retelling.
For instance, there was a story about a skier who was catastrophically injured and how his life has played out from that point. The story was well produced and interestingly written.
I usually have never heard of the athletes whose stories they portray, generally know nothing about their sport, and am not interested in the games they participate in, but the stories about the people are very interesting.
I think it's the "people" connection. I am interested in stories about people. I also like when some shows do the "stick your finger in the phonebook and do a story about whoever you point to."
I knew my answer to this one would be dumb.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Blog Challenge, Day 2

Day 2

Post a picture of you and someone you have been closest to the longest.
The person in the world I have known the longest is my brother Bob, since I met him in December 1946. Next would be Daddy (1951-2), then Cheli (1960). After that would be my children and then in 1984 I met my husband, Bobby, and of course, his children.
Of course, I love my brother, sister and father, but I'm going with Cami on this one:
This was taken in the spring of 2009 while we were still riding our Gold Wing motorcycle (in the fall of '09 we sold the Gold Wing.)
We met in 1984 shortly after coming to Norman (we moved over Labor Day.) He had been divorced for 2 years and my divorce happened that month. I was pretty nuts at that time, and he was almost equally crazy. Divorce is a terrible thing and even if it is the best thing to do, given the alternatives, it is still a life-changing event that can affect you negatively for years if you are not prepared for it. I might have been the least-prepared person in the universe.
Bobby and I discovered very soon that we are polar opposites, but I liked him a lot even at the beginning. There was just something about him...
Well, we saw each other--not exclusively, but regularly--for the next 11 years. I can honestly say that it took me (and him, too) that long to untangle my thoughts, feelings and even identity.
I wasn't emotionally available for most of those years, and I had to re-learn to relate to my children and even to myself.
I can't say those were good years, but I grew emotionally as well as intellectually--I completed college during that time!
Bobby is supportive of me and my personal goals, he loves me, and if there is a disagreement, is willing to work together with me to figure out the best way forward.
Next month (April 19) we will celebrate our 16th anniversary. Honestly, neither of us thought it would last because neither of us really knew how to be successfully married. I guess we taught each other!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Blog Challenge, Day 1

Blog Challenge Day 1: A picture of yourself and ten facts
This picture is one of my favorites because it was taken on the day I retired. I had two daughters and one son visiting and grandchildren all around. They threw me a retirement party and several friends came--although, the best part was having my family there. As an aside, we moved our TV into another room over the weekend, and when we moved the cabinet, my granddaughter Calysta opened one of the cabinet doors and found a lei at the back and remembered that it was from my retirement party. She enjoyed reminiscing about all the things she helped with to get ready for my party.
1. I was born on the North Island Naval Base during World War II (1943). It is located adjacent to Coronado at the end of the peninsula across the bay from San Diego. My mother rode the "nickel snatcher" across the bay very early in the morning. She said the captain of the little boat was very nervous carrying a woman in labor. He called ahead and there was an ambulance waiting at the dock waiting when they arrived. Mother was embarrassed at the fuss and made them let her ride in the front seat.
2. I had the chicken pox in about 1948 at the same time as my brother, Bobby, and our cousin Lorna. My mother was working and we all stayed at Lorna's house while we were sick. Her mom, my aunt Shirley took care of us. I remember all of us lying in bed and Shirley bringing us drinks of water and Kool-Aid--and telling us not to scratch. I was 5 and Bobby was about 1 1/2.
3. I walked and played all over our neighborhood in San Diego. We lived on the side of a hill called Grant's Hill and we used to play on the top of the hill (before there were any houses there) climbing all over the craggy edges and jumping off where we thought we could. I skated down the hill, grabbed the street sign, swung around it and turned the corner. I was skating really fast and wonder how I lived through it!
4. I frequently took the bus to downtown San Diego to meet a friend from church when I was 11 years old! I don't know what my mother was thinking! --different world, for sure.
5. I have always felt that I don't "fit in." I believe I have Asperger's Syndrome. I'm not disabled by it, but I see so many parts of the Syndrome in myself that I don't think it could be coincidental. I don't see it in all of my children, maybe some. I think there are degrees of being affected, so maybe I'm on the far end of "more normal."
6. I was always told by my family that I am very intelligent, and I always believed it. When I was in Junior High and got my first semester report card (7th grade) with more A's than B's, and nothing lower, I was called into the girls' Vice Principal's office (Dr. Daugherty), and she told me I had a really good report card and she thought I could probably get straight A's. I was surprised and wondered how I could get better grades. I did my homework and took tests. I didn't really understand how I had gotten the report card I had. I always thought (still do) that being intelligent is kind of like having green eyes. You just have them, and can't make then "greener". I think this is probably related to the Asperger's thing.
7. I love making quilts. I love choosing the fabrics and patterns, putting all the pieces together and coming up with a usable and beautiful product. I don't mind the hours of labor required; in fact, I enjoy the process. Who would ever have thought I could enjoy something so tedious and repetitive? I used to sew and make quilts for my children, but never put that into the category of "hobby." It was just part of what a mother would do.
8. I obsess frequently about how many mistakes I made as a mother, and how awful I was much of the time. I don't know if this is normal, but I believe it's a miracle my children are wonderful adults. I always wished they would hug and kiss me (they wrestled away) but figured I had made just too many mis-steps for them to want to show affection.
9. I enjoy cooking. My mother hated it, and I always thought it would be disloyal (or something else weird like that) if I loved it. Since she died, I have acquired many kitchen "toys" and now I really enjoy finding recipes and putting good food together. Who knew?
10. In addition to my own family, I love my extended family--siblings, siblings-in-law, nieces and nephews, etc. I thought it was wonderful that I felt great love for the family members I recently "found." and am excited to meet and talk with them in person later this year in the fall.
I'll wait to see what Cami posts next on this "Blog Challenge." Hopefully I can follow her good example.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Chicken Pox

Reading this morning about my niece, J, and her family fighting H1N1 made me think back on the month when my family had chicken pox.

So, in 1972 at Thankisgiving, my aunt and uncle, Helen and Bruce, had invited my family to dinner. That was really a wonderful invitation for us, because given the size of us (at that time we had 7 in our family--two parents and five children--and didn't get invited out for dinner. It was kind of like incurring debt to serve us a meal! We had been getting ready to go and I noticed Eric was moping around a little--not acting badly, but just sitting on the couch doing nothing. He had gotten dressed and was just sitting there.

Well, I'm sure every parent knows that this is cause for suspicion. I asked him if he was okay and his answer was, "mmmphf" or something like that (he would have been 5 at the time.) For a reason I can't explain I asked him to lift up his t-shirt. It was a request I don't believe I had ever made before, and wouldn't have ever thought of, but that's what I did. So, he lifted it up, and there were the telltale dots all around his middle--little pus-filled red spots.

The thing is, I don't believe I had ever actualy seen chicken pox, yet I knew instantly what those cruel little marks were. Well, I called my aunt and told her we wouldn't be able to come to Thanksgiving dinner after all. I don't remember what we ate that day, but it wasn't the Thanksgiving dinner anyone ever dreamed of.
Actually, I think Helen brought us some food. It was a true CARE package. The other children were disappointed, Eric was lethargic, Dad disappeared into the bedroom reading for the rest of the afternoon, and for a reason I cannot say, I changed the beds and did laundry.

It wasn't what I had planned to do, but fortunately, we were living in BYU married student housing--Wymount Terrace--in Provo, and had laundry facilities on site.

Well, Eric was sick for a few days and stayed home from school for about a week or so. I thought it was a fairly light case. Two weeks after Thanksgiving, I got up in the morning to find Amy (7 1/2), Jennie (4) and Scott (2) sitting on the couch looking forlorn--they were all awake when I walked into the living room, and I knew immediately what was happening. Each one was wrapped up in a quilt, was sporting a truly miserable countenance, a fever, and the dreaded spots.

There ensued a marathon week of juice, water, sleeplessness, crying, itching, endless bathing in soothing substances, brushing the girls' hair, applying Caladryl lotion, reading stories, mountains (even more than usual) of laundry, trying to hold Scott and restraining him from scratching, and listlessness and dejection all around. 
We had only just returned to something resembling normalcy and life beginning to look up when I awoke on Christmas Day to Wendy crying pitifully. Now, Wendy seldom woke up that way--she was generally a cheerful little soul. Before I got to her (she was 9 months old at the time) and lifted her out of her crib, I knew what was going on. She was feverish, covered in red, itchy and angry lesions, and did not understand why she was feeling so bad.

The Chicken Pox hit her hard. I was told countless times that the more children in a family who have the disease, the worse it gets. That always sounded like an old wives' tale to me, but there you have it.
She cried for about a week, scratched--or rather rubbed--her itchy spots (I had the foresight to clip her fingernails immediately.) Her fever was high and she was not to be comforted for at least a week or more.
This time it was I who sat on the couch holding (read wrangling) her.

By New Year's Day, she was covered in scabbed over lesions, the fever had gone, and she was mostly listless. I hated the listlessness more than the fretfulness. I knew how to help them through the fretfulness, but there is no cure for pox lethargy. But she was healing. I knew at the time that we had all survived something extraordinary and also that I would never forget. I was right. I hope they have mostly forgotten the ordeal.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Countrified!

Ok, so I guess I'm an Okie now--or at least almost.

I worked for a long time to find a recipe for cornbread that Bobby (the true Okie) loves--and he does love cornbread! I mean it couldn't be sweet--then it's cornbread cake--and it had to have a good corn taste. So, I worked for a long time and tried many recipes--some were ok, others were not. I came across a recipe for simple (unadulterated) cornbread by Paula Deen. Well, why not? It might be just the thing.

About that time, I also got some corn (popcorn) and put it through my grain mill and made my own cornmeal. (One thing about this "new" cornmeal is that it is deep golden, unlike most pale yellow cornmeals I have bought before.) Bobby had mentioned that he loves the corner pieces because of the crusty edges on them.

Recently, Bobby found a really nice baking pan for brownies (it's a Wilton)--it has 12 squares--kind of like cupcake pan for square cupcakes. All the pieces have four corners! It's really heavy and I love this pan. Well, I put Paula's recipe together with some ideas of my own (I added some chopped chilis, creamed corn and shredded cheddar cheese) and put it in the oven. So after he had tried the cornbread he announced that I had done it, and it was the best cornbread he had ever eaten. Really.

After we had finished eating our beans and cornbread, he announced that the only way it could have been better would have been to have fried potatoes with it. If he hadn't said that I would never have thought of it, because, you just don't have potatoes and beans in the same meal--super high carbohydrates--it just isn't done--at least not by me. So, tonight, I made his cornbread (this time I left out the creamed corn because I thought the corners would be a little crustier and it worked!), cooked a pot of beans and fried up some potatoes and onions.

Here's the thing: as I was cutting up the onion, I had a flashback to when we were little and Mother and Daddy hadn't been married very long. Daddy fixed us beans and fried potatoes! And we loved it! Remember, Grammy wasn't much of a cook--hated cooking--and as it turned out, Daddy was pretty good. So, I guess beans and fried potatoes with cornbread isn't necessarily an Okie thing but maybe a country thing, because Grampy was raised in a rural environment.

Look at me, I'm countrified!