Many, many years ago our first home was next door to David's grandparents Mama Hattie and Papa Seb. We lived there for three years. It is the home we lived in when Laura was born.

We thought it was a great place to start out. His grandmother was very kind to me. She shared the knowledge she had on making a home with me. Shortly after we moved in she brought over several old ceramic bowls as a gift to me. One of them had been her mothers. She was actually my father-in-laws stepmother. She married Papa sometime after Kathaleen (my father-in-laws' mother) had died. My father-in-law was pretty young, probably eight or nine. So Mamma Hattie actually never had any children of her own and she didn't raise Selma's kids either. They all were farmed out to different aunts and uncles. I think she probably regretted that later in life. Anyway, she was very good to me. I learned to love her. We actually rented this little house from them. $45 a month!!! Can you believe that. That was really cheap even then.

They visited us after we moved into our first purchased home. We were several miles outside of the city limits, so it was a little distance for them. I miss them still.

Merr and Mama Hattie at our home.

One of the things we enjoyed together was growing a garden. Papa and Mama Hattie had quite a large garden every year. They even kept their own seeds. Dave would help Papa plant and pick. He would work on his tiller and I think we probably used their tiller too. We certainly couldn't afford our own.

David was really proud of his garden.

Several years after we moved, David became good friends with a neighbor who also loved to garden. It was at this time that David started a garden again. He would grow potatoes, green beans, okra, tomatoes, sweet peppers, peas, and usually squash and cucumbers. I hated working that garden. It was just too much to do that and work and take care of the kids too. He did all of it.

David and our neighbor Clin would work in the evenings putting up their vegetables. They mostly canned them. I loved eating all that fresh stuff, just didn't like putting it up. It is a tremendous amount of work. We had the best turnip greens canned you ever put in your mouth. He even made kraut.

Last summer we decided we would buy some strawberries and make jam. It was really fun and we have enjoyed them all winter.....so I think we are going to tackle a garden again. Dave has a little more time on his hands and I do too. I think the grandkids are old enough when we have them,we can work outside with them also. I look forward to having fresh veggies also. We usually buy fresh at the local farmers' market, but they are even getting too expensive. Hope it helps us cut down on the grocery bill. We shall see.

Blessings Memaw Barbie