Easter has come and gone but the Transformations continue.
Each Easter I pull out my grandmother's old pitcher with the old rugged cross and I anticipate the colorful and life affirming transformation on Easter Sunday morning. Nanny's pitcher has a little crack in one side and I love it because I always think of how resilient and strong Nanny was. She lived for 101 years and to think of all the transformations she witnessed is mind boggling.
Nanny wrote her own life story when she was in her 90's. Writing our story must be something in the genes because Dad has written many of his own stories and I do enjoy blogging. I would love to have been a follower of Nanny's Blog!
Recently I was re-reading her story and it is fascinating to step back in time when she describes living in the early 1900s on a red dirt road that is now Highway 74 near Lattimore. "In the fall of the year, we would see covered wagons drawn by two oxen passing by. Sometimes they would stop. They had apples, cabbage, irish potatoes and chestnuts for sale." For a special treat her grandpa would buy chestnuts for the children. Her father worked in Latimore as a carpenter for one dollar per day and she wrote, "that was good pay back then". He rode his bicycle to work and Nanny would ride on the back to a Subscription School taught by Mrs. Mary Calton. She stayed in Lattimore from Monday till Friday for school and then her father would ride her back home on the bicycle.
I'm proud that they put such a high priority on educating their children, especially the females, at that time. Nanny said she enjoyed school, but she also writes about how much she loved family and babies and especially rocking her baby sisters. She writes about her father making furniture and building coffins. "The coffins were made of pine lumber and were covered in cloth, black on the outside and white on the inside for grown folks. And all white for children....Back then there was no funeral home. When anyone died, the neighbors would come...When my little sister died, Aunt Willow McSwain laid her out and dressed her. She was fourteen months old. Papa made the coffin, covered it in white cloth. That was the first death in our family. We were all very sad for we loved her very much...She was buried on Easter Sunday. There were no florists then. They just used what flowers they had in the yard and garden. In the winter time when there wasn't any flowers they would get cedar and holly from the woods and made wreaths and crosses for the graves."
Wow. Kind of brings things into perspective.
I love bringing out Nanny's pitcher at Easter and using flowers and greenery to remember her strength and love and her peace which passeth all understanding.
There is so much more to Nanny's story and I hope to intertwine her writing into this blog from time to time.
On Easter 2012 Nanny's pitcher and the old rugged cross once again transformed with a host of colors and textures because so many things were blooming at once. Geraniums, hydrangea, iris, azalea and all kinds of greenery brought life to the cross. And of course I added a few sprigs of Rosemary - for remembrance.
Transformations aren't limited to Easter Sunday. Pretty much everything transforms at one time or another. The trick is adapting, accepting - or better yet appreciating - change. You sure can't fight it.
David IV and KC arrived for Easter Saturday night at Lake Lure with Jay, Turner, Devin and Emily. Another transformation. Usually our house is full of boys and this time there were a lot of girls. All Sweet Georgia peaches. Someone asked how I liked that change and I loved it. After supper there was discussion about watching a shoot 'em up movie or the Blind Side. With help from the girls Blind Side won. It's nice to have backup.
All families and traditions change over the years and I appreciated the Easter Sunday picture that we took this year at Sister's house. After a great covered dish lunch, a mixture of Hunts, Roysters, Mabrys, Saleebys and Kohlers gathered on Sister's front porch for a combined family picture. It is a beautiful medley of family. Life affirming. Much like the flowers in Nanny's pitcher.
The garden is transforming as well and we have enjoyed lettuce, spinach, onions, garlic and many herbs. There are a few strawberries appearing.
Cooking is all about transformation and so our Easter ham transformed into several quiches and then soup. Carol had brought over some white beans, there was spinach in the garden and I had a tiny bit of Easter ham left. I love soup. You can call it anything. So to paraphrase Greasy Sae, When I put it in the soup I called it Tuscan Bean Soup.
Tuscan Bean Soup
32 oz Chicken Broth
About a quart of cooked white beans (if you use canned ones rinse and drain them)
However much leftover ham you have
It helps to have a garden full of the following, but I'm sure it works from the grocery store too:
Minced fresh garlic
Fresh Spinach leaves, torn
Spring Onion, Chopped
Oregano
Basil
Ground Black Pepper
Put it all together, simmer and serve with crackers, cornbread or just by itself.
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