Elsie the Cow

Elsie the Cow

was always on Grandma Turner's counter, filled with delicious homemade cookies.

My Aunt Claudia now owns this heirloom, but it brings warm memories to me when I see it. 

Funny how some small thing reminds me of the warmth and love I felt in Grandma's kitchen. She always had a dress and an apron on. She would put a fresh, clean apron on if she had to go to the post office or the store, but always an apron. She also wore black shoes with the sides cut out by her little toes so her corns wouldn't hurt. When she went to Church she just had to let them hurt. 

I have great memories of watching Grandma make pies in her kitchen. I remember the wood-burning stove, the flour bin, and the enamel cup that made water taste especially good. There were times when she would have us help her clean the eggs that had been gathered. I'm sure we were more trouble than help. I remember how scared I was of the chickens when I was sent out to gather their eggs from under them. They weren't any too happy about us taking their potential babies. Other memories were the coolness of the cellar which had shelves filled with bottles of homemade fruit, vegetables, jams and jellies; watching Grandma kill a chicken for dinner and seeing the headless chicken running around the yard spurting blood everywhere; seeing Grandma make lye soap which was used for laundry and other cleaning needs. It was quite a process.   

At the kitchen table I remember Grandpa relishing a bowl of homemade bread and milk, sometimes with jam, sometimes with radishes or green onions. I still love bread and milk, but it has to be with homemade bread or it isn't good.  I also remember Uncle Scott eating a bowl of Kellogg's Cornflakes before he would leave for a date in the evenings.  I am amused at the memory of Uncle Scott and Uncle Mark spurting water through their front teeth at us kids and I always marveled at what a great aim they had and at what amazing distances they could spurt us. 

I thought Uncle Scott was about the cutest thing ever and as a young girl I wanted to grow up and marry him because he was so cute and so nice and so fun.  He was single longer than most and that kept my hope alive for quite some time.  But alas, he did marry -- and I learned you can't marry your relatives.  But I still thought he was cute and had a great laugh.  

The picture on the left is of Uncle Mark during his service in World War II. The one on the right was taken in 2006.  He was just younger than Mom and as great as Mom and Mark were, they did have their spats.

Most of these memories are from the 1950's.

I was glad to see Elsie the Cow once again.