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Barefoot In The Sand: Remembering the Waning Days of the Hopewell Community (1998) Bruce C. Gragg 37/123
anyone. If it was technical in nature she was lost in a flash, if it
required some plain ole common sense reasoning she could figure it
out soon. I learned very early in life don't get in her way when she
decided to do something. Most importantly she had a Faith in God that
carried her through her many trials and tribulations over her
lifetime. Mama was quite unique, petite in stature, she could relate
to Jerry Clower, in as much as she was Country. An example, she knew
just how much soda to put in a pot of collards while cooking to get
rid of the bitter taste, and how much cane syrup to add to them after
cutting up to make them taste "just right” without having a sweet
syrup taste. Her pecan pies were so good, made with fresh nuts and
homemade syrup, I have never found anyone to make one that equaled
hers. Her worst accident was when was riding Maude (June's mother)
looking for some cows a limb or something scraped her in the side and
she threw Mama. This resulted in a painful injury, it broke her hip
from her backbone. Maude ran home empty saddled and Papa hitched her
up to the wagon and went for Mama. Maude went right straight to where
the accident happened. She was laid up for a while. The injury place
gave her problems the rest of her life.
She could plow a field of corn better than some men could. Around
animals she had a way or knack of knowing what had to be done to
bring them back to good health. When egg shells began to get too thin
she would bring out the oystershells to feed the chickens, the extra
calcium would help thicken them. She usually kept an assortment of
chemicals and over the counter drugs to treat many of the livestock
illnesses. When we went to the farm supply store she always stopped
by the "Dr. LeGears" display to see if there was anything she might
need and not have at home already. Most of all she didn't like to see
people or animals suffer. She was extremely emotional and had very
deep feelings about her beliefs. I come by it naturally, for I am of
very much the same temperament. When getting ready to plant she
believed like Papa, bring out the almanac when you bring out the
seeds and plant at the right time. As she was growing up they had to
do what was necessary to survive and they couldn’t afford to hire
much done. She had strength very few her size had and a mind to go
with it. Some people called it being hardheaded, guess that’s where I
got my stubborn nature. While I could always remember events more
readily than Vera, time is beginning to take its toll and I find it
harder to recall facts, once on "Instant Recall."
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