Memorial Day Plans!
- Thread starter show 42
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Visit the cemetaries today. Miss Ashlyn and her mom and dad drove up to Pittsburgh for her first baseball game. Everyone will be back by tomorrow morning and we will have a big family dinner im the afternoon.
When I was growing up Memorial Day was so much fun. My grandmother's parents are buried in a little private family cemetary way out in the country adjoining what used to be their family farm. Every Memorial day weekend all of her family and the families of her remaining six brothers and sister would go out there for the day. Arriving early in the morning the men would cut grass, clear weeds, and kill snakes....usually just black snakes except any snake seen by my cousin Ed which was according to him always a very large copperhead, LOL. The women would clean off the grave stones and decorate the graves with flowers they had brought from their gardens.... roses, peonies, and iris(this was before silk flowers). If there had been a late freeze that year that had killed the flowers in the garden then we would buy flowers from the florist. We kids would play and get in the way. There is the grave of a little baby there right in the middle of the pathway marked only by a rock. No one knew if it was a boy or girl only that it was referred to by my grandmother and her brothers and sister as Great Aunt Mary's baby. It really bothered me that this little grave was almost ignored. So, I would always make sure that it got flowers put on it. After I finished college and started working one of the first things I did was to have a little gravestone set on the grave. Since we didn't have any information about the baby it just says "Little Angel".
After the work was done we would all go to an area a few minutes away where the river was very shallow with a big sandy beach area. The kids would swim and play in the river, the men would pitch horseshoes, and the women would set out a huge picnic lunch. My grandmother would get up at about 4 in the morning to fry chicken. There would also be meatloaf, ham, potato and macaroni salads,and half runner green beans cooked with new potatos, as well as watermelon, Mommaw's homemade poundcake with caramel icing and lemon and chocolate pies. My grandparents had this huge stoneware crock with a spigot at the bottom that my grandmother would fill with homemade lemonade. The day before it was my job to roll all of the lemons so they would give up their juice.
When I was growing up Memorial Day was so much fun. My grandmother's parents are buried in a little private family cemetary way out in the country adjoining what used to be their family farm. Every Memorial day weekend all of her family and the families of her remaining six brothers and sister would go out there for the day. Arriving early in the morning the men would cut grass, clear weeds, and kill snakes....usually just black snakes except any snake seen by my cousin Ed which was according to him always a very large copperhead, LOL. The women would clean off the grave stones and decorate the graves with flowers they had brought from their gardens.... roses, peonies, and iris(this was before silk flowers). If there had been a late freeze that year that had killed the flowers in the garden then we would buy flowers from the florist. We kids would play and get in the way. There is the grave of a little baby there right in the middle of the pathway marked only by a rock. No one knew if it was a boy or girl only that it was referred to by my grandmother and her brothers and sister as Great Aunt Mary's baby. It really bothered me that this little grave was almost ignored. So, I would always make sure that it got flowers put on it. After I finished college and started working one of the first things I did was to have a little gravestone set on the grave. Since we didn't have any information about the baby it just says "Little Angel".
After the work was done we would all go to an area a few minutes away where the river was very shallow with a big sandy beach area. The kids would swim and play in the river, the men would pitch horseshoes, and the women would set out a huge picnic lunch. My grandmother would get up at about 4 in the morning to fry chicken. There would also be meatloaf, ham, potato and macaroni salads,and half runner green beans cooked with new potatos, as well as watermelon, Mommaw's homemade poundcake with caramel icing and lemon and chocolate pies. My grandparents had this huge stoneware crock with a spigot at the bottom that my grandmother would fill with homemade lemonade. The day before it was my job to roll all of the lemons so they would give up their juice.
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Piel, you paint a wonderful picture with your words, I could see everything in my mind's eye.........what memories.
For the last 35 years, my husband's family has had a "reunion" of sorts, usually in the local park. Everyone would bring a dish, either a casserole, meat dish, or dessert. There would always be two or three ice cream freezers grinding away, the kids mainly taking turns at the crank. The youngsters, and those adults who could be talked into it, would get a game of baseball going or toss around a football. The oldsters would sit around in folding chairs talking about when they were young.
Times have changed, the children have grown up and most no longer attend, just a few die-hards. The crank ice cream freezer has been replaced by electric ones (is it just me or does ice cream taste better when it was done by hand).
The last three years I have been driving to my home town to pick up my mom and take her to the cemetary where Dad is buried. He's in the veteran section, and the grounds are a-blaze with flags, each flag pole bearing the name of a veteran. My dad is buried near an old cannon so he's easy to find.............42
For the last 35 years, my husband's family has had a "reunion" of sorts, usually in the local park. Everyone would bring a dish, either a casserole, meat dish, or dessert. There would always be two or three ice cream freezers grinding away, the kids mainly taking turns at the crank. The youngsters, and those adults who could be talked into it, would get a game of baseball going or toss around a football. The oldsters would sit around in folding chairs talking about when they were young.
Times have changed, the children have grown up and most no longer attend, just a few die-hards. The crank ice cream freezer has been replaced by electric ones (is it just me or does ice cream taste better when it was done by hand).
The last three years I have been driving to my home town to pick up my mom and take her to the cemetary where Dad is buried. He's in the veteran section, and the grounds are a-blaze with flags, each flag pole bearing the name of a veteran. My dad is buried near an old cannon so he's easy to find.............42
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Show, we do the homemade icecream but usually not until July 4. Mommaw would cook a custard type base and make a couple of batches of vaniolla and a couple of pineapple. I still have her freezer, but have to admit that I use my electric one now. The men got the "honor" of doing the cranking. The hardest part was waiting for the ripening after the cranking is over.
You're absolutely correct that the hand cranked tastes better. Every time I get a new kitchen supply catalog in the mail I am so tempted to order one of those Italian icecream makers that you just plug in and turn on. Whenever I take my Girl scouts camping we always make ice cream. There is a method where you place each girls unfrozen mix in a ziplock bag and place the bag in a coffee can full of ice and rock salt, then place the lid on the can and let them roll and toss it around untill the ice cream is frozen.
I can remember making snow ice cream when i was a kid. Hmmm living here in the chemical valley that might explain my tendancy to glow in the dark.
One of our neighbors used to make snow balls in the winter and store them in a deep freeze. Every Fourth of July they would host a picnic and neighborhood snow ball battle for all of the kids. Those snow balls which had become solid ice by July HURT when they hit you!
You're absolutely correct that the hand cranked tastes better. Every time I get a new kitchen supply catalog in the mail I am so tempted to order one of those Italian icecream makers that you just plug in and turn on. Whenever I take my Girl scouts camping we always make ice cream. There is a method where you place each girls unfrozen mix in a ziplock bag and place the bag in a coffee can full of ice and rock salt, then place the lid on the can and let them roll and toss it around untill the ice cream is frozen.
I can remember making snow ice cream when i was a kid. Hmmm living here in the chemical valley that might explain my tendancy to glow in the dark.
One of our neighbors used to make snow balls in the winter and store them in a deep freeze. Every Fourth of July they would host a picnic and neighborhood snow ball battle for all of the kids. Those snow balls which had become solid ice by July HURT when they hit you!
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- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Monday, I actually have no plans. My family formerly went to the cemetary and put flowers, etc. on them but since I live 400 miles away, I have only been there a few times since. My sister usually goes. She and my other sis went every year before the other one died. I guess one of my brothers is going this year too.
My middle daughter and hubby came last night. It is her 50th birthday Sunday and their 30th anniv Tues. They will leave tomorrow after church. OK, don't laugh or be grossed out but we had my hubby cremated and buried in the back yard.
My middle daughter and hubby came last night. It is her 50th birthday Sunday and their 30th anniv Tues. They will leave tomorrow after church. OK, don't laugh or be grossed out but we had my hubby cremated and buried in the back yard.
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Grgranny iIdon't think that is gross at all. My aunt's mother requested her body be left to WVU medical school. She was always a big flirt, had a really good sense of humor and would tell everyone that after she died instead of being composted SHE would have the hands of young doctors all over her. She and the docs must really be enjoying themselves. My aunt was told by the med center that when they were finished with the remains, usually in about two years,they would notify the family and they could dispose of them in whatever way they wanted or the WVU would cremate them and inter them in a graden area they have. It's been almost three years and still no word from them.
Congratulations to your daughter on her birthday and anniversery.
How is Janet doing?
Congratulations to your daughter on her birthday and anniversery.
How is Janet doing?
Piel, what a unique way to make individualized ice cream packets. Sounds like your scout troop has fun on these campouts.
GrGranny, I must remember not to be drinking anything when I read your posts. I nearly choked on my iced tea. Whatever made you decide to keep your husband's remains in your backyard? I'm glad you have family members with you for part of the holidays......42
GrGranny, I must remember not to be drinking anything when I read your posts. I nearly choked on my iced tea. Whatever made you decide to keep your husband's remains in your backyard? I'm glad you have family members with you for part of the holidays......42
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Sorry, I had to cut that short and go to the basement when the sirens went off for a tornado warning.
Janet's still about the same. Had a treatment as she had become allergic to rice again and now she gets sick whenever she eats anything. Those teatments always are real hard on her. Just talked to her and she's real depressed today since she is missing her sister's birthday.
Janet's still about the same. Had a treatment as she had become allergic to rice again and now she gets sick whenever she eats anything. Those teatments always are real hard on her. Just talked to her and she's real depressed today since she is missing her sister's birthday.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
I usually have no other plans besides eating lunch and dinner with family members. It is fun every year though.
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