January 05, 2010

Spring What?????

Yes, I know it's January!
It never fails. We barely get into the month of January when I start thinking about SPRING CLEANING.
I know - there must be a weak link in my DNA,right?
Is that a Gramma thing?
No, I think it's just a Jonell thing.
Spring Cleaning indeed :^(

January 01, 2010

Long Ago at My Grandma Mobley's House

She Never left anything undone over night in her kitchen. She had to fill dishpans and heat water on the stove to wash dishes. When she left the kitchen every dish,pot and pan was washed dried and put away and her dishpans clean, dried and turned upside down.

She swept floors every day. That meant inside bedrooms, outside porches,everything!

I never remember her bed 'unmade'. It was always topped off with her pillows standing up and the pillow cases were always starched, ironed and showed off the colorful embroidered hand work on the ends. It was often flowers, a lady w basket of flowers, branches w little birds-Today I only buy all cotton white pillow cases with handwork like this for my extra bedrooms.

Grandma usually wore an 'everyday dress' more than one day but every day she put on a fresh  Apron..the kind that goes over the neck and it always had a small pocket -think that was for the little can of snuff. Her aprons were often plain white but she did have flowered patterned fabric.  Some were considered her "good aprons".

Any leftovers was always placed in the pie safe to be eaten as needed-what we would call snacks in between meals.  There was always something there.

Grandma not only swept the entire house every day..she regularly swept the yard front, sides and back with what was called "yard brooms" which they made from small brush and tied the handles with strips of fabric scraps.

Those simple floors especially in the kitchen and dining room were scrubbed with hot soapy water and a corn shuck thing..what was it called? I can picture it and I could even design one for you..can't remember exactly what they called it. HELP! [time for a cousin call ]