Wow, 2 posts in one day!

But I can’t help it. Talking about the canner and also reading my cousin’s posts about my grandparents’ house has got me wandering down memory lane. They sold the house back in 1995 I believe, as it got to be too much for them and that was the end of the weekly Sunday gatherings there. Until then though, it was the center of the family. It was never anything written in stone, and they never knew how many would show up. It could be just one or two of the kids or grandkids, or it could be the whole huge family, and at times friends would come along, or Aunt Sarah and her family or even their own siblings and families. Sometimes there were so many that Grandpa would joke that he was going to put a "Used Car Lot" sign in his front yard and make some money because there were so many cars parked there! No matter how many showed up though, there was always plenty of Sunday dinner for everyone and lots of visiting and laughter. Everyone was always welcomed with open arms.

As I mentioned in the last post, Grammy never threw anything out and every now and then she would clean house and start offering things to the family that she had dug out and wanted to get rid of. Sometimes though, what she was offering was something no one wanted. Now, my ex-husband did alot of things that aggravated the HELL out of me, and one of these things was being a packrat. And if we showed up at the house on one of these days that something was being offered that no one wanted, it was funny to everyone in the house. They just knew when they spotted my ex coming in with me that I also wouldn’t want this thing being offered but that my ex would go crazy over it and I would be stuck with it! For example, I clearly remember this ugly tacky handmade pottery tea set that my grandmother had ‘won’ in a raffle. It looked like (or was supposed to look like anyway) a basket of fruit. The tray looked like a basket and the tea pot, sugar and creamer looked like a pile of apples, oranges, and bananas. The damn thing was even 3D! God I hated that set but of course my ex thought it was wonderful and off we went with it. That thing sat on our table for years and even after it got broken, he glued it back together! Sheesh! It was the first thing I tossed when we broke up! LOL! But our house was full of that kind of stuff, and I think my grandparents took pity on me because of it and I did get some good stuff to make up for it! Like the canner of course and also this clock from my grandfather’s mother.

I’m not really sure why I got this clock. I mean there were 9 grandchildren and their own two kids. I loved it though and every time I visited they would catch me peeking into the closet where it was stored to look at it. I never asked for it though because I found out it was in the closet because my grandfather’s brother’s daughter had spotted it out one day visiting and had asked for it. Not while they were living she said, but could they put it in their will for her?  I was horrified when they told me that and commented that I NEVER wanted it if that was how I would get it! Still, I kept peeking at it and loved hearing the story of how my grandfather’s mother had saved up for months to afford the $3.95 it cost in the early 1900’s and finally was able to order it from the Sear’s catalog. After I was married and happened to be the only one visiting one Sunday, they quietly gave it to me and said they knew I would take good care of it. And I have. I waited a couple of years until I could afford to repair it at a cost of $150 as it hadn’t worked for years. Two years later it needed to be repaired again and has stood silent since, but I still love it! Mostly, though, I got things like a big silver bowl. No, not real silver!

I had gotten myself a huge bowl for what I thought was a great price of $6 to use when I made big batches of jam to can and other recipes when regular bowls were just too small. I proudly showed it off to her and the rest of the family there for the day. Here it is.

Pretty big huh? Well not so fast! Grammy saw the bowl and said she wished I had mentioned I needed one since she had one that she didn’t need anymore and she brought out her bowl to give me as well. And she had gotten hers for just $1 with a coupon! So she brings out the bowl and I see immediately who got the better deal! My grandmother’s bowl is on the left!

You just could never outdo my grandmother on a bargain! LOL! The old house has been sold, and according to my cousin who has driven by the place, even the quaint little town has grown to include housing developments and trees cut down and we lost both grandparents and many others these last 10 years or so. I am no longer a young wife and mother, and haven’t seen many of my extended family since I left NH 7 years ago, but those years stay with me. The memories of those gatherings, the laughter and close knit feeling of a huge family are something I will always treasure. Now Dennis and I are empty-nesters with only 2 of our kids nearby and all the rest of our family miles and miles away. Life sure does change doesn’t it? And it’s still changing! Next week I meet with a rep from Barton College and in 2 weeks I start substitute teaching! Next spring the house goes on the market and we set out to find our very own ‘forever house’ and I am so excited to see what this life brings Dennis and me!