Margaret, You can use meat drippings or even butter or oil. Just enough to brown flour... Let me know how you like it.

Thank you Charleen. Will do!

Did I fail to mention I don't like hot tomatoes? I think I won't be trying tomato gravy, I believe I'll stick with Rick's salsa. I use tomato paste or sauce or juice in soups and chilis, not whole tomatoes. But that's just me.

Barb, poignant, I think. Writing about them makes me feel poignant, both happy and sad. The memories are happy, most all of them seem to take place outside and during summer. I guess I've blocked any unhappy memories because they don't come creeping in when I write. But I was with Ninna so much she's just woven into my soul.

Some winters she spent with her daughters, so she'd be gone for months at a time. I don't seem to have memories of those times. Her name was Susan, and though I was the oldest grandchild, and the last to have children, my daughter was the only one who had her name. Her name is Ashley Susan and as is custom in the south and in my family, she was called both names growing up. Ninna was so proud to have a child named for her, she thought that was the ultimate gift. It had never been mentioned, the name, so I think it was her best surprise ever. I was very sick after she was born, and it was Ninna who came here and took care of my children while I recovered, 400 miles away from her home. Part of that time I was in the hospital in Louisville which is about 200 miles away from here. So Ninna spent a lot of time alone here with my babies. She was 76. That should tell you a lot about the relationship she and I had.

The fun stories about the medicinal plants took place mostly with Aunt Bett (Mom's aunt), but all the gardening and values really came from Ninna.

More than you wanted to know?
Probably, but I'm rarely lacking in words
She gave me all my good memories.

I love Salsa too!!! I've always loved tomato, hot or cold. Or right from the vine....

Me too Charleen Hank likes stewed tomatoes with croutons. I don't so much care for that but I do use them in chili, etc.

I AM THE SAME EXACT WAY. years of blank spaces in my memory. most of my memories center around the cousins. still i would like to hear what you do remember. and i always want to hear the dirt. in my family they worked hard to cover up the dirt. lol.

mamajack said:. still i would like to hear what you do remember. and i always want to hear the dirt. in my family they worked hard to cover up the dirt. lol.

All of our F3 generation whispered that THEY think my great-grandmother was from a fancy family in New York city, but then ran away with the Irish gardener and was ostracised.

But Nana would never say a word about her parents' history.

Maybe that's where my gardening Green Genes came from?

Heh!!
I'll see if I can find some 'dirt' to dig up for the next one.

oh my goodness. i simply can not wait.

my grandmother married ...........my grandfather. but..........the story is that her sister ella v had her site on him first. now they won't tell you a lot about that. but that's the story. this is the same grandmother who put my grandfather's socks on him.........'ever' day.

Your poor granddad.
Couldn't even put his own socks on.

Could he take them off once they were on his feet?

He probably rolled them off with his foot.

And why could he not put his own socks on? Physically disabled, or did he just consider it wifey work? I think I would have let Ella V have at him.

i honestly think papa(w) had a back problem. my mama(w) was so kind to him. just because she was a kind human. they really liked each other to the end. oh they'd fuss........a little. she'd slip a little barb in and he'd sit back and grin at her. this worst thing my mama ever said about another human that i ever remember was........scalawag. and that would be said under her breath and that was ALL she'd say. no details ever.

I admire people like that. I wish I was that nice, but not so.