Vera's Corner

Am I blogging now?

My two daughters are both interested in weblogs (blogs), so I've decided to learn how to blog, too.

I first became interested in blogging when I saw my younger daughter Anne wearing a t-shirt with the words "I'm blogging this." written across the front of it. I had no idea what it meant, but I was interested in finding out.

Later, when my my older daughter Sandy was visiting me, I asked her what a blog is, and she explained it to me. Then, to my surprise, she said I could try blogging myself. So here I am, blogging for the first time. I am not sure what I should write on this blog, but I'll just start writing and see what happens.

A little bit about me

Before I write more, I need to introduce myself. My name is Vera, and I'm 85 years old. I'm a mother, a grandmother, and a great- grandmother. I have two daughters, four granddaughters, and four great-grandchildren.

Crossword puzzles stir up memories

I hardly ever pick up a crossword puzzle that I don't think of my dad. He used to wait for the daily paper every day. It came about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. He always sat in a rocking chair, and he had a little pet chick that would get up on his shoulder and sit there as he worked that crossword puzzle. For years after he died, I had the stub of a pencil that he used to do those crossword puzzles in my cedar chest.

Now, after all these years, I find myself waiting for the morning paper. Once it's here, I just want to tackle that crossword puzzle. Whenever I pick up the paper, I read the headlines, and then I search out the crossword puzzle. Only after I work it out do I read the rest of the paper.

Remembering that cedar chest

I was thinking about that cedar chest where I kept the pencil stub my father used to do the crossword puzzles. I left it at my mothers, and during a move it got lost.

What a loss---all those cherished objects gone! My older daughter Sandy's first Easter dress---I sewed every bit of it by hand. The first shoes I crocheted for my younger daughter Anne. The first dolls my daughters ever got. A full set of little golden books. All those cherished items...all those links to the past...gone .

Pieces of the past

I was sitting at the kitchen table, thinking about all the things I have. I've saved so many things over the years. It seems I can't throw any of them away because so many of them bring back memories. They're like 'souvenirs of the past' and have special meanings for me. For example, I have two small bowls that belonged to my mother: a pink-flowered one and a green-flowered one. Every morning when I eat cereal from them, I think about my mother.

Then there's the afghan I crocheted so many years ago. My mother tried to teach me to crochet, but it didn't work; I didn't learn how to do it. Later, I learned on my own and crocheted an afghan. I still have it. Strange...whenever I see that afghan now, I see her. My children and grandchildren have hinted they like it, but it's hard to part with a piece of your past.

For little girls, there's nobody like dad.

Some foods just go together. I guess I like pinto beans, corn bread, and onions because it was one of my dad's favorites. I remember him sitting at the head of the table, eating them. As you might guess, they're one of my favorite foods today.

That reminds me...I guess that's also why I love carrots. When I was 10 or 11 years old, the doctor recommended I eat them, so my dad planted two rows of carrots in the garden. We'd go out when he was home, and he'd ask me if I wanted a carrot. Then he'd pull one up, wipe the dirt off, and I'd eat it right there. So many things remind me of him. I guess it's true the old saying: "For all little girls, there's nobody like their dad."

Cruises on my mind

I wonder why people like to go on ocean cruises. I suppose they just like to get away—no telephone ringing, no more appointments to keep, and no traffic to contend with. My husband Lee and I did go on one once to the Caribbean. We went with a few good people and visited St. Thomas, St. Martin's and Nassau. It was quite an experience—traveling on a ship at sea and staying in cabins—and the food was a big deal at all times.

You know, I always thought it would be great to sail across the ocean on one of those ships, but I never did.

Getting back to the past

Now getting back to the past...can't forget those 85 years! For years, my mom and dad had the only dairy in Corsicana, Texas. My mom said that when I was hungry, I'd always say my stomach was tired. I remember that Mr. Whitman, the owner of the grocery store where my dad delivered milk, would often give my dad a box of Eatmores, which were a forerunner of Hershey kisses. He would say, "Take these to that little tired stomach!" Oh, to be a kid again...

Little girls and little boys

Today I was reminiscing about my children, about how calm my two daughters were when they were little. Then the granddaughters came along, and they were, for the most part, also calm little girls. Then all at once, I had a great-grandson, and what a difference! He's a rambunctious little boy. My husband used to tell me that little girls were quite calm, but little boys were sure different. Believe me, he was right! That little great-grandson is not still a minute. He never has to stop and think what he's going to do. It's in his head instantly. But let me tell you, he's a joy. I wouldn't take for him!

The first Christmas I remember

I remember I must have been four or five years old. As I said before, my mom and dad had a dairy, and they were getting up at two o'clock in the morning to milk cows.

So, Santa Claus came early that year, around 5 or 6 in the evening on Christmas Eve, and he brought me a doll. In my mind's eye, to this day, she is still the most beautiful doll I've ever seen. She had black hair and blinking blue eyes. she wore a white silk dress and a black velvet cape. I'm sure I got other things, but the doll is all I remember. She must have been named Snow White, and my house must have been the first one Santa came to that year!

             Me (on the left) at about this age.