This weekend I finally got to Raleigh for a meeting of the Tri-Tatters. One of the ladies there so graciously tried to teach me the basics of this old craft and I left with at least some knowledge of how to proceed. I think about all the things I’ve learned to do over the years: crocheting, knitting, chair canning, quilting, etc. and marvel that only one of these crafts was learned from a family member. It’s not that they didn’t have these talents, for I was given a quilt that my paternal grandmother made for me and acquired several quilt tops that she or my maternal grandmother had pieced together at some point and never had the time or inclination to quilt. I have beautiful crocheted doilies made by one of these same relatives and embroidery of my mother’s. So I have evidence that they were all talented in many areas. I just never saw them working on any of it!
I suppose the daily chores of cleaning and washing and cooking for the army of children (13 in my Dad’s family and 5 in my Mom’s) kept them quite busy when I might have been around. After all, at those times they also had spouses and grandkids to deal with. But somehow these wonderful treasures were made, one stitch at a time and in stolen moments of quiet and leisure. I do remember my Grandmother Nicholson (Big Ma) standing over a hot stove for hours on end, stirring jelly and removing the foam as it boiled down and reached the “jell” stage. She made the best homemade applesauce which she used in apple turnovers and I looked forward to those treats after school almost every day. Grandma Roberson also made many preserves and on holidays, had enough pies and cakes to feed half the world. Her pineapple cake was my favorite and although Mom wrote down her recipe while working with her to make this famous delicacy, neither Mom nor I ever mastered the secret that made Grandma's cake the most moist and flavorful one I’ve ever eaten. I'm not giving up though. Who knew how much my parents and grandparents really did. I rarely witnessed the actual work and certainly wasn’t taught how to carry on the crafts. I guess it was a time of simplicity and it never was a big deal to any of them because almost everybody else was doing the same thing. Thankfully I picked up at least a longing to know how to do many of the things that might have been passed along had there been time, or had I had an interest back then. And what a blessing that some of their handiwork still exists and is displayed for me to enjoy today. Who knew?
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Citizens of OxfordThis is a place to reminisce. What do you remember about growing up in Oxford, NC? Archives
August 2016
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