For fun, we did it up with a luau theme.
We had Hawaiian flowers for the women to wear in their hair, leis for everyone, and then brought in palm leaves to make a little hut at one end of our church fellowship hall where folks could get their pictures taken Hawaiian style.
There was lots of yummy Hawaiian themed food (this isn't even all of it...I just forgot to take pictures after the spread was all set out, lol.)
Here were my contributions:
The kabobs took a VERY long time to make, but looked very festive.
When we arrived, I learned that I could have gotten by with only the (much easier to prepare) fruit kabobs. Apparently you can lead folks to the veggie kabobs, but you can't make them eat 'em. Or maybe the jicama scared them away, I'm not sure.
My mother-in-law found a recipe in the newspaper and made the dish that was easily the hit of the luau...a fabulous Hawaiian chicken entree that went over rice.
It involved making homemade fried chicken, then refrigerating it overnight in glass baking dishes. The following day, she covered it with a sauce made of pineapple tidbits (in juice) and diced green bell peppers which were cooked together and thickened with cornstarch before pouring it all over the chicken.
Yummo.
Then, somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, I glanced down and saw these.
I call this still-life "well worn potholders beside an ugly dishtowel"
At first glance, I merely thought the flowery fabric looked familiar. It reminded me of a quilt my grandma had made years ago out of sale priced sheets.
But grandma was also known for her potholders.
Upon closer inspection, I got to thinking that everything about the potholders looked familiar...down to the bias tape around the edge, and even including the bar of solid colored fabric grandma would often throw in the middle if there wasn't quite enough of the print fabric left left to make a full circle.
Now my grandma was an original. She used up every scrap of fabric and thread and whatnot, never letting anything go to waste.
And when I picked them up, I realized that whoever had made these had done the exact same thing. They looked identical to some of my own 'signature' potholders by grandma, just a different color scheme.
They even had the pocket on the back to slip one's fingers into. Her trademark, if you will.
But they weren't mine, and I knew I'd never had any in that particular color scheme that might still be floating around the church kitchen.
What in the world?
So...I did the first thing any good scrapbooker/blogger would do and I took a picture. Because, as you know, pictures are supposed to last longer.
My sister-in-law Cheryl caught me in the act, and arching a brow asked, "What are you doing, taking a picture of those old potholders?" She seemed a bit perplexed by my behavior, as would most non-blogger, non-scrapbooker types.
"Heh, heh" I laughed, feeling rather sheepish. "It's just that they look so much like the old potholders my grandma used to make...that it just now got me thinking about her.
Grandma has been gone now for a little over two years, and only recently have I begun to think about her without the raw ache of missing her so much. Now, whenever I get to missing her, I can just scroll back through the wealth of many wonderful and Happy memories made with her without emoting. Much.
However, something about those silly potholders caused me to get a bit misty with remembrance.
"That's because those were some that your grandma made" my sister-in-law replied just then.
"She gave them to each of us [my sister-in-laws] back when you and Jeff got married."
"Oh." Mystery solved!
And I just had to smile, because that was just like my grandma.
She made quilts or potholders for just about everyone she knew and claimed as her own, including Jeff back when I very first met him.
And lucky him, his quilt and potholders were a matching set, lol. She knew right off the bat there was something special about him.
Funny, looking down at those old worn and yet very familiar potholders, I could just see her busy at work, tracing the fabric with a trusty white corelle plate, using leftover quilt batting and other layers of stuff to prevent burns, and hand-stitching bias tape on them like mad to get them all done before the "folks" got to town before my wedding. And considering the size of Jeff's family, quite a feat for a woman with arthritis.
But it was her way.
A more selfless and giving soul I've yet to meet.
Me, the boys and my sweet, generous grandma.
I hope I grow up to be just like her one day.
13 comments:
What a very sweet post, Becky. Isn't it funny how something can trigger the melancholy seemingly out of the blue??
I love your grandma. She sounds precious. (I use that word a lot where your family is concerned, I just realized...)
My grandma does that- she crochets potholders and everyone gets a set at Christmas. One year she figured everyone had enough and there was an uproar. She just went into a back room and came out with a large stack and handed them out. I have my favorite pair that I never have used and two other sets that I always use. I would never think of using anything except what she has made, it just wouldn't work nearly as well. Uh, how did I make this post about me... Anyway, thanks for the memories.
My mom does some croheting, too. I have a lot of those dishtowel thingies that you can hang around the cupboard knob. Seasonal. Pretty.
I was kind of thinking that maybe your gramma gave some to the church to use during dinners. Mystery solved.
Oh, how I loved reading this post. What a precious Grandma you had and how precious that God would see that you saw those potholders to remind you of her that day. She sounds a lot like my Grandma and I have a bunch of sweet handmade potholders, too.
The sweet words you left for me brought tears to my eyes and encouragement to my heart. Thank you so much for that, and for your prayers...can't say it enough.
Your kabob mountains (complete with palm trees) have me shaking my head in disbelief! Girl! I would have never thought of anything like that...what a great idea! (That must have taken FOREVER!) I'm keeping that one in mind for future reference.
Thanks again for your
friendship and prayers,
Tracy
Aw, so sweet. This made me miss my own Grandma. She used to make pot holders for her kids too which will be passed on to her grandkids. So funny.
You are so creative! Loved the kabobs and the palm trees. I'm stealing this!
Yeah, Jeff got the ONE matching set!!!! But bless her heart, your grandma was prolific! And your bloggy peeps should get a better photo of your darling grandma than the one shown, because she really was a beauty, even when she was very old. Too funny that Cheryl still has those potholders 15 years later!! I recognize that fabric,too, as it was also made into a "quilt" or "comforter" whatever you choose to call it, made with two sheets and something in between (which SOMEBODY stole from my house, er I mean borrowed). This may not seem too handsome or too crafty, but in reality, those blankies are still around (in SOMEBODY'S house!!!)after years and years, because sheets DO seem to last a long time, and they are COMFORTABLE against your skin. I even know one recipient of more than one of her "quilts" who took to skipping their top sheets when making the bed because, hey, the sheets were right there on the quilt. (*That was'nt me*) HOWEVER, I have had to make my OWN "grandma quilts" because SOMEBODY (more than one somebody) has managed to hoard all these treasures to themselves, the dirty, lowdown, rotten scoundrels.
I also worked on a Christmas bazaar one year making some really fancy pot holders, and she of course helped with a great deal of the hand work. Then, she gathered up all the leftover scraps (which were folded triangles of fabric almost like quilt pieces) and made mismatched potholders that were so comical you just had to love them.
Yep, that was my mom. She truly was the sweetest woman I've even known or heard of anywhere. All my kids were so blessed by her presence in their childhoods.
Boy, did we need FRUMPMAMA at OUR VBS this year! It's an ISLAND theme, too! Can you fly up tonight?
Are you saying that the veggiekabobs you made dazzled everybody but they still wouldn't bite? (Like Richard's expensive fishing lures?)
I love how your bloggy peeps love your grandma. I wish they could have known her as you did. What a Christlike woman she was!
Such a sweet post about your grandma Becky. It reminded me of my grandma. She used to make anything from dish towels to dollies, which she would then give out to her children and grandchildren. I miss that...
BTW, love the kabobs you made. Especially the veggie one with the palm tree, very cool!
precious!! You documented this perfectly!!
Goodness. Either you are a very good writer or I am a little weepy. A bit of both I think, more-so on the first though! Thanks for sharing your lovely memories.
Your grandma made more than potholders and quilts--she made a fantastic impression and had lovely influence on you. That's for sure. Her generosity of spirit is clearly seen in you, Becky. You're already a lot alike, I can tell. :)
I can't wait to meet her. ((hugs))
I just love that photo. What a lovely post and reminder of your grandma. SO SWEET!!!
I have little things like that too from my grandparents and great grandparents. They are so special to me too. What a great reminder of what we should be doing for our kids.
Beautiful post...I've been working on some crocheted potholders like MY grandmother used to make!
Blessings, E
love. this. post.
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