Warm, fresh-creamed corn filled the last remaining compartment of the round Tupperware container. Two fluffy cathead biscuits, a hand-sized piece of country fried steak, and mashed potatoes topped with a generous helping of black peppered, sawmill gravy took up residency in the remaining slots. Frail hands struggled to snap the lid in place; years of use and vigorous cleaning had warped the hard plastic. Atop the lid, a faded "Property of Elizabeth Ryan" written in black marker was still visible, worn down by time and gallons of hot, soapy water.
She had three identical containers she used for Operation Feed Mrs. Willey. When she dropped off this evening's dinner, she would pick up the one from the previous night. The plate not in
…show more content…
I do this because I feel in my heart that I should. Besides, I couldn't stand to see her go hungry. I hate the thought of any living thing going hungry. And her no-account son doesn't seem to take an interest in her." My grandmother wasn't prone to stern rebukes, so I knew her son must be a piece of work. I also knew he lived right next door to Grandma.
We walked down the steps of the small side porch, crossed between her work shed and the corner of her small house and into the back yard, past the empty dog pen. Her faithful companion, Sam, the biggest and gentlest German Shepherd I'd ever seen, died when I was five and she didn't have the heart to take it down. I'd catch her staring out the kitchen window from time to time when washing dishes at the kitchen sink and wondered if she was thinking about him. Sure, she had every stray cat in a one-mile radius lining up for her leftovers, but a part of her big heart left when he did.
Behind the pen, at the end of her back yard, we walked past her rambling, smooth-skinned Crepe Myrtle, my go to reading spot. I’d lost count of how many Hardy Boys mysteries I’d read at the base of that old tree. At the back of her property, the land sloped gently down towards 1st Street, before ending at the cliff and the CSX train tracks below. The land directly behind her house was empty and in the fall and winter, the tops of the railroad cars were visible as they whizzed by, east towards Newnan or west to Carrollton.
For the
“There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and he champagne and the stars. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft, or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his motor-boats slid the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam. On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains. And on Mondays eight servants, including an extra gardener, toiled all day with
The dusty woven curtains at the end of the hall flapped halfheartedly in the breeze. The window was open, letting in any random bug that happened to pass by, since it had no screen. Margery’s doing, probably. She was Queen of the Hot Flashes. Stopping in front of her apartment, I was annoyed to see ketchup smeared under the brass numeral two.
“When you got to the table you couldn 't go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals, though there warn 't really anything the matter with them, -- that is, nothing only everything was cooked by itself. In a barrel of odds and ends it is different; things get mixed up, and the juice kind of swaps around, and the things go better.” (Twain, 1)
After meeting her husband, LJ, Arline’s delicious cooking prompted her husband to suggest that they deliver the food to the shut-in in the community. This act was much appreciated by those who would not have received a home cook meal. Soon after her wares were well sought after. Many requested her to prepare
Honor the Grandmothers takes a look at four Dakota and Lakota women who offer to share the stories of their lives to the reader. It is a heartfelt look into their hardships through racism, to their ongoing battle to pass along the rich history of their ancestors while fighting poverty on the reservation.
So began a thrice-daily ritual on the raft, with pumpkin pie and spaghetti being the favorite subjects. The men came to know louise’s recipes so well that if louie skipped a step or forgot an ingredient, Phil, and sometimes Mac, would quickly correct him and make him start over.” Instead of just saying “they were starving” Hillenbrand instead talks about how they fantasized about Louie’s Mother's cooking. She uses detail of the cooking to develop how hungry they are and to show the lack of food they have. I know when I'm hungry I often think about my mother's mash potatoes and ham, and how she puts everything together and cooks.
In addition to gradually exposing the reader to the deep background of the residence, thus obliquely strengthening the narrative, the descriptions and facts help Wilson to remember the basic appearance, location, and significance of his old family home. Admittedly learned through “county history”, Wilson reveals that the house was “built by the Talcotts, after whom the town is named.” Furthermore, the home’s construction began in 1800 and took four years to build because it’s “stone had to be quarried out of the banks of the Sugar River” and it’s “beams were secured by enormous nails... some of them eighteen inches long.” These researched details of the estate appear insignificant to the storyline; however, they allow Wilson to access an elementary visualization of his childhood home because, according to Birkerts, Wilson’s “patient focus on preserved materials will bring back troves of specific information”.
After a long Thursday of work on the ranch the hard working men packed into the dining hall. Everyone rushed through the lineup to eat first and instantly the sound of growling stomachs and clinking forks and knifes filled the dining room that was silent moments ago. George, Slim, Lennie, Candy and Carlson in their dirty work wear an scuffed boots sat around an old wood dining room table that was aged with scratches and cuts from the many men that had worked at the ranch before the five men that sat around the table today. The men chowed down on roast beef with gravy and garlic mashed potatoes. Lennie was thrilled as he ate his mountain of potatoes. Gravy spilled down the edge of old Candy’s lips. “Jesus Candy do you have any table manners?” Carlson asked with frustration in his deep voice.
She knew the landscape of the sidewalk the entire way to the store, she had spent many days jumping rope, skating, playing jacks and hopscotch on that very same sidewalk. She passed the same houses along the way, the one where three teenage girls lived who played music and practiced their dancing with each other, the house where the school principle lived, and the house at the corner where a boy named Lindsey lived. Lindsey had been sick with the flu at the same time that Welty had been ill (156).
Yet, there are still inconsistencies with this interpretation, which also apply to the stricter literal view; where does the "gray, scrawny Italian child" down the road by the railroad tracks come from? (26) Where do the workmen come from? (137) If the valley is so isolated and desolate how could Nick even imagine there would be an old man regaling little boys with the story of Myrtle's death? (156) How does such a crowd accumulate next to a dumping ground? (156-7) Why would Dr. T. J. Eckleburg advertise there, train delays notwithstanding? (23) These concerns cannot be fully explained away by the
The simple bowl is deep cherry wood with a silver rimmed bottom that reflects my face upside down as a result of the polishing it has received over the years. The grain is worn, but still radiates the strength of the tree that it came from. As I run my finger over the inside of the cavernous salad bowl, it picks up some of the olive oil residue from the homemade Italian dressing that has seeped into every little grain of the bowl over years of use. Never subject to washings; we only wiped it out with a paper towel, to better flavor the crisp Boston bibb lettuce salads that it delivered at every family dinner. Just as the wood bowl, my grandmother was weathered and cracked by the trials of life. I could not be around her without leaving
My Grandmother goes by the name of babunya, and baba for short, this means grandma in Ukrainian. She lived in Ukraine for most of her life, and she is almost 90 years old now. She’s been through a lot in her years, thus her appearance has changed. For every wrinkle she has there’s a story to match. She has had every color hair: blonde, red, brown, and black. Now her hair is a short gray color. She keeps it short because it stays out of the way, even though she hates it short. She has always had long her until now. She has also progressively become shorter over the years due to a very bad back; she now stands just under five feet. Since she spends most of her days in the garden her usual outfit
The familiar smell of soft cookies and homemade cooking are common thoughts when people think about their grandma's house. Great feasts and family gatherings play a part in everyone's grandmother's home. But when I really think about my grandma's house only one word comes to my mind: fun.
I will tell you a tale of a woman of great success. This is a woman that has inspired me to be something great one day and to never give up trying. Though she may be growing into her elderly years she has lived a very challenging, joyful, loving and successful life. She is a woman of great faith and character, she is my grandmother.
My grandmother’s house has a very special place in my heart. As the family has gotten older and we have all had our own children we do not visit as we should. I visited with my grandmother many times when I was little. Her house always seemed to have something about it that set it apart from all the rest. As you walk into the back door of her house you would notice a long, narrow kitchen that led into the main living and dining room of her house. The smell of food home cooked food was quite evident. Grandmother cooked every day and always cooked big meals on holidays for the family.