Grandma’s Stories

Mar 19th “It’s Birthday Time and the FIRST of SPRING”

Happy Birthday  to Thomas F. Brady having his birthday on the 19th of March… which is the first day of Spring this year … due to this year being  a Leap Year ... and as in most years,  the first day of SPRING  will start on the 20th of MARCH.

Just have to show  a much younger photo of Grandpa Brady and his lovely wife Anne Elizabeth Smart Brady, and she did live long enough to be here when I was born.

The story that I remember best is… My Mother needed to go downtown on some business and I was still too small to take with her… and she needed someone to take care of me.

Grandma Brady said she would take care of me, but my Mother was afraid  that she would maybe drop me… as she would want to play with me and Grandma Brady was in her eighties.

 I was asleep in my bed and Grandma Brady sat in a nearby  rocker and was rocking and rocking in hopes that I would wake up and she could play with me.

So when my Mother got back home, she hurried in to see what I was doing… and Grandma said, “All she did was sleep as I sat nearby rocking.”  My Mother was happy that all was well and later on figured out what happened.

As Grandma sat nearby rocking… I heard that constant sound and it was a familiar sound,  one  that I liked… and it was so pleasant… that,  I as a baby felt safe in sleeping as I would sleep in the car whenever we traveled and the car was moving, but let the car stop… and you would have thought…  the end of world was happening!

My poor Grandma told my Mother, that all she wanted to do was play with me… but as she sat there,  just waiting for the minute that I would wake up… I would just sleep.

So with those happy thoughts of me getting all the sleep that I can…. here is to wishing everyone great days with this best of times of  a year starting… It is  now… SPRING!

In the backyard and in the very same place, each and every year… there are some Tulips doing their thing…telling us it is time to come out and work in the yard…. come on out and get a fresh start on your planting all of those beautiful things… flowers… that will make your day!    D.V.

Mar 18th “The Early 1940’s were almost Like Today”

When there is a WAR…  “WWII” going on… it is not the correct time for you  to start to look for a place to move to…  especially after your house  just sold so fast!

During the 1940’s … if you had children… nobody wanted to rent to you… but you would need to rent… since the new buyers of your home… wanted to move in… RIGHT NOW!

So after a couple of months renting… an older house in North St. Louis was found and you see me standing in the above  backyard. Elderly people were living in this house  and as you can see… no longer had the get up and go to do much yard work.

After  some time and some work by all of us… this is Tommy and ME. That is my pose… as I did like to do Somersaults  and Cartwheels and dance to a good tune or two as I just had more energy than the law allowed to only one little kid.

This is little Tommy and ME at the entrance to the grocery store that I would be sent to with a list of foods we were in need of. In this time period…  a hundred years ago… since some people only received their PAY from work once a month… they ran a charge to your account… so that I did not have to bring money, just received a little slip of paper as to the total of what was added to  my Parents’ account.

This is all three us… Denny is on the left… and we are at the “Fairgrounds Park” within walking distance for us to walk and play all day  and walk home when we were tired 

Nobody drove much as you did need a “Ration Coupon” for Gas for the Car as the WAR was going on  and there were only limited amounts of certain things available for us since everything was needed for the WAR EFFORT. So naturally we walked most places  and for many miles and it was Fun… as I do not remember anyone complaining as we were enjoying seeing new places and never being in a big hurry.

There was one thing that happened during the WAR YEARS… that I had never thought about after the WAR was over.

In our home all of our windows had and extra  heavy drape to cover the window openings so well that no light could be seen outside… when we heard those “Air Raid Sirens”… most lights in our house were immediately  turned off and those drapes were pulled shut… tight.

BUT… there was one night when… evidently some light was seen outside by one of the Civil Defense Men working  in our area… and they were banging on our front door and hollering to close  all drapes  or turn off  all of  the lights! We innediateing got everything closed and all lights off. 

After a few minutes of sitting in the dark… I decided to go outside… my MOM said that I could. No one outside I walked to the corner  and no  “Walnut Park Bus” running… not a vehicle in sight so… I decided to practice my Somersaults  and Cartwheels and dance around in the intersection… just as if  it was my very own STAGE!

It was Summer and there was enough light from the MOON and STARS to see and I was having FUN.

Some time ago I wrote about this… and began to think,  “What planes and from where would they be coming?”   

If they were from JAPAN or some other Country over there… having to cross the OCEAN and be filled with as much FUEL as needed for that distance… and then also be able to carry enough  BOMBS to drop and drop them in Missouri…  I hate to say.. but I do not believe that there were any such planes flying in those days… that could carry such a load!

Needless to say… we were all ready for whatever might come and try to attack AMERICA at night and it was good to see all those lights at NIGHT… moving through the SKY… ready to shoot down anything that did look like the enemy!

Mar 17th “Celebrate with the Irish… Today and Everyday”

It sure is good to have old records  of our forefathers… especially when they came from Ireland… the Country that  everyone … from all parts of the world celebrate being Irish on  this March the  17th…   “Lots of  Good Luck to all our relatives!”

Mar 17th “Happy Saint Patrick’s Day”

“FOR THOSE WHO WEAR – GREEN!”

There is an old song… ”I’m Looking over a  FOUR-LEAF CLOVER – that I ‘overlooked’   before…”   and if you just say that little bit of the song – you just may be able to come up with the rest of the song.

BUT…with just that small bit of the song… I’m wishing you all… a very “HAPPY ST. PATRICK’s DAY” …  when looking over the FOUR LEAF CLOVER…  there are four very nice   wishes below… and the one that  you like the  BEST… is my very special  WISH …  just for you… “DEAR”   and the best part of this…   is  wishing you   lots of  extra special BLESSINGS…  from our CREATOR… just for you and your special needs!

If you wear BLUE and WHITE…that’s okay. too… those are the colors for IRELAND…

“Wear some green and have lots of  FUN”

Mar 16th “NATIONAL CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DAY”

NATIONAL CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DAY

On March 17th National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day coincides with St. Patrick’s Day in the United States.

To “corn” something is simply to preserve it in a salty brine (the term corn refers to the coarse grains of salt used for curing).

Corned beef is a salt-cured beef product. In the traditional Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage recipes, salt pork or bacon joint was used instead of corned beef.  Sometime in the mid-1800s when the Irish immigrated to America, they found that Jewish corned beef was very similar in texture to bacon joint (pork). As a result, corned beef was used as a replacement for the bacon when preparing corned beef and cabbage meals. Soon after, Irish-Americans began having Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.

Corned beef and cabbage remains a popular food in many areas of the United States.

In Ireland today, the serving of corned beef is geared toward tourist consumption.  Most Irish in Ireland do not identify it as native cuisine.

• In the United States, corned beef is often purchased ready to eat in delicatessens.
• Smoking corned beef and adding spice mixes produces a smoked meat such as pastrami.
• Corned beef can be found sold in minced forms and cans.

HOW TO OBSERVE #CornedBeefAndCabbageDay

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with one of the traditional dishes in the United States. Many restaurants across the U.S. will be serving it but you can make it yourself, too. We even have a recipe for you to try. If you go out to celebrate, be sure to give the restaurant a shout out. They’ll be glad that you did. 

Try the following recipe, you will love it!:

Crock Pot Easy Corn Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Use #CornedBeefAndCabbageDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DAY HISTORY

While the original creator of this food holiday is lost to history, corned beef and cabbage has long been associated with the St. Pattrick’s Day celebration.

Mar 16th “ST. PATRICK’S DAY”

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

St. Patrick’s Day kicks off a worldwide celebration that is also known as the Feast of St. Patrick. On March 17th, many will wear green in honor of the Irish and decorate with shamrocks. In fact, the wearing of the green is a tradition that dates back to a story written about St. Patrick in 1726.  St. Patrick (c. AD 385–461) was known to use the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity and to have worn green clothing. They’ll revel in the Irish heritage and eat traditional Irish fare, too. 

In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated since before the country was formed. While the holiday has been a bit more of a rowdy one, with green beer, parades, and talk of leprechauns, in Ireland, it the day is more of a solemn event. It wasn’t until broadcasts of the events in the United States were aired in Ireland some of the Yankee ways spread across the pond. One tradition that is an Irish-American tradition not common to Ireland is corned beef and cabbage. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #StPatricksDay

Remember to wear green. Read up about St. Patrick’s Day and cook up an Irish feast! Use #StPatricksDay to post on social media.

Check out this delicious Reuben Casserole from #holidayfoodies. You won’t regret it!

SAINT PATRICK’S DAY HISTORY

The Feast of St. Patrick started in the early 17 century. The day marks the death of St. Patrick and was chosen as an official Christian feast day and is observed by the Catholic Church. The day is also a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.