Grandma’s Stories

Jul 13th “When WE All Start Working Together, NOW”

“Happiness is …”

“Happy is as Happy does”  – is that way I  feel… when I am doing something for someone…  that I know is  also wanting what I can do…  to help them!

It just seems to be… that  in today’s times… so many  are saying that… they  are not “HAPPY” …

Which makes me try to figure out  – with  my asking them so many questions…  and…why not?

Do you always feel  “HAPPY” … when you are doing your every day activities? 

Are you  able to say that  you are  “HAPPY” … when you walk into your place of employment?

When you are invited  to take part in some special occasion and or activity  and NOW … are on an outing with those friends and this was promoted to be so extra special and also  suppose to be a much needed  “FUN” time…

So why in the world… are you alone in your thoughts and thinking  –  why in the world did I  ever … take the time  to sign up for this mess   – I am  NOW … so unhappy!

How about at home with your family? 

How are things with the children? What is your mood when your husband comes home?

Does he give you strange looks  – his day at the office  was the worse he has  had… in  such a very long time and he is  NOW getting ready to explode!

So many questions and no quick answers?

“Happiness”  is  that extra special feeling we all can have… if only… we are willing to be free in spirit and the mind and soul… the invisible feeling of something that you can not take hold of.

You can not possess it… the feeling comes and goes freely … we may all feel as if we have the power and could take ownership  and feel  so very  “HAPPY”  all the time!

To be “HAPPY”  – you will find that you have to give to another…   that means that you personally need to be  thinking of others, all those around you… family, friends and even at the work place… all are thinking of how this day is going for them, and all need to see and know that others in their very area of life  are trying to do for everyone, as well as you are trying to do for them.

“To be doing something… for another.”

If in our private life, that is where we are in LIFE… on the day we are thinking about the situation of needing more “Happiness”… whether at Home, work, or even out on the FARM… wherever in the world…

Be always thinking of “Happiness” and “Kindness” to others that are nearby and following through with doing something that will  bring that extra special   “Happiness” to another.

When you have extra special good thoughts coming… start  giving from  the  “HEART”   – without even giving it a second  thought  – you will find  that you are mustering up some very good vibes, that just must be shared  and right NOW…

Now is the time, to be so very  “Happy”  – others will take notice and start asking you…  “Are you Happy?”  

“How can I, too… get to be “Happy”  like you?”

“PASS IT ON”

“Happy is…  as  Happy  does!” 

Jul 11th “The Way IT was, Is IT TODAY”

Weekly Training Plan!

Since my  “Aunt  Irene Brady Riley”  lived to be  83 years young  – having been the longest living “Matriarch” in the  Brady Family  – have to write of some tings I remember!

When she was a little girl in the early  1900’s – families were  more organized so that  each member of the family had “chores and or duties” to do each day, so that larger families could live together under one roof – with dignity.

So, each child had  some kind of work in the home to do or work for others and receive  some amount of pay.

Little  Irene  was the first girl  and  at  the  age  5  was to start to learn all about food preparations and clean up, because there were four older brothers working outside the home as day  “Labourers”  while going to school.

First day of the week was Sunday,  and the whole family went to Church, followed with just the best of a Sunday meal … with big amounts of food for family and friends. 

A day of rest!

Monday was  “WASH DAY”  –  and it took the whole day for a family of five  children  with “FATHER AND  MOTHER”  and more on the way!

Can you just think about the heavy load of work, without our up-to-date  machines, and also… all those loads of wash to be hung on the clothes’  lines in the back yard?

Tuesday  – everything that was washed  – now  needed someone  to iron,  and that includes…  lots of linens as well as lots of shirts for the  men in the family.

They even ironed the “hankies”… I’m guessing … everything washed, needed to be ironed, too. 

I do not remember anyone mentioning anything about having the Handy “Tissues’ … THAT SO MANY TODAY USE?

Did  anybody complain  –  that it was too hot?  The women wearing long dresses with a couple of petticoats and those long bloomers under it all?    “wow”      “WHAT A WAY TO WORK?”

Wednesday is the day to finish up whatever …you did not get  done and to finish doing on  Tuesday.

If you were able  to finish all of  “TUESDAY’s” work…  you then started with all of the necessary dusting and  other cleaning.

Thursday and   Friday were the days for some real good  in the entire  house  cleaning  – into those very dirty  corners and  also the changing of  all the bed linens  and getting those very fancy living room linens  into their correct place as well  as, the extra special  covering on the piano   –  must take out and hang on the clothes  line, to freshen  up for the weekend.

Also,  the front  white stone  steps  scrubbed  and the vestibule area cleaned – just in case someone sits on the steps in their  “Sunday”  best attire. 

I do have old photos of every one standing and sitting   – ready  for the camera!

Saturday,  our  little  “Miss Irene” gets  an  up front  and on  the job training from the best of best  “Chef”  her  mother,  Mrs. Anne Smart Brady!

If you wanted to learn anything about cooking or baking  – you would want to be  in little Irene’s place.   This was  “Top Drawer”  learning at its best!

They made all the breads and sweets that would be eaten for the week. 

And everything, all so very delicious, was  gone  so fast  –  it was  “OH”… so good,  and  again on each and  every  “Saturday”  all this wonderful  baking  was to  be done again  –   week after week!

The very BEST of Professional training of the children done in the home, and by the parents!  

 Would  there  be a better way? 

   Let me know?

Jul 10th “Give Thanks that YOU have Secondhand Dealers”

“Pass On Good Stuff”

Rosati-Kain High School on Lindell Blvd.,   was not too far from where my  Aunt Irene lived. 

So, in the 1950’s   – I would take the Bus West on Lindell to Kingshighway and  go South… after school to  visit with  her.

I do not know how the school and  their transportation system work, today?  My guess  is that all the children through  High School   –  are all bussed at  tax-payer expense  – which I feel is wrong.

When I was in  High School,  if you could not walk  to the local  school in your neighborhood,  you could buy  and at  a discount … a “student’s”  bus pass. 

So, going to Rosati-Kain  was  miles more than I could walk and so… I had to have  the  “student”  bus pass.

What was good  about having the bus pass, was that between certain hours of the  day  you could ride the  “public bus  or street car”    for  “FREE”   –  and only after the allotted time  of day  – you would pay an  additional amount.   So,  riding  the bus was just great for me!

Aunt Irene   was glad to see me  and would always collect  items  that some of the tenants in her apartment building were going to  throw out. 

There are some people who do not wear the same  clothing more than two or three times  — and  may not have even been washed or cleaned  –  so with my  “Aunt Irene” doing the expert cleaning of the item  –  it would always look as if it  was just purchased.

One such  time was a woman living in the apartment building and she worked as a shoe model. She would  be given  some of those shoes, that she would model and I am guessing,  they were not what she liked and gave them to my  Aunt Irene  to give to her niece, little ole me!

I would picked these  boxes of shoes up,  on one of my trips after school trips and was very anxious to get home, to try these shoes on and see  how I liked them?

Well, this one time of picking up some shoes from Aunt Irene, when I got home,  and  when my  Mother  saw the shoes  – she said ,  “NO way you’re wearing those   ‘High Heals’ !”

 “You’ll have to get rid of them!”

  That didn’t bother me at all… since I  knew of a second-hand-dealer   –   as there were lots of stores within walking distance from our home, and since we did like to walk in the evenings, just to see what was going on… there was nothing like having  “FUN”…  than to go and see all that the “Second-Hand Dealer” had in his store and … just sometimes have something that “HE” would pay good money for… something that you did not need  nor want anymore!

It sure did not take long for me to think that… by selling the new  shoes… I would soon have some money to buy  something that I could have and maybe even wanted and that’s  just  where I took the shoes. 

Since they were practically brand new  –  I received money for the shoes and was I ever…   “tickled pink!”

After that   – I  did  learn a lesson  —

Never refuse something  that someone  else  does  not  want  –  can  not  use or  not able to wear!     

 Every thing in life has to be re-cycled   some how  or  some where !     

So I did learn a lesson … to take that which is offered… even if I can not use myself…and    give “Thanks” … for  goodness sake alive …  for all of the  “Second-Hand Dealers!”

Jul 9th “A Friend TODAY is Forever and Forever”

Make a “FRIEND” Today~

In life, no  one  knows   –  how,  what or when  we  will meet or get to know  someone for a  very,  very short time.

The world just keeps a turning and no  one thinks that  this is the last chance to be  “KIND”  to  every  and all newly made friends!

In  January 1967, this is about…  someone I met… a Mrs. Herbert W. Cost  –  she is  also   known as  “Mary Lee Taylor”   and working with the  “Friendly Kitchen” program on the  radio… for the  Pet Milk Co.

Mrs. Cost  was at this time,  living in  a nursing home in St. Louis.

I knew she was not in the best of health and  to make her feel better,  I  had asked her if she would like for me, to take her out to my home for the day and we would have Dinner with  my Mother and my Aunt Irene B. Riley, just  for  the day? 

So, immediately … I made all the  arrangements to take her to my home.

Since she was  popular on the radio cooking show , and gave out tips and recipes to the listening audience for a good many years, thought  that she  would enjoy meeting my Aunt Irene Riley, who was  also n the cooking world, a most superb  chef!  

Also,  my  Father, a Chef by trade,  was available  to be at my house, and he said he would prepare a wonderful  meal for all of us,  including my two sons.

We had a good time, good food, good conversation with a house full of cooks with lots to share.

And of course, my sons  probably played some  very  good music.  A most wonderful  afternoon,   that we all enjoyed  and would never forget.

Sometimes though… while and when we were  all talking…   I  did  take notice that Mrs. Cost was maybe  sleeping and or  nodding off, and I found out later, from Aunt Irene   – that …  Mrs. Cost  may have had heart problems and … or poor circulation  –  maybe not enough blood getting to the head?

But, a day or two later  –  I received the nicest  “Thank you Card”  –  and  Mrs. Cost remember everyone with her thanks and how much she enjoyed the day with all of my family!

It was sad for all us  –   when just a month later, we all were  to be informed, that Mrs. Cost died of a  heart attack. 

She was such a sweet person  and so friendly, it was easy to see why she did so well with  the “Pet Milk   Friendly Kitchen program!” 

Her program was on “RADIO”  and  was  way  before “TV”  and  without seeing her   –  she did marvelous with just her voice  –   her  tips and recipes. 

No wonder so many women since  her radio show, figured  out a way  to also get into “TV” and  with a  similar type of cooking show.

All of  us,  were only together  for those few short months and all I have as a remembrance   is her thank you cad and the newspaper write-up of her life.

Making friends right now,  could be just such an experience and also only for a short time   –  here  –  but  – could  also  be  for all of us … and  for all eternity  –  someday!

Jul 8th “What a Big Difference Changing the TREE”

“Change TREES – Beautiful Difference!”

“Vi VA La Difference!”

Sure  glad we decided to take out the half-dead tree  – taking up so much of the front yard – with roots above the ground and little if any grass. 

It was just terrific for the Florida Sun to Shine  on the changes we were making  –

So that within two years – as you can see above  – you would hardly believe this is the same yard –

that no one could really use – and really did not enjoy being in

– in that  – with the other tree – you would not be able to lay out on the lawn in order to get a Sun-tan –

as the ground was all in the shade – and no nice grass.

Hoping for a nice “tan” is Lee Sr. and Lee Jr.

and just as soon as  –

I put the camera down  –

I will be joining them?

Across the street from us  is Lake Melba…

and only a mile away is  the Ocean.