Another Legend Gone

I have to admit that I was pretty bummed out when I heard the news yesterday that Michael Jackson had died. I know a lot of folks do not like him because of his strange behaviors outside of the music world, but I believe he is the greatest artist, singer, dancer and entertainer I have ever witnessed. Every thing about his music touches my heart and always has since I was a child. I have listened to his music for years and I feel so much joy when I hear his words and the beat. His music makes you dance inside your own heart. It is a shame that his odd antics in his personal life will forever haunt him as a person and make the world hate him enough to forget his musical talents. But, to me, he will never be forgotten. I will all always respect him for his courage to be the odd ball in a ordinary world, for having such passion to write/perform the music that makes the world want to moonwalk, and for taking me to my happy place when I hear the fruits of his labor . What an extremely talented man!
My first 33 was the Thriller album in 1983...

I would dance and dance and dance in our living room for hours listening to that record. It was shortly after my parent's divorce and his music took me away from it all. I loved his music so much I even bought the CD's of his newer stuff in the 90's... I drove my college roommate crazy playing his album "Dangerous" when we lived in the dorms... what a great album to study to! And then last year they released his 25th Anniversary album... and you know I went out and bought that too.... such an amazing collection of songs...

All I ever wanted during my middle school years was the red leather jacket with the silver zippers and netting on it and instead wound up with the white glove... Oh well, I was the coolest redneck with that glove and the dance moves it bestowed upon me would make the neighbors jealous- Ha Ha! I spent many an hour practicing the moonwalk, his spin and tip toed jump....
What great memories and the best part of it? His music still lives on! Here's to MJ and may his beats live forever and he RIP.

Overwhelmed...

I am overwhelmed by how many sympathy cards I have received in the mail this past week... so many wishes from so many good people- friends and family- near and far... And their words of encouragement and their memories of my Grandmother bring tears to my eyes every time I open another one and read it. Such sweet notes and I will treasure every single one of them!
I finally started tackling the massive stack of thank you notes last night- only to discover that my book of stamps is now out of date... Again! I cannot use up a book of stamps EVER before they are raising the price again! What a crock! And on top of that, I do not have addresses for half the folks that sent us flowers!! Oh well, it looks like a trip to the PO and lots of phone calls are on my agenda in the next few days.

A Jog Down Memory Lane

We made another trip to the vegetable stand this past Saturday after I returned from my cruise. We wanted more tomatoes and peaches… when we walked up onto the platform of the veggie stand I noticed on the marker board that they had Crowder peas and Pink Eye peas available. I was instantly excited! I asked to see the peas in hopes that my memory served me correctly… Yes! They were the precious types of peas that my Grandparents loved so much in my childhood days… we grew them and we received as much of them as we could find from other folks’ gardens. The peas that man showed me on Saturday jarred so many happy memories from my childhood that I could not stop thinking about the “good ol’ days” when my Grandparents would get them by the bushel and would sit for HOURS shelling thousands of peas. We had these plastic tubs/bowls things that we would fill up with hundreds of pea pods and then sit in a chair and shell and shell and shell and then go get some more peas and shell some more! I can still see my Grandmother sitting for hours on end in a high-back kitchen chair either shelling or “looking” the peas for worms, spots, etc. We would sit outside in 100-degree heat and humidity for days just shelling and chatting. It is so hard to believe that shelling was an actual family activity back then! Who needed the Internet, an iPod, video games or television shows? We had shelling, gardening, canning, freezing, baking and cooking! Oh, I don’t forget chopping wood for the fireplace since we had no heat or air. We probably grew 75% of our food and I never realized how lucky I was back then. That ½ pound of Crowder peas really made me appreciate my Grandmother’s cooking and how I never thought twice back then that one day it would be only a memory. I tried to remember the last time I ate Crowder peas or Pink Eyes… it had to have been about 3 or so ago around the time when my Grandmother was still able to cook a home-cooked meal for our family. Unfortunately, Hubby never got a chance to experience of her meals… now that is the saddest part of all.
We also bought ears of corn, tomatoes, peaches, and cucumbers. We then went to Harry’s Farmers Market and bought more veggies for salad fixings and some wild-caught shrimp and salmon (no farm-raised for us! That is for another blog).
I arrived last night and I dug out my ol’ pressure cooker that my Grandmother bought me for Christmas one year after I bought my first house. I fixed the Crowder peas with 2 slices of turkey bacon instead of ham hock (we can’t be completely old school!) and some salt and pepper. Hubby kept telling me that he did not like peas… I assured him that these peas are better than ANY he had ever tasted. Besides, if we are going to be living in the country one day, he was going to have to eat and appreciate home-grown peas… it is a kitchen table must-have back home! When he tasted them at the supper table I believe he really did like them… just wait until we have the Pink Eyes tonight!
I had such a wonderful trip down Memory Lane last night that I wished I could share it with my Grandmother… however, I know she wouldn’t remember… but at least I do.