Nostalgia time

One of my buddies on Facebook posted a link last night to one of those silly quizzes - this one was for what your old person name should be. Both the OP and first respondent got "Myrtle." This has me in some serious nostalgia for a few moments, as Myrtle was my great-grandmother's name (she was my maternal granddad's Mom). I spent many happy hours at her house, looking through National Geographics - she's the one that got me hooked on that, as just the photos alone were enough to give me goosebumps, especially on the 'scapes - land, sea, sky, space ... it didn't matter, I loved those photos and still do. She was another of the family that got me started on gardening and self-sufficiency, and her small city yard was just full of flowering plants of all kinds. There was hardly any grass at all.

I can still turn my mind's eye inward and see her house, the yard, and even the inside of the house as clearly as the last day we were there - the day we, as a family, found her gone. That was one of the saddest days of my life, and it still makes me a little sad, despite it being 34 1/2 years she's been gone. And you know, her cellar under the house (you had to go out the back door off the kitchen into the garage and down some stairs there to get to it) was just chock full of all kinds of food storage. She'd raised four children through the Great Depression and never, ever forgot what it was like to have to struggle. She lived through two World Wars and countless conflicts, saw man on the moon, airplanes, cars, telephones, and so much more. She spent over 30 years as a widow. She lost her oldest son when he was barely an adult. And yet ...

She was a treasure fount of knowledge of the old ways, and I learned a lot from her in the mere dozen years she was a part of my life. I was very blessed a few years ago at Christmas. When she died, one of the things Mom got was Grandma's recipe clippings book - just an old spiral-bound notebook with a gazillion recipes scribbled in it or clipped out of old magazines and newspapers and taped in place. But a few years ago, Mom did something amazing for me. She photocopies the whole thing for me. Every single page. Eventually, I'd like to inherit the actual notebook, but for now, those photocopied pages are a treasure to have. So pardon me while I shed a few tears for a lovely woman, Myrtle Loretta Wonch Rauschenberger (April 18, 1905 - January 17, 1980). She's been gone 34 1/2 years and I still miss her terribly. So please excuse me whilst I have a quiet moment to remember a remarkable woman who helped influence me and the life I lead as a homesteader. Hugs, all.

(And then, despite desperately needing to get other things done, I'm setting the alarm and going back to bed for a couple hours. I slept for seven hours and feel like I didn't sleep at all. Urgh.)

KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST


Homegrown Humus: Cover Crops in a No-till Garden (Permaculture Gardener Book 1)
Growing Juicy Delicious Tomatoes (Rainforth Home and Garden's Secrets and Solutions)
How to Crochet: Volume III The Final Complete Advance Guide with More Advanced Patterns, Stitches and Squares for the Advanced Crocheter. Includes Step- by- Step Instructions with Detailed Pictures
Crochet Pattern LADIES SLIPPERS MARY JANES: Do It Yourself