Ten Miles

As we woke today I began thinking of something my Mom told me, years ago.
When she married at 18, she had never been further away from her birth place than ten miles. How would we survive if life were still the same? I am sure quite well, as they did.
She was born in Sparkman and lived there until 1937 when she met my Dad and moved to Louisiana. She told me it was pretty frightening to be away from home, and the train ride was even more exciting and frightening. She saw parts of the country she could only dream of.
Mama left Sparkman, away from a domineering Father and a Loving Grandmother. The only life she ever knew. A life of hardship, hard work and living from day to day with income from her Dads fishing and little other work.

Her Grandma taught her everything she knew of housekeeping and cooking and canning and quilting. My Grandma, Her Mom, was not adapt at such things. I believe from all accounts she was pretty spoiled. Grandmas Dad was a judge in Beardon and she was pretty well taken care of so she had no time to learn the important things in life. My Mom taught her to quilt. Can you imagine that?
My Mom went home to help out her Mom and Dad often, She would go in and make quilts for them for the winter. She would help put away garden foods so they had food for the winter. My Uncle Hugh told me the one thing he could say about my Mom, "Lou could go into a kitchen with nothing in it to eat and make a great meal". That was making do with what she had.
I am spoiled but could I make do with what I have on hand? I like to think so. I also had a good teacher.
One to show me the way to make life easier on my loved ones.
One to instill in me, the values to last a lifetime.