4th of July

Wishing you all a Happy and Safe 4th of July! 

 As our nation celebrates its independence, I realized the date holds another significance in my life. It was 25 years ago today, I received my first paycheck.

That morning in 1992, my dad woke me up and ask if I wanted to learn how to drive a tractor that day. A few lessons driving out beside the house and I was in the hay field that afternoon. My Granddaddy stood on the draw bar of his Farmall tractor, giving me instructions on where to go and made me so nervous. I raked hay for an hour and a half and received a paycheck for $7.50! I was paid in the field, that very afternoon.

My family had a commercial hay baling operation and that day they needed two crews running and I became the new hay raker, at 11 years old! The first summer or two, I just raked for the square baler, but before long, I was in the out there everyday. I proudly sported a "farmer's tan" every summer and learned a strong work ethic from my family. I drove my Granddaddy's Farmall 140 when we baled square hay or "Little John," my favorite John Deere tractor when we baled round hay.

I've earned a paycheck ever year since and by junior high I had a checking account and buying most of my own clothes and remember writing a check at the book fare and paid cash for half of my first truck, before I turned 16.

I wish I had pictures of those tractors and events, but back then, the camera didn't get taken out very often, so this is a picture from the hay field a couple years ago.

Now, if you think that was the day I became a farm girl, you are wrong... I actually started driving a truck when I was 4 and you can read about that farm adventure here! 

My Favorite Christmas Memory

I'm working on cemetery flowers for my grandparents today and I'm getting a bit sentimental. 

My favorite Christmas memory doesn't come from a present, a shopping experience, decorating or a big party. It involves peanut brittle and my Grandmama! 

It was the winter of 2001, and Grandmama had just got of the hospital. She had a stroke a couple of years before that and someone had to stay with her. I stayed a lot of nights with her and made the sweetest memories with her! 

She usually went to bed around 8:00. The house was quite and I was in her kitchen, baking cookies. Christmas was just a couple days away. Now mind you, I was expecting her to go to bed any minute, but she got up and came in the kitchen, grabbed her big cast iron skillet and got busy making peanut brittle! 

(This pic was from my cousin's wedding that was held that summer.) 

Due to her stroke, she had trouble talking. Everyone was "mama" and she used words like "skeepits" and "Wiggins" 

She knew what she was trying to say, but it didn't come out that way. If you ask her a question, she could answer or nod yes or no, but you had to know what to ask. 

I had never made peanut brittle and didn't know exactly what to do, how to help her, or how to spin a thread! Somehow that peanut brittle turned out fantastic and I've never had another piece as good as that night! She died the following March and I'll never forget her and our time together. 

The recipe above is in her handwriting and is a copy from her cookbook. One time, I tried unsuccessfully to make it and almost had to throw away my skillet as it stuck terribly and I had to chisel out the failed brittle! 

Favorite memories aren't bought or underneath the tree...