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Granny Tales and other Family Stories

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About my Tales and Stories

This lens is all about short stories I wrote about growing up with my grandmother that we called "Granny." I will also have a couple of short stories about other family members, and hopefully some old photos of some of the family members. I will also have other things here that have to do with family, mainly grandmothers though. Hang on to your hat and read on down to what I like to call my "Granny Tales." Enjoy!

My Granny

A Granny Tale

My Granny and cousinMy earliest recollections of my Granny was when I was about nine or ten years old. We would drive up to her house and she came outside to greet us, like she did every time we went to see her, with a big smile on her face. She would always hug us and give us a kiss on the cheek. She would cook us a big dinner and we would sit around and talk to her. She would make our sleeping arrangements right before bedtime. She only had a one bedroom no bath house. My Mom and Dad would always get Granny's room, and my baby sister would sleep with them, and my brother would sleep in his sleeping bag on the floor next to the bed. My other younger sister would would sleep with Granny on the twin bed she had at one end of her living room (that was where my uncle usually slept, but he slept elsewhere when we visited). I always slept on a pallet on the floor close to the couch, and my cousin slept on the couch. I remember waking up that first morning to the smell of coffee, bacon, eggs and other delicious things for breakfast. I saw Granny come shuffling into the living room in her housecoat and slippers to put more wood into the wood stove. I remember wanting to get up and go to the bathroom, but I was to scared to go to the outhouse by myself. I waited for my cousin to get up and go with me. I never did like that outhouse. It was small, scary, and smelly to me, but I wouldn't take anything for the memories of my Granny. I miss her so very much.

The Rooster

A Granny Tale

When I was about 12 years old, we went to visit Granny, because we would not get to see her again for the next 2 years. My Granny lived in a small one bedroom, no bath home, with a kitchen and living room. She had an outhouse, wood stove, and a port a potty, that was basically a wooden box that had a hole in the top, a lid that you can lift up and a pot on the inside. My uncle was living with her at that time too. They had chickens and roosters that ran around in the yard. I always liked to run around barefooted outside, and on that particular day I was. One of the roosters was not far from where I was in the yard, and saw my toes, ran over and attacked them. I started screaming and running, but that rooster kept coming after my little toes. My uncle heard me and looked out and saw what was happening. He ran out, and grabbed that rooster, took an ax and chopped his head off. The roosters body was still running around even though his head was gone. I think that gave me a worse scare than him pecking my toes. That night for dinner we had that rooster. To this day I am still terrified of roosters and chickens.

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Bingo with Granny

A Granny Tale

My Granny use to like to go and play bingo, so on one of our visits we went with her. I sat next to Granny with my one card, and Granny would have probably 15 cards (I knew it was a bunch of cards) in front of her all spread out. I remember thinking how fast she was when they called a number. She would look at her cards and close the little windows, then look over at my one card and reach over and close my window. I loved doing that with Granny. She was so much fun.

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Going for a Bath

A Granny Tale

Everyday my Granny would go over to my aunts to take her bath since she didn't have a tub, or even a bathroom for that matter. Sometimes my aunt would come and pick her up, or she would walk. When she walked, she would have to go across a field and over a a wood plank bridge, that was just 2 planks placed across the branch (or creek as some people call it). There was a rope along one side to hang on to when walking across it. She would have to pass the hog pens, and garden to get to my aunts house. Take her bath then come back home again. I remember when we would visit my sisters, brother, cousins and I would gather our things we needed, and hike across the field, bridge, past the hog pens and garden to my aunt's to take our baths. I imagine we probably got all dirty again playing around going back to Granny's house. Well one time when we went to visit, Granny told us to be careful crossing the field because now there was a bull living there. We went to the gate at the edge of the field and waited to see where the bull was, and made sure it was all the way to the other end of the field, then we would all run as fast as we could to the bridge. I thought the bridge was a little scary, but I guess to a child it would seem scary. It seemed like it was really high up too. I think it was at least 10 feet down from the bridge. After we got across we felt better and went on to my aunt's house for our baths. Then we would have to come back to Granny's and cross that bridge and look for the bull before we went back. I really love these old memories from when I visited my Granny.

Family Store links

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those cool animals

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madame colonelle design: Bio: Zazzle.com Store

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partymonster: Home: Zazzle.com Store

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http://www.zazzle.com/lynnes_creations*

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Visages

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Bubble Gum

One morning we was getting ready to eat breakfast. Granny was working on the biscuits. She had a large wooden bowl and she used her hands to knead the dough. I loved watching her do that. Her hands went really fast. That particular morning she was at the counter working and had her back turned to us. We were all trying to help by doing something that morning. I kept hearing a popping sound. I asked what was making that noise. Granny turned around and smiled, but didn't say anything, then went back to her biscuits. I kept hearing that popping sound and could not figure out what was making it. I walked around listening to see where it was coming from, and noticed it was coming from the direction of Granny. I walked over and looked around at her and caught her with a big pink bubble in front of her face. She was chewing bubble gum and bowing bubbles. The funny part it...she didn't have any teeth. I just started laughing when I saw Granny with that bubble, so did she.

New Guestbook Comments

  • henryheli Mar 1, 2012 @ 6:56 am | delete
    Its a really nice lens. I like all the stories.

    Bean bags | Bar stools |Trampolines
  • JesPiddlin Jan 7, 2012 @ 1:16 pm | delete
    This is an awesome tribute to your granny. One set of my grandparents gave me similar memories. I was the oldest grandchild on both sides, except for an adopted cousin. (I always thought it was important to remember he wasn't a blood cousin, in case I wanted to marry him, someday. He was good looking! lol...) Anyway, being the oldest, I remember many things some of the younger ones will not remember. Sometimes, I feel sad that they do not have the memories from back then. The world was so different! Thanks for this lens. I have thought about doing something similar, but didn't think it would go over that well. I think I might give it a try, after seeing this lens. You have some great ideas! Thanks! (I'll link it back to this one, also.)
  • SuevianArts Jan 6, 2012 @ 2:28 pm | delete
    Nice moving lens...
  • peonJOY Jan 2, 2012 @ 12:38 am | delete
    This is unbelievable and so moving. Thank you for inviting me. Nice lens.
    Tub Chairs
  • animotaxis Nov 6, 2011 @ 4:54 pm | delete
    I still have a claw foot tub, we used to have to lite the water tank beside it before taking a bath.
  • Marie39 Aug 31, 2011 @ 3:04 pm | delete
    I remember the outhouse and the trips across the branch as Granny called it. My Mom had a runin with one of her roosters one time to. I remember her living on Columbia Ave. as well and Uncle Bruce lived with her then and had a twin bed in the corner of the living room. I was sitting on her front stoop one afternoon and a stray cat came wondering up to me. I picked it up and was snuggleing with it and it bit me on my neck.. I remember Granny being so upset with that cat.. Of course she doctored me up and I was fine... Granny was so good to me and my Mom and I will never forget her as long as I live. I tell my children stories of her. Especially when they were little. I always wished that they could have known her because I know they would have loved her as much as we all did. She was the best. I always slept with Granny when I stayed with her and she would sit in her rocking chair and read from her bible every single night. When she came to bed I would play with the flab under her arm until I went to sleep. I loved and still love her so much!!! I was totally devastated when My Mom and Ron moved us to Greenville because we only saw Granny at holidays and I always stayed part of the summer. I always looked forward to summer vacation from school because I knew I was going to Granny's house. I could tell hundreds of things I miss about her but you all miss the same things. (Like her sausage and eggs.) She always put a tsp of honey in her coffee and lots of other things.. I LOVE this site and look forward to reading more.. :):):):):):)
  • rainbow_turtle_by_design Sep 1, 2011 @ 6:19 am | delete
    Thanks Marie! Don't forget about the recipe/short stories/photo book we are doing for the family. Write some of your stories and send them to me to add to the book. Also any old photos of the family you have. love ya!
  • seashell2 Aug 26, 2011 @ 8:40 pm | delete
    It's nice to here you share warm memories of your 'granny'... great lens!
  • greendeer Aug 25, 2011 @ 2:31 pm | delete
    I like your lens - even more when I noticed you feature some of my designs!
  • blackwidow Aug 25, 2011 @ 2:01 pm | delete
    Great lens, thumbs up. Thanks for including my designs.
    Dizzy Debbie
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The Cubble

A Granny Tale

This story was told to me by my Granny when I was much younger. It is about my Dad and his youngest sister when they were very young. Granny told me that their house had a front door and a back door that stayed open about all the time when it was hot. My grandpa (Dad's dad) was sitting on the front porch talking to someone. My dad was about 4 years old at the time, and his sister who was about 3 years old was running through one door, through the house, then out the other door. Around and around they kept running. My grandpa got aggravated by their running while he was talking, so the next time my dad ran by, my grandpa picked up the shovel and lightly popped him on the rear. My dad ran back in the house crying as his sister was heading back out the door when my dad stopped him and said to her "don't go out there baby, daddy will hit you with the cubble." When Granny told the story it sounded so cute.

Smoking in the Outhouse

A Granny Tale

This story is more about my cousin Cheryl that use to live with my Granny. I remember when I was in about the fifth grade, my cousin Cheryl told me to go with her to the outhouse. I asked her if he wanted me to wait outside or what, but she said "no, I need you in here." So I went in the outhouse with her. Once inside she told me to watch out the little hole in the door and let her know if anyone was coming. I said "ok" I heard her strike a match and I turned and saw her lighting up a cigarette. I covered my mouth with my hand then said "ohhhh we're going to get into trouble. She said to keep watching out that hole. No one came, but I was so scared. She was only about 2 pr 3 years older than I was. That is a memory I will never forget. I miss my cousin so much. She went on to be with the Lord a couple or so years back.

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I am a stay at home wife that loves to work on the computer. I am forever working on some sort of design. I design t-shirts, mugs, binders, mouse pads... more »

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