Boggle

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was play Boggle with my Mommaw and cousins. In case you don't know, Boggle is a word game. There's a plastic grid and a bunch of blocks with letters, and you try to make words by stringing together adjacent letters. Got it? It's also timed, and you get double points for words greater than 5 letters.

Anyway, we used to play it all the time. I remember that we always had to be really quiet when shaking up the letters so we didn't wake up Papaw. Truth be told, I bet we could've shook that thing till the cows came home, and he wouldn't have heard it. Still, we were always very quiet. Except for the laughing. 

Fast forward to now. It's been years since I've played a good round of Boggle. I actually had forgotten it existed, until my buddy brought it over to play a couple of weeks ago.  I was so delighted to see it as it brought back so many fond memories.

That night, we discovered that someone else liked Boggle--the dudes. They liked it so much, that my friend bought them their very own game. Now, obviously, they can't play for real, but they do like to take the blocks and build words. I was playing with Jonas, when he started making words.  "C-A-T. Cat! C-A-R. Car!" He yelled excitedly. "A-S. Ass!"

What a funny guy! I only wish my Mommaw could've been there to hear it.

The Birds

For Thanksgiving, the boys, Doug, and I headed on down to Dwarf. It's always such a fun time being home and hanging with my family. We have a good time visiting with each other, telling stories, and eating lots of food. And laughing. We love to laugh.

This past weekend was no exception.

We were sitting in the living room watching Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds while the rest of America was watching football. The room was full of about 6 or 7 family members.

It was at that part in the movie where the birds were starting to come into Lydia's house via pecking through the windows.

My Uncle pipes up, "Boys, he just stuck his pecker through that window!"

Well, you can imagine how we all roared with laughter over that one.

We recovered, the movie played on, and directly, the birds moved from coming through the window to coming through the doors!

What follows almost put us all in stitches. 

Mommaw says, "Boys, they've got some hard peckers!"

2 Quick Things

Sometimes I catch myself reciting children's books, you know, the way normal people get a song from the radio stuck in their head. I'll just be driving to work, cooking supper, or running the sweeper, and will be thinking,  "Rhino Chef has burnt the buns and out of the kitchen he must run..." It's a sickness, people.

So, we were sitting in the living room today visiting with family. I'm not even sure what the topic of conversation was. Maybe it was when we were talking about the royal baby (and how Mommaw thinks it's only going to weigh 5 lbs since Kate "ain't big as nothing"). At any rate, I decided to make a joke. "Oh, I guess I should tell you, I'm pregnant again." Crickets. Crickets. Crickets. I look around the room and everyone's face looks as if they have just seen a ghost. "Just kidding!" I say, baffled that they thought I was serious. I was cracking up the whole time!  "You liked to have given me a heart attack!" Says the lady (Beetle) with 5 children, all close in age.

News?, Banana-less Banana Pudding, and A Tooth

Beetle and Jonas

Am I the only person on the planet who hadn't heard of Jodi Arias? Probably so. Well, never fear. My Grandmother (Beetle) filled me in on the whole ordeal this weekend. You know how she loves Nancy Grace and the HLN channel. I believe I've told you before, but let me say it again, my little Beetle is hilarious. She is also a closet cusser. That is, she likes to say cuss words, but only when she is repeating someone else (she's the best storyteller). Anyway, I've heard her say a few bad words, but never did I ever think I would hear my 81-year-old Grandmother say the words, "anal sex." That's right, people. Evidently, this nutty woman, Jodi Arias, according to Beetle (and therefore Nancy Grace and company) got religion in the midst of her relationship with the poor guy she allegedly murdered. Her religion (through her eyes) told her that the normal horizontal polka was wrong, but the backward horizontal polka? was a-okay, so that's what they did. Good grief! Tell me why again does anyone watch the "news?"

Oh yeah, Beetle also told me that this Jodi was an artist. "What kind of art does she do?" I asked, not that I cared. Beetle said, "Well, one day, she was sitting in court just doodling around, and when she showed what she had drawn, it was a penis."

How do I follow-up the post after writing about that awful mess? 

Let's talk about my latest new recipe: banana pudding. I actually made it for the first time a couple of weeks ago before I started my new recipe challenge, but I made it again this weekend and am counting it. You know, I thought I was weird, but the more I talk to people, the more I see that I am not the only person who thinks banana pudding would be so much better without the bananas. In this pudding, I used: 1 block of cream cheese (beat this first, then add...), 1 box instant vanilla pudding, 3 cups milk, 1 can sweetened condensed milk. Mix all of that, then fold in 1 tub of cool whip. Lastly, layer vanilla wafers, bananas, pudding until you're all out of goodness. Put it in the fridge to chill, then serve. Make sure you make a giant batch of it because once it is gone, your Uncle Bob will not recover. You'll hear, "I sure wish I had some of that banana pudding left. Ain't there anymore in the fridge?"

By the way, Beetle said that Troy Austin's (my Grandpa's brother) favorite dessert was chocolate pudding and vanilla wafers. Mmm. Might have to add that to my repertoire. However, I insist on cooking my chocolate pudding. It has to be warm. 

Tonight as I rocked Julian to sleep, I thought about my future children. I thought maybe I'd like to have the next baby in October, a nice fall month. Then I thought, if I have a baby in October, that basically kills basketball season for me. How am I to attend 20 ballgames at Rupp with a new baby? It wouldn't be possible. 

BROTHER FIGHT UPDATE:

We went to Dwarf this weekend for a visit, and I thought we were actually going to leave Combs Branch without witnessing a brother fight. The boys were so good. They shared! They settled for toys that they didn't have to steal from their brother. It was very impressive. But this morning, it all went to heck. Over an empty kleenex box. You heard me right, friend. An empty kleenex box brought Jonas to tears...or maybe it was Julian's fist to his head that brought Jonas to tears. I was in the kitchen getting breakfast ready, and I hear Uncle Anthony hollering, "Don't kill your brother, man!" And then they crying began. Poor dude. Ant took the box and ripped it in half, and gave a piece to each bro. Kids and boxes. Just like cats.

ALSO...Jonas has a tooth! Today the boys turn 10 months old, and a tooth is finally poking through. Hide ya fingers!

Saturday Shenanigans

The scene.

Let's rewind to Friday afternoon. On this day, I took a trip down the stairs in the bathroom. Only I could manage to do this. There I was, all set to go take a shower. The boys were in their jumper and good to go for 15 minutes, just enough time for me to run to the shower. Run I did, and somehow was moving so quickly, that I skipped the last 2 steps on my way down to the bathroom. It hurt. First of all, my bathroom is so small that I can't just land in the floor, I also have to hit something when I land. In this case, I landed on the side of my foot, which buckled due to my enormous girth. Then, my arms flailed into the sink and my head knocked against the toilet. I laid there in the floor, all sprawled out, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Crap. Please Lord don't let me have a broken bone. Check. I could move everything. I was fine, save for a minor foot injury. So, I hobbled back to the living room and laid on the couch. After about half an hour, I was good to go...although, moving a little slower than usual (and that is really slow).

Saturday was bound to be better than Friday afternoon! The morning started out pretty well. I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get everything packed for the boys stay at Tracy's. Two little dudes require so much stuff! The boys were going wild in their jumpers as I packed. Joe Bear started fussing, so I go pick him up. He was rubbing his little eyes and it was around naptime, so I thought he was sleepy. Took him to Doug, who was still snoozing in bed. A few minutes later Doug is hollering. There was....an explosion. I told you before I had babies that I wouldn't write about their poop, and so I will not. Let's just say that after this incident (and a similar incident that followed with his brother), this day was referred to as Brown Saturday.

I want to know, why do parents find baby poop stories so amusing? People like to tell them all the time. Folks at work, at school, they're all the time telling you about their children's bowel movements. Why? Is it that they are fascinated by something so cute producing something so vile? Something so tiny letting it rip in ridiculously huge amounts? Or, is it just that, as parents, we are amused at our partner's reaction to this mess. Honestly, this is highly entertaining. I hate poop and hearing about other people's kid's poop, but it is hysterical to see Doug carrying a child with a poopy diaper to the changing table and proceeding to do clean-up. That's why changing number 2 diapers is his job.

Those old ladies were cool, but not
as cool as Beetle!

We dropped the boys off and headed to Lexington for some basketball action. We had a good time at the ballgame, but unfortunately, we lost. The crowd started heading out at the 2 minute mark. We were down by 8 or so. I overheard the 2 old ladies behind me talking. "Everybody's acting like the game is over. Why, in 1978 when Kyle Macy played, there was a game where he scored 6 points in 36 seconds." I love little old ladies who love Kentucky basketball. Bless their hearts. Wish the Cats would've won it for them.

Walking back to our car after the game, 2 things happened. An old man nearly bit the dust when he was power-walking through the crowd. He hit a mudhole wide-open and nearly went to the ground. He recovered (after splashing nasty mudhole water all over me) and looked around to see if anyone noticed. We all noticed, buddy. The second thing that happened involved a toolbag. Some little punk in his corolla littered. He was sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, rolled down his window, looked at me, and threw out his DQ ice cream cup. Idiot. I just stared at him like, "You've got to be kidding." I can't believe people litter. I hope that kid gets toe rot using the dorm showers.

Christmas in Dwarf: Part 1

We made it to Dwarf on Thursday night, just in time to beat the snow. When we woke up Friday morning, Christmastime had arrived! Snow, snow, snow! So happy to be at home in southeast Kentucky with family and snow. We spent our first couple of nights with Boomer and Jbird. We got a visit from Ron & Bonnie (Jbird's parents), who showered the boys with lots of Christmas goodies, including the smash hit--Peek-A-Boo Teddy. Here's Julian bonding with his Aunt Boomer. He was in Heaven (and so was she).

We went to visit Great-Grandma Beetle, who was making gingerbread (my favorite). She sure is awesome. One of these days, my gingerbread will taste like hers...well, probably not, but I can dream.

 While Beetle made gingerbread, Jonas stuck his fist in his mouth! My boy's got talent!

We exchanged Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve Eve Eve. I think Jbird liked his present.

And Jules dug his new footwear: BEAR PAWS!

He also thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Grammy by the nice, warm fireplace and Christmas tree.

 And then it was nap time: Julian snoozed while visions of sugar-plums danced through his head.

Perspective

Mommaw has made a snowman that is nearly the size of her! (This is my green snowman from the previous post.)

What did you do all day?

Today, the boys and I watched Ralphie (A Christmas Story) again, and we wrapped Christmas presents. This is what your house looks like when you have twins and get the bright idea to wrap presents.

We wrapped Aunt Boomer's present--mommy & baby possums!

Jonas had to take a lunch break. Then took a 3 minute power nap...he still had a milk mustache.

We received a text from Dwarf. Beetle's bazaar was going well. Making mad cash!!

Beetle made this after we left Dwarf Sunday. To quote Wayne Campbell:  He will be mine. Oh, yes. He will be mine.

We played a little.

Jonas put on his war face!

Such an exhausting day!

Playing Santa

One of my favorite ornaments.

Secret Santa has begun at work! So much fun! I love sneaking around cube land, spying to see if my Secret Santa is at his/her desk, and leaving a little package of goodness for him/her to find upon returning. It is even more enjoyable when you know that your Secret Santa will LOVE what you purchase...even the little things. Ah, Christmas, could you be any cooler?

So, my tree is up and I have decorated it with all of my wonderful Beetle ornaments. That's right, about 98% of the ornaments on my tree were made by my talented, lovely Grandmother. I don't know if you know this, but she's pretty spectacular. Also on my tree are a couple "first Christmas" ornaments for my little dudes. They are going to love Christmas as much as their mommy, and I think (if it is possible) that I am going to love Christmas even more now that I get to share it with them! I have already completely enjoyed terrorizing them by adorning them with Santa suits and pajamas with reindeer footies. So flipping precious!

Squirrel Head

Well, children, I sweated my butt off all for the love of Mommaw! Got her a nice little Johnny Gomes bobblehead on Saturday when the Redlegs defeated the Braves, 11-2. Whoop! Whoop! I hope she loves him as much as her Votto and Arroyo bobbleheads. She is getting quite the collection!

Too bad I left the game before all the fun started. You know this ole gal doesn't take well to extreme heat. Yes, I am a wimp. However, I met up with the gals afterward to chow down on some yummy Indian cuisine. What a lovely Saturday night!

I Miss My Mommaw

Well, I've been gone from Dwarf for almost 12 hours and I miss my Mommaw terribly. I had such a wonderful time with her. I'm about to cry just thinking of her sitting in her recliner, working on crafts, watching The Reds all by her lonesome. [Note: I just checked the score of the ballgame; I bet Beetle is NOT a happy camper.]

We had a blast this weekend. Started the homecoming off last Friday with Codar and I arriving in D-town to see Mommaw, Aunt Kathy, Austin, and Bob all at Beetle's crib. They were hanging out and getting ready for the family reunion on Saturday morning. Aunt Kathy made broccoli casserole and sweet potato casserole and Mommaw made potato salad. Austin and I just sat there and goofed off and broke beans (oh, and let's not forget him neglecting to tell me that there was a pot of Beetle's famous soup on the stove).

The next morning, Uncle Anthony arrived, and I woke up to the lovely scent of fresh beans a cookin'. Oh Lord, children, I ate like a queen when I was in Dwarf (to be discussed further along in blog). We made the deviled eggs, just like the Cornetts love them--heavy on the mustard! Then, Austin and I went to meet and greet DeAndre Liggins while the rest of the crew headed on down to Homeplace. The family reunion was groovy. I stuffed my face and also won a prize!!! When my name was called and I walked over the prize table, I chose a little owl made by Beetle as my winnings. It is killer.

Sunday, well, you know what happened Sunday. RIP, Barksy. :(

The week went by so quickly! Every morning, Beetle and I would have our breakfast (since Boomer doesn't read this I can tell you that Beetle usually had a cup of coffee and 2-3 cookies...I usually had Honey Nut Cheerios). After breakfast, we'd watch her shows: Judge Joe Brown, Family Feud, The Price is Right, Steve Wilkos, the Young and the Restless, and the Bold and the Beautiful. Man alive, Mommaw is hilarious when watching tv. She yells at the contestants on the game shows, "Them people are plumb stupid," and she bad-mouths the soap opera characters, "You know, Victor Newman is not a good person." Her commentary is more entertaining than the shows.

When we weren't watching her shows, we were either cooking, breaking beans, or shopping. We had a couple little trips to Wal-Mark (where I think I saw one of my Uncles on my dad's side, but can't be for certain, at any rate, I didn't talk to the guy) and a trip to JCPenney, where we searched all over creation for a 3/4 length sleeved shirt with no luck! We also took Dilly to KFC for his birthday dinner; the kid evidently eats there everyday, it's his new addiction. Oh, and for our grand finale, last night, we went to Jenny Wiley Theater twice! In the morning, we went to the matinee of The Dixie Swim Club, and later that night, we went to see Annie! Oh, it was splendid. I love watching Mommaw's face while the show is going on, and hearing her crack up at the funny parts.

Oh, and back to the food. Let's see, we broke beans, cooked beans (Beetle solo), canned beans (Beetle solo), made lasagna, lemon cookies, sugar cookies (known in Dwarf as Allison's Christmas cookies), soup beans, fried taters, greens, and cornbread. Oh, it was delicious! All of it!!

AND, of course, we had watermelon every other night. Dakota Kid came down and shared his watermelon with us. He even sang us songs while we ate. Super cute!
I really miss my Mommaw, Uncles, Aunts, and Cousins. I wish that Dwarf wasn't so far away. :( But I am happy to be home and see my little family here. I think Flashy has grown some since I last saw him! And Doogie has grown more handsome!

Mommaw the Comedian

Children, my Mommaw is hilarious. Today, we were watching TV (Jeopardy) and a preview for the show Big Brother came on. I was sipping a Pepsi Cola and Mommaw said, "Lawd, that feller looks like a goat!" I am telling you, I nearly spit out my pop. I couldn't quit laughing. Here is the man she said looked like a goat. He had a red bandanna tied around his head, with the tie being in the front. She said those were his little horns.

She also screams at the TV when game shows (like the family feud, The Price is Right, or that show Wayne Brady hosts). "Them people are plumb ignorant. I wouldn't get on national tv if I didn't know no more than that."

Green beans, yeah!

Been in Dwarf 4 days and broke beans 2 of those days. Ate beans 1 of those days, and boy were they tasty! Fresh green beans and cornbread. Can't beat it! Beetle canned 7 jars of beans today, too!

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McDonald's Chainsaw Man and Coco

We stopped at McDonald's on the way home from Wal-Mark and I saw a dude carrying a chainsaw around in the parking lot. Went in, ordered my food, came back out, and he was still waving that thing around. Why? I have no clue. Were there trees being cut down? No, sir. Just a man and his chainsaw.

After Coco lost 3 games for the Reds, Beetle says, "Now, I tell ya, if I was one of them boys (the other Reds), I'd gang up on him and meller (I don't know what this word is) his little head. Each one of them ought to have given him a lick when they walked off the field. If I knew Dusty Baker would get it, I'd write him a letter!" Man, she sure was tore up over that game.

Dwarf Picture #2

This morning, I was awoken by the lovely aroma of fresh green beans cookin'. Sure, it was 8 o'clock on a Saturday, which is generally against my religion, but I had to get up, you see. I had to go check on the Beetle and make sure she didn't need any help. Well, got up and went to hang with the family. Had me a bowl of Mommaw's famous soup for breakfast. Hearty! I had to scrape the pot to get one bowl. The soup was made last night, but no one told me! Aut was trying to keep it all for himself. The jerk. Anyway, after my breakfast of champions, I sat around and watched everyone cook (I offered to help...I tasted the deviled eggs to make sure they were perfect). 10 o'clock rolled around, and everyone headed down to Homeplace to get ready for the George Washington Cornett reunion. Everyone but me and Aut, who decided to stop by the Wildcat Warehouse in route to Lee's Famous Recipe to meet and greet DeAndre "The Mind Freak" Liggins. We stood in line for about 20 minutes. Oh, and whilst in line, I received a text message from an unknown caller that read, "My boyfriend is out of town this weekend, you still interested in me?" Nice!

Finally got up there to DeAndre. Beetle had ripped off this little piece of paper with which I was supposed to get DeAndre's signature for her. "Tell him your little old Mommaw was too tired from cooking all morning and couldn't come over, but she sure thinks he's a good ball player and wants his autograph." So, instead of the little sheet of paper, I bought Beetle a $10 picture of the boy and got him to sign it, "To Beetle." And he did!! How awesome. I told him it was for my Mommaw. :) To borrow a few lines from Codar, "Why is UK basketball so magical?"

90% of what she talks about

This morning when I drove to work, it was dark and rainy. It made me think of winter, which made me think of Christmas! Naturally, I played some Christmas tunes. This made me think of a comment that brat Codar made the other night:

Codar (to Doug Bear): Do you realize that 90% of what she talks about is Christmas?

Doug Bear (to Cody): She talks about 3 things: food, Christmas, and shopping. [ My shopping is most of the time related to the first 2 things :) By the way, Doogie forgot my 4th favorite topic: KITTIES!]

Anyway, moral of the story, Codar and Doug are jerks...even if they are right.

***Just doing the google search for images of Christmas made my heart swell with joy!

Speaking of food, I'll be on my way to Beetle's this afternoon. I have a deal I'm trying to strike up with the ole gal--"You make me some soup beans, fried taters, and cornbread, and I'll make you some lemon cookies, rice krispie treats, and tiramisu!" Let's see if she bites. Oh, how awesome! I haven't had soup beans and fried taters in sooooo long.

And since we're on the topic, the past 2 weeks have proven to be the week of Alli G, the grillmaster. That's right, folks! You're reading the words of a champion griller. I have successfully grilled the following items: Italian sausage, Big Red Smokys, Oscar Mayer all beef franks, Oscar Mayer all beef franks wif cheeeeze, and hamburgers. Now, the hamburgers were a little dangerous. There was some flamage going on, and I thought that I was going to burn the hairs off of my arms, but I survived, and my burgers weren't bad at all...a little thick...but not bad. My mother can make the perfect hamburger patty; I'm going to have to get her to show me her ways this week while I'm in D-town.

We're off to see the Beetle, the Wonderful Beetle of Dwarf!

13 days until I'm vacationing in sunny Dwarf! Woo-hoo! So excited. I cannot wait to hang with the Beetle. It is going to be so much fun. What are we going to do? Hit her favorite hot spots: Pizza Hut, Wal-Mart, JC Penney. Oh yeah! It's going to be awesome. She'll show me all of her crafts. We'll look at the flood damage. And hopefully Barksdale will not die while I am there. I don't know if I'll be able to handle the mourning of the entire Cornett bunch when the dog goes to Heaven. My mother called me last night and said that Beetle thought Barks was a goner last night. Poor ole feller. He'll probably outlive us all. It'll be a sad day in D-town when Barksy is pushing up daisies.

It feels amazing outside! I am hanging on the hammock, you know how I do, and I never want to leave! Can't it feel like this year round (with the exception of the week of Christmas; it has to snow the week of Christmas). You know, it's only 183 days til Christmas. I bought the first Christmas present yesterday morning. The present probably won't last til Christmas. I'll give it to the rightful owner sooner than that, I bet. That's the only drawback to buying presents early--you always want to give them to the recipient immediately. Oh well, Christmas is 183 days away, we should be more focused on HALLOWEEN, which is only 127 days away. I have already picked out my costume, have you? You better be at the Halloween Party! I'm talking to YOU!

Oh, and before I forget, last night, we went over to Carol's pool to check out her night blooming cereus. It only blooms for one night of the year. Pretty cool!

Things I Learned in Dwarf

Beetle had her first hamburger when she was 14. They had always raised cattle, but never slaughtered the cattle for meat; instead, the family raised the cattle for milk or traded them.

Beetle had her first pop when she was around 8 years old. Her daddy brought it home. It was orange pop--either Nehi or Crush, she can't remember the brand exactly. What an excellent pop for your first ever soda experience!

At the 50th wedding anniversary for Great Grandma Maude and Great Grandpa Austin, Aunt Kathy said to her grandmother, "Wow, Grandma, how exciting, to be married for 5o years." To which Great Grandma replied, "50 years of PURE HELL."
.....as a follow-up, let it be know that ole "Goose Shit," as he so lovingly called her, did love her husband, and 2 weeks after his death was even overheard saying, "I kinda miss the ole feller."

Beetle remembers eating her first graham cracker. It was at the county fair. She was about 7 or 8 and her Granny Leona had taken them all down to the fair. They rode down in a wagon. Leona went into a store and came back out with a jar of marshmallow creme and a box of graham crackers. To this day, this is one of Beetle's favorite treats.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

Well, I finally have some free time to write a blog! Hooray for getting done with homework and staying up past 10 o'clock. I've had a busy few days since we last met. I ventured down to Dwarf last weekend, and, as always, it was a hoot! I traversed across 16 counties on my journey to the center of earth and back again: Kenton, Boone, Grant, Scott, Fayette, Clark, Powell, Wolfe, Breathitt, Perry, Knott (to a baby shower), Leslie, Clay, Laurel, Rockcastle, and Madison. When I wasn't out gallivanting around the state, I was hanging with the Beetle and learning more about that wonderful lady!

Mommaw and Papaw only dated 3 weeks before my Pap asked Mommaw to marry him. According to Beetle, she "didn't know why she said, 'yes' but she did."
Aunt Unique entered a Raggedy Ann doll and a cat toilet paper holder in the state fair on separate occasions and won blue ribbons on each. Beetle made these items, not Unique!
Beetle's favorite meal to cook is soup beans, kraut and wieners, cornbread, and fried taters (and if that ain't country, you can kiss my toe).
Beetles favorite meal to eat is chicken and dressing casserole.
The first time Beetle saw an African Amereica was when she was visiting the state capitol and was around 8 years old. Her little brother was so intrigued by the little boy, that the boys proceeded to rub each others' heads, checking out the different textures of their hair.
When Aunt Unique got married, Beetle stayed back at the house to cook the wedding reception dinner: chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, green beans, cornbread, and she even made the cake.
Beetle's family didn't get electricity until she was a sophomore in college.
When Beetle first moved to Dwarf, there was no road to Combs Branch. You had to park your car at the mouth of the holler (hollow) and ride a horse and sled the rest of the way (1950). She also couldn't believe where she was! She had to keep looking up for the sky to make sure she was still on earth. She wasn't used to being surrounded by such mountains!
Making a popcorn ball was a process. Beetle's family grew their own popcorn. You popped the corn using an iron skillet. Once you heard one kernel pop, you put the lid on and pop the rest. Since there wasn't an A&P to run to, Beetle had to trade goods that her family raised to a family down the road to get molasses (they grew sugar cane). Once she had her molasses, she could make a popcorn ball. They used butter churned by Beetle herself.
Once upon a time, when Beetle was young and all her babies lived at home, she woke up with a migraine. She said to second youngest babe, "You boys better be good today, I have a migraine." The babe translated the message to his little brother, "You better watch it. Mother's on the warpath!"
The first date Beetle and Pap went on was to the movies. "I don't remember what we watched. That was a long time ago!" They went on a dollar: $0.40 for each movie ticket and $0.10 for each coke. I asked if they did 1 coke and 2 straws, but you know Beetle don't play like that! "No. We didn't have 2 straws. We each got our own coke."
When Beetle was the ripe old age of 11 years old, she cooked lunch for her entire family every summer day while they were out working the farm. She did her cooking on a coal and wood stove. What kind of supper did an 11 year old cook, you ask? Why, soup beans, cornbread, and fried taters. She even made dessert: wild berry pies. Where did Beetle get the shortening to make her pie crust, you may wonder. Why, they rendered lard from their hogs (trust me, you don't want to hear about the specifics of that process)!

You need to meet my Mommaw. She is awesome!