Skip to main content

Cotton


Ofactory systems are amazing.  Scientists say it is our oldest sense, and the last one to go before our final breath.  How strong is this sense of smell?  In most people, it is extremely strong. Right now, think about leaves burning in the fall.  Can you smell it? Think about Christmas with its pines and cedars.  I can remember and smell Christmas in the hottest summer months.  Think about waking up to the smell of coffee and bacon; how tomato plants smell when you touch them; riding down a country road when honeysuckles are blooming.  Anybody??



A few days ago, Hub and I were riding near the bend of the river, where hundreds of acres of cotton are grown every year.  The cotton has not been defoliated, and the cotton bolls are just now beginning to open.

It has been about fifty years, a half century, since my family had cotton fields. During that time, we have gone from being children to grandparents. Our party lines have been replaced by little phones that contain the whole world.  Our beloved three-channel televisions have been replaced by a multitude of opportunities to be entertained. My hair has changed colors many times, finally reaching its present state of snowy white.



As soon as we reached the first field, I could smell the cotton.  I'm guessing it is a memory that is too deeply etched in my brain to ever go away.ur ol

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Holy Smoke Pie

I think it was in the late seventies that I first had Holy Smoke Pie.  It was at a party at Debra Morris Harville's house.  After we ate, Debra had to give the recipe to everyone there.  I came home and made it for my family, and it has been a favorite since then.  I always make it at holiday dinners, because I believe tradition is important.  It has become a favorite of our granddaughters. I've heard it called Chocolate Delight, Four-Layer Chocolate Dessert, and other odd things.  We call it Holy Smoke.  Here is how I make it: Chop us a cup of pecans; set aside. Add a stick of softened butter (NOT margarine) to one cup of self-rising flour. Cut the butter into the flour. Add the chopped pecans, and work it all together. Save two tablespoons of the pecans to sprinkle on top. Pour into a 9" x 12" pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Spread it over the bottom of the pan.  It helps to use your hands (or hand, if you have t

Amish in Stantonville, Tennessee

Last week, my sis and her hub went with us to the Amish community near Stantonville, Tennessee.  It was a beautiful day, and we love driving to new places and finding new treasures.  We enjoy these mini-trips we take together, where we giggle a lot and get caught up on everything.  Also, the squirrels ate all our tomatoes, so we needed to find some to buy. You know the food you are buying is fresh when they bring it from the field while you are standing there waiting for it. Here is part of what we brought home, and it was all delicious. Stantonville is located in McNairy County, Tennessee, northwest of Shiloh National Military Park.

Cedar Trees in Cemeteries

If you ever wander in old cemeteries, and I know many of you do, you are bound to see some cedar trees. The tradition goes back to the early days of the United States and even earlier  in Europe.  Cedar trees were not always used, but some type of evergreen trees were planted because they were a symbol of everlasting life.  Some  Cherokees believed that cedars contained powerful spirits, including the spirits of the departed buried beneath them. Perhaps because they are known as burial trees, there are many superstitions that surround cedars.  My grandmother told us in no uncertain terms that if we planted a cedar tree, we would die when it was large enough to shade our graves. Some others are: Never transplant a cedar tree; it will bring bad luck. If you transplant a cedar and it dies, you will die shortly. Planting a cedar tree in your yard welcomes poverty. Some say Christ was crucified on a cedar tree, and will bring bad luck if you burn it. If a cedar tree com