Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Violet Beatrice Gean Stricklin October 26, 1917-November 11, 2007 It's my mama's birthday. The Earth raced around the Sun and the seasons changed ninety times while she was here. She was uneducated, but wise. Beautiful, work-roughened hands that were never still. Her life was taking care of her family, and that she did well, even when the road was hard. She did massive amounts of laundry on a wringer washer; her clothes lines full every sunny day expect Sunday. She could coax nutritious vegetables out of tired clay soil, rising with the sun to do battle with weeds. Her quilts still warm our beds and our hearts. Known for her incomparable biscuits, she made enough in her lifetime to completely fill a Cracker Barrel. More familiar with pain than joy, she endured. She lived to see adult children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. We are educated, talented, well-traveled, scattered. She lives in all of us. Beadie Haynes, Marie Thompson, Mama, Geneva Gean ...

In Loving Memory Mary Lynn Stricklin Horton January 12, 1937-December 2, 1990 Let's just pretend, because it's your birthday, that the lump in your breast was a mosquito bite that disappeared in a few days and your life stayed normal, if normal can describe life. I will call you up and tell you to come by, the coffee's on and there's coconut cake. We'll talk about hair color and plants. You will be amazed at how the grandchildren have grown.   We will speculate about Rosie's new man and how high the price of groceries will rise because of the early freeze.   I will make you a copy of that quilt pattern you've been wanting. We will giggle at old stories: the time you broke your foot riding a bicycle, the leaves in the chicken stew. We will groan about our weight gain and I will say your boobs are as big as the moon.  We will refuse to talk about cancer. We won't think about chemicals and radiation and L...