sak658

I didn't know too much about my grandmothers, but my mother was a go getter...worked on her dad's farm, plowing with mules or horses, one day when she was 15, a plow handle came around and hit her in one of her breasts, had to have it lanced, I'm sure with no meds....lost use of that breast, but breast fed all five of us kids...After my Dad left us, when I was nine, we worked in the fields with her, hoeing peanuts, and chopping cotton for other farmers that would pay us $3 a day...I can remember getting to the end of the rows, drinking water that had sat under a shade tree and throw up...it would be so hot.... she always had her bonnet on and long sleeve shirts to protect from the sun...She married my step father in '57 and things got a lot better for us...She quilted for other people, $25 a quilt, so we grew up under the swinging quilt frames hanging from the ceiling...I always wanted to piece quilts with her, and we did that a lot, my stepfather died in '76 and she was by herself for 5 years, never learned to drive anything but a tractor..so after that we moved her to town and she would walk to pay her bills and take care of a lady that was younger than her...All this, she lived to be 93...we lost her Valentine's day, 2004...I have 30 to 40 of her quilts, but have been giving them to my 2 daughters, so I can have room for mine that I make...Thanks to my Mother, I love to piece quilts and give them away to family or friends...and remembering her with each stitch I make...I'm 74 now and not quite the go getter as my mom, but I'm doing well..