Born: Shelbyville, Tennessee, USA, 1927
Mother tongue: American English
Grandchildren: Chris, Jason, Steffie, Maggie, Scott, Jonathan, Luke, Garrett, Ian, Wesley
They call her: Grandmother
I think I learned this recipe from a neighbour, but it must have been way back in the 1950s that I first baked these muffins. I have things in my kitchen that are over 50 years old – my cake mixer, for example. I believe in holding on to things when they work good. Why get rid of it if it still works?
I have always cooked and I don’t see any sense in stopping just because I’m old. Yesterday morning I had bacon and toast and some scrambled egg. I eat really well. Some of my friends who are younger than me will go out to eat for every meal. It’s nice to do that, but I think it’s important to cook your own meals, even at my age.
I never use the word ‘old’. I was taking this Bible class and it was mostly ladies, and this woman whose face looked like a prune was sitting beside me. Her hair was dyed bright red like a fire truck. I was wearing a jacket and the ladies in the class complimented me on it. Anyway, this lady looked over at me and said, ‘you’re old and in denial.’ Needless to say, I didn’t go back to that class any more. I could not believe it. Can you believe it? In a Bible class – to have that treatment. I didn’t think it was at all funny.
I go to the gym two days a week. I go to the Christian widowed women’s group. I also take turmeric capsules, which I absolutely swear by. I still drive. I have a Chevrolet Impala. It’s a super-size car but I have cushions I sit on. When it’s cleaned up, it looks pretty good. I don’t think about age. I just keep myself busy. I always have done.
I really took on a lot of responsibility with the three boys at home and my husband busy at work. They ate so much. They’d get through a gallon of milk perhaps in one day. When they were in school, they all liked different breakfasts. Gary would want sausages and scrambled eggs, Randy would like toast and wheat spread, and Steve only wanted pancakes. So I would get up and cook all of these different breakfasts for the kids every day before they went to school. They never went to school without breakfast.
I hate to say this but it’s true: there are a lot of mothers in contemporary America that are too lazy to get up and feed their children. I really do think it’s a sin. They have to see to it that their children have a balanced diet. If you can’t do that most basic thing, you’re not much of a mom, in my opinion.
All my siblings are deceased except for my youngest sister. She has dementia and is really not well. She is in a hospice now because she’s that bad. She really was the sweetest, kindest thing. I am 12 years older than her and I would treat her like my own baby. It’s just such a shame.
I have rheumatoid arthritis but I never say anything because I look around and see all these people who are diabetic and who have heart problems. You’re just blessed if you can get up every day. I don’t dwell on things too much. I’m at an age now where I’ve had a lot of loss. You can’t do anything about it and the things you can’t do anything about, you have to find peace with. I think about the people I’ve lost all the time, but I focus on all the beautiful things we’ve lived together. I’ve really had a good life. You just make the best of whatever.
