Grandmother’s Feather Bed

I was born in the living room of my Grandmother McInnis’s house, My first nine years were spent in that house, I loved my grandparents very much. Both of of them died while I was a child living on South East Ave. in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

My first real exposure to death was when my Grandmother died and her casket was brought into the living room where I was born. I remember my Aunt Viola and Myrtle Long sitting up all night with the casket. That was many years ago when it was what families did if a family member died.

My Grandmother and Granddaddy Rinehardt lived in North Kannapolis, a little distance from my other grandparents. When I was a child, Grandmother Rinehardt made some of my dresses. She was a good seamstress and tatted lace to go on some of the collars. Sometimes she would make a matching dress for one of my dolls. I loved going to visit her because she always had a treat for me.

Back in those days many people would buy from a small grocery store and charge their food until “pay day.” Kannapolis was a mill town, so that was a custom. When pay day came and the bill was paid, the owner of the store would give a “set up” which was a very small brown paper bag of penny candy. Grandmother always saved that for me! When I went for a visit, she would say, “ Look in the sideboard for your surprise!” I loved getting that small bag of Mary Janes, Tootsie Rolls and other sweets! In the summer she used to make banana popsicles in the ice cube tray, She would put toothpicks in each one so I could hold them.

Another special memory is when I got to spend the night! My Grandmother had twin beds in the “middle room” where she and Grandaddy slept. There was the living room, the “middle room” and the kitchen on one side of the house. There were two bedrooms and a bathroom on the other side. I got to sleep on a feather bed! That was my first time for that! We had regular mattresses at my other grandparents house.

I remember how soft that bed was! I would sink down in all that softness and it felt so good! The pillows were also stuffed with feathers. Spending the night was a special treat!

I was so blessed with wonderful grandparents who loved me. My Granddaddy Rinehardt made a woodworking shop of the garage, So far as I remember he didn’t own a car. He had many small cans of paint, along with his saw that he used to make yard signs, ash tray holders that were shaped like a butler and other wooden objects. He and Grandmother were talented.

I was so fortunate to be surrounded by the love of both sets of grandparents, How I would love to be able to relive some of this happy times! I will never forget when I slept on the feather bed in the front room and felt so very special!

What if…..

During the two year pandemic so many things have changed. Because of spending almost 100% of my time alone, it allowed for a lot of reminiscing. They say a picture is worth a thousand words! Looking through photograph albums conjured up so many pleasant thoughts of trips I never thought I would take.

I found a stack of things in a box that Mother had saved and which I brought to my house so I could look through them carefully before discarding them. They had been stashed away for years, but brought some unexpected happy thoughts when I had the time to look through the box. She had saved so many cards I had sent through the years. There were old report cards, some receipts for things she had bought, a book of stamps when postage cost several cents to mail cards or letters! There were some paid property tax receipts and so much more! It was like opening a box that had been buried for years, in the past, I remember that current items were buried, to be opened ten or twenty years later, That way a new generation could get a glimpse of the past. It was like a “time capsule.”

Then I thought of the many things that had happened in my life that could have been very different if certain things had not happened.

“What if” I had not been at First Baptist Church in Columbia on the Sunday night when we began a series of sermons by well known pastors, on film? The first speaker was Dr. Charles Stanley. He was not on “worldwide” television at that time and I had never heard of him. Television and communication was very limited back then. But that was the night my life was dramatically changed! The entire series was on prayer. Dr. Stanley’s message was about SPECIFIC praying. He said, “How can you know that you prayer has been answered if it is so vague?” There was so much more, that I knew I wanted to hear more from Dr, Stanley, I made the remark to the lady who was sitting next to me, “IF I should ever live in Atlanta, he would be my pastor” It was not a prayer, just a statement…and I never dreamed what was in store for me!

I called what was then Columbia Bible College and they had three of his tapes which they mailed to me so I could listen to them and return them.

I don’t want this journal entry to turn into a book , but many times, I have wondered, “What IF” I had not attended that Sunday night class on Prayer and heard Dr. Stanley,,,.. and “What IF“ my entire life had not taken a different path because of it. I did not pray to move to Atlanta, but as the statement on a little gold booklet that Campus Crusade for Christ used as a witnessing tool states, “God has a wonderful plan for your life” And that very night, God began a journey for me that changed my entire life forever! There is so much more to the story, which I will share in segments in the future, But for those who do not know, GOD moved me to Atlanta and Dr, Stanley did become my pastor!

There are so many miracles that followed ….I will never be able to thank GOD enough for the countless blessings that unfolded on that Sunday night! “What IF” I had missed that Bible study at church? I thank GOD that I was there!

I have been dragging my feet!

My Mother must have had a hundred “sayings” she used to quote. My intentions have been good, but I have procrastinated in my journal entries for quite some time. I keep a daily personal journal which is filled with so much information, most of which is just documentation and not for publication.

I have been busy shredding out of date paper work and trying to get rid of old clippings I thought were worth saving at the time. I inherited some of my habits from my Mother. She “saved” so much that was unnecessary, but each of us has our own idea of what is important. It took me a very long time to clean out Mother’s house when she passed away. I want to spare my daughters that task when I leave this world.

Looking back at newspaper clippings of major events, bulletins from church or programs from funerals is like a journey back in time. Now that we have Facebook, I see so many posts of old dishes cooking utensils, dresses and shoes from the past, antique cars and thousands of other things,

I suppose that the way we feel about what is and is not important is due in part to the era we grow up in. Nevertheless, what ever excuse I try to validate my necessity to hold on to the past, the bottom line, is …a house will only hold so much!

That being said, I have been trying to “let go of things” that I will never use and that my children do not want. I watch Brenda Gantt, who has become famous for her cooking since she retired and became a widow. She makes videos in her kitchen, using some things like my Grandmother used! She has become my favorite cook. I follow her and share her recipes with my friends. Brenda uses old enamel ware and cast iron pots and pans that her mother used. I relate to Brenda in so many ways. She is genuine and I hope one day to meet her at her bed and breakfast in Andalusia, Alabama. To me, she is a wonderful role model in so many ways!

Now, that I have given this lengthy explanation for my absence on Jean’s Journal, I need to stop “dragging my feet” and get busy discarding all the “unnecessary” things that at one time seemed important!