Today I cleaned my kitchen. It had a layer of goo everywhere. I’ve been blaming it on my children because they create goo. But, today I had enough. The grime had to go. I scrubbed, I polished, I shined, I wiped, I swept, I mopped… My kitchen was sparkly for about 2 minutes. And then I had to make dinner.
During my cleaning extravaganza I decided to sift through all of my magazines and cook books. I purged quite a few Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens from 2006 and 2007. Looking through everything was like piecing together my culinary history. I have quite a sordid past.
There were several seasonal Pampered Chef recipe booklets from 1999 and 2000, a lot of “Everyday Food” from 2007, old church cookbooks, some specialized cookie and Christmas baking books. There’s my collection of Better Homes and Gardens and Betty Crocker anthologies – you know the binders with the red and white checkered covers… And more recently, my book on purees, my artisan bread book and “This is not your Mother’s Slow cooker” cook book. But there was one that I was happy to find…
My GG’s handwritten booklet of favorite recipes. As I leafed through it, I was misty. Recipes of all kinds – in her handwriting. Okay, I wept. This week is the anniversary of when she went to be with Jesus and her beloved husband. I still miss her terribly. I was thirteen when she left ; a big hole formed in her absence. Finding her recipes today helped to fill that hole just a bit.
There are two other important books that I managed to keep for myself that belonged to GG. One was her anthology of Longfellow poetry and the other was her personal Bible. I have tried to read the handwritten notes in her Bible to gain wisdom from her own personal thoughts – its hard to decipher. But, with one look at the Bible itself – I don’t have to wonder if she spent time in God’s word.
GG left quite a legacy behind for all of us who loved and knew her. She loved God and her family. Her sense of humor always had us in stitches. She taught us to behave without speaking an angry word. And she could make the best cinnamon rolls from scratch that you have ever eaten. Even in her later years she would quote poetry without hesitation and she did the daily crossword from the paper. What a heritage I have from her…
And now – twenty two years later I can’t help but wonder… What am I leaving behind for my children, grand children and great grand children? Will they know of my love for the Savior? Will they remember me for my gentleness and my sense of humor?
I don’t know the answer to any of these questions. But I know my Heavenly Father’s answer.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5
This is His promise. I can see that now – from GG, to my grandparents, on to my parents and now on to me. He has been so merciful to our family and I believe He will continue, no matter who I become. I don’t know if I will be just like my GG, but I can hope… from the books and memories she left behind for me, I have a bit of work to do. Especially on the cinnamon rolls!
I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. Psalm 89:1
daily portion 
Oh, I can’t tell you the number of times I think of your GG. Always did love the name – and can remember her sweet sweet smile in an instant. Thanks for sharing, this Melody! I have my Nana’s cookbook – it’s about falling apart and I don’t use it often, but it is a cherished possession. She, too, love God and truly left more of a legacy because of that than because of her cookbook. BUT the “put-my-hands-on” book is a reminder of her to me.