Grandparents Part 2

Well, where do I start. Papaw Keith was a tall, sweet, fun loving person. He loved to whistle and sing. One song he always would sing was "IdaRed". When I was little, he carried me every where. They told him if he did not let me walk by myself I would never learned to walk. He smoked a pipe. One day (I never learned why) he decided to stop smoking. From that day forward he always had a pack of Juicy Fruit gum. I would pat his shirt pocket and he would give me a piece. In 1927 when my dad was about 10 years old Pa and Ma open a grocery store, Keith's Grocery. It was at a cross roads, and was a community stopping place. I remember sitting out front leaning back in a chair. Pa and I would have a pan of peas or butterbeans shelling them waiting for a customer for groceries or gas from the one pump. (gas was about$.19) Ma loved me, but was not one to show it. She would just do things for me. She made my clothes from flour sack material. I followed her around going to get the eggs in the chicken coop, to milk the cows, and work in the garden. She was allllwayssssss working..... picking berries to make jelly, making homemade sausage, ect..She taught me how to clean a chicken and cut it up to fry, and many other things...She never went to church unless it was a funeral. She was always too busy. Before she died, David went to see her in the hospital and prayed with her. My papaw went to church, read his Bible, and had a place in the woods where he would go to pray. They were community people. Had the first car. Always had something cooking and NEVER let anyone go away hungry. Before they had a car, Ma would load her wagon with produce, eggs and chickens and go to Laurel and sell them. One time she stopped at a lady's house. The lady thought Ma was not good enough to come in and asked her not to stand on the porch. Ma had customers that bought from her for years, but she never stopped at that house again. Ma and Pa did not have a fan, telephone, tv, indoor bathroom......but it was peaceful, interesting, and just a wonderful place to be. I think that is why I love the"Mayberry" program on TV. It is the nearest thing to my life in the country. I just have so many good happy memories.......running and playing with my cousins and neighbors kids, eating cold watermelon on a hot day, climbing the pear tree, eating sweet peas out of the garden, picking cotten for spending money, fishing in the creek, and playing in the cemetary across the road. Life was simple....as we heard the rooster crow each morning....we knew it was time to get up because another "adventure" was about to happen. Love you and miss you Ma and Pa!!