My Mother-in-Law

In 1947, Celona's son Delbert and I were married, "Oh Happy Day!" We married in October, so canning season had passed, thank you lord! But, Thanksgiving was coming, and we had to get ready. Mother Houston's safe on the back porch had to be filled with pies (ten to fifteen), cookies, and cakes. She loved to cook when she knew her family was coming. I could not cook, I could only help out. My first Houston Thanksgiving I helped by keeping wood in the stove, stirring, adding a little water. She could roll out a pie crust and tell me what to do at the same time. I listened, I helped, and I learned. I never saw her make a flop in her cooking. I still do. And oh my, her chicken and dumplings were the best! I tried following her instructions, and it either made one big dumpling or lumpy gravy. The taste was good, but I just could not get it right. That I - never did catch on to. Teaching me to iron a white shirt and to keep it clean was not easy. We used flat irons heated on a wood stove. Winter was not bad, but summer was miserable. It was so hot with the wood stove going full blast to keep the irons hot. I thank God every day for electricity.

Then came Christmas. Mother Houston always had a huge tree that touched the ceiling. It was decorated with lots of decorations that she had collected over the years. She always had a little gift for every child and every adult. She loved to give, my three children can tell you that. And of course, there was more cooking!

Springtime was also busy. Mother Houston would raise a good garden for canning. If she didn't raise enough in her garden, Delbert or Elbert had it in the field. She got all the quarts she could for us to put up. The shelves in the pantry had to be full. She always put up blackberry, huckleberry, pears, and figs as jelly and preserves. Her jellies and preserves were good, and you should try her grandson James'. He is a chip off the old block. His fig preserves and mayhaw jellies have gone all over the U.S.A. and even to France and Gernnany.

Children came first with Mother Houston, and believe me my three knew that. She was so good to them. She spoiled my three bad. She loved to help them with their spelling. She could out spell lots of us. I also remember that she would never let anyone scare a child. My three went back and forth between our houses on the darkest nights. She would stand on the back steps and tell them to come straight to her voice. They always did. Then we got them a flashlight. That was a big thing; they had to wait until dark so they could use the flashlight.

She was also the community nurse. If someone got sick, they sent for her. She always knew what to do. Tony got erysipelas in a boil on his leg. I took him to Dr. Saint, who gave him some pills and told me to bring him back the next day. Mother Houston went right to work putting hot towels soaked in St. John's weed tea. This went on throughout the night. The next day, when I carried him back to see Dr. Saint, he asked what we had been doing. I was so nervous to tell him, but I did and then held my breath. He said to keep it up, it was doing great. She had all her little tricks and they worked. I wish now that I would have written them down.

Thanks again Mother Houston!
Gordie