She Has Lost It…

Hey, when you were growing up did you ever try to smoke rabbit tobacco? You didn’t? Neither did I but we, my sisters and I, did roll some up and pretend at times. Thankfully we didn’t develop the habit.

Its amazing the things that come to mind when you have some extra days off and are just rocking away in your chair. Growing up in my family, and I think most families, children had to use their imaginations for their playing times. Often we would play the game of “pretend”. That’s exactly what we were doing when we would roll up the rabbit tobacco and pretend to smoke it. We had seen adults smoking their pipes, cigars, and cigarettes and so we would pretend to be like them. You know that song ‘Be careful little eyes what you see’ is beginning to make sense to me.

After musing about the rabbit tobacco, I did a little research on it and find according to the research that it probably has some medicinal uses. This brought to mind an aunt of ours from Alabama. While she was traveling with some family members she was involved, as a passenger, in an auto accident and spent some weeks in the hospital from her injuries without seeing much improvement. She was in the latter stage of her life and was quite contentious. After those weeks in the hospital, she asked some of her family members to bring her the bag she had brought with her on the trip. They did as she requested and it seemed that within a day or so, she had improved dramatically and was released from the hospital.

When we questioned her about how and what she had used from her bag, she told of how she used the medicines she had made. I don’t know what she had made her medicine from but her medicine worked. She was to live many more years enjoying good health and a good sense of humor.

Another time with this Auntie of mine came to my mind while thinking of her medicine. Many, many years later when she had moved to our area and was a resident in a nursing home, my Momma, Daddy and I would visit her. On one of those occasions, it was just Momma and me. My Momma did not like nursing homes and was always uncomfortable in them. On this occasion, Auntie was lying in bed and was in a talking mood. She began to tell us of her and her husband’s (who had died many years prior) supper the evening. She included my Momma and Daddy as her supper guests. She gave vivid details as to what they had for supper and even added some of the conversations. Auntie was in her glory, she really gave it her all. Momma looked at me and rolled her eyes and whispered: “she has really lost it.” Auntie, in perfect timing, finished her story and then stated emphatically “then I woke up”. She was relaying a dream she had. I could not control my laughter.

Auntie knew all the time and I believe she was setting my Momma up. My Momma could have spit nails. Auntie knew my Momma didn’t like nursing homes and was always uncomfortable in them.

If you’re wondering, no I haven’t gotten into the rabbit tobacco, but it is so much fun remembering the good ole’ days. I do wonder what plants Auntie used to make her medicines.

Shall we try a dish together… my Mister’s grandmother used to prepare this dish. It was the very first time I had ever heard of it. This is a borrowed recipe and when I prepare it will be my first time. It is really simple and if you are like me anything that has corn in it has to be good.

Grandma’s Fried Corn Recipe

10 ears fresh corn
½ cup milk
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tablespoon margarine

Shuck, silk, and cut kernels from corn & scrape to get the juice from corn; stir in the milk; salt & pepper. Melt margarine in skillet and then pour in corn mixture; simmer until tender stirring constantly.

This used to be so good with the fresh vegetables that Grandma always cooked. Of course, she always had homemade biscuits with all of her meals.

Til next time,