Mama Lottie

Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete.
-- Marcy DeMaree

 She has always been in my life...
We lived with her and papa Dewey until I was about 5 years old, but even after we moved into our house we were always at their house. Moma and daddy both worked the 3rd shift and me and my sister, Jennie would go spend the night at their house. Every Sunday after church we ate Sunday dinner at her house. It was always a full house for Sunday dinner! No matter how many people showed up there always seemed to be enough food to go around. My spot was always beside papa Dewey:-)

Thursdays during the summer were usually spend with mama Lottie and papa Dewey. We would go to the flea market in Chesnee and then come back to their house and cook all the fresh vegetables that we would get at the flea market. My mouth still waters when I think of the fried squash, fried okra, crowder peas, and when we were lucky we would have sweet cantaloupe. But always mama Lottie had dessert (yummy) - sometimes it was chocolate cake with lots of homemade chocolate icing and when she had fresh fruit she would have warm, sweet delicious cobbler. You could always count on mama Lottie having some kind of sweets to follow a meal. Without a doubt - my favorite part of the meal. And after dinner we would all migrate to the front porch and fight over who would get to sit in the swing.

Vacations were always a trip to what feels like our second home - Beaufort! It was always a family adventure. Every year papa Dewey would be so excited and ready to go and mama Lottie would fuss and complain because she didn't want to be gone from home for a whole week. But we always enjoyed our week together at the beach - cooking and eating and swimming in the ocean! These are some of my most cherished memories. We continued this tradition until my children were almost grown. This is one of the things I miss most - family vacations at Beaufort.

Holidays were always special too with mama Lottie and papa Dewey. He was always so funny at Christmas. He would get so excited and would sneak and open all of his presents before anyone else. Our holidays centered around lots of good food and spending time talking with family.