Sunday nights at Mawmaw's

When I turn right on to Timrose Road around 5:25 on Sunday evenings I am always excited to see if I am the first car to arrive or whether the crowd has already gathered. Usually, my cousins and aunts and sometimes uncles - if they dare - come early to hear the latest family gossip and sometimes not -so-family gossip. Nonetheless, you never want to be late or you will miss the storytime that starts the night. I am not sure if everything that is said is altogether truth but there are always good stories told and that is 50% of the experience. You should know, if I ever take you to eat at Mawmaws for Sunday night dinner that you may not get a word in and that you can't just pick any seat you want. Actually, to tell you the truth - I had to weasel my way into even having a seat at the big girls table (I might even say the 'dirty girls' table because as soon as I moved there I realized the conversation was a little more than G rated.)
From what I imagine, my Mawmaw - the greatest Mawmaw I know - doesnt even sleep on Saturday nights after she goes dancin' (pronounced 'day-n-sin on Sunday evenings) at the Legion. (Mawmaw is another story in herself. You will fall in love with her if you read more about her - I'll save that for a seperate entry and if I ever wrote a book I know she would have a few chapters of her own. )
Anyway, I swear she doesnt sleep - she just cooks.

By the time we get there, or rather, by 5:30 pm - and no earlier or else you are messing up the system and mawmaw might push you out of the kichen (under her breath of course....a dainty lady like her would never raise her voice for you to get out of the kitchen but its like you can sense her frustraction with you and all you want to do is to get way far out of her way) so by 5:30 the kitchen sizzles with an array of happiness spurning every posible yummy color. Creamed corn... Allens green beans and carrots....fresh tomatoes... perfectly round sweet potatoes ( how does she make them into perfect circles?), pot roast or chicken casserole and on some occasions- both..... beef tips and rice (one of the groups' favoites)... squash.... fresh canteloupe about every 4th week....her own biscuits and cornbread! Now, does your mawmaw do buscuits and cornbread? I doubt it. She does both. Oh and sweet tea - I mean syrup and water and you better believe she makes her own deserts ( or five of them). She puts PoFolks to shame. Is your mouth watering?

Hands down, one of my most cherished traditions and favorite times of the week are the Sunday's when I can make the treck up 575 to Mawmaws for dinner. My mama is one of 7 sisters. Enough said. Can you imagine trying to say anything at the dinner table? Oh, and as I said, yes, sometimes the conversation turns to the 'not-for-the-dinner-table' talk that your mom warned you against. No worries. This is usual. And I will be public by saying that if you come one week and don't bother to show up the next week you will most likely be taked about. But dont worry - they'll say 'bless your heart' behind any bad thing.

Mawmaw barely sits down before she is up and cleaning the dishes. I wish she wouldnt even have to touch the dishes. Maybe then I should do them because I have never really stopped her but it just dawned on me that she should never have to do the dishes or do anything all week long for that matter. For the love and the comfort that she creates through her cooking, just one day a week for an hour or so - mawmaw deserves the moon and the stars. But that's the thing about her -she'd never take it if you offered it to her - she genuinely enjoys cooking for the family and seeing everybody get together.
I love Sunday dinners as you can imagine. I can't always make them but I know that they aren't going anywhere for awhile - whether I am there or not.
I've heard that you can cook your way to a man's heart - maybe I'll start going to Mawmaws early so I can start learning her secrets. What an invaluable 30 minutes if she'd let me.

Thank you God, for Mawmaw. She, too, is another little glimpse of heaven that you have given to me! Now to go eat my left over corn bread......