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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Cast Iron Pot and Thankfulness



My mother's family is from the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina where poverty is no stranger.
My mom was raised in what we would call a shack. Any food that was eaten they grew themselves. If they did not grow it and can it and put it away, for the winter, they did not eat.
That said the mountain home site {no longer ours} is a beautiful mountain and is virtually unchanged  because it is in a very remote location.  My mom and her brother grew up on that mountain and learned the value of hard work.  My mother could grow anything anywhere. I do not recall her ever buying potting soil and her plants and vegetables always were wonderful to look at or eat. My uncle {he was a farmer} still lives in the mountains he loves.


This is the cast iron pot that grandmother cooked food in on that remote mountain.

My uncle gave it to me last year and I am so grateful to have it. I look at it and am thankful for my parents, my education, and my life.

I hope grandmother would be proud that I have it now because I know mama would be.

Thank You and Happy Father's Day Uncle K!

grace surrounds us
Olive

27 comments:

  1. Oh, how wonderful for you to have your grandmother's cast iron cooking pot from those mountains, all those years ago. You must be thrilled to bits to have it, and doesn't it look grand with your plant in it?! Lovely little story today Olive.

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  2. What a beautiful testimony (and a gorgeous pot).

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  3. I believe both are equally proud to see the seeds they sowed firmly rooted in the importance of what really matters in life...family.
    Debbie

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  4. What a sweet tibute to your heritage.

    Jan

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  5. I love this post. My dad was raised in the mountains outside of Asheville. Your mom's family sounds a lot like how my dad was raised.
    It was a hard life..but a very honest and admirable one! I know your grandmother and mom would be proud of the way you have preserve her cast iron pot. I have my grandmothers cast iron skillet and I still use it!

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  6. What a great treasure handed down and I love the plant in it.

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  7. What a special gift!!! How sweet of him, surely you will cheris it forever!!!

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  8. Oh Olive, what a beautiful, heartwarming post... I can just picture those gorgeous mountains... and I love that you now have the same pot that belonged to your grandmother, your mama and now you... these along with your memories are just priceless... xoxo Julie Marie

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  9. Such a special piece. I love it. My family grew up on a farm and always did the same. Grow it and raise it or you can't eat. Some great values learned there. Love that you now have the pot. Hugs, Marty

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  10. Olive,
    Just a beautiful, loving post.

    Carol

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  11. It's a beautiful pot Olive, I'm glad you have it:@)

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  12. Olive,
    The pot is wonderful, Olive!
    My family, too, came from remote Appalachia, but in West Virginia. I look at some of the pictures sometimes and also remember some of the places I've seen and marvel.

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  13. What a treasure to have Olive! I can only imagine the many many meals that were cooked in it and oh the stories it could tell if it could only speak....Instead it whispers. Vanna

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  14. Lovely pot of Gold! I'm sure to you it is!
    Xxx Liz

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  15. I love how you
    honor your roots.
    What a beautiful,
    beautiful reminder
    of those who came
    before.
    xx Suzanne

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  16. What a special post. The cast iron pot is beautiful.
    -Lynn

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  17. So glad you have your grandmother's cast iron pot, or wash pot as I've always heard them called. I have one my mama had, not sure where it originated. It sat right by our back door and was always full of golden moss. That's what I had in it too for years...now we use it as a fire pit. Lovely post. Vicki

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  18. Love the pot Miss Olive you will have sweet memories every time you look at it and what a find with the concrete fruit pieces love them.
    Happy day & hugs from Savannah, Cherry

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  19. what a great post...very well written...it brought tears to my eyes...
    chris

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  20. This is such a nice gift, with so many memories attached. Your flowers are beautiful in it. In addition, this is such a nice way for you to say Happy Father's Day to your Uncle.

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  21. What a wonderful way to honor your family.

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  22. What a beautiful story. It's always good to look back on where you came from so you appreciate how far you've come. I bet Grandma would be so proud of you.

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  23. Olive, what a wonderful story and I am so glad you have that pot. Your mother's talents and abilities have obviously been passed down to you. Ann

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  24. Olive, I love your story of the mountain top, and I'm so glad that you can now be reminded of those family stories when you look at your pot of flowers. laurie

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  25. This is such a lovely post, Olive.

    J and I were just talking about when people grew their own food, as a normal part of their way of life.

    My mother, sister and I lived with my grandparents a number of years. Without them, we might have been homeless, during a very difficult period.

    I sort of meandered there, but it sort of goes to what your post is about. My grandparents always had one cow, to provide milk and butter for the family, plus a little pin money for Granny, as she sold milk, butter and eggs(they also had chickens) to neighbors. There was a huge garden, too. There was always food on the table, due to their efforts.

    Money was tight for them. At one time or other and most times, they provided shelter for a family member in need. It seems there was always a houseful.

    The only heat was a wood stove in the living room which also served as dining room. I remember chipping away at ice on the inside of windows in the winter. But there was always a biscuit and gravy, beside the wood stove, in the morning.

    J remembers snow blowing across his bed in the old farmhouse he grew up in. We both learned a few lessons along the way.:-)

    Anyway...all this to say, I appreciate this post and it did bring back a memory or two of growing up in the Ozarks. Hard times, but still happy memories.

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  26. What a magnificent way to honor your family. The cast iron pot is a true treasure. Your story is a wonderful tribute to those who have paved the way to your present life. Beautiful story.

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  27. I think it's so important to have tangible reminders of our family and where we have come from. This is a wonderful piece, love how you are using it. love you dear, thanks for being here for me, Debra

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I adore your comments. They are like finding unexpected chocolates. olive