Another month has come and gone. We are now on the back half of the year, wait, what happened to the first half? Oh, I must have missed it while I was staying at home. I did get out to attend another sisters day celebration along with all the others. Those present were Betty West, Lucy Branson, Mary Jo Crider, Shirley Huffman, our hostess, Linda Crider, Pam Hale and Susie Kleffner. Every time I write this list of who attends sisters day I have to stop and say don’t put Katie’s name in the list. It still does not seem right. We really miss her.

Shirley wasn’t feeling up to par so I came down from Jeff City Monday afternoon to lend a hand with her preparations for the next day. It’s a good excuse for some one-on-one time with a sister.

Breakfast consisted of fresh fruit of grapes, cantaloupe and cherries along with cinnamon rolls and apple pie bread with coffee and tea. What a delicious way to start the day.

We discussed making masks. Mary Jo and her granddaughter Maggie have been making them for the kids at Helias High School. The school needs 800 masks by the middle of August when school starts again. I don’t know who else is making masks for the school. I do know that Mary Jo has helped make several different styles. I have made a couple for myself to wear when I go out to the store or to church.

Lucy has been having problems with critters coming around her house and chicken pen. She’s down to two hens. She has also started setting her trap. She thinks it’s the chicken feed that is attracting them. She has caught a possum, a skunk, a raccoon and an armadillo. Some neighbor guys remove the critters for her. Lucy has asked Mary Jo if she would take the two hens and add them to her flock.

As we sat around the table talking, Shirley’s husband Bob came up from the basement where he was hiding out, just kidding. Shirley came in and announced we would be playing Bingo and Bob would call the numbers. She passed out the cards with chips and pebbles to use to cover our numbers. She then sat a wooden bed tray in the middle of the table. It was full of prizes for everyone who got bingo. We all got something. We had some laughs as we tried to keep our chips in place and Bob chased the number balls across the kitchen. We all learned that the little cage you turn to get the ball with the number to be called was not as efficient as it was supposed to be and it shot the balls right off the end of the chute. The end of the first game was also the end of the cage. Shirley got a bowl for the balls and things went much smoother after that.

The game was over and Bob went back to the basement as we girls drifted into the living room. Lucy showed us a quilt top she set together with the last set of blocks Katie embroidered. Lucy set the blocks together with shades of purple and green that really sets off the blocks. She set it together in a star pattern that our Mom, Anna Crider, used for many of the blocks she embroidered. She liked it because it was a very impactful setting with a large star on top of the bed and it only takes six embroidered blocks.

It was time for lunch by then. The table was set and we gathered around another wonderful meal. We had sweet and spice BBQ pulled pork on a bun. It was accompanied by cole slaw and potato salad. Shirley has very pretty serving bowls which dress up the table and helps make the meal very festive. As we finished and the plates and silverware were collected from the table, Shirley stepped up with a beautiful red deep dish casserole dish filled with fresh blackberry cobbler. Bowls were filled with cobbler and vanilla ice cream and passed around. As we enjoyed our pie Shirley, Pam and Mary Jo talked about picking blackberries. Shirley’s son, Jeff, came by with enough fresh berries to make the pie. We all enjoyed the “fruit” of his labors.” Mary Jo went to pick a couple times. The berries she found at the first place were big and juicy. The second place she went the berries were small and seedy. Pam said the berries on her place were little also. Jeff’s berries were small too but thankfully the size didn’t affect the taste once they were baked. They all agreed the spotty rain around the area made the difference.

We all picked blackberries and gooseberries when we were growing up. One of the best stories about picking blackberries involved our Dad, Sam Crider, and Kenny, Katie’s son. Kenny was about three years old and they all went out to the berry patch on a hay wagon. They had wash tubs on the wagon to dump their berries in when their buckets got full. Kenny was left on the wagon and told not to eat the berries. Daddy brought his bucket back to dump and Kenny was setting there with berry juice dripping from his chin and running down his belly. Daddy said, “Kenny have you been eating these blackberries?” Kenny looked up all innocent and sincere and said, “No, Grandpa.” What could Daddy do but laugh. Needless to say Kenny did not get into trouble.

Memories are what build a family’s history they hold us together and keep the ones who are gone alive in our hearts. Our sisters day gatherings are building the stories that will be passed down when we are gone. As you read these stories you are becoming part of our history and we are becoming part of yours. Pam’s son, John, is our family historian. He is working hard to compile the stories and names of our ancestors. Remember family history is a perishable thing. If you don’t pass the stories of everyday life down to your children and grandchildren they will be lost and so will the people who lived them

Thought: Every step you take is supported by all of your ancestors. They got you here, now make them proud.

Advice from an old farmer: You cannot unsay a cruel word.