Granny and Papa's

When my sister and I were little children, our family would go to Berkeley County to visit my Dad’s parents. We called them Granny and Papa. They lived in a white clapboard house in a farming community known as Sandridge, about halfway between Holly Hill and Goose Creek. My Grandparents house was across the road from my great-grand parents, and next door to my grand father’s brother. The Hiltons' had been living and farming in this community for several generations.

My memories of these visits are quite vivid. One particular visit was in the winter. The heat in the majority of the house came from fireplaces. There was a small kerosene heater in Granny and Papa’s bedroom, but the rest of the bedrooms had only a fireplace. This was wonderful adventure for a little kid. A great fire would be built in the fireplace and my sister and I would snuggle together under a mountain of quilts, all handmade by Granny. When we awoke in the morning the room was chilly, as the fire had burned down during the night. From the kitchen however, the comforting aroma of sausage on the stove drew us out of the bed onto the cold pine floor to scurry to the back of the house. It was always warm in the kitchen.

There are many other memories from other visits. The back porch had a squeeky hand pitcher pump that was such fun to use. Outside were farm animals galore, chickens and guinea hens, ducks, hogs, and cows. The most fascinating to us, however, were a pair of mules. Dora was often saddled-up and rode us around the barnyard. There were farm tools and implements from another era to examine and ask about. Behind the house were grapevines that had the sweetest scuppernong and muscadine grapes in the late summer.

These are priceless remembrances. Our experiences make us who we are. They often define our perceptions of the world and our place in it. More important than the memories of the fireplace or the quilts or the smell of sausage from the kitchen are those of a loving and supportive family. A family that took care of each other during the hard times, encouraged each other when there was disappointment, and celebrated together when there were accomplishments and successes. Those are the most important memories.
Circa 2007