Granny (Louzine) and Steve
The other day Chatter and I were visiting with Granny and she said she wanted to show us some old photos. We had a great time looking at days gone by and hearing whatever story came to Granny’s mind as we flipped through the pictures.
Granny has always loved photographs. When I was a girl my brothers and I often got aggravated at her for always wanting to take our picture. Of course today we are beyond thankful she took the time to document our childhoods and the childhoods of her grandchildren.
The photo above was taken at an apartment in Murphy that Granny and Pap rented when they only had Steve. She told us “I had the apartment fixed up so nice I almost hated to leave it when we moved into the house in Martins Creek.”
Right off Chatter noticed the big photo of Steve on the t.v. Today it hangs on the wall in Granny’s living room.
I noticed Granny’s pretty dress and Steve’s little suit and tie. Also the chair Steve was leaning on. Seems like I remember one just like it at Papaw and Mamaw’s and I wonder if Pap and Granny gave it to them.
As we pointed out this and that Chatter said she sure loved the curtains and wished Granny still had them so she could use them today.
Granny said “Let me tell you what happened to those curtains. I gave them to Marie (Pap’s mother, my Mamaw). They had little fiberglass like fibers on the backs of them. She washed them with Wade’s long handles and they about itched him to death!”
Granny’s eyes twinkled when she told the story. I smiled too as I thought of Papaw Wade and Mamaw Marie and how the story of the itchy long handles likely made everyone laugh except for Papaw.
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
I love Granny’s stories!
Your girls favor her a lot. I love family photos too. They are a lot of fun.
I enjoyed this. Made me wished my boys could have known their great Mamaw Seal & great Papaw Seal. She loved telling stories. I will share this with you. on Halloween Mamaw Seal always made popcorn Balls wrapped in plastic wrap. I loved them it was like eat a big ball of Carmel popcorn. plus she made candied apples. Those was the good Ole days. oh yes, I am so excited I ordered your CookBook. It comes tomorrow, Lord willing!
Beautiful picture of Granny. Steve was a cute boy. I noticed the mirror in the background. My mom had one just like it hanging up in our house growing up. I always thought it looked like the mirror in the movie of Snow White. Pictures were always my favorite thing to do at family gatherings and even at home. Then at some point all the kids grew up and no body wanted their pictures made, so I stopped. One day they are going to wish they had taken pictures to remember the moments they hold dear in their hearts.
I just love the picture! I remember the old tvs, and the curtains. Mama had a similar set of curtains in the back bedroom, although I think they were cotton. Granny looks so pretty in her dress.
Tipper Granny has her priorities straight. She made a beautiful home for her husband and son. She cherished them and apparently they returned the love. Your Pap more than likely was thrilled to document this by being the photographer . Steve’s sparkling eyes reflect the joy . You and your daughter taking the time to reminisce with Granny is “blessing upon blessing” .
My son in law shared a very similar fiberglass curtain story . Let’s just say his day of baptism was memorable in more ways than one. He said his tightly whites were washed and he itched so bad that he felt like he had fleas …did not want to rise out of the creek water because it gave him slight relief
what are long handles never heard that phrase before? is it long underwear? or boxer’s. had someone from England once call their underwear smalls
Angie-it is long underwear 🙂
Those curtains look similar to ones that hung in my childhood home—and that floor model television, with what looks like a crocheted scarf over it—-I wonder if Granny made that? Even her dress makes me think of my childhood. When I was young, my mama had one fancy dress and just a very few house dresses that she wore daily. She would save the fancy dress for her and dads anniversary each year. That picture above could have been the living room in our little house. There were always pictures of us kids from Olan Mills Studios hanging on the walls.
I don’t ever remember my dad wearing long Johns, but my husband loves them. During his forty years in the coal mines, he wore them from October until late spring. He still loves his warm long Johns any time the air is a little chilly. I had never heard them called long handles before. Loved this post!! And your mama looks just beautiful!
I had forgotten about Olan Mills Studios. Our neighbors at the time gave us a gift certificate from them for our first child. That was 41 years ago.
That is a beautiful picture. glad you shared it with us. I wished our house hadn’t burnt down. I would have loved for my daughters and grandsons seen the house where I was raised. All our pictures got burnt up .
What a beautiful story Tipper, I noticed there on the wall slightly above Steve’s head something that resembles a half-moon, probably a shadow of some sort. I like the curtains and Granny’s pretty dress, and Steve is so sweet looking up at the camera. The TV set behind Granny reminds me of the one that my adopted parents had when that took me. Those precious pictures will be treasured memories for your grandchildren someday when they get older. Prayers for Granny, the Pressley, and Wilson families.
Precious Memories! Loved the story. Granny is beautiful and Steve is so cute in his little suit. It’s so wonderful that Granny can share these sweet times with all of you. Enjoy every moment. It’s a real blessing.
Tipper what a sweet picture. Such good memories to be cherished. ❤️
Once upon a time many years ago, I had a picture frame, curtains, mirror ( just like your mother had) and a little boy that wore bow ties and a little girl’s picture in the frame that I still have. The little boy is now 58 and the little girl is 61. Memories and pictures are priceless.
Speaking of long johns, I wear them when walking in our churches Christmas parade or any other outdoor winter activity! They keep you warm.
Continued prayers for your family.
I love this photo and the stories behind it. Granny looked so beautiful. It’s funny how photos will take us right back.
the photos are wonderful, I am the keeper of our elders photos and have enjoyed them so much. especially organizing them eith names and dates. furtur3 generations won’t have to wonder who they are
Was Papaw Wade’s the ordinary long handles or the ones with the trap door in the back?
I’m the same way about fiberglass. It eats me up. I am the way with fiberglass as some folks are with poison oak. I don’t even have to touch it to get it on me and in me, I just have to get close. Way back when I built houses insulation day was abhorrent and for days thereafter. Bathing or showering don’t help. Sticky tape does but who wants to spend a day dabbing themselves all over with sticky tape.
Did you know I was named after Papaw Wade? Yeah, I was! He was named in 1915, I wasn’t named until 1950!
LOVE THIS!!
Thank you for sharing with us. What a treasure.
I couldn’t help but giggle at the itchy overalls.
And Granny looks so lovely and tall.
Beautiful memories just “ooze” out of pictures from the past. Thanks for the memories. Hugs!
One of my favorite things is when you show pictures, I love pictures and the stories that go with them. I was curious if they were going to something special as to them being dressed so fine. She really looks beautiful doesn’t she.❤️prayers and blessings to granny always.
“A picture is worth a thousand words.” In this case and many other times just looking at a picture will bring forth many words. We seem to use our phone camera now and the pictures somehow get lost.
I have already commented but talking about itching reminds me of a pair of wool Sunday pants I had when I was a child, I hated having to wear them even though it was only for wintertime Sunday church service. I still laugh when I think and picture this in my mind, I once read a story about an old mountain man, long handle underwear with the “back door flap” left unfasten, a cold winter night, something in the man’s chicken house, the cold nose of his hound dog and a double barrel shotgun. I read about this trick for hunters wearing wool socks, it was to put on a pair of cotton socks first and then the wool socks to keep them from sticking and itching.
I remember that fiberglass cloth. As I recall it was not very durable as the itchy clothes suggest.
I wonder in the picture what is making that white crescent moon shape on the wall? Must be a reflection.
Tipper, if you see this, ever hear the expression “tear up an anvil”?
I used cameras with the old flash bulbs, back in the day. I am pretty sure the crescent shape on the wall comes from the cameras flash off the mirror behind sweet Granny. It reflected, due to the angle of the mirror, the shape of the crescent on the other wall. This picture is a lovely picture of those past days. Wouldn’t it have been nice if Pap would have been in it too. As it is his family was beautiful and still is. Love y’all and sending prayers to each and everyone. Jennifer
Jennifer-thank you for sharing that!! I’ve always wondered about it
Tipper, I just love that gorgeous picture of your beautiful mother looking so pretty in her dress and didn’t she have a terrific figure too?! Your brother Steve looked adorable in his little suit and his picture so large tells me he was firstborn and his young mother and daddy were sure awful proud of their sweet youngster! It seems to me the firstborn gets the most pictures. I like the whole decor in the apartment and I’m like Chatter in those curtains being too cool!! If she had those now, Chatter would have the coolest living room in NC! Tipper, I know fellers right here right now who will put on their RED long handles (I only saw a dash of color if y’all are wondering) on Thanksgiving and they will be worn til Easter.It goes this way every year they proclaim with warm rear ends and nether regions. The Army gave you everything in wool and I couldn’t wear their itchy socks or use their itchy wool blankets. Ba ba black sheep, keep that itchy wool or soften it up somehow… lol I bet paw paw Wade was drove plumb crazy wearing itchy fiberglass cause I remember those fiberglass backed curtains. I must’ve got the itch myself playing in them wrapping up and hiding etc. God bless Granny and Katie and the rest of you Wilson/ Pressley clan!!! You’re super good folks and it’s a pleasure to call you friends! I won’t post tomorrow and will be placing my phone in a Ferriday cage for my protection. Consider it y’all.
I love the story about the curtains! The same thing happened to me! Mama had some curtains with fiberglass in them and she washed them with some of my clothing. Needless to say I was miserable at school the day I wore those clothes. By the time I got home that day my skin was almost bleeding. Yes I stayed at school all day because I knew not to complain or ask to go home because that was frowned upon by my dad. When I got home and told Mama,she knew immediately what happened and felt terrible.
Payers for your sweet Mama and your family. You look so much like your mom.
Now I need to get out our old family pics. I’ve kept them in a water proof bin ever since another relative lost all theirs in a flood. We aren’t in danger of flooding but it’s nice to know nothing will get spilled on them.
My daughter, who recently passed, always insisted on a “photo shoot” for evey occasion. How grateful we are now for all of the pictures!
I am so sorry for your loss.
May God bless you and keep you in His loving arms.❤️
Well-told Stories paint so vividly. Thank you for that gift today.
Steve looks so cute. loved the story.
we called them long johns, winter time underwear!!!!!
Pictures are great, my mother and my wife had a lot of them. I wrote about this before, but my mother and grandmother each kept their unframed pictures in a white pillow case and would carry them with them anytime we sit in a car during a bad thunderstorm when I was a child. They had lived through a very bad tornado. Unfortunately, I don’t know who some of the ones are in my mother’s pictures. Glenda mentioned voices of loved ones, I had the voice of both my daughter and my wife on the voicemail of a telephone but they somehow got deleted. In my messed up mind I do not like looking at most pictures, the memories they bring back of precious love ones that have gone are very painful for me. Since my daughter and wife’s death, I have a very hard time with depression and anxiety, many days it is a struggle to just get up and try to do even the most simple things
Randy, I am so sorry for your pain. The loss of our loved ones is so very difficult. I have told people the deeper we love the deeper the pain of the loss. I will be praying for you.
Thank you, I am sorry for writing or saying things like that, but sometimes it just comes out. I know I am not the only one hurting. Our 49th anniversary would be Oct.26. She was 19 and I was 20 when we married and we dated/went together for a little over 2 years before we married. I never wanted no one else. Even now I would feel like I was cheating on her if I was with someone else. Shoot, the women ain’t exactly beating my doors down anyway!
God bless Granny Louzine Wilson with love care and protection with healing and health and the peace of Jesus ❤️
Amen.
What a familiar photograph with the dress, curtains, the beautiful frame behind Granny, and that well-dress little boy–truly days gone by and better days. Many thanks as this brought back precious memories for me, too.
I love old pictures. Granny looks so pretty in this picture. Prayers for all! Take care and God bless ❣️
I loved this story!!! LOL!
Granny is beautiful, may God Bless her and all of you.
The story about the long handles was a fun way to start the day.
Blessings to all.
Now there’s a term I haven’t heard for decades — “long handles.” My daddy and mother (and my other relatives too) called them that, but I never understood where the term came from.
Wonderful memories. I wish we still had our old curtains.
Memories in pictures are priceless. I have tried to tell all friends and especially those with small children and/or grandchildren, while pictures a great, try to get something that will let you “hear” their voice. While I can remember what they said and pictures of them, I cannot Hear their voice. Oh how I wish I could. With all of your videos of Granny and Pap, you are so Blessed. What some of us would give to hear the voices of those gone by. Young mothers should try to capture their voices for their offsprings and their offsprings voices for them. No one has any idea who will be here after a few seconds, minutes, days, etc. We all seem to take another second for granted. Those videos will also be a treasure for you Grands, Tipper. Hugs to Granny and God Bless you guys.
Tipper, which twin is Chitter, and which one is Chatter?
Have a blessed day!
Theresa from Pennsylvania