This July 28, 2022 will mark the tenth anniversary of my first blog post. In the beginning, I tried to post every week. My writing dwindled during busy times. During the pandemic, I only posted one regular post and two poems, but that didn't mean I wasn't writing. I finished up a children's middle grade fiction novel I'd been working on, and I wrote a memoir about my beloved grandmother, Sharon Louise Singleton Tanchin.
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| Grandma Sharon with my brothers, Danny, Richard, and me |
Growing up in a single parent home with my mom, I spent nearly every weekend with my grandparents. Whenever I was too sick to go to school, Grandma took care of me.
At eleven-years-old, the chickenpox had made me miserable. My skin was on fire, and little red bumps appeared everywhere. Even inside my ears. Grandma carefully swabbed every itchy mark with pink Calamine lotion. She fed me chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches until I healed up.
For two years, I lived with my grandparents in junior high school. Grandma loved to come to all my choral recitals. She sewed me a cardinal red, floor-length dress with puffed sleeves for the girl's ensemble. She handstitched a pink poodle skirt for our final Oldies performance.
Gifts like these mattered to me. One of the reasons I believe I pursued a higher education and graduated with a bachelor's degree is because of Grandma's continual support for me in school.
Grandma was a strong woman. She survived breast cancer in her 60's. She stopped smoking cigarettes after having a heart attack in her 70's. In her 80's she developed a cough that wouldn't go away. Last October, she complained to my mother that she had trouble breathing. The staff at the assisted living facility where she resided finally transported her to the hospital for testing. The results were grave. She had stage 4 lung cancer. The doctors didn't want to operate at her age, because it would affect her quality of life.
One week later, she was gone.
In her memoir, I wrote:
The tears poured out, but something in my heart remained. Her love was still there. It kept the pain of her loss from hurting so much. A sustaining sense of peace rested in my soul because I knew Grandma trusted in the grace and forgiveness of God—a God who “so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Sharon’s faith had become sight as the Lord Jesus carried her home.
After Grandma's passing on October 22, 2021, I wanted to do something special to remember her, so her great-grandchildren could know her better and her legacy could live on. I visited Grandpa for Christmas and asked if I could borrow Grandma's recipe box to copy my favorite recipes. The recipes brought back all the memories of my childhood visiting Grandma with her scrumptious cakes made from scratch, the comfort food that filled my belly, and lots of seafood.
I didn't know the reason why seafood was such an important staple to Grandma until after her death. After researching our family history, I discovered she was related to some of the first colonists in Florida, the Minorcans. These people journeyed from the island of Minorca situated between Spain and Algeria. The story of how they managed to immigrate to the east coast of Florida and survive living in an area called, Los Mosquitos as indentured servants is detailed in the memoir I wrote for my grandmother called,
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COCONUT CREAM PIE
Ingredients
for Filling:
2/3
c. sugar
¼
c. cornstarch
¼
tsp. salt
2
c. milk
3
egg yolks, lightly beaten
1
c. flaked coconut, finely chopped
2
tbsp. butter or margarine
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Ingredients
for Meringue:
3
egg whites
¼
tsp. cream of tartar
6 Tbsp.
sugar
1
pastry shell (9”), baked
½ c. flaked coconut
Make
it: In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, & salt. Gradually stir in milk
until smooth. Bring to boil; cook & stir for about 2 min. or until
thickened. Gradually stir one cup hot filling into bowl holding egg yolks;
return to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to gentle boil. Cook & stir for 2
min. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut, butter, & vanilla until butter is
melted. FOR MERINGUE: In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until
foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in
sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Pour hot filling into
prepared pastry crust. Spread with meringue, sealing edges to crust. Sprinkle
with flaked coconut. Bake at 350 deg. for 13-15 min. or until golden brown.
Cool on wire rack for 1 hr. Chill for 1-2 hrs. before serving. Refrigerate
leftovers.
For a final thought, I wrote a poem about why grandparents matter. I know my grandmother made an indelible impression on my life.
Grandparents
Heaven-sent
God’s instrument
To give love
Without limit
And fill the Pocket
Of our heart.
That’s how grandparents
Do their part.
To smile with
Eyes shining bright
Always there
To love and care.
Blessing us
With loads of kisses
Feeding us
With meals of peace.
Hugging our
Fears far away
Giving us
Courage and grace.
To live life
With bravery
To carry
The faith that
Carried them Home.
~C.S.G.
