The Help

I just finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This is a novel set in Mississippi in the early 1960’s, and is a story about the relationships between white women and their colored maids. I never thought much about those relationships, until I started reading this book. As a girl who grew up in the south, I can certainly relate to the story.

While we weren’t “high society”, far from it, we had a maid because Mama had to go to work to help support the family. Lena lived up the road from us, in a house much better than ours. She came to our house Monday through Friday to take care of the five of us kids, clean the house, do the laundry and ironing, and cook dinner. I don’t know how much she was paid, but I can tell you it probably wasn’t enough. She was always polite and deferential to my mother. She was pretty tough on us kids, and wielded a pretty mean hickory switch.

While the maids in The Help were treated badly, it was accepted in those times. I truly understand why they were willing to risk everything to get their story told. Kathryn Stockett tells the story well—I read the entire book in three days. While I think anyone would enjoy reading it, The Help will be especially appreciated by those of you who grew up southern in the 1950’s and 60’s.

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I’ve Been Busy Writing

One of my friends sent me an email asking where the heck I’ve been, since I haven’t been writing much here at FabGrandma. Well, I’ve been busy!  In addtion to still tweaking my new site here behind the scenes, I have contributed to a couple of other places. And, in case you haven’t noticed, I have that review site to worry about too. I’ve written a few reviews over at FabGrandma…Reviews and at MomGadget. If you want to look around at what I’ve been up to, just click on the links below:

FabGrandma…Reviews

Wellgate for Women Braces

Manischewitz Foods Gluten Free Products

Give Wink Children’s Furniture

Nikon Coolpix S630 Camera

About.com Grandparenting

About.com Grandparenting Technology

I have two more articles planned for About.com, and some other things in the back of my head. As if I needed another project, today I was invited to join a group called We Write For 10, which means we get a topic each day to write about for 10 minutes. Gaaaa! I know I can do it, but I am still asking myself why on earth I agreed to that. Maybe it is my ADHD, or my Gemini personality???

And that’s not all. I am almost finished with the baby quilt–I hope to be able to show the completed project by next week. All I really have left to do is the hand sewing on the binding, but that stinking arthritis in my hands has been bothering me for the last couple of days. When that happens, some days it feels like I have two useless clubs at the end of my arms–can’t do any sewing like that! I can type, but can’t hold that little needle.

I got orders for two men’s aprons, and have one cut out, and looking for a piece of fabric to match the one I have already to be able to get the other one cut. That project is next in line after the baby quilt. And then, I will start the machine sewing on my own quilt. It’s all cut, ready to go, just looking for time, hahahaha.

Here is a funny from real life: Today, FabGrandpa and I were in Wal-Mart. I was looking at pots and pans because I wanted a deep sautee pan. He said, “You need to get a new metal spatula for me to use when I cook.” And I looked for one but did not find it. And it did not really dawn on me until later, when we were almost home, and I started laughing out loud. He asked “What’s so funny?” and I said, “It just occured to me that you never cook!”

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Let Me Tell You About My Week

Monday turned out to be the only slow day we had.  On Tuesday, we had to drive over to Marion, about twenty five miles away, to take those little sample cards the doctor always wants you to take home, and, um, fingerpaint. You know the ones. For the stool samples. They didn’t give me a mailer envelope to send them back and when I called and asked what to do with them, they told me I had to bring them over there.  It was a nice enough drive:

OK, so it wasn’t. It rained on us there and back. But the scenery was like this all the way. This is the Correta Scott King Memorial Highway. Marion is the county seat of Perry County, where she was born.

On Wednesday, the UPS guy showed up with a big box of goodies from Mixes From The Heartland. Since I write  reviews for my own FabGrandma Reviews and for MomGadget, I often get things in the mail to try and review. But this was a big box! I couldn’t believe that she sent me all this stuff!  I’ll be writing reviews of some of these next week.

Back in November I had entered a gluten free recipe contest. That contest was sponsored by Glutino, and the grand prize was a years supply of their gluten free pretzels. I happen to LOVE those pretzels. I eat them for a snack in the afternoons when I am working. I also use them crushed up as a topping for casseroles. I entered my famous squash casserole recipe, and I won that grand prize. When they say you win a years supply, that means they give you 52 bags of them. They are shipping them to me 12 bags at a time, one every twelve weeks for a year. So, on Thursday night, my new boyfriend, the UPS guy, showed up again, with the first box of pretzels:

FabGrandpa was not as happy as I was. He was asking me where the heck I was going to put all those pretzels. I told him not to worry about it, because I would find a place.  I could put them under the bed you know. I also plan to send a couple bags to my daughter, Becca and a couple to my friend’s granddaughter who was just diagnosed with celiac a couple of months ago. I am quite sure I can eat them all up by the time the next case arrives.

On Friday morning, we had to drive up to Tuscaloosa for FabGrandpa’s eye exam. He has a cataract and needs surgery for it. After they looked him over, they told him he has to go to a specialist in Birmingham, so we are waiting for them to call us with the appointment date. Look at those peepers!

Friday night my boyfriend showed up again. This time, he had three huge boxes for me. I had been talking to a company about doing some reviews of their products, and I thought they would send me a couple of things, you know, like maybe a box of cookies or a can of soup or something. Well, they sent me a whole CASE of every item they make that is gluten free. And now FabGrandpa is about to poop a brick, because there is nowhere to keep all that stuff in our little travel trailer.

See those three humongous boxes? they were all full. It is a very good thing that there is a maintenance shop behind our camp host spot here. Ha, ha, ha, I was laughing, and feeling very blessed that I received all that stuff, and he? Well, let’s just say he wasn’t.  I think he’s jealous of the boyfriend, he he he. So, I will be doing some reviews of those products too, next week at both FabGrandma Reviews and at MomGadget, and I’ll be having some give aways to kick off my new website. I guess I finished that just in time!

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Try This Out At Snack Time!

I got some Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks in the mail to try out. I was surprised that an old lady like me would like them. See my review here.

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I’ve Been Cooking Up A Storm!

Both of these were made from mixes sent to me by Mixes From The Heartland so I could write reviews of their products. See what I think of them at FabGrandma Reviews.

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Want To Know What I Think Of:

The Essential Gluten Free Grocery Guide?  Go here to find out!

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