What a delightful read, Nathaniel! Your grandparents’ field guide, and the fact it’s notated, is such a treasure. Our grandmother’s have so many similarities, including strong opinions about margarine and cursing! That probably connects a lot of people of their generation and makes me wonder what will be the defining connection of ours. Perhaps being dressed in sailor outfits by our parents, as I also fell pray to that unfortunate trend!
Gramp left a lot of treasures behind, including his birding archive and record collection. Future generations can really benefit from posterity-minded ancestors
Sailor outfits and DIY haircuts? Mom was a real butcher with a pair of scissors, also featured in that photo lol
oh where to begin writing about this delightful and engaging story. I am so happy I found you. Let's begin with the birthday cake; a glorious thing certainly worthy of forgiving mom the sailor suit. Breakfast on a camp stove gets four stars and a Julia nod. Then of course there is the mystery you wove here and the delightful bird road runner. Thank you for this smile
ah yes. Julia lived for and by butter. I still laugh thinking of all the shows i watched of her trying me teach me to cook while little ones ran around the kitchen banging pot lids and declaring some form of war... LOL. Nothing like a homemade biscuit with lots of butter and jam on it
Very touching to read about how close your grandparents were. It's incredible that their life lists ended up differing by just one species after so many years of birding! I hope you can find a journal that uncovers more details!
Nothing about lasagna : )? I always associated her with that. So does Dad...Lasagna was the first meal he ever had at their house, igniting a love affair that hasn't ended...Oh, how we miss her...
What a delightful read, Nathaniel! Your grandparents’ field guide, and the fact it’s notated, is such a treasure. Our grandmother’s have so many similarities, including strong opinions about margarine and cursing! That probably connects a lot of people of their generation and makes me wonder what will be the defining connection of ours. Perhaps being dressed in sailor outfits by our parents, as I also fell pray to that unfortunate trend!
Thank you Kelly :)
Gramp left a lot of treasures behind, including his birding archive and record collection. Future generations can really benefit from posterity-minded ancestors
Sailor outfits and DIY haircuts? Mom was a real butcher with a pair of scissors, also featured in that photo lol
As the only birder in my family it’s wonderful to read about how birds transcend generations for you.
And hopefully will keep doing so! No luck so far with generation four, but I'm working on it.
Thanks for reading James!
Your love for your grandparents is wonderful, and this piece is heartwarming. Following birders like you is also very good for me. Thank you.
Thank you, Gary. Comments like these really make it all worthwhile. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
oh where to begin writing about this delightful and engaging story. I am so happy I found you. Let's begin with the birthday cake; a glorious thing certainly worthy of forgiving mom the sailor suit. Breakfast on a camp stove gets four stars and a Julia nod. Then of course there is the mystery you wove here and the delightful bird road runner. Thank you for this smile
Thank YOU, Nettie! You've made me smile. I'd give anything for one of Gram's campground breakfasts. Still no idea how she did it. Pure magic
probably lard. my mom used it around the same age era.. or it was just childhood magic afoot and she your wizard. Lucky lucky you
Gram had no issues using lard but it was butter most of the time!
ah yes. Julia lived for and by butter. I still laugh thinking of all the shows i watched of her trying me teach me to cook while little ones ran around the kitchen banging pot lids and declaring some form of war... LOL. Nothing like a homemade biscuit with lots of butter and jam on it
Amen to that last part. Now I'm craving biscuits!
I'm so grateful my children have someone like her as an ancestor!
May they inherit her touch in the kitchen and always sensible wrath
Very touching to read about how close your grandparents were. It's incredible that their life lists ended up differing by just one species after so many years of birding! I hope you can find a journal that uncovers more details!
It almost seems impossible, but they really did do everything together. Still, only separated by one bird?!
Sus
Really great essay, Nathaniel. I like how you recreate what happened on the day your grandparents were birding at that sighting of the Blue Grouse.
Thanks Neil! Hope I can eventually unearth some more clues about that sighting :)
Nothing about lasagna : )? I always associated her with that. So does Dad...Lasagna was the first meal he ever had at their house, igniting a love affair that hasn't ended...Oh, how we miss her...
The lasagna was indeed legendary! She loved to talk about the cheese pull.
You know what though? It was great, but never my favorite of hers. For me, nothing beat when she browned and slow cooked a big hunk of meat :)
never had a bad meal at their house...and I really miss her Christmas cookies...I make the butterballs & pecan tarts but they don't taste the same.
Nothing I make of hers tastes the same. Have gotten close, but never quite the cigar. She just had the touch