A Queen of Domesticity, Creativity & Fun
My gramma, June Pabst, was a force - a queen of domesticity, creativity and fun. To me, her recipes are a source of connection to her and her life. A life before you could google search for any recipe you wanted based on the ingredients you have in your fridge — Google - what’s for dinner? — Nope, gramma had handwritten recipes, with notes indicating how good they were or when they were made and who they came from. They are like messages from a time when we were all together cooking in the kitchen…listening to each other, hearing stories about family, learning to work together and to be “helpers” as gramma would say.
Memories are treasures - my gramma spent countless hours of her life cooking and baking and mending and sewing things for her family - her recipes (like her quilts) hold powerful memories. I can hear her rings on her fingers clinking together (because gramma always talked with her hands) when I read her recipes and notes and imagine her telling me “Oh, that’s a good one! We made that for little Danny’s birthday….” and on the story would go.
These stories are the gems that make us human. They are all so much the same yet also very special and dear to us. They bring meaning to our lives and seem to slow down time itself.
So slow down, read, share some stories and connect with your memories - that’s what this space is for. (And if you see any spelling errors, it is intentional, my gramma’s spelling is charming to me - a reminder that perfection can inhibit creativity)
Thanks for being here,
Deanna
Back of the photo reads: “Helpers! Making the 4th of July Potatoe salad 1993”
Pictured L-R: Emily, Gramma June, Deanna (all wearing yellow shirts that we ironed fabric ‘decals’ to because that’s what happens when you’re at gramma’s house)