Mama sewed enough to pay for her groceries every week

Mama was a thrifty and wise little lady. I say little because she was little. She was about 4'8" high and weighed around 107 pounds.

Mama couldn't drive, so after Daddy died she made her time count when she was able to go with someone to the grocery store or shopping.

Mama did alterations for the public until she was well in her 90's. She had a stroke at 93 years, and it shut her down basically. But, up until that time, Mama prided herself in sewing enough each week to buy her groceries. I've mentioned in a previous post of how she told me on one occasion, "I've made enough this week to buy my groceries." She didn't like to go into her bank account and spend money from her measly little Social Security check. I think the most she ever drew was $794.00 a month, if that much. But, as I said, Mama was thrifty. She didn't want for things and look to get them even if it put her in a financial bind. She owned her home, and she didn't have any debts. She owed no one when she passed away at 102 1/2 years of age. She was wise, indeed.

The thing I want to share most of all about Mama is the time when I was at her house while she was eating lunch. Often times I would go visit her on my lunch hour...just to check on her. I think she had baked an Irish potato in the microwave and had mayonnaise on it. She wouldn't eat butter or beef for anything!!! I mentioned something about what she was eating, and her reply has stayed with me ever since. She said, "Oh, I can eat enough of anything to be satisfied."

Tonight after being shut in all day due to the virus, weather, and office work I had to do, I wanted so badly to go to Captain D's and get our usual weekly meal and eat in the car. But, it was getting dark and later in the day than I cared to get out, so I dropped that idea. Then I thought of how delicious beef nachos would be from one of our Mexican restaurants in town. I mentioned it to Doug. He asked about going to get them. And then I remembered Mama's comment about how she could eat enough of anything to be satisfied. I said to Doug, "Let me see what we have in the refrigerator." There was a bowl of homemade beef vegetable soup I had taken from the freezer a few days earlier. Why, after that was warmed it was delicious with saltine crackers. And there was enough of it to satisfy us.