Traditions

I don't know that traditions is the word I'm looking for but unless I find another one that's what I'll name this post. =)

I made three pies yesterday and another 3 today. My pumpkin pies use cloves instead of nutmeg. Why? Well, because the Libby's pumpkin can says so and that's how my mom does it. And making pie crust ALWAYS reminds me of Mom's story of her grandma teasing her by telling that she used her false teeth to crimp the edges of the pie. I made the non traditional chocolate pie for Thanksgiving too. Why? Because we always had chocolate when we had pumpkin. (that would be because of my weird non-pumpkin-pie-eating sisters. love you both.) And I make chocolate pie by making up a box of Jell-o brand chocolate pudding and then dumping it in the crust. Why? Because Mom made it that way. And when I go make the pudding in a couple minutes I'll add an egg to the mixture. Why? Because Mom does. And making chocolate pudding ALWAYS reminds me of the story of the first time Mom made chocolate pudding. She threw the batch out because it got lumpy. =) When I make the mashed potatoes later I'll think of Dad and how he always makes the mashed potatoes. I think of him whenever I make scrambled eggs too.

It isn't just food either. Whenever I iron a shirt (yes, I do iron shirts VERY occasionally) I think of Mom and Granny. Iron the sleeves first, then the collar and the top of the back and then the rest of the shirt. (right? it's been awhile since I ironed. ) I think of Mom whenever I put clean sheets on the bed. I always put the right side of the sheet up and don't fold down the top. But I think of Mom and how she puts the wrong side up and then when she folds down the top it shows the right side. I think of Mom too when I don't put top sheets on the girls' beds because she thinks that is just wrong. (love you, Mom) Doing the dishes makes me think of Mom because she does them the way I do them while she is here. I don't rinse them after washing. I think of Granny when I do the dishes because I loved to wash dishes by hand at her house every summer. I'd really like a dishwasher now but it does make me think of Granny.

I'm sure there are lots more things like these. And I guess they are a cross between a tradition and a memory. And I'm sure my love for chocolate is all my mom's fault too. =) Now to start making sure I tell the same stories and add some of my own as the girls grow up.

**funny illustration/story

One day a lady was preparing a ham for dinner. She carefully cut the end of the ham off then placed the ham in the pan and into the oven. Her husband who was watching asked why she cut the end off the ham. She replied that she did it because her mom always did. At Christmas that year, her husband observed his mother in law cutting the end of the Christmas ham before baking and thought to ask her why she did that. She replied that she did it because her mom always did. That made the husband very curious so the next time he saw Grandma he asked her if she cut the end of the ham off before baking and why. She replied that she did it because her mom always did it. Hubby was so curious that he took his wife on a special trip to see her great-grandma. While they were there he asked why she cut the end of the ham off before baking. She looked him and said "because the ham was always too big for my pan." =)

What traditions are you passing on and why?