Living with Grandma Haas and Great Grandma Hatfield was definitely challenging. They had a place for everything and everything was in it's place, especially in the summer. All year long the little house plants set in there place in the house where ever it was they belonged. The Oleandars lived in the basement and were not watered from fall until they were brought out in the spring. Always surprised me that they survived. One was white and one was pink. They had the sweetest aroma rather like vanilla only sweeter. Maybe with a tinge of almond. What ever. It was hard to believe that they were deadly poison. But I digress.
When Spring arrived which was usually late April in Kansas, the basement door was opened and the Oleandars were drug up the steps by what ever hapless cousin was around. It was usually cousin Carl. He was the farmer boy and lived just outside of Plevna so he was handy. And Aunt Lola usually came and picked up the laundry to take it home and wash and return. We did not go through the clothes back then like we do now. Now I wear something a day and throw it in the hamper. Back then the same outfit was good for a week. Back to the house plants.
The Oleandars were placed on either side of the steps in the front of the house. We never used that door. It was the front door and that was its job. We used the side door which opened into the dining room for most of our comings and goings. The only exception was when one of us needed to make a trip to the "outhouse" or the trash needed carried to the burning barrel. Then we used the back door. The trash was kept in a wooden hamper by the back door and there was a damn good chance that there was a mouse in it when I dumped it so I would carry it very carefully, slowly to the barrel. I would gently place the edge on top of the barrel and then quickly push it over and wait for the mouse and the trash to empty and then grab it and run for the house.
After the Oleandars were in place the other house plants were carried out one by one and the first was placed by the front sidewalk and then each next one got a little closer to the house until all of them were setting outside and then I could begin watering. And I watered them every day because the Kansas sun is very hot and dry. This ritual continued until Grandma Hatfield saw signs of an early frost. Then the whole process was reversed. I often wondered what happened to the Oleandars when Grandma Haas passed and Great Grandma moved to Coldwater. Sadly there is no one to ask.
I have a few houseplants but they are all big. I do move them out to the patio in the Spring, but sometimes I have to carry them all back in, because Colorado weather can not be trusted. Oh, and spiders build homes in the stems so that sucks. But mostly I got to have green stuff around me for one reason or another. I have a pink Oleandar if anyone wants to come by for tea.
When Spring arrived which was usually late April in Kansas, the basement door was opened and the Oleandars were drug up the steps by what ever hapless cousin was around. It was usually cousin Carl. He was the farmer boy and lived just outside of Plevna so he was handy. And Aunt Lola usually came and picked up the laundry to take it home and wash and return. We did not go through the clothes back then like we do now. Now I wear something a day and throw it in the hamper. Back then the same outfit was good for a week. Back to the house plants.
The Oleandars were placed on either side of the steps in the front of the house. We never used that door. It was the front door and that was its job. We used the side door which opened into the dining room for most of our comings and goings. The only exception was when one of us needed to make a trip to the "outhouse" or the trash needed carried to the burning barrel. Then we used the back door. The trash was kept in a wooden hamper by the back door and there was a damn good chance that there was a mouse in it when I dumped it so I would carry it very carefully, slowly to the barrel. I would gently place the edge on top of the barrel and then quickly push it over and wait for the mouse and the trash to empty and then grab it and run for the house.
After the Oleandars were in place the other house plants were carried out one by one and the first was placed by the front sidewalk and then each next one got a little closer to the house until all of them were setting outside and then I could begin watering. And I watered them every day because the Kansas sun is very hot and dry. This ritual continued until Grandma Hatfield saw signs of an early frost. Then the whole process was reversed. I often wondered what happened to the Oleandars when Grandma Haas passed and Great Grandma moved to Coldwater. Sadly there is no one to ask.
I have a few houseplants but they are all big. I do move them out to the patio in the Spring, but sometimes I have to carry them all back in, because Colorado weather can not be trusted. Oh, and spiders build homes in the stems so that sucks. But mostly I got to have green stuff around me for one reason or another. I have a pink Oleandar if anyone wants to come by for tea.
