"Hog Heaven!"
By, Cheryl Harwell Bailey

I've been around a long time, 

and I remember

everything!

When I tell the stories of my childhood, 
I want to jump up and dance.

Just the way my grandma's did.
These memories make me happy.

I spent my childhood in
 Bakersfield, California,

with the exception of 2 years.

One day we packed up!

My daddy bought a ranch 50 miles from 

San Diego when I was 6 years old.

Our new home was so close to the border,

my brother "Steve," and I attended an American school in 

 "Mexico." 

Talk about the cowboy life.

It was a "Hog Ranch!"
A very big one.

Ranch not Farm!

Up wind on a hill far from the house.

We had dogs, horses, cattle, chickens, and a giant prized Hereford Bull named "Bimbow."
He was stunning!

But it was a "Hog Ranch!"

We had

Wieners

Feeders

Fatteners

and

Butchers

We had contracts with

  "Safeway"

and "Alpha Beta" etc.
I hesitate to write what the contracts were for.

One day daddy came home from market

with a box under his arm.

As I ran up to hug him, 

I heard the unmistakable sound of a newborn,

piglet!

I grabbed the box, and there were 2.

Pinky and Blacky!

One for me and one for Steve.

They were orphaned, but daddy saved them.
I bottle fed them, rocked them,
but we were not allowed to take them 
on the bus to school. 

Those who have had the awesome honor of knowing my dad,
 say he is the toughest cowboy on the face of the earth!
And he is!
But he rescued Pinky and Blacky.

These "Harwell's"
 direct decendents of 

"William the Conquerer,"
 had a Hog Ranch, yes we did, and it was some of the happiest days of my childhood.

Having a pig was great,
 but no matter how much I beg Randy......

The best I can do is chickens!
And a dog.


Written in honor of my daddy's birthday!
2013

  

"French Sugar"

"French Sugar"

1950's

 Giving sugar cubes to our horses,

 one of my first memories.

Grandma kept a jar full just for that purpose.

Of course I had to pop a few myself!

They were white.

 1970's

Sugar cubes came back into my life.

We lived in Europe, 
so I purchased a box, 
 actually using them each day in my tea.

I finally filled my sugar bowl 
with cubes for convenience sake. 
I felt "ladylike!"

They were white.

1980

Randall took me to Paris,

 for our 10th wedding anniversary. 

We sat down in a little French cafe' for lunch.

 I wasn't surprised to see sugar cubes, 

  when my tea arrived.
But,

They were
 "BROWN!"

1998

I have blogged a bit
 about our trips to
 England.
  Going to the little store on the campus of
 Eton College for boy's in Windsor.

What I didn't convey, 

is finding one of my favorite things
 in that tiny Eton store.

A little box of Brown sugar cubes 
all the way from "Paris!"

Older and wiser, I bought 3 boxes, 
and brought them back to California,

where they graced my sugar bowl,

and many a Mother & Daughter Tea.

I used them, but had one box remaining when we moved to the great state of Tennessee!
 But alas, they are all gone now more than 9 years past.

July 2013

Going to Paris again.

Purchasing something special.

They are Brown!
One of my favorite things.

Happy Birthday Mom!