Mary-andering Creatively

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Advice from a Trusted Friend

September 5, 2013 By Mary Hill 13 Comments

By Mary Hill


Thursday, September 5: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered. 
My Grandmother Monarch used to tell me stories in her kitchen in the early 1980s.  She wasn’t my real grandmother, just an elderly neighbor who told me to call her Grandma because that is what all the neighborhood kids called her.  She was a                                       fountain of useful information. She was funny and inspirational.  She gave me these tips:

  • When you get out of shower take the time to dry the tube, the walls, and shower curtain or doors because doing this will prevent mold.
  • Never boil your tea bags because you will get tannic acid in it and that is bad for you. She said tannic acid caused poor blood, and she was right. Consumming it can lead to anemia problems. She never boiled her tea bags, but let them seep until the tea was darker than molasses.
  • Take the time to tell a fun story everyday.  When I went to see her everyday, she had a new story to tell. She had a lot of them to share;  from the time she worked at Macy’s and waited on Eleanor Roosevelt to the time she went to work for a publishing company located in the Empire State Building.   
  • Work hard but take time for yourself. She would take me to her back bedroom and show me pictures of her trip to Paris and the special comb and mirror that she bought there. She’d always bring out the expensive perfume.  “Just a dot on each side is all you need. I have had this perfume since before you were born.”  She took that trip the year she retired in 1964 and shortly after she had moved to Florida.  When I knew her, she was 81. She was born in 1902.
I loved those lazy, warm afternoons and spending time with Grandma. I’d clean out her bird cages and drink tea and eat ham sandwiches.  She has had a lasting impact on my life.
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Comments

  1. Karen Childress says

    September 7, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    Everyone needs a ‘grandma’ like that. I am posting soon about some of the best advice I have ever received, but I’m sure there will be a lot of daily tips that I don’t cover. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Off to explore yours, now…

    Reply
  2. Missy Homemaker says

    September 6, 2013 at 12:24 pm

    There are so many older people with a wealth of knowledge to share who want to share it! Bless you for recognizing that when you were so young.

    Reply
    • Mary Hill says

      September 6, 2013 at 4:18 pm

      Thank you. Love your blog. I want to read about your endeavors with “2013
      We Blew No Spend Month…Oops.” Sounds interesting. I. joined your Google+

      Reply
  3. Jerry E Beuterbaugh says

    September 6, 2013 at 11:32 am

    “Mary-andering Creatively” has been included in the Sites To See for this week. Be assured that I hope this helps to point many new visitors in your direction.

    http://asthecrackerheadcrumbles.blogspot.com/2013/09/sites-to-see.html

    Reply
    • Mary Hill says

      September 6, 2013 at 4:13 pm

      Thanks for the boost. I will be mentioning in it a special post, 10 Things of Thankful. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sheena-kay Graham says

    September 6, 2013 at 1:35 am

    Excellent advice and my mother does the same thing she did with tea bags. She deserved to be called Grandma.

    Reply
    • Mary Hill says

      September 6, 2013 at 3:55 pm

      Sheena-kay are we ready? Can’t wait. 😉 Thanks for your support.

      Reply
  5. Rachel says

    September 5, 2013 at 8:16 pm

    Great advice especially taking time for yourself. It’s so easy to forget to do that with a job and family but it is so important. 🙂

    Reply
    • Mary Hill says

      September 6, 2013 at 3:54 pm

      Thank you for your visit. I love the photography on your blog. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Cynthia S. says

    September 5, 2013 at 5:27 pm

    Wonderful and caring advice! I remember spending endless hours with m grandmother. She had such an impact on m life. I love her and miss her. Glad to have found you over at Katherine’s!

    Reply
    • Mary Hill says

      September 6, 2013 at 3:47 pm

      Thank you. I love your Etsy Shop. You have such beautiful bookmarks on it.

      Reply
  7. Sandee says

    September 5, 2013 at 2:07 pm

    I can see why all the kids called her grandma. She was a treasure indeed.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

    Reply
    • Mary Hill says

      September 6, 2013 at 3:46 pm

      Thank you for your support. I love reading your posts on So Cute Monday. I hope all my readers will check them out!

      Reply

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Disabled, but not disheartened, I am a stay-at-home mom with a mission to spread hope and cheer through my creative writing, poetry, and photography about Jesus, home, and family.

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