That is a very nice picture of cousin Angie. Seeing it triggers a lot of great memories. Visits from our South Georgia cousins meant we all gathered at Grandmother Dunagan's farm. Melva, Angie, Brenda, Winfred and I, the oldest grandchildren, spent many hours of outdoor fun playing in the barn and chasing through the broom sage. At night all the girls slept together in a big feather bed, especially after Aunt Bonnie got us good and scared with her ghost stories. It was nice to snuggle together and feel secure in that big cold house heated only by one small fireplace and the big iron kitchen cook stove. We would wake up to the smell of breakfast cooking, jerk on our day clothes and hungrily rush to the warmth of the kitchen. Grandmother always made us a special cup of "coffee" from the milk of the cow she had risen early to milk, a little honey or sugar and just enough coffee from the pot on the stove to color and warm our cup. We thought we were grown ups. I can still smell the hot biscuits and picture the table filled with meat, fresh eggs and homemade jelly or sorghum syrup. "Cousins together at Grandmother's house" brings such memories: drawing water from the well, sweeping the rooms with homemade broomstraw brooms and cleaning the yard with sticks. I remember picking blackberries for pies and finding pieces of pottery from the Indians. We watched the iceman deliver blocks of ice for the icebox to keep the milk and butter cool. There was no telephone or television but a few times we danced to the victrola.
As we grew older and families expanded, we traveled to visit Uncle Melvin's family and sometimes Brenda and I would get to stay a few extra days with Angie and Melva. I remember just us girls walking barefoot to the movies and buying our tickets with Merita bread wrappers. Our first visit to the ocean was with them. Such good memories of "cousin time". It is a shame that after we all started our individual families we became too busy to get together. Our parents continued to visit but we only saw each other at weddings and funerals.
I hope Angie had good memories of our cousin visits. Pictures and memories are all we have left. I guess my good memories of those times is why I love reunions, hot breakfast, coffee and connecting with family and friends everywhere. I just need to write my memories or they will pass with me.
Sandra Dunagan Deal
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