MomP and the Spirits......

Family legend has it that my Irish grandmother was born with a veil (weren't most self-respecting Irish grandmothers?). And there are stories of her abilities to see into the spirit world, but....those are for another day. Today's memory concerns worldly spirits. IYKWIM

MomP ran a teetotaling house. It was understood that no drinking or smoking would occur at 212. Period! Out of the question. But....thinking back. I dunno....

First of all, I know a secret about my grandmother that I don't know if even my grandfather knew -- or any of the other cousins, or for that matter, my aunts or my uncle. MomP snorted snuff. Yes, she did. Now....snorted sounds a tad harsh, so let's say she was a snuff sniffer. I couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 when she began asking me to walk to downtown Pratt City and pick her up some of the stuff -- snuff. At the time, I had no idea what it was, and would never have thought about it twice (MomP could do no wrong, right?), had it not been for one glaring fact. She went to such elaborate means to hide it. The hiding place I knew about (were there more!!) was in the bathroom, somewhere in the stacks of clean, folded towels and clothes. I can see her in my mind now, reaching into that abyss of fluffy towels, clean sheets and underwear that had been brightened and made sweet smelling from hanging out on a clothes line in the sun, from which she'd bring forth that little silver can. If memory serves, she suggested that I not tell Gindaddy. I was a very obedient child.

Then, I remember those Christmas fruitcakes that were soaked in rum and wrapped like a Christmas present not to opened until the the season began. Now I ask you, what happened to the rest of that bottle of rum?

Finally, later in her life, when she developed high blood pressure, her doctor prescribed that she drink a glass of wine a day. One glass. I was either in high school or away at college by this time so I don't have all the details, but.... I do remember the brew-ha-ha among my mom and my aunts when they realized that MomP was making the rounds, calling one daughter and telling her that she was about out of her wine, and then....a few days later....calling another daughter and telling her the same. They calculated that she was going through a bottle of wine every couple of days. That might not sound bad today, but let me tell you, at the time, it was scandalous in our family.

So, I guess I'd have to say that MomP was familiar with the spirits. :)

I hope I'm not in for pay back from the spirit world....