My Pap, Floyd Liddick, has been gone for seven years now. My Gram, Lois Liddick, and Pap had a house about a half mile up the road from us. Driving by was part of my daily routine. Gram would be out watering the flowers, and Pap would be up working in his garden or on his tractor heading up to the barn. Pap knew the sound of our car and never even had to look. You would see his thumb and index finger up in the air waving back and forth as our little Subaru with an exhaust drove by and beeped. That was Pap’s famous wave.

After Pap passed away, I couldn’t go past their house for a while. I would take Bottle Run instead of Grimesville. I knew he wouldn’t be out in the garden or walking up to the barn, and this was tough for some time. Once I started driving by, I could still see Pap working in his garden and waving his famous wave as I drove by. Even after the house sold, I would still beep. Pap was there in spirit, and it will always be Pap and Gram’s house.

Pap sure loved his garden. He and Gram enjoyed canning together. When stopping by for a visit, they would be on their back porch snapping a big ole basket of green beans. I would sit there and help as we chatted for a while. Pap would send me home with a bag of veggies from his garden. He grew all kinds of goodies. I think about this a lot this time of year. How much they loved canning and growing things in their garden. Gram also made homemade bread that was to die for. I miss stopping over and smelling it baking in the oven. Those were the days. I was lucky enough to learn how to can from my grandparents. They taught me so much. There is nothing more rewarding than a coal cellar filled with delicious harvest goodies at the end of fall.

With Chris and I living so close to Pap and Gram, we often came home to a grocery bag on our porch. We knew Pap had stopped by. There was a bag full of the most beautiful vegetables. He always took such good care of his family. Gram and Pap both did.

We had such wonderful times at that sweet house on Grimesville Road. Sled riding down the big hill. So many picnics with picnic tables under the big ole maple tree that still stands high on the front lawn. (I believe it’s a maple anyway.) Us cousins playing kickball or baseball on their front lawn. I was running so fast to a base that I couldn’t stop and landed right in Gram’s big lilac bush that used to be in their yard. I felt bad about that one. That bush was never the same after that.

Their barn was filled with hay bales that we used to climb. I used to try to find kittens in between them. One time I could see them but not get to them. So, I climbed up with Pap’s pitchfork and decided I was going to break the twine around the hay so I could get the kittens. I was wearing flip-flops. (Are we getting an idea of where things are going?) Haha! Oh, I broke the twine. It worked! But the end of the pitchfork went right through the top of my foot. We ran down to get Gram. There was blood everywhere. I was OK, but I still have a scar on the top of my foot from the pitchfork hole. I’m a special one. *insert cheesy smile here*

Any holiday you can think of, we celebrate there. Even if it wasn’t a holiday, Gram made it special. We would take walks, and we loved going to visit the geese.

Gram would bring bread for us to feed them, and the special goose named Henry. The house the geese were at was a beautiful yellow farmhouse. It was one of my momma’s dream houses. I found that out as I grew older. For years and years, we would go walk to see the geese while picking wildflowers along the road on our way. Little did I know that those geese would be ours someday. At fourteen years old, my parents bought that yellow farmhouse. Henry, the goose, was now my official pet. I’ll have to tell you all about Henry sometime. Ohh, yes — he was also a special goose! No wonder we got along. Hahahahaha!!

I just thought it was so neat that this house we always walked to with Gram was now my dad & mom’s. Little did I know that the sweet little house right across from the goose yard would be the home I would raise a family in and that my brother and his wife would buy that yellow farmhouse.

We never know where life will take us, but we will always have the memories and moments in our hearts forever. The geese may not be in that yard anymore, and I may not get any of Pap’s fresh garden veggies, but it’s something I will never forget.

Summertime helps bring it all back.

Roasted Veggies
Ingredients:
• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/2 lb. carrots
• 1 lb. green beans
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red onion
Directions:

Wash & cut up veggies and place them on two cookie sheets.

Drizzle olive oil all over the veggies.

Add (to your liking): fresh garlic, seasoning salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (Gives the veggies an amazing flavor.)

Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes, depending on how you like the veggies cooked.

Stir them about every ten to fifteen minutes until tender. Enjoy!