"It's a Southern Thang....Y'all"

While trying to write a blog for Jacy and Logan this morning,  the voice I kept hearing was Mamamae's. It was a quiet voice, almost a whisper.  The memory was of drinking a Coke filled with peanuts. It was one of our favorite afternoon treats in the summer.

The time of day was usually around 2 p.m. Mamamae and I would be sitting on the front porch watching the traffic go by. Each of us had our own hand held fan, moving at the speed of light. I would be dressed in shorts and a sleeveless blouse. My curly hair would be piled on top of my head with tendrils falling out all over the place. Sometimes Mama would fix my hair  in long curls the night before.  I hated those curls!!  Once we found a live bee in a curl. Evidently the bee flew up the curl and then couldn't get out. After that unusual event, I ran away from Mama every time she mentioned those wretched curls.

 Mamamae always wore a dress and stockings. By 2 p.m. the stockings would be rolled down to her ankles. It was the mid 50's and ladies usually wore stockings and ear bobs. That was what Mamamae called earrings.  I never once saw my grandmother in shorts. Many years later she did wear the occasional pants suit but not very often.

Mamamae was the perfect person to help raise me. She understood me, we were alike.  We didn't have to talk all the time. We didn't need unnecessary noise to placate our lives. I was allowed to live in my imagination and in my books. We were comfortable with each other and in our own skin.  For that I am thankful.

Our afternoon reprieve was an ice cold Coke and a pack of peanuts.  We would go to the service station on the corner where Dr. Canty's office is now.  It was kind of a greasy messy little place but the men were nice and always knew what we wanted. 

There were no upright soda machines. The one that held our treasure was bright red, shaped like a box freezer and for 5 cents we could slide our soda down a row and pick it up.  For another 10 cents we bought 2 bags of peanuts. Usually someone was sitting on the cooler and had to hop down so we could get our purchase. It was the coolest place in the service station.

I could hardly wait until we crossed the street and were on our porch. Then we each took a swig of our ice cold soda and let it slide down our throats, burning just a little from fizz of the coke. Finally it was time to add the peanuts and enjoy our feast. We would laugh and talk while we enjoyed our treat. I miss those moments. It was a good, simple enjoyable way to spend a hot summer in Kentucky.

Tommy and I still occasionally have a Coke and peanuts. This is an oddity in most of the country.  People think it is weird until we finally talk them into trying it. I guess it must be a Southern treat, seldom seen elsewhere unless transplanted Southerner's just happen to bring it with them. So far I can not remember a person who did not enjoy the concoction. It is a great conversation opener and has led to several new friendships. Still my favorite person to share a coke and peanuts with will always be Mamamae.