Johnson Family - grace grits and gardening

Family Reunion

June 18, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Original Johnsons + Grandpa Johnson

Last weekend I attended the Johnson family reunion. My Nana was one of twelve Johnson children who grew up at the turn of the century in rural Arkansas surrounded by a God-loving family The original twelve still attend in spirit as our huge group gathers each year for delicious food, lots of laughter and great storytelling.

We have over fifty 1st cousins in the family.

Fifty 1st cousins equals lots of 2nd and 3rd cousins.

with a few of my 2nd cousins…

How long will these reunions continue?

When the 1st cousins can no longer travel, will the 2nd cousins continue the tradition? We are spread around the South, busy with kids and careers and life. Some cousins I only know through Facebook. Some are complete strangers. Even so, that one weekend a year we realize our special bond is worth the effort. Plus, the original twelve would miss these family celebrations if we stopped.

talya
(Johnson 2nd cousin)

Musical Pairing:

In the Sweet By and By, Dolly Parton

Q is for Quilt

April 19, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

quilted by John’s Grandmother Siebenmorgen

Our home is filled with vintage quilts,

each a beautiful piece of artwork,

each as unique as the woman behind the craft.

Within the tight stitches, family history lives,

thoughts and feelings woven into cotton,

conversations trapped between layers of fabric.

Blankets of love to keep us warm.

Old and frayed, more precious than gold.

quilted by Pauline Boerner (my mother-in-law)

quilted by my aunts –
Virgie Johnson Stubbs & Rena Johnson Kennedy

Turtle Quilt
quilted by Nana (Frances Johnson Creecy)

talya

When we make something it holds more than just the materials we use. – Miss Henrietta, Flights of Fancy by Crow Johnson Evan
Musical Pairing:

I’ll Be Seeing You, Rosemary Clooney

P.S. all these quilts were made in Arkansas:)

Blogging my way through the alphabet…
A to Z April Blog Challenge. Q is for Quilt.

N is for Nana ❤❤❤

April 16, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Nana and Me

“Do you have any gum, Nana?” The pew was hard, the sermon dull, my right foot dead asleep.

Digging in her pocketbook, Nana pulled out sticks of Spearmint gum to occupy my sister and me for a few moments. I tried not to smack.

“Draw.A.Duck.” I mouthed the words silently and handed her an offering envelope from the pew in front of me. Offering envelopes were stored beside the hymnals and made good scrap paper in a pinch.

With one sweep of a pencil, Nana had this silly way of drawing a duck. Her signature artwork looked more swan or turkey-like than duck-like, which amplified the funny factor ten-fold during preaching, or during any serious occasion when laughing was frowned upon.

“That doesn’t look like a duck, Nana,” my sister murmured, trying to stifle her laugh which sent us, Nana included, head first into a fit of silent giggles, shoulder-shaking giggles, the sort often mistaken for sobbing—as though we could be wholly moved by Brother Brown’s boring message…

From the piano bench, Momma shot us the stink-eye, but she wanted to laugh too. Nana had that effect on everyone.