I was pretty nervous on the long drive out to TN. I felt like the Carters didn't like me already because they weren't keen on the idea that we were engaged before they even met me! However, they were all super nice! I could tell right away that they liked to tease each other & laugh.
Except Johnnie Lou...she was all business. Kind & polite, but busy, busy, busy! Busy in her garden, busy getting ready for dinner, busy cooking dinner, busy with dishes, busy with laundry, busy making a list, busy with whatever was next! She never sat down & visited or chatted, she just stayed busy...it made me uneasy! She had me snapping peas & setting the table, I had no idea what I was doing!
She invited me to go "strawberry picking'" one day but I told Jeff he had to come with us - I was afraid to be alone with her. I had no idea what I was in for! In my mind, strawberry picking was just picking a couple of pint-sized baskets of strawberries & call it good...but oh no! It was an 1/2 day event of back-breaking work! We picked flats & flats of strawberries! They weren't for just eating fresh strawberries - she was making a couple of strawberry pies & canning the rest. Strawberry picking was serious business!
Jeff thought it was so funny, knowing full well I had no idea what I was in for. He kept telling me to watch out for the snakes - "snakes really like strawberries" so I was petrified & he was rolling in the strawberry patch when he tossed a piece of rope at me & yelled "SNAKE!" What a brat! Come to find out, snakes DON'T like strawberries, but Garter snakes do like the slugs that like strawberries. Jeff was disappointed that we didn't come across a real snake so he used the rope as his back up plan to scare the bejeebers out of me! He loved a good practical joke.
Jeff's brothers, Tony & Tim, were the nicest. Tony was quiet but laughed out loud at everything his brothers did & said. Jeff said Tony is a lot smarter than people give him credit for - because Tony stutters, people assume he's mentally slow but he's not. He's a bright kid who clearly looks up to his brothers. Tim made me feel the most comfortable. I think he liked the fact that I was from California. He introduced me to his cute little girlfriend who lived just down the street from them, Nancy Walton. She was adorable & I knew, right away, we would be fast friends.
I was thrilled when I found out she was coming with Tim to Finger Day. Wait...what is "Finger Day?" Jeff's dad, Winston, is from Finger, TN & every Mother's Day his extended family gathered in Finger near the cemetery/community center to honor their mother/grandmother, Jewell Estelle Massey Carter. That's right, I was about to meet ALL of Winston's siblings & Jeff's Carter Cousins - including his Grandaddy, Fate Carter!
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| L-R: Fate, Winston (back), Bobby, Doris, Nancy, Mary Helen, Rhett (back), Jeanette |
I was a bit overwhelmed, but Winston's family made me feel so comfortable & welcomed! They chatted with me & asked all about me & my family. At the end of the day, I felt like I knew Jeff's extended family better than I knew his immediate family after spending a week with them! I learned a lot that day about their family dynamics. We were over an hour late getting there because the strawberry pies weren't done yet & Johnnie wasn't ready - clearly, she ran the show! Winston may pack a big bark, but beware of Johnnie Lou's bite!
We also made it over to "the farm" in Gleason, TN to meet Johnnie's family - Herbert & Ruth Snider & her only brother - Uncle Billy & his family.
Aunt Rubye was really warm & friendly & made me feel so at ease. She loved to play the piano & was very involved in EVERYTHING in their small community. She gave me some great advice... She told me Johnnie Lou was a "tough nut to crack." She said, "She's a wonderful, giving woman, but she's hard to get to know. Don't let her scare ya! She's harmless." I loved Aunt Rubye for sensing my uncertainty & letting me know not to take Johnnie too personally.
They all talk so funny - I sure hope I don't pick any of that up! They are really quick to give advice, too. I don't like that. Of course, I'm not use to it either. My mom hardly talks when you ask her a question, let alone give advice! I know they were just trying to help us out. Jeff is their first boy & I guess they want to see him get started right. I'll just have to get use to them...eternity is a long time! I don't think too much of Memphis, but I'm crazy about Jeff so I guess it'll be worth it. I'm sure gonna be homesick for California though!
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