RED ALERT....
A FABULOUS GIVEAWAY is going on at
THISTLEWOOD FARMS FRIDAY and you just might want to get your name in the hat.
♥
So, if you might like to go to the conference, go over to visit
KARIANNE about it and comment for the giveaway.
GOOD LUCK !
SUMMERTIME MEMORY
"I am going to be giving away a ticket to the Southern Bloggers Conference on Friday."
The Southern Bloggers Conference is just around the corner and Thistlewood Farms is giving away a FREE CONFERENCE TICKET to one lucky person. The Southern Bloggers Conference is October 12-13 in Raleigh, NC and features topics like "How To Grow Your Blog" and "How to Monitize Your Blog." You don't want to miss this opportunity so stop by Thistlewood Farm for the FREE TICKET giveaway today!
So, if you might like to go to the conference, go over to visit
KARIANNE about it and comment for the giveaway.
GOOD LUCK !
It was always in the summertime and, in case you might not know it, it gets REALLY REALLY hot there.
There was so many things he did with me...and places he took me , but one place stands out in my mind so vividly that I can almost "smell the smell" and "taste the taste."
He called them WATERMELON GARDENS and I have searched and searched the Internet, looking for a photograph of one of these magical places.
I haven't found one single, solitary photo of one...
most of the time, they were located between buildings, on a small but empty lot.
Once, we went to one that had a small tent-like canopy over the whole thing. They were scattered throughout Dallas, during the watermelon season.....and then they were gone.
Am I the only one left in the whole wide world that remembers these places?
There were long wooden tables with benches on each side, like a picnic table only longer.
Looking back now, it was probably just long boards placed on saw horses or something like it.
Looking back now, it was probably just long boards placed on saw horses or something like it.
The vendor would have a huge metal box full of water, ice and WATERMELONS.
Now I was very little, but in my mind, these "boxes" or containers were like
5 feet long....maybe longer...or maybe they were smaller and just set in a long row, together.
So long ago.....
my memory fades.....
Now I was very little, but in my mind, these "boxes" or containers were like
5 feet long....maybe longer...or maybe they were smaller and just set in a long row, together.
So long ago.....
my memory fades.....
He sold them by the slice...
you paid him, he handed you your slice,
you carried it to the table and ate it.
No forks, spoons or anything....not even napkins.
It was the most wonderful thing in the whole, wide world to be sitting next to my daddy....on a hot summer evening in Dallas, Texas, eating a slice of icy cold
watermelon, with the sweet, sticky juice running down my chin and dripping off my elbows.
I was around 9-10 during this time....
and it was as magical to me as anything in the world.
Mother and Dad divorced when I was 7 and I spent time with Daddy during the summer months. I have nothing but
WONDERFUL and delightful memories of that time in my life.
He took me to zoos, Fair Park to ride almost every single ride with my cousin, skating, golf....out to White Rock Lake.
But, for some reason, the watermelon gardens are embedded in memory.
Of course I will never eat a chunk or a slice of watermelon that I am
not transported back to that time....and I swear,
I can hear the traffic of downtown...
I can see the stars over Dallas...
I can hear my daddy say, "Jeanie, want another slice?"
and I nearly bawl my eyes out.
Sweet sweet memories such as this are bittersweet....
on the one hand,
they make me miss a time when I was very young, carefree and with my daddy....
on the other hand,
I am so so proud and blessed to have these fine memories to remember and
share with my children and grands.
On a lighter note,
I found this AWESOME and BEAUTIFUL
WATERMELON PIE
on COUNTRY DOOR site and I sure am gonna give it a try.
Creamy Watermelon Pie
1/4 c. boiling water
12-oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 c. watermelon, seeded & cubed
1 graham cracker crust
In a large bowl, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water. Cool the mixture to room temperature. Whisk in the whipped topping and fold in the cubed watermelon. Spoon mixture into crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
♥ ♥ ♥
I can't wait to try it and I'll be sure to let you know how GOOOOD it is
so you can make one, too.
It sure will be a fantastic SUMMERTIME dessert.
I hope you all have a
WATERMELON KIND OF DAY
O, and when you stop by THISTLEWOOD FARMS, please tell Karianne
I said HEY.
WATERMELON KIND OF DAY
O, and when you stop by THISTLEWOOD FARMS, please tell Karianne
I said HEY.
XOXO
Tickled Pink
Home Sweet Home
Sweet Tooth Friday
Favorite Things Friday
Foodie Friday
i like that you have happy memories of time spent with your dad. :)
ReplyDeleteBj this was a mouth watering post!
ReplyDeleteI DO remember 'Watermelon Gardens!' Although I didn't know that's what they were called. They had them in Fort Worth, too, because that's where I grew up! We seldom ate them there by the slice, though. And that always made me sad. It was like 'dining IN' and we take OUT! My mother would buy the whole watermelon and take us home with it. I think I ate it THERE once or twice! Watermelons are my favorite summer fruit! I used to be able to eat a whole HALF all by myself! Sometimes we would take a watermelon to the lake for a family reunion. I remember Mother telling me to roll it into the water so it would get cold.....just deep enough for the water to cover the melon. Now THAT was a 'water' melon!!!
ReplyDeleteGood times and good memories.
I need to buy a watermelon now.
Remember the yellow meated ones? I seldom see any of those any nmore. The last time I DID see and buy one I was SO disappointed! Do you salt yours? I DO!!! A lot! Are you a spoon or fork girl? Or a slice eater? I eat it any way I can!!!
Oh I wish that watermelon gardens were part of my memories...though I do remember that we ate them in big wedges with no pickle forks as I do now.
ReplyDeleteI always make my grandson a special summer beverage when he's with me and last week he told me that his favorite had been watermelon juice. Ha!
What a special memory and sweet story. You really got me with that last part about bawling your eyes out. My eyes teared up, too!
ReplyDeleteHappy memories are what sustain us. I am glad you have such happy memories of your dad.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had any watermelon in a very long time and now I want some.
You are so wonderful.....seriously! I just got home from the baseball game and I sent you an e-mail and saw this! Absolutely wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the shout out!
blessings,
karianne
Watermelon pie....never heard of such a thing. Your memories are so sweet!!! I have so many wonderful memories too. My Daddy was my knight in shining armour. He passed away 8 years ago, and not a day goes by that I don't miss him.
ReplyDeleteWe are lucky, aren't we!!!
Hugs,
Kris
What a wonderful memory. Thanks for sharing it with all your blogging friends,
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up we would have summer suppers of sweet corn, tomatoes and watermelon. There were 4 of us kids in a very small house. We always sat around the kitchen table for every meal. My mom would slice a huge watermelon, put it on a cookie sheet and set it in the middle of the table. More often than not we would eat the whole thing. Lovely post bj. Thanks for bringing back some sweet memories of my own.
ReplyDeletehi bj ... just another heartwarming and lovely post of your childhood memories. Glad you had a happy relationship with both your parents. We eat a lot of watermelons. I do remember trips to the river and cooling the watermelon in the river. Thanks for sharing your memories and stirring up mine. My Dad was special too.
ReplyDeleteAudrey Z. http://audreyzumwalt.blogspot.com/
Great story. My parents also divorced when I was 7. My mother and I lived with her parents after the divorce. My grandfather was a supervisor for the L&N railroad. The watermelon vines from the huge farms in the FL panhandle would grow through the fence onto railroad right of way. The farmers didn't bother picking them so my grandfather would get one or two now and then. The farmers were okay with it. We had a huge vegetable garden but never grew watermelons. Hands down my favorite fruit.
ReplyDeleteHey BJ,wow you sure brought back some memories.Growing up in southeast Georgia in a large family of eight,four brothers one sister,we always had watermelons in the garden,we were raised on a farm and there was a creek that run's on our farm,the name of the creek,"Puddn'Creek" as in chocolate pudding,we would pick a watermelon on Sunday evenings and float it in the cool,cool waters of that creek,and after taking a dip we would cut the watermelon,gosh I can almost taste it right now.Thanks for the wonderful walk down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely memory for you to have with you of your daddy! Summertime and ice cold melon, what a treat! I loved them when I was young and there is a little carton of melon from the grocery store sitting in my frig. Got to have it………….
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend bj.
Hugs,
Emily
the French Hutch
Sweet memories of childhood days:) Having your Daddy in your memories... priceless! Have a blessed day dear friend, HUGS!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful memories!!! :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAnd those watermelons look great! BTW I had never heard of watermelon pie! That sounds intriguing!
Happy Friday!
Paloma.
Thank you for sharing this sweet memory of times with your father. We girls loved our fathers, and I miss mine, too.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember anything like this, BJ, but I do love me some watermelon.
Thanks for sharing your sweet memories of spending the summers with your dad. I never have heard of watermellon pie but it sounds delicious. Have a blessed day. Madeline
ReplyDeleteYum! I want some of that watermelon pie, never had one before....Christine
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet memory. Time spent with dads is a precious thing. I'm going to have to try that watermelon pie...have the watermelon, don't have the gelatin.......
ReplyDeleteBj, Thank you so much for sharing the sweet memories of you time with your daddy. I thank the good Lord that I had a great daddy too.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember seeing the watermelon gardens in Georgia but I think it would have been so much fun. We always are our melon at home.
Great memories, Hugs, Ginger
Why can't I be like you about Summertime. It's not that I don't like it..I do, I do! I love to visit you and see the special things about Summer.
ReplyDeleteI love watermelon and could eat one all by myself. I could! I could! :)
Sooo nice to have you back.
You bring out the best in everything, bj!
Mona
BJ,
ReplyDeleteAnything with Cool~Whip, graham crackers AND watermelon....just has to be good! Please post and let us know how Watermelon Pie turns out!
Fondly,
Pat
This is the sweetest post EVER! Plums are where my memories lie with my granny! You made me think of those good times.
ReplyDelete