Today, on Grandparents’s Day I am reminiscing about my two grandmothers and their influence on my life. As well, my daughters have shared with me their fondest memories of my mother who had a major impact on their lives.
My daddy’s mother, known to all as Mom Buffett, lived in Pascagoula MS, was salty and incredibly proud of her brood, a sea-faring, hard-working bunch. After retiring from running a boarding house, she continued to cook heartily for family gatherings at home on Parsley Street. I learned how to make gumbo from her and give her 100% credit for the Gumbo Love legacy that lives on through me, my restaurants, and my latest cookbook. If you have ever had a taste of my gumbo, you are experiencing a little bit of Hilda Seymour Buffett’s essence!
On the other side, my mother’s mother, Bessie Thompson Peets (called Granny by all of us) was also greatly impacted my path. She was fiercely independent, lived life on her own terms, carried herself with balanced airs of glamour and proper-ness while working hard in high-volume food service. The work of running three enormous restaurants runs through my bloodline.
Because I was such a young mother, my daughters grew up with a special bond with my mother. Peets was a legendary matriarch and she LOVED a good party (go figure – lol). My children share their fondest memories of epic Sunday gatherings at Homeport – the house on Mobile Bay where my parents lived during their retirement years and where my mother would regularly host the best
Sunday ‘hang-out’ parties.
They were ultra casual, usually planned the night before by calling a bunch of folks on the phone telling them to “come by and say hello”. Her Sunday gatherings entailed lounge time on the pier for boat rides, barbeque, swimming, sunning, and her famous frozen Piña Coladas!
Often there would be 20 folks at the house by noon with a progressive stream of friends arriving throughout the day. Grandkids and kids of all ages relished in the fun. Sunburned and happy, everybody would migrate back up to the house in the late afternoon for a spirited game of volleyball. Peets observed on the sidelines, having switched to her gin and tonics acting as a line judge of sorts. Not wanting to let go of the glorious leisure, finally all the grownups would head down to Judge Roy Bean’s for the epic Sunday party – Peets leading the cavalry. She really was the most fun!
My daughters still talk about these times exclaiming that they had the absolute coolest, kindest, most welcoming grandmother ever!
Now, and I just can’t believe it — I am a grandmother! It is truly the blessing of my lifetime. My aim as a grandparent is to be a mix of the influences that my grandparents had on me and the influence my parents had on my girls. I want to be an example for them that it is possible to balance hard work, having the life we want, and maintaining a soft side for fun, adventure, kindness, and genuine hospitality.
At this point in the journey though all I want to do is snuggle them 24/7 and spoil them rotten! Lol!!
Today, let’s all honor our grandparents and grand-parenting. Tell me about yours!
