When Daddy Had Hair and Mama Made Biscuits

   The daughter in me started this blog a year ago, in a attempt to capture family stories, favorite recipes, and pictures, but the perfectionist in me prevented any progress being made.  I have started numerous blog entries, but shied away from publishing until today.  I finally decided to jump right in and share with you. I've had the title of this blog for about 15 years, and the stories, recipes, and images were carefully saved in a computer file that migrated as each computer became outdated.  With today's technology, it only seemed fitting to become a blog.
     One day, driving to work, I was trying to think of one phrase that summed up the differences between my parents as I was growing up and my parents today.  Hence the title.  Daddy had a thick head of blonde hair with a wave in the front that curled when he slept.  I clearly remember going in to wake him early one morning. Daddy's nightly routine included carrying a glass of sweet iced-tea into the bedroom, to sip while he read a for a few minutes before going to sleep.  In the morning, the remains of the melted ice and tea would be in a glass, on the nightstand, beside the bed.  On this particular morning, his comb was also on the nightstand.  Daddy has always been a sound sleeper and it was understood that waking him up might take several tries.  As a four year old, I tried, "Daddy, Mama said breakfast is ready."  No movement.  "Daddy, Mama said its time to wake up."  No results.  He looked so peaceful, with the blonde curl on his forehead.  At that moment I thought, Daddy's hair needs to be combed.  He always wet the comb and combed his hair to the side.  So, I did the most logical thing: I dipped the comb into the glass of tea and began to comb his hair.  As the tea dripped from the comb and ran down his face, he woke up quickly, yelling and mumbling incoherent words.  Mama walked in just in time to see the action and stood in the doorway laughing so hard she was crying.  I don't remember being asked to wake daddy up again and I don't remember the comb on the nightstand ever again.  I wonder why?  Today Daddy's hair has changed from waves to beach.
     Mama always made BIG pans of homemade biscuits.  With a large family to feed, a husband, 5 kids, and sometimes cousins, the biggest cookie sheet was barely large enough.  She didn't need a recipe and she used the biggest mixing bowl possible- a large, metal bowl like restaurants use.  The resulting biscuits were golden brown, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and oozing with melted butter and homemade jam or apple butter. ( I get hungry thinking about them).  As time progressed and the kids left home mama didn't need to make biscuits for an army, so she made "Whomp Biscuits."  Whomp biscuits are commonly sold in the dairy section of the supermarket, and after peeling away the paper, you whomp the can firmly on the counter, to pop open the can and get to the biscuits.  The biscuits were still hot from the oven and filled with butter and homemade jam.  Today, all the kids are at, or near, middle age and we usually avoid biscuits in favor of light, whole-grained toast with sugar-free preserves, but we all have fond memories of a fall day, a cozy kitchen, a full table, and a pan of hot, buttered biscuits.
     So, this blog will be a mixture of family stories, recipes, and pictures, old and new.  It will also chronicle my attempts to pass on the love, traditions, and family spirit that holds us close through good times and hard times.
     Mama told me that White Lily Flour is her favorite flour, and so here is the recipe for White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits, clipped from the back of the bag.  I saved this recipe years ago because, unlike Mama, I needed a recipe and these were the closest I could get to Mama's biscuits.    Make sure to knead them very gently and place them fairly close together in the pan.  Serve with butter and the best preserves- homemade if possible.