Thank you, Marcia. Welcome to 🌿Leaves! There are several stories about Katy's remarkable childhood and life in the Katy Memoir ( found at the top of my home page) . You might like this short story about what happened when she escaped from her family at age 16 in 1936. https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/katy-in-butte-1936 . I appreciate so much your comment.
Sharron, I love the Katy stories. Big fan. She was full of perseverance. The complaints and gripes of today fall far short. I use to tour/grade food plants all across North America while retailer buying trips. Many, many plants and the description was spot on allowing for the times/era difference. I like almost every vegetable there is...but you just had to pick Brussel Sprouts, haha. Enjoyed this Katy story, as always. - Jim
Usually anything on the stove starts with garlic and onion in butter. But Brussels need only boiling or serious steaming, then.... butter. ))) More than just edible. YUM.
I'm guessing that since your Mom overdosed on the stuff in the factory, there wasn't any on the table at home. ... so you never got to the good part. Its a bit like someone saying to me: but you haven't had venison cooked like I cook it.... well, yeah I have and I still don't like it. You are NOT required to ever have any Brussels Sprouts. ( more for me.) We are still friends ))))
Every time I read a "Katy Story," I am amazed at this girl, young woman, and adult - her attitude, fortitude, and resilience are noteworthy and inspire me.
I am so happy to hear that. Joan. And mom would be over the moon to know that her stories entertain and inspire. Writing these stories is just my way of keeping her alive and with me. Thank you for reading them.
Umm, I love Brussels Sprouts! It's best for me not eat 'em though. Can't help but think of the I Love Lucy Show and the candy conveyor belt scene. Enjoyed this, Sharron. Katy is always a kick. - "Good on you, Sidney!"
Katy reminds me of the strong women in my own early years who took life head-on and with a sense of humor. Such a great picture of her with the impish smile.
Thank you, Jim, for taking a second look at the Brussels Sprouts Girls. It means everything to me that you "get" who my mother was. She sure would have loved YOU.
My aunt Mary (my late mother's older sister) died last week at 101 yrs old. She was what people used to call "a piece of work" , direct, honest, funny and confident. I'll bet she and Katy had a lot in common. I look forward to reuniting with all my cousins at her memorial service later next month.
I am so sorry you lost your auntie. You had spoken of her before and I know she was a favorite. She had an extraordinarily long life, no doubt filled with stories I hope you remember some of them to share with us!
I remember the vinegary smell down by those canneries (can't remember the street name, though). Then there was the mushroom plant in Soquel. My son-in-law has relatives that are involved with those little white mushrooms in Santa Cruz and apples in Watsonville. His mother loves to drink sparkling apple cider instead of booze.
Katy never ceases to amaze me with her humor and resilience. Those were tough times and she lived through some of the worst of them.
Yes. The packing of steamed sprouts was definitely smelly, but the button mushroom plant with its growing beds of horse manure was the worst! No one wanted to live in that neighborhood, I'll tell you!
She was one of a kind, that precious Katy, and I am blessed to be married to her son, and benefitted from that fierce love…all of my “Mother-in-law stories” come from a grateful heart. Thank you for sharing these beautiful Katy stories, Sharron! They stir up such fond memories!
The last paragraph left me misty-eyed, Sharron. This series on Katy's life is a treasure for all of us. We get to know the people history forgets, the ones in the background that make everything work.
Thank you, KC, for letting me know. I does my heart good to know that others enjoy her history besides just family. She is sorely missed, I’ll tell you.
What a fine reminder of what tough work we, including all humans are capable of. Sometimes I think we are simply 'spoiled' by the tech that keeps us eaiting foods so processed they REFUSE to rot! Like the McDonald's hamburger left out for a month. It bacame a statue of a hambureger/ Is that how we are preserved??
Wow, such a hard, hard worker - Katy was no stranger to work! I shuddered when I read about the bugs in the spinach. I remember going to a kids' science thing at a local botanic garden (as an adult) and looking at a biscuit (cookie) underneath a microscope. It was full of BITS OF LEGS!!!!!!! 'Yup!' said the chap in charge - wearing a badge saying 'Gastronaut' - 'pretty much all products made from milled grain contain bits of insects!'
I love, love, love Brussels sprouts. Joint-favourite veg, along with asparagus. I'm so grateful that their seasons don't coincide - I'd be TORN! x
I once returned a box of sugar to a supermarket because it had little near-invisible creatures wiggling around in it. The clerk chirped, “Oh, those are just little sugar-bugs. That’s nothing, they are in all the granulated sugar!” I left it with her and accepted a refund. Euw! Now - 20 years later, I still inspect the sugar carefully when I come home from shopping.
PS I used to volunteer at the local Foodbank, and we were stringent about rotating stock according to packaging dates. Until that point I’d had no idea that there is NO best-before date on sugar! Extraordinary. Those bugs of yours might have been very old indeed!
Ick! Foodbanks, by their very nature, at least in the US, have old , less than prime, food - considered edible enough for those who get it free, but not fresh enough to sell for $12 a pound... Still, it helps out a lot of people.
There are various different set-ups over here, so I don't know if this is universal, but the one I worked for was supplied mainly by supermarket shoppers who would, say, buy a second box of cereal if they were buying cereal as part of their own weekly shop, and they'd put that extra box into the supermarket collection bin for the foodbank. Everything had to be in date.
What an interesting system. They do that sometimes here during the Christmas holidays. I live in a huge agricultural region, and much of the food-bank produce is donated by the big growers. Some foods are government surplus, some is food with expired sell-by dates from supermarkets and bakeries. Our homeless and lowest income folks do not have to go hungry, at least.
Over here there are organisations which collect fresh food from supermarkets - produce that’s perhaps looking little tired, maybe, but is still totally fine to eat - and make that available to people who need it. There are quite a lot of different set-ups. Communities are amazing.
Beautiful story about a hard working woman and mother. “Sisters” keep up each other!
Thank you, Marcia. Welcome to 🌿Leaves! There are several stories about Katy's remarkable childhood and life in the Katy Memoir ( found at the top of my home page) . You might like this short story about what happened when she escaped from her family at age 16 in 1936. https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/katy-in-butte-1936 . I appreciate so much your comment.
Sharron, I love the Katy stories. Big fan. She was full of perseverance. The complaints and gripes of today fall far short. I use to tour/grade food plants all across North America while retailer buying trips. Many, many plants and the description was spot on allowing for the times/era difference. I like almost every vegetable there is...but you just had to pick Brussel Sprouts, haha. Enjoyed this Katy story, as always. - Jim
Sprouts! No! Please God. Anything but sprouts! Thanks for your commiseration.
Even the smell. They're just evil, haha.
One pistol packing momma boxes the elements to rise and shine as a bright star that gives more light guidance to her children strength.
Yep. That's her!
NICE pic of Mom ))) I do love brussels sprouts. YUM.
First disagreement ever, Kate. Sprouts? Euw!
Ah ya just gotta cook em right, and drown em in butter. YUM
Good idea. Enough butter and garlic and anything is edible… maybe
Usually anything on the stove starts with garlic and onion in butter. But Brussels need only boiling or serious steaming, then.... butter. ))) More than just edible. YUM.
Your “YUM” is my “punishment”. ha ha ha
I'm guessing that since your Mom overdosed on the stuff in the factory, there wasn't any on the table at home. ... so you never got to the good part. Its a bit like someone saying to me: but you haven't had venison cooked like I cook it.... well, yeah I have and I still don't like it. You are NOT required to ever have any Brussels Sprouts. ( more for me.) We are still friends ))))
Every time I read a "Katy Story," I am amazed at this girl, young woman, and adult - her attitude, fortitude, and resilience are noteworthy and inspire me.
Oh, great, Janice! Glad to hear it. But YOUR OWN attitude, resilience, and fortitude inspire ME. And all your readers.
❤️
A strong and remarkable woman. I'm a fan of Katy.
I am so happy to hear that. Joan. And mom would be over the moon to know that her stories entertain and inspire. Writing these stories is just my way of keeping her alive and with me. Thank you for reading them.
Umm, I love Brussels Sprouts! It's best for me not eat 'em though. Can't help but think of the I Love Lucy Show and the candy conveyor belt scene. Enjoyed this, Sharron. Katy is always a kick. - "Good on you, Sidney!"
Hah! Thanks so much, Ron.
Katy reminds me of the strong women in my own early years who took life head-on and with a sense of humor. Such a great picture of her with the impish smile.
Thank you, Jim, for taking a second look at the Brussels Sprouts Girls. It means everything to me that you "get" who my mother was. She sure would have loved YOU.
My aunt Mary (my late mother's older sister) died last week at 101 yrs old. She was what people used to call "a piece of work" , direct, honest, funny and confident. I'll bet she and Katy had a lot in common. I look forward to reuniting with all my cousins at her memorial service later next month.
I am so sorry you lost your auntie. You had spoken of her before and I know she was a favorite. She had an extraordinarily long life, no doubt filled with stories I hope you remember some of them to share with us!
I remember the vinegary smell down by those canneries (can't remember the street name, though). Then there was the mushroom plant in Soquel. My son-in-law has relatives that are involved with those little white mushrooms in Santa Cruz and apples in Watsonville. His mother loves to drink sparkling apple cider instead of booze.
Katy never ceases to amaze me with her humor and resilience. Those were tough times and she lived through some of the worst of them.
Yes. The packing of steamed sprouts was definitely smelly, but the button mushroom plant with its growing beds of horse manure was the worst! No one wanted to live in that neighborhood, I'll tell you!
She was one of a kind, that precious Katy, and I am blessed to be married to her son, and benefitted from that fierce love…all of my “Mother-in-law stories” come from a grateful heart. Thank you for sharing these beautiful Katy stories, Sharron! They stir up such fond memories!
Thank you, Sharon. She loved you so much and was so proud of the relationship you and Benny built.
An extraordinary woman, indeed your mom! And you too! Sending those flowers impressed me very much. So much love in that gesture.!
Thank you for reading a Katy story, Yael. She was quite a woman and I loved her dearly.
The last paragraph left me misty-eyed, Sharron. This series on Katy's life is a treasure for all of us. We get to know the people history forgets, the ones in the background that make everything work.
Thank you, KC, for letting me know. I does my heart good to know that others enjoy her history besides just family. She is sorely missed, I’ll tell you.
What a fine reminder of what tough work we, including all humans are capable of. Sometimes I think we are simply 'spoiled' by the tech that keeps us eaiting foods so processed they REFUSE to rot! Like the McDonald's hamburger left out for a month. It bacame a statue of a hambureger/ Is that how we are preserved??
These Teamster union women were tough, that's for sure! Thanks Jill.
Hard to imagine any child today working that hard and that young!
Kids groan about having to put the dishes in the dishwasher…. sigh
Wow, such a hard, hard worker - Katy was no stranger to work! I shuddered when I read about the bugs in the spinach. I remember going to a kids' science thing at a local botanic garden (as an adult) and looking at a biscuit (cookie) underneath a microscope. It was full of BITS OF LEGS!!!!!!! 'Yup!' said the chap in charge - wearing a badge saying 'Gastronaut' - 'pretty much all products made from milled grain contain bits of insects!'
I love, love, love Brussels sprouts. Joint-favourite veg, along with asparagus. I'm so grateful that their seasons don't coincide - I'd be TORN! x
I once returned a box of sugar to a supermarket because it had little near-invisible creatures wiggling around in it. The clerk chirped, “Oh, those are just little sugar-bugs. That’s nothing, they are in all the granulated sugar!” I left it with her and accepted a refund. Euw! Now - 20 years later, I still inspect the sugar carefully when I come home from shopping.
OH MY GOODNESS - that was ACCEPTABLE to the store clerk? I’m horrified!
PS I used to volunteer at the local Foodbank, and we were stringent about rotating stock according to packaging dates. Until that point I’d had no idea that there is NO best-before date on sugar! Extraordinary. Those bugs of yours might have been very old indeed!
Ick! Foodbanks, by their very nature, at least in the US, have old , less than prime, food - considered edible enough for those who get it free, but not fresh enough to sell for $12 a pound... Still, it helps out a lot of people.
There are various different set-ups over here, so I don't know if this is universal, but the one I worked for was supplied mainly by supermarket shoppers who would, say, buy a second box of cereal if they were buying cereal as part of their own weekly shop, and they'd put that extra box into the supermarket collection bin for the foodbank. Everything had to be in date.
What an interesting system. They do that sometimes here during the Christmas holidays. I live in a huge agricultural region, and much of the food-bank produce is donated by the big growers. Some foods are government surplus, some is food with expired sell-by dates from supermarkets and bakeries. Our homeless and lowest income folks do not have to go hungry, at least.
Over here there are organisations which collect fresh food from supermarkets - produce that’s perhaps looking little tired, maybe, but is still totally fine to eat - and make that available to people who need it. There are quite a lot of different set-ups. Communities are amazing.
Loved this
Oh, great, Vince! Thanks for stopping by over here at 🌿Leaves. I appreciate your comment. Welcome!