As we visited Aunt Fran in the time of her final illness, she wanted to pass on some items to us that had meaning for her or that we might enjoy. She gave me this cast iron skillet which had been her mother’s, my grandma Mildred. I have used it a few times but am a little worried I will destroy the finish, so I mostly store it and admire it once in awhile.
I use another small cast iron skillet I have had for awhile that has no finish left on the bottom surface, but still works well for the hamburgers and taco meat I cook for Simon. Plus he’s just one person, so a small skillet is sufficient. I also have a small cast iron griddle that I have used to heat up tortillas and brown veggie burgers for Jim and I. That one actually has too much finish built up around the edges.
So, I’m not great at maintaining my cast iron, but I do admire it and use it almost every day, along with a few pieces of enamelware I have that were mom’s.
I am so grateful I got to visit Aunt Fran that spring. We spent a lot of time in her kitchen talking and laughing. We enjoyed coffee and pastries, pickled ginger and rice, tacos and Portuguese custard tarts.
I hadn’t been to Eugene since our family trips in 2011 and 2014. Simon was so much younger then. I regret not taking another family trip out there when he was older. But it was great to have some one-on-one time with her and not worry about keeping anyone else entertained, fed, bathed.
Spend as much time with your aunties as you can!
I love your story, Rachel and your choice of photographs to illustrate it. Fran told me she had given her favorite cast iron skillet to you and we reminisced about Mom using it over the years and how both Fran and I carried on Mom’s tradition of making our pineapple upside down cakes in round cast iron skillets. I told Fran my most vivid memory of Mom using her skillet took place when we lived at 508 N. Blaine St in Bournonnais. She decided it was time to recondition or clean the buildup on her skillet. We had a trash barrel placed behind the house on the alley and Mom built up a sizeable fire in that barrel then dropped her skillet into the fire. I must have doubted the wisdom in this as the memory remains strong like those associated with emotion.
That’s a great story! Thank you Aunt Pam. I enjoy feeling closer to our grandma through your family stories.