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Directions:Tamsie Philpot and Till Gray were two neighbor women who lived above us when I was a child. They were sisters, and not close relatives of ours. They both wore long dresses. Due to their age, in respect we called them aunt. They were like two old women on the Walton show, they made the "recipe".
When my brothers, sisters and I had the measles, Mom and Dad made red alder tea and gave it to us to break out the measles. It tasted awful. The women came every day and brought some of their "recipe" which was made with moonshine and herbs from the forest. They would give each of us a tablespoonful of it. It was so good we would lick the spoon!
They raised dark tobacco for their own use, to smoke in their pipes. When we were there, they would let us children take a few puffs.
They would go to a sand bank where there was white clay. They would get some white clay and mix it with water and use it to paint the yard fences, out buildings, and trunks of trees in the yard as high as they could reach.
They raised cotton, took the seed out, carded the cotton and then spun it on a spinning wheel to make yarn. They knitted many items like socks, scarves and bed spreads for their own use.
They were "on relief" and when they went to pick up their commodities they came back by our house. They had some mackerel that they cooked. Us children thought they were good.
JEWELL DEAN BUNDY TAYLOR: When Aunt Tamsie and Till baked a cake, they would ring a bell, and Lee, Gene and I would go running to get a piece.
GENE BUNDY: Jewell Dean and I carried a rock for Aunt Tamsie because she wanted to drown a cat. It felt like we walked for a mile and then when we got there, rocks were everywhere.
JUANITA BUNDY OWEN: When Mom was ready to deliver Georgia Mae, Jewell Dean, Gene and I were sent to Aunt Tamsie and Aunt Till's house. When we were told we could return home, we met Dr. Turner coming down the porch steps. He told us we had a new baby sister. I asked where he got her, and he said "In the briar patch"! |
This recipe for Tamsie 'n' Till is from