Superstitions or cautious truths?

Last week would have been my Grandmothers Ninety-Seventh birthday if she was still alive.

In honor of this I thought I would share a little

My Grandmother did most of my 'raising' I was with her everyday, when she was dying I staying with her during the day while my Uncle, whom she lived with worked. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have any manners or know how to cook anything besides a bowl of cereal.

She was a lithe little woman, her once blood red hair had turned completely white about 15 years ago. She was the picture perfect housewife/mother. Entirely predictable, She was awake before the sun each morning watering her plants and getting ready for the day. She did not drive so her visitors came to her. I don't know of anyone who did not love her and think highly of her, which is kind of ironic considering she was one of the most mouthy people I knew. She would make you eat soap if you cursed (I ate a lot of dial in my day) but when the O's games were on she could make a sailor blush. I never knew anyone who loved baseball more then her. She always spoke her mind and if she didn't like you she let you know it.

Every year on the fourth of July our entire family would get together, down to our last distant cousin, slowly one by one people would move away all across the country but we would still go home for the fourth. Thanksgiving and Christmas were events at her house, she always organized and cooked the entire meal and made it look flawless.

What prompted this post? Was it her birthday that just recently past? Or her death date which preceded her Birthday by three days? Or the missing fourth of July reunion/cookout? No it was none of those. . .

I put my shoes on the table, that's what made me miss her so much.

I should probably mention she was Irish, and full of Irish cooking, folklore and superstitions. I'm sure my obsession with Faeries (Tuatha De Danann, not Tinkerbell) came from her. The husbinator thinks I'm ridiculous but I still believe the 'superstitions/saying' I was brought up believing.

For example I know:

*It is bad luck to put your shoes on the table.

*If you left hand itches it means you will be coming into money (I was also told, to 'hurry up, and rub it on your ass and it will be a lot of money).

*If your ear burns or itches someone is gossiping about you.

*If a black cat crosses your path you need to cross it out to keep from having bad luck.

*you should hang a used horseshoe over the threshold of a door for luck, but if it turns upside down all the luck will run out.

*Its bad luck for a girl to whistle in the house.

*It is bad luck to follow a funeral precession of a stranger, If you come across one you should turn the other way.

*If you spill salt you should throw it over your shoulder.

*Wearing your clothes inside out meant you were "afraid the witches were going to 'get' you".

I tell the husbinator "Of course I don't believe that nonsense", but you better believe if my left hand itches I'm going to rub it on my ass and then go out a buy a lottery ticket.

So here's to you Mommom, I miss you. Even though your gone, your sometimes strange beliefs live on. :o)

~*~ Toodles~*~