Candy’s Corner

By Candy Owens

Spring is here and the grass is green and flowers bloom. Birds returning from the South, the bees are buzzing all about. Leaves and flowers budding everywhere. Spring, spring is finally here!

The month of May is such a wonderful time of the year. I have always looked forward to all the wonderful flowers, the fresh fruits and vegetables, and most importantly Mother’s Day. I remember one particular May Day back in 1968. I was five years old and in the first grade at Jackson Elementary. My teacher was Mrs. Myra James Weldon and our classroom was located on the East side of the school. Each student in our class was given the name of a teacher who you would make a May basket for and deliver the basket to. The teacher’s name I was given was Mrs. Judy Gleaton Connell. I worked very hard at creating what I thought was a beautiful basket for Mrs. Connell. I used construction paper, crayons, paste, glitter, and staples. I even picked flocks and dandelions from the school yard to put in her basket. When it came time for me to deliver my basket, I did not have far to go as Mrs. Connell’s classroom was a wooden portable on the northeast corner of our school just outside of my classroom’s north windows. My teacher instructed me to hang the basket on the doorknob, knock hard, and run. My entire classroom watched out the windows as I climbed the wooden stairs to Mrs. Connell’s portable, hung the basket on the doorknob, knocked on the door, and ran for dear life. When I walked back into my classroom I thought that I had done a super fantastic job, but what I found was my entire class laughing. Mrs. Weldon told me that when Mrs. Connell opened her door, the basket went flying through the air, she saw no one at the door, and she shut the door. Needless to say, I will never forget that May Day.

The spring months remind me of my grandfather on my father’s side who would take a month-long trip to his home town of Laurens, South Carolina. Granddaddy Owens would return home to Plant City with watermelons, cantaloupes, and big wooden baskets of the most fragrant peaches. Granddaddy would put one of the watermelons in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours so it would get nice and cold. He would also throw in a cantaloupe or two just in case. The next day my parents, my sister, and I would go over to my grandparents house and “cut the melons.” My grandmother would cover their barbecue table with newspaper and place a roll of paper towels at each end of the table. There would also be a huge butcher knife, a can of black pepper, and most importantly, a large box of Morton salt. Once we were all there, Granddaddy would emerge from his kitchen with this huge, ice cold watermelon. Everyone would “ooh” and “ahh” as he walked towards the table. Once there, Granddaddy would take the butcher knife and make a huge incision on top of the watermelon and then pull it open the rest of the way. I can remember how the melon sounded as it cracked and split open. Once everyone got their very own piece of the rubyred melon, you would hear, “please pass the salt.” To this day, I do not know of anything as refreshing as an ice cold, ruby-red, salt-coated piece of watermelon. Granddaddy would also cut open a cantaloupe, which we then coated with salt and black pepper. Talk about some “good eatin!” How can you beat that?

I also have fond memories of going to the Farmer’s Market with my parents on Saturday mornings. I remember walking through the market looking at each of the different tables set up with corn, peas, tomatoes, okra, squash, mustard greens, collard greens, and beets, just to name a few. I remember how the trucks and old cars were backed up behind the tables with their trunks wide open with the vegetables to replenish the tables. I remember how the peddlers referred to their peas as a “mess of peas.” I always thought that was funny way to refer to peas. My favorite thing to do at the market was to go visit the last two booths at the very end. One booth was set up with syrups, cheese, and sausage. The other booth was set up with hand-crocheted pot holders, place mats, liquid dish soap covers, baby booties, and baby-doll toiletpaper covers. I remember the old man that sat behind the table at the cheese and syrup table. He had an electric skillet going with samples of fried hot and mild sausage. He also had samples of the cheese he was selling cut up with toothpicks in each piece. That cheese and sausage was so good that I would ask the man for another piece of each. I think that I must have hung out at the sausage and cheese table too long because that old man would usually tell me to run along after awhile.

Speaking of baby-doll toilet-paper covers, I actually talked my father into buying one for my mother back in the late 1960s. I drug my father down to the next-to-the last table at the market and begged and pleaded. My father said, “are you sure that your mother would like this?” Therefore, my mother was the recipient of one pink baby-doll toilet-paper cover as one of her Mother’s Day presents that year.

From the mid 60’s, my mother was given everything from hand-made cards to tissue paper flowers, soap dishes, pot holders, dish towels, paper weights made out of melted baby food jars, macaroni necklaces, flower vases made out of popsicle sticks, insects made from my Creeple People Goo machine, finger paintings, and spirograph drawings to name a few. For over 50 years, I was blessed to call an angel by the name Ann Owens “Mother.” I know now that there is no pot holder, no macaroni necklace, no flower vase, no dress, no blouse, no skirt, no jewelry, no trip around the world, no time, and no amount of words in the world that can repay my mother for all that she was to me and has done for me. She was the best cook, the best counselor, the best doctor, the best nurse, the best story teller, the best shoulder to cry on, the best cheerleader, the best mama tiger, and the best friend anyone could ask for. She held my hand through it all. She WAS the best, THE VERY BEST!!!!

This Mother’s Day some of us will be celebrating with our mothers, and this Mother’s Day some of us will celebrate the memories of our mother. In any case, I hope you have or had a mother at least half as wonderful as my mother. I will leave you with this special thought for Mother’s Day.

God made me a wonderful mother, a mother who never grows old. He made her smile out of sunshine and he molded her heart out of gold. In her eyes he placed bright shining stars, and in her cheeks fair roses you see. God made a wonderful mother and he gave that mother to me.

Happy Mother’s Day in Heaven Mom! I love you and miss you EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY! I WILL NEVER EVER GET OVER LOSING YOU!

Thursdays in May & June

Chess Club

2:00PM-4:00PM

All Ages | Challenging | Fun Bruton Memorial Library @ 302 W. McLendon St Cost: Free Info: 813-757-9215 or plantcitygov.com/library

May 21

Winery to the Rescue

11:00AM-3:00PM

Dogs & Dog Lovers Welcome | Silent Auction

Fundraiser for Florida Giant Dog Rescue Inc. & Mastiff Rescue of Florida Inc.

Keel Farms @ 5210 Thonotosassa Rd

Cost: Free Parking & Admission; Donations Accepted Info: 813-752-9100

May 24

Mobile Pantry

8:00AM First Come, First Serve Takes Place Behind Building Drive-Thru Food Distribution

Open to All United Food Bank of Plant City @ 702 E. Alsobrook St

Cost: Free Info: 813-764-0625 Ext. 5 or info@unitedfoodbank.org

May 26

Last Friday in Downtown- Anime

5:00PM-9:00PM

Kids Zone | Food Trucks | Market Vendors Anime Fans Welcome McCall Park @ 100 N. Collins St

Cost: Free Parking & Admission Info: director@plantcitymainstreet.com or plantcitymainstreet.com

June 3

June 4 - June 8

Stellar VBS

6:00PM-8:30PM

Vacation Bible School

Kids Ages Preschool-5th Grade Space Theme | Register Online

Lone Oak Baptist Church @ 3505 Lone Oak Rd

Cost: Free Info: 813-754-5278 or LOBCTreehousekids@gmail.com

May 19

Improv Night

7:00PM-8:30PM

Interactive Improv with Nate and Darren Family Fun | Comedy

Krazy Kup @ 101 E. J Arden Mays Blvd Cost: Free Improv Info: 813-752-1220

Bluegrass Jam

6:30PM-8:30PM

Family Fun | Bluegrass Musicians Welcome |Food & Drinks

Krazy Kup @ 101 E. J Arden Mays Blvd

Cost: Free Bluegrass Jam Info: 813-752-1220

Required

Keel Farms @ 5210 Thonotosassa Rd

Cost: Free Trivia Info: 813-752-9100

June 12 - June 16

Nerf Wars Camp

8:00AM-6:00PM (Full Day); 8:00AM-1:00PM (Half Day) Ages 4-13 | Karate Training

Nerf Wars Training & Battles

Bring Nerf Gun if Possible | Pizza Party

Chris Welbon Karate Club @ 204 N. Mobley St

Cost: $275 for Full Day; $200 for Half Day Info: 813-752-9800 or cwkarate@gmail.com