White decaf in my morning glory mug

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White decaf in my morning glory mug

by HELEN LEDFORD HELEN LEDFORD

My one daily cup of instant Folgers decaf coffee with ridiculous amounts of rich, powdered creamer is scalding hot and sipped from a special cup that is vintage ‘50s, white milk glass and adorned with blue morning glory blossoms. On one side is inscribed “In the language of flowers, the morning glory is the symbol of individuality.”

Being raised on a farm, I was very familiar with the aforementioned wildflowers. Their vines grew prolifically and twined around, clinging to everything in farm fields and gardens if left to their own devices. As a youngster, I simply loved morning glories (and I still do!). Many of my childhood mornings were spent roaming through our cornfields. With the dew still wet, I was beyond delighted at the climbing tangle of red, purple, blue, magenta and white blossoms. It was a colorful fairyland that seemed all mine at the time!

Miss Emma was a neighbor who planted morning glory seeds at the end of her porch. She strung heavy twine from wood pieces she pounded into the ground, attaching the sturdy string to the end of the porch ceiling. All summer, masses of blooms covered that end of the porch, blanketing it with every hue imaginable! That is where Miss Emma’s daughter and I played in the swing, rocked our baby dolls and pretended to be housewives or movie stars, idling away hours of pleasure.

Life was not all fun and games back then, though. There were crops to be planted, maintained and harvested, chores to perform daily and animals to be fed. We raised hogs for meat consumption, and they always pounced on food placed in their troughs. Our resident swine population would, like goats, eat just about anything, and in addition to their gourmet meals of hog feed from the store, they consumed corn, corn shucks, corncobs, potato and apple peelings, watermelon and cantaloupe rinds, table scraps, slop, etc.

Evidently our piggies considered morning glory vines a delicacy, so we pulled the abundant, leafy, tendrilled plants (lovely blooms and all!) and watched our big “oinkers” stuff themselves with happy grunts of joy!

In a previous article I shared that my sisters and I pretended the morning glory blossoms were lipstick, mashing the colored juice onto our lips. Another childish activity (and waste of time!) was “popping” morning glory buds. Just as modern-day bubble wrap bursting is a leisurely, stress-free activity for some, the morning glory bud popping became somewhat of an addiction for me. It actually took real skill to know how to place one’s thumb and crooked forefinger just so, while applying exactly enough pressure to the fragile bud to coax a pleasing pop from it. A silly obsession, but after all, we did not have cell phones, video games, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc., back then so we depended on our own creativity and ingenuity to stave off boredom. And it worked! ... continued on p. 29

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Our primary care providers have one goal in common: keeping you and your family healthy. As part of a world-class academic medical center, we have access to a broad range of services focused on high quality, affordable care. Our primary care providers have one goal in common: keeping you and your family healthy. As part of a world-class academic medical center, we have access to a broad range of services focused on high quality, affordable care. our family carefor life Our primary care providers have one goal in common: keeping you and Same- and next-day appointments often available. FAMILY MEDICINE – SUMMERFIELD 4431 US Highway 220 North Our primary care providers have one goal in common: keeping you and your family healthy. As part of a world-class Same- and next-day appointments often available. caring for yours your family healthy. As part of a world-class academic medical center, we have access to a broad range of services focused on high quality, affordable care. Summerfield, NC 27358 336-643-7711 | Wakehealth.edu A Wake Forest Health Network practice. academic medical center, we have access to a broad range of services focused on high quality, affordable care.FAMILY MEDICINE – SUMMERFIELD Same- and next-day appointments often available. Same- and next-day appointments often available. 4431 US Highway 220 North, Summerfi eld, NC 27358 336-643-7711 | Wakehealth.edu/PrimaryCare