Sending fresh, homemade bread to grandma (doesn’t have to be your own) is good human practice. Kneading is hard on sore, arthritic hands so granny probably doesn’t make bread any longer.

a fresh baked tela-GramOur elders made us, taught us how to (or NOT to) do things and need to be reminded that we love them. As you learn to bake bread, take some time to chat with old people. Even if they didn’t like making it themselves, as is the case with my Gram (Bertha Burn’em), you’ll learn so much about what life was like when they were growing up. You’ll hear stories that aren’t the ones told and retold after Thanksgiving and Christmas suppers; these special stories linger in sage brains, waiting to be asked the right questions.

Meander through an interview with your (or any) grandma sometime.

Drop the agenda, and don’t call or visit if you have a tight schedule; plan on a few hours. My direct, reporter style questions didn’t produce any jackpots of information surrounding bread and bread making. But as I wandered through and around her responses, we moved into new territory. We wandered out into the marsh behind my Gram’s childhood home, climbed trees and lit cattails on fire with the boys.

What a treat for both of us.