Up Front With Sara Parker Pauley

My Granny Elma was the real deal — beautiful inside and out yet equally tough as nails. She survived the Depression and the loss of her father and several of her siblings at a young age. The mother of seven, she gardened as if for an army, hunted, ran cattle, could dance the Charleston with the best of them, and cooked like she meant it. In other words, she dirtied every dish in the kitchen, with flour and grease flying, in the process of putting the most delicious food on the table.

She was the one who taught me to handle guns safely, to read signs in the woods, and to hunt squirrels. It was a big day for me when she finally said, “You’re ready to hunt squirrels alone. I’m going back to the house. See if you can bring some squirrels back for dinner.” Oh, the anxious excitement and glorious adventure I had that afternoon roaming the Ozark woods with her .22. And when I got lucky enough to offer up two squirrels upon my return, her sweet smile was all the praise I needed. (Learn more about squirrel hunting from Squirrel Dogs)

I hope that someday I can live life full out like she did. Though I will never rival her in the delectable taste of meals prepared, I sure can dirty a kitchen in true Granny Elma fashion!

Sara Parker Pauley, Director
Sara.Pauley@mdc.mo.gov