Small Town Survival -Fifteen

15

The men were put to work cleaning the kitchen and they didn't murmur one bit, since it was Momma Sue who told them to do it. Didn't take too long, then they went outside to decide the best way for Sam to get ready to go back to Memphis.

Gracie and Momma Sue went into what she liked to call her "Herb Box". This was a room built off her kitchen. There was a door that leads into an outside shed. The "Herb Box" was about 15 feet square, full of shelves and lots of plants hanging upside down from the ceiling. Along two of the walls, the ones with no doors were counters with shelves under and above. Every shelf was filled with lots of interesting jars, boxes, bowls, and many shelves were overloaded with well worn, much loved books. In the middle of the room was a island with half a dozen knives, spoons, mortars and pistils, bowls filled with interesting looking things inside, cutting boards, vases with plants and flowers inside and all kinds of other things one might use while making up lotions and potions. The place smelled heavenly!

Next to the outside door, was a small wood stove and it had above it, a funny looking rack made out of wood with shelves made of wooden screens. The shelves were about three inches apart. It was a homemade drying rack for the herbs and plants that couldn't be hung upside down.

"Ok, Momma Sue....where do ya want to start? 'Cause we will need everything!"

"Let's go to the books, dearie."