Paul stayed “on the hill” (the banks of the Little Pee Dee River swamp). When I asked what he did most of his youth, he told me, “I used to eat red clay – we thought it was candy. I also ate bark and bugs. My family thought I was gonna die! A local doctor thought I had TB and had two days to live. A farmer from the bay field took me to Florence to another doctor because no one else could take me. Found out it was just worms from what I’d been eatin’.”

He loved riding around with Son Daniels, who worked for Pee Dee Farms. Son drove the feed wagon, which was pulled by mules. Paul would help Son feed all the multitudes of farm animals, such as cows, mules, hogs, donkeys, and horses. Paul said he loved mostly “roaming the woods from one end to the other”. He knows the land, swamps, rivers, bogs, timberland and farming fields around here like no other. He’s known them all his life. We call him the “outdoor executive” today; in fact, we even printed Paul a set of business cards with that title.

Paul has always had a temper, but he can keep it under control most of the time. Not so in the past. “I’d cuss any body out for a nickel,” or “sing Jesus loves me for a dime,” he’ll tell you today.

Paul’s uncle Rufus owned and operated several moonshine stills. “When I drank wine out of them barrels all I saw was double vision,” Paul recalls. That still was located right behind our house – that’s why we have so many wild grapes there today. The beer still produced a drink that “tasted like Pabst Blue Ribbon.” The other still made moonshine; Rufus was thrown into the penitentiary for that one. Years later, when he got out of prison, someone killed him at the Bloody Bucket bar, the only hang out in Galivant’s Ferry.

Paul loved his grandma, Callie. “Saturday was scrubbing day,” he told me. “I pumped two tubs of water for the ringer washing machine. One day, my grandma had pretty white sheets hung out on the clothesline right beside a big mud puddle. I jumped in the mud and then wrapped myself up in them sheets – she cried big old tears. I felt so bad but she could all of sudden go on the warpath. She was part Cherokee. She was small, but hell on wheels.”

Paul grew up around the rough part of the Ferry, a part of which I wasn’t aware, thank God. “If you wanted to see a fight, just go any Saturday afternoon to the fillin’ Station.” That’s what we called the old Esso Station.He told me, “one Saturday, a man bit the nose off of another guy at the station and then that guy bit a hunk out of the butt cheek of the man. There was blood comin’ out the corners of his mouth!”

He recalled another story about a local man. “When he went to drinkin’, he could be pissed off in a hurry. He whipped some little boy on the face and it left his hand print. The little boy went next door to the store, bought him a knife and gashed the fellow on his cheek. In fact, the man’s tongue stuck out through the gash. I’m glad I didn’t see things like this but it appears from listening to others this was normal.

Everyone in the South knows that when you marry (or join/combine) into a family tree, you not only marry the trunk, but you also become a part of the whole tree. That includes the limbs, branches, leaves and critters that attach themselves to the tree.

In Galivant’s Ferry, no one asked me these particular questions, because they already knew about me and my people. Instead, they would get up close with their squinty eyes and wrinkled foreheads, and ask rhetorically, with tongue in cheek, “You ain’t one of them Holliday’s, are you?”

I never understood this question. How did they know who I was? I was a child and certainly didn’t know exactly who they were, but I knew we were all “family” in the countrysides of Galivant’s Ferry. We were “kinfolks” because we lived so close together geographically.

Sometimes, this question hurt my feelings. What did they mean? My parents raised me right. We were no better than anyone else, so why did I hear a sarcastic tone in some of their remarks? Sure we had this big white house with columns, big magnolia trees to climb and a big red barn, along with the country store and the fillin’ station. They thought we were rich!

This is still a mystery to me today, for one reason: To me, “rich” means a loving family, warm surroundings, security and friends, along with lots and lots of animals to hug.

I was raised by parents who lived through the Great Depression and World War II. You didn’t buy anything on credit. If you really needed it, you paid cash. Shopping for clothes was a twice a year event – a drive to Charleston, S.C., known as the Holy City, for fall/winter school clothes, and then another drive for spring/summer attire. This only occurred after you had tried on everything you owned to see what could be hemmed up, let out, or repaired.
My grandmother, Mamanche Russell, took care of all of this. After all, why spend money on a seamstress when you had one in the family? I went to public schools and was taught “everyone was born equal,” so if I ever had a birthday party, or end-of-year swimming party, the whole class would be invited. Back then, it was very rare to have a pool in your backyard.

I was a complete tomboy, climbing trees, riding ponies and donkeys, playing in the big red barn, dragging behind wagons and shooting BB guns. I was always covered in scabs, scars and bruises, and broken bones were common. If you didn’t play outside, you didn’t have anything to do. I remember looking at my scabby legs in puberty and thinking, Will I every have pretty legs with no scabs or bruises? I still don’t have them today… and I am still a tomboy.

My best friend was my first cousin, Judson, who was a year older. We were neighbors and did everything together. We didn’t have a choice. Not that it mattered – neither of us would have had it any other way. Judson taught me how to shoot guns, climb trees, and build pine thicket huts and tree houses. Later, he taught me some other things (which I’ll get into later). He was my hero. Living out in the country, with no long distance phone lines and no drivers licenses, we were glued at the waist – and it was OK by me!

Now, before I go any further down my personal memories of the “South I Knew,” it is important for you to know more about your family roots – which, in many ways, speak to the wide roots that make the South such a hospitable and desirable place for people to visit and live.

You three kids are a part of the fifth generation to live in Galivant’s Ferry. Your forefathers lived and died here, not a half-mile from our home. That is rare. How could five generations stay in the same home place – much less county, vicinity, or small township?

Let’s look back into time to see how our forebears arrived here, why they stayed, and how they were we able to remain and prosper – and dribble some of those good tidings down to us. To top it off, why in the world would anybody want to isolate themselves and live here?

You will find in these reminiscences not only your family history, but much of the history of the South, and all of the reasons why this will forever be the home of my heart – the heart I give to you.

For the sake of simplicity, I will begin by including the document we hand out every year to media and our attendees, “History of the Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting”:

History of the Galivant’s Ferry Stump Meeting

Wade Hampton, former confederate General and chief of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Cavalry Corps, began his campaign for Governor of South Carolina in Horry County when he spoke to Horry County Democrats at Galivants Ferry, South Carolina on September 30, 1876. This marked the beginning of Democratic dominance in South Carolina politics for the next 100 years. The occasion set the precedent for the Democratic primary speaking that began soon after and continued to be held every two years on the banks of the Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry. The site was named for a man surnamed Galivant, or according to a 1820 map, “Gallwant.” A ferry was operated at this site to carry people across the Little Pee Dee River.

Joseph W. Holliday, a naval stores and turpentine entrepreneur, operated a mercantile business at Galivants Ferry, which served as a community gathering place. His store became the site for political leaders to speak to voters. In those days office seekers would address the crowd by standing above them on make-shift platforms such as wagon beds or heavy boxes to be heard. Local legend has it that the use of the word “stump” to describe partisan oratory evolved in earlier times when people may have literally stood on tree stumps to be above the crowd. The Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting evolved as a biennial event that brought politicians and their supporters from across the state to the banks of the Little Pee Dee River. Today in Galivants Ferry, the wagons and boxes have been replaced with stages, sound systems, flags, news media, banner planes and audiences numbering up to 5,000.

In the beginning there were 12 to 15 primary speaking throughout Horry County. The Galivants Ferry gathering was always first on the circuit. The last stump meeting took place at the county seat in Conway on the Saturday before Election Day.

The Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting was held in a pine thicket across from the general store and continued every two years during the lifetime of Joseph W. Holliday.

When Joseph Holliday died in 1904, his son George J. Holliday inherited the mercantile operation and, with fellow Democrats, organized a local Galivants Ferry Democrats Club that continued the tradition by moving the site to the rear loading platform of his general store. The event continued every other year. George J. Holliday’s term as a State Senator from 1903 to 1908 allowed him and the stump meeting to rise in political stature. From 1936 to 1942, Press Daniels, president of the Democratic Club-or Executive Committeeman as known today-was very active in organizing the event.

After the death of George J. Holliday in 1941, his elder son Joseph W. Holliday followed in the tradition of his father and grandfather by promoting stump speaking from behind the scenes. Like his grandfather and father before him, he served as Postmaster and officially could not participate in partisan politics. He was helped by fellow Democrats, Bill Davis and Marvin Skipper. Meanwhile his brother, John Monroe Johnson Holliday, the youngest son , was at The Citadel preparing for a distinguished career in the U.S. Army. After World War II and an extended term of service, John Monroe Holliday returned to Galivants Ferry in 1945 and soon became both front man and principal organizer of the event.

Today, Joseph’s and John Monroe’s families continue as hosts for the Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting. John Monroe Holliday was proud to preside over the first Galivants Ferry Stump of the new millennium held on May 1, 2000. Unfortunately he died four months later, but his daughters Russell Holliday and Christy Holliday Douglas are continuing his efforts. Joseph’s heirs, Billy Holliday, Judson Holliday and Betty Holliday McLeod are equally involved in planning this historic event.

The fifth generations of Hollidays, ranging in age from 16 to 40, all live in or near Galivants Ferry and attend every stump meeting, just as their parents did and other generations before them. They realize the stump meeting is part of their legacy too.

In the late 1960′s, many other stump meetings began to fade as TV, radio, newspapers and internet brought more immediate political news into America’s homes. John Monroe Holliday fought relentlessly to keep the Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting a state tradition. Through his tireless efforts, the Galivants Ferry event continued to grow in importance to state and local politics as other stump meeting disappeared. It gained such importance to state and local politics as other stump meetings disappeared. It gained such importance, that many believed absence from the stump to be a “kiss of death” for any statewide Democratic Candidate.

When stump meetings first began, all the politicians attending were primarily Democrats, since there were few Republicans in the South. Naturally, since it was a Democratic event, only Democrats spoke. Although it is still a Democratic event today, the event holds such importance and draws so many people, that as many Republicans as Democrats attend. Nevertheless, only Democrats are invited to speak

The Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting is also where the legendary U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond debated and beat ten candidates for Governor in 1946. He then became a Dixiecrat, and years later, a Republican. It was also here in front of this family-owned general store, where U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings began his long political career as a candidate for state Lieutenant Governor in 1954. 

Some of the other famous people that have started at Galivants Ferry are Governor Cole L. Blease, Governor Pitchfork Ben Tillman, Senator Cotton Ed Smith, Senator Olin D. Johnston, Senator Burnet Maybank, U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley, Governor Bob McNair, Ambassador John West, U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Phil Lader, and Secretary of State under President Harry Truman, Jimmy Byrnes. Some might also remember Senator H. Kemper Cooke, the backwoods statesman who ran for Governor. One of the most memorable was Dero Cooke who played his Stradivarius violin at the Galivants Ferry Stump and then announced his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States.

Statewide recognition of the political importance of the Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting has grown. This is evidenced and enhanced by increased state-wide and national medic coverage. In 1986, the Stump was featured on NBC’s Today; four years later, ABC’s Good Morning America followed suit.

To make sure that the 1992 Presidential Campaign was an integral part of the stump meeting, Governor Bill Clinton and U.S. Senator Al Gore sent Oklahoma Congressman David McCurdy to represent their Clinton/Gore ticket. Congressman McCurdy had been one of the people who nominated Bill Clinton for President at the National Democratic Convention in New York.

What makes this event unique is not only that it has endured so long, but also that it has grown in recognition and importance in an age where TV, radio and newspapers have generally taken the place of old-fashioned in-the-crowd politicking. There were once many stump meetings throughout the South, but the Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting is the only one that has retained its appeal and viability. This event draws many people from across the state to a place called Galivants Ferry that has no industry or main street-only a combination general store and gas station. There are no schools and no stop lights…but the people come.

This historic event is usually held on the first or second Monday in May. It begins at 4:30 p.m. with old-fashioned clogging and country and gospel music by the Red White Family with Billy Holliday often joining them. Chicken bog, which is South Carolina’s version of jambalaya, is served by the local chapter of Masons from the neighboring town of Aynor. The official ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m, with the opening remarks made by the ranking Democrat present. The speeches, music and chicken bog continue into the evening.

It has been said that the Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting is a slice of pure Americana and an example of Democracy in its original form. This is now recognized by the Library of Congress that has selected the Galivants Ferry Stump Speaking as part of their Local Legacy exhibition.

My very first memories of the Stump stem from the 1950s, when Fritz Hollings first ran for Governor. His logo was, “It’s Fritz”. I wore an apron with this slogan printed on it, and walked through the crowds passing out stickers, buttons and fans. That’s when Fritz named me, “Little Monroe.”

Other memories include my daddy, Uncle Joseph and Bill Davis, introducing the political speeches, and limiting the number of minutes they could stand on the podium and talk. If you didn’t limit them, we would be there all night.

Besides Fritz, some of the past politicians included Joe Riley, Joe Biden, John Spratt, and James Clyburn. Of course, there were many more, but I mostly enjoyed watching the festivities and visiting with friends. Some of the extras were Red White and his String Band, cloggers, chicken bog, the pilot club’s cake sales, and the TV reporters with all the lights and cameras.

One year, Good Morning America came to interview Daddy. We were on national news, and to my surprise they interviewed your Aunt Russell and me. I’ll never forget Bryant Gumbel saying “yuk” on national television when they described chicken bog. He’s obviously not a Southern culinary expert.

All the men that ran this event have passed away. Now it’s run entirely by women! We found out in a hurry this was not an easy thing to do. Not only do the politicians change every two years, particularly in Congress, but all the contacts change. Plus, we had to computerize everything (like going from the ice age to modern times) and add some more “color” to continue attracting crowds in this modern era of multiple distractions. We wanted to make sure we could continue this tradition and still attract the crowds. After all, as daddy would say, “the Stump would give you the chance to talk eyeball to eyeball” with your future leaders. You can’t do that watching TV.

Many times, Daddy said, “The Galivants Ferry Stump is Pure Americana.” It is a family tradition. But most of all, it is pure, clean fun!

The historical article that I used to lead off this chapter was printed in many newspapers. It’s one of the ways our family is able to continue this historic tradition by reaching out to all types of people regardless of their political party. Plus, if you’re lucky, you might convert a voter into becoming a Democrat. He might even become a “Yellow Dawg Democrat”.

This is an example of why the Holliday Family continues this 130-year tradition:

Letter to the Editor

The Galivants Ferry Stump Speaking is more than politics. Yes, we want it to get good coverage all over the state in the political pages, because some people only read that page. We do not say that this is only for Democrats. Everyone is invited. A lot of people come to the Stump, although South Carolina has not voted for a Democratic president since 1976, when we helped bring in our friend from neighboring Georgia, Jimmy Carter. However, the fact that Joe Biden, a middle-of-the-road type Democrat, has picked Galivants Ferry, a town with no stop light, over many other invitations (for 2006) is amazing. This is a man who delivered the Eulogy at Republican Strom Thurmond’s funeral, and is best friends with Democrat Senator Fritz Hollings. C-span will be here for their series “Road to the White House” which will air on May 7. What is going on? Is this a turning point? You have to admit it is a very interesting point.

What we are emphasizing is that all parties are invited: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Undecided and Frustrated…. Of course, only Democrats are allowed to speak because we honor 130 years of tradition. What makes this interesting to EVERYONE is we have created a festival type atmosphere to interest those people who aren’t excited about “political events.” We decided to make it colorful, fun, with things to do, entertainment, southern food (chicken bog), funnel cakes, “stump water”, buggy rides, donkeys to pet, people dressed up handing out hats, flyers, bumper stickers … National Shag winners, cloggers, cast members from the play 1776 performing songs. This will bring people in and at the same time offer them a free arena to be able to hear, meet and speak with candidates. To look at them “eyeball to eyeball” as our father would say. People yearn for the time when a handshake was the same as a contract.

For the history buffs, we emphasize that five generations from the same family are putting on this event in the same area where it all started 130 years ago!!! And now it is run entirely by women! In 1876, women couldn’t vote! We are amazed that our father did what he did with his brother Joe and it looked easy, but it is not!!!! It’s about to kill us and we are half the age they were! See our web site and see the flier announcing the Galivants Ferry Stump in 1876… It was a governor’s race where General Wade Hampton came through on horseback and spoke to a crowd in Galivants Ferry. (His win started 100 years of Democratic Governors in South Carolina.) Now, 130 years later, we will have three gubernatorial candidates speaking at the same place in 2006!

The ultimate thing we would like to get across is that we have to get people motivated to vote, to think…We are a democracy. It is a privilege to vote, and it is your duty to get informed, and to vote what you think – not what your friends or parents tell you to think. If 18-year-olds can defend our country, they need to vote. All ages and social strata need to know that their opinion does count and that they CAN make a difference! They need to ignore labels like Conservative and Liberal. What is liberal to some is not liberal to others. What is considered conservative for some is not conservative for others. People just need to be open minded and to think. A lot of people, who think they are Republican but are asked their feelings and thoughts on some issues, may be surprised to find they think the same as many Democrats. Many people who think they are Democrats have some thoughts and opinions that are the same as their Republican friends. Labels need to be ignored! What do you think? What does your candidate think? Choose based on that not on whether or not they are a Democrat or a Republican. There is a blend! Hopefully, we can find a blend that is best for this country. Maybe we could go forward if we were each open-minded enough to listen and think for ourselves … not what we think our friends or family want us to think!

We hope we can provide this historical event in the historical district of Galivants Ferry to get more people to think. Maybe if we can get more people here for non political reasons…. for the festival and food, we can get them more interested in our country and more motivated to participate in the political process. By osmosis, they will become more politically aware and active. This is what we try to provide through the Galivants Ferry Stump Speaking.

THE HOLLIDAY FAMILY GALIVANTS FERRY

The 2012 Stump was held May 7th. It chocked full of personalities, entertainment, friends gathering, and politicians talking.

Thanks to our good friend Fritz Hollings, this event can be found as a Local Legacy in the Library of Congress. If it’s God’s will and “if the Little Pee Dee River don’t flood”, as Poppa would say, y’all are next in line as part of the 5th generation to hold the reigns of this small piece of American history.

Have fun with this; add your own flavor to our historical Holliday legacy. The Stump celebrated its 136th year this past May. Keep it going with your cousins, and maintain this “slice of Pure Americana,” as your grandfather would tell you.

Galivants Ferry Church

The Galivants Ferry Church lies nestled under oak tress dressed in grey southern moss.  It will always be a simple homey church… the church where I was raised.  Inside, the clear large window panes let in all the natural light and give you a good view of a small part of God’s world outside.

I never knew just how much this little country church meant to me until recently.  Investigating my memories, digging deep into what stands out in mind, this simple church not only influenced my life but helped shape the soul of the Galivants Ferry township. The church was critical to the structure and survivability of the Ferry’s society, stability and survival.

Your Great Granddaddy, Joseph William Holliday, gave the site and building materials for the church in 1885. His second wife, Mary Elizabeth Grissette, was its organizer.  “He (your great grandfather) was a Christian but not a member” and never attended this church (taken from his obituary).  I am going into history, which is not my intent right now: however, it is an interesting area to explore when we discuss the first generation of the Galivants Ferry Hollidays.

Right now I want to tell y’all what I recall dearly about my church.

Attending Sunday school and church every week was a given. It’s what you did, without further discussion. I remember my Daddy having to light the pot-bellied stove ahead of time so the large one-room sanctuary would be warm by church time.  The seats were old “picture show’ seats. There was no wasting of anything back then. I am not sure, but I bet they came from one of our old movie theatres.

Sunday School was held prior to church in one of two small rooms behind the sanctuary. There weren’t many children, but we got good lessons from the teachers.  The hymns “Jesus Loves Me,” “Come into My Heart, Lord Jesus” and the prayer “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep”  are some of my first ingrained memories of going to church.

During the preachin’ , everyone stayed to listen… even all the babies and the older people clearing their throats.  There was lots of crying and other background noises, but no one seemed to mind. The traveling preachers were mostly what we heard. They came when they could, maybe every other week. Sometimes, a preacher would deliver sermons to us several Sundays in a row. That was always a treat.

Marvin Skipper started the service most of the time when I was little. My Aunt Frances Holliday taught the adults and my Daddy taught the younger adults. I recall Daddy studying the lesson in the den at home in his brown leather recliner. You did not bother him when he was studying his Sunday school lesson. Shirley King played the piano. She did her best. Sometimes, she would miss notes, but we just kept on singing. It worked out, since not many could carry a tune. Sounded good to me.

As I got older, we actually had regular preachers, like Rev. Gordon Graham. That was special but eventually the regular preachers went on to a bigger church. We understood but  missed them. We sang from the Broadman Hymnal. It was and is my favorite hymnal today because it has all the traditional Baptist songs I grew up with.

The music from the Galivants Ferry Church still echoes in my head. This is one of the ways I realized what an impact this church had on me as a child. Today, out of the blue, I find myself humming tunes and singing words from these old hymns.  The words and tunes comfort me and bring me back to a balance.  It’s hard to explain, but when things get topsy-turvy, feelings of sadness surround me, or I am just confused as to what to do about something,  ’they’ just pop in my head… and there’s no pushing ‘them out ‘til   ‘they’ve’  had ‘ their’  say.

These hymns float in and out of my soul…Here they come:  JUST AS I AM,  WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS,  ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDERS,  AMAZING GRACE,  BLEST BE THE TIE THAT BINDS,  HOLY, HOLY, HOLY ,  I SURRENDER ALL,  ROCK OF AGES,  SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER,  TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY,  LOVE LIFED ME,  TRUST AND OBEY,  NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS,  LOVE LIFTED ME.

I do not know all the word to these hymns, but parts of each song and certain phrases are imbedded in my heart.  THANK GOD.

Lots of folks attended the Galivants Ferry Church.  I remember the faces but not all the names.  Since I am working from memory, I want to tell you who seemed to be there all the time.  Some of these people I am going to cover in the “colorful characters” part of my letters to y’all.  For now, I want to rattle off the names of some…. Marvin and Josephine Skipper plus many other Skipper families, Purdee Parker and his whole family, all the Perritt’s, the Peavy’s, The Richardson’s, my Uncle Joe and Aunt Frances’ family, The Daniels, the Collins’, the Murrow’s , and the Brooks families. There were many more, and they all did their part to build the Galivants Ferry Baptist Church‘s Family. There was an invisible bond between everyone.  We were all different but yet the same.

Christmas programs were very popular. Santa Claus came to visit, the real tree shined with colored lights and icicles, and mountains of presents were under the tree for all. For sure everyone got presents, even if they had never been there before. Everyone also got lots of oranges and apples – and candy in some years.  Your granddaddy loved knocking on the door to find Santa…He would bring in Santa and all the children would start clapping and smiling. The happiness warmed up the church even more. There would be standing room-only. Like I said, even if you were not a member of nor ever been to the Galivants Ferry Church, you still got a present.  All were welcome; love pervaded.  Of course, we did sing the hymns like LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, and the Christmas story was read honoring the birth of Jesus, but this night belonged to the children. Having Santa on hand was hard to beat.

Another strong memory was when the preacher would ask people to come up at the end of his sermon to the song, I AM. This was the chance for anyone to come up and accept Jesus as their savior.  Sometimes, people would come up… then again, on many Sundays, nobody would step forward. I felt sorry for the preacher when no one came up to the altar. After all, he had tried his best.

Maybe next Sunday.

When you came forward in church, baptism in the Little Pee Dee River was the next step.  You aren’t christened when you are a baby in the Baptist Church. Some might today, but not when I was little.  We would gather at the banks of the river right behind the Ferry store. I remember my sister Russell  being doused in the black water of the river. The preacher held onto her head and gently leaned her backwards, putting her whole body and head into the water.

By the time I  came forward, things were different. We’d become “citified”. I was taken to some strange church with a huge tank of clear water and an unknown preacher baptized me.  To this day, I want to be baptized in the river.  Someday, I will be.

Senator

Red Barn

Glendas Tobacco Story

Bearded Man

2 to 3 pounds of Lean stew beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 to 3 large purple onions, diced up
16 ounces of canned chopped tomatoes (fresh if you have them)
1 large bag of frozen okra
1 to 2 cups of chopped celery
1 large can of shoe peg corn (teeny corn)
1 large can of midget butter beans
Lots and lots of shredded cabbage
Bouillon cubes if you need them
Salt and pepper
Tomatoes… if you have fresh cut them up and add to the mix… fresh never hurts

            Put at least 4 quarts of water along with onions, tomatoes and beef into a large boiler. Bring to a boil and cook until the beef is tender. Add all other ingredients and cook slowly. Slowly stir so the ingredients won’t stick to the bottom of the pot. There is nothing worse than cutting up and taking the time to get all the goodies in the pot, and then burning it. I have done it and it’s just not the same; a little burnt flavor does not enhance the recipe. Do not over-salt or pepper, since that hides the vegetables’ flavor. Everyone can add what he or she likes later. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes… and even let sit overnight, put a lid on it and eat the next day. Delicious!

I promise you this is the best vegetable soup in the world. The secret is the shredded cabbage. You cannot see it, but it provides bulk and a distinct taste. Do not tell anyone the secret. In a little while, I might even give you the secret biscuit recipe — and the secret pound cake recipe. From memory.