When I was little, because of Dad's job with the government, we moved alot, about every three years. But Lockeport was always 'home' to us. That's where both grandmothers lived and most of my aunts and uncles and cousins. So every chance we got, we went 'home'. Whether it was March Break, Easter, Thanksgiving, summer vacation or Christmas break, we were in Lockeport. We always stayed with Little Nanny, my Mom's mother. My Dad's mother, we called Big Nanny and they didn't mind the names. It helped us kids explain who we were going to see.
No matter what time of year we went to Lockeport there were certain things that we always did. For example, we always had Sunday dinner at Big Nanny's house and she always made us her famous orange pudding. It tasted like something from Heaven. She would cut up the oranges the night before and soak them in sugar. Then in the morning she would make a beautiful vanilla custard to pour over the oranges, finally she would make a meringue for the top. Oh my! It was a wonderful thing to look forward to.
My Big Nanny had raised seven kids almost single handedly. My grandfather was a fisherman and in those days the men would be gone for quite awhile between trips. Then in 1961 he was lost at sea and never came home. My Dad, the oldest child, was 22 and the youngest was only 7. In those days the Widow's Allowance from the government was $19. per month regardless of how many children you had. It was hard for all the widows. Seventeen men were lost when my grandfather was and 85 children were left without a father. That's a tragedy in any place but in a small island community it was devastating.
My grandmother was always good with numbers and was able to get a job at the Irving Oil office in Lockeport and with help from my Dad she was able to raise the rest of the kids. I can remember going to visit my nanny at the office. She was never a huggy grandmother but she loved seeing us come and would always tell Dad to go to the fish plant and get us kids some tracing paper, which he did. She would always ask what we wanted for dessert on Sunday and of course she already knew the answer. I think she just liked hearing us tell her.
My grandmother was a strong woman both physically and emotionally. She had to be. This was a woman who cut all her wood for the winter, by herself while my grandfather was out fishing, and she was pregnant at the time! She birthed her babies at home. She wrote poems and stories. She didn't believe in using an electric mixer for cakes because 'it wasted time'. She could do it faster by hand. She could set the table by standing at one end and spinning the plates to the other end and they always stopped just in time. I guess she thought it would take too much time to walk around the table placing them one by one. She took care of her parents, raised a family and grieved the loss of a husband and somehow continued on.
She was a Loyalist. She refused to fly the Canadian flag but insisted the Union Jack was still our flag. She was patriotic and loved the Queen. She taught us to have pride in our family and told us stories of ancestors long gone so we would remember.
She had a close bond with her sisters and I can still remember going to visit Aunt Millie or Aunt Molly or Aunt Henny. They were special women each different in their own way. Nanny always said that Aunt Molly was the stylish one and that no one had cleaner floors than Aunt Henny. I loved my great aunts and my grandmother. They were MacKays and strong women. They all left a legacy of the importance of family and that everyone is always welcome to come in and stay awhile.
My life has been made richer because of the women who went before me and who cared enough for a little girl to tell her stories and pass on the traditions. I miss them all, especially my Big Nanny. But I have a ton of good memories to hold close to me and to pass on to my family.
Big Nanny Stewart's Orange Pudding
4 oranges cut into small pieces place in an oven safe bowl
sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar over the oranges. Allow to soak over night.
In a saucepan put 2 tbsp flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks and 2 cups milk. Cook until it thickens. COOL the custard then pour it over the oranges.
place 3 egg whites and 1/2 tsp vinegar in a deep bowl and mix (with electric mixer) on high until it is quite stiff, then add 6 tbsp of sugar, one at a time, until stiff peaks form. Spread this meringue over the top of the pudding and bake in 350 degree oven until meringue is golden brown. Enjoy!
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