Special Note: This is a guest post by my dear daughter...
I adore the Andy Griffith Show! Uproarious Deputy Barney “Barn” Fife is the perfect sidekick to friendly “sheriff without a gun” Andy Taylor. His son Opie spices up the show, along with other heartwarming characters such as Floyd Lawson (Mayberry’s inimitable barber), Thelma Lou (Barney’s girl) and many others. But the heart of Mayberry has got to be Aunt Bee, with her warm, bustling everyday baking and housekeeping.
When Andy comes home from a long day at the sheriff’s office (worn out from Barney’s antics), Aunt Bee is waiting to tell him that there is leftover homemade apple pie in the kitchen.
Later, when the family is gathered on the porch – with great nephew Opie building block houses on the floor, Andy playing the guitar, and Aunt Bee knitting, she exclaims – as the clock strikes nine – “bedtime, Opie. I’ll be up in a minute.” Then of course, she hears him say his prayers and tucks him in.
Aunt Bee is an artistically talented woman as well – her side hobbies include crocheting doilies, knitting, painting with watercolors, and singing. She is also a member of the Mayberry Garden Club.
First thing in the morning, Barney will make his “usual quiet arrival” in the squad car. Of course, Aunt Bee always insists he sit down and have a cup of coffee while she swaps recipes for cherry upside down cake with best friend Clara over the telephone line.
When a traveling handyman fixes the roof, she has cold lemonade, a beautiful lunch, and a guest room all prepared. Aunt Bee’s hospitality extends to many! When various cousins or others pass a few days at the Taylor’s, she is always scrupulous about clean sheets and good dinners, insisting that everyone help make their guests feel welcome.
Any neighbor down on their luck is sure to meet with a warm invitation to come on over if you need a place to stay.
Bachelor Barney looks forward to Sunday dinners at the Taylor’s – in fact, everybody in Mayberry hopes to be invited, as they know Aunt Bee will have fixed a feast of her famous fried chicken and biscuits, along with homemade pies for dessert.
Then, too, there are the not so welcome visitors – the infamous Darlings, an army of silent, hungry mountain men. But Aunt Bee just presses her lips together and cheerfully resigns herself to working in the kitchen, cooking enough for all.
She delivers a delicious lunch over to the courthouse for Andy and Barney every single day – but she generally has to hurry back home as she’ll have cakes for the church social in the oven. Somebody sick in Mayberry? Aunt Bee never forgets to send hot soup over.
Still, no one woman can be good at everything.
Aunt Bee loves to can pickles and jams to keep on hand in the cupboard… But they are usually inedible. Nobody has the heart to tell her so, but Barney privately refers to her pickles as “kerosene cucumbers.” Her thrifty ways can also get her into trouble – like the time she bought an entire cow for the freezer. Unhappily there was a reason why it was so cheap…
Aunt Bee’s attempt at playing baseball with Opie was equally unsuccessful, but you have to give it to her – she tried. For all that, Opie’s own words are “she’s the best cook in Mayberry.” And that’s all that really matters to a growing boy...
Not only does Aunt Bee cook – she keeps the house spic and span, and always keeps the men folk’s shirts clean and mended. Yes, sir, she keeps the world going round for her two nephews. In fact, the few times she’s had to go away for a few days, they’ve had a rough time getting on without her but Aunt Bee enjoys it all heartily, and loves to be needed by her family.
Modern women can say what they like, but the fact is everybody loves the “Aunt Bees” of the world. They are always in demand, always needed, always cherished, and always remembered fondly when they pass on. That's a legacy worth leaving.
I’m proud to say that I want to be just like Aunt Bee when I grow up. Heaven forbid such lovable, necessary ladies become a thing of the past, like calling cards and kid gloves! Let’s create a new generation of aspiring Aunt Bees – one apple pie at a time...
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