Pearl was really a pearl

Her name was Pearl. Along with photos and vivid memories I have of her and of the wonderful old house in the woods she lived in, these few dishes are all that I have left to remember her. I am in the process of designing linens with embroidery that have the vintage look of these dishes. I plan to come up with a name for this design using my grandmother's name, Pearl.

Thinking back on my life and of the people I fondly recall, the memory of my grandmother stands out the most. In a time of plenty, it is difficult for me to supply all of the needs of my three children. I stand in awe of my Grandmother, Pearl, who had 13 children to supply for in the worst of times.... the Great Depression. Through terrible dust bowls of Texas and living in a tent with a dirt floor during cotton picking season, they still managed to love and feed these children with what little they had. Pearl was 16 when she married Frank who was 18. The day to day struggles they faced, the deaths of some of their small children, the hardships,and the worries, never drove them apart in all of the 62 years they spent together. They seemed to be bound by a thread that could not be broken. As hard as those years seemed to be for them, I feel they were blessed to know the true meaning of commitment and love. Do any of you remember stories of the Great Depression? I would love to hear.