Legacys from grandmothers are precious things. I have a few things that belonged to both of my grandmothers and some that belonged to Jerry's grandmothers. But more precious than the things I have are the memories that live in my heart. Both of my grandmothers were special ladies though vastly different. One was tall and elegant looking and white haired (I got the white hair part!). The other was tiny, had black hair and looked like her Native American ancestors. One was independent and lived quite well on her own. The other was very dependent on her husband and did pretty much everything he told her to. One of them always told me to "help your mother," and the other made me macaroni necklaces.But more important than all of that is that I knew they both loved me. They wanted me to be good and to mind my parents and be respectful to my elders and to look both ways when crossing the street. They wanted me to be happy and to get good grades, and to be a hard worker. But if I didn't, they still loved me.
I wonder what my grandchildren will remember about me. Will they know that I love them? Will they know that I'm happy when they come to see me? Will they know that time spent with them gives me wonderful memories that live in my heart?
What do you remember about your grandparents? Because it's what we remember that we ought to be sure we're doing for our own grandchildren, don't you think?
I remember my Grandma H wide open mouth laugh, head back, joyful. My Grandma S is the one I spent the most time with. She taught me to sew. She was quiet, kept a very tidy house, and loved scrabble. There is nothing quite like a Grandma. I love being one too!
ReplyDeleteMy rain lilies have bloomed some, and I see more buds. I really need to separate them.
ReplyDeleteAs for what my grandchildren will remember . . we were driving to town friday, when the 6 year old, who was in his booster seat in the back , out of the blue said. "Grandma can we have some of those green beans you canned?"
You gotta love those little guys.
I so envy everyone who remembers their grandparents because mine were all deceased by the time I was born. And unfortunately to this point I don't have any grandchildren of my own - just grand dogs!! The lily is so beautiful. I have my grandmother's Christmas cactus - it's huge - and I've passed on chunks of it to as many relatives as I can. It never lets me down and always blooms profusely every year.
ReplyDeleteAm so impressed with your 60 year old plant. She doesn't show her age at all. You have done well by her.
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet summary of your grandmothers. How different and yet both special.
One grandmother died when I was quite young, the other lived to be 93 and I really wish I had spent more time listening to her stories. She had some dandies.
I am glad that your plant is doing well. How precious it is to have it and kept it alive so long. What sweet memories you have too.
ReplyDeleteI don't have memories of grandparents. My mom was an orphan. My grandfather on my father's side died before I was born. My grandmother lived in another state and I only remember seeing her a couple of times before my father ran off and left us. After that we lost touch of her. We had no money to travel to visit her and no phone. I think she did return our letters once but not after that. My mom told me she was a sweet and tender woman. My mom loved her. Too bad that I remember so little about her. Well maybe in the next life she can be my Grandmother again. I hope so.
I think of you often with love. Hugs, Lura
This is right on cue with what I'm writing for the scrapbooks...My maternal grandmother had epilepsy and when everyone else way in the cotton patch, I stayed with her...the first time I saw her have a seizure it terrified me but once I knew what to do, it was just part of life...I remember her making chocolate milk with coca powder, sugar and milk, also she and I made Tea Cakes quite often...Like your grandmother, she looked like her native american ancestors and never cut her long black hair until just before she died at age 54...very young, I now know but it seemed she was always old to me.
ReplyDeleteMy other grandmother wore house dresses and a bib apron each day...She only took the apron off for church or shopping...she crocheted and tried to teach me when I was a young girl but I didn't really get the hang of it until I was married...I enjoyed spending time with both of them...Like you, I wonder what kind of memories we're making...my grandchildren had the opportunity to know their great grandparents, too.
I had wonderful grandmothers. One died when I was 16 and I had spent a lot of time with her. My other grandma lived with us from the time I was 11 months old when grandpa died. She always wore dresses and always was old but in reality she wasnt. She was chief cook and bottle washer at home when I was growing up and mother worked. She died at 73 amd lived long enough to see our first son.
ReplyDeleteMy paternal grandmother died when I was five years old, but what I do remember is that she made me little pans of cornbread in sardine tins and let me sit on her stool in the kitchen when she cooked. She was a very large woman and had a powerful singing voice. We had a step grandfather that we all adored.
ReplyDeleteMy maternal grandmother was a step-grandmother, but she treated all of us the same. She had a problem speaking and only about half of each word came out. I think it would be similar to Spasmodic Dysphonia like 'The Righteous Buzz' has. My grandfather was a very calm, laid back man that I later found out nipped all the time, which I think was the reason he was so laid back. I never saw him drunk or even what I would call tippsy. He let us ride the old retired plow horses when we were little, and we always slept in a big feather bed when we spent the night.
I hope my grandchildren know that I love them unconditionally and always will.
Thanks for the "heads up" via email. I'm now a follower.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I would call my Grandmother, she would answer the phone and I would say, "Grandma, it's me; your favorite grand-daughter." Then she would say, "Oh! hello, JoAnn!"
ReplyDelete-Monica Nauert
I didn't know those were called rain lilies. I love the pretty pink color. I have some like that that are yellow. My neighbor just calls them day lilies. I only remember one grandmother, we picked blackberries together, sat on her front porch and watched for the mailman and looked for 4 leaf clovers in her yard.
ReplyDeleteLove that lily, it's very, very pretty. I remember my grandmother very well, she lived next door to me. I would run through the field to Nannie's house and she was always cooking or knitting. I remember her hanging clothes out on the line and letting me follow along behind her and hand her the pins which were contained in a little yellow gingham apron/dress pin holder that hung out on the line all by itself after the clothes were taken down. She was a special lady.
ReplyDeleteGrandmas are so very important. I still remember my maternal grandmother and how special our relationship was. I only had her for 10 years, but at 63 I still remember how loving she was and how much I enjoyed being with her.
ReplyDeleteI will always miss both of my grandmothers! So many memories since they were in the 80s and 90s when they passed away. I was blessed to have them that long.
ReplyDeleteAren't rain lilies wonderful? I started with one and now have them all throughout the yard. I divide them once a year. Today it's raining here in FL so they will be beautiful in a couple of days! I love the fact that I could stand outside and water them for weeks with a hose and not one bloom. And along comes the rain and they are beautiful! A truly amazing plant.
So many sweet memories. And you are so right its not the stuff that was theirs that is so special its the stuff that made me who I am that means more year after year.
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