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Post by tkarter on Mar 19, 2013 20:27:49 GMT -5
My Dad's mom. She only had the one child my Dad. She was a teacher long before I knew her. She was also a devote Christian.
Not a tall lady at all she only stood 4'11" . She was a very good cook. But she had her breakfast down and everyone in her house ate half a grapefruit and a bowl of oatmeal every morning.
Surprise to most of my family is I still like oatmeal and grapefruit.
It was the every morning breakfast and you had to eat breakfast before you got to leave the house.
She played piano well and she taught me the love of music. I still love to make music because of her.
She was quiet most of the time and I never heard her raise her voice at all with anyone.
Oh and she had a glass eye. She had one eye put out in a car wreck. I think she had a camera installed behind that glass eye because she never missed anything.
She too was a dr for the kids. I recall my dad knocked a crankshaft off the bench and it hit my big toe. Smashed it. I get to the house grandma says I can fix that and she rebuilt my big toe and taped a popsicle stick to it and away I went.
I miss both of my grandmothers. They were both awesome women.
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Post by rramom on Mar 19, 2013 20:50:01 GMT -5
You are fortunate to have so many great memories of your grandmothers. My mom's mom died long before I was born. On my dad's side, I was the 15th out of 18 grandchildren, and can't remember ever seeing her when my cousins weren't around. Therefore, I don't remember any one-on-one interactions with her, she died just before I turned 9. Both my grandfathers died when I was a baby, so I have no memories of them, either.
However, being that I'm the baby of my family, so my parents were 35 & 39 when I was born, they were almost old enough to be my grandparents. Dad ate oatmeal & grapefruit often for breakfast. Mom must not have cared for it much, I can't remember her ever eating grapefruit.
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Post by tkarter on Mar 19, 2013 20:57:37 GMT -5
Yes I am fortunate. Actually on my mother's side of the family I got to know my great grandmother and so did my wife. I will write the my great grandmother thread another day.
I love grapefruit. I hate cooking oatmeal the way grandma did it. I prefer the microwave version of oatmeal now with the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Grapefruit was't exactly a product of the San Luis Valley where my grandmother lived.
Her family came from the Wichita area. Her father's farm was once most of what is now Maize
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Post by teccles on Mar 19, 2013 21:12:35 GMT -5
You are lucky....my grandma on my dads side was a good lady but she was already pretty old when I was little and she passed away early in my life...my grandma on my moms side was a drunk...I do remember her calling on the phone and telling me that I was always her favorite and that no one really understood me all the while slurring her words because she was on a 4 day binge...Oh the memories...I have made up for this by making whatever good memories I can with my kids....
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Post by tkarter on Mar 19, 2013 21:17:12 GMT -5
Neither of my grandmas drank much of anything other than water. But my great grandma could hoist a few. Although she too didn't make a habit of it.
Slurred words are better than no words IMHO.
I took each of my grandparents for what they were and respected them for what they did for me and my family.
I know I am luck in the family way as most hillbillies are. We know all our family We fight with them then eat dinner with them.
My great grandmother was a McCoy.
That is why this didn't start with my great grandma's life.
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Post by eagle on Mar 19, 2013 22:21:00 GMT -5
My father's mother was rather quiet most of the time . I had my hair a bit longer and a beard (later 60's)... and was at a gathering at her house. She had 5 sons and 1 daughter. They were ... well, lets just say I wonder how in the heck she ever kept any semblance of sanity and control in that house (all 'A' personalities). That day, my Uncles were in there complaining a lot about my hair and beard.. a thing of the times. So, I was pretty much staying outside and out of the way, so it didn't become a big issue & out of respect for her.
At one point, she kicked about everyone out of the house except for 'her sons'... and said she wanted to have a talk with "her sons". Well, I was out on the porch and we (cousin's, etc) could hear her outside as well.
She apparently showed them a picture of my grandfather (died before I was born)... with long hair and a beard, and was adamantly talking about it and how she liked longer hair on men and liked beards. Then she pointed out her father had longer hair and a beard, as well as most men. She pointed out that they were one of the first generations to NOT have beards, etc. and that they were insulting not only me, but their father, grandfathers, etc. She told them if "anyone" was out of step it was them, and that she better NOT hear ANY of them say another thing to me, nor to say anything negative about it.... or she was kicking them out of the house. My cousins were all laughing at her chewing them out.
All they said was ... "yes maam"... "yes maam" . After hearing that speech, I knew how she had kept control of them in that household.
She told me to come back into the house, and then asked them.... "now , what have you got to say", and they all apologized. I was dumbfounded. I'm 5/9" , I take after my mother's side, that side of the family... I don't have a female cousin under 6 ft tall, and the men are 6'3" - 6'8" tall... and she had them all being as docile as a teddy bear.
I had a "new" respect for her. Also, she made the best pies in the world... OMG.
I have add a quick story. This is a woman who came to Kansas in a covered wagon. A friend of mine bought a 60 Corvette, and we always stopped and saw her when we were over that way, and did that day in his Vette. She came "flying" out of the house and asked Mike, is that "one of them Corvettes ? " . He told her yes. She asked if he was going to take her for a ride. He said "sure, be glad to". As she was getting into the car .... she asked him "doesn't that top come down ? ".... Mike, "it does" and he began taking the top down.
As he began to mildly and slowly pull out, I could hear her scream ... " I thought these things were supposed to go fast" ...... so, he floored it.
When they came back... here was this 80 yr old woman ... with pure white hair that was standing straight out in every direction, who had never even seen a Corvette in person, with the BIGGEST SMILE on her face you can imagine... and saying " THAT WAS FUUUUN". I heard from about every cousin, Uncle, etc. about how she told everyone about it and how much fun she had.
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Post by tkarter on Mar 19, 2013 22:34:38 GMT -5
All Grandmas were girls once and all grandmas married strong willed men. Divorce would be too good. Grandmas always get even. They do rule the house and the reason is they cook for the house and have and they also used to beat their children when they did what she told them not to or they would get beaten for it.
I know every grandma could have been my own. Those women and their grandmothers built this nation. Without voting for the most part.
The thing I cherish with every grandmother I knew. They were tough women and Grandpa didn't mess with them in the house any way.
They raised kids doctored kids and birthed their own grand children.
Anybody that knew their grandma when they were old enough to understand knew she commands respect.
Then you and other can go outside and make fun but you all know you don't mess with grandma or she will have your hide.
Now days kids don't get that. Not because they don't want it. It is because it doesn't happen that way much any more.
Even if grand parents try today the grand kids are usually looking get off easy and stay away and have kids of their own and still looking for the easy they torture the grand parents. Grandma more that Grandpa since he has been terrorized by grandma for years.
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Post by teccles on Mar 22, 2013 9:34:46 GMT -5
This grandma thread prompted me to post this... I thought it was fitting...  |
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Post by tkarter on Mar 22, 2013 19:36:54 GMT -5
Amen.
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timks
New Member
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Post by timks on Apr 2, 2013 11:00:00 GMT -5
My Grandma..........got run over by a reindeer.  ....but then maybe that just my imagination. I doubt she's ever stand for that. For real, my mom's mom lived to be about 100 years old. She was a tough little woman who was still climbing ladders to pick apricots well into her 80's. I can remember her giving me a bath in a galvanized wash tub on the kitchen table when I was 3 or 4. She loved to play BINGO, crochet, & can fruits & jelly. I don't remember her being a 'huggie' person....just 'matter-of-fact' about everything. |
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timks
New Member
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Post by timks on Apr 2, 2013 11:10:34 GMT -5
The other side.....
My Dad's mom was sickly when I was young. She died before I was 7 or 8. I remember they had one of the first TV sets in our small town. We got to stop for half & hour after school sometimes to watch "The Bar 16 Ranch". That was a show that ran cowboy movies with Tex Ritter, Hopalong Cassidy, and other old-time cowboys Gene Autry, etc. TV & a cookie and then it was off to do chores at home.
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