April 7, 2007

Remembering

My Granmda Em passed away about 10 years ago and I realized there were so many questions about her life I had never asked. When my Grandma Pat moved within a few miles of us I decided to do a journaling project with my Grandma Pat. Last night my mom gave me back the book. Here are a few excerpts,

At first I asked her questions straight out of the book, although I could tell she didn't always think they were interesting questions.

Q. Who were your grade school friends?

Laura was my friend through 8th grade. Her parents didn't believe in high school. They were German Russians. I am still in touch with her. She went to beauty school.

One time we got our hands spanked by a teacher because during PE class we sneaked off to the bushes and got caught. Laura had climed the tree.

Since Laura didn't go to high school I met a new best friend, Jean. We were friends even after I had Diane (my mom).

In high school it was during the Depression and the PWA taught people to dance in grange halls. Jean and I went to those.

There was a guy, Dan Cushman who was 6'4" and he would ask me to dance because I was tall. that was before I met Ken.

Later I just would let her talk, telling me her life story. The period when she met my grandpa was the period she wanted to talk about most.

The Elopment
My parents didn't approve of Ken (my Grandpa whom my Grandma eventually divorced). We decided to elope. His mother had an uncle and aunt who lived in Pullman. So over a long weekend we took his mother to Moscow (with another relative) to the justice of the peace. I told my parents before we left and they were just sick about it. They didn't want me back. We got married February 3, 1941. Ken had just enlisted in the Air Force. We rented an apartment in Olympia and Ken worked for Goodyear.

The War
Ken was bombing Germany. He was gone 13 months. Then came The Divorce...

Posted by jana at 1:10 PM | Comments (1)

April 5, 2007

A nod to the past

The family dined at the fine establishment of Wendy's tonight on what would have been my grandma Pat's 85th birthday. My grandma is smiling from heaven for sure.

I still made it to book club tonight, even on time. We'd read Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War. The fruit platter was artfully arranged as the confederate flag (although now I know there were multiple versions of the flag). I opted for the Scarlett O'Hara wine glass marker over less cute confederate generals, and we ate some biscuits and ham.

It was a good evening to remember the past. Some memories are worth preserving more than others.

Posted by jana at 10:06 PM | Comments (1)

March 31, 2007

Goodbye Grandma Pat

I was on my way up to see my grandma today but I didn't make it in time. The last time I saw her (last Sunday) she grabbed my hand like she knew it would be the last time. I thought it might be too. Britta was with me and I could see her light up to see her great-granddaughter even as her body didn't allow for much other expression.

My weekly lunches with Grandma will be missed. There's really not a room in my house where I can't see some little trinket or appliance my grandma bought for me. I'm a lucky girl. No one had a sweeter grandma.

Good bye Grandma. You will be missed and never forgotten. I'm happy I said, "I love you" but you know that.

Posted by jana at 11:37 AM | Comments (2)