Deemed Watch Mechanic

It is funny how the smallest actions will spur a memory. My watch did not take in account Leap Day. So I had to change the date. Which is as easy as 1,2,3.

As I was in the act of doing so I remembered out of no where that I was once Grandma's personal watch mechanic. I had forgotten that until that moment. It made me smile. I am not sure how it came to be?

I think/guess that she mentioned that she had to add or deduct an hour from her watch because of day light saving time. I think I offered to change the time for her, which I did. From then on it was my privilege to change her time every daylight saving time.

I did it for years but that was not all. Any time it was not working properly she came to me. I helped her get new batteries, change dates, show her how to use the various functions etc. It was one of those digital watches when they first came out. I guess to her it was a mysterious gadget.

Grandma's conversational style:

Grandma was always "me-deep in conversation".

Grandma Sings

So, yesterday was my birthday. Fun. I was on my way up the hill to go sking, when my phone went off. I answered to find my cute cousin Janell on the other end wishing me a happy birthday. She said she and her brother Mark always call each other on their birthday and sing to each other because, when Grandma was alive, she would call them on their birthday and sing to them. It is their way of carrying on her tradition.

That is so funny because Grandma would always call us first thing on our Birthday. You would answer the phone and hear, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...." So now, Julie and I alway call each other on our birthday and sing. It is our way of keeping Grandma's tradition alive. Mechelle

Bed Making

I remember sleeping over night every now and then with Grandma and Grandpa out at the farmhouse. I distinctly remember Grandma and Grandpa crawling into the bottom of the bed and sleeping without pillow despite the fact that they had plumped pillows at the top of the bed.

Very pleased with herself, Grandma explained that by sleeping with their heads at the bottom of the bed, pillowless, made it very easy to make the bed in the morning. All one had to do was pull the sheets, blanket and comfortor tight and it looked as though no one had slept in it all night.

I, not being a huge fan of making beds myself, thought this made perfect sense and crawled in right next to them. It was not too comfortable but it beat making the bed!!! I wonder what Grandpa thought about sleeping pillowless? Maybe it was another rubber egg scenario.

Pennies for Chicken

A week ago we took the kids to a movie. I went out to get a refill on the bottomless popcorn David bought. As I waited in line I noticed the girls in front of me were paying for their treats with pennies.

Boy did that bring back memories. When I was in high school I had a job at Kentucky Fried Chicken. One evening while I was at work, Grandma and Grandpa came in to get some dinner. When it came time to pay, Grandma swung her purse up onto the counter.

I am sure all Grandma's grandchildren can remember that purse well. It was the source of all those balloons and butterscotch candys. She was quick to hand these treasures out to her grandchildren. We were all thrilled that the bank was always so 'generous' with Grandma, to 'give' her handfulls and handfulls of free balloons.

After removing an old fashion leather pouch, Grandma poured a pile of coins onto the counter. She then proceeded to count out the coins and pay for the entire meal with coins only. In the middle of counting money she leaned over and said that she would never pay with coins with just anyone.

I assured her I did not mind and still smile when I think of her counting out her coins.

The other Egg Story

Hi, Mechelle here to tell you another story about Grandma and Grandpa.

This is most likely my favorite Grandma/pa story. Our story starts in the dinning room of the country home with Grandpa at the table and Grandma in the kitchen fixing breakfast. I had stayed the night and was sleepily rubbing my eyes and listening to Grandma run around the Kitchen talking all the while. I don't know who she was talking to since Grandpa and I were not very talkative at the early morning hour.

I don't remember what Grandpa was doing. I don't think he was reading the paper for they lived so far out in the country I don't think they would have paid to have the paper delivered. But maybe he was just sitting there with me.

As the soft morning rays fall across the table Grandma brought over a plate for Grandpa. I don't remember what was on the plate, I am guessing there were toast and hash browns and some fruit, but that is all a guess. What I do remember was the eggs.

I had never seen eggs cooked like that before. They looked like rubber. The yoke was completely broken and the whole egg was cooked flat. It was the most unappetizing egg I had ever seen. Astonished, I gasped, "Grandpa is that how you like your eggs?"

Grandma answered for him from the Kitchen, "Oh, yes Harold you love your eggs that way. All cooked flat and rubbery. I have to break the yoke for him every morning. He just loves to exercise his jaw chewing and chewing forever on those leathery eggs. He can't get enough....." and on and on she went. As the monolog poured out from the Kitchen, Grandpa leaned over to me and whispered, "It's how I get 'em," and went on eating.

Its Grandma!

Back in the pre-caller ID days. It was always a guess who was calling on the phone. Often our family would try to guess who was calling by the one sided conversation we could hear.

Grandma was hands down the fastest and easiest to guess. Two or three words into the phone answerer's first sentance we would always know and say, "Oh its Grandma."

How could this be you may ask? Easy! EVERY SINGLE TIME Grandma called the first thing she would say was, "What ya doing?" I can still hear those words and her intonation.

Thus the phone answerer would say, "We are eating dinner" or "I am doing homework." Grandma loved to know what were doing and that was ALWAYS the first thing she would ask.

Whenever I talk to a niece or nephew on the phone and the first thing that comes out of my mouth is, "What ya doing?" I almost laugh out loud. Like Grandmother like Granddaughter!