Grandparents
We started talking about grandparents yesterday. Don't know how it came up. Maybe when one gal noticed the pictures on my bookcase of my great grandsons, Thor, 10 and Finn, 6. Bright, handsome, little blondes.
It sounds as though I was luckier than the average kid, having the grandparents that I did. My sister Patty and I had both sets-maternal and paternal grandparents. The Sarson ones favored Patty, while the Smith ones were my champions.
Grandma Smith was a victim of rheumatoid arthritis. I never knew her to be able to walk. Her hands, too, were curled. She never complained about anything. I never saw her cry. Her Boston Terrier, Teddy, was always by her side. Teddy loved chewing gum. He never
swallowed it--just kept chewing until either he was tired of it or perhaps it had no more flavor, then he spit it out over by his water bowl. He never left a sticky glob anywhere else for someone to step on.
Grandpa had a camp which he had built on a small lake not too very far from their home. My sister and I loved going there on a Sunday.
Grandpa would pick us up and stop en route at a little store which sold
ice cream in small cardboard cups-white with red polka dots. The ice cream inside was half chocolate and half vanilla. Each cup came with a tiny wooden spoon attached. What a treat!
The camp had a large screened porch facing the lake. There was an expanse of lawn leading down to the wharf where Grandpa's aluminum rowboat was tied. Patty and I loved to play on that wharf.
Grandma watched from the porch. One day Patty slipped and fell into
the water. I stood there watching as she went beneath the water, then bobbed up again, then sunk again. We were 4 and 7 years old at the time-neither of us could swim. It occurred to me that my sister was in trouble, so I lay down on the wharf and reached into the water, grabbing my little sister by an ankle. She was too heavy. I could not pull her up on the wharf. I held on. I don't know for how long before I realized that holding her by the ankle, her head was under water!
So I let go and when I saw her terrified face look up at me, I grabbed one of her braids. Now I held her face above the water. She was choking, coughing and crying all at the same time. Otherwise her body hung limp as she was exhausted from her watery fight.
Poor Grandma--I never realized until many years later what a horrible thing this had to be for her. Watching from her wheelchair on the porch high above us and completely unable to do anything but yell.
Yell she did, sending Grandpa racing to the rescue.
Nothing much was ever said about it. Patty was okay. Grandma
made crabmeat salad sandwiches for our lunch --our favorite.
After lunch she read to us from the Bubble Book.
The only change was that we were never allowed near the water without out water wings ( an early type of life jacket) again.
And very shortly after that, Grandpa began teaching us how to swim.
It sounds as though I was luckier than the average kid, having the grandparents that I did. My sister Patty and I had both sets-maternal and paternal grandparents. The Sarson ones favored Patty, while the Smith ones were my champions.
Grandma Smith was a victim of rheumatoid arthritis. I never knew her to be able to walk. Her hands, too, were curled. She never complained about anything. I never saw her cry. Her Boston Terrier, Teddy, was always by her side. Teddy loved chewing gum. He never
swallowed it--just kept chewing until either he was tired of it or perhaps it had no more flavor, then he spit it out over by his water bowl. He never left a sticky glob anywhere else for someone to step on.
Grandpa had a camp which he had built on a small lake not too very far from their home. My sister and I loved going there on a Sunday.
Grandpa would pick us up and stop en route at a little store which sold
ice cream in small cardboard cups-white with red polka dots. The ice cream inside was half chocolate and half vanilla. Each cup came with a tiny wooden spoon attached. What a treat!
The camp had a large screened porch facing the lake. There was an expanse of lawn leading down to the wharf where Grandpa's aluminum rowboat was tied. Patty and I loved to play on that wharf.
Grandma watched from the porch. One day Patty slipped and fell into
the water. I stood there watching as she went beneath the water, then bobbed up again, then sunk again. We were 4 and 7 years old at the time-neither of us could swim. It occurred to me that my sister was in trouble, so I lay down on the wharf and reached into the water, grabbing my little sister by an ankle. She was too heavy. I could not pull her up on the wharf. I held on. I don't know for how long before I realized that holding her by the ankle, her head was under water!
So I let go and when I saw her terrified face look up at me, I grabbed one of her braids. Now I held her face above the water. She was choking, coughing and crying all at the same time. Otherwise her body hung limp as she was exhausted from her watery fight.
Poor Grandma--I never realized until many years later what a horrible thing this had to be for her. Watching from her wheelchair on the porch high above us and completely unable to do anything but yell.
Yell she did, sending Grandpa racing to the rescue.
Nothing much was ever said about it. Patty was okay. Grandma
made crabmeat salad sandwiches for our lunch --our favorite.
After lunch she read to us from the Bubble Book.
The only change was that we were never allowed near the water without out water wings ( an early type of life jacket) again.
And very shortly after that, Grandpa began teaching us how to swim.
I am absolutely enjoying these posts. They make my day. Thank you so very much for sharing these.
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