Grandparents

 Growing up living next door to grandparents is a wonderful thing.  Some of my earliest memories are of my grandparents.   Grandma was my most frequent babysitter, and I loved visiting at her house.  We would read stories, the classic little golden books.  She had coloring books and crayons, baby dolls and blocks and cars to play with.   The house always smelled wonderful, like sugar cookies and freshly starched and ironed clothes.   The cookie jar was always full, as was the big white candy tin where we could find lollipops and circus peanuts and other treats.  There was also a beautiful cut  glass candy dish in the living room filled with mints.

  Often times we would visit for Sunday Dinners of Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and gravy and vegetables from the garden, peas and carrots and parsnips with cake for dessert.  Grandpa always grew a beautiful, carefully weeded garden, and beautiful sweet pea flowers, and of course would be out working with Daddy and we children, milking cows, hauling hay, and caring for the animals.  And of course, all of the Aunts and Uncles and Cousins would make frequent trips to visit Grandma and Grandpa, so we would also be able to enjoy the visits and acitvities, sometimes weekly, especially during the summer time.

Sometimes we would sit next to Grandma and Grandpa during church on Sundays.   Grandma not only always had fun treats at home, but she could always produce a treat of animal crackers or Wriggley's Juicy Fruit gum from her purse.

My Paternal Grandparents wedding photo

My Paternal Grandparents in 1960's 

We didn't see my Maternal grandparents quite as often, since they lived a good two hour drive away from our house, but we did drive up to see them several times each year, and Grandpa would always drive to our house with a bushel or two or three of peaches from his orchard in late August or September, my favorite fruit that did not grow in our cooler mountain valley.   We were also the recipients of cherries from his orchard in July, both sweet and sour.   Both grandpa's were farmers, but my Mother's father was also an agriculture teacher and county extension agent.  He always expected us to do our best in school, and would ask us about our studies etc whenever we visited.  He typed a letter to my Mother every week that I can remember and would tell of his drives throughout the countryside and relate stories and memories from his life.

  My Mother's mother was often ill, but she was very beautiful and gracious.  We were allowed to play downstairs in the basement where there were fun treasures like two huge teddy bears that were bigger than we were.  I believe that these teddy bears eventually ended up at our house.  Grandma was also a wonderful cook, and often entertained and fed important visitors along with Grandpa.  I don't remember very many cookies, but I do remember being treated to twinkies and sometimes going out to eat or out for ice cream with my grandparents.   During their later years, Grandma and Grandpa invested in a winter home in the southern part of our state where the winters were much milder.  It was fun to visit them there too, and to see the different varieties of plants that Grandpa was able to cultivate there.  

What are your favorite memories of your grandparents?

My Maternal Grandmother as a young woman

My Maternal Grandfather as a young man

My Maternal Grandparents in the late 1960's or early 1970's.