Grandma lived during the time of the great author, John Steinbeck, who wrote the novel “The Grapes of Wrath.” Grandma often told me her personal “Grapes of Wrath” story. I remember her stories about riding from Oklahoma in a Model-T Ford with her parents and siblings, in order to make the move to Oregon. My great grandmother Lucy limited the children to how many items that they could take with them on the move, as there was limited space in the vehicle. Great grandmother Lucy told Grandma that she could only take a few of her movie star magazines however; grandma sneaked all of them, also including her favorite doll. Grandma lived through World War II and The Great Depression. She lived in a time when chivalry existed and it was not considered prejudice.
During my grandmother’s prime, movie productions were very romantic and most often contained music. I remember the many nights spent with my grandparents watching musicals. I also remember my grandmother’s childhood stories. In particular, I remember the stories of grandma and her siblings peeling the tar from telephone poles and using it as chewing gum. As he chewed the tar, her brother said, “Tastes like I’m shewin chicken shawky.” I also remember that my great grandmother did not want her spending time at the neighbor’s home, as she was afraid that Mary Lou would get lice from the various barn animals that were consistently free to roam the house. My grandmother never learned to swim as at a very young age she almost drown while learning to swim in a large cistern of water located outside of her parents home.
I remember all of the wonderful things that my grandmother did for me while I was growing up and into my adulthood. I remember the things that she gave me for my birthdays, Christmas and special occasions. I will remember sleeping and playing in my grandma’s backyard, living room and basement with my cousins. I will remember the times of waking up at grandma’s house and smelling the pleasant aromas of a big breakfast, that grandma was preparing. I will always remember the aroma of my grandmother’s homemade, biscuits, fried breaded venison, eggs any style, roasts with vegetables, ranch dressing, coleslaw, and my three most favorites: potato salad, Deviled Eggs and cashew pea salad. Grandma made the best pies. After a bath, I remember many nights spent eating ice cream with my grandma. Grandma loves watermelon. Sometimes, we almost devoured a whole watermelon together.
I remember many summers and Christmases spent at grandma’s house. Sometimes, with my cousins, I would exchange grandma’s bottles and soda pop cans at Safeway, in order to get treats at Speedy Mart, Dairy Queen or the A & W. I will remember the trips in my grandparent’s motor home. On one occasion, sea otters stowed away in the motor home and I spent a day dressing them in doll clothes and playing with them. Another time we went to Reno. Our muffler fell off the car and I discovered sparks flying up when we were still on the freeway. We ate raw chicken at Circus Circus. I won a stuffed toy bear at the water balloon game. Evelyn sat in a chair at the hotel and the arm of the chair fell off. Then we listened to the air conditioner rattle all night long. We went on a trip to Alaska and grandma received a myriad of “no-see-um bites.” She received so many bites that she appeared to have the chicken pox, as did the rest of us. They are many funny stories to recount from the Alask a trip. My grandparents took me to the Sea Lion caves and the Enchanted Forest.
Just as my great grandma Lucy used to take out her teeth to be funny, my grandma Mary had her comedy hours as well. Thanks to one of these times, I will never forget the proper bathroom use of a chopstick. I remember the hours spent laughing with grandma, sometimes to the point of our eyes filling with tears because we had laughed so hard with each other and other family members.
My grandma always did her best to be the type of parent and grandparent that anyone would want to have. Things did not always go the way that they should have for her. I am not sure that things in life ever go the way we expect them to. In life, there are often times many crazy, unaccounted for --sometimes-terrible-- occurrences that one would never wish to befall them.
I never remember a time when my grandmother did not attend church. During Sunday Service, as I sat on a pew, I remember the smell of tobacco emanating from my grandfather’s clothes and the smell of the Original Trident gum that grandma chewed. She always gave me gum too. I will remember the smell of her “Sweet Honesty” perfume. Grandma would sit at one end of the pew with all of the grandchildren in between her and my grandfather. I remember the sound of my grandparent’s voices belting out the hymns of old, especially one of my favorites “The Old Rugged Cross.”
Since my grandmother grew up in a generation where commitment and servitude were important qualities to posses as a woman, sometimes others took advantage of her good will and took her for granted as well. I remember her recalling very fond memories of her own father or “daddy” as she always referred to him. My great grandfather definitely sounded like the type of father that any girl would want to have.
In conclusion, in life, there are caretakers and there are those who have to receive the caretaking. My grandmother has always been a caretaker. Prior to their deaths, she has taken care of many friends and family members. My grandmother did her best to care for her own family. In the moment, she always did the best that she knew how. As parents, children and grandparents, the former is all that one can expect from us, as we are all human. When I look at the lives of my mother and my Aunt Kay, it reminds me why that they have also become caretakers. It all began with a grandmother, my grandmother. My grandmother, mother and aunt posses such servant’s hearts that they have often compromised their own comforts and inconvenienced their families, to do the things that they had strong moral convictions about being the right things to do. I will always remember my family but most of all, my grandmother, her love and the good t
imes that I have had the pleasure to spend with her. I love my grandma.
Love, Anita |
