I had one of the sweetest Grandmas. When I was young, she lived in Leighton next to the railroad tracks. We’d sit on her porch and wave at the conductor as the train whizzed by with his horn a’blaring.
At nighttime, that train wasn’t nearly as pleasant going by. At least two trains came by during the night. If it had been 15, I’d have heard them, too! Or I could just say, I felt the train go by. The windows would rattle, and the stuff on the walls moved. It was an experience that I never liked, because I didn’t know if something would really fall, and I was scared until I could hear the horn blow farther down the tracks.
Something else I experienced only at Grandma’s house was the potty we’d have to use during the night. I’d always hope I didn’t have to go. The floors were so cold. Of course, sitting on the pot was, too!
Besides that, I hated getting out of that warm bed, weighted down with quilts to stay warm. That was one of my favorite things about cold bedrooms. I loved the way it felt with all those quilts.
A lot of folks dipped snuff back then, and my Grandma was one of them. I couldn’t tell you how many times she tried to get me to take “a little dip.” She told me I was the only one of her grandkids who had not tried it. I’d tell her I didn’t want to. She’d show me time and time again how to do it, but I never did. I never thought one time I was better than my cousins who had done it. They were probably braver. Much braver!
Grandma would always want to ride anything she had never been on. She rode on motorcycles, Go-Karts, a dragster and a jeep. I was surprised about the jeep, since my Grandma was so short, but she got up as good as I did.
She started telling every Christmas that it would be her last Christmas. I’d ask how she knew, and she’d say, “I just know.” After a few years of this, I asked her one Christmas why she was still here. She didn’t quite understand my question until I told her she was supposed to have died years ago and she was still here. I laughed, and she gave her famous response of “Awwww!” and pinched me on my nose and laughed. She had such a great sense of humor. I enjoyed messing with her. But wait…I still enjoy messing with people! I don’t hang around a lot of people without a sense of humor. Life is too boring that way.
I remember having my movie camera at Grandma’s house, and I was filming her. She was just standing still and asked how much longer before I’d be finished taking her picture. I explained to her it was a movie camera and she needed to move, so she danced a little jig for me. She was just so much fun.
Life was simple and more stress-free back then, and it seemed helping each other was a way of life with everyone. Families helped families, and being paid never crossed their minds. Not once! Neighbors seemed to know when a neighbor needed help.
I’ve helped my neighbors get up cows, and I wasn’t asked. It’s really simple. You see a cow in your yard and your neighbor trying to maneuver it back home. I automatically knew a little help would be good.
Respect, love and helping others was used a lot in the old days, but guess what? There are some things that should never be forgotten, and I never have.
Until later….
