Grandma's Birthday

[Veronica]

She's 99 today. Can you imagine?!!!??? She's lived through the invention of cars (just a bit before her time) to the shuttle, telegraph to cell phones and the Internet, two world wars, Korea, VietNam.

She's been in a home for several years now and is a little out of it occasionally. But whenever I go to visit (she's in Maine) she knows who I am and if Thom is not with me, asks about him.

One of my siblings or my mom visits her just about every day to feed her lunch.

V.

[Trek420]

Happy Birthday G'ma! :D

[margo49]

Tell us a story about her, Veronica.

[Running Mommy]

WOW V! That is so cool!! I love sitting and talking to the older generations. There is so much we can learn from them. And I just love their take on the world these days.
Yes, please... Tell us a story about her!
And if you talk to her, telll her "ALL" your friends wish her a very happy birthday!

[Aggie_Ama]

Happy birthday Grandma!!

My own Mammaw is 89, I took her to the doctor a few weeks back; she's a fiesty one I tell ya! And the stories she can tell. She doesn't "get how we look at pictures on those computers". :D

[Veronica]

I don't have too many stories, mostly images in my head. My grandparents babysat me through much of my early childhood. They raised cattle and lived on a pretty large farm. I loved being over there. Except... for the cows. I was very much afraid of the cows. Cows are big when you are 4 or 5. My grandmother, who seems tiny to me now at right around 5 feet, would just push her way through those cows. And they would actually move.

As far as I know, she never had a driver's license, but she drove all the farm vehicles with ease. They had this one really ancient tractor with iron wheels. It was named Connie and that was her favorite one to drive. At haying time, she would drive the truck while my grandfather and brothers loaded in the bales. I just worked really hard at being in their way.

She has tiny little ankles. Genetics did not bequeath those on me. :p She had red hair, now it is a beautiful white. I get my skin coloring from her.

When I was in junior high I once asked her why she never wore pants. Her answer, "Why Vonni, I wear pants every day!" My grandfather snickered. She always wore an apron, unless she was going to an event.

To this day she won't call me Veronica and she always spelled my nickname wrong - with just one n.

We'll be in Maine next week. She'll be tickled to hear that you all wished her well.

V.

[Tuckervill]

Bless her heart!

My grandmother died last year on my birthday, a couple of months after she turned 100. Then in October, my husband's Aunt Suzie died just a few months after her 100th birthday.

I have a picture of Aunt Suzie taken last summer. The picture is of her from a distance, and she's holding a water hose, and she's watering her huge collards and tomatoes in her garden. She was still living at her home in Florida. Her newish house never had a driveway, because she never drove.

My grandmother had been in a home for about 5 years, and didn't recognize anyone but her children anymore. But she, too, gardened right up until she went in the nursing home. In fact, when she was 92, the weatherman came and did the weather right from her 1/2 acre garden, and we have pictures of him riding on the back of her tractor while she showed him around.

But my favorite story about my grandmother is the time she was taking her four children to church on the back of a mule one rainy spring. They lived down on the Arkansas river, and that mule got stuck to its elbows in the mud with the four kids on its back. My dad says my grandmother (we called her Maw), stood on a log and grabbed that mule and pulled it out--with four little kids aboard--all by herself. She could do anything she set her mind to, and she's the person I most hope to be like.

Karen

[maillotpois]

Wow - happy birthday! That's impressive. She sounds like a great character.

[Veronica]

She grew peas, lilacs and African violets.

If I get peas in the shell now I have to eat some of them raw. We'd sit out on her front lawn in those webbed lawn chairs with a big bowl to put the shelled peas in. She would get upset with me for eating them raw. "They'll give you a tummy ache!"

I have lilacs in my front yard. They're not quite like hers. Hers seemed like gigantic trees. Mine are getting there. They started off as single sticks 13 years ago. Unfortunately, I have killed every African Violet I've ever had.

She used to make me take a nap everyday. I think it was so she could watch Days of Our Lives without interruption. :p We both hated the Watergate scandal because it interrupted our TV routine - no game shows or soaps.


V.

[aka_kim]

How cool! Happy Birthday Grandma!

[DDH]

Happy Birthday to Grandma!!! How wonderful she must be.

I love older people that still love life, and love to tell the stories of when they were growing up. They grew up in such a different world than we have.

[Veronica]

Her stories about her mother-in-law are funny. My grandfather was an only child. His mother was (according to my GM) a bit possessive and she lived with them. Grandpa's mom would ask her like every week if she was menstruating. She'd barge into their room while they were in bed. Grandpa finally put a lock on their door. But she tries so hard to not speak ill of her MIL when you ask her about it.

V.

[spokewench]

Happy Birthday Grandma!

I have an 89 year old lady on my USTA 3.0 tennis team. She is absolutely amazing in every way! Sharp as a tack, active and physically able. She played doubles with me in league play this weekend in 97:eek: degree weather.

My hat is off to her. I just hope that I am doing that well when I am her age.

[Veronica]

I wish I knew why some people age so well and others don't. I want to be active right up until the end. Who doesn't? :) I'm sure it's all about how we take care of ourselves now.

V.

[dingster1]

Happy Birthday Grandma!!! My own grandma was 104 when she passed 2 years ago. I like spending time with older people, and pray the good Lord blesses me to live a long life. BUt what I notice is they tended to work hard, eat fresh and in my Grandmas case, put in a lot of knee time(prayer):) I think the old ways are best sometimes!:)