Grandma loved feeding people. We would often have church members come over for dinner. We would often run out of room on her small kitchen table. So, after she served one dish, she would remove it from the table and bring another over. One time, she hurriedly brought one of the salads and realized that she had forgotten the tongs; so, she grabbed it with her hands and dumped it on each plate while muttering, "My hands are clean. My hands are clean."
One night, we had Don over for dinner. He and Mom had been dating for a little while. Grandma made chicken. While she was serving, she asked, "Do you like breast, Don?"
Grandma didn't have many clothes and what she did have was raggedy and stained. Mom said that she would sometimes be embarrassed by Grandma's stained outfits but that she later realized that Grandma didn't have clothes because she spent her money on them. She spent her money on their music lessons, riding lessons, ice skating lessons etc. Grandma often wore a Mickey Mouse sweater with two large stains, one on the sleeve and one on the stomach. I think Mom has that sweater now.
Grandpa's driving was terrifying. I often prayed for safety as I sat in the front seat of his white Lincoln. One day, he turned to me and asked if I wanted to drive. He took me to an abandoned parking lot and switched spots with me. It was the first time I got behind the wheel and it was our secret. I got to drive back and forth in the parking lot for half an hour or so. He would have me practice accelerating and slowing down. We practiced parking. I loved it.
I used to read Frances the Badger books. They were about a naughty little badger who would often get herself into trouble. She had tea parties and picnics and ate boiled eggs out of egg cups. Grandma made this a reality for me. She hosted a tea party for me; I got to invite some of my friends over. We ate cucumber sandwiches and drink out of tea cups. She took us on a picnic in a beautiful field. She also bought some special egg cups so that I could put my boiled eggs in them. She gave us little spoons to crack them with. It was fun, experiencing new things with Grandma. We read Hank the Cowdog books. Grandma also bought some of the tapes so that we could listen to it while we drove. We also loved reading George and Martha books about two silly hippos who experience new things together and play tricks on each other.
I used to read Frances the Badger books. They were about a naughty little badger who would often get herself into trouble. She had tea parties and picnics and ate boiled eggs out of egg cups. Grandma made this a reality for me. She hosted a tea party for me; I got to invite some of my friends over. We ate cucumber sandwiches and drink out of tea cups. She took us on a picnic in a beautiful field. She also bought some special egg cups so that I could put my boiled eggs in them. She gave us little spoons to crack them with. It was fun, experiencing new things with Grandma. We read Hank the Cowdog books. Grandma also bought some of the tapes so that we could listen to it while we drove. We also loved reading George and Martha books about two silly hippos who experience new things together and play tricks on each other.
We got used to Grandma and Grandpa's house rules. They were strict, but so was Mom; so, it wasn't a huge adjustment for us. Grandma was put in charge of a primary class at church and she was having a hard time keeping the kids in line. I had heard her discuss this problem with Grandpa a few weeks in a row. She had started talking about it with Sarah and I, asking what our teachers had done when we were in primary. I went to the bathroom as they talked in length about it. As I came back, I didn't know that they had switched to a different subject. They were talking about a fun activity Grandma could do with her class. She was going to simulate 'holding to the iron rod' and wanted the kids to hold onto pieces of string with blindfolds over their eyes. She wanted to have people whisper to them, both good and bad spirits, either encouraging them to hold on or telling them to let go. When I came back into the room, Grandma and Sarah were talking about what the evil spirits could say to them. I sat down and, still thinking that they were talking about punishing the primary students, heard Grandma harshly whisper, "We can just say, 'God doesn't love you! Just give up! Give up!' " I was stunned! Grandma was strict, but she had never whispered that to me when I was naughty. I suddenly felt really bad for the troublesome children but was scared to say anything, worried that Grandma would say something similar to me if I objected. I was especially shocked because Sarah was nodding with Grandma, both looking excited to say such things. Thankfully, as they kept talking, I realized my mistake and explained to them how bothered I had been. Grandma laughed hard. We sat around the table crying and laughing for a long time.
