birthdays Archives · Page 3 of 3

My Grandma turned 94 on Saturday. This means she was born in 1917.

1917…so many years ago and so many changes she’s experienced. I didn’t go visit her on her birthday because I assumed she would have a lot of other company there helping her celebrate. Taylor and I went to see her yesterday and found out no one was there on her special day. That was the beginning of several “twangs” I felt in my heart and my stomach. I should have been there! Grandma’s level of anxiety is so much less when there’s not so much activity in her room and in her life. Too many at one time overwhelms her because she can’t see very well and she can’t hear very well. She wants to be an active participant in the conversation and can’t focus when there’s more than one conversation happening.

Yesterday, while Taylor and I sat there with her, Grandma was in a very chatty mood. She smiled a lot and offered stories I had never heard before. I told her about going to Lincoln on Friday night to watch Taylor at All-State Choir. She asked what songs they sang and the only one I knew she would know was “My Country Tis of Thee”. She smiled from ear to ear, “Really? My Country Tis of Thee?” and then broke out in song. It was a moment that melted my heart! I really didn’t know Grandma liked to sing. She said she sang a lot as a kid and whistled all the time. Really? That’s Taylor! Whistling all the time. And in shrill notes that aggravate the heck out of me! Grandma told us the story of whistling really loud each time she had to go out and call the cows in. The cows got to know her whistle and when they heard it they’d know she and her dog were on their way. This brought tears to my eyes. My Grandma was once a little girl – someone who sang and whistled and enjoyed being with her 9 brothers and sisters. It was at this moment that I wished that I could have one of those days that I mentioned in a previous posting. A day that would take me back in time to allow me to see my Grandma as a little girl and view the simplicity of her life at that time. Grandma can’t whistle anymore. When she got dentures, the dentist took away her whistle. When she told us that story, it was Taylor who started to cry. Whenever Taylor whistles, I will probably still get agitated with the shrillness, but it will forever take on a whole different feeling – I will think of my Grandma.

Grandma also told of the time that she (as a 5 or 6-year-old girl) had to go up on stage for a school play. She could STILL remember her line. It goes something like this:

When I got up on stage, my heart went twitter pat, twitter pat. I heard someone in the audience ask, “Who’s sweet little girl is that?”

I can picture a little blond-headed 5 year old being scared to death up on stage and Grandma said, “My heart really was going twitter pat, twitter pat”. 🙂 Grandma was once a little girl, someone’s daughter, sister, and best friend. I have always known her as Grandma.

The memories I hold near and dear to my heart include her famous fried chicken with bread and gravy, Christmas and Easter, fishing, her cookie drawer, sitting in her lap, and “fixing” her hair. When I was little, we didn’t get to go see her very often. She lived 2 1/2 hours away. But, when we did, it was the BEST! I can still remember the overwhelming feelings of sadness as I would watch her house go out of sight in the rear view mirror. I felt that same feeling yesterday. I love you, Grandma! And I hope that one day, I’ll be a grandma just like you who unknowingly creates that sort of love in a little ones heart!

So exactly 24 hours ago, we had snow on the ground here in Eastern Nebraska! Yep…the day before yesterday it was BEAUTIFUL – near 70 degrees. Yesterday, however, we had a taste of what’s to come. We had pouring rain, thunder and then thunder snow. It went from 45 degrees to 30 in a matter of minutes. By the time it was all said and done, we had more than an inch of wet snow on the ground.

When Taylor got home, she informed me that it was THE BEST day ever! Not only because it was her 17th birthday but she had answered a question or a poll or something that asked her if she could have any one thing for her birthday, what would it be? She answered…to have Jordan (our dog) back in our lives. Well, Jordan LOVED snow. She loved chasing snow – either coming out of a snow blower or thrown snow balls or she could roll her own snow balls with her nose and throw them up in the air only to catch them again. So, Taylor was convinced that it snowed only for her and for her to know that Jordan was with her. 🙂 Love it, Tate!

Today, however, it’s beautiful once again. Not 70 degrees beautiful but over 50 and the sun is shining. No more white stuff to be seen anywhere.

Yesterday was also the beginning of the fall puzzle that must be put together before winter can truly arrive. The puzzle I’m referring to is the arranging of the equipment in the shed. We’ve rented a shed for 20+ years and it has gradually gotten smaller and smaller every year. Why? The equipment keeps getting bigger and bigger. The shed we rent is not one like you’d see in a farmer’s yard. It’s sides are rounded and not very big. Twenty some years ago, it was perfect! I wish I could wiggle my nose and create a much larger one with heat and a cement floor for Mr. Jim to be able to work in. We should have just bit the bullet 20 some years ago and bought our own. Hindsight is always 20/20! So, as I began telling you, we started putting the puzzle together yesterday. Jim wanted to get the two heads (MacDon flex head and the corn head) out of the weather first. Working from the back of the shed, of course, to the front. One piece of the puzzle that we won’t have to find a spot for will be a trailer house. That should help! By the time it’s all together, Jim will have organized and fit and moved and removed each piece of our Zeorian Harvesting & Trucking puzzle until it’s just perfect…with little room to spare! Once this chore is complete, harvest will truly be over for 2011 and Jim will begin his next yearly adventure – hauling propane. I heard him say he’ll start that after November 15th, giving him a little time to kick back before his REAL job begins! During the winter, he’ll work harder than he does in the summer and will put in over 70 hours per week. By the time April rolls around, he’ll be welcoming the upcoming harvest routine once again (and so will we).

We didn’t have a full blown 17th birthday party for Taylor like we sometimes do. She opted to have a smaller, more intimate one and wanted to do the cooking. Really? Who wants to cook on your birthday? Tate!! She’s an awesome cook and didn’t even realize it until this past summer. She was forced to be the harvest cook after Jenna retired and she has stepped up to the plate in all her glory! She really likes to bake. So, for supper, she created bread bowls and we had two kinds of soup – cheesy broccoli and chili. She also made her own cake – a pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling. It was DELICIOUS!

17?….I remember 17 – how can I be the mother of THREE daughters that have reached that age? Callie, you’ve got a few more years to catch up – but please don’t hurry! Happy birthday, Tate! Love you!