What were your grandparents like? What memories stick out with you about them?--Al

-- Al Schroeder (al.schroeder@nashville.com), November 12, 1999

Answers

I only remember one grandparent really well---the others died when I was too young---the aforementioned grandmother.--al

-- Al Schroeder (al.schroeder@nashville.com), November 12, 1999.

Growing up, I spent summers with my maternal grandparents. My mother was young and wild when she had me -- not to mention it was the 1970's, and my mother's entire generation was a bit mad back then.

Pop is still living, stubbornly healthy at 75, and a completely naughty brat about watching his (mild) diabetes. He tells TERRIBLE jokes. Blue jokes. The sort that just make your jaw fall slack, and your mind go belching on the fact that this is -- yep, lemme check, sure is -- Granddad. Of course, he would always tell them at the dinner table... Right after blessing... JUST to get a rise out of Nana. Of course! She'd hiss at him and I'd giggle despite myself. The harder I laughed, the whiter her lips would go, until finally, she'd declare that I was just like him. Pop would always slap my knee and say, "Ayuh ayuh ayuh. That's my girl."

Nana died in December of 1995, about six months after I had my daughter. I flew out in late July of that year to help care for her, 7-week-old child in tow. I knew very well it would be the only time Nana would have with her sole GGchild.

On one of Nana's last "good" days, she cuddled up with Babe in the brocade lounger. Nana's tired brown eyes stared and stared into my little girl's bright ocean blue ones. Finally, in that quietly firm tone I'd heard so many times before, she said to me, "Oh, dollface, will she ever give you trouble. Stubborn as the day is long. Can't spank this child, or talk to her too sharply, now. Not that you won't want to. She's so sensitive, if you're too hard on her, you'll just crush her. Oh, but she's wise, and if you listen to her, she just might teach you a thing or two."

And, wouldn't you know it...

-- Ana'

-- Ana' (shamed@shamed.com), November 13, 1999.