My dear grandma is 93. I call her Nanny. She is definitely slowing down in many ways. It should be expected at the time in her life, but it is still hard to see. Today I went and stayed with her for a while when my mom took my grandpa to a doctor's appointment. It was good.
We talked a bit about knitting and crocheting. When I was young, I learned how to knit from her. She told me several times about how Aunt Hazel used to crochet all the time. About how the crochet seemed to just come out of her fingers.
She also told me about some old embroidery patterns that were in a chest down in the basement. I went to find them, and discovered that my grandpa had emptied the chest. Nanny rolled her eyes when I told her this; she knows that "Papa" does these sorts of things without telling her.
I've often admired the stitched pieces that are up around the house, but today I noticed how many there are. There are a lot. And they are mostly cross-stitch. I find this old cross-stitch infinitely more charming than the more modern pieces especially those that were so popular in the 80s.
We also talked about baking. My grandma taught me to bake, and it makes me sad that she isn't really able to do that anymore. But she can still talk about it. She told me that when her mother used to make rye bread, or any other thing like that, she didn't measure the flour. She could just tell how much it needed. Amazing. I have my great grandma Mollie's rye bread recipe, and I think I should bake some, just so that Nanny can see how it comes out.
Before I came home, I got a few goodies. Those hoops at the top, a small oval hoop, and this hand sewing machine. You just squeeze it to take a stitch. Can't wait to try it!
It's a strange thing to see things change so much. When I was little, I spent so many hours at my grandparents' house. I watched Nanny make so many things and tell me how to make them too. Now I tell her about the things that I'm doing, and she sends me home with the tools she used years ago. I think I'd like to go back to how things were.
Tell me...what is something that a grandparent shared with you?
My Grandma taught me how to embroider when I was 6 years old. I love it!!
ReplyDeleteShe also taught me how to bake and how to create a stockpile of food so that you always have something at the house. Both come in handy, too!
Louise
I think it's so wonderful that you have a chance to sit and chat with her about these things. I never had the grandparent experience. My one grandma lived so far away and didn't seem to be too interested in children anymore and my other grandma loved kids but had 25+ grand-kids and so I was just one of the many. Both have passed away so long ago, those cherished moments you described never happened for me. It's so nice that you have this opportunity, I'm sure it makes her happy too. Enjoy every moment of it, you're one of the lucky ones.
ReplyDeletethis post brought tears to my eyes...i love those special moments :) i often think about the 'way things used to be' and wonder what we will share with our grandchildren...our iphone apps? i hope that i am still using my crafting skills by then to share an old craft, like your grandmother is doing with you :)
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